Adventure at the edge of the world

Tasmania to welcome challenge

It may not be surprising that Australia’s adventure playground, otherwise known as Tasmania, will host a grueling six-day adventure race called the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge this year. Webber, an Australian, achieved fame as a Formula One race car driver, and the fundraiser challenge he created will benefit children with cancer. Sports stars and celebrities will compete in cross-country trekking, mountain biking, road cycling and kayaking November 5–10, 2006.

More than 40 percent of the Australian state of Tasmania, an island off the mainland’s southeast coast, is made up of multipurpose national parks and reserves, while 20 percent of the state has a World Heritage listing. This year, Tasmania was voted the number one island in the Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific region by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. And, yes, there really is a Tasmanian devil. Learn more at discovertasmania.com.

Spin zone

Carrier’s seats swivel for in-flight meetings

As a business traveler, you’re aware of reclining premium-class seats on international flights. But now a little-known airline has unveiled a new kind of first-class seat: one that can rotate 180 degrees, enabling guests to hold meetings and dine together in the air. Etihad Airways (etihadairways.com), the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi, has installed 12 “diamond seat suites” on its new Airbus 340-500 aircraft. The seat also features a six-way moveable headrest and built-in massager, and reclines into a six-foot, eight-inch flat bed. Seats are fitted with a privacy shell with direct aisle access, a fold-and-swivel meal table, an integrated personal mirror, pneumatic lumbar support, a reading light and desk lamp, and a 23-inch personal LCD video screen. Nearby are a coatroom and mini-bar. Etihad says it plans to begin daily service between New York (JFK) and Abu Dhabi on October 26, 2006. It currently operates flights to Toronto, London (Heathrow and Gatwick), Casablanca, Johannesburg and other points in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

Everyone’s a critic

Share your travel tips on the Web

Online travel reviews can really influence your trip plans. Today, we’re seeing an explosion of Internet reviews written by “real people” who paid real money to stay in a destination or hotel. While TripAdvisor.com may have been among the first to air “real stories from real travelers,” a host of other sites now offer travel reviews, ratings and blogs—sometimes alongside travel deals. Sheraton has even gotten into the traveler tips and reviews game on its Sheraton.com Web site. (Those entries, however, tend to talk about one specific hotel chain—Sheraton—and no one who writes on it seems to be the slightest bit unhappy. Make of it what you will.) Here are some other sites where you can speak your mind and read the words of other travelers who want to share their experiences:

igougo.com, mytravelguide.com, realtravel.com, travelblog.org,
travelpost.com, travel.yahoo.com/trip, and virtualtourist.com.

I’ll take Manhattan

Site helps visitors tackle NYC traffic, transportation

Figuring out how to get around the New York Tri-State area need not be intimidating. A new Web site called PublicRoutes.com provides schedule and fare information for the New York JFK and Newark AirTrains, plus the city’s subways, ferries, commuter rail (LIRR and MetroNorth) and bus routes—and detailed directions from one point to another by foot, bus, subway, train or car. Traffic reports are listed for major thoroughfares. In addition to directions and maps, the site provides information on local businesses, entertainment and nightlife, including door-to-door directions to all of New York’s top attractions, as well as online mapping of each area. PublicRoutes.com also sells airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, vacation and last-minute packages and tickets to attractions.

In brief

Listen up, bargain hunters: Southwest Airlines’ Ding! email feature now allows you to receive exclusive airfare specials on specific flights from up to 10 airports. Go to southwest.com, download Ding! and select your airports on the Update Registration page. Be sure to check the technical requirements first, to make sure your machine is up to the task … American Airlines is in the process of installing new seats that recline to an “almost flat” position (171 degrees) on its B767-300 and B777 aircraft, flying mainly international routes … Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program to reduce utilities consumption and greenhouse gas emissions throughout its 15 U.S.-based properties … Soon you’ll be able to sail on a luxury Crystal Cruises ship and talk on your cell phone or use your wireless PDA while onboard. SeaMobile plans to install wireless broadband on two luxury Crystal ships, the Serenity and Symphony, later this year. Extra charges will apply.

