Travel & Leisure Close-Up back issues from April 2009:
Hong Kong Tourism Board-USA Receives L.A. County Commendation.
Apr 01, 2009 ... On March 10, The Hon. Gloria Molina and The Hon. Mike Antonovich of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors commended the Hong Kong Tourism Board-USA (HKTB-USA) with the "Cultural Ambassador Award." The Hong Kong Tourism Board was honored for its ongoing commitment to ...
Bahia Beach Resort Designated Certified Gold Audubon Sanctuary.
Apr 01, 2009 ... Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club, Puerto Rico's first five-star-quality resort community, has been designated a Certified Gold Audubon International Signature Sanctuary. Signature certification is awarded to developments which are designed, constructed and maintained according to ...
CHSRA Board Meeting Cancelled.
Apr 01, 2009 ... California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) announced that because of illness and scheduling conflicts that prevent assembly of a quorum, this month's Board meeting, scheduled for Thursday, April 2, at 10 ...
FelCor Suspends Preferred Dividends.
Apr 01, 2009 ... FelCor Lodging Trust announced that it has suspended the quarterly dividend payments on its Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock and its 8 percent Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock. This decision reflects the company's continued focus on preserving ...
USA Jet Airlines Touts Growth.
Apr 01, 2009 ... USA Jet Airlines stated that it has undergone growth in the past year. With a fleet of DC-9 jets offering Business Class seating, the company's aircraft are experiencing high demand in the private and public charter market sectors. The passenger business took off last year with ...
Fast Trac Transportation Adds Execs.
Apr 01, 2009 ... Fast Trac Transportation has announced two recent management appointments: Jeffrey Steele has been promoted to the position of General Manager and Tim Reed has been named Vice President of Business Development. Steele is responsible for Operations, IT, Claims and facility ...
Desires Hotels Announces Moonrise Hotel to Open in St. Louis.
Apr 01, 2009 ... In the heart of St. Louis' arts and entertainment district known as The Loop, the Moonrise Hotel is set to open in April. The most recent addition to the Desires Hotels collection, this modern boutique hotel is located at 6177 Delmar Boulevard in the most eclectic and vibrant ...
FelCor Closes on $120 Million Loan.
Apr 01, 2009 ... FelCor Lodging Trust announced that it has closed on a $120 million secured loan with Prudential Mortgage Capital Company. The new loan replaces an existing $116 million mortgage loan that was to mature on April 1. The non-recourse loan is secured by seven hotels, ...
Qantas Unveils New Travel Agent Resources.
Apr 01, 2009 ... Qantas Airways launched two new communication resources to assist travel agents in their ability to better serve their customers - a toll-free travel agency support phone line and a dedicated North America industry travel agent sales web site. The new agency support phone number ...
Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce Touts City.
Apr 01, 2009 ... Beverly Hills remains a buzz of business activity, with new businesses opening and expanding throughout the city, according to the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber said that in a time of economic disarray throughout the world, Beverly Hills is weathering the storm ...
Overland Park Marriott to Introduce New 'Marriott International Great Room' Concept.
Apr 01, 2009 ... The Overland Park (Kansas) Marriott, which recently completed a $20 million renovation to modernize the hotel's exterior and guest environment, plans to unveil Marriott's new "Marriott International Great Room" concept - a transformation of the traditional lobby space. The ...
Blue Mountain Resorts Ramps Up with IBM Cognos Documented.
Apr 01, 2009 ... Analysts from IT research and advisory services firm Nucleus Research have independently examined the deployment of IBM Cognos software at Blue Mountain Resorts to find a rapid return on investment (ROI) of 1,822 percent with payback in one month's time. The third-busiest ski ...
Hilton Family of Hotels and TV Star Samantha Goldberg Creating 'Guestiquette'.
Apr 01, 2009 ... Hilton Family of Hotels has teamed up with Samantha Goldberg, celebrity wedding planner and star of the Style Network's "Whose Wedding is it Anyway," to create a new wedding planning Website, "Guestiquette." The online wedding resource will shed light on tricky wedding guest ...
United Airlines Flight Attendants Start Negotiations.
