Executive Travel Magazine - Recently Updated Pageshttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/pageSearch/updatedRecently Updated Pages on http://www.executivetravelmagazine.comen-usinfo@wetpaint.comThu, 08 May 2008 15:33:05 CDTThu, 08 May 2008 15:33:05 CDTwetpaint.com60Executive Travel Magazine/wikis/ettest/img/itm_headerSite.pnghttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.comExecutive Travel Magazine: The definitive source for travel information. Find an A-Z Travel Rolodex, City Guides, Travel Alerts, Share Travel Tips, review Mobile Technology Travel Applications.Marriott Hotelshttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Marriott+HotelsNancyBhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Marriott+HotelsThu, 08 May 2008 15:33:05 CDT
Welcome to Executive Travel's Marriott Hotels Room, the place to get updated on Marriott news covered in ET, our picks for Marriott hotels in destinations we're covering, and the latest news from Marriott.

Marriott hotels and resorts recommended by ET writers:
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Seoul, Korea
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Denver, Colorado
Las Vegas, Nevada
Ottawa, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario
Detroit, Michigan
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Moscow, Russia

Marriott News on ETM.com
--The former Crowne Plaza Hotel in San Francisco, at Sutter and Powell streets, is now the Hotel 480, operated by Marriott International. --Marriott and upscale hotelier Ian Schrager plan to open a new brand of boutique hotels—called Edition
--In lower Manhattan, the New York Marriott Financial Center has changed its name to the New York Marriott Downtown.
--In February, the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel debuted, part of the Marriott family.
--Guests at Marriott, JW Marriott and Renaissance Hotels will soon start to see new in-room televisions with high-tech interactive capabilities. The 32-inch HDTVs will feature plug-in panels that allow guests to use the screen as a giant monitor for other digital devices, including laptops, camcorders, digital cameras and video games.

And the winner is...
Marriott received Executive Travel Leading Edge Awards in 2007 for Best Hotel Chain, Best Hotel for Business Services, Best Hotel for Meetings and Best Frequent Guest Program.
See Marriott's video:
How to green your office cubicle

Read more about...
Marriott's green initiatives and the company's commitment to sustainable environmental practices.
Marriott Rewards airline partners and how to earn points.
New Marriott hotels

To reach Marriott:
Reservations
In the USA & Canada:
888-236-2427 toll-free

Marriott Rewards® Members
In the USA & Canada:
Reservations:
888-236-2427 toll-free
Customer Support:
801-468-4000

Internet Customer Care
In the USA & Canada:
800-721-7033 toll-free

Read Bill Marriott's blog:

Did you know? Marriott can trace its roots back to a root beer stand in Washington, D.C. that J. Willard Marriott and his wife Alice set up in 1927.

]]>2008 Leading Edge Votershttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/2008+Leading+Edge+VotersNancyBhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/2008+Leading+Edge+VotersThu, 08 May 2008 13:17:03 CDT
  • Why you chose to vote and/or why you believe consumer awards are important
  • Whether you felt stronger this year about voting for excellence than in the past (e.g. due to airline industry turmoil)
  • Trends you see in business travel that were reflected in your votes
  • Any other thoughts you have about voting
Thank you for your input!

]]>The Executive's Ultimate Travel Resourcehttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/The+Executive%27s+Ultimate+Travel+ResourceNancyBhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/The+Executive%27s+Ultimate+Travel+ResourceWed, 07 May 2008 19:11:20 CDT

Get there smarter

Executive Travel is the definitive source for business travel information. Now you can add your personal experiences and find tips from fellow travelers at this community Web site. So, join the discussion, and always make Executive Travel your first destination. Click here to see our latest issue, or an index of back issues.


ExecutiveTravelMagazine.com Exclusive: Airlines are planning significant route additions and schedule changes across the Atlantic starting this spring. Here's a quick airport-by-airport summary for convenient travel planning.

TOP TRAVEL TOOLS


Get maps, weather, flight lookup and other travel resources.


Essential Travel News:
Week of May 5
Trouble with your flight? Get tips on writing an effective complaint letter

ExecutiveTravelMagazine.com Exclusive: Hotels are constantly opening, closing and getting new brand affiliations. Check out our latest update on what's happening with business hotels in the U.S. and abroad.


PROMOTION
Check out news, videos and updates on Marriott by visiting ExecutiveTravelMagazine.com's new Marriott Room.

TRAVEL ADVISOR

Find practical suggestions for your everyday travel needs.

Inside:

News for biz travelers

ETM.com's pilot columnist offers some thoughts on how toprepare for a trip.

2007 Leading Edge winners

CITY GUIDES

Get tips that will help you think like a local in every city you visit.

Explore these new guides:

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

News on the latest devices.
Inside:
'
Tech News Briefs for Travelers:
  • IPass offers free WiFi hotspot finder
  • WorldMate debuts live updates for Windows Mobile phones

    SMALL BUSINESS

    Learn the tricks of the entrepreneurial trade.

    Inside:

    LOYALTY PROGRAMS

    Make the most of every mile and point.

