Mumbai, India's maximum metropolis, has been hit by terrorist attacks eight times since 2000, the latest arriving today when unknown killers set off three bombs in what appeared to be coordinated attacks. The explosions were timed to go off in crowded places during the evening rush hour, ensuring that a large number of innocent people would be killed or maimed. Early Indian media reports put the number killed at 21, the number of wounded at more than 100.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for attacks, but if events follow true to form, this latest outrage will be traced back to politicized Muslim extremists in neighboring Pakistan or in India, itself.
This is the biggest terrorist attack in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) since Islamic fanatics assaulted two luxury hotels, a Jewish cultural center and the central train station in November 2008, killing more than 160 innocents. One begins to run out of words when contemplating yet another assault on civilians in this vibrant, gritty, sprawling, difficult, exciting city that has the grave misfortune to be located on a hard-to-defend seafront not far from Pakistan. The Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka and Mexican drug cartels have also employed terror tactics, and are just as culpable.
This time, travelers didn't appear to be primary targets, as they were in the attacks on 5-star hotels filled with Indian and international visitors in 2008. This time, it was the hard-working, long-suffering people of Mumbai who were targeted.
Pundits and police will pick over the story as events continue to unfold. There will be an investigation, perhaps a commission, statements of regret. U.S. President Barack Obama, who visited Mumbai last year and stayed in the Taj Mahal Hotel and Tower, one of the hotels set on fire and raked with gunshots in 2008, has already exorssed solidarity with India. Indian security, which was very visibly ramped-up when I visited Mumbai in November 2009, has again proved insufficent.
Should travelers stay away from India, or at least Mumbai? Some, inevitably, will stay away. I put off my visit for nearly a year out of security concerns, but when I did go, I was glad I went. Everyone has to decide for himself.
What is to be done? Security officials can't turn every marketplace, hotel and airport into a fortress, but smarter security is sorely needed. Some will argue that the best way to fight terrorism is to eliminate its root causes, one of which is poverty. Yet, many of not most of the terrorists in the Sept. 11, 2001, horrors in the United States were well-educated and middle class. Fanaticism, while fed by poverty, is not created by poverty alone.
Somehow, the principle has got to sink-in that the end - heaven? a global caliphate? simple revenge for perceived wrongs? - does not justify the means - jihad, bloodshed, heartlessness toward 'the other'.
And we, as travelers, have got to use prudent common sense - and persevere. The worst thing in the world, and for the world, would be to abandon it.
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Monday, November 8, 2010
Barack Obama's Classy Move
There are bigger things on the agenda during U.S. President Barack Obama's Asia trip than symbolism, but symbolism counts, even if it's hard to quantify. That's why it was important that Obama stayed in the Taj Mahal Hotel and Tower when he and the First Lady visited Mumbai on the first leg of the tour. The Taj was the best-known of several targets during the horrific terrorist attacks of November 2008 by Pakistan-based Islamic militants on innocent people in Mumbai.
The attackers also understood the importance of symbolism. That is why they included the Taj - India's most famous hotel and a world-reknowned symbol of its travel and tourism industry - on the short list of targets. More than 160 people died in a three-day seige in which 10 heavily armed and well-trained killers held off Indian police until commandos stormed the building, putting an end to the assault, known in India as 26/11.
I stayed in the Taj during my visit to Mumbai, almost almost exactly one year ago. (My blog posts are achived under November 2009.) It was still being rebuilt and repaired at the time but parts of the hotel were nevertheless open for business. To say that security was heavy is an understatement. Yet, for the most part the hotel didn't feel tense and staff there had a let's-get-on-with-it air of determination and defiance. The hotel GM lost his wife and two children in the attacks, yet he still works there. Such bravery is hard to imagine and deserves respect.
It was that kind of spirit that Obama honored by checking in, becoming the first foreign head of state to stay there in the two years since the attacks. It was a classy move on his part.
