WAV Travel News - Friday Edition
Bill Vervaeke, CDME
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
(561) 795-5912 (Office & Facsimile)
(561) 318-9089 (Cellular)
Police Shoot Half-Naked Man with Stun Gun at Florida Airport
Boarding your flight should be a painless process, but passengers at Tallahassee Regional Airport got more than they bargained for last week when a man in his underwear ran through the main concourse with Japanese fighting sticks.
Airport authorities used a stun gun to subdue the man.
According to Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat, a 26-year-old man named Chris Haynes was arrested on May 5 when he left his car unattended in the drop-off loading zone and began running through airport's main entrance at 4 a.m. ET.
Haynes yelled that he had to catch a plane, but after multiple commands to stop, he was shot with the stun gun by authorities as he approached the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint.
It was also discovered by police that Haynes possessed nunchukas, a Japanese weapon. The officer who shot the suspect with the stun gun reported he was concerned that the culprit was going to make it past TSA security and he did not know where other officers were at the time.
As for Haynes, he is a Florida A&M University student. While he did receive wounds from the stun gun in his back and buttocks, he was uninjured in the incident and the police report states that he did not have an airline ticket.
Upon being arrested, Haynes told the officers that his name was “God” and that he always wanted to be shot with a Taser. The man was taken into custody and transported to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare for a mental evaluation.
The incident did not impact flights in or out of the airport.
WAV: I usually do not include press releases in this news recap. However, this one is special to many of us.
Eastern Air Lines Receives Part 121 Certification from the FAA
Eastern Air Lines Group, Inc. is pleased to report that its operating subsidiary, Eastern Air Lines, has received an Air Carrier Operating Certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration. Eastern received its certificate and "Part 121" operations specifications, which authorize passenger charters with large aircraft, in a short ceremony today at Eastern's headquarters in Building 5A at Miami International Airport. (Bldg 5A served as Eastern's Operation Center from 1965-1991)
"We are honored and humbled to have been selected to bring the Eastern Air Lines name and legacy back to the skies, and the receipt of our 121 certification is the culmination of several years of planning and, over the last year, intense preparations by our team to meet all FAA requirements. During our proving run flights with the FAA, we flew our aircraft to Dallas, San Antonio, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Columbus (Ohio) and Colorado Springs, and we received a great reception in each city and were proud to show off our colors once again," said Ed Wegel, Eastern's founder and CEO. "We are also pleased that our certificate will be held in the South Florida CMO, which is Eastern's home base," Wegel added.
Eastern will be announcing its initial charter operations shortly and has recently concluded deals for additional 737-800s.
Eighth train victim is son of local couple
Bob Gildersleeve Jr.’s parents are residents of Singer Island.
The 45-year-old son of a Singer Island couple was one of eight people who died Tuesday night when an Amtrak trained derailed in Philadelphia, authorities confirmed Thursday.
Police found the body of Bob Gildersleeve Jr., a Baltimore businessman who worked for a Minnesota-based technology firm, Ecolab, as they searched the wreckage of Amtrak Train 188 one final time Thursday for survivors and victims.
Multiple media reports said crews aided by search dogs found Gildersleeve’s body in the front passenger car, which the 102-mph derailment left twisted along the side of the tracks in Frankford, a neighborhood about 8 miles northeast of Philadelphia City Hall.
Gildersleeve’s parents, Robert Sr. and Aileen, are residents of Singer Island, WPTV-NewsChannel 5 reported. The elder Gilder-sleeve and other family members flew to Philadelphia on Wednesday to search for answers after the younger Gildersleeve had been reported missing.
Speaking to reporters in Philadelphia on Wednesday night before learning of his son’s death, Robert Gilder-sleeve voiced frustration over the pace at which information was being provided, and he spoke of the anguish that he and other family members felt.
“My son is missing and my grandchildren are brokenhearted and I’m cried out,” he said. “I can’t cry no more and I wish I could. And my wife’s heart is broken.”
Attempts to reach the Gildersleeve family Thursday night were unsuccessful, but Danna Gildersleeve, the wife of Bob Jr., released a statement on the death of her husband, “my best friend for 29 years.”
“We just celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary and Mother’s Day on Sunday,” Danna Gildersleeve said. “He is a remarkable dad to our daughter Ryan and son Marc. He is a loving son, brother and is definitely the ‘fun’ uncle to his nieces and nephews.
“He is funny and sarcastic and lights up any room with his presence, humor and enthusiasm. He has been a dedicated employee and friend to his Ecolab family for over two decades. Our hearts are broken and we can’t imagine a life without him. We will miss him with all our heart.”
Marc Gildersleeve, 13, had passed out fliers in front of a Philadelphia hotel on Wednesday, urging crews to look for his still-missing dad.
The son told reporters his father dropped him off at lacrosse practice at about 5 p.m. Tuesday and then boarded the train for a business meeting.
In the moment the Amtrak train that derailed was supposed to be slowing down, it was accelerating, investigators said Thursday. How that came to happen has emerged as the central question surrounding the derailment, which killed eight people and sent more than 200 to hospitals Tuesday night in the nation’s deadliest train wreck in nearly six years.
In the minute or so before the crash, the train sped up from 70 mph until it exceeded 100 mph at a sharp bend where the maximum speed is supposed to be 50 mph, National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt said.
The attorney for the train’s engineer said his client has “absolutely no recollection” of the crash or of deploying the emergency brake as he entered a curve.
At a news conference, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer said rescuers, with the help of cadaver dogs, pulled Gildersleeve’s body from the wreckage of the first train car.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said all 243 passengers and crew members who were believed to be on board the train when it derailed Tuesday night have now been accounted for.
Attorney Robert Gog-gin told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that the engineer, Brandon Bostian, 32, suffered a concussion and had 15 staples in his head and stitches in his leg.
On Thursday, Sumwalt said Bostian had agreed to be interviewed by the NTSB in the next few days.
Even as investigators focused on Bostian and the speed at which the train was moving, officials pressed the need for an automated system known as positive train control that they say could have prevented the tragedy. The system operates in parts of Amtrak’s busy Northeast Corridor, but not along the stretch where the train derailed.
Sumwalt said Thursday that positive train control could have prevent ed the accident. The system uses sensors and other technology to analyze information about speed and other factors so that the train can automatically react by braking.
The NTSB has been a strong backer of positive train control, and Congress has ordered that it be installed throughout nation’s railroad system by the end of this year. But the system is complex and expensive, and it has been a challenge for rail authorities to meet the deadline.
A bill approved by the Senate Commerce Committee in March would give railroads until 2020. But Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who wrote the bill that contained the 2015 deadline, said a five-year blanket extension was not the answer.
Amtrak CEO: Railroad takes 'full responsibility' for crash
Fefederal investigators try to find out why an Amtrak train that crashed in Philadelphia sped up in the last minute before it derailed, Amtrak's top official said the railroad takes full responsibility for the deadly wreck.
Joseph Boardman, Amtrak president and CEO, said in a letter on Amtrak's official blog Thursday that it is cooperating fully in an investigation into the accident that killed eight people and injured more than 200 this week.
"With truly heavy hearts, we mourn those who died. Their loss leaves holes in the lives of their families and communities," Boardman wrote. "Amtrak takes full responsibility and deeply apologizes for our role in this tragic event."
He said the railroad's goal is "to fully understand what happened and how we can prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future."
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that in the last minute or so before the derailment, the Washington-to-New York train sped up from 70 mph until it reached more than 100 mph at a sharp bend where the maximum speed is supposed to be 50 mph.
Board member Robert Sumwalt said it's unclear whether the speed was increased manually by engineer Brandon Bostian.
So far, investigators have found no problems with the track, the signals or the locomotive, and the train was running on time, Sumwalt said.
Bostian refused to talk to police on Wednesday, authorities said. But on Thursday, Sumwalt said that Bostian had agreed to be interviewed by the NTSB in the next few days.
Separately, the Philadelphia district attorney's office said it is investigating and will decide whether to bring charges.
Bostian's lawyer, Robert Goggin, told ABC News that his client suffered a concussion in the wreck, needed 15 staples in his head and has "absolutely no recollection whatsoever" of the crash. Goggin also said Bostian had not been using his cellphone, drinking or using drugs.
"He remembers coming into the curve. He remembers attempting to reduce speed and thereafter he was knocked out," said Goggin. He said Bostian's cellphone was off and stored in his bag before the accident, as required. Goggin said his client "cooperated fully" with police and told them "everything that he knew," immediately consenting to a blood test and surrendering his cellphone. v As the death toll climbed on Thursday with the discovery of what was believed to be the last body in one of the mangled railcars, Mayor Michael Nutter again appeared to cast blame on Bostian, questioning why the train was going so fast.
"I don't think that any commonsense, rational person would think that it was OK to travel at that level of speed knowing that there was a pretty significant restriction on how fast you could go through that turn," Nutter said.
Bostian graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor's in business administration and management in 2006, the university said. He became an Amtrak engineer in 2010, four years after landing a job as a conductor, according to his LinkedIn profile. He lives in New York City.
"I have nothing but good things to say about Brandon," said Will Gust, who belonged to the Acacia fraternity with Bostian in college. "He is a very conscientious person, one of the most upstanding individuals that I know, just a really good quality person."
Stefanie McGee, a friend of Bostian's, is now city clerk in his hometown of Bartlett, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis. She said he always wanted to be an engineer or a conductor.
"He would go on vacation and bring back subway maps," she recalled Thursday. "He would go places with his family and he would talk about the trains instead of the places."
Officials believe they have now accounted for all 243 passengers and crew members who were thought to have been aboard, Nutter said. Forty-three remained hospitalized Thursday, according to the mayor. Temple University Hospital said it had six patients in critical condition, all of whom were expected to pull through.
The first funeral of the eight people killed in the crash was to be held on Friday morning. Services for U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman Justin Zemser, 20, who was traveling home to New York City, will take place on Long Island.
Amtrak, meanwhile, said limited train service between Philadelphia and New York should resume on Monday, with full service by Tuesday. Amtrak carries 11.6 million passengers a year along the Northeast Corridor, which runs between Washington and Boston.
Trendy boutique hotel set for WPB city hall site
One of the hottest brands in the hotel industry is coming to West Palm Beach.
AC Hotels by Marriott, a mid-priced chain targeting young, tech and fashion-savvy travelers, will be the flagged hotel for a mixed-use project planned for the former city hall site. “The city hall site is one they love. They also love that it’s close to Clematis Street but not on it,” said Frank Navarro, co-founder of Navarro Lowrey, the developer chosen by the city for the project.
All that’s needed now is finalizing the details of the deal with city officials. Once that’s done, the land can go under contract for sale to Navarro Lowrey of West Palm Beach. The city hall property is east of Olive Avenue, between Banyan Boulevard and Second Street.
If the deal closes smoothly, construction could begin by the first quarter of 2016, Navarro said in a recent interview.
AC Hotels is an established brand in Europe now making its way across the United States. Marriott has opened AC Hotels in New Orleans and Chicago, with plans to open a hotel in Miami Beach soon.
Marriott, like other major hotel companies, is seeking to capture the Millennial market, with hip hotels that are heavy on tech amenities but also fashion forward.
Navarro is partnering with Concord Hospitality, an established hotel developer with a strong relationship with Marriott.
Navarro said Concord is eager to get the agreement with the city done soon.
“They’re worried when the big hotels come in, what looks like a favorable market could change,” Navarro recently told a real estate forum in West Palm Beach. With the market being ripe for opportunity now, “they want to take advantage of it,” he added.
Indeed, construction is well underway on the 400-room Hilton convention center hotel. A Residence Inn recently opened downtown, joining the Hyatt Place hotel as a lodging choice.
And just last week, Aloft hotel, another boutique hotel brand, announced it is seeking to build a seven-story, 140-room hotel in downtown West Palm Beach. The vacant site is on the northeast corner of Third Street and Rosemary Avenue, near the railroad tracks. Owners of the property, formerly slated for the never-built Plaza via Rosemary condo, have not yet filed paperwork with the city for zoning approval.
Aloft has been rapidly expanding its reach in South Florida. The chain plans to build a 120-room hotel at 202 SE Fifth Ave., two blocks south of Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.
Navarro said it’s no surprise everyone is trying to jump into the hotel market, which suddenly is the hot commercial trend.
But Navarro believes his site is superior. The city hall property sits along the water, a major lure for his hotel partner, Concord. The property also will feature a host of other amenities, including an urban grocery store.
Navarro Lowrey in March submitted new plans for the 8-story, 180-room hotel project, at the request of city leaders who wanted a more exciting design than one presented to them earlier in the year.
This new rendering is “edgier and more contemporary,” Navarro said.
Navarro also is interested in leasing space at the city hall to start up businesses, or, as he dubbed it, “Green Market graduates….We want to create a more nimble and low cost entry price” for tenants, with smaller spaces, in some cases as little as 400 square feet, he said. The leases would be on a short-term basis
The space would be transparent, so anyone walking on the street could peer in the windows of the tenant, be it a retailer or an incubator company. The design is deliberate, said Navarro, a former architect. “This allows people to make a visual connection, rather than stuffing people back off the street in some internalized office,” Navarro said. “We want it to be a vibrant place.”
Southwest Responds After Denying Passenger Call to Suicidal Husband
Budget carrier Southwest Airlines has come under fire following a tragic situation.
According to WTMJ 4 News, Southwest passenger Karen Momsen-Evers was flying from New Orleans to Milwaukee when an emergency developed involving her husband back home in southeastern Wisconsin.
Momsen-Evers' husband Andy committed suicide shortly after sending a text message asking for his wife's forgiveness for taking his life. "I started shaking the minute I got the text and I was panicked, I didn't know what to do," Momsen-Evers told WTMJ 4 News.
Even after explaining the severity of the matter, her attempts to call for help from the plane's cabin were shut down by the flight attendant, who said "FAA regulations" required for her phone to be turned off or on airplane mode.
"The steward slapped the phone down and said you need to go on airplane mode now," said Momsen-Evers, who claims that she "begged" for assistance.
Momsen-Evers finally contacted the police upon arrival at the gate in Milwaukee, but was later met by officers who informed her that her husband had died. "The pain of knowing something could have been done, it breaks my heart," Momsen-Evers told the local station.
"Our hearts go out to the family during this difficult time," said Southwest Airlines in a statement issued to WTMJ 4 News. "Flight attendants are trained to notify the captain if there is an emergency that poses a hazard to the aircraft or to the passengers on board. In this situation, the pilots were not notified."
It remains to be seen whether the tragic situation will spark an adjustment in training or policy, at Southwest or any other airline for that matter. However, given the strict regulations put forth by the Federal Aviation Administration and other necessary safety precautions, a significant change seems unlikey.
Crews Searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Find Lost Shipwreck
The search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has continued since the plane was reported missing on March 8, 2014, but crews scanning the waters of the Southern Indian Ocean have stumbled upon a previously undiscovered shipwreck.
According to CBSNews.com, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is conducting the search, and crews were combing the ocean waters off Western Australia when one of the vessels using sonar equipment captured the signature of a debris field 2.5 miles below the surface.
While experts did not expect the debris to be from the missing Boeing 777, searchers did their due diligence by sending an autonomous underwater vehicle to the bottom of the ocean to determine the origin of the objects.
Instead of being the wreckage of a plane, the debris field was determined to be from a ship, likely from the mid-to-late 19th century, and Marine archaeologists are studying the images of an anchor and other objects to see if they can determine the origin of this uncharted shipwreck.
ATSB search director for the Flight 370 investigation, Peter Foley, released a statement to CBSNews.com about the find and how it will not impact the hunt for the missing airplane:
“It's a fascinating find, but it's not what we're looking for. We're not pausing in the search for MH370, in fact the vessels have already moved on to continue the mission. We've got quite a lot of stories about ships that sank in the Indian Ocean mid-voyage and you would be struggling to tell which is which unless you had a complete catalogue of all the ones lost.”
When officials laid out the search parameters, there were expectations that several undiscovered ship wrecks would be found due to many reported sinkings in the Indian Ocean. Crews have covered 75 percent of the original search area already.
It was reported last month that the ATSB had expanded the search area. The crew that found the previously undiscovered sunken ship was in the southern portion of the new search area trying to cover as many squares miles as possible before winter makes the process even more difficult.
While searchers have not lost hope, the impending winter weather is already making the water tougher to navigate.
Batman: The Ride Coming Soon
There are several marquee roller coasters that will be opening this season, but one garnering plenty of attention is Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas.
According to Jerrod Kingery of FoxSanAntonio.com, he was given early-morning access to the attraction and the chance to ride to the park’s newest roller coaster as it is tentatively scheduled to open to the public on May 23.
Batman: The Ride is the world’s first 4D free spin roller coaster. Using giant onboard magnets to power the five trains and launch the eight riders per train around the track, the attraction is like nothing amusement park visitors have ever seen before.
This is the second generation version of the original Batman: The Ride that opened in 1992.
With their feet dangling freely below rows of free-floating seats, ridersare flipped in 360-degree rotations as the ride makes its way along the track. The result is constant movement and disorientation.
The ride starts with the trains being lifted via an elevator to the top of a 120-foot tall hill, whereupon visitors are instantly thrown into chaos as they face the other passengers in the opposing cars while constantly spinning head-over heels.
Add in two drops of over 90 degrees, and there is no doubt this is a one-of-a-kind ride.
The excitement surrounding the new Batman: The Ride among hardcore roller coaster enthusiasts has been growing for weeks, and the feedback thus far adds even more intrigue and anticipation for those ready to climb aboard.
Theme Park Review posted a great video of the roller coaster in action:
Greater Fort Lauderdale Woos Summer Visitors With Two Savings Programs
To stimulate travel demand this spring and summer, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has reprised two popular off-season promotions, the 2-for-1 Summer Savings program and the Vacation Like a VIP package.
This year both programs, which are combinable and take effect this month, have been extended from Sept. 30 to Oct. 12.
“Everyone loves a deal,” said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. “And Greater Fort Lauderdale is a great deal this summer, for visitors’ wallets, sense of adventure, and general well-being that comes with a summer vacation.”
Visitors can use the 2-for-1 Summer Savings card for shopping, museums, dining, spa treatments, water sports activities, snorkeling dive excursions, catamaran cruises and water taxi transportation.
More specifically, the card can be used at the Sawgrass Mills discount mall, and for airboat rides through the Everglades at Billie Swamp Safari as well as for visits to Butterfly World, the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens and the Museum of Discovery & Science. Some of the restaurants participating in the program include Mai Kai Restaurant & Polynesian Revue, Shula Burger and 15th Street Fisheries
The Vacation Like a VIP program, which is available with two-night minimum hotel stays, includes room upgrades; $100 resort credits; a $25 American Express gift card; complimentary pool/beach cabanas, water activities or kids programs; and free valet resort parking.
Participating properties include Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, W Fort Lauderdale, Westin Fort Lauderdale, Diplomat Resort & Spa Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa, Lago Mar Resort and Club, Pillars Hotel and Sonesta Fort Lauderdale.
Visit www.sunny.org/summer for more information on the 2-for-1 Savings program and http://www.sunny.org/hotels/luxe/vacation-like-a-vip/ for Vacation Like a VIP.
Orlando Eye closed after 'irregularity' found
Opened amid great fanfare just days ago, the Orlando Eye has abruptly closed after the discovery of an 'irregularity.'
The exact problem found at the 400-foot wheel, which is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group, has not been disclosed.
"As a precautionary measure, the decision was made to temporarily cease operation of the Orlando Eye and investigate further today," a company statement said.
"Our engineering team is working to ensure everything is operating properly and will return the wheel to full operational status as soon as possible," spokesman Dipika Joshi said.
