american access Travelers whose companies have contract relationships with American Airlines have a new Web resource: CorporateAAccess.com (www.corporateaaccess.com). There, travelers can book directly with the airline, and will have access to their own company's negotiated fares, American's Web fares and all other domestic published fares. Bookings will always be counted toward the company's quotas, which will keep company travel managers happy. Travelers can search by schedule or price, or even by refundable fares only.
new look Northwest Airlines has given its Web site (www.nwa.com) the biggest overhaul since it opened in 1996. The home page now has a left-side menu bar for easier navigation. Other changes: Users can now select seat assignments before completing a ticket purchase; WorldPerks members have new options when searching for award travel; downloadable timetables are now available for handheld devices; and the "My NWA Info" area now lets customers provide up to a dozen contact points (e-mail, phone, wireless, etc.) that the airline can use to notify them of flight status.
across the pacific The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), an organization of destinations and travel suppliers, has opened up a new Web site to serve as a central information point for its many member countries in the region. The site (www.travelwithpata.com) offers travel news, special offers from airlines and hotels, weather information, maps, currency exchange guides and detailed country information supplied by Lonely Planet, the guidebook publisher.
space available Tired of showing up at the airport only to find the public parking lots are full? You can reserve a space in advance at private parking facilities located near scores of major airports by using AirportParkingReservations.com (www.airportparkingreservations.com). Users can select among local facilities, all of which are secure and most of which offer free luggage assistance and airport shuttles. The site has also opened up a phone line (888-960-PARK) for customers who'd rather talk to someone.
rooms online Hotels.com, the big net-rate hotel site that has also been providing inventory to Travelocity.com, has ended its relationship with that online travel agency, shifting its business instead to Expedia.com. The switch makes sense, since Hotels.com and Expedia are both owned by the same company. Travelocity notes that its own inventory of discounted rooms is doing just fine without Hotels.com, having recently surpassed 7,000 participating hotels. The latest company to offer special deals via Travelocity is Carlson Hotels, parent of Radisson, Regent International, Country Inns & Suites, Park Inns and Park Plaza Hotels.
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