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Travel Blog
How to Avoid Hidden Hotel Charges 5/28/2008 2:45:37 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment Andrea Bennett (Travel + Leisure) examines the mysterious fees on your bill and whether it’s possible to avoid them.
From June 2008
Shortly after its opening in 2006, I decided to visit the Lodge at Woodloch, a destination spa deep in the Poconos. Upon my arrival from New York, I discovered the property had no cellular service, so I made several calls home from my room phone, expecting to fork over little more than a dollar. Imagine my surprise when my hotel bill revealed a $7.38 charge for each time I picked up the receiver, despite having never actually reached anyone.
The mysterious “picking up the phone” fee is probably not the most surprising one I’ll ever encounter. Surcharges are a huge moneymaker: according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, U.S. hotels brought in $1.6 billion with them last year, up from $550 million in 2003. And the company projects that number to be more like $1.75 billion in 2008. As properties find creative ways to make you pay more, it’s important to be informed before planning your next hotel stay.
What to Watch For
Taxes alone can add a hefty sum to your final bill, depending on which state you’re staying in. New York, for instance, levies up to 8.75 percent in sales tax, plus a 5 percent hotel tax. Suddenly your $400 per night room is really $454. Catchall “resort fees,” covering guests’ use of facilities like the pool and fitness center, are old standards. These days, however, itemized charges can be tacked on for extras like landscaping and housekeeping, holding your luggage, tipping the bellman, and mini-bar restocking. (That’s right, your $6 soda now costs $8.50. Hope you’re thirsty.) Aside from its $25 resort fee, the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa charges $10 for accepting FedEx and UPS deliveries for guests. The Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association now encourages its members to impose an energy surcharge. And if you stay at a hotel in Ottawa, you’ll pay a 3 percent “destination marketing fee” to promote its tourism industry, whether you like the city or not.
Calculate Before You Go
It’s possible to get a clearer picture of your final bill by doing a little pre-vacation math. Before booking, ask if there are additional fees that you should be aware of, and how much the total cost will be, per night, with extras included. Travel-Hawaii.com, an online booking service, posts an overview of resort surcharges at 16 island hotels, so you won’t be caught off-guard. Hotel chains like Hilton and Starwood have now committed to stating the total price at the time you book. Online travel agencies like Travelocity and Orbitz often include the extras in their “total cost” for stays, which will be the same even if you end up booking on the hotel’s website.
Negotiate in Advance
Hotel staff are often reluctant to remove charges from your bill. If you’re not planning on using the resort facilities/business center/newspaper delivery, request that they eliminate those expenses before you arrive. Check out early, or better yet, settle your bill the night before, so you have time to examine it thoroughly. Can the desk clerk explain every charge? If he dismisses them as “automatic,” ask for clarification. And if he can’t tell you exactly what they cover, you have legal grounds for dispute.
| How to Avoid Hidden Hotel Charges 5/28/2008 2:45:15 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment Andrea Bennett (Travel + Leisure) examines the mysterious fees on your bill and whether it’s possible to avoid them.
From June 2008
Shortly after its opening in 2006, I decided to visit the Lodge at Woodloch, a destination spa deep in the Poconos. Upon my arrival from New York, I discovered the property had no cellular service, so I made several calls home from my room phone, expecting to fork over little more than a dollar. Imagine my surprise when my hotel bill revealed a $7.38 charge for each time I picked up the receiver, despite having never actually reached anyone.
The mysterious “picking up the phone” fee is probably not the most surprising one I’ll ever encounter. Surcharges are a huge moneymaker: according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, U.S. hotels brought in $1.6 billion with them last year, up from $550 million in 2003. And the company projects that number to be more like $1.75 billion in 2008. As properties find creative ways to make you pay more, it’s important to be informed before planning your next hotel stay.
What to Watch For
Taxes alone can add a hefty sum to your final bill, depending on which state you’re staying in. New York, for instance, levies up to 8.75 percent in sales tax, plus a 5 percent hotel tax. Suddenly your $400 per night room is really $454. Catchall “resort fees,” covering guests’ use of facilities like the pool and fitness center, are old standards. These days, however, itemized charges can be tacked on for extras like landscaping and housekeeping, holding your luggage, tipping the bellman, and mini-bar restocking. (That’s right, your $6 soda now costs $8.50. Hope you’re thirsty.) Aside from its $25 resort fee, the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa charges $10 for accepting FedEx and UPS deliveries for guests. The Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association now encourages its members to impose an energy surcharge. And if you stay at a hotel in Ottawa, you’ll pay a 3 percent “destination marketing fee” to promote its tourism industry, whether you like the city or not.
Calculate Before You Go
It’s possible to get a clearer picture of your final bill by doing a little pre-vacation math. Before booking, ask if there are additional fees that you should be aware of, and how much the total cost will be, per night, with extras included. Travel-Hawaii.com, an online booking service, posts an overview of resort surcharges at 16 island hotels, so you won’t be caught off-guard. Hotel chains like Hilton and Starwood have now committed to stating the total price at the time you book. Online travel agencies like Travelocity and Orbitz often include the extras in their “total cost” for stays, which will be the same even if you end up booking on the hotel’s website.
Negotiate in Advance
Hotel staff are often reluctant to remove charges from your bill. If you’re not planning on using the resort facilities/business center/newspaper delivery, request that they eliminate those expenses before you arrive. Check out early, or better yet, settle your bill the night before, so you have time to examine it thoroughly. Can the desk clerk explain every charge? If he dismisses them as “automatic,” ask for clarification. And if he can’t tell you exactly what they cover, you have legal grounds for dispute.
| Barcelona 5/27/2008 11:20:54 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment Even as the reports say people are not traveling to Europe, I am booking an unprecedented number of folks to Barcelona. So when I saw this article in Forbes I wanted to share it with you.