Merlin's other two attractions at the I-Drive 360 entertainment complex - Madame Tussauds wax museum and Sea Life Aquarium - are operating as normal.
Travel agents bone up on Fort Lauderdale
Hundreds of travel agents are getting an education about Greater Fort Lauderdale, courtesy of tourism leaders.
The new Greater Fort Lauderdale Specialist Program gives agents an overview of the Fort Lauderdale area, as well as selling points and planning tools.
The goal is that educated travel agents will send more visitors here.
The program is offered by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau in partnership with Travel Agent Academy, a division of New Jersey-based travAlliancemedia LLC, which creates custom online courses for travel agents.
Agents who participate in the program will receive a certificate of graduation as a Greater Fort Lauderdale specialist, continuing education credits from The Travel Institute and the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and other benefits.
Since its launch April 27, more than 225 agents have enrolled, and more than 100 have graduated, the tourism bureau said. The goal is to have 1,000 travel agents enroll in 2015.
Nepal rescuers find 3 bodies near crashed U.S. Marine chopper
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepalese rescuers on Friday found three bodies near the wreckage of a U.S. Marine helicopter that disappeared earlier this week while on a relief mission in the earthquake-hit Himalayan nation, and officials said it was unlikely there were any survivors from the crash.
"The wreckage of the helicopter was found in pieces and there are no chances of any survivors," Nepal's Defense Secretary Iswori Poudyal said. He gave no details about the nationalities of the three victims, only saying their remains were charred.
The helicopter was carrying six Marines and two Nepalese army soldiers.
A separate team sent by the U.S. Marines also said they identified the wreckage as the missing helicopter, the UH-1 "Huey."
"The assessment of the site is ongoing and a thorough investigation will be conducted," a statement from the Marine-led joint task force said.
The wreckage was found about 15 miles from the town of Charikot, near where the aircraft had gone missing on Tuesday while delivering humanitarian aid to villages hit by two deadly earthquakes, according to the U.S. military joint task force in Okinawa, Japan.
The area is near Gothali village in the district of Dolakha, about 50 miles northeast of Nepal's capital Kathmandu.
The discovery of the wreckage, first spotted by Nepalese ground troops and two army helicopters Friday, followed days of intense search involving U.S. and Nepalese aircraft and even U.S. satellites.
The U.S. relief mission was deployed soon after a magnitude-7.8 quake hit April 25, killing more than 8,200 people. It was followed by another magnitude-7.3 quake on Tuesday that killed 117 people and injured 2,800.
The helicopter had been delivering rice and tarps in Charikot, the area worst hit by Tuesday's quake. It had dropped off supplies in one location and was en route to a second site when contact was lost.
U.S. military officials said earlier this week that an Indian helicopter in the air nearby had heard radio chatter from the Huey aircraft about a possible fuel problem.
A total of 300 U.S. military personnel have been supporting the aid mission in Nepal, which includes three Hueys, four Marine MV-22B Ospreys, two KC-130 Hercules and four Air Force C-17 Globemaster heavy-lift aircraft.
The Huey helicopter that crashed was from Marine Light Attack Helicopter squadron 469 based at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Orlando iSquare mall and hotel to break ground early next year
Developers of the iSquare Mall + Hotel hope to break ground in early 2016.
Abdul Mathin, chairman of BlackMINE, the project's developer, said original plans called for a fall 2015 groundbreaking.
Revisions to plans, however, have pushed that back, he said Thursday at an International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce event.
"We're still dreaming," said Mathin. "We're still imagining."
The massive retail and hotel development, expected to cost between $300 million and $400 million, would be built at the intersection of International Drive and Kirkman Road.
Bill Vervaeke, CDME
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
(561) 795-5912 (Office & Facsimile)
(561) 318-9089 (Cellular)
Religious-freedom law would crush NOLA convention biz, says CVB chief
Speaking at the Travel Weekly Leadership Forum in New Orleans today, New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Stephen Perry said that when the state of Louisiana's proposed Marriage and Conscience Act went to committee, 80-85% of the city's “most important corporate customers” called to say that if it were to pass, "it’s unlikely we’re going to be able to come back here.”
"It’s the same thing that happened in Indianapolis,” Perry said, “where there were travel bans by states and mayors and governors" in response to Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was passed into law then altered after a backlash from corporations and state and city governments.
Changes to the Indiana law made it clear that businesses were forbidden from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation.
The proposed bill in Louisiana, which protects those who act in accordance with their religious beliefs that same-sex marriage is wrong, was defeated in a Louisiana state legislature committee. At that point, Perry said, “we thought it was over.”
“Then the governor created an executive order to put it into law, which caused a lot of consternation and confusion,” he said. “The rest of the country didn’t understand what we did — that it was just a political move by the governor and that under Louisiana law, a governor can’t do that."
"We have to stand for a nondiscriminatory marketplace, for freedom for all people, especially in New Orleans, a welcoming tolerant, environment for every human being no matter what race, gender, color, sexual orientation, philosophy or political belief,” Perry said. "That’s who we are and that’s what we stand for.”
Perry believes what has occurred in Louisiana, Indiana and other states “unfortunately is going to play out all over the U.S., the reason being that there is a nationally coordinated movement among social conservatives and deeply religious-focused organizations to begin chipping away and laying the foundation for exceptions to what they believe will be the U.S. Supreme Court in June handing down a ruling a to make same-sex marriage protected.”
"It’s becoming a profound issue in America,” he said, “especially in cities with large conventions and special events. But based on the letters we’re seeing, it affects the leisure traveler dramatically, as well, because every one of them emotionally connects with the places they choose to go.”
Ireland could make history with gay marriage vote
DUBLIN — In what could be a historic vote, an estimated 3 million people across Ireland were expected to cast ballots Friday on whether to approve same-sex marriage, a change that appeared likely to pass despite opposition from the Roman Catholic church in this overwhelmingly Catholic nation.
A "yes" vote to change Ireland's constitution to give gay couples the same rights as married heterosexual couples would mark the first victory for gay marriage by nationwide referendum.
Eighteen other countries have legalized same-sex marriage through legislation or the courts, but not by a public vote. Approval by Irish voters would be a sea change in a country that only decriminalized homosexuality in 1993.
Polls close at 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET) and results may not be known until Saturday.
Pre-election polls showed a large majority in favor of same-sex marriage. But opponents, who challenge the potential legal, religious and social implications of such a change, are hoping last-minute doubters of such a major step will turn out to defeat the measure.
While debate on the referendum has exposed some of the deep, lingering divisions in Irish society, it has also benefited from a lack of vitriolic rhetoric from the church that characterized previous referendums here on divorce and abortion.
As its influence has waned, and still smarting from child abuse scandals, the church has been careful not to take an active role in the debate. Instead, it has been releasing a series of carefully worded statements.
"I believe that civil partnerships give gay people clear civil rights and recognition as people committed to one another, and I fully endorse this," Pat Storey, Ireland's first female bishop, wrote in a letter to her clergy this week in explaining her "No" vote. "However, I do not think this requires the redefinition of marriage to uphold it, and I do not believe marriage should be redefined," she said.
Ireland introduced legislation on civil unions for same-sex couples in 2010. While marriage is protected under the country's constitution, partnerships are not, meaning that these rights can theoretically be revoked by future lawmakers. By contrast, changes to Ireland's constitution require a national referendum.
Among those voting in Ireland's capital on Friday morning was taxi driver John Quinn, who said he voted "yes."
Although he was not aware of all the implications of backing the change, he said his instincts told him that introducing marriage equality rights for same-sex couples was the correct and necessary thing to do. "Sometimes making these difficult decisions is as simple as listening to what your gut says," Quinn said.
Under Irish law, citizens living abroad are entitled to vote in Friday's election but only if they return to Ireland. About 60,000 expatriates are eligible to vote and many nationals living as far afield as Canada and Australia were doing just that on Friday.
"Ireland is already ahead of the curve in comparison to Australia when it comes to gay rights and if we pass this it will put more pressure on Australian politicians to introduce marriage equality there," Mark Govern, who works in Sydney but flew home to cast his vote, told the Irish Independent. Dublin to Sydney is a 21,000-mile round-trip.
Report: Airlines’ limits on OTA fare listings add costs
Decisions by the largest U.S. airlines to restrict or eliminate airfare listings on online travel agencies, metasearch engines and other Internet channels could boost air ticket prices by more than 10%, according to a report released last week by a trade group representing OTAs.
The 63-page study was commissioned by the Travel Technology Association (TTA) and authored by Yale University professor Fiona Scott Morton, a former deputy assistant attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice. It concluded that the airlines’ restrictions on online vendors could cost travelers an additional $6.7 billion a year and cause about one in six potential independent passengers to decide not to fly.
In response, some consumer advocates immediately called for stricter regulation of airlines, while industry analysts defended the practice as a free-market prerogative.
Travel Tech’s report predicted that removing airfares from third-party online sites will result in less pricing transparency and will boost average U.S. airline ticket prices by 11%, to about $300, forcing about 41 million of the 264 million leisure and unmanaged business passengers to opt not to fly.
The remaining 223 million independent air passengers would pay, on average, an additional $30 a ticket, accounting for the report’s $6.7 billion figure. The study also estimated that the loss of those 41 million annual passengers would have little impact on airline profits because low-end purchases generate the lowest margins.
Spurring the report was the decision by some carriers to narrow the number of intermediaries allowed to list their fares. Specifically, Travel Tech singled out Delta Air Lines, which in late 2010 removed fares from CheapOAir and BookIt.com. Last year, Delta removed its fares from TripAdvisor, Fly.com and Hipmunk.
Low-cost leader Southwest Airlines has had a longstanding policy of making its online fares available only on its website, but the report was more sanguine about Southwest maintaining its policy.
Travel Tech’s report concluded: “At a time when independent, transparent comparison shopping is most needed, some airlines are attempting to restrict access to their fare and schedule information, reduce the ability of consumers to easily compare prices, and drive travelers to their own websites, which do not offer price comparisons with other airlines. The airlines’ strategy of cutting off distribution through smaller OTAs and metasearch sites appears designed to avoid serving lower-margin leisure travelers and focusing on filling their capacity with time-sensitive, high-margin business customers.”
Delta spokesman Anthony Black said, “Delta will continue partnering with a limited, but responsive and adaptable group of online retailers who we believe effectively support our efforts to provide a robust shopping experience. Delta reserves the right to determine who it does business with and where and how its content is displayed.”
Airline representatives disputed the report’s implications.
“Consumers in other sectors of our nation’s economy simply do not have the variety of and details about the services that they are interested in that airline customers have access to,” said Victoria Day, a spokeswoman for the trade group Airlines for America (A4A). “The notion that the U.S. airline industry, which enplanes over 700 million passengers a year, is going to allow the various distribution channels that facilitate those customers’ purchases of its services to dry up is nonsensical.”
At the focus of the study is a U.S. airline industry that is projected to reach record profits of about $25 billion this year on a combination of increasing overall consumer and business spending, a continued climb in ancillary-services revenue and relatively low fuel prices.
This year, Americans will boost airline-ticket spending by about 5%, to $147.3 million, while online airline-ticket spending will advance about 6%, to $81.5 billion, according to Phocuswright.
And while the OTAs’ percentage of online hotel room revenue has increased 2 percentage points, to 48%, during the past three years, OTAs’ share of online airline-ticket revenue is down 2 percentage points during the same period, to just 25%.
In addition to spurring the study, airline policies restricting fare listings have attracted the attention of such groups as ASTA and the Business Travel Coalition (BTC).
Eben Peck, ASTA’s senior vice president of government and industry affairs, said, “We are concerned about airline efforts to restrict access to airline pricing and services and supportive of government efforts to maintain and expand consumer access to such services.”
At the BTC, founder Kevin Mitchell argued that “strong, independent distributors are necessary to keep the airlines honest on their own websites and in their offerings elsewhere to consumers. OTAs and metasearch sites uniquely provide consumers with the comparison-shopping tools that keep pricing discipline in the system.”
Even so, aviation analyst Bob Mann said that as the airline industry consolidates — the study estimates that the four largest U.S. carriers account for about 80% of U.S. airline-ticket sales — and travel spending continues to rise, online travel sales channels might be forced to pay more for access to those listings.
“No airline needs help selling lowest-fare seats,” Mann said. “Only those OTAs that have a business-travel selling unit are likely to survive on present terms. Others may end up paying the carrier a negotiated ‘access fee,’ or be shut out.”
Meanwhile, some industry players, including A4A, took issue with the study, arguing that just as airlines began pushing listings into the nascent OTA industry in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in order to boost business, it’s the airlines’ prerogative to do the reverse as business surges.
“Airlines are one of the most transparent industries when it comes to disclosing pricing and inventory availability,” said travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt. “The report dramatically overstates the problem. No airline should be forced to list its fares or sell its products through any third-party organization that doesn’t meet the carrier’s business requirements.”
Travel Tech appeared to take more of an issue with Delta for changing its online listing strategy than with Southwest for maintaining its longstanding policy.
“While Southwest has never shared its content with third-party intermediaries, they also haven’t taken action to stop the display of schedule information,” said Travel Tech spokesman Philip Minardi. He added that the study’s implication was that Southwest’s policy did help boost its ticket prices.
What the industry does with its listing policies going forward is unclear, as Phocuswright projects airline revenue growth to slow from about 7% in both 2013 and 2014 to 5% by next year. Also unclear is how further adjustments to airlines’ fare-listing policies will impact both prices and passenger numbers, according to Phocuswright senior technology analyst Bob Offutt.
Travel Tech, Offutt said, “tried to simplify something that’s much more complex.”
He added that the number of itinerary permutations between two destinations, coupled with the airlines’ yield-management efforts, make it nearly impossible to gauge the pricing impact of a particular fare-listing strategy.
Ebola scare: Florida man hit with huge hospital bill for tests
JUPITER, FL — Mark Greene only wanted a malaria test he figured would cost maybe $150. What he got, after he mentioned he had traveled to South Africa, was concerned looks at his local hospital, a mask, an escort to a room with a door he could not open, and questions about Ebola though he insisted he never got within thousands of miles of affected areas in western Africa, he said.
He felt better physically, but then came bills for nearly $5,000. The part he is supposed to pay out of pocket: more than $1,700.
Welcome to a modern billing nightmare where pressure on hospitals not to dismiss a threat like Ebola crashes against consumers’ growing share of health bills — even if they have insurance.
“I felt outraged,” said Greene, who lives in Jupiter. “I felt like I went in there for a $150 test. They did a lot of unnecessary tests that I didn’t ask for, and now they want me to pay for them. How did I feel? Pretty upset.”
Hospital officials said they followed procedures recommended by national and local health authorities.
“Due to privacy regulations, Jupiter Medical Center cannot comment on specific patient care or concerns,” said spokeswoman Stacey Brandt. “Jupiter Medical Center always follows recommendations and procedures regarding potential infectious disease identification and control as directed by the Centers for Disease Control and the Palm Beach County Health Department. As a hospital, we are obligated to prioritize our patients’ health and the health of our entire community. Concerns over coverage status or claims are the obligation of the insurance provider.”
A spokesman for the state’s largest health insurer, Florida Blue, which is Greene’s insurance company, confirmed the company is reviewing the charges but offered no additional comment for this story.
While they do, Greene remains on the hook for the non-reimbursed costs, and Floridians are left wondering if the expanding problem of unexpected medical bills will ever get fixed.
Efforts to get a handle on surprise medical bills in emergency situations flopped in the Florida legislative session that ended May 1. A national survey finds one in three consumers report getting hit with medical charges they were not expecting in routine or emergency care.
The surprises can come from several directions. Deductibles and co-pays are growing under many health plans. That represents a shifting of costs to the consumer that was happening even before federal health law imposed new requirements on insurers, such as not turning away customers with pre-existing conditions.
Then there is what is sometimes called “balance billling.” That is when insurers and medical providers cannot agree on a price and the consumer gets a bill for the difference.
Even if you go to a hospital in your insurer’s network, “the unfortunate truth is that there is no guarantee that all your treatment — whether it’s the radiologist, anesthesiologist or lab work — will be treated as in-network, leaving patients owing thousands of dollars they never anticipated,” said DeAnn Friedholm, director of health reform for Consumers Union. That’s the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports.
But Greene’s case throws in another curveball: What if the hospital believes you should be tested for Ebola or another health threat despite your assertions that you never got near places with known risk?
In fairness, hospitals are under big pressure not to repeat what was widely regarded as a mistake in Dallas, where the first documented U.S. case of a person infected with Ebola was not intially recognized last year and the man was sent home, exposing others to risk. The dilemma raised by heightened alerts and precautions: Who should pay if a hospital errs on the side of caution and orders costly tests that may or may not have been needed?
In response to the Ebola outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta assists state and local health departments in evaluating what it calls “persons under investigation,” said CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund.
Those are defined as people who, “based on initial screening and clinical assessment, have 1) signs or symptoms consistent with Ebola and 2) an epidemiologic risk factor within the 21 days before symptom onset (which includes contact with an Ebola patient or patient’s body fluids or travel to an Ebola-affected country within 21 days of symptom onset),” she said.
Greene said in early April he was feeling symptoms including aches and mild fever, and wanted to rule out a malaria infection. He told Jupiter Medical Center staff that he had recently traveled to South Africa and Zimbabwe, but promptly added those countries are thousands of miles from the west African countries identified with known Ebola cases.
As he tells it, “I walked into the Jupiter E.R. and stated to the woman at the desk that I wanted a malaria test. She asked where I had been and I told her. Even though I had no cough she immediately gave me a mask to put on and told me to wait in the corner.”
A short time later, he was whisked to a locked room where he was questioned about Ebola, he said.
“After some other questions and blood drawn, and I assume tested, she and her team determined I was a low Ebola threat, but not before they had me do a chest X ray for some unknown reason as well as other blood tests,” Greene said. “All I wanted was a malaria blood test.”
He did not learn the malaria results until weeks later, he said.
The Florida Department of Health has no record of an Ebola test in Jupiter, spokeswoman Tiffany Cowie said. Hospital officials said they cannot comment.
Greene has appealed the charges. He says he is particularly upset that he repeatedly asked how much all the testing might cost, but was told “not to worry about it.” The explanations he is getting have only left him more frustrated, he said.
Hospital officials note they operate under a federal law that says all patients at the ER must be seen regardless of their ability to pay. An emergency medical condition must be ruled out before they can talk to a patient about charges, they say. To discuss final possible bills before that condition is ruled out is considered discouraging patients from being seen in the emergency room and is a violation of that federal law, one official said.
Greene is still feeling a big dose of exasperation.
“The fact that you can perform tests and utilitze procedures that were not asked for by me and proven unfounded should not mean that you can charge me for them,” Greene said in a letter appealing the charges. “Is it outrageous and unfair? Absolutely.”
From planes to trains: Robert Crandall joins opposition to All Aboard
Robert Crandall was a titan of the airline industry in the rollicking days of deregulation, and at 79, his heart still pumps jet fuel.
Today, though, he’s got another transportation project in his crosshairs — All Aboard Florida’s $2.9 billion express passenger rail.
Crandall, a winter resident of Palm City, is on the steering committee of the anti-All Aboard Florida group Citizens Against Rail Expansion. When he joined the opposition, it bolstered the rag tag effort of grassroots organizers who were taking on All Aboard Florida.
“Let’s just say he has the attention of All Aboard Florida,” said Bill Ward, chairman of Citizens Against Rail Expansion, about Crandall. “He carries a lot of weight and authority. He knows what it takes to put people in seats and turn a profit and he just doesn’t get All Aboard Florida’s business plan.”
