More rides, theme park land and hotel rooms are in the future for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, said Disneyland Resort President Ed Grier Wednesday.

Disney plans to add a Tinker Bell attraction at Disneyland in October, 253 rooms to the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa and new rides and themed lands to Disney's California Adventure.

At some point, Disney might add a third theme park on 88 acres of land next to Disneyland and possibly operate two hotels proposed for the Anaheim GardenWalk, Grier told a crowd of about 150 at an Orange County Forum event Wednesday.

"We had great success with the 50th anniversary (of Disneyland)," Grier said. "Now it's about how we keep that momentum going."

Here are Disney's Anaheim expansion plans:

A Tinker Bell attraction will open at Disneyland in October. This was the first time Grier mentioned the attraction, and he was short on details. All he would say is that "we know how special she is to all our guests" and that she will be in Disneyland in October. That timing coincides with the Oct. 28 Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell," the first in a new franchise of original movies that include the Peter Pan-movie character along with other fairies.

California Adventure expansion plans were announced in October and are expected to be completed by 2012. Those $1.2 billion plans include: a land based on the "Cars" movie, a "Little Mermaid"-themed ride, a new 1920s plaza, an interactive "Toy Story Mania!" ride opening this summer and a "World of Color" show in the lagoon. Leaving the park is the Golden Gate Bridge structure, tall letters spelling out "California" and the Golden Dreams theater. Grier said the expansion is intended to bring more "memorable attractions" and "more Disney" to the theme park.

The Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is adding 253 rooms, including its first timeshare-type villas on the West Coast. The capacity will increase by about 30 percent – up to 998 rooms – at the hotel that Grier said has "very strong occupancy rates."

A third theme park was hinted at by Grier on Wednesday. "We do see a tremendous opportunity on our 88 acres of land," Grier said.

Two GardenWalk hotels may be operated by Disney. Grier only told the crowd that Disney is continuing to look into operating two new hotels in the GardenWalk – a hotel, shopping and dining center between Katella Avenue and Disney Way that includes plans for up to 866 hotel rooms.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/disney-grier-disneyland-2025017-hotel-plans#

Airlines welcome Competition Commission report on BAA

Airlines greeted a Competition Commission report that appears to herald the break up of airport operator BAA with enthusiasm.

However, uncertainty about the ownership of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted may hinder resolution of problems at the airports.

Analysts suggest BAA may seek buyers for Gatwick and one of its airports in Scotland - Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen.

The Competition Commission has yet to make any recommendations. But its interim report published on Monday expressed concern at BAA's "apparent lack of responsiveness to the needs of airline customers and passengers".

Commission chairman Christopher Clarke admitted it is "difficult to know" how airport ownership would look following a break-up. Some airlines have called for terminals within airports to be operated by separate companies.

The uncertainty could drag on for some time, with the commission only due to publish provisional findings in August.

In the meantime, BAA parent Ferrovial may rein in investment in businesses it might no longer control after paying £10.3 billion for the airports in 2006.

Competition lawyer Ian Giles, of Norton Rose LLP, warned: "Unbundling the long-term contracts BAA has entered will be complex and difficult, as well getting value for the BAA assets to be sold."

When BAA was privatised in 1987 the Tory government of the time rejected demands for its break up on the grounds that this would hinder investment

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/23/27396/airlines-welcome-competition-commission-report-on-baa.html

Only 21% of holidaymakers book their breaks using a travel agent, according to a new survey.

Booking a holiday over the internet has become so popular that only one in five people use a travel agent, according to a new survey.

58 per cent of people prefer to book online, while just 21 per cent go through a retailer, according to a survey of 1,000 adults by internet research company Ciao Surveys. The remainder use the telephone to book direct.

The study also found that more than half of UK residents, 59 per cent, take one or more leisure trips per year and are prevented from travelling more often because of lack of money, time and work commitments.

The majority of people, 56 per cent, go away to find sun and relaxation, while 45 per cent enjoy sightseeing and 33 per cent enjoy comfort and fine dining. Around 14 per cent of people go on holiday for a life changing experience.

Australia is the most aspirational destination for 25 per cent of people, with 20 per cent opting for North America and 18 per cent for Europe.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/1899689/Just-one-in-five-holidays-booked-with-agent.html

Separating the school holidays has proved a business winner, according to the Devon Association of Tourist Attractions (DATA), representing the 42 top attractions in the county.

After the earliest Easter since 1913, Devon's attractions were looking forward to the new school holidays with the likelihood of better weather and potential for greater visitor numbers.

The optimism has proved well-founded as attractions across the county have reported a huge boost to visitor numbers. With Cornwall keeping to the traditional Easter holidays and Devon moving to the new dates, the extended holiday season has been good for business.

Danny Reynolds, owner of Exmoor Zoo, said: "The staggered Easter holidays have been fantastic for us as we are a predominantly outdoor attraction. We have had three weeks of peak trading, when an early Easter would normally have meant a slow start to the season."

The Big Sheep have reported a 16 per cent increase in visitor numbers on last ear, making it the most successful start to the season ever for the North Devon attraction.

Other attractions such as Pecorama near Seaton have found that the school holidays have helped predominantly outdoor attractions compensate for the poor weather that such an early Easter can mean.

Mark Ridgers, tourism site manager for Pecorama, said: "With the better weather of the school holidays, we are now seven per cent up on income from last year. If ever there was a case for fixing the school holidays, this year has proved it."

Crealy's Angela Wright, Chair of DATA, said: "Many of our attractions were delighted that in Devon and much of the country, the school holidays were separated from Easter. It is better for everyone when the Easter holidays are later as families can spend more quality time together, and the tourism industry can enjoy a successful start to the season

http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/exmouthjournal/news/story.aspx?brand=EXJOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsexj&itemid=DEED22%20Apr%202008%2011%3A30%3A16%3A497

Bluegreen Corporation (NYSE: BXG), a leading provider of Colorful Places to Live and Play®, today announced it has acquired vacation ownership inventory at Royal Suites at Atlantic Palace (also known as Fantasea Resorts Atlantic Palace) located at 1507 Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ. Bluegreen® will also manage the Interval Owner Association and establish a new sales office at the 31-story ocean-front resort. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Atlantic Palace features approximately 197 studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom timeshare units, of which Bluegreen purchased approximately 1,200 intervals (weeks). Bluegreen will manage the Interval Owner Association at the resort which has approximately 9,000 owners. Atlantic Palace is located beachfront on the Atlantic City Boardwalk and features an outdoor pool, hot tub, game room, exercise room, steam room and sauna.

Bluegreen plans to renovate approximately 16,000 square feet of the resort in order to establish a sales preview center.

Bluegreen Vacation Club sales in Atlantic City are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2008 contingent upon meeting all applicable registration requirements.

'This new property expands our vacation destination portfolio and establishes Bluegreen's sales and marketing presence in a location that is within easy driving distance of a third of the population of the United States, ' noted John M. Maloney, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Bluegreen. 'This vacation ownership resort is situated in the heart of the casino district and bordered by Atlantic City's world renowned beach and boardwalk. Shopping, gambling, top-name entertainment, and world-class golf and fishing are just a few of the reasons that more than 37 million people visit Atlantic City each year.'

Bluegreen expects to contribute to the local economy through increased tourism and employment. Forty-two personnel previously employed in guest services at the resort are expected to become Bluegreen employees, and the company expects to hire sales and marketing professionals for its new sales preview center. Bluegreen will also be looking to develop marketing alliances with area vendors to provide additional incentives to its guests, including admission tickets to local attractions, and restaurant and merchandise certificates

http://www.ad-hoc-news.de/Aktie/12717669/News/16451612/AES.html

The US government said Tuesday it wants airlines and cruiseliners to take biometric data from foreigners leaving the country under new plans aimed at fighting terrorism and illegal immigration.

Since January 2004, immigration services have taken a photo and fingerprints from each foreigner entering the United States to identify those using a false name and to stop terrorists, drug traffickers or illegal immigrants.

More than 90 million prints have already been collected, but under a proposed law announced by the minister of homeland security Tuesday, the system would be expanded to every foreigner leaving the country by sea or air.

The US-VISIT program, which is open to consultation for the next two months, would enable authorities to establish who has overstayed their visa, although there are no plans as yet to extend it to people leaving the country overland.

Planned for introduction in January 2009, the proposal anticipates that airlines and maritime companies collect the biometric prints themselves and transmit them to the ministry within 24 hours of their passengers' departure.

The government says the move, which was recommended by the commission into the September 11, 2001, attacks, is a congressional requirement if the US visa waiver programme is to be expanded to new countries as planned from June 2009.

"We've built an effective entry system, and combined with the proposed exit system, we'll have made a quantum leap in America's border security," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in a statement.

But airlines are not showing the same enthusiasm for the initiative that, according to the Washington Post, which cited a ministry official, could cost them between 2.3 and 3.5 billion dollars over ten years.

"It makes no sense to have the government outsource this type of law enforcement and customs function to the private sector," Steve Lott, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), told AFP.

Aside from the cost, he said collecting such data could be a major disruption for airlines and "add even more confusion to the process for foreign travelers" who are already facing extra security measures at US airports.

If the prints needed to be collected at check-in, then passengers would no longer be able to check-in online. If they were taken at the boarding gates, the IATA estimates it could take between 45 and 60 seconds per passenger, potentially causing delays.

But the CEO of the Travel Industry Association (TIA), Roger Dow, called for a "fair and rational dialogue" between the government and airlines, saying a stalemate on the issue was "not acceptable."

"We just live in a kind of world where that has to be done," he told AFP, adding that expanding the visa waiver program -- which will increase the countries whose residents can visit the United States without a visa -- was expected to bring an extra two million travelers to the country.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gjIlkLbSILyjsDidGEHFBc7iLYZw

WASHINGTON — Airlines could spend up to $3.2 billion over 10 years to collect fingerprints from foreign travelers heading out of the country, according to a government proposal to be issued today.

The Homeland Security Department's proposed rules aim to assist government agents in tracking down visitors, including suspected terrorists, who stay in the USA after they are required to leave. The rules will also apply to those leaving from seaports.

Officials in the airline industry say the government — not the airlines — should pay for the new program.

The cost "is above and beyond our biggest nightmare," says Douglas Lavin of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). "This is literally the most expensive security program in the history of aviation."

After the 9/11 attacks, Congress required that Homeland Security fingerprint foreign visitors when they enter and leave the country.

Robert Mocny, who runs the US-VISIT fingerprint program, says it is key to keeping the country secure.

Airlines and others will have 60 days to comment before a final requirement is issued. Nothing will change for airline and cruise ship passengers between now and June 2009, Mocny says.

According to the proposal, airlines could decide where to take the prints — such as at checkout lines or at boarding gates. More than 80 airlines at 73 airports would have to put systems in place. "Can the airlines do this?" Mocny asks. "Certainly they can."

The prints will have to be transmitted to Homeland Security within 24 hours, he says, so that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents can begin to track down visitors who apparently didn't leave.

Airlines say they can't afford to buy the equipment and train their employees to do the government's work, especially at a time when they're suffering from record oil prices. Taking fingerprints "is a law enforcement or immigration function," IATA's Steve Lott says.

The Travel Industry Association supports fingerprinting but says airlines can't pay. "A stalemate between government and airlines … is not an acceptable outcome," TIA's Roger Dow says.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-04-21-fingerprints_N.htm

Al-Futtaim and Marriott Vacation Club launch Dubai’s first branded timeshare resort

Dubai Festival City raises bar on Arabian hospitality as UAE plans to set guidelines for growing sector.

In a defining moment for the high growth hospitality sector in the UAE, Omar Al Futtaim, CEO of Al-Futtaim Group and J.W. Marriott Jr., Chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Inc., announced a Joint Venture agreement today to launch Marriott Vacation Club, Dubai Festival City, the first Marriott Vacation Club resort in the Middle East - and the largest outside North America.

This is a landmark agreement to be signed in the UAE by heads of globally respected, family-led institutions, with combined experience of more than 160 years. It is also the first significant equity investment in a hospitality development in Dubai by a U.S.-based global hospitality brand and the only equity based Joint Venture entered into by Al-Futtaim with a hospitality group at Dubai Festival City.

Dubai Festival City LLC, flagship of Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE) and key division of Al-Futtaim Group, and Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI), a division of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR), which develops and operates Marriott's vacation ownership resorts world-wide, are the Joint Venture parties holding equal stakes in this new venture.

Mr. Al-Futtaim said: "This partnership is the realization of a vision and ideals backed by long-term performance, and Dubai Festival City is a natural choice for this timeshare resort which matches our established brand values.

"We believe Marriott Vacation Club will singularly raise the bar and change the landscape of the hospitality sector in Dubai. This belief stems from the proven global track record demonstrated both by Al-Futtaim Group and Marriott International for providing sophisticated, trustworthy services and products."

The proposed 320 two-bedroom and three-bedroom unit resort will be located in Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate-developed Dubai Festival City's elegantly chic, bustling waterfront urban community, already recognised as a market leader which captures the ground breaking 21st century spirit of Dubai.

The timeshare resort will be constructed in four phases along the Dubai Creek and will be designed, built, and operated in a manner consistent with the world-class architectural standards and service levels within Dubai Festival City. Marriott Vacation Club, Dubai Festival City will fully comply with UAE legislations for timeshare properties which are currently being put in place by the Government of Dubai.

Mr. Marriott said: "The Middle East traditions and culture have always generated interest among people all over the world and, at Marriott, we are delighted to be able to provide a window to this culture through Marriott Vacation Club, Dubai Festival City. By collaborating with the widely respected Al-Futtaim Group, we are confident this resort will deliver the standards of excellence in value and hospitality for which Marriott is recognised."

"Our experience from operating timeshare resorts worldwide shows good legislation fosters a healthy and robust business environment that benefits both developers and customers long-term. Sound regulation and professionalism in operating timeshare resorts and their programmes are paramount in this high-growth sector. The Government of Dubai is planning to introduce balanced legislation in line with global standards and we applaud and support its efforts."

Owners of timeshare weeks will be eligible to exchange their week at other Marriott Vacation Club resorts around the world. Timeshare is the concept of purchasing and using a resort unit and its associated amenities for recurring periods of time.

Each villa is typically sold in intervals of one week up to 51 times a year with one week held for maintenance. The value proposition is derived from the opportunity for Owners to purchase one or more weeks and enjoy all the amenities of a larger vacation unit.

Dubai Festival City's hospitality portfolio will comprise over 3,500 rooms and suites and has the largest hospitality cluster connected to a regional shopping centre in the UAE. In addition to timeshare, there will be a total of eight world renowned hotel brands along the Creek and throughout the city and two boutique hotels conveniently located within the residential communities.

Timeshare visitors to Dubai Festival City will be able to enjoy its many facilities and amenities which include Festival Centre, a 200,000 m2 (2.1 million sqft) shopping and entertainment centre with leading international and regional brands, a choice of over 100 restaurants, cafes and bistros, the luxury Festival Marina and 18m (60 ft) wide cornice which will stretch along 3 kilometres (2 miles) of Dubai Creek and a 18-hole championship golf course.


Notes and contacts
About Al Futtaim Group Real Estate

Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE), a key division of Al-Futtaim group based in Dubai, is responsible for the development and operations of the Group's real estate businesses across the MENA region. AFGRE is responsible for the conception, development, procurement and construction of a number of mega projects as well as the leasing and operation of these projects after completion.

The two current flagship mixed use city developments under the Festival City brand include Dubai Festival City and Cairo Festival City. Al-Futtaim group has an impeccable reputation as a provider of value and quality with more than 80 years of experience operating over 40 diverse businesses in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe.

About Dubai Festival City

Dubai Festival City is a 3.3 million m2 (35.5 million sqft) premier waterfront mixed-use urban community. It is a visionary, self-contained metropolitan community that has been designed to capture the ground-breaking 21st century spirit of Dubai, set upon 526 hectares (1,300 acres) of prime waterfront land extending more than 3 kms (2 miles) of the historic Dubai Creek.

Dubai Festival City offers a rich and vibrant living experience that encompasses the finest and easily accessible shopping, dining, entertainment, homes, schools, hotels, offices and leisure in one place.

About Marriott Vacation Club International

Marriott Vacation Club International, the interval ownership division of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR), is the recognized worldwide leader in vacation ownership with a programme highly regarded for its quality and unique flexibility. In 1984, Marriott became the first branded hospitality company by nearly a decade to enter the timeshare industry.

MVC continues to expand with a diverse portfolio of 47 resorts representing over 9,300 timeshare resort villas throughout the USA, Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Today, more than 350,000 vacation owners around the globe own their vacations "the Marriott way," offering options to exchange weeks with priority within the Marriott Vacation Club portfolio or within Interval International's global system of more than 2,200 resorts in over 75 countries, trade their weeks for Marriott Rewards points, or rent their weeks.

About Marriott International, Inc.

Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR), is a leading lodging company with about 3,000 lodging properties in the United States and 67 other countries and territories.

Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers.

The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Md., and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2007 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry's most admired company and one of the best companies to work for by FORTUNE®, and has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2007 Sustained Excellence Award and Partner of the Year since 2004. In fiscal year 2007, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of US$13 billion.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_pressreleases&view=detail&pr_id=16675&Itemid=77&ln=en

Thomas Cook, UK declared that it is cutting back on short haul holidays to European destinations in view of the pound sterling losing ground against the euro.

Thomas Cook’s CEO, M Fontenla-Novoa, dismissed any speculations about hiking its rates for the coming summer holidays. However, he did admit that a strong euro would affect the destination choices of tourists due to rise in cost of car hires, meals, etc. Nearly 40% of company’s profits and 60% of its revenue come from holidays to European destinations.

Both are likely to fall in 2009.Mr Fontenla-Novoa added that countries such as Spain could be worst hit with rising Euro as more holiday makers may prefer Turkey, US and other dollar currency destinations like Mexico, Cuba and Dominican Republic. However, a strong Euro will not affect the current year’s projections of the company.

The company has reduced its short-haul holidays to European destinations by 19% from last year. He said that in spite of reduced consumer spending, most people still consider holidays to be a necessity and not a luxury. The company’s performance during the winter has been good, where the company reduced capacity by 5% but UK selling prices were up 1% on bookings. In bookings for summer holidays in UK, the results have been even better. With 10% cut in capacity and prices up by 2%, the bookings have been down by just 3%.The company’s best performance has been in Northern Europe division, where it had more bookings, more capacity and higher prices. A stable market, hardly any budget airlines to compete with and strong management were sited as the reasons for this strong performance.

http://news.carrentals.co.uk/thomas-cook-cuts-down-short-haul-holidays-3421921.html

A dog is no longer for life, but just for the weekend, with the launch of a 'rent a pet' service in the UK.

FlexPetz, an American company, has already signed up 100 'part-time owners' in London after the idea proved popular in the U.S.

But the scheme has been criticised by animal charities, who said that such 'time-share' schemes are cruel to the dogs involved.

FlexPetz currently has five dogs but is planning to buy more and expand to other British cities.

Most of the dogs are retired show animals, and they have all received full obedience training. They are also fitted with tracking collars in case they get lost.

Users pay an annual fee of £50, plus a monthly subscription, which gets them four days with a dog.

The fees also cover leads, bowls, beds and food which are supplied for every trip.

Marlena Cervantes, a behavioural therapist who launched the service, said: "Our members are responsible in that they realise full-time ownership is not an option. We screen all our members first to make sure they are suitable."

But the idea of sharing a dog between multiple 'owners' has been questioned. Ryan Neile of pet charity Blue Cross said: "When dogs are passed around, they may become confused, distressed and unpredictable."

Caroline Kisko of the Kennel Club added: "The concept of renting out dogs as a "timeshareî equivalent is detrimental to the dog."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=560944&in_page_id=1770

BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China Southern Airlines Co., the country's largest carrier by fleet size, said Sunday first-quarter profit soared 523 percent year-on-year on the stronger yuan and greater passenger numbers.

Net profit rose to 796 million yuan (114 million U.S. dollars), or 0.18 yuan per share, the airline said in a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, citing domestic accounting standards.

The Guangzhou-based carrier said on the same day its 2007 profit surged 786 percent to 1.85 billion yuan (264 million U.S. dollars), or 0.42 yuan per share, from 209 million yuan, or 0.05 yuan per share, in 2006.

Revenue rose 18.2 percent to 55.9 billion yuan in 2007.

Chinese currency, the yuan, gained 6.9 percent against the U.S. dollar last year, reducing the value of China Southern's repatriated dollar-denominated debts.

The country's booming economy, which grew 11.9 percent last year, has also made business trips and holiday travels by air affordable to more residents.

Passenger numbers jumped 15.6 percent to 56.9 million last year, while cargo and mail volume climbed 6.5 percent to 872,000 tons. The airline filled 74.5 percent of the available seats, 2.8 percentage points higher than a year earlier.

Fuel and other charges have boosted China Southern's operation cost by 16.1 percent to 47.4 billion yuan in 2007. Fuel charge rose 13.1 percent to 18.3 billion yuan, accounting for 38.9 percent of the total cost.

Air China, the second-largest carrier by fleet, said in mid March net profit rose 30.37 percent to 3.88 billion yuan last year. China Eastern Airlines, the smallest of the nation's three major state-owned carriers, reported on April 15 net profit of 586million yuan for 2007, comparing with a loss of 2.99 billion yuan in 2006.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/21/content_8017848.htm

Summer holidays in Europe will be significantly more expensive for British holidaymakers as sterling's value has plummeted 15 per cent against the euro in just 12 months.

Britons who exchange £100 for euros this year will get €119 at the current exchange rate, instead of €140 a year ago. The exchange rate drop means drinks, food and souvenirs bought abroad will cost more.

A bottle of Heineken in a café in France will cost around £3.37 this summer, compared to last year’s price of £2.86, an increase of 51p.

Likewise, in Spain a bottle of suncream that cost £8.61 this year will cost £14 this year, according to a Post Office survey of commodity prices abroad.

Since the euro was introduced nine years ago, sterlin's high point was in 2004 when average exchange rates meant £1 could buy €1.46 – now it’s €1.19.

The pound has slumped due to Britain’s economic downturn, and the euro strengthened because of ongoing investment and a decision by the European Central Bank to hold interest rates.

Families on a strict budget should consider exchanging a portion of their holiday money each month – say £400 over four months in order to hedge against further rate drops, according to Thomas Cook.

This would need to be with a commission-free foreign exchange, though, in order to avoid accumulating fees for each transaction.

The travel company also advises limiting the use of credit and debit cards abroad, which can attract foreign exchange fees of up to 2.75 per cent, plus a further fixed charge per purchase for some debit cards.

More radical advice from Thomas Cook is to consider holidaying outside Europe. Managing director of Thomas Cook Financial Service, Mark Nancarrow said: “For those who haven’t yet booked a holiday, then other destinations to consider are the US, Turkey, Egypt and Bulgaria, where your pound will go further.”

Helen Warburton, Post Office head of travel concurs: "For those willing to travel further afield, long haul destinations such as South Africa, Jamaica and Barbados, where the pound has strengthened in value, will be a good choice."

But she added that some destinations in Europe will remain cheaper than others. “Prices vary dramatically within the eurozone so people will be looking to visit countries where a lower cost of living will offer them more for their pound, such as Spain. Turkey and eastern European countries like Bulgaria are a good bet”, she said.

The most expensive countries for British holidaymakers are Cyprus, France and Portugal, according to the Post Office statistics.

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article3730429.ece

Consumers are confused about the European Health Insurance Card with many thinking it replaces traditional travel insurance, a survey showed.

One in 10 people who had travelled to Europe during the past 12 months said they did not bother to take out travel cover because they had a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), according to insurer InsureandGo.

But half of those surveyed did not realise the card, which replaced the old E111, only provides free or reduced-cost medical treatment for emergency health problems for people in European Economic Area countries and Switzerland.

About 13 per cent of people wrongly thought it would pay for them to be brought back to the UK if they had a serious accident and 8 per cent thought it would cover health tourism, such as travelling abroad for an operation.

A further 3 per cent of those questioned thought the card would provide them with compensation for lost or stolen baggage while the same proportion thought it covered lost money and documents and 2 per cent thought it would pay out compensation if their flight was cancelled or delayed.

Perry Wilson, of InsureandGo, said: "These are very worrying findings. It appears the EHIC card is giving millions of people a false sense of security and we are concerned that the Government is not making it sufficiently clear to travellers that they need travel insurance as well when they go abroad for business or pleasure.

"The uncomfortable truth is that this card should not have the word 'insurance' in its name - it does not offer people insurance in the sense they have come to expect."

ICM questioned 1,050 people during March.

http://www.travelmail.co.uk/article/article_page.html?article_id=39331

Wyndham Worldwide CEO cites new timeshare law as the foundation for growth in the Middle East

Speaking in advance of the Global Travel and Tourism Summit that is taking place in Dubai on April 21, 2008, Steve Holmes, Chairman and CEO of Wyndham Worldwide, parent company of Group RCI, the world leader in timeshare exchange, explained just why the leisure real estate sector in the region stands to gain through the establishment of local timeshare regulations.

Holmes said, 'We are extremely pleased that this new timeshare law is now in place as we know that this is an essential step to establishing the timeshare industry in this new market. These protections will serve the interests of both developers and consumers alike while fostering a healthy growth environment. With this law in place, the vacation ownership industry should make a significant economic contribution to the market'.

Group RCI was a major contributor as part of the industry group working with the Dubai Lands Department and Real Estate Regulatory Authority, (RERA), in the creation of the newly announced timeshare laws.

As interest in timeshare escalates, it is expected that Middle Eastern residents will spend an estimated $1.2bn a year on shared ownership properties by 2020, with top markets including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Egypt and the UAE.

Developers have been quick to respond to the potential of value-added timeshare offers. Most recently Group RCI formed an affiliation with Al Ghaith Holdings to operate a timeshare exchange program at the Bavaria Executive Suites resort.

This development will have over 2000 units available in two towers on either side of Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road.

Another example is the exclusive Ivory Grand development owned by Al Sawadi Real Estate, located close to Mall of the Emirates.

Steve Holmes is the vice chair of the World Travel and Tourism Council and will be a part of the panel on 'Travel and Tourism - It's Good and Getting Better' taking place on day one of the Global Travel and Tourism Summit in Dubai on April 21. His comments will outline his views on the economic stability of the travel and tourism industry and in particular, the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies.

'Travel and tourism continues to be a stable and growing industry around the globe. We are one of the world's largest employers and engines of economic growth. We have seen that when it comes to taking time off, people will adjust their travel plans to fit their budgets, but rarely cancel their vacations altogether.

At Wyndham Worldwide we have hotels, timeshare resorts and vacation rentals and exchange, with great product, price and geographic diversity.

