Stay at this Hyatt hotel in New York City this week and the hotel’s resident accountant will do your tax return for you — free.
This year, you get two breaks on your income taxes…sort of.
Since April 15 falls on a Sunday this year and Emancipation Day — a holiday observed only in Washington DC — happens to fall on april 16, the Internal Revenue Service has set Tuesday, April 17, as the deadline day for filing your 2011 tax return.
The other comes courtesy of the Andaz Wall Street hotel, a Hyatt property in Manhattan.
Starting today, if you stay at the Andaz Wall Street this week — and give the hotel 72 hours’ notice — the hotel will have its “Accountant in Residence” prepare your tax return for you.
Free. As in “no charge.”
You can read about the offer in this USA Today storyhere.
The offer runs through Sunday. After that, you’re on your own again.
TOURISTS: A BILLION SERVED?
Some of you out there (and you KNOW who you are) are old enough to remember when McDonald’s fast-food joints started running those “1 million served” slogans on the marquees they mounted in front of their trademark golden arches. The count has long since run into the billions, of course.
Well, it looks as if the world’s tourism industry may be catching up.
If the UN World Tourism Organization is right, some time this year, someone will step off a plane or a train or a cruise ship to become something the world has never seen before:
The One Billionth Tourist. That’s one billion in 2012 alone.
There’s a reason why tourism is one of the largest industries on Earth. Nothing, it seems, stops the world from traveling. Not recession, wars, or flight crews losing their minds.
If you’re interested in the breakdown by region, the Adventure Travel Trade Association has it for you here.
And now, here’s this week’s Digest:
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AIR from Travel Daily News
The world’s largest airline alliance broadens its reach in the East. Star Alliance agrees to accept Taiwan’s Eva Air as a new member by mid-2013. China’s Shenzen Airlines joins Star this year. That will give Star eight airlines in the Asia-Pacific market.
from Travel Weekly Pinnacle Airlines files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Never heard of them? There’s a good chance you’ve flown with them without knowing it. That regional shuttle or “puddle-jumper” flight you took with Delta, United or US Airways? In reality, it was these guys.
fromTravel Weekly
The bad news: Southwest Airlines quietly raises its airfares. The worse news: Five of its rivals match Southwest increase for increase. You didn’t have to do that, guys. No, really, you didn’t.
LAND from Smarter Travel Truth or Consequences is one thing but — Elephant Butte, NM? Rabbit Hash? Leg O’Mutton? Crapstone? Some of wackiest town names you can find — including one Colorado town whose name is No Name. SLIDESHOW
from The Economist (United Kingdom) Airlines aren’t the only ones looking to bypass online travel agencies like Expedia and Travelocity. A half-dozen hotel chains have joined forces to do the same thing.
from Smarter Travel
Shoes that fold up. Shirts that don’t smell. Jackets that double as pillows or even carry-ons. Clothing for the road warriors among you.
from Ethical Traveler
The world’s most ethical travel destinations among the world’s developing nations.
SEA from the New York Times For every style of music, it seems, you can find a cruise for it, and rock-themed cruises are among the most popular.
from USA Today Another week, another cruise ship runs into mechanical troubles on the high seas. This time, it’s the Azamara Quest. Another engine room fire. Everyone’s safe.
fromDer Spiegel (Germany)
Was the Costa Concordia disaster a tragedy waiting to happen? Der Spiegel talks to maritime experts who say yes, and say why.
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AFRICA from Vanguard News (Nigeria)via allAfrica.com
A diplomatic showdown may be coming between the Nigerian government and British airlines over complaints that Nigerian passengers are being overcharged compared with passengers from other West African countries. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are the carriers most often cited by officials inthe capital, Abuja.
from The Star (Kenya)via allAfrica.com
Government urged to combat child sex tourism in Kenya. The laws forbidding it are not being enforced.
from The Star (Kenya)via allAfrica.com
Tourism investors in northern Kenya appeal to the media to start reporting more of the region’s positive aspects, including its track record as a film location.
