Airlines Vie with Onboard Entertainment
Airlines are competing to win passengers by expanding in-flight entertainment and connectivity. Japan Airlines will introduce high-speed Internet on select international routes this summer, installing Panasonic broadband on Boeing 777s serving Europe and North America, with plans to extend the service across its long-range fleet. Passengers in every class with WiFi-enabled devices will be able to access broadband Internet. American Airlines is expanding its in-flight streaming video, already on some Boeing 767-200s and more than 90 MD-80s. By year’s end, American expects roughly 400 aircraft to offer wireless streaming of over 100 movies and TV shows to passengers’ personal WiFi-enabled laptops without requiring paid WiFi access.
Air New Zealand’s interactive entertainment system now includes concierge-driven travel planning, drawing on the expertise of 45 concierges to answer questions such as the best way to reach a hotel or where to sample local cuisine. The Concierge feature highlights local favorites from cocktails to thermal spas based on expert insights. EVA Air added three new Hello Kitty–branded Airbus A330-300s, complete with character-themed service items including boarding passes, baggage stickers, headrest covers, cups, utensils, meals and ice cream. These aircraft are configured with 30 Premium Laurel business-class seats and 279 economy seats, and their in-seat AVOD systems have been upgraded to support personal-device functions such as photo and PDF viewing, media playback, and a tool to check connecting flights, arrival terminals and baggage carousels.
Small Ships, Big Experiences
Responding to a growing preference for smaller luxury ships and immersive experiences, Star Clippers will send its four-masted clipper Star Flyer to the Baltic next summer while Travel Dynamics International debuts new itineraries in Eastern U.S. waters aboard the newly acquired M/V Yorktown. Star Flyer’s itineraries include well-known Scandinavian capitals as well as lesser-visited ports such as Germany’s Baltic islands, nine smaller Swedish ports, and alongshore Finnish and Norwegian towns that showcase the region’s natural beauty, culture and history. Several departures coincide with international tall ships parades.
The 138-guest M/V Yorktown will operate summer 2012 itineraries in the Great Lakes, Hudson River Valley, New England, Maritime Canada, Chesapeake Bay and Gulf Coast ports. Similar to Star Flyer, Yorktown cruises emphasize extended time ashore and expert speakers to explore destinations more deeply.
More Legroom on Delta
Delta Air Lines will expand Economy Comfort—the premium-economy product introduced on long-haul international flights—to its entire domestic fleet and 250 regional jets. Located in the first rows of coach, Economy Comfort seats will offer about 34 inches of legroom—approximately three inches more than standard economy—and include priority boarding. The retrofit of Delta’s domestic aircraft is expected to be complete by summer, and passengers holding an economy ticket will be able to upgrade to Economy Comfort for an additional fee.
Emirates Enhancements
Emirates announced expanded U.S. services with new daily non-stop flights to Seattle (SEA) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), plus a new premium lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Service to DFW and SEA began in early spring, enabling passengers to connect via Dubai to destinations across the Far and Middle East, India and Africa. Both routes are served by Boeing 777s featuring private first-class suites and lie-flat business-class beds. The new two-level, 9,500-square-foot Emirates Lounge in SFO’s Boarding Area A provides first- and business-class travelers with individual workstations, complimentary Internet access, round-the-clock hot and cold dishes, and a full bar including Champagne.
New Routes Worldwide
Swiss International Air Lines launched daily non-stop service between Zürich (ZRH) and Beijing (PEK) and increased trans-Atlantic capacity with larger aircraft and daily Zürich–Newark (EWR) service. The previous all-business-class PrivatAir Boeing 737 on that route was replaced with a three-class configuration to substantially increase seating capacity.
Delta added a series of Caribbean routes, including 12 new daily flights between New York (JFK) and San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU), plus new service to Santo Domingo (SDQ) and Santiago (STI) in the Dominican Republic, and a new non-stop route between New York (LGA) and Nassau, Bahamas (NAS).
American Eagle Airlines began seasonal non-stop service between Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) and both Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX), linking those cities daily with Aspen/Snowmass during the winter ski season and resuming service in summer.