Historically, our portfolio has benefited from people tightening their wallets as so much of our product is in the mid-price and economy segment.

While we would like to see the U.S. economy rebound, our company is well poised to succeed, even in this economic environment,' added Holmes.

'The United States has been losing market share to other countries for that lucrative international visitor, but I hope to see narrow the gap this summer as we are on sale given the low value of the dollar against other currencies'.

http://www.ameinfo.com/153796.html

The number of bags lost by airlines worldwide rose by a record 25 per cent to 42million last year as rising airport congestion and increased security disrupted baggage systems, a study has found.

One in 50 bags went missing and one in 2,000 passengers lost a bag permanently, according to SITA, an information technology company which tracks passenger baggage worldwide for the air transport industry.

The study found that airlines had failed to invest adequately in a more robust baggage tagging system which would make it easier to locate missing bags.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, which are slightly more expensive than standard barcode tags but much more reliable, have been available for years but have yet to be rolled out across the industry.

SITA said the overall cost to carriers of mishandled baggage in 2007 was $3.8 billion, or an average of $90 per lost or delayed bag.

Francesco Violante, SITA’s chief executive, said: “It is important that we continue to move towards a comprehensive, fully-integrated global baggage management system that can direct, track and trace passenger baggage throughout the entire journey from check-in to final delivery at the destination.

“RFID could save the industry as much $700 million if it was fully implemented across the industry.”

The study said the main causes of lost bags were congestion due to growing passenger numbers, tight aircraft turnaround times and increased security.

The study follows the breakdown of the baggage-handling system that marred the opening of the showcase new Terminal 5 at London’s Heathrow airport at the end of March.

Huge volumes of luggage piled up, causing hundreds of flight cancellations, leaving British Aiways with a £16million compensation bill.

The SITA report said that most bags that went astray were delivered to their owners within 48 hours.

The statistics came from SITA’s automated tracing system for missing bags, which is used by some 400 airlines and ground-handling companies.

The report said the main cause of baggage delay, accounting for 49 percent in 2007, was mishandling during transfer at airports where passengers where changing flights.

But this had declined since 2005, when it was 61 percent.

Failure to load bags on to aircraft accounted for 16 percent, and ticketing errors and security issues accounted for 14 percent, while the rest were due to mishandling by destination airports, space restrictions and tagging errors.

Under the Montreal Convention, airlines’ liability is capped at £800 per lost bag. The Convention stays a bag should be considered lost after 21 days.

British Airways loses more bags than any other big airline in Europe, according to the Association of European Airlines (AEA).

Nine passengers on a typical BA jumbo jet find that their bags are missing when they arrive at their destination. BA’s performance worsened last year, with 26.5 bags lost per 1,000 passengers, compared with 23 in 2006.

The airline was 50 per cent more likely to lose a bag than the average European airline, which mislaid 16.6 bags per 1,000 passengers. Only Air Portugal, which is less than a fifth of the size of BA, lost a higher proportion of bags.

Some operators, including Virgin Atlantic, refuse to supply figures to the AEA.

The Air Transport Users Council has called on the European Commission to force all airlines to submit information for league tables on performance in key areas, including missing baggage.

Meanwhile, a major insurance company backed down yesterday after being criticised for saying it would not compensate passengers with new insurance policies if they lost bags at Terminal 5.

Direct Line said: “Following assurances from British Airways and BAA that service levels at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 have returned to an acceptable standard, Direct Line travel insurance policies will be valid should customers suffer lost and delayed baggage or flight disruptions at the airport.

“Additionally, as a gesture of goodwill, Direct Line will be taking a sympathetic view of any claims made against flight disruptions or lost and delayed baggage at the Terminal since its opening - irrespective of when the policy was bought.”

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article3771680.ece

The weakening pound against the euro has given a boost to the all-inclusive holiday market and one leading tour operator is predicting a boom in sales as savvy Brits cash in on all-in packages to popular tourist destinations in Europe.

Sales of all-inclusive holidays – which cater for all the food, drink, snacks and entertainment needs of holidaymakers – at tour operator Jet2holidays.com have shown a spike in sales of 63 per cent year-on-year. In the last week alone, sales have increased by 37 per cent.

Since the start of 2007 the pound-euro exchange rate has fallen from a high on 22 January 2007 when one euro cost 65.4p, to a low on 11 April 2008 when it cost 80.1p – effectively meaning the cost of living in European resorts has risen by 22.5%*.

A recent survey, carried out by Halifax Travel Insurance, shows that one-third of all holidays booked by Brits are all-inclusive, suggesting that consumers are taking the safer resort-based holiday option.

Mandy Round, General Manager, at Jet2holidays.com, said: “With the value of the pound devaluing so much against the euro, savvy customers are opting for all-inclusive deals.

“Just like fixing a mortgage deal, taking an all-inclusive break means you can pretty much fix your holiday spending in the sun as everything in resort – from ice creams, food, drink and snacks – is taken care of.

“We are not of the opinion that the credit crunch and mortgage rate worries are going to stop consumers taking holidays abroad – they are just being more sensible about their choices.”

http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/25473

Italy's Premier-elect Silvio Berlusconi and Russian President Vladmir Putin said Friday they want to intensify energy cooperation and raised the possibility Aeroflot could get involved in saving Italy's struggling Alitalia airline.

The two leaders, who met at Berlusconi's Sardinian villa just days after Berlusconi won elections securing his return to office, said they want to broaden the cooperation between Italy's Eni energy company and Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom.

Putin said he hopes Gazprom will have a role in Libya with Eni, without providing details. Putin made the overnight stopover in Sardinia on his way back from Libya, where he met with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Eni's chief executive Paolo Scaroni on Thursday said that Eni's Elephant oil field in Libya is among the assets being offered as part of a 2006 accord signed by Eni and Gazprom cementing their ties. Such a deal would require Gadhafi's approval.

Under the deal, Eni was allowed to enter Russia's to invest in the oil and gas sector in Russia while Gazprom was free to sell gas directly to Italy. The companies also agreed to swap assets.

Putin also said Aeroflot was ready to reopen talks with Alitalia, although exactly what the Russian carriers role could be remained unclear. Aeroflot was among the bidders who walked away from a failed auction last year, and its general director was quoted by Russian television on Thursday as saying it was not interested.

"I talked to Aeroflot's board chairman today," Putin told reporters. "He is ready to resume contacts with the Italian partner."

Berlusconi's intentions regarding Alitalia aren't entirely clear.

During his election campaign he pledged to rally Italian investors to save the failing airline from bankruptcy, in opposition to a takeover by Air France-KLM. But in the last couple of days he has softened his resistance to an Air France-KLM takeover, saying it was important that Alitalia be equal with the other carriers and that it have Italian management — a position he repeated on Friday.

He also said Alitalia's future remained "very open" and that contacts with Air France-KLM about a potential sale were continuing. On Thursday he said he would discuss a tie-up with French President Nicolas Sarkozy after taking office.

Air France walked away from exclusive talks over union demands earlier this month, and the process has been up in the air during the election period. Berlusconi's government is expected to take office in early May.

Alitalia, meanwhile, is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. It has been losing €1 million (US$1.6 million) a day and is expected to run out of cash by June.

Berlusconi dodged a question about whether the Italian government was planning a bridge loan — a possibility that circulated in the Italian media after a meeting Thursday between a key Berlusconi aide and an official in Premier Romano Prodi's outgoing government working on the Alitalia deal.

"The problem is so big that everything else doesn't matter, (including) bridge loans. ... What matters is solving the problem and keeping Alitalia as a flagship carrier to bring foreign tourists to Italy," Berlusconi said.

The European Commission said Friday that whatever the future holds for Alitalia — a linkup with Russia' Aeroflot or the Air France-KLM giant — the Italian air carrier cannot count on subsidies from the Italian government until at least 2011.

Alitalia won an infusion of state aid in 2001, and under EU competition rules that means it is excluded from another no-strings-attached cash injection for at least 10 years.

Alitalia received €400 million in 2005 as a "bridging loan" which the company has reimbursed, said EU spokesman Michele Cercone.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/18/business/EU-FIN-Italy-Russia.php

There is a new breed of property investment in town and it’s causing a stir. Rather than simply owning one holiday home you can own a share of six in fabulous locations around the world. While you profit from the value of the homes rising, you get to enjoy regular holidays in Brazil, Thailand and America. It’s an appealing idea. Not only do you spread your risk by investing in six different markets rather than one, but by investing via one of these clubs you don’t have the burden of maintaining the properties either.

But before you get your chequebook out, let’s look at the catches – and there are one or two. Take Rocksure, which is offering investors a share in its Bravo fund. This will have six properties in places including Brazil and Morocco for £189,000. That doesn’t sound too bad for a share in six holiday homes. The problem is the extras. You also have to pay an annual service charge of around £1,800, which isn’t guaranteed to stay the same each year. So that’s a £189,000 initial investment, a further £1,800 a year, plus the costs of flights, all for four weeks’ holiday a year. Suddenly it’s not looking so cheap after all.

The other problem is that the 39 other families invested in the properties are also entitled to four weeks a year in the houses. That means that you can’t just decide at the last minute to go to Colorado and competition for the school holidays is likely to be fierce.

So what about the investment angle? “It’s boring having shares in Cadbury, where the dividend goes straight to your bank account... with us you’ve got capital appreciation and a visible asset you can have fun with,” says David Rogers, one of Rocksure’s founders. But in these uncertain times a regular dividend is pretty appealing. With Rocksure you don’t get a share of any rental yields on the property, as these are used to cover maintenance costs. You also have to wait until the properties are sold to get a return on your investment, unless you can find someone to buy you out.

The charges on any profits are steep too – Rocksure will take 17.5% of any profits over and above 20%. This is assuming you have any profits to take – Rocksure will sell the properties in seven years time when the fund closes, regardless of the state of the market. The property locations are hardly up and coming (the Algarve, Morocco and Croatia have all seen large gains in recent years). So if the property crash goes global, you could lose out.

All in all, Rocksure and its rivals offer a “neat way of effectively pre-paying your holiday accommodation”, says Eric Gummers from Howard Kennedy Solicitors in The Sunday Times. But as an investment there are far better things to do with your money. Even if you are determined to buy property, you would be better off taking the £189,000 and buying your own home in an up-andcoming destination – Northern Brazil is one option. That gives you the freedom to buy and sell at your discretion, holiday there when you like and also get an income from renting it out.

http://www.moneyweek.com/file/45193/a-new-breed-of-property-investmentto-avoid.html

Seven years ago, when I was 60 I took early retirement from my job in the customer service department at CP Rail. The company was reorganizing and I didn't want to start another job, but the result was that I took a cut in my retirement pension. My wife, Anne, who is a year younger than me, wasn't ready to retire yet, so she continued to work until 65 as a legal assistant and I just sat at home, on our acreage outside of Calgary, dreading the winters and watching the snow fall.

Every winter we would go down to Mazatlan, Mexico, where we owned a timeshare. We loved the warm weather(usually 25° to 29°C during the day in the winter months)and the long sandy beaches and the very Mexican feel of the place. We started off visiting for two weeks a year, then it became three. At first, we stuck to the tourist areas. But Mazatlan is a good-sized city of about 600,000 people and after a while we discovered what's known as El Centro — the city centre — and we really liked it. The houses are old there — some go back to the late-1800s — and they're very affordable. As well, there is lots of local culture, great shopping, an open-air marketplace and plenty of restaurants and cafes.

Four years ago, we decided to buy our own little place there. It was the year before Anne retired, and we bought a small two-bedroom house that was completely restored. It cost us only $45,000, which we put on our line of credit. Our home is in a traditional Mexican style, painted a salmon color, with pretty ironwork out front, cool ceramic floors and a shady little patio with a nice garden, about a 10-minute walk from the beach. Everything was in there, including furniture, appliances, linens, towels, dishes, cutlery and even a TV, because the owner's original intention had been to rent it out.

When Anne retired, we sold our house outside of Calgary, which had 10.5 acres of land. With the proceeds from the sale, we paid off the house in Mexico and bought a 14 x 44-ft mobile home in a beautiful RV park south of Calgary. Now we spend November to April in Mexico and the summer months in Canada.

Overall, I'd say living expenses in Mexico are between a third and half of what they are in Canada. The two of us can live very well on about $2,000 a month. When we worked out our monthly expenses, we were paying about $135 a month for shelter, including utilities, property taxes, Internet and telephone.

Some costs seem absurdly low to Canadian eyes. Our property tax, for example, is just 381 pesos per year($40), although we pay an additional bank trust fee of $422 annually because our house is within 50 km of the ocean. Even with air conditioning in the hot months, our electricity costs have averaged $16 a month. Of course, we never have any heating costs. If it gets chilly at night, you just throw on an extra blanket. Fire insurance is not necessary except for contents because all the houses are built of concrete.

Food is cheap. You might pay $2 for a 1.9-litre bottle of milk, 43 cents for a kilo of tomatoes and $2.50 for enough large fresh shrimp for a meal. Services cost even less. You can visit the dentist for $20 to $30, hire a cleaning lady for the day for $10, have your hair cut for $4, and get your laundry done for about $4.50 for three kilos.

We don't need a car — the bus system is great and the local bus costs 4 pesos(41 cents Cdn.), or you can pay 8 pesos for the air-conditioned bus, which is mostly for tourists. That means we can afford to dine out often. On Valentine's Day we went all out and had dinner at a Mexican-Greek restaurant. We had a large margarita, a bottle of wine, a delicious meal, a dessert flambé and cappuccino for about $50 including tip. Normally, we don't spend that much. There are many places where the two of us can get a simple meal for $10.

Another advantage to being in Mexico, as opposed to, say Thailand or Costa Rica, or some of the other places where Canadians can live cheaply during retirement, is that it's fairly close to home. The flight to Calgary costs us about $700 so if we need to go back to see the kids, it's not a problem.

I would advise those considering retiring here to be realistic about what you're used to. We eventually decided that the original layout of our little home was too small, given the amount of time we are spending down here, so we are building another floor onto the house with a large bedroom, an extra bathroom, a large balcony, and a back deck. It'll cost us about $20,000, which is still very cheap.

You have to budget a little extra for health care. We have an FM-3, which is a special visa allowing us to live here for one year. It also allows us to buy into the IMSS, the state-sponsored medical plan, at a cost of about $580 a year for the two of us because we're over 65. We have that plan just in case we get run over or have a heart attack, which would be costly without insurance. For the most part, if we go to our family doctor — who is well-educated and speaks perfect English — we pay directly. It's only about $20 a visit, and if you need an X-ray or ultrasound, you'll pay another $20, but you'll get the results immediately and the care is top-notch.

We've been very happy with our decision to move to Mexico for half the year. Right now the skies are blue and its 29°C, yet at night it cools down and you sleep well. People ask us what we do down here. They'll say, "You can't sit on the beach for six months. Aren't you bored?" The short answer is, no. We can go to the Angela Peralta Theatre, which is beautifully restored, and see a flamenco performance for less than $14. Movies are released at the same time as in Canada, but in English with Spanish subtitles, and cost $3 a ticket. And we have an endless round of barbecues, fundraisers and get-togethers, mostly with other Canadians and Americans, but also with locals.

It's all so inexpensive, we can afford to live very well. In contrast, when we go back to Canada we can't afford to do anything. Except for visiting with family and friends, we become recluses. We spend our time on the deck, barbecuing and maybe popping over to a neighbor's for happy hour. Sure, we can exist in Canada on the money we have coming in. But in Mexico we can really live it up!

(Herman Heynen lives in Mazatlan, Mexico.)

Going global

Thinking of retiring abroad? Before uprooting yourself, do your homework, advises Rod Burylo, director of Canadians Retiring Abroad. Burylo, who holds seminars across Canada on retiring to foreign destinations, offers these tips:

Try it out first

Visiting a country on vacation isn't the same as retiring there. Seek out the kind of expat community where you're likely to live and rent a place for a few months before committing to buy property. If you don't like it, your loss is minimal.

Be realistic about finances

While it may be cheaper to live in certain countries, you have to factor in the cost of airfare to get there, additional health-care costs and communications costs.

Consider taxation issues

Some countries are more tax friendly than others for those willing to give up Canadian residency. Cam McIntosh, a chartered accountant in Calgary, says Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize are good bets for low taxes combined with a low cost of living. In Mexico, for example, you'll pay tax at 15% on income streams like RRIFs and pensions coming from Canada, but you won't pay additional Mexican tax.

Scouting reports

These websites can help you learn more about retiring abroad.

Voyage.gc.ca. This Government of Canada site offers information on visa requirements, laws and regulations. Also on offer: publications about living in Mexico and the U.S., and another called Retirement Abroad: Seeing the Sunsets. Available online or by calling 1-800-267-8376(in Canada)or(613)944-4000(outside of Canada).

About.com/cs/snowbirds. This site offers links to help you deal with the tax and lifestyle issues raised by leaving Canada for a little while or forever.

Snowbirds.org. The Canadian Snowbird Association, a not-for-profit advocacy group, offers its members group rates on travel medical insurance.

PlanningStrategiesGroup.com. The Norfolk Group offers the Canada- Mexico Chamber Business Association International Group Healthcare Plan, which covers Canadians until age 100, anywhere in the world they choose to retire. Rates run from $136 to $662 a month.

MexPatriate.net. Info on the most popular expat communities in Mexico, as well as legal and tax info.

Chapala.com. Offers cost of living data, street maps and FAQs for this hot-spot for Canadian retirees.

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/my_money/investing/article.jsp?content=20060801_105126_5260

Tourists searching for a place in the sun that won’t break the bank should swap the Costas for the beaches of Thailand.

Holidays on the Continent are soaring in price after the pound tumbled nearly 19 per cent against the euro in the past year.

The US is one destination which now offers better value because the dollar exchange rate is more favourable.

But sun seekers would be even better off picking other long-haul destinations this summer, according to the Post Office holiday costs barometer.

Holidaymakers will get excellent value by travelling to long-haul destinations
Helen Warburton, Post Office head of travel services

Thailand comes out cheapest of the 16 countries surveyed, with 10 common holiday purchases costing £28.58.

The same items bought in Spain – the cheapest place in the euro zone – come to £59.24 while in France they work out at £68.97.

A three-course evening meal for two plus wine in a local restaurant in Thailand costs on average £17.64 but eating out in Italy – the most expensive European destination – would set a couple back £42.05. Buying the 10 surveyed items in Italy would mean shelling out £73.40.

Buying a postcard and stamp for the UK ranges from 31p in Egypt to £1.35 from a tourist shop in France.

Sun cream from a supermarket costs £2.65 in Thailand compared to £11.77 in Spain.

Australia worked out the most expensive place of all 16 countries surveyed by the Post Office.

The same 10 purchases there came to £88.97, more than three times the cost in Thailand.

The basket of purchases includes a cup of coffee from a cafe, a bottle of supermarket mineral water, an English tabloid newspaper, insect repellent and a three-course evening meal for two.

The findings follow evidence that families are already putting off holiday plans because of the credit crunch.

Trips abroad are the first item to be shelved when finances become tighter, according to researchers Mintel.

The pound now buys 1.17 euros compared to 1.39 in April 2007. Meanwhile, the exchange rate against the US dollar has held more or less steady, with the pound buying 1.87 dollars.

But you can still bag a bargain break elsewhere if you shop around. Helen Warburton, Post Office head of travel services, said: “Holidaymakers will get excellent value by travelling to long-haul destinations.

“Sterling is up over 8 per cent against the rand, making South Africa a good choice, and booming sales of Egyptian and Thai currency indicate that holidaymakers are already opting for trips where their pound will stretch further.”

The Post Office research shows that South Africa is the second cheapest holiday destination after Thailand, with the 10 purchases there costing £40.03.

The Post Office figures do not take account of accommodation and flight costs. The pound is at its lowest level against the euro since it was introduced in 1999.

By Louise Barnett

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/41677/Holidays-that-don-t-Costa-lot

It is hard to imagine that the airport experience, especially at London's dreaded Heathrow, could get any worse. But the opening of Terminal 5 on March 27 was a fiasco of epic proportions. British Airways, sole occupiers of the "state-of-the-art" terminal, canceled hundreds of flights; some 20,000 bags were parted from their owners - many are still lost.

Despite reassurances from the airline that things will get better soon, travelers would be wise to avoid Terminal 5 over the next few weeks. Fortunately, there are options for travel with BA and other airlines at Terminals 1, 2, 3 or 4. Ten percent of BA's flights from the airport are not moving to Terminal 5; some short-haul flights are at Terminal 1, and flights to Singapore, Australia and Bangkok continue to fly from Terminal 4. (You can find a full list of flights by clicking on "Which Terminal?" at BA.com; some BA flights operate from Gatwick North Terminal.) Thanks to the "open skies" agreement, several new carriers now operate from Heathrow Terminals 3 and 4 to U.S. destinations. You can view flight schedules for all airlines at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, at the airport operators' Web site, BAA.com.

Heathrow can be avoided altogether, especially for travel between London and Europe. Gatwick, 28 miles, or 45 kilometers, to the south of London, offers a wide range of flights to Europe, North America, Middle East and Asia. Stansted, 34 miles northeast, is mainly a budget airline hub; but New York JFK is served by American Airlines and the all-business-class carrier Eos with daily flights. Luton, 32 miles north, serves more than 30 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, plus New York Newark, served daily by Silverjet's all-business flights from its private terminal. London City Airport, six miles from Canary Wharf, the exemplary hub for short flights, promises all-business-class flights to New York with BA in 2009.

When traveling between North America, Middle East, Asia, and Europe, it's easy to avoid London by transiting at a hub such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Paris. (The opening of a new Air France-KLM Terminal 2E at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport on March 30 should make departures and transfers simpler.)

The Official Airline Guide (www.oagflights.com) is the most authoritative source of global flight information, showing flight schedules, updated daily, for 1,000 airlines serving 3,000 airports around the world; well worth the annual subscription of €139, or about $208.

Travelers are now hit with a double whammy: restrictions on the size and weight of carry-on baggage forces them to check more bags. For airlines this is an opportunity to impose charges for excess baggage, and many airlines as well are doing away with free baggage allowances.

Traveling light can be heavy going these days. The official carry-on allowance is one standard-sized bag - with a maximum size of 22x17.5x9.85 inches, or 56x45x25 centimeters, including wheels, pockets and handles) - plus one laptop-sized bag, handbag, or briefcase. You may possibly be allowed a third bag in premium cabins. Most airlines impose a maximum bag weight of 51 pounds, or 23 kilograms.

However light you travel, there is no sure-fire way to avoid a hassle with carry-ons. One solution is to stuff everything into a suitcase with detachable briefcase/laptop bag and wheels. But sometimes, taking a lot of stuff is unavoidable. Rather than risk the hassle and nightmare of mishandled or lost bags, consider shipping your bags with a specialized courier service.

BA recommends First Luggage (www.firstluggage.com) which picks up and delivers baggage by FedEx all over the world. The cost for one-way shipping of a suitcase of 66 pounds from Milan to Brussels is about £89, or about $177. Excess Baggage (www.excessbaggage.com) ships bags in 300 countries, charging from $4 to $10 per kilogram for most destinations. Excess Baggage has a network of agents that includes Contour USA (www.contour-usa.com) for shipments from the United States. It is also worth checking out the courier services of www.Skycapinternational.com and www.Virtualbellhop.com, both based in the United States.

Luggage Express (www.usxpluggageexpress.com) has courier service across the United States and is extending to cities in South and Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. Prices start at $85 for a 35- to 40-pound suitcase between U.S. cities to $325, with duties and tax, from New York to London.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/17/travel/trfreq18.php

Trading your timeshare for comparable timeshares is a wonderful way to travel and see the world!

Just because you own a timeshare, doesn't mean that you have to keep going to the same place over and over again. In fact, one of the greatest benefits of owning a timeshare is that you can trade your vacation time for stays at other resorts throughout the world! 80% of timeshare purchasers buy with this intention! Whether you're a long-term planner or a last moment procrastinator, trading your timeshare for other comparable timeshares is a wonderful way to travel and see the world!

The concept of timeshare exchange is easily summed up as "like for like". Basically, the type of timeshare you own will determine the type of timeshare you'll receive. So, when you make your exchange request, keep in mind what type of a timeshare you own, as you're likely to get the same number of bedrooms, the same season and similar amenities as what your home resort offers. It all comes down to demand versus supply.


Join An Exchange Company

After you purchase your timeshare, you'll want to join or use a timeshare exchange company. These companies are usually affiliated with your timeshare resort and they'll help you exchange your timeshare for a similar resort. Resort Condominiums International (RCI) and Interval International (II) are two of the oldest and largest exchange companies in the world. Membership and Exchange fees with these companies are nominal and you'll receive complete timeshare catalogs, which contain pictures and descriptions of thousands of resorts throughout the world. You can even access their Internet sites to search their directory of resorts. Also note there a growing number of smaller independent exchange companies that are fast making it just as easy to fulfill on a trade. Trading Places, Donita's exchange and the San Francisco Exchange company are just a few.

Timeshare Exchange Companies:

What's Right for You?

What’s one of the greatest benefits of owning a timeshare? Trading your time for vacations at other resorts throughout the world! In fact, 80% of timeshare purchasers buy with this intention!

So, once you buy your timeshare, where do you start? You find a timeshare exchange company! These companies will help you exchange your timeshare, as well as provide many other vacation services. Some charge an upfront fee, others don’t.

To make your life easier, our friends at Timesharing Today put together a comparison chart of exchange companies.

Start exchanging: Find the right timeshare exchange company

Once you've joined an exchange company, the process is as easy as picking up the phone and asking one of their vacation consultants to walk you through the exchange process. This procedure is very user-friendly. Think of it as if you were going to your local bank, making deposits and withdrawals.

You deposit your timeshare into the exchange company's resort "bank". This bank is made up of timeshare properties from around the country and world that other exchange members have deposited. When you find a location and week that work for you, call your exchange company and request an exchange. Just like making a withdrawal. Remember, when you deposit your timeshare, you don't have to request an immediate exchange.

Likewise, you don't have to wait for your deposited timeshare to be taken before you're confirmed to go elsewhere. And, for added flexibility, you don't have to travel during the same fixed week that you deposited!

Priority for fulfilling your request is based upon the following:

The quality of your timeshare resort.
The demand for your timeshare resort.
The demand for the geographic area of your timeshare.
The demand for the week you own (high versus quiet season).
The size of your timeshare.
When you deposit your timeshare week.

Tips of the trade!

Deposit Early

Whether you need a specific time for a family gathering or don't even know where you want to go, the earlier you deposit the more opportunities you'll have for a match.

Request Early

As soon as you decide where you want to travel, let your exchange company know so that they can begin searching for your next vacation!

Be flexible!

