Travel Wire 96-08, 16 August 1996
PRF
TRAVEL WIRE - Number 96-08
MARKETPLACE EDITION
16 August 1996
© 1996 Peter R. Freitag
The following is a digest of recent and timely travel information. It
is prepared as a public service for users of the Internet and selected
Internet Service Providers. It is distributed only to those newsgroups
to which its content is pertinent.
In this issue:
||| AIRLINES/AIR SERVICE |||
||| BUSINESS TRAVEL |||
||| CAR RENTAL |||
||| CRUISE LINES |||
||| HOTELS |||
||| TRAINS |||
||| AMERICA - NORTH |||
||| ASIA |||
||| CARIBBEAN |||
||| EUROPE |||
||| PACIFIC AND AUSTRALASIA |||
||| THE INTERNET AND WWW |||
||| IT'S BEEN SAID... |||
-----------------------------------------------------------
||| AIRLINES/AIR SERVICE |||
--*WORLD AIRWAYS
has announced that it is giving up on scheduled service to focus on
its core charter business. World will discontinue its African service
on 23 August and its Tel Aviv service on 03 September. It had
previously announced its withdrawal from European markets at the end
of the summer season.
--*GULF AIR
has announced suspension of service to Houston, Texas. The flight had
been operated as an extension of its Bahrain-New York flight.
--*UNITED SHUTTLE
Shuttle By United will expand to include six new cities as well as
increased service beginning 31 October. Thanks to strong profits,
increased revenues and high load factors, shuttle service will include
nonstop flights from San Francisco to Boise, Idaho; Eugene, Ore.; Salt
Lake City; Santa Barbara, Calif.; and Spokane, Wash. Service will also
be increased between San Francisco and Reno, Nev.
--*DELTA EXPRESS
After many months of denying that it was considering a low-cost,
airline-within-an-airline operation, Delta Air Lines said it will
launch its low-fare operation, called Delta Express, on 01 October
with service from Orlando, Fla., to 10 Northeastern and Midwestern
cities (Hartford, Nashville, Boston, Columbus, New York (Newark),
Washington (Dulles), Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Providence and
Louisville) and four other Florida points (Tampa, Fort Myers, West
Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale). Delta Express will operate as a
separate business unit, with a dedicated fleet of 25 737s initially
operating 62 flights a day. It will add frequencies in November,
December and January for a daily total of 128 flights.
--*AMERICAN
has proposed six weekly flights between Dallas/Fort Worth and San Jose
del Cabo, Mexico, beginning 01 November. The service will be operated
in MD-80 aircraft.
--*CONTINENTAL
has announced new nonstop service to Chicago's Midway airport from New
York (Newark) beginning 01 October. Initially, the carrier will
operate three daily flights. A fourth flight will be added on 27
October.
||| BUSINESS TRAVEL |||
--*ALAMO
Alamo Rent a Car said it has introduced express check-in kiosks, which
are designed to allow corporate travelers to rent a car in 30 seconds,
at 21 U.S. airport and airport-area locations. If your company has a
corporate agreement with Alamo, have your travel administrator check
on this new, time saving program.
--*UNIQUE MEETING VENUES - NEW YORK CITY AREA
Planning a meeting in the New York City area? Here are some uniquely
special sites to consider.
^^Bridgewaters^^Lower Manhattan. (212) 608-8823. 60-400 people.
Dramatic views of the Brooklyn Bridge and New York Harbor. Food
service.
^^Tatou^^50th between Lexington and Third. (212) 753-0589. Up to 500
people. American and French cuisine, nightlife and floor show.
^^Museum for African Art^^SoHo. (212) 966-1313. The Indigo Room can
accommodate up to 90 for dinner or 400 for cocktails.
^^Chelsea Pier's Golf Club and Field House^^West 23rd Street on the
Hudson River. (212) 336-6666. Driving range; in-line skating; rock
climbing; batting practice; lunch, dinner and moonlight cruises aboard
the 600-passenger Spirit of New York. There's a lot happening here.
