Daily Pampering: Suite drive at Four Seasons

by Melanie Nayer on

Maserati? Ferrari? Rolls Royce? Why, yes! I don’t mind if I do!

Listen up, car lovers: If you rent one of the top suites at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, you are given your choice of a Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce and more, to use during your stay at no additional cost. Guests who book a One Bedroom Suite, Luxury Suite, Premier Suite or Grand Luxury Suite will receive car options including a Cadillac, Mini Cooper, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Volvo.

The “Suite Drive with Four Seasons” program provides hotel guests with access to ultra luxurious vehicles such as Bentley, Ferrari, Rolls Royce and Lamborghini during their stay. Simply book one of the hotel’s 36 newly-renovated suites and you can choose from a selection of luxury or exotic cars, depending on the suite category at no cost, other than fuel, additional mileage and insurance.

Cars available for driving include: Rolls Royce Phantom, Ferrari F430, Ferrari California, Bentley Flying Spur, Maserati, Bentley GTC, Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes-Benz SLS, Mercedes-Benz S600 or Porsche 997. What we love: The Four Seasons can also arrange for guests to receive their cars at the airport at no additional cost, and valet parking is included throughout the duration of the stay. Now that’s some suite pampering!

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Airlines have best quarter ever … thanks baggage fees!

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Every time you pay to check an extra bag you’re making someone’s life better. The latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation reveals that the third quarter of 2010 was the most profitable for the U.S. airline industry since the department began keeping score in 2002. The industry’s operating profit margin hit 10.5 percent in aggregate. Low-cost carriers, as a class, had an operating profit margin of 11 percent, its best performance since hitting 11.2 percent in the third quarter of 2006.

How did the airline industry pull this off? Recovering economic conditions helped, of course, but so did the stuff that passengers have gotten comfortable complaining about. More than $900 million in third-quarter revenue came from baggage fees, with another $590 million from reservation change fees. Then, there was another $646 million in ancillary fees. It all adds up to more than $2 billion for a single quarter.

So, while we’re all complaining about these extra fees, it looks like many of us are paying them, too.Spirit picks up the highest percentage of its revenue from ancillary fees at 26.9 percent, up from 24.2 percent in the second quarter of 2010 and 20.6 percent in the third quarter of 2009. Allegiant was next at 9.7 percent. Delta and US Airways derived 7.7 percent of their revenues from ancillary fees, with Southwest at 6.7 percent.

Of course, the money isn’t just going into the pockets of airline employees and executives. The six network airlines spent 25 percent of their operating expenses in the third quarter on fuel. United Airlines spent the most on fuel among network carriers – 25.7 percent of total revenue – with Allegiant leading low-cost carriers at 44.1 percent.

Before you feel too sorry for airlines when it comes to fuel costs, remember those profits. Four network airlines had double-digit operating margins, along with four low-cost carriers.

[photo by Tracy O via Flickr]

TSA your holiday … or, “What Santa Claus looks like under the scanner”

by McLean Robbins on

Ever wonder what Santa Claus is really hiding under that big red suit, or what he “sees” in Mrs. Claus? Thanks to new website TSA Your Holiday, now you can. Mr. & Mrs. Claus, Frosty, Scrooge, and even Ruldolph take to the scanners (no opt-outs here!) for their big reveals.

Says the site:

In a scoop of WikiLeak-ian proportions, Curley & Pynn has secured highly confidential images of holiday icons (sorry, Santa and Mrs. Claus), which we are releasing for public consumption.

If nothing else, the site provides a bit of much needed levity from a nation already wary of TSA policies.

Thanks to top tweeter @BrooklynNomad for the tip.

Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. announces first “Presidential Gallery”

by McLean Robbins on



Ever wanted to shake hands with Bill Clinton or stand toe to toe with Richard Nixon? Soon you can … if you visit Madame Tussauds‘ Washington D.C. location. Early next year, the museum will launch the first U.S. President’s Gallery, featuring all 44 U.S. Presidents.

The $2 million+ gallery will open on February 17th, just in time for (you guessed it) President’s Day. The museum is creating 28 entirely new figures just for the exhibit.

“We are looking forward to providing the public with the unique opportunity to experience all of the U.S. presidents in a way unlike ever before,” said Dan Rogoski, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. “As the only place in the world where people will be able to meet and interact with all 44 U.S. presidents, history buffs, students and the general public alike will enjoy a truly unique and enriching educational experience at the Gallery.”

In anticipation of the opening of the Presidents Gallery, figures of presidents have been popping up across the country. Throughout the year, figure sightings have included President Gerald Ford at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum for the 97th anniversary of his birthday; founding fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson at the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia over the July 4th holiday; and most recently, Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, which took a road trip to Mount Rushmore in honor of the 69th anniversary of the monument’s completion.

A tremendous undertaking, each figure takes about three to four months to complete and requires an extensive amount of work. In order to make the figures as lifelike as possible, Madame Tussauds artists have to study hundreds of photographs, and when available, hours of video footage. Of course in some cases, the artists did not have the luxury of photographs or videos, and needed to rely on historical accounts, even paintings.

The U.S. Presidents Gallery will include a curriculum focused on the history of the U.S. presidents. We can see it now – this will be a must-hit stop on the annual “eighth grade trip to D.C.” itinerary.

SkyMall