2009 memories: Slovenian mountains, beautiful beaches...and grizzly bears

Well, THAT was fun.

2009 was a wonderful year for a guy lucky to have one of the best jobs in the world. It's a lot of work, but I get to travel to some remarkable places and meet some incredible people.

I've got a photo spread in the Saturday Star on Jan. 2, thanks to a nice layout by fellow travel department worker John Moore. So have a look at that.

In the meantime, here are a few fave moments from 2009:

TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROAD - I damn near had a heart attack driving in the mountains of Slovenia. I drove north from Lake Bled towards the Austrian border and hung a left turn, going up over the mountain pass south of Kranjska Gora. Not being terribly bright, I had a lovely time scooting up the hill, failing to realize that of course I would have to drive back down.It's a lot easier to drive up a hill than drive down one, especially when you don't know the roads and you're driving a standard/stick shift for the first time in five years. Almost wet my pants hugging the mountainside with cars honking at me to pull over, but I made it down the other side.

I absolutely adored Slovenia; what I like to call the tiny, perfect country. It's got mountains, wineries, caves, seaside resorts that look like Croatia or Italy, great seafood and lovely, lovely people. Plus Ljubljana is a fun town with wonderful architecture, a great river with cafes all along it and simply a really nice feel. Relatively cheap, too.

BEACHES GALORE

Mind you, as much as I loved Slovenia, I'd have to say my visit to Tahiti was the highlight of my year. Mountains are wonderful, but there's nothing better than warm sunshine seeping into your bones, aquamarine water, long walks on the beach and a cool rum drink at sunset. I keep telling anyone who'll listen that my goal in life is to spend AN ENTIRE YEAR without wearing anything on my feet but sandals. I'd have to find some of those goofy sandal-like golf shoes to be able to play golf during this 365-day period, but that's okay. There would be no socks. And no real shoes. And, hopefully, never a day when the temperature went below, say, 15 degrees Celsius.

That's why I took trips to Hawaii and Florida in January and then Barbados and St. Lucia in June and Tahiti in November, where I got to see the coolest sporting event ever; the Hawaiki Nui Va'a canoe race. Look for a story on it sometime later this winter or in early spring. But they were all great spots.

The beach and spa at Sandy Lane, Barbados were outstanding. But my favourite part of Barbados was meeting with Anthony Hunte; a colourful and committed gardener who welcomes visitors in the hills of Barbados and is likely to invite you into his treehouse-like home for coffee or cake. The views and the water on the eastern side of the island near Bathsheba were surprisingly rugged; and damn near empty. I met some folks from Oakville but forgot to get their names.

The best snorkeling I had for the year was in the marine sanctuary along the beach at Jalousie Plantation in St. Lucia (see photo at left), nestled up against the majestic Pitons. Brilliant hotel, and a lovely beach.

Had great sunsets in St. Lucia and Barbados, as well as Moorea and Bora Bora in Tahiti. But my sunrise at the peak of Diamond Head in Honolulu was even better. The sun was brilliant, but I really enjoyed snapping a photo of some visiting girls who

 were hamming it up pretty good.

GREAT GOLF

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my Alberta golf trip, where I spotted a couple grizzly bears at Kananaskis. Awesome. And my trip to Wales was equally spectacular, along with a couple of great rounds in Virginia, New York state, St. Lucia, Lanai, Hawaii (great course at Manele Bay) and the Green Monkey in Barbados. The latter is lovely as can be. Look for more on the Green Monkey and on Alberta and Wales in the Star's 2010 golf magazine, which comes out in early April. And look for other golf features in the pages of the Toronto Star Travel section.

 

 

OKAY, BACK TO THE SNOW

Having said all that about going Jimmy Buffett on ya, I was in London early in the year, right after a huge snowfall. And if you've never seen London in the snow, you've really missed something. People took to it with relish and seemed to have a great time and I was lucky enough to get some good snaps, including a great snowball fight by some private school kids (look for a better version of this in Saturday's Star Travel) and another of a poor seagull (below) who looked like he/she was drunk as he/she slipped and slid on a frozen pond in Hyde Park.

 

Anyway, that's about it. Lots of fun memories, a few decent photos and a lot of great people.

Now it's time to hit the LCBO with the rest of the crazy people and celebrate a little.

Have a lovely New Year and see ya in 2010.

Jim

 

 

 

 

Travel woes ease...Let's talk Beatles cruise (Baby, You Can Drive My Boat!)

By all accounts, things are pretty much back to normal at Pearson, folks.

Peter Fitzpatrick, spokesman for Air Canada, tells me in an email that it's far better today than the last couple days for folks heading to the U.S.

"Not perfect, but really quite good," he wrote. "I don't think people understand what a huge curveball this was for airlines and airports, it is amazing how well we did."

 

A story from Canadian Press quotes a Greater Toronto Airports' Authority official as saying it's virtually situation normal at Pearson today, with only a handful of cancellations. About a dozen flights have cancelled today, said spokesman Scott Armstrong - only about 1 per cent of daily flights. That's apparently normal, and Armstrong says lineups are standard length.

 

There WAS talk earlier this week that the stringent, new regulations on carry-on bags and other security measures wuld be lifted as of today, Dec. 30. But Transport Canada spokeswoman Melanie Quesnel tells CP no decisions have been made as to when or even if restrictions will be lifted.

 

I think that's about enough gloom and doom, so let's have a bit more fun, shall we?

 

I see that Royal Caribbean will have its first Beatles Tribute Cruise starting March 28 out of Fort Lauderdale. Carnival has an Elvis cruise, so now it's the Beatles' turn.

 

Officials say they'll have some of the usual suspects, including former John Lennon lover May Pang and Ringo Starr's former fiancee (Nancy Lee Andrews), plus a couple of folks who've written Beatle books. (Judging by my latest visit to the bookstore, WHO HASN'T WRITTEN A BEATLES BOOK IS WHAT I WANNA KNOW).

 

Anyway, it's a six-day cruise that also will feature a Beatles tribute band called BritBeat, as well as Beatles guitar workshops. Stops will be made in Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

 

BritBeat will have to play the usual tunes such as Can't Buy Me Love, Help and Hey Jude. Here are a few ideas if they want more of a nautical theme:

 

1. Yellow Submarine (pretty obvious; sorry)

2. Octopus's Garden (ditto)

3. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean (they recorded it as the backing band for Tony Sheridan)

4. I Am the Walrus (okay, that's better for an Arctic cruise)

5. Julia ("ocean child, calls me....")

6. Glass Onion ("fixin' a hole in the ocean")

7. All Together Now ("sail the ship")

8. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds ("picture yourself in a boat on a river"; again, better for another type of cruise but it still counts)

9. Come Together ("he got...muddy water"; yes, I know, but maybe the captain will hit the Mississippi by mistake)

10. Red Sails in the Sunset (got you with that one, didn't I? It was on the Live Hamburg album from 1962)

 

Of course, they might've sung "Sea Cruise" at some point. And I didn't count the solo stuff, like Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey  by Paul ("hands across the water"), but at least we managed 10 references. Nor did I cheapen this exercise by throwing in Penny Lane ("fish and finger pie" includes a nautical element but it's really more naughty than nautical if you've ever read an interview with Paul talking about their randy days with young women in Liverpool).