^^Carnegie Hall^^(212) 903-9790. Three beautiful rooms are available
for meetings, receptions and parties, with space for up to 250 people.
^^Righa Royal Hotel, Gershwin Penthouse^^(212) 307-5000. 4,000 square
feet with 360-degree views. Includes a hardwood dance floor that can
accommodate more than 350 people.
^^Morris-Jumel Mansion^^Upper Manhattan. (212) 923-8008. Manhattan's
oldest surviving house and Gen. George Washington's headquarters in
the fall of 1776. The Octagon Room holds 50 people.
^^International Design Center^^Queens. (718) 937-7474. A variety of
rooms can accommodate a total of 800 people.
^^New York Hall of Science^^Queens. (718) 699-0005. The Great Hall can
handle 500 people in an 80-foot-tall, cathedral-like building built
for the 1964 World's Fair. A new glass-enclosed dining pavilion with
room for 300 has recently opened.
^^New York Public Library^^(212) 930-0730. Facilities include Astor
Hall, with room for 1,000; the McGraw Rotunda, with space for 300; the
Celeste Bartos Forum, with room for 500, and the Trustees Room, with
space for 125.
||| CAR RENTAL |||
--*ALAMO EXPRESS KIOSKS - see BUSINESS TRAVEL
||| CRUISE LINES |||
--*CELEBRITY ENTERS EUROPE
Celebrity Cruises said it will enter the European cruise market in the
spring of 1998 with the positioning of the 1,354 passenger Horizon
into a series of itineraries which will include more than 60 ports in
the North Cape, the Baltics, the British Isles, the Greek islands,
Israel and the Black Sea.
--*OTHER CELEBRITY NEWS
Early next year, the Zenith will inaugurate a series of transcanal
sailings. In the spring, the Galaxy will supplement the Horizon in the
Alaska market. After the Alaska season ends, the Horizon will sail the
Caribbean in the fall and winter. In the fall of ‘97 the Meridian will
make a 57-day circumnavigation of South America. In the winter of
1998, the Meridian will make a 67-day circumnavigation of the South
Pacific from Los Angeles, taking the ship to Sydney, Bali, Singapore
and Hong Kong. In addition, east- and westbound transatlantic
crossings will be offered in the spring and fall of 1998.
--A FLOATING FIESTA!
Dolphin Cruise Line is hosting a two-night Latin Party aboard the
Island Breeze. The sailing will depart New York on 20 September and
feature the music of the Ray Ramos Orchestra and Siglo 20. Cruise-only
rates start at $145 per person, double, for a Category 10 room. Have
your travel agent contact Dolphin for details.
--*RCCL
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has announced that its latest ship, the
1,950-passenger Enchantment of the Seas, will be launched directly
into the European market when the ship makes its debut a year from
now. Initial itineraries are slated to be seven-night sailings from
Barcelona. This will be the second RCCL ship to be launched directly
into the European market—the Splendor of the Seas made its maiden
voyage in Europe this spring.
--*NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
will position the Norwegian Crown in Rome for 12 cruises in 1997 in
order to avoid the unrest in Piraeus, the port of Athens. Other
"itinerary enhancements" for 1997 are the Dreamward's first venture
into Canada and New England in the fall and the Windward's return to
San Juan, Puerto Rico (and not Fort Lauderdale), after its summer
season in Alaska.
--*MAJESTY ANNOUNCES HURRICANE POLICY
Majesty Cruise Line said it is offering alternative cruises to
passengers whose itineraries are changed due to hurricane warnings.
Passengers can opt to book another cruise up to a year from the date
of the sailing that was affected. The offer is valid when the National
Weather Service issues a hurricane warning before the ship embarks on
an altered itinerary. Your travel agent can provide you with the
details.
--*SPICE ISLANDS CRUISE - see ASIA
||| HOTELS |||
--*HILTON INTERNATIONAL
Hilton International has announced that it will operate a deluxe
345-room hotel in Frankfurt, its ninth in Germany. The Frankfurt City
Hilton, set to open in 1999, will be located in Hochstrasse, on the
site of the former municipal baths.
