Archive for the 'Good Morning' Category
Roundup: Hundreds of California hotels going into foreclosure; Delta adds more fees; Mexican beach resorts 50% off
July 22, 2009 8:54am
>St. Regis Monarch Beach is not the only local hotel in foreclosure. The Marriott in downtown L.A. is just another of about 250 hotels in California that are in default or foreclosure. And the number could double by the end of the year, according to the Irvine consulting firm Atlas Hospitality Group.
> More fees from Delta. As of Aug. 4, travelers will be charged an extra $5 if they check their bags at the airport ticket counter, curb or kiosks — instead of online. So what’s the new total with the additional $5 fee? If you’ve purchased your ticket July 15 or later and are traveling as of Aug. 4, expect $20 for the first checked bag and $30 for the second.
> Where are the business travelers? A recent post on The Times’ Money & Co. blog reports on Marriott International releasing its losses and an absence of corporate travelers and business meetings at hotels.
> Need a travel deal? The Perrin Post lists six Mexican beach resorts at 50% off. Many of them are all-inclusive.
> It’s a great time to think about a Caribbean cruise in the fall. Voyages on Princess Cruises are on sale.
– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
[Photo: Paul J. Richards / AFP/Getty Images]
Scorpion stings passenger in-flight on Southwest
July 21, 2009 9:26am
In what would be a travel nightmare to most people, Doug Herbstommer is taking a scorpio incident in good spirits. On his way from Phoenix to Indianapolis, he was stung by the creature, which had made its way onto the flight. Herbstommer saw something drop from above, thought it was a seatbelt, and when he felt something crawling up his leg and went to brush it off, it stung him between his fingers. It was an Arizona Bark scorpion whose stings rarely cause death. Later, more baby scorpions, both alive and dead, were found in Herbstommer’s carry-on luggage in the overhead compartment and killed. The plane was fumigated as a precaution. As you can imagine, the other passengers were riled up.
– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
Video: YouTube’s “Scorpion Boards Plane, Stings Passenger.” Credit: Associated Press
Roundup: Caspian Airlines crash in Iran; 7.8 earthquake off coast of New Zealand; most pet-friendly airlines
July 15, 2009 9:43am
> Here is a photo gallery from the Caspian Airlines jet that crashed in Iran today. It is believed that all 168 people on board Caspian Flight 7908, from Tehran to the Armenian capital of Yerevan, are dead.
“Caspian, a 16-year-old commercial airline, operates within Iran and to Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and Armenia, using Russian-made Tupolev jets that many Iranians fear are prone to malfunction,” reported Borzou Daragahi of the Los Angeles Times.
Roundup: 6.4 earthquake in Greece; Paso Robles for an old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration
July 1, 2009 10:40am
> A magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook the Greek island of Crete on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter was about 75 miles from Iraklion. Early reports did not indicate any injuries. As of posting, the Crete Gazette did not show any news of damage; rather, it went with the news that July 1 marked the day that a new ban on smoking in public places went into effect today in Greece.
> Here, here to Paso Robles, Calif. Congrats on being named one of the Top 10 July 4th Road Trips from the Road Trip Families website. Travelers can expect an old-fashioned small-town Fourth of July celebration at Barney Schwartz Park with a great big fireworks display.
> This Just In scares us just a little bit with their post 196 airlines to avoid. Thankfully they are quick to note that no North American airlines are on the list and that it is a list of airlines blacklisted in Europe. But you might want to check out the pdf if you have plans to travel within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Angola or the Republic of Indonesia.
– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
Photo: Mediterranean luxe: Villa Toscana in Paso Robles has richly decorated suites, views of the Martin & Weyrich vineyards and murals by local artist Stephen Kaylor. Credit: João Canziani / For The Times
Roundup: Challenge Google gamers for Virgin America prize pack; AAA says road travel down for July 4; Offbeat Traveler in Shark Bay, Australia
June 24, 2009 8:18am
Use Google Apps to win a Virgin America/Google prize package: Are you playing in Virgin America’s Day in the Cloud Challenge today? They’ve teamed up with Google Apps to host an “in the air” and on the ground online puzzle. If you’re flying on Virgin America today, you’ll get free in-flight Wi-Fi to play. Or just play on the ground. Take on the gamers and be one of the top five scorers to win the Year in the Cloud Prize Package (free flights and free in-flight Wi-Fi from Virgin America, a Netbook computer and 1 terabyte of online storage from Google for e-mail and photos). All you have to do to play is log on to your Google account, tell them if you’re on the ground or in the air and start playing. You have 60 minutes to complete the nine-level game. Some of the Google gamers playing on Virgin America flights today include Googler and world puzzle champion Wei-Hwa Huang, Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku (who actually beat out Wei-Hwa in the recent world puzzle championship), Andrew Chaiken and Jane McGonigal. You can see who you are up against in the Lounge. If you want an edge, check out the tutorial before you start.