from The New Vision (Uganda)via allAfrica.com
Should Uganda use the controversial Kony 2012 video to lure tourists to the country? These guys say yes. EDITORIAL
from Daily Monitor(Uganda)
Unlike many African countries, Uganda doesn’t have a national airline — and odd as it might sound, the country might have a better chance of boosting its tourism without one. EDITORIAL
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AMERICAS/CARIBBEAN from theNew York Times
In New Orleans, they’re re-imagining the hotel bar. It’s not just for tourists anymore. Updated drinks, better food and good music are earning once-stodgy hotel bars a local following.
from the Los Angeles Times
Downtown (Las) Vegas, baby. The part of town that first made southern Nevada a major destination is renewing itself.
from the Los Angeles Times Oakland is moving up in class as a destination. Yes, that Oakland.
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ASIA/PACIFIC
from Japan Australia
Like the idea of traveling Japan by train and want to save money, but you’re an expat, not a tourist? The Japan Rail Kanto Area Pass may be just your ticket.
from The Telegraph(London UK)
I’ve said it before: China likes to do big things. The world’s tallest bridge connecting two mountain tunnels? I’d say that qualifies. It’s 355 meters high. That’s 1,165 feet. You could fly a jumbo jet under that.
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EUROPE from Rick Stevesvia SFGate.com
Europe’s not just about cathedrals and vineyards. If you’re into adventure travel, the Old World is ready to satisfy your need for an adrenaline rush.
from the New York Times
History may be the biggest draw in Cologne, the oldest city in Germany, but fresh shops, restaurants and hotels have Cologne thriving in the present.
from VisitBritain Shop
Better than a hall pass, especially in London — a Pub Pass. Pretty cheap for what you get, and good for a year.
fromHotel Chatter
How’s this for a memorable summer: Commute to the 2012 London Olympics…from Paris.
The Senegalese people peacefully and overwhelmingly vote out an incumbent who was seeking to become a president-for-life. It’s a shining moment, and one with huge implications for West African travel.
There’s a good chance you scarcely read, heard or saw anything in the mainstream media about Senegal’s recently concluded runoff election to choose the country’s next president.
And that might be the greatest mark of its success.
Abdoulaye Wade is at least 85 years old; the safe bet is that he’s even older. He was trying to win a third presidential term. Senegal’s constitution allows only two.
It had all the earmarks of yet another African leader installing himself as a president-for-life.
There was just one problem: The Senegalese people were not havin’ it.
A whole host of challengers arose, even legendary Senegalese entertainer Youssou N’Dour.
When the results of the initial vote forced a runoff between Wade and former prime minister Macky Sall, much of the outside world nervously looked on.
Would Wade somehow try to steal the election — and how would the opposition, and the populace, react if he did? If Wade did lose, would his followers accept it, or would they turn the country upside down? Anything could’ve happened.
Here’s what did happen:
The opposition united behind Macky Sall.
Sunday’s runoff ballot was smooth, clean and fair.
Sall won in a landslide, with nearly 66 percent of the vote, even swamping Wade in Wade’s own district.
Wade called Sall to acknowledge his win and concede the election.
Macky Sall may now be Senegal’s president-elect, but the real winner is Senegal itself.
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, it has never suffered a civil war or a coup d’etat, never put up with a dictatorship. Outsiders who doubted its commitment to democracy prior to Sunday’s runoff can doubt it no longer. It shows a political maturity and sophistication that much of Africa — indeed, much of the world — can only envy.
(The now-outgoing President Wade deserves applause for graciously accepting the results. In the end, he put his country ahead of his personal ambitions. In doing so, he may have salvaged his legacy — and saved his country.)
All this has huge implications for Senegal and the rest of West Africa, especially when it comes to travel. The region is positioned to become a gateway to the Mother Continent, especially from the Americas. It has a staggering array of potential attractions, natural and urban, cultural and historical.
It also is home to perhaps the most well-organized and forward-looking regional economic bloc on the Mother Continent — ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States.
What’s more, West Africa has something going for it that its landlocked Central African neighbors can only dream of, hundred of miles of Atlantic coastline, much of it in pristine condition. Some of the world’s cruise lines have been eyeing this part of Africa for some time and big things may be in the offing.
