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JetBlue to New Yorkers: Welcome Aboard for $10 If You Book By Tonight

You've got 'til midnight tonight, Central time, to snare a promotional, $10 fare on JetBlue for travel Tuesday (March 9th) and Wednesday (March 10th) from New York's JFK airport to any of JetBlue's first ten cities it served when the airline began 10 years ago.

Those cities include Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, West Palm Beach, and Fort Myers, FL.  Also included are Buffalo and Rochester, NY; Oakland, CA; Burlington, VT; and Salt Lake City, UT. 

The last-minute promotion, just announced, is in celebration of the airline's tenth birthday.  On Wednesday, JetBlue will use Twitter to announce more giveaways for New York-area customers.  And there will be new offers every month during this year.

As I write this, the airline's web site is experiencing "technical difficulties" that I'm guessing are the result of this announcement.

Scoop! Blogger Chris Elliot at www.elliott.org Obtains TSA Security Document

For the last 24 hours, those of us who write about travel have been mightily confused by what the TSA has asked airlines to do in the wake of the attempt on Christmas Day to blow up a Delta flight from Amsterdam as it approached a landing in Detroit.

About a half hour ago, my radio show colleague, Christopher Elliott, got a hold of the actual TSA document that clarifies quite a few points. 

First of all, it's only directed at INCOMING international flights.  All passengers are supposed to be patted down before boarding a flight to the US in addition to the usual security screening.

Passengers are not to leave their seats the last hour of the flight.

Passengers are not to have anything in their laps--computers, magazines, blankets, or pillows--for that last hour of a flight.  In short, flight attendants want to be able to see hands, just like cops on TV shows do when they bust into the bad guys' hideouts.

These rules are only in force through Dec. 30th, at the moment.

As Chris said a few minutes ago on my Los Angeles radio show, it's not entirely clear that had these rules had been in effect earlier that they would have thwarted the Christmas Day bomber, though he would have had to visit the lavatory a lot earlier than he did.  But a bomb is a bomb, and if it had exploded over the Atlantic the result would have been just as disastrous as if it had exploded during the approach to Detroit.  Maybe the news headlines would have been bigger in the latter case.

At any rate, check out Chris' blog to see the government's exact wording.

Fallout: Is the TSA Banning Electronics And More On Airplane Flights?

In the wake of the passenger yesterday who tried to ignite some kind of powdery substance while a Delta flight from Amsterdam began its descent into Detroit, the TSA has issued some new rules that frequent flyers fear will ban such things as laptops, iPods, and just about anything else for much of a flight.

Because it's a holiday weekend, there aren't any TSA officials around for public comment, but a posting on Air Canada's web site today seemed to suggest the TSA is banning laptops, books, MP3 players and just about anything else other than an airlines' in-flight magazine during the last hour of a flight.  Of course, since passengers can't operate electronic devices the first 15 minutes or so into a flight, that means for any flights less than 75 minutes in duration, you better get used to chatting up your seatmate.

Here's whats on the Air Canda site: "New rules imposed by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration also limit on-board activities by customers and crew in U.S. airspace that may adversely impact on-board service. Among other things, during the final hour of flight customers must remain seated, will not be allowed to access carry-on baggage, or have personal belongings or other items on their laps."

Personal belongings or other items on their laps?  Because they might "adversely impact on-board services"?  Why would typing on my laptop or listening to the Rolling Stones on my iPhone affect the collection of used plastic cups or discarded newspapers?  

This also means there will be no use of in-flight lavatories during the last hour of a flight, so if you'd be advised to check your watch frequently.  And Air Canada and British Airways also announced today a limit of one carry-on item in the wake of the incident.  Consumer travel writer Chris Elliott, writing this morning, says a Northwest flight attendant with whom he spoke, recommended passengers allow THREE hours at the airport before a domestic departure, FOUR for international. 

It's beginning to look more attractive to drive or take the train to more and more distant destinations!

At the Four Seasons Chicago, the Babysitter Comes Free When the Parental Unit Dines Downstairs on Thursdays

There are all kinds of good reasons to check into the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, starting with location and luxury.  (I know "luxury" is a bad word these days, but sometimes a hotel can't avoid being referred to that way, what can I say?)

Here's another, very clever one.  Every Thursday, a family staying at the hotel can count on complimentary babysitting services for the kids while mom and dad dine in the hotel's restaurant, Seasons, between 5:30 and 9:30.  Not that the children will go hungry--they get to jump on the beds, play board games, watch movies, or play with a Nintendo Wii with their caregiver while dining on mac 'n' cheese, chicken fingers and fruit kabobs. 

The menu is a bit more rarified in the hotel's restaurant--beef tartare with homemade beer mustard, anyone?  My only wish: That the hotel could offer this deal seven days a week. 

Headed To Toronto? Why Not Have a New Friend Show You Around?

You've got a friend in Toronto.  Even if you don't know don't know anyone there, the city's tourism folks would like to introduce you to a local resident who will take into account your interests and then show you around town.

For free.  (Though it might be nice if you buy your genial host a lunch or dinner.)

The service is called Tap into To.  Visit the web site, list the number of visitors and their ages, and mention what kind of sites interest you.  There's also a program to accommodate visitors with disabilities. 

How To Get an Upgrade for Domestic & Foreign Travel Today

One of the most valuable perks of membership in an airline's frequent flyer program is the ability to be upgraded from coach class from time to time.

But the rules vary from airline to airline and are constantly changing.  And rules for getting upgraded on foreign flights are different than getting upgraded on domestic flights.  As Continental leaves the Skyteam alliance (Northwest, Delta, et. al.) to link up with the Star folks (United, US Airways, et. al.), members of those frequent flyer clubs are either winning or losing, as well. 

The Wall Street Journal's excellent consumer travel columnist Scott McCartney does a great job of simplifying the current rules on most US airlines in an article today. It's worth reading if you're a frequent flyer who plays the mileage game. 

Press Release: 'Rudy Maxa's World' Wins 2nd Emmy w/ 'Tokyo'

The Tokyo episode of the first 13-show season of public television's travel series "Rudy Maxa's World" won a prestigious regional Emmy award last night in the category of "Arts/Entertainment feature" from the Upper Midwest chapter of the National Television Academy. 

It's the second Emmy win for the series in that category--last year, the "Rajasthan" show captured an Emmy as well.

Because the entry deadline bisected the series' season, only two shows were available for consideration by judges last year while 11 shows were eligible for consideration in 2009.

"I realize it's quite extraordinary for two episodes in an inaugural season to win Emmys in a major category," said executive producer Rudy Maxa.  "And the credit goes to Susan McNally, who wrote the script and co-executive produced the show, along with our photographer, Kirk Miller, whose artistic eye was well matched with the Japanese zeitgeist."

"Rudy Maxa's World" is the sixth season of shows hosted by Maxa for public television, and the first produced entirely by his company, St. Paul-based RMW Productions.  The company is currently producing a seventh season of shows, with episodes featuring South Africa, London, Scotland, and Uzbekistan's Silk Road already filmed.

Last night's win follows receipt of two Telly silver awards (the highest award possible from a judging panel of advertising and production professionals) for the "Kyoto" and "Bangkok" episodes and two CINE Golden Eagle awards for the "Tokyo" and "Rajasthan" shows.

"The Tokyo episode was particularly interesting to produce," said Susan McNally, "because Tokyo has so much color and life.  Everything from food to fashion is done with perfection, and we hope we captured that."

The crew was assisted during filming in Tokyo by local resident and guide Shinja Nohara, who has worked with journalists and television crews from around the world on assignment in Tokyo.

"Shinji's good spirits, his energy, and his willingness to tolerate our long days and nights of shooting made him an ideal 'fixer' during our week of work in Tokyo," said Maxa.  "Oh, and he also speaks Japanese."

The win coincides with the start of the broadcast of "Rudy Maxa's World" overseas by Travel Channel International, which recently began broadcasting the series in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Africa with Asia to follow in 2010.

The most recent season of "Rudy Maxa's World" was made possible by generous underwriting funds from The Leading Hotels of the World, Northwest Airlines, the Japan National Tourism Organization, and MedjetAssist.

DVDs of "Rudy Maxa's World" are available at the show's website, as are DVDs from previous seasons titled "Smart Travels: Europe with Rudy Maxa" and "Smart Travels: Pacific Rim with Rudy Maxa," produced in conjunction with Seattle-based Small World Productions.

Southwest Airlines Expands Flights From Denver

Southwest today announced new non-stop service between Denver and Boston Logan, Spokane, and Reno/Tahoe effective Jan. 10, 2010.  Tickets may be purchased beginning immediately.

Fares in mid-January between Denver and Boston begin at $129 each way.  Fares between Denver and Spokane begin at $99 each way.  And Denver-Reno/Tahoe start at $117 each way.

Singles Travel: Beating the 'Based On Double Occupancy' Rule

A week ago I began a new, one-hour travel talk show on the CBS all-talk station in Los Angeles, KFWB-AM 980, and a listener called in to ask how she could save money while taking trips that routinely require two people traveling together to snare a bargain price.

It's a good question, but before I answer it, let me invite you to tune in on Sundays from 4 to 5 p.m. Pacific to the radio version of "Rudy Maxa's World" if you happen to live in Southern California.  Otherwise, you may listen to the show as a live stream at the station's web site and join the party by calling in with a question or comment.  And beginning any day now, the station promises me that a podcast of each Sunday's episode will be available for downloading at the KFWB website.

