Roundup: LAX safety; Obama’s Chicago; Dodgers hotels; cheaper biz fares

Good morning, travelers. Lots of news and airfare deals today:

LAX safety worries: A disturbing new report says that, despite improvements, LAX, the state’s No. 1 potential target for terrorists, is still not prepared for emergencies. “If there was a major incident out there, a wide range of city employees who work at the airport would not know what to do,” said the audit by KH Consulting Group in Los Angeles. In other airport news: Workers at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport filed a suit accusing the hotel of violating labor laws.

Obama ‘Person of the Year’: President-elect Barack Obama has just been named Person of the Year by Time magazine. No surprise, huh? But it’s one more reason to explore Chicago’s fascinating Hyde Park, Obama’s stomping grounds, which is off the usual tourist radar. For an in-depth guide and photo gallery, see Jay Jones’ story, “In Barack Obama’s Chicago Footsteps.”

Hangin’ with the Dodgers: Such a deal. The Dodgers, as fans know, are moving spring training from Florida to Glendale, Ariz., just outside Phoenix, about a five-hour drive from L.A. Vacation packages are on sale now; single tickets in January. For details and the lowdown on lodging options, check out Sherry Stern’s post.

Biz class for less: Have you seen all the deals airlines are offering on international business class? Air France is selling these seats between Los Angeles and Paris starting at $3,702 round trip, plus taxes. While not cheap compared to coach class, where seats on that route start at $530 round trip plus taxes, it’s a substantial discount.

— Jane Engle, assistant Los Angeles Times Travel editor

Photo: Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa, Phoenix. Credit: www.starwoodhotels.com

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 8:20 am by Jane Engle and is filed under Africa & Middle East, Airline travel, Business Travel, California, Deals, Frequent Flier, Good Morning, Hotels, Los Angeles, Luxury Travel, News, Tips & Advice, San Diego, Theme Parks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.