Most of the ECOWAS countries either have a track record of stability, like Cameroon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Others have already emerged from past turmoil, like Nigeria, Liberia and the Cote d’Ivoire, which we know as the Ivory Coast.
And when Tuareg rebels recently launched an armed coup to overthrow the government in Mali, ECOWAS gave the coup plotters 72 hours to return the government to civilian control or face harsh sanctions, including closing the borders of all ECOWAS nations to Mali.
The outcome in Mali remains uncertain, but the swiftness of the ECOWAS action was eye-catching. Could you picture the Arab League acting that decisively against, say, Syria?
So West Africa has a lot going for it. Still, so much of the region’s future, especially when it comes to tourism, hinged on what would happen in last week’s runoff race.
Senegal gave the world its answer with one of the more impressive displays of democracy in action the Mother Continent has ever witnessed. Senegal stood tall.
And because it did, West Africa’s future today looks a little brighter than it did a week earlier.
Several pairs of wings are circling over American Airlines these days. Some belong to rival airlines, others to opportunistic investors. The biggest of them may belong to a vulture.
It has come to this: The major question facing American Airlines is no longer whether it’s going to survive, but the most likely form of its demise — merger or outright dissolution.
American has lost money eight out of the last ten years, and the losses have been in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s in a ton of debt. Longtime American passengers will tell you the quality of the airline’s service and performance has fallen over that same period.
Much of its fleet is made up of older, inefficient airplanes with fuel-guzzling engines. Would you try to run a taxi service in 2012 with a fleet of 1959 Buicks?
Now, American is trying to save itself by cutting employee pay and benefits — and if that doesn’t work, it will cut employees. The airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on the grounds that its labor costs keep the company from turning a profit.
It has frozen employee pensions but would really prefer to drop them altogether. It has stated plans to lay off 13,000 workers, 15 percent of its workforce. There are rumors afloat that American is looking to pull out of some major markets around the United States.
American is gambling that the bankruptcy judge will sympathize, void its labor contracts and force cost-cutting measure on the unions, which he can do — if he feels the unions aren’t bargaining in good faith with American.
On the other hand, he can leave those contracts in place if he feels the airline isn’t playing fair. Which makes it more than a little curious that the airline’s parent company, AMR Corp., has now given the airline labor unions one week to restructure their contracts, threatening to unilaterally void them if they don’t.
That sound like fair bargaining to you?
Anyway you slice it, American Airlines these days is a hot mess.
Even before the Chapter 11 filing, there were whispers that American was a candidate to be bought up by one of its relatively few remaining rivals with enough cash to swing the deal. The two names most often mentioned have been Delta and US Airways.
Another possibility is that American will be bought up by some opportunistic, cash-rich equity company. One such outfit, TPG Capital, has been mentioned more than once.
A merger would likely mean a lot of American pilots, cabin crews, mechanics and baggage handlers would be let go, routes reduced, and planes sent to the Arizona boneyard. The airline’s very identity, one of the most historic, could disappear, as have so many others over the last four decades.
There’s little doubt that American Airlines as we know it today probably will not exist a year from now. There is a very real possibility that American will not exist at all a year from now.
That would sadden me some. I have my own emotional hyperlink to this airline.
The first flight I ever took, from Oakland, CA to New Orleans, was aboard an American Boeing 720B. I was 12 years old, traveling alone for the first time. That was the trip that got me hooked on travel.
I’m hoping that someone can pull a rabbit out of his corporate hat and find a way to keep American, and its workforce, intact. The history of the US airline industry since deregulation — and especially since 9/11 — says that’s not the way to bet.
When you cherish your memories, it’s a little painful to witness the decline and finally the passing of the outfits that helped to create them. That’s why, for all my criticism of American on this blog, I’d be sad to see it go.
Teachers looking for fresh ways to instruct young black children might consider using travel as a theme.
There’s been some controversy this year over the questions some schoolteachers are using down South to teach math to black students.
Example: “If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week?”
Here’s another: “Each tree had 56 oranges. If 8 slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?”
For more on this educational fiasco, check out the Atlanta Journal-Constitution storyhere.