The attackers also understood the importance of symbolism. That is why they included the Taj - India's most famous hotel and a world-reknowned symbol of its travel and tourism industry - on the short list of targets. More than 160 people died in a three-day seige in which 10 heavily armed and well-trained killers held off Indian police until commandos stormed the building, putting an end to the assault, known in India as 26/11.
I stayed in the Taj during my visit to Mumbai, almost almost exactly one year ago. (My blog posts are achived under November 2009.) It was still being rebuilt and repaired at the time but parts of the hotel were nevertheless open for business. To say that security was heavy is an understatement. Yet, for the most part the hotel didn't feel tense and staff there had a let's-get-on-with-it air of determination and defiance. The hotel GM lost his wife and two children in the attacks, yet he still works there. Such bravery is hard to imagine and deserves respect.
It was that kind of spirit that Obama honored by checking in, becoming the first foreign head of state to stay there in the two years since the attacks. It was a classy move on his part.
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Taj Hotel Cape Town
CAPE TOWN - If you were to look for the political, cultural and historical epicenter of this lovely seaside city, you couldn't find anyplace more central than the corner of Wale Street and St. George's Mall: the exact location of the new Taj Hotel Cape Town.
It is just across the street from South Africa's parliament buildings, the lushly landscaped city park called Company Gardens and the old slave lodge - now a museum. Also directly across the street from the hotel is St. George's Cathedral, where Archbishop Desmond Tutu helped inspire and lead the anti-apartheid struggle.
But while they say location, location, location is the key to success in business, for a hotel it is also service, service, service. The Taj, which opened officially at the end of August after several months operating in a soft opening, has sterling service in abundance. The staff in this posh, 5-star property is anything but starchy; they are warm, prompt and attentive without being in your face. That goes a long way, no matter where you are located.
Run by Mumbai-based Taj Hotels, Palaces and Resorts - part of India's Tata Group conglomerate -the new Taj is installed in two renovated heritage buildings: the 1932 original South African Reserve Bank building with its gorgeous vaulted ceiling, and the 1896 Temple Chambers. Soaring over the meticulously restored and renovated structures - so seamlessly integrated you could never tell they were once two separate buildings - is a new glass tower where the Taj Cape Town's 166 guest rooms are situated. I loved my room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and view of Table Mountain, outside balcony and extra-large bathroom. Oh, it had all the high-tech bells and whistles, too, including an iPod docking station.
The clientele so far has been a nearly even mix of business and leisure travelers, and the hotel's structure reflects that. There are plenty of meeting spaces in the large business center and four personal computers for guest use, albeit at high rates. The spacious, Indian-themed Jiva Grande Spa can help even the most tightly wound executive breathe easy. I had an Indian head massage, lasting 45 minutes, and throughly enjoyed it - and I don't usually like massages.
There are three places to eat in the hotel; the elegant, upmarket Bombay brasserie, which serves contemporary Indian fare under sumptuous chandeliers; the all-day casual dining place Mint, where breakfast is served, accessible from the mall; and Twankey, a smart-casual Champagne, seafood and oyster bar tucked away on two levels. I feasted on tikki chicken wraps and fat Namibia oysters washed down with good South African white wines there.
The only drawback for people from my part of the world - urban North America - is distance. It took me 32 hours door-to-door from hotel to home. Is it worth it? If you can afford the travel time and it fits your budget, most definitely yes. The luxurious Taj Cape Town became one of the city's leading hotels from the moment it opened its doors, providing competition at the top of the international market for the city's highly regarded Mount Nelson and Cape Grace hotels. It will be hard to beat.
The Taj Hotel Cape Town is located on Wale Street, Cape Town 8001, South Africa. Tel. 011 27 (0)21 819 2000. E-mail: sales.capetown@tajhotels.com. Web: http://www.tajhotels.com/.