[Update: Thomas Snyder ended up not making the event]
Morning Links: False alarm, Air France black box signals not found; United cutting 600 more flight attendant jobs
June 23, 2009 8:03am
> United Airlines is cutting an additional 600 flight-attendant jobs, bringing the total to 2,150 flight attendant positions to be cut this fall.
> There was a flurry of excitement when the French newspaper Le Monde reported Tuesday that signals from the flight data recorders of the Air France airline had been located. But French officials deny that Air France black box signals have been received. The boxes will only continue to send out their signals for another eight days.
> Does your pet fancy a trip to Canada? Air Canada will allow small pets to ride in the cabin as of July 1. The L.A. Unleashed blog reminds travelers that Southwest Airlines and Canada’s WestJet already allows small pets to ride in their cabins.
Roundup: Air France tail, more bodies found; Canada geese caused US Airways crash landing; the endangered English pub
June 9, 2009 9:20am
Air France | The search continues for bodies and wreckage of Air France Flight 447, which crashed May 31 with 228 people aboard. On Monday, a Brazilian team found part of the tail from the plane. Thus far, 24 bodies have been recovered from Atlantic waters, according to a Bloomberg update.
Meanwhile, as the still-unknown cause is investigated, some speculate that the airspeed sensors, or pitot tubes, “became iced over and gave incorrect readings,” according to an Associated Press report. Some of the Airbus A330 plane’s operators have said that “they use a different brand of airspeed sensor than those aboard the doomed flight, distancing themselves from instruments seen as a possible factor in last week’s accident.” Read the rest of this entry »
Roundup: Dave Matthews GPS; Las Vegas Bellagio hotel deal; U.S. Airways employee helps passenger get gun on plane
June 5, 2009 9:14am
> The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that gaming revenues were down 14.1% in April. The economic downturn continues to make Vegas more affordable for travelers at both the budget and luxe end of the spectrum. This week Bellagio announced a stay-two-nights-and-get-the-third-night-free offer with prices starting at $169 per night. Through Oct. 1.
> A U.S. Airways employee was charged with helping a passenger get a semiautomatic handgun onto a plane departing from Philadelphia and headed to Phoenix.
> Travel Humor — Need a new gadget for your summer road trip? Jimmy Fallon suggests you check out the Dave Matthews GPS.
— Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
[Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images]
Roundup: Air France update; Southwest Summer sale; China censors social networking sites
June 3, 2009 9:05am
Air France Update | If you were looking for an update on Air France Flight 447 – you might be left unsatisfied. Search planes spotted a seat, an orange buoy, a tank and a fuel slick about 400 miles off the coast of Brazil. “Most of the wreckage is probably resting now 9,000 feet to 14,000 feet below the surface, where it is pitch black, the water temperature is 40 degrees and the pressure as high as 7,000 pounds per square inch, scientists said.” The Associated Press says that the debris field is 3 miles wide. French investigators are looking for the black boxes from the plane, but they might never be found.
Morning Links: Nile Guide iPhone app; Joshua Tree fire update; Last day for 2-for-1 British Airway Business Class fares
May 26, 2009 9:48am
> A fire in Joshua Tree National Park that began Sunday was 80% contained as of Monday night. A group of 10 to 12 hikers that was trapped by the blaze on the Lost Horse Mine Trail was airlifted to safety on Sunday.
> NileGuide now has an iPhone app. The upside is even if you haven’t taken the time to upload your own trip itinerary, you can still have a look at other travelers’ itineraries and see what they are doing around your “current location.” In their La Jolla Guides, I found a few recommended restaurants and cafes I hadn’t tried. You can’t book a hotel straight from the guide’s hotel review, but you are able to call the hotel just by clicking on the link.
> Ready for Cancun? Airfare Watchdog lists round-trip fares out of LAX on United for only $337 including tax. Prices are for travel Monday-Thursday through Sept. 30, 2009.
