Plenty of cool ski resorts and travel bargains

Reports of new hotels, upgraded day lodges and other improvements continue to emerge from ski resorts in Colorado, Idaho and British Columbia.
For example, new places to stay in Telluride's 9,500-foot elevation Mountain Village are the ski-in, ski-out upscale Capella and Lumière hotels.
Capella is a secluded luxury property with 100 hotel guest rooms and 60 fully owned condominium suites. Among its amenities are multiple restaurants, a spa, indoor pool, fitness center, Kids Club, 5,000 square feet of event space and an outdoor ice skating rink. A Nordic Lounge offers valet service and equipment storage. Contact: 1-877-247-6688; www.capellahotels.com.

Lumière is a 30-guest-room boutique hotel. It offers free breakfast plus spa services, fitness center, business services, gas fireplaces, bar, ski valet, equipment storage and airport pickup. Contact: 1-866-530-9466; www.lumieretelluride.com.
Another Telluride option is booking a lodging-and-ski package for $95 through the visitor bureau's central reservations. Ask about the American Airlines Kids Fly Free promotion. Contact: 1-888- 605-2578; www.visittelluride.com/ places-to-stay/packages.

Opening Nov. 26 in the heart of Whistler Village is the 190-room, four-story Aava Whistler Hotel with 24-hour concierge service, restaurant, fitness center, sauna, meeting space, ski equipment storage, soaker tubs and outdoor pool. Aava's opening rate Nov. 26-Dec. 24 is $92 per night for a queen deluxe room. Contact: 1-800-663-5644; www.aavawhistlerhotel.com.

Short swings

In Idaho, Brundage Mountain Resort has remodeled its base lodge, Lookout Pass added a new ski-patrol and first-aid lodge, and Schweitzer and Pomerelle expanded their snowmaking. Also the SkiIdaho.us Web site has been upgraded.
Colorado's Wolf Creek is celebrating its 70th birthday. In recognition, the resort will offer discounted lift tickets during special events throughout the season. Contact: 970-264-5639; www.wolfcreekski.com.
Elsewhere, early-season snow has enabled these Canadian ski areas to open: Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, Nakiska, Marmot Basin and Mt. Norquay (weekends only) in Alberta and Sun Peaks in British Columbia.

Ski travel bargains

Families flying American Airlines Dec. 1-17 into Colorado's Eagle/Vail Airport can receive one free child's ticket for every adult fare purchased. Contact: 1-866-668-8245; www.FlyVail.com. ... Then there's the Family Fly Free package aboard American, Delta or United airlines to Gunnison-Crested Butte Airport. Buy two airline tickets between Dec. 17 and April 4 and get a free third ticket when staying in Crested Butte Mountain Resort's lodging properties at least four nights. Contact: 1-800-544-8448; www.skicb.com.
Park City's The Canyons Resort is extending its employee rate Nov. 23-29 to all guests at its four lodges. Rooms are available from $49.50 per night, double occupancy. Guests staying three nights receive two free lift tickets. Contact: 1-888-226-9667; www.thecanyons.com. ... Also in Park City, save 25 percent off lodging and lift tickets Dec. 5-25 at Deer Valley. Each paying adult receives one night of free lodging and one day of free skiing. A minimum four-day stay is required. Contact: 435-649-1000; www.deervalley.com.

Book a Steamboat vacation by Nov. 25 and save up to 25 percent on lodging and lifts. Contact: 1-877-309-2628; www.steamboat.com. ... Nov. 12-Dec. 18 at Breckenridge, book three nights of lodging and three days of adult lift tickets and receive an added free night of lodging and free ski day. Prices start at $91 per person, per night. Contact: 1-877-593-5260; www.gobreck.com.

Yellowstone National Park's winter season begins with the opening of Old Faithful Snow Lodge (Dec. 18) and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (Dec. 21). Winter Getaways are available Jan. 3-March 6 at Mammoth Hot Springs and through March 5 at Snow Lodge. Contact: 1-866-439-7375; www.travelyellowstone.com.

