What a deal! ‘Magical’ dining in Orlando
September is slow season in Florida, and that means deals, deals, deals. Here’s one of my favorites: Orlando’s Magical Dining Month, which lets you try one of 50 world-class Central Florida restaurants for a fixed price of either $19 or $29. I know what you’re thinking. “World class” dining and Orlando shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence. Well, that may have been true a decade ago, but no more.
‘Glitch’ causes Orbitz rental car name switch
Orbitz this evening is expected to alert customers to a “glitch” that may affect several thousand car rental reservations. In a memo sent to car rental companies yesterday, Krista Markowski, a senior account manager, warned that the electronic hiccup, “may create a customer service issue at the counter.”
Travel’s inconvenient conveniences
The travel industry is sinking billions of dollars into technology like online booking tools, check-in kiosks and phone systems that recognize your voice, promising it will make you next trip easier than ever. But is improving your travel experience — or just their bottom line?
Coming soon: robot planes?
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics has new data on airline operations this morning, and at the rate the numbers are trending, it won’t be long before the planes are flying themselves. That may sound a little far-fetched, but have a look at this chart of full-time employees per aircraft during the last five years.
Space aliens stole my luggage!
Roswell, NM, is synonymous with a 1947 incident in which the government allegedly recovered a crashed UFO. It’s also the site where a series of feel-good TV ads were filmed in 2005 to commemorate the merger between America West and US Airways. According to one insider who witnessed the $1.2 million spots being produced, it was clear from the start that this was a troubled union and a preview of today’s problems.
Daddy’s girl
Erysse plays hop on pop with Chris. She’s been taking lots of little catnaps during the day, leaving her parents more opportunities to entertain her.
Should Baldanza step down as Spirit’s CEO?
Now that the Spirit Airlines email-gate incident seems to be turning into a full-blown scandal, it is time to ask a question that’s on the tip of everyone’s tongue: Should Ben Baldanza step down as the airline’s chief executive?
Elliott’s E-Mail/August 28, 2007
Ever made a mistake when you’re booking a trip — and ended up in the wrong hotel? In this week’s issue of Elliott’s E-Mail, I’ll introduce you to someone who did.
Rain delay
The boys are waiting for the rain to stop so they can go outside and play. It’s going to be a long afternoon.
7 lessons learned from the summer of 2007
Congratulations, you’ve survived the summer of 2007 — the worst summer for travel in modern history. No, wait, make that since the invention of the wheel. Or was it? Well, no.
Oops, wrong hotel
He thought he had reserved a room at the Days Inn in Franklin, Ind. Instead, he had booked a room at the Days Inn in Franklin, Ky. Now Days Inn won’t fix the mistake, insisting that his reservation is nonrefundable. Is Pradeep Sanghvi out of luck?
Revealed: the awful truth about ‘anonymous’ airline Wikipedia edits
How badly are airlines trying to spin their version of the “truth” on the Web? When it comes to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia where edits can be anonymous, no one really knew. Until now. A site called Wikiscanner allows you to look up Wikipedia edits by organization, and it offers a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the airline public-relations machine.
Oops, wrong hotel
He thought he had reserved a room at the Days Inn in Franklin, Ind. Instead, he had booked a room at the Days Inn in Franklin, Ky. Now Days Inn won’t fix the mistake, insisting that his reservation is nonrefundable. Is Pradeep Sanghvi out of luck?
Sittin’ on the dock
Iden hangs out at the lake in Clermont, Fla. We visited our favorite bakery in Yalaha today and stopped by this quiet park before heading on to Orlando for lunch. Aren didn’t make it out this far because he didn’t want to get sand in his shoes.
Friends
Aren and Castor share a quiet moment after chasing each other around the house. This is the first time I really noticed that they both have the same eye color. Pollux, the other cat, has green eyes.