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E L L I O T T ' S TRAVEL NOTES
Travel news, opinion and analysis

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November 8, 2004

Hotel Rates Hit The Roof in Gotham
Holiday guests at New York's premier hotels may think the Grinch is running the show, with sky-high rates setting some tourists back a whopping $595 a night. As demand for rooms soars, New York hotel prices have climbed for the first time since the 2001 terror attacks, socking visitors an average of $222 a night in September. That's $19 more than last September's average bill - and far ahead of rate increases logged in other big cities, according to today's Crain's New York Business. Still, it may seem like chump change to visitors to the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, which is charging a jumbo rate of $499 a night for Thanksgiving and the first two weeks of December. "It's outrageous!" said Bastel Zamani, 40, of Irvine, Calif., who forked over more than $1,000 yesterday for three nights at the Marriott. New York's rates rose nearly 8% in September, almost double the increase seen in Los Angeles, and far outpacing Chicago's 1% hike. Daily News | Posted 6:35 a.m.
• Hotel Rates Now Top Airfares (USA Today)
• More Rate Hikes are on the Way (Crain's)

I have a feeling this is just the beginning ...

Code Sharing Spawning Confusion
It's like this: You grab a box of General Mills' Wheaties off the grocery shelf. Or so you think. In fairly big type below "Wheaties," the package says, "Contains Kellogg's Frosted Flakes." A silly scenario? Not in the world of flying, post-deregulation. This is the way it works with a code share, a confusing but common practice in which Airline A sells seats on Airline B's flight, puts its own "code" number on it and advertises it as part of its network. Before you buy your ticket, Airline A says, "Oh, by the way, Airline B is flying the plane." But whose flight is it anyway? And who's responsible if your baggage is delayed, you miss a connection or need to get your ticket reissued? Los Angeles Times | Posted 6:45 a.m.

Are You Too Old to Rent a Car?
By all rational measures, Marilyn Lambe should be a car rental company's ideal customer. She has driven under many conditions for decades and has a perfect record - no accidents, no serious traffic violations. But last summer, when Ms. Lambe was planning a vacation to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, she could find no one willing to rent her a car, despite there being plenty of vehicles available. Ms. Lambe had run afoul of a longstanding but little-publicized regulation enforced by some companies that operate primarily in parts of Europe, Africa and the South Pacific. "It's the insurance companies that mandate what the maximum ages are," said Nancy Sullivan, vice president for sales and marketing at Auto Europe, , a car-rental wholesaler based in Portland, Me. The cutoff is usually 70 to 75, she said. l The New York Times | Posted 6:50 a.m.

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Travel Questions For a Second Term - How will a second Bush administration affect the travel industry? We have just finished with a fascinating presidential election. The focus was on terrorism, the war in Iraq and the economy. Virtually nothing was said about the travel industry. Surely, it will be affected by another George W. Bush term. The effect of Bush II on the travel industry has nothing to do with red and blue states. It has nothing to do with moral values. However, the question of conservative versus liberal comes into play - government intervention versus "let the industry struggle" is a factor. Privacy concerns come into consideration. And costs certainly will come under scrutiny. > All-new featured story from Travelcomment.com | Posted 7 a.m.

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TSA Approves of Stun Guns - Korean Air last week became the first carrier to receive U.S. government permission to equip jets with electric stun guns as a defense against terrorists. Sean Olson tests a stun gun at TASER headquarters in Arizona. Jeff Topping, Getty Images Korean, which had installed TASER guns on at least some of its fleet in 2002, can now use these weapons on flights over this country. TASERs are designed to deliver an electric shock that briefly incapacitates people without injuring them. USA Today | Posted 7 a.m.

Airline Woes are Spreading - The older major airlines aren't the only ones with financial woes these days. A string of third-quarter losses or profit declines for virtually every US airline shows how low-cost and traditional carriers alike are suffering from a combination of record-high fuel costs and rampant fare discounts. Inquirer | Posted 7:05 a.m.

Travelers Bare All For Naked X-Ray - An X-ray machine which sees through people's clothes to produce images of their naked bodies is being tested at Heathrow. The device - in use at the airport's Terminal 4 - enables staff to spot hidden weapons or explosives. But some passengers and aviation authorities fear the graphic black-and-white images give security staff something akin to a free strip show. Daily Mail | Posted 7:10 a.m.

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