The surprise here is not that this kind of “teaching” seldom goes over well with black parents, but that there are people in 2012 who still don’t understand why.
Rather than spend too much time off-topic giving clues to the clueless, I’d like to suggest a safe and simple alternative. Why not design math questions using travel as a theme?
Here’s one easy example for elementary-age students:
“You’re walking from your house to a new school. The school is three miles from your house. If it takes you one hour to get to school, how fast are you walking?”
Here’s one for the more advanced students:
“Your Dad wants to take the family camping in a national park. The park is 500 miles away from your house. The family car holds 15 gallons of gas and gets 25 miles per gallon. How many miles can the family car travel on one tank of gas? And how many gallons of gas will the car need to get to the national park?”
Or this:
Delta Air Lines flies a jumbo jet on a round-trip flight once a week between Atlanta and Johannesburg, South Africa. The plane will burn 40,000 gallons of fuel each way. The airline pays $2.75 a gallon for jet fuel. How much money will Delta have to pay for fuel on this route in one year?
A lot of parents would love to help their child with this one — or better yet, have their child help them:
Your family is flying to Canada for vacation. The airline allows each passenger to check one bag for free, then charges $25 per extra bag. There are six people in your family. You have one piece of luggage. Your older brother has two. Your baby brother has one. Your sister has three. Your mother and father each have two. How much will the family have to pay the airline in baggage fees?
But if you just insist on connecting black history to math instruction, travel is a good way to do that and keep your teachers out of hot water with parents. Consider:
Walking 25 miles a day, how many days will it take the escapees to reach Boston?
If Harriett Tubman leads 25 slaves to freedom every other month, how many slaves will she help free in six years?
It’s not just math. There’s virtually no subject taught in K-12 schools that can’t use a travel theme as a teaching aid. Think about it. English, foreign languages, science, social studies, history — travel touches them all.
When it comes to designing lesson plans and tests, the possibilities would be practically endless. Introduce the class subject to your students while you introduce them to the world and fire their imaginations, all at the same time.
TINGO ALL OVER
A new hotel reservation site has made its debut on the Web. It’s called Tingo, and its main calling card comes into play after you make your hotel reservation.
The folks at Tingo say they will keep an eye on your pre-paid reservation. If your room price drops after you’ve reserved it, Tingo will arrange a refund of the difference, automatically. You can read more about Tingo in this msnbc.com storyhere.
BRIDGING THE WORLD
In my next life, I might be an engineer, because I love bridges. Admiring them. Photographing them. Sailing under them. Or best of all, walking over them.
I still have fantasies about riding the elevator that runs up the inside of each of the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge, with my trusty little Canon G12 camera in hand, to take pics from the very top.
With this list as a guide, bridge-hopping can take you around the world.
INDIA, NORTH and SOUTH
The New York Times devotes its Sunday travel section this week to Asia, starting with a sizable story on India that features three possible itineraries based on time — one, two or three weeks.
The piece itself is informative enough, but some of the comments below it are just as insightful, especially those that suggest a possible bias on the part of travel writers toward northern India.
AMELIA EARHART WOULD BE PROUD
Finally, the folks at Air France are making a point of showing off one of their crews on a recent Flight 438, a Boeing 777 from Paris (CDG) to Mexico City (MEX).
Three pilots, 13 flight attendants. All women.
The airline put up its own video to mark the occasion.
I’m not sure how the macho Mexican male passengers on the flight reacted when they found out about the all-female flight crew, but I’ll bet the mujeres on board were diggin’ it.
And now, here’s this week’s Digest:
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AIR from Gadling
When’s the best time to shop for your airfare? These guys say six weeks in advance.
from Budget Travel
What happens when your airline reservation magically disappears. One travel editor’s experience.
from AirSafe
On any given day, ten people will come to a US airport to board an airplane with a weapon in their possession — and seven of them will get past airport security. One of several statistical bits about the TSA, arrayed in the form of a vertical graphic.
fromUSA Today
How to keep European transportation strikes from blowing up your travel plans.
