A little used-way to save money on air fares ... United's new bag delivery scheme

I've done this several times before, but a story I spotted this morning out of Dallas made for a good reminder.

One way you can save a bit (sometimes more) on a long-distance air fare is to buy separate tickets.  This works particularly well if you're headed to a smaller destination in Europe or to a far-flung part of the Caribbean. Also to South America and sometimes Asia.

The thing to remember is that there are often are great deals at OTHER airports than Toronto; particularly some in the U.S. and in Europe. Rather than fly, say, Air Canada to London and then on to, say, Prague, you could look at a cheap flight out of London to Prague (see photo) on something like Ryan Air or another discount carrier, and then buy a ticket to London.

Better deals, I think, are often out of New York. That doesn't always work so well for flights to Europe, but it can if the New York-Europe ticket is discounted enough to get you to fly (or even drive) to New York or Newark. It can work quite well on a trip to South America out of New York, or to some Caribbean spots with deals. Likewise, you can fly to some Caribbean spots or South America via Miami.

It also can work if you want to go to Hawaii, as there have been good deals out of Oakland and San Francisco and Los Angeles of late. Ditto for the occasional sale out of L.A. to New Zealand or Australia. If you have Aeroplan points, you might be able to fly to L.A. for the $100 or so you'll get charged by Aeroplan, and then get a $1,200 ticket (or so) to Australia.

UNITED BAG SERVICE

Here's a clever idea. Travelmole.com reports United Airlines has launched a new VIP baggage service, allowing flyers "to avoid luggage lines and have their bags delivered directly to their final destinations."

It would save a hassle if you can afford the fees: $29.95 for one bag, $39.95 for two and $49.95 for three to eight bags. The latter would be handy for a big family that doesn't want to bother waiting around for their bags.

Sadly, the place I know of with the LONGEST WAITS IN THE WORLD for bags, that being Pearson here in Toronto, isn't part of his program.

The new service, called Bags VIP, will first be available to customers departing from any US airport and heading to Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles or Orlando. The bags can be delivered anywhere within 100 miles, and United says it plans to expand the service to nearly 200 airports in the coming months.

I can see this being pretty useful if you're a business person and you have to get to a meeting fast and don't want to wait for the carousel to spit out your suitcase. Maybe not as much for average travelers, but worth considering....

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a Discover Imperial Beijing, China tour on offer. A package from Tour East Holidays, it goes for $1,199 plus $600 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Savings of up to $2300 per couple, compared to what you'd pay had you booked your air, accommodations and tours separately!
• 9-day/7-night tour of Beijing, including visits to the Temple of Heaven, the Imperial Palace, the Great Wall of China, and more
• Includes single-entry China Visa (valued at $115) and gratuities for local driver & guide (valued at $85)
• Includes round-trip, direct flight with Air Canada from Toronto or Vancouver, to Beijing, airport/hotel transfers in China, and all transfers throughout the tour
• Includes 18 meals throughout the tour (as indicated in itinerary below)
• Accommodations are in 4-star hotels, and are based on double occupancy
• Includes accompaniment of an English-speaking guide and all required entrance fees (as per itinerary)

• Fly direct to Beijing, and if you're an Aeroplan member, collect points
• Visit the Great Wall of China - one of the Seven Wonders of the World
• Taste your way through the country from traditional teahouses to Donghuamen Snack Street

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on April 3, 2013 departure
• Pricing (per person, plus tax):
  
  Toronto
  Single: $1499
  Double: $1199
  Tax: $650
  
  Vancouver
  Single: $1499
  Double: $1199
  Tax: $600

 

 

 

Dominican Republic visits soar/Ontarians plan to travel in 2013/Deal of the Day

I reported the other day that visits to Jamaica rose a couple percentage points last year. Nice, but not nearly as good as the Dominican Republic.

One of Canada's favourite getaway spots in the Caribbean, the D.R. saw its tourism numbers grow 6.6 per cent last year, beating forecasts for the country and the region, Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia said this week.

Garcia said more than 4.6 million visitors flocked to the beaches and cities and mountains (okay, mostly the beaches) of the D.R. last year. He's hoping to reach 10 million in the next 10 years, a fairly tall order.

I haven't seen figures to verify this, but Garcia said world tourism grew about 4 per cent last year and Caribbean tourism was up 4.8 per cent. He said that 2012 marked the second straight year that the D.R. has led the Caribbean in tourism growth.

There's certainly no shortage of excellent places to stay for folks of all budget ranges. Students make a habit of spring break trips to the D.R. for excellent package deals, while adults can find solitude and fabulous golf courses and beaches in places like Punta Cana, Cap Cana and Casa de Campo, home of the famed Teeth of the Dog golf course.

ONTARIO FOLKS WILL HIT THE ROAD IN 2013

Good news for the Ontario tourism industry. A recent Thomas Cook Travel poll conducted by Decima/Harris found that 73 per cent of Ontarians plan to take a family holiday in 2013. Six out of ten Ontario folks surveyed said they'd spend less on entertainment this year (sorry, Cineplex) so they can their families on a vacation.