Crandall’s rule at American Airlines from 1980 to 1998 is the stuff of legend, a tough-talking innovator whose profanity-laced speeches became happy hour lore. One of his nicknames at the airline — Fang.
Described as intensely detail-focused, pushy, creative, ambitious and notoriously temperamental, Crandall helped grow American from a small domestic airline to the largest carrier in the world. Along the way, he was named one of the nation’s toughest bosses by Fortune magazine.
“Bob is a formidable opponent,” said Rob Britton, who worked with Crandall as American’s managing director of communications in the 1990’s. “His opposition (to All Aboard Florida) is surely principled, and based on a clear and unromantic analysis of costs and benefits.”
Coral Gables-based All Aboard Florida plans to run 32 trains per day on the Florida East Coast Railway tracks from Miami to Orlando, with stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Traveling at speeds between 79 mph and 125 mph, the trip is expected to take about three hours.
All Aboard Florida’s parent company, New York private-equity fund Fortress Investment Group, has ambitious plans. During earnings calls, Fortress has said that the train itself isn’t the only moneymaker in the venture. Real estate development on land it owns around its three stations will add to profits. Miami’s station alone is a $150 million complex that will include offices, shopping and residential space.
Still, when asked what the chances are that All Aboard Florida will begin running its trains in 2017 as planned, Crandall didn’t hesitate with an answer.
“Zero,” he said flatly during an interview this month with The Palm Beach Post. “We are going to beat them.”
Crandall came late to the fight against All Aboard Florida, which was officially announced in 2012. And, to a degree, it’s personal.
His home in Piper’s Landing Yacht & Country Club is five miles west of the tracks, but he enjoys nearby Stuart’s quaint waterfront downtown where trains cut nearly clean through the neighborhood. As a donor and supporter of Martin Health System, he’s also concerned about delays to first-responders if 32 trains are added to the tracks.
In October, Crandall went to a U.S. Department of Transportation meeting in Stuart for people who wanted to learn more about a draft environmental impact report that looked at the effects the trains would have on Intracoastal drawbridges, towns and traffic.
That’s where he got “cross,” he said.
As an American Airlines executive, he’s been on the other side of an environmental impact statement. When an airport wanted to add a runway and neighborhoods complained, he’d have to help explain the benefits and negatives and speak with homeowners whose properties would be under the flightpath.
All Aboard Florida officials have been to hundreds of city commission and neighborhood meetings to plead their case, but Crandall didn’t like what he saw that night in October.
“It seemed to me the meeting was a very organized way of depriving the public of information,” Crandall said. “You could hardly move and there was no coherently-presented information.”
So Crandall held a fundraiser at Stuart’s Lyric Theatre. The haul was about $100,000. He’s subsequently helped bring in $1.1 million for Citizens Against Rail Expansion, or CARE.
“If this were the old west we’d round up a posse and go get the bastard,” Crandall said. “Now we raise money and file lawsuits.”
Crandall’s tenure at American coincided with a rough and tumble time in the industry. Deregulation, competition from upstart discount airlines and union battles over contracts tested the fortitude of executives at legacy airlines.
Rob Britton, a principal with the airline consulting and education firm AirLearn, said American’s union leaders and rank-and-file employees sometimes disagreed with Crandall, but always respected him.
“Underpinning his leadership was a solid and strong moral compass,” Britton said.
Crandall is credited with inventing frequent-flyer programs, computerized reservation systems, and for novel money-savings techniques. He once trimmed $40,000 from fuel costs by removing one olive from onboard salads, according to author Dan Reed’s 1993 book “The American Eagle, the ascent of Bob Crandall and American Airlines.”
Ward said just having Crandall on the CARE steering committee adds credence to the fight. He’s spoken to community associations, met with people in their living rooms, and helped get Stuart business leaders to conspicuously place CARE brochures in their shops.
Crandall didn’t join CARE’s steering committee on a whim. Ward said his first call was directly to its high-power Washington, D.C. attorney Steve Ryan.
“He’s at that kind of level,” said Ward, noting that Crandall also reviewed CARE’s governing documents and organizational structure. “CEO types just get up and call the guy at the top.”
In keeping with character, they also don’t shy from fights. Crandall said he’s faced off with executives such as All Aboard Florida President Michael Reininger before.
“Fact of the matter is, we’re tough guys with deep pockets and he’s a tough guy with deep pockets and we’ll see how it works out,” Crandall said. “Hopefully the law will get enforced and we think if the law is enforced All Aboard Florida won’t happen.”
Blue Horizon casino ship set to launch from Port of Palm Beach by July
Riivera Beach — The Blue Horizon, a casino day cruise ship based at the Port of Palm Beach, could be sailing in four to six weeks.
The five-member port commission unanimously approved a five year, three month agreement today with PB Gaming, which will operate the gambling “cruises to nowhere” on the vessel previously named the Island Breeze.
PB Gaming is slated to pay the port $730,000 a year in passenger fees, an estimated $80,000 in parking fees and $36,470 a year to lease 2,605 square feet of offices on the port administration building’s fourth floor.
The failed Island Breeze’s largest creditor, Source Point LLC, a private equity firm based in Puerto Rico, took over the 600-passenger ship’s charter boat earlier this year. SourcePoint formed PB Gaming to operate the cruises.
Robert Weisberg, a partner in SourcePoint and PB Gaming, said passenger charges have not been determined, but said it will be at least $10 per person.
“It will be a great entertainment ship, not just gaming,” Weisberg said.
Manuel “Manny” Almira, the port’s executive director, said, “The biggest difference is the management team that definitely has intensive, in-depth experience in how to operate a casino boat. They are well-capitalized, unlike others.”
The port’s business development director, Jarra Kaczwara asked the commission to waive the usually procurement procedures to expedite the installation of shore power, a canopy and fencing.
The Island Breeze carried about 11,000 passengers on 100 day cruises from March to June last year. The company that operated it, IBI Palm Beach, filed for bankruptcy in November.
The Island Breeze is one of five casino day cruises that have sailed from the port in recent years, but ceased operating.
Weisberg ran the SunCruz Casino, which stopped operating at the port in 2007 after seven months. The ship was renamed the Black Diamond, and in 2013 became the Island Breeze.
Weisberg said recently that SunCruz could not compete with the Palm Beach Princess, a much larger day cruise ship that was based at the port for more than 20 years before going out of business in 2010.
Man Reportedly Strips Naked to Protest Overbooked Flight at Charlotte Airport
Breaking out your birthday suit in pubic is a surefire way to get attention. Unfortunately, naked people aren't always taken seriously, especially in the middle of a busy airport. One would-be passenger in North Carolina learned that the hard way this week.
Police were called to Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wednesday morning after a man reportedly stripped naked shortly after attempting to board a US Airways flight to Jamaica.
According to Chris Dyches of WBTV, the man was angry about the flight being overbooked, and when yelling didn't work, decided to remove his clothes in frustration.
Witnesses said the man, who will not face charges for the incident, stood naked in the concourse area for more than a half an hour before being escorted away.
"More people started getting back because that's when security started surrounding him, waiting for Charlotte-Mecklenburg police to come in," witness Sherry Ketchie told WBTV. "I was not expecting to see nothing like that, I've never seen nothing like that at Charlotte Douglas airport. Never."
Traveler Mike Osborne called the situation "embarrassing," according to WCNC.com.
"That guy should think about what's going on, who's around him and seriously get some psychological evaluation, or help," he added.
Both the airline and airport directed questions to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, who confirmed that officers responded to a "disturbance call where a male was suffering from a medical issue."
Police said the man was taken by a medic for treatment.
Tourism and Travel Stakeholders Pray For Baha Mar Success
Even as its construction nears completion, the $3.5 billion Baha Mar mega-resort project this week enters a critical stage. Now five months beyond the original launch date, it remains unclear when exactly the resort will open.
What is certain is that groups ranging from leisure vacationers to hotel companies, tourism officials, Bahamas-based sub-contractors and resort workers are eagerly awaiting a resolution.
On Thursday Perry Christie, the Bahamas’ prime minister, told the Bahamas Tribune that he planned to meet that day with “relevant officials” to resolve the disputes that have pushed the project’s opening far beyond the original December 2014 launch.
The Baha Mar project is widely viewed as key to the Bahamas’ economic and tourism future. Government officials have said the mega-resort’s operations are expected to contribute 12.8 percent of the Bahamas’ annual gross domestic product in its first full year.
Yet a multitude of issues have led to crippling delays. They include allegations of delayed or inadequate payments made to China Construction America (CCA), the project’s contractor; reports of work slow-downs tied to the disputed payments; and charges from Baha Mar CEO Sarkis Izmirlian that government missteps have hurt the project.
Yet another issue arose early this year when Superclubs, which owns land within the construction zone, claimed Baha Mar officials breached an agreement involving a transfer of the property. According to press reports Superclubs is now attempting to win a court injunction that will force Baha Mar to halt construction.
Behind those disputes are hundreds of disgruntled travelers who had booked Baha Mar resort vacations for early 2015 only to see their dreams scuttled as delays twice obliterated the promised opening dates.
Workers at Bahamas-based sub-contractors hired for the project have even complained in local media of delayed salaries. An electrician employed though the Yates Osprey Corp. told the Nassau Guardian that “over 100 or so guys, just electricians alone,” haven’t been paid in weeks.
Looming over this contentious landscape is China’s government, whose Import-Export Bank financed the project through a $2.5-billion loan. Izmirlian’s group has arranged the additional $850 million to bankroll the project.
Despite these hurdles, the developer insists Baha Mar will be completed and an opening dated announced soon following recent discussions between Baha Mar and China Construction officials. The Chinese ambassador reportedly attended the meetings.
"Significant progress is being made towards an agreement that will result in the near-term completion of construction of the development,” said a Baha Mar statement issued last week.
Those assurances haven’t quelled the angry comments from disgruntled travelers whose vacation plans went awry as the delays commenced.
“It'd be nice if your reservations department would call us back to figure out our compensation since Expedia is basically claiming they had no clue the hotel wouldn't be opened for our April 17 to 21 trip,” says Alex Critch in a message on the Baha Mar Facebook page. “They are not refunding us.”
Baha Mar advised Critch, “We have forwarded your information to the team and will have someone reach out as soon as possible.”
An official working with SLS Lux, one of the resort’s partner hotels, said that hotel’s team “has called every person personally to either re-book them at a later date, or rebook them at another SLS property or at another hotel in the Bahamas.”
The official, who requested anonymity, said the re-bookings have “cost [SLS] money,” and added, “They have also refunded partial cost of flights, as flights can no longer be cancelled,” meaning SLS has paid change fees and fare differences on re-booked tickets.
The other Baha Mar properties, which include the Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, the Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar and Rosewood at Baha Mar have presumably been compelled to re-book guests as well.
Yet despite the intense atmosphere surrounding the project, longtime hotel industry observers agree it is not unusual for a major resort project to miss its original completion deadline.
“If there is anything I have learned over the years, it is to not book groups to resorts within four months of their opening,” said Jennifer Doncsecz, president of VIP Vacations, a major Caribbean vacation retailer and consultant. “Even with this, we have been burned in the past.”
Christie said he “fervently hopes” the parties can reach an agreement that will allow operators to announce an opening date for the property. Local religious leaders this week went beyond hope and turned to divine intervention.
Bishop Simeon Hall and Rev. Philip McPhee told the Bahamas Tribune they are praying for the “successful completion” of Baha Mar due to the large number of workers depending on the project for employment. “We wish to go on record as praying for Baha Mar’s successful opening,” the clergymen said in a statement.
SeaWorld amending admission prices
SeaWorld Entertainment is making some changes to theme park admission prices from today.
Single-day ticket prices are rising by $2 to $97 at the gate, but it is cutting the price of advance-purchase weekday tickets by $5 to $70.
Advance-purchase tickets are only valid for use Monday-Friday.
SeaWorld CFO Jim Heaney said earlier this month advance-purchase weekday tickets had been selling well.
A multi-park pass for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens goes up $1 a month while single-park annual passes for SeaWorld will remain the same price.
This is the first admission price overhaul at SeaWorld since last year and follows recent price rises at Disney Magic Kingdom and Universal.
Single day ticket admission at both those parks has now passed the $100 barrier.
Top 10 US Beaches
Dr. Beach—aka Stephen Leatherman of Florida International University—is out with his annual ranking of the best beaches in America, and he's got a new No. 1. The honor goes to Waimanalo Bay Beach Park in Hawaii, reports AP. It's in a fairly secluded spot on the island of Oahu, and it benefits from an island rule that forbids cigarettes. "They've done away with smoking at all their beaches," Leatherman tells Live Science. "That's something I'm starting to add extra credit for, because the most common litter is cigarette butts on beaches." Here are his top 10:
1.
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'Star Wars' considered for Disneyland but no MagicBands
Walt Disney Co. executives prepare to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Disneyland, they hinted at what new attractions are coming to the Anaheim park and what won't be making an appearance.
In an interview, Chief Operating Officer Tom Staggs said Disney is considering plans to introduce characters from the blockbuster "Star Wars" films into the park in "large and small ways."
He declined to offer details but said he does not plan to remove any favorite features to make room for new "Star Wars" attractions.
"We will look at 'Star Wars' to be a plus while not taking away from things that people love," he said.
Since Walt Disney Co. purchased Lucasfilm from "Star Wars" creator George Lucas in 2012, Disney fans have speculated about how Disneyland would incorporate the "Star Wars" films and characters into the park. Executives for the company have not denied that there are plans to bring more "Star Wars" characters and storylines to the park, although they have yet to offer specifics.
But the future of Disneyland will apparently not include MagicBands, a wristband that uses microchip technology to let guests use the bands in place of theme park tickets, hotel room keys and even credit cards. The wristbands debuted at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., in 2013.
Disneyland does not plan to offer the wristbands at the park anytime soon, said Mary Niven, vice president for Disneyland Park.
She said the wristband won't work with Disneyland's guest demographics. Many visitors are local residents who do not stay for long periods at the nearby hotels, where the bands would be used heavily.
Bill Vervaeke, CDME
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
(561) 795-5912 (Office & Facsimile)
(561) 318-9089 (Cellular)
Jordan Adams must have known what he was capable of. Before the 33-year-old Englishman went out for a friend’s bachelor party in Munich, he wrote the address of his hotel on a wristband and fastened it around his arm. But by the time he staggered out of the club, he’d lost that bit of essential information, was completely hammered and had no idea where he was.
He tried – and failed – to find a taxi driver who might be able to point him in the direction of his hotel (which, it turns out, was about 100 yards from the club) so he got on a bus instead. Or, more accurately, he climbed into the luggage hold on a bus and promptly fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning, he was 200 miles and one country away in Zurich, Switzerland. Adams told The Daily Mail:
I was woken up by all the lights coming on in the luggage hold and the bus driver swearing at me. After stumbling out into this big coach park I kept seeing signs for Zurich and thought ‘There’s got to be a place in Munich called Zurich.’ But then I saw the Swiss flags and these amazing views and it was then it dawned on me.
Of course, Adams had no phone, no cash, no passport and still had no idea where he was staying in Germany. He went to a local police station to explain his predicament and found a way to call his wife (“She wasn’t pleased,” he said). After the cops finished laughing at him (seriously), they arranged for him to take a train back to Munich…and he went out to the same club later that night.
Adams isn’t the only Brit who’s gotten so obliterated that he woke up in another country the next morning. In March, Phillip Boyle and his friends went out drinking in Manchester and ended their night – or, um, their morning – in Pattaya after taking a cab to the airport and buying tickets to Thailand. But Boyle did land with his wallet and his luggage: one grocery bag full of clean underwear.
“I can be a bit of a nightmare on a night out but I’ve never done anything like that before,” Adams told The Daily Mail of his overnight adventure. “I don’t know why I thought it. Maybe it’s because I’m a bit of an idiot.”
Marriott, Westin atop ranking of hotel WiFi quality
Hyatt came in third, and was given kudos for providing free WiFi chain-wide (only 17% of Marriott’s U.S. properties do the same). Sheraton came in at No. 4.
On the flipside, Hampton Inn was judged to have the worst WiFi quality among U.S. hotels, followed by Extended Stay America. Free WiFi is standard at both brands.
Overseas, Nordic Choice Hotels (formerly Choice Hotels Scandinavia) was judged to have the best quality Wifi among hotel chains, followed Radisson Blu (only four of the Carlson chain’s more than 250 hotels are in the U.S.).
WiFi quality was judged by what percentage of properties had enough download speed to meet Netflix’s recommended speed for standard-quality video streaming.
JetBlue begins Reno-New York route
JetBlue on Thursday started flying between New York Kennedy and Nevada’s Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
It is the only airline offering nonstop service between the East Coast and the Reno airport, which is an hour’s drive away from the Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows ski area.
"We are thrilled to finally connect Reno-Tahoe and New York; a nonstop link between the East Coast and Reno-Tahoe is long overdue," said John Checketts, JetBlue's director of route planning.
Flights will be daily between June 18 and Sept. 11, and between Nov. 25 and Jan. 4. Outside of those periods, flights will operate on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
All Aboard Florida releases preliminary fare range
All Aboard Florida’s ticket prices would range from $11 for a one-way ride between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale to $143 for a business-class fare between Miami and Orlando under a plan to “optimize” revenues, according to a ridership and revenue study made public by the company Thursday.
Although All Aboard Florida has not officially released its fare schedule, President Michael Reininger said Thursday that riders can expect ticket prices to be similar to those released in the study.
“You should expect that when our consumer prices are available, they are going to come out and they are going to average in this range,” Reininger said.
The 137-page report also found that All Aboard Florida is expected to collect $293.6 million from ticket sales in 2020, even if it convinces just a fraction of people traveling between southeast Florida and Orlando to ditch their cars and instead ride its express-passenger trains.
More than 5.3 million passengers are expected to use the rail line in 2020, the study found. The projection represents 10 percent of those traveling between southeast Florida and Orlando and just 1.2 percent of travelers between Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, according to the study, which was completed by The LouisBerger Group at the request of All Aboard’s parent company, Florida East Coast Industries.
By 2030, All Aboard Florida is expected to serve roughly 7 million passengers, with annual revenues of nearly $400 million.
“These numbers are not premised on the assumption that we have to get everybody in Florida out of their cars,” Reininger said. “It is a tiny component.”
Thursday’s release marks the first official glimpse into All Aboard Florida’s ticket prices, ridership numbers and projected revenues. A similar ridership study was circulated last year in a private prospectus for AllAboardFlorida’s successful $405 million bond sale, but the report evaluated only the Miami to West Palm Beach train route.
The All Aboard Florida opposition group Citizens Against Rail Expansion, also known as CARE FL, questioned the timing of the report’s release. Martin and Indian River counties have filed federal lawsuits to block the issuance of $1.75 billion in tax-exempt bonds the company is seeking to finish the rail line through to Orlando.
District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper is scheduled to hear arguments in the case today. Martin County is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the bonds from being issued.
The counties sued the U.S. Department of Transportation, which provisionally approved the bonds in December with the caveat that they be issued by July 1. All Aboard has filed to intervene in the suit.
“On the eve of a Court hearing tomorrow, in a last ditch attempt to buttress its legal case, AAF today released its ridership study never made public before,” CARE FL said in a prepared statement Thursday. “Projections and a lot of hope—that’s what they are selling. The study indicates they are counting on up to 93 percent of their ridership coming from people who currently drive cars….but there is no foundation for AAF’s ridership conclusion - other than they say it is so.”
In February, CARE released a 15-page analysis by John N. Friedman, an associate professor at Brown University, which found that All Aboard Florida would have to charge $273 for a one-way train ticket between Miami and Orlando to make its large debt payments.
