HONG KONG - Wan Chai still has a lingering reputation as a redlight district - ala "The World of Suzy Wong'' circa 1960 - but this bustling district on Hong Kong island now hosts the city's mammoth convention center and a forest of highrise buildings, not just dimly lit bars. Other things have changed, too. For one thing, dim sum has been joined by molecular cuisine.
I hadn't heard of molecular cuisine until the British destination restaurant the Fat Duck earned three Michelin stars for serving it. Wan Chai's own Bo Innovation - a resto that bills itself as the home of "X-treme Chinese cuisine'' - has done almost as well in the critical department, winning two Michelin stars in last year's gastronomic guide to Hong Kong.
Molecular food is nearly as much a product of the chemist's lab as the chef's kitchen. City guide Fred Cheng, who showed off the place, told me the chef at Bo Innovation is a former engineer. It takes a chemist or engineer to do things like re-engineer foie gras to taste like sour cream, or make beef puree taste like pork dumplings, to cite two imaginary but not far-fetched examples.
Bo Innovation, which is three years old, can be hard to find. You access this noisy, pricey, trendy restaurant by taking a private lift at 60 Johnston Road and going up one level. There is an outdoor terrace and a happening bar in the mirrored, crowded main dining room. I was there for lunch. Cheng told me the bill can easily come to $100 U.S. person for a meal. I had the chef's special, which at 680 Hong Kong dollars, plus a 10 percent service charge, is in that neighborhood, tab-wise.
Looking at the black-clad staff - a sign of high seriousness and self-conscious cool - I wondered if terminal trendiness could be far off. But Bo Innovation surprised me. Much of the inventive food was flavorful and fun, and the presentation - which included a course served on fine, round stone plates - had an air of artful theatricality. The vintages were good, too, starting with Drappier Champagne, progressing to a 2006 Montessu, an Italian blend of four red wines that was Merlot-like on the tongue, and including a 2007 Paul Mas Chard.
Over the course of a 2.5 hour lunch, I sampled a few traditional Cantonese-style dishes such as ocean trout served with fermented black beans, honey and pickled bok choy. But innovative fare befitting the restaurant's name was far more common. Foie gras powder and freeze-dried raspberry on thin-sliced tuna belly was one example. Dessert looked like it came out of a mad scientist's laboratory: Ice cream in a glass covered with a lid. When you lifted the lid, steam poured off the ice cream giving off a distinct aroma of incense. And the ice cream was good.
I don't know if Suzy Wong would be enamoured with Bo Innovation (www.boinnovation.com), but I think she'd be surprised by it. For me, the place pushed right up to the limit of turning food more into science than art, but in the end it came down on the side of art, just. It's not just a trendy place, it's a good place - provided the budget permits.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
"Staple!'
HONG KONG - One of the things I did in Hong Kong - in addition to making mooncakes for the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, taking the reliably enchanting Star Ferry across Hong Kong Harbour and sampling molecular Cantonese cuisine - was visiting a senior center just outside the city proper and "helping'' the residents make traditional red paper lanterns for the festival.
I put "helping'' in quotation marks because in reality they helped me. This was my first stab at voluntourism - giving something back to one of the communities I was visiting, if only briefly. I made the connection with the immaculate and well-run Lan Oi Tong Senior Center through the Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel, which has an on-going relationship with the center. The hotel's sparky director of communications, Patsy Chan, arranged for me and a scrum of fellow journos to bus to the town of Tuen Mun in the outlying New Territories to meet the residents of the center.
Red Lanterns are made from red paper envelopes, folded, stapled together and hung up all over town - they bring a colorful and festive touch to the weeks-long annual celebration, held all across China. Upon arrival, I was ushered up a flight of stairs to the center's library, where a cheerful collection of older men and women greeted me and sat me down at a long, rectangular table. My assignment: Make crisply folded and neatly stapled lanterns for the festival.
Folks, fine-motor skills are not my forte. The very nice lady seated to my right showed me how to proceed, then waited expectantly for me to match her own expert efforts. She was incredibly fast, her hands a blur, her red lanterns perfectly made. I was - how to say? - not quite as good as she. Oh, I tried to take my game to another level, but I was battling adversity, and adversity was winning. The lady said a few words in Cantonese. A center employee helpfully translated: "She says you are very fast and good.'' Uh-huh.