Apr 06, 2009 ... Flight attendants at United Airlines are going to the negotiating table seeking contract improvements. The flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, are exercising the opportunity to negotiate for the first time since 1996. ...
Southwest Airlines Offers Fare Sale on Southwest.com.
Apr 06, 2009 ... Southwest Airlines announced that it is offering airfares starting as low as $49 one-way only on southwest.com. These fares require 14-day advance purchase for travel by June 25. So start planning your budget getaway today. Fares are available for travel Monday through Thursday ...
AirTran Airways Rated Top Low-Cost Air Carrier.
Apr 06, 2009 ... AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, announced that for the second year in a row, the Airline Quality Rating (AQR) has selected the carrier as the top ranked low-cost airline. AQR study was developed in 1991 as an objective method for assessing airline quality ....
Universal Travel Group Names VP of Finance and Investor Relations.
Apr 06, 2009 ... Universal Travel Group, a travel services provider in the People's Republic of China (PRC) specializing in online and customer representative services to the travel service industry offering packaged tours, air ticketing, hotel reservation and air cargo agency services, announced the ...
GeoNova Publishing Releases New Travel Apps for iPhone, iPod Touch.
Apr 06, 2009 ... GeoNova Publishing has announced a new iPhone travel application, Discovery Guide Map Washington DC, the first in a series of guides which also includes Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Manhattan, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. The company's new city ...
Air Wisconsin Hits Milestone for Revenue Flight on CRJ-200.
Apr 06, 2009 ... Air Wisconsin Airlines announced that it has completed its 1,000,000th revenue flight on the CRJ-200, a 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet manufactured by Bombardier. This is the first aircraft type Air Wisconsin has operated to reach this 1,000,000 mark since the company first began ...
JetBlue Airways and Aer Lingus Mark First Anniversary.
Apr 06, 2009 ... New York-based value airline JetBlue Airways and its partner, Aer Lingus, celebrated the first anniversary of their partnership with the announcement that bookings through March 31 have exceeded targets by 50 percent, giving JetBlue the opportunity to connect more than 80 customers a day ...
GOL and Air France-KLM Ink Cooperation Deal.
Apr 06, 2009 ... GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, Brazil's low-cost airline, announced it has entered a commercial agreement with Air France-KLM. The collaboration, which will be implemented in two phases, will allow for the integration of GOL's Smiles and Air France-KLM's Flying Blue mileage ...
Sikorsky Global Helicopters Honored by Rolls-Royce.
Apr 06, 2009 ... Sikorsky Global Helicopters' Engine Services Division has received the Rolls-Royce Model 250 Total Quality Award. Sikorsky Global Helicopters is the newly rebranded commercial business operation of Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies. ...
Alaska Air Group Posts March Traffic Stats.
Apr 06, 2009 ... Alaska Air Group reported March operational results for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines (Alaska) and Horizon Air (Horizon). Alaska reported an increase in load factor to 81.6 percent in March 2009, compared to 80.8 percent in March 2008, on a 9.0 percent decline in available ...
FleetCor Buys Corporate Lodging Consultants.
Apr 06, 2009 ... FleetCor, a global fleet card company, announced that it has acquired Corporate Lodging Consultants (CLC) from Nautic Partners. CLC, based in Wichita, Kansas, is a provider of lodging management programs to businesses. CLC serves more than 10,000 large and small business clients ...
Wyndham Worldwide Sets Earnings, Conference Call and Webcast Dates.
Apr 06, 2009 ... Wyndham Worldwide announced that it will discuss the company's first quarter 2009 financial results at 8:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 29. Steve Holmes, Chairman and CEO of Wyndham Worldwide, and Gina Wilson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will both be ...
Travelzoo Honors AirTran Airways.
Apr 06, 2009 ... AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, announced that the airline has been honored as Travelzoo's Best Provider of Domestic Air Fare Deals in 2009. The award was presented to the company at a ceremony at the Georgia Aquarium. Other finalists in the category were: ...
Skyservice Airlines Implements Pillar Data Systems.