It is just across the street from South Africa's parliament buildings, the lushly landscaped city park called Company Gardens and the old slave lodge - now a museum. Also directly across the street from the hotel is St. George's Cathedral, where Archbishop Desmond Tutu helped inspire and lead the anti-apartheid struggle.
But while they say location, location, location is the key to success in business, for a hotel it is also service, service, service. The Taj, which opened officially at the end of August after several months operating in a soft opening, has sterling service in abundance. The staff in this posh, 5-star property is anything but starchy; they are warm, prompt and attentive without being in your face. That goes a long way, no matter where you are located.
Run by Mumbai-based Taj Hotels, Palaces and Resorts - part of India's Tata Group conglomerate -the new Taj is installed in two renovated heritage buildings: the 1932 original South African Reserve Bank building with its gorgeous vaulted ceiling, and the 1896 Temple Chambers. Soaring over the meticulously restored and renovated structures - so seamlessly integrated you could never tell they were once two separate buildings - is a new glass tower where the Taj Cape Town's 166 guest rooms are situated. I loved my room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and view of Table Mountain, outside balcony and extra-large bathroom. Oh, it had all the high-tech bells and whistles, too, including an iPod docking station.
The clientele so far has been a nearly even mix of business and leisure travelers, and the hotel's structure reflects that. There are plenty of meeting spaces in the large business center and four personal computers for guest use, albeit at high rates. The spacious, Indian-themed Jiva Grande Spa can help even the most tightly wound executive breathe easy. I had an Indian head massage, lasting 45 minutes, and throughly enjoyed it - and I don't usually like massages.
There are three places to eat in the hotel; the elegant, upmarket Bombay brasserie, which serves contemporary Indian fare under sumptuous chandeliers; the all-day casual dining place Mint, where breakfast is served, accessible from the mall; and Twankey, a smart-casual Champagne, seafood and oyster bar tucked away on two levels. I feasted on tikki chicken wraps and fat Namibia oysters washed down with good South African white wines there.
The only drawback for people from my part of the world - urban North America - is distance. It took me 32 hours door-to-door from hotel to home. Is it worth it? If you can afford the travel time and it fits your budget, most definitely yes. The luxurious Taj Cape Town became one of the city's leading hotels from the moment it opened its doors, providing competition at the top of the international market for the city's highly regarded Mount Nelson and Cape Grace hotels. It will be hard to beat.
The Taj Hotel Cape Town is located on Wale Street, Cape Town 8001, South Africa. Tel. 011 27 (0)21 819 2000. E-mail: sales.capetown@tajhotels.com. Web: http://www.tajhotels.com/.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Ratan Tata on Terror
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - I came to this city of 3.5 million people to attend the opening of the new 5-star Taj Hotel Cape Town, a splendid, business-minded property that blends two renovated heritage buildings with a glassy new tower.
In the process, I heard unexpected words on terror and travel from a global business leader who knows about both. He is Ratan Tata, the chairman of Tata & Sons, the huge Indian conglomerate that builds cars, makes steel and does a number of other things. Tata is a very big family business that started at the turn of the 20th century in what was then Bombay (today's Mumbai) with a single hotel: the Taj Mahal Palace.
That Taj was one of the Mumbai targets attacked by terrorists in November 2008 and partly destroyed. I stayed there a year later, while repairs and renovation were still going on and the original 1903 building was still closed to guests. It reopened last month.
In Cape Town for the opening of the new Taj, Tata had a rare meeting with reporters and spoke about the attack - and the determined response to it.
"We saw lives being taken,'' he said. "We saw the hotel burning. We decided to rebuild it brick by brick. It was an emotional time. We lost 31 people. We were able to overcome, and rebuild even better. It came out beautiful.
"It was a statement of defiance,'' Tata said. "You couldn't knock Bombay down.''
Amen to that. Continuing on in the face of menace - and taking precautions while doing so - is the only appropriate response to terrorists. Simply put, you don't let them win.
