Southwest Airlines draws concerns in Albany, NY

Concerns which I believe are unfounded. I think it's great that Southwest continues to service Albany, NY. It keeps the major airlines in check and keeps them honest. Airlines such as American and United will ALWAYS have customer loyalty, provided they continue to take "good care of their passengers" and so far, they have in regard to rewarding loyalty with the frequent flyer programs. Southwest does not offer first class service, on the contrary infact. Many of my frequent flyers refer to Southwest as a cattle car, but have also heard them say they enjoy the humor. It's like anything else, it just depends on who is doing the travelling as to how well they enjoy sending rolls of toilet paper to the next passenger behind them or if they prefer a rude flight attendant from one of the major carriers, who as I highly feel is, because they are unionized (not sure what makes Southwest's employee's so darned happy, maybe Walt Disney hired them ;-), but I know how the major domestic airlines treat their customers. I was discussing this with a client today in fact. She was telling me about a recent trip on British Airways. She said they were AWESOME (and she even rode in economy). I in turn said, yes, I had heard the same thing about Korean Airlines that they provide excellent service as well. I'd be happy as long as they served up some kimchee yum

I tangent, read the article which spawned my rant:

Affordable hotels in 1ème for tourists in paris

Reference page to follow up on:

Paris Map link showing arrondissements

Where is the best place to stay in Paris? While trying to find the
perfect hotel and area to put my client and his wife in, I started
to realize just how big Paris really is. According to the below
website, the 1st, 8th and 18th arrondissements are the places where
you'll find the most tourists. If you're looking for something in
the 15th arrondissement, it would be written as 15ème in French.
As I find favorite hotels, I will keep record of them here for
future reference.

Check out Paris.net for great info and that map showing the arrondissements

Are aisle seats all that great on a long flight?

A client of mine, told me today about his return flight home from Russia the other day (8 hour flight). Well, he had the aisle, fell asleep and at some point he apparently got a little too relaxed, his leg got into the aisle somehow so that when the food cart went by, it wacked him in the leg. Poor fella. OUCH!! He says, next time, he'll be happy with that window seat. So you see, windows aren't all bad. :-)

Meeting planner makes a difference

Manchester, NH's Radisson agrees to upgrade rooms to keep conference in their hotel.

The downtown Radisson had to agree to replace stained wallpaper
and worn carpets in its suites or risk losing a conference of
airport executives next August.

"Without that commitment, the site selection committee was in a
position of looking at several other facilities, some inside
New Hampshire and some outside New Hampshire," said Brian O'Neill,
spokesman for Manchester Airport.

The northeast chapter of the American Association of Airport
Executives agreed to book between 150 and 175 rooms for the
conference, which will run from Aug. 26 to 30, 2006, O'Neill
said. The annual meeting is expected to attract more than 300
executives and family members.

The selection committee visited in March 2004 and insisted on
the renovations.

A hotel official said changes already were planned for
upgrading the suites.

"It was just part of our capital plan," said Maurine Bowman,
the hotel's director of sales and marketing.

The condition of the suites "wasn't anything out of the ordinary
other than normal wear and tear," Bowman said. "They just wanted
to make sure the suites were updated."


Read the full article here:

my comments: In order to keep their own reputation of being good
meeting planners, hotels do need to stay with the times if they're
going to attract potential conferences. I'm glad to see that this
hotel "heard" the meeting planner and is willing to accomodate them.
My boss is a meeting planner and it's pretty frustrating when a hotel
just doesn't "get it". Good for the Radisson.

Southwest Announces Initial New Orleans Flight Schedule

Carrier Will Start With Two Daily Departures to Houston Hobby.

Today, Southwest provides details on its initial flight schedule
from New Orleans in the "post-Katrina era." Starting Sept. 20, 2005,
Southwest will support two daily roundtrip flights between Louis
Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and Houston's
Hobby Airport (HOU). Seats on these two flights are available for
sale through the end of Southwest's current schedule (Jan. 9, 2006).

Those initial departures are:
11:35 a.m. from New Orleans Arriving in Houston at 12:40 p.m.
5:05 p.m. from New Orleans Arriving in Houston at 6:10 p.m.

Return flights to New Orleans are:
10:15 a.m. departure from Houston Arriving in New Orleans at 11:15 a.m.
3:45 p.m. departure from Houston Arriving in New Orleans at 4:45 p.m.

"Once we had all of our New Orleans-based Employees accounted for, we
began working with airport and government officials on how and when we
would be able to return service to a city we have served continuously
since 1979," said Colleen Barrett, Southwest's President. "Since
commercial air service to the city will be limited for some time, we
decided to initially focus that service into Houston Hobby where
Southwest has a significant presence with a wide range of destinations
for our New Orleans Customers."

Southwest Airlines has more than 400 Employees who reside in the New
Orleans area, more than half of whom work at the airport. After
evacuating a number of them and their families to other Southwest
Airlines cities, the carrier suspended service to New Orleans on
August 28, just hours before Hurricane Katrina hit.

"The people of New Orleans are anxious to rebuild their city and
Southwest Airlines is intent upon helping them do just that,"
Barrett said. "Though we cannot predict how long it will take for
passenger demand to justify additional flights, we have a long
history of responding to passenger demand with added flights
affording reliable, dependable, low fare air service. We take
pride in the knowledge that we will, as always, be a Good Neighbor
to our good friends in New Orleans, and we look forward to growing
incrementally with them and being part of the city's rebirth."