--*CANEEL BAY RESORT
The Caneel Bay Resort, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, will reopen on
01 November instead of 01 October, resort officials said. The resort
has been closed since last fall's hurricanes. Water damage from recent
storms caused the new delay.
||| TRAINS |||
--*AMTRAK RESTRUCTURES
Faced with a US$50 million cut in federal funding for fiscal 1997,
Amtrak has announced that it will increase frequencies at more than
131 stations nationwide and cut service to 42 stations.
--*TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS - see EUROPE
--*EUROPEAN RAIL SCHEDULE AND FARES - see THE INTERNET AND WWW
||| AFRICA |||
--*Nothing this issue.
||| AMERICA - NORTH |||
--*DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club has created a Gourmet Package. The
two-night plan includes chocolate-dipped strawberries upon arrival, a
picnic basket, dinner at the Inn's Fairview Restaurant and Sunday
brunch. The cost is US$439 per couple.
--*COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA
The Costa Mesa Tourism and Promotion Council has published its new
brochure. The "Multi-Fascinating, Costa Mesa" brochure lists phone
numbers for hotels, shopping and golf courses. A map is included. Call
(800) 399-5499.
--*NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA
The 1996 Visitors Guide is now available to vacationers traveling
here. The guide lists attraction information, accommodation listings,
a calendar of events and feature articles. Newport News is located
between Colonial Williamsburg and Norfolk/Virginia Beach. Call the
Newport News Tourism Department Office at (800) 333-7787.
--*MOST POPULAR U.S. THEME PARKS
Amusement Business magazine has published its list of the ten top
theme parks in the U.S. based on 1995 attendance. They are (with
attendance in millions): 1. Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif. (14.1); 2.
Disneyworld-The Magic Kingdom, Orlando, Fla. (12.9); 3.
Disneyworld-Epcot, Orlando, Fla. (10.7); 4. Disney-MGM Studios,
Orlando, Fla. (9.5); 5. Universal Studios Florida, Orlando, Fla.
(8.0); 6. Sea World, Orlando, Fla. (4.95); 7. Universal Studios
Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif. (4.7); 8. Six Flags Great Adventure,
Jackson, N.J. (4.0); 9. Busch Gardens, Tampa, Fla. (3.8); 10 Sea
World, San Diego, Calif. (3.75).
--*FASTEST GROWING U.S. AIRPORTS
Based on percent of growth from 1990 to 1995, the U.S. Department of
Transportation rates these as the top 10 fastest growing airports in
the U.S.: 1. Traverse City, Mich. (318%); 2. Springfield, Mo. (181%);
3. Wenatchee, Wash. (175%); 4. Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (132%); 5.
White Plains, N.Y. (111%); 6. Spokane, Wash. (102%); 7. Boise, Idaho
(90.6%); 8. Colorado Springs, Colo. (90.2%); 9. Yakima, Wash. (88%);
10. Sacramento, Calif. (83%).
--*LOS ANGELES
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites here is featuring a weekend
package for $105. Included are deluxe accommodations for one night and
breakfast for two people, plus late checkout, one free movie per day,
Westin Premier points and airline frequent flyer miles. The plan is
available Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights only.
--*SAN FRANCISCO
The Monaco Hotel here wants you to shop ‘til you drop with its Charge!
Shopping package, available through 30 December. For $150, single or
double, the offer includes parking, a shopping map of downtown San
Francisco and a deluxe room (but no track shoes). The hotel is located
next to the San Francisco Centre shopping mall (Nordstrom), and close
to the shopping madness of Union Square.