OK, for the listener who asked the question and who was driving in her car and unable to write down the several web sites to which I pointed her, here is what she (and perhaps, you) need to know about saving money as a single traveler.

There are two ways to beat the double occupancy rule. The first is to find a tour or cruise that only charges a modest "singles surcharge."  This is not easy, but if you find a trip you'd like to take, it's worth calling the trip provider to ask if there's a reasonable surcharge if someone is traveling alone.  Sometimes, if an organized trip or cruise has empty spaces, a provider may be willing to have you aboard simply for the incremental revenue.

The second way is to find a suitable traveling companion.  Some cruise lines and travel companies will match you with another single traveler, though it's obviously a crapshoot as to whether or not the two of you will get along in, say, a cozy on-board berth.  Several web sites promise to come to the rescue by introducing you ahead of time so you can perhaps judge your compatibility.  Some charge a fee.

--The Solo Travel Network promises to "search the world for singles tours, singles cruises, singles travel clubs, hospitality organizations, any and all single-friendly holiday ideas."  That's a pretty big promise, but the group's home page provides plenty of examples.  Based in British Columbia, Connecting: Solo Travel Network (CSTN), publishes a travel newsletter, and you can see a sample here to help you decide if you'd like to subscribe. In my opinion, this is one of the more robust sites that can be helpful to singles looking for travel companions or deals for singles.

--If you're of a Certain Age (which means 50 or older), check out Wired Seniors, a site that links seniors for free to one another for social purposes.  There is a travel section that isn't all that helpful but does provide lots of links that might be.

--Solo Travel is another site that links to singles tours mainly by linking to appropriate Google ads.  However, there are a few articles about traveling alone or with a partner that you might find interesting.

--Airtroductions is a membership website that posts profiles and the travel schedules of folks who want to meet fellow travelers with similar interests.  Or who just want to share a flight they happen to be traveling on together. It seems to me a complicated way to find someone to share a cab with into town, but it may be a low-pressure site for meeting a new friend. Or, then again, you may meet the man or woman of your dreams and you can then thank me for changing your life. 

--Singles Travel International calls itself "America's premier singles travel company" attracting single professionals between the ages of 35 and 63 from around the world.  This is a travel agency, but there's nothing wrong with that if you find a trip that meets your criteria.

--And Solo's bills itself as the United Kingdom's "number one" singles tour operator with a worldwide menu of trips geared to solo travelers.

--Travel Chums claims to have almost 50,000 membes who are all looking for travel companions.  Sort of a Facebook of travel, you are invited to post your own web page with a photo and details about your likes and dislikes.  About 75% of members live in the US, 56% are single, there are slightly more men than women who are signed up, and membership skews across almost all ages with a surprising number of younger members. It's a big, wide, wonderful world, isn't it? 

JetBlue Offers All-You-Can-Fly, 30-Day Pass for $599

If you live in or near a city served by JetBlue, you might want to take a look at a new offering today: Unlimited flights between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8 to and from any of JetBlue's 57 cities for $599 plus applicable fees and taxes for international--but not domestic--destinations.  It's called the All-You-Can-Jet Pass.

Fly as often as you like with no blackout dates and no restricted seats.  Book travel up to three days in advance.  However, you MUST buy the package by Aug. 21.  This offer covers all of JetBlue's destinations including its international cities, and it's a heck of a deal if you can take off a few weeks beginning Sep. 8th and wander around! 

Footnote: The fact taxes and fees are NOT extra between domestic US destinations is a major plus.  For example, I'm holding a ticket I bought recently for a flight next week betwen New York's JFK airport and Burlington, VT.  Round-trip price: A very nice $119.  Taxes and fees?  Another $30. 

But be prepared to pay those fees and taxes if you choose any of JetBlue's Caribbean, Mexican, or South American destinations.

Quicky Sofitel Summer Sale: Book By Sunday Night

The luxury hotel chain Sofitel today announced a very brief sale that works this way: Book between now and July 26th for stays Aug. 1 through Sept. 7 at any North American Sofitel property and take save a third off your room stays of two nights or more.  Choose a suite and also get a third off plus a complimentary American breakfast.

Sample rates:

Sofitel San Francisco (in Redwood City): $110/night
Sofitel Washington, DC (downtown at Lafayette Square): $160
Sofitel Philadelphia (at Rittenhouse Square): $141
Sofitel New York (on Fifth Ave.): $213
Sofitel Montreal (at Golden Square Mile): US $136
Sofitel Minneapolis (near the Mall of America): $96
Sofitel Miami (near the Port of Miami): $87
Sofitel Los Angeles (at Beverly Blvd.): $197
Sofitel Chicago Water Tower: $144

The promotional code for these short-lived deals is SUMD.  You may also book rooms by calling 800-SOFITEL.

Where to Go Now? Look for Places Desperate to See You

Remember a few months ago when consumer travel journalists like I am suggested you give Europe a good look this summer because the US dollar had grown in value against the Euro? 

Well, the dollar has been slipping again lately, and it'll cost you at least $1.42 to buy a single Euro these days.

So where should you go?

I'd suggest visiting places that really NEED tourists.  Domestically, that would be Las Vegas.  Overseas, I still like Argentina, even though it's the beginning of winter now.  (However, Argentina's winter is different than my winter in Minnesota: It's 59 degrees in Buenos Aires as I write this post on Sunday evening, with a low of 50.)  But the biggest bargain is the country hardest hit by the international financial meltdown, Iceland.  It's the party capital of Europe and the closest European country to the US.  Icelandair has cheap flights from several US cities.  But get this astounding statistic: The dollar is 70 per cent more powerful against the Icelandic kronur than it was this time last year. 

Upgrade to Intl Biz Class on NW & Delta for One Mile Each Way

Normally, members of Northwest and Delta Air Line's frequent flyer programs can upgrade to business class on international flights by cashing in at least 20,000 miles each way when purchasing a full-fare coach ticket. 

But for a limited time, both airlines will move you to the front of the plane if you buy a full-fare coach ticket abroad and proffer one mile each way.  That's an international upgrade for just two frequent flyer miles, round trip.

Here's the small print: You can take advantage of this offer for travel between now and Sept. 15, but you must book your ticket by July 13, 2009.  Move fast.

Hotel Deals Galore! (Even Some Luxury Ones Worth Noting)

--Thirty members of The Leading Hotels of the World  in the U.S. and Canada are knocking 30 per cent off the price of hotel rooms from May 22 until Sept. 7.  They’re calling it “The American Summer Sale.”  How about the Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, CA, for only $375 a night?  Or the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Manhattan for about $500 a night?  (Yes, that’s a bargain.)

--Pay with an American Express card through Sept. 30 when you stay at a Ritz-Carlton and receive three nights for the price of two, five nights for the price of three, or seven nights for the price of four plus breakfast for two, free parking, and free Internet access.

--The Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers has a “no-hidden-fee” offer through Sept. 7 if you book by June 30.  Rooms begin at $119 a night, and that rate includes free parking, free Internet access, free unlimited domestic phone calls, and access to the hotel’s fitness center.  Potential savings: $75 a night. 

British Airways Offers $100 Off Coach To VISA Holders

If you're a member of British Airways' frequent flyer program (the "Executive Club"), you can receive $100 off on any round-trip ticket in coach class ("World Traveler" or "World Traveler Plus") if you pay for your ticket with a VISA card.

You can travel until Sept. 2, 2009, but you MUST book your ticket by May 31st.

Here are details.

Southwest Airlines Lets You Jump To Front Of the Line

Normally, members of Southwest Airline's frequent flyer program must fly 16 round-trip flights in 12 months to qualify as an "A-List" member.   A-Listers are automatically checked in for flights, usually receive priority boarding (no small thing since Southwest doesn't assign seats), and, where available, my use priority security lanes. 

But a special promotion announced moments ago allows anyone to become an elite member of Southwest's program if they fly five round trips before June 15, 2009.

Is it worth it? 

That depends.  If you fly Southwest frequently,  this is a great opportunity to join the A List, so to speak.  But you must first register for this promotion to take part in it.

Footnote: It was only a couple of weeks ago, when Southwest began its first service in Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Chicago's Midway, that I predicted Southwest would grow its service from MSP.  But the announcement yesterday that Southwest will begin flying to Denver as of May 26th from MSP surprised even me.  Can Vegas, BWI, LAX, SFO and maybe even Philadelphia be far behind?  One likely city pair: MSP and Kansas City, a route with few non-stop flights and ridiculously high fares, exactly the kind of market Southwest likes to take over. 

Sofitel Summer Sale If You Book By April 7th; NYC For $214!

The luxury collection of Sofitel hotels joins other hotel companies that are experiencing a downtown in business in discounting rooms with two sales.

The first, a six-day sale, offers very attractive rates through Sept. 7, 2009, if you're willing to book by April 7.

The 30% to 40% savings work out this way:

Sofitel Chicago Water Tower: rates begin at $179 a night before taxes
Philadelphia: $133
Los Angeles: $192
Washington, DC: $168
Montreal: $133 Canadian
Chicago O'Hare: $72
NYC: $214
Minneapolis: $72
Miami: $98
San Francisco (at Redwood City): $78

I find Sofitel's web site very confusing when trying to locate the above offer, so you might want to call Sofitel directly and request the six-day sale prices. (I received a press release on the subject, but there was no clear link to this offer in the press release, just as there wasn't on the company's web site.  Or at least I couldn't find one.)  The main reservation number that, irritatingly, can't be found on the hotel's web site, either, is 800-763-4835.