But the truth will out, and it did. After a few more minutes, the center employee overseeing the library gently took a half-finished, half-mangled wanna-be lantern off my hands. She then began rapidly extracting the staples I had just put in. She folded the paper the way it was meant to be folded. And then she held out the paper in my direction: "Staple!'' she said. Then again: "Staple!'' Then a few dozen more times in rapid succession: "Staple!''
At last, there were red lanterns. The elderly lady by my side took my hand and led me out of the library and onto a balcony above the center's spacious, rather nicely equipped gymnasium. There, we hung the lanterns, tying them onto the balcony railing. They looked lovely.
When the Shangri-la employees who accompanied us joined us in leaving the senior center, a line off healthy, happy-looking residents waved goodbye and shook my hand. I felt a tug at my sleeve. It was my teacher from the library. She had made a red lantern for me.
I guess I saw more spectacular things in Hong Kong, but if there was anything sweeter, I can't imagine what it was.
I put "helping'' in quotation marks because in reality they helped me. This was my first stab at voluntourism - giving something back to one of the communities I was visiting, if only briefly. I made the connection with the immaculate and well-run Lan Oi Tong Senior Center through the Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel, which has an on-going relationship with the center. The hotel's sparky director of communications, Patsy Chan, arranged for me and a scrum of fellow journos to bus to the town of Tuen Mun in the outlying New Territories to meet the residents of the center.
Red Lanterns are made from red paper envelopes, folded, stapled together and hung up all over town - they bring a colorful and festive touch to the weeks-long annual celebration, held all across China. Upon arrival, I was ushered up a flight of stairs to the center's library, where a cheerful collection of older men and women greeted me and sat me down at a long, rectangular table. My assignment: Make crisply folded and neatly stapled lanterns for the festival.
Folks, fine-motor skills are not my forte. The very nice lady seated to my right showed me how to proceed, then waited expectantly for me to match her own expert efforts. She was incredibly fast, her hands a blur, her red lanterns perfectly made. I was - how to say? - not quite as good as she. Oh, I tried to take my game to another level, but I was battling adversity, and adversity was winning. The lady said a few words in Cantonese. A center employee helpfully translated: "She says you are very fast and good.'' Uh-huh.
But the truth will out, and it did. After a few more minutes, the center employee overseeing the library gently took a half-finished, half-mangled wanna-be lantern off my hands. She then began rapidly extracting the staples I had just put in. She folded the paper the way it was meant to be folded. And then she held out the paper in my direction: "Staple!'' she said. Then again: "Staple!'' Then a few dozen more times in rapid succession: "Staple!''
At last, there were red lanterns. The elderly lady by my side took my hand and led me out of the library and onto a balcony above the center's spacious, rather nicely equipped gymnasium. There, we hung the lanterns, tying them onto the balcony railing. They looked lovely.
When the Shangri-la employees who accompanied us joined us in leaving the senior center, a line off healthy, happy-looking residents waved goodbye and shook my hand. I felt a tug at my sleeve. It was my teacher from the library. She had made a red lantern for me.
I guess I saw more spectacular things in Hong Kong, but if there was anything sweeter, I can't imagine what it was.
The Great Firewall of China
You have, of course, heard of - and maybe seen for yourself - the Great Wall of China. In the modern Middle Kingdom there also looms the Great Firewall of China, the Beijing government's rather successful attempt at restricting access to the Internet from its territory.
I ran headlong into the Great Firewall this week upon alighting in Shanghai, when I discovered I couldn't get onto Blogger.com to post new writings on this blog. Couldn't get onto Twitter.com, either. This is, alas, a common experience, as the Chinese government is not at all comfortable with allowing freedom of personal or political expression for the millions of bloggers and social-networkers in China who would like to have some.
This was a momentary inconvenience for me, preventing me from posting for a week during my current trip to Asia. The real problem, of course, is for the people who live in the People's Republic of China. Getting information in and getting information out is tough, even in the Age of the Internet. In the medium- and long term, the government's restrictions will probably be for naught. For now, they are simple but effective. As long as restrictions on the Net, and on established print and electronic journalism, remain in place, China will have difficulty building a stable civic society to go with its new glittering shopping malls and designer duds.