    Inside:

    The best FlyerTalk.com blog posts

    Latest tips from mileage master Randy Petersen

    Manage your miles with a free MilesManager account

    TRAVEL TALK

    Share your opinions with other business travelers.

    This week's topic:

    Should United merge with US Airways?

    If they do, who would benefit and who would lose?

    Read about it
    Share your thoughts




    ]]>    Insider Travel Tipshttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Insider+Travel+TipsAnonymoushttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Insider+Travel+Tipsfixed misquote on priceWed, 07 May 2008 12:36:05 CDT

    Save time, money and your sanity (not necessarily in that order) with these business travel tips!



    1. If you like the window seat and the pilot’s tour leaves you wanting more, America from the Air, by Daniel Matthews and James Jackson (Houghton Mifflin, 2007), uses aerial photography of the most common flight paths to explain the geology, natural history and human history below. Don’t want one more thing to lug around? Pop the accompanying CD-ROM into your laptop to learn a little something at 30,000 feet.

    2. When you travel for business, you’re the thriftiest packer ever—but leisure trips are another story. (Blame it on the family.) With weight overage charges sky-high, make it a priority to know you haven’t gone over the 50-pound limit for most airlines before you leave the house. Don’t trust your bathroom scale? Hand-held scales are available just for this purpose (travelonbags.com, magellans.com).

    3. It’s a rainy day, and you’re sitting in your cozy window seat, watching bags get soaked as handlers load them into the plane. You may be dry, but your bag isn’t. Janet Attard, of businessknowhow.com, suggests preventing soft-side luggage from getting soaked by lining the bottom of the bag with a plastic drycleaner’s bag. Place another bag over the top. Voilà: No more damp, wrinkled clothes when you get to the hotel.

    4. TSA liquid restrictions are annoying, but you’ve dealt with them. The only problem is that you no longer get to carry the toiletry brands you love, because you can’t find them in three-ounce sizes. A trip to minimus.biz will take care of that: The site carries all things, well, minimal. From Tom’s of Maine toothpaste to Obsession for Men aftershave balm, they’ve got it all. Put everything in a handy Minimus carry-on caddy, which holds your plastic quart bag discreetly with a clip outside your carry-on—meaning no more fumbling.

    5. When printing or receiving travel documents —itineraries, confirmation emails, maps—move them immediately into a colored, transparent envelope. It’s easy to grab on your way out the door to the airport, and easy to find in your bag. The envelope also becomes a handy place to store receipts.

    6. For some crucial trips, you can’t afford to have a flight cancelled or delayed, because you’ll miss a meeting. On those occasions, double-book airline tickets. In addition to the flight that’s your number one choice, purchase a fully refundable ticket for the same schedule, but on another airline or from another local airport.

    7. Layovers and delayed flights can become great work times, but not if you’re distracted. Find quiet airport getaways at airporthavens.com. Whether it’s the cell-phone parking lot at SeaTac (on a clear day) or outside the smoking “cage” at Tampa International, you’ll find a secret hiding spot.

    8. You’re delayed, and the lack of information is frustrating. Is it really the weather? Check the United or American cargo web sites, click on Flight Status and enter your flight number. Cargo customers tend to get more detailed information than people customers.

    9. What you can’t see can hurt you. New U.S. passports and some credit cards use RFID (radio frequency identification) chips. Because they transmit radio waves, they are also continuously transmitting your personal information. RFID-blocking passport cases, billfolds or wallets will prevent interception and keep your identity safe.

    10. So your company no longer allows you to expense airline club rooms. Not to worry: Some airlines offer day rates, like Alaska’s Board Rooms or Delta’s Crown
    Rooms, for $25–30. The peace and quiet are priceless.

    11. It’s something we all know we should do, but have you ever made copies of your important documents—scans of your passport, birth certificate, credit-card numbers, driver’s license and medical information—to store on-line where you can access them anytime, anywhere? KeepYouSafe.com provides an online safe deposit box that’s encrypted, so it’s safe and secure.

    12. Some countries will not allow visitors to enter if their passports show they have been to certain countries (not uncommon in Africa, for instance). The solution is to apply for a “restricted” passport, in addition to your regular passport, for use only when entering these countries. These special passports are issued by the State Department, but may require proof of need, such as a confirmed itinerary.

    13. Your company is too small for a corporate travel department, but too big to keep things straight when several of you travel together. Group travel sites to the rescue! Groopvine, a service from Groople.com (groopvine.groople.com/pages), and Triphub.com help everyone in your party coordinate, without one person having to play the role of organizer.

    14. There are all sorts of ways to get real-time flight and airport status. From a mobile phone or PDA with Internet access, Yahoo! and Google can update you. For Yahoo!, visit m.yahoo.com and type in your airline and flight number, or send a text message to 92466 (which spells YAHOO) with your airline and flight number. You’ll receive a text message back with the flight status. For Google, send a text message to 466453 (which spells GOOGLE) to receive a status message back. If you’re at a computer, Flightstats.com is considered highly reliable; and many airports now have complete status boards on their home pages, just like those boards at the airport, which include baggage claim numbers. Check out Los Angeles (laairports.com), Kansas City (flykci.com) and New Orleans (flymsy.com).