Apr 09, 2009 ... Skyservice Airlines, an airline in the charter industry, is expanding its data center while satisfying its rigorous efficiency policies with Pillar Data Systems, a provider of Application-Aware storage systems. The company stated that the Pillar Axiom was the only storage ...
Travel Agents Issue Statement on Proposed Antitrust Immunity for Star.
Apr 09, 2009 ... In a April 7 statement in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation's tentative decision to extend antitrust immunity to Star Alliance airlines (Air Canada, Austrian, bmi, LOT, Lufthansa, SAS, Swiss, TAP and United) plus Continental Airlines, a spokesperson for the American Society ...
Priceline.com Releases Airfare Index for the Week of April 6.
Apr 09, 2009 ... Priceline.com has issued its Airfare Index for the week of April 6, measuring fare changes for this week vs. last week. According to a release, new price changes include: Baltimore to Orlando $ 199 -18 percent Indianapolis to Orlando $ 181 -16 percent ...
AeroMexico Plans Flights between New Orleans, Mexico City and Honduras.
Apr 09, 2009 ... AeroMexico, the airline of Latin America, announced that it plans to launch six weekly, non-stop flights on July 6 between New Orleans and Mexico City, with convenient connecting flights to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The route represents the first new international flight service ...
Nexion Offers Travel Agents New Educational Series.
Apr 09, 2009 ... As part of its new "Accelerate Your Success" campaign, Nexion, a North American host travel agency, is expanding its training offerings for members in 2009, including the launch of two virtual travel success seminar series. Nexion said that both series will educate and create ...
ALPA and Island Air Reach Tentative Accord.
Apr 09, 2009 ... Island Air pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), announced that they had reached a Tentative Agreement with management after 16 months of contract negotiations. This agreement, if ratified by the pilot group, will provide wage increases, work rule ...
StarCite Rolls Out its 'Stimulus Plan'.
Apr 09, 2009 ... To help companies keep travelers on the road doing business with customers, colleagues and others while controlling costs, StarCite announced the launch of the "StarCite Stimulus Plan" - a free offering of StarCite's meetings management software for qualified new customers through June ...
American Express Business Travel Launches New Web Portal, 'eXplore'.
Apr 09, 2009 ... American Express Business Travel, a provider of business travel management, unveiled eXplore, a new Web portal that provides users with a single point-of-entry interface to travel and related products, services and information. A fully customizable solution, American Express ...
AAA Western and Central New York Chooses CDC Software.
Apr 09, 2009 ... CDC Software, a subsidiary of CDC and provider of industry-specific enterprise software applications and business services, announced that AAA Western and Central New York has selected Pivotal CRM 6.0 for its membership relationship management system (MRM) that is expected to be used by ...
ITT Lauds South Florida for Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast Deployment.
Apr 09, 2009 ... Aviation industry leaders from throughout Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties met at Miami International Airport with a delegation of officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), and host executives from ITT to honor South Florida ...
Research and Markets Offers New Report: Airlines in Japan.
Apr 09, 2009 ... Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Airlines in Japan" report to its offerings. In a release, Research and Markets noted that report highlights include: The Airlines in Japan industry profile is a resource for top-level data and analysis covering ...
Norwegian Cruise Line Posts Earnings Results.(Financial report)
Apr 09, 2009 ... Norwegian Cruise Line completed a strategic repositioning in 2008, implementing a number of initiatives that have led to what the company called record results and improved financial performance even within a challenging economic environment. "The company achieved record ...
Virgin America Teams with the San Francisco Giants.
Apr 13, 2009 ... Virgin America, the California-based airline whose game plan is to make flying good again, announced a multi-year marketing partnership with the San Francisco Giants that will include stadium branding integrations, as well as multiple experiential promotions during select games. ...
OpenSkies Finalizes Merger with L'Avion.
Apr 13, 2009 ... OpenSkies, an all business airline operating nonstop flights between New York (Kennedy and Newark) and Paris (Orly), and between New York (Kennedy) and Amsterdam (Schiphol), announced that it has completed its merger with L'Avion, the first all business class French airline. ...
Hilton HHonors Teams with Rewards Network.