The second offer, called "Seasonal Diversion," offers a four-night stay for the cost of three nights.  Per-night rates are a bit higher than the sale above (The rate at the Chicago Water Tower hotel, for example, is $191 in this deal.)  This offer is good for stays through May 25th, and a late-check out (until 4 p.m.) is guaranteed.

Whichever deal you choose, you're getting a good price. 

Weekends At Some Ritz-Carltons Come With a Cash Bonus

From April first through the end of 2009, Ritz-Carlton hotels in many major cities are offering a bonus to guests who check in for the weekend.  Stay two nights and receive a $50 or $100 credit toward hotel services such as spa treatments and meals.  Stay three nights and that credit doubles to $100 or $200.

The difference in the amount of credit you receive is based on which hotel you select.  For example, the downtown Washington, DC, Ritz-Carltons (there are two of them) offer the $100 credit for a two night stay adn $200 for a three-night stay because their nightly rate is higher than the two Ritz-Carltons just outside of DC in suburban Virginia. The Pentagon City and Tyson's Corner hotels offer a $50 credit for two nights, $100 for three nights.

The deal grows more generous if you book a suite.

The Ritz-Carlton folks call this their Reconnect package, and you can book it on line.  Note that some overseas hotels, including Ritz-Carltons in Beijing, Singapore, Shanghai, and Doha are participating in this offer, as well. 

Boston Become Southwest's Newest City This Fall; Somewhere, Competitors Weep

The US airline that changes the market in every city it begins service announces it will start flying into and out of Boston's Logan airport this coming fall.  Southwest has for years served Boston with flights into Providence, Rhode Island, and Manchester, New Hampshire.  The airline pays smaller airport fees at such regional airports  But it also hasn't shied away from launching flights from major airports such as Los Angeles.

The Boston announcement came at a company event in Chicago last night, and the news will obviously send executives at other airlines that serve Boston into a frenzy.  It's called the "Southwest effect"--anytime Southwest begins service in a new market, airline fares drop across the board as existing competitors try to hold on to business in the face of lower fares introduced by Southwest.

So Bostonians can expect not just lower fares come the autumn leaves but also promotions from existing carriers such as on double miles on flights into and out of Logan.

Southwest is the country's only consistently profitable airline, and what used to be a fringe player now serves 64 airports and is a game-changer in every market it enters.  Coming in March: Southwest begins flying from Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, my hometown, to Chicago's Midway.  Northwest, its main competitor, matched Southwest's low fares as soon as they were announced.  It remains to be seen, as Southwest begins flying to other destinations from  MSP, what affect it will have on Northwest, which, of course, is soon to become Delta Air Lines. 

'Roaches, Rats, Mice . . . ' Say Hello To the World's Dirtiest Hotels

The web site for the Hotel Carter near Times Square in New York City is fairly straightforward: "Enjoy the warm hospitality and service at the Hotel Carter," says the home page, "a unique and inviting departure from traditional hotels in Manhattan." 

One departure from traditional hotels in New York City seems to be how filthy the Hotel Carter is, according to a listing by TripAdvisor.com that ranks the top ten dirtiest hotels in the US as well as several other countries around the globe.  The Hotel Carter stands at number one on the U.S. list, with the Continental Bayside Hotel in Miami Beach capturing that coveted second place. 

"Roaches, rats, mice, horrible smells, dirty sheets, horrifying bathrooms, outlets that hang out of walls," was one review by a guest on TripAdvisor after a stay at the Hotel Carter, where the rate for a random day in mid-February I selected was $140 a night, including taxes. 

Another guest tagged the hotel as the "filthiest, most unsanitary place I've ever seen" and warned of bedbugs.

TripAdvisor considers all the reveiws it receives from guests who make voluntary posts to determine its list of the dirtiest hotels. In Paris, it's the Hotel Merryl.  In Italy, it's the Hotel Nizza in Rome you want to avoid.  While the web site lists the top ten dirtiest hotels in France, Italy, India, Spain, the United Kingdom, Asia, and the U.S., TripAdvisor couldn't find ten in Germany.

"We looked everywhere," TripAdvisor writes, "but our members tell us there aren't that many dirty hotels in Germany."

Three, to be exact.

As far as I could tell, almost all the hotels chosen for the dubious honor of making the lists fall into the "budget" category, so if you're venturing to a new destination and come across a really cheap hotel, you might want to check out TripAdvisor's Hall of Shame before you book for the night.

Why You Should Make Travel Plans to India Right Now

• Because just as the US needed support from the international community following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, so, too, does India.
• India's is a young democracy that deserves our support, and tourism is an important part of its economy.
• It's a huge country, and the crisis in Mumbai is on par with the destruction (by a home-grown terrorist) of the Oklahoma City federal building--a tragedy but a localized one.
• India is a safe country for visitors.  In fact, the Indian mantra is that visitors are to be treated as "gods." 
• India is one of the great destinations of the world, full of color and energy. 
• By visiting India, you send this message to terrorists: You cannot intimidate or frighten those of us who believe in democracy and freedom; your numbers are small and your message of hate only strengthens our resolve to live freely and support inclusive societies.
• The freedom to travel is a hard-won blessing that ought not be denied by those who would kill innocents in order to publicize their cause.

So if you've been thinking about visiting India--or have always wanted to go--don't let the events in Mumbai dissuade you any more than what happened on 9/11 would cause you to avoid New York City or Washington, DC.

If you need more convincing, check out my DVD shot this time last year in India.  There are two, half-hour episodes, "Delhi & Agra" and "Rajasthan."  Both destinations are in the northern part of the country and are often the places first-time visitors choose.  But the country is enormous and gorgeous--the Nov/Dec issue of National Geographic Traveler has an insert on India (called "Incredible India") that will stimulate your imagination and give you ideas about dozens of destinations. (This picture is from the Red Fort in Old Dehli.)

On a personal note, I had several friends who work for the luxury Taj Hotels company who were in the Taj Mumbai when the terrorists launched their attack.  I'm gratified that, eventually, all escaped unharmed.  However, the hotel's general manager lost his wife and two children in the fires that broke out in the hotel during the siege, and I grieve for his loss.  My heart goes out to all the families who lost loved ones in this horrific event that harmed so many and helped no one or their cause.   

Amex Platinum Cardholders, Listen Up: 2-for-1 Domestic Tix Ends

One of the perks of carrying the American Express Platinum Card is the ability to buy two tickets for (roughly) the price of one for domestic flights on major US carriers. Cardholders can purchase up to eight ticket pairs a year under the "Domestic Companion Airfare Program" as long as they fly round trip together with a companion on the same itinerary.   

I think the program should be called the "Companion Domestic Airfare Program," since the "domestic" refers to the kind of airline ticket and is not a descriptor of the word "companion"; two people related or not, living together or not, can take advantage of the 2-for-1 offer.

Be that as it may, here's the important news: Amex is quietly discontinuing that program as of Nov. 15, 2008, though you may purchase future reservations beyond that date as long as you reserve by mid-November.

I will tell you that although I've carried a platinum Amex card for years, I didn't even know about the twofer program until a few months ago when a friend mentioned it to me.  I pay the pricey $300+ annual fee for the silver card because I value the access it provides to Northwest, Continental, American, and Delta airport lounges when I fly those airlines.  To join each of those airlines' lounge programs separately would cost more than $1,200 a year.

After learning about the twofer program, I tried three times to take advantage of it; I succeeded once. The downside: You must book weeks in advance, and there's no guarantee there will be seats available under the program.  I tried to buy two tickets for travel between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Boston more than six weeks ahead of time and was told no tickets by any routing were available.  And Amex also extracts a fee for booking each ticket pair.

However, I recently succeeded in buying two tickets between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago through Amex.  The tickets cost me about $100 more than if I'd purchased them individually through the usual channels, but even so, I saved a couple of hundred dollars. 

My guess is that the program was a terrible hassle for Amex.  I'm sure I wasn't the only one who got cranky with telephone agents when I first called and learned I had to book weeks ahead and, even then, I couldn't be sure I could be accommodated.  The airlines only made a certain number of tickets available to Amex for this program, and I'm betting inventory was a constant headache.

Bottom line: If you're an Amex "member" with a platinum card and you know two of you want to travel together within the US in the coming months, make your move now to try to secure tickets before Nov. 15th when this particular card benefit evaporates. 

Dateline Cape Town, South Africa: The Floating Fruits of Co-Founding Microsoft; Paul Allen's Yacht Almost Upstages Hotel

When my television crew and I checked into South Africa's Cape Grace hotel on the Cape Town waterfront recently, the exterior of the hotel was dominated by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's mega-yacht moored just outside.  You could almost exit the front door of the hotel and run right into the hull of the Tatoosh, a 303-foot-long behemoth that ranks as the 24th-largest yacht in world.  It was parked parallel to the hotel, almost another wing of the luxury hostelry.  And it was so huge, that even from the hotel's rooftop, my wide angle lens could barely capture the entire craft.

Allen himself wasn't in attendance; local gossip has it that he rarely sails aboard but will often fly to meet the German-built yacht at ports of call around the world.  Prior to arriving in Cape Town for a spell, the Tatoosh was moored off the Kenyan city of Mobassa (September), St. Jean Cap Ferrat on the French Riviera (August), and Athens, Greece (July). 