    15. If you serve as your own travel agent and personal assistant, use Tripit.com to organize your next journey. Email confirmation messages about your air travel, hotel, car, rail, restaurant reservations and activities, and the site will compile them into a single itinerary that includes confirmation numbers, locations, weather maps, city guides, OpenTable restaurant reservations and more. Now you can get back to your real job.

    16. Full-fare coach seats-—Y-Up fares-—often come with an automatic upgrade. They’re slightly more expensive than last-minute low-fare coach seats, but they can be handy if your company has restrictions on flying first class.

    17. When planning a business flight, you need information to cover the “what-if”s. ExpertFlyer.com provides all fares for a single round-trip ticket, outlining the corresponding restrictions on each fare. It will also show all possible upgrades and award tickets on flights, in real-time. If upgrades or award tickets are not available for the flight you want, set up an alert to let you know when that status changes. The only downside: a monthly fee of $4.99 or $9.99, depending on service level.

    18. If you visit a city frequently (perhaps for a long-term project or consulting gig), look into longer-term hotel rates. Many hotels give a discount after one month, which makes it more economical not to check out when going home for the weekend. Why re-pack for every trip, when you don’t have to?

    19. Avoid the itch— visit bedbugregistry.com, which lists U.S. hotels with bedbug reports. The brands on the list will surprise you. Need we say more?

    20. Plan ahead for a better arrival. Request items in advance that will smooth your stay: a bottle of wine, a six-pack of your favorite soda or a particular newspaper. And don’t forget to request a room with a view or other preference.

    21. When you need to impress a client (or just want to add some fun to a trip), rent a luxury car. It may be a little splurge, but it won’t break the bank. Rental directories like exoticcarrental.com will point you to luxury car-rental companies across the U.S. Many will even deliver to the airport or your hotel.

    22. Your hotel may be able to lighten your carry-on load. Kimpton InTouch members can log on to a website and adjust their travel preferences, so rooms are stocked in advance with amenities that can be left at the hotel after a guest’s stay. Even if you’re not an InTouch member, you can leave a bag of personal products at the hotel that will be kept for future stays.

    23. Get equipped for Wi-Fi before you leave the airport. The Avis Connect device (avis.com) offers portable Wi-Fi service that can be easily unplugged from your rental car’s cigarette lighter and brought into a hotel room to plug into the wall. The cost is $10.95 per day, which beats what many hotels charge for Internet access.

    24. Road-weary and almost home, but can’t remember where you parked? Next time, use your phone to snap a photo of the area marker in the lot when you arrive
    —because you have more important things to file away in your brain.

    25. Set up your booking preferences to employ your rarely used airline frequent-flier program numbers when renting cars. You wouldn’t have accumulated that many miles from the car rental, anyway, but the small deposit will keep all your airline miles active.

    26. Left something behind in a taxi? Don’t give up on getting it back. GPS systems in many taxis can track your item down within hours. When Nik Munson, a professional musician, left his acoustic bass guitar in the trunk of a New York cab using the VeriFone GPS system, he reported it lost to the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC). Authorities at the TLC were able to locate the cab using GPS technology and return the guitar to Munson that same day.

    27. Take the guesswork out of finding your limo at the arrivals area. Some limousine services will email your mobile device 15 minutes prior to pickup to notify you where the vehicle is waiting, as well as give you the chauffeur’s name and cell-phone number.

    28. Listening to long-winded voicemail can be a real time-drain, especially when traveling. SimulScribe (simulscribe.com) converts voicemail messages to text and delivers them to your mobile phone, PDA or email account. Select any message (instead of having to work top-down through an audio queue) and reply via email. A similar service, SpinVox, recently announced its blogging service, Spin My Blog, which lets users blog from their phones to their social networking pages. Travelers can talk into their phones about their travels, and the updates will automatically post to their Facebook, Twitter or Jaiku pages.

    29. Lighten your load by carrying your PowerPoint or Keynote presentation on your iPod. Plug the iPod into a TV or projector, and you’re ready to go. You set it up manually (search engadget.com for instructions), or use a product like ThinkFree Office iPod Edition. You can also keep it even lighter by leaving the projector at home: Projector123.com rents LCD projectors online and will deliver them by FedEx on the next business day to any location in the United States.

    30. An Ipsos-Reid study shows that most BlackBerry users can turn 53 minutes of downtime (sitting in an airport, for example) into productive work time each day.
    CyberShift’s Necho Expense application (cybershift.com) for BlackBerry enables business travelers to submit expense reports directly from their PDAs.

    31. SOCK IT TO ME Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in the deep vein system of the lower leg, often from sitting for extended periods of time. Keep a pair of support travel socks like Microfiber Firm Support Travel Socks (ameswalker.com) to throw into your carry-on for long-haul flights.