The Draw
• Medieval architecture that overlooks sun-kissed Mediterranean beaches and swanky cafes
• Some of the most cutting-edge restaurants, hotels and shopping in all of Europe
• A city stuffed with breathtaking works of modern art, by the likes of Dalí, Picasso and Gaudi
The Scene
Comfortably situated on the Mediterranean Sea, this Catalonian capital is practically a country of its own: Catalan customs and Gaudi’s dreamlike architecture frosted on almost every street give it a decidedly unique flavor. Five-star hotels like The Palace and Hotel Arts blend into a musky Old World backdrop, which is easy to appreciate whether you’re soaking up the sun at Mar Bella beach or getting lost on the winding back streets of the Gothic quarter. Stay at a hip hotel like Casa Camper or order up a classic martini at Boadas, a bar that seems to have crept out of a Hemingway novel; it’s this ever-changing scene that has helped Barcelona build -- and live up to -- its reputation for distinctive flair.
To Be Seen
• Parc Guell. This huge Gaudi-designed park, full of stone and mosaics, makes for a great stroll. Wander to the top and feast on one of the best views in town.
• Gothic Quarter. Medieval streets thread their way through an area thick with 13th-century structures. Don’t miss the Catalan Gothic, Cathedral de Barcelona or the Placa de Rei, an ancient square lined with 16th-century Gothic buildings and the façade of the old royal palace.
• Gràcia Neighborhood. Mingle with an upscale local crowd in this posh tourist-free area. A city of its own until 1897, the Gràcia neighborhood has managed to maintain its private identity, though it now boasts chic art galleries and independent-film cinemas. Dine at the luxurious Botafumeiro and you might find yourself eating next to the king of Spain.
• The Beach. Grab an umbrella and go beach hopping. Barcelona’s coast is peppered with sandy stretches like Nova Icaria, with a great selection of restaurants, and Bogatell, a slightly less crowded beach.
For The VIP
• Board a private helicopter and chopper out to the Priorat wine region. Fly over vineyards and enjoy a private tasting tour and six-course lunch at the Clos de I’Lbac winery.
• Get an insider’s look at famous Spanish tapas with a private walking tour. Stop in classic shops while you sip wine and nibble on tapas along the way, then enjoy a three-course lunch in a building that was a hot spot for artists like Dalí and Picasso.
• Race an F1 car at the famous Circuito de Catalunya track, where the Catalunya Grand Prix is held every year. Experience the life of a race car driver as your instructor teaches you the tricks of the pros.
Overrated
Las Ramblas. Unless you enjoy people watching, this boulevard is a tourist mecca, not a slice of Barcelona. Street performers salt the sidewalks, and tourist restaurants line the street.
Underrated
El Born. Known simply as “Born” to the locals, this neighborhood is the city’s chicest locale. Peruse the work of up-and-coming artists at Galeria Principal Sombrerers, and indulge in a five-course dessert at the restaurant Espai Sucre. Linger past sunset for a pumping club scene.
Don’t Miss
Evo Restaurant at the brand new Hesperia Towers. Enjoy an exquisite meal from the first three-star Michelin chef in Catalonia, Santi Santamaria, under a blanket of stars. A glass dome encases this elegant restaurant atop the tower.
When To go
Spring and autumn are the most colorful -- and most mild -- times of year.
| Fliers, experts expect complications from AA's new bag fee 5/23/2008 11:54:30 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment Here is more on the baggage fee announced by American Airlines and the potemtial fallout for customers.
A day after American announced it would add a $15 fee for a first checked bag, customers and industry observers are still gauging the fallout from the move. Fliers have expressed surprise and outrage to the move, while industry observers warn the new fee could further complicate the flying experience. MarketWatch.com suggests "the new baggage fee is likely to create havoc in airports and jet aisles as travelers try to beat the system by squeezing all their belongings into carried-on bags, further straining overhead bins' capacity. And it won't just be seasoned travelers but also newer ones, who might not know they can't bring aboard water bottles, razors or nail files, which will hold up the lines at security checks."
"Everyone is going to try to beat the system," Henry Harteveldt, an airline analyst with Forrester Research, predicts to MarketWatch.com. "When you can check your bags for free on Greyhound, but not on an airline, it's a sad comment on the state of the whole industry," he adds. The Chicago Tribune (free registration) writes AA "will rely on security screeners to remind passengers of restrictions that limit them to two carry-on items, and that the airline's workers also would be on the lookout for passengers toting overly large bags."
But despite the reaction over AA's move, Scott McCartney, The Middle Seat columnist at The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), says "before you get too upset about airlines slapping a $15 fee to check just one piece of luggage one way, know this: Oil prices are just killing airlines." McCartney points out the airlines are in a difficult place following the meteoric rise of fuel costs, and he writes that "you can expect other airlines to follow suit –- they are paying billions, yes billions, of added dollars in higher fuel prices."
Despite criticism by many passengers that AA should just build the new fees into the base price of a ticket, McCartney says "it's very difficult for airlines to simply raise prices to levels that cover their higher fuel costs. Raising prices chokes demand: If tickets get too expensive, business travelers make alternate plans, pick cheaper airlines or buy discounted tickets further in advance. For vacationers, if prices get too high, they don't buy or they switch to cheaper destinations. Airlines can price themselves right out of a sale."
