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Karen Goodwin

short cuts

by Karen Goodwin
May 2007



Bulkhead blues

FAA will allow airlines to shrink seat space


If you’re taller than 5' 9", you probably appreciate the added legroom of a bulkhead seat. But those extra inches of roominess will likely be eliminated on a new generation of aircraft. Why? Here’s what happened: Since 1988, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety regulations have required an additional two to three inches of room in bulkhead seats to protect tall passengers from serious head injury if an incident forces them forward. Recently, however, the FAA reinterpreted those rules, allowinglets reducedairlinesshrink bulkhead space on new aircraft. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), whose members include FAA aircraft certification engineers, formally opposed the change.

Front-cabin frills

United to add enhancements and technology


Several major U.S. carriers are spiffing up their premium-class cabins. United is spending $165 million to upgrade its United First Suiteupgrades on international wide-body aircraft beginning in the fourth quarter of 2007. The new United First Suite seat will be nearly three inches wider than the current one, and it will recline to a fully flat six-foot, six-inch bed. Each suite will have an entertainment system with a 15.4-inch widescreen flat panel monitor and on-demand digital video and music, including movies, TV programs, video games and 50 channels of XM-branded audio content. Other amenities include a 110-volt universal plug for laptop power; a USB port to charge personal electronic devices; noise-canceling headphones; and an Apple iPod connector, so customers can recharge their iPods and play their own music and video through the suite’s entertainment unit.

Marriott modernizes

Chain refreshes SpringHill Suites, adds PCs to fourfirst brandsclass cabins


Marriott International has taken the wraps off the prototype for a new SpringHill Suites design. Elements of the new design will debut in some properties late this year, and by the end of 2009, Marriott expects 75 percent of SpringHill properties will have them. What will change? Public spaces will use lighting, music, moveable “softwalls” and changeable graphic panels to create distinctive environments throughout the day. An expanded and improved fitness area will feature a pool, outdoor terrace enclosed by a living green wall, and a market that serves healthy snacks, treats and drinks. Guestrooms will have a new color palette and a cleanly designed wardrobe, desk, hospitality and entertainment center, a large window with a wooden seat, and signature bedding.

Marriott is also offering PCs with printers in 250 Courtyard, Residence Inn,refreshes SpringHill Suites and TownePlace Suites properties. Each PC includes standard office applications and an Internet browser, and wipes out hard drive and session information after each user signs off. Users can retain information created on the PC by saving it to a CD or USB drive.

brand

Staying healthy on the road
If maintaining fitness is important to you while traveling, check

Working out athleticmindedtraveler.com, which has ranked the best hotel gyms in the U.S.

They are:
1. The Houstonian (Houston, Texas)
2. Park Hyatt at Bellevue (Philadelphia, Penn.)
3. Four Seasons (San Francisco, Calif.)
4. Embassy Suites Lakefront (Chicago, Ill.)
5. The Venetian (Las Vegas, Nev.)
6. Bellevue Club (Bellevue, Wash.)
7. Inn at Ponte Vedra (Ponte Verde Beach, Fla.)
8. Grand Hotel (Minneapolis, Minn.)
9. JW Marriott (Orlando, Fla.)
10. Ritz-Carlton Boston Common (Boston, Mass.)
11. Le Parkeryour Meridien (New York, N.Y.)

hotel


In Brief


Yes, you can get a real human at a company and bypass recorded-voice-tree hell. The Gethuman site (gethuman.com/us) tells you how when calling 500 large U.S. firms … Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has entered the retail home decor and furnishings business. Its online store, hyattathome.com, now sells Hyatt and partner-branded products. Customers purchasing Hyatt’s Grand Bed are eligible for White Glove Delivery Service, which includes a red bow wrapped around the mattress, complete assembly and removal of an old mattress upon request. The site sells products for every room in the home ... This year, for the first time, Internet transactions will account for more than half of all U.S. travel bookings, according to PhoCusWright, a travel technology research service. Hotels will be the fastest-growing segment online, surpassing air travel, which until 2006 had long been the growth leader, the company says … South African Airways was scheduled to begin service from Chicago to Johannesburg (via Dakar, Senegal) in May on A340-400 aircraft, with 38 seats in business class and 217 seats in economy … This summer, Denmark will welcome its first floating hotel, CPH Living (waterliving.dk).