China is still very much worth visiting. I'll be writing about my visit both online and on paper in the days, weeks and months to come. As great as digital media can be, this is a useful reminder just how useful travel, with its face-to-face, real-time experience, really is.
I ran headlong into the Great Firewall this week upon alighting in Shanghai, when I discovered I couldn't get onto Blogger.com to post new writings on this blog. Couldn't get onto Twitter.com, either. This is, alas, a common experience, as the Chinese government is not at all comfortable with allowing freedom of personal or political expression for the millions of bloggers and social-networkers in China who would like to have some.
This was a momentary inconvenience for me, preventing me from posting for a week during my current trip to Asia. The real problem, of course, is for the people who live in the People's Republic of China. Getting information in and getting information out is tough, even in the Age of the Internet. In the medium- and long term, the government's restrictions will probably be for naught. For now, they are simple but effective. As long as restrictions on the Net, and on established print and electronic journalism, remain in place, China will have difficulty building a stable civic society to go with its new glittering shopping malls and designer duds.
China is still very much worth visiting. I'll be writing about my visit both online and on paper in the days, weeks and months to come. As great as digital media can be, this is a useful reminder just how useful travel, with its face-to-face, real-time experience, really is.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Flying to Cathay...with Cathay
Cathay is of course, a charming, nostalgia-drenched name for China. More than that, it's the name of a thoroughly modern airline, Cathay Pacific Airways, which I have just flown to Hong Kong, to kick-off a 17-day trip in Asia.
As a person who flies a lot, in nearly every region of the planet, I can attest to this Hong Kong carrier's quality. It's easily one of the world's top 10 airlines for customer care and efficiency - and may well be one of the top 5. Of course, it helps, on any airline, to fly in the front of the plane, which I did. I was originally booked into business class, which would have been just fine, but was upgraded to first class when I arrived at San Francisco International Airport for my departure. I didn't argue.
First class is called first class for a reason. You get the best food, the best wine, the most comfy seats, the most personal attention from the cabin crew. All this was much in evidence. Cathay Pacific's first class amenities include a soft, roomy set of pajamas made for the airline by Shanghai Tang, the trendy Hong Kong retailer. As for overhead bins, perish the thought; the front of the plane includes a small passenger closet, complete with hangers for your jacket, built into the hard shell that surrounds the seat. The seat itself, a new type just now being installed across Cathay's fleet, converts into a perfect flatbed when the cabin lights go down. I took a 13.5 hour, all-night flight to Hong Kong, so that re-engineered seat helped a lot. I still feel the movable segments in airplane seats, though, and - perhaps perversely - spend as much time in a semi-reclining position as in a full flatbed on long-haul flights. It seems to me like an old overstuffed reclining armchair that way - something like a Lay-Z-Boy in the sky.
Oh, the 888 music CDs in the newly expanded in-flight entertainment system help long flights go by quickly, too. My flight even departed and arrived on time - something that's become increasingly rare in U.S. domestic air travel and a problem I - like many of you - encountered during the peak summer travel season this year. If only all flights could be like this one.
Cathay has managed to keep its high service standards in spite of being hammered, like so many airlines, in today's difficult business environment. Long-haul business travel is a mainstay for Cathay, which flies only international routes from its base in compact Hong Kong. Cathay employees told me that the company, which has lost money in recent quarters, has had employees take unpaid days off, but that no one has yet lost their job. This, too, is in contrast to many airlines, where layoffs have been counted in the thousands during the Great Recession - one cntributing factor to spotty service.
I don't mean to imply that this is a perfect airline; it's not. There is no such airline. But dedication to quality shows. I have flown Cathay's economy class, too, and, no, it's not the equal of business or first, but it's good. Cathay Pacific gets it right nearly all the time, making it a carrier I actually look forward to flying.
As a person who flies a lot, in nearly every region of the planet, I can attest to this Hong Kong carrier's quality. It's easily one of the world's top 10 airlines for customer care and efficiency - and may well be one of the top 5. Of course, it helps, on any airline, to fly in the front of the plane, which I did. I was originally booked into business class, which would have been just fine, but was upgraded to first class when I arrived at San Francisco International Airport for my departure. I didn't argue.
