Archive for the 'Great Britain' Category
Ride-makers roll out new thrills for 2010 at Las Vegas expo
November 19, 2009 5:34pm
Roller-coaster and thrill-ride manufacturers from around the world descended on Las Vegas this week for the annual amusement park convention, offering a sneak peek at what we can expect to see in 2010 and beyond.
In my conversations with show exhibitors, I came away with one overarching message as I toured the massive International Assn. of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) show floor: All the latest and greatest rides are heading to Asia and Europe in 2010. By and large, recession-weary American theme parks are sitting on their thin wallets.
Here’s a few of my favorite new rides and attractions on display at the expo:
> Twist N’ Splash from Germany’s Mack Rides combines a spinning teacup concept with a Splash Battle water ride. Riders squirt each other and landlubbers with water cannons. Two European parks will get the new ride, officials said.
See London like Sherlock Holmes did
November 13, 2009 2:00pm
You can now prowl around the London locations tied to the new action-mystery movie “Sherlock Holmes,” thanks to the nation’s VisitBritain tourist agency.
The agency has developed a microsite to tout the film’s Holmes-related venues.
High on the list is the Sherlock Holmes Museum, at 221B Baker St., Holmes’ residence in the novels by Arthur Conan Doyle. While there, visitors can pick up a booklet that leads a Holmes-themed London walking tour ($6).
Another location, St. Paul’s Cathedral, was used for interiors and exteriors of the new film, which debuts Christmas Day. The 300-year-old landmark’s impressive geometric staircase is featured, but the landmark’s interior would be worth a few hours at any time. Read the rest of this entry »
Where Americans die abroad, and why: By the numbers
November 9, 2009 5:58am
Of course you should beware of crime while planning and making your next international trip. But the numbers say that if you’re among the unlucky few to die, a car, bus or motorcycle is more likely to kill you.
Death by traffic is a recurring theme in a fascinating State Department Web page that I came across last week.
For instance, by the department’s count, of at least 126 Americans who died of “non-natural causes” in Mexico in the first half of 2009, at least 45 perished in vehicle accidents. The figure for homicides: 36. The figure for drownings: at least 22, 10 of them in Baja California Sur (which includes Los Cabos and La Paz) and seven in the state of Quintana Roo (which includes Cancun and Cozumel). Other types of accidents, and suicides, accounted for the rest.
Keep in mind that during that spell from January through June 2009, about 2.6 million Americans boarded flights to Mexico and many more visited by car or ship. The odds overwhelmingly suggest that your vacation will be nonfatal.
The Michael Jackson theme park that never was, but still could be
November 5, 2009 12:29pm
Michael Jackson dreamed of a theme park based on the J.M. Barrie story of “Peter Pan,” complete with looping roller coasters, 3-D flight simulators, water rides, stunt shows, dinner theater, nighttime spectaculars and hotels.
The Disney and More blog has the full story of how the dream nearly became reality, including blueprints and concept art from the envisioned project.
In the late 1990s, the King of Pop partnered with Burbank-based Landmark Entertainment Group — the creators of the Spider-Man ride at Islands of Adventure and the Jurassic Park water ride at Universal Studios Orlando — to draft a plan for Peter Pan’s Neverland theme park.
The concept looks remarkably similar to Disneyland past and present, with all the Peter Pan parts of the park (pirate ship, dark ride, skull rock) amplified and embellished with plenty of pixie dust.
Peter Pan’s Neverland envisioned a grand entrance into Victorian London with replicas of Kensington Gardens, Big Ben, Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament.
On Neverland Island, reached by boat, there were six themed lands:
Read the rest of this entry »
British Airways opens nonstop London-Las Vegas route: $249 O/W introductory fares
October 26, 2009 1:24pm
British Airways received a wet celebratory splash Sunday night at McCarran International Airport as the airline’s first flight of nonstop service between London Heathrow (LHR) and Las Vegas (LAS) landed. But BA isn’t the first foreign carrier to bring tourists from Europe to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Sun reports that Virgin Atlantic offers nonstop daily flights between London Gatwick and Las Vegas, and Condor Flugdienst flies twice a week between Frankfurt, Germany, and Las Vegas. The Sun also noted the heated rivalry between British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, as well has the 2008 passenger decline that Virgin recorded between London and Las Vegas.