They couldn't knock Bombay down.
In the process, I heard unexpected words on terror and travel from a global business leader who knows about both. He is Ratan Tata, the chairman of Tata & Sons, the huge Indian conglomerate that builds cars, makes steel and does a number of other things. Tata is a very big family business that started at the turn of the 20th century in what was then Bombay (today's Mumbai) with a single hotel: the Taj Mahal Palace.
That Taj was one of the Mumbai targets attacked by terrorists in November 2008 and partly destroyed. I stayed there a year later, while repairs and renovation were still going on and the original 1903 building was still closed to guests. It reopened last month.
In Cape Town for the opening of the new Taj, Tata had a rare meeting with reporters and spoke about the attack - and the determined response to it.
"We saw lives being taken,'' he said. "We saw the hotel burning. We decided to rebuild it brick by brick. It was an emotional time. We lost 31 people. We were able to overcome, and rebuild even better. It came out beautiful.
"It was a statement of defiance,'' Tata said. "You couldn't knock Bombay down.''
Amen to that. Continuing on in the face of menace - and taking precautions while doing so - is the only appropriate response to terrorists. Simply put, you don't let them win.
They couldn't knock Bombay down.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai - Reborn
Now, here's some good news: The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai - probably India's most famous hotel - has been reborn. On Sunday, Aug. 15, India's Independence Day, the hotel's gorgeous 1903 original wing, will officially reopen - 21 months after it was seriously damaged in a savage attack on the city by terrorists - Islamist irregulars - from Pakistan.
I was scheduled to stay in the hotel, and like millions around the world, looked on from afar in stunned disbelief at the three days of horror at the Taj, the Oberoi Hotel, the main rail station, a cafe and a Jewish community center in November 2008. In November 2009, I stayed in the modern tower wing of the hotel; the palace wing was still being worked on.
Even with limited access, it was apparent that the hotel was beautiful - and would be beautiful again. The main staircase, a grand entryway, gave evidence of that. Security was everywhere - understandably so, as it must be - but the mood was unfailingly polite. That staff and guests could be civil and secure under such threat is more impressive than any physical plant.
For all that, the restored 1903 wing is a gem. The pricetag for the Taj's restoration and renovation - guest rooms and suites, the famous Sea Lounge, ballrooms and even the hallways, have been redone - has not been released. But world-class designers from places as far-flung as Malaysia, Spain and Italy were brought to India's maximum metropolis to do the work.
The managing director and chief executive officer of Taj Hotels, Raymond Bickson, noted at a pre-opening press conference: "Today, we have fulfilled our promise of rebuilding the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai to its former glory. The palace wing has been lovingly and painstakingly restored, and we will now offer our guests an even more customized experience.''
To mark its rebirth, the hotel is offering a Timeless Celebration offer - stay two nights, get one night free - in luxury grande rooms of the palace wing, and a Suite Celebrations offer - stay one night, get one night free - in a restored suite. Many perqs are included in the deals - not least, views of the Arabian Sea and the majestic Gateway of India monument. Details are posted at http://www.tajhotels.com/.
Here's a warm welcome back to one of the world's great hotels.
I was scheduled to stay in the hotel, and like millions around the world, looked on from afar in stunned disbelief at the three days of horror at the Taj, the Oberoi Hotel, the main rail station, a cafe and a Jewish community center in November 2008. In November 2009, I stayed in the modern tower wing of the hotel; the palace wing was still being worked on.
Even with limited access, it was apparent that the hotel was beautiful - and would be beautiful again. The main staircase, a grand entryway, gave evidence of that. Security was everywhere - understandably so, as it must be - but the mood was unfailingly polite. That staff and guests could be civil and secure under such threat is more impressive than any physical plant.
For all that, the restored 1903 wing is a gem. The pricetag for the Taj's restoration and renovation - guest rooms and suites, the famous Sea Lounge, ballrooms and even the hallways, have been redone - has not been released. But world-class designers from places as far-flung as Malaysia, Spain and Italy were brought to India's maximum metropolis to do the work.