 

Still, I'm sure I've missed some. If you've got anything for me, fire away at jbyers@thestar.ca

 

YET ANOTHER SIGN THE APOCALYPSE IS UPON US

 

I got a note today saying they're opening the 30th - 30th!!!! - Ripley's Believe it or Not place. Believe it or Not, they're called "Odditoriums," and, yeah, that's a little clever. The newest one will be in Veracruz, Mexico and apparently a 31st is coming in Surfers' Paradise, Queensland.

 

No offence, but is this really what the world needs?

 

 

 

 

More travel madness...Eiffel Tower top landmark in the world (no top-10 for UK)..

In a shocking development, there's more confusion in the world's airports today over U.S. travel regulations.

While Canadians woke up to find that Transport Canada has banned many carry-on items on flights from Canada to the U.S. because of the attempted Christmas Day bombing over Detroit, folks down in Australia seem to think regulations are being eased.

The Age is reporting that Australian airline officials understand there's no longer a requirement that passengers avoid the loo in the final 60 minutes of a flight to the U.S.

"Overnight, the US government has re-issued its regulations of what is required of all passengers and they have lifted the ban that prevented moving around the cabin one hour before arrival," a Qantas spokeswoman told the paper. 

She said the information had come from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a division of the US Department of Homeland Security. But The Age said it was unable to confirm such a ruling.

Which makes sense given that so many experts are saying that the U.S. is deliberately muddying the waters.

Joseph Schwieterman, a professor at DePaul University in Chicago, told Associated Press that TSA's approach "keeps them (would-be terrorists) guessing."

Schwieterman said not spelling out exact procedures gives airport official more flexibility to focus on perceived threats or sensitive areas; likely big cities like New York and Los Angeles.

"There was criticisim after 9-11 that rules could be way too cookbook; not allowing authorities to adapt them to different settings, to different airports," he said.

Meanwhile, Canadians appear to be adapting to the new realities.

WestJet's Palmer said folks are bringing fewer carry-on bags to Canadian airports, a comment that Air Canada's Peter Fitzpatrick echoed.

"There are still delays but it's getting better," Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick wrote in an email to me this morning. "People are bringing less carry-on. Also, the government has provided more resources to beef up their security screening."

Palmer said WestJet is sticking with its suggestion that folks arrive three hours early for flights to the U.S.

"Oh, yeah, that should be fine," he said when asked if it's enough time. "You're not allowed to clear U.S. customs until 2-1/2 hours before your flight."

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority website, gtaa.com, is showing some delays for flights to Chicago and New York and a couple cancellations. But most flights appear to be operating on a normal or relatively normal schedule.

EIFFEL TOWER LEADS THE WAY

That's gotta hurt.

I spotted a survey of 1,000 folks around the world by hotels.com, asking people to name their favourite landmarks around the globe.

No surprise that the Eiffel Tower would come first. It's a wonderful structure, and I always find it amusing that the French HATED it when it was first unveiled.

(Of course, many of us said the same thing about the military statue on University Avenue that was once nicknamed "Gumby Goes to Heaven," and look what it did for Toronto tourism.)

Anywho, the hotels.com survey found the following 10 items as the top landmarks in the world:

1. Eiffel Tower (hard to imagine Paris without it)

2. St. Peter's Basilica, Rome (I'd probably have it down a few spots)

3. Taj Mahal, Agra, India (never been but can't argue with the placement)

4. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco (I'm biased as I grew up there, but it's still awesome)

5. Empire State Building, New York (especially cool at night; see photo)

6. Statue of Liberty, New York (always an awesome sight)

7. Sydney Opera House (terrific spot that matches function with great form)

8. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona (Not my favourite Gaudi architecture, to be honest)

9. The Acropolis (should be top five)

10. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro (again, never been but it certainly LOOKS impressive).

So there you have it. Nothing from the UK or Great Britain or England made it. Not Big Ben. Not the Houses of Parliament. Not the London Eye. Not Trafalgar Square. Zippo. Nada.

That's not gonna make folks happy across the pond, and one can imagine the Queen won't be putting hotels.com on the top of her favourite website list anytime soon. (Makes me think, what ARE on her favourites, anyway? What's her home page? Oprah? Chelsea? Manchester United? RyanAir? Ashley Madison? Desperate Housewives? Honestly, I'd love to know.)

I spotted a story on the BBC web site that points out Big Ben came in 11th and The London Eye was 12th. Of course, they had to put out a list showing the top 12, not the top 10.

Big Ben deserves the top 12. I like the London Eye just fine, but I can't see how it would beat out the Colosseum, the Pyramids or Machu Picchu. Let alone Easter Island, Edinburgh Castle, and the Great Wall of China. Come to think of it, we're also missing Mick Jagger's lips, Penelope Cruz's backside and Michael Ignatieff's ego...

 

  

 

Terrorism still causing terrible travel disruptions...But you can get new boobs!

Well, there's no shortage of stuff to talk about in travel today, is there?

The latest news comes from Oahu, Hawaii, where U.S. President Barack Obama had to give up some beach time to talk about the attempt to destroy a plane bound for Detroit on Christmas Day.

According to Associated Press, Obama said he has ordered a review of the American "watchlist system" and of its air safety regulations.

 

"As an al-Qaida group claimed responsibility for the assault, the president said he has directed his national security team to keep up the pressure on those overseas who aim to attack the U.S.," AP reported.

“It’s absolutely critical that we learn from this incident and take the necessary measures to prevent future acts of terrorism,’’ Obama said in his first public remarks since the attack on the Detroit-bound airliner.

The group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the attempt to bring down the jet, saying the attack was in retaliation for a U.S. operation against the group in Yemen.

 

 “We do not yet have all the answers about this latest attempt, but those who would slaughter innocent men, women and children must know that the United States will ... do more than simply strengthen our defenses,” Obama said in a brief statement from Hawaii. “We will continue to use every element of our national power to disrupt, to dismantle and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us, whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere where they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland."

 

If it sounds like things are being made up as we go along on the airport security front, there's good reason for that. I've been going through all sorts of web sites today and checking the news and it's pretty damned hard to find out what kind of new rules have been brought in. You can find stories that talk about all inflight entertainment being banned. Other stories say it's just the flight-tracking maps. Still others say pilots have been told not to announce major sights folks can see out the window of their plane, lest a terrorist get information.

Personally, I'd have to think someone who goes to the trouble of trying to blow up an airplane probably knows when the aircraft is over a major American city and when it's flying over the prairies of Nebraska, but I guess it's better to err on the side of caution in any security situation.