Just so you know, 93 per cent of Ontarians rated the safety of a destination/resort as an important factor when making their holiday plans. Seventy seven per cent rated the food selection in restaurants as an important factor in enjoying their vacation, while 67 per cent rated the size of their resort room as an important factor.

In the U.S., a USA Today/Gallup poll in late December found that nearly three quarters of Americans plan to vacation at least 100 miles from home this year, up from 60 per cent who said they did so in 2012. A whopping 94 per cent said they plan to travel within the US, mostly to a lake or a beach. About one third plan trips both within and outside the U.S., however, and 36 per cent said of those taking a vacation plan to pack a passport.

That's a fairly high number for American tourists, actually, and is perhaps encouraging for the Canadian tourism market. Asked where they'd go with their passports, about a third said Europe, with Italy and Ireland leading the pack.

USA Today recently listed its five "buzz-worthy" destinations for 2013. They were Burma (a growing tourism market puts this on many year-end/look-ahead lists), Florida (celebrating the 500th year since its discovery by Europeans), Gettysburg in Pennsylvania (150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address and the awful Gettysburg Civil War battle), Hawaii (the most popular spot mentioned by folks who took the survey, and understandably so) and Ireland (celebrating a tourism plan called The Gathering 2013).

THIS AND THAT

Fairmont has opened Fairmont The Palm on the Palm Jumeirah hotel, the tree-shaped island in Dubai that's said to be the largest man-made island in the world (see photo at right). There are 381 guest rooms and suites on the property, which looks quite lovely ... The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel welcomed WestJet's inaugural flight from Ottawa to Southwest Florida International Airport just before Christmas. The new service will oeprate once a week every Saturday until April 27, departing Ottawa at 8:45 and arriving in Florida at 12:22 p.m. ... Resorts Casino Hotel is spending $60 million on renovations and expansion in Atlantic City in the first half of 2013. In addition to a $35 million Jummy Buffett-themed Margaritaville complex, Resorts also is renovating hotel rooms and bathrooms, adding a food court and new VIP players clubs, as well as making other changes.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has the following deal available for a winter getaway to sunny Cuba. Check www.jaunt.ca for this and other deals.

Jaunt Highlights

• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 5-star Memories Azul Beach Resort, located in Cayo Santa Maria.
• Includes return airfare from Toronto ( other departures available) to Santa Clara and round-trip airport/hotel transfers in Cuba
• Accommodations in a Junior Suite Balcony, featuring 1 King or 2 3/4 beds and balcony (Maximum occupancy: 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children)
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

• Part of Sunwing's Family Collection
• There are facilities for all ages, including special pools for children and infants, as well as a mini-club for children
• Enjoy 3 guaranteed a la carte reservations, picnic lunch, and a welcome cocktail

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates:
  Toronto: January 31 & February  01, 03, 06, 2013
  Ottawa: January 30 & February 03, 13 2013
  Montreal: February 01, 02, 08, 09, 2013
  Calgary: February 02 & 09, 2013
  Vancouver: January 31 & February 14, 21, 2013
  Winnipeg: February 01 & 15, 2013

Pricing (Rates are per person):

Toronto:
Single: $789
Double: $649
Triple: $629
Child (2-12 yrs): $379
Tax: $290

Ottawa:
Single: $839
Double: $699
Triple: $679
Child (2-12 yrs): $379
Tax: $285

Montreal:
Single: $1129
Double: $989
Triple: $969
Child (2-12 yrs): $679
tax included

Calgary:
Single: $1009
Double: $869
Triple: $849
Child (2-12 yrs): $379
Tax: $291

Vancouver:
Single: $1019
Double: $879
Triple: $859
Child (2-12 yrs): $379
Tax: $286

Winnipeg:
Single: $989
Double: $849
Triple: $829
Child (2-12 yrs): $379
Tax: $286

 

 

Sliding Euro makes this a great time to see Europe ... Kudos for Toronto travel

A couple of things worth keeping an eye on if you're even THINKING about a trip to Europe.

Number one is that the Euro, used in almost all European countries (but not the UK, too bad for us) has fallen quite sharply against the dollar in the last while. It was up around $1.40 a year or two ago, and was then down around $1.35 against the Canadian buck for most of 2012.

I checked today and it's all the way down $1.29, which makes a visit all the more attractive. I also spotted an item on Travel Weekly that says tour operators have cut prices from a modest two per cent to a whopping 18 per cent for 2013.

TW said that according to a survey of members of the U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA), the top emerging destination for 2013 is Myanmar (aka Burma), "the Southeast Asian nation that is emerging from seclusion after years of military rule."

Abercrombie & Kent has seen Myanmar bookings increase more than 80% in 2012 compared with 2011, Travel Weekly said. But with few new hotels coming this year, availability is a challenge.

Other off-the-beaten-path destinations USTOA members see gaining in popularity in 2013 are Vietnam, India, Peru, Cambodia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador, the publication said.

As for Europe, I've seen hotels in Lisbon and Madrid going for crazy-good prices on hotels.com. It's easy to find a ton of three-star and four-star and even occasionally five-star hotels for $100 a night or a bit more. You can find good prices in London, too; often three or four-star places for around $150/night.