Robert Poole, the South Florida-based transportation director for the Reason Foundation, argues All Aboard Florida can be financially viable. The project has identified a niche market, and can travel faster than cars, and more conveniently than flying.
“There is a huge volume of daily trips up and down the I-95 corridor,” Poole said. “You don’t need a whole lot of that to have a meaningful set of numbers. They don’t need a revolutionary change in people’s behavior.”
According to the study, more than 110 million people a year travel between Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando — the cities that All Aboard Florida plans to serve. The vast majority of travelers make the trip by car.
All Aboard Florida plans to run 32 trains a day — 16 round trip — on the Florida East Coast Railway between Miami and Orlando. Service is expected to start in 2017.
A trip between West Palm Beach and Orlando is expected to take about 2 hours. It will take the train about 3 hours to travel from Miami to Orlando, according to the report.
One of All Aboard Florida’s biggest draws is the speed of the trains, the report said. When compared to a car, the express-rail service is expected to shave 25 to 50 percent off of the length of a trip between the cities it serves.
All Aboard Florida also plans to offer shuttle service to connect its stations with other destinations, including Key West, Miami Beach, the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the convention center in Orlando. The study assumes that the service will be free.
The report also found that passengers might be willing to pay for extra amenities, including more luggage space or spacious seating.
Reininger said Disney World already offers shuttle service from the site of the company’s Orlando station, which is set to be built as part of a new intermodal facility at the Orlando International Airport.
“Central to our business plan is the inter-connectivity,” Reininger said. “Where inter-connectivity doesn’t exist we are going to expand our business.”
2020 Forecast
Short Distance (between Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach)
Ridership: 2.8 million
Fare Revenue: $64.1 million
Long Distance (between southeast Florida and Orlando)
Ridership: 2.5 million
Fare revenue: $229.4 million
2020 total
Ridership: 5.3 million
Fare revenue: $293.6 million
All Aboard Florida’s “optimized” fares
West Palm Beach to Orlando
Regular fare: $66.21
Business fare: $99.32
Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando
Regular fare: $82.76
Business fare: $126.91
Miami to Orlando:
Regular fare: $93.80
Business fare: $143.46
Skymark Air to Get $145 Million Under Recovery Proposal
Skymark Airlines Inc. will receive an investment of 18 billion yen ($145 million) from three shareholder groups and look to relist within five years under a recovery plan the bankrupt carrier filed Friday with the Tokyo District Court.
Under terms of the plan, private-equity firm Integral Corp. -- which has been overseeing Skymark’s turnaround -- would maintain 50.1 percent control of the airline. UDS Airlines Investment Limited Partnership -- a fund established by the Development Bank of Japan Inc. and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. -- would have a 33.4 percent stake, with the remaining 16.5 percent held by ANA Holdings Inc., the parent company of All Nippon Airways Co.
“The most important point is to keep the independence of Skymark’s management and not to cut jobs,” said Nobuo Sayama, a partner at Integral. “By those policies I think we can obtain the employees trust.”
The long-awaited plan is a milestone in the turnaround for Skymark, which sought bankruptcy protection in January with liabilities of about 300 billion yen. The airline, Japan’s third largest, has said it expects to show an operating profit by July.
Under the plan, Skymark is asking creditors to accept a 5 percent repayment rate on its debts. A creditors meeting could be held in the late July or August, according to Takeo Nakahara, a lawyer representing Skymark.
Skymark’s two major creditors -- Airbus Group NV and Intrepid Aviation Ltd. -- sought to delay presentation of the revival plan, Nakahara said.
Airbus is demanding 85 billion yen in compensation for a canceled order of six A380 superjumbo planes, while Intrepid wants 104 billion yen from Skymark.
Takahiro Nosaka, a spokesman for Airbus Japan, said the company “cannot comment as the matter is in the courts.”
Toyoyuki Nagamine, a senior vice president at ANA, said the airline would seek to win Airbus’s support for the plan.
“Our relationship with Airbus is friendly and based on mutual trust,” he said. “We believe we can find a solution.”
Under terms of the revival plan, Integral will invest about 9 billion yen in Skymark, UDS will invest about 6 billion yen and ANA will invest some 3 billion yen.
Europe Braces for a Summer Travel Crush
With record crowds expected in Europe this summer, museums and landmarks are hiring crowd-control experts, extending hours and diverting tourists
Bracing for huge crowds last weekend, the Palace of Versailles posted an unusual request on its website. It didn’t ask tourists to arrive early or buy advance tickets. It urged them not to come at all.
“If possible, we advise you to postpone your visit of the Palace,” officials recommended. “Otherwise, you can still enjoy the Fountain Shows in the Gardens.”
A perfect summer storm is gathering to create cultural gridlock in Europe: With the dollar about 25% stronger against the euro than this time last year, hordes of first-time U.S. travelers are expected to converge on the continent’s most famous museums and landmarks. The world’s fair, the Milan Expo, which runs from May through the end of October, is estimated to attract more than 20 million visitors alone. And Asian tourism is booming (Chinese outnumber British visitors to the Louvre and Italians at Versailles). Add to that a new spate of airfare and hotel deals—and cruise ships that can hold more than 4,000 people each—and lines to get into cultural attractions are growing increasingly difficult to manage.
“Europe is on sale,” said Ken Diaz, a partner at Private Shore Trips, which plans excursions for cruise-ship passengers and has sold roughly 50% more tickets to European museums compared with 2014. Planning ahead is essential, he said: “If you’re Johnny-come-lately, you’re not going to get in.”
Viator, a tour-booking company, reports that ticket purchases for the Sistine Chapel and the Louvre leading into the summer travel season are up 60% over the same March to mid-May period last year. The Eiffel Tower is up 170% from those same weeks in 2014. Landmarks in Paris, Rome and Milan lead Viator’s list of top 10 trending attractions based on searches made on its site.
To deal with the summer onslaught, officials are extending hours at major venues, consulting crowd-control experts on improving museum flows and pitching obscure alternative destinations—even imitations of popular attractions. Can’t get a ticket to see Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper”? Milan travel officials are recommending visitors instead see an exhibition in the basement of an old church based on a 1600s replica of the fresco.
Others are banning selfie sticks and imposing time limits on viewing the world’s most famous artworks. In Italy, the Sistine Chapel began in late April staying open until nearly midnight on Fridays, with new hours also slated for Rome’s Forum of Caesar, Milan’s Biblioteca Ambrosiana and the convent housing “The Last Supper” in Milan. The Tower of London has long put visitors on conveyor belts so they will roll past the Crown Jewels at an even pace, with tourists allowed to repeat the circuit as often as they want.
Despite the efforts, many tourists are complaining that some places are best visited from a computer at home—at least during the crowded summer. In reviews posted on the travel site TripAdvisor, comments about popular attractions have fairly dripped with tourist flop-sweat.
“If there is a hell on earth—it’s here!” a traveler ranted last summer about Claude Monet’s gardens at Giverny, complaining about being squeezed against crowds that included busloads of small school children holding hands and walking two abreast. After a crowded day at the Louvre last month, one visitor complained that the lines were unbearable not only for entry but also for toilets, food and the paintings themselves: “Avoid as a Frenchman heading for a guillotine,” he said.
A couple visiting the National Gallery in London earlier this year warned that rooms were so full it was impossible to see anything: “My husband was close to having a panic attack; it felt like we were buying a TV on Black Friday.” Last month, a visitor to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam recommended tourists stay away entirely: “Don’t waste your time, just Google Beyoncé’s visit to Anne Frank House and it’s just as good as being there.”
Veteran travelers say there is almost always a way to outsmart a mob scene. In Rome, they say, get to the Colosseum before 11:30 a.m., beating out cruise-ship tourists who need more than an hour to get into the city from the port at Civitavecchia. Similarly, cruise passengers tend to pour out of Dubrovnik by 4 p.m., leaving a peaceful sunset in the walled city. Avoid Versailles on Tuesdays, when the Louvre is closed and more people trek out to the palace.
Museums like the Uffizi Gallery in Florence sell tickets for specific time slots, which can cut down on delays. But remember that people who couldn’t visit the Uffizi on Monday, when it’s closed, may try to go on Tuesday instead. As a general rule, reserve spots well ahead of time, line up early in the morning when advance tickets are unavailable (or splurge on a group tour that allows guests to skip the queue) and stay away from any attraction on a day it offers free admission.
At a certain point, though, resistance is futile. “You’re not the only person in the world who wants to see the Sistine Chapel,” said Matt Laroux, an actor at Disneyland who just visited Rome on his honeymoon. “You’re looking at ‘The Last Judgment’—put your focus there instead of on the guy from Lubbock, Texas, standing next to you who is maybe a little less aware of his surroundings and steps on your foot.”
Many museums have spent millions on recent projects to expand capacity, among other goals. In Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum now has the potential to accommodate upward of 5 million visitors—twice the number of guests last year—after completing a €375 million ($409 million) overhaul in 2013, said museum director Wim Pijbes. The renovation, which lasted nearly a decade, includes a revamped entrance to allow more people in at once and modern temperature and moisture controls. The museum, a trove of Rembrandts, Vermeers and more, is now open seven days a week. But even that might not be enough. “We could consider opening longer hours,” Mr. Pijbes said.
If there is a ground zero for summer tourism, it may be the “Mona Lisa,” whose smile seems less mysterious than long-suffering when viewed against the constant crush of tourists around her. As many as 40,000 people rush the picture every day at the Louvre, according to the Paris museum. People take pictures of people taking pictures. Earphones buzz with guided tours in dueling languages. Inside the gallery containing the early 16th century masterpiece, Italian student Paolo Orifice, 19 years old, struggled to get near it and finally gave up. “Leonardo would laugh,” he said. “He would think we’ve all gone crazy.”
The fame of the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, raises the question: Can the popularity of an institution work against it, making it so crowded that tourists ultimately avoid it? The museum has hired economists to determine whether its attendance will plateau, and if so, when. Annual attendance has nearly doubled since 2001 to more than 9 million expected this year. The record stands at 9.7 million in 2012, due largely to popular temporary exhibits on Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael and the opening of a new wing for Islamic art. Americans make up an average 13% of all visitors, more than any other non-French nationality.
To expand its capacity to up to 14 million guests, the Louvre is in the midst of a €54 million renovation of its main entrance. The museum also is studying whether to switch from a schedule of six days a week to a full seven by 2017.
Last year, the Louvre hired marketing research consultants to better understand the flow of people in the museum. The experts discovered that visitors—more than half at the Louvre for the first time—almost always sought out the Mona Lisa, spending an average 11 seconds in front of the painting. In recent years, instead of struggling to convince people to look around, the Louvre has channeled guests to its most famous masterpieces first, with the hope of scattering them later. It is developing several apps that will help disperse tourists to different spots around the museum based on their particular interests. It’s also considering instituting timed ticket reservations and recently revamped its e-ticketing system after earlier problems with online bookings.
Lines are a familiar sight at landmarks including the Paris Catacombs, an 18th-century burial cavern. The long queues—some people arrive just after dawn for a 10 a.m. opening—can make for tense moments. While Jocelyn Gosselin was waiting in the Catacombs line in January, she said she watched self-styled tour guides cull the back of the line for customers, charging roughly €50 on top of the €10 ticket price. She said she watched groups of 30 people or more skip the line as their guides handed wads of cash to the ticket taker.
“Someone was making a deal somewhere,” said Ms. Gosselin, a 28-year-old environmental technician from Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada. Eventually, after waiting several hours, she said she made it to the front of the line and entered the underground labyrinth.
Catacombs director Valérie Guillaume said employees are strictly forbidden from accepting tips. “Many visitors try to buy their way into the Catacombs, but the staff refuses this,” she said.
Outside Paris, Versailles occasionally encourages tourists without reserved tickets to postpone their trips, as they did ahead of the Pentecost holiday last weekend. “At some point we stop selling tickets,” said palace general manager Thierry Gausseron, adding that sales are cut off about 10 days a year around Christmas, Easter and mid-August.
In Italy, many sites are extending their hours this summer given the weakened euro and the Milan Expo. In Milan, “The Last Supper” will be on view at additional times, allowing 54,600 more people to see it. Last year, 400,000 visitors saw the iconic mural, though 600,000 more were turned away, said Sandrina Bandera, who manages art in Milan for the Ministry of Culture. The convent, which only sells tickets online, tightly controls access to the fresco to protect it from damage, allowing 15-minute viewing slots with no more than 30 people at a time. “This is really an exceptional opening as ‘The Last Supper’ is so delicate and our system to deal with humidity can only take so many visitors,” she said.
At the Sistine Chapel, more than 2,000 people can cram into the space at once. Vatican Museums director Antonio Paolucci expects Sistine Chapel visitors to hit a record 6 million this year—up from 5.7 million in 2014. Even that number may grow: This December marks the start of a jubilee year, a holy period declared by the pope that may draw an estimated 25 million additional visitors to Rome.
To protect Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes—which can be damaged by dust, body heat and carbon dioxide let off by breathing in the chapel—the Vatican Museums recently installed a sophisticated climate-control system with cameras to regulate the flow of air based on the number of visitors. “Our popularity represents a danger and I am very worried,” said Mr. Paolucci. In a first, he said, the museum plans to limit ticket sales to allow no more than 6 million people by the end of the year.
While many Sistine Chapel visitors complain about the crush of tourists and the guards shouting “Silence!” plenty of people say the crowds, and the wait, are worth it. On TripAdvisor, the chapel received 94 reviews marked “terrible”—and more than 2,600 reviews marked “excellent.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, visitors who open their checkbooks can avoid the masses much of the time. Private evening visits to the Sistine Chapel are available for about $2,000 per person, said Liam Dunch, Europe product manager for the travel company Abercrombie & Kent. Relationships with museum staffers can allow clients to skip through quiet back entrances or free up seats at sold-out events. “Connections, especially in a country like Italy, can totally open doors,” said New York travel agent Will Jennings.
For €15,000, the Uffizi allows private after-hours tours for groups of up to 100 people, including cocktails on a terrace. The Louvre charges €10,000 for up to 50 people to visit after hours. Rome City Hall also allows private visits to city museums including Trajan’s Forum, starting at €2,000.
Meanwhile, the Italian government is pushing 400 national museums in smaller cities to offer promotions and lure visitors from the hot spots. On the list: The national archaeological museum of Taranto, probably best known for its naval base and declining steel industry, as well as the Riace bronzes, two life-size nude Greek warriors in a museum in Reggio Calabria, a Southern city also famous for its strong organized-crime presence.
“We have too many tourists in Rome, Florence and Venice…we need to spread them out across the peninsula,” said Culture and Sports Minister Dario Franceschini.
But towns like Reggio Calabria may not be ready for hordes of tourists. “The problem with the less-known artistic locations is the poor infrastructure” including a lack of efficient public transportation, said Filippo Donati, president of the Italian hotel association Assohotel.
In Florence, the Accademia Gallery expects big crowds this summer for Michelangelo’s “David,” which helped draw 1.3 million visitors last year. The museum just installed a sculpture called “Hero” by contemporary Italian architect Antonio Pio Saracino—a modern tribute to Michelangelo’s original featuring a man at the same height and made of the same Carrara marble. If crowds around the real “David” get too thick, tourists can always go visit this guy instead.
Two arrested for alleged gang rape of British tourist in Thailand
Two men have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and raping a 19-year-old British backpacker in western Thailand.
The teenager is understood to have returned to the UK following the alleged attack earlier this week.
Before leaving Thailand, she told local police she had been grabbed by a gang of bikers in the Kanchanaburi district, a popular tourist area 76 miles west of Bangkok, as she walked to a shop alone at 1.30 am on Tuesday morning.
She said the men then raped her and stole her valuables before dumping her body in a market.
Today, local media reported the commander of the provincial police force saying two men had been arrested following examination of CCTV footage from the area.
"The foreign tourist was indeed lured and raped by a group of teenagers as the media has reported," Pol.Maj.Gen. Kamolsanti told Khaosod, adding that the suspects took advantage of her while she was 'intoxicated'.
Kamolsanti said two men have been identified as the perpetrators and are under arrest. "The arrested suspects confessed to the accusation. Officers are prosecuting them in accordance with the laws," he added.
The alleged attack comes eight months after British backpackers David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were murdered on a Thai beach.
The UK Foreign Office said it was investigating the latest incident.
Kanchanaburi district is popular with tourists for its WWII prison of war camps, made famous by the movie 'Bridge Over the River Kwai'.
Passenger detained for penning 'threatening' suicide note aboard plane
A passenger was removed from an Austin-bound flight about to take off from San Francisco after a quick thinking seatmate alerted flight crew to a potential suicide threat.
Passenger Vicki Riffe noticed a man scribbling furiously into a notebook that he planned to kill himself and take others with him.
"He started writing extremely fast — with anger. I was scared to death," Riffe told the NY Daily News.
After alerting crew, the plane returned to the gate and the man was removed by police.
Sniffer dogs were also deployed in the cabin before it was given the all-clear to fly.
Virgin America confirmed the incident with a statement: "Just after taxi out, a Virgin America flight carrying 108 guests returned to the gate at SFO due to onboard reports from guests concerned about the behavior of a fellow passenger."
"Preliminary reports indicate that the guest made no threat to the safety of the aircraft or any other passenger onboard."
After fellow passengers were fully informed of the nature of the hold-up, about a dozen opted not to travel.
The plane then took off about one hour behind schedule and landed in Austin without incident.
San Francisco police said the man is being medically evaluated.
Barbados first quarter arrivals break 25-year record
Barbados tourism leaders reported a total of 171,471 long stay visitor arrivals during the first quarter, breaking a record which has stood for a quarter century.
Alvin Jemmott, chairman of the Barbados Tourism Marketing, Inc said record arrivals were recorded in each of the first three months of 2015.
"This was a very strong winter season. The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has predicted a five per cent increase in long stay arrivals for the region for the entire year and we believe our performance in this first quarter bodes well for us to comfortably exceed that target," he said.
BTMI data showed growth of 27.7% from the US and the Canadian market grew 28.4%.
Arrivals from Germany also grew by 23.6%.
However the cruise sector declined by 6.1% to 217,139 passengers, due in part to larger vessels being replaced by smaller ships, the BTMI says.
Will Walt Disney World use tiered ticket pricing? Survey raises possibility
lt Disney Parks and Resorts has been causing a stir online with a recent guest survey about the possibility of paying more for admission based on the day you visit.
People said they received the emailed survey shows a pricing structure that includes charges of up to $125 for one-day Magic Kingdom tickets.
Under the hypothetical scenario, the $125 would be charged during the winter holiday and during the entire month of July. There would also be tiers of $115 and $105, which is the current rate.
Disney would say only that it frequently surveys guests on possible changes, some of which come to fruition and some that don't.
Disney has used tiered pricing for its events such as Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.
SeaWorld has experimented more with variable pricing, using it for traditional theme-park tickets.
Flight Attendant in Hot Water Over Tarmac Photo
BUT OTHERS SAY POSING IN JET ENGINE WELLS IS A HARMLESS TRADITION
(NEWSER) – Passengers on a recent Spirit Airlines flight out of Chicago who were disturbed by an incident on the tarmac may not want to check out the #stewsforericka hashtag on Twitter. That's because there are loads of photos of flight attendants posing for snapshots in jet engine wells—a show of solidarity for attendant Ericka Paige Diehl, who's in hot water for taking such a photo at O'Hare airport, reports WLS. A passenger who saw her do it before the flight contacted WLS to ask if it was legal. When Diehl came aboard, someone got her name, looked her up online, and saw she had posted those tarmac pictures to her Facebook page. The photos, as well as her entire Facebook page, have since been scrubbed, the station notes.