    32. Leave your cards at home. Elite Priority Club members can consolidate all their frequent-flier numbers onto the back of a single Priority Club card. Members log on to a Priority Club Rewards account, select the Customize Member Card option and enter up to 10 member IDs into an online form. Cards arrive within two to four weeks by first-class mail. For security purposes, Priority Club Rewards will not store or save other membership numbers.

    33. Use downtime at the airport to catch up on banking. Some companies, such as Yodlee (yodlee.com), offer secure access to your account via your mobile phone. Check balances, transfer funds and monitor expenses. New technology also allows remote deposits and bill payment (miteksystems.com)—download the software, snap photos of the check to deposit or bill to pay, receive a confirmation email and you’re done.

    34. After a long business trip, nothing is more frustrating than gathering up travel and expense receipts and painstakingly inputting them into an expense report. Time to automate. An expense application like Concur Travel & Expense (concur.com) eliminates the need for traditional expense reports and reduces the number of steps, clicks and pieces of paper involved with booking travel and creating expense reports.

    35. Studies show that one in five people catches a cold within a week of flying, so you wouldn’t think of getting onboard without a tube of hand sanitizer. Take it to the next level with the Pure-Go wrist band (purgocreations.com), which dispenses sanitizer from your wrist with the push of a button. Or be more discreet and duck into the lav to swab your nostrils with Nozin nasal sanitizer (nozin.com), which claims to be the first sanitizer for the nose and fights germs for up to eight hours.

    36. A recent study conducted by Georg Eifert, a professor of clinical psychology at West Virginia University, shows that outdoor exercise reduces the level of stress hormones. Avoid the hotel fitness room and hit the pavement. The RunWestin program, available at many of the brand’s properties, provides runs guided by “running concierges” who also serve as cultural guides. The James Hotel in Chicago offers a package that includes two rental bikes loaded with GPS systems and a messenger bag stocked with bottled water, energy bars and a city map. City Running Tours (cityrunningtours.com) offers guided running tours of New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., San Diego and Charleston.

    37. HOLD THE DOOR If you’re in a rush to make your meeting, turn your elevator into an express shuttle. Roadwarriortips.com suggests holding the “close door” button while pressing your destination floor, and you can sometimes make it a straight shot. OK, it’s not the most considerate approach—but sometimes you just need to pull out all the stops.

    38. Traveling on a day with no meetings? Wear running shoes to the airport, and you can spend your layover walking around, instead of sitting in the food court. You may even be able to fit in a gym workout—a handful of major airports now have health clubs in the terminal or an attached hotel. Research your options before you go at airportgyms.com, which lists more than 100 facilities in the U.S. and Canada, along with their rates.

    39. Keep your energy up by packing your briefcase with healthy snacks, such as instant oatmeal or soup. If you’ll be in meetings all day, bring snacks—granola and an apple, for example—to fend off catered afternoon cookie breaks.

    40. If you didn’t bring food on the trip, ask the hotel concierge to direct you to a nearby store to stock up. Eating out night after night can cloud your food decisions. Weight Watchers Online recommends looking at a menu and pretending you’re in your own kitchen to make healthier choices. Would you make potato skins with cheese and sour cream at home? Choose an entrée you’d be more likely to cook for yourself, such as pasta, a chicken breast with vegetables or a fajita.

    41. You finished that gripping novel on the plane, and you hate to throw it away—so send the book on a journey of its own. Leave it in a public space, with a note that encourages the finder to read it, make a journal entry about it, then leave it in another public space. Visit bookcrossing.com for details, journal entries and other items to help push your books off into the world.

    42. DANIELLE STEAL Need more reading material for your night in the hotel room? Check the seat pockets at the front of the plane as you exit to grab magazines left behind by fellow passengers.










    ]]>    Travel Talkhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Travel+Talkjimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Travel+TalkSat, 03 May 2008 18:44:45 CDT
    Help! Business travelers like you post questions here--you may be just the person the answer. Share your knowledge and opinions here.

    To see comments readers have posted and to respond to them, click here.

    To add a comment, click on "Add a comment" in the Page Toolbox on the right side of this page or below. Or to reply to a someone else's comment, click on "Reply to comment" button.

    To discuss our Question of the Week (week of April 28: Should United and US Airways merge?), click here.

    If you want to resolve a gripe with an airline, click here for tips on how to write an effective complaint letter.

    Or if you just want to write about something that's on your mind as a business traveler, click on "Add a new page" in the Page Toolbox on the right side of this page, and once the new page appears on your screen, give it a name and start writing!

    ]]>    Alerts Archivehttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Alerts+Archivejimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Alerts+ArchiveSat, 03 May 2008 18:39:37 CDT

    The Executive Travel SKYGUIDE e-Alert provides a weekly rundown of all essential business travel news.








      ]]>      Alertshttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Alertsjimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/AlertsSat, 03 May 2008 18:39:02 CDT

      Alerts for 5/05/08


      Alerts Archive




      ]]>      Alerts for 5/05/08http://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Alerts+for+5%2F05%2F08jimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Alerts+for+5%2F05%2F08Sat, 03 May 2008 18:37:33 CDTTo sign up to receive an expanded version of this weekly e-Alert bulletin from Executive Travel SKYGUIDE, click here.