The secret is to travel in the off-season. January is a great month for Europe. Sure, it might be cold but the cafes and pubs and museums will be open and if you're not looking to get a tan on the Spanish Steps in Rome (see photo above right) does it really matter if it's 10 degrees in Italy or 20? March and even April aren't bad, either, with probably warmer weather and still reasonable prices.

KUDOS FOR TORONTO TOURISM/TRAVEL

I see that Conde Nast Traveler has named good old T.O. as one of its five "must-see" destinations for 2013.

Funny, but I made the same point in today's paper, citing Toronto's tremendous hotel growth as a factor.

CN Traveler made a similar point. Here's what they had to say about the Big Smoke: "the thrills in Toronto come from the stunning architecture, diverse array of restaurants, and energetic arts and cultural scene. The restaurant scene has really taken off in recent years, with New York's famous chef David Chang just opening a new outpost of his Momofuku empire. Plus, this city has some hot new hotels."

So there you have it. Tourism Toronto folks were understandably chuffed at the news, as the Conde Nast bit also went out on the Today Show on New Year's Day on NBC television in the U.S. (and here, of course).

The other four spots mentioned by Conde Nast? Seoul, Amsterdam, Nashville and New Orleans. I mentioned New Orleans as one of my hot spots for 2013, as well, plus Ireland, The Philippines, Florida (celebrating its first 500 years) and Spain/Portugal/Greece.

 

 

 

 

Canada ranks 18th in world as tourism brand; USA takes home the gold medal

Earlier this year, a group called Future Brand released its annual "Country Brand Index" that rates countries according to their key attributes. They gave Canada the number two spot on the planet in terms of a tourism brand, putting behind only Switzerland.

The third, fourth and fifth spots in the Future Brand report went to Japan, Sweden and New Zealand.

It was a slight drop for Canada, as we finished tops in the Country Brand Index in 2010 and 2011.

But now there's a new report out by a compnay called Bloom Consulting, called the Country Branding Ranking. It would require a degree in something I don't understand to figure out how it's different from Future Brand's report, but one thing they say is that take a ton of factors into account and also that they're the only ones in this business (and I guess there is one) that takes tourist demand into account.

Readers of this blog will remember, perhaps, that Canada has slipped a fair bit in terms of international arrivals the last few years and is no longer in the top ten. Canada ranked seventh in international arrivals in 2007, but the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) recently stated we're now 18th.

And 18th is exactly where we stand in the world in the new Bloom Consulting report, which attempts to measure how much revenue a country could potentially add to its economy via trade and tourism.

Anyway, for what it's worth, here's the Bloom report's top 20:

1. United States 2. Spain 3. France 4. China 5. Turkey 6. Thailand 7. Germany 8. Macau 9. United Kingdom 10. Australia 11. Austria 12. Italy 13. Hong Kong 14. Malaysia 15. Netherlands 16. Mexico 17. Switzerland 18. Canada 19. Croatia 20. Russian Federation

So at least we finished ahead of Russia. Let's hope that continues at the World Junior Hockey Championships, eh?

Here are a few other notables: 21. Portugal, 233. India, 24. Greece 25. Republic of Korea 28. Japan 32. Ireland.

The bottom ten? Here ya go: 152. Tajikistan (there goes my holiday plan) 153. Swaziland 154. Federation States of Micronesia 155. Sao Tome and Principe 156. Djibouti 157. Tonga 158. Kiribati 159. Papua New Guinea 160. Burundi and, at the bottom: 161. Marshall Islands (see photo at left, which looks pretty damn good to me).

Asia had eight countries in the top 25. Japan wasn't in that group due to the residual effects of the tsunami.

I don't remember seeing this report last year, but I found a website that shows the 2011 Bloom rankings, and Canada was 23rd. So I guess we're moving in the right direction. The U.S. was first last year as well, followed by Spain, France, Germany and the UK.

Bloom on Thursday also released a U.S. state by state analysis (plus D.C., for 51 ranking spots). Tops was California, no surprise given the plethora of things to do, followed by Florida and New York. Illinois was fourth and then it went Texas, Michigan (good to see), Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Colorado.

The bottom five were: 47. Kansas 48. Vermont (a surprise to me) 49. West Virginia 50. Rhode Island and 51. Delaware. Poor Delaware. Makes me think I should do a trip there sometime and see for myself.

DO WE HATE OUR FAMILIES OR SOMETHING?

Geez. A study by Cheapflights.ca finds that more than 80 per cent of Canadians want to travel tos ee family this Christmas, but less than 30 per cent have actually made travel plans.

Given the economy that might not be surprising.

Based on answers from more than 400 Canadians, the survey also found that just over 18 per cent of us wish we could travel to ESCAPE our family, though only 3.2 per cent of us actually are doing so.

Parents and children topped the list of fave family members to see, while in-laws, shockingly, were at the bottom, with less than two per cent of folks having them on their holiday travel wish-list.

More than 12 per cent of survey respondents said they will avoid seeing their brother or sister. But, just to end this on a nice note, 23 per cent said there were NO relatives they wanted to avoid.