--*OYSTER FESTIVAL
The 19th annual Norwalk (Connecticut) Oyster Festival will be held
from 06 to 08 September in Veteran's Memorial Park. Scheduled
activities include entertainment on three stages, arts and crafts,
harbor cruises, oyster-shucking and -slurping contests, and fireworks.
||| AMERICA - CENTRAL |||
--*Nothing this issue.
||| AMERICA - SOUTH |||
--*Nothing this issue.
||| ASIA |||
--*SPICE ISLANDS CRUISE
Japan & Orient Tours (J&O) is teaming with Singapore Airlines to offer
a Spice Islands Cruise that visits the Indonesian island of Komodo and
spends two nights each in Bali, Indonesia, and Singapore. The
three-night cruise portion will be aboard the 140-passenger Bali Sea
Dancer, which also stops at the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. U.S.
West Coast departures are set for every Tuesday from 24 September
through 03 December and from 07 January through 25 February.
Connections are also available from other U.S. cities. Have your
travel agent contact J&O for further details and rates.
--*TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS - see EUROPE
||| CARIBBEAN |||
---*SNORKELING SPOTS
Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine has come out with its ranking of the
Caribbean's top 10 spots for snorkeling. They are: Anse Chastanet Reef
(St. Lucia), Stingray City (Grand Cayman), Isla Catalina (Dominican
Republic), Angel Reef (Tobago), Klein Bonaire (Bonaire), Shoal Bay
(Anguilla), Pigeon Island (Guadeloupe), Turquoise Reef (Provo, Turks &
Caicos), Barcadera Reef (Aruba), and The Baths (Virgin Gorda, B.V.I.).
--*AREA CODE CHANGES
It's not just "809" anymore! The Caribbean Tourism Organization has
supplied the following list of islands whose area codes are changing:
Bermuda, 441 (effective 01 October); Barbados, 246 (effective 17
January 1997); Puerto Rico, 787 (effective 01 February 1997); St.
Lucia, 758 (effective 01 March 1997); Antigua/Barbuda, 268 (effective
01 April 1997); Bahamas, 242 (effective 01 April 1997); Cayman
Islands, 345 (effective 01 September); St. Kitts/Nevis, 869 (effective
date yet to be announced).
--*CANEEL BAY RESORT DELAYED - see HOTELS
||| EUROPE |||
--*PAINTING IN FRANCE
A French painting holiday is the focus of a nine-night tour being
packaged by tour operator Charterways. The vacation is aimed at
beginners wishing to develop their talents as well as at experienced
artists looking for inspiration in Provence. Painting workshops (oil,
watercolor, pastel and drawing) will be followed by sightseeing tours
to local areas of interest. The package price includes accommodations,
most meals, 18 hours of lessons and ground transportation. Departures
are scheduled for 15 September and 06 October. Your travel agent can
get further details.
--*EUROPEAN TOURISM RECEIPTS
The World Tourism Organization (WTO) has ranked European countries
based on total 1995 tourism receipts (in billions of US$). Here are
the top 10: 1. France (27.3); 2. Italy (27.1); 3. Spain (25.1); 4.
U.K. (17.5); 5. Germany (11.9); 6. Scandinavia (4 countries) (10.1);
7. Switzerland (7.8); 8. Poland (7.0); 9. Netherlands (6.1); 10.
Portugal (4.5).
--*BREWERY ADVENTURES
MIR Corp., a tour operator, has announced the following fall offering
of three European Brewery Adventures:
^^Artisan Breweries of Holland and Belgium^^06-16 September. Visiting
Amsterdam, Aalsmeer, and Maastricht in the Netherlands, and Orval,
Brussels, Bruges, Roeselare and Poperinge in Belgium.
^^Fine Beers and Wines of Czech and Hungary^^12-21 September. Visiting
Prague, Cjeske Budejovice in the Czech Republic, and Sopron, Fertod,
Budapest, Holloko, Eger, Lillafured and the Tokaj wine region of
Hungary.
^^Brewing Traditions of England and Scotland^^04-11 October. Visiting
London, Edinburgh, and Newcastle.
Have your travel agent contact MIR Corp. in Seattle for details and
bookings.