Folks at Pearson say things are better today than Sunday. Airlines have consolidated flights and officials have brought in extra help to try to make check-in and security a little smoother.

I also see that U.S. Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano was saying on the weekend that security systems hadn't failed. This kind of comment goes way beyond absurd, of course, and there she was on tv today saying the exact opposite.

"Our system did not work in this instance," she said on NBC's Today Show. "An extensive review is under way."

One Associated Press story I read this morning said U.S. government officials were deliberately not telling people what the new rules are, the thinking being that they don't want to alert potential terrorists. Can't say I blame them, but perhaps that's why airlines and customers appear to be taking radically different approaches from one flight to another. It's certainly understandable if flights in and out of New York or Washington D.C. would have more rules than, say, flights from Tulsa to Topeka.

You gotta think those new body-imaging machines are coming to an airport near you, despite privacy concerns.

"I think those privacy concerns which are, frankly, mild, have to fall in the face of the ability of these machines to detect" potential explosives, said U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, who heads the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

A co-worker here at the Star wondered this morning when Canadian and other airlines will start shouting at U.S. officials and making the point that these regulations could do serious damage to an already struggling industry. I don't think they care. Their job is to protect people and make the skies' safe, not to build up the stock value of Air Canada or make travel easier. Mind you, that's where elected officials like President Obama might step in. There is tremendous potential for damage to the travel and tourism biz if rules get too restrictive.

For now, you'd have to think anyone thinking of flying to South Carolina or Florida for a week would be better off to simply pack up the car and drive, not that the bridges to the U.S. are likely to be a picnic. If you DO have to fly to the U.S. - and, remember, these bag restrictions and searches are for flights to the U.S. only, not to Mexico or the Caribbean or Europe or Asia - you might be better off to fly out of Buffalo and not face U.S. customs lineups at Pearson.

You'd have to think a lot of business travelers who don't want to wait six hours in line might cancel their trips. Trouble is, airlines depend heavily on business fares to subsidize the rest of us. So the last one thing the average consumer wants is less biz travel.

(I'm also wondering if people who have those NEXUS passes that allow them to use the automated eye-scanning equipment and bypass the usual customs lineup at Pearson and other airports are able to use them right now. That would certainly save an enormous hassle, but I suspect they're not in operation.)

It's certainly a huge mess. It MIGHT be that rules will ease by Dec. 30. There's lots of talk of that. But it doesn't appear anyone knows for sure.

Not to be overly glib, but this has certainly pushed Tiger Woods off the news cycle, hasn't it?

BIZARRE NEW YEAR'S HAPPENINGS IN NEW YORK

Couple of weird items here. First comes an Associated Press report that says folks who want to purge their bad memories from 2009, and there are a few of them, are invited to Times Square today to "slip their unpleasant remembrances through shredders."

The third annual "Good Riddance Day" got underway at noon today and goes on for only an hour, so I guess most of us won't make it.

Apparently there's a $250 prize for the most creative shredded memory. In the past, folks have tossed in bank statements, "Dear John" emails or written notes with words such as "cancer" or "the stock market" on them. And for folks who have other, unshreddable things they'd rather forget, the Times Square Alliance is providing a dumpster...and a sledgehammer.

That's kinda goofy. But not as crazy as the offer I spotted a few minutes ago from a plastic surgeon in the Big Apple. I don't know if it's true, but it's hilarious.

According to the press release I was sent, Park Avenue plastic surgeon Dr. Stephen Greenberg today was supposed to unveil "The Nation's Most Expensive New Years Eve package" outside the W Hotel on Collins Avenue in Miami.

"The $100,000 dollar special  will treat you in the life of luxury with three tables for New Years Eve for concerts by Lady Gaga, John Legend and Brody Jenner," said the statement. "The package also includes round trip first class tickets from New York to Miami, a choice of Penthouses at 5 star hotels in South Beach for a month and, yes, new breasts for the new year.

"A breast argumentation is featured for the holiday package with a 24 hour nurse and unlimited spa treatments. You even get a Rolls Royce with a chauffeur for all the parties and events."

Gee, whatever happened to Dick Clark and a bottle of champagne?

 

 

Bizarre Dec. 24 flight plan filed...TTC escalator woes...Jim's Deals of the Day

I just heard about this and it's a little spooky. It seems that somebody has filed a flight plan with NAV CANADA for Thursday night and plans to make what might be the longest flight in world history, with MILLIONS of stops around Canada and, this is really hard to fathom, all around the world.

I'll let the good folks at NAV CANADA take it from there.

NAV CANADA reports that a flight plan for an aircraft departing the North Pole on December 24, 2009 has been filed with millions of destinations in Canada and around the world.

NAV CANADA says it  has not handled a flight plan of this size for about a year noting that this breaks the record that was set on December 24 -25 2008 by a Mr. K Kringle. NAV CANADA does not reveal the identity of pilots filing flight plans but an unnamed source confirmed that it is Mr. Kringle. “The paperwork says Kris Kringle, but everyone knows him as Santa Claus,” said the NAV CANADA source speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The details are confidential, but NAV CANADA has confirmed that aircraft will carry a huge cargo of brightly coloured packages and will fly at a tremendous speed guided by a flashing red light at the nose of the craft.

“That red light makes the aircraft’s nose so bright. It worked especially well on one foggy Christmas Eve several years back,” recalled one air traffic controller.

A new feature of this year’s special flight will be high-tech equipment on board the sleigh that will allow NAV CANADA to pick up the flight as it flies over Hudson Bay on the Company’s new Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) System.

In the past, when it flew over the 850,000 square kilometres of Hudson Bay the sleigh would disappear from the radar screens because of the lack of surveillance coverage. “That was always a concern, but the situation has now been resolved with our new ADS-B system around the Bay and the North Pole’s decision to invest in the on-board equipment,” says a NAV CANADA spokesperson. 

Great stuff, guys. Thanks.

ESCALATING TTC ISSUES

I know this is a travel blog, but I have to travel to get to work to write my blog most days, so cut me a little slack. I should probably pass this along to The Fixer at the Star, but I've about had it with the TTC. The token situation is a joke; running out and making people line up to buy tickets and all. I don't mind tickets so much, but there's an automated entrance north of Lawrence Avenue that I like to use, especially in the winter. Tickets won't work at the automated entrances, of course, so I have to trudge two blocks south to the main Lawrence station in the morning. Then I get inside and have to backtrack another block north to get to the platform. It's not a big deal for me, but there are a lot of seniors in the area and it's a hardship for them to have to walk another two blocks, especially if we get some snow and ice.

It's the TTC's fault for screwing up the token situation with the price hike, so shouldn't they at least put someone at the automated stations to take tickets in the morning? Is that too much to ask?