HOTEL OMNI MONT-ROYAL IMPROVEMENTS

The folks at the Hotel Omni Mont-Royal (in Montreal, of course) say they've undergone a "spectacular" $20 million transformation.

Officials said it involved a "complete re-design and refurbishment of its facilities, including all 200 guest rooms and suites" and a new lobby, which now features "an upscale lounge bar and restaurant."

Other amenities include an outdoor pool (for summer, naturally) and "state of the art" fitness centre. They also have added Italian marble bathrooms and 42-inch LCD flat screen TV's.

They say rooms have views of either Mont-Royal Park or the Montreal skyline.

AIR CANADA ADDS VIRTUAL HOLD

This oughta help a few folks. Air Canada sent me a note today to say that what they call "virtual hold" has now rolled out at their call centres in Canada and the U.S. and is currently offered for general reservations and web support services.

“"With this new product, customers are now given an estimated wait time and the option of a call-back rather than remaining on hold," officials said.

Here's what they said about it in an employee newsletter: "Virtual Hold certainly helps alleviate customer frustration from being on hold indefinitely.  The estimated wait time information and option to continue on hold or have a call-back is very much appreciated by our customers - especially during irregular operations. Our IT team worked tirelessly for several months upon months to overcome the multiple challenges of installing new technology on a legacy phone system. The next step is to add a service where customers can schedule a call back time. Call Centres continues to focus on reducing the amount of time customers wait with ongoing hiring and implementation of technology and process improvements."

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a two-for-one Avalon River Cruise special that's exclusive to Jaunt. It's a cruise through central Europe's capital cities on the Avalon Tranquility and it's going for $1,633 plus $133 in taxes for a total of $1,766.

Here are the highlights:

• BONUS: Two for One: for every one person (paid in full), the second traveller's cruise is FREE (reflected in the pricing)
• 12-day River Cruise and stay along the Danube River, starting in Budapest and ending in Prague
• Includes the following ports of call with daily sightseeing programs in: Budapest, Hungary; Bratislava, Slovakia; Vienna, Austria; Krems, Austria; Melk, Austria; Grein, Austria; Passau, Germany; and Prague, Czech Republic
• Accommodations in a Deluxe Outside Stateroom, located on the Indigo Deck (Category E) featuring twin windows. Upgraded cabin categories with French Balconies available at 1.855.GO.JAUNT
• Includes all meals on the ship, complimentary sparkling wine with breakfast, soft drinks with lunch, and wine, beer, or soft drinks with dinner
• 2 nights' accommodations in Prague at the InterContinental

More details:

• For every traveller paid in full another traveller's cruise is free
• The tour employs local guides so you have the best exposure to the places visited
• The cruise visits renowned capitals and lesser known destinations

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on April 11, 2013 sailing
• Pricing (per person, based on double occupancy, plus port charges)
  
  Deluxe Outside Stateroom (Category E)
  $1632.50 per person, double occupancy
  Tax: $133
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

 

New Fantasyland at Disney World Florida opens today ... Kudos for Porter Air

It's a pretty big deal for Disney lovers. And there are a few of them.

The new Fantasyland opens at Walt Disney World today, with several major changes. There's a new, updated Dumbo, a "Be Our Guest" restaurant with a Beauty and the Beast theme and a new adventure based on Ariel from The Little Mermaid, my personal favourite Disney movie aside from Peter Pan (and aren't you glad you asked?)

Star travel correspondent Heather Greenwood Davis got a preview the other day and reports in today's Star that the new Fantasyland features "lush trees, gardens, waterfalls and brightly coloured attractions."

I think it was probably about time for a refreshment. Just don't mess with the Carousel of Progress or Tom Sawyer Island....

PORTER RATES HIGHLY

Porter Airlines, based here in Toronto of course, came out smelling sweet in the Conde Nast Traveler magazine ratings for 2012. CNT readers voted Porter the second best small airline in the world and rated it fourth overall on the planet. And that's pretty heady company.

Tops in the rating was Singapore Airlines at 86.5. Next was Emirates at 84.2. I've never flown Singapore Airlines but I was overwhelmed by my service with Emirates a couple years when I went to Dubai, so I can only imagine how good Singapore must be.

Third overall, and tops in the small airlines category, was OpenSkies, which is affiliated with British Airways. Open Skies came in at with an 82.2 mark, while Porter was at 80.4.

I didn't see an Air Canada rating but WestJet was rated third best small airline with a rating of 58.5 - far below Porter.

AIR WARS IN CANADA

A report on travelmole.com says WestJet won the "load factor sweepstakes" for the month of November. Which is a fun way to look at it (at least for the winner).

WestJet filled a record 82.6 per cent of its seats in November, a jump of 4.9 percentage points from the previous record set in November, 2010.

Over at Air Canada (known by WestJetters as the Evil Empire, I suspect), the November load factor was 78.1 per cent, an increase of 2.2 percentage points over last year and its second highest ever for November traffic. Which is a pretty solid silver medal finish.

Over at Porter Airlines, meanwhile, things were pretty tough. The upstart from Toronto saw its load factor plunge by 11.4 points to 54.5 per cent.