If you're curious as to how I know the various locations of Allen's yacht, it's not because the billionaire has ever invited me aboard.  I know the yacht's whereabouts thanks to a website that offers a nautical verson of of the sport of trainspotting.  Fans of big yachts all over the world prowl their local harbors and post sightings of yachts on Yachtspotter.com.  I'm told it drives owners of big boats who prefer privacy nuts; they're not thrilled that anyone in the world can find their yachts with simply a couple of clicks of the mouse.

The Tatoosh may not be in the top ten of the world's largest floating palaces, but you wouldn't know it to look at it.  On the rear deck are two small helicopters--yup, there are two helipads up top.  Two tenders cling to the side of the yacht: a 42-foot motorboat and a 32-foot sailboat.  (There was another powerboat on an upper deck in Cape Town, as you can see in the above photo; that's not standard equipment.)  There's a swimming pool on the second of the four decks, and the yacht also boasts a dive decompression chamber, an infirmary, gym, and movie theater. And of course a sauna and Jacuzzi. 

The yacht was built in 2000 and generally winters in the Caribbean and then spends the rest of the year roaming European and African spots favored by the wealthy.  If you'd like to hitch a ride aboard the Tatoosh, I'm told that when Allen is in Cape Town, he's known to hang at the Cape Grace's whiskey bar called Bascule that features more than 460 different whiskies from around the world. Buy him a rare pour and maybe he'll invite you aboard.

What American Television Shows Do You See When You Travel?

One fun aspect of traveling is seeing what American television shows are hits in other countries.  After all, many foreigners form their opinions about the United States partly based on portrayals of life in the US in movies and on television.

This past summer, for example, there were two American television shows that were among the top ten most-watched shows in France: "House" and "CSI Miami." (The movie "Lethal Weapon 3" also was in the top ten.) 

In Germany and Italy, no American-produced television series made the hit parade, but in Spain, "CSI" and "The Simpsons" are among that country's top ten shows.  Movies "The Scorpion King," "The Mummy Returns," and the 2005 release "Cursed" were big hits, as well. 

Footnote: The Beijing-based Olympics did skew summer viewing somewhat, supplanting shows that might have otherwise made the top ten.

Even With Gustav, It's All About Sarah Palin For Political Media

Until Gustav began heading toward the Gulf Coast, there was one topic of conversation among the media who have arrived here in St. Paul for the start of the Republican National Convention:  Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

John McCain’s choice for his running mate so startled the national press corps (not to mention one of his closest advisers, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who was strongly promoting his pal Sen. Joe Lieberman for the post), that Palin was not just the top subject of conversation, she was the ONLY subject.

On Saturday night, I attend a “salon dinner” hosted by Microsoft and The Atlantic that featured media insiders and politicos at the Minneapolis Club in downtown Minneapolis.

The carefully crafted guest list of about 30 included both Minnesota senators (Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Norm Coleman) as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, NBC News correspondent-at-large Luke Russert (left with public television’s Judy Woodruff), Woodruff's husband Al Hunt of Bloomberg, political newsletter editor Charlie Cook, New York Times columnist David Brooks, journalist Ron Brownstein, McCain’s chief of staff Mark Buse, RNC chair Mike Duncan, “Meet the Press” executive director Betsy Fisher, “All Things Considered” host Michele Norris,  and NBC political director Chuck Todd, among others.

Private conversations were banned at the dinner. Instead, James Bennet, editor of The Atlantic, moderated a one-speaker-at-a-time conversation, no small task given the guest list of folks accustomed to making their views known just about wherever and whenever they wish.

Bennett succeeded, and while a second ground rule was that the evening was to be off the record, I can tell you that one-hour and 50-minutes of the two hours concerned Palin. And suffice it to say that the sense of the table among media types might be described as “bewildered,” while McCain confidant Graham did yeoman service defending the selection of the neophyte governor.

I’ll leave it to the political bloggers and columnists to weigh in on Palin’s prospects and credentials. But I can tell you skepticism reigns among the Washington chattering class. At a one o’clock brunch hosted by General Motors at the hip, Minneapolis art-hotel, Chambers, I drifted past clumps of journalists and politicos sipping Bloody Marys. Without fail, almost all the snippets of conversation were about Palin, even as convention organizers were meeting to turn the direction of the Republican convention around from a celebration to a hurricane watch.

You can bet that when the Republicans and the media fly home from the Twin Cities at the end of this week, and when the news of Gustav begins to subside, Sarah Palin is going to come in for a very close inspection.

What a Difference A Day Makes As Gustav Upstages the Twin Cities

Even before the Republican convention began here where I live in St. Paul, MN, it lost its position as the country’s lead story thanks to Hurricane Gustav.

Wolf Blitzer relinquished his CNN catbird seat at the Excel Energy Center Sunday as the hurricane rapidly became the main story of the day. And it turns out Anderson Cooper was in the right place—waiting once again in New Orleans for the weather. Sunday night’s network news found Brian Williams in New Orleans, and NBC promised Katie Couric would be there Monday morning, as well.

This afternoon the Republicans announced that Monday’s convention kick off would be canceled, that there’d only be a business gathering of delegates for two hours tomorrow. Their prime-time debut relinquished, the convention folks took a wait-and-see approach, hoping against hope that the hurricane might somehow deal only a glancing blow and allow the party to begin in the Twin Cities.

And make no mistake, Republicans came to party. Outside my window, I see a 125-yacht, the Mimi from Stilllwater, MN, tied up on the Mississippi River, a lovely, white craft that sleeps 18 plus a crew of 12. And on the train tracks also outside the window of my loft, rows of private train cars house delegates who are shuttled between the trains and the nearby convention center in luxury buses.

“For four days, the eyes of the entire world are going to be focused on the Twin Cities,” said Jeff Larson, CEO of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Host Committee for the convention.

That was BG, Before Gustav. Twin Cities hotels are bursting with 45,000 visitors. The media has spent millions setting up elaborate sets—Chris Matthews’ high-tech, outdoor set has a prime position in Rice Park, the lovely center of old St. Paul. Restaurants and clubs are hoping for a surge in business; everyone wants a piece of the $150 million its estimated Republicans and the media horde might splash all over St. Paul and Minneapolis.

And just last week I watched armies of city workers hurrying to re-paint curbs, plant mums in hundreds of planters, and pick up litter wherever it could be found. Both St. Paul and Minneapolis were ready for their close ups, ready to show the country that they are more than just flyover cities.

“This is the biggest single opportunity we’ll get to tell our story, short of the Olympics,” Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said long before anyone thought of hurricanes on the Gulf Coast.   

I ran into St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, an affable Democrat, on the street this morning as word began to spread that maybe the Republicans might alter their convention plans. Rumors swirled that the convention might even be cut in half, with only two days of action. Coleman said he was sure the convention would go on, but that was this morning, when he had no idea how much a back seat the convention would take in the news cycle.

The president and vice president cancelled plans to come to Minnesota. Louisiana and Mississippi delegates charted an aircraft to go back home lest they be accused of fiddling while their hometowns drowned.  Even candidate McCain said he might deliver his acceptance speech not from St. Paul but from the Gulf Coast.

I have a long list of parties—some private, some public—scheduled for the upcoming week. Who knows how many will actually occur?

I report none of this to whine. I understand that a hurricane—especially with the memory of Katrina still so vivid--outranks a political convention, especially since everyone already knows the ending of the convention will simply be a McCain-Palin ticket.  I just can’t remember in my 30 years as a journalist when something so predictable, well-planned and major as a political convention was so quickly upstaged.

News is a funny business, and I know there are lots of television talking heads here in the Twin Cities lamenting the loss of their precious airtime. Pull up a chair. Tomorrow Anderson Cooper brings you the landfall of Gustav.

Join Me On a Show Shoot By Winning Northwest's Photo Contest!

Here's the deal: World Traveler, the monthly magazine of Northwest Airlines, one of the major corporate underwriters of my public television series, "Rudy Maxa's World," is giving away two World Business Class tickets to the winner of photo contest.  There will be two winners--one in the amateur category, aonther in the professional category.

And the winners will be invited to accompany me on a shoot for one of my 2009 shows, with hotel expenses covered.  The winners will also be invited to take photos of the destination, and those photos will be featured on the inside front cover of that episode's DVDs, with photo credit, of course.

You may enter photos in these four categories: "Landmark/attractions/objects," landscapes/seascapes/cityscapes," "wildlife/nature," "and "people."

The deadline for entries is October 1st.  Just click here for more detals and instructions on how to enter. 

United To Test Cutting Meals in Coach on Some Transatlantic Flights

Beginning in the fourth quarter of this year on transatlantic flights out of Washington's Dulles airport, United Airlines will begin charging for meals in coach class.  It's a test to see whether passengers rise up and bang spoons on plates or quietly accept the new reality of no more free miles aloft as they have on many domestic coach flights. 

If you own stock in airline catering companies, I'd suggest selling.  Because I can already tell you the result of the test: United will save lots of money and begin extending the no-food-for-free rule across its international route network.  Maybe some long, trans-Pacific flights will be exempt, but even that isn't guaranteed.   

Not that this is shockingly new--several years ago I was surprised while aboard a Northwest, nine-hour, non-stop flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Honolulu that there was a charge for meals.  And that was when they were giving jet fuel away, comparatively speaking. 

What's new about this, of course, is that United foreign competitors have shown no sign of charging for meals.  But maybe it's just in business and first-class cabins where the US airlines feel the need to pile on more perks in order to keep up with foreign competition. 

So remember to BYO meal soon on even flights that last more than six or seven hours.  At least on United, at least out of Dulles, come October.