Season pass update

Crested Butte has lifted the purchase deadline for its Gold Season Pass. The ticket costs $1,274 and has no blackout dates. Added bonuses are 15 percent off lodging at Crested Butte and half-price skiing at Durango, Powderhorn and Taos. A child's season pass (ages 7-12) is $285; young adult (13-17), $455. (Youth prices quoted Nov. 8 in Travel were correct for sales at ski shows.) Contact: 970-349-2261 or www.skicb.com
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ISSN 1544-3760 - Copyright © 2009 AirGuide / Pyramid Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Icelandair Announces 'Once in a Lifetime' Northern Lights Tour in Iceland

Icelandair, Iceland's flagship air company, has recently announced a Northern Lights package deal flying to and from North America this winter. Iceland's perfect location within the Arctic Circle provides the ideal destination to view the Northern Lights; otherwise known as the Aurora Borealis.
The 'Aurora Adventure' is a six-day excursion split between Iceland's capital city, Reykjavik, and the town of Hofn in the south-eastern part of the country to seek the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights are without a doubt one of the most breathtaking natural spectacles in the world. The natural light displays occur most frequently in the Polar Regions, centered within a 2500 km radius of the geomagnetic pole.
Sunspots on the Sun's surface are the predominant cause for the appearance of the Northern Lights. The strength of the Aurora is relevant to the amount of occurring sunspots as well as clear visibility; these sunspots follow an 11-year cycle that is set to peak between 2011 and 2012. Scientists agree that the conditions for viewing the Northern Lights in 2010 are particularly superb -- making this winter the ultimate time to visit Iceland.
Further information on the Auora Adventure package (http://www.icelandair.us/offers-and-bookings/book-packages/package/item279957/Aurora_Adventure/) deal as well as flight availability can be found on the Icelandair www.icelandair.us.
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ISSN 1544-3760 - Copyright © 2009 AirGuide / Pyramid Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Orbitz Reveals the Busiest Airports for Thanksgiving

Orbitz.com (www.orbitz.com) today released the Insider Index of the busiest airports for Thanksgiving, as well as time-saving tips on navigating bustling airports during the holiday season. The Index also reveals the least busy airports, helping travelers who have not yet booked their airline tickets make an informed decision when choosing their airports.
Orbitz Index most/least busy Thanksgiving Airports
The Insider Index reviewed the top 50 U.S. airports based on flight bookings, identifying which will be the most and least busy the week of Thanksgiving.
Chicago O'Hare International takes the honor of the busiest airport this Thanksgiving. Rounding out the top three are Los Angeles and Denver international airports. New York-area airports occupy three of the 10 spots on the list, making the Big Apple a hot spot for Thanksgiving travelers.

Busiest Airports
1 Chicago, IL - Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)
2 Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles International(LAX)
3 Denver, CO - Denver International (DEN)
4 San Francisco, CA - San Francisco International (SFO)
5 Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Hartsfield International (ATL)
6 Boston, MA - Boston Logan International (BOS)
7 New York, NY - New York LaGuardia (LGA)
8 New York - New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
9 Newark, NJ - Newark Liberty International (EWR)
10 Seattle, WA - Seattle Tacoma International (SEA)

For the first time, Orbitz also is revealing the least busy airports over the Thanksgiving holiday. While these airports will see a lift in traffic, overall they should be a lot easier for travelers to steer. Those traveling to San Jose can look forward to breezing in and out this Thanksgiving, as SJC will be the least busy domestic airport.

Least Busy Airports
1 San Jose, CA - San Jose International (SJC)
2 Nashville, TN - Nashville International (BNA)
3 Richmond, VA - Richmond International (RIC)
4 Sacramento, CA - Sacramento International (SMF)
5 Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville International (JAX)
6 West Palm Beach, FL - Palm Beach International (PBI)
7 Hartford, CT - Bradley International (BDL)
8 Orange County, CA - John Wayne International(SNA)
9 Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
10 Fort Myers, FL - Southwest Florida Regional(RSW)

Orbitz Insider's Top Five Tips to Save You Time at the Airport this Holiday
Choose alternate airports: If you haven't booked your Thanksgiving travel -- or if you're looking ahead to Christmas or New Year's -- consider using alternative smaller airports. These are often much easier to navigate and less crowded. For example, if you're traveling to Chicago, consider Chicago Midway (MDW); New York-bound travelers may have better luck with crowds at the White Plains Westchester County Airport (HPN); and those heading into or out of Los Angeles may save time by going through Burbank (BUR) or Orange County (SNA).
Flexibility is key: If your travel plans are flexible, investigate flying on days that Orbitz predicts will be less busy during the Thanksgiving period. The best bet would be to depart on Nov. 23, 2009 and return on Nov. 30, 2009.
Online check-in is your friend: Where possible take advantage of online check-in and print boarding passes before arriving at the airport.
Know your flight status: Always check the status of your flight before leaving for the airport. Orbitz bookers can choose to get flight status updates sent to their PDAs or mobile phones, while they're on the go. Plus, they can choose to send their alerts to 6 others, including those picking them up at the airport.
Security smarts: Keep anything you need to show airport security such as ID, boarding passes, liquids in a zip-top bag, or medication, in a separate compartment of your carry-on bag. Digging for these items once you get to the front of the security line will cause delays and certainly not make you any friends.
To see a complete list of the Orbitz Insiders' Top 50 Busiest Airports for Thanksgiving, visit: blog.orbitz.com.
(1) Busiest airport data based on air ticket bookings of the top 50 domestic airports on Orbitz.com with arrivals and departures between 11/21/09 and 11/29/09.
(2) Least busy airport data based on air ticket bookings of the top 50 domestic airports on Orbitz.com with arrivals and departures between 11/21/09 and 11/29/09.
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ISSN 1544-3760 - Copyright © 2009 AirGuide / Pyramid Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Google's gift: Free WiFi in 47 airports

Google is planning to foot the bill for WiFi at 47 of the nation's airports for the rest of the year, beginning Tuesday.
With some travelers spending more time on the ground in airports than on planes during the busy flying season, now seemed an especially fitting time to offer up the perk, Google said.
The list includes the international airports in Miami and Orlando, which are among the world's 30 busiest airports, as well as five others in Florida. Travelers through smaller airports, such as Montana's Billings and Bozeman, will also benefit.
"This is one of our holiday gifts to our users, and when you connect, we also hope you'll take the opportunity to try some of the latest Google products," the company said in a statement.
Upon signing in, users will be asked if they want to set Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) as their homepage or try the Google Chrome browser.
The company is also running a charity campaign to raise money for three nonprofit groups: Engineers without Borders, One Economy Corporation and Climate Savers Computing Initiative. When Google WiFi users first log on, the landing page will offer them the option of donating to the organizations. Google will match donations of up to $250,000 per airport.
Google to buy mobile ad provider
Google has inked other free WiFi deals. It already offers free wireless Internet to its hometown of Mountain View, Calif., and last month it partnered with Virgin America to give the airline's customers free access to Gogo's Inflight Internet.
Both the airport WiFi deal and the Virgin America arrangement will end Jan. 15, after the holiday rush subsides.
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ISSN 1544-3760 - Copyright © 2009 AirGuide / Pyramid Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

TAM is Awarded the World Travel Awards

TAM was elected, for the second consecutive time, the best airline in South America (South America's Leading Airline) at the World Travel Awards. Considered the "Oscars of the Travel Industry", the award establishes companies in the tourism, hospitality and aviation worldwide.
"We are very flattered over this achievement. This second award in a row is a very important recognition to the work of each of our employees who dedicate themselves daily to offer customers the best possible service," said Manoela Amaro, our Marketing Director.
Hosted by the site Breaking Travel News, the award is in its 16th edition. This year, the online voting for the winners have set record levels of participation: over 170 thousand travel agents and tourism professionals indicated their favorites.
For each region - Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Central America, South America, North America, Europe, Indian Ocean and Middle East - companies have been selected in the categories airlines, airports, hotels, car rental companies, resorts, spas, cruises, destinations and travel agencies, among others.
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ISSN 1544-3760 - Copyright © 2009 AirGuide / Pyramid Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

US Airways changing rules for frequent-flier benefits

US Airways said Monday that it's changing the number of frequent-flier miles customers need for award tickets - a move that will require fewer miles for off-peak travel but that will also mean burning more miles for high-demand trips.
The airline, which has its biggest hub in Charlotte, says the changes are intended to offer its frequent fliers "more flexibility and options" in redeeming miles.
Some fliers on Monday were skeptical of the move and believe that the changes will increase the number of miles they'll need to use. The airline said that's not necessarily the case.
The major change is that instead of dividing award levels in two - for instance, requiring either 25,000 or 50,000 miles for a domestic round-trip coach ticket, depending on availability - US Airways mileage program will divide into three or four levels. For domestic tickets, fliers will need to redeem 25,000, 40,000, or 60,000 miles, based on the availability of tickets.
For travel to Europe, the two existing levels for round-trip coach tickets - 50,000 and 100,000 - will be replaced by four tiers ranging from 35,000 to 125,000. That means that low-demand travel - such as going to Dublin, Ireland, in mid-January - could cost fewer miles, while high-demand flights - such as heading to Rome in July - could cost more miles. But that will depend on how the airline classifies the demand for the flights.
The new program, called GoAwards, takes effect Jan. 6.
US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder said the changes will allow customers to have more flexibility in choosing their awards.
"If you're traveling on a day that is a premium day, yes, you will probably need to use some more miles," she said. "But we're also offering more flexibility, so maybe you can find a day when you don't use as many miles."
The changes come as US Airways, like other major airlines, is looking for ways to save cash as it continues to lose money because of a drop-off in travel. The airline in recent years has added fees for checked bags and for choice seats, and it has cut out complimentary pretzels.
On its frequent-flier program, called Dividend Miles, US Airways last year started charging fees to redeem award tickets, and it has started enforcing requirements that customers have active accounts or risk losing their miles.
The airline said no cost savings are associated with changing its frequent-flier program. However, airlines count unredeemed award miles as expenses on their balance sheets, amounts that would decrease if fliers cashed in more miles. At the end of 2008, US Airways was recording a $151 million expense associated with unused miles, according to securities documents.
Jay Sorensen, president of Wisconsin-based IdeaWorks, an airline consulting firm, said the industry has been slowly moving away from its "original sin" of pegging miles required for an award to the distance flown, as opposed to aligning it with the cost of the ticket. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines also have recently changed their programs to better reflect a ticket's cost.
He said US Airways' change could be a boon to some travelers, especially if they're able to use miles for flights that were previously unavailable to them.
But it could also lead to cutbacks in the availability of tickets that cost fewer miles.
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ISSN 1544-3760 - Copyright © 2009 AirGuide / Pyramid Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Aer Lingus Business Sale

Aer Lingus, Ireland's Airline, announces its European Business Sale for travel January 1st through April 30th 2010. For $849* each-way (based on roundtrip), you can enjoy all the luxuries of flying Aer Lingus' Business Class from Boston, Chicago or New York (JFK) to Dublin or Shannon, Ireland and connect several other European cities**:
Boston to:
Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Milan, Barcelona Dusseldorf, Madrid, Paris, Birmingham, Frankfurt, Manchester
Chicago to:
Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Manchester, Birmingham, Frankfurt, Milan, Brussels, London, Paris
New York to:
Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Madrid, Paris
Barcelona, Frankfurt, Malaga, Rome, Birmingham, Krakow, Manchester, Vienna, Brussels, Lisbon, Milan, Warsaw
Dusseldorf, London, Munich

Aer Lingus' Business Class amenities include:
Gold Circle Lounge Access
Priority Check-In
Personal On-Demand
In-Flight Entertainment
Restaurant Quality Dining
Priority Baggage Delivery
Three Check-In Bags FREE of Charge

Seats are limited and this offer expires November 30, 2009.
Additional taxes/fees/restrictions may apply.
For more details and to avail of this offer, visit aerlingus.com.
Aer Lingus, Ireland's Airline, has gained international acclaim for its low-cost, low-fare model centered on offering one-way fares. Consistent with this low-cost model, Aer Lingus' primary distribution channel is its website, www.aerlingus.com. The airline serves nearly 70 destinations across Ireland, the UK, Continental Europe and the United States. Transatlantic service includes direct non-stop service between the Emerald Isle and Boston, Chicago, New York (JFK) and Orlando.
Transatlantic itinerary (to Dublin or Shannon) in business class with connecting service to remaining European destinations in economy class.
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ISSN 1544-3760 - Copyright © 2009 AirGuide / Pyramid Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

US Couple Arrested For Stealing Scores Of Luggage

Police have solved the mystery of where about 1,000 pieces of luggage from Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport disappeared to -- the home of local couple Keith and Stacy King.
Authorities initially detained Keith King three weeks ago after he was spotted entering the airport from outside and taking a piece of luggage police learned was not his from a baggage carousel to the parking lot.
However, his initial arrest apparently did not put an end to his alleged activities as King was found again on Monday at the airport taking another suitcase. Police followed him to his home on the outskirts of Phoenix, obtained a search warrant, and discovered the huge luggage stash.
"We believe that the suspects... went through the bags pretty much as soon as they got them and took out what they thought was of value and could use," Phoenix police spokesman Detective James Holmes said.
"It's a God awful lot of luggage, you can't even imagine," he said.
Holmes said that interviews with neighbours revealed that the couple had yard sales most weekends to sell a variety of the stolen goods, including the suitcases themselves.
While it was unclear what was the role of King's wife in the scheme, the two are likely facing a multitude of charges including theft and burglary, he said.
Authorities are now trying to identify "massive amounts of stolen items" in an attempt to reunite them with their owners.AirGuide and AirGuideBusiness
ISSN 1544-3760 - Copyright © 2009 AirGuide / Pyramid Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.