Travelmole said that Porter’s steep drop "is the price it is paying to seek out higher yields" and that "frequent seat sales helped drive loads higher last year.

“We are encouraged to see passenger yield improve significantly from recent months,” said Porter President & CEO Robert Deluce. “Advance bookings for December are tracking well compared to last year, and the entire winter season has strong early trends.”

WestJet flew about 114,000 more passengers last month than in November, 2011.

At AC, system traffic increased 4.6 per cent, led by increases in traffic of 6.9 per cent in Asia Pacific markets, and of 7 per cent overall in the Australia, Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America markets.

WestJet, by the way, is due to take delivery of its 100th Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft on Friday.

MORE MYRTLE OPTIONS

Spirit Airlines has moved up its schedule for flights from the U.S. northeast and midwest to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The low-cost airline says it will begin two weekly nonstop flights between Myrtle Beach and Niagara Falls, New York/Toronto (it's a stretch to call Niagara Falls New York part of the Toronto area, but can't blame them for trying I guess) starting February 15, 2013, with service increasing to four weekly flights on April 25, 2013

 

 

Air Canada push into Asia...Venice under water...WestJet self-serve bag tags

It's being called Air Canada's biggest international expansion ever.

The airline today announced a huge push into Asia, which has been on just about everybody's radar the last couple years. Air Canada said it's launching a new, non-stop route between Toronto and the booming Korean city of Seoul (see photo below right), beginning service to Istanbul, Turkey, subject to government approval, adding seven weekly departures to Beijing from Toronto and Vancouver and upgrading its Calgary-Tokyo Narita route to provide daily service (up from five a week in summer).

"Air Canada is seizing the opportunities of the Pacific Century with the most far-reaching international expansion of its schedule in its 75-year history," said Ben Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "Our new routes embrace the world from Istanbul to Seoul and deepen our already extensive Asian service. With our Asia expansion alone, we will be flying 11 daily departures or more than 43,000 seats a week across the Pacific Ocean this summer - a commitment of up to 14 widebody aircraft valued in excess of $2 billion. Our service to Istanbul, the bridge between Europe and Asia, adds an exciting destination to the Air Canada network with easy connections throughout Turkey and points in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa with our Star Alliance partner Turkish Airlines."

Highlights of Air Canada's 2013 summer schedule include:

• Non-stop service to Istanbul beginning June 4. Subject to government approval, Air Canada will begin flying three-times weekly, year-round to the historic city which also serves as a gateway to other destinations in Turkey, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Flights will be operated with a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. It will be the only early evening departure from Toronto to Istanbul.
  
  
• The launch on June 2 of a new Toronto-Seoul service operating three times a week, creating a fifth Asian destination from Air Canada's Toronto hub. The year-round service, operated with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, will complement existing Vancouver to Seoul service by providing daily departures from Canada to Seoul.
  
  
• An addition of three more weekly departures between Toronto and Beijing starting June 1, bringing the total number of departures from Toronto to Beijing to ten a week. The flights will be operated with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft
  
  
• Four additional departures each week between Vancouver and Beijing starting June 1, for a total of 11 weekly departures, including a new late night flight timed to be convenient for business travellers. The flights will be operated with a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.
  
  
• The upgrading of our Calgary-Tokyo Narita service starting May 1 to offer daily departures, up from five a week last summer. The flights are operated with a Boeing 767-300ER.

Seoul is particularly hot right now given the Gangnam Style song performed by Korean singer Psy. It's a huge internet sensation, which you must know unless you're living in a cave in Macedonia. In which case you probably wouldn't be reading this...

Very solid stuff, indeed for Air Canada. And don't forget Air Canada next year is supposed to start up its new, discount carrier with expanded options for the Caribbean and other popular spots. WestJet also will be starting up its new, regional carrier, called Encore, sometime around June of 2013.

In a related note, I read a Bloomberg report the other day that said Philippine billionaire Andrew Tan plans to spend $1.5 billion to triple his Alliance Global Group Inc's hotel rooms and become the nation's largest hotel owner; part of the Philippines' attempt to lure more tourists.

Philippine Air Lines is launching new service between Manila and Toronto as part of that push...

VENICE SUBMERGED?

Around 70 per cent of central Venice is underwater with heavy rain and winds resulting in the sixth highest tide levels since 1872, according to Travelmole.com.

Italian news reports said north and central Italy was also affected with some 200 people evacuated from
their homes in Tuscany. Tourists in Venice were resorting to waterproof "Wellie" boots and swimwear while most tourist hotspots were deserted.

The water levels rose to critical levels at the weekend with reports that 70% of central Venice was under water as the high tide mark reached more than 150cm, reports the Daily Mail.

Although flooding is common at this time of year, this is the sixth-highest since records began being kept 150 years ago. Some holidaymakers were seen wading through nearly waist-high waters carrying suitcases on their shoulders.

WEST JET SELF-SERVE BAG TAGS

 

They're selling this as an improvement? WestJet this week introduced self-serve bag tagging for guests flying to the U.S. from Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal; making it the first Canadian airline to introduce self-serve baggage tagging on non-stop, transborder flights.