The managing director and chief executive officer of Taj Hotels, Raymond Bickson, noted at a pre-opening press conference: "Today, we have fulfilled our promise of rebuilding the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai to its former glory. The palace wing has been lovingly and painstakingly restored, and we will now offer our guests an even more customized experience.''
To mark its rebirth, the hotel is offering a Timeless Celebration offer - stay two nights, get one night free - in luxury grande rooms of the palace wing, and a Suite Celebrations offer - stay one night, get one night free - in a restored suite. Many perqs are included in the deals - not least, views of the Arabian Sea and the majestic Gateway of India monument. Details are posted at http://www.tajhotels.com/.
Here's a warm welcome back to one of the world's great hotels.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Mumbai Memories
MUMBAI - The best way to learn the lay of the land in a new place is to hire a professional guide on your first full day and have a look around. See the places you like best, find out where they are. You can go back later and spend more time in the places you like best.
In India's largest city, with a population variously reported at 18 million, 20 million and above, this proved to be a sound strategy. I spent $72 U.S. for an air-conditioned car (important - it's hot in Mumbai), with a driver and the services of a professional guide from the India tourism offices. It was money well spent. The guide was good. In a bit of plug-o-la, I want to mention her and how to reach her; she is allowed to take freelance clients:
(Ms.) Ranjana Jain, e-mail ranjana.j.india@gmail.com, tel. 9833015701.
In a city the size of Mumbai, there are many things to do, and many things that stay in the mind. Two memories I'll take away: my visit to a central-city Jain temple, and hearing my guide clue me in to the city's enterprising, grassroots lunchtime delivery service.
The incense-scented temple, located in a busy, leafy midtown district, is a place of worship for Jains, 4 million strong, adherents of a religion founded in India by a contemporary of Buddha. My guide, whose surname is Jain, didn't identify herself as a believer, but she knows a lot about the religion. Basically, Jains believe in causing no harm and leaving the smallest-possible footprint on the planet.
"They don't eat root vegetables, because pulling out the plant means you kill the plant,'' she explained. "Also, you'll see people wearing surgical masks.'' Indeed, I did. "That way, they believe they will breathe-in fewer microbes. Also, they won't breathe germs on the statues in the temple, which are sacred.''
I thought my family and the school nurse when I was a kid were germ-adverse, but I had no idea.
Moving on around town, my guide pointed out a man pedaling a heavily laden bicycle.
"Are those his belongings?'' I asked.
"No, they are lunchboxes,'' she explained. Most Mumbai workers are men, and they live in the far suburbs and commute to work by train. The trains are so crowded, passengers can't even think of carrying anything. But many commuters like fresh-made lunches from home, not restaurant lunches. So, the wives pack a home lunch, these riders - called dabbawallas - pick them up in the suburbs and pedal back into town. The boxes are color-coded and marked with symbols - helpful in a country where many people are illiterate. The customers are regulars, they pay by the month. The dabbawallas drop off the lunchboxes at the work sites, pick them up again later and take them back to their owners' home. The next day it all starts again.
"This is unique to Mumbai,'' she said. "They are always on time, very punctual, very regular.''
In fact, the service - run by a private, 100-year-old organization with 500 stakeholder-riders, is so well-regarded, "Many management schools in India invite them to lecture on time-management.''
When you are in a place as crowded as Mumbai, necessity really is the mother of invention. Even in the heart of the city's apparent chaos, you must look closely: Sometimes, there is unseen order hidden just under the surface.
In India's largest city, with a population variously reported at 18 million, 20 million and above, this proved to be a sound strategy. I spent $72 U.S. for an air-conditioned car (important - it's hot in Mumbai), with a driver and the services of a professional guide from the India tourism offices. It was money well spent. The guide was good. In a bit of plug-o-la, I want to mention her and how to reach her; she is allowed to take freelance clients:
(Ms.) Ranjana Jain, e-mail ranjana.j.india@gmail.com, tel. 9833015701.