--*TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS
The Russian Travel Bureau has re-introduced its 18-day Trans-Siberian
Railroad Adventure with two departures scheduled for 02 September and
07 October. The adventure begins with four days in Moscow before
boarding the Trans-Siberian Express bound for Irkutsk. There are
numerous stops during the journey where passengers can buy and
exchange items with locals. Program participants spend three nights in
Irkutsk, with extensive sightseeing, including a boat ride on Lake
Baikal. The tour continues to the Uzbekistan capital city of Tashkent.
The next stop is Samarkand, another historical Uzbekistan city.
Passengers then transfer to the airport for a flight to St. Petersburg
where the final three nights are spent. The tour includes roundtrip
air from New York to Moscow (connecting flights are available from
other U.S. and Canadian points); breakfasts and dinners daily in
Moscow and St. Petersburg; three meals daily aboard the train and in
Irkutsk, Samarkand and Tashkent; accommodations and admission to two
theatre events. Have your travel agent contact the Russian Travel
Bureau for details.
--*HILTON EXPANDS IN GERMANY - see HOTELS
--*CELEBRITY ANNOUNCES EUROPE - see CRUISE LINES
||| MIDDLE EAST |||
--*Nothing this issue.
||| PACIFIC AND AUSTRALASIA |||
--*AUSTRALIA VISA WAIVER
Australia has become the 25th country to join the U.S. visa-waiver
pilot program, which enables citizens from participating countries to
enter the U.S. without a visa. In turn, Australia will drop its visa
requirements for holders of U.S. passports. Beginning in September,
travel agents and airlines booking passengers to Australia will be
asked to process an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) in place of
the current visa requirement. Under the ETA procedure, agents will
enter traveler passport information into their computer system. From
there it will be transmitted to the Australian Department of
Immigration and Ethnic Affairs for processing.
||| THE INTERNET AND WWW |||
(N.B. I check these before posting. However; there may be changes
before you read this. This, of course, is out of my control. I
apologize for any inconvenience.)
--*SIX NORTHEASTERN STATES
http://www.discovernewengland.com/
--*MUSIC FESTIVAL FINDER
http://www.festivalfinder.com/
--*SYDNEY OLYMPICS
http://www.sydney.olympic.org/
--*AUSTIN, TEXAS
http://visit.ci.austin.tx.us/
--*PORTLAND, OREGON, PORT AUTHORITY
http://www.portofportlandor.com/
--*ILLINOIS BUREAU OF TOURISM
http://www.enjoyillinois.com/
--*PROMUS HOTEL GROUP
http://www.embassy-suites.com/
http://www.hampton-inn.com/
http://www.homewood-suites.com/
--*OUTDOOR FUN IN THE AMERICAN WEST
http://www.gowest.com/
--*EASY SABRE ON THE ‘NET
http://www.easysabre.com/
--*EUROPEAN RAIL SCHEDULES AND FARES
http://www.raileurope.com/
--*ALASKA AIRLINES/HORIZON AIR
http://www.alaska-air.com/
--*BRITISH MIDLAND
http://www.iflybritishmidland.com/
--*FODOR'S GUIDEBOOKS
http://www.fodors.com/
--*LONELY PLANET GUIDEBOOKS
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
--*PALM BEACH (Fla.) CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
http://www.palmbeachfl.com/
||| IT'S BEEN SAID... |||
"We need a rate of about 20 bags a minute."
United Airlines president John Edwardson, saying that a US$1 million
plastique-explosive detector scans only about 20 bags per hour.
---------------------------------------------------------
The Fine Print:
This "MARKETPLACE EDITION" of the CFPC Travel Wire contains our
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Capital Financial Partners Corp. (CFPC)
Travel Management Division
2443 Fillmore St., #301
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FAX: (415) 567-7854
Netiquette: CFPC, Travel Management Division, respects the principles
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Sources: Material is culled from various travel industry publications
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or source will be referenced.
This Travel Wire has been compiled and edited by Peter Freitag on
behalf of CFPC, Travel Management Division. Your questions, comments
and suggestions are always welcome.
E-Mail address: pfre...@dnai.com