LAND from Smarter Travel
Traveling to Europe this year? Bringing your iPhone with you? From restaurant guides and subway maps to currency converters and translators, these apps are custom-made to help the European traveler, and most of them are free.
from Woman Seeks World
One traveler’s list of the ten most popular countries to emigrate to. If you get the impression it’s a somewhat Eurocentric list, I wouldn’t argue.
from Lonely Planet
The LP crew offers up its list of the world’s ten best cycling routes. Saddle up.
SEA from Fodors
Looking for a cruise that gets you off the familiar itineraries? One of these might feed your need for something different at sea.
fromUSA Today
Another old, familiar name in cruise ships is going away…sort of. Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas, whose wrap-around smokestack-mounted lounge created an iconic silhouette among Caribbean cruisers, is being transferred out of the fleet.
fromUSA Today
The river cruise business is heating up bigtime, especially in Europe. The Viking line christens four new European river cruisers…on the same day.
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AFRICA from Nature
Private developers are scrambling to buy up vast tracts of African land. Is this land grab holding back progress on the continent?
fromeTurbo News
Perhaps none too soon, given the above developments, Tanzania plans to host the first-ever pan-African conference by the UN World Tourism Organization on sustainable tourism management in national parks and protected areas.
from University of Oxford
Did you know that Africa has as many cities of 1 million people or more as Europe? These guys see that as one of six reasons why investing in Africa is a good idea.
from NewsDay(Zimbabwe)
Think Americans are the only people in the world who are into reality television? Zimbabwe has its own reality TV show in the works, this one focused on the country’s tourist attractions. And yes, they plan to market this show globally.
fromWolfganghthome Rwanda is hooking up with Google Maps to digitally mark its major tourist destinations, a first for the Mother Continent, according to this blogger.
fromTravel Travel(United Kingdom)
A sample of the kind of cheap Africa vacation packages available from Europe. This one just happens to include a stay at the hotel where I stayed in the Gambia.
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from USA Today
America’s capital is loaded with history, charm, great eateries, great watering holes — and it’s table-flat. Sound like a great weekend bike ride? Now, you can rent your wheels in Washington DC.
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ASIA/PACIFIC
from the New York Times Myanmar, the country that many of us still think of as Burma, is emerging as a new travel destination for the early 21st century. A primer on how to get there and what you’ll find.
from the New York Times
A generation ago, Laos was the site of the Southeast Asian war your parents didn’t know about. Today, it’s the exotic, fascinating travel destination that you may not know about.
from Gadling
When it comes to visiting India’s famed Taj Mahal, timing is everything, especially if you want that great pic.
frommsnbc.com
Poor Las Vegas. First, they had to contend with casinos on Indian reservations siphoning off visitors. Now, they have to deal with Singapore.
from Mo Travels
A black American expat in Amsterdam shares her all-girl getaway near Lake Garda in Italy.
fromThe Guardian(London UK)
Reader tips on where and what to eat in Turkey. If all you’re expecting is kebabs, prepare to be pleasantly surprised.
fromUSA Today
International airports have been built on artificial islands before, but never at the mouth of one of the world’s busiest rivers, like the Thames in England. The mayor of London thinks that’s a fine idea.
fromThe Guardian(London UK)
Okay, this is just strange: Camel wrestling in Turkey? If your travel tastes run toward the bizarre, see this ancient Aegean custom — before the Turkish government finds a reason to ban it.
The convening of the Africa Travel Association’s annual congress at Victoria Falls signals the rise of a new player on the African travel scene, and it’s one you might not expect.
When you think of African travel and tourism, you probably don’t think of more than a handful of the 54 countries that officially comprise the Mother Continent. The odds are equally good that Zimbabwe won’t be one of them.
Zimbabwe would like very much to change that.
If you heard anything at all about Zimbabwe over the last several years, it probably revolved around political wrangling within the country, staggering inflation and criticism from Western countries over the seizure of lands, sometimes violently, from former colonial settlers and farmers.
Since then, a political power-sharing agreement has reduced the turmoil and the country has its inflation under control — in part by pegging the national currency to the US dollar.
Now, the country is looking outward — and inviting travelers — including Americans — to come in.