Give 3 or 4 different resort and date choices. You'll have a better chance of fulfilling your request!

Determine How You Vacation?

Before you can exchange a timeshare, you have to own one. So when you purchase your timeshare from Holiday Group, think about where you want to vacation and how you plan your vacations. Are you limited to traveling only during peak seasons or can you travel during the off-season? Do you travel to mostly peak destinations, like the beach in summer, or do you stray from the beaten path? If you're more restricted, with family and work, and you can only travel during peak seasons, you'll want to purchase a prime property or season. If, however, you're more flexible and you can travel during the off-season, you might not even need a prime property or season.

Membership and Exchange Fees

Exchange companies make their money by charging membership fees, exchange fees and guest passes (when you want to give your week to friends or family). The fees are charged as follows.

Membership*: RCI - $89 II - $79
(*Based on one year, but you can pre-pay for multiple years and receive a discount!)

Domestic Exchange: RCI - $149 II - $121
International Exchange: RCI - $189 II - $149
Guest Pass: RCI - $49 II - $39

http://www.holidaygroup.com/timeshare_basics/exchange.php

This summer will see the opening of a £110m new holiday complex that its owners say will redefine UK holidays. Steffan Rhys is the first journalist to get a look inside

IT may be paradoxical to describe a 500-acre site as being quietly nestled away in the West Wales countryside, but Bluestone is barely noticeable to the casual visitor until you are almost literally on top of it and overlooking the hundreds of timber lodges and picturesque village that could soon become the country’s leading attraction.

Now just weeks from completion having been 10 years in the making, the project’s backers say Bluestone is about to transform the flagging Pembrokeshire economy, to which it will bring 700 jobs, 350,000 visitors and £35m a year.

When it opens on June 30, the site will boast an indoor water park, a sports centre and luxurious spa, with work on a £25m snow dome getting under way in 2009.

At its heart will be a village in, broadly, an early 20th century style which could have been modelled on any number of small West Walian towns like Laugharne, Llandeilo or Narberth with its gentle pastel colours, country pubs and upmarket restaurants.

And spread across the whole site to the south of the Preseli mountains will be 335 timber lodges – only 182 of which will initially open – the cost of a stay in which will vary from between £150 and £2,600 a week.

But despite its vast scale, its founders claim it is based on firm principles of sustainability and of spreading the economic benefits far beyond its patch by encouraging visitors to explore the rest of Pembrokeshire– an Objective One area where GDP was estimated at having fallen by 17% between 1984 and 1994 – and Carmarthenshire.

“It is central to our ethos that we do not get people down here and expect them to stay in Bluestone,” said communications manager Richard Harris.

“Pembrokeshire is a beautiful place to live, but geographical peripherality has also meant the county economy has suffered in recent years.

“We’re going to draw people here in greater numbers than they have ever come before.
“But it is no good us promoting our climbing walls when just a few miles away you can climb a real coastal cliff.

“And how could we not encourage people to walk the coastal path or see Barafundle Beach?”

The idea of former Pembrokeshire dairy farmer William McNamara – who left neighbouring Oakwood theme park to back this venture along with Sir Edward Dashwood and developers Mansford – the site also has strong environmental credentials.

Many of its lodges – the interiors of which were designed by Haverfordwest designer Barrie Knight – feature solar panels, triple glazing and Scandinavian insulation techniques, while the Blue Lagoon is thought to be the only water park in the world powered by biomass energy created on site in an energy centre which boasts a £50,000 turf roof.

Two 26-ton boilers will heat water through the carbon-neutral burning of woodchip and miscanthus, or elephant grass, grown by a co-operative of local farmers.

“The aim is for the farmers and growers to keep control and with no middleman, all the money stays within the local community,” said Paul Ratcliffe, a farmer whose land neighbours the site, and who travelled to Finland and Austria to look at energy systems run on similar principles.

The traffic-free village boasts local butchers and bakers, and pubs and restaurants which strongly emphasise the importance of local produce.

While The Tafarn will serve Welsh ale, and restaurants The Granary and The Smithy will serve simple fare, Carreg Las will boast the finest food Wales has to offer – like Atlantic sea bass, Welsh black beef, organic Welsh lamb and Solva crab.

Food manager John Glasby claims it will be a showcase for seasonal local produce.
“We’re lucky to have a wealth of high quality food and drink locally in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Wales generally,” he said.

“There is no need to buy cheese from any further than 30 miles away and the area is strong on lamb, beef, poultry, Carmarthenshire ham, as well as chutneys, honey, chocolate and ice cream.”

On the village’s edge is a spa boasting a traditional brick sauna, marine sauna, salt steam room, herbal steam room, ice pod, dry salt room and no fewer than 15 treatment rooms.

Marrying the ultra modern to the ancient, the spa has been named The Well after the holy well at the neighbouring and now ruined Newton North Church, which found itself on a major pilgrim route after Pope Calixtus II declared in the 13th century that two pilgrimages to St Davids were worth one to Rome.

Bluestone pays the Church in Wales the token sum of one white rose on a midsummer evening for the lease of the ancient church and there are fledgling plans to restore it and hold weddings there.

“It is going to give Wales something that has never been done here before,” said Mr Harris.

At a glance – what Bluestone has to offer

The Blue Lagoon

In the shape of an upturned Cleddau coracle with a roof made of cedar shingles and a plastic similar to that used for the iconic domed roofs at Cornwall’s Eden Project, the water park’s main feature will be a wave pool capable of producing some of the largest indoor waves in the UK. It will also have three flumes, a rapids ride, a main pool, a lazy river ride and a bubbling hot tub

The Snow Dome

Work on this £25m attraction is not expected to start until at least 2009. The main ski run will be 200m long and 50m wide with a 75m training run next to it. It will be open 12 hours a day with tobogganing and snowboarding sessions at night

The Well

A luxurious spa featuring a traditional brick sauna, marine sauna, salt steam room, herbal steam room, ice pod, dry salt room and no fewer than 15 treatment rooms for treatments including reiki, aromatherapy, massage and reflexology

Landsker Sports Club

Features a large indoor sports hall, outdoor facilities including football and tennis, a state-of-the-art gym, pool and snooker tables, and fitness and dance suites

The Village

A traditional Welsh village featuring pubs, wine bars, shops and three restaurants boasting the finest in Welsh local produce

Local and sustainable

Bluestone has been developed on a grand scale but it has tried to remain largely loyal to Welsh designers, architects and suppliers as well as maintaining green credentials.
Among its suppliers are:

Wizo Trees, from Clarbeston Road, near Haverfordwest, who supplied more than 200,000 native trees, shrubs and bulbs; Vaughans in Haverfordwest, who supplied 400 TVs and 230 DVD players; BK Designs of Haverfordwest, who designed the lodges’ interiors; Powell Dobson Associates of Cardiff, who designed the Blue Lagoon and Pembrokeshire Bio-Energy, a co-operative of farmers which is growing the crops to power Bluestone’s biomass energy.

Measures taken to minimise its environmental impact include solar panelling in the lodges’ roofs, recycled newspapers as insulation, and the world’s only water park powered by biomass from crops grown in Pembrokeshire.

Countryside, hillside and waterside lodges in a choice of colours to match
When Bluestone opens in June, 182 timber lodges set around a traditional Welsh village will be ready for occupancy but when the site is complete, there will be 335 to stay in, along with 30 stone cottages within the village and 17 studio apartments.

Bordering woodland, nestled into the hillside, on open countryside or surrounding a freshwater lake, the lodges boast two to four bedrooms and range from the luxurious to the modest but comfortable.

Each of the four categories of lodge is named after some of Pembrokeshire’s islands with the 24 Skomer lodges being the flagship.

In these detached two-storey, three-bedroom, three-bathroom lodges, slate-floored kitchens fitted by Zenith Interiors of Milford Haven lead to the open plan dining and lounge area, with its overlooking balcony directly above.

Thick beams of European whitewood support the roofs, several of which sport solar panels which heat water.

Outside, the lodges – each of which has been strategically placed in the site’s best spots – have their own patio and furniture.

A Skomer privilege package, which includes a week-long stay in the lodge, your own electric buggy and £150 worth of spa treatment, costs £2,600.

The Caldey, Ramsey and Dinas lodges, as well as the cottages and studios, come in cheaper with a midweek Monday to Friday stay possible for around £150.

Their interiors were designed by Haverfordwest-based Barrie Knight.

“The colour palette has to work with the landscape and enhance the natural beauty of the area,” he said.

“The palette will work well whatever the time of year, with shades of green in the woodland lodges, blues for the lakeside lodges, and purples and browns for the area with the best mountain views.

“The environment hasn’t changed for thousands of years, so the basic colouration should date well while the design of the furniture is quite classical with a modern twist.”

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/feature-news/2008/04/16/bluestone-offers-welsh-holidays-something-new-91466-20768528/

AIR chiefs say the growth in the number of people flying has slowed down dramatically.

New statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority show that last year UK airports handled 241 million passengers - an increase of just 2.4 per cent on 2006, with growth in numbers at their lowest for a decade.

Since the 1970s, annual growth had been six pc a year.

Experts say there are several reasons why people are thinking twice about flying - with less money in their pockets to spend on holidays being the main one.

Better rail services are also having an impact on how people travel, with more people taking to the train for trips around Britain. Use of domestic flights fell by 1.9pc last year.

Despite the slow down, the air industry is still determined to press ahead with its expansion with more cheap flights and plans to expand airports, particularly Stansted and Heathrow.

Currently around 1,200 jet planes fly over Suffolk every day - causing growing frustration over noise and concern over pollution.

Government believes doubling air travel over the next 20 years will boost the economy, but that will simply mean more passenger planes flying over Suffolk.

Expert Dr Harry Bush said: “The CAA's analysis shows the impact on passenger air travel of recent slowing of consumer expenditure, but also indicates a significant impact from the recovery of rail travel and from the increasing internationalisation of the UK economy, with the consequent growth in air travel to visit family members or friends in other countries.

“Looking to the longer term, demographic changes and ownership of homes abroad are also likely to buttress air travel demand, although relatively small changes in frequency of leisure travel between mid and higher levels of income suggest demand growth is constrained to some extent by factors other than income, such as availability of leisure time.”

The CAA said during 2007, landings and take-offs of commercial aircraft at UK airports grew by 1.8pc to 2.5 million.

At the London airports - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City - the increase was 2.6pc, bolstered by increases of 16pc at London City and 6pc at Luton.

A CAA spokesman said: “More regional airports are developing a greater range of services and there are now nine airports handling more than five million passengers each a year, together accounting for nearly one third of all UK passengers, while a further nine airports each handle more than one million passengers annually.”

FASTFACTS: Who flies most …

Half of the UK population do not fly at all in any year - those who do take more than two return trips on average.

Higher income households take more flights, single people and childless couples fly more than families, and those who own property abroad fly often.

Households with total earnings over £115,000 per year take around 60 per cent more trips per year than those earning less than £40,000.

Regional airports have continued to grow at a faster rate than London airports, and in 2007 handled 42 per cent of passengers at UK airports.

http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED11%20Apr%202008%2015%3A23%3A28%3A237

Now family holidays are cancelled as credit crunch begins to pinch

Fun in the sun: But families have begun to cancel holidays as they battle with finances
Families are having to rediscover the values of thrift and make-do-and-mend as the credit crunch takes hold.

According to a report yesterday, almost half of us have scrapped spending plans because of the economic climate.

One family in five has delayed its annual holiday and a tenth of Britons have held back on buying a new car.

Sixteen per cent of householders have put off plans for home improvements such as loft conversions, according to retail analysts Mintel.

The period from 2002-2006 saw spending on long-haul foreign holidays rocket by 41 per cent, sales of champagne and wine rise by 26 per cent and big increases in fashion spending.

Now the survey of 2,000 adults has found that the spending spree is well and truly over as prices rise and debt levels soar.

Families are having to slash their outgoings and savings have also been hit, with 11 per cent saying they have nothing left over at the end of the month to put away.

Personal debt is running at £ 1.4trillion and there have been rising numbers of bankruptcies and home repossessions.

Income tax and National Insurance are taking a greater proportion of gross income, having risen from 14.6 per cent in 1997 to 17.8 per cent last year.

Mortgage costs have more than trebled in the last ten years, now accounting for a quarter of consumer spending, compared with 14 per cent in 1997.

Mintel's chief statistician Peter Ayton said: "While people are clearly aware of the rise in house prices, utility bills and the cost of food and petrol individually, many may not have thought about the combined impact these price hikes have had on their income.

"But this, along with the gradual increase in direct tax, has seriously dented spending power and it is now more obvious than ever that incomes don't stretch as far as they once did.

"We are likely to see even more people having to make sacrifices."

The analysts predict that 2008 will be tough for the British economy but they believe it will get back on track in 2009/10, helped by investment in the run-up to the Olympics and the approach of a General Election.

By REBECCA CAMBER

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=559942&in_page_id=1770

Hotel operator Marriott International Inc. reports earnings for the first quarter on
Thursday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

OVERVIEW: In January, Marriott named the chain of boutique hotels it is launching with upscale hotelier Ian Schrager "Edition." Marriott and Schrager plan to open the first Edition hotels in about two years in nine cities, including Paris, Madrid, Miami, and Chicago. Two are planned for Los Angeles.

The Bethesda, Md.-based company, which operates under brand names that include Courtyard, Ritz-Carlton and Marriott, said in February that it signed a deal with Orbitz Worldwide Inc. that would make its rooms available on the online travel company's Web sites.

BY THE NUMBERS: Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial predict a profit of 33 cents per share on revenue of $2.83 billion.

ANALYST TAKE: Deutsche Bank North America analyst Chris Woronka said in an April 10 client note that he anticipates Marriott's quarterly earnings results will be helped by international growth, buybacks and lower interest. He sees increased focus on timeshare operations and expects the lodging company to "confirm that leisure and weekend demand/pricing power is decelerating and booking windows for short-term transient and group business are narrow."

Woronka predicts a first-quarter profit of 35 cents per share.

Felicia Hendrix of Lehman Brothers estimated 3 percent growth in North American revenue per available room in the first quarter. Marriott previously predicted growth in a range of 2 percent to 4 percent, the analyst said in a client note. Revenue per available room, also know as revpar, is a key gauge of a hotel operator's performance.

Hendrix expects Marriott's quarterly timeshare revenue to plunge 84 percent to $9 million, which is within the range of $7 million to $12 million predicted by Marriott. The analyst said the forecast accounts for new project startup costs and difficult comparisons to results from a year ago when a large Hawaiian inventory became financially reportable.

Hendrix provided a first-quarter earnings estimate of 32 cents per share.

STOCK PERFORMANCE: Shares of Marriott International fluctuated during the quarter, but ended the period less than 1 percent higher.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5701265.html

Some travelers at key airports in New York and Los Angeles may be put through machines that see through clothing and provide a detailed image of a person's body beginning later this week.

The TSA says the screener who reviews the images is in a booth, unable to see the travelers.

It's the first expansion of the program since the machines were first put to the test in Phoenix, Arizona.

The "whole body imaging" machines have sparked complaints from privacy advocates.

But the Transportation Security Administration says that it has taken steps to protect individuals' privacy and that 90 percent of the travelers in Phoenix preferred the imaging machine to a pat-down.

The millimeter wave machines will be rolled out at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Los Angeles International Airport in California later this week, TSA Administrator Kip Hawley told Congress on Tuesday.

The TSA will be purchasing at least 30 more machines for use at other U.S. airports this year, he added.

The TSA will use two different methods at JFK and LAX as they study the most effective way to use the machines.

TSA.gov: How the technology works

At JFK, passengers sent to secondary screening will be given the option of a pat-down or a trip through the body imager. To protect the traveler's privacy, the screener who reviews the image is in a booth, unable to see the traveler, according to the TSA. The traveler's face is pixilated and the image is not stored, the TSA said.

At LAX, the millimeter wave machine will be located just beyond the checkpoint magnetometers.

Travelers will continuously and randomly be selected to go through the machine. While signs will inform them of the pat-down option, screeners will not announce that choice. But passengers electing not to go through the millimeter wave machine will be given the option of the pat-down.

A TSA spokesman said the agency is still exploring backscatter, another imaging technology in use at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport.

Millimeter wave machines are already in use at airports in Britain, Spain, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Thailand and the Netherlands, as well as at some court and corrections facilities in Virginia, Colorado, Pennsylvania, California and Illinois.

Sky Harbor began using the machines last October.

Hawley also announced Tuesday the TSA is purchasing another 580 multi-view X-ray machines that are used to screen passengers' carry-on bags, bringing the total to 830 machines. The machines give screeners a clearer, more detailed view. Some 600 machines will be deployed by year's end, he said.

The technology is a "powerful platform" that can be adjusted to include software capable of detecting liquid explosives, he said



http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/04/15/airport.security/

The pound’s continued fall against the euro is fuelling a boom in the domestic market, according to tour operator Hoseasons.

Hoseasons chief executive Richard Carrick said more people are choosing to holiday in the UK, with the operator's sales up by 30% year on year.

Demand has proved to be particularly strong in the lates market, with more than 40% of all Hoseasons' bookings being made less then six weeks before departure.

Carrick added: “Our recent booking figures support how attractive the UK holiday market has become to native holidaymakers, both in terms of value for money and diversity of accommodation.

“Standards have been significantly enhanced and the variety of holidays on offer is vast.

“What’s more, the trend in short breaks reflects a growing desire among holidaymakers to take UK holidays as a green, hassle-free alternative to flying overseas. We expect to see an even larger increase in sales over the coming months as people look to find great value, quality accommodation at home.”

by Edward Robertson

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/14/27263/hoseasons-reports-domestic-boom-thanks-to-strong-euro.html

Delta Air Lines agreed to merge Monday with Northwest Airlines in a $3.1 billion stock deal that would create the world’s largest airline and may unleash more industry consolidation.

The combined airline will keep Delta’s name, Atlanta headquarters and its chief executive officer, Richard Anderson, the companies said. The combined carrier would drop American Airlines into second place by traffic.

The carrier will have 800 aircraft and 75,000 employees.

Delta, the third-biggest U.S. airline by traffic, is betting that acquiring No. 5 Northwest will help it weather a 74 percent surge in jet fuel over 12 months. The move is likely to spur rivals, including United Airlines, to hasten talks on tie-ups to counter the new Delta’s wider network and cost savings.

A combined Delta-Northwest will control about 25 percent of the U.S. air-travel market, estimated Ray Neidl, an analyst at Calyon Securities in New York. Delta and Northwest and their regional partners carried 176 million people last year.

“This deal makes more sense than just about any you could imagine,” Henry Harteveldt, a Forrester Research Inc. analyst in San Francisco, said before the announcement. “The overlap is minimal, and they’ll gain international routes they both need.”

Delta’s contributions to the new carrier include trans-Atlantic routes to Europe and a network in Latin America, while Northwest has Pacific routes including access to the restricted Narita Airport in Tokyo. Adding overseas destinations was part of each airline’s strategy to return to profit after bankruptcy.

The joining of Atlanta-based Delta and Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest will result in combined annual revenue of $31.7 billion.

Delta and Northwest have no overlap in service out of Kansas City. Delta flies to Atlanta and Salt Lake City from Kansas City International Airport, while Northwest has departures to Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis, Tenn. Both carriers also operate regional service from KCI.

Together, the airlines carried about 11 percent of all passengers flying out of KCI in February, according to the latest statistics compiled by the Kansas City Aviation Department. That would make the combined carrier the second-busiest carrier at KCI, slightly ahead of Midwest Airlines, in terms of the number of passengers flown out of Kansas City. Southwest Airlines is the busiest carrier.

Northwest also has a 47 percent ownership of Milwaukee-based Midwest with no management role in the carrier. Industry observers have said previously that they did not expect any change to come of Midwest’s ownership as a result of a Delta-Northwest merger.

Wall Street and some airline executives have pushed for consolidation for years, arguing that too many seats are chasing too few passengers. The resulting discounting has made it hard for airlines to cover their expenses.

The eight largest U.S. carriers may lose a combined $1.4 billion in the first quarter, Merrill Lynch & Co. analyst Michael Linenberg wrote Monday in a note to clients.

Continental Airlines Inc., No. 4 in the U.S. by traffic, has held talks with United and has met with American, sources have said.

Under the terms of the transaction, Northwest shareholders will receive 1.25 Delta shares for each Northwest share they own. The exchange ratio represents a premium to Northwest shareholders of 16.8 percent based on Monday’s closing stock prices.

Delta Chairman Daniel Carp will become chairman of the new board of directors, and Northwest Chairman Roy Bostock will become vice chairman. Delta President and Chief Financial Officer Ed Bastian will retain those titles.

The new board will be made up of 13 members, seven of whom will come from Delta’s board, including Anderson, and five of whom will come from Northwest’s board, including Bostock and Doug Steenland, the current Northwest CEO. One director will come from the Air Line Pilots Association, the union that represents pilots from both carriers.

Delta also said that it had agreed with its pilot leadership to extend its existing collective bargaining agreement through the end of 2012.

The agreement does not cover Northwest pilots.

The chairman of the Northwest chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, Dave Stevens, said in a statement Sunday that any deal not in the best interest of his members would meet “vigorous opposition.” Beyond enlisting members of Congress and the Justice Department to oppose the deal, pilots have little opportunity to prevent a merger.

But they can go a long way toward keeping a completed merger from being successful. At US Airways, the product of a 2005 merger with America West Airlines, pilots are still litigating over a combined seniority list and executives have been forced to continue operating the two carriers with separate squads of pilots. That makes the airline less efficient.

Pilots can also engage in legal work slowdowns, sometimes known as flying to the contract, which can cause late and canceled flights to swell and costs to rise.

Years of mounting losses forced Delta and Northwest to file for bankruptcy protection on Sept. 14, 2005. Both emerged from bankruptcy last spring.

DELTA Daily flights worldwide: 4,200
2007 passengers: 109 million

Daily flights from KCI: 6

Employees: 55,044

NORTHWEST Daily flights worldwide: 2,500

2007 passengers: 66 million

Daily flights from KCI: 9

Employees: 32,000

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/575930-p2.html

US TYCOON Donald Trump has announced new plans to extend his golf business with a £410m complex in Puerto Rico.

The Trump International Golf Club is due to be built on the northern coast of the island, on the 1,000-acre site of the former Coco Beach Golf and Country Club.

It will consist of a 36-hole course and around 500 holiday homes. The homes are expected to cost at least £950,000 and will have access to private jet, yachting and limousine services.

Puerto Rico, a US territory in the northeast Caribbean, is seeking a major boost to its economy and the Trump Organisation investment is expected to bring a large increase in tourism.

Trump's plans to build "the world's greatest golf club" on the Menie Estate, on the coast north of Aberdeen, are awaiting a decision by finance secretary John Swinney after the local council rejected the application.

The proposed resort, which includes plans to build a five-star hotel, 500 luxury homes and 950 timeshare apartments, was lauded by business leaders as a vital economic boost to the region.

But council planners rejected the plans, saying they would cause irrevocable damage to an important ecological habitat and area of natural beauty.

Trump's Scottish woes continued last week after it emerged the coat of arms used to promote his Aberdeenshire resort has not been registered and, therefore, is illegal under Scots law.

Scotland's heraldic authority has the power, under the 300-year-old law, to fine Trump or destroy the emblem unless he pays the £1,200 registration fee.

By Ben Judge

http://news.scotsman.com/donaldtrump/Trump-eyes-410m-golf-resort.3786170.jp

The sales pitch would make for an interesting vacation brochure: Come spend two weeks in a tiny Mozambique village with tight sleeping accommodations that may require bedding down on the floor. Facilities are minimal; showers are cold. Meals will include unfamiliar and, at least for Westerners, highly unusual ingredients. A minimum of eight full days of hard labor guaranteed at no additional cost to the traveler.

Welcome to the world of “voluntourism,” where visiting a foreign country means throwing your back into real work in order to make a real difference.

In June, Judy Bell and friend, Barbara Pressler, will fly to Mozambique on their own dime and then leave another $2,000 or so behind for the privilege of joining a Global Village project as part of Habitat for Humanity International's efforts around the world. They will on an eight-member team that will help build homes in the community of Massaca.

“One of my primary reasons for going is because I don't like to donate to funds - I never really know where my money is going,” Pressler said. “The two draws for me were taking a trip to Africa and having a chance to help people out, first-hand.

“I love going to Third World countries and relating to the children,” added Pressler, whose international travels have carried her to places like India, Nepal and Papau, New Guinea. “The kids in the villages are so much fun.”

The home-building project will involve building simple homes - it costs about $1,000 for Habitat to build a house in Mozambique - that will be used by families caring for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).

The housing projects are designed to complement emergency programs for children whose parents have died from HIV/AIDS. In Mozambique alone, more than 500,000 children have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic, according to Habitat for Humanity International. By last year, about 600 of them had been sheltered in homes constructed with the help of Habitat team members. Hundreds more are on the way.

Along with housing, the program provides latrines, mosquito nets, water treatment kits, instruction in housing maintenance and the legal documents necessary for an inheritance plan to the families who receive new homes, ensuring that the orphaned children will, once they're older, become the owners. In the interim, the homes are used by relatives, friends or neighbors who agree to care for and raise the orphaned children under that roof.

Although the Global Village projects touch almost every country, Habitat for Humanity International has focused on the OVC program in this African nation.

“It was a priority established by Mozambique, because they're overwhelmed by children who are not part of families,” Bell said. “The girls are vulnerable to prostitution; the boys are vulnerable to the military. They end up doing anything they can to survive.”

Each team member pays a fee to take part in the building project and the money goes into a fund to buy building materials for the next round of homes. For Bell and Pressler, the trip is the most effective way they can imagine to offset the global image of the “Ugly American” as someone who is loud, overfed and either ignorant or unconcerned about what goes on in the rest of the world.

“People are flabbergasted when they learn that there are Americans who are willing to go someplace and help build a house for someone they've never met,” Bell said. “It's so different from the impression they have of us.”

For these two women, changing that impression in a lasting way means doing so in person by getting down to work, rather than engaging in painless philanthropy by slipping a few bucks into a mission envelope a couple of times a year.

“I think everyone should have a chance to travel to a Third World country - if even for a couple of days - to witness the kind of poverty that exists and see how it affects children,” Pressler said. “It seems like our culture is becoming even more based on the value of things and what we have. The awareness of what really matters starts at home, with what we're teaching our own children.”

“And it's a lot more than just saying, ‘Clean up your plate - children are starving in India,'” Bell added.

Team members are encouraged to bring along family photos to share with new friends, but avoid pictures that might be seen as flaunting their wealth or extravagant lifestyle to an impoverished nation.

“In other words, you don't want to bring a picture of yourself posing in front of your Mercedes,” Bell said.