Worse, for most people, are the STUPID escalators at the north end of Lawrence. They're constantly being repaired. And I mean constantly. It's rare not to see huge piles of escalator equipment lying on the platform, surrounded by ugly, plastic screens to keep people away. Workers come regularly and spend months in repairs, then come back and do it all over again a few weeks later. Can't they build a friggin escalator that works?

It's a minor inconvenience, as there are two escalators. USUALLY the one that goes up is the one that's left operating during construction. That still creates issues for people who have a hard time getting DOWN five flights of stairs, and there are lots of folks with walkers or canes or who have trouble with their knees or joints. But what's remarkably idiotic is that twice in the past week I got home after a long day of work and found that the single escalator that was in operation was going DOWN! That meant thousands of folks had to trudge up 70 or 80 stairs, then go through the turnstiles and walk up another 30 stairs to get to the street.

COME ON GUYS, THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE!

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

Okay, that's enough. It's the season to be jolly, so here are a couple of ways to enjoy Toronto's winter. Just hope the escalators are working at Pearson (sorry; can't help myself).

$153 - Toronto to Punta Cana, non-stop return flight: New Year's Eve
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=2007

 

US$499 - 5-night 4* Far East cruise: China, Japan, and South Korea
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=2008

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS, and Happy Travels to all. Back to blogging next week.

 

 

 

 

 

Andaz New York #1 for 2010?...Canada fails consumers...Jim's deals of the day

I've heard of the New Year's baby. But apparently there's a bit of a contest to be the first hotel to open in New York in the New Year.

Andaz Wall Street makes its Big Apple debut January 11 and they say they think they'll be the first new guy in town for 2010. In a press release, officials said they "can't wait for the artisanal Gimme! Coffee and complimentary mini-bars, wireless internet, local calls, and wine on arrival. It’s the little things, isn’t it?"

Quite often it IS the little things, like a well-placed power outlet with lots of places to plug in your laptop and iPod and cellphone. Or nicer shampoo than the chains. But it's also often the big things, too; a nice lobby, quiet rooms, a nice, new, king-size bed or a shower head like the one Kramer loved in a favourite Seinfeld episode. My wife tells me she was at a Residence Inn near Cleveland recently (lucky her, eh?) and that when she walked into the lobby there was a large refrigerator where you could grab a cold beer or three and take them to your room, as well as a place to buy frozen, microwave dinners. Not quite Wolfgang Puck or Mark McEwan, but if it's late at night and you're a businesswoman or man and don't feel like dragging yourself out to the nearest Chili's or TGIF's it sounds pretty darn good.

Wait a minute, did I hear "complimentary mini-bar" at the Andaz? Suddenly I feel the need for a trip to New York on Jan. 11

CANADA NOT FOLLOWING U.S. LEADERSHIP

You might have read in this space yesterday how the U.S. is bringing in legislation that would force airlines to let people off a plane if they're stranded on a tarmac for more than three hours. Seems perfectly sensible. Especially since the rules will include exemptions for security, safety or "certain airport operating situations," according to a report from Reuters.

That sounds perfectly fair. We know airlines sometimes get screwed, and pardon my Belgian, by weather or airport issues beyond their control. This legislation takes that into account. But of course the folks in Ottawa don't appear likely to stand up to their good buddies in the airline industry, the same buddies that they speak to on a regular basis whenever there's anything the industry might not like.

The head of the Canadian Airlines Council of Canada told the Globe and Mail there's no push for similar legislation north of the border.

"It seems rather arbitrary," said George Petsikas, the president of the CACC. "Is this the right way to respond to the problem? I think we have to be a little more flexible. There is no discretion given to the pilot and flight crew."

  Petsikas said the CACC's members have made a commitment to letting passengers off a stranded airliner after a 90-minute delay, subject to the approval of the pilot and flight crew and circumstances permitting, he said.

 Good. But not good enough. It's time the elected Tory government put the interest of consumers (you know, VOTERS) ahead of big business. Not that we'd expect that sort of thing from PM Stephen Harper.

 

 

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

 

$29 - Toronto to Fort Lauderdale, return flight ($244 w/tax): mid-January
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=2003

 

$315 - Toronto to Havana, Cuba, 1 week holiday in early January ($525 w/tax)
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=2004

 

From $89 - Niagara Falls Hotel with free extras and EXCLUSIVE TravelAlerts discount
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=2005

 

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the Caribbean's so delightful...(sorry)

Wow, still LOTS of weather havoc out there, folks. Baltimore Washington International in Maryland is back up and running after the monster snowfall that descended on the U.S. eastern seaboard and the Canadian maritimes. Reagan National is supposed to be operating by noon, take or give.

Over in Europe, meanwhile, they've launched in an independent investigation into the troubles in the English Channel tunnel after that massive disruption of Eurostar train service. There's talk service will be restored Tuesday, but it seems far from certain.

They still don't seem to know why things got so messed up but they're still blaming snow and ice. At least they have a bit of an excuse as it was ABNORMALLY cold and snowy in France and England a few days back (and Spain, too; check the photo of kids walking down a slushy street!).  Here in Toronto, of course, a snowfall is met by huge breakdowns by the TTC, despite the fact that winter storms are common. Speaking of which, a minor storm in Toronto would be nice on Christmas Eve if anyone up there with control over these things is listening.

The weather troubles come just as I read a story on travelmole.com about how Americans are expected to flock to warm weather spots for some great deals in the new year. The folks at Orbitz say Las Vegas will be a huge destination in the new year with so many new hotel rooms while the Caribbean and Mexico will remain heavy favourites. Good deals are expected in Hawaii, too, as the state struggles to recover from a poor 2009.

“Hawaii looks to be even more affordable for travelers in 2010,” says Stacey Meyer, Hawaii senior market manager for Orbitz.
 

HELP FOR STRANDED PASSENGERS (at least in the U.S.)

The U.S. Transportation Department is ordering airlines to let passengers stuck in stranded airplanes to deplane after three hours.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Monday announced the three-hour limit and other new passenger protections long sought by consumer advocates. From January to June this year, 613 planes were delayed on tarmacs for more than three hours, their passengers kept on board.

Under the new rule, airlines must provide food and water for passengers within two hours of a plane being delayed on a tarmac and maintain operable lavatories. They must also provide medical attention when necessary. The new rule is effective in 120 days.

Haven't seen any word from Canada on this but I'll be on the lookout. It's a great improvement, but I bet airlines will find lots of reasons to bitch about it. Think they might raise fares to compensate? Nah....

AIR CANADA TO COPENHAGEN

Air Canada announced today it will launch daily service between Toronto and Copenhagen next summer as it further expands international flying at its major hub to offer customers more choice of destinations and routes.

"Air Canada is building its Toronto hub and this year has now announced long-haul service to four new, major international destinations. The addition of Copenhagen next summer is strategically important as passengers will be able to conveniently connect with our Star Alliance partner Scandinavian Airlines to reach such cities as Oslo, Helsinki, Warsaw, Stockholm and Gothenburg," said Ben Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "We will continue to look for opportunities to grow our hub after earlier announcing flights starting next summer to Athens, Barcelona and, via Montreal, Brussels. Toronto's geographic position and the consolidation of our operations under one roof are enabling us to establish Lester B. Pearson International Airport as a major North American and global hub for the Star Alliance."