It’s an effort that appears to have official blessings on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Earlier this year, the Africa Travel Association, which holds its annual congress in an African country, announced that this year’s congress would return this May to Zimbabwe for the first time since 1988.
The gathering annually brings together government tourism ministers from across Africa, as well as industry professionals, tourism providers, scholars, travel trade media and leaders from the African Diaspora.
Charles Ray, U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe, has been enthusiastic about ATA’s return:
“Zimbabwe offers a ‘World of Wonders’ to tickle the fancy and sense of adventure of the full array of international travelers…Your visit to Zimbabwe will bring a smile to your face for a lifetime. I applaud ATA’s vision in…opening the world’s eyes to what Zimbabwe has to offer.”
It’s no accident that the ATA gathering is being held not in the capital city, Harare, but on the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls, which is believed to be the largest waterfall in the world.
(Zimbabwe actually shares Victoria Falls with neighboring Zambia.)
Nor is it an accident that high-ranking members of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority are in the United States in the run-up to the ATA congress. At a news conference hosted by the association, Tesa Chikaponya, the authority’s executive director for destination marketing, spelled out some of the multiple directions the country is taking:
Adventure tourism
Eco-tourism
Cultural tourism
African diasporan/heritage tourism
MICE tourism — Meetings, incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions
An ambitious agenda, to say the least. But in the increasingly fierce competition for African tourism, Zimbabwe has some good cards to play, as Ms. Chikaponya pointed out:
“We have a lot to offer as a destination, starting with the resort town of Victoria Falls, which boasts of being the adventure capital of Zimbabwe. It’s an experience to be on the Zambezi River. There is a pristine wildlife habitat, the Eastern Highlands…Lake Kariba (the world’s largest man-made reservoir). There is a rich history and heritage that we want to share.
“Zimbabweans are a wonderful people, sharing smiles every day of our lives, looking to give a helping hand to anyone.”
The country’s decision to tie their economy to the dollar also has a major fringe benefit for US travelers: No need to change money. Touch down there with the dollars you’d normally have in your wallet and you’re ready to roll.
In fact, just about any Western currency will work just fine, according to Ms. Chikaponya. “Bring your euros, bring your pounds, bring your US dollars. You can buy in Zimbabwe.”
And like many African countries, Zimbabwe is looking for foreign investors as well as foreign visitors, she said.
It’s not all about generating money, however. Ms. Chikaponya explained that Zimbabwe wants to use tourism as a vehicle for preserving its heritage.
Given the damage that mass tourism can sometimes do to a culture, that almost seems counter-intuitive, but they’re serious about it.
There, too, Zimbabwe has some precious assets, several historical sites, the most important of which may be Great Zimbabwe, the ruins of the original Kingdom of Zimbabwe, built with such skill and sophistication that generations of white colonists refused to accept that black Africans had actually built it.
“We’re focusing on our national shrines. We have many places that for a long time have not been looked at,” said Ms. Chikaponya. “We know that cultural tourism is very important and we need to preserve our culture for future generations. We are setting up cultural villages to preserve our folklore.”
Naturally, all this has got me wondering about the nation, whose nickname is “World of Wonders.” If Zimbabwe wasn’t on my list before, it is now.
IF YOU GO
Zimbabwe is a landlocked nation roughly the size of Montana in southeastern Africa, bordered by four countries — Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana.
The country’s population is approximately 12 million people, about the same as the city of Mumbai. Nearly a quarter of all Zimbabweans live in or near the capital city of Harare. The national climate is tropical. It sits mostly on two high plateaus, with mountains to the east.
In its days as a British colony, it was known as Southern Rhodesia. It was known for 15 years as Rhodesia when whites, led by Ian Smith, broke away from Britain rather than accept the colony’s conversion to a black-majority-ruled independent state. After much turmoil, its independence as Zimbabwe was formally recognized in 1980.
As is the case with most of Africa, there are no nonstop flights between the United States and Zimbabwe, nor are there any US-based airlines flying there. Likewise, the country’s national airline, Air Zimbabwe, does not fly to the United States.
African airlines that serve Zimbabwe include EgyptAir,South African Airways,Kenya Airways, TAAG Angola Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines, as does Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East.