Gifts, too, should be simple in nature - pencils for the village school or basic supplies for the medical clinic. The greatest gift these working visitors can bestow, according to Habitat, is the same “sweat equity” that each family will invest as their new homes are constructed.

Pressler learned about the opportunity to travel to Mozambique when her friend's brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Leslie Bell, visited Sandpoint and presented a slide show on their own, long-time involvement with Habitat for Humanity International projects around the world. Hearing that the couple would act as trip leaders in June and learning that Judy planned to join them as one of the workers, Pressler added her name to the list of people heading for Africa.

While they are in Mozambique, the women may be in close proximity to other tourists who are in the midst of a very different vacation experience, one that is completely protected from the reality that exists just outside the gated walls of their resort compound, just out of sight of those lounging poolside.

“The thing is, it's getting easier and easier to be whisked off to these countries and never see the poverty,” Bell said. “You can surround yourself with incredible luxury, go to the private beaches, eat well, drink well and be waited on the whole time you're there.”

“Not me,” said Pressler. “I want to be challenged. Give me the snakes, the bugs and the butterflies. I want the adventure.”

“I don't really know exactly what this is going to be like,” Bell admitted. “I'm a total newbie to all of this.”

Pressler, on the other hand, has an idea of what to expect when she arrives based on her other journeys abroad.

“I think it depends on how much you've traveled to countries like that,” she said. “You know you're going to see some sad things, but after a while, nothing is alarming any more. It's just the real world that you're seeing.

“And the real world is a wake-up call.”

For information about the Mozambique housing project visit: www.habitat.org/gv and click on Mozambique under the “Featured Global Village Trips” subheading. Information about making donations to this particular project, using the event code GV8125, can be found on this same site.

http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/articles/2008/04/13/news/news01.txt

Interval International, through its affiliate Worldwide Vacation & Travel, Inc., announced the completion of its beta launch for VacationSource.com, a unique lead generation Web site that aggregates and sells developer-sponsored vacation packages. This exciting new program introduces consumers to the world of vacation ownership and invites qualified prospective owners to purchase a mini-vacation at a selection of resorts.

VacationSource.com is now open to additional clients in order to broaden the scope of the offers featured on the site.

Developed in conjunction with Vibes Interactive, VacationSource.com includes online booking and tour management capabilities. The easy-to-navigate site allows visitors to view vacation package descriptions, accommodation features, resort details, and additional benefits.

“We’re thrilled to offer our clients this innovative product designed to assist them in generating cost-effective incremental tour flow to their resorts,” said David C. Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for Interval International. “VacationSource educates, screens, and books resort tours for potential owners in a few simple steps. We’re confident that clients who participate will be satisfied with the results.”

“Interval International is bringing its clients a new approach to an age-old industry challenge with VacationSource,” noted Andy Genuso, chief operating officer for sales and marketing at Pacific Monarch Resorts, Inc. and a participant in the beta test. “Because consumers who tour our resorts after booking on this site generally are more informed about the industry, we’re finding that they are more predisposed to purchase with us. We’re very pleased to have this additional tool to assist us in attracting new owners to our resorts.”

Interval International is a leading provider of exchange, travel, and leisure services to resort developers and vacationers worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market for more than 30 years. Today, Interval has a network of over 2,300 resorts in excess of 75 countries and offers its clients and nearly 2 million member families high-quality products and programs through its 28 offices in 17 countries. Interval is part of IAC, which owns and operates more than 60 diversified brands in sectors being transformed by the Internet, online and offline. Other IAC companies include Ask.com, HSN, LendingTree, Match.com, and Ticketmaster.

http://www.thetimeshareblog.com/vacationsourcecom-drives-potential-owners-to-interval-international-clients-resort-properties/

Wireless Internet is literally taking off. We're talking cruising at 35,000 feet above the Earth.

A handful of airlines are poised to offer wireless Internet access inside their planes, giving passengers the ability to answer e-mails, conduct work, social network and otherwise entertain themselves. That Internet black hole known as the airplane cabin will soon be no more.

JetBlue in December began a pilot test of in-flight wireless service that offers users access to Yahoo e-mail and chat and allows Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry devices to get e-mail. In the coming months, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Virgin America will begin trials of more robust Wi-Fi services that offer full broadband speeds to laptops, media players and gaming devices. Regular Wi-Fi service could begin on many of the airlines by the end of this year.

Many of the test flights will involve planes flying to and from the Bay Area.

The services use a variety of technologies, but they offer the same basic premise: provide people with the Internet access they enjoy at home, in the office or at hotspots.

"More of what we do on the ground these days is Internet-connected. It's the nexus of what we do, so to offer that same capability in-flight is very valuable," said Doug Backelin, manager of in-flight communications and technology for American Airlines.

In-flight wireless will not include cell phone service, which the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration have blocked so far. Most of the airlines also have vowed to disable Skype and other Internet phone services accessible through laptops and Wi-Fi phones. The European Commission, however, has approved in-flight cell phone service, which is being tested out by carriers such as Air France, Emirates and Ryanair.

The cost of the domestic Wi-Fi service is still being worked out. Aircell, which is providing the wireless service for American and Virgin America, is looking at charging $12.95 for flights longer than three hours and less for shorter trips. Row 44, which supplies the technology for Alaska Airlines and Southwest, is working with its carrier partners to set pricing, which hasn't been determined. JetBlue uses technology from its subsidiary LiveTV and is offering wireless access free on its one test airplane, which flies cross-country.

The carriers hope to provide connection speeds comparable to DSL service, around 1 to 2 Mbps for each user. The technology providers they're relying on are achieving wireless in the skies in two very different ways.

Aircell installs antennas on the bottom of the plane that communicate with its own network of 92 cell towers on the ground. Inside the plane, there will be at least two Wi-Fi access points that provide a signal to travelers. The company said the setup can deliver 3 Mbps to the plane, which is compressed and allows travelers to share the equivalent of a 15 Mbps connection.

LiveTV offers a similar setup but with a narrower slice of radio spectrum than Aircell. As such, it can't provide the same bandwidth, which limits its offerings to e-mail and online chatting. The company plans to roll out satellite Internet service beginning in 2009.

Row 44 delivers Internet access via satellites, which beam data back and forth using a flat antenna on top of airplanes. The service, which uses three satellites that are shared by Hughes Networks Systems, is able to provide 30 Mbps to the plane and can operate over the ocean for international flights.

Analysts predict the service will be embraced by passengers, especially business travelers. In a recent Forrester Research survey, 55 percent of travelers on flights of four hours or more said they would be interested in paying for in-flight wireless access. Airline executives are expecting Wi-Fi in the skies to become a standard feature aboard all planes.

'Bare minimum'

"Wi-Fi is going to be a vanilla amenity," said Charles Ogilvie, Virgin America's director of in-flight entertainment and partnerships. "Once you put a product or feature out there and it really starts to resonate with users, it becomes the standard and the bare minimum."

Wi-Fi lovers will have some limits to deal with when surfing in the sky. Skype and other Internet phone services will be disabled to ensure peace and quiet in the cabin. Users trying to download large files also will have their traffic throttled to guarantee other users aren't adversely affected.

"If you're streaming video, you might be ... at the back of the line or the loading may be slower than you'd like to see," said Jack Blumenstein, CEO of Aircell. "But if you're on a flight with not a lot of activity, you'll find you can do what you want."

The use of wireless on board raises a number of new questions for airlines. Flight attendants likely will have to field technical questions for the first time. They'll also have to police against passengers viewing inappropriate content online.

"The airlines have all cut back already, so there's less staffing," said Sara Nelson, a spokeswoman for the Association for Flight Attendants. "This is just going to increase our role and make it more difficult."

Steve Jarvis, vice president of marketing, sales and customer experience for Alaska Airlines, admits offering wireless may add to their flight attendants' workload. But he said the system is being designed to work with minimal support.

New opportunities

Creating the infrastructure for broadband in the skies is opening up new opportunities for airlines. Row 44 is looking at providing wireless users with a form of Internet protocol television. Virgin American is using the new connectivity to provide Internet access to its seatback entertainment systems. Virgin is also tapping game developers to create networked games that can be played by passengers in the same plane and by travelers on different flights.

"The basis for all of this is the understanding that we have a captive audience at 35,000 feet who want more than just the experience of watching the seat in front of them," Virgin's Ogilvie said. "There are so many possibilities on the application side that the Internet will enable now."

Wi-Fi in the skies

-- Alaska Airlines: Testing wireless Internet access this summer
-- American Airlines: Testing service on 15 planes by mid-year
-- Continental: Testing limited wireless next year
-- JetBlue: Currently testing one plane offering limited Yahoo e-mail, IM chat and BlackBerry e-mail service
-- Southwest Airlines: Testing service on four planes in late summer
-- Virgin America: Testing service late this year

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/13/BUB41043AJ.DTL

Ten ways to get kicked off a plane

Body odour, bad singing, being saucy; you can be thrown off for anything these days

Good morning, and welcome to BloggsAir. Before you board today, do you mind answering a few questions? Splendid. Just let me get my clipboard ... right, off we go.

Are you dressed revealingly? Is there a large toy crocodile in your hand luggage? While on this flight, do you intend to read pornography, emit offensive body odour or perhaps sing a topical football-based ditty?

If so, the chances are you’re going to get slung off. All the above offences have recently resulted in passengers being escorted from the plane by stony-faced airport-security bods. In fact, over the past few years, cabin crew have taken to turfing us out of planes in unprecedented numbers.

Only a few days ago, the otherwise blameless Dr Paolo Tomasi from London was unceremoniously dumped off a Ryanair flight for the heinous crime of talking to his eight-year-old son during the safety briefing.

Getting ejected for having a chat lacks class, though. It’s a bit meek, a bit pedestrian. Aren’t there ways of doing it with more panache?

Oh yes there are. Here is our guide to involuntary deplaning with style, all based on real and recent episodes.

SING ABOUT FOOTBALLERS’ UNDERWEAR

After a fine win over Cardiff last year, fans of Sunderland AFC boarded an EasyJet flight in buoyant mood and sang the praises of their chairman in time-honoured terrace fashion. In case you’re not a regular at the Stadium of Light, the lyrics, to the tune of ’Ere We Go, ’Ere We Go, ’Ere We Go, are as follows: “Niall Quinn’s disco pants are the best.

They go up from his arse to his chest. They’re better than Adam and the Ants, Niall Quinn’s disco pants.” EasyJet staff, unused to Wearside poetry, called the police and had all 100 fans thrown off. Quinn himself shelled out £8,000 for taxis to get them home.

Style rating: 10 - and 11 for Quinn. What a guy.

PAY INSUFFICIENT ATTENTION TO PERSONAL HYGIENE

A German man was chucked off a plane in Honolulu in 2006 for being excessively whiffy. After two hours’ chasing around a hot airport with heavy luggage, he took his seat, only to be asked to leave it when fellow passengers complained. He tried to sue the airline in a D#65533;sseldorf court, and lost; he tried to appeal, but got stuck in traffic. The case was thrown out.

Style rating: 0 - hapless, hopeless and smelly. Not a good combination.

BLOCK THE EMERGENCY EXIT WITH A HUGE STUFFED CROCODILE

Last November, a woman on a Ryanair flight from Rome to Milan refused to move her metre-long cuddly toy crocodile, which the crew said was blocking the emergency exit. Both were removed.

Style rating: 8 – yes, exits are important, but you’ve got to admit there’s something cool about a life-threatening cuddly croc.

WEAR THE WRONG CLOTHES

American Lorrie Heasley took her seat sporting a T-shirt that featured pictures of George Bush and friends, with a slogan based on the hit film Meet the Fockers – but with one crucial vowel altered. Airline staff were not amused, and she was dumped halfway through her journey at Reno, Nevada.

Unfortunately, her garment wasn’t supplied by Tshirthell.com, a company that has pledged to provide alternative transport to anyone thrown off a flight for wearing its products. Since one of its more repeatable slogans reads “I’d rather be snorting cocaine off a hooker’s ass”, that’s probably just as well.

Style rating: 7 – but only if your clothing is genuinely funny.

DON’T WEAR ENOUGH CLOTHES

That was the crime of Kyla Ebbert, a 23-year-old waitress at the subtly named Hooters chain of restaurants. She was removed from a Southwest Airlines plane in San Diego for being dressed too provocatively, in micro miniskirt and tight T-shirt – though she was let back on when she rearranged them to cover as much as possible. (It took a while. She’s a big girl.) “I was embarrassed and humiliated,” she said. To regain her dignity, she took everything off again for Playboy.

Style rating: 6 – if you can pull it off. Or down.

ATTEMPT SEX

A flight made an unplanned landing last November to eject a couple who were intent on joining the mile-high club. After “fooling around” in front of other passengers in their economy seats, the pair made for the lavatories. Instead of ending up in Las Vegas, as planned, they were dumped in Portland, Oregon. It is not known whether their love was consummated.

Style rating: 1 – sex in the air is only fun if you don’t get found out. And nobody wants to be marooned in Portland.

SAY ‘BYE-BYE, PLANE’

Last July, 19-month-old Garren Penland – who’d just endured an 11-hour delay at Houston airport – said those words repeatedly (as children will) during the safety briefing on a Continental flight. “The flight attendant said, ‘Okay, it’s not funny any more. You need to shut your baby up,’ ” claimed his mum, Kate. Unfazed, Garren kept going, and mother and son soon ended up on the tarmac.

Style rating: 5 – awww, kids, eh? We think it’s cute. Though, after the 30th time, we might have changed our minds, too. Especially if we were sitting next to the little cherub.

READ PORN

In 2005, South African carrier Nationwide Airlines called a taxiing flight back to the terminal to eject AC Hoffman, a Cape Town businessman. He’d been perusing Loslyf, a local publication of liberated bent. “The air hostess snatched it off me, I told her she was f ***in’ rude, and they chucked me off,” he said. “This will not be the end of the matter. My hand luggage has not even been returned.” We think he meant the periodical. The airline’s chief executive, Vernon Bricknell, commented helpfully: “If you want to look at this kind of stuff, go and do so in the toilet.”

Style rating: 2 – porn on a flight? Not high on the class-o-meter. Even if you bought it for the articles.

SWEAR... IF YOU’RE THE PILOT

Bit of a turnaround, this. Last April, the captain of a Northwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit was heard by first-class passengers making prolific use of the f-word on his mobile as he boarded the plane. When they complained, he continued to swear – at them this time. Eventually, the airline’s management removed him from the flight. A rare example of passenger power.

Style rating: 0 – pilots should wear ties (and perhaps goggles) and be unflappable. The only acceptable swear word is “dashed”.

DIE

It has drama, but, actually, this one won’t get you slung off. It’ll get you upgraded. Last March, a woman who expired in an economy seat on a British Airways flight was immediately reseated at the front of the plane. One first-class passenger was understandably fazed when he woke up to find that the vacant seat next to him was now occupied by a corpse. The airline later apologised.

Style rating: 8 – if you’ve got to take your last journey, do it in first.

Stephen Bleach

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/your_say/article3552313.ece

When Lloyd Wilder drew up plans for a new lodge, golf course, ski hill and swimming pools at Fairmont Hot Springs during the 1960s, he was creating the first four-season resort in the Columbia Valley.

After it was built, visitors flocked to visit the resort, which, along with Radium Hot Springs was the cornerstone of early tourism to the now-popular region just across the Alberta border into British Columbia.

But over the years, newer resort developments sprang up near Radium, Invermere and Windermere, and Fairmont Hot Springs lost some of its fame.

Don Slobodzian, managing broker with Royal LePage Rockies West Realty, recalls that when he came to the valley in the early 1990s, many people from outside the region were not that familiar with Fairmont Hot Springs.

"There was a time when a lot of people I talked to knew of Radium but had never heard of Fairmont," says Slobodzian. "But slowly that has changed."

Now with new owners set to go ahead with a massive redevelopment plan for much of Fairmont, the community could once again become the focal point of the Columbia Valley.

Slobodzian says many people are responding positively to the proposals by Ken Fowler Enterprises for Fairmont Hot Springs.

"I think they have some pretty exciting plans as to what they're going to do with the land base in the Fairmont area. I think it's going to put Fairmont on the map," he says.

In addition to its historic natural hot springs, Fairmont has several attractions that have made it a popular place for people to own recreation property.

Slobodzian says there is golf and skiing right in Fairmont, and easy access to all the other amenities of the valley including all the additional golf courses.

The mountainside area of Fairmont also has its own unique flavour with easy access to the nearby wilderness along with beautiful views of the valley.

Not much new development has taken place in Fairmont in recent years other than a few new subdivisions.

Slobodzian says you can find some building lots in the mountainside area priced from around $125,000, while lots at Riverside can run upwards of half a million dollars.

Single-family homes start from about $500,000 with many in the $700,000 to $800,000 range and a few that would likely fetch more than $1 million if they were put on the market.

Slobodzian says there is a definite lack of townhome product, which is actually causing some people who retired to Fairmont 10 or 15 years ago to leave the community in search of low-maintenance, single-level real estate.

He says while several large large buildings near the Riverside golf course look like condominium developments, they are are actually timeshare villas.

Slobodzian says those timeshare properties have introduced a lot of people to the Fairmont area, and some of them enjoyed their vacation so much they decided buy real estate in the community.

Whether the billion-dollar plans for Fairmont Hot Springs will once again propel it into the centre of attention in the Columbia Valley remains to be seen, but Slobodzian says the new owners seem to be really in touch with what has made Fairmont a success in the past and plan to add to that legacy.

"Fairmont has charm right now, but with the Fowler group it looks like they are really tuned into keeping the charm there and maybe adding even more. I feel positive about that."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=70ac1c94-1dc6-4a05-a9bd-f8eb452e83e8

VIPvillas.com announces a new range of exclusive hotels, lodges and villas in South Africa and beyond.

Luxury villa (http://www.vipvillas.com) and hotel specialist VIPvillas.com has launched a new range of exclusive hotels and lodges in South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique expanding its portfolio of ultimate holiday experiences to the African continent.

The company now features 27 select properties across South Africa, ranging from rustic bushcamps and lodges in the Serengeti, to state-of-the-art private villas in Cape Town, with each holiday individually tailored to combine the best accommodation, flights and services.

New properties featured on the site include some of South Africa's most prestigious hotels - the River Manor Boutique Hotel and Spa in Stellenbosch, Cape Winelands; the Singita Game Reserve; and Les Cascades de Bantry Bay, set in the most exclusive bay on the Atlantic Seaboard close to Cape Town.

VIPvillas' new South Africa programme will also include five-star cookery courses at the award winning Le Quartier Français; golf breaks at some of the country's finest courses, which are gaining a growing reputation for their quality and service; and safari adventures at the Singita Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park and the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in the Northern Cape.

Elsewhere in Africa the company features a range of five-star villas and hotels (http://www.vipvillas.com) in spectacular locations including Zambezi River, Livingstone and Luanga River in Zambia and Benguerua Island in Mozambique with each holiday created to the specific requirements of each customer.

Simon Williams, Operations Director of VIPvillas.com, said: "Demand for top-end Luxury Properties is growing and with it comes the need for a more bespoke and personalised service. While South Africa has always had strong links with the UK, this is now extending to other areas of Africa and our new properties demonstrate the high quality that is now available.

"With a choice of Luxury Villas across Africa, we can now offer a tailored programme for those who want a short break or a month-long stay. Our properties elsewhere are already attracting a lot of interest since we launched at the end of last year and we look forward to welcoming more discerning travellers with our Africa programme."

Beyond Africa, VIPvillas.com offers exclusive villas (http://www.vipvillas.com) and hotels in the Caribbean, Greek Islands, Dubai, the Indian Ocean and Thailand, including Sandy Lane and Royal Westmoreland in Barbados, the Hyatt Hotel in Dubai, and luxury villas (http://www.vipvillas.com) which offer services ranging from personal chefs and chauffeurs, to private speed boats and more.

A number of luxury villas (http://www.vipvillas.com) have also been specially selected for VIPvillas' weddings and honeymoons programme, each hand picked for their romantic setting and exclusive style. Available in Barbados, Cyprus, Crete, Thailand and Jamaica, weddings are individually tailored in conjunction with specialist wedding planners.

Prices for a one week stay at the exclusive Bantry Bay offering stunning views on the Cape, start from £19,885 based on ten people sharing the five bedroom villa.

Prices for a one week stay at Les Cascades de Bantry Bay costs start from £700 per night per room.

For more information on VIPvillas visit http://www.vipvillas.com, call 08458 739 639 or email admin@vipvillas.com.

About VIPvillas.com

Launched in 2007 VIPvillas.com offers over 450 high quality Luxury Villas and hotels around the World. Destinations include Southern Africa, the Caribbean, Greek Islands, Indian Ocean and Thailand, with all holidays tailor-made to individual travel specifications. A range of Bespoke Feature Holidays is also available including cookery, golf, safari, beach and city breaks. Weddings and honeymoons can also be arranged with specialist wedding planners available to assist with organisation. For more information visit VIP Villas (http://www.vipvillas.com)

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/4/prweb849594.htm

Royal Holiday Vacation Club Subject of Numerous Customer Complaints

If you think buying a timeshare in Mexico sounds like more trouble than it's worth, the Royal Holiday Vacation Club has a deal for you. It offers something completely different -- let's call it the un-timeshare.

A promotional video produced by the company says, "Welcome to the exciting world of Royal Holiday & a great way to have luxury vacations without breaking the bank."

Based in Mexico, Royal Holiday is doing a booming business signing up vacationers at busy sales offices around the Caribbean. It isn't selling property; it's selling points and promises. A typical member pays roughly $11,000 to join the club, plus a yearly fee of about $465. For that, a member gets points that the club says can be used to book luxury vacations.

Royal Holiday calls its Vacations for Life plan an alternative to the complaint-riddled timeshare business. But a "20/20" hidden camera investigation inside the club's sales operation in Cancun raised troubling questions about how Royal Holiday sells memberships and delivers on its promises. According to angry complaints placed both in the United States and in Mexico, hundreds upon hundreds of the club's members wish they weren't.

"We love to travel," says Natasha Rajtar of Albany, N.Y., who signed up with her husband, Jason. "And we thought how cool over the next 30 years to be able to travel the world with our children."

A Royal Holiday promotional video says, "Today we can share a secret with you, one that guarantees luxury vacations in first class hotels around the world."
What is Royal Holiday's real "secret"?

"20/20" interviewed a cross-section of the growing number of members who say Royal Holiday misled them about how the club operates, and the availability of vacations they'd want. They say the only thing royal about their membership was the way they were ripped off.

John and Robin Chomko, who are from the St Louis area, joined in the Dominican Republic in 2006. "They'll tell you anything," John says of the Royal Holiday salespeople. "They'll lie, I mean, they lied completely to us."

Royal Holiday says 97 percent of its approximately 65,000 members never complain. But Mexico's consumer protection agency, Procuraduria Federal del Consumidor, or Profeco, says Royal Holiday has 1,800 complaints. Asked to comment, Royal Holiday referred us to its Mexico City lawyer, Agustin Garcia. We pointed out to Garcia that in 2005, Royal Holiday had 282 complaints; 506 complaints in 2006 and 761 complaints in 2007. A short time after our interview, Royal Holiday provided the following written statement:

"Royal Holiday Club is fully committed to providing a best-in-class vacation experience to all our members. While the kind of complaints reported by '20/20' have come from only a small percentage of our customers, we take these issues very seriously and are working aggressively to address them. Building on our 25 years of experience, we are undertaking a comprehensive effort to improve the quality of our services and increase customer satisfaction."

The Federal Trade Commission says the travel, vacations and timeshare industry was in its top 10 complaint categories in 2007. And it says complaints about Royal Holiday are also piling up at the Better Business Bureau of South East Florida and the Caribbean, located in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Better Business Bureau Senior Vice President Carol Venello read from a stack of complaints for things like "high pressure sales tactics that are absolute lies" and "no destinations ever available, no matter how far in advance they called."

Venello says the pattern is members reporting high-pressure sales, misrepresentation and failure to disclose conditions of the offer. "What they are alleging is that they are being pressured into signing," she says. "That the product or the vacation is misrepresented as to how they can use it, when they can use it, hotels that are available."

The Better Business Bureau gives Royal Holiday its lowest rating, a mark understandable in Spanish or English: an F. Royal Holiday's lawyer Garcia acknowledges to ABC News' Jim Avila that "F's not good, even in elementary school."

With that kind of complaint record& how do the salespeople get tourists to bite? Long of West Virginia says, "They are good. I will give them that. They are good."

It starts at the airport and follows potential buyers across Cancun. When "20/20" traveled to Cancun in January, producers found a Royal Holiday sales presentation with offers of free meals, a spa day and other enticements at the airport. After accepting the offer of a free breakfast at the Hyatt Cancun Caribe hotel, a producer asked a Royal Holiday worker whether the sales presentation would include high-pressure tactics or hard selling. The employee said emphatically no.

But "20/20" producers posing as tourists were repeatedly solicited by Royal Holiday representatives bearing gifts. During the first cup of coffee at breakfast, the saleswoman -- who sat right down at the table to eat with the producers -- began serving a classic high-pressure technique: the limited time offer. "If you join the club today, you have incentives, only today," she said. "If you wanted to come back tomorrow we cannot."

Members had warned of a luxury suite switcheroo. Doug and Karin LaClair say the beautiful suite they were shown before they joined in the Bahamas in 2003 is not what they got after they paid. "It was just a regular room," Doug says. "It was just a regular Motel 6 kind of room," agrees Karin. Sure enough, down in Cancun, the saleswoman showed our undercover producers a beautiful ocean-front presidential suite at the Hyatt. The truth is, an average Royal Holiday member would have to spend nearly their entire year's points to stay here for just one night on a weekend in high season. But again and again the saleswoman assured us that the suite was standard for Royal Holiday members. When a producer asked, "Are all your rooms this nice, are all these suites this nice?"
"Well I think they are nicer!" replied the saleswoman.

Royal Holiday's lawyer says members must read their agreement and the operating rules, and remember -- this is key -- nothing the salesperson says really matters. But at least until late last year, that advice may have been less helpful than it sounds because even those who read their contract might have been fooled.

For example, in Mexico, a buyer can cancel a timeshare or vacation club contract for any reason within five days. That's the Mexican law. But that's not what a Royal Holiday contract signed in 2006 and obtained by "20/20" said. That contract not only made no mention of the right to cancel within five days, it actually declared, "This agreement cannot be canceled by either party" and "this agreement, for which there is no reconsideration period"

We asked Garcia whether he found that misleading and why the contract would include those untrue statements. He said, "No, I cannot think & why. & " Asked if it bothered him, Garcia said, "well, yes."