First class is called first class for a reason. You get the best food, the best wine, the most comfy seats, the most personal attention from the cabin crew. All this was much in evidence. Cathay Pacific's first class amenities include a soft, roomy set of pajamas made for the airline by Shanghai Tang, the trendy Hong Kong retailer. As for overhead bins, perish the thought; the front of the plane includes a small passenger closet, complete with hangers for your jacket, built into the hard shell that surrounds the seat. The seat itself, a new type just now being installed across Cathay's fleet, converts into a perfect flatbed when the cabin lights go down. I took a 13.5 hour, all-night flight to Hong Kong, so that re-engineered seat helped a lot. I still feel the movable segments in airplane seats, though, and - perhaps perversely - spend as much time in a semi-reclining position as in a full flatbed on long-haul flights. It seems to me like an old overstuffed reclining armchair that way - something like a Lay-Z-Boy in the sky.
Oh, the 888 music CDs in the newly expanded in-flight entertainment system help long flights go by quickly, too. My flight even departed and arrived on time - something that's become increasingly rare in U.S. domestic air travel and a problem I - like many of you - encountered during the peak summer travel season this year. If only all flights could be like this one.
Cathay has managed to keep its high service standards in spite of being hammered, like so many airlines, in today's difficult business environment. Long-haul business travel is a mainstay for Cathay, which flies only international routes from its base in compact Hong Kong. Cathay employees told me that the company, which has lost money in recent quarters, has had employees take unpaid days off, but that no one has yet lost their job. This, too, is in contrast to many airlines, where layoffs have been counted in the thousands during the Great Recession - one cntributing factor to spotty service.
I don't mean to imply that this is a perfect airline; it's not. There is no such airline. But dedication to quality shows. I have flown Cathay's economy class, too, and, no, it's not the equal of business or first, but it's good. Cathay Pacific gets it right nearly all the time, making it a carrier I actually look forward to flying.
Monday, September 7, 2009
More Fall Travel Deals and Discounts on Offer
The travel deals that have characterized most of 2009 are rolling right along, heading deep into the fall, as industry vendors continue to try to pump up business during the recession - and this traditionally slow time of year.
Here's a line on some interesting deals that have filled my inbox in recent days. As always, be detail-oriented and check the terms with providers if you consider booking.
*American Airlines is offering double elite-qualifying miles for various levels of its AAdvantage frequent-flyer program for travel on American through Dec. 15 (www.aa.com/elitestatus). Book with the promotion code DBLEQ.
* United Airlines, Virgin America and others are offering discounted fares to and from the San Francisco Bay Area for fall and winter travel. Deals center on San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport, as reported by the travel bargain Web site TravelZoo.com. Sample fares - one-way, based on round-trip purchases, before taxes and fees - include San Francisco-Las Vegas from $49 and Oakland-Boston from $109. For more information, go to www.virginamerica.com, www.united.com or www.travelzoo.com/Newsflash).
* Speaking of airfare sales, Continental Airlines has a good business-class fare from its U.S. hubs in Newark, Cleveland and Houston to prime locales in Europe (www.continental.com). The catch: Deals are for travel during the U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Prices are as low as $1,130 roundtrip and nonstop from Newark to Europe from Nov. 21-Nov. 27, and back to Newark from Nov. 26-Dec. 4. Slightly higher but still good fares obtain on the same routes for those willing to fly over the Christmas holiday.
* The designer boutique hotel Opposite House, in Beijing (www.oppositehouse.com), is offering a third night free for guests who book two previous consecutive nights. Rates start at $337 U.S.
Offer is good through Dec. 31, and includes add-ons such as breakfast for two on weekends and a guided cultural walk around Beijing on Saturdays.
* Another American Airlines promotion: Selected destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, the Bahamas and Bermuda are on sale through Sept. 15, good for travel to and from the United States till Nov. 19. There are no advance purchase requirements and no embargo dates. The terms include a minimum 2-day and maximum 30-day stay. Sample fares - one-way based on round-trip purchase, before taxes and fees: Washington, D.C.-Kingston, Jamaica, $95; Chicago-Montego Bay, Jamaica, $100. (www.aa.com).