Non-African airlines that serve Harare include British Airways, Lufthansa,KLM and Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East.
All but Emirates are members of airline alliances that enable US airlines to book flights to Zimbabwe on a code-share basis.
US visitors to Zimbabwe need to obtain a visa from the Zimbabwean Embassy in Washington DC or upon arrival.
Three domestic US airlines are going head-to-head with a fare war, slashing prices on routes across the country.
In the travel game, “shoulder seasons” are a prime time for airlines to cut prices in a bid to fill their airplanes, and when one does it, several of their competitors usually follow suit.
What about three at once?
The folks at Smarter Travel, who keep watch on these things, have spotted the mother of all fare wars so far for 2012, between American, Delta and AirTran.
Between them, they’re dropping prices on thousands of domestic air routes, and one of them just might be going your way.
You can check out the particulars at the Smarter Travel sitehere.
You’ll note that I’ve omitted the info they included on Southwest’s fare sale. That’s because unfortunately, it’s already expired. But if this fare war generates enough consumer interest, don’t be surprised if they jump back into it.
Don’t be surprised, too, if other airlines decide to get in the game, as well.
As is usual with fare wars, the airlines can call this off for any reason at any time, and the fares listed are base fares only. They don’t include all those charming taxes and fees we all love so much.
Also, the more deeply discounted the fare, the more restrictions that come with it. Check those out carefully before you commit your credit card.
Still, with summer airfares expected to reach heights heretofore unknown this year, any chance to book early summer flights at bargain prices should not be casually dismissed. So check it out!
VIVA MEXICO
For all the negative talk about crime and violence related to its ongoing drug war, Mexico endures as a travel destination.
Travel Weekly reports that Carnival Cruises Lines, which has already sunk some $100 million into improvements for Mexican seaports, is looking at investing in two new ones — Calica on the Caribbean coast and Puerto Cortés in Baja California Sur.
No dollar signs yet, but the fact that Carnival would be interested at all says a lot, as does the fact that Carnival CEO Gerry Cahill was down south last week to meet with Mexican president Felipe Calderon and tourism minister Gloria Guevara.
So too does this little tidbit from TW: In a story about how Spring Break travel has picked up in 2012, they point to Student City, an online travel agency that caters to high school and college kids. According to Student City, its top two destinations were Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, both on the Mexican Riviera.Panama City, FL was third.
SUMMER AIRFARES — INTO THE STRATOSPHERE?
That’s definitely how it looks to the folks at USA Today, who checked the situation with aviation and travel experts.
What do you want first, the bad news or the very bad news?
Airliners may not have to pull up to the local gas station to fill their tanks the way you and I do, but when it comes to fuel prices, the oil companies don’t cut the airlines any more slack than they do for us. So whatever causes the cost of a barrel of crude oil to jump hits everyone hard.
Even the airlines’ ability to buy options on jet fuel, a tactic pioneered by Southwest Airlines and copied by many other airlines since, doesn’t help as much as it used to.
Bottom line: Airfare prices already are higher than they were a year ago, and the pain is only going to increase once the summer “high season” arrives. You need to plan accordingly, and the US Today story has a few tips that may help.
VACATION — WHO GETS IT AND WHO DOESN’T
Embedded in a story from CNN Travel about Swiss voters rejecting a proposal for six weeks of paid vacation a year (like their neighbors in Germany) is a survey of 20 countries from Expedia, listing them in order of the amount of vacation time employees receive, how many of those days are actually taken and how many go unused.
France, to no one’s surprise, was at the top. The United States, again no surprise, was near the bottom. What may be unexpected is that nations with some of the strongest economies in Europe, as well as some of the weakest, rank among the highest for vacation days offered and actually used.