The company later told "20/20" that until late last year Mexican law did not require it to disclose customers' right to cancel, so it didn't. Royal Holiday is now required by law to disclose the five-day cancellation plan, and they say they have changed their contracts accordingly.

In Cancun, the sales presentation we were told would last just 90 minutes dragged on for more than three hours. Breakfast was followed by an open bar. But even after a couple of cocktails, our producers turned down a $70,000 membership. A new saleswoman took over, and cut the price in half. The producers said no again, so the tag team continued with yet another saleswoman, the third.

But perhaps the most incredible claim we heard all day was the promise that our entire purchase price would be invested in a Swiss bank, that would return every cent to us in 30 years. Even Royal Holiday's lawyer said he never heard that one. Later, Royal Holiday explained that it offers an option to invest a small part of the purchase price with a company in the British Virgin Islands and, if the investment pays off, 30 years later customers could get their money back.

But while your money may be traveling to exotic locations, most of the would-be world travelers we interviewed said they have gone nowhere. "We expected to do a really cool thing for our family," New Yorker Rajtar said. "We thought that we were doing something that would enrich our lives, and it's done nothing but the opposite."

After "20/20" began investigating, Royal Holiday refunded the money most of the members we interviewed, and released them from their contracts.

By ANDREW PAPARELLA

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Story?id=4627886&page=1

British Airways was forced to shelve the next stage of its move to Heathrow's Terminal 5 yesterday, in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the debacle of a fortnight ago.
The airline had planned to shift the bulk of its long-haul operation, including its transatlantic flights, to the new terminal at the end of the month.

The move would have seen the number of passengers handled at the new terminal double from 40,000 to 80,000 a day.

But after the fiasco of the terminal's opening, when hundreds of flights were delayed and tens of thousands of bags lost, Heathrow and BA have decided to delay the transfer of further flights.

The delay will have knock-on effects for more than 50 other airlines using Heathrow, as a long chain of further moves hinge on the reallocation of BA's former space.

The first airlines to be hit by the move will be Delta, KLM and Air France, which were due to move into the refurbished Terminal 4 at the start of next year. BAA, which owns the airport, now faces a series of tense meetings over the next week to negotiate a new timetable.

It will also mean thousands of BA passengers continuing to use Terminal 4 despite large parts of it being shut off for refurbishment for the operators that were due to move in.

Willie Walsh, BA's chief executive, defended the postponement. "We are making this decision in the interests of customers," he said.

"It is only sensible to ensure that Terminal 5 is operating consistently at a high standard before the move begins."

Colin Matthews, the chief executive of BAA, added: "BAA regrets this postponement, and we recognise the impact it has on other airlines, but we believe it is a wise precaution.
"BAA fully recognises that the inauguration of Terminal 5 has not been as smooth as we and BA would have wished.

"In the last few days passengers have seen significant improvement and our goal is to complete that process as soon as possible before continuing the next phase of transforming the rest of the airport."

By David Millward
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/12/nba112.xml

Ryder Cup golf, the Beijing Olympics, Calzaghe vs Hopkins... The only thing tour operators can't organise is the result, says Charles Starmer-Smith.

The beleaguered British football fan could be forgiven for thinking that the sporting summer was all over when all four home nations failed to qualify for the European Championships. Well it is now (others might have added in Kenneth Wolstenholme fashion), as England’s cricketers crashed to defeat in the first Test against a second-rate New Zealand team.

But hold the obituaries, for 2008 may yet prove to be a year of unprecedented British sporting success. The upside of our overpaid footballers spending the summer sunning themselves on Bajan beaches, rather than competing against Europe’s finest footballers in Austria, is that our true sporting heroes will take centre stage (in ever more glamorous settings). So step forward Paula Radcliffe, Joe Calzaghe, Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton and Padraig Harrington, who will all be chasing glory in foreign fields in the coming months.

As most sectors of travel stagnate, sports tourism is growing at a rapid rate. Its rise is not founded on British sporting success - far from it. In the 40-odd years since Wolstenholme uttered those unforgettable lines, we have won just one World Cup (rugby), we have not had a Grand Slam tennis winner for 30 years and rarely won more than a handful of gold medals at the Olympics. Yet British fans are always the most numerous at all the major events.

Why? Because a holiday that revolves around sport hinges on far more than the result. It offers real excitement and unscripted plots. Forget Sydney Opera House, La Scala, Covent Garden and Carnegie Hall - this year it will be Beijing’s “bird’s nest” National Stadium, the red clay of Roland Garros, the floodlit streets of Singapore and the fairways of Kentucky where the real dramas will be played out.

Whereas beach holidays can quickly become a haze of sun, sand and sauvignon blanc, sports tours last longer in the memory. Of course, the novelty of unfamiliar surroundings, the sense of unity as parochial loyalties are temporarily set aside for the national cause, the yo-yoing emotions during the event and the “I was there” smugness following a victory are all feelings that the armchair supporter will not experience. But there’s another ingredient - the chance to see the world beyond the stadiums.

For sports tourism is no longer just about swilling beer. Yes, people still go for the craic and camaraderie, but couples and families have also taken to building their holiday around a sporting event. Gullivers Sports Travel estimates that nearly half its clients are now female - a trend replicated across the industry. Travel companies are keen to exploit this lucrative niche, offering stopovers, sightseeing trips, beach stays and other services. In fact, just about the only thing these companies cannot organise is the result - not that it seems to matter.

The Barmy Army seems to get louder only when England’s cricket team is on the end of a hiding, whether it is in Australia, India or the Caribbean; the 30,000 boxing fans who followed Ricky Hatton to Las Vegas, only to be fried in the Nevada sunshine, fleeced at the casinos, and watch their hero being floored by Floyd Mayweather, will be back for more when Newport’s favourite son, Joe Calzaghe, takes on Bernard Hopkins in Sin City next Saturday.

Despite the British & Irish Lions being whitewashed by New Zealand last time around, record numbers will head out to South Africa next year, enticed as much by the vineyards of Stellenbosch, the beaches of Cape Town and the wildlife of Kruger National Park as thoughts of Sheridan, Henson and O’Driscoll donning the same shirt.

Of course, being Olympic year, all eyes are turned east towards Beijing. Even as clouds loom over China – figuratively, over its handling of the Tibet situation, and literally, as pollution in the capital threatens the staging of some events – these concerns will take a back seat when sport’s greatest showcase begins.

It says much about the state of our athletics team that Paula Radcliffe, the marathon runner, remains one of our best gold medal hopes, despite giving birth only 18 months ago. But in other areas we excel. Our cycling team is the envy of all and, as befits an island race, we have real medal hopes on the water – in sailing, diving, swimming or rowing.

The draw of witnessing great sporting feats is matched by the appeal of China itself. Jeff Hunter, of Sportsworld, said that worries over high hotel prices in Beijing are more than being offset by the huge interest in seeing the rest of the country – from Yangtze river cruises and visiting the Terracotta Warriors in Xian to panda-watching in Chengdu and city breaks in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau.

While tennis purists are already happy enough to clock up the air miles just to admire the sweeping grace of a Roger Federer backhand, with Andy Murray’s rise there is also a sniff of British victory on the horizon. From Dunblane has emerged Britain’s most precocious talent for a generation, encouraging British tennis fans to swap the grass of Wimbledon for city breaks in Paris, New York and Melbourne (home to the other “Grand Slam” tournaments).

Motor racing is also very much on the national consciousness at the moment. “Britain has gone motor racing mad this year and that is all down to Lewis Hamilton’s extraordinary rise through the Grand Prix ranks,” said David Wilkinson, of the motor racing specialist, Page & Moy. At the Malaysian Grand Prix last month, locals flooded in to Sepang from outlying islands with Hamilton’s name already etched on their McLaren replica caps and tops. On their return home they were joined by thousands of British fans combining their F1 trip with beach holidays in Langkawi, Pangkor Laut and Terengganu.

The Ryder Cup, golf’s biannual battle between the best golfers in Europe and the US, offers sports excitement at a more sedate pace. This year it is being held at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky, and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who in 2007 was the first European to win a Major for eight years, leads Europe’s challenge against Tiger Woods and co. Away from the fairways it will be bourbon, bluegrass and day trips into the Appalachians for our golfing tourists.

Of course, our three major sports will not be totally forgotten. English football fans, who show a Baldrick-esque loyalty to their team, will be pinning their hopes on Fabio Capello winning the Jules Rimet trophy in South Africa in 2010, but the World Cup campaign begins with a trip to lowly Andorra in September. Until then, expectation rests on at least one “English” team making it to the Champions League Final in Moscow, next month; even the world’s priciest hotel rooms are unlikely to deter supporters from witnessing their club’s tilt at glory.

Rugby’s premier European club competition, the Heineken Cup, takes supporters all over Europe, with trips to the rugby heartlands of the Basque country or northern Italy the most cherished. The tournament culminates in Cardiff with Ireland’s Munster men the favourites to take home the title for the second time, to a soundtrack of Fields of Athenry.

International rugby fans will be travelling in hope rather than expectation as home nations head to the southern hemisphere (England and Ireland to New Zealand and Australia, Wales to South Africa, and Scotland to Argentina) for their summer tours. Later this year, England’s cricketers also face a tough time abroad – against Sachin Tendulkar’s men in India.

Yet a sports tour does not have to be built around patriotic fervour. Purists often go for the thrill of an event or a competitor’s skill – to witness the shuddering collisions of Tokyo’s sumo basho, or the balance of surfers on the waves off Hawaii. Some contests are pure theatre – Barcelona versus Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, or a Boxing Day cricket Test at Australia’s MCG – while social animals may eye the Melbourne Cup, the Kentucky Derby or, closer to home, Royal Ascot or the Henley Regatta.

However, whatever your preference, whoever your team may be and wherever you intend to go, the key is to book well ahead. Otherwise you will be consigning yourself to an armchair ride.

By Charles Starmer-Smith

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/1308240/50-great-sporting-holidays.html

Airlines are in turmoil these days with passengers stranded at airports as safety inspections ground airplanes, and even more inspections are ahead. Robert W. Mann Jr., an independent airline analyst based in Port Washington spoke to Newsday Staff Writer James Bernstein about the situation.

Q. Should people be afraid to fly?

A. No, but what concerns me more about the travel market in general is that the No. 1 thing we assume is that it's safe to fly. The great fear is that if people have to think about (safety), that is very worrisome for the prospects of demand in the industry.

Q Are all these inspections a help?

A. I actually think at this point re-inspecting the re-inspection of the original inspection is likely to cause more damage to the wires (in the American Airlines MD 80s). Every time you re-inspect a wire bundle you risk cracking (a wire.)

Q. Are the problems in the airplanes real, or is this a case where the Federal Aviation Administration is being driven by politics in Congress?

A. The FAA got their heads handed to them in (Congressional) hearings last week. That's all manifested now into pure black and white (safety) standards, where previously shades of grey were permissible. Whether they should have been I leave it to the experts to determine. But at this point, my concern about re-inspections of inspections is that they can pose a risk.

Q. Do you have safety concerns?

A. What concerns me far more than anything is that seven years after Sept. 11, and 20 years after Lockerbie (Scotland, the site of the wreckage of a Pam Am passenger plane that exploded in mid-air) we are only now in the first stages of screening all cargo that goes on the floor of an airliner.

Q. Are all these groundings and re-inspections damaging to the airline industry?

A. Yes. Delta and Alaska (Airlines) are other primary users of the MD-80. They have been forced to do similar checks. But we don't know what's next. It may be an Airbus issue next. We're in a kind of situation where this reaction to the (congressional hearings last week) is driving things. As a result, the FAA is casting a wider net and a finer net on safety issues.

Q. It all began with Southwest. Do you think there were real problems there?

A. In the case of Southwest, there was clearly an uncomfortable relationship between FAA management and management of the airline. The result of that placed FAA inspectors in a bad situation.

Q. Are these inspections revealing the most serious mechanical problems in airplanes?

A. No. The one that frankly frightened me the most, when I heard it, was when it was discovered that (maintenance crews) were changing engines on DC-10s with a fork lift. That was unbelievable to me.

Q. What's best for passengers to do at this point?

A. They should just go about their business. I'm going to Mexico City next week and I'm not worried.

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzair0411-side,0,6822565.story

Finalists for Independence of the Seas Godmother to be revealed

Four finalists in the search to find a godmother for Royal Caribbean International's new ship Independence of the Seas are due to be revealed on Friday.

More than 1,700 nominations have been received from women keen to take on the role following a nationwide campaign. Of these, a shortlist of 88 was selected, before it was whittled down to four finalists.

Next week the finalists are due to fly out to Turku to meet Royal Caribbean Cruise Line chairman, chief executive and director, Richard Fain, and have a tour of the ship.

The finalists then return to the UK for face-to-face interviews with the judging panel.

The panel consists of Travel Weekly columnist Maureen Hill, Richard Fain Royal Caribbean International president Adam Goldstein, Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave, Royal Caribbean Cruises senior vice-president and managing director Europe, Middle East and Africa Susan Hooper vice-president, corporate communications Lynn Martenstein and Royal Caribbean International regional vice-president and commercial director, EMEA, Sarah Newman.

The winner will be announced on April 18.

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/10/27225/finalists-for-independence-of-the-seas-godmother-to-be-revealed.html

KL International, LLC Begins Major Renovation of The Aruban Resort & Casino At Eagle Beach

Phase I Follows Completion of New Timeshare Model, Other Renovations and Completion of New Cardio Fitness Center

KL International, LLC, a closely held international resort and casino development company and the parent company of KL Holding Company, N.V., announced today it has begun a major interior renovation of The Aruban Resort & Casino at Eagle Beach in Aruba.

Phase I of the project includes the complete renovation and remodeling of 16 units in a five-story wing of the resort complex, which also has another five-story building and two four-story buildings. A new Otis elevator also is being installed.

The one-, two-, three-bedroom and penthouse suites all will feature a "Contemporary Caribbean" design look in a warm, comfortable, colorful space. The kitchens will feature all stainless steel appliances, with custom-made wood cabinets and sleek hardware pulls and stylish granite countertops.

The living areas will feature a 42" flat screen television and a comfortable sectional queen sleeper. The bedrooms will feature a completely new design aesthetic, with new beds, pillows, and cotton linens and built-in dresser closets to visually open up the rooms. The units will include a second 42" flat screen television in the master bedroom.

The completely redesigned baths include a walk-in "rain" shower with a hand-held sprayer and cascading teal-glass mosaic tiles. A marble vanity counter with a raised sink will finish the decor, creating a spa-like experience.

The renovation is expected to be completed this summer by Aruban craftsmen and contractors.

Meanwhile, The Aruban also announced the completion of a new Cardio Fitness Center. The new facility, for members and guests only, features True Fitness Technology, Inc. equipment, including treadmills, elliptical bikes, upright bikes, recumbent bikes and a three-arm workout station.

The Aruban also recently completed renovating a one-bedroom model unit, one of two pools, along with two new pools showers. The resort also added two Internet kiosks and added new roofs. Other major improvements are ongoing.

About The Aruban Resort & Casino at Eagle Beach

The Aruban includes a 362-Villa Hotel and Timeshare Resort, a 50,000 square foot permanent casino, a temporary casino and restaurant, and recreational amenities. In addition to completely renovating and upgrading each one-, two- and three-bedroom condominium suites, The Aruban is redesigning and renovating the permanent casino into a state-of-the-art gaming, entertainment, restaurant and convention facility. When completed this year the casino will be one of the largest in the Caribbean.

http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=139909

Taking a holiday to one of the world's more exotic destinations is often paraded as the ultimate opportunity for self-styled globe-trotters to see the Seven Wonders, sample a host of international culinary delights and improve their language skills.

But a survey has blown a hole in the apparent culture-vulture pretence behind which thousands of Britons appear to be hiding. Contrary to what they would have you believe when they return home with tales of communing with the locals, most tourists on such a holiday barely leave the hotel, rarely visit popular landmarks and almost never use the local language. The research, from Halifax Holiday Insurance, says most Britons shelling out for luxury exotic holidays spend their time in the bubble of their resort.

The findings reveal that the average British holidaymaker spends no more than seven hours away from their hotel throughout the duration of their trip; almost three-quarters never attempt the local language; and 70 per cent never visit a local attraction. Instead we prefer to spend our days lazing, often asleep, by the hotel pool. Come the evening, most Britons will shun local food and drink offered by foreign bars and restaurants, instead preferring to drink in the hotel bar and eat in the resort's catering establishments.

Paul Birkhead, the senior underwriting manager at Halifax Travel Insurance, said: "Our research strongly suggests that the idea of a holiday, to most, is a room with pool and somewhere to eat. Package holidays such as all-inclusive allow Brits to arrive and stay put for the duration, and it certainly makes financial sense to make the most of the facilities as this is what you are paying for. The findings have highlighted what a bunch of 'culture vultures' we Brits are not."

The survey was based on responses from 2,053 Britons, and showed that 4.3 million people a year take packages to exotic destinations, with Egypt the most popular. It suggests that with 800,000 of these holidays termed "all-inclusive"– with food and drink included as part of the package – any cultural experiences exotic, unspoilt locations can offer are often bypassed.

But the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) says to suggest Britons abroad are "unadventurous" is "simply not the case". Sean Tipton, of Abta, said: "In the 1960s, this survey would have been accurate because then 95 per cent of people going abroad would simply sit by the pool or on the beach and top up their tans, but nowadays that isn't the case. Brits have been going abroad for about 40 years and our holidaying habits are incredibly varied. Sometimes, sitting by a pool and relaxing for a week is fine, but most of the time we want something more adventurous. Most people will make an effort and go out to visit a local landmark such as a cathedral and most will also visit a local restaurant.

"I agree most people don't speak the language when they go abroad, but if the survey is saying we don't leave our hotels we don't agree and it's certainly not the experience of our members selling holidays."

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/exposed-the-myth-of-our-exotic-holidays-806322.html

Marriott and Brazilian State of Amazonas Partner to Protect Rainforest

Global Lodging Leader Announces Integrated Strategy to Address Climate Change.

Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) and the state of Amazonas today signed an agreement to support the first project of its kind to help protect 1.4 million acres of endangered rainforest. This innovative partnership between government and the private sector is one of the first in the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation. Marriott has committed $2 million to fund an environmental management plan administered by the newly created Amazonas Sustainable Foundation. By year end, Marriott guests and group customers will also be able to offset the greenhouse gas emissions generated from their hotel stays by contributing to this rainforest fund. In addition to offering this carbon offset, Marriott is taking new steps to reduce the company’s water, waste and energy consumption; green its supply chain; build greener hotels; and engage employees and guests to take action.

“At Marriott, we believe the future of business is green,” says Arne Sorenson, Chief Financial Officer and co-chair of the company’s Green Council. “Building on a 20-year track record of responsible energy consumption and waste reduction, we believe rainforest preservation is critical to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.”

“This is the first project on reducing emissions from deforestation in Brazil and one of the first in the world,” said Amazonas Governor Eduardo Braga. “This agreement between the government of Amazonas and Marriott will make history because it demonstrates how rainforest preservation can be used as a climate strategy.”

To reduce and offset its global environmental footprint, which it has calculated at 2.9 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually*—or .030 metric tons (65.5 pounds) per available room —Marriott has developed a five-point strategy in collaboration with Conservation International, a global conservation organization. This includes:

• Carbon Offsets…Protecting the Rainforest – Help protect the 1.4 million acre (589,000 hectares) Juma Sustainable Development reserve, an area rich in biodiversity. The burning and clearing of tropical rainforests causes more carbon emissions than all the world’s cars, trains, SUVs and trucks combined.

Under the agreement signed today, Marriott and its customers will contribute to a fund to be administered by the newly created Amazonas Sustainable Foundation, which, together with the State of Amazonas, will monitor and enforce the protection of the reserve. The project will support employment, education and healthcare for the reserve’s approximately 500 residents. The Foundation is seeking certification of the conservation project by an independent accredited environmental auditing firm under the internationally recognized Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) Standards.

•Water, Waste and Energy – Further reduce fuel and water consumption by 25 percent per available room over the next 10 years, and install solar power at up to 40 hotels by 2017. Expand existing “reduce, reuse, recycle” programs already in place at 90 percent of hotels to consistently include guest and meeting rooms, beginning with pilot hotels across all brands in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C.

Recycled Bic Pens • Supply Chain – Engage the company’s top 40 vendors to supply price-neutral greener products across 12 categories of its $10 billion supply chain. Some of the first products to be rolled out are annual purchases of 47 million BIC Ecolutions™ pens designed for Marriott, made from pre-consumer recycled plastic; more than 1 million gallons of low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paint; and 1 million “room-ready” towels by Standard Textile, which saves 6 million gallons of water annually by eliminating the initial wash cycle. Other items under consideration include compostable key cards, recyclable carpet, and more responsibly packaged soaps and shampoos.

Inn and Conference Center by Marriott at the University of Maryland• Green Buildings – Empower our hotel development partners to site, design and construct new hotels according to green standards by updating Marriott design guidelines in line with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards by the end of 2009. The company expects to expand its portfolio of LEED-certified hotels, which already includes The Inn & Conference Center by Marriott at the University of Maryland, across all Marriott brands.

The company is pursuing LEED-Existing Building status for its headquarters building in Bethesda, Md., by the end of 2009. Recently, Marriott headquarters, along with its timeshare division based in Orlando, Fla., replaced more than 2.5 million pieces of Styrofoam and plastic utensils with those made of potato (“SpudWare™”), sugar cane and cornstarch—all fully biodegradable within an average of 100 days.

• Employee and Guest Engagement – Educate and inspire employees and guests to support the environment through their everyday actions at home, while at work and on travel. The company is introducing a “green meeting” program for its major meeting planners this May, and will offer its employees on business travel the Hertz Green Collection—including hybrid rental vehicles with SmartWay certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The company will expand its communications and education program to all employees worldwide, including its second annual Green Fair at its headquarters building on April 17.

“With thousands of hotels around the world, Marriott has the scale to make a strong positive contribution to the environment,” says Glenn Prickett, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, Center for Environmental Leadership in Business, Conservation International. “By reducing its own environmental footprint and protecting forests, Marriott is addressing the major drivers of climate change – energy use and deforestation - while also delivering compelling environmental and sustainable development benefits. We take pride in working with Marriott and other leading companies to identify meaningful ways to address climate change.”

“We are all guests on this planet, and that’s why an integrated green strategy is a business imperative,” says Kathleen Matthews, Executive Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs and co-chair of Marriott’s Green Council.

Marriott has been actively involved in energy conservation for more than 20 years, and over the last decade, replaced 450,000 light bulbs with fluorescent lighting, introduced linen reuse programs, and installed 400,000 low-flow showerheads and toilets at its hotels worldwide. The company has also helped communities around the world through environmental clean-up projects. These industry-leading efforts have been recognized by the EPA, which awarded Marriott with its 2008 Sustained Excellence award and placed the ENERGY STAR® label on more than 250 of its hotels (the most of any hotel company).

* Calculating Marriott’s Carbon Footprint: To calculate its footprint, the company assessed the electricity and gas consumption in its guest rooms and public spaces at its nearly 1,000 managed hotels worldwide, headquarters building and regional offices. Employee travel was also included. The calculation will be certified by a recognized third party in the coming months.

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel_print.asp?aId=62947

The budget airline Oasis has shut down and applied for liquidation, one-and-a-half years after it started its long-haul budget flights. All of the airline's flights have been canceled, as Claudia Blume reports from Hong Kong, the airline's home base.

Stephen Miller, CEO of Oasis Hong Kong Airlines Ltd., announced the airline's closure at a news conference in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

"It is with great regret that Oasis Hong Kong announces that today the airline has voluntarily applied to the Hong Kong court to appoint a provisional liquidator. We have therefore suspended all passenger services with immediate effect," he said.

Miller did not disclose the extent of the airline's losses or what caused them. Analysts say the two main reasons for Oasis' financial difficulties are high fuel costs and the competitive environment in Hong Kong.

Edward Wong, an airline analyst for Hong Kong financial services company Quam, says the city is not a good hub for budget airlines, in part because landing fees at the city's airport are high.

"For example, look at other low-price airlines in Europe. Those airlines can use second-tier airports to lower their airport fee but for Oasis - because the company is based in Hong Kong and Hong Kong has only one airport, so the company can't [have] that advantage," explained Wong.

The airline's provisional liquidator, accounting firm KPMG, says it will try to find new investors for the company. Wong thinks this will not be easy, given Hong Kong's difficult environment for budget airlines.

Oasis began flying to London in October 2006 and added services to Vancouver a year ago. One-way flights to London cost as little as $130. The budget airline had planned to offer flights to Germany and Australia later this year.

Oasis is the fourth airline worldwide to stop flying within two weeks. Three U.S. carriers - ATA Airlines, Aloha Airgroup and Skybus Airlines - ceased operations because of surging fuel prices and slowing demand.

By Claudia Blume

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-04-09-voa14.cfm

Holiday Equity Generates Over $1 Billion for Timeshare Developers

SEATTLE, April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Holiday Equity, a timeshare
resort services company, announced today that since 1992, it has generated
$1.2 billion for resort partners through its Equity Exchange program.

"Our Equity Exchange program allows timeshare developers to sell to
existing timeshare owners," said Rick Fernandez, Director of Resort
Services for Holiday. "Many times owners find another resort they like
better, but don't want to own two timeshares. With our Equity Exchange,
buyers can use the Vacation Equity(R) in their old timeshare to upgrade to
a new resort without having to deal with selling the old membership. We
call it 'Trade-In and Trade-Up.'"

Holiday Equity, part of the Holiday Group, one of the largest and most
respected timeshare companies in the US, developed the Equity Exchange
program to overcome the difficulties owners often face when trying to sell
an existing timeshare membership.

"We're extremely pleased with the success of the Equity Exchange," said
David Skinner, president of Holiday Group, "but there is still a lot of
opportunity for growth. Today's timeshare owners are looking for a better
fit with their vacation needs, and Holiday Equity is helping them find it.
I expect that $1.2 billion number to increase substantially as we continue
to add new partners."

Holiday Equity currently has over 125 timeshare resort partners.

"With hundreds of timeshare companies competing worldwide," said
Fernandez, "the Equity Exchange gives our resort partners a valuable
marketing edge. We give them the training and resources they need to ensure
the program works for them. It's obviously been working."

Holiday Equity, the Trade-In & Trade-Up!(R) company, is a subsidiary of
Holiday Group. For more information, please contact Rick Fernandez,
Director of Resort Services, at 1-800-704-0307 ext. 1198, or visit
http://www.meetholiday.com.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-07-2008/0004788213&EDATE=

Ryanair faces a probe by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) after a string of complaints about its adverts.