Before Hurricane Katrina, Southwest had 57 daily nonstop
departures from New Orleans to 16 cities.

MSY Travel Advisory

Please be advised that ground transportation is limited and curfew
restrictions may be in place throughout Jefferson Parish and the
City of New Orleans, as well as the surrounding area. All
transportation, hotel, and/or other arrangements need to be
confirmed before departure.

Southwest advises Customers traveling into New Orleans to check
the State of Louisiana's official web site, for the latest information and resources concerning Hurricane Katrina.

All reservations previously held by Southwest Airlines Customers
for flights to/from New Orleans (MSY) between September 3, 2005
and January 9, 2006, have been cancelled and are not being
reinstated. Customers should contact Southwest Airlines via its
web site, southwest.com, or by calling Reservations at (800)I FLY SWA
to book the two new roundtrip flights between New Orleans and Houston.



source:

National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP)

The organization is committed to the improvement of the meetings, conferences, exhibitions, and convocations they manage. Members of NCBMP include meeting planners from numerous business, civil rights, church and fraternal organizations. Associate membership is available to individuals who represent hotels, convention bureaus, city government officers, airlines and other suppliers who offer services to the meeting and convention community. Since its founding, NCBMP has made a significant impact in the hospitality community by identifying the sizable purchasing power and impact of the African American convention.

Check out their website here:

Willie Jolley

Motivational speaker. I have been working with Willie Jolley now for (it seems like forever). He is such an awesome human being and I enjoy reading the things he writes, the things he says. He is so positive and upbeat. I truly enjoy working with both him, his wife Dee and assistant Natalie. What a pleasure :-) Be sure to check Willie out for your next conference on motivating people.

It only takes a minute to change your life.

Check out his webpage here:

Northwest and Delta - file Chapter 11 again

Bankruptcy laws are changing. After two of the major carriers filed for bankruptcy protection today, I do suspect that others will follow suit before the new laws go into effect. What will they do then?

Lufthansa agent in South Africa caught my yawn.

Too funny. Yawning is soooo contagious. I was on the phone with Lufthansa just now and I yawned and then the agent yawned. I commented on it how it was so catching and she said "And yes, I'm even in South Africa". We enjoyed a little chuckle over that. :-)

St Thomas: Skyride to Paradise Point

The Paradise Point Tramway gently lifts guests from sea level to the
most fantastic vista in the Caribbean, 700 breathtaking feet above.
Paradise Point features shops, a nature trail, a restaurant, a bar
(see recipe below) and a fantastic view of the harbor and cruise
ships. For your enjoyment, there is a tropical bird show twice daily.
Experience this attraction at your leisure, at any time during your
day in St. Thomas. The starting point at the Tramway is a 5 to 10
minute walk from the pier. Don't forget your camera. This is a great
tour to combine with another excursion.

We liked the drink so much we emailed Paradise Point and they sent
this back to us:


The famous Paradise Point Bushwacker consists of:

2 parts Baileys Irish Creme
1 part Kahlua
1 part Amaretto
1 part coconut rum
1 part vodka
2 parts creme of coconut
Blend with ice

It just wont taste the same without our secret ingredient:
the VIEW..............

Have fun blending!

Filled Zippo Pocket Lighters Now Permitted in Checked Luggage

Zippo lighters are approved for travel as checked luggage on all passenger flights.

Air travelers can now pack their filled Zippo pocket lighters in checked luggage, provided each lighter is placed in a Zippo Cargo Case by OtterBox, as specified by the Department of Transportation (DOT). The new ruling, which became effective in June, allows passengers to pack up to two Zippo pocket lighters – each placed in an approved case – in checked luggage aboard all commercial airlines.

The Zippo Cargo Case by OtterBox is an airtight container specifically designed to fit a single Zippo pocket lighter. As the only storage container with an exemption from the DOT, the cargo box offers Zippo owners convenience when traveling by air.

This development follows the May ruling by the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) that new, never-filled pocket lighters require no special packaging and may be stowed in checked luggage.


Read the full article here:

What should I see and do while in the Caribbean?

Question: I'm scheduled to take a 8 night cruise to the Caribbean in February. The ship (Jewel of the Seas) will be docking in St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Antigua. I'm planning my excursions and was wondering if anyone had any advice on the "must-dos and must-sees". I also enjoy shopping and wonder which island is best for bargains. I also welcome negative advice on excursions that weren't worth the money. Thanks.

Response:

St. Thomas--The helicopter tour is well worth the money. Once in a lifetime chance but more than worth it. Afterwards do a little shopping in then walk back to the ship or take a taxi. If you have time, stop at the Tram and go to the top and get a Bushwacker or two, then continue shopping at the mall by the ship. St. Thomas is beautiful.

San Juan--Save your money and do not do the City/Bacardi tour. We bought some rum at the plant, however you can buy it by the docks also. You aren't allowed to go into the actual plant, just tour their museum. I don't recommend it, however they do let you sample some rum.

We also went to an old fort, but could have lived without that tour. By the time we hit town we ran out of time to shop. We did go to Senor frogs and grabbed a quick bite and a YARD of rum punch. San Juan has many shops and we would have loved to shop, but the tour ate up all of our time.

ENJOY