      United pilots blast management’s merger talks with US Airways

      American and others add a second-checked-bag charge

      TSA makes changes in security procedures

      Next-generation checkpoint tested at Baltimore-Washington

      Silverjet says it may have new investment capital lined up

      Emirates continues U.S. expansion with San Francisco-Dubai route

      Is Continental considering a switch to the Oneworld alliance?

      LaGuardia offers passengers free charging stations

      American bans skycap tipping at Boston Logan

      BA suspends transfer of long-haul flights to Heathrow’s Terminal 5

      ]]>      BA slows down flight moves to LHR's Terminal 5http://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/BA+slows+down+flight+moves+to+LHR%27s+Terminal+5jimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/BA+slows+down+flight+moves+to+LHR%27s+Terminal+5Sat, 03 May 2008 18:37:09 CDTSays operational problems are beign solved
      British Airways and BAA, the operator of London’s Heathrow Airport, said they have decided to delay the planned transfer of BA long-haul flights from Terminal 4 to the new Terminal 5. A few long-haul flights are already departing from T5, and most intercontinental flights were due to make the move on April 30, but that change “will now begin in June,” BA said. The airline said there has been a “steady improvement” of operations at the troubled T5 since it opened several weeks ago, plagued by flight delays, cancellations and lost luggage. “We will be working with BAA to iron out any remaining problems, including the baggage system, and develop a robust timescale for phasing the move of Terminal 4 services into Terminal 5,” BA said. For more details on the affected flights, go to www.britishairways.com/travel/terminalmoves. Meanwhile, BA also announced some schedule changes for this fall: Although major U.S. carriers have been shifting their flights away from London Gatwick into London Heathrow this spring, BA said it plans to launch new service on October 27 between New York and London Gatwick, supplementing its heavy New York-Heathrow schedule. BA also said it will discontinue service on October 26 between New York JFK and Manchester.



      ]]>      American bans skycap tips at BOShttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/American+bans+skycap+tips+at+BOSjimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/American+bans+skycap+tips+at+BOSSat, 03 May 2008 18:35:23 CDTWorkers sued over lost income when airline imposed a fee


      Skycaps at Boston’s Logan Airport sued American Airlines over lost tip income after the airline imposed a $2 per bag fee for checking luggage curbside – and they won. As a result, American has imposed a ban on tipping skycaps at Logan. Massachusetts law regulates jobs that involve tipping, and American figured that if the skycaps got a raise and were no longer tipped, that law wouldn’t apply. So American’s skycap subcontractor, G2 Services, increased skycaps’ pay well above the minimum wage and the no-tipping policy was instituted last week. American has put up signs at curbside telling passengers they can still check bags there for $2, but they cannot tip skycaps. The skycaps argue that the higher wages don’t come close to making up for their lost tip income, which could reach as much as $200 a day before the ban.

      ]]>      Plug in at LGAhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Plug+in+at+LGAjimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Plug+in+at+LGASat, 03 May 2008 18:33:04 CDTNew York airport adds free charging stations
      The New York-New Jersey Port Authority said it has installed a dozen “Power Poles” in the Central Terminal at LaGuardia Airport, providing flyers with a convenient place to recharge electronic devices. There is no cost to use the recharging stations, which are all located beyond the security checkpoints. Each eight-foot-tall Power Pole has four electric outlets. The new amenity is a continuation of a program the Port Authority initiated at Kennedy Airport two years ago – an initiative that has proved “tremendously popular” with JFK passengers, the agency said. The Port Authority said it plans to expand the Power Pole deployment to Newark Airport in the months to come.


      ]]>      Will Continental join Oneworld?http://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Will+Continental+join+Oneworld%3Fjimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Will+Continental+join+Oneworld%3FSat, 03 May 2008 18:31:32 CDTBA says it is talking with Continental, American

      When Continental announced last month that its board had decided not to pursue a merger with United Airlines, the airline also said that it was reviewing its membership in the SkyTeam global alliance -- perhaps out of concern that its presence in the group would be diminished by the planned merger of SkyTeam members Delta and Northwest. A terse press release from British Airways last week – perhaps the shortest press release in BA’s history – suggests that Continental might be looking for a new home in the Oneworld alliance, whose principal members are BA and American. “British Airways is exploring opportunities for cooperation with American Airlines and Continental Airlines,” the announcement said. “Further details will be announced when appropriate.”

      ]]>      Emirates targets San Francisco-Dubaihttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Emirates+targets+San+Francisco-Dubaijimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Emirates+targets+San+Francisco-DubaiSat, 03 May 2008 18:28:44 CDTPlans to add fourth U.S. route Emirates Airlines announced it will begin non-stop San Francisco-Dubai service this fall, giving the carrier its fourth U.S. gateway. In addition to its New York JFK-Dubai service, Emirates recently started Houston-Dubai flights, and had previously announced plans to begin non-stop Los Angeles-Dubai service on September 1. The company said its daily San Francisco-Dubai non-stops will start on October 26, using a three-class 777-200LR. Like the LAX route, the San Francisco-Dubai flight will take about 16 hours in each direction to cover the 8,103 miles.