"Self-serve baggage tagging allows WestJet guests to use mobile, web or kiosk check-in to check in for their flight and print their own baggage tags when they arrive at the airport. Guests checking in via kiosk may print their boarding passes and baggage tags at the same time. Once the tags have been attached, guests drop baggage off at the appropriate location."

A WestJet press release called the move "yet another milestone in our efforts to offer our guests additional self-serve options." A senior manager was quoted as saying guests are comfortable with self-serve options "and continue to encourage us to develop new tools to allow them more control over thier travel experience."

MORE CONTROL of our travel experience??? I want control of my in-flight entertainment. I want control of where I go. I don't want control over printing my baggage tags. Who wants that? Did people really write in and say, "Boy, I'd fly more often if I could just avoid having to have that person behind the counter print my bag tags for me."

I don't think so. Should I get ready to start hauling my bags to the plane or maybe help stack them inside the cargo hold, too? Do I have to help refuel the plane when we stop in Miami?

People don't want LESS service. They want MORE service.

MIAMI ART SHOW

A Martin Kreloff retrospective is being held at the JW Marriott Hotel Miami to usher in Miami's Art Basel week. The exhibition runs Dec. 3-9 and features portraits and a multimedia documents with photos and video.

The exhibition features portraits and photographs of the original "Miami Says ART" show in 1976, including such folks as Alex Katz and Gloria Vanderbilt.

 

 

You have to think they’re not hockey or basketball fans. Or soccer enthusiasts, for that matter.

The folks at Travelzoo Inc. released its 2012 Travelzoo Awards list on Thursday and there was a rather large surprise in the category of “Best Overall Provider of Entertainment Experiences in Canada.” The winner? Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

I had to give my head a shake. At first I thought it was an award for “best condo builder.” But no. Then I thought it was “most outrageously profitable entertainment experiences where fans are continually hosed by owners who don’t care if their teams win.” But no. It was “best overall provider of entertainment experiences.” IN ALL OF CANADA!!

MLSE? The folks who struggle to put even a mediocre product on the ice and the basketball court and the soccer pitch? The laughingstock of North American sports? The organization that's part of a league that isn't even playing this fall?

You gotta be kidding me. Yes, Real Sports is a great sports bar. Yes, the Raptors dance pack features some pretty hot routines. And yes, the Raptor himself continues to dazzle (I think, I haven’t seen a game in a couple years).

But this is an organization that has run Toronto FC into the ground and can’t field a hockey playoff team and a basketball team that's consistently below average with a general manager that is riding on his success in Phoenix a century or two ago.

Good concerts at the ACC? Maybe that’s what did it, but not if you judge that category by the feedback from fans at this week’s mysterious Bob Dylan show.

The other Canadian categories in the Travelzoo awards were for best overall provider of Airfare (Porter), best overall provider of hotel deals (Sutton Place, Vancouver, which is often on sale on various websites) and best provider of vacation and cruise packaging (Cruise Connections, Inc.).

 

QUEBEC CITY HOTELS KICK BUTT

Congrats to Quebec City for having the highest rated hotels in the U.S. and Canada.

CheapHotels.org released a survey this week of 30 destinations north and south of the border. It was based on evaluations written by customers over the past 12 months following their stays.

To ensure proper comparisons, the study was based only on 3-star hotels (the kind most of us stay in most often) in the city centre. Two booking sites, Expedia and Priceline, served as the aggregator from which reviews were drawn.

The winner, with 75 per cent positive reviews, was Quebec City. Next was Washington D.C. at 73, followed by Chicago (72) and a tie between Boston and Montreal at 71. So, good on La Belle Province for a great showing.

The bottom five were Las Vegas (61), Honolulu (59), Ottawa (a terrible 57 score), Atlantic City (56) and, at the very bottom, Miami at 54.

Sounds like theirs food for thought down Florida way….

For the record, Toronto was pretty much in the middle (slightly above average) at 67, one spot behind Niagara Falls (68), although the study doesn’t say whether that’s the U.S. or Canadian side of the falls.

New York City was at 65.

 

THIS AND THAT

Fairmont is opening its first-ever property in the Philippines, which seem to be getting more and more travel press these days. The Fairmont Makati opens Dec. 3 in Metro Manila. Fairmont Makati will have 280 rooms and suites with a Filipino design. The tower housing the Makati also is home to the 32-room, all-suite Raffles Makati and to condos under the Raffles Residences brand. Raffles is a sister brand of Fairmont under the parent company Fairmont Raffles Hotels International … Kudos to Cabot Links on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia for being named best new golf course by SCOREGolf. It’s a no-brainer, really, as it’s by far the best new course opened in this country in some time. It’s a true links course, the only one in Canada, and it’s absolutely marvelous.

 

More top American cities in Travel + Leisure survey; what about Canada?

More today from the recent issue of Travel + Leisure, which each year ranks American cities in various categories. As I mentioned on Friday, New Orleans took the overall top city trophy this year, and it's hard to argue with that.