That's led helped lead to the latest round of fees, which McCartney describes as "essentially fare increases that airlines hope won't choke demand." Still, McCartney says just adding fees ultimately won't be enough to solve the problem for the airlines. That solution likely will come only from continued capacity cuts and raising fares, McCartney writes. James May, president of the Air Transport Association, points out that U.S. airlines are in a battle for survival. Oil at more than $130 a barrel "is simply a number around which we cannot survive. It will inevitably lead to failures in the business," he is quoted as saying by The Seattle Times.
| Fee for all: Avoid new airline luggage charges 5/22/2008 11:50:15 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment Strategies that can help you get around American's $15 first-bag fee
Christopher Elliott
Travel columnist
MSNBC contributor
American Airlines’ decision to slap a $15 fee on the first checked bag — that’s right, the first checked bag — isn’t the airline industry’s first attempt to squeeze more money from passengers through a sneaky surcharge. And it won’t be its last.
The airline blamed “increasing costs of transporting checked baggage,” for its move. “While we understand that these fees affect customers, we also believe that our pricing for the services we provide remains extremely competitive in the industry and continues to offer our customers ample choice and value,” American’s chief executive, Gerard Arpey, said in a prepared statement.
Reaction across the blogosphere was swift and unusually critical. Gadling’s Grant Martin predicted chaos this summer as a result of the new fee. Jaunted compared American to Ryanair, the Irish discount carrier that charges for anything not bolted down on its planes. And the ubiquitous Rick Seaney asked, “What are they thinking?”
“American Airlines is upping the ante,” added fellow msnbc.com columnist Charlie Leocha, who predicted this two years ago.
Me? I’ll resist the I-told-you-so.
It remains unclear if other airlines will follow American’s lead. Most pundits feel it’s not a question of if, but when, the other major airlines will start charging for all checked luggage. But at least one carrier — Delta Air Lines — says it won’t, for now.
Here’s something none of the airlines with luggage fees are likely to tell you: You don’t have to pay. Here are four ways you can avoid these unexpected extras.
1. Carry on your luggage
Obviously, if you have nothing to check, you won’t be charged. But by taking all of your belongings on the plane, you’re also sending a clear message to the airline: enough is enough. The nickeling and diming won’t work. “It’s going to slow the boarding process,” predicts Jonathan Yarmis, a frequent flier and technology industry analyst Weston, Conn. “Flights will take longer to board. Things will run late. That’s going to cost airlines way more than the revenue they generate.” Joel Widzer, author of “The Penny Pincher’s Passport to Luxury Travel,” agrees. “This could backfire,” he told me.
But don’t let that stop you. In fact, you should carry on the maximum luggage you’re allowed. Take your time boarding, too. If enough passengers do, then it could put this ill-advised fee out of its misery.
2. Cite the contract
Although American Airlines has been clear that it will only charge its new $15 fee for tickets bought on or after June 15, other airlines have tried to impose similar fees retroactively. For example, Nick Anderson made reservations to fly from Knoxville, Tenn., to Bangor, Maine, last November on Delta Air Lines. “I was careful to check the baggage rules and Delta policy allowed for two bags to be checked free of charge per passenger,” he told me. “Now, many months after making the reservation, I see that the policy has changed to allow only one checked bag per passenger and that they will charge $25 for each additional bag.”
My reading of Delta’s Contract of Carriage — the legal agreement between Anderson and the airline — leads me to conclude that the rules under which he booked his ticket should be the ones that apply to his flight. So I put Anderson in touch with a Delta customer service manager. “The executive told me the fee was retroactive,” Anderson said after speaking with him. “Why would anyone book on Delta when you have no way of knowing what their fees will be when you arrive at the check in?” I think Anderson can, and should, make his case when he gets to the ticket counter — and I hope he does.
3. Card ’em
If you’ve got a frequent flier card, flash it. Elite-level frequent fliers and passengers with certain tickets are exempt from the new fees. For instance, American still allows customers with Executive Platinum status and people who paid for full-fare economy class seats to check in a first bag at no cost. Business and first-class travelers don’t have to pay, either. Nor do people with international itineraries — unless they’re flying to and from Canada or a U.S. territory, such as Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Never mind that the very passengers who can least afford to pay the extra $15 — families with children, budget travelers and working Americans — are being socked with this surcharge, as I pointed out in a blog post this morning. If you don’t have a frequent flier card, there’s another card you can play: the victim card. I described it in a previous column, and if used correctly, it can be a persuasive tool. Pointing out the unfairness of having to pay to check your child’s stroller or seat can make a compassionate ticket agent look the other way. (And yes, there are compassionate employees — even at one of the major airlines.)
4. Complain to the government
In a press conference with half a dozen handpicked bloggers last week, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters suggested that when it comes to charging extra for luggage, the government won’t tolerate any airline shenanigans. “Passengers should know what to expect, and what to pay, before they buy a ticket or pack their bags, which is why we are calling for carriers and travel agents to disclose baggage fees in their Internet and print ads before anyone purchases a ticket,” she told the group. “We also are making it clear that airlines may not impose increased fees or new restrictions for baggage after a passenger has bought a ticket.”
So does this mean the government is on our side? I’m not sure if I’d go that far. After all, the Transportation Department’s “Bloggers Row” press conference appeared to be nothing more than a sham designed to generate favorable coverage for Peters. (If there were any real bloggers at the meeting, they would have churned out posts of well-deserved criticism.) Still, the government is obligated to report your complaints — and airlines pay lots of attention to that. Here’s how to file yours.
You can avoid the onerous new luggage fees by bulking up your carry-on luggage, flashing your frequent flier card, quoting from your airline’s contract and complaining to the government. But if these fees stick — and let’s hope they don’t — then you’ll have to change your attitude toward the airline.
What do I mean by that? Well, if American and other airlines unbundle the cost of luggage from your ticket, and you’re paying extra for all of your bags, shouldn’t you get something for the money? Like a guarantee that your property won’t get lost. Or at the very least, an immediate refund of the fee when your luggage disappears.
But beyond that, maybe it’s time to draw up a separate legal contract for the carriage of our luggage, which will offer more generous compensation when an airline loses it.
