Continental Airlines orders Two New Boeing 77-200ER

Continental Airlines has ordered two additional Boeing 777-200ER (extended range) widebody airplanes from Boeing, as the airline continues its international route expansion.

“The 777 is the long-range workhorse in our all-Boeing fleet, and will serve the most profitable segment of today’s aviation market – long-haul international routes,” said Continental Chairman and CEO, Larry Kellner.

“These new aircraft will help deliver more career opportunities and better job security for our employees, while giving our customers superior comfort and the ability to fly to more international destinations nonstop on their favorite airline.”

Continental currently operates 18 777-200ERs in a 283-seat configuration and flies them on long-distance international routes such as Houston-Paris, Houston-Tokyo, New York-Beijing and New York-Tel Aviv. Continental plans to start a New York-Delhi service this fall using Boeing 777-200ERs.

The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2007 and Boeing has agreed to provide backstop financing for the aircraft.

Source: Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

Gulf Air suspends Mumbai flights

Due to the exceptional weather conditions impacting the Mumbai area and in particular the disruption this has caused at Mumbai airport, Gulf Air has been advised by the local Indian Civil Aviation Authorities to suspend all flights from and into the airport until further notice.

The airline has no aircraft stranded in Mumbai and flights to other Indian cities are operating as normal.

No time line has been given as to when services can be resumed

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

Virgin Blue takes delivery of 50th Boeing 737

Virgin Blue today took delivery of its 50th Next-Generation 737, sporting a special 'true blue' livery. The new jetliner, a 737-700, departs for its Australian home tomorrow.

The sterling blue paint scheme, instead of the usual vivid red livery, will serve as a flying billboard for the airline's success in the Australian domestic market. The interior stowage bins also carry the names of all staff members, from founder Sir Richard Branson, and CEO Brett Godfrey, to ‘pit crew' ground staff, cabin crew and support services.

Brisbane, Queensland, based Virgin Blue is taking the 50th jetliner less than five years from start of Australian domestic service. The airline's stellar growth reached 40% in the year ending March 31, resulting in a profit after tax of A$138 million on revenues of $1.6 billion.

"Virgin Blue has charted its own path to achieve operational and economic success by offering low fares combined with exceptional service for its Australian and south Pacific customers," said Larry Dickenson, vice president, Sales – Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We have been proud to be a partner on this journey, and delighted to see the airline's tremendous success. Virgin Blue's recent win as Best Low Cost Carrier at the OAG Airline of the Year awards is positive proof that it has the right recipe."

The airline operates a route network stretching from Darwin in northern Australia , to Perth in the West, Hobart in the South as well as high-frequency East Coast services between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Now 62.4% owned by the Patrick Corporation, Virgin Blue also runs international services from Australia to New Zealand under the Pacific Blue brand, and recently acquired the right to operate Polynesian Airlines, national carrier of Western Samoa.

Source: Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

EVA Air celebrates Delivery of Airline's First Boeing 777-300ER

EVA Air today celebrated delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplane. The airplane is the first of 15 Boeing 777s that EVA Air will receive through 2009.

"The new Boeing 777-300ER equipment will fully upgrade our service quality," said EVA Air Chairman, Steve Lin. "With the most spacious passenger cabin ever developed, the aircraft will provide an even more spacious Premium Laurel cabin. We will also introduce a new ‘Elite Class' and upgraded Economy Class with the introduction of the new aircraft. I believe our passengers will love the product enhancements we are making."

The twin-engine EVA Air 777-300ER carries 316 passengers in a three-class configuration and flies up to 7,705 nautical miles (14,270 kilometers). The airplane is capable of serving such routes as New York - Taipei and Taipei - London.

The 777-300ER uses GE's GE90-115B jet engines.

The EVA Air 777-300ER is also equipped with the Boeing Electronic Flight Bag (EFB). Using hardware from Astronautics Corp. of America and software from Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen, the EFB replaces the large amount of paper crews now carry for flights, placing all required data in digital format at the pilot's fingertips

Source: Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

2500th A320 family member Delivered to China Eastern

Airbus today achieved a significant milestone, when China Eastern (CES) took delivery of the 2500th A320 family aircraft, an A320. This occasion falls in the same month that the A320 family reached 40 million flight hours.

“This is a historical day for Airbus and the aviation industry, as no other airliner programme has ever attained this level of deliveries in its basic version. This is a clear reflection of the success of this unique family with customers and operators and with the travelling public”, said Gustav Humbert, Airbus president and Chief Executive Officer. “And as China Eastern Airlines was our first Chinese customer, we are delighted that this 2,500th aircraft has been delivered to them as part of their fleet expansion,” he added.

During the official delivery ceremony held in Toulouse, Chairman Li Fenghua said, “With this year being the twentieth anniversary of Airbus’ entry into the Chinese market, China Eastern Airlines is pleased to participate in such a significant milestone.”

In 2005, the Shanghai-based carrier ordered an additional 20 A320 Family aircraft to further expand their worldwide fleet.

The A320 Family success on the market is such that in just over six years, delivery numbers have increased from 1,000 to 2,500. These delivery milestones will become increasingly frequent as the production ramp-up rises to 30 aircraft per month by the first quarter of 2006, a step necessary to meet the heavy demand for these aircraft in addition to the backlog of more than 1,100 airliners. Today A320 Family aircraft are in-service with some 160 operators and customers around the globe on a varied network, flying very short “hops” with eight flights per day, or longer distances and long daily utilisations of up to 13 flight hours per day. All this with a fleet-wide average dispatch reliability that is significantly higher than 99 per cent, with more than 40 operators achieving 100 per cent.

The A320, the first of the four-member A320 family that entered into service in April 1988, pioneered the fly-by-wire flight control system, setting a new standard in world aviation. Fly-by-wire controls are not only lighter, but they provide for easier maintenance and offer better aircraft manoeuvrability for pilots, while also facilitating operational commonality.

By the end of June 2005, the best-selling A320 family had more than 3,600 firm orders from 138 customers.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

Asian Hotels Alliance to hold China Road Show in August

Asian Hotels Alliance (AHA) is set to launch a China Road Show in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing between August 1 and August 5, 2005 to showcase its nearly 70 properties in the Asia Pacific region.

The road show will kick off in Hong Kong at The Marco Polo Prince on August 1, 2005 and move on to Beijing at The Marco Polo Beijing on August 3. The last stop will be Shanghai, which will be held at the JC Mandarin on August 5.
In each destination, corporate clients and travel agents are being invited to a cocktail reception to meet with the AHA representatives of five member hotel groups; namely, Dusit Hotels & Resorts, Landis Hotels & Resorts, Marco Polo Hotel Group, Meritus Hotels & Resorts, and New Otani Hotels. Over 1100 clients are expected.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .Com

Minister of Tourism hopes Sharm blasts not to affect incoming tourism

In statements made from Beijing, where he was on an official visit, the Minister of Tourism Ahmed El-Maghrabi described the attacks to Sharm El-Sheikh as tragic event aimed at depriving people of their rights to free movement and travel. He affirmed that these attacks would not succeed in stopping the peoples of the civilized world from going about their lives normally, including traveling and vacationing. He also said he hoped the three blasts in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh at the wee hours of Saturday would not have a negative impact on incoming tourism. Such incidents do influence tourism, but their effects are only on the short-run, he said. In statements to Nile News TV channel over the telephone from Beijing, where he is on an official visit, the minister described Sharm blasts and the recent attacks in London as acts that mainly aim at stripping ordinary people of their right to travel. Evil groups behind such attacks will never achieve their goals, he said. Source: traveldailynews.com

Brazil: Airlines ups orders from Boeing

Brazilian discount airliners GOL announced Monday it was increasing the size of its order from Boeing from 63 aircraft to 101 planes.

Boeing is expected the deliver the 737-800 aircraft to GOL between 2006 and 2012.

GOL is operating 35 aircraft flying domestic routes, though it is planning international flights to Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay, said GOL officials.

The relatively airline, which began operating just a few years ago, has become Brazil's premiere discount airline causing a financial strain for the nation's older airlines.

In June, Brazil's largest airline Varig applied for bankruptcy protection. And earlier this year, VASP airline was forced to ground its fleet after months of speculation and canceled flights.

Source: Big News Network

Qatar Airways upgrades Cebu route to Airbus A330-200

Qatar Airways has upgraded its Doha – Cebu route with the new state-of-the-art Airbus A330-200 aircraft offering the latest in inflight comfort and amenities.

The bigger capacity aircraft being used to the southern Philippine city of Cebu operates three-times-a-week via Singapore. The widebody A330-200 flies in a two-class configuration of up to 247 seats in Economy and 24 in Business. Until now, the service was operated with the smaller Airbus A300.

The new aircraft being used on the route features Qatar Airways’ Audio Video On Demand Waves interactive entertainment system, which allows passengers in every seat to choose from an extensive list of international new release films and short programmes to view on individual TV screens, and listen to an extensive list of CDs and radio channels.

The system gives passengers greater control of their inflight entertainment. The video option enables passengers to play, forward, rewind and pause programmes to give them more functionality.

New A330s are gradually being introduced into the fleet and are equipped with the following features.

Business Class

- 60-inch pitch
- Seats in 2-2-2 configuration
- Seats convert into two-metre bed length
- 15-inch personal LCD TV screens
- Laptop power point
- 5 pre-programmed electronic seat controls (aircraft take-off, meal, upright position, relax, sleeping)
- Personal in-seat telephone
- Seat position memory function
- Back massage control functions
- Seat design by Recaro, of Germany

Economy Class

- Up to 34-inch seat pitch
- Personal in-seat telephone
- Ergonomically designed seats to provide more comfort with greater shin space and living space
- 9-inch personal LCD TV screens
- Individual footrests
- Seat design by Recaro, of Germany

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said, “Additional capacity into Cebu is part of Qatar Airways’ ongoing strategy to develop Asia into a key component of the airline’s global operations.”

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .Com

Harbour Island, Exuma Named Best Destinations

Two international magazines recently chose two Bahamian islands as destinations of choice and it’s precisely the kind of publicity that would help boost the tourism industry even further, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe predicted on Wednesday.

Travel and Leisure magazine named Harbour Island as the number one island in the Caribbean, including Bermuda.

Minister Wilchcombe pointed to the benefits of world-renowned journalists recognizing Bahamian islands other than New Providence and Grand Bahama as destinations of choice.

"This is a major recognition given the fact that there are so many islands in the Caribbean," he said.

Another international publication, Islands Magazine, which is published in the United States, named Exuma as one of the top five islands in the world to live.

In fact Exuma was the only island in the Caribbean that was chosen by the popular magazine.

Minister Wilchcombe explained that attracting visitors to others islands of The Bahamas has been one of the main goals of the Ministry of Tourism under his leadership.

He also encouraged employees in the tourism industry to do a little more to ensure that guests return home and tell a wonderful story of the islands of The Bahamas.

"I believe that we could become one of the greatest destinations in the entire world as small as we are," the tourism minister said, "because we have done well during our 32 years of independence.

"So imagine how much we could get if we just took care of some of the little problems that [plague] our nation."

The Bahamas hit the five million-visitor mark in 2004, but Minister Wilchcombe believes that the country can go well beyond that achievement.

"If we market correctly and sustain our marketing, I believe that we can get even more business particularly from the state of Florida and these magazines go a long way in helping us get the message out," he said.

A key marketing strategy that the Ministry of Tourism has used to attract visitors to the islands in The Bahamas is providing trips for well-known journalists from around the world to explore the islands and write about their experiences.

But the minister pointed out, "No one campaign has the great success of growing the tourism market. There has been a combination of marketing strategies which allowed us to arrive at the success we have today."

Despite recent reports on the Grand Bahama tourism market declining, Minister Wilchcombe said that the island is experiencing one of the best tourism rates for a while.

"The fact of the matter is Grand Bahama is enjoying one of its best seasons in terms of hotel occupancy at an all time high; the fact of the matter is Grand Bahama’s occupancy level is going to be high for the next six or seven months," he claimed.

Minister Wilchcombe, however, recognized that had rooms at the Royal Oasis Resort been in circulation, tourism performance in Grand Bahama could have improved.

He said his Ministry’s goal is to get Grand Bahama back to a point when it experienced arrivals of 1.3 million visitors.

Last year, Grand Bahama recorded 700,000 tourist arrivals. The island suffered a significant setback in its tourism product after hurricanes Frances and Jeanne last September.

Source: Bianca Symonette - The Bahama Journal - Bahamas News Online Edition

International Tourism Receipts Grew by 36 Billion Euros in 2004

International tourism receipts in 2004 reached a new record value of US$ 622 billion as expressed in absolute figures.

According to the latest edition of the WTO World Tourism Barometer, worldwide tourism earnings grew by an extraordinary 10.3%, a rate practically equal to that of international tourist arrivals which increased last year by 10.7%.

In US dollar terms the increase amounted to 97 billion, however, this is flattered by the rather generalized depreciation of the US dollar in 2004, causing receipts earned in currencies such as the euro, the Canadian dollar, the Japanese yen or the Australian dollar exchange into larger amounts of US dollars. Expressed in euro, receipts increased by 36 billion to a total of euro 500 billion. Growth expressed in local currencies at constant prices, thus neutralising the effect of exchange rate changes and inflation, reached 10.3%.

Europe earned a bit over half of worldwide tourism receipts (52%), the Americas 21%, Asia and the Pacific 20% and Africa and the Middle East 3% each. All regions posted positive results in 2004, ranging from 2% for Europe to 24% for Asia and the Pacific. Both the Americas and Europe report positive results after three negative years. International tourism receipts grew by 11% in the Americas due in particular to the recovery of North American destinations (+13%). Results were positive in North America for the first time since 2001 as all destinations bounced from the setbacks of the previous years, in particular the USA, the region's as well as the world's major tourism earner, where receipts grew by a remarkable 16% to a total volume of US$ 75 billion or 12% of the world's tourism receipts.

Europe recorded a 2% increase as all subregions rebounded from 2003 negative results, although still comparatively feeble in the case of Western Europe (+1.2%) and Southern and Mediterranean Europe (+2.2%; values in local currencies at constant prices, in US dollars receipts increased much more as a result of the considerable appreciation of the euro).

International tourism receipts grew by an exceptional 24% in Asia and the Pacific, following the 9% loss of the 2003 SARS year. The fastest growing subregion was North-East Asia (+30%). Growth was also particular buoyant in the Middle East (+22%). Africa posted a more modest growth (+6%), constrained by the results of Sub-Saharan Africa (+4%) after having been the star performer of the past three years.

Although demand recovered very well during 2004, receipts grew at a marginally slower pace than volume. In particular in Europe and in Asia and the Pacific receipts growth lagged somewhat behind the increase in arrivals.

This reflects the rather general trend towards a higher frequency of trips, but shorter stays. It is a long-term process, driven by pressure on time and enabled by the development of a well-ramified and varied transport infrastructure with several good-price transport options. In the past few years the boom of low-cost airlines has been instrumental in this process, opening up new routes and offering not only lower prices, but also lesser restrictions with respect to length of stay or weekend stay over. Average receipts per trip may also have been furthermore pressed down by the fact that intraregional tourism, with generally lower spending levels recovered quicker than long-haul traffic, together with some price cutting strategies to stimulate recovery.

In terms of the main tourism earners, no major changes are to be mentioned in the first seven positions as compared to 2003. The USA (US$ 74.5 billion) continues to lead the table of the world's top tourism earners and saw a strong comeback in 2004 on the losses of the three previous years as tourism earnings grew by nearly 16%. Spain (US$ 45.2 billion) and France (US$ 40.8 billion) occupy the following two positions at a considerable distance. The first three destinations in arrivals are thus also the first in receipts, although in reverse order. Italy maintains firm the fourth position in receipts, (US$ 35.7 billion), followed by Germany (US$ 27.7 billion), the United Kingdom (US$ 27.3 billion) and China (US$ 25.7 billion). Turkey (US$ 15.9 billion) climbs one position to 8th, changing places with Austria (US$ 15.4 billion). Australia (US$ 13 billion) closes the list, entering among the first 10 tourism earners in 2004

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .Com

Canadian overseas travel hits all-time high

Canadian travel to overseas countries reached an all-time high for the third consecutive month in May, while the number of U.S. trips to Canada dropped to a nine-month low, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday.

In May, Canadians took an estimated 548,000 overseas trips, up 3.5 per cent from the previous record set in April, the agency said. But travel to the U.S. fell to 3.1 million trips, particularly among same-day car trips, a reduction of 0.4 per cent compared with April.

The number of trips to overseas countries rose 10.9 per cent in the first five months of 2005, compared with the same period last year. Overall, Canadian travel abroad -- including to the U.S. -- rose 0.2 per cent to 3.7 million trips in May.

Meanwhile, overall travel to Canada fell to 3.1 million trips during the month, its lowest level since August 2004.

American travel to Canada reached a nine-month low with 2.7 million Americans visiting Canada, down 1.5 per cent from April. The decline was due to a four per cent decline in same-day car trips to Canada, the third-lowest level in over 30 years, StatsCan said.

Overseas residents took nearly 391,000 trips to Canada in May, up 1.3 per cent from April and the highest level since October 2004.

Statistics Canada said the increase was partly due to a 15.6 per cent jump in travel from the United Kingdom and 12.8 per cent from the Netherlands.

The Canadian dollar gained in value against the euro and British pound sterling between April and May, but declined against other major foreign currencies such as the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen.

Source: Canadian Press

Travel figures show American fall

The number of trips made by overseas visitors to Ireland in the first three months of this year rose by 6% compared with the same period last year.

Central Statistics Office figures show that foreign visitors made just under 1.3 million trips.

Visits from Britain showed signs of recovery, rising 3% on a year earlier, but trips from North America were down 11%. Visits from continental European countries jumped by 33%.

Irish people made 1,208 trips abroad, up 16% on the same period last year. There was a 32% rise in transatlantic visits and a 24% increase in trips to continental Europe.

Visitors from abroad spent €711m, but this was outweighed by the €857m spent by Irish people on their trips outside the country.

The CSO figures also show that the number of bed nights spent in guest houses and bed and breakfasts dropped by 19% compared with a year earlier, though hotel bed nights were up 6%.

Source: RTÉ Business

Waleed to build three 5- five-star hotels in Dubai

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the world’s fifth-wealthiest man, plans to float hotel and media assets worth more than $2 billion (£1.4 billion) in Dubai and London over the next two years, a report here said.

Prince Alwaleed, whose fortune is estimated at $24 billion, is quoted by The Times as saying that he planned to sell shares in his Middle Eastern joint venture Kingdom Hotels investment group before the end of the year.

The report said that Kingdom Hotels investment Group has revealed plans to buy or build at least 35 more hotels in Dubai, Egypt, Bahrain and other Arab Countries over the next three years.

The company to be floated would own a portfolio of hotels in the Middle East and Africa, including a group of resorts in Kenya recently purchased from Lonroho, while the prince would retain his stakes in Western hotels such as The Savoy in London, George V in Paris and a large stake in four seasons hotels and Resorts, the report said.

“The company will be worth more than $1 billion, with a dual listing in Dubai and London,” Prince Alwaleed was quoted as saying.

Prince Alwaleed, a nephew of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, is the world’s wealthiest Arab. He has stakes in Citigroup, Apple Computer, Canary Wharf, Euro Disney and New Corporation, parent company of the The Times.

The report said he is one of the largest investors in tourism in the Middle East, with assets including a stake in the Fairmont Palm Hotel in Dubai. He is also expanding the Movenpick hotel chain, in which he has a 27 per cent stake, in Saudi Arabia.

Source: khaleejtimes.com

Eurostar gains travellers as high oil price hits airlines

Eurostar, the high-speed train operator that links the UK with France and Belgium, says rising air fares among competitors helped it attract thousands more travellers in the first half of the year.

The number of travellers using Eurostar grew by 8% in the first six months of 2005, to 3.68 million, compared with 3.41 million in the same period last year. Sales grew by 14% to £245m, compared with £214m in 2004. Growth on Eurostar’s London-Brussels route was particularly strong, as short journey times and strong punctuality have led to many travellers switching from other carriers.

Eurostar’s market share again reached a record during the first half. On the London-Paris route, Eurostar carried 69% of air/rail travellers in May 2005, and nearly 63% on the London-Brussels route.

Rising oil prices have led to airline competitors increasing their fares, with as much as £16 added to a short-haul return journey between London and Paris.

Business travellers are increasingly turning to high-speed train travel as they need city-centre to city-centre convenience and fast check-in, which airlines are unable to offer. Eurostar saw a surge in business travellers, up 17% in the first half of the year, helped by the refurbishment of its trains, which now offer on-board power sockets and an even more comfortable journey.

Punctuality in the first half was 86%, comparing strongly with the typically lower punctuality rates for airlines operating on Eurostar routes.

Paul Charles, Director of Communications, Eurostar, said: “More travellers are choosing Eurostar in a climate where higher oil prices have led to higher airline fares. Once they’ve experienced high-speed rail, and the greater convenience and punctuality we offer, travellers stay with us which is why we’re continuing to see strong year-on-year growth.”

Eurostar’s stance of not favouring one distribution channel over another has also helped growth. Mr. Charles added: “We don’t favour one booking method over another. So, whether travellers are booking their tickets, hotels and car hire through eurostar.com; high street, online and offline travel agents; or travel management companies, we are here to support all channels.”

On 1st September, Eurostar will be “reinventing” its product, introducing three distinct classes on-board and tailored services for business and leisure travellers.

First class will be divided into separate carriages. Business Premier, the highest class with 10-minute check-in and exclusive lounge access, will service business travellers while Leisure Select, with 30-minute check-in, will offer dedicated service for those leisure travellers who want to indulge. Standard will continue as present. Ticket prices will be based on how far in advance bookings are made and the level of flexibility/exchangeability required.

The fresh approach follows the results of Eurostar’s largest ever research study among travellers and potential future Eurostar users.

In 2007, Eurostar will be switching its entire operation from Waterloo International to St. Pancras International, when the Channel Tunnel Rail Link has been completed. Journey times will be even faster with Brussels just 1h53m away from London and Paris just 2h15m.

Source: http://www.easier.com/

Domestic travellers take fancy to cruise travel

Looks like leisure travel is cruising along. Around 30,000 Indians went on cruises last year, registering a 20 per cent growth over the previous year.

This year, going by an estimate of the Travel Corporation (India) Pvt Ltd, the number can go up by over 60 per cent to 50,000.

"In the April-June quarter alone, about 30,000 people have travelled abroad with us and 20 per cent of them opted for cruises," says Frederick Divecha, vice-president (marketing), SOTC.

Though demand is primarily driven by families, at least 15-20 per cent of business is coming from India Inc, which sees cruises as the perfect incentive to send employees' spirits soaring.

While summer, Diwali, X'mas and New-Year are seen as cruise-time by families, the corporate demand exists throughout the year. Corporate crowds are known to vary from groups of 10 to even groups of 200.

New ships operated by Star Cruises -- the leading cruise operator in the Asia-Pacific region -- from India along the Indian coast, has come as more good news for budget-conscious corporates, as they can cut down on the airfare that comes with far-off cruise destinations. It also means no dollar spend and visa costs.

South East Asia, Singapore, Alaska, Europe and the Caribbean have so far been among the hottest cruise destinations.

"This year Star Cruises will become the first company to homeport a ship in India. SuperStar Libra would be cruising from Mumbai to Lakshadweep and Goa, starting from October," says Naresh Rawal, senior marketing manager- India, Star Cruises.

Travel and cruise companies have never had it so good and they are going all out to make the most of growing demand.

Star Cruises is now offering one and two-night packages positioned as the perfect weekend break for busy executives.

While rates are anywhere between $120 - $150 per night, many companies are offering early bird discounts, child discounts and more. Add to that the seasonal price variations based on demand and supply.

"This year we are seeing more bookings in the July-September monsoon period. Cruise holidays could soon become a year round phenomenon for the family segment as well," says Divecha of SOTC.

Some part of the enthusiasm for cruise is attributed to the novelty factor. "It's also value for money. You know in advance what you are paying for so you can budget accordingly," says Meher Bhandara, GM-corporate communications, TCI.

Cruise prices include all meals, accommodation, entertainment on board and the use of most shipboard facilities.

Besides, the cruise ship is your floating hotel, so there is no unpacking and packing, no decisions on where to eat and what to do.

Star Cruises, for instance, offers specialty Jain meals aboard some of its ships, not to mention Hindi music in karaoke bars.

Often, cruises are packaged with airfare to and from the port of departure with an additional one or two-night stay. It also includes sightseeing.

The discerning modern-day traveler on his part is trying to extract the most out of every rupee spent. The usual three-night cruises are being given the go-by in favour of five-night or longer cruises that give enough time on board to experience all that a ship has to offer.

Passengers are also opting for higher grade outside cabins and suites rather than inside cabins offered at lower prices.

Source: Malavika Mariswamy - rediff.com

Emirates makes travel for Sri Lankans easy

Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing airlines, has simplified visa procedures for Sri Lankans travelling to or transiting through Dubai by launching the Dubai Visa Processing Centre (DVPC) at its Colombo city office.

With the opening of the processing centre, Sri Lankan travellers flying on Emirates from Colombo to Dubai or points beyond can obtain a Visit Visa (60 days) or Transit Visa (96 hours) with Emirates as their sponsor. This significantly reduces the visa processing time as travellers are no longer required to locate a U.A.E based sponsor.

An electronic visa is granted to the applicants in three or less days, subject to passengers meeting the required eligibility criteria and all documentation being in order. The new centre is located at Hemas House, 75 Braybrooke Place, Colombo 2.

Emirates Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations West Asia & Indian Ocean, Nabil Sultan said: "Dubai has become an increasingly popular destination for Sri Lankans who visit the emirate either on business or holiday; or as a stopover destination when travelling to America and Europe. We can now expect a larger number of Sri Lankan visitors with the Emirates assistance in visa processing."

Nabil noted: "Simplified visa procedures were first launched in India in October 2002. The overwhelming response it generated there prompted us to launch the processing centre in Sri Lanka. We hope to extend this facility to other countries within the Indian sub-continent, which we serve with 101 weekly flights."

Over the past years, Dubai has witnessed an increasing number of visitors from Sri Lanka. In 2004, 146,691 travellers from Colombo arrived at the Dubai International Airport. The total number of Sri Lankan guests at Dubai hotels registered a growth of seven per cent in 2004 vis-à-vis last year.

"The launch of the new centre is one in a series of value-added services from Emirates to ensure our passengers have a hassle-free experience", added Emirates Sri Lanka Area Manager, Tissa Bibile. "At the centre, applicants will receive guidance and counseling so that proper documentation and faster turnaround time can be guaranteed."

A.G. Faridi, Head Dubai Visa Processing Centre commented: "Travelling to Dubai - Middle East's fastest growing business and leisure hub - will definitely become easier for scores of Sri Lankans as they no longer need to locate a sponsor in the U.A.E. Also with visas being granted electronically, passengers are no longer required to queue up at the Visa Delivery Counter in Dubai International Airport upon their arrival; instead they can proceed directly to Immigration."

Operated by VFS, part of the Kuoni Travel Group, the Dubai Visa Processing Centre accepts Visit and Transit visa applications from leisure travellers, business travellers and passengers visiting relatives and friends.

Travellers can submit their visa application forms along with original documents at the centre. The information collected is processed by the centre and forwarded to Dubai Immigration authorities which take the decision whether or not to grant the visa. If the application meets the eligibility criteria, the visa is electronically uploaded on the PNR on the passenger's ticket.

The winner of more than 270 major international awards, Emirates operates 13 flights a week from Dubai to Colombo. From 1st October, the airline's schedule will be expanded to 18 services a week.

Source: AME Info FZ LLC

FROM THE COAST TO THE CORAL REEF CREST: MANAGEMENT OF BACK REEF SYSTEMS

While most people have some knowledge of coral reef ecosystems, many may not be aware of back reef systems. A back reef system is that part of the coral reef ecosystem that extends from the coast to the reef crest. It consists of a mosaic of interconnected environments and associated animal and plant communities, including mangroves and seagrasses, which are of critical ecological value to a coral reef ecosystem.

Mangroves occur along shorelines and in tidal creeks or estuaries; and are critical components of the back reef system in that they provide complex habitat structure for numerous juvenile fish species. In fact, more than 75 percent of commercially caught fish in the Bahamas may inhabit mangroves at some point of their life.

Seagrasses, such as turtle grass, are another highly valuable habitat that occur in the back reef system. Seagrasses form the base of the food web for species such as sea cows, sea turtles, fishes, and invertebrates. Similar to mangroves, seagrasses also provide a structurally complex refuge from predation for many juvenile fish species.

In addition to providing critical habitat, seagrasses and mangroves stabilize near shore sediments, help mitigate coastal erosion, and maintain water clarity. Due to the numerous roles back reefs play in coastal protection, tourism and fisheries growth, back reef systems are of exceptional economic value. The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (an interagency group established in 1998 by Presidential Executive Order 13089 to lead U.S. efforts to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems) has identified the need to include assessment of back reef habitats in the restoration and management of coral reefs.

NURP Research
The Caribbean Marine Research Center, the NOAA Undersea Research Program Center for the Caribbean, has been at the forefront of research pertaining to the restoration and management of back reef systems. Using its field station at Lee Stocking Island in the Bahamas, CMRC has supported research projects that increase the scientific understanding of back reef systems and their value to coral ecosystems, including:

• Designing and assessing marine protected reserves. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park in the Bahamas serves as a focal point for studies on the importance of marine protected areas in long-term protection of coral ecosystems. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is the oldest and largest MPA in the world to fully protect coral reefs by encompassing the terrestrial, back reef and fore reef components of the coral reef ecosystem.
• Assessing the impact of hydrologic alterations. Coastal developers have in the past given little consideration to how back reef habitats may be impacted by changes in freshwater input and hydrologic connectivity. Research in the Bahamas has shown that roads built across estuaries without culverts to permit surface water flow often disrupt hydrological connectivity, which has been shown to fragment and seriously degrade the physical and biological state of these estuaries.
• Assessing habitat loss and degradation resulting from terrestrial inputs. Shallow nearshore habitats are critical components of back reef systems; and because of their proximity to land, they are also the first areas to be impacted by land-based pollution and coastal development. CMRC-supported research has verified that healthy back reef habitats are essential for the larval and juvenile stages of economically and ecologically important species such as grouper and lobster. These impacts can have a profound affect on back reef systems, including declines in fish stock populations and fish recruitment.

BackReefs I and II: Targeting Management Priorities
Though managers may be aware of the importance of back reef habitats to the health of corals at the reef crest, gaps in knowledge show that additional research is needed to define the management goals of back reef habitats.

CMRC has hosted two significant workshops, BackReef I and BackReef II, to define strategic research and management of back reef habitats. BackReef I was convened in December 2001 to discuss the state of science and management of back reef systems. A special issue of the Bulletin of Marine Science featured the research topics presented at BackReef I, including characterizing: the importance of back reef systems to fish and invertebrate populations; the landscape ecology of back reef systems; the influence of ecological processes on back reef communities; the examination of anthropogenic disturbances to back reef systems; and an evaluation of management strategies for back reef systems.

BackReef I resulted in the publication of a list of priority management goals for the effective protection and restoration of back reef systems. Goals identified were:

• Minimize disturbances over time.
• Ensure sustainable use of resources.
• Reserve ecological function of back reef systems.
• Restore back reef systems that are deemed restorable.

Following the success and momentum of BackReef I, CMRC hosted a second workshop in January 2005, BackReef II: the Importance of Back Reef Habitats to the Sustainability of Coral Reef Ecosystems. The purpose of the BackReef II workshop was to identify gaps in scientific knowledge to improve the management of back reef habitats. The research and monitoring priorities identified at the workshop were intended to complement ongoing research and monitoring efforts supported by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force member agencies, including the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program and the Environmental Protection Agency's coral disease and biocriteria assessment program; and assist local, state, territorial, federal and international partners by providing resource managers with information to improve their management decisions. The forthcoming workshop report and a presentation at the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean's 32nd Annual Meeting are being designed to increase the proportion of the population that is acting as wise stewards of back reef systems and will be distributed to a wide variety of audiences including marine scientists, resource managers, policy makers, educators and conservationists.

Source: magazine.noaa.gov

TRAVEL NOTES: Find deals on Europe's airlines

If you'd like to visit more than one country on your next trip to Europe without spending hours on a train or a ton of money on plane fare, make sure to check out some of the continent's no-frills airlines.

According to the European Travel Commission, which promotes tourism in 33 countries, more than 60 low-cost airlines operate on more than 2,000 routes around Europe, from the relatively well-known Ryanair and EasyJet, to carriers like Transavia, which flies from Amsterdam to Nice for $65, and the Sky Shuttle, which flies from Bratislava to Vienna for $12.

•Many budget airlines use secondary airports that may be farther from your destination than the main local airport. That means flying a no-frills airline might cost you more time and money getting from the airport to your hotel than you are saving.

•Listed airfares may not include standard taxes, fees and fuel surcharges, which typically run about $72 a person.

•It may be cheaper to book short hops within Europe as part of your overall trip, including your round-trip ticket from the United States, rather than separately booking the trans-Atlantic ticket and local trips from one European city to another.

Golf with the family

Looking for a great place to play golf for the weekend? Or maybe you're hoping to take your family to a resort where the kids can practice their swings without disturbing serious-minded grown-ups on the course.

The July/August issue of Travel + Leisure Golf magazine lists resorts that cater to the family that golfs together, while Fodor's has just published "Golf Weekends," a guide to the best places to play golf near 15 big cities.

Travel + Leisure Golf's recommendations for golf resorts that are family friendly -- meaning they offer amenities like children's golf lessons, day care and other recreation options for kids -- include:

•Sunriver Resort, Sunriver, Ore., 800-547-3922 or www.sunriver-resort.com.

•Treetops Resort, Treetops Village, Mich., 888-873-3867, www.treetops.com.

•Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, Ariz., 480-624-1000 or www.kierlandresort.com.

•Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of Palms, S.C., 800-845-8880 or www.wilddunes.com.

"Golf Weekends" ($19.95) includes course reviews from Golf Digest magazine, along with advice on where to stay, where to eat and how to get there. There are chapters on 15 cities -- Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. -- listing golf courses within 250 miles of each.

The book doesn't include courses located in the cities, but instead directs readers to golfing nearby. For example, the chapter on Atlanta describes courses in Athens, Augusta, Braselton and Savannah in Georgia, along with Chattanooga, Tenn., and Montgomery, Ala.

The chapter on New York lists golfing options in the Catskills, Cooperstown, Long Island, Far Hills, N.J., Manchester, Vt., and the Poconos in Pennsylvania. Washington listings include courses in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Literary landmark

CHICAGO -- It's a gateway to nowhere now, but the Union Stockyard Gate on Chicago's South Side has been proclaimed a literary landmark in honor of a novel that exposed the bloody and unsanitary work once done in its shadow.

The monumental gate of Indiana limestone once served as the entrance to the city's massive slaughterhouses, where thousands of men -- many of them immigrants -- toiled a century ago in brutal and unsafe conditions.

The stockyards are long gone, but the gate remains as a monument to what was once Chicago's largest industry.

The gate was declared a literary landmark in June to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Upton Sinclair's muckraking novel "The Jungle," a book credited with spurring a successful movement to clean up the meatpacking industry.

"The Jungle" tells the tale of the horrors a Lithuanian immigrant encounters while working at the stockyards.

The gate is located at Exchange Avenue at Peoria Street.

Niagara of the West

TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- Reduced to a trickle the past six years because of drought, Shoshone Falls in southern Idaho -- dubbed the Niagara of the West -- has roared back to life with the release of water from upstream dams to aid salmon migration.

An unseasonably cool, rainy spring in southern Idaho has left reservoirs in the Upper Snake River Basin at more than 80% of capacity, allowing the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to release additional water through dams, augmenting downstream flows to help young salmon reach the sea.

It's the first time since 2001 that the federal dam management agency has been able to provide the full amount of additional water set forth in a federal-tribal agreement for salmon recovery.

Helsinki design district

HELSINKI, Finland -- Helsinki has designated part of its downtown as a Design District, a concentrated area for shoppers interested in contemporary Finnish clothing, furniture, housewares, jewelry and other items.

The shops include Marimekko, which makes clothing, linens and other products; Iittala, which makes glass, kitchen and tableware, and Artek, a furniture maker. The district also includes the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum.

A walking tour of the district is offered in English at 3 p.m. every Thursday through Aug. 25, from the Artek shop, for about $12.

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mandarin Oriental to manage new Hotel in Tokyo

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is to manage its first property in Japan, the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, located in the historic Nihonbashi district of Tokyo.

The deluxe 179-room hotel is under construction in the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, owned by Mitsui Fudosan, and has a direct bridge link to the stately Mitsui Honkan landmark, a Registered Important Cultural Property that was erected in 1929.

Designed by Cesar Pelli, the main tower will open in July with the hotel’s grand opening following at the end of 2005. The tallest building in the Tokyo Station vicinity, its upper stories are of soaring and futuristic glass while its lower floors maintain continuity and a sense of unity with the older building. The redevelopment scheme, which makes use of a legal provision granting developers an increased building-to-lot ratio in exchange for preserving portions of famous works of architecture, is one of the first in Japan to achieve compatibility of preservation and development in this way.

While the hotel occupies twelve floors, including the top nine of the tower, its business centre and most banquet and conference facilities reside within the older building, giving new life to this historic landmark.

Christian A. Hassing, the hotel’s general manager, said, “It is a unique situation to have Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo’s contemporary architecture, complete with cutting-edge telecommunications and security systems, linked to one of Tokyo’s historical landmarks. This affords us ample opportunities to delight our guests, including offering guests the exclusive privilege of utilising the elegant rooms within the celebrated Mitsui Honkan building for special occasions.”

In a city that seems to be continuously expanding through land reclamation, excavation and redevelopment, the concept of “destination” is being reinvented in Nihonbashi, where both private and government sectors are engaged in a unique revitalization project that is bringing new vigor to an already prestigious neighborhood.

Recent development projects in the immediate area include, Coredo Nihonbashi, which offers five floors of retail shops and restaurants in the 20-storey Nihonbashi 1-Chome Building. Nearby, the venerable Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya department stores have both undergone improvements in the past year to upgrade their already upscale offerings and facilities. With these moves, the area is acquiring overall a distinctive atmosphere of international cosmopolitanism punctuated visually, with cultural references to its historic past.

Six of the hotel’s eight planned food and beverage outlets will offer excellent views from the tower’s top two floors.

The hotel’s state-of-the-art spa facilities and services will also boost the area’s new appeal to a wider market. “The group has become adept at launching successful spas around the world, and The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo will be an oasis of calm,” said Ingo Schweder, Mandarin Oriental’s Group Director of Spa.

Source: ASIATravelTips.com

Accor opens first All Seasons hotel in Asia

Accor launches its versatile All Seasons hotel brand in Asia today with the opening of the All Seasons Legian at one of Bali’s most popular leisure destinations.

All Seasons Legian has been developed out of the former Bali Dwira Hotel. The resort enjoys a prime location between the popular Kuta and Seminyak shopping and entertainment areas and is only a short stroll from the ocean. The hotel has been launched after a multi-million dollar renovation that includes new rooms and an upgrade of the pool and garden areas.

The resort offers 109 modern rooms decorated with Balinese influences ranging between 21sqm to 23sqm in size including balcony. All first floor rooms have bathtubs, and open onto the newly renovated swimming pool with enlarged deck area and surrounding tropical gardens.

Accor Director of Operations – Indonesia, Gerard Guillouet, said that the Legian resort hotel was the ideal way of introducing the All Seasons brand to Indonesia and Asia.

“All Seasons has a strong reputation as a popular, well-priced leisure brand in Australia and New Zealand, with hotels in such well-known resort areas as the Gold Coast, Cairns and Margaret River,” said Mr Guillouet.

“These two countries are also the most important source markets for Bali’s Legian and Kuta beach areas, so it is an ideal brand to use for the hotel’s re-launch.

“Accor believes the market conditions are right to introduce All Seasons to Asia, and we are very proud that Indonesia has been selected as the launch country for the brand. In the future we hope that All Seasons will expand to other leisure destinations and to hotels that require strong branding.”

All Seasons Legian is offering a promotional rate of US$38++ a night for double occupancy in a Superior Room (breakfast not included) from now until 30 September.

Source: ASIATravelTips.com

Hotels Staying the Course

That's the conventional wisdom for the rest of the year regarding large hotel companies and casino operators, which -- Thursday's events notwithstanding -- have been riding robust cyclical recoveries that should yield solid second-quarter results.

Business and leisure travelers continue to check into hotels, keeping occupancy levels high and enabling hoteliers to lift room rates and bolster profits. And with the supply of new hotel rooms expected to remain low over the next couple of years, room rates should continue to rise.

At the same time, gamblers, vacationers and conventioneers continue to flock to the key gaming market of Las Vegas, benefiting large casino companies, like MGM Mirage (MGM:NYSE) and Harrah's Entertainment (HET:NYSE), that have flagship properties there.

That said, some investors have grown jittery about a potential slowdown in Las Vegas in the second half of the year. Bear Stearns analyst Joseph Greff last week downgraded MGM Mirage shares, saying growth in room rates in Las Vegas appears to be decelerating.

As always for the lodging and gaming sectors, key variables remain the economy and the potential that terrorist attacks could disrupt or discourage travel. A sharp economic downturn could curtail business travel spending and cause consumers to cut back on vacations and casino visits.

The deadly rush-hour bomb blasts in London pressured hotel stocks Thursday. But analysts said the apparent terrorist attacks likely won't have a significant long-term impact on U.S. hoteliers. They estimate these companies derive a small portion of operating profits -- 4% or less -- from U.K. hotels. They also note lodging stocks bounced back after previous disruptions like the March 11, 2004, Madrid train bombings.

Second-quarter results, which start trickling out this month, should provide a good indication of general trends likely to continue through the rest of the year.

"Particularly for the hotels, the second quarter should be good," says Thomas Graves, an equity analyst at Standard & Poor's. "Profitability should be helped by higher room rates. Those tend to flow more to the bottom line, whereas higher occupancy can have incremental costs associated with it."

Big casino operators Harrah's and MGM Mirage should also report significant profits.

Sifting through their earnings reports could prove a little tricky this time around, however. Graves notes that both companies recently completed blockbuster mergers, and analysts will want to exclude one-time merger costs from earnings. In addition, it's too soon for earnings to reflect all of the benefits the mergers may bring. (Graves doesn't own shares or have any affiliation with companies he covers.)

Harrah's $6.8 billion purchase of Caesars Entertainment closed last month, after the April closing of MGM Mirage's $7.9 billion acquisition of Mandalay Resort Group.

Room Revenue

For the hoteliers, a key measure of industry health has been giving off bullish readings. Revenue per available room, or revpar, has risen 8.9% at U.S. hotels from the beginning of the second quarter through June 25, vs. the same period a year ago, according to Bear Stearns' Greff, who based his calculations on weekly data from Smith Travel Research. (Bear Stearns does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports.)

The revpar figure is in line with the higher guidance that Hilton Hotels (HLT:NYSE) and Marriott International (MAR:NYSE) provided when they reported first-quarter results.

But revpar has been increasing at a faster clip in major urban markets such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, Greff notes. It's also been growing more briskly at luxury and upper-upscale hotels. Both trends bode well for Hilton, Marriott and Starwood Hotels & Resorts (HOT:NYSE), which have significant exposure to urban and higher-end markets.

Greff estimates that revpar in Hilton's and Starwood's markets grew 12.8% and 13.7% year over year, respectively.

Matthew Quinn, senior lodging analyst at Zack's Investment Research, expects that strong revpar will allow Marriott and Starwood to hit the consensus analyst estimates for earnings per share of 77 cents and 65 cents, respectively. For Hilton, he's predicting EPS of 25 cents, a penny above the Thomson First Call consensus. (Quinn owns no shares of companies he covers, and Zack's does no business with them.)

"I don't think there's a lot of upside beyond my estimates," Quinn says. "People will be more interested in what the companies say for the remainder of the year. If they continue to increase EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] and revpar guidance, people will like that."

Growth Rates

Increasing guidance has been the general trend for hoteliers in recent quarters. Leisure travel has remained strong, and the resurgence of business travel has been a key growth driver, S&P's Graves says.

Marriott plans to report its second quarter on July 14, followed by Starwood on July 26 and Hilton on July 27.

For the big casino operators, the second quarter should shape up well. Business in Las Vegas remains strong, and Morningstar analyst Sanjay Ayer notes that some other markets that are important for Harrah's, such as Louisiana, have done well.

On average, analysts expect MGM Mirage to report earnings of 43 cents a share when it reports July 28, according to Thomson First Call. When it reported its first quarter, MGM offered second-quarter EPS guidance of 70 cents to 75 cents, but that excluded the impact of the Mandalay merger and was before the company's 2-for-1 stock split in May.

Harrah's plans to report on Aug. 4, and the analyst consensus is for a profit of 93 cents per share. That compares with adjusted earnings of 79 cents a year ago.

In light of the debate about whether room rates at Las Vegas casinos will decelerate in the second half of this year, investors may be more focused on any hints the two companies offer about future bookings. MGM Mirage offered forward guidance when it reported its first quarter, but Harrah's, as usual, hasn't provided an outlook.

Greff recently stoked investor worries about the outlook for Sin City, saying his own surveys of future room rates pointed to a meaningful deceleration in July and August. He also expressed concern about convention growth in 2006.

Other analysts have countered by saying their own room-rate surveys don't point to a slowdown. Some have noted that predicting summer rates is tricky because convention business, which is often booked well in advance, slows in July and August. Leisure travel typically increases, but individuals tend to book rooms closer to when they visit, meaning surveys of future rates may not always include the impact of their visits.

Standard & Poor's Graves looks at another set of Las Vegas data -- casino winnings. Growth was 6% for the first four months of this year. That was down from the 12% rate for all of last year. And Graves notes that casinos face tough comparisons in some months later this year. Casino winnings in October 2004 were up about 20%, for example.

Still, growth should remain solid looking ahead, according to Graves. "My sense is that something like the opening of the Wynn resort in April drives more interest in the Las Vegas market," he says, referring to Wynn Resorts' (WYNN:Nasdaq) new flagship property. "There may be some quarters or months where there's a slowdown, but overall, I see strength going forward."

Source: Ross Snel, TheStreet.com - LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc

United Airlines Revises Ticket Policies for Travel Affected by Hurricane Dennis

United Airlines (OTC:UALAQ) (BULLETIN BOARD: UALAQ) today has revised its ticketing policies for its customers with travel plans to and from New Orleans likely to be affected by Hurricane Dennis. Effective immediately, these policies apply to all customers ticketed on or before July 7, 2005, for travel on July 9 - 11, 2005 to or from Tampa and Ft. Myers, Fla., and New Orleans on any United, United Express, Ted or United code-share flight. To make these changes, passengers must call United's reservations line at 1-800-241-6522 by midnight on their original travel date.

For customers currently en route who would like to return to their point of origin, all rules and restrictions regarding standard change fees, day or time applications, and/or minimum stay or Saturday night-stay requirements have been waived. Customers may make a change to their flight reservation on or before July 11, 2005 for any available flight to or from Tampa and Ft. Myers, Fla., and New Orleans.

Customers with unused tickets for travel within this time period may also reschedule their travel between the same origin and destination without a change fee. Rescheduled travel for the same itinerary must meet the same rule and booking code restrictions in order to guarantee the original fare. Rescheduled travel on flights and/or dates that do not meet the original restrictions may be subject to higher fares.

These temporary policies also apply to any Mileage Plus(R) tickets that meet these same date and itinerary guidelines.

Customers are advised to visit United's Web site at http://www.united.com/ or to call 1-800-241-6522 for information on canceled or rescheduled flights as the storm progresses. United will continue to monitor Hurricane Dennis and temporarily adjust its ticketing policies as necessary.

Source: LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

Vacations and Travel’s growth continues

Vacations and Travel just keeps growing bigger and better with the winter issue a massive 180 pages full of interesting stories, travel news and stunning photography, as well as a bonus 68-page supplement on Winter Escapes.

Our theme this issue is Great Train Trips of the World, with a story on the Rocky Mountaineer in Canada and a compilation story, with some of our best writers nominating their favourite train trip.

Peter Needham has the low-down on Sydney’s five-star hotels, giving you plenty of food for thought as to where to stay. We have excellent stories on Iceland and its amazing steam pools, Auckland and the beautiful Waiheke Island, and four informative pieces on Europe – Wales, Florence, Warsaw and Berlin. We visit Cape Town in South Africa, discover flavours and flowers in Canberra, relax with some wonderful spas on Vancouver Island in Canada and check out the sights of Aspen. We also go shopping in Hong Kong, see the sights in Egypt, check out China and visit Seoul.

In our bonus Winter Escapes supplement, we take you away from the cold of the Australian winter to Bali, Mauritius, the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Penang, New Caledonia and Fiji, as well as looking at cruising in the South Pacific. We also asked some of the writers to nominate their favourite winter escape – whether it be warm and sunny or curled up in front of a roaring fire with a glass of red.

In recent times lucky subscribers to Vacations have won holidays everywhere from the Maldives to Malaysia, and in this issue, someone will win a wonderful vacation in Dubai, courtesy Gulf Air and the InterContinental Dubai.

Vacations and Travel continues to represent unbelievable value for its readers, with 248 pages of excellent reading, superb photography and news on hotels, cruising, tours, attractions, restaurants and wineries. All for the low cover price of $8.95.

Source: Global Publishing & Travmedia

Vietnam Airlines jet overshoots runway near Cambodia's famed Angkor temples

An airport near Cambodia's famed Angkor temples was closed Wednesday after a Vietnam Airlines jet overshot a runway in foul weather and plowed into a nearby field, a manager at the facility said.

None of the 98 people aboard the Airbus A320 from Ho Chi Minh City was injured in the accident Tuesday evening at Siem Reap International Airport. However, the plane lodged into the ground and the facility must remain closed for about a day until the plane is dragged out of the way, the airport manager said.

The plane "ran off the runway after landing under adverse weather conditions," said a statement from Khek Norinda, manager of Cambodia Airport Management Services Ltd., which operates the airport.

"The entire aircraft is stuck into the ground and experts are on the field to remove the A320 by lifting it up and dragging it back on the runway."

Ten flights _ eight of them international _ were canceled late Tuesday and the airport was closed until further notice, Khek Norinda added.

Mao Has Vannal, the head of Cambodia's civil aviation authority, said authorities were launching an investigation into why the aircraft failed to stop and ended up 50 meters (164 feet) from the runway.

"We cannot say yet if there was any malfunction of the system (in the aircraft)," he said.

"We will do everything to remove this aircraft, because the longer it is blocking flight traffic the more tourism income we will lose," he said.

Siem Reap is home to ancient Angkor temples, which server as Cambodia's main tourist attraction and earn hundreds of millions of dollars every year for the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.

Mao Has Vannal said the Siem Reap airport receives direct flight from 14 foreign airline companies in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, China and South Korea.

In 1997, a Vietnam Airlines Tupolev TU-134B crashed while trying to land during a rainstorm at Phnom Penh International Airport after a flight from Vietnam. One passenger _ a toddler _ survived while 65 others were killed.

Siem Reap is about 225 kilometers (140 miles) north of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

Source: PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - chinapost.com.tw

Magic Kingdom To Introduce Preschool Guide To Park

Orlando, FL (AHN) - Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park will now offer visitors a preschool guide to compliment the 107-acre park's primary map. It will highlight attractions appropriate for children under the age of six.

The guide advises parents when to eat, stating, "earlier meals make it a lot easier on you and your kids. Take advantage of less traditional meal times."

The family-friendly maps may only be around for the summer, as they are part of an experiment that began in late May. During that time, research teams will gather data and interview guests to determine whether to keep the maps permanently.

The guides are currently distributed in six places: the stroller-rental area, City Hall, the guest-relations window, the baby-care center, the Tip Board, and the vacation-planning office.

The map also points out emergency stations and clearly illustrates personnel uniforms in case of emergencies and so children can distinguish between workers and strangers.

Source: Hector Duarte Jr. - All Headline News

Virgin Atlantic makes strong entry into the Caribbean area

Not all is grim in the airline industry, as Britain’s Virgin Atlantic Airways is demonstrating as it takes off on a high roll of expansion.

Virgin Atlantic has just launched direct services between London and Havana and direct services between London and Nassau as part of the airline’s expansion in the Caribbean.

The services will operate twice weekly between London Gatwick and Havana from July 7 and weekly between London Gatwick and Nassau from July 4, using a Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

Virgin Holidays, a sister company to Virgin Atlantic, has become the UK’s largest scheduled tour operator to the Caribbean. It recently launched its most extensive range of Caribbean holidays in a dedicated 2006 brochure with a wide range of holidays to both Cuba and The Bahamas.

As a result of the expansion, Virgin Atlantic has announced that it plans to recruit 1,500 staff over the next eighteen months as part of the airline’s plans. The new positions are mainly operational staff with as many as 1,100 cabin crew positions, 150 flight deck and 150 based at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, including many new engineering positions. Around 100 staff will be required at Virgin Atlantic’s headquarters and in office-based positions. Around 1,000 of these will be new positions and the remainder are a result of the natural turnover of staff. Virgin Atlantic currently employs approximately 8500 staff worldwide.

As well as the new routes to Cuba and The Bahamas, the airline’s expansion for the next 18 months includes increased services to Shanghai, Las Vegas, Orlando and Port Harcourt this summer and new routes to Dubai and Jamaica due to be launched in 2006.

In addition to the increase in the airline’s network, Virgin Atlantic’s fleet is also due to expand with seven A340-600 aircraft entering service by the end of 2006, taking the airline’s total number of aircraft to 39.

Virgin Atlantic also released traffic figures which showed it has seen a 26% increase in business class travellers in its last financial year.

The increase is attributed to three factors; a 5% increase in available seats, following the delivery of new aircraft and the launch of new services to destinations like Sydney, Delhi and Las Vegas; a partial recovery in the business travel market; and market share shift to Virgin Atlantic from rival airlines following the launch and roll out of the award-winning Upper Class Suite.

During the 12 months ending February 2005 the airline carried 352,095 Upper Class passengers, up from 279,714 in the previous 12 months. This gives Virgin Atlantic an Upper Class load factor of 56%, the highest enjoyed by the airline since 2000.

The Upper Class Suite was launched in November 2003 and is now available on all Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 747-400 aircraft and Airbus 340-600 aircraft. It is now being fitted onto the airline’s A340-300 aircraft. The Upper Class Suite is now available on all flights to New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, Las Vegas, Orlando and the Caribbean (including the new services to Havana and Nassau).

Source: The Bulletin International

Travel briefs: Venus flytrap trail

Sandy beaches, historic architecture and year-round fishing, golfing and boating are a few of the best-known attractions in the Wilmington-Cape Fear area of the North Carolina coast.

But some visitors will be fascinated by what may be the region's most unusual offering: a Venus flytrap trail.

The plant, which is native to the area, catches and eats live insects. But it stands less than 8 inches high -- contrary to its portrayal in Hollywood as a giant man-eater.

Summer is prime viewing time for the flytrap. Just remember, you can look, but don't touch -- the plants are surprisingly fragile and it's illegal to poach them.

In Wilmington, Venus flytraps and related carnivorous plants can be found at the Herbert Bluethenthal Memorial Wildflower Preserve on the University of North Carolina campus at 601 College Road in Wilmington; in the carnivorous plant gardens on the Waterwise Trail at Airlie Gardens, 300 Airlie Road; in the Bog Garden, at the arboretum at New Hanover County Cooperative Extension, 6206 Oleander Drive; and on the nature trail behind the Alderman Elementary School at Independence Boulevard and Canterbury Road.

Nearby, you'll find the plants on the Flytrap Trail at Carolina Beach State Park, 1010 State Park Road; in the Cape Fear Conservatory at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, 900 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach; on the Sand Ridge Nature Trail at Lake Waccamaw State Park, 40 miles west of Wilmington; in the Green Swamp Preserve near the town of Supply, about a half-hour from Wilmington;

Finally, you can buy one to take home at Flytrap Farms, also in the town of Supply at 1930 Civietown Road SW.

For more information about the area, visit www.gocapefearcoast.com.

TripAdvisor.com

NEEDHAM, Mass. -- Where do you turn for advice when you're booking a hotel sight unseen?

One source for opinions on the good, the bad and the potentially ugly is TripAdvisor.com. Search for a destination or hotel name and you'll find real travelers posting everything from horror stories about bedbugs and thefts, to glowing recommendations about wonderful service and breathtaking views.

The Web site started in February 2000. By January of this year, more than a million reviews and opinions had been posted, and by June, the number of posted reviews had doubled, allowing the Web site to celebrate having reached the 2 million mark.

In addition to those who write reviews, some 12 million people a month visit TripAdvisor to read what others are saying, according to comScore Media Metrix, a research firm.

Shelly Fowler of Phoenix travels a lot with her husband and for work, but hotels and restaurants were "always hit or miss" before she started using TripAdvisor a little over a year ago. "It was so nice to go online and know all the pros and cons of a hotel before you got there," said Fowler, who recently won a TripAdvisor contest for posting the best illustrated hotel review. "I don't book a hotel now without checking the reviews."

The Web site contains information on more than 200,000 hotels and attractions worldwide. You can also click through from TripAdvisor.com to book reservations for hotels and flights, or post a query on a TripAdvisor forum. Re