Apr 13, 2009 ... Hilton HHonors, the loyalty program for the Hilton Family of Hotels, announced a new way for members to earn points toward travel, merchandise and experience rewards - simply enjoying a meal out on the town. Through a new collaboration with Rewards Network, Hilton HHonors ...
My M&M's Brings Out 'Shimmer Collection'.
Apr 13, 2009 ... Mars Direct, Inc., an affiliate of Mars Snackfood US, has announced the introduction of the My M&M'S Shimmer Collection featuring "shimmering golden, platinum and pearl" M&M'S Brand Chocolate Candies, available exclusively online at mymms.com. From showers and bachelorette ...
One Ocean Gets Palm Status through State of Florida's Green Lodging Program.
Apr 13, 2009 ... One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa has earned One Palm status through the State of Florida's Green Lodging Program (FGLP), administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the company reported. The program encourages the lodging industry to conserve and protect ...
US Airways' 1Q 2009 Financial Conference Call to Be Webcast.
Apr 13, 2009 ... US Airways Group, Inc. said it will conduct a live audio webcast of its first quarter 2009 financial results conference call with the financial community on Thursday, April 23, at 1 p.m. EDT (10 a.m. PDT). The webcast will be available to the public on a listen-only basis at the ...
John Q. Hammons' New Embassy Suites - Loveland Hotel, Spa & Conference Center Opens Its Doors.
Apr 13, 2009 ... John Q. Hammons' eight-story, 263-suite Embassy Suites - Loveland Hotel, Spa & Conference Center at 4705 Clydesdale Parkway in Loveland, Colo., is open for business, creating nearly 200 new jobs, the company announced. The contemporary-designed hotel and adjoining 80,000 gross ...
Sentient Flight Group to Sponsor Breeders' Cup 2009 'Sentient Perfect Trip' Award.
Apr 13, 2009 ... Sentient Flight Group, a private aviation company in the United States, in coordination with the Breeders' Cup, announced that it will once again sponsor the "Sentient Perfect Trip" Award for 2009. The company said this celebrates Sentient's return as a premier partner and the ...
Research and Markets Adds Report: Hotels & Motels in Sweden Report.(Report)
Apr 13, 2009 ... Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Hotels & Motels in Sweden" report to its offerings. In a release, Research and Markets noted that report highlights include: The Hotels & Motels in Sweden industry profile is an essential resource for top-level ...
San Jose Airport Features New Thin Lighted Signs Via Luxeon LEDs.
Apr 13, 2009 ... New 4-inch-deep illuminated way finding signs at the Mineta San Jose International Airport in California are half the depth of standard signage in the same class, via Luxeon Rebel based light modules designed by Silicon Constellations of Santa Clara, California. The combination ...
Arizona Developer to Sell Tucson Condominiums at Real Estate Auction.
Apr 13, 2009 ... J. P. King Auction Company, a real estate auction marketing firm specializing in high-value properties, is managing the developer close-out sale for Villas at Sabino Canyon in Tucson, Arizona. The sale features 58 premier condominiums, with 16 selling absolute at real estate ...
SAS Customer Fraport Garners BI 2009 Best Practice Award.
Apr 13, 2009 ... Fraport AG, owner and operator of Europe's third-largest airport hub, received this year's Business Intelligence Best Practice Award for its Business Intelligence Architecture Framework (BIAF). Bestowed by Germanys BI professional magazine, in cooperation with analyst company ...
Hilton HHonors Helps Members Spring Towards Rewards.
Apr 13, 2009 ... Hilton HHonors, the loyalty program for the Hilton Family of hotels, has announced its latest global promotion. This spring, members will be able to earn 1,000 bonus points, in addition to their usual Points & Miles earnings, when they stay at any of the more than 2,800 ...
New W Atlanta-Downtown and the Residences at W Atlanta-Downtown Debuts.
Apr 13, 2009 ... W Hotels Worldwide has unveiled the new W Atlanta-Downtown and The Residences at W Atlanta-Downtown. Ideally located in the heart of Atlanta, the company said the W Atlanta-Downtown offers a "whimsical wonderland of nature-inspired design, setting the stage for the perfect ...