After all, if you’re paying more, shouldn’t you expect more?
| Flying First Class for Less 5/20/2008 5:10:06 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment David Landsel
Airfarewatchdog.com
Aviation.comMon May 19, 3:02 PM ET
The next time you board a plane and walk through First Class on the way to your cramped coach seat, don't be jealous.
If it's a domestic flight, at least, you could be sitting there too, Airfarewatchdog.com has found.
You may think airlines are evil and would rather have empty seats in first or business than see the likes of you sneaking in. Wrong. If the seat has not been sold, or is not being filled by a loyal frequent flyer, it's entirely possible that you could have upgraded your ticket - sometimes for less than you'd think.
"It provides the airline with ... revenue on seats that might otherwise go unsold," said Tim Smith, a spokesman for American Airlines. American starts the bidding on available seats at $45 for each 500 miles of your flight. All you have to do is inquire with an agent on the day of travel or check in at a self-serve kiosk and see if you're automatically offered the opportunity.
Goodbye middle seat, hello hot towels.
The easy way in
Many airlines make upgrading so simple that you can almost count on getting in if you play your cards right. Virgin America is a prime example of the easy upgrade. I recently paid nearly $500 for a one-way first class ticket from JFK to San Francisco, only to find out just a day or so before my flight that I was one of very few people in the cabin.
The fare was well worthwhile: The seats are roomy and plush - among the best of any U.S. domestic first-class seats. Also, the service is top-notch, everything on the airline's extensive entertainment system is free, and the food (watermelon-mint salad for breakfast? Yes please!) is pretty decent.
I felt like a sucker, however, watching the cabin fill up within 24 hours of my flight - I knew that I had probably paid far more than any of my seatmates. Why? Because Virgin America sells off available first class seats for as little as $50 each way, up to $175 for transcontinental flights. Someone who booked a last-minute seat in first would be paying upwards of $800 (a sample non-advance one-way fare in first), whereas someone who had booked coach in advance for under $300 round-trip would be able to fly in first, last minute, for hundreds less than they would have paid if they had booked that seat in advance.
This style of upgrade used to be one of the few redeeming features on America West, now part of US Airways. Surprise! US Airways now offers the same deal across its entire fleet, but gives you a leg-up over other airlines: You can call reservations 24 hours in advance of your flight, and any unsold seats are yours, starting at $50 each way.
The situation at AirTran is similar. Upgrades to seats in AirTran's decent business-class cabin start at $40. While the airline says that this is only available to those traveling on 'Y' (full-fare economy) tickets, for a "limited time" all passengers may upgrade from any fare on a standby basis, at the departure gate or by using the airline's ByePass self-check in kiosks at the airport.
The surprise
US Airways pioneered it, but now many airlines are trying it: off-loading first class seats automatically at self check-in kiosks, with upgrade fees based on mileage flown. For example, while checking in for a United flight from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Denver not too long ago, an unexpected question popped up on the kiosk screen: Would I like to upgrade, for just a little over $100? (I would, as it turned out.)
Last summer, I paid $75 to fly in an empty first-class cabin on Delta from New York JFK to Atlanta. The plane had come in from India, and was returning to home base, with virtually nobody onboard. Delta spokespeople did not get back to me with details on how the airline unloads empty first-class seats.
United spokesman Jeff Kovick said his airline first makes the offer at check-in, and customers should feel free to inquire if not asked. Incidentally, this goes for most airlines, all of which are increasingly looking for ways to increase revenue.
"Secret" fares
Lots has been made recently about what are known in industry jargon as "Q-UP" or "Y-UP" fares - discounted, but restriction-laden, "secret" first class fares that frequent travelers pride themselves they can snag out from under the noses of less experienced fliers.
There are many sources of information on how these cheap first-class seats can be booked, but some airlines are just putting them right out there. American, for instance, is now showing discounted first class fares when you click the new 'Price & Schedule' search on its home page. A recent check for a one-way seat from San Francisco to New York in mid-June found an "Instant Upgrade" fare of just $749 one-way, as opposed to the lowest unrestricted first-class fare of $2,309.
These are big savings, absolutely -- but don't forget, if there are any seats left on the day of travel, you might snag one for even less. Taking chances sometimes does pay off.
Top 10 Aircraft of the Rich and Famous Image Gallery: Concepts for Aircraft Interiors Summer 2008: Fewer Fliers, But Packed Planes Original Story: Flying First Class for Less
Visit Aviation.com, the new one-stop destination for business fliers, commercial travelers, industry analysts and aviation buffs.
| Security: A better, cheaper lock for your luggage 5/15/2008 9:40:58 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment Posted by Sean O'Neill
A TSA inspector at a small East Coast airport has contacted us with a tip. I am choosing not to identify her because, as a TSA employee, she is not supposed to talk to the press without official permission. Plus, TSA workers do not have whistleblower protections, which other federal workers have.
That's an overly dramatic introduction, I admit, to a rather simple travel tip:
It's not necessary to buy the pricey, TSA-approved locks. You don't have to buy fancy luggage locks at all. Instead, buy a pack of plastic zip-ties, or cable locks, for about $1.
Here's what our tipster says:
I see hundreds of locks and zipper pulls get broken off as they go through the conveyor belts at airport security gates. The locks fall off and land under the conveyor belts.
Most locks that people use are the kind you could pick with a bobbie pin or paper clip.
Zip ties (also called cable locks) are something that we use at the airport. They are long plastic ties that lock. They can't be opened unless cut with a scissor or nail clipper, which are allowed to be packed in a carry-on bag. The ends of the plastic ties fit through the zipper pull tabs. They come in all sorts of sizes.
Use zip ties for carry-on or checked luggage. We put them on for people after checking their bags if they want them locked. I did this for a guy traveling to India today. If we have to cut a lock we zip tie it afterwards at my airport.