In a city the size of Mumbai, there are many things to do, and many things that stay in the mind. Two memories I'll take away: my visit to a central-city Jain temple, and hearing my guide clue me in to the city's enterprising, grassroots lunchtime delivery service.
The incense-scented temple, located in a busy, leafy midtown district, is a place of worship for Jains, 4 million strong, adherents of a religion founded in India by a contemporary of Buddha. My guide, whose surname is Jain, didn't identify herself as a believer, but she knows a lot about the religion. Basically, Jains believe in causing no harm and leaving the smallest-possible footprint on the planet.
"They don't eat root vegetables, because pulling out the plant means you kill the plant,'' she explained. "Also, you'll see people wearing surgical masks.'' Indeed, I did. "That way, they believe they will breathe-in fewer microbes. Also, they won't breathe germs on the statues in the temple, which are sacred.''
I thought my family and the school nurse when I was a kid were germ-adverse, but I had no idea.
Moving on around town, my guide pointed out a man pedaling a heavily laden bicycle.
"Are those his belongings?'' I asked.
"No, they are lunchboxes,'' she explained. Most Mumbai workers are men, and they live in the far suburbs and commute to work by train. The trains are so crowded, passengers can't even think of carrying anything. But many commuters like fresh-made lunches from home, not restaurant lunches. So, the wives pack a home lunch, these riders - called dabbawallas - pick them up in the suburbs and pedal back into town. The boxes are color-coded and marked with symbols - helpful in a country where many people are illiterate. The customers are regulars, they pay by the month. The dabbawallas drop off the lunchboxes at the work sites, pick them up again later and take them back to their owners' home. The next day it all starts again.
"This is unique to Mumbai,'' she said. "They are always on time, very punctual, very regular.''
In fact, the service - run by a private, 100-year-old organization with 500 stakeholder-riders, is so well-regarded, "Many management schools in India invite them to lecture on time-management.''
When you are in a place as crowded as Mumbai, necessity really is the mother of invention. Even in the heart of the city's apparent chaos, you must look closely: Sometimes, there is unseen order hidden just under the surface.
Terror Tourism?
MUMBAI - I read this in the Times of India the other day... Leopold's is a cafe that was shot up - with customers and staff killed - last November in a terrorist attack that also targeted hotels, the main rail station, and a Jewish cultural center:
"Leopold's has not shied away from taking advantage of this sentimentality (among tourists who want to see the site) and has monetarized its moment in history by creating memorabilia that customers can buy and take away with them. The cafe has been selling coffee mugs with an image of a bullet shot at 300 rupees ($6.60 U.S.) a pop. To date, the cafe has sold close to 4,000 mugs.''
Never-say-die example of the unquenchable human spirit or stunningly crass example of terror tourism? Your call.
FYI: I go more deeply into terrorism and travel in a section on my Web site, www.wishyouwereheretravel.net, called Soapbox. The piece in question is headlined "The Elephant in the Room,'' if you're interested.
"Leopold's has not shied away from taking advantage of this sentimentality (among tourists who want to see the site) and has monetarized its moment in history by creating memorabilia that customers can buy and take away with them. The cafe has been selling coffee mugs with an image of a bullet shot at 300 rupees ($6.60 U.S.) a pop. To date, the cafe has sold close to 4,000 mugs.''
Never-say-die example of the unquenchable human spirit or stunningly crass example of terror tourism? Your call.