Bulletproof bedroom

Berlin hotel offers super-secure suite

Say you’re traveling to Germany and you need an ultra-secure hotel room (perhaps you’re carrying valuable trade secrets, such as a new formula for Coke, the secret batter recipe for KFC or the special sauce ingredients for McDonald’s Big Mac). Or maybe you travel with a large entourage and private staff, and you want them close by. That’s no problem when you stay in the Presidential Suite at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin. The suite, located in a new Security Wing, is adjoined with other suites and rooms, while a special lounge accommodates chauffeurs and bodyguards. Two private elevators link directly to an underground parking lot. And to make you feel really safe, the suite offers a telecommunications system independent of the building, a dedicated security hub with video monitoring, bulletproof walls and windows, and a self-sufficient power supply.

It also has some soft touches: a Finnish sauna, a massage/fitness area, a private safe room, and a kitchen for the butler. In case you’re not traveling with your own butler, the hotel provides 24-hour butler service, limousine service with up to five cars, an open bar and a gourmet breakfast. Plus, you get a terrific view of Potsdamer Platz. The price tag? More than $25,000 a night—but good security can be priceless.

Rent a hybrid

Want to break your dependence on oil while traveling on the road? You can rent hybrid or alternative-fuel cars from some vendors. Check with each company to see exactly what’s available and where.

Fox Rent A Car (foxrentacar.com)
Hybrid car models: Honda Civic, Toyota Prius, Ford Escape, Toyota Highlander
Locations: Mostly in California airports, but also at other U.S. and foreign airports. Corporate rates are available.

EV Rental (evrental.com)
Hybrid car models: Honda Civic, Toyota Prius, Toyota Highlander
Locations: Airports in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland,
San Jose), Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Bio-Beetle (bio-beetle.com)
Car models: Not hybrids, but eco-friendly cars that run on biodiesel (100% recycled vegetable oil): Volkswagen Beetles, Golfs, Jettas and Passats.
Locations: Los Angeles International Airport, Maui (near Kahului Airport) and coming soon to the Big Island of Hawaii. Fueling stations are located in L.A. and elsewhere; the company will refuel for you, or the car can run on ordinary diesel fuel.

Got your back

Insurance covers vacations canceled due to work

It’s one thing to cancel a vacation due to illness or some other kind of emergency. But 19 percent of U.S. adults cancel, postpone or interrupt their vacation trips because they have to work, according to a Harris Interactive poll for Expedia. As a result, travel insurance provider Access America (accessamerica.com) has introduced a new product to address this issue. BizPack includes business-related travel insurance benefits that can be added to the company’s other comprehensive plans for $19 per adult. BizPack’s expanded coverage allows travelers to cancel or interrupt their trip (and be reimbursed for their lost travel investment) if they are required to return to work, if there is a company merger, or if the business suffers a fire, flood, natural disaster or burglary.

Never say “never”

Concierge club will get you in the door

A new luxury membership club promises to provide premium concierge and reservation services to individuals and corporations. WhiteTie (whitetie.com) says it can get you preferred seating, priority reservations and upgrades at the hottest restaurants, nightclubs, sporting events, hotels, concerts, plays and operas in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hawaii, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.; Whistler and Vancouver, British Columbia; Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai and Beijing, China; and Hong Kong. (The company said it expects to extend its services to select European cities in early 2007.) “Members need not waste time or money to become viewed as an important client, because WhiteTie provides that relationship instantly,” the company says. How much does it cost to become a VIP? Annual membership packages with unlimited use are $795 for individuals and $995 for couples. A lifetime membership is $7,900. Corporate membership packages are also available.

_______________________________

Have a question or comment? Email Executive Travel at editor@executivetravelmag.com.