A Chicago Department of Aviation rep tells WLS that anyone on the tarmac has to be "properly badged and/or under escort." And, per ABC News, when Spirit Airlines got wind of the situation, it issued a statement that said, "The activity portrayed in the photo absolutely goes against Spirit policy." A spokesman says an investigation is underway. But fellow professional fliers are supporting Diehl, saying such photos are a time-honored tradition. "I have a picture in a jet engine, and pretty much everybody that I know that has been a flight attendant … it's just one of those things that we like to do," an ex-flight attendant tells ABC. Another tweets: "The photo of the flight attendant in the engine isn't a problem. We all take them. The time that she decided to take it could be an issue."
Strong 7.0 quake shakes Alaska peninsula
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Alaska peninsula on Friday, May 29, 2015 at 07:00:08 UTC.
No tsunami report was generated, and there have been no reports of damage or injuries to date.
Quake Location: 56.689N 156.578W
Depth: 51 km
Distances:
• 113 km (70 mi) NNW of Chirikof Island, Alaska
• 633 km (392 mi) SW of Anchorage, Alaska
• 669 km (415 mi) SW of Knik-Fairview, Alaska
• 1025 km (636 mi) SSW of College, Alaska
Bill Vervaeke, CDME
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
(561) 795-5912 (Office & Facsimile)
(561) 318-9089 (Cellular)
(WAV: Only in China would a theme park add this “attraction.” Keep in mind that halfway through the voyage, the ship struck an iceberg and sank in the early morning of 15 April 1912, resulting in the deaths of over 1,500 people, including approximately 703 of the passengers.”)
China building full scale Titanic replica
A Chinese state run energy company is building a full size replica of the ill-fated Titanic ship, complete with a 'high-tech iceberg collision simulation,' set to become the center piece attraction at a theme park.
In a new twist to disaster tourism, Sichuan-based Qixing Energy Investment Group has started work on the ambitious one billion yuan ($161.3 million) project which is expected to open in 2017.
Although it will be permanently docked on the Qijang River, it will replicate the original ship in every other detail, with opulent period interiors, from carpets to light fittings and luxury cabins.
Guests will also get to sample the original menu served on the fateful voyage in 1912, along with ballroom dancing and entertainment of the era.
An iceberg collision simulation will take place with light and sound effects, to provide 'a dream-like experience,' the company said.
It will have the exact dimensions of the original Titanic, measuring 882 feet in length and constructed with 50,000 tons of steel.
"The Titanic was a great ship and we will revive it," group chairman, Su Shaojun, said.
The company even had discussions with designers who worked on the set of the 1997 Hollywood movie 'Titanic.'
The first 5,000 tickets for an overnight stay on the Titanic replica will go on sale later this month, with prices expected to start at about $480.
Although the announcement has been criticized as ill-timed following the Yangzte River disaster, the company says it has set up a charitable foundation called the Titanic Fund.
A percentage of revenue from the 1,500 visitors a day will go towards helping people affected by maritime disasters around the world.
Take a Cruise, Save the World: Will Millennials Buy Social-Justice Tourism?
For many people, acting conscientiously on vacation means using the hotel towel more than once. But there's no reason for correct-thinking tourists to leave their values at the bathroom door. Want to spend your holiday teaching English, saving turtles or planting trees? There's a socially responsible vacation package for you. Businesses have developed a new vocabulary for this market: ecotourism, voluntourism, even pro-poor tourism.
Carnival on Thursday used its preferred term—social-impact travel—at an event introducing what might be an unlikely venue for ethical vacationers: the cruise ship. The biggest player in an industry long criticized for generating pollution, avoiding taxes, and minimizing wages will soon launch a new (and deliberately uncapitalized) brand called fathom. It's part of an effort to lure younger vacationers who want to combine a week of all-you-can-eat dining with the opportunity to help others.
The first voyage will depart next April on a seven-day journey to the Dominican Republic. Passengers will spend three days in Puerto Plata, the island's northern coastal region, cultivating cacao plants and organic fertilizer, teaching English, or working with a local women’s cooperative to make artisanal chocolates. Others will help to build household water filters from clay.
The 710-passenger ship, MV Adonia, will sail between Miami and Amber Cove, a destination that the company is developing into an $85 million port on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. The ship has no casino or Broadway-style stage shows and will offer films, foods, and music from the Dominican Republic while en route. The two days spent entirely at sea will feature what Carnival describes as “impact and community programming.”
Uplifting tourism has been around for decades. Most efforts try to combine exploration of a destination or culture—especially those facing pervasive poverty—with purposeful attempts to turn tourists into an engine for development and conservation. This notion has gained greater traction within the travel industry with the rise of the millennials, a cohort widely believed by marketers to be attracted to meaningful experiences and deeper social purpose. Millennials love to travel in general, although cruises haven't caught on with the under-40 demographic. Carnival's idea is to give millennials a reason to try a mode of travel they might associate with their grandparents.
“Because of their age and the era in which they've grown up, [millennial travelers] tend to try to tailor things to their own desires,” says Elizabeth Becker, author of Overbooked, a chronicle of the enormous recent growth of international travel. That outlook gives younger tourists a general aversion to pre-packaged vacations and other mass-market travel experiences.
Carnival says it is the first to offer a socially-responsible cruise. It sees a potential market of up to 1 million North Americans who would consider this kind of getaway. The target travelers are looking for “an opportunity to use their head, heart, and hands while they travel,” says fathom’s president, Tara Russell, in an interview. “You can’t change the world in seven days,” she adds, but a “systematic, long-term-partner approach to the country” can bring success.
There's risk, of course, that quite a few passengers could end up preferring a day on the beach to a day in an English class. There's no obligation to actually volunteer on the volunteerism cruise. Russell describes the brand as “all inclusive” and insists that no one will be shammed or pressured into helping.
Her team identified the potential problem of non-participation early in their planning and are training sales representatives to discuss the cruise in detail. Other Carnival brands might be a better fit, Russell says, “if they just want to go on a party ship.”
“We won't paint a wall just to make a traveler feel good,” Russell said on Thursday during the launch event at a theater in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, a neighborhood that is home to many Dominican immigrants.
Transforming the all-pampering cruise into a social-justice voyage might be novel, but the travel industry has already spent years selling experiences that appeal to an American vacationer's desire to be part of the solution. “Here you are, living in the United States, and you’ve never seen real poverty,” says Becker. “They go overseas and they can’t miss it. And they’re humans, and they feel a natural impulse to respond.”
The expansion in worldwide travel means that tourists drive a vast economic engine when they arrive in underdeveloped regions. Travel and tourism accounted for nearly 10 percent of global gross domestic product in 2014 and supplied one in 11 global jobs, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. The global travel economy is expected to grow from $7.6 trillion last year to $11 trillion by 2025.
But it might be a mistake to assume that dropping in at schools or farms in developing nations effectively helps to meet real needs. In almost every situation, it’s not labor or clothing or orphanage staff that are lacking–it’s cash. “If you just want to take photos in an orphanage or to hold babies, well, that’s not as helpful as if you have built the west wing of that orphanage or bought the food for the kids to eat,” says Kelly Campbell, co-founder of The Village Experience, an Indianapolis-based company that coordinates philanthropic travel groups in Guatemala, India, and Kenya. “That’s what’s helpful.”
That might be one of the questions Carnival confronts: Is a shipload of well-meaning travelers making a significant contribution or just dropping into the Dominican Republic for poverty tourism? The Center for Responsible Tourism and other travel groups have been vigorously campaigning against vacationing gawkers, particularly those who arrive at orphanages, AIDS treatment centers, and other places “with vulnerable human populations,” says Martha Honey, executive director of the Center for Responsible Travel, a nonprofit research group in Washington. “It’s treating people as if they’re petting animals in a zoo, and that is not right.”
There are two advantages fathom may be able to offer its local partners: a consistent revenue stream from a portion of the cruise fares and a steady supply of workers several days per week. Carnival won’t disclose how much money from each passenger fare will go to support charity work; a company spokeswoman said the business model is structured “to make enough profit to sustain the business to continue for the long term, as opposed to a model to maximize profits.”
For travelers who want to be more philanthropic-minded—be it a corporate retreat that adds volunteerism to the agenda or yoga practitioners hoping to help out on a trip to India—the greatest challenge is how to ensure that donated labor is truly helpful. “If we are not genuinely impactful, we’re not going to keep doing it,” fathom's Russell says. “You can have my word: If this is not meaningful, it won’t be worth doing.”
GOP-led House votes to keep restrictions on travel to Cuba
House Republicans voted to keep half-century-old restrictions on travel by U.S. citizens to Cuba, approving a spending bill provision that would repeal the Obama administration’s easing of travel to the island nation.
The House voted 247-176 to keep the Cuba-related provision in the Commerce, Justice, and Science spending bill, despite the administration’s threat of a veto of the bill for a number of reasons, including “highly objectionable provisions” such as “non-germane foreign policy restrictions related to Cuba."
In January, the Obama administration relaxed Cuba travel regulations, making it easier for Americans to go to the island for one of 12 approved reasons, including educational, religious and humanitarian purposes.
Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, a Cuban-American who represents the Miami area, wrote the language maintaining the bans on Cuba travel.
“U.S. law prohibits tourism in Cuba, and... allows for those whose properties were confiscated by the Castro regime to sue those who use, or benefit from using, those confiscated properties,” he said in a statement regarding the provisions. “[The Administration] has expanded travel to Cuba and turned a blind eye to the property claims of Americans ... [and] allowed trips that include snorkeling, cigar factory tours, salsa dancing lessons and other obvious tourist activities, and has implemented policies that will inevitably utilize the confiscated properties.”
He also said any expansion of flights to Cuba would circumvent the tourism ban, while allowing cruises to dock there “would violate both the spirit and the letter of U.S. law. Increased travel to Cuba directly funds the individuals and institutions that oppress the Cuban people.”
Airlines stand firm against U.S. Travel’s proposed PFC hike
Trade group Airlines for America (A4A) applauded the U.S. Travel Association's "recognition that unnecessary tax hikes hurt travel," but insists that there is still no need to raise the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC).
U.S. Travel earlier this week proposed the elimination of five passenger aviation taxes in order to offset an increase on the cap on the PFC, which it contends is a necessary part of its plan "to fix the country's struggling air travel infrastructure and promote a healthy, well-functioning passenger aviation system" as part of the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration bill, which expires in September.
The PFC, a federally regulated tax currently capped by Congress at $4.50 per passenger, per flight, is used to finance airport projects.
"We continue to believe that the PFC, as a pure user fee, is the ideal means to address our severe infrastructure challenges," said U.S. Travel CEO Roger Dow. "But finding the math to be able to include an airfare tax cut is a critical new piece, and has been expressly designed to address the concerns of some who have attacked the PFC approach."
Vaughn Jennings, A4A's managing director of government and regulatory communications, said that "there is no crisis in airport funding, and no justification for a 90% airport tax increase on every American who flies. Airports across our country are in a very strong financial position, already receiving billions of dollars from passengers and the government alike -- and airports cannot identify a single project that has failed to move forward due to the lack of a tax hike."
Jennings said that in 2013, U.S. airports collected a record $24.5 billion in revenue -- a 52% increase on a per passenger basis from 2000, which included $10 billion in airline rents and fees, $2.8 billion from existing PFCs, $8.2 billion in nonairline revenues and $3.4 billion from the FAA's Airport Improvement Program.
"The data clearly shows that projects can easily be done without raising taxes on passengers," Jennings said. "Since 2008, over $70 billion of capital projects have been completed, are underway or have been approved at the nation's 30 largest airports alone, and development is robust at smaller airports across the country as well. This funding enabled new runways and terminals, better facilities and more amenities for passengers. All of this investment has occurred without any new taxes."
Southwest's website struggles for second straight day. Sale extended one day.
DALLAS (AP) — Yesterday heavy traffic spurred by a fare sale has swamped Southwest Airlines' website for a second day, leaving many customers unable to book flights.
The airline is extended the sale by one day, through today, Friday, to give frustrated customers more time to buy tickets.
The website problems started Wednesday, a day after Southwest announced a fall-travel fare sale.
On Thursday morning, some customers trying to book flights online are getting a message telling them that part of the website "is undergoing maintenance and is currently unavailable." The message directs people to call Southwest's toll-free number, but a reporter who did that got a busy signal.
Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said that the 800 number was working, but call volume was high.
The airline boosted the website's capacity before announcing a three-day sale on Tuesday, but demand was greater than expected, King said. Technicians were trying to restore full function to the website, and Southwest extended the end of the sale — it was previously scheduled to end at midnight Thursday — through Friday, she said.
The sale features prices as low as $49 one-way on some short trips between Aug. 25 and Dec. 16, with blackout dates on Fridays and Sundays and around Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Southwest didn't say how many seats were available at the sale fares. Other airlines said they matched Southwest prices on routes where they compete.
Accor changes name to AccorHotels
Paris-based hotelier Accor has officially changed its name to AccorHotels to better align itself with its increased digital-marketing effort. The public company has also changed its logo and adopted the motto, “Feel Welcome,” and is looking to triple the number of properties it offers on its website by signing up more independent hotels.
AccorHotels, whose brands range from luxury badges Sofitel and Pullman to budget brand Ibis, has about 3,700 hotels worldwide. The company is eventually looking to offer digital distribution services to more than 10,000 hotels throughout 300 cities worldwide.
The company is reinforcing its effort to improve its digital presence to both the general public and for its loyalty customers. AccorHotels said last fall that it would spend $263 million during the next five years on that initiative.
“Transforming our distribution platform into an open marketplace is a major initiative for the group and the result of a new approach to our profession and business model,” AccorHotels CEO Sebastien Bazin said in a statement. “We are becoming a trustworthy, selective and transparent third party and we are once again amplifying the in-depth transformation undertaken within the group since 2013.”
AccorHotels eliminated most of its North American presence when it sold the Motel 6 chain to Blackstone Group for $1.9 billion in 2012.
Palm Beach has $2.8 billion in home value at risk of storm surge
South Florida has more property at risk of storm surge than any metro area but New York, according to a report released Thursday by research firm CoreLogic.
In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach region, CoreLogic counts nearly 565,000 low-lying houses with a reconstruction value of $105.1 billion that are in danger of flooding during a storm. Of those houses, nearly 199,000 are at “extreme” risk, meaning they could be inundated even by a Category 1 storm.
Among Palm Beach County’s coastal ZIP codes, the town of Palm Beach (ZIP code 33480) has the most property value at risk, a total of $2.8 billion, according to a Palm Beach Post analysis of CoreLogic data. Palm Beach Gardens’ 33410 and Jupiter’s 33458 are next, with more than $2.6 billion each.
CoreLogic counted only the value of single-family homes, not condos or commercial properties. It based estimates on reconstruction value — how much it might cost to rebuild a damaged home.
Tom Jeffrey, a risk scientist at CoreLogic, said the report aims to make homeowners aware of their potential losses from flooding. After a storm, some inevitably are surprised by unexpected storm surge.
“You don’t have to be in a FEMA 100-year flood zone to get damage,” Jeffrey said.
That’s less of an issue in South Florida than in some other parts of the country. CoreLogic’s study of coastal areas found that 87 percent of homes in Virginia Beach, 85 percent in Philadelphia and 77 percent in Jacksonville are at risk of storm surge but aren’t in Federal Emergency Management Agency flood zones.
In all 6.6 million homes worth $1.5 trillion are in the path of potential flooding from storms in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, CoreLogic says.
The five states with the most value at risk are Florida ($491 billion), New York ($177 billion), Louisiana ($162 billion), New Jersey ($127 billion) and Virginia ($91 billion).
CoreLogic’s report coincides with the start of hurricane season. Palm Beach County has escaped hurricane damage since Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004 and Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
But huge amounts of property remain in harm’s way — threatening both homeowners and the National Flood Insurance Program with steep losses. To help the federal flood program make a dent in its $24 billion debt, Congress in 2012 imposed higher rates on property owners deemed to live in locations where flood insurance premiums didn’t match the risk.
The typical flood policy costs about $500.
Research firm CoreLogic calculated the value of single-family homes at risk of damage from storm surge. How Palm Beach County’s ZIP codes would fare:
ZIP code: Home value at risk
Palm Beach 33480: $2.81 billion
Palm Beach Gardens 33410: $2.64 billion
Jupiter 33458: $2.61 billion
Boca Raton 33432: $2.06 billion
Juno Beach 33408: $1.96 billion
PBC Council ad campaign spotlights culture to draw visitors this summer
As Florida’s tourism season enters its slower summer months, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County plans to launch a $1 million marketing campaign designed to persuade residents on the state’s west coast to drive here for the arts and culture.
The new marketing effort, which will be unveiled on June 15 in Naples, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, promises arts lovers a summer full of cultural activities coupled with deep discounts on hotel stays and admission prices.
The council has teamed up with ten local hotels to offer exclusive room rates available only through a new website created as part of the marketing campaign. The council is also offering “buy one, get one” free deals for tickets to several local cultural attractions.
Fran Vaccaro, Vice President of Taglairino Advertising Group, which works with the cultural council and other county tourism groups, said the campaign is one of the most comprehensive marketing efforts in the country specifically targeting cultural tourists.
“I have been managing tourism accounts for many years, and this has never been done,” Vaccaro said. “It is unprecedented in terms of its size and scope.”
Cultural tourism is the fastest growing sector of the travel industry. Cultural tourists typically spend more and stay longer when visiting a destination, according to county tourism leaders.
Roughly 75 percent of all tourists that visit Florida participate in cultural activities.
The cultural council is using tourism tax revenue to pay for the new effort. In December, county commissioners voted to raise the countywide bed tax to 6 percent from 5 percent. The increase is expected to generate about $7 million a year, which will be divided between the county’s tourism marketing agencies.
The additional tax revenue was a “game-changer” for the council’s ad campaign, Vaccaro said.
The new campaign will feature digital, print, radio and billboard advertisements. The ads, which include a bright-colored picture of a woman on a Vespa, urge Gulf Coast residents to book a weekend getaway and “head east for the arts.”
“Over here, there’s no shortage of arts and culture to cool down with this summer,” one of the ads says.
Marilyn Bauer, the cultural council’s director of marketing and government affairs, said the group targeted cities along the state’s west coast because of the large number of cultural organizations in that region. Some of those organizations shut down for the summer, she said, leaving arts lovers with little to do.
“These are cities that have large cultural organizations and that have communities that support those organizations,” Bauer said. “We want them to know that they don’t have to give up arts for the summer.”
As part of the campaign, a group of local artists plans to travel to Naples in July for a “pop-up” exhibit, Bauer said.
“We are going to bring some art over there so they see what they are heading east for,” Bauer said. “We have so much to offer, and then we have the arts. No one has the arts like we do.”
Palm Beach County has been dubbed Florida’s “Cultural Capital” because of its vast cultural offerings. There are more than 200 arts and cultural organizations providing more than 42,000 offerings in the county each year.
Palm Beach County’s cultural industry supports roughly 6,000 full-time jobs and has an annual economic impact of $250 million, the council said.
Roger Amidon, the general manager at the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa and president of the Palm Beach County chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, said the county’s cultural activities are a big draw for out-of-town guests.
“Our clientele wants to have that cultural experience while they are visiting here,” Amidon said. “When they have had enough of the beach, they want to see what else is around.”
While tourism leaders across the state use images of beaches and palm trees to lure out-of-town visitors, the cultural council has set itself apart by focusing on art-heavy advertisements targeting culture-loving tourists.
In January, the council launched a similar arts-themed campaign targeting tourists from New York, Boston and Washington, D.C.