Air Canada will begin non-stop, daily flights between Toronto and Copenhagen (see picture, abvoe) on June 24 of next year, subject to the usual government approval.  (And is it just me but is there something odd about adding another flight to Copenhagen just days after the failure by world leaders to get tough on climate change after a much-ballyhooed meeting in, uh, Copenhagen?)

Anyhow,  the only non-stop service to Scandinavia from Canada will be operated with a 211-seat Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft featuring 24 lay flat bed suites in Executive First and a personal digital in-flight video system, a USB port and a power plug available at every seat throughout the aircraft. Service will operate daily in the summer, with reduced frequency in the winter.

AEROPLAN IMPROVEMENT

Sunwing Vacations is pleased to announce that travellers can now enjoy more than a relaxing cruise when they book with Sunwing’s newest cruise partner, MSC Cruises:  they’ll earn double Aeroplan miles!

All that travellers need to do is provide their Aeroplan number when booking any Sunwing MSC cruise that departs between January 1 and April 24 of 2010.  The offer applies to bookings effective December 7, 2009.

CRUISING UPDATES

USA Today reports another Holland America ship has received a major overhaul.

"The 12-year-old vessel emerged last week from a 28-day dry dock that saw the addition of 44 balcony cabins, a new resort-style pool area called The Retreat, new "Lanai" cabins on the promenade deck and a more contemporary lounge area called Mix," the paper said. "The line also revamped every cabin on the ship with new fixtures, fabrics and bedding, and made what it is calling extreme changes to cabin bathrooms with new vanities and cabinetry. Twenty-three cabins near the spa were converted into "spa staterooms" with special amenities."

Cruise ships of all kinds have been getting big boosts of late, as cruise lines struggle with a poor market. Then, of course, there's the launch of giant, new ships like Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. I saw the other day that they toyed with the idea of adding a roller coaster to the ship! Why stop there? Why not a domed stadium for baseball? How about a full-size ice rink and the next outdoor NHL game could be played in mid-Atlantic?

 

 

Olympic Torch in T.O., Molson Oly Hockey House, Oh, (free) Christmas Tree

Sports buddy Dave Perkins and I went up Yonge Street last night to watch our old Olympic acquaintance, Paul Henderson, take a much deserved run with the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 torch.

Nobody bleeds the Olympic and sweats the Olympics and cares about athletes as much as Henderson. Nobody. I've seen hundreds of International Olympic Committee members lined up at the trough for canapes and champagne over the years (yeah, I've been there, too on occasion). But not a single one of them has the passion and the commitment of Toronto's most famous bald plumber.

Sure, he rubs some people the wrong way. And I say, good for him. And keep it up, Paul. Somebody has to stick it to the corner office bigwigs and deflate their pompous egos. And nobody wields a sharper stick than Paulie.

There were at least a hundred of his friends and family on Yonge Street Thursday night, and he was positively beaming as he ran the torch down to Ramsden Park. He deserved it.

It was interesting to see the relay, I must say. It's a nice thing to do, and there seem to be a lot of folk who take great pride in watching people carry it hither and yon across our yawning acres of landscape. But, honestly, do we need this much hoopla and this much security?

My God, there had to be 100 cops on bikes, 30 or 40 police cars and several RCMP vehicles. Lord knows there probably were plain-clothes cops in Canada gear, too. All for an Olympic torch? Is that really necessary?

Not to mention the RBC truck and the two Coca-Cola trucks and the music and the surrounding hoopla. I guess that's the cost of doing business these days, but I'd like to have been around when it was just a couple guys in a truck following a man or woman down a country road.

OLY PRICE SLASH

A report in the Vancouver Sun says folks who are running the Molson Canadian Hockey House at the Vancouver Games "have slashed the entry price to the Olympic hockey pavilion from $500 for an all-you-can-eat-and-drink, all-day pass to $99 for a "Fan Zone" pass that lets you stay for half a day."

Toronto-based Jordan Bitove (his brother, John, ran Toronto's 2008 Olympic bid, you may recall) said his firm, VisionCo., always had this price point in their plan.

"There's a corporate market looking for an all-inclusive solution for their hospitality needs but we always planned to unveil a more affordable fan zone pass."

He told the Vancouver paper that a "limited" number of half-day passes will be offered for $99 but did not say how many. The passes allow access to entertainment and food but only include two drinks. A beer is expected to cost $7, which isn't too bad I guess.

I don't personally see the point of paying a hundred bucks to hang around a big tent with a few hockey celebrities. If I was a big hockey fan, perhaps I'd care. But I've spent too much time hanging around athletes to think they're much of a big deal.

Now, if they can Scarlett Johansson in the tent, that's another story.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

 

$544 - Toronto to Manzanillo, Mexico, 4* all-inclusive w/ EXCLUSIVE TravelAlerts discount!
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$69 - Toronto to Orlando, round-trip flight this winter ($286 w/tax)
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OH, TANENBAUM

While North American carries continue to hit us with new fees for bags and what not, Air Berlin in Germany is letting folks stuff their Christmas trees into the cargo hold for free this holiday season. Any tree up to two meters in length gets to ride for free, the airline says.

It's a nice deal. But who flies somewhere and brings home a Christmas tree? Are they that hard to find in Munich or Frankfurt or Berlin that people are flying to the Black Forest or what have you to chop down a nice fir?

EU AIR DEAL

Lots of folks (Canada's minister for tourism, for example) are making a big deal of the fact that the EU on Thursday ratified a new "open skies" agreement with Canada. Some officials are saying it will mean cheaper fares for Canadians and lots more flights to Europe.

"Today's signing by Canada of a comprehensive air transport agreement with the 27 Member States of the European Union marks an important development in increasing access to Canada's second largest trading partner," said Duncan Dee, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Air Canada. "This new agreement opens up a realm of new commercial opportunities for Air Canada throughout the EU. It allows Air Canada to further develop Canada as a gateway to the world by capitalizing on travel demand between Canada, the U.S., Latin America and Europe."

But some industry types say the market already is well served and that the new destinations included in the deal, places like Lithuania, Slovakia, Cyprus and Slovenia, may not be that big a draw. I'm a HUGE fan of Slovenia, personally, so I don't know about that. But it's a point well taken. I wouldn't go running off celebrating just because a new deal has been inked with the EU.

 

 

EU-Canada air agreement...More Vegas, Baby...British Airways strike averted...

A wild couple days in the travel biz got even more interesting a few minutes ago when the EU today signed an aviation deal with Canada that will allow airlines to operate flights from any European city to Canada. It also will phase out restrictions on foreign ownership of carriers.