Here are some other categories from the survey:

Top City for Friendly People: Nashville

Top City for Attractive People: Miami (see South Beach photo at right)

Top City for Tech-Savvy Folks (what a dull category that is): Seattle

Top City for Stylish People: New York

Top City for Barbecue: Kansas City

Top City for Pizza: Chicago

Top City for Fine Dining: Charleston

Top City for Ethnic Food: San Francisco

Top City for Microbrew Beer: Portland, Oregon

Top City for Cocktail Lounges: Las Vegas

Top City for Sports Bars: Chicago

Top City for Museums/Galleries: Washington D.C.

Top City for Free Attractions: Washington D.C.

Top City for a Romantic Escape: Charleston (see photo)

Top City for a Cultural Getaway: Santa Fe, New Mexico

It's a nice, fun list. But what about Canada? How do our cities stack up? Well, sadly we don't have as many of them, do we. But we can maybe make a go of it. I'm not claiming this as definitive as I haven't been to all our major cities. And we don't have so many to begin with. But you could at least argue that I'm in the ballpark on these, so here goes....

Top City for Friendly People: St. John's. (I will hear no argument on this because I'm right.)

Top City for Attractive People: Toronto (Only because we have so many from around the world.)

Top City for Tech Savvy People: Calgary (You have to be tech savvy to entertain yourself in winter.)

Top City for Stylish People: Montreal (Hands down, right?)

Top City for Barbecue: Not saying much but I'll go with Toronto. (Maybe we should say best city for poutine and give it to Montreal).

Top City for Pizza: Toronto (We have the most Italians.)

Top City for Fine Dining: Toronto.

Top City for Ethnic Food: Toronto. (Sorry, sheer variety and size wins again for Hogtown.)

Top City for Microbrew Beer: Victoria

Top City for Cocktail Lounges: Montreal

Top City for Sports Bars: Edmonton (it IS the ciity of champions, notwithstanding yesterday's rout by the Argos)

Top City for Museums/Galleries: Ottawa

Top City for Free Attractions: Vancouver (the beach, Stanley Park)

Top City for a Romantic Escape: Quebec

Top City for a Cultural Getaway: Toronto

That's TOTALLY off the top of my head and I'm more than willing to entertain thoughts from folks with broader experience than I. I'm sure Saskatoon would be up on my list for friendly people if I went there.

Just for a bit more balance, let's toss in a few categories that pertain to us:

Top City for Outdoors Types: Calgary

Top City for Adventure Seekers: Whitehorse

Top City for Lovers of the Sea: Halifax

Top City for Hockey Lovers: Winnipeg (sheer exuberance wins it)

Top City for folks who'd rather have their mayor coach football than attend council meetings: Toronto

Top City for Municipal Corruption: Montreal

Top City for Sushi: Vancouver

Top City for Job Seekers: Saskatoon

Top City for Wine Drinkers: St. Catharines

Top City for finding an Australian in Winter: Whistler

Top City for bloggers who put too much emphasis on the great things to do in Toronto: The capital of the universe.

 

 

 

 

 

Travel + Leisure top U.S. cities list; New Orleans #1 but where's L.A. on the list?

It's list day in the Toronto Star travel editor's blog. Okay, I've got a cold and I'm not feeling like inventing my own copy, so instead I'm shamelessly ripping off two other outlets and adding my own comments in the hope that this looks like semi-original copy. Is that a better description of today's entry?

TRAVEL + LEISURE TOP USA CITIES

1. New Orleans. Great food, music, exuberant culture. Hard to beat. I was only there once, and I was 11 years old. I failed to appreciate the finer things but I do remember wrought-iron courtyards, jazz music and the sight of nearly naked women dancing behind a string of beads that covered the entry to a night club. My mother quickly pulled me away but not before I got a glimpse of something mysterious and sexy.

2. Santa Fe. I confess, I've never been to New Mexico. Weird for someone who grew up in California but there you go. I hear nice things about the architecture, the jewelry shopping and the food.

3. New York City and Nashville tie. I love New York. It's hard not to with the incredible buildings and parks and food and nightlife and energy. If you've never been, I suggest a trip in late April or early May before it gets too hot. New York in summer is not much fun. Nashville? Again, sorry, never been.

5. MInneapolis/St. Paul. I like it fine, having visited many times when I covered the Blue Jays. It's pretty but I don't recall the downtown being anything remarkable. Frankly, it's a nice place and probably underrated, but I wouldn't put it anywhere near the top 10 from what I recall.

6. San Diego and Savannah tie. Both on the coast but polar opposites in a lot of ways. San Diego is new and has fabulous beaches and a great brewpub culture and surprisingly good nightlife. Savannah is old-school, southern charm with great food and old-time squares and fountains. Not at all alike but both great spots.

8. Charleston and San Francisco tie. I've only spent a few hours in Charleston but found it charming in a "too many tourists walking around looking at old-time, charming buildings" kind of way. San Francisco, again, is the complete opposite; a joyful, exuberant, crazy explosion of sound and food and culture. I grew up near San Francisco so I'm biased. But I'd put it far ahead of Charleston, personally.

10. Chicago. Should be ranked higher, I'd say. Fabulous museums, a beautiful waterfront almost untouched by buildings, incredible food and culture. Plus Wrigley Field and world-class architecture. Definitely top six.