The carrier has been referred by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which has found Ryanair in breach of rules seven times in two years.

The ASA said exaggerated claims about flight availability at advertised prices, and prices that omitted taxes and charges had misled consumers.

Ryanair has already complained to the OFT about the ASA's rulings.

It is very disappointing, but absolutely necessary, that we have had to take this course of action ASA

The low-cost carrier said that the authority's rulings against it had been "unfair, biased and untrue".

The ASA had "demonstrated a repeated lack of independence, impartiality and fairness", Ryanair added.

'Very disappointing'

Adverts deemed to have broken ASA rules included Ryanair:

claiming its flight from London to Brussels was faster and cheaper than making the journey by Eurostar

playing down the impact of aviation on the environment

suggesting that stating that people buying tickets via an online agent were being "ripped off"

using a model in schoolgirl-style clothes and a headline "hottest back to school fares"

And in a matter not dealt with by the ASA, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni won a case against Ryanair for using their picture without consent.

Formal referrals to the OFT were rare, said the ASA's director general Christopher Graham - the last occurring in 2005

"We would prefer to work with advertisers within the self-regulatory system rather than call in a statutory body, but Ryanair's approach has left us with no option," he added.

"It is very disappointing, but absolutely necessary, that we have had to take this course of action.

Mr Graham added that Ryanair had been given "every opportunity to put its house in order and ensure that its advertising adheres to the codes".

"Instead, they have continued to mislead consumers and denigrate competitors," he said.

In February Ryanair shut down its website - in part to comply with an order by UK market regulators to make prices on its website clearer to consumers.

Last August, the OFT ordered 13 airlines to amend their websites to include "fixed non-optional" costs in their headline fares.

Ryanair has been the slowest to comply with that ruling, blaming technical difficulties.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/7337165.stm

TUI Travel is to begin overhauling travel review site Holidays Uncovered following its acquisition of the site in September 2007.

Travolution understands the first enhancements will be unveiled as early as next week as part of a series of improvements to the site.

TUI Travel’s technical team has spent the past six months working on matching and improving the existing database to new search engine optimisation techniques to improve its already impressive position in leading players such as Google and Yahoo!.

The first roll-out of work is expected to include almost 100,000 reviews of around 10,000 hotels around the world.

Users will also be able to add reviews of resorts to the site for the first time.

The initial development work is not likely to see any wholesale changes to the look and feel of the site although it is understood a wider redesign is planned.

Sources confirm that a “Google appliance” will be added in the next few weeks as well as the launch of a revamped keyword buying strategy.

Contrary to initial speculation following TUI’s purchase of the site, Thomson will not throw its brand onto the site as bosses are believed to be keen to retain its commercial independence and allow third parties to advertise against content.

This strategy will echo a similar policy adopted by Expedia’s after it acquired user review giant TripAdvisor in 2004.

by Kevin May

http://www.travolution.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/08/1358/Thomson+begins+overhaul+of+Holidays+Uncovered.html

Bespoke holiday firm Elegant Resorts has been bought by travel giant Thomas Cook.
Founding shareholders Geoff Moss and Barbara Catchpole have sold the business for an undisclosed sum.

Launched in 1988, Chester-based Elegant Resorts sends holidaymakers to far-flung destinations such as private African game reserves and exclusive Caribbean retreats.
The firm's packages feature luxuries such as helicopter transfers and champagne on arrival, and last year catered for more than 20,000 travellers.

Thomas Cook said it planned to run the business as a standalone unit with the current management team remaining in place.

Group chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa said the deal bolstered the company's position in a "lucrative and growing segment" of the travel market. He added: "Elegant Resorts has a very strong brand name, associated with luxury, style and bespoke holidays and fully supports our strategic aim to become a leading independent travel provider."

Elegant Resorts currently has 160 staff, with three overseas offices in Barbados, Dubai and Mauritius. Last year it had total gross assets of £22.3 million. Chairman Mr Moss and PR director Ms Catchpole are the main shareholders, with other staff also holding shares.

Thomas Cook currently operates in the luxury holiday market through its Latitude and Thomas Cook Signature brands. The deal follows the £21.8 million paid by the travel giant for booking website Hotels4U.com in February, which boosted its presence in the independent travel sector.

Broker Numis Securities said the Elegant buy was "sensible" and that similar deals could follow. Analyst Wyn Ellis said: "The transaction will help to diversify the group's product mix, the majority of which currently represents mainstream packaged holidays.

"We expect the group to continue to make similar-sized acquisitions in the independent travel market."

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hB6052sblNW3zmBfj0wDVcYjGhww

Marriott International operating more than 2,800 hotels and resorts around the world is looking at opportunities to invest in Sri Lanka.

President and Managing Director, Marriott, Ed Fuller who was in Colombo to attend the PATA Board meeting in an exclusive interview with Daily News Business said they already have over 20 hotels under their portfolio in India.

“The group will be embarking on more projects in India,” he said.

The Marriott group for their roll out plan in India will also need hotels in Colombo.

“This is why we are looking at managing hotels in Colombo once again. Sri Lanka once again is a bright spot in our horizons,” he said.

The group was already in Sri Lanka a few years ago and pulled out since the hotel they were managing did not want to expand according to their plan. Marriott International is planning rapid global growth in the next three years, particularly in the key corporate travel markets of China and India, across most of its major brands.

By 2010, Marriott expects to have 500 hotels open internationally.

The chain currently has about 350 hotels outside the United States, compared with only 16 non-U.S. hotels in 1991.

The company expects investment spending in 2008 to total US $ 1.1 billion to US $ 1.2 billion, including US $ 60 million for maintenance capital spending, US $ 525 million to US $ 575 million for capital expenditures and acquisitions US $ 175 million to US $ 200 million for timeshare development, US $ 15 million to US $ 25 million in new mezzanine financing and mortgage loans for hotels developed by owners and franchisees.

Fuller said that they are also increasing their portfolio in China and are looking to manage 50 hotels by the end of 2010.

Commenting on Sri Lanka as a destination he said that it has good potential, which is yet to be fully utilised.

He was full of praise for the newly built Colombo airport and said that it was of international standard. “However infrastructure such as the roads has to improve,” he said.

Asked about the quality of hotels he said that they too are satisfactory. “The Cinnamon Grand is one example for that,” he said.

Fuller also said that the Sri Lankan staff too are of high standard and this was very encouraging for the industry.

In 2007, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of US $ 13 billion.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/04/08/bus01.asp

It has definitely been a tough week for airlines, and yesterday Skybus became the third airline to stop operating.

Once again, the main culprits are rising fuel costs and the slowing economy, making it almost impossible for small, low-cost airline companies to compete in the current market. Skybus decided that it would be shutting down all operations as of yesterday, and plans to file for bankruptcy over the course of the next week.

Skybus has not been around for too long. The company started up about a year ago and operated around 75 flights a day. The company had 350 employees working out of Columbus, Ohio, and 100 in Greensboro, N.C.

Similar to what we saw earlier this week with the ATA Airline closure, the writing had been on the wall for a while now at Skybus. A couple of weeks ago, the company's CEO stepped down in order to pursue a book-writing career, and over the course of the past weeks the airline had already begun to cancel flights and destinations in reaction to rapidly rising fuel costs.

In addition to Skybus and ATA Airline shutting down and planning to file for bankruptcy, earlier in the week we also go that the news that Aloha Airlines had been forced to ground all of its flights.

Skybus announced on its official website that anyone holding Skybus tickets for future flights should contact their credit card companies as soon as possible to work out a refund, and to look for alternative flights to handle their travel needs.

I would like to say that this is not a trend that we should expect to see continue, but with oil prices still trading at near record highs you really have to wonder how many more stories like this we are going to be hearing over the upcoming weeks and months.

Michael Fowlkes has worked as a stock trader for seven years and spent the last four years working as an analyst for the online investment advisory service Investor's Observer.

by Michael Fowlkes

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/06/skybus-becomes-third-airline-this-week-to-shut-down/

More than half a million Brits travel to the Balearic island each year in search of round-the-clock parties. But now the head of tourism is calling for a dramatic image change, with curbs on the superstar-DJ club nights and high-rise hotels in an attempt to attract more upmarket visitors.

The Balearic island of Ibiza, long a hedonistic paradise for British clubbers drawn by world-class DJs and a reputation for plentiful drugs, is cleaning up its act.

Locals on the world's best-known party island have had enough of drug busts and violence among ecstasy-fuelled youngsters partying almost round the clock in vast music hangars. As summer approaches, Ibiza seeks to cast off its reputation for excess and appeal to a more prosperous, better-behaved kind of visitor.

"The clubbing scene forms only a tiny part of what the island offers, but it's what defines us internationally, and it's damaged our image. We intend to change all that," says Josefa Mari, head of Ibiza's tourism and economic department.

Last year the authorities, exasperated by the activities of drug dealers inside big clubs, closed three top venues, Amnesia, Bora Bora and DC-10, for more than a month. Clubs will still flourish, but must now limit their opening times to curb "after-hours" daytime partying.

And away from the pounding music in San Antonio and San Josep, smart new hotels at the opposite end of the island offer a smoother brand of hedonism: that of health spas and all the trappings that prosperous Europeans now expect.

"The days when we could compete with low-cost destinations are long past. We are aware we must improve the quality of our tourism, by renovating hotels, building better ones, promoting rural guest houses and cleaning up environmental damage caused by unregulated construction. We plan to reform our coastline and our nautical activities, to protect our maritime environment," Ms Mari says.
Tacky three-star hotels built 20 or 30 years ago for the mass market are being torn down, or upgraded with more luxurious and environmentally friendly operations. The plan is to encourage "responsible tourism". Three years ago the island boasted just one five-star hotel; this summer there will be six.

The more high-end approach is driven partly by hard necessity. Ibiza can no longer compete on price with low-cost destinations in Turkey, Greece and the Balkans. Further, Ibizan authorities are aware that the visitors they now favour – the likes of Penelope Cruz and Zinedine Zidane, looking for a sun-drenched luxury lifestyle, or families who want a safe, tranquil beach holiday – are critical of concrete monstrosities that have ravaged the island's beauty.

The change of heart has a political origin. The Balearics used to be fiefdom of Spain's conservative Popular Party who allowed big hotel chains and tourism developers a free rein. But a backlash among locals who felt their lives crushed by big business swept the Socialists to power: first, in the Balearics regional government; then, last May, a socialist alliance gained its first-ever victory in Ibiza. Ruling politicians in Madrid, the Balearics and Ibiza are all left wing, for the first time in Spanish history. "The tide has turned," says Ms Mari of the island's Socialist-led Pact for Change. "People rebelled against uncontrolled development that was destroying our island, and voted for a more responsible approach."
The revolt was spectacularly personified by Pere Torres, 55, a bank manager in Ibiza who entered politics in 2006 to lead a campaign against a gigantic six-lane motorway from the island's airport to the party capital San Antonio, a hop of just 25km. Mr Torres was elected a left-wing independent senator in Madrid's upper house of parliament in general elections last month. He captured the seat occupied for years by the former conservative foreign minister Abel Matutes, head of a powerful family-run tourism empire that has long dominated the Balearics.

Hundreds of houses were expropriated to build a gash of concrete across a spit of land. Tens of thousands sat down in front of the bulldozers in an unprecedented protest. The Ibiza motorway was a grotesque example of the cement plague that has blighted Spain's Mediterranean resorts in recent years. "My family house no longer exists. It's buried under asphalt," Mr Torres said of his electoral victory on 9 March. "People have lost their fear of the big companies that controlled our lives for so long." The motorway remains, but it crushed the politicians who built it. True to its relaxed reputation, Ibiza has opted for a more people-friendly development model.

Bohemian hippies first flocked to laid-back Ibiza in the 1960s, some fleeing call-up for the Vietnam War, some seeking peace, love and groovy music in the sun. Their easy-going style set the pattern for sleeping on the beach or dossing in cheap flophouses, in the days when Spain was barely developed.

Livelier British clubbers started to arrive in the late 1980s when two English DJs, Trevor Fung and Ian St Paul, opened the Project bar in San Antonio. DJs such as Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling were soon visiting. The number of clubs exploded with the expansion of Britain's illegal rave and ecstasy culture and venues such as Café del Mar, Eden and Es Paradís quickly won a big following, attracted by the warm weather which allowed clubbers to sleep off their come-down on the beach. Today the island remains at the vanguard of chill-out, with 500,000 Brits among the thousands of "trance tourists" visiting.

"Our disco culture continues to thrive. Clubs like Amnesia, Space and Pacha have been judged the best in the world," Ms Mari says. "But we must prevent harmful fallout from the nocturnal sector that disturbs the enjoyment of others."

Clubs must now close between 6am and 4pm. "We don't mind people dancing all night. But a person who stays in a club from when they arrive on Friday night until they leave on Monday can only keep going by taking drugs," Ms Mari says.

Joan Cerda is the Ibiza-based communications chief of the Balearia ferry company that operates between the islands and mainland Spain. He says: "A more upmarket tourism won't expel the clubbing culture. That's not the intention. Ibiza has always welcomed a mixture of cultures. Today's clubbers, like yesterday's hippies, are a minority that can coexist with everyone else."

The main problem is that the island's tourist season lasts just six months. Clubs open only for the three months in the summer. The challenge is to prolong the season by promoting short breaks all year round. "More Europeans visit Prague for the weekend than Ibiza, which is much nearer. Twenty years ago, people came here for two weeks. Now almost nobody stays two weeks. They escape for a few days several times a year," Mr Cerda says.

New luxury spa resorts in Santa Eulalia that offer mud packs, massage and the like hope to attract not just stressed professionals but out-of-season conference tourism: seminars on climate change are already scheduled. And small, high-end hotels in the island's rugged interior are spearheading a drive towards rural tourism, offering family retreats less dependent on frenzied nights.

The perfect clientele? Clubbers who visited the island in the first wave of rave tourism. These now affluent fortysomethings are starting to return with their children, preferring to stay in luxury and leave their children with the nanny while they dip back into the party atmosphere.

By Elizabeth Nash

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/ibiza-is-the-party-over-805249.html

Q&A: travel advice for Heathrow Terminal 5 passengers
Baggage claims, refunds, delay compensation and more. Ginny McGrath answers your questions about the Terminal 5 disruption

Can I travel with hold luggage from Terminal 5?

Yes. British Airways announced on Friday March 28 that from all customers travelling from Terminal 5 would be able to check in hold baggage and take hand luggage.

The limits remain the same on hand luggage, with two items allows but no liquids in containers larger than 100ml. The limits on hold luggage vary according to flight and class of travel. The details are on the BA website.

So does that mean the baggage system is now working properly?

Yes. According to BA the fault last week was not with the baggage system but with the security system that allowed baggage handlers into the airport. With too few workers operating the system yesterday, according to BA, it was soon overwhelmed. More technical hitches also meant some baggage handlers were unable to log onto the computers that control the baggage system.

A spokeswoman told Times Online: “The baggage system is working today and we’re now working on getting the backlog fixed. We hope people won’t be waiting for bags longer than usual, but there will be teething problems with an operation of this size.”

The BA website is warning that it will still take some time to reunite people with baggage that was delayed last week.

Should I think twice about travelling from Terminal 5 this week?

No. There were a number of cancellations over the weekend and BA will continue to cancel some short-haul and domestic flights this week. On Friday 4 April, 360 flights out of 394 are expected to operate from Terminal 5, and on Saturday 5 April and Sunday 6 April BA plans to operate a full schedule.

It is advisable to check ba.com before travelling to the airport to find out if your flight is disrupted, or call 0800 727 800.

Will BA let me postpone or rebook my flight without an extra charge?

No. If your flight is operating but you do not wish to travel your are subject to the terms and conditions of your original booking.

If your ticket is flexible, then the terms and conditions should stipulate that you can change the day of travel at no extra charge anyway, but you need to check the ticket to see how far in advance you need to rebook. This applies mostly to business and first class tickets, but there are some of the more expensive economy class tickets are also flexible.

You can get details of your ticket terms and conditions by using the “manage my booking” facility on ba.com.

Can I get compensation if my Terminal 5 flight is delayed or cancelled?

It depends. Anyone whose BA flight from Terminal 5 is cancelled can rebook to the same destination, or get a full refund of the unused sector of the ticket.

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, or your baggage is lost, you are entitled to compensation

If a flight is delayed for more than five hours, EU regulations stipulate that a passenger can choose not to travel and receive a refund for that sector of travel.

Can I get money for food and drink if I have a long delay?

Yes. According to BA’s conditions of carriage, in the event of a long delay, passengers “are entitled to refreshments and meals in a reasonable relation to their waiting time as well as means of contacting two people outside the airport”.

What counts as a long delay is more than two hours for flights of 1500 km or less, more than three hours on flights within the EU of more than 1500 km and all other flights between 1500km and 3500 km, and more than four hours or more for all other flights.

BA advises that passengers request vouchers from its customer service desk, but if these are not available, passengers should keep receipts of reasonable expenses and apply for reimbursement.

What about covering the cost of an overnight stay in a hotel?

If you need a hotel, you should be able to get compensated for the cost. The BA websites states: "We will compensate passengers for cancelled flights, hotel accommodation, food and drink and transport costs relating to the disruption to flights at Terminal 5 in accordance with the EU regulations."

BA passengers should keep receipts if they cannot get a BA customer service agent to book their hotel. They also need to be prepared to explain why they couldn’t get home if they live in south-east England.

This is consistent with the rights of air passengers as stipulated by the European Commission. It states that airlines will provide hotel accommodation if necessary and provide transport between the airport and place of accommodation.

What about compensation for delayed or lost luggage?

The normal lost luggage procedure applies for passengers whose luggage went missing at Terminal 5. These rules are guided by the Montreal Convention, but its guidance is not law abiding. If luggage is delayed for less than 21 days, it is considered delayed and BA will pay only for emergency expenses occurred, such as toiletries or underwear.

A spokeswoman told Times Online: “We have what’s called a “First Needs” allowance, given at the airport depending on the customers needs, for example, passengers with young children might need more help, with nappies and baby food for example.”

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, or your baggage is lost, you are entitled to compensation

She added: “Normally you get this before you make the purchases, but if you make a reasonable claim I don’t see why that wouldn’t be sorted out.”

If the bag is still missing after 21 days, which is unlikely, as BA says most bags are reunited with their owners within 72 hours, it is considered lost. If this is the case passengers must pursue a claim with BA, and may be asked to list items in the bag and provide receipts where possible. The claims are considered on a case by case basis.

How do I claim for compensation?

To make a claim for compensation contact British Airways Customer Relations at http://ba.com/euclaim or write to British Airways Customer Relations, EU Compensation Claims, PO Box 5619, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2PG.

The person making the claim must be one of the passengers. Claimants must supply their name and contact details, the names of other passengers being claimed for and their contact details, booking reference and details of the cancelled flight and/or relevant receipts.

Will my insurance company pay up if BA won’t?

It depends on the policy. If your insurance policy covers house contents when they are outside your house or has separate lost luggage cover, then you should contact them for delayed and lost luggage expenses. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that many travel insurance policies do not cover valuables when checked into the hold, and often require you to keep valuables on your person.
For all other expenses, you’re unlikely to get compensated according to the Technical Services Manager at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, Graeme Trudgill. He told Times Online: “You can claim for a travel delay under incidents such as a strike, riot or mechanical breakdown for example, but policies don’t specify “incompetent new terminals”.

“Policies don’t cover any event, they specify what is covered. Normally you would get the airline or airport to help you and compensate you. The honourable thing for BA or BAA to do would help its passengers. It’s unlikely that insurers will respond on anything other than the expenses encountered due to delayed luggage.”

Which BA flights don’t use Terminal 5? And are they operating without problems?

Short-haul flights to Nice, Lisbon, Barcelona, Helsinki and Madrid flights are operating from Terminal 1 as normal. Most of BA’s of long-haul flights are still operating from Terminal 4, and these should continue as normal this week (they are due to switch over to Terminal 5 on April 30, but this might be delayed).

Singapore, Bangkok and Sydney flights will remain at Terminal 4 until January 2009, then will move to Terminal 3. They are operating as normal.

The long-haul that are operating from Terminal 5, so may be disrupted are to Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Tokyo, LA, San Francisco, Miami, Vancouver. Although most flight cancellations have involved short-haul service, passengers should check with BA.com before travelling.

Are flights from Heathrow with other airlines affected by the Terminal 5 problems?
No

Full story by Ginny McGrath

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/article3639073.ece

RCI(R) Launches First Cruise Vacation Exchange in Asia with a Choice of 10,000 Cruise Itineraries Through International Cruise & Excursions

RCI(R), the global leader in vacation exchange and timeshare exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), today announced the launch of RCI Cruise, the first cruise vacation exchange in Asia. RCI entered into an agreement with ICE Gallery Asia Pacific (ICE) to offer RCI subscribing members in Asia a choice of 10,000 cruise itineraries from among the world's leading cruise liners.

"We are very excited about RCI Cruise as it allows us to offer a new
dimension in vacation exchange to our members. In addition to offering holiday exchanges at over 4,000 RCI affiliated resorts globally, the launch of RCI Cruise will enable our members to enjoy the experience of a cruise holiday from among 10,000 itineraries available across the globe. The debut of RCI Cruise in Asia underlines our vision to identify innovative vacation exchange options and we will continue to explore opportunities that will
enhance the vacation experiences of our members and their families," said Kendall Oei, president and managing director of Group RCI, Asia Pacific.

Group RCI's foray into offering cruise exchange in Asia is timely as
cruise holidays are gaining popularity around the world. According to the UN- World Travel Organization (WTO), 1.4 percent of international arrivals are cruise passengers, generating rising revenues from all locations, and mainstream liners are extending their itineraries into Asia. The World Cruise Shipping Industry to 2020 report predicts that globally, world cruise passenger aggregate is expected to reach 18 million by 2010, 22.6 million by 2015 and 27 million by 2020.

"We are delighted to have ICE steer our first cruise exchange in Asia. In view of the growing demand for cruise holidays, working together with an international and experienced cruise organization like ICE is key to the success of RCI Cruise. We are confident that ICE's expertise in cruise programs and their array of cruise offerings will be most appreciated by RCI members," added Mr Oei.

"The cruise market is growing rapidly in this region with the influx of new ships providing seasonal itineraries. ICE is committed to delivering the very best value in cruising across the world and working with the right companies. As RCI's chosen cruise provider for Asia, we are very excited to be able to help convert the dream of cruise vacations into a reality for RCI members, with the ease of RCI Cruise," said Stuart Ockenden, Chief Operating Officer for ICE.

ICE is one of the foremost worldwide cruise and leisure organizations
specializing in value-added cruise programs, internet marketing solutions and unique technology solutions for a global portfolio of innovative travel alliances among top corporations, resorts, cruise lines and vacation suppliers.

ICE will manage and operate the RCI Cruise program and provide cruise
products and benefits to RCI members. Through RCI Cruise, RCI members will have access to a vast network of renowned international cruise liners including Royal Caribbean International, Cunard, Holland-America Line, Princess, Norwegian, Celebrity, Disney Cruises and Carnival.

RCI members will be able to exchange their vacation week or RCI
Points(R) towards the purchase of up to four cabins at cruise exchange pricing plus only one transaction fee on selected cruises, depending on the type of cruise, cabin, date and destination. Alternatively, RCI Members and their family and friends can avail themselves of member-only special rates should they opt to purchase a cruise holiday outright through RCI, instead of exchanging their week or RCI Points.

Full story - http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-07-2008/0004787323&EDATE=

British travellers concerned by the falling value of the pound against the euro should head to South Africa. Sterling has slipped by 13% against the euro over the past year, making destinations such as Italy and Greece increasingly expensive. Over the same period, however, it has risen against the South African rand by 11%, to 14.77.

Researchers at the Post Office examined the cost of goods and services, including car hire, eating out, alcohol and cigarettes, and found many prices in South Africa were less than half those in Europe. Even in America, where the value of the dollar has slumped, most prices were higher than in South Africa. Sure, there’s the small matter of flights - but the gap between the bills for a full-on African adventure and a boring week on a Benidorm beach is getting smaller.

A three-course evening meal with wine, for two people, now costs an average of £27.26 in South Africa, compared to £41.28 in Italy and £37.15 in both Greece and the USA. An equivalent meal in the UK costs an average of £55.

Car-rental prices vary enormously. A day’s hire of a small family car costs £13.63 in South Africa, against £57.79 in Spain, £24.77 in Greece, £27.86 in America and £38 in the UK.

Some destinations remain good value despite their currencies strengthening. In Thailand, the baht has risen by 13% against the pound in the past five years, but goods and services remain cheap. An evening meal for two costs just £17.69 – the same as the price of a day’s car hire.

In Turkey, where there has been a 9% rise in the value of the lira, prices remain low by UK standards, with a meal for two costing £29.04, compared to £27.55 in 2007.

South Africa is becoming more popular with British visitors as a result of low prices. Fleewinter, which offers house and apartment rentals, says its bookings are up by 10% on last year. Areas such as Bloubergstrand, to the north of Cape Town, are particularly good value: a three-bedroom house overlooking the beach, with views of Table Mountain, costs £800 per week.

Other destinations that remain good value are those where the local currency is tied to the US dollar, such as Barbados, Jamaica and St Lucia.

One destination to avoid is Malta. Prices rose by about 10% with its changeover to the euro, so, combined with the fall in sterling, Malta has effectively become 17% more expensive in the space of four months.

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article3681221.ece

NEW YORK: To the untrained eye, the man looked like any other traveller as he waited in line at Kennedy airport. But something about the way he was acting caught the attention of two security screeners.

For 16 minutes, they questioned him, scanned every inch of his body twice with a metal-detecting wand and emptied his carry-on bag onto a table. Out came a car stereo with wires dangling from it.

The man was eventually found to have done nothing wrong — he said he had pulled the stereo out of his car because he was afraid it would get stolen — and he was sent on his way.

But it's the type of scene that has been unfolding on a regular basis over the past four years at America's major airports under a rapidly expanding "behaviour detection" program set up by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to spot terrorists or other dangerous air travellers by way of subtle clues in the way they act.

The agency's efforts drew attention this week when screeners trained in behaviour detection in Orlando arrested an Army veteran after he tried to check luggage containing pipe bomb-making materials onto a flight to Jamaica.

But that collar was something of a rarity. In the four years since the program was launched, the TSA has yet to encounter any would-be suicide bombers. The most common catches have been people carrying fake IDs.

Of more than 104,000 air travellers who were plucked out of security lines and subjected to a more intense level of screening because of something suspicious in their demeanour, fewer than 700 were ultimately arrested, officials said.

Many more — about 9,300 — revealed something during the screening process that caused the TSA to call in law enforcement for a more thorough investigation.