The zip tie is something I use for International travel myself. TSA locks are useless in other countries. I have never had a bag opened and you know if your zip lock (in your choice of color) is still there it hasn't been messed with, unlike a lock...which you can't tell if it's been opened or not.
As an aside, I will say that out of 2000 bags today maybe 40 bags were opened. If they don't alarm the X-ray machine then the bag is cleared.
100 count bag of zip ties, at Amazon.com for $5. Also sold at local hardware and housewares stores, typically for $2 for 100 count bags.
| Stockholm Is More Than Abba's Town 5/12/2008 9:26:22 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment By EVAN RAIL
STARING out at the azure waters of Saltsjon Bay from a hilltop in the Sodermalm district of Stockholmisland, I stopped for a moment to take in the last glints of a long, Nordic sunset. Behind me, the neighborhood’s clubs and concert venues were starting to get busy. Behind the sound of crowds and shouted hellos came a line of familiar music, filling the crisp air: “Don’t come back to Stockholm.”
Though the words might sound ominous, for a musical traveler such a phrase — from a record by the Stockholm indie-rock band Shout Out Louds — serves as a warm welcome. Years ago, Sweden was probably best-known for the saccharine pop of groups like Roxette, Ace of Base and Abba. But today Sweden is home to a diverse array of performers, many of whom are starting to earn international acclaim: demure singer-songwriters like José González, alt-rockers like Bob Hund, dark electronica from the Knife, twee popsters like the Concretes, new-New-Wavers like Kamera and hard-to-pigeonhole songstresses like Lykke Li — as well as bigger successes like Shout Out Louds and the Hives, whose “Hate to Say I Told You So” helped bring noisy garage rock to the mainstream.
“When we get tourists in here, they usually ask if the Hives are playing,” said Peter Ejheden, a manager at Pet Sounds, one of the city’s record shops. “But there’s loads of bands performing every night in Stockholm.”
Many of them have performed at Pet Sounds itself, where the in-store concerts have featured the Hives as well as international artists including Will Oldham and Coldplay. The popularity of the events has led the store to an across-the-street offspring, Pet Sounds Bar, a restaurant and club where the live shows in the basement, Mr. Ejheden said, are “always free.”
Pet Sounds is a major part of the thriving music scene on Sodermalm, a formerly down-at-heels area that has transformed into something like the Park Slope of the Swedish capital. At its main square, Medborgarplatsen, old and young soak up the summer sun in outdoor cafes. Nearby, teenagers and young mothers watch children — and possibly some fathers — carve and grind in a skatepark. Overlooking everything is Debaser Medis, the area’s biggest concert venue, where an overhead ticker counts off a stream of coming performances from Nisse Hellberg, the Tindersticks, A-Trak and Sebadoh.
“There’s always something going on, every night of the week, especially on Soder,” said Darren Hamlin, a D.J. who moved from England to start his own club event called Stockholm Calling.
While the city clearly loves live performances, many of the biggest regular events are D.J. nights like Stockholm Calling and Bangers ’n’ Mash (partly set up by Andy Bell, former frontman of the English band Ride and current member of Oasis, or arrivals like Another Sunny Day, which began in April.
ON my visit, in late April, I stopped by a Wednesday night club gig, Baba Sonic, where the tracks ranged from contemporary tunes to mop-top Beatles and Joy Division remixes, though surely no one in the crowd could have been born anytime close to Ian Curtis’s death in 1980. Though the soundtrack was international, it was the local music that got things moving: the energy picked up when Peter Bjorn and John’s indie pop tune “Young Folks” came on, and peaked with “Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo” by the ’60s-sounding contemporary indie singer Jens Lekman. At that point, there wasn’t room on the dance floor for one more young body, no matter how slender and blond it might be.
“It’s actually quite empty tonight,” said Mattias Valenca, who was holding down the bar with a pint of Spendrups lager after a practice session with his own experimental-rock band, Monolit, in which he plays bass. “Most Swedes get paid at the end of this week, so next Wednesday this place will be packed.”
If this was a before-payday crunch, I thought, I wouldn’t want to be around when Stockholm was really cutting loose. In fact, packed venues were the standard throughout my stay, as at Debaser Medis the next night. (There are actually two Debaser addresses in Stockholm, with a third branch in the town of Malmo.) After paying the entry of 190 Swedish kronor (about $31 at 6.13 kronor to the dollar), I pushed into the room to catch a performance from Magnus Tingsek, a magnetic blue-eyed-soul performer reminiscent of both Robert Cray and Jamiroquai, if not Stevie Wonder and Sly Stone.
More so than at Baba Sonic, the crowd here reflected Sweden’s celebrated egalitarianism. Though most of those in attendance were young and beautiful, many were middle-aged (though still beautiful) and several were downright old (ditto) — and yet everyone seemed to be in love with Mr. Tingsek’s sweet falsetto and his band’s Carribean-inflected funk and folk. The best moments arrived when a percussionist rocked his cowbell in a Christopher Walkenesque manner and the band jumped into an extended version of Mr. Tingsek’s “World of Its Own.”
Like Mr. Tingsek, most of the bands in Stockholm perform in pitch-perfect English. (The ability to communicate in English makes Sweden an attractive destination in all regards, not just music.) But the next night, I caught a local-language show at Debaser Slussen, the second Debaser venue, situated at the lock that connects Sodermalm to the city’s Gamla Stan, or Old Town.
After a meal of herring and akvavit at Pelikan, one of the historic old pubs in Sodermalm, it turned out I was too late for the opening act, Lacrosse, an indie-pop group whose English lyrics are almost disturbingly optimistic. But I was just in time to see Alf.
