NEWS & NOTES

November 2003

road trip
Are you driving more on business? A survey of business travelers commissioned by Enterprise Rent-A-Car found that 44 percent of them are taking more road trips than in the past; 65 percent said they have used a car for at least one short-haul business trip (300 miles or less) in the past year. Their top reason for doing so was to save money (cited by 78 percent), followed by a reduced number of airline flight choices (39 percent) and changes in company travel policy (38 percent). Some 30 percent said their use of rental cars for short-haul trips has increased in the past two years, or will increase in the coming year.

train to jfk
If all goes well, New York's Kennedy Airport should start up its new AirTrain service sometime this fall, after a 12-month delay due to an accident during testing in 2002. It will include a 1.8-mile loop linking the airport's terminals and rental car area; a three-mile link to the Jamaica Transportation Center, for connections to city subways and Long Island Rail Road trains to Manhattan or Long Island; and a 3.3-mile link to the Howard Beach subway station. The fare is expected to be $5, and the ride between Jamaica and the airport will take 8 to 12 minutes, depending on which terminal you're going to, with trains running every few minutes.

satisfied guests
In its annual survey of hotel customer satisfaction, J.D. Power and Associates found that guests who booked mid-priced and extended-stay hotels via the Internet ended up paying 2 to 5 percent more than those who booked through traditional methods. It also found that guests who reserve a room in advance are much more likely to be satisfied than those who check in without having done so. Ritz-Carlton ranked first in guest satisfaction among luxury chains, while Embassy Suites was the top-rated upscale group. Other category winners were Hilton Garden Inns (mid-priced full-service category), SpringHill Suites (mid-priced limited-service), Microtel (economy/budget) and Homewood Suites by Hilton (extended stay).

hotel happenings

  • An October opening was scheduled for New York City's Mandarin Oriental Hotel, on floors 35-54 of the new AOL Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle
  • A December debut is planned for the 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston and for the expansion of the adjacent George R. Brown Convention Center, linked to the hotel by skywalks
  • The former International Plaza Hotel two miles from Toronto's Pearson International Airport is now the Doubletree International Plaza Toronto Airport
  • The InterContinental Le Grand in Paris has reopened following an 18-month renovation
  • The InterContinental May Fair in London has been acquired by Radisson Edwardian Hotels
  • Marriott plans an early 2004 opening for a 379-room hotel on Berlin's Potsdamer Platz.

    pacific perks

  • Two transpacific airlines are overhauling their long-haul fleets. Qantas has started putting a new business class into its 747-400s, and will do the same with the A330s it is getting next year. It provides a "cocoon-style sleeper seat" called Skybed, a self-service snacks/drinks bar, noise-canceling headsets and new food service. Qantas will also open a new lounge at LAX
  • Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines said it plans to install fully-flat "seat-bed pods" in first class and fully-flat "mini-pods" in business class, along with new in-flight entertainment systems, in a four-year renovation plan. On 747s, first class will be reduced from 18 seats to 12; 777s will offer only business and economy classes.

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