TSA officials refuse to say exactly what sort of behaviour can make them suspicious, but part of the effort relies on watching for fleeting facial expressions that indicate a person is under stress and has something to hide.

Behaviour agents also question people about where they are headed and look for clues in their responses.

Security officials are pleased enough with the results that they plan to increase the number of behavioural detection officers substantially in the coming months. Today, there are about 1,200 of the agents at 70 large airports.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Behaviour_scanners_at_US_airports/articleshow/2929269.cms

The Coachella Valley's fractional ownership developments continue to garner buyers' interest while the overall market struggles.

The Residence Club at PGA West in La Quinta and Stone Eagle in Palm Desert have seen buyers looking for a second home in the desert but not wanting to deal with year-round maintenance.

Their answer: fractional ownership, where furnished luxury homes are sold in one-ninth shares and stays are managed like timeshares.

But unlike timeshares, the buyers actually own part of the home, paying property taxes and receiving the benefits of owning real estate.

"It's the Bel Air of the timeshare business," said Ted Lennon, developer of Stone Eagle.
"It's owning just what you need. A lot of people who own these own other places, too."
The three homes at Stone Eagle are under construction and should be completed by October. Developers have sold six shares - or two-thirds of a house.

"People want unlimited access to a second home, but they don't want a second home sitting here in the desert unused for six months out of the year," The Residence Club developer Marc Bailes said.

About 40 percent of The Residence Club has sold since going up for sale in 2006. Nine of the 117 sales were this year.

Seventeen homes are built. The final 15 villas will be built as demand continues.
Shares at both developments start at about $300,000.

Clients for these homes are typically wealthier.

Bailes said they're willing to invest in a "discretionary purchase" like a fractional ownership despite the current housing market.

"They're not as affected with these short-term market changes as other people," Bailes said.

The desert has just begun to see fractional ownership developments.

Officials with the local Building Industry Association weren't aware of any other developments that offer this feature.

The trend started in 1993 and has "gained considerable growth and consumer acceptance," according to industry tracker ResidenceClub.com. Big names such as Marriott and Ritz-Carlton have invested in the concept.

Lennon and Bailes said they plan to build out the rest of their developments. Neither have immediate plans for another.

http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080406/BUSINESS04/804050336/1026/news12

If you've got a ticket to anywhere on ATA Airlines, you're going nowhere. The airline canceled all flights yesterday, and is essentially out of business for good. Most of the Indianapolis-based airline's flights were between Hawaii and a handful of west cost cities or Chicago Midway.

What do you do if you've got a ticket for an ATA flight? Use it as scrap paper, because that's about all it's worth. The airline is saying "too bad, so sad" to customers, who will be forced to buy tickets on other airlines if they want to complete their travels. If you paid for your ticket with a credit card, however, you have a pretty good chance of getting a refund. If you paid with cash or a check, don't count on getting much (if anything) after the airline is liquidated in bankruptcy.

ATA officials said they're trying to see if other airlines will help their (now screwed) customers. But I don't think much help will be coming. Rumor has it that Southwest Airlines might be honoring some of the tickets for flights that were codeshared, but the availability is sketchy. Other than that, about the best you can hope for is a small discount if ATA is able to get other airlines to agree. But I wouldn't even count on that, as the airlines are all struggling lately with the massive increases in fuel costs.This shutdown comes less than two years after ATA successfully came out of bankruptcy, and it leaves about 2,200 employees out of work. And I don't think this will be the only airline that will succumb to rising costs. I expect that more airlines will have severe financial troubles, and only time will tell if they will ultimately file for bankruptcy, shut down, or be acquired by another airline.

Sadly, consumers suffer as the airlines struggle to stay in business. The airlines have basically slashed all "extras" and have added fees for everything under the sun. Don't look for things to get better anytime soon. And just be glad if your airline is still in business on the day you have to fly.

by TRACY COENEN

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

http://www.walletpop.com/2008/04/04/ata-airlines-customers-left-hanging/

British Muslims who plotted coordinated bomb attacks on trans-Atlantic airliners said in martyr videos they were seeking revenge for U.S. and British military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, a prosecutor said Friday.

Prosecutor Peter Wright told jurors at a London trial that at least six members of the gang videotaped messages, some praising al-Qaida's founder, Osama bin Laden.

Eight men planned to strike at least seven jetliners bound for the United States and Canada — targeting flights to major cities such as New York, Washington and Toronto, Wright said.

Prosecutors calculated that about 1,500 people on board the passenger jets — and potentially scores more on the ground if the planes exploded over cities — could have been killed if the attacks had been carried out.

Wright showed a jury clips of several videotapes in which the men each sat alone in front of a black flag inscribed with a message in Arabic.

In one, Umar Islam, 29, angrily wagged a finger at the camera, denouncing the U.S. and Britain for their role in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories.

"This is revenge for the actions of the U.S. in the Muslim lands and their accomplices — the British and the Jews," Islam said, wearing a black and white checkered headscarf.
Arafat Waheed Khan, 26, was seen in a clip of another tape wearing a similar headscarf and seated in front of the same flag.

"I say to the nonbelievers, as you bomb, you will be bombed. As you kill, you will be killed," Islam said in his message, referring to combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, said bin Laden had warned the West to expect carnage. "Now the time has come for you to be destroyed," he said.

Islam lambasted the British public, saying they deserved to suffer because they cared more about football and television soap operas than the plight of Muslims.

"Most of them are too busy watching 'Home And Away' and 'EastEnders,' complaining about the World Cup, drinking your alcohol, to care about anything," he said.
Wright told the jury Thursday that the group had expressed hopes of recruiting as many as 18 suicide bombers.

Seven United Airlines, American Airlines and Air Canada flights from London's Heathrow airport to Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Washington, Toronto and Montreal had been singled out for attack, he said.

Though no specific date had been selected, research conducted by the cell indicated the group planned to strike in a single afternoon in late 2006, Wright said.

He said the plotters planned to smuggle hydrogen peroxide-based explosives on board, injecting the mix into bottles of Lucozade and other soda drinks and using a hollowed out camera battery to hide a detonator.

A suitcase buried by another of the suspects, Assad Sarwar, 27, in a woodland at Kingswood, in High Wycombe, west of London, contained explosives and bomb making equipment, Wright said.

Wright acknowledged the men had not yet assembled a viable device before their arrest.
"The successful creation of a viable device was only a matter of time," he said.

Wright showed a jury a video of an experiment by government scientists using the same ingredients to create working bombs. Thick panels of reinforced glass shattered as the small device exploded, spraying shrapnel across a laboratory.

In a pressurized airliner cabin at 30,000 feet, the same explosion would have caused a "devastating and lethal effect," Wright said.

Airlines imposed tough new limits on the amount of liquids and gels — and types of carry-on luggage — passengers can take on flights as a result of the alleged plot.

Major disruption was caused to British airports and hundreds of flights were grounded when police arrested the suspects in August 2006.

All eight men, each of whom has ties to Pakistan, deny charges of conspiracy to murder and a charge of planning an act of violence likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft. Both offenses carry maximum sentences of life imprisonment.

Wright said Sarwar had not planned to join others in carrying out the suicide bombings. He had additional plans, Wright said, to cripple nuclear power stations, a European gas pipeline, Britain's electricity grid, an airport control tower and the main exchange for Britain's Internet Service providers.

In addition to Islam, Khan, Ali and Sarwar, the defendants are Tanvir Hussain, 27; Mohammed Gulzar, 26; Ibrahim Savant, 27; and Waheed Zaman, 23.

By DAVID STRINGER

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iLuU4Bx6Q_1k-VNsL-PyFYQ5gcRQD8VR4APO0

DONALD Trump has blundered into yet another row over his plans to build a £1 billion golf resort in Scotland, by confidently boasting: "I'm going to get it."

The American billionaire made his prediction despite the plan being called in by the Scottish Government for an independent review.

The timing will not be welcomed by Alex Salmond, the First Minister, who is still battling claims that his government has been rolling over for the tycoon.

John Swinney, the finance secretary, called in the planning application after a council committee originally rejected it. Mr Salmond was also criticised by a parliamentary committee for meeting Trump advisers a day earlier. Mr Trump's comments, which appear in the latest issue of Vanity Fair magazine, confirmed his shoot-from-the-lip approach.

He said: "If Jack Nicklaus tried to do this, he'd have zero chance, but they like what I've done, and because I am who I am and my mother is Scottish. Between you and me, I'm going to get it."

His comments were criticised by campaigners fighting his scheme, who accused Trump of being arrogant and again trying to bluster his way through the planning process.

Under his proposals, which will come under the microscope at a three-week public inquiry starting on 10 June, two golf courses, a five-star 450-room hotel, 950 holiday homes, 36 golf villas and 500 homes would be built, partly on a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), on the Menie estate in Aberdeenshire.

In his interview, carried out over the past few months with journalist Alex Shoumatoff, Mr Trump did himself no favours when he revealed he was not sure what an SSSI is.

He said: "The dunes are considered to be SSSI, which means scientifically important something and that you sort of can't touch them.

"It's like going in and ripping down a landmark building in New York, but I'm going to build a world-class golf course in the dunes and another 18 holes on the property, plus a tremendous hotel with 450 rooms, 500 homes, 950 condos and 36 golf villas."

The tycoon further cemented the stereotype of a forthright-speaking American with his dismissive views about global warming, saying that at least it might help overcome the North-east of Scotland's famous sea fog – the haar.

"Well, maybe global warming, which I don't necessarily believe in, at least the human part, is going to take care of the bad weather," he said. Trump could not resist attacking one of his most long-standing opponents, Michael Forbes, who owns adjoining land, and has refused to sell up.

"Forbes is a wise guy, and now that he's become well known because he's fighting Trump, he's playing it up to the hilt," the businessman said.

"His property is a mess and I would like him to clean it up, but it's in the flatland behind the dunes, and my approvals have nothing to do with it. I own 100 per cent of what I need to own.

"There are people on the outskirts making noise because it's me, unfortunately, but between you and me, Alex, Forbes is making my land more valuable."

Mr Forbes said he was unconcerned about Mr Trump's latest outburst. "At least I got under his skin," he said. "He came to Scotland and thought he could buy us all up. These latest comments are just typical of his arrogant personality, and I would be surprised if they had any real basis.

"In fact, I think the inquiry will decide the other way and he will lose."

There has been concern about the way the application has received special treatment since it was first rejected by Aberdeenshire Council's infrastructure committee. The majority of the Scottish Parliament's local government committee was highly critical of the way the Scottish Government took the unprecedented step of calling in the application last December, when Trump insisted he would not appeal and started talking about taking up an option in Northern Ireland.

It also said Mr Salmond had acted "extremely unwisely" by meeting Trump's representatives in his capacity as the constituency MSP the day before and helping to arrange a meeting with Scotland's chief planner, Jim Mackinnon.

David McLetchie, a Conservative MSP who is on the local government committee, said: "It's no surprise Donald Trump thinks his development is a shoo-in for approval, given that the SNP government pulled out all the legal stops to keep it alive in light of his refusal to follow the normal appeal process. Donald Trump is a gambler, but this time he is backing a racing certainty."

Lib Dem councillor Martin Ford, who lost his position as Aberdeenshire Council's infrastructure committee convener for using his casting vote to throw out the Trump application, was also concerned.

"It is immaterial in planning law where your mother was born or how wealthy you are or what your character is like," he said. "I find it very disturbing that Mr Trump is so confident on which way the decision will go before the inquiry has even begun. I only hope his certainty is misplaced and not based on what went on before."

Green MSP Patrick Harvie said he believed Trump's comments only reflected his arrogance. "I have complete confidence the inquiry will be open and fair," he said. "This is just an reflection of Trump's arrogance. I think the title Vanity Fair says it all."

But he went on: "The comments certainly do not help restore the confidence that has been lost in the planning process in Scotland through the way the government has already treated the application. It will embarrass ministers, and they should distance themselves from them."

Mickey Foote, from Sustainable Aberdeenshire, the campaign group leading the fight against the project, said: "You can see why Mr Trump might think that, but I think we just need to let the due process take its proper course."

A source close to the First Minister denied the comments had caused any embarrassment.

"These comments were made five or six months ago, long before it was decided the application would go to a public inquiry, so the situation has changed quite dramatically," he said. "We have no control over what Mr Trump says and, of course, he is entitled to his opinion, but that's all it is.

"It certainly does not embarrass the First Minister."

A spokesman for the Scottish Government insisted that the public inquiry would examine all the issues in an "efficient, transparent and inclusive" way.

I'm a genius, says the billionaire champion of self-promotion

BILLIONAIRE Donald Trump has never been shy about letting the world know about his wealth and the power that comes with it.

And in the latest issue of Vanity Fair, the leading American society magazine, Mr Trump is at it again.

He is certainly not known for holding back when it comes to promoting the Trump brand and he does not disappoint.

Although he has been through a high-profile divorce from his former wife Ivana, made a fortune, lost it and then made a fortune again and had his own TV shows, including the original version of The Apprentice, he does not hold back when discussing his views with journalist Alex Shoumatoff, a friend and golf partner.

Mr Trump declared: "This is the greatest writer in America. He's doing a cover story on me for Vanity Fair. I've been on it twice before. But they want me again. They can't have enough of me. Do you think they're going to put me on the cover?"

In fact Mr Trump has only appeared once on the magazine's cover, in 1994, with his second wife, Marla Maples, and their child Tiffany. He has lost the cover this time round to pop star Madonna.

He compares himself favourably with the most successful golfer of all time Jack Nicklaus, claiming that the Golden Bear, who also has a less controversial golf resort proposal in the North-east of Scotland, would not have been able to get Mr Trump's £1 billion Menie estate application through.

His theory is that it all comes down to personal energy and seems to believe that it is transmitted through the genes.

He explained: "I know smart people who don't have energy, and if you don't have energy, it's hard to compete. My son Barron has incredible energy. You know why? Because his father is a f***ing genius.

"My father had tremendous energy, and my mother had tremendous promotional skills, even though she was a homemaker. You're born with energy. It's not something you're ever going to be able to develop."

To many people, especially in reserved Britain, his brash comments attract derision.

However, even though it makes him enemies, it is this huge confidence and skill at self-publicity that has made businesses in the North-east back his golf resort plans.

At a recent meeting of the Scottish Parliament's economy, energy and tourism committee, held in Aberdeen as part of its inquiry into tourism, Peter Medley, of the Aberdeen Hotels Association, said that Mr Trump's ability to publicise himself combined with his golf resort would put Aberdeenshire on the map.

Many people in the North-east of Scotland appear to have embraced him.

One poll carried out in the region gave him 80 per cent support.

By David Maddox

http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/-Trump--between-you.3942311.jp

People are continuing to book holidays despite the rising cost of living in the UK, it has been claimed.

According to Multicom, a technology firm that specialises in travel search engines, holiday bookings via travel agents and online companies increased 40 per cent in the first three months of the year.

This is despite the rising costs of housing, transport, utilities and food in the UK.

Chris Nourse, general manager of Multicom, suggested that people have come to see holidays as a necessary expenditure and are not willing to forgo their annual trip.

'Years ago, holidays abroad were seen as a luxury for the few who could afford them,' he said.

'Now it seems they are being seen as more and more essential - even if people have less money in their pockets after paying bills.'

Mr Nourse also claimed that the travel industry could be 'less susceptible than had been previously thought' to the financial pressures that have hit the UK this year.

http://news.opodo.co.uk/articles/2008-04-02/18534827-Travellers-booking.php

B&Bs for surfers, vent your flights fury and discover the secret to perfect packing with this month's selection of the best travel site
1. Surfing fanatic Steve England, also publisher of various surf magazines, has plugged what he believes is a gaping hole in quality information for UK surfers.

His site, The Surf Directory is designed to help surfers plan their trip, without having to waste time searching for where to stay, where to eat or which gig to go to, once they’ve decided where to go for the best waves.

The interactive map is the backbone of the site, and takes you through to detailed surfing information about the type of break, wave and swell direction, then links to surf schools, surf shops, places to stay and places to eat and drink. There’s also a surf forecast and in some places a live beach cam.

2. TripTouch is a travel blog and widgets site – it’s nothing new, but this site is ahead of its competitors because of its clean design and good choice of partner sites.

The premise is to offer a site where travellers can catalogue their adventures, communicate with other users, upload photos and use services, including booking flights, checking the weather and looking up local events. Google and Kayak are the main partners, which means technology should be flawless and the travel searches relatively comprehensive.

3. The shambolic opening of Terminal 5 will surely see a surge in ranting entries toFlightsFromHell.com – which does what it says on the tin. It was started by Greg Rottler as a way to vent his fury at the world’s airlines and an outlet for others to do the same.

The stories are divided into 15 categories, including luggage and delays, food and drink, and more entertaining categories such as weird people and odours. We can’t vouch for the accuracy of the entries of course – stories of this kind are often prone to exaggeration, but we can vouch for one thing – you’ll think twice about getting on a plane again.

4. On the back of its user-generated travel guides site, the team behind wikitravel.com, has launchedwikitravelpress.com – a licence to print your own travel guide. The site has collated the best entries from its 30,000 destination guides to create up-to-date guides to a select number of destinations – so far only Chicago and Singapore.

The content is updated regularly and as books are printed on demand, you’ll always get the latest information. You can also add information yourself so it’ll appear in your personal guidebook. They cost around £10 to print, and next in line is Paris, Toronto and Sydney, plus guides in other languages.

5. Destination Cooking wins our price for prettiest website this month – it’s purpose is less clear. The site is the result of six operators who have come together to sell outdoorsy French holidays based on regional food.

You can search by region, which brings up a recipe and some foodie suggestions, but what disappoints is that there’s no holiday search – you need to click through to the separate providers to book a holiday or even get a quote. Nevertheless the site is fun, easy to navigate and great for recreating dishes you had on holiday, if nothing else.

6. When Carnival Corporation bought Swan Hellenic and years later ditched the name, avid cruise fans bid a sad farewell to one of the grande dames of cruising. But it wasn’t long before the name resurfaced – in one incarnation, as a river cruising operation whose website, www.swansrivercruises.co.uk, went live last month.

The site allows users to get full details of the Danube and Rhona itineraries including maps, photos and prices. There’s full details on the ships including deck plans and photos and the site is reporting healthy traffic even though the cruises don’t start until May 2009 – they’re a patient bunch these Swan Hellenic fans.

7. Aggregator websites that trawl the internet to find the best deals from multiple travel websites are two-a-penny, so it’s not a surprise to hear about another one that claims to help you find the best deal. In fact new kid on the block, www.answers.travel, doesn’t even aggregate very well – when you search for flights it doesn’t quote prices but offers links through to sites such as Expedia and Kayak to view their prices. It’s just one too many clicks.

What it does have though, is an answer service, based on the same technology as parent website answers.com, which is manned by travel agents around the world. Previous questions include, “Can I travel to Cuba if I fly out of Canada?” and “Is Puerto Rico cold in March?” According to the site, questions will be answered within 72 hours?

8. Onebag.com has crept to the top of the travel category of Delicious.com thanks to its popularity among users of the tagging site. It may seem a little pedantic to print a checklist before packing a suitcase to go on holiday, but for those who need persuasion, the “Do I really need a packing list?” link should sell it. As well as the checklists, it’s got advice on what bags to use and even how to pack properly, which shares some tips with Times Online’s own how to pack video guide.

9. The Ribble Valley Food Trail site launched this week and is a good example of how to promote small-scale tourism projects. It's easy to navigate and has searchable profiles of 36 local food and drink producers from artisan cheese and ice-cream makers to a microbrewery in a barn. The interactive map is handy if you don’t know the region and the trail itself offers points that are no more than a 40-minute drive apart. The organisers plan to post some suggested walking itineraries on the website before long.

10. There are many New York hotel sites, but this one is particularly handy if you don’t know the city well because it’s based around an interactive map. Click the Holiday Mapper link on www.new-york.letsgo2.comand it will help you find hotels close to the tourist attractions, museums or shops that are of interest. The hotel search displays rates as well as details of the hotel facilities and the colour of the blob that shows the hotel’s location changes colour to reflect how well the property matches your criteria. The site plans to extend the mapping technology to Dubai, the Maldives and Mauritius.

Ginny McGrath

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article3669801.ece?token=null&offset=0

Timeshare Webinars Earn Second ARDA Award Nomination
For the second consecutive year, Holiday Group has earned an American Resorts Development Association (ARDA) finalist award nomination for its Timeshare Webinars (www.holidaygroup.com/webinar) in the Interactive Internet Advertising category.

Webinars are virtual seminars that can be accessed from anywhere via the Internet. In its ongoing efforts to educate consumers about timesharing, Holiday's webinars have featured a wide array of guest experts from the timeshare industry, including Timeshare User's Group (http://www.tug2.net), Dial An Exchange (http://www.dialanexchange.com), and timeshare author Lisa Ann Schreier (http://www.timeshareinsights.com), and have covered such diverse topics as selecting the best family timeshares, maximizing your timeshare's exchange value, and the benefits of buying resale versus retail.

"We began offering these webinars two years ago, and they've continued to gain in popularity," said Holiday president, David Skinner. "Holiday is honored to be recognized by ARDA as we continue to do our part in the timeshare industry to better educate consumers and provide innovative resources for both buyers and existing owners."

This year's annual ARDA convention and exposition will take place at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over 3,700 attendees from over 40 countries are expected to participate. According to ARDA, "On Wednesday, April 9, the industry will come together to recognize those who have demonstrated excellence in the industry."

Holiday's webinars are offered free to both current timeshare owners as well as prospective buyers, and provide an unbiased, interactive forum designed to educate the public about how to get the most value from vacation ownership. Participants can login to the webinars from their computers, whether at home or otherwise.

"Based on the increased number of attendees and the amount of timeshare questions we receive during our question and answer sessions, I can see that these webinars are really helping consumers to better understand timesharing," said Gail Bennett, Holiday's Director of Sales.

Future webinars will feature in-depth discussions with recognized industry professionals and, among other subjects, will examine the secrets of timeshare exchanging, essential timeshare basics, and how to find the best timeshare resorts based on your vacation needs. Please visit http://www.holidaygroup.com/webinar for more information on Holiday's previous as well as upcoming webinars.

About Holiday Group: Holiday's online timeshare business connects thousands of vacation buyers with discount timeshares every year. Founded in 1992, Holiday was one of the first timeshare companies to host a comprehensive Web site. Holiday is headquartered in sunny Seattle. Please visit http://www.holidaygroup.com more information.

About ARDA: The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) is the Washington D.C.-based professional association representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries. Please visit http://www.arda.org for more information.

http://sev.prnewswire.com/travel/20080403/AQTH04803042008-1.html

An Egyptian hotel and cruise group has undergone a health and safetyimprovement programme after it was found to have "potentially damaging" levels of food-related illnesses.

Sunrise Resorts and Nile Cruises, which has six resorts in Hurghada and Sharmel-Sheikh, and five cruise ships, has been sold through Thomas Cook and the Blue Sky Group since 2002.

Health and safety company Check Safety First chief executive Mark Harrington said: "The hotel had a high turnover of seasonal staff making it difficult to retainhealth and safety knowledge."

Sunrise Resorts has installed Check Safety First's E-Cristal service, an online health and safety audit management system.

The hotel has seen a 90% reduction in guest illnesses and is now featured on the company's website checksafetyfirst.com.

Check Safety First is working with 300 hotels and cruise ships in Egypt to improve standardsand is developing its work in Morocco and Tunisia.

By Chloe Berman

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2008/04/02/27158/egyptian-hotel-group-undergoes-health-and-safety-improvement.html

In an industry first, Air Canada today became the first airline to offer a comprehensive travel assistance service for customers affected by flight delays or travel disruptions beyond the control of airlines. The new service, called "On My Way," provides customers with speedy phone access to specially trained Air Canada customer service agents who will provide travel and accommodation solutions for customers whose plans have been disrupted by factors such as adverse weather conditions or airport and air traffic delays. Not only will Air Canada find alternate flights on Air Canada or other airlines but, if required, the airline will provide complimentary hotel accommodations and meals. Air Canada's "On My Way" service goes far beyond standard industry practice of assisting customers affected by schedule changes within the airline's control.

Air Canada's 'On My Way' optional assistance service brings peace of mind for only $25 for short-haul flights (up to 1609 km / 1000 miles) or $35 for long haul flights (1610 or more km / 1001 miles), each way ($CAD or $USD). The carrier's branded fares that allow customers to customize their travel experience from a menu of a-la-carte options have been expanded to include this new travel assistance service. "On My Way" travel assistance is available for all Air Canada and Jazz-operated flights within Canada as well as to and from the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska). Further details are available at www.aircanada.com/onmyway.

"We know how frustrating it can be when travel plans are disrupted by factors beyond the airline's control, such as bad weather or airport and air traffic delays. With the introduction of 'On My Way,' Air Canada is going beyond what other airlines offer," said Ben Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "'On My Way' service gives customers peace of mind knowing they will have access to dedicated customer service agents who will assist them to get them on their way more quickly and smoothly when these situations occur. The addition of 'On My Way' to our a-la-carte fare options lets customers customize their journey - not just selecting a destination, but determining how they want to travel by choosing to pay for just the options that best meet their needs. Air Canada is committed to constantly innovate, using technology to put control back in the hands of customers as we seek ways to simplify the travel experience."

Air Canada customers who opt for "On My Way" travel assistance will receive dedicated phone access around-the-clock to specially trained Air Canada customer service agents who will, in the event of a flight disruption at any time within 48 hours of scheduled departure: rebook the customer on the first available flight on Air Canada, Jazz or another airline, arrange complimentary hotel accommodations, car rental or other ground transportation, and provide for complimentary meals. In addition, Air Canada will send automatic flight information updates by SMS text and email that include terminal, gate and connecting flight details.

About Air Canada

----------------

Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz operate more non-stop flights within Canada and to the United States than any other airline. Within Canada, the carriers operate more than 1,000 non-stop flights per day on over 130 routes to and from 63 airports. Between Canada and the United States, the carriers operate more than 440 non-stop fights per day on over 90 routes to and from 55 U.S. and seven Canadian destinations.

Air Canada was ranked in 2007 as the "Best Airline in North America" for the second time in three years in an independent passenger survey of 14 million air travellers conducted by Skytrax. In addition, Air Canada was recently voted 'Best Airline in North America' and 'Best Airline in Canada' by the readers of Global Traveler magazine, and 'Best Business Class to Canada' by the readers of Business Traveler magazine. In 2007, Air Canada was recognized by the editors of Air Transport World as the airline industry leader in market innovation, specifically Air Canada's success in implementing an innovative and transparent pricing structure, its effectiveness in using online technology to meet consumers' needs and its fleet-wide renewal with a consistent, market-leading onboard product among North American airlines.

Montreal-based Air Canada provides scheduled and charter air transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 170 destinations on five continents. Canada's flag carrier is the 14th largest commercial airline in the world and serves 33 million customers annually with a fleet consisting of 335 aircraft. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, providing the world's most comprehensive air transportation network.

SOURCE AIR CANADA



http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/transportation/article/air-canada-launches-travel-assistance-service-customers-affected-unexpected_545564_8.html

Many CruiseMates readers read my series of five articles on Windjammer Barefoot Cruises Limited. The Burke family patriarch, Michael Burke Sr. built a cruise business from nothing, only to have his children to tear it asunder with infighting and neglect. For those of you who did not read the story, it is better than most novels, and it's all true.

Today, April 1st, 2008, is the day that the most recent CEO of the company, Joey Burke, had promised Windjammer's faithful followers that the fleet would once again be in full service. This was back in December of 2007 when the company was scheduling cruises on its last remaining ship, the Legacy, only to end up canceling them one day before sailing due to "financial difficulties" and other various excuses.

And today, I have finally have in my hands what many people have been seeking for months. Thanks to "Jerry," a regular poster at the Windjammer message board known as the "Flotilla," (www.jammerbabe.com/flotilla/), I have a copy of a letter from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stating that Windjammer Barefoot Cruises LTD is "no longer in business."

As the entity legally responsible for oversight of registered Florida Sellers of Travel, issued a response to Jerry's complaint against the company that says...

"According to our records, this seller of travel is no longer in business and efforts to contact them on behalf of consumers have proven unsuccessful. This company was not required to post financial security with this Department. The State, therefore, holds no security from which to draw or make refunds to those individuals who had purchased travel related services from this business"

"You may wish to seek private legal counsel or you may file a claim in small claims court. There is, however, no guarantee you will be able to recover the money you paid to this company."

"We regret that we were unable to be of assistance at this time. Please let us know if this office may be of service in the future with another consumer related matter."

" Don Dietrich
Regulatory Specialist III
850-410-3801
Email: dietrid@doacs.state.fl.us"

The good news about this letter is that it should be proof enough for the hundreds of people, many of whom paid well over $10,000 per family, to go to their credit card companies and request a refund. For others, who bought into the odd sailing time-share scheme the company put forth, it may be enough to legally claim a capital gains write-off on their taxes (ask your CPA if this is possible).

How big is the Windjammer debacle? For a small cruise line it is surprisingly far-reaching. The company bought a research vessel in August 2003 and announced they were converting it into a cruise ship and sailing time-share. They produced a beautiful color brochure to represent the final product, the LaMer, and proceeded with a heavy pitch by timeshare salespeople earning as much as 50% commission using the list of past passengers for their contact sheet.

The sales effort was so intense that likely prospects tell stories of being taken out to dinner and lubricated with spirits until they agreed to sign, in many cases after they had said they were not interested at all repeatedly. Timeshares were offered for every week of the year and for every cabin on the ship as shown in the brochure. Unfortunately, the brochure was the only thing ever turned into a timeshare. The actual vessel remained unchanged and to this day is rotting away in a Trinidad shipyard. The contract did specify that the company could replace cabins on the LaMer with cruises on their existing vessels, which they did in many cases.

Sometime in 2005 one of the family members raided company funds for as much as $450,000. Lawsuits from his siblings followed. Still, sales of these time-share contracts continued through late 2006. By then the line's other vessels were already falling apart due to neglect and lack of working capital. By 2007 crewmembers and bills for provisions were not getting paid. In November, 2007, the last remaining working Windjammer vessel sailed its last cruise.

After the last cruise, people looking to collect on their pre-paid cruises were told the company was in the process of rebuilding, and that April 2008 was the target date to have the company fully operating again. Customers requesting their cruises were told that getting the fleet up and running again was just a matter of time and urged to "wait until April". Those who insisted on refunds were asked to fax or mail in requests, but in almost every case these requests were ignored.

Throughout early 2008 the Burke family went quietly underground. They stopped commenting in public and put out no press releases. In March, the Miami headquarters went silently dark. The company still owed millions of dollars in unfulfilled cruises alone, plus other financial liabilities. Yet, they never declared bankruptcy or any other formal financial moves at all.

This lack of formal legal status - being a cruise line with no working ships -- left anyone who is owed money by the company at a loss. Many credit card companies would not issue refunds. The exception would be if the customer could prove the company was out of business, but strangely, the Windjammer Web site remained online, looking as if the line was still robust. There was no proof of the debacle that was really happening.

The truth is, greedy family members had picked the company carcass dry, according to one eyewitness I interviewed. Whenever the time came for financial responsibility they resorted to a tactic of blame shifting. In fact, the Web of legal entities who still own various pieces of the company is so convoluted that it is said even the Burkes have lost track of what is what.

In any case, the last company CEO, Joey Burke, had promised April would be the dawning of the new Windjammer, and now that April is here the Burkes are as invisible as ever. The latest rumors say that the ships have been seized by creditors and will be auctioned off. Another rumor says that one of the Burke sisters, Polly, is blaming the British overseer of the company Trust, Pallister, for their inactivity. Apparently, he is content to let the family's future wave in the wind as long as he can continue to collect legal fees. Possibly, when he is done collecting maintenance fees for the trust he will be representing them in criminal court as they face charges of bilking investors out of millions of dollars.



http://www.cruisemates.com/articles/feature/040108.cfm

Delta Air Lines, Air France Launch Joint Venture With Three New Flights Connecting London Heathrow to Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York JFK

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) and Air France today officially kicked off their joint venture agreement, fully leveraging the new E.U.-U.S. Open Skies agreement starting with three new trans-Atlantic routes connecting London-Heathrow to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, deputy chief executive of Air France-KLM, and Glen Hauenstein, Delta Air Lines executive vice president of Network Planning and Revenue Management, today underscored the advantages of the expanded partnership at a joint press conference in London, highlighting increased revenues and competition, as well as more customer choice and opportunity to earn miles on key routes across the Atlantic.

"Over the past three years, Delta has built an expansive global network giving customers the most choices across the Atlantic. Our new service to London-Heathrow fills a key position in our portfolio allowing us to connect our international gateways in Atlanta and New York to one of the world's premier business airports," said Hauenstein. "Our expanded partnership with Air France multiplies the opportunities available under Open Skies, enabling each airline to fully leverage the strengths of the other and opening many more travel options for our customers across the Atlantic."

Beginning today, the joint venture partners will operate daily nonstop flights connecting London-Heathrow to Los Angeles and Atlanta, and twice-daily flights to New York-JFK. Air France will operate the LAX flight while Delta operates the JFK and Atlanta flights.

Today's launch of the new Heathrow-Los Angeles route makes Air France the first European carrier to offer its long-haul customers the benefits of Open Skies.

"Air France's decision to launch a new transatlantic route to and from the UK marks a totally new phase in the developing world air transport sector," said Gourgeon. "Thanks to the new open skies agreement, our ambition in the years to come is to rank among the leading world players on this market. Along with KLM, Delta and our other SkyTeam partners, we are determined to offer passengers the greatest choice of routes and schedules between Europe and the rest of the world. The ability to offer passengers access to an enlarged network out of London, the leading European market, is a key phase in this strategy."

According to the terms of their expanded joint venture agreement, signed Oct. 17, 2007, the two airlines will share revenues and costs on flights operated by both carriers between London-Heathrow and the United States, as well as on flights between Air France's Paris-CDG and Lyon hubs, and Delta's Atlanta, New York-JFK, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City hubs.

By 2010, the agreement will be extended to all trans-Atlantic flights operated by Air France and Delta between Europe and the Mediterranean on one side and North America on the other side, as well as all flights between Los Angeles and Tahiti.

The daily London Heathrow to Los Angeles flight is operated with the following schedule:

-- AF060/DL8306, departing London-Heathrow Terminal 2* at 5 p.m. and
arriving Los Angeles at 8:15 p.m. (flight time of 11 hours and
15 minutes).

-- AF061/DL8399, departing Los Angeles at 8:25 p.m. and arriving
London-Heathrow Terminal 2* at 2:40 pm. the following day (flight
time of 10 hours and 15 minutes).
(* Air France flights will be transferred to Terminal 4 in February 2009).

Each way, this flight schedule is most convenient as it leaves London at 5 p.m. (last departure to Los Angeles) and at 8:25 p.m. (second latest departure to London), giving each passenger enough time to work or to relax before their journey.

The flight is operated by Air France with a Delta codeshare, using a Boeing 777-200 with seating capacity for 263. Passengers can choose to travel in the l'Espace Premiere, l'Espace Affaires or Tempo cabin.

The London Heathrow to New York-JFK flight is operated twice daily:

-- DL004/AF3662 departing London-Heathrow at 8:30 a.m. and arriving
JFK at 11:15 a.m. (flight time of 7 hours and 45 minutes, with
flights departing and arriving 15 minutes later on Saturdays);

-- DL002/AF3666 departing London-Heathrow at 5:05 p.m. and arriving
JFK at 8:10 p.m. (flight time of 8 hours and 5 minutes, with
flights departing and arriving 10 minutes later on Saturdays); and

-- DL003/AF3663 departing JFK at 8:55 a.m. and arriving London-Heathrow
at 9:10 p.m. (flight time of 7 hours and 15 minutes);

-- DL001/AF3664 departing JFK at 8:55 p.m. and arriving London-Heathrow
at 9:25 a.m. (flight time of 7 hours and 30 minutes, with flights
departing and arriving 25 minutes earlier on Fridays).
The daily London Heathrow to Atlanta flight is operated with the following schedules:

-- DL179/AF3624 departing London-Heathrow at 1:50 p.m. and arriving
Atlanta at 6:30 p.m. (flight time of 9 hours and 40 minutes).

-- DL178/AF3625 departing Atlanta at 10:30 p.m. and arriving
London-Heathrow at noon the following day (flight time of 8 hours
and 30 minutes).
Delta flights operate from Terminal 4 at Heathrow.

The New York-JFK and the Atlanta flights are operated by Delta with Air France codeshare using a Boeing 767-300ER, with up to 216 seat capacity. Passengers can choose from the BusinessElite and Economy cabin. Customers in BusinessElite will enjoy comfortable all-leather seating and personal, in-seat entertainment.

Air France operates 1,700 daily flights with a fleet of 254 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, including 131 regional aircraft operated by its Britair, CityJet and Regional subsidiaries. The merger agreement signed by Air France and KLM in September 2003 gave rise to Europe's leading air transport group in May 2004. Together, they represent a workforce of over 103,000 employees, 73.5 million passengers, 248 worldwide destinations and a fleet of 569 aircraft. It currently ranks as the global leader in terms of revenue, with 23.07 billion euros in 2006/2007. Air France is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance. Air France was founded in 1933. Please visit http://corporate.airfrance.com for more information.

Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than any airline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 315 destinations in 59 countries. Delta has added more international capacity than any major U.S. airline during the last two years and is the leader across the Atlantic with flights to 36 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers more than 650 weekly flights to 65 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on nearly 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 744 worldwide destinations in 151 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.

SOURCE: Delta Air Lines, Inc.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/transportation/article/delta-air-lines-air-france-launch-joint-venture-new-flights-connecting-london_539950_8.html

Flight Centre sees rise in volunteering holidays

Holidays are traditionally seen as a time for selfish pleasure and the chance of a week or two without worry. However, some holidaymakers are shying away from this kind of break and spending their precious time off work helping others.

The increasingly hectic world of work means there is little time left for putting something back, which is why Flight Centre is seeing a rise in the demand for specially tailored volunteer breaks. A variety of options are on offer – anything from looking after pandas in a Chinese sanctuary to improving facilities in an Indian village.

Flight Centre’s travel specialists have put together four deals to whet the appetite of any would-be volunteer. To book any of these deals, visit Flightcentre.co.uk.

Care for pandas in China
The chance to have close contact with an endangered species really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people. Flight Centre is offering five-nights in Chengdu in China working with pandas at the Wolong Panda Centre from £1159 per person, including return flights. While at the centre you will learn the basics of panda care, feeding and cleaning. You will also get free time to explore the local area and enjoy the traditional Sichuan cuisine. This deal is valid for travel between 1st April and 14th July. The deal is bookable until 31st May.

Help improve an Indian village
If your idea of volunteering is more hands-on and you want the chance to be truly involved in local culture, a trip to Chandelao in Rajasthan is for you. Flight Centre is offering the opportunity to work alongside the local community in Chandelao for four days improving the village’s facilities. This is part of a longer trip to Rajasthan, which also includes a camel safari with an overnight desert stay as well as visits to Jaipur and other cities in the region. The deal costs £1189 per person, including return flights and all accommodation and transportation, and is valid for travel between 7th April and 3rd September. The deal is bookable until 30 June 2008.

Work with elephants in Kenya
Elephants may look indestructible but life in the wild is tough and many end up needing help from humans to survive. The Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary in Mukurumuji, Mombasa, has the highest density of elephants in Africa and Flight Centre is offering the chance to volunteer there for four days. You will learn how to care for these amazing animals as well enjoying game drives in the sanctuary. This experience is part of a 13-night trip to the region, which also takes in beaches and national parks, from £1445 per person including return flights. This deal is valid for travel between 26th August and 30th November and is bookable until 30th June.

Monitor turtles in Costa Rica
If you like your volunteering to come with a dash of science, The Turtle Project in Costa Rica is ideal. You will get the chance to help on the beach patrols monitoring nesting turtles, recording data for scientific research and working in hatcheries. Flight Centre is offering this deal with seven-nights local accommodation from £1175 per person, including return flights and all meals. This deal is valid for travel between 26th March and 30th June and is bookable until 31st May.


http://www.easier.com/view/Travel/Holidays/article-171177.html

Westgate Resorts Selects DigitalPost Interactive for New Digital Media Sharing Solution

IRVINE, CA and ORLANDO, FL, Apr 01, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- DigitalPost Interactive (OTCBB: DGLP) (www.dglp.com), a Software as a Service (SaaS) provider in the digital media sharing and social networking space, and Westgate Resorts, the largest privately held timeshare company in the world, announced today a partnership to launch a new, family website service aimed at the company's half a million timeshare owners and its vast audience of resort guests. This solution provides the ultimate destination online for storing and sharing their best vacation photos, videos, and more, plus a built-in photo store where they can order prints delivered right to their door.

"We pride ourselves on creating family vacation memories that last a lifetime," said David Siegel, Founder, President and CEO Westgate Resorts. "Having a digital family website to share the vacation experience with friends and family gives Westgate owners and guests a new way to bring their vacation experience home with them. It's an innovative and creative new service that can help bring families together long after their trips are over."

As part of the launch, Westgate will deliver trial subscriptions of the re-branded www.TheFamilyPost.com service to its 500,000 owner families as well as all of its resort guests. To make the sites even more enjoyable and easy-to-use, Westgate is giving families the opportunity to instantly capture their vacation experience through their network of camera kiosks deployed throughout their resorts nationwide. With the simple swipe of their key card, vacationers can have their photos taken at the kiosks by the pool, lounge, or other hotspots and have them automatically uploaded to their family website.

"This is a great opportunity for DigitalPost Interactive," said Michael Sawtell, CEO, DigitalPost Interactive. "We're happy to power the technology that truly compliments the innovation and quality that Westgate is known for. We're looking forward to working with the entire Westgate team to give their members the ultimate digital media sharing platform."

About DigitalPost Interactive

DigitalPost Interactive is a SaaS (Software as a Service) and application provider that delivers B2B and B2C digital media-sharing solutions that are both easy to offer and easy to use. The company's visually stunning, user-friendly Web 2.0 technology gives consumers a single, engaging place online for permanently storing and sharing a lifetime of digital media and memories, connecting with family and friends, and keeping organized in today's digital world.

Completely scaleable and re-brandable, DigitalPost Interactive's technology gives companies in the photo, travel, entertainment, sports, and other vertical markets a fast and efficient way to offer dynamic Web 2.0 products and services. This technology can create exciting new revenue streams for all companies looking to monetize this emerging new internet opportunity. For more information about DigitalPost Interactive or its consumer sites www.TheFamilyPost.com and www.WebsitesForHeroes.com, please visit www.dglp.com.

About Westgate Resorts

Through David A. Siegel's vision, persistence and resourcefulness, Central Florida Investments, Inc. (CFI:7.54, +0.02, +0.26%) has become the largest privately held corporation in the Central Florida area. Founded in 1970 as a real estate development firm, CFI now operates dozens of other businesses in addition to Westgate Resorts including: hotels, insurance, magazines, real estate, travel services, oil, cattle, and internet companies.

From a tiny orange grove and the dream of a man working out of his garage, Westgate Resorts and its parent company, Central Florida Investments (CFI: 7.54, +0.02, +0.26%), have grown into the largest privately held timeshare company in the world employing over 10,000 around the United States.

Westgate's newest and most ambitious product is a testament to the vision of the company's founder. Soaring fifty stories above the strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Planet Hollywood Towers by Westgate is the only timeshare property directly connected to a major hotel/casino on the Las Vegas strip. When completed, the project will boast over 2,850 timeshare units and thirty-two luxury penthouse condominiums and will cost an estimated $1 billion.

Any forward-looking statement in this press release is made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, economic and political factors, technological developments, regulatory matters and increased competition. The company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce results of any revisions to the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events or developments.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/technology/article/westgate-resorts-selects-digitalpost-interactive-new-digital-media-sharing_542128_12.html

The uncertainty surrounding booked Aloha Airlines flights created chaos among travelers, booking agents, hotels and other airlines yesterday as the travel industry struggled to compensate for the loss of the interisland carrier.

Hundreds of people frantically called their travel agents to find out how their vacation plans would be hurt by the Aloha shutdown. Agents were trying to book them on other airlines.

Naomi Bennett, the owner of Maui Hawaii Vacations, came to work to help her reservations agents field calls. In just three hours, she took 22 calls.

"It's bad. They're flipping out," she said.

She said the airline shutdown will certainly hurt her business, and she doesn't believe she'll be the only one.

"This is a very sad day," she said.

With the closing of Aloha Airlines, 88,000 interisland seats per week will disappear, but Hawaiian Airlines and go! Airlines say they will add 56,000 new interisland seats to fill the gap.

Panda Travel was closed yesterday, but employees were making plans for a tidal wave of calls today.

"Aloha is a big one," said Mike Brown, a lead agent at Panda Travel. "It's a pretty big dent. We're working on how to sort it out."

Lynn Ham Young, who lives on Kaua'i, refused to believe that Aloha Airlines was shutting down. She said the economy can't handle the loss of the airline. "We need it," Young said, as she was in line at Honolulu International Airport to check in for a flight home. "It's a necessity."

In a scene on Maui that likely played out across the state yesterday, Maui United Soccer Club parents said they had paid $6,000 to Aloha to fly 50 players, coaches and parents to Honolulu for next weekend's HYSA state championships. They were trying to figure out what to do.

Information from Aloha was sketchy, and whether those who hold tickets with the airline can get any or some of their money back is unclear.

A release issued by the company said that passengers who have booked flights should contact their credit card companies or travel agents to inquire about refunds. Aloha said those who paid with cash or by check could file a claim with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

No AlohaPass frequent-flier miles will be honored after today, and customers who booked hotel rooms and rental cars with AlohaPass reward credit were directed to contact the individual hotel or rental car agency.

United Airlines, Aloha's code-share partner, will rebook passengers holding United tickets on an alternative flight, where space is available, for no additional charge, according to the company. For customers traveling on an Aloha-issued ticket, United is offering a discounted one-way fare through the end of April.

Mesa Airlines announced that go! airline will increase the Honolulu flights it operates from an average of 54 a day to 94 flights beginning tomorrow. The company said that with the new service, go! will provide between 11 and 13 roundtrips a day between Honolulu and Maui, Lihue, Hilo and Kona. go! said it will offer all seats at $49 through April 7. In addition, go! is offering standby space at no charge to passengers holding Aloha paper and electronic tickets, through Thursday.

Hotels also were trying to make allowances for Aloha passengers.

Marriott Resorts Hawaii is offering a 50 percent discount for up to three nights for guests at Marriott properties stranded in Hawai'i as a result of the shutdown. Aloha ticket holders staying at other hotels are being offered a kama'aina rate, and the company was waiving penalties for reservations that can't be met because of Aloha's passenger service shutdown.

"Marriott Resorts Hawaii is saddened to see Aloha Airlines' long history and commitment to serving the Hawaiian Islands come to an end. The company expresses its sympathies to Aloha's employees and their families," said Ed Hubennette, vice president of North Asia, Hawaii & South Pacific for Marriott International.

Aqua Hotels & Resorts, which owns eleven properties in Waikiki, was offering three free nights to travelers stuck in Waikiki because of the loss of Aloha service. The offer is based on room availability, and those looking to take advantage of the service must present their return Aloha Airlines ticket stub.

"I know that visitors, including some of our guests, will be scrambling to rebook their return flights home, and I don't want them worrying about the expense of spending a few additional nights in Waikiki," said Mike Paulin, owner and CEO of Aqua Hotels and Resorts.

Some passengers at the airport were just getting the news as they stood in line to check in for flights yesterday. Others, mostly frequent fliers, were wondering what the shutdown would mean for fares.

"I think the prices are definitely going to go up," said Aloha passenger Jeff Malate, who lives in Hilo, but whose family lives on O'ahu. He said Aloha has been in the market since he was a child. Not having it there, he added, will be like losing a good friend. "I've always remembered them being around," he said.

By Peter Boylan and Mary Vorsino

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/NEWS01/803310358/1190/LOCALNEWSFRONT

Eastern Europe 'Is Cheaper Than Western Europe For Holidays'
Britons could find they save themselves some money by booking a holiday to eastern Europe as opposed to western Europe, it has been reported.

According to Fregata Travel, city breaks to eastern Europe offer travellers good value for money.

However, holidaymakers would do well to take out travel insurance before flying to eastern Europe, as some eastern European countries such as Croatia are not yet part of the EU and are not covered by the European Health Insurance Card.

"I think, although it is getting more expensive at quite a rapid rate nowadays, it's still a lot cheaper than most traditional destinations, such as Paris and Barcelona," Tim Campbell, manager of Fregata Travel, commented.

The comment comes after the Post Office predicted that many city breaks in eastern Europe could become popular as the effects of the credit crunch make travellers seek cheaper holidays.

http://www.gotravelinsurance.co.uk/public/news.asp?id=18530412

Travel clubs leave Floridians feeling angry, cheated

Miriam Seligson and her husband, Paul Ehrlich, said they were promised a "complimentary" trip to Cancun, plus thousands of dollars in travel discounts, when they joined a travel club offered through Elite Getaways.

But the retired Delray Beach couple learned only their Cancun hotel room would be gratis after they agreed to the $2,000 membership, and even that benefit would cost them $100 to claim. When they tried to cancel their club contract within 72 hours — a back-out period required by law — they discovered a clause that said the Coral Springs-based company got to keep $495 as a "processing" fee.

The couple filed one of the 298 complaints about travel clubs logged by the state's consumer services division in 2007, almost triple the 106 filings the previous year. Many of them outline tactics that appear similar to those used in the past by high-pressure travel sales operations that once thrived in Florida, home to a large population of retirees with time to vacation.

Elite Getaways representatives said the company is up front about fees and extra costs, and does not use the word "free" in its marketing. Although Seligson and Ehrlich could not come to an agreement with the company, "we do our best to resolve complaints," owner Solomon Arroyo said. "We have a lot of happy [customers]."

Travel club and time share tips

Sally Hurme, an attorney with AARP's Consumer Protection Unit in Washington, D.C., said the rise in consumer complaints underscores the need for travelers to know what they're buying into if they decide to join a travel club.

Her advice: Don't succumb to a high-pressure sales pitch to enroll immediately, understand all contract terms and be aware that "free" rarely means you won't have to pay anything.

Travel clubs are similar to time share arrangements: Consumers pay a one-time enrollment fee that usually varies according to how many travel weeks they want. There can be annual dues, as well. In exchange, the club promises to book members in hotels within its network or arrange travel packages at deeply discounted prices.

That state currently has 353 licensed "sellers of travel" in Broward and Palm Beach counties, a broad category that includes tour companies and travel agencies as well as travel clubs. Legitimate travel clubs will carry this license, said Gwen Worlds, chief of consumer relations and outreach with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, and it's up to consumers to determine if the benefits are worth the membership fees.More than half of the complaints against all Broward and Palm Beach County clubs in 2007 were against Elite Getaways, licensed under the name Premier Resorts LLC.

State consumer investigators say the company attracted potential customers through direct-mail postcards and other advertisements, promising free travel or gas cards. But no one ever received the gas vouchers, and those buying memberships later discovered the free trips came with strings attached, said Al Payne, who manages the Seniors Vs. Crime office in Delray Beach. The program, under the Office of the Attorney General, has volunteers who investigate complaints from older consumers.

Booking travel could be difficult as well, Payne said, with Elite repeatedly telling members the resorts or travel days they wanted were not available.

Ezra Chityat, a retiree from Boca Raton, said he "fell for it head over heels" at a slick Elite presentation last March, paying $6,900 for a membership that also carried a $199 annual fee. He was promised a free cruise, he said, but the paperwork proved so cumbersome and the company so elusive about available dates that he finally gave up.

Owner Arroyo, who started the company in 2006, said he had heard no complaints about resort availability and that most of the club's 20,000 members were satisfied. Elite only keeps money for "credit card processing" and promotional materials that are not returned if contracts are canceled within 72 hours, Arroyo said, but could not specify the fee amount or remember if it was in the contract.

Arroyo also said the company "was very stringent" about not offering "free" promotions, instead using the word "complimentary." The two terms are different, he said, with complimentary implying the receiver will pay something.

State legal opinions, however, have used the terms interchangeably, according to the Office of the Attorney General. "Generally, 'complimentary' is defined as 'given free as courtesy or favor,'" office spokeswoman Sandi Copes said.

In 2002, state officials shut another company with a similar name, Premier Travel International Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, and two affiliates in part for their phone solicitations offering "free" trips to Las Vegas or Orlando. Arroyo said Premier Resorts and Premier Travel are not connected, and the similar names are "pure accident." Florida's Attorney General has reviewed the complaints, but currently is not investigating any travel clubs, officials said.

The Federal Trade Commission, which logged 14,903 complaints against travel, vacation and time share offers last year, filed a series of cases against travel clubs about 10 years ago. One targeted Travel Bahamas Tours Inc., of Deerfield Beach and Palm Beach Gardens. The FTC found the defendants were offering discounted trips to hotels that never had heard of the company, then refusing to refund consumers. The company no longer is in business in Florida.

By Diane C. Lade | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flhlptravel0331sbmar31,0,5647976.story