During the colder winter months, those “fly markets” are among the county’s most important tourism generators because of the large number of flights to Palm Beach International Airport. But in the summer and early fall, tourism officials shift their focus to the state’s “drive market.”
The cultural council’s advertising efforts are designed to dovetail with the county’s other tourism marketing campaigns.
Last month, Discover The Palm Beaches, the county’s tourism marketing arm, unveiled an ad campaign aimed at travelers in Miami, Orlando and Atlanta.
The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County has teamed up with these local hotels to offer discounts to residents on the state’s west coast.
Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa
Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa
Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
The Colony Hotel
Palm Beach Marriott Resort Singer Island
The Brazilian Court Hotel
Boca Raton Resort & Club
The Breakers Palm Beach
PGA National Resort & Spa
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Executive Meeting Center (Palm Beach Gardens)
Cultural tourism attractions
Palm Beach County has:
35 art festivals each year
72 historical sites
4 unique arts districts
48 performing arts, music and dance organizations
9 children’s cultural organizations and attractions
22 nature attractions
20 art venues and organizations
Source: Cultural Council of Palm Beach County
The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County has teamed up with these local hotels to offer discounts to residents on the state’s west coast.
Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa
Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa
Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
The Colony Hotel
Palm Beach Marriott Resort Singer Island
The Brazilian Court Hotel
Boca Raton Resort & Club
The Breakers Palm Beach
PGA National Resort & Spa
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Executive Meeting Center (Palm Beach Gardens)
Cultural tourism attractions
Palm Beach County has:
35 art festivals each year
72 historical sites
4 unique arts districts
48 performing arts, music and dance organizations
9 children’s cultural organizations and attractions
22 nature attractions
20 art venues and organizations
Source: Cultural Council of Palm Beach County
Capsized cruise ship righted on China's Yangtze River
Recovery teams using a huge crane lifted a capsized river cruiser out of the Yangtze River Friday to ease the search for more than 340 peoples still missing, the Chinese state CCTV reports.
As the ship emerged from the water, the smashed blue roofs on the top-deck showed the extent of the damage when the ship sank in stormy weather on Monday and turned upside down.
So far, only 97 bodies have been found. More than 450 people were aboard the Eastern Star when it capsized on a trip from Nanjing to Chongqing.
There were only 14 survivors, including three pulled by divers from air pockets in the overturned boat on Tuesday after rescuers tapped the hull and heard responding yells from inside.
Before being lifted out, the ship was righted on Friday after some 50 divers attach chains to it overnight, Transportation Ministry spokesman Xu Chengguang said, adding that disaster teams would now focus on draining off water, and finding and identifying bodies. Divers also found more bodies overnight, bringing the death toll to 97, Xu said.
Yangzee.jpg
Chinese authorities have attributed the accident to sudden high winds just before 9:30 p.m., but also have placed the surviving captain and first engineer under police custody. Passengers' relatives have raised questions about whether the boat should have continued on after the storm started and despite a weather warning earlier in the evening.
China's top leaders discussed the incident Friday at a meeting of the Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee and called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the tragedy, CCTV reports.
The meeting, chaired by Chinese president Xi Jining, called for timely publication of the findings of the investigation.
In a sign of potential unrest among the hundreds of relatives who have descended on the small Hubei province county of Jianli, one distraught family member burst into a gathering of journalists to complain about their treatment and demand an investigation into possible human error.
"All the emphasis is on a natural disaster … but we think that this is unjust," said Xia Yunchen, a 70-year-old university lecturer. "Apart from natural disaster were there other causes? Is this not rational to ask?"
Xia, whose older brother Xia Qinchen, from the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, was a passenger, demanded that relatives be allowed to view their loved ones' bodies before they are cremated. In past disasters, authorities have instead cremated bodies and delivered ashes to the victims' families, in keeping with the tight management of the aftermath of disasters and fears of spiraling unrest.
"Why do you view the common people as your enemies?" Xia cried out. "There's no human feeling, can't we change this habit?"
Many of the more than 450 people on board the cruise ship were reported to be retirees taking in the Yangtze's scenic vistas. With 97 confirmed dead and more than 340 missing, the capsizing is likely to become the country's deadliest boat disaster in seven decades.
Police and paramilitary troops stationed on the riverbank have blocked access to the site, and authorities have tightly controlled media coverage.
Records show the capsized ship was cited for safety violations during an inspection in 2013, according to a Nanjing's Maritime Safety report, which didn't specify the violations.
The shallow-draft boat was not designed to withstand winds as heavy as an ocean-going vessel can. Weather authorities have said the storm the boat encountered had winds up to 80 miles per hour.
China's deadliest maritime disaster in recent decades was the Dashun ferry, which caught fire and capsized off Shandong province in November 1999, killing about 280.
The Eastern Star disaster could become the country's worst since the sinking of the SS Kiangya off Shanghai in 1948, which is believed to have killed anywhere from 2,750 to nearly 4,000 people.
Shell starts selling 'premium-plus' gas
A new, more expensive grade of premium-plus gasoline that goes on sale at Shell stations nationwide could signal a new round of competition as oil companies add new features to their fuels.
Shell's claims include longer engine life and improved performance.
No independent analysis is available of Shell's claims for the fuel, Shell V-Power Nitro+. However, two independent fuel and engine experts say new additives to gasoline could reduce engine wear and improve efficiency.
"Nitro+ adds protection against wear and corrosion to the detergents our gasoline already contains," said Shell researcher Ed Nelson. "Fuel comes in contact with moving metal parts in pumps, cylinder rings and injectors. Nitro+ reduces wear" by adhering to those parts. It also keeps water in gasoline from adhering to the metal parts to reduce corrosion.
Shell demonstrated reduced wear and corrosion with standard industry lab tests, Nelson said. The fuel also has more detergent properties to prevent waste buildup in the engine. There's no need to use premium unless your vehicle's manufacturer recommends or requires it. Check your owner's manual or the label inside the fuel door if you're not sure.
It's best when a company provides data to substantiate claims for a new product, of course, but Shell's claims look plausible until there's independent evidence to support or disprove them, independent experts say.
"Shell is taking their premium fuel and moving it up," GM fuel specialist Bill Studzinski said. "Reducing wear can help maintain optimal performance through the vehicle's life," which will be increasingly important as tougher fuel economy and emissions standards come into play.
Lower internal friction could make vehicles more efficient, said Harold Schock, mechanical engineering professor and director of the energy and automotive research lab at Michigan State University.
"Half the friction in an engine comes from the cylinders and piston rings," Schock said. "Reformulated fuel could make a difference" there and in high-pressure fuel injection systems.
Shell isn't saying how much more V-Power Nitro+ will cost compared to other grades. Other grades of Shell gasoline will have lower amounts of the new chemicals. Shell hasn't made any claims about their impact on engine wear and corrosion, or said anything about price changes for its regular and mid-grade gasolines. There's no change to any of the fuels' octane level.
Shell hired hyper-miler and blogger Wayne Gerdes to drive a Dodge Charger modified to run Nitro+ on one side of its V-6 engine and competitive premium gasolines on the other. Gerdes will drive 5,000 miles on a winding cross-country route that will hook up with a convoy of celebrity drivers in BMW M3s in New York City before setting off for Los Angeles.
Airlines for America debuts TV commercial
Aviation trade group Airlines for America has launched its first TV ad, as part of its 'We Connect the World' campaign.
The TV commercial is the latest initiative in the campaign, which includes digital, print and radio ads, and aims to celebrate 'everyday moments' made possible by airlines bringing families together and supporting business travel.
"Our 27,000 flights daily help connect the world in a way like no other industry. Airline employees are often the first and last people our customers see while traveling and we are thrilled to feature those same employees representing the US airline industry," said Jean Medina, A4A senior vice president for communications.
The commercial will be aired on network and cable TV stations throughout the year.
Stow away found asleep on plane at Key West Airport
Another security lapse is being investigated at a US airport after a homeless man was found asleep in a passenger jet.
Homeless Jamie Crabtree said he scaled a perimeter fence at Key West Airport and entered a Delta Air Lines plane after breaking a door seal.
He was discovered by airport workers the following morning.
Crabtree, 32, says he intended to stow away aboard the plane as he wanted to leave the country.
He has been charged with burglary and trespassing on airport property.
Guides aid climbers stranded on Mount Kinabalu after quake
(CNN) Malaysian mountain guides are slowly helping 137 climbers who were stranded earlier at the top of southeast Asia's tallest peak by a powerful earthquake to descend to safety, a local official said Friday.
The paths down Mount Kinabalu, damaged by falling rocks, were treacherous as night was falling, said Masidi Manjun, the tourism minister for the Malaysian state of Sabah.
Ten people with injuries have already been taken off the mountain, Masidi was quoted as saying by Malaysia's official Bernama news agency.
He said 32 guides were carefully leading the remainder down the mountain, adding that the groups would be taken to the Laban Rata rest house down the slopes, where food was being brought in.
Helicopters were having difficulty reaching the climbers on the mountain peak due to bad weather but were hoping to drop supplies and warm clothes, said Jamili Nais, Sabah Parks director.
Damage to the hospital at the quake's epicenter in the town of Ranau was also hampering rescue efforts, he added.
The magnitude-6.0 quake struck early Friday local time, damaging several buildings in Ranau -- the epicenter, the Bernama news agency said.
Videos and social media purportedly taken from the base of the mountain appeared to show large rock slides enveloping the peak after the tremor and people anxiously looking for shelter.
Masidi earlier said that the injured included two people whose arms were broken by falling rocks.
The Star Online news site reported that a doctor who was able to return to base camp confirmed at least one death. Officials have not confirmed the death.
'Thank God, we are safe'
Muhammad Husni Ideris, 22, who has two sisters stranded on the mountain, said he was "thankful" to find out that both, Nurul Husna Ideris, 27, and Nurul Hani Ideris, 29, were safe.
"Two of my sisters were en route from the top, going down this morning when the earthquake hit Sabah," he told CNN via WhatsApp.
One sent him a message that read: "Earthquake, part of the peak fell off. We are en route from the summit to Laban Rata, the base. Thank God, we are safe. Stuck, cannot further the journey."
He added, "We are waiting for the helicopter to bring them down. No further news from them since; can't reach them."
He said his two sisters were "amateur climbers with a group and guides." There's no word yet on when the helicopter might be sent to help them.
"They are safe, waiting for the rescue," he said. "They were so calm."
Many who felt the quake in the Sabah area took to Twitter to share their experiences.
Bill Vervaeke, CDME
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
(561) 795-5912 (Office & Facsimile)
(561) 318-9089 (Cellular)
OTAs applaud Florida tax ruling
The court backed a prior lower-court decision that said intermediaries such as OTAs aren’t hotels and therefore aren’t subject to occupancy taxes, or what the state terms a “transient rental rate.” That rate runs about 6% of revenue in jurisdictions such as Miami’s Dade County and Orlando’s Orange County.
“We applaud today’s confirmation by the Florida Supreme Court that Florida hotel taxes do not apply to online travel agents and the amount they charge for their services,” Travel Tech President Steve Shur said in a statement.
Florida is one of more than two dozen locales where state and local governments have battled OTAs in court over the past few years over taxes. OTAs typically pay hotels a wholesale rate and collect the occupancy taxes on that rate, but they don’t pay occupancy taxes on their markup.
Most recently, the OTAs won a legal victory in Hawaii after that state’s high court ruled in March that OTAs aren’t responsible for paying occupancy taxes.
Like Hawaii, the issue is a major one in Florida because of the state’s popularity as a tourist destination.
Florida’s hotels compiled more than 5 million room nights last year, and the state is home to three of the largest 25 U.S. hotel markets, according to STR. Orlando has approximately 125,000 rooms, trailing only Las Vegas’ 175,000 rooms in the U.S.
More travelers at PBI airport, guests in hotels equal more tourism dollars
The hotel occupancy rate in Palm Beach County climbed to 77.9 percent in April, even as the cost of a night’s stay continued to rise, county tourism leaders said Thursday.
In April, there were 483,120 nightly bookings available at 16,104 rooms in the county’s hotels and motels, according to the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council. Just over 376,300 0f those nightly bookings were sold to out-of-town visitors and other guests.
The bookings marked a 7.1 percent increase over April 2014, according to the council. The county’s hotel room inventory grew 4.5 percent during that time frame.
The mounting demand is driving up hotel room rates.
During the first four months of the year, the cost of a nightly hotel stay was $217.54, up 8.4 percent from 2014.
An important benchmark for hoteliers — revenue per available room, which gives an average of what visitors pay based on actual occupancy — increased by roughly 7.1 percent in April compared with April of 2014, the tourism council said.
May tourism tax collections also continue to climb.
During the first seven months of the fiscal year, the county collected $32.3 million in tourism taxes, up 25.8 percent over last year.
The bed tax is levied on all hotel stays and vacation rentals of six months or less. Bed tax revenue is used to pay for tourism-related advertising, beach renourishment and facilities such as Roger Dean Stadium.
In February, the county raised its bed tax by a penny to 6 cents per dollar, which helped fuel the increase. But even without the additional penny, county tourism leaders say bed tax collections would have jumped by more than 14 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of passengers traveling in and out of Palm Beach International Airport grew for the 10th consecutive month, county airport managers said.
More than 6 million passengers used the airport during the 12 month period that ended in April, a 4.2 percent increase over the previous year, a traffic report shows.
Malaysia Airlines jet makes emergency landing in Australia
Malaysia Airlines Airbus makes emergency landing in Australia after possible engine fire
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet made an emergency landing at Melbourne airport on Friday after instruments indicated an engine fire, officials said.
Flight 148 from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur landed without incident or injury, airport spokeswoman Anna Gillett said.
"The pilot called an emergency landing and as standard procedure when a pilot calls any sort of emergency landing, emergency personnel are currently on site, Gillett said shortly after the landing.
The airline said in a statement that a preliminary inspection of the aircraft revealed no external physical evidence of a fire.
Airservices Australia was told that an engine fire warning light had activated in the cockpit soon after takeoff, but could not confirm whether that was a malfunction or whether there had been a fire, a spokesman said on condition of anonymity, citing agency policy.
The plane had dumped fuel south of Melbourne as a safety precaution before landing, he said.
The troubled state-owned airline lost two airliners in disasters last year.
Airbus to certify and deliver A320Neo this year as planned
PARIS, June 12 (Reuters) - Airbus will certify and deliver its revamped A320neo aircraft as planned this year, the planemaker's chief Fabrice Bregier said at a conference organised by La Tribune on Friday.
"The small hurdles we faced on test flights a few weeks ago...have been identified, will soon be addressed and I confirm that we are still within the timetable to certify and deliver the first planes this year," Bregier said.
Across the USA on one tank on tank of Neste`s NEXBTL
A team of motorsport enthusiasts will drive from Atlantic Coast of Florida to the Pacific Coast of California on just one tank of renewable fuel on June 21-26, 2015. This is made possible by NEXBTL renewable diesel that is produced from bio-based raw materials by Neste, the world`s largest producer of renewable diesel.
"Americans have a long tradition of taking cross-country road trips, sometimes aiming for speed records, sometimes just making a leisurely jaunt. One team is taking a different approach to this long-distance challenge: drive coast-to-coast on one tank of fuel that is made of completely bio-based raw materials. We believe this may be a first time for this type of trip, " said Kaisa Hietala, Executive Vice President, Renewable Products at Neste.
NEXBTL renewable diesel - a high-performing low carbon biofuel
Neste`s NEXBTL renewable diesel can replace petroleum diesel on a drop-in basis due to having the same chemical properties as the ultra-low sulfur diesel. It can also reduce carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional diesel by as much as 90 percent over its lifecycle. NEXBTL is fully compatible with all diesel engines and delivers better performance because it has higher cetane and burns more completely than petroleum diesel. NEXBTL is not the same product as biodiesel (FAME).
Neste provides NEXBTL renewable diesel to US refiners, blenders, and fuel distributors. NEXBTL is also available to consumers at retail stations in Northern California.
Race car and stunt driver Tanner Foust joins a team of motorsport enthusiasts
The Guest Champion in Across the USA challenge is Tanner Foust, four-time X Games gold medal winner, three-time U.S. Rallycross champion and two time Formula Drift champion.
"I`m really excited about the next project I`m doing. It is NEXBTL renewable diesel and we are driving across the entire US with one tank of fuel. It will be an amazing trip, " said Tanner Foust.
Other drivers are Pat O`Keefe, Vice President of Golden Gate Petroleum and owner of CLP Motorsports, Luke Lonberger, an experienced motorsports driver and General Manager at CLP Motorsports, and Michael von Disterlo , a lead mechanic at CLP Motorsports.
The Car is a Superlite Coupe powered by Volkswagen engine
The car is a Superlite Coupe (SLC) which is custom-built by CLP motorsports. It has the aerodynamics necessary for maximum efficiency at speed, which is enhanced by a lightweight aluminum monocoque chassis and fiberglass body. The SLC has all of the handling of a race car, but it is street legal and is powered by a modified Volkswagen 1.9-liter TDI diesel engine.
2,400 miles and through eight states
The across the USA drive will start on Sunday the 21st of June. The SLC car will drive across the United States on Interstate 10, the fourth-longest transcontinental highway in the U.S., which is more than 2,400 miles long. It runs through eight states, starting in Atlantic Beach, Florida, and ending on the Pacific Coast in Santa Monica, California.
Germanwings co-pilot may have feared he was losing his eyesight
A French prosecutor said Thursday that the a Germanwings co-pilot may have been depressed over fears that he was losing his eyesight and would no longer be able to fly when he crashed the plane into the French Alps in March, killing 150 people.
Marseille Prosecutor Brice Robin told reporters in Paris that the 27-year-old co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, had seven doctor's appointments within the month before the March 24 crash, including three appointments with a psychiatrist, according to the Associated Press.
Some of the doctors felt he was psychologically unstable, and some felt he was unfit to fly, but "unfortunately that information was not reported because of medical secrecy requirements," Robin said.
Robin, who met with family members of the victims before speaking with reporters, also said he has opened a formal criminal investigation to determine whether Germanwings airlines or any individual should be held responsible for failing to monitor Lubitz's psychological health, The New York Times reports.
His meeting came as the first remains of the victims are being returned to their families for burial. There were 19 different nationalities among the 150 victims. Nearly half of them were German, and about a third were Spanish. The dead included 16 German students on a high school trip.
Robin said the investigation so far "has enabled us to confirm without a shadow of a doubt … Mr. Andreas Lubitz deliberately destroyed the plane and deliberately killed 150 people, including himself."
A preliminary report by the French air accidents bureau, along with evidence from prosecutors, has strongly supported the view that Lubitz intentionally crashed his plane into the French Alps a flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf on March 24.
Audio recordings indicate the co-pilot purposely locked the pilot out of the cockpit shortly after takeoff and then methodically brought the plane down.
Lubitz, who at one point had to withdraw from a flight-training school for 11 months for treatment from depression, had a history of depression, according to German prosecutors.
Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, has acknowledged it was told about his illness but said he was reinstated after a company flight doctor found him fit to fly.
Pregnant woman's car cut in half in Gaston, N.C. wreck
GASTON COUNTY, N.C. -- A driver who survived an unbelievable wreck on Highway 321 in Gaston County faces several charges Thursday, including reckless driving.
Investigators say 20-year-old Haley Smith from Lincolnton caused the accident, while first responders say she's lucky to be alive, considering the accident cut her car in half.
Smith is already out of the hospital with a few cuts, bumps and bruises.
The first look at the mangled metal that used to be Smith's Honda Accord was all it took for firefighter Mike Shrum to think Smith was dead, and his response would be a recovery, not a rescue.