Chic in Chelsea
Hôtel Americano opened on West 27th Street in Chelsea, New York, offering 56 sleek, style-focused guestrooms with platform beds reminiscent of futons. Catering to guests drawn by a hip nightlife and a fashionable urban image rather than sheer size, the hotel features a French/Latin restaurant, a Mediterranean grill beside the rooftop pool, a lobby coffee and juice bar, and a basement bar and lounge.
Newest and Greenest
Winnipeg welcomed passengers to Canada’s greenest airport with the opening of the new James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG). The LEED-certified terminal uses nearly 108,000 square feet of glass to admit natural light, reducing electricity use and greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 52 percent. Efficient curtain-wall ventilation and 55 skylights in the arrivals hall emphasize natural illumination, while floor-to-ceiling departure-level glazing offers near 360-degree views of Winnipeg’s skyline. Streamlined check-in lets travelers use any of 32 common boarding kiosks and drop baggage at a shared point. Local building materials, artwork and culinary offerings give the terminal a distinctly Manitoban sense of place.
Streamlined Check-in
Fairmont President’s Club members will gain the ability to check in before arriving at the hotel. Rolling out across North American Fairmont properties, the service lets guests check in via laptop, smartphone or other web-connected device and simply collect their room key on arrival. Members receive an “I’m on My Way” invitation to check in online, can provide arrival details, and then receive a “Your Room Is Ready” notice with directions and key pickup instructions. Guests also have the option to check out online and receive their receipt by email. The program is expanding throughout the year.
Bonus Down Under
Travelers who book Australia vacations through American Airlines Vacations by the end of February can earn up to 30,000 AAdvantage bonus miles. Bonus miles scale with trip length: seven to nine nights earn 10,000 bonus miles; 10 to 13 nights earn 20,000; and 14 nights or more earn 30,000. Qualifying packages must include flights and hotel and use the promo code AUSSIE.
Amtrak Partner News
Renting a car from Enterprise Rent-A-Car at more than 6,000 North American locations before March 31 earns triple Amtrak Guest Rewards points per rental day; rentals need not be tied to an Amtrak trip. Additionally, while the deadline for converting Continental OnePass miles to Amtrak Guest Rewards points passed at the end of last year, a new partnership with United’s MileagePlus program is in development.
At Home in Rome
Through March, Bettoja Hotels’ four central Rome properties—Hotel Mediterraneo, Hotel Massimo D’Azeglio, Hotel Atlantico and Hotel Nord Nuova Roma—are promoting two seasonal packages. The Art and Culture City package includes museum tickets, a 10 percent discount off the best available rate, a daily newspaper, a guidebook, welcome drinks, a 15 percent dining discount at two restaurants, free WiFi and daily buffet breakfast with a two-night minimum. The Winter Gourmet package features two nights, one dinner for two, a welcome drink and daily buffet breakfast. The hotels also offer last-minute and advance-booking specials and longer-stay discounts.
Park, Sleep, Fly
The Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport – Burlingame is offering a Park-Stay-and-Fly package through March that includes a night’s accommodations, a complimentary 24-hour shuttle to and from SFO, and free covered parking for up to 10 days, with rates starting as low as $129. Extended parking beyond 10 days is available at a modest daily rate up to a 20-day maximum.
B&B & Golf
Kiawah Island Golf Resort, south of Charleston, South Carolina, offers a winter Bed & Breakfast special through February, valid for The Sanctuary hotel and resort villas. The package includes breakfast for two and a space-available upgrade to an ocean-view room or deluxe villa. The resort sits on 10 miles of beach and features a spa, two tennis centers and five championship golf courses, including The Ocean Course, host of the 2012 PGA Championship.
Deal in Dublin
The Merrion in Dublin is offering a Winter Escape with an overnight rate and full Irish breakfast, and a Pampering Getaway that adds a one-hour Tethra Spa treatment. Both packages run through February and highlight the hotel’s notable art collection, one of the largest private collections in Ireland outside the National Gallery.