Deal or no deal? British Airways is offering introductory fares of $249 each way, pre-tax, between London (LHR) and Las Vegas (LAS). When I tested dates in February, I found a round-trip ticket between Las Vegas (LAS) and London (LHR) for $663 (Feb. 9-15). When I tested the same dates and destinations on Kayak, I found the same rates flying British Airways and similar rates on American Airlines and US Airways. If you were to fly Continental, United, Delta or Northwest, the price jumped to more than $800 round trip.
Frequent fliers rate LAX the third-worst airport in the world
October 22, 2009 11:22am
Turns out that a $1-billion overhaul of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) (Bradley Terminal, above) can’t come too soon for 14,526 frequent fliers, who rated it the third-worst airport in the world in a just-released survey. The most hated airport? London’s giant Heathrow (LHR), followed by Paris’ Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
The online survey was conducted in September among members of Priority Pass, a program that charges an annual fee for access to airport lounges.
As for LAX: My colleague Christopher Reynolds has a suggestion or two (actually 10) for improving that place. Interestingly, it did not rank as the worst airport in the U.S. among American members of Priority Pass. That dubious honor fell to Chicago’s O’Hare (ORD), with LAX pulling up second and Atlanta (ATL) third.
British Airways offers $300 to fliers who booked mistaken $40-$100 fares to India
October 9, 2009 2:10pm
British Airways, which declined to honor U.S.-India round-trip fares of $40 to $100 that were posted by mistake a week ago, is now making nice with customers. In an e-mail to travel agents today, the struggling airline said it would offer a $300 discount on a future flight to people who snagged the cheap fares. But it still didn’t say it would honor the fares, which it planned to refund to buyers.
The offer came after the U.S. Department of Transportation said it was investigating the incident, which has unleashed a barrage of criticism in Internet chat rooms on sites such as FlyerTalk and in comments posted on my earlier post. A DOT spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the investigation.
Some people who bought the low fares on Oct. 2 said they had thought they were valid because, with taxes and fees, they could total more than $500. Others worried that the mistake could wind up costing them hundreds.
British Airways goofs, sells $40 round-trips to India
October 7, 2009 6:38pm
How’s this for a dream deal: Fly round trip between the U.S. and India for as little as $40, plus taxes, fees and surcharges. For about two hours last week, that dream was reality for untold numbers of British Airways customers who booked these fares. Alas, it was a computer error, and now the carrier is trying to fix it.
“We sincerely apologize,” British Airways spokesman John Lampl said today. “We’re trying to figure out how to best rectify the situation.” He added that it might be taken on a case-by-case basis and involve not only refunds but possibly credits toward other flights.
In an e-mail sent to travel agents today, the airline was more specific.
“As these fares were so clearly below the normal fare levels, British Airways is unable to honor these bookings,” the e-mail said. “We have cancelled all affected bookings made during this two-hour window, and will make a full refund for any paid for and issued ticket.” It also said it would refund any fees associated with rebooking other airline segments on the same ticket.
Meanwhile, Lampl gave us the scoop on how the glitch happened.
Get a free companion ticket from British Airways
September 30, 2009 4:44pm
When you hear the name British Airways, do you immediately think of London? I do. British Airways actually flies to more than 300 destinations, which makes their new free companion ticket deal a much more interesting prospect. Even better, you and your companion can travel in any cabin. How do you get a free ticket for a friend?
1. Become an Executive Club member and register for the deal
2. Take a round-trip flight on or before Jan. 29, 2010 and you’ll get a free companion ticket.
3. Book another ticket and your companion’s ticket from Jan. 4 through July 30, 2010 and travel from Jan. 11 through Dec. 15, 2010.
London’s plush May Fair hotel offers 25% off, plus 2-for-1 meals, during winter holidays
September 29, 2009 5:57am
Exchange rates have improved a bit since this time last year, but London is still a mighty expensive destination for dollar-toting visitors. So that’s why any break on prices is great, even if it comes with caveats. Enter the May Fair.
This plush, 406-room historic hotel , which just finished hosting London Fashion Week, is offering 25% off its regular rates, plus a 2-for-1 meal deal at its restaurant, for stays over the the winter holidays. That can bring nightly rates down to $240 or less — a good value for a hotel of this quality in a prime location. The caveats? The deal is nonrefundable, and you need to book it soon.
London really does it up for Christmas, so the holidays, despite the frigid temps, can be a memorable time to visit. The 411:
