News from Travelfocus October 17, 2006
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News from TravelFocus October 17, 2006 Hawaii’s quake left no casualties (Source: TravelDailynews.com) Hawaii experienced the biggest earthquake in more than two decades as a 6.7 magnitude quake hit the island on Sunday 15th of October. There were no reports on casualties or any injuries. There were not many problems in buildings and in the Hawaiian infrastructure in general but officials are inspecting many bridges, roads, schools and other buildings to make sure that all can operate without problems. No serious damages have been reported in hotels and resorts and other tourism facilities and no tourist have been killed or injured. There were many cancellations in flights to Hawaii as United Airlines cancelled eleven flights on Sunday. Harmony Airways started operating normally their flights from Canada into Honolulu International Airport. The quake hit at 7:07 a.m. (1607 GMT), 10 miles (16 kilometers) north-northwest of Kailua-Kona, on the west coast of the Big Island. On Monday 16th of October, the U.S. Geological Survey raised its measurement of the magnitude to 6.7 from a preliminary 6.6. At least one stretch of road leading to a bridge near the epicenter collapsed, Civil Defence Agency spokesman Dave Curtis said. Several other roads on the Big Island were closed by mudslides, debris and boulders, but most were still passable, he said. Services ease travelers’ loads (Source: TEmagazine.com) It pays to plan ahead. In July, Boston-based Luggage Forward (866-416-7447; www.luggageforward.com) introduced five-day service at a lower price point than its existing one- , two- and three-day offerings. Company officials think the program will be especially popular with executives sending ahead golf clubs or skis. Other options for sending ahead heavy baggage and flying without the hassle of airport security checks and check-in counter delays include Luggage Free (800-361-6871; www.luggagefree.com); Luggage Express (866-SHIP-BAGS; www.usxpluggageexpress.com); Baggage Quest (888-216-9141; www.baggagequest.com) and Sports Express (800-357-4174; www.sportsexpress.com). Predicting late arrivals (Source: TEmagazine.com) On August 26, 2006, a total of 1,428 flights were delayed in the United States, according to a new website launched by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, www.avoiddelays.com. The site uses U.S. Department of Transportation data to make a case that the nation needs more personnel in airport control towers. For flyers, it’s also a handy tool for discovering where and when flights are chronically behind schedule. The site ranks probable delays by airport, airline and flight. For instance, among the most delayed departure airport for the month of August were Atlanta, Minneapolis and Detroit. The site also provides live delay updates and useful tips for touching down on time. Delta Aims To Be First U.S. Airline to Provide Lie- Flat Business Class Seats (Source: BTNMag.com) Delta Air Lines announced last week its intention to be the first U.S. carrier to offer lie-flat seats for international business class travel. The carrier will have new lie-flat sleeper suites beginning in 2008, with the delivery of two new long-range Boeing 777s, which at first will serve its longest haul routes. Delta then will install the suites on all of its 777s and 767s by 2010. The 6-ft., 3-in. completely flat sleeper seats will provide a privacy screen and direct aisle access as well as on- demand digital video and music. "Our longest flights will have it first, and all the triple sevens will be done by 2009," Delta COO Jim Whitehurst told BTN. Meanwhile, international economy class customers on board the reconfigured 767 and 777 aircraft will have new all-leather seats and enhanced amenity and food offerings and a complimentary cocktail with every meal. Rather than putting all emphasis on international growth, Whitehurst said, "I think of our strategy as balancing our network appropriately between domestic and international. If you look at where we want to be in the next couple of years, it puts us about average for the network carriers when it comes to domestic versus international mix. In the next couple of years we are going to get to 40 percent international, from about 20 percent lasts year and in the low 30s this year. It is a very major shift, but it is really more of a balancing than a walking away from the domestic marketplace." Silver lining (Source: TEMagazine.com) The cheapest, and occasionally the quickest, way to get from Logan International Airport to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center or downtown is on Silver Line buses that run every 10 to 15 minutes. Fare is $1.25. The Silver Line (SR1) departs from the airport and stops at two underground stations, including one at the World Trade Center, before continuing on to South Station. A separate leg of the line runs from Downtown Crossing to Dudley Square. If you have any questions regarding the information in this update, please contact your Account Manager. In Focus is copyright 2005 by TravelFocus. All rights reserved. To unsubscribe, email [email protected]. .