Unlike Mr. Tingsek’s global funk band, Alf’s classic four-piece was firmly rooted in the American rock vernacular. When Alf — in red jeans and a white T-shirt — played bright riffs on his Telecaster guitar, I thought of Tom Petty; when the bass jumped into a high register and the rhythm was pushed forward by the floor tom, “No Pocky for Kitty”-era Superchunk came to mind.
Nearing the end of his set, Alf switched his American Telecaster for a beautiful Swedish Hagstrom twelve-string, and quickly launched into a song I thought I recognized. After a second, however, I realized that the song wasn’t a familiar English-language number at all, but just another catchy tune in Alf’s native southern Swedish.
Though I couldn’t understand a word, somehow it all made perfect sense.
| Fewer seats, higher airfares cast a shadow over Hawaii 5/9/2008 11:20:52 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment By Barbara De Lollis and Barbara Hansen, USA TODAY
Rising airfares and fewer flight choices could spoil some travelers' plans to visit Hawaii this summer.
From June to August, airlines have scheduled 14% fewer seats than last year between the mainland USA and Hawaii, according to a USA TODAY analysis of flight schedules. The biggest cuts came about six weeks ago, when two passenger airlines went out of business — and prices jumped.
"There are fewer seats in the market, therefore the airlines are able to raise their prices," says Rex Johnson, CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Board.
The average ticket purchased through March 31 for summer travel to Hawaii cost 9% more than last year, excluding taxes and fuel surcharges, according to Sabre Airline Solutions.
Soaring oil prices are contributing to the rising air costs. Delta recently increased its fuel surcharge on Hawaii fares to $65 each way. That's the equivalent of $520 for a family of four. (The surcharge is included in fares seen on Delta .com, says Betsy Talton, Delta spokeswoman.)
An analysis of summer bookings made through March 31 shows they're at about the same level as last year at this time, says Chris Spidle, Sabre's research director.
Still, rising fares are discouraging some travelers — particularly those with lower budgets, says Susan Tanzman, president of Martin's Travel and Tours, a Los Angeles-based agency that specializes in Hawaii travel.
Round-trip tickets from California for July and August are running from about $700 to $1,100 each — more than the $600 to $650 that clients are used to paying for peak-season flights, she says. One client recently scrapped a Hawaii trip planned for an off-peak week in April because the cheapest ticket cost $1,300 each, she says.
"What (the airlines) are doing with their prices is ludicrous." she says. "We do a lot of honeymoons, and a lot of people are saying 'Hmmm. Those costs are very high.' You have a lot of wait-and-see by consumers that you usually don't have at this time of year."
Even though Tanzman says she has sold fewer Hawaii trips this year, total expenditures are roughly the same as last year because individual trips today cost more.
What has sparked concerns in Hawaii were the recent shutdowns of two airlines that flew between mainland USA and Hawaii: Aloha stopped service on March 31; ATA stopped service on April 3. Other airlines, such as Hawaiian, Continental and American, have reduced Hawaii service this summer.
In light of rising fares and the reduced consumer spending, Hawaii's tourism industry is bracing for the worst case — especially in the fall, when travel naturally slows as children return to school.
To counter a potential decline in visits resulting from rising fares, the Hawaii Tourism Board on Wednesday approved a 10% bump — $3 million — to its North American promotions budget, Johnson says. The last time the board made a similar decision was after 9/11, when travel sank to unprecedented levels, he says. Some of the money probably will fund vacation packages that travelers might see on American Airlines' website, hotels.com or other venues.
"You just might start seeing some deals," Johnson says.
Expedia already has seen hotel rates fall as hotels try "to stand out (and) fill rooms," says Erin Krause, an Expedia spokeswoman. Room rates declined 26% in Maui and 17% on Oahu year over year for the summer season, she says.
"Given the current economic climate, consumers are definitely looking for deals," she says.
People who haven't booked their trip yet should watch hotel chains for incentives such as a free third or fourth hotel night, free breakfast or room credits that can be used for food or other treats, Tanzman says.
"They're going to get much more creative to take into account the cost of rising airfare," she says.
| Too-good-to-be-true travel clubs can often lead you down the road to ruin By Herb Weisbaum
MSNBC contributor
Travel is expensive. And quickly getting more so, thanks to rapidly rising fuel prices. Travel clubs promise to cut those costs by giving you huge deals on airfare, cruises, and lodging. The price to join is steep – as much as $8,000 – but members supposedly have access to special savings not available to the general public.
The trouble is many travel clubs can’t deliver the deals. Club members say they can often find similar or better prices on their own. In the last three years, the Better Business Bureau has received thousands of travel club complaints. So far this year, nearly 350 unhappy travel club members have asked the BBB to help them get their money back.
“The come-on is, ‘we’re going to let you in on a secret,’ ” explains Tom Collier, President and CEO of the BBB of Southern Arizona. But he says there are no secrets and few great deals. “The bargains and discounts you get are very limited and the quality is not generally the best. You may get that Hawaiian condo on Waikiki, but it may be 8 blocks off the beach.”
Tom Cross of Tucson, Ariz., shelled out $3,475 for his club membership. Cross was told that by joining he would become an “outside travel agent” able to get super-low prices on everything from cruises to condos.
Cross tried to make several condo reservations, but the travel club prices were always higher than if he booked it himself. The condo in Jackson Hole, Wyoming was $100 more than booking directly with the resort. The travel club price for the condo in Orlando was $300 more than he could get on his own.
“I paid them $3,475 and essentially it’s gone down the drain,” he told me.
How they get you
It usually starts with a phone call or mailing that offers airline tickets, gas cards, cash, or some type of vacation just for attending a sales presentation.
The postcards I’ve seen are deliberately misleading. “Pack your bags!” they say. There are two roundtrip airfares to anywhere in the U.S waiting for you. “This offer is real and is no mistake.”