Mileage Inflation Grows Worse; Act by Oct. 1 To Avoid Increases

Two weeks ago I wrote a blog warning of "mileage inflation" when it comes to frequent flyer miles.  Today I write with even more urgency, as new thresholds and new fees get tacked on many award tickets beginning Oct. 1. 

In short, in the last couple of weeks, things have gotten even worse for folks hoarding their miles for a dream vacation.

• American Airlines has tacked on a $5 processing fee for anyone requesting an award ticket except for members at the “platinum” level of its  flyer program.
• US Airways' award ticket booking fees now range between $25 and $50.
• Want to use your miles on American to upgrade to flights between North America and Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, or Venezuela on a discounted coach ticket?  That'll cost you $150 as of Oct. 1.
• Also on American, an upgrade using miles and a discounted coach ticket will require a $35 fee EACH WAY on flights between North America and Europe, India, Japan, China, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay as of Oct. 1.
• Further mileage inflation means on American, you'll have to redeem 50,000 miles for a "free" business-class ticket or, more likely, 100,000 miles to secure an "Aanytime" business-class ticket domestically.  A one-way upgrade on a domestic discounted ticket that used to cost 15,000 miles is now 15,000 miles plus $50 or more as of Oct. 1.

But there’s more. As of the end of September, American will offer no more miles + cash options for buying tickets. And American isn’t alone. Almost all airlines other than Southwest and JetBlue are applying a dizzying array of new rules and new charges to their frequent flyer programs.

Why?

Well, US Airways says, “With fuel costs higher than they’ve ever been, we’ve had to look at ways to offset our increased operating costs. Increasingly, airlines are charging for ala carte services such as checked bags, seat assignments, and award travel in order to offset these increased costs.”

Why not just increase fares?

“Unfortunately, due to the highly competitive nature of the airline industry, even a small fare increase can be impractical,” answers US Airways.

Translation: If airlines simply raised fares, passengers visiting a third-party web site that compares fares (such as Expedia or Priceline) will see sky-high fares from almost all carriers other than Southwest, JetBlue, and other lower-cost carriers. The Uniteds and Deltas of the world would be at a huge competitive disadvantage. So by sprinkling a wide variety of extra fees all over the place, they can increase revenue with less transparency.

Now, this isn’t necessarily evil or ground breaking. After all, hotels often charge for breakfast, wi-fi service, admission to a health club, and so on. Those are certainly “add ons” that increase the cost of a guest’s stay. But in the case of the airlines, they presented mileage reward programs as simple, easy-to-understand propositions. You earn X number of miles, we give you a free ticket.

No more.

OK, I promised in my last blog to tell you when it’s best to use miles instead of cash, how to determine the value of your accumulated miles, and how to sell your miles if you’d prefer hard cash.

Unless you can get a ticket at the lowest number of miles (i.e., 25,000 miles for a coach ticket within the continental US rather than 50,000 or, in the case of Delta, 60,000 miles), many frequent flyers find miles most useful for upgrades. Especially on overseas flights, an upgrade can mark the difference between a comfortable flight and a hellacious one. It’s up to you. If you’re a petite woman, coach may be just fine; if you’re a 6-foot, three-inch tall guy, well, coach is going to be a tight squeeze when flying six or more hours across an ocean.

On the other hand, if you’re flying between a couple of small towns where there’s little competition among airlines and fares are sky high, cashing in miles might make perfect sense.

Here’s a good measuring stick. Figure each mile is worth a penny. That’s how the airline marketers think, and that’s about what you’d receive if you wanted to sell your award miles. (More on that in a moment.) So, 25,000 miles are worth $250. If you’re looking at a $175 ticket (not that there are many of those anymore), why spend $250 worth of miles? If you’re facing an $850 ticket, maybe even 50,000 miles (“worth” $500) is a good trade.

And what if you want to sell your award miles?

First of all, airline rules usually forbid doing that. But it’s not illegal (except in Utah), and frequent business travelers will sometimes sell or buy miles with mileage brokers who match sellers with buyers and take a bit of the cream off the top as profit.

For example, a reader of my blog in June received $1,650 by selling 110,000 American miles to flyfirstclass.com, a web site that advertises 40% to 70% savings on business and first class tickets. That’s a nice premium of 1.5 cents a mile, though the seller also had to pay $41.10 in fees and taxes. Another company, Vancouver-based BizTravelBrokers, also promises top dollar for your miles, as does, California-based AwardTravel.com.

Remember, you’re violating the rules of the airline that issued your frequent flyer miles if you sell or trade them to anyone. (Though you can certainly gift them to another person.) So proceed with caution in dealing with ticket brokers.

The moral of my two postings on the subject of award miles is this: Use them now. And be aware that lots of rules are going to change on Oct. 1, none of them in them in your favor. You can book award tickets for a year out. If you know your travel dates, do that. Now.

Urgent: Mileage Inflation Means It's Time to Cash In Now!

Let me put the bottom line right up top: Your airline miles are being devalued with the passage of time.  Never mind that airlines promised you a free domestic flight for 25,000 miles.  It’s getting more and more difficult to find a flight for 25,000 miles.  And we’re moving toward the day when it’ll take 40,000 or more miles for a freebie.  And even then there may be a fuel or booking charge. 

That’s why it’s time for you to start cashing in your unused airline miles. 

The cost of flying has gone up steadily since the price of oil began moving skyward, and several major airlines are rapidly raising the bar you have to jump over in order to snare a freebie.

To wit:

--A couple of years ago, many major airlines introduced a 50,000-mile award level that allowed you to cash in for a domestic round-trip ticket even if there were no more designated award seats available. 

--This past week, Delta introduced a third tier for award tickets, joining Alaska which did the same three weeks ago.  Beginning in September, Delta frequent flyers might be able to claim a free, domestic, mainland, coach ticket for 25,000 miles.  They stand a better chance if they’re willing to give up 40,000 miles.  But for 60,000 miles, a passenger is guaranteed an award seat as long as there’s a seat available on a flight—the so-called “last seat” option.  Mileage inflation isn’t just hitting domestic award tickes.  Want the last first-class seat available on a flight from North America to Asia?  You’ll have to pony up a whopping 370,000 miles.

--Oh, and those free tickets may not be entirely free.  Beginning Aug. 15^th, you’ll pay a $25 fuel surcharge for your Delta domestic award ticket; international award tickets require $50, and that includes flights to the Caribbean.  US Airways is charging an award “booking fee” of $25 for domestic tickets, $35 for flights to Mexico, and $50 for flights to Hawaii and international destinations. 

--On American Airlines, you’ll pay $50 to book an award ticket within 21 days of your desired date of travel.  If you’re looking for an award ticket within seven days of travel, be ready to fork out $100.  Want to change your routing after an award ticket has been issued?  That’s another $150.

--This week Continental also announced a twist that doesn’t do any favors to many passengers who are saving up miles for a Continental award ticket.  Right now you can surrender 50,000 miles to capture a domestic ticket if there’s a “last seat” available; as of Sept. 3, even that award tier, called EasyPass, will be capacity controlled unless you’re a member of Continental’s “elite” level of frequent flier program.

So the lesson couldn’t be clearer: Start using your miles now.  And while 25,000 miles might still get you a domestic freebie, those days may not be with us much longer.  Remember, you can book an award ticket months out.  If you have firm travel plans months away, book now before additional fees and higher mileage requirements devalue your mileage saving account further.

It Was a VERY Bad Day At the Office at Baton Rouge Airport

A young mechanic cleaning a commuter plane this week at the Baton Rouge Metro Airport accidentally pressed a button--or buttons--that started the aircraft on an automated takeoff, sending it careening into two other commuter jets in the same hanger and causing tens of millions of dollars of damage in about five seconds.

A report on a local television station, WAFB, says one jet was totaled and the other two badly damaged.  The miracle: That the entire hanger--occupied by American Southeast Airlines, or ASA--didn't go up in flames and that all of the more than dozen workers in the hanger survived unharmed. 

The Last Low-Cost, All-Biz Class NYC-London Airline Closes

It was only a month ago that I posted a blog item (April 28, 2008) on the only remaining, low-fare carrier, Silverjet, to serve the NYC-London market.  Its competition, MaxJet and eos, had closed, leaving Silverjet as the only all-business-class carrier offering consistently low fares between Newark and London's Luton airports.

Only a few days ago, Silverjet said that while it was experiencing cash flow problems, a major investor was poised to cough up sufficient capital to keep the airline flying.  That clearly didn't work out.  The airline shut down operations today.

With all three low-cost airlines out of business, major carriers such as British Airways, American, United and Virgin Atlantic have more flexibility in pricing their front-of-the-plane offerings, so count on prices going up.  For the moment, L'Avion is the only trans-Atlantic, all-biz-class airline around, flying between Newark and Paris' close-in airport, Orly. 

How To Save 54 Cents a Gallon on Gas (From the Sierra Club)

Maybe you haven't heard, but airlines are telling their captains to slow down planes.  Why? To save fuel.

And according to the Sierra Club, that can be good advice for those of us who drive cars, too.  For every 10 mph we drive above 60 mph, we're paying 54 cents more per gallon for gas.  That startling figure is predicated on the price of gas at $3.25 a gallon, which seems like a dim memory to most of us now.

And if you're driving an SUV or another gas gulper, the price of going faster is even greater. 

The Sierra Club attributes its numbers to the Union of Concerned Scientists, who says that dropping your highway speed from 70 mph to 60 mph improves fuel efficiency by an average of 17.2 per cent.  Dropping from 75 to 55 jacks that percentage up to a whopping 30.6 per cent. 