* Some 75 California winemakers, hotels and restaurants are rolling out special deals throughout September, dubbed California Wine Month in the Golden State. Deals encompass the prime winemaking regions in northern California's Napa and Sonoma valleys and southern California's productive Paso Robles area (www.visitcalifornia.com).
Here's wishing you a fabulous fall.
Footnotes:
I'll be departing late tonight to Asia, to experience and write about "voluntourism'' - the giving-back by travelers to communities in need.
I'll also be blogging frequently about the high points of some great Asian destinations. You'll be hearing more about the latest happenings in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bangkok, among others, as well as impressions of my airline journeys (I'm booked on Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair) and no fewer than six Shangri-la hotels and resorts in east Asia.
Here's a line on some interesting deals that have filled my inbox in recent days. As always, be detail-oriented and check the terms with providers if you consider booking.
*American Airlines is offering double elite-qualifying miles for various levels of its AAdvantage frequent-flyer program for travel on American through Dec. 15 (www.aa.com/elitestatus). Book with the promotion code DBLEQ.
* United Airlines, Virgin America and others are offering discounted fares to and from the San Francisco Bay Area for fall and winter travel. Deals center on San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport, as reported by the travel bargain Web site TravelZoo.com. Sample fares - one-way, based on round-trip purchases, before taxes and fees - include San Francisco-Las Vegas from $49 and Oakland-Boston from $109. For more information, go to www.virginamerica.com, www.united.com or www.travelzoo.com/Newsflash).
* Speaking of airfare sales, Continental Airlines has a good business-class fare from its U.S. hubs in Newark, Cleveland and Houston to prime locales in Europe (www.continental.com). The catch: Deals are for travel during the U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Prices are as low as $1,130 roundtrip and nonstop from Newark to Europe from Nov. 21-Nov. 27, and back to Newark from Nov. 26-Dec. 4. Slightly higher but still good fares obtain on the same routes for those willing to fly over the Christmas holiday.
* The designer boutique hotel Opposite House, in Beijing (www.oppositehouse.com), is offering a third night free for guests who book two previous consecutive nights. Rates start at $337 U.S.
Offer is good through Dec. 31, and includes add-ons such as breakfast for two on weekends and a guided cultural walk around Beijing on Saturdays.
* Another American Airlines promotion: Selected destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, the Bahamas and Bermuda are on sale through Sept. 15, good for travel to and from the United States till Nov. 19. There are no advance purchase requirements and no embargo dates. The terms include a minimum 2-day and maximum 30-day stay. Sample fares - one-way based on round-trip purchase, before taxes and fees: Washington, D.C.-Kingston, Jamaica, $95; Chicago-Montego Bay, Jamaica, $100. (www.aa.com).
* Some 75 California winemakers, hotels and restaurants are rolling out special deals throughout September, dubbed California Wine Month in the Golden State. Deals encompass the prime winemaking regions in northern California's Napa and Sonoma valleys and southern California's productive Paso Robles area (www.visitcalifornia.com).
Here's wishing you a fabulous fall.
Footnotes:
I'll be departing late tonight to Asia, to experience and write about "voluntourism'' - the giving-back by travelers to communities in need.
I'll also be blogging frequently about the high points of some great Asian destinations. You'll be hearing more about the latest happenings in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bangkok, among others, as well as impressions of my airline journeys (I'm booked on Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair) and no fewer than six Shangri-la hotels and resorts in east Asia.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
What's Good for Southwest Airlines...
Is what's good for Southwest Airlines good for the traveling public?
You would think so, given Wednesday's decision by the Federal Aviation Administration not to ground dozens of Southwest aircraft until unapproved airplane parts can be replaced.
This potentially dangerous decision is good for Southwest, which lobbied Washington to allow it to continue flying the planes. Southwest argued that taking 86 (the number reported by the Wall Street Journal on Aug. 31) of its Boeing 737s out of service would cause flight delays to ripple through the U.S. air travel system. The FAA, concluding that giving the low-fare pioneer until Dec. 24 to install new, approved parts would not pose a safety risk, agreed with the airline.
This is a mind-boggling decision for the same agency that fined Southwest $7.5 million last year for operating 60,000 flights by aircraft that were out of compliance with FAA rules.