Canadian Press reports the deal replaces a patchwork of agreements between Canada and most — but not all — of the EU’s 27 countries that prevented one EU country’s flagship airline from running flights from another part of Europe to Canada. This meant, for example, that British Airlines (which just a few minutes found out it has avoided a crippling cabin crew strike over the holidays; scroll down for more on that) could only run flights from Britain to Canada. That’s no longer the case now and airlines can operate direct flights to Canada from any part of Europe. The deal also removes all restrictions on routes, prices or the number of weekly flights between the two regions.

The EU’s executive commission said the deal could generate economic benefits of more than $100 million and create more than 1,000 jobs in the first year. That's nice for them, but for consumers in Canada it SHOULD mean more choices and, perhaps, cheaper flights in the long run as competition opens up.

EU officials said opening up the market could see an extra 3.5 million people fly between the two regions in coming years.

The deal also recognizes security checks in both regions which should simplify flight transfers because passengers, luggage or cargo taking a connecting flight would be exempted from a second round of security. That sounds pretty good, too.

AIR TROUBLE EASES IN BRITAIN

Associated Press reports that British Airways has won an emergency court injunction to stop a 12-day strike by its cabin crew, bringing relief to around one million travellers whose Christmas holiday plans were threatened by the planned walkout. The High Court backed BA's claim that the ball by the Unite labour union was illegal because it included members no longer employed by the airline.

 “We are delighted for our customers that the threat of a Christmas strike has been lifted by the court,” British Airways said in a statement after the ruling by Justice Laura Cox. “It is a decision that will be welcomed by hundreds of thousands of families in the UK and around the world."

 

 Unite said the decision marked a “disgraceful day for democracy” and added that it will hold a fresh ballot unless the dispute is resolved. But the union cannot hold another vote until after Christmas, with a rescheduled strike unlikely before February. Still, there are talks of strikes over the coming days by ground staff at Heathrow and Aberdeen airports. British Eurostar train drivers plan to walk out on Friday and Saturday, but the operator of the high-speed rail service between Britain and continental Europe said it could get replacement drivers from France and Belgium.

 

We hear the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bus drivers are available, too.

 

All that BA stuff was going on just as Scotland's biggest carrier, Flyglobespan, suddenly collapsed, leaving some 4,000 passengers stranded. Scheduled flights were cancelled, according to the Guardian, and military staff is said to be stranded in the Falkland Islands; possibly stuck over Christmas.

Budget rival Flybe is said to be offering special fares to stranded customers, but no one knows if everyone will get home.

It's not just folks in Britain, of course, who are hurt by the demise of Flyglobespan. Our friends at the Hamilton Spectator report that the discount airline has been offering cheap, seasonal flights from Hamilton to the UK for three years.

"This means we're going to have to go looking for someone else to do this," said Richard Koroscil, president of the Hamilton airport. "We know the market exists so I'm sure we'll be able to find someone."

Tourism Ireland folks say the only direct flight to Northern Ireland from these parts was the Flyglobespan flight to Belfast. Flyglobespan also flew Halifax to Glasgow, Vancouver to Dublin and many other sites, and it's a huge problem for folks with tickets. Not to mention tourism folks in Britain who count on cheap flights to supply steady customers.

VEGAS UPDATE!!

The Star's Richard Ouzounian, the hardest-working journalist in the entertain biz, files his last blog update from Las Vegas, where he got to eat his way through some great new restaurants, check out the newest hotels and generally peek under the hood of the massive, new City Center project, pictured at right during its opening ceremonies last night.

LAS VEGAS - I think Maureen McGovern sang it first: "There's got to be a morning after."  And all I can say is that I would not want to be a Tylenol bottle in a Las Vegas home this morning.

Last night was the gala opening of the Aria Hotel at City Center and - as far as these giant bashes go - it was one of the best I've ever been to.

Bizarre but fascinating electrified techno-bands played a variety of percussion instruments at the various entrances. No conventional music, no old Sinatra recordings. This is The New Vegas, baby. (There, that's my obligatory "baby". One per blog.)

Dozens of statuesque women (all roughly 6' tall) stood in random locations holding  decorated metal poles that were twice their size.  Why? Because it looked good. I asked one beauty (named Sherri) how she got the job. "I answered an ad," she sighed, shifting aching muscles and possibly regretting she had.

How many people were there? I was told by one PR person that there were 3,000 partygoers milling around, but the place is so damned spacious you'd never believe it. I do know that there were 450 accredited media and they were usually the ones jostling in front of me for the food.

The food.  That's what I'll remember. Aria has 16 restaurants and each one of them was offering up goodies for the evening. Kobe Beef Sliders were the big item at the sportsbar-ish Union Restaurant, mini Peking Duck wraps came from Blossom and there were Stone Crab claws at Bar Moderne that were the sweetest I've ever tasted. 

But what was the most attractive (to me at least) was the Caviar Bar. Four types, including some of the rare Russian variety, not the unbelievably expensive large-grain beluga, but the far more reasonable, less tasty and tinier sevruga.  The gentlest and most succulent I found, however, were the giant red pearls of salmon roe.  I asked the caviar master where it was from. "Canada," he told me.  I kid you not (as Jack Paar used to say).

There was also a gala first preview of the new Cirque show, Viva Elvis!, but the reports were not encouraging. (I'm commenting on this in the Entertainment section of Friday's Star.)  One Canadian expat and his wife recognized me at Jean Georges Steakhouse and, in between bites of a superb Wagyu Tartare, the lady informed me she had just gotten a text from a well-placed friend who was watching the show and gave it a violent "thumbs down".  The opening has just been postponed until Feb. 19, so we'll see if space traveller Guy Laliberté can work some magic now that he's got both feet on the ground.

Speaking of texting, I've never seen so many people using their PDAs while partying, myself included.  Were we all emailing or texting or twittering our friends who weren't there to make them feel bad? Probably. People can have a nasty streak!

Celebrities? A sprinkling of local sports stars and Eva Longoria, owner of Beso, one of the new eateries.  I got to interview her about her new career as a restauranteur and found her to be an attractive and charming woman, very down to earth.  I'll include her comments when I look in detail at these new Vegas restaurants for Travel in a couple of months.

As the evening went on, I noticed more and more people started leaving the open areas to merge into the bars, all of which were packed and home to some serious, Vegas-style drinking.  Even the caviar station was empty, so I paid it another visit. Didn't want them to feel lonely.  


Midnight finally came and everyone spilled out into the area outside to see some really spectacular rooftop fireworks. Then Aria was officially open, the slot machines started whirling and the festivities continued.  Me?  I went to bed, because I had to get up at 5AM (Vegas time) to type this and write some articles for the Saturday entertainment section before getting on a plane back to Toronto.

But as I looked down from my Vdara Hotel window just now, I could still see some merrymakers heading home. Ah, Las Vegas!

Note to flight attendants on Air Canada 592: let the guy in 13A sleep.  He's had a busy couple of days.