"At least one person if not more," Shrum said.
He thought no one could survive that type of violent impact.
"That's one of the worst wrecks that I've ever responded to," he said.
One part of the car was on Highway 321 northbound. The other part was on the southbound side.
"Her car is broken in half. I've never seen damage like this," said an unidentified person talking to 911 dispatch.
Witnesses also feared the worst.
"The girl that went across the road, she does not look good. I think we need an ambulance," a 911 caller said.
Witnesses who stopped to help found Smith buckled in her seat, alive.
"Don't move, okay? You were in a bad wreck, don't move," the person on the phone to 911 said.
Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to get Smith out of what looked more like a cut and crushed coke can than a car.
Then, a surprise.
"I stepped on a pregnancy test," Shrum said.
He said the test was positive - and says relatives later told him Smith was pregnant and the baby is ok as well.
"Everybody says God watches out for everybody, but sometimes in wrecks like that, it's pretty obvious some people are just lucky."
Thursday, investigators say the wreck is Smith's fault.
They say she wasn't paying attention, hit rumble strips, over-corrected, crossed the median and struck an oncoming SUV.
She's alive, but charged with reckless driving, driving with slick tires and investigators say, having drug paraphernalia in the car. Investigators say she denied the paraphernalia was hers.
Tourists who stripped in Malaysia released from jail
A British woman and three companions were freed from a Malaysian jail Friday after they pleaded guilty in court to committing obscene acts in public after they stripped naked on a mountain there.
Eleanor Hawkins was among a group of backpackers who took off their clothes while on a visit to Malaysia's Mount Kinabalu, a place held sacred by many in Malaysia.
Hawkins, 23, admitted the offense while appearing in Kota Kinabalu Magistrates' Court on Friday. She is a student from Derby, England. Canadian sisters Danielle and Lindsey Petersen, along with Dutch national Dylan Snel, also pleaded guilty and were released Friday.
The four travelers were sentenced to three days in prison, time they already served from the time of their arrest on June 9. The women appeared topless on the mountain and the men were completely nude.
The travelers, also charged with making a lot of noise on the mountain and publicly urinating in a nearby pond, were subsequently blamed by residents of the area for starting an earthquake that killed 18 people.
The court said there was no connection between the two events, but pointed out that the behavior showed disrespect and angered many in the Malaysian community.
Ryanair pilot fails at Facebook, calls passengers 'morons' and posts cockpit selfie in tinfoil hat
In the underwhelming M. Night Shyamalan movie Signs, alien-fearing whack job Mel Gibson makes his kids sit around the house wearing tinfoil hats, because he thinks that wrapping your head like a to-go burrito will keep extraterrestrials from reading your thoughts. Even before that M. Night Sh-abomination, tinfoil hats were associated with UFO-phobics and conspiracy theorists. Now, an airline pilot is the latest to don tinfoil atop of his crown (albeit for a very different reason).
Ryanair’s own Iain Inglis recently made his own tinfoil hat and took a cockpit selfie, with the comment that he was wearing his “radiation gear” (the photo was apparently his response to a recent study that suggested that flying for 56 minutes at 30,000 feet exposed pilots to the same amount of UV radiation as spending 20 minutes in a tanning bed). Inglis then posted the picture to Facebook, which is where he also shared some of his other thoughts about the passengers who pay to fly with his employer. In one recent post, he wrote:
To all Ryanair passengers. You now have a seat assignment. So why of why are you still queuing up like morons!!?? Please locate your brains.
He also said that he ran away from a bearded man who was “praying quietly to Mecca and kissing the floor at Stansted [Airport].” Apparently, Inglis must not have heard Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary say that the airline was trying to stop “unnecessarily pissing people off.”
A Ryanair spokesperson said that the airline did not comment on “social media nonsense,” nor would it discuss individual employees. The airline also said that it would not be taking any disciplinary action against Inglis. Ryanair might want to ask him to leave his roll of Reynolds Wrap in his locker, though.
DOT: More flights on time, fewer canceled in April
WASHINGTON -- Flights of the largest airlines were arriving on time and fewer were canceled in April, the Transportation Department reported Thursday.
A little better than three in four flights (81.8%) arrived on time in April, or within 15 minutes of their schedule, according to the department's Air Travel Consumer Report.
That rate is better than March, when 78.7% flights arrived on time, and better than the April 2014 rate of 79.6%.
Among the baker's dozen of airlines reporting arrival rates, the best for on-time arrivals in April were Hawaiian, Alaskan and Delta airlines. The worst were Frontier, Spirit and regional carrier Envoy.
Only one lengthy tarmac delay was reported in April. Southwest Airlines flight 3220 from Houston to Denver was delayed four hours on April 17 after a diversion to Pueblo, Colo.
The Transportation Department also tracks chronically delayed flights, where more than half an airline's flights during a two-month period were delayed at least 30 minutes. Spirit had all these flights in April, arriving at Chicago's O'Hare airport from either Los Angeles or Atlanta.
Besides arriving on time, airlines canceled less than 1% of their domestic flights in April. The 0.9% rate represented an improvement from the 2.2% rate in March or the 1.1% rate in April 2014.
The department's monthly reports also chronicle mishandled bags and consumer complaints for airlines carrying at least 1% of passengers nationwide.
Airlines mishandled bags at a rate of 2.93 per 1,000 passengers in April, down from 3.42 in March, but up slightly from 2.9 a year earlier.
The department received 1,415 complaints about airline service in April, down from 1,733 in March, but up from 1,259 a year earlier.
Say Farewell to Cruises-to-Nowhere
Say good-bye to cruises-to-nowhere from U.S. homeports.
Starting in 2016, foreign-flagged cruise ships can no longer operate voyages that do not stop at a foreign port. What isn’t immediately clear, however, is why.
The Cruise Lines International Association issued this statement: “While itinerary decisions are made by individual cruise lines, beginning in 2016, in compliance with U.S laws and regulations, foreign-flagged cruise lines operating out of U.S. ports are not to offer cruises for sale that do not include a call in a foreign port. Ships are cleared into and out of the United States by officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”
When asked the reason for the change, CLIA’s spokeswoman said the statement is all she could provide at this time.
Carnival Cruise Line has apparently already started to notify passengers booked on cruises-to-nowhere. Senior Cruise Director John Heald announced what he called “disappointing news” on Facebook.
“Due to recent changes in how ships are cleared into and out of the United States by U.S. officials, certain short duration cruises without a foreign port of call are subject to itinerary changes beginning in 2016. Unfortunately, this means that we will not be permitted to operate cruises-to-nowhere. This does include the Carnival Vista’s 3 day cruise-to-nowhere from New York. Those who are booked on our cruises-to-nowhere will receive a letter very soon explaining this. So sorry.”
He added that it applies to all cruise lines. The short cruises that don't visit any ports often are sold as getaways and are booked by people who like the sea. It was unclear how the cruise-to-nowhere itineraries would be adjusted.
Meanwhile, in Norfolk, Va., Newschannel 3 WTKR reported that Carnival issued a statement that it could no longer operate a cruise-to-nowhere departing Oct. 30, 2016, on Carnival Sunshine. The story said the company offered to rebook passengers on another voyage with a $50 onboard credit. Or, refunds would be processed.
According to the news station, Carnival issued a statement that said it will continue to operate cruises from Norfolk in 2015-16, but will adjust itineraries to 2016 departures “since we are no longer permitted to operate cruises-to-nowhere.”
Former Paramedic Assists Seriously Ill Passenger Aboard US Airways Flight
Talk about being in the right place at the right time.
Soon-to-be-retired 50-year-old Philadelphia Fire Paramedic Captain Richard Bratcher went from passenger to hero in a matter of minutes aboard a recent US Airways flight from Orlando to Philadelphia when a fellow passenger fell ill, according to NBC 10 Philadelphia.
The 57-year-old passenger, who Bratcher described as appearing "gray," became sick about an hour into the flight. "All you had to do was look at this man and know he was very sick," Bratcher told NBC 10. "He was gray. His lips were blue.
When the flight crew requested the assistance of someone with medical training over the plane's intercom system, Bratcher, a former paramedic and now a supervisor, stepped forward.
Upon examining the ill passenger, Bratcher told the flight crew to gather oxygen, water and aspirin.
"Then probably within 15 minutes of chewing the aspirin and oxygen, his color came back into his face," Bratcher told NBC 10. "By the time we landed in Philly, we were laughing and joking with each other. It was an experience. It was really an experience."
The normally two-and-a-half hour flight landed 45 minutes early at Philadelphia International Airport after Bratcher said he told the flight crew to tell the plane's pilot to fly faster.
Upon arrival, the flight was met by firefighters and medics on the tarmac. The ill passenger was eventually transported to a nearby hospital, where he is said to be doing well.
"I hope he's doing very well," Bratcher told NBC 10. "Honestly, when the chips are down, you don't remember names. When you do what I've been doing for 30 years, you just go into this automatic mode of, 'Let me make this person better.'"
In addition to other passengers aboard the flight, Philadelphia Fire Department Deputy Commissioner for EMS Jeremiah Laster praised Bratcher's efforts.
"He did a great job and we're proud of him," Laster told NBC 10. "There's no greater feeling than to know you made a positive impact on somebody's life."
Yet a humble Bratcher told the news station that he didn't do anything. "I just did what I do," he said.
Delta Plays To The Hollywood Crowd Again
The only thing Delta Air Lines hasn’t done to court celebrity business is to take out a billboard next to the iconic sign in the Hollywood Hills saying “Dear Stars, please fly us!”
Delta continues its Hollywood play with a brand new amenity at its newly completed, three-year, $229 million renovation of Terminal 5 at Los Angeles International Airport – a private check-in lounge and a paparazzi-proof entrance and exit that shields celebrities from the photo-taking masses.
That’s right, no more gaggle of photographer taking myriad photos of the exact same thing – a celebrity walking through an airport.
“You avoid the entire arrivals process,” Delta Vice-President Ranjan Goswami told the The Hollywood Reporter. “You won’t see TMZ.”
According to THR, LAX-bound celebs can request a service called VIP Select, which costs $350 with a first-class ticket. When they arrive, they’ll be greeted on the tarmac in a luxury car that whisks them through a special gate out of the airport through an underground secret location somewhere in the city where they can be met by their own personal driver, says the Reporter.
For those flying out of LAX, stars can pull up to the curb, check bags and jump into an elevator that goes straight to a premium security line.
"We're fast on our way to becoming the airline of choice in Los Angeles by understanding what moves L.A. – its most prominent industries, its most desired destinations, and its discerning customers' required amenities for travel," Delta President Ed Bastian said in a statement. "Our investments in T5 now offer Angelenos a more premium airport experience, from check-in to take-off."
"These upgrades to Terminal 5 are transforming visitors' first and last impressions of Los Angeles," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "This investment by Delta is the latest in our now more than $8 billion overhaul of LAX. Whether by upgrading nearly all of our terminals, bringing in ridesharing services to pick up passengers, or connecting the nation's second-busiest airport to rail, we're making LAX a world-class airport befitting a city that is the global capital of creativity, innovation and possibility. I am thrilled that Delta is growing its presence here in Los Angeles."
Margaritaville looking to hire hundreds
The resort, set to open this summer, will have job fairs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 23 to 25 at Hollywood's Hillcrest Golf and Country Club, 4600 Hillcrest Drive, a hotel spokeswoman said Thursday.
Margaritaville will accept applications and conduct interviews for positions in hotel operations, housekeeping, security, recreation and wellness, food and beverage and other areas.
Last month, the 349-room, 17-story resort began accepting reservations for stays beginning Oct. 1. Room rates started at $259 a night, in accommodations that include 151 king rooms, 154 queen rooms and 44 suites.
The $147 million resort at Johnson Street and State Road A1A will include eight restaurants and bars, oceanside pools, a FlowRider wave ride, spa and fitness center and 30,000 square feet of convention space.
Signs have already gone up on some of its eateries such as the Margaritaville Restaurant and LandShark Bar & Grill, according to a post June 5 on the resort's Facebook page.
Tourism industry predicts big summer
DAYTONA BEACH — The summer tourist season is shaping up to be the Volusia-Flagler area’s best since the start of the Great Recession, area industry officials say.
The improving economy, the cheapest summer gas prices in nearly a decade, a forecast calling for a mild hurricane season, special events at the Ocean Center, and stepped-up marketing efforts are all contributing to the bullish outlook by area hoteliers and tourism officials.
“We’re really optimistic that this summer is going to be good,” said Tom Caradonio, executive director of the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “People are traveling again.”
Volusia County drew an estimated 9.1 million visitors in 2014, the most since the late 1980s.
Justin and Ruth Cannici, Ocala residents who chose to celebrate their 53rd wedding anniversary by staying several nights at The Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores, said they like to vacation here because they enjoy relaxing at the beach and because Daytona Beach is just a short drive away.
“We’ve stayed at Marco Island (and other beach destinations) and it doesn’t compare to here,” Justin Cannici said. “Daytona is very nice and for us it is close.”
While figures for the number of visitors Volusia County has drawn so far this year are not available, the amount of tourism bed tax revenues collected through the first four months of 2015 — considered a key indicator for the tourism industry — are well ahead of last year’s pace.
Caradonio said gas prices, despite a steady increase in recent months, are still nearly a dollar less per gallon than what they were a year ago. “That’s 19 extra dollars in my pocket every time I fill up,” he said. “We’re a huge drive market. If gas prices are low, people won’t think twice about getting in their car and making the drive to Daytona.”
Mark Jenkins, a Tampa-based spokesman for AAA auto club, agrees. “With lower gas prices comes increases in disposable income,” he said.
Bob Davis, president and CEO of the Hotel & Lodging Association of Volusia County, said he is predicting a 7 percent increase in tourist visits to the area this summer. “The economy’s improving and while gas prices are fluctuating that’s not going to scare anybody.”
Davis said the area is also benefiting from an improved tourism marketing effort by the Halifax Area Advertising Authority, the local board that oversees the Daytona area visitors bureau, which recently launched a new campaign touting Daytona Beach as the “Original American Beach.” He said also helping to draw visitors are several newly refurbished hotels as well as some new ones that have recently opened.
Jason Kern, director of sales at The Shores Resort & Spa, said he is expecting “a fun ride” this summer, with high occupancies through the middle of August.
“We’re staffing up for high occupancies and creating more activities on our pool deck,” said Kern of the 212-room hotel, which employs 180 year-round workers and recently added 30 seasonal workers.
“There’s an excitement about Daytona Beach,” he said.
Some of the positive buzz about the area, Kern and other observers say, is being generated by the $400 million Daytona Rising renovation project at Daytona International Speedway which is expected to be completed by January.
This year’s Coke Zero 400 race at the Speedway will offer NASCAR race fans a preview of some of the motorsports track’s new amenities.
Don Poor, director of the Volusia County-run Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, said he is expecting a busier summer than last year.
The beachside convention center is set to host several events, including a Student Life religious conference in July that is expected to draw 5,600 attendees as well as “the big one we’ve got coming in” — a new event, the New Spring Church youth conference, which could draw 7,000 people, Poor said.
Other events include the Bacon Beat Down Crossfit Competition this month that’s expected to attract 3,200 attendees and a Showbiz competition, also this month, that is expected to draw 4,000 people.
Sarah Johnson and Elizabeth Griner are Clermont residents who came here with their children and a friend to spend four days and three nights at The Shores Resort & Spa.
“It’s a beautiful place, it accommodates kids and has great music,” said Johnson, an elementary school teacher. “They have live jazz during the day and someone dee-jaying for the kids.”
Griner, who is also a teacher, said she and her friends visit the Daytona Beach area four to five times a year in part because “it’s more tourist friendly.” As someone who grew up in Central Florida, she said she has seen all the tourist sites. “We’re more about relaxing and spending time at the beach.” She added that the cost of gasoline doesn’t bother her. “It isn’t a significant factor if you’re just an hour-and-a-half away.”
Justin Cannici, who owns a furniture consignment shop in The Villages, said while he and his wife have vacationed several times in the Daytona Beach area, this is their first time staying at The Shores Resort & Spa. He and his wife heard about the hotel from his wife’s sister.
“I looked it up and saw the pictures,” he said. “The room we got is beautiful. I couldn’t ask for better. ... And the people that work here are top notch.”
Disneyland Resort generates $5.7 billion in economic activity a year, study says
Disneyland Resort, O.C.'s largest employer, generates $5.7 billion in economic activity a year, study says
The Disneyland Resort, Orange County's largest employer, is responsible for more than $5.7 billion in annual economic activity throughout Southern California, supporting 28,000 regional jobs, according to an independent economic study released Thursday.
The estimated economic impact for fiscal year 2013 is a 21% increase over a similar study for fiscal year 2009, when the resort generated an estimated $4.7 billion in economic activity and 21,000 jobs.
Is demand pricing coming to Disneyland?
The report from Arduin, Laffer & Moore Econometrics was released Thursday during a lunch meeting of Orange County business leaders, featuring Disneyland Resort President Michael Colglazier.
Although the report analyzes a period more than a year ago, it gives a glimpse into the economic impact before and after the $1.1-billion expansion of Disney's California Adventure park in 2012, including the addition of Cars Land.
The report estimated that the resort, its visitors, employees and contractors, generated more than $370 million in state and local taxes in 2013.
"The Disneyland Resort has demonstrated its ability to grow amidst lukewarm growth in the state of California since the theme park's last economic impact analysis was conducted for fiscal year 2009," said Ford Scudder, chief operating officer of Arduin, Laffer & Moore Econometrics. The fiscal year ends in September.
The analysis estimated that spending attributed to the resort and its visitors represented nearly a third of the $9.6-billion Orange County tourism industry in 2013. The 2009 economic estimate was produced by CB Richard Ellis.
Spending by Disneyland visitors at businesses outside of the resort totals nearly $1.4 billion annually, the report said.
The resort is now drawing more visitors for Disneyland's 60th anniversary celebration, which includes a new fireworks show and night-time parade at Disneyland and a new water and light show at California Adventure.
After the Orange County Forum meeting, Colglazier said he wasn't surprised by the large crowds that have turned out since the celebration began May 22. During an opening 24-hour party, Disneyland reached capacity, forcing employees to temporarily close the gates twice and divert crowds to nearby California Adventure.
He said that Disney managers are constantly thinking about ways to lessen the effect of the crowds.
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With the additional services, departures to Jeddah will rise from double-daily flights to triple-daily flights.
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker, said: “The demand for premium group travel continues to grow especially during the Ramadan season, and therefore we have introduced this All-Premium A319 to Jeddah further strengthening Qatar Airways’ position as a five-star airline providing the best First and Business Class service in the industry.”
The Airbus A319 aircraft, which is fitted with an All-Premium Class, single aisle, 2-2 seating configuration with 40 seats, will enable passengers to experience the total comfort of a private jet complemented by Qatar Airways’ award-winning five-star hospitality.
Qatar Airways’ A319 First-Class seats, which recline into fully-flat beds, have one of the highest specifications for premium travel of any airline.
The inflight entertainment system, Oryx One, features the same options that are available on Qatar Airways, with up to 2,000 choices of movies, music and games. Personal entertainment can be enjoyed with the latest-generation systems and noise-cancelling headphones.
Combined with the best in on-board service, Qatar Airways’ passengers on the A319 All-First Class flight will also experience the stylish and sophisticated Al Mourjan Business Lounge at Doha’s state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport.
Qatar Airways has expanded rapidly during its 18 years of operation and today serves 147 destinations around the world with a 160-strong fleet of modern, state-of-the-art aircraft including the A350 XWB for which it is the global launch customer.