FYI: I go more deeply into terrorism and travel in a section on my Web site, www.wishyouwereheretravel.net, called Soapbox. The piece in question is headlined "The Elephant in the Room,'' if you're interested.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Chillin' in Changi Airport on a Passage to India
SINGAPORE - Changi International Airport is routinely voted at or very near the top of world's best airports list every year by experienced world travelers, and you can see why. It took me all of 10 minutes this morning to whisk through check-in and security, ending in Singapore Airlines' Silverkris Lounge. Of course, it was only 5 a.m., but, still...this is an airport that works.
Changi, the home base of Singapore Airlines, recently opened a state of the art terminal 3; I flew into that terminal almost exactly a year ago when I traveled from my home in California to Singapore for an airline wine event hosted by the carrier's trio of wine consultants. I flew this year into and out of terminal 2 from my previous stopover in Auckland.
Terminal 2 is older but scrupulously maintained. It is graced by a marvelous indoor tropical garden, complete with a wooden walkway through the ferns, oversized flowers and other flora, and is enlivened by a sizable koi pond. Showers, a swimming pool and clusters of stand-up PCs for free Internet use are scattered through the smartly carpeted terminal.
In the Silverkris Lounge, where I waited for my flight to Mumbai on my first-ever passage to India, were dozens more free PCs, a good coffee-making machine, sumptuous Asian and Western food, and an array of free alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Large video monitors blinked overhead with flight information, and muted television screens showed BBC and CNN news.
How tuned-in to customers is Singapore Airlines? When I arrived early this ay-em, before the airport check-in desks were formally open, rather than make me wait, a reservation agent opened her station 7 or 8 minutes early to check me in. I can't think of many airlines that would do that, or many airports where it would happen.
Now, onto Mumbai, next stop on my round the world journey with Star Alliance member airlines.
Changi, the home base of Singapore Airlines, recently opened a state of the art terminal 3; I flew into that terminal almost exactly a year ago when I traveled from my home in California to Singapore for an airline wine event hosted by the carrier's trio of wine consultants. I flew this year into and out of terminal 2 from my previous stopover in Auckland.
Terminal 2 is older but scrupulously maintained. It is graced by a marvelous indoor tropical garden, complete with a wooden walkway through the ferns, oversized flowers and other flora, and is enlivened by a sizable koi pond. Showers, a swimming pool and clusters of stand-up PCs for free Internet use are scattered through the smartly carpeted terminal.
In the Silverkris Lounge, where I waited for my flight to Mumbai on my first-ever passage to India, were dozens more free PCs, a good coffee-making machine, sumptuous Asian and Western food, and an array of free alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Large video monitors blinked overhead with flight information, and muted television screens showed BBC and CNN news.
How tuned-in to customers is Singapore Airlines? When I arrived early this ay-em, before the airport check-in desks were formally open, rather than make me wait, a reservation agent opened her station 7 or 8 minutes early to check me in. I can't think of many airlines that would do that, or many airports where it would happen.
Now, onto Mumbai, next stop on my round the world journey with Star Alliance member airlines.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Heads Up: 7 New Travel Deals
News about travel deals - for airlines, hotels and resorts, theme parks, car rental agencies - flood my inbox and cross my desk all the time. Here are seven new travel deals you might be interested in, most of them designed to get people back out on the road this Fall. As always, caveat emptor. Read the fine print, and if it looks good, go.
1. AirTran Airways launched a fare sale today through midnight EDT Thursday, offering one-way fares starting at $39 for travel from Aug. 18 through Dec. 16, with blackout dates around Thanksgiving. Cheapest fares are on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Samples: $39 from Baltimore-Washington International to Charlotte, $54 from Orlando to Atlantic City. (http://www.airtran.com/ or 1.800-AIR-TRAN).
2. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is offering up to 40 percent off participating Bermuda hotels in honor of Bermuda's 400th anniversary. Sale ends Wednesday, Aug. 5 and is good for travel from Aug. 21 through March 31, 2010. (http://www.bermudasale.com/).