While 55 is no longer the national speed limit, the upward spiral in the price of gas is making that number look darn attractive.

American Airlines To Charge $15 To Check A Bag; $25 For Second

American Airlines upped the ante in ala carte pricing today when it announced that in the case of domestic tickets purchased on or after June 15th, it’ll cost $15 to check a bag for a domestic flight.  The airline already charges $25 for a second bag.

Is this a sign of things to come?

Let me state this clearly: This is just the beginning.  Expect other airlines to follow suit, just as they fell in line with the $25-for-a-second-bag rule not so long ago. 

As the other George Bush used to like to say, “It’s just this simple.”  Every major airline in the country except Southwest is expected to lose money in 2008.  This, after several emerged from bankruptcy with high hopes and lower labor costs. The culprit, of course, is the cost of fuel.  Delta and United's post-bankruptcy plan had a worst-case scenario of crude oil selling for $60 to $80 a barrel. Today, of course, that benchmark hit $130 a barrel. 

The only reason Southwest still knows what black ink looks like is that it’s had the cash to hedge fuel prices of years now, so it’s paying way-below-market value on most of its fuel.

Here’s the other truism: Airfare prices are going to rise this year month after month, if not week after week.  They simply must.  So if you know where you want to spend Thanksgiving . . . if you have a kid going far away to college later this summer . . . if you know when and where you’re going to want to fly for the December holidays, lock in a fare and reservation right now. Waiting will cost you perhaps hundreds of dollars, especially if there will be more than one of you flying.

Now, some American passengers will be exempt from this baggage charge.  Those flying on full-fare tickets, in business or first class, or gold, platinum and executive platinum members of American’s frequent flyer program won’t have to pay any luggage surcharge. 

The rest of us will have to go to our pockets.  American isn’t the first to do this—UK’s Ryanair begain charging for luggage way back in 2006.  But now let’s count the hours or days until American’s competitors file suit as airlines look for new revenue streams—beyond selling snack boxes, charging for curbside luggage check ins, and selling preferable seats 24 hours before a flight—to stay in business.

And let’s see how many of us get a lot better at packing carry-on bags.

United Cuts Miles It Will Grant Frequent Flyers On Short Flights

Beginning July 1, passengers who are members of United Airlines’ frequent flyer program will earn actual miles on flights of less than 500 miles. Until then, the current (and traditional) policy of awarding a minimum of 500 miles on ALL flights will apply. The airline’s announcement on the subject said the change was to “align [award travel] with actual miles flown.” Translation: "We’re saving on the number of miles we’re granting you guys flying short hops."

 

Virgin Seeks To Add Chicago's O'Hare To Its Portfolio

Virgin America hopes to add an eighth city to its network by beginning service later this year between San Francisco and Los Angeles to and from Chicago. If the airline’s request is approved to serve O’Hare, it will compete against United and American that both have non-stop flights linking the two West Coast cities with Chicago.

The discount carrier currently serves New York, Washington, San Diego, Seattle, and Las Vegas as well as San Francisco and LA.  Virgin America hopes to grab a share of the market by offering lower fares, but I expect both United and American will immediately drop some of its prices to match Virgin and perhaps offer bonus frequent flyer miles, as well.

Chicago’s O’Hare is under a federal cap limiting service to the airport because it’s so busy. So Virgin will need government permission to add flights. Currently, United and American dominate service to and from O’Hare.

Second All-Business NYC-London Airline Shuts Down; Bye-Bye Eos

In the fall of 2005, two new airlines began offering discounted, all-business class service linking New York's Kennedy airport with London's Stansted: MaxJet (which also included service between London and DC) and Eos Airlines.  With walk-up fares half what major airlines including British Airways and American Airlines were charging for business class, Eos and MaxJet caused the competition to drop prices sharply.  Instead of $13,000 for a walk-up fare on BA, Eos charged $6,500.  And as the last year or so, business class prices dropped as low as $2.000 round trip if you purchased your tickets in advance during sale periods.

That may be about to change.  Last December, Maxjet closed.  It wasn't as fancy as Eos, which offered 48 "suites" on Boeing 757s, and its closing should have strengthened Eos' chances of making a profit.  But apparently not.  This weekend, Eos shut down, filed for bankruptcy, and offered little hope that it will resume business despite the fact that the homepage on its web site says it had a "term sheet in hand for additional financing."

Passengers holding tickets for flights beyond today are advised to contact their credit card company or travel agent to seek refunds.  Those holding reward points in the airlines Club 48 will find their points worthless unless a bankruptcy court down the road awards some kind of compensation for unclaimed awards.  I think that's highly unlikely, but you may file a claim on this page on Eos' website.

So.  Willl the majors again raise their business class fares to stratospheric heights?  You can bet fares are being re-jiggered upwards right now.  Will American cease the JFK-Stansted flights it began because Eos was taking business away from its Kenendy-Heathrow route?  Probably, unless the airline decides it can make a profit continuing to offer reduced fares. But you can bet its ticket prices will rise, as well. 

Sexy Delta Flight Attendant, Katherine Lee's Lips Makes Safety Video A Chartbreaker on YouTube

Is it Botox or is it Mother Nature?  That's the debate raging on YouTube since the recent posting of Delta Air Lines' new on-board safety video.  You know, the one that shows you how to buckle your seatbelt and warns you to don an oxygen mask before helping a child do the same? 

An attractive (and real) flight attendant, red-headed Katherine Lee, delivers the message in this new announcement with her swollen lips that apparently began the debate about whether  they were  medically enhanced or not

As of this writing, the video has been viewed more than 350,000 times in the first three days it's been posted on YouTube even though it won't begin appearing on board Delta flights for another week.

Lee was part of a company casting call for the new safety video, and she won.  Within days, her video had made her an Internet star, and this morning she appeared on CNN.  Asked if she'd consider offers to go into acting or modeling, Lee allowed as how she loves being a flight attendant and had no other plans.  Given the number of people who wrote they intended to begin flying Delta more often in the hope Lee would be working their flight, it's a good bet Lee won't be part of the massive employee cutbacks planned by Delta.   

Pack Light: US Airways Begins $25 Charge For Second Checked Bag

Passengers who normally check two bags when flying are slowing getting squeezed--effective May 25, on all tickets purchased after Feb. 26, anyone who is not an "elite" member of US Airways' frequent flyer program, not in the military, and not an unaccompanied minor, will be required to pay $25 to check a second bag.

The other exceptions: If you hold silver or gold status on other Star Alliance carriers or are flying first class, you won't have to pay the fee.

Look for more passengers wrestling more carry-on bags into overhead bins on board every flight and slower lines through security (but faster lines at luggage check-in counters). 

Why Coca-Cola's Bakery Didn't Make It In Baan Talae Nok, Thailand

One sunny December morning three years ago, the schoolchildren of the southern Thai fishing village of Baan Talae Nok were in their playground near the beach practicing for a New Year’s ceremony. About 500 yards down the sand, a national park employee noticed the waters of the Andaman Sea looked strange—the water seemed to be receding quickly. He grabbed his motorbike and raced over a dusty, pock-mocked trail toward the village to warn the residents that a tsunami was headed their way. 

Tragically, the messenger bearing that news was known to be a heavy drinker, and the villagers dismissed his warnings as the raving of an alcoholic. Soon thereafter, half of the village houses were flattened by a wall of water. Fort y seven of the village’s 228 residents perished, including 16 schoolchildren. 

Today, the survivors live in cement homes set well away from the beach, homes built with the assistance of the Thai navy and an aid organization. There’s a new school, a modern, sparkling, all-brick complex with a pleasant courtyard, covered dining area, and six schoolrooms with neatly ordered desks and books.

And there’s also nascent industry in the Muslim village of Baan Talae Nok, which is a good thing. For generations, the sea provided villagers with their livelihood, but commercial fishing—you can see the ships on the horizon every night off the village beach—has led to overfishing, and the local catch is dwindling. With the help of an American named Bodhi Garrett, who was working at a nearby resort when the tsunami hit, Bann Taley Nok now hosts travelers in their homes, sharing meals with them and taking them hiking or out to sea to bring in the fishing nets (with an optional side trip to a pristine beach on a nearby uninhabited island where the just-caught fish are grilled for lunch).

Garrett, who was born in Nepal and raised in California, began the North Andaman Tsunami Relief, an independent, non-profit, non-religious organization to help decimated villages get back on their feet. Some might gaze at the splendid western coastline of the Andaman Sea and envision a parade of beach resorts, as you’ll find on the heavily touristed island of Phuket about a three-hour drive south of Baan Talae Nok. But others, like Garrett, thought it important to preserve the local culture that’s so often overrun by commercial development.

There are still fishermen in Baan Talae Nok, but if you visit the village early in the year, you’ll find as many as 20 residents meticulously shelling cashews for a nearby cashew processing plant. (A worker adept at shelling can earn 35 Thai baht a day, or slightly more than $1.) There are groves of rubber trees that are tapped by villagers. And visit the spa at the very posh Banyan Tree hotel in Bangkok and you’ll find soaps from Baan Talae Nok, fragrant bars made of, among other things, cloves, cumin, saffron flower, lemongrass, black sesame seed, and tamarind.

The village homestay program is now administered by another young company, Andaman Discoveries,  which runs a seven-month course on tourism development for locals that teaches the advantages of cultural heritage, environmental stewardship, and adventure-based guiding methods, as well as first aid, computer, and English skills. 