Just this summer, a Southwest plane was forced to make an unscheduled landing after a foot-wide hole opened up in the body of the aircraft.
Last year on Capitol Hill, members of Congress accused FAA inspectors of being too palsy with Southwest, an airline they were supposed to be regulating. How does this decision look in light of that history? Should the millions of people who fly Southwest every year be reassured?
Southwest is, of course, pleased that the FAA (www.faa.gov) sees things its way. In a statement Wednesday, the carrier assured its customers that they are in no danger. Said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest's chief operating officer, "The parts have been inspected, and the FAA agrees that they meet the requirements of the aircraft manufacturer, Boeing.''
The unauthorized parts were installed by a subcontractor to whom Southwest (www.southwest.com) has - like many major carriers - outsourced work. More and more, airlines are outsourcing maintenance, sometimes to overseas stations that receive visits from FAA inspectors but not enough; concerns have been raised by U.S. labor unions and industry observers that there are not enough traveling FAA inspectors to conduct effective international safety inspections.
Now this.
The nearly always sensible Business Travel Coalition has weighed in with a critique, raising a number of thought-provoking questions. The answers should interest everyone who flies.
"If there are no safety implications associated with this part, why have a certification process that disallows flying with unapproved parts in the first place?'' the BTC asks, rather logically. "Are not such protocols in place to guard against subjective FAA judgments? What is the difference between this case and when American Airlines was forced to ground over half its fleet in 2008 over wire shields?''
Further, BTC (http://btcweb.biz) asks the agency "Will FAA investigate Southwest's overall policies, practices and processes for overseeing aircraft maintenance outsourcing now that a deep flaw in the airline's program has been discovered?''
Separately, Southwest announced on Wednesday that it will allow customers to check-in for flights up to 25 hours before departure - for a new $10 fee. That's after business-class fliers and frequent-flier program members board the aircraft. This new move erodes the long-standing practice of allowing passengers to board without seat assignments. It has always been a dubiously efficient system, but if Southwest is going to keep it, why allow so many exceptions?
Personally, this frequent flier thinks Southwest should can the canned humor of the cabin crews, just assign seats to everyone and, above all, inspect their planes, fully and promptly, every time.
You would think so, given Wednesday's decision by the Federal Aviation Administration not to ground dozens of Southwest aircraft until unapproved airplane parts can be replaced.
This potentially dangerous decision is good for Southwest, which lobbied Washington to allow it to continue flying the planes. Southwest argued that taking 86 (the number reported by the Wall Street Journal on Aug. 31) of its Boeing 737s out of service would cause flight delays to ripple through the U.S. air travel system. The FAA, concluding that giving the low-fare pioneer until Dec. 24 to install new, approved parts would not pose a safety risk, agreed with the airline.
This is a mind-boggling decision for the same agency that fined Southwest $7.5 million last year for operating 60,000 flights by aircraft that were out of compliance with FAA rules.
Just this summer, a Southwest plane was forced to make an unscheduled landing after a foot-wide hole opened up in the body of the aircraft.
Last year on Capitol Hill, members of Congress accused FAA inspectors of being too palsy with Southwest, an airline they were supposed to be regulating. How does this decision look in light of that history? Should the millions of people who fly Southwest every year be reassured?
Southwest is, of course, pleased that the FAA (www.faa.gov) sees things its way. In a statement Wednesday, the carrier assured its customers that they are in no danger. Said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest's chief operating officer, "The parts have been inspected, and the FAA agrees that they meet the requirements of the aircraft manufacturer, Boeing.''
The unauthorized parts were installed by a subcontractor to whom Southwest (www.southwest.com) has - like many major carriers - outsourced work. More and more, airlines are outsourcing maintenance, sometimes to overseas stations that receive visits from FAA inspectors but not enough; concerns have been raised by U.S. labor unions and industry observers that there are not enough traveling FAA inspectors to conduct effective international safety inspections.
Now this.
The nearly always sensible Business Travel Coalition has weighed in with a critique, raising a number of thought-provoking questions. The answers should interest everyone who flies.