      ]]>      Silverjet eyes new investment capitalhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Silverjet+eyes+new+investment+capitaljimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Silverjet+eyes+new+investment+capitalSat, 03 May 2008 18:27:07 CDTCarrier hopes deal will save it from Eos' fate
      Following the demise of two all-business-class airlines in recent months (MaxJet in December and Eos in April), business travelers might be wondering about the wisdom of booking the last remaining all-premium carrier in the U.S.-U.K. market – Silverjet, which flies between Newark-London Luton and London-Dubai. Silverjet announced that on April 29 it entered into a memorandum of understanding that calls for an investor based in the United Arab Emirates to put an initial investment of $25 million into the company, with the prospect of a further $75 million investment “in the ongoing development of Silverjet and to participate in the international rollout of the Silverjet brand and concept into new markets in the Middle East, the Far East and Africa.” The airline also noted that “in the unlikely event that these agreements are not completed, Silverjet will have to source alternative means of funding as a matter of urgency.” The announcement of the tentative investment deal sounds eerily like a similar announcement from Eos Airlines, which said on April 19 that it had a tentative agreement for a $50 million capital infusion from one of its investors. Seven days later, that deal collapsed and Eos filed for bankruptcy.

      ]]>      The future of airport security checkshttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/The+future+of+airport+security+checksjimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/The+future+of+airport+security+checksSat, 03 May 2008 18:24:25 CDTTSA tries out new techniques at BWI


      A variety of new passenger screening technologies and other enhancements have been brought together by the Transportation Security Administration at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, where TSA is testing the whole program under the title “Checkpoint Evolution.” It’s now in place at BWI’s Terminal B checkpoint for Southwest Airlines passengers. Part of the program involves the use of scanning technologies that have been tested individually at other airports, including x-ray machines that give TSA agents a better view of the insides of carry-on bags; and new imaging machines that can show what a passenger might be concealing under his or her clothes. But the project also makes some changes to the security checkpoint environment designed to keep passengers calm – like interior walls around the checkpoint lines that use “colors in the cooler end of the spectrum” that have a “calming effect,” TSA said; and playing soothing background music to waiting passengers. The music will “calm passengers in the checkpoint queue area, allowing behavior detection officers to better identify suspicious passengers,” TSA said. On the other side of the checkpoint, it even includes what TSA calls ergonomic “Re-composure benches,” where cleared passengers can sit and put their shoes back on – yeah, you still have to take off your shoes. The program also involved new training of TSA officers to make them more proficient at explosives detection and at observing the behavior of passengers, looking for telltale signs of stress that shouldn’t be there after that soothing music and those cool colors. Check it out for yourself at http://www.tsa.gov/evolution/innovation.shtm.

      ]]>      TSA tinkers with security ruleshttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/TSA+tinkers+with+security+rulesjimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/TSA+tinkers+with+security+rulesSat, 03 May 2008 18:21:51 CDTHopes to elimiinate terror watchlistconfusion for self-check-in


      The Transportation Security Administration said it is making some changes in security procedures. One new process is designed to facilitate check-in for those unfortunate travelers whose names are similar to ones on the government’s terror watch list; the other is aimed at standardizing the list of acceptable IDs with those of other Department of Homeland Security federal agencies. As for the terror watch list, TSA said it has developed a new procedure that enables airlines to verify and store passengers’ dates of birth to prevent misidentifications with names on the terror list. “Once the airlines create their systems, passengers have the option to provide their date of birth first at the airline ticket counter, and then have it stored in a secure system so they can check in online or at remote kiosks for future flights,” TSA said – something they can’t do now. Meanwhile, TSA also released a list to provide “greater clarity on the types of identification that will be accepted at checkpoints” effective May 26. All passengers over 18 will have to show a U.S. federal or state-issued photo ID that shows your name, date of birth, gender, an expiration date and has a tamper-resistant feature. TSA said these include a passport, passport card, DHS Trusted Traveler cards, U.S. military ID, permanent resident card, border crossing card, state-issued driver’s license, Registered Traveler card, and a few other more obscure documents.

      ]]>      American adds second-checked-bag feehttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/American+adds+second-checked-bag+feejimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/American+adds+second-checked-bag+feeSat, 03 May 2008 18:19:30 CDTOther carriers also jump on the bandwagon


      As expected, American Airlines has joined other major carriers in deciding to start charging a $25 fee for checking a second piece of luggage. American’s new fee takes effect for economy class tickets purchased on or after May 12. The fee will not apply to international travel; to full-fare economy tickets; to persons who buy first or business class tickets; to AAdvantage Gold, Platinum or Executive Platinum members; to Oneworld Alliance Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby members; to persons with upgrades to first or business class confirmed before check-in; and to economy class travelers flying on AAdvantage AAnytime award tickets. Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines and partner Horizon will also impose a $25 second-checked-bag fee starting May 21, with exemptions for first class and top-level Mileage Plan members, and for intra-Alaska flights. JetBlue set a June 1 start for a new $20 fee for the second checked bag, and Air Canada will begin charging $25 as of May 15, except for elite members of its mileage program and Star Alliance elites.