This “vacation invitation” has the logo of an airline prominently displayed on the front, so it’s easy to assume the postcard is from the airline. It’s not. The airline has nothing to do with this promotion.
To get the free trip you have to sit through what BBB spokesman Steve Cox calls “slick presentations” done by high-pressure salesmen. The free trip vouchers they give you are very difficult to use because of all the restrictions.
The BBB in Tucson read the fine print on one company’s incentive travel certificates. It said the trip could not be taken within 10 days before or after a holiday. Based on that restriction, the bureau plotted out the possible travel dates and found there were only 32. And then you’re often required to pay a “good faith deposit” of $100 to $250 to book the free trip.
How they do it in Branson
In Branson, Mo., they use another technique. Visitors are offered free show tickets and cash to come to the sales presentation. The pitch can take place as you leave a restaurant or when you stop to ask for tourist information.
Orville and Mavis Langlie from Ellendale, Minn., took that bait. They sat through what Orville describes as a fast-paced, high-pressure presentation. “She talked so fast and she just went from one thing to the other. She kept rattling off all these different trips that were so cheap, and really made it sound like it was the best thing this side of heaven.”
Convinced it was legit, the Langlies bought a lifetime membership for $3,400. “We were dumb enough to fall for it,” Orville says.
When they got back home, they tried to use the club, but the prices were less than spectacular. “We could get cheaper trips on the Web than we could from them,” Orville told me. For example, they tried to book at hotel in Boston for their granddaughter’s honeymoon. The closest place the travel club could offer was 100 miles away.
The right to cancel
If you join a travel club and the presentation is done at a hotel or some other location that is not the club’s normal place of business, you have three days to cancel. Federal law guarantees this cooling off period. If the pitch takes place in the club’s office, you’re a member the minute you sign the contract.
The bottom line
Travel clubs are what the Better Business Bureau calls a “suspect industry” because there are so many dissatisfied customers and misleading sales tactics are so often used.
Even so, the Bureau says there are some good travel clubs out there. The only way to find them is to do your homework before joining – something you cannot do at a high-pressure sales presentation.
And consider this: Collier at the BBB in Tucson told me in most cases, you’d be better off not joining a high-priced club – and instead paying the fee charged by a good travel agent. Joining a travel club “is just not cost effective,” he says. “You’ll never make back the cost of joining.”
| Surviving airline turbulence Crewmembers are no strangers to airline industry turbulence. We’re accustomed to bankruptcy, mergers, strikes, and operation cessations.
I’ve been through two bankruptcies, and with another airline consolidation in the works, I probably have more of a ride in store.
I guess I’m lucky. One fellow flight attendant has survived seven bankruptcies. Yes, seven. That’s how many times she was furloughed or or released when her employer shut down. She’s 56 years old and bracing for number eight.
With oil prices soaring past $100 a barrel, there are surely more airlines headed towards liquidation. What can you protect yourself during these troubling times? Here are a few tips for flying on bankrupt or financially unstable airlines.
1. It’s all in how you pay. If you book on a bankrupt airline and it goes out of business, most of the time you can get your money back as long as you have paid for your ticket with a credit card as opposed to a debit card. Payments by check or cash should be avoided at all costs.
2. Use the perks while you can. If you have frequent flier points saved up and your airline’s future looks uncertain, use them without delay. If your airline is worthless, so are your points.
3. Go paper. If you have electronic tickets (also known as e-tickets), consider getting your tickets converted to paper tickets at the airline’s ticket counter. There is a much better chance of getting another airline to honor a paper ticket than an electronic ticket, especially if the airline has shut down. Paper tickets are verifiable, but e-ticket receipts are easy to forge and don’t provide proof of payment.
4. Avoid the future. Booking more than 60 days in advance is a mistake and normally not worth that much of a discount. If a steep discount is offered one should enter with caution. I have a friend who got an incredible deal for his whole family on Independence Air three months before the scheduled flight. One month later it went out of business and since he paid by check, his money undoubtedly became part of the CEO’s guaranteed golden parachute.
5. Plan for schedule changes. An airline in bankruptcy can change or cancel a flight within a moment’s notice. Be prepared to deviate or possibly be sent on another carrier to your destination.
6. Look for price match. Some airlines will match flight prices from other carriers, and many times the price difference is not significant. So it’s prudent to compare and to be quite honest, it might be worth an extra $20 or $30 to go with an airline you can trust or has many back up routing options.
7. Buy directly from the airline. Normally, I am all for booking through travel agents as they can sometimes get you special prices, ensure proper connection times, and inform you of your options, but when dealing with refunds, sometimes it is more complicated when you go through a third party.
8. Double-book to protect. Say your airline goes into bankruptcy protection and you already have a ticket. If you have an important event, business meeting or you are booked on a cruise requiring you to be there at a specific date and time, make a refundable back-up reservation on a different airline. You can always cancel and get a refund, but chances are that a financially unstable airline won’t care much about the ticket price of that cruise.
9. Stay clear. If at all possible, avoid the Chapter 11 airlines as this should send up red flags to everyone that they are one stage away from shutting the doors. I know that many airlines survive the Chapter 11 process — but more don’t.
10. Be kind to the employees. I know that you can get stressed out by uncertain flight plans but sayings like, “No wonder this airline is going broke,” and “Hope my club mileage points are safe,” are just cruel and unkind. These employees are probably thinking at the same time, “I hope I can make my mortgage payments.”
When Pan Am closed the doors, it was swift, precise, and sudden. Even though it took 20 years to bring the once prestigious airline down, the final days happened so quickly that a friend of mine was on a layover in South America, woke up, turned on CNN, and learned about the cessation of all operations.
She received no phone call, message, or any communication from the company, which was frightening because the crew’s pick-up for the return flight was just one hour away. Sure enough, when the crew convened, Pan Am was no more, and what followed was a form of sky hitchhiking to get back home.
The other airlines were sympathetic and assisted most down-line employees, but some crews took over a week to get back. Could you imagine worrying about getting home when you have no airline or career to return to? I heard of one person who was enormously in debt and had nothing or no one to return to, so he didn’t.
Good luck to you out there, passengers and employees. It may well be a wild ride. And where the industry will end up, nobody knows.
| Where to find the best of Europe in America 5/2/2008 12:45:30 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment With the dollar plunging to mouth-gaping lows against the euro, the British pound and other European currencies, it’s a costly time to make a transatlantic flight. But there’s a solution to this problem, and you don’t even have to downgrade your hotel room or eat at a less elegant restaurant: Don’t go at all. From bibulous beer halls to English-accented inns, these United States are loaded with European refinement. We’ve identified ten spots where you can get your Euro fix without having to flash your passport.
Let’s start with the United Kingdom, the most popular European destination for American travelers. With one British pound now costing $2, it’s also the priciest. But at the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine, guests can immerse themselves in all things English. Indulge in afternoon high tea and snuggle up to the fireplace in the wood-beamed antique-filled guest rooms.
“It’s not as much about the décor as it is the way we go about things here,” says acclaimed chef, Jonathan Cartwright, who mans the stoves at the in-house eatery. “It also helps that we go through four distinct seasons here and the climate feels very English. This allows me to cook with the seasons.” Expect contemporary British fare like rabbit-stuffed ravioli and black currant-sauced duck breast.
Moving down the coast to Newark, New Jersey doesn’t typically evoke European ambience. That is, unless you visit the Ironbound neighborhood. There are somewhere between 10,000 and 30,000 people of Portuguese descent in New Jersey’s largest city, and they like to congregate in the bars, butcher shops and restaurants of this downtown neighborhood. Paying a visit here is the next best thing to a stroll on the streets of Lisbon. The Adega Grill, smack in the center of it all, is the epitome of tastebud tourism, serving up Iberian specialties like skewers of fire-roasted meat and cockles in a garlic-cilantro broth—all washed down, of course, with a glass of Portuguese wine.
Fragrant flowers, half-timbered windmills and friendly attitudes are just a few of the reasons travelers hit up Holland. But there’s another, just as kind, just as gentle land where wooden shoes and tulips rule: Holland, Michigan. Check in to the Dutch Colonial Inn B&B, which blends Midwestern hospitality with Old World atmosphere in a cozy house built in 1928. Amble through downtown where Dutch-accented shops flank the tree-lined streets and then settle in to the New Holland Brewing Co. for a few pints of Red Tulip Ale. In the end, you’ll be wearing clogs too.
Looking for somewhere a bit more “neutral”? Then say “Grutzi” to New Glarus, Wisconsin. Known as “Little Switzerland,” this land of rolling hills and chalet-style architecture is home to numerous festivals (including an Oktoberfest and, appropriately enough, a Heidi Fest). The hungry cognoscenti, however, know the real reason to put this southern Wisconsin town on their itinerary: The century-old New Glarus Bakery, which makes hard-to-find baked Swiss goods from yodel-inducing marzipan-laced Stollen bread to loaves of herbed beer bread to top-selling nut horns, a finger-shaped roll crammed with cream cheese and walnuts.
For a Teutonic good time with a twist, go ahead and mess with Texas. Yes, that’s right, Fredericksburg, Texas, located in Lone Star state’s Hill Country (and the hometown of Lyndon B. Johnson), was settled by German immigrants in the mid-19th century. Today this town of just over 9,000 boasts streets flanked by sausage stands and restaurants that serve hoppy suds in giant liter mugs. Go to immerse yourself in this German-flavored burg, but stay for Bed & Brew, a unique B&B that’s connected to the popular Fredericksburg Brewing Company. Guests can mosey on down to the brewery restaurant for some Texas-sized schnitzel and freshly brewed beer. And if that’s not enough, beer is even served for breakfast in the morning. The only way to get more German than that would be doing it in lederhosen.
Stay on the brew byway to transport yourself to another hops-hungry Central European country: the Czech Republic via Bohemian Hall in New York City. Located in the Greek and Czech immigrant-filled neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, this leafy century-old beer garden serves savory goulash and dumplings that could out-flavor the pub grub back in the homeland. Best of all, it offers hard-to-find-on-tap Czech brews like Staropramen.
Austria may be just south of the Czech Republic, but one would have to go north of New York to find the most Austrian flavor in America. Enter the Trapp Family Lodge, a comfy inn owned by the von Trapp family of "Sound of Music" fame. “Many of our guests come here as an alternative when they can’t get to Austria,” says Hans van Weiss, the lodge’s general manager. “They come here for three or four days and get the feeling that they’re back in Austria.” The 96 guestrooms and suites and 100 cabins are set among the pine-clad hills of Stowe, Vermont, not unlike Alpine Austria. As one would expect, the lodge organizes weekly sing-a-longs. There’s also an Austrian tea house and an eatery where Chef Juergen Spagolla cooks up haute Austrian fare like hazelnut-crusted duck tenderloin.
If your scene is more Mediterranean than mountainous, head south. One hundred years ago, Greek immigrants with a proclivity for sponge diving turned up in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and the place has never been the same. That's an especially good thing if you’re looking to drench yourself in Greek culture without leaving the country. Once St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral—a miniature version of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia—rose heavenward, restaurants fired up their stoves and began serving authentic Greek dishes. One of those is Mama’s, a restaurant founded by former sponge divers and located on the restaurant and shop-crammed sponge docks where belly dancers entertain and locals eat like they are on a Mediterranean island.
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