3. The Epic Hotel, a stylish boutique property in Miami with a good restaurant, called Area 31, and a happening waterside bar, is offering rooms from $129, valid for Thursdays through Sundays. This is a cool, modern hotel - I stayed there a few months ago and liked it. This sale ends Friday and is good for travel from today through Sept. 30. (http://www.kimptonhotels.com/)
4. Virgin America, the 2-year-old airline based in San Francisco, is putting tickets on sale now through Aug. 11 for travel from Aug. 18 through Nov. 18. Sample fares: Boston-San Francisco, starting at $119 one-way before taxes and fees, and New York-Las Vegas, also starting at $119 one-way. (http://www.virginamerica.com/ or 1.877.FLY.VIRGIN).
5. Walt Disney World is offering six packages, called Magic Your Way, available for travel through Dec. 17. Some variations go as low as $70 per night and includes entry to a Walt Disney World Resort and one Walt Disney theme park. Paackages are good for travel from Sept. 27 to Dec., 17, and tickets must be booked by Sept. 27. (http://www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/)
6. Traders Hotels, the well-regarded 4-star business-oriented hotels operated by Hong Kong's Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts, are offering a second night free from now through Sept. 30, to travelers who book between Aug. 6 and Aug. 15. Traders has hotels in a number of big Asian cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Yangon (Rangoon), Beijing, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. (http://www.shangri-la.com/).
7. Jet Airways, an internationally respected Indian carrier, is offering "boarding pass delights,'' along with its domestic low-cost unit, JetLite, that include discounts at participating hotels in India. For example, showing a Jet Airways or JetLite boarding card would get you a third night free at participating Marriott Hotels in India. (http://www.jetairways.com/).
1. AirTran Airways launched a fare sale today through midnight EDT Thursday, offering one-way fares starting at $39 for travel from Aug. 18 through Dec. 16, with blackout dates around Thanksgiving. Cheapest fares are on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Samples: $39 from Baltimore-Washington International to Charlotte, $54 from Orlando to Atlantic City. (http://www.airtran.com/ or 1.800-AIR-TRAN).
2. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is offering up to 40 percent off participating Bermuda hotels in honor of Bermuda's 400th anniversary. Sale ends Wednesday, Aug. 5 and is good for travel from Aug. 21 through March 31, 2010. (http://www.bermudasale.com/).
3. The Epic Hotel, a stylish boutique property in Miami with a good restaurant, called Area 31, and a happening waterside bar, is offering rooms from $129, valid for Thursdays through Sundays. This is a cool, modern hotel - I stayed there a few months ago and liked it. This sale ends Friday and is good for travel from today through Sept. 30. (http://www.kimptonhotels.com/)
4. Virgin America, the 2-year-old airline based in San Francisco, is putting tickets on sale now through Aug. 11 for travel from Aug. 18 through Nov. 18. Sample fares: Boston-San Francisco, starting at $119 one-way before taxes and fees, and New York-Las Vegas, also starting at $119 one-way. (http://www.virginamerica.com/ or 1.877.FLY.VIRGIN).
5. Walt Disney World is offering six packages, called Magic Your Way, available for travel through Dec. 17. Some variations go as low as $70 per night and includes entry to a Walt Disney World Resort and one Walt Disney theme park. Paackages are good for travel from Sept. 27 to Dec., 17, and tickets must be booked by Sept. 27. (http://www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/)
6. Traders Hotels, the well-regarded 4-star business-oriented hotels operated by Hong Kong's Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts, are offering a second night free from now through Sept. 30, to travelers who book between Aug. 6 and Aug. 15. Traders has hotels in a number of big Asian cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Yangon (Rangoon), Beijing, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. (http://www.shangri-la.com/).
7. Jet Airways, an internationally respected Indian carrier, is offering "boarding pass delights,'' along with its domestic low-cost unit, JetLite, that include discounts at participating hotels in India. For example, showing a Jet Airways or JetLite boarding card would get you a third night free at participating Marriott Hotels in India. (http://www.jetairways.com/).
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