      ]]>      United pilots oppose US Airways mergerhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/United+pilots+oppose+US+Airways+mergerjimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/United+pilots+oppose+US+Airways+mergerSat, 03 May 2008 18:17:17 CDTGroup sees worse problems with a combined company


      Less than 24 hours after Continental Airlines’ board decided (on April 27) that it would not pursue a merger with United Airlines, the Associated Press reported that United was in “very advanced” merger talks with US Airways. The wire service said that the two companies were “expected to announce within two weeks that they are combining.” But United’s pilots have come out in vocal opposition to the prospect of a merger with US Airways, saying that such a combination would be “extremely negative from United’s perspective.” Even though United “has its own problems,” the United pilots said, they alleged that US Airways’ problems “run even deeper,” noting that it trails behind other legacy airlines in generating cash flow from operations, and that it ranks “at or near the bottom among legacy carriers” in operational performance and in customer satisfaction surveys. The United pilots also noted that two and a half years after US Airways merged with America West, the pilots from those two former airlines are still bickering about how to integrate their seniority lists – the same divisive issue that almost torpedoed the Delta-Northwest merger. “US Airways’ pilot integration problems have created a toxic stew, as any carrier that seeks to merge with it will quickly discover,” the United pilots said.

      After the proposed combination with Continental fell apart, United CEO Glenn Tilton – while not confirming alternate merger talks with US Airways – made it clear that United wants to partner up with someone. “Our strategy is consistent,” Tilton said. “Consolidation is underway – ensuring you have the right partner is everything. We will pursue all options to ensure a strong, sustainable future for our airline.” But United’s pilots also blasted Tilton for his 2007 compensation package worth $10.3 million, revealed at the same time United posted a first quarter 2008 loss of $545 million. The pilots called Tilton’s pay an “in-your-face display of corporate greed.” The pilots said that instead of pursuing a merger at all costs, United’s management should “take a page from Continental and turn its attention inward.” The pilots noted that United “is the only carrier in the industry with no aircraft on order or optioned. That is not a long-term plan for survival,” they said.

      The prospect of a United-US Airways merger is also complicated by the fact that the two carriers attempted to merge in 2001 – before US Airways’ merger with America West – but the deal was rejected by federal antitrust regulators. The argument could be made, however, that the government might look more favorably on such a merger today, following a longstanding, unwritten policy known as the “failing carrier doctrine,” which argues that it’s better for a troubled airline to merge than to go out of business.

      ]]>      New transatlantic flights and routeshttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/New+transatlantic+flights+and+routesjimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/New+transatlantic+flights+and+routesThu, 01 May 2008 11:11:55 CDT

      New transatlantic routes: a quick summary

      The ongoing international route expansion by major airlines will get a big boost this year with the implementation of the new U.S.-European Union “Open Skies” agreement, which lifts previous bilateral restrictions on airline flights between the two regions – including a longstanding provision between the U.S. and U.K. that limited London Heathrow access to just two U.S. carriers, American and United. In any case, airlines are planning scads of new routes and schedule adjustments for transatlantic travel starting this spring. Here’s a summary of the changes announced thus far, to Europe and elsewhere.

      ATLANTA (ATL). On March 29, Delta began one daily roundtrip between Atlanta and London Heathrow. On June 3, Delta begins service six times a week between Atlanta and Stockholm.

      BOSTON (BOS). In mid-May, Iberia Airlines will increase frequencies on its Boston-Madrid route from three flights a week to daily service. On June 1, Italy's Air One plans to begin Boston-Milan Malpensa flights five times a week.

      CHICAGO O’HARE (ORD). On June 2, American Airlines will kick off new non-stop service six days a week between Chicago O’Hare and Moscow. On June 21, Italy's Air One will begin Chicago-Milan Malpensa service, with six weekly flights.

      CLEVELAND (CLE). Effective May 22, Continental begins seasonal non-stop 757 service between Cleveland and Paris CDG.

      DALLAS/FT. WORTH (DFW). American Airlines on March 29 shifted one of its two daily DFW-London flights from London Gatwick to London Heathrow -- and on April 13, it will shift the second daily DFW-London flight to Heathrow as well. On March 30, KLM began daily non-stops between DFW and Amsterdam. Also on March 30, British Airways moved its daily DFW-London Gatwick flight to London Heathrow instead.

      DENVER (DEN). United Airlines launched new daily non-stops March 30 between Denver and London Heathrow.

      DETROIT (DTW). Northwest Airlinessupplemented its existing Detroit-London Gatwick service with a new daily non-stop between Detroit and London Heathrow starting May 1. British Airways suspended its Detroit-London Heathrow flights effective March 30.

      FT. LAUDERDALE (FLL).       British low-cost carrier Zoom Airlines on May 22 will begin flying twice a week between Ft. Lauderdale and London Gatwick.