"If there are no safety implications associated with this part, why have a certification process that disallows flying with unapproved parts in the first place?'' the BTC asks, rather logically. "Are not such protocols in place to guard against subjective FAA judgments? What is the difference between this case and when American Airlines was forced to ground over half its fleet in 2008 over wire shields?''
Further, BTC (http://btcweb.biz) asks the agency "Will FAA investigate Southwest's overall policies, practices and processes for overseeing aircraft maintenance outsourcing now that a deep flaw in the airline's program has been discovered?''
Separately, Southwest announced on Wednesday that it will allow customers to check-in for flights up to 25 hours before departure - for a new $10 fee. That's after business-class fliers and frequent-flier program members board the aircraft. This new move erodes the long-standing practice of allowing passengers to board without seat assignments. It has always been a dubiously efficient system, but if Southwest is going to keep it, why allow so many exceptions?
Personally, this frequent flier thinks Southwest should can the canned humor of the cabin crews, just assign seats to everyone and, above all, inspect their planes, fully and promptly, every time.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Spoil Me
Consumer demand for travel remains weak in the recession, and that means the cascade of travel deals for airlines, hotels, resorts and worldwide destinations that began last winter continues apace, with packages and discounts reaching into this coming winter.
Here is a sampler of current travel deals. (Note: I am a journalist, not a travel vendor. I don't have shares or a stake in any travel company. As always, conduct due diligence.)
Onward, then:
* American Airlines has a big fare sale good for travel within the United States with one-way fares starting at $49. The sale is good for travel from Sept. 9 to Jan. 7, 2010 and must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. Central Daylight Time, Thursday, Sept. 3. Tickets must be purchased 14 days in advance on the American Airlines Web site (www.aa.com). There are blackout dates near major holidays. Sample one-way fares based on round-trip purchase: $49 Minneapolis-Chicago; $59 Los Angeles-Las Vegas; $79 Orlando-Miami.
* Ritz-Carlton Hotels has a worldwide "Peace of Mind'' sale on at 30 of its resorts and 40 of its city hotels through Dec. 31. Details vary from property to property but typically include at least one free night with a minimum stay of four consecutive nights, resulting in a fine de facto discount. Other amenities include $100 resort fees, daily breakfast for two, free parking and local telephone calls and more - a good deal at this 5-star, luxury chain. (www.ritz-carlton.com or telephone 1.800.542.8680 in the U.S. and Canada).
* The landmark Kahala Hotel and Resort, Honolulu, has just finished a $52 million renovation. Additionally, the hotel is celebrating its 45th anniversary with 30 percent off Kahala suites, plus a fifth free night with a five-night stay and daily buffet breakfast for two at the resort's beachfront Plumeria Beach House(www.kahalaresort.com or telephone 1.800.367.2525.) Hawaiian officials report that tourist arrivals dropped 15 percent in the first half of this year from the first half of 2008, so this is, broadly speaking, a good time to find deals in Hawaii. The 50th state is busy marking its 50th year as a member of the Union.
* The Upper House, a designer-driven, high-style boutique property from Swire Hotels, opens Oct. 2 in Hong Kong. The new arrival has 117 rooms, including 21 suites, and is located in the highrise Pacific Place complex on Hong Kong island. Advance press materials say the Upper house will boast bathrooms over 300 square feet. This is a sister property to the Opposite House, in Beijing. The Hong Kong opening is being marked with a two nights for the price of one offer from Oct. 2 through Dec. 31. (www.upperhouse.com, info@upperhouse.com.
* Lufthansa, Germany's major airline, is offering double-mile status for Lufthansa's best customers: its frequent flyers. The airline calls its program Miles and More (www.milesandmore.com). The double-miles offer is good throughout September and October for flights beginning and ending in Europe and includes travel on affiliated airlines such as Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines and Swiss. (www.lufthansa.com).
* Dive St. Vincent and Mariners Hotel in St. Vincent, located in the southeast Caribbean, is offering savings through Nov. 30 of $106 U.S. per diver in its 7 nights/10 dives package. The deal includes an eighth night free and two free extra dives and costs $999 per person. (E-mail bill2s@DiveStVincent.com or telephone 1.784.457.4928).