Couple Fined After Trying to Stop Ryanair Jet at Malta Airport
VALLETTA, Malta — A couple ran out onto the tarmac of Malta's international airport to stop a jet from leaving for Italy without them, a court heard on Thursday.
Matteo Clementi, 26, and Enrica Apollonio, 23, got stuck in traffic on their way to the airport on Wednesday. By the time they arrived, the gate was closed and they were not allowed on board, Times of Malta reported.
They went to the next gate, forced open a security door, ran to the apron and began signaling to the pilots to let them on the Ryanair plane. The engines were running and the stairs had been removed.
They were not allowed on board and were arrested by security staff.
Their defense lawyer said Wednesday was Apollonio's 23rd birthday. She had been looking forward to celebrating it with her family "but instead spent it in a cell."
Clementi and Apollonio were fined 2,329 euros ($2,656).
Airport workers steadily gaining back lost ground on wages
Airlines saved money after 9/11 by contracting out services. Now cities are forcing wages back up for those workers as well.
Yesterday, the Philadelphia City Council officially signed a new lease with several airlines for its municipally owned airport. But it’s not just any lease. In the details, there’s a giant gift for workers: A wage hike to $12 an hour, not including benefits, up from the current Pennsylvania minimum wage of $7.25.
And that's not all. The wage provision also covers employees of all the airlines’ vendor companies — a population that has been hard to reach, as the industry has contracted out basic services, a shift that has helped depress wages for airport workers through the 2000s. And it includes a provision requiring airport employers to remain neutral in any union drives, which should help the group pushing hardest for the changes — the Service Employees International Union — finally organize the airport’s contracted workforce.
That’s a big step forward for the wheelchair pushers, ticket takers, baggage handlers and cabin cleaners who work for low wages and few benefits. And it’s just one of a string of victories pushed by a couple big unions that have leveraged public control of airports to win concessions from airlines that have proven difficult to achieve in purely private sector industries.
“It kind of depends on who has the authority in various cities,” explains SEIU Vice President Valarie Long — be it a port authority, a city council, or a state legislature. But the fact that the industry is willing to go along with the provisions is important too — as American Airlines was, in bargaining on behalf of the industry in Philadelphia. "American Airlines is the largest airline, so it is very significant that they do what it takes to raise standards,” Long says.
Philadelphia isn’t the first significant win for unions in the airport world. San Francisco International Airport established a so-called living wage for airport workers back in 2000. Los Angeles airports implemented a similar ordinance in 2010, put in more worker protections in 2012, and last year required all airport contractors to come to agreements with worker organizations (though trade groups representing the airlines challenged the new rule in court). The airport-dominated town of Sea-Tac, Wash., outside Seattle, became the first jurisdiction in the country to pass a $15 minimum wage in 2013, although the law is currently being appealed.
Here are a few more: Minneapolis required vendors to offer paid sick leave last December, and raised wages $1 above the state minimum in May. In April, Portland passed a policy to encourage worker retention when contractors change. On the East Coast, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ordered wage hikes for airport workers at the beginning of 2014, a few years after SEIU launched an organizing campaign (and won).
Still, it’s slow going in many places. SEIU, which now represents about 15,000 airport workers, is also working on campaigns including Boston, Fort Lauderdale, and Newark. Another union, UNITE-HERE, has been trying to win higher wages and an agreement not to fight unionization for concessions workers at Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport for years now, but encountered a setback when Maryland elected Republican governor Larry Hogan last fall.
“Bringing in a new top decision maker means there’s a learning curve to get over here,” says UNITE-HERE senior research analyst Bhav Tibrewal. Tibrewal is now pushing the concessions operator, the German company Fraport, to recognize the union — but so far, Fraport hasn’t been open to talking. He’s even talked to lawmakers in Greece, which is considering contracting with Fraport to run its national airports, to tell them about the labor strife still ongoing in Baltimore in hopes of pressuring the company to come to the table.
In contrast to line items like fuel and airport rents, contracted labor is not a gigantic cost for airlines. And for some companies, any resistance is not so much about wages as it is about the ability of the traveling population to pay higher prices. American Airlines, for example — whose flight attendants and pilots are already unionized — says it would prefer that cities or states raise wages across the board, rather than targeting individual industries, so that communities can absorb any price increases that might result.
“We’re fully supportive of wage increases, and we’re always working with our vendors to make sure they’re paying fair wages," says American Airlines spokesperson Casey Norton. But when the community is better paid, it makes it easier, rather than just isolating it on one particular work group or industry, as far as purchasing power.”
JetBlue to expand Mint service at JFK after United leaves
JetBlue Airways announced Thursday it would expand its Mint service from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The announcement came the same week that United Airlines said it would abandon JFK in Oct. 25, to consolidate at its Newark hub.
That's when JetBlue will offer up to six daily Mint flights from JFK to San Francisco, up from four today. The airline also plans to add up to 10 daily flights to Los Angeles by February, when the airline takes delivery of its latest Airbus A321 aircraft.
"In just one year, Mint has taken off in a way that we never imagined and we're thrilled to bring even more Mint to customers who want to fly between JFK and the West Coast," said Marty St. George, JetBlue's executive vice president commercial and planning.
Mint flights include private suites, fully flat beds and tapas-style dining. The flights also include free broadband and 15-inch screens with more than 100 channels of DirecTV and 100 channels of SiriusXM radio.
Tickets for the additional flights go on sale Sunday.
United announced Tuesday it will shift its Premium Service called "p.s." from JFK to Newark for flights to San Francisco and Los Angeles. The airline said it will fly up to 17 daily round trips Newark-San Francisco and up to 15 daily round trips Newark-Los Angeles.
The changes at JetBlue and United come amid an intensifying battle among JFK's top U.S. carriers. American, Delta and JetBlue all have upgraded to lie-flat seats and have made other improvements on flights between JFK and California in an effort to lure the high-spending corporate and wealthy fliers that fly those routes.
Singapore Airlines wants to bring back world's longest flight between U.S. and Singapore
In the not-too-distant past, Singapore Airlines flew an epic 19-hour route from Singapore to New York, the longest commercial flight in the world. But the carrier was losing money on the route with the plane it was using, so it ended the service in 2013. Now the airline’s CEO says the company wants to bring back nonstop flights to the U.S. and is in talks with Airbus and Boeing to develop an aircraft that could make it happen.
CEO Goh Choon Phong sounds antsy to get back in service, telling Bloomberg, “We, of course, want it as soon as possible.”
The problem is apparently that there’s no plane out there that could handle the route while allowing airlines to turn a profit. Singapore used to operate daily flights from Singapore to Los Angeles and Newark, but the four-engine planes they used for it were a money pit — that’s even with the flights being business class only. As Goh put it, “There really isn’t a commercially viable aircraft that could fly nonstop.”
Two engines are more efficient than four, but even the biggest and baddest double-engine Airbus and Boeing models aren’t built to fly the whopping 10,000+ miles spanning Singapore and New York (not to mention that a four-engine deal probably wouldn’t fly with the EPA, which is poised to instate some emissions regulations). So Singapore is in talks with the manufacturers to see if they can push out a plane that’s up to the task, which sounds like the makings for a race where fliers are the winners.
When Singapore ended its flight to New York it ceded its claim to the world’s longest nonstop flight to Qantas Airways, and its long-haul between Sydney and Dallas Fort Worth, a journey that clocks in at about 8,500 miles. As of September of last year, the airline replaces the Boeing 747 superjumbo with an Airbus A380 superjumbo on the route.
USTA Study Shows Open Skies is Crucial to US Airlines, Economy
Nearly one week after sending a letter to the Obama Administration in support of the Open Skies Agreements, which U.S. carriers American, United and Delta would like to see changed, the U.S. Travel Association has released the results of an Oxford Economics study that further solidifies its position.
Overall, the research, commissioned by the USTA, supports the argument that undermining Open Skies would negatively impact competition among airlines, as well as harm travelers and the economy.
"When the Big Three first embarked on their lobbying campaign against Open Skies, they had our attention because they claimed that their position was about protecting U.S. jobs," said USTA president and CEO Roger Dow in a statement. "But it took about 30 seconds of reflection to realize that breaking those agreements is likely to have terrible consequences for U.S. employment, and now we have research in hand conclusively illustrating that."
Research found that the three Gulf carriers in question — Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways — flew 1.1 million international passengers to the U.S. in 2014. In addition to coming from mostly underserved markets in the Middle East and parts of Asia, those visitors spent over $4 billion during their time in the U.S.
The study went on to find that that spending helped sustain nearly 50,000 American jobs, in addition to generating $2.6 billion in labor income and more than $1.1 billion in federal, state and local taxes.
What's more, research showed that more than half of Gulf airline passengers (620,000) transferred directly onto flights operated by U.S. airlines when they arrived in the U.S., in turn generating $140 million in revenue for those U.S.-based airlines. And more than half of those passengers (roughly 350,000) transferred onto flights operated by the Big Three of American, United and Delta.
"The travel community weighs every policy proposal against a very basic set of criteria: is it pro-competition, pro-growth and pro-traveler? The Big Three's move against Open Skies epic-fails every part of that test," added Dow.
"Moreover, momentum in Washington is starting to turn against them. I implore my friends at American, Delta and United to abandon this folly and invest the resources in far more valuable pursuits, like real investments in the passenger experience that will get more people traveling."
Disney Vacation Account glitches result in overcharges that upset customers
Technical glitches have caused some customers to have extra money from their credit cards and bank accounts transferred into their Disney Vacation Accounts, which allow members to save for theme-park resort trips through regular automatic withdrawals.
A Disney spokesman said the company is in the process of refunding customers' money. The problems happened as a result of a technical "glitch" during a systems upgrade, he said. Customers trying to get assistance can call 407-939-7734.
Members say double charges and incorrect amounts of money have been taken from their accounts this week.
Compounding the problems, the account website has been down since Tuesday. It became operational for a few hours Thursday afternoon but then stopped working again.
"We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our guests and we are reaching out to let them know we are resolving the situation," spokesman Bryan Malenius said in an emailed statement.
Customers said Thursday they feel frustrated, even infuriated, by the Walt Disney Co.'s response.
Eric Effros of Las Vegas said his bank account was wiped out after an extra $305 was taken from his account this week, on top of the regular $360 that normally gets withdrawn on the first of each month.
Effros said he has called the company every day but still has not received a refund. "These guys don't care," he said.
Disney said people who have had insufficient-funds charges as a result of the problem can contact the company for help.
Disney would not say how many people had problems with their accounts. The company said it has begun contacting affected customers and plans to get in touch with all of them.
Maria Belak of Columbus, Ohio, said that as of Thursday afternoon she had heard nothing from Disney even though she had an extra $80 withdrawn from her account Tuesday.
"That's the part that's most frustrating. Even if you're working on the situation, just send out an email: 'Hey, we're trying to fix it,'" Belak said.
Orange property appraiser sues SeaWorld
Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh has sued SeaWorld after an independent board lowered the company's taxable value by about $10 million.
Singh's office assessed last year's value of the SeaWorld Orlando theme park at $192.6 million. SeaWorld appealed that to the Value Adjustment Board, which reduced the amount to $182.5 million.
The Property Appraiser's Office says that figure is too low and violates Florida statutes. Singh filed the lawsuit this month in Orange Circuit Court.
"While we do not discuss pending legal matters, like other property owners in Orange County we expect that our property will be assessed at its fair market value and pay our taxes accordingly," SeaWorld said in a statement. "We look forward to presenting our position in court."
Singh said in an interview that "when opinions are rendered that are radically different from what we consider to be normal market value, we have the right" to sue "on behalf of the taxpayers."
Singh's office has sued a few other companies over similar issues. Two lawsuits against Darden Restaurants over equipment inside company headquarters are pending.
Another lawsuit against the owners of Nickelodeon Suites Resort resulted in a compromise, Singh said. The value was raised higher than the VAB's number but remained below the initial appraisal, he said.
State of Florida may buy Ma Barker hideout
If the Legislature gets its way, the state will buy the bullet-hole pocked hideway where the Ma Barker was killed in 1935 during the longest shootout in FBI history.
The proposed budget includes $250,000 to purchase the two-story, wood-frame house on Lake Weir in Marion County. The funding pitch is part of a plan to make the site a museum.
The entire 10-acre property was marketed at $1 million several years ago by the descendents of Miami entreprenuer Carson Bradford, who built the house in 1930.
The house where Ma Barker was killed in 1935 during the longest shootout in FBI history is up for sale.
Barker's vacation house was once described by the late FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover as "the scene of the battle."
During the melee, about a dozen federal agents surrounded the house and fired more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition over the course of a morning. Inside were Barker and one of her four sons, Fred Barker. The story that has been the subject of books and movies, with Shelley Winters playing Kate "Ma" Barker in the 1970 film "Bloody Mama."
Ma Barker, leader of the Barker-Karpis gang, was labeled Public Enemy No. 1 by the federal government for a spree of murders, kidnappings and robberies throughout the Midwest in the early 1930s. After Barker rented the Ocklawaha house as a hide-out, federal agents learned of it when they found clues during a raid of the Chicago home of another son, Arthur "Doc" Barker, just a month before the siege.
A hand-drawn sketch from federal authorities shows an overview of the Central Florida house with the names and positions of the agents who surrounded it starting at 6 a.m. Jan. 16, 1935, armed with three machine guns, two rifles, two shotguns, gas canisters and other equipment, including bulletproof vests.
An FBI memo reports that agents initiated the encounter by throwing two or three canisters of tear gas into the house at 7:15 a.m. Then the shooting began, with rounds fired by both the agents and the Barkers, who were using what sounded like a Thompson machine gun.
By 10 a.m., agents stationed at the rear of the house began running out of ammunition and needed to be resupplied. By 11:30 a.m., the shooting had ceased. Agents, none of whom were killed, persuaded Willie Woodbury, a handyman on the estate, to check inside and make certain Ma Barker and her son Fred Barker were dead.
One agent detailed the aftermath, noting that Ma Barker had died in a curled-up position, her house slippers on the floor nearby, under a bedroom window. Her son, according to a report, died with 10 bullet holes in his left shoulder and chest, two or three bullets in his head, a blue-steel Colt pistol underneath his body and four $1,000 bills folded in his pocket.
The bullet holes have been plastered over but can still be detected when compared with FBI photos of the rooms after the slayings.
In the 72 years since the shootout, the house has been used for the occasional re-enactment. One Bradford descendant built a house for his family on the property and kept an eye on the hide-out. But mostly, the family used the property for fishing, sailing, water-skiing and boating, according to one of the family members.
State funding would come out of the Land Acquisition Trust Fund, which will handle money voters last year overwhelmingly said they wanted to go for land and water conservation and maintenance.
Cruise ship with 274 on board crashed in New York
The Saint Laurent, a cruise ship owned International Shipping Partners by with 274 passengers and crew on board has crashed into a wall in a river lock in upstate New York, USA. At least eight injuries are reported
The U.S. Coast Guard says the 286-foot Saint Laurent hit a wall in the Eisenhower Lock in the Saint Lawrence Seaway in Massena, near the Canadian border, Thursday night.
The Watertown Daily Times reports at least eight people suffered injury. They were taken off the ship for treatment. Other passengers remained in the ship's lobby.
The water has been drained from the lock, and the ship will remain there with both doors closed until it can be moved.
Aruba invests $100 million in island upgrades
ORANJESTAD, Aruba - As part of Aruba's ongoing, $1 billion+ island revitalization and beautification project, the destination recently invested more than $100 million in significant hotel updates to enhance visitors' experiences, with an additional $50 million planned for next year. The Aruba Airport Authority also fully renovated the Reina Beatrix International Airport, introducing new amenities and services true to the One happy island brand.
Major recent/upcoming property enhancements include:
• Divi Resorts: Will have invested $36 million by end of 2016 – covering construction of 60 new luxury rooms at the Divi All-Inclusive and a 135-suite addition to the Divi Phoenix. Divi Dutch Village rooms will also receive a new look.
• Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino: Completed a $25 million renovation of the adults-only Marina and family-friendly Ocean Suites properties last year; an additional $3.5 million investment is slated this year.
• Riu: Formerly a Westin property, Riu Palace Antillas opened Oct. 11, 2014, following a $20 million renovation.
• Marriott Aruba Hotel: Will invest $20 million in further improvements to the resort in the next 18 months.
• Holiday Inn Resort Aruba: Completed a $20 million renovation; an additional $2 million investment is slated for this year.
• Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino: $12 million in upgrades across property slated for completion by end of 2016.
• La Cabana Beach Resort and Casino: $6 million slated for store fronts and soft goods replacements over the next year.
• Tropicana Aruba Resort and Casino: $5 million slated for completely renovating and reopening 74 of its rooms as well as upgrading various other areas of the property.
• The Mill Resort and Suites: Invested $4 million in the last 24 months; further phased improvements slated for the pool deck and rooms with an average investment of $100,000 per room.
• Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts: Spent $3 million over the last 24 months upgrading the property; additional $3 million slated in 2016.
• Talk of the Town Hotel and Beach Club: Completed nearly $3 million dollar renovation of pool, restaurant and guest rooms; additional $1.5 million slated this year for guest and meeting rooms.
• Occidental Grand Aruba: $1 million+ slated this year on property improvements.
• Manchebo Beach Resort and Spa: Invested $1 million in restaurant and fitness room upgrades.
In addition to the renovations and improvements made to the island's hotels, the Aruba Airport Authority upgraded traveler amenities at the Reina Beatrix International Airport – including an airport wide Wi-Fi upgrade, installation of APC and ABC Kiosks, three new F&B concepts and an additional 150 seats, and an update to the airport arrival hall and VIP lounges.
Airport investments between $100-150 million are planned in the upcoming years, as traffic continues to reach new heights. In 2014, the airport accommodated a record 2,528,377 passengers.
Are Americans bad flyers? Poor flying habits may be impacting performance
NEW YORK, NY - Flying takes a heavy toll on Americans' performance: according to results released today from a 1Above survey conducted online in May by Harris Poll among over 2,000 US adults, 81% of U.S. fliers (Americans who've ever flown) whose most recent flight was an hour or longer say they need one full day or more to recover after a flight.
Yet results show poor hydration and flying habits abound - factors that greatly exacerbate jet lag symptoms and health risks long after each flight.
Results show that 71% of U.S. air travelers whose most recent flight was at least one hour long1 did not adequately hydrate on their last flight. In fact, the longer the flight, the less people tend to drink.
"Flying takes its toll on our bodies, resulting in a set of symptoms that collectively most of us know as 'jet lag.' Yet whether we're traveling for business or pleasure, most of us are expected to arrive at our destination ready to operate at 100%," said Roger Boyd, founder of 1Above.
The effects of flying and jet lag can be far reaching: from fatigue, low concentration and irritability to swelling in the extremities, headaches and dry skin, nasal and throat membranes. On top of that, the risk of DVT (venous thrombosis) more than triples on long flights, and studies show you are five times more likely to catch the flu or other illness. Dehydration exacerbates these risks, as cabin air at 35,000 feet creates conditions drier than the Sahara. Yet research shows U.S. travelers remain woefully unprepared and dehydrated when flying. Consider these stats:
• We don't even realize the cause. Only 11% of Americans believe they experience dehydration when flying, putting the cause of their negative symptoms down to other factors. Yet 71% of air travelers whose most recent flight was at least one hour long1 did not drink sufficient liquids (all drinks excluding alcohol) on their last flight.
• The longer the flight, the less we drink. On their last flight more than a third of air travelers said they did not drink any water (37%). Instead, many drank beverages that actually cause further dehydration (e.g., coffee, alcohol, soda). In fact, fliers are drinking more of these dehydrating fluids than water.