Great stuff, Richard. Many thanks. And now back to Jim's regular travel blog, for a bit more Vegas some updates on a wild week for British travel.

MONTREAL-VEGAS ON WESTJET

This is a match made in heaven between two of the big cities that never sleep (no offence, New York). Montreal is DEFINITELY party town Canada, and Vegas, well, it goes without saying. Now West Jet has announced (just today, actually) the launch of new, non-stop service between Montreal and Las Vegas. The inaugural flight departs Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport at 9:45 a.m. ET today.

"Las Vegas is possibly the most popular city in WestJet's destination lineup," said Hugh Dunleavy, WestJet Executive Vice-President of Strategy and Planning. "We knew it was vital that we offer service from another of our Canadian gateways so that even more WestJet guests can travel to this dynamic and exceptional city. It's even more exciting now that we can offer this route to our friends in Quebec on a year-round basis."

WestJet will fly between Montreal and Las Vegas five times per week.

NEWFOUNDLAND-LONDON ON AIR CANADA

Air Canada today announced that it will introduce daily non-stop seasonal service between St. John's and London Heathrow, U.K. offering convenient connecting flights throughout Europe with its Star Alliance partner carriers. Air Canada will operate the only daily non-stop service between Newfoundland and Labrador and London Heathrow between May 27, 2010 and September 26, 2010.

"For the past several months we have worked closely with the local community and the Airport Authority to offer travellers in Newfoundland and Labrador the convenience of the only daily non-stop service to London Heathrow in time for the peak summer travel season," said Nick Careen, Vice President, Airports, Air Canada in St. John's with airport, tourism and government officials. "With this improved schedule, we believe our customers in Newfoundland and Labrador will value this direct link to the U.K., as the fastest and most efficient way of making connections to several European capitals such as Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Vienna, Moscow, as well as Dubai. We hope the support for this route will enable us to operate it again next year and even extend it year-round."

Latest Vegas glitz, Zagat's new Vancouver guide, West Jet new route: KW-YVR

The biggest thing to ever hit Las Vegas has a grand opening Wednesday night. Here's a preview report from Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star theatre critic and the chap who puts together our monthly "Six Meals In..." column in the Star Travel section.

Regular readers of The Star's Travel section will know that, just like Napoleon's army, I travel on my stomach. My monthly "Six Meals In...." column starts its sixth year in January and I haven't even remotely eaten my way around the globe yet.

    So you'll be able to guess that my idea of extreme frustration is to be in a new luxury complex in Las Vegas that boasts over nearly 20 high-end restaurants and only 48 hours to try and grapple with such abundance.

    Even I, who have been known to eat two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners in a single day - all in the name of research - couldn't tackle this task.

    Fortunately, the people arranging this opening week had a pretty splendid idea.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, we descended on six of the restaurants for three "tasting" lunches a day.  We had cocktails one night catered by another restaurant, dinner served at an eighth, breakfast at a ninth and tonight's party is supposed to represent many of those not yet spoken for.

    What have I learned from this? That I want to come back to the Aria/Vdara/Crystals/Mandarin world when I have a lot more time to eat.

    Some quick hits:

    Jean-Georges Steakhouse - Since Mr. Vongerichten is known as one of the food world's highest standard bearers, you know his steak house is going to be different. A series of circular rooms keeps it cozy, a witty use of cattle imagery keeps it fun and a kitchen that prepares meat superbly does the rest.

    American Fish - Michael Mina has several other ace restaurants in Las Vegas and California, but this is unique. Imagine fresh seafood cooked and served in the highest end hunting lodge you could imagine. And the birch forest behind the bar will keep you riveted.

    Sage - Shawn McClain, one of the most highly esteemed chefs in Chicago, comes west with dazzling results. An absolutely stunning room, so romantic that I think I'll take my wife there to propose all over again. And a deft, deft hand with seasoning.

    Julian Serrano - The Hispanic heritage of Senor Serrano is front and center, but all with a difference. The reds and golds you might expect in the decor have a new lightness, as does the food. A prawn gazpacho or a spicy chicken croquette are just two of the delights.  Tapas in the bar, as well.

    Beso - Eva Longoria's Mexican-styled steakhouse is a hit in L.A., so why not Vegas? Two places for one: a sexy upstairs disco and a boldly flavoured downstairs restaurant that does damn fine things to a cow.

    Bar Masa - Masayoshi Takayama redefined fine sushi dining for NY with his Masa. Now he does the same for Las Vegas with a daringly bold open room that puts the emphasis on his superb food, like his daringly overstuffed tuna maki rolls.

    I think I'm going to stop now before I get faint with hunger.  Anyway, I've got to do my interviews with Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Libeskind and Eva Longoria and then get ready to party like it's 2009.  Oh, it is.

    That's Richard's last post for today. (Slacker!). Here's his stuff from earlier:

    Okay, this is a crazy city. I think most people would admit that. But it was looking unusually wacky when I went on an early morning walk. The temperature was about 8 C. I know it's a lot better than -4 in Toronto, but nobody here seemed to know how to dress for it. I saw some people in shorts and t-shirts, others bundled up with scarves and mittens and only a few dressed sensibly (as I was, of course) in a light jacket.

    But the insane part is that everybody acted like they had made the right choice. The t-shirt crowd weren't shivering; the ski bunnies weren't wiping away beads of sweat. I guess that's life down here: you make a choice and stay with it.

    A choice that the city fathers seem to have made is re-designing the streets so it's impossible to walk up and down the Strip without going through a series of stairs and bridges that amount to a mini aerobic workout. (Okay, nobody told me to eat bacon and eggs before I set out on my walk.) And just try to cross Las Vegas Blvd. at certain points. I simply wanted to go to a discount drug store and buy a Lip Balm that wouldn't cost me $5, like in the average hotel sundry shoppe, but as I looked up and down the Blvd., I realized I either had to go a quarter mile out of my way or cross illegally.

    So I crossed illegally and suddenly a policeman appeared to tell me I had done wrong. Have you ever seen a policeman in Las Vegas? I swear this is the first one I've ever met there! I apologized and told him I was from Canada, where everybody was so easygoing that we just crossed whenever and wherever we felt like. He let me go.

    Accessing the rest of Las Vegas from City Center, BTW, is a tricky proposition as well. A long, long, long corridor will take you from one end of Vdara, over a bridge to the extreme end of the Bellagio, but it seems like the kind of secret route that they used to smuggle Allied prisoners out during WWII. Or you can look for the entrance to the Mandarin Oriental, cross over another bridge, walk through the Crystals shopping center (see photo), out through Aria and back home.

    Crystals.jpeg Only this morning, all of those entrances were closed because they were preparing for the big opening press conference which takes place any minute. I knew I had to get back to my room to write this, so once again I threw myself on the mercy of the powers that be. This time, however, I evoked a word even more powerful than "Canadian," which was....."Media."