* Six Fairmont Hotels and Resorts properties in California are asking guests at check-in if they want to contribute $1 to help make up a desperate funding shortfall at California's beseiged state parks. The properties, which include the Fairmont Hotel Nob Hill, in San Francisco; Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa, in northern California wine country; and Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows, in Santa Monica, say funds collected "will be earmarked for Tourism Cares and the California Save Our Parks Campaign.'' Hopefully, the state, currently ablaze with wildwires, won't burn down first. Contact the non-profit Tourism Cares, a volunteer-based and educational-oriented organization, at www.tourismcares.org. You can reach Fairmont Hotels at www.fairmont.com or telephone 1.800.441.1414.
Here is a sampler of current travel deals. (Note: I am a journalist, not a travel vendor. I don't have shares or a stake in any travel company. As always, conduct due diligence.)
Onward, then:
* American Airlines has a big fare sale good for travel within the United States with one-way fares starting at $49. The sale is good for travel from Sept. 9 to Jan. 7, 2010 and must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. Central Daylight Time, Thursday, Sept. 3. Tickets must be purchased 14 days in advance on the American Airlines Web site (www.aa.com). There are blackout dates near major holidays. Sample one-way fares based on round-trip purchase: $49 Minneapolis-Chicago; $59 Los Angeles-Las Vegas; $79 Orlando-Miami.
* Ritz-Carlton Hotels has a worldwide "Peace of Mind'' sale on at 30 of its resorts and 40 of its city hotels through Dec. 31. Details vary from property to property but typically include at least one free night with a minimum stay of four consecutive nights, resulting in a fine de facto discount. Other amenities include $100 resort fees, daily breakfast for two, free parking and local telephone calls and more - a good deal at this 5-star, luxury chain. (www.ritz-carlton.com or telephone 1.800.542.8680 in the U.S. and Canada).
* The landmark Kahala Hotel and Resort, Honolulu, has just finished a $52 million renovation. Additionally, the hotel is celebrating its 45th anniversary with 30 percent off Kahala suites, plus a fifth free night with a five-night stay and daily buffet breakfast for two at the resort's beachfront Plumeria Beach House(www.kahalaresort.com or telephone 1.800.367.2525.) Hawaiian officials report that tourist arrivals dropped 15 percent in the first half of this year from the first half of 2008, so this is, broadly speaking, a good time to find deals in Hawaii. The 50th state is busy marking its 50th year as a member of the Union.
* The Upper House, a designer-driven, high-style boutique property from Swire Hotels, opens Oct. 2 in Hong Kong. The new arrival has 117 rooms, including 21 suites, and is located in the highrise Pacific Place complex on Hong Kong island. Advance press materials say the Upper house will boast bathrooms over 300 square feet. This is a sister property to the Opposite House, in Beijing. The Hong Kong opening is being marked with a two nights for the price of one offer from Oct. 2 through Dec. 31. (www.upperhouse.com, info@upperhouse.com.
* Lufthansa, Germany's major airline, is offering double-mile status for Lufthansa's best customers: its frequent flyers. The airline calls its program Miles and More (www.milesandmore.com). The double-miles offer is good throughout September and October for flights beginning and ending in Europe and includes travel on affiliated airlines such as Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines and Swiss. (www.lufthansa.com).
* Dive St. Vincent and Mariners Hotel in St. Vincent, located in the southeast Caribbean, is offering savings through Nov. 30 of $106 U.S. per diver in its 7 nights/10 dives package. The deal includes an eighth night free and two free extra dives and costs $999 per person. (E-mail bill2s@DiveStVincent.com or telephone 1.784.457.4928).
* Six Fairmont Hotels and Resorts properties in California are asking guests at check-in if they want to contribute $1 to help make up a desperate funding shortfall at California's beseiged state parks. The properties, which include the Fairmont Hotel Nob Hill, in San Francisco; Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa, in northern California wine country; and Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows, in Santa Monica, say funds collected "will be earmarked for Tourism Cares and the California Save Our Parks Campaign.'' Hopefully, the state, currently ablaze with wildwires, won't burn down first. Contact the non-profit Tourism Cares, a volunteer-based and educational-oriented organization, at www.tourismcares.org. You can reach Fairmont Hotels at www.fairmont.com or telephone 1.800.441.1414.
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