11. Portland. Very pretty and quite cosmopolitan, with fabulous brewpubs and wine bars and old, brick buildings. Great coffee culture and fabulous, fresh food add to the west coast vibe for a very cool city.

12. Austin and Boston and Providence, tie. Never been to Austin, but Boston has everything you want in a city; fun walks, beautiful parks, great shopping and hotels and another wonderful ballpark, Fenway. I've never found the food to be quite as good as I'd expect but perhaps I need to try new places. I hear great things about Austin's music and bar scene, and the local hills that are ablaze in colour in spring, but have never had the pleasure. I think I drove through Providence, Rhode Island once and thought the seashore and the marinas and huge boats with white sails were pretty. But that's not much to go on.

15. Honolulu, Las Vegas, Miami and San Antonio tie. Whoa, a four-way tie? Okay, here goes. Las Vegas does not belong on this list. It's a destination, it's not a city. Okay, okay, the shows are awesome and the food is excellent and you can do some fun things in the desert. So I guess 15 isn't too crazy. Miami? I just spent a few days there and enjoyed it. The beach is great and the hotels are fun and South Beach is a gas. But there's no downtown to speak of that I could find. So I'd have to agree with the placement, despite the great weather (most of the time). San Antonio? Sorry, never been. But I'd put Honolulu (see Waikiki Beach photo at right) closer to the 12 spot, personally. I adore Hawaii so that's part of it. But there's also absolutely remarkable food and a strong cultural component to the city to go with great beaches, sunshine, surfing, fabulous Hawaiian music and great hikes and golf. Definitely top 12, Honolulu is.

19. Philadelphia, Seattle and San Juan tie. Philadelphia is an under-rated spot with great history and fun neighbourhoods such as South Street. I'm not just where I'd put but a 19 tie seems pretty fair. Seattle I might push up just a bit given the Pikes Place market and the beauty of the water and nearby mountains, not to mention the coffee and restaurant scene. San Juan is a nice addition here, with great beaches and an old, waterfront fort that's awesome to explore, plus a very colourful old town with pastel painted buildings and a New Orleans/Caribbean feel. Also underrated.

So that's my take on the top 20 (or so). I was a bit surprised to find Los Angeles didn't make the cut. I mean, it has its faults but L.A. is a hugely underrated city. I lived there for five years at university and go back fairly often (in about eight days I'll go again, actually). It's got fabulous culture, with outstanding museums all over town. It's got great beaches. It's got some outstanding, old-time architecture. Add in the movie stuff and amusement parks and the great hiking/horseback riding in the hills and the proximity to the desert and mountains, plus some of the world's most iconic hotels and incredible cuisine, and you've got a top 12 city. Yes there are freeways and traffic. But there also are cool neighbourhoods such as Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach and Pasadena and Los Feliz that are tons of fun. Come on, folks. Where's the love? I"m also surprised to see Denver left off the list. Maybe not top 15, but I'd have expected a presence in here somewhere.

 

 

 

New York tries to get back to normal following damage from Sandy

A week after superstorm/hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on New York, things are getting somewhat back to normal.

Reuters reports the subway is operating at about 80 per cent capacity but that service on many rail lines is reduced, which made for tough commutes today. That won't affect most tourists, but the subway system is still an issue.

USA Today is reporting that the 9/11 Memorial, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and South Street Seaport remain closed. But the Bronx Zoo and most New York parks reopened on the weekend. Already back in operation are such attractions as the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and Rockefeller Center skating rink, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and most Broadway theatres. So that's good.

"The visitors bureau recommends that travelers reconfirm hotel reservations directly with the property, regardless of location. Meanwhile, notes USA TODAY's Barbara De Lollis, the city's hotels are coping with unprecedented cancellations and requests to extend stays, a high number of walk-in room requests from powerless local residents, unpredictable staffing levels, non working phone lines, and in some cases no steam heat."

You gotta feel for the poor folks on Staten Island and on Long Island, where so many people lost loved ones in the storm or lost their homes and most treasured possessions. Not to mention, of course, the severe damage in New Jersey.

Heartbreaking.

THIS AND THAT

I see that Southwest is taking over some Air Tran routes in Key West, including flights to Orlando and Tampa. There's talk of a direct New Orleans-Key West flight, and how much of a dynamic duo would that be? I mean can you imagine the debauchery of a combined Big Easy-Key West vacation? All they need to do is add is a stayover in Las Vegas and they'd have the triple crown of carousing ... I have my own political views, but there's no doubt who wins the presidential election as far as travel and home states are concerned. Mitt Romney is mostly a Michigan, Boston and Utah guy, I'd say. And that's not bad. Boston is a great, great city and Michigan has plenty of charming inns and lakes and one of the best college towns in America, Ann Arbor. Utah has awesome skiing and beautiful canyons and deserts. But Obama can claim (mostly) Chicago and Hawaii. Chicago has incredible museums and powerful architecture, a fine waterfront and some of the best food in the U.S. I'd probably give it a bit of an edge over Boston, but it's as close as a Romney-Obama fight in Wisconsin. Hawaii is easily one of the world's great destinations, with perfect weather, amazing beaches and friendly people. Under-rated cuisine, too, if you ask me.