And now, here’s this week’s Digest:
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AIR from theNew York Times
The FAA finally decides to consider adding to its list of consumer electronics devices approved for in-flight use.
fromeTurboNews
The 2012 London Olympics are only a few months away. Can London’s five airports handle a crush of visitors flying in? The heads of four British airlines seem to have their doubts.
from Travel Weekly
They’re coming to America…or at least trying to. Gol, Brazil’s low-fare airline, wants to fly Boeing 737s from Miami to Sao Paulo, with a stop in Caracas, Venezuela.
from the New York Times
How to avoid the worst seat on the airplane.
from Travel Weekly
There’s First Class, and then there’s this: Etihad, the national flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, is installing chefs to prepare in-flight meals for their First Class passengers.
from Travel Weekly
Remember People Express, the low-fare airline back in the 1980s that bowled people over with some ridiculously cheap fares — while putting them through some even more ridiculous hassles — until Continental swallowed them up? They may be coming back.
from TNOOZ
Have you ever played with Google Flight Search? It’s only been online for six months. Simultaneously shows air routes and airfares across the United States…and now, internationally.
LAND from Frommer’s Travel
Want to get the feel of a place from a local’s perspective? Take a walking tour. Here’s what you’ll see if you hit the bricks in the Montmartre section of Paris.SLIDESHOW
fromSmarter Travel
There are more than 900 World Heritage Sites identified around the globe by the United Nations, all of them worth seeing. The folks at Smarter Travel pick 11 must-sees. See if you agree. SLIDESHOW
from theLos Angeles Times
Ever have trouble with those balky remote controls for the television in your hotel room? Now there’s an app that will let you operate the hotel TV right from your smartphone. Unless, of course, you own a Blackberry.
SEA from Travel Weekly
Is it just me, or is the cruise industry taking a beating this year? Princess Cruises cuts short one Caribbean cruise and cancels two more due to engine troubles aboard Caribbean Princess. Oh well, maybe things will be better next year: Princess is among the cruise lines now accepting bookings for 2013.
fromCruise Critic
A head-to-head comparison of the ten most popular mega-ships and their features — cabins, dining options, entertainment. Which one most appeals to you?
from CNN Travel
The inside view of ten of the most popular North American cruise ports. One’s in Alaska, while the rest are scattered around the Caribbean. Avoid the crowds and pick up some local flavor.
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AFRICA from Reuters via Yahoo!
Is Britain trying to block access of Africa’s largest airline to Europe?
from Capital FM(Kenya) via allAfrica.com
An innovative attempt to promote tourism to Kenya through music. Plans underway to create a musical stage production on Kenyan cultural attractions, with the country’s different languages as a centerpiece.
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AMERICAS/CARIBBEAN from BBC Travel
Southern, sleepy, set-in-its-ways Savannah, GA is suddenly becoming a hot zone of sophisticated art, music, dining and shopping.
from the Los Angeles Times
There’s a lot more to Peru than just Machu Picchu, and the LAT’s Chris Reynolds shows you the what and the where in Cuzco.
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ASIA/PACIFIC from eTurboNews
One unexpected aftershock from Japan’s 2011 earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster — a lot more Japanese tourists vacationing in Taiwan.
from BBC Travel
A mini-guide to a mini-country with a lot going on: Singapore.
from the Los Angeles Times
A veteran traveler digs through the multiple cultural layers of the Malaysian city of Malacca.
-0- EUROPE from The Guardian (London UK)
Berlin has some of the world’s most cutting-edge architecture, and through this self-guided walking tour, you can check out a lot of it.
from The Guardian (London UK)
The three most beautiful words in the English language when joined together: Paris…wine…free. Free wine tastings of some of France’s best bottled offerings through June.
fromThe Guardian(London UK)
When you’re ready to party hard, head for Spain. A rundown on where and when to go. Who needs sleep, anyway?
fromRick Steves via USA Today
New things to see and do in France and Spain for 2012.
Make use of Web sites that help you keep tabs on your frequent-flier miles, show you which mileage programs are the best, or even let you swap miles with other travelers.
See if any of this sounds familiar.
You’ve been collecting frequent-flier miles for years, but you’re not sure if you have enough for a free flight. You keep hearing vague occasional references to special deals to make your miles go further, but don’t really know what they are or how to find them.
If any or all of that describes you, you’re in one of the largest clubs on Earth, the club of travelers who are piling up miles and have nothing to show for it. It’s time for you to get out of that club.