Master Distribution Again Beefs up Team for Move to Bulletin Board.
Apr 13, 2009 ... Master Distribution Systems announced that Dr. Bruce Fischer has joined the MDBS Board of Advisers. Currently Dr. Bruce Fischer serves as chairman and managing director of publicly traded Anviron Holding Company. Dr. Fischer has extensive international experience extending over ...
Research and Markets Adds Report: Hotel Revenue Management - Report out Now.
Apr 13, 2009 ... Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Hotel Revenue Management" report to its offerings. In a release, Research and Markets noted that report highlights include: Revenue management, a profit-maximizing strategy long in use by airlines, is now ...
Travelocity and USA Weekend Magazine Award Pastor Willie Bacote a Volunteer Vacation.
Apr 13, 2009 ... Reverend Willie Bacote, pastor of The Missing Link Street Ministry in Troy, N.Y., is the official winner of the Travelocity/USA Weekend Picture a Better World Photo Contest, the company reported. As part of the activities surrounding USA Weekend's Make A Difference Day, the ...
Rezidor Announces the Radisson Blu Axelmannstein Resort, Bad Reichenhall
Apr 13, 2009 ... The Rezidor Hotel Group announced the Radisson Blu Axelmannstein Resort in Bad Reichenhall, Germany. The group said the existing property with 152 rooms will be rebranded and join the Radisson family on June 30. "With this signing our steadily growing resort portfolio ...
Johnson Controls Earns Spot on 'World's Most Ethical Companies' List.
Apr 15, 2009 ... Johnson Controls announced it has been named for the third consecutive year as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. The Institute said it was recognizing the company "for going beyond legal minimums, introducing innovative ideas to benefit the ...
Marriott Names President and Managing Director of European Lodging.
Apr 15, 2009 ... Marriott International announced that Amy C. McPherson, executive vice president of global sales and marketing, will become president and managing director of European lodging. The newly created position aligns with Marriott's strategic priority of accelerating worldwide growth ...
Marriott Streamlines Newspaper Delivery.
Apr 15, 2009 ... Marriott International announced that guest demand for newspaper delivery at more than 2,600 hotels in the United States has declined by about 25 percent. Marriott said it will become the first major hotel company to shift to a free newspaper delivery system based on customer ...
JetBlue Names VP for Revenue Management.
Apr 15, 2009 ... JetBlue Airways announced the appointment of Dennis Corrigan to the position of Vice President, Revenue Management. Corrigan joins JetBlue from United Airlines, where he served in a variety of Revenue Management leadership positions over the last five years, most recently as ...
Cunard Line Reports 2010-2011 Itineraries.
Apr 15, 2009 ... Building on the announcement of Cunard Line's inaugural season for Queen Elizabeth, Cunard announced the newly published Europe, Transatlantics and Americas 2010-2011 programme for Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. The year 2010 will herald another important milestone for Cunard: ...
Air Traffic Controllers Deploying Sensis ADS-B.
Apr 15, 2009 ... Sensis Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) ground-based transceivers are now being used to track air traffic over Hudson Bay, Canada. The deployment provides NAV Canada air traffic controllers with surveillance coverage of flights over 250,000 square nautical ...
Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air Offer 'Discount a Day' for Two Weeks.
Apr 15, 2009 ... Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air announced a "deep daily discount," where the carriers will offer a fare at 30 percent off to and from a featured city each day, for two weeks, available through their Web sites, alaskaair.com/horizonair.com. "We're offering daily discounts to and ...
Cruise.com Honored by Norwegian Cruise, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival.
Apr 15, 2009 ... Cruise.com was awarded Norwegian Cruise Line's Elite President's Travel Partner of the Year for what the company called its record numbers in revenue growth and its continued commitment to Norwegian. The honor was awarded at a reception at Cruise.com's Ft. Lauderdale ...
Boeing Delivers 777th 777 to Air France.
Apr 15, 2009 ... Boeing and longtime partner Air France announced milestones with the delivery of the 777th Boeing 777 airplane. The new Boeing 777-300ER also will be the first to bear a new Air France livery and company brand identity. Fifty-six customers around the world have ...