    So it's off to the press conference, then a tasting at three different restaurants for lunch. I'll report to you again about both events (as well as a recap of where I ate yesterday), before I start an "only in Las Vegas" series of interviews this afternoon: Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Libeskind and Eva Longoria. (No, not all at the same time!)

    That was Richard's mid-afternoon (Toronto time) file. Below is his first blog item of the day. He's nothing if not prolific!

    I must have been to Las Vegas two dozen times in the past 10 years, but blame Celine Dion and all those Cirque du Soleil shows rather than a gambling problem. Okay, here's my deep, dark secret. I play the penny slots and usually come home $45-$100 to the good. There. I've said it and I feel a lot better. But over the decade, I've stayed at all the major hotels including the newest ones and eaten at all the best restaurants.

    All of this is to lay down some street cred when I tell you that I have been blown away by the 18 hours I've been at the new City Center development so far.

    It really is a whole new Las Vegas. Some might call it "kinder, gentler", but I prefer to think of it as cool and classy. Hey, not one of the three new hotels now open is trying to look like another city or country. Audible sigh of relief. I wasn't really looking forward to the Luxembourg Hotel, Spa, Casino and Jellied Suckling Pig Restaurant.

    Anyway, I'm staying at the Vdara, which opened two weeks ago. It's a 100% non-smoking, non-gaming building. Pinch yourself. Yup. it's still Las Vegas. I kind of feel like I've gone to heaven, only there's room service. Everyone is unfailingly polite, cheerful even, and the rooms have to be seen to be appreciated. Every one is a suite. And I mean a real suite. Not just the lets-add-a-sofa-and-a-coffee-table-and-call-it-a-suite kind of room. Nope. There's a full sitting room, kitchen, dining area, separate bedroom and great big bathroom including a tub that all 6'l" of me can stretch out in.

    And the service! Room service breakfast this morning brought a waiter who had a toaster with him. He plugged it in to my kitchen and toasted my English Muffins while laying out the rest of the meal. Goodbye, sogginess.

    What's this cost? Jim has been letting you know how sweet Vegas deals are these days, but according to travelexpert.ca, you can get rooms on the Strip for as little as $29 Canadian. Hotels.ca was listing a deluxe room at the Vdara for $137 Canadian.

    I also took a tour of the Aria which has also redefined the Vegas hotel experience. Wood, glass, metal, stone. Real works of art. Clean air. One-touch computers in your room that work the lights, temperature, music, TV, DVD, etc. all from your bedside. And a whole new fibre optics system that delivers wireless internet at eight times the speed of normal hotels. Sweet.

    The sun has just risen here in Las Vegas so I'm going outside to see how the city is waking up on this very important day. Big Press conference at 11:00 AM local time, giant party starting at 7:30 PM. I've put my dibs in for a dance with Eva Longoria, who's going to be there. Hey, I had dinner at her restaurant, Beso, last night, so I figure we have a lot to talk about.

Thanks for that, Richard. And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming from Jim, who's had plenty of nice trips this year but still wishes he was in Vegas to check out City Center.

ZAGAT'S VANCOUVER VISH LIST

Okay, pardon the really bad headline. But Zagat today issued its new Vancouver 2010 guide in advance of the Winter Olympic Games, and there's plenty to consider if you're headed out for the Olympics. Or just for fun some other time.

The publication says the Games have helped keep Vancouver on top of its culinary game despite the recession, with such new spots as db Bistro Moderne (chef Daniel Boulud) and Market by Jean-Georges (chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten). Downtown, they singled out Miku, Voya at the Loden Hotel (I had an AMAZING dinner and fab drinks at the Loden a year and a bit ago), as well as The Edge and The Refinery. On the West Side, they singled out Gastropod, Maenam and Trattoria Italian Kitchen, which is a wonderful spot on 4th Avenue that's hugely popular with young folks.

(Funny,  I saw nothing about Beard Papa, the suburban chain that serves dreamy cream puffs. But that's their loss.)

On the bargain side, Zagat's mentioned Nat's New York Pizzeria, Cru and Pied-a-Terre, as well as Mis Trucos and Cafe Barcelona and the soon-to-open Judas Goat (how do you mention a place that isn't serving food yet, I don't know).

The winner for overall top food was La Belle Auberge, located way out in Ladner. Vij's in Vancouver, profiled by the Star's Adrian Brijbassi in the Star Travel section not too long ago, was named Most Popular. Top Decor award went to Seasons in the Park, while top service went to Bishop's. Up in Whistler, top food award was given to Bear Foot Bistro, while the Keg was named most popular, which says something about Whistler but I'm not quite sure what.

The Opus Bar at the lovely and trendy Opus Hotel was named most popular nightspot, while Stanley Park (duh) was named most popular attraction. A personal fave, The Wickaninnish Inn near Tofino, also was singled out as a top hotel on Vancouver Island. I had a superb meal and a fabulous room there in September, along with the best massage of my life. I damn near proposed to the girl after she was finished rubbing my neck and back and fingers and toes.

WEST JET: KITCHENER to VANCOUVER

WestJet today unveiled its flight schedule for the summer of 2010, featuring five new routes and expanded service on 19 trans-border and international routes. The summer schedule includes new, non-stop service between Kitchener-Waterloo and Vancouver, Toronto and Puerto Vallarta, Vancouver and San Francisco (a popular Air Canada route), Edmonton and Kamloops and Edmonton and San Francisco.

Kitchener-Waterloo to Vancouver is a godsend for folks live out there and want to avoid Pearson and the Toronto traffic. Or even if you're in Hamilton or London or anywhere west of Mississauga, really.

WestJet also says a bunch of seasonal routes will become year-round, including Toronto to Atlantic City, Miami, Puerto Plata, Bridgetown, Cayo Coco, Varadero, Turks and Caicos, St. Maarten, St. Lucia and Cancun.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

Up to 40% off - Sun destinations on sale with Air Canada (Havana, Nassau, Mexico...)

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$199 - Toronto to Santa Clara, Cuba, return flight in early January ($403 w/tax)

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DREAMING OF BOEING

Good reports out of Seattle yesterday on the new 787 Dreamliner, which had its first foray into the skies. It's been plagued by delays, but the successful first flight is good news for Boeing, for the air industry in general and for Air Canada and its customers in particular.

Air Canada has ordered 37 of the new planes, which are smaller (210 to 290 seats) and more nimble than some of the bigger planes out there like the A-380 or the Boeing 777, which seats 349. The thought is that Air Canada will use them to reach countries like China with routes that wouldn't be economical with the bigger planes.

There's talk of Vancouver to Guangzhou by 2011. There also are suggestions that the 787 would give Air Canada more options for increasing Toronto-Shanghai and Toronto-Beijing flights on a year-round basis, according to the Globe and Mail.

The first 787 isn't slated to go into commercial service until late next year, likely in Japan. So don't expect to see any of these babies flying over the skies of Toronto any time soon.