      HOUSTON BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL (IAH). Singapore Airlines began four flights a week on March 20 from Houston to Moscow, continuing on to Singapore. Continental started twice-daily service March 29 from Houston to London Heathrow. On March 30, British Airways’ two daily Houston-London flights shifted from Gatwick to London Heathrow.

      LOS ANGELES (LAX). Air France began daily non-stops March 30 between LAX and London Heathrow. The fights are code-shared with Delta. On June 1, Alitalia will launch non-stop 777 service five times a week between LAX and Rome's Fiumicino Airport.

      MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (MSP). Northwest Airlines kicked off new daily non-stops between MSP and London Heathrow on March 29. On April 8, Northwest began daily MSP-Paris service with joint venture partner KLM.

      NEW YORK KENNEDY (JFK). Delta added twice-daily service beginning March 29 between JFK and London Heathrow;five flights a week between JFK and Paris Orly are dueto start June 2 (increasing to daily in July), and daily flights between JFK-Lyon, France begin June 3. Other new Delta non-stop transatlantic routes include JFK-Tel Aviv (started March 10); JFK-Edinburgh May 1; JFK-Dakar, Senegal (continuing to Nairobi) December 8; JFK-Cairo June 4; JFK-Malaga, Spain June 4; JFK-Amman, Jordan June 5; JFK-Lagos, Nigeria June 9. American Airlines on May 1began new daily non-stops between JFK-Barcelona and JFK-Milan, and on August 1 will add a second daily departure between JFK and London Stansted.

      NEWARK (EWR). Continental began twice-daily flights March 29 between its Newark hub and London Heathrow.

      PHILADELPHIA (PHL). US Airways on March 29 started daily service between Philadelphia and London Heathrow.

      PORTLAND, Ore. (PDX). Northwest Airlines on March 29 began daily non-stops between Portland and Amsterdam Schiphol.

      RALEIGH/DURHAM (RDU). American Airlines on March 28 shifted its RDU-London flights from London Gatwick to London Heathrow.

      SALT LAKE CITY (SLC). On June 2, Delta will start daily non-stops between its Salt Lake City hub and Paris.

      SAN DIEGO (SAN).       Zoom Airlines, a low-cost U.K.-based carrier, will start flying between San Diego and London Gatwick twice a week beginning June 20.

      SEATTLE (SEA). On June 1, Northwest Airlines plans to begin daily non-stop service between Seattle and London Heathrow. On March 30, Lufthansa introduced daily non-stops between Seattle and Frankfurt.

      WASHINGTON DULLES (IAD). In mid-May, Iberia Airlines will boost service on its Washington-Madrid route from three flights a week to five.


      ]]>      News updateshttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/News+updatesjimglabhttp://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/News+updatesWed, 30 Apr 2008 10:12:34 CDTUnited pilots blast management’s merger talks with US Airways
      Less than 24 hours after Continental Airlines’ board decided (on April 27) that it would not pursue a merger with United Airlines, the Associated Press reported that United was in “very advanced” merger talks with US Airways. The wire service said that the two companies were “expected to announce within two weeks that they are combining.” But United’s pilots have come out in vocal opposition to the prospect of a merger with US Airways, saying that such a combination would be “extremely negative from United’s perspective.” Even though United “has its own problems,” the United pilots said, they alleged that US Airways’ problems “run even deeper,” noting that it trails behind other legacy airlines in generating cash flow from operations, and that it ranks “at or near the bottom among legacy carriers” in operational performance and in customer satisfaction surveys. The United pilots also noted that two and a half years after US Airways merged with America West, the pilots from those two former airlines are still bickering about how to integrate their seniority lists – the same divisive issue that almost torpedoed the Delta-Northwest merger. “US Airways’ pilot integration problems have created a toxic stew, as any carrier that seeks to merge with it will quickly discover,” the United pilots said.

      After the proposed combination with Continental fell apart, United CEO Glenn Tilton – while not confirming alternate merger talks with US Airways – made it clear that United wants to partner up with someone. “Our strategy is consistent,” Tilton said. “Consolidation is underway – ensuring you have the right partner is everything. We will pursue all options to ensure a strong, sustainable future for our airline.” But United’s pilots also blasted Tilton for his 2007 compensation package worth $10.3 million, revealed at the same time United posted a first quarter 2008 loss of $545 million. The pilots called Tilton’s pay an “in-your-face display of corporate greed.” The pilots said that instead of pursuing a merger at all costs, United management should “take a page from Continental and turn its attention inward.” The pilots noted that United “is the only carrier in the industry with no aircraft on order or optioned. That is not a long-term plan for survival,” they said.

      The prospect of a United-US Airways merger is also complicated by the fact that the two carriers attempted to merge in 2001 – before US Airways’ merger with America West – but the deal was rejected by federal antitrust regulators. The argument could be made, however, that the government might look more favorably on such a merger today, following a longstanding, unwritten policy known as the “failing carrier doctrine,” which argues that it’s better for a troubled airline to merge than to go out of business.



      ]]>