Visitors commonly stay three days (though some have stayed longer) and are briefed fully before arrival on what to expect—beds on floors with mosquito nets, Asian-style toilets, and little hot water. The traditional way to shower is to use a small bowl that is dipped in a vat of water—just pour it over your head to rinse. Surprisingly, high-speed Internet service (via satellite) is available for $1.35 an hour. 

I stayed one night in a home with our hostess, Cha, who prepared meals as good, if not better, than anything I’ve enjoyed elsewhere in Thailand. Because Baan Talae Nok is a Muslim village, no alcohol is served, so it’s all about water, sodas or fruit juices. At sunset, I saw one of the more extraordinary sights I’ve ever seen: More than 40 water buffalo parade across the beach into the sea to wallow in the salt water. Villagers told me it happens every night. The next morning, as I took a long-tailed motorboat to bring up fishing nets, I saw numerous crab-eating monkeys patrolling the bank of the klong (canal) leading to the sea. The monkeys are also adept at opening oysters. Mudskippers skittered along the (appropriately muddy) shoreline, and overhead I saw Brahminy Kites, comorants, and white-bellied sea eagles.

On a good month, Baan Talae Nok hosts as many as 25 visitors; the oldest tourist so far was 73 years old.

To visit, fly to Phuket or Suratthani and hire a car—Andaman Discoveries can help you with the logistics.

Efforts to help villages such as Baan Talae Nok following the tsunami have not always worked perfectly. On the village’s paved road, a weathered sign reads, “The Coca-Cola system in Thailand, as part of its tsunami reconstruction program, is proud to present this bakery to the community of Baan Talae Nok. Coca-Cola will always stand with the people of the south in good times and bad.”

The problem is, the residents of the village don’t eat bread, and they don’t have the means to transport it to other markets. Today what was supposed to be a bakery is a private home, though the sign still stands. Price Waterhouse Coopers was more on target; its German division built the town’s new school. Along with construction and landscaping, the company donated 20 computers and a batch of musical instruments. Today the computers and instruments sit unused because there is no one available to teach the 37 students how to use them. Andaman Discoveries is trying to raise enough money to pay for teachers.

There is, however, one important detail everyone got right: The school sits on the very highest point of land overlooking the village. 

Citrus Alert: Don't Drop Those Lemons & Limes Into Your Iced Tea!

From our continuing series on germs you encounter while traveling comes news from healthinspections.com that those wedges of lemon and lime that accompany your iced tea or vodka tonics might be loaded with germs, including that old non-favorite, "fecal matter."  Is it time to bring your own (already washed) to restaurants?  You be the judge --check out the short video below.  And be afraid, very afraid.

What Do YOU Think About United Charging $25 For a Second Bag?

Unless you fly at least 25,000 miles a year on United Airlines, you're only going to be permitted to check one piece of luggage for free beginning May 5th if you're flying on a non-refundable, domestic coach ticket.  (Though tickets purchased for future travel before next Monday, Feb. 11th, are exempt from the new rule.)  A second bag will cost $25.

While a fee for checking bags is routine at a few discount airlines around the world (Rynair being the most prominent), this is the first time a US airline has levied a charge on a second bag.  Travelers flying overseas on United may still check two bags at no charge, but the new regulations do apply on flights to Canada, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas. 

United says only a quarter of its passengers check more than one bag, but I predict overhead bins will begin to fill up even faster now as passengers try to beat the rule that could cost them $50 round trip if they check more than one piece of luggage.  Premier members or higher of United's frequent flyer program may continue to check two bags at no cost.

Do you think the other airlines are watching this gambit closely to see if it, ahem, flies?  You bet. 

It's Art: Frozen In Grand Central Station! Immovable People!

I love these kinds of things, but it always amazes me folks have time to have this much fun!  Organizing more than 200 people to stop busy commuters in New York City's Grand Central Station is no small feat.

Perhaps it's MY life I ought to examine in hopes of figuring out why, at least every once in a while, I don't take the time to be a bit more creative and participate in something that is, at least for five minutes in this case, a temporary work of art and theater. 

Dictionary Definition of Culture Shock: Flying From Monaco to India

If there’s a little European city more neatly trimmed, buttoned up, and flaunting affluence than Monte Carlo, I haven’t found it. Well, maybe in Switzerland, but generally speaking nothing beats Monte Carlo for polish as well as the number of Bentleys and Ferraris parked outside the principality’s flagship hotel, the Hotel de Paris.

Then there’s Delhi, India, whose old downtown market is a chaotic collection of tiny shops selling just about every product known to the world amidst a swirl of dust, a parade of goats, monkeys flitting from roof to roof, jostling pedicabs (called “rickshaws” by Delhites), donkey-drawn carts, bicycles overloaded with cargo, and any other manner of transport you can imagine. The fanciest car is sight is a Honda Accord.

I jumped between those two destinations for work with just brief stops in my hometown of Saint Paul, MN, and Los Angeles; I think I established a new personal best in the category of culture shock.

I ’ve spent a lot of time on the French Riviera, so the cavalcade of luxury cars, the glittering hotels and restaurants, and the well-groomed couples taking $150 lunches outside at the Café de Paris came as no surprise.  (That's the famous casino on the left--the Hotel de Paris is adjacent to it.)  And I’ve also done Delhi a couple of times before this trip, so I’m not completely overwhelmed by the impossibly crowded streets, the press of the crowds, and the omnipresent evidence of poverty. But it was the rapid juxtaposition between the two that made me marvel at the disparity between two of the world’s great destinations.

Each, I think, offers travelers reasons to visit; each is fascinating in its own way.

Monte Carlo is a kind of Disneyland for the wealthy, a place to gawk at Belle Epoque architecture, the gorgeous Mediterranean, the super-sized yachts, and the manicured landscaping--not a bougainvillea blossom is out of place. Delhi is thrilling for its press of humanity, the ingenuity of man (just check the electrical wiring in Old Delhi), the brilliant colors of saris that pop out of the dusty cityscapes, and the jumble of religions with their various temples and traditions.

I find Americans are divided into two groups on a couple of subjects. The first is beets. Either you hate them or you love them. The second is India. Half of Americans love the country or can’t wait to visit; the other half dislike it or would never consider visiting. I love beets, and I love India, where, by the way, there’s beet juice available in street stalls everywhere. I tell friends that you can take a movie camera, set it up on almost any city street in India, turn it on, walk away, and return in two hours and you’ll have an Indiana Jones movie.

For three weeks in December, my television crew and I have been shooting our first episodes on India; now I know I was right in that description of India’s cities. In Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur (our first three destinations), we’ve barely had to move the tripod when shooting downtown. All of it comes to us if we just stay in one place—the cows, the elephants, the camels, the monkeys, and the panoply of bicycles and motorized vehicles with two, three, four and more wheels. Oh, and the people. Indians are famously friendly, and they love to come right up to our camera and are content to stand there and quietly watch as I botch my lines. When we shot in Monte Carlo a few years ago, no one gave us a second glance.

More on the French Riviera and India in upcoming blogs.

American Airlines' Airport Clubs Introduce Free Wi-Fi--But Don't Try to Poach!

Following the lead of other airlines, such as Northwest, American Airlines announces free Wi-Fi access to guests who are members of its Admirals Club airport lounges.  But if you're hoping to lurk outside the door of American lounges and pick up that signal, well, don't bother.  In the case of American, you'll have to type in your Admirals Club membership number in order to get onto the Internet.  Membership costs between $300-$450 a year, though day passes may also be purchased.  Of course, if all airports offered area-wide, free Wi-Fi, the world would be a much better place.

India Today: The Strange Melding of East & West; Bollywood, Mick Jagger . . . And What the Heck Is a 'Super Dense Crush Scenario'?

Turkey holds title to the cliché “where east meets west” because it straddles Europe and Asia. But while shooting two episodes of “Rudy Maxa’s World” in India, I grew convinced that India is an intriguing runner-up in that category.

More than on any previous visit, I was struck by melding of cultures taking place as the “new India” assumes global center stage with China.

Unlike China, however, India is more westward looking. That’s partly thanks to the legacy of British colonial rule—in New Delhi, the massive Connaught Square shopping area could be in London save for the pedicabs and motorcabs (what the Thais call “tuk-tuks”) buzzing around the streets. And the growing outsourcing of jobs from the US and elsewhere in the west must help explain the cultural stew, too. After all, employees of those phone banks you reach when you call for computer help or reservations are schooled in such things as American sports teams and other popular topics of American conversation.

Characters in Bollywood movies deliver dialogue partly in English, partly in Hindi. Every day, the dozens of English-language newspapers are filled with up-to-the-moment gossip about Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and celebrities du jour. Shopkeepers in the crowded, old market of Jodhpur try to entice me into their stores with promises that Mick Jagger and other Western rock stars have shopped there.

(In the case of Jagger, they may not be exaggerating—the old rocker is best buddies with the maharaja of Jodhpur, a portly, serious figure who is a revered symbol of a family that ran the region for 600 years before Indian royalty there was stripped of its privileges about 60 years ago. While I’ve never met Jagger, I did interview the maharaja, and you couldn’t find two people that are outwardly more different.)

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The British tendency toward understatement is still evident in Indian life. “Rash driving” is a euphemism for hell-on-wheels motorists. (Traffic in India is something to behold, with two lane roads routinely becoming four-late roads as cars jockey for space; it wasn’t unusual even on toll roads—our equivalent of interstates—to see a tractor-trailer truck coming at you the wrong way with horn blaring.) The phrase “bold scenes” substitutes as a description of risqué scenes in movies, though in India, an actor and actress brushing cheeks qualifies as quite naughty.

Indians seem to have acronyms for everything; reading a daily paper requires a local translator because of the number of abbreviations. One of my favorite is SDC, which refers to a jam-packed bus or train, as in this line from a New Delhi paper this week: “The new trains will also have four blowers to pump in 15,000 cubic metres of fresh air—in a Super Dense Crush scenario where a 12-car train ends up carrying 5,300 passengers against a total capacity of 3,504 passengers, the significance of these features needs little underlining.”

“Super Dense Crush” is more than a descriptor—it’s apparently also an official category. Flying coach these days, for example, presents a Super Dense Crush scenario.

As India hurtles into the future with a robust economy and rapidly changing mores, there’s still the legacy you’d expect in a largely Hindu country. Virginity before marriage remains critical in most communities. In fact, suggesting otherwise can get you in hot water. Several Bollywood figures have recently come under not just criticism but also legal scrutiny for speaking frankly.

A former Miss Universe, actress Sushmita Sen, was charged last week with obscenity for “making lewd sexual comments” in interviews. Among other things, she remarked in a television interview that “no Indian is chaste or virgin anymore and having premarital or post-marital affairs is nothing wrong in society nowadays.”

She’s charged under laws titled the “Indecent Representation of Women Act” and “Young Persons Harmful Publication Act” in a court in Madras. When a couple of other Bollywood figures were charged last year with obscenity for striking a couple of, um, bold poses for an evening paper, the Tamil Murasu, a fellow actor who spoke out in their defense was slapped with a warrant for “casting aspersions on the judiciary.”
It’s a ropedancer’s game, this meeting of the traditional with the modern.

December is a perfect—and very popular—time to visit India, largely because it’s the dry season and temperatures are moderate. It is the foggy season in Northern India, however, as you may be able to tell in my photo, left, of the Taj Mahal.  For the first-time visitor, I’d suggest starting with the classic “Golden Triangle” tour of the north. Fly into Delhi and visit Agra (the Taj Mahal is worth the 2.5-hour train trip or five-hour drive), then Jaipur, and end up in Jodhpur before flying back to Delhi.

It’s easy to see India as an individual traveler if you hire a car and driver and tour guide when you arrive in India. Local travel agencies in Delhi will rent you a car and driver for about $60 a day to take you around the north. Figure on a bit more for a guide.

The crew and I were lucky to have the services of Rajesh (“Raj”) Ranjan, a delightful state-licensed guide with an MBA who managed to smooth our way into almost every site we needed to shoot—no small feat in a country filled with bureaucrats who feel the need to establish their territory when something new, such as an American television crew, shows up. (Yes, we’d secured advance permission to shoot from federal authorities, but that didn’t keep local pooh-bahs from searching for reasons to deny us access; the very diplomatic and persistent Raj eventually won the day.)

Drop raj an e-mail at ranjandl@bol.net.in if you'd like to retain his services--tell him Rudy sent you. 

Victoria & Virgin Team Up For In-Flight Pajama Party

Wasn't that international lingerie model Selita Ebanks sauntering down the aisle of a Virgin America flight between NYC and Los Angeles in her pajamas on Wednesday night?

Indeed it was.

A cross promotion between Victoria's Secret and Virgin America produced a pajama party aboard the night flight, with passengers receiving gifts of Victoria Secret pajamas and cosmetic products.  And the cameras came out, as passengers snapped shots of Ebanks and her fellow model, Miranda Kerr.  Virgin flew a couple of dozen models from NYC to Los Angeles for the annual VS lingerie show (to be broadcast Dec. 4th on CBS), and for Flight 317 on Wednesday, VS provided the goodie bags and models as entertainment. 

This evening I board an Air India flight from Chicago to New Delhi via London.  Wonder if there will be any Victoria Secret models waltzing down our aisles?  I'm guessing not.  But the Virgin/Victoria project wasn't the first in-flight promotional event.  I remember years ago flying coast-to-coast when Dell, to promote its new, longer-lasting laptop battery, handed out laptops to everyone to demonstrate the battery could last an entire trans-continental flight.  (We didn't get to keep the laptops, unfortunately.)  And Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic, is known for his wacky promotional events when he launches new routes.  On the first Virgin London to LA flight, Branson produced a dozen models in bikins, and he showed up wearing a bathing suit, flippers as well as a mask and snorkel.

Surprise! Effective Today, TSA Tightens Rules Regarding Inspection of Electronic Carry-0n Items

Effective today, new TSA rules will govern how airline passengers carrying electronic items will have to submit those items for inspection at security check points. 

Previously, only laptop computers had to be placed separately on a conveyor belt.  But as of today, the TSA requires you to remove video games, video cameras, DVD players and CD players from your carry-on bags (or coat pockets) so they may be run through X-ray machines separately.  While iPods and other MP3 players aren't included in this surprise, new ruling, I wouldn't be shocked if any number of front-line TSA employees think they might be.  So put on your best game face and allow a little extra time to pass through security lines as passengers get used to the new rules.

Will overseas airports mimic the TSA ruling?  They often do.  On Sunday, I'm flying via Amsterdam to St. Petersburg, Russia, to begin shooting the first of 13 overseas shows for my sixth series of public television travel shows, so I'll report back from the field.
 

Attention Atlanta Flyers: Long Lines Re-Appear at Hartsfield

If you need to pass through security at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport, you should know that this at 7:30 this morning passengers waited as long as 50 minutes in line.  Airport authorities attributed to long lines to the start of the summer vacation season.  Normally, about 250,000 passengers pass through the airport each day; this week that number ballooned to 370,000 passengers. 

But wait, it gets worse: On Wednesday, the wait time in security lines was as long as two hours, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Some passengers missed flights as a result.

Busiest times: between 8 and 9 a.m. and 2 and 3 p.m.  Generally speaking, of course, early morning is the best time to fly because there's less chance of back-ups and congestion in the sky.  In Atlanta, at least, long security lines this week made that advice moot.

My advice: If it looks as if you might miss your flight, go to the head of the line and show your boarding pass to a TSA agent and VERY politely ask someone if you can cut in line.

Check out wait times on the airport's web site. 

Revealed: The Unhappy Truth Behind Airlines' 'Schedule Inflation' And Why It's Important To Bring Lots of Reading Material Aboard

Around 5:30 Monday evening, I boarded Northwest flight 735 from New York's JFK to Minneapolis-St. Paul, a distance of about 1,027 miles that normally takes just over two hours to fly.  But the airline's schedule clocked the trip at three hours and 17 minutes.  Why?  Because there's a daily traffic jam on the runways of JFK during the early evening; my fellow passengers and I spent an hour in a long line with other aircraft waiting to take off.  

In Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, the paper's excellent aviation writer, Scott McCartney, provided a revealing look at the enormous growth in schedule inflation--the increasing time it's taking planes to complete routine flights despite the fact that jets today fly faster then they used to and have more sophisticated avionics that allow them to chart more direct routes.  The culprit: airport congestion and the FAA, which lags behind the airlines in being able to route aircraft more directly.

I spent years taking the Eastern Air Lines (you remember them, don't you?) and Delta shuttles almost weekly between Washington, DC, and New York in the '80s and early '90s.  The actual flying time was--and still is--about 30 minutes.  But most trips took an hour because of congestion at LaGuardia airport.  Today's commuters look back on that schedule longingly--some DC-NYC shuttles routinely take two hours now.   

In 1997, American Airlines' flight 29 departing New York for Los Angeles at 7:05 p.m. took just under six hours to cross the country; today, American flight 21, departing at the same time, takes 23 minutes longer. 

The future was supposed to signal progress, and while I never quite believed the new milennium would find us all equipped with Jetson-like jet packs that would zip us about at will, I did think more sophisticated aircraft and airports would continue to make traveling easier and more efficient.  Aircraft enginners have generally kept up their part of the bargain, but airports haven't upgraded sufficiently to handle passenger load.  And, as McCartney notes, an outmoded, national radio beacon system on the ground still means airplanes must meander through the skies from point to point instead of taking an as-the-crow-flies direct route from Point A to Point B.

And Minneapolis-based commercial aviation watchdog Terry Trippler adds to our understainding of why fllying trips are longer rather than shorter: Too many flights. That's not to say that we should allow fewer people to fly; it's that airlines, in an effort to offer an expanded menu of departure and arrival times, are putting smaller planes on routes so they can offer more flights a day.  Sometimes they're not necessarily carrying any more passengers between cities than they did a decade ago.  But those additional flights on smaller planes mean more take off and landings.  Which means more congestion.

I wish I could belive that things will get better in the next year or so, but they won't.  And with some chagrin, I looked this moring at a ticket I bought for an upcoming New York City trip in July and noted I would be returning to my hometown of St. Paul on the same flight out of JFK that I flew Monday night.  As our pilot told the passengers when we pulled away from our gate and became number 20 in a line of aircraft waiting to depart, "This is routine at JFK at this time of night."  Which is why Northwest's schedule allows three-and-a-half hours for the trip. 

Technically, if a flight departs or takes off within a half hour of its scheduled times, it's considred "on time."  In the case of Northwest 735 and more and more flights these days, building routine delays into the published schedule is a facile way of suggesting things are working just fine.  And no one knows more than weary frequent travelers that, these days, that just ain't so.