MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE...WEST JET/PORTER DANCE...JIM'S DEAL OF DAY

Cool piece in USA Today by cruise blogger Gene Sloan on how a guy in Britain recently found a message in a wine bottle that an American kid had dumped off the side of a ship in the Caribbean five years ago.

Citing a story in the Baltimore Sun, Sloan says the bottle (we're not sure what kind) was crusted with barnacles and tossed off a Royal Caribbean ship in the Bahamas in June, 2004.

A retired electrician walking his dog on a beach in England found it in July and opened it up.

A note inside was from Daniel Knopp, who apparently dropped the bottle overboard when he was 14...and thought no more about it.

"Hello, my name is Daniel Knopp. I am on a cruise ship. I hope whoever reads this finds great joy. God bless. I live in the Baltimore/DC area," the note reads.

The bottle travelled some 4,000 miles and ended up on a beach in Cornwall.

I've always wanted to do something like that. But I don't like littering.

WEST JET KICKING PORTER TIRES?

Interesting item in the the business pages today about how West Jet is planning an equity offering to raise up to $172.5-million.

"WestJet intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to finance WestJet's capital expenditures, including future aircraft financing activities, and for general corporate purposes," the airline said  Last month, WestJet CEO Sean Durfy said he had "kicked the tires" of Porter Airlines Inc.

"Porter's got a business model that seems to be sustainable. But are we out actively pursuing Porter? I would say no," Mr. Durfy told the ROB.

Interesting. West Jet and Porter would be a pretty cool combo; great service and a little bit funky. It would be a considerably greater challenge for Air Canada than the current situation, you gotta think.

MULTIPLE CURRENCY ATM'S

Thomas Cook this week launched what they say is Canada’s first four-currency ATM. Located at their flagsthip Financial Services store at Yonge and Eglinton in Toronto, it offers withdrawal of Canadian and U.S. dollars, GB pounds and Euros.

"Over the next few months similar ATMs will be available in locations across Canada, with roll-out in cities including Barrie, Markham, Woodbridge, Mississauga, Kelowna and Saskatoon," officials said.

A recent Thomas Cook survey found that 50 per cent of Canadians have travelled outside of Canada in the past two years, and almost two thirds of those Canadians use foreign currency of the country they are visiting as their method of payment.

Four-currency ATM's? A great idea, I say.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Hard to believe some people look forward to snow and ice. For all those skiers and snowboarders anticipating the first snowflake, there’s Sugarloaf’s Low Price Guarantee. Valid until Sept. 15, the Low Price Guarantee applies to any ski and stay package of two or more nights and promises not just a price match if rates go down later in the season, but savings too. A ‘Peak Weekend’ package in February or March, normally priced at $119 (U.S.) per person, per night, drops to $85 or less with the Low Price Guarantee promotion. Sugarloaf is in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. See www.sugarloaf.com (click on ‘Winter’ at the top right of the home page).

Comments

[Trevor J. Murphy]

You can read more about multiple currency ATMs here:
http://globalpapersecurity.com/japanese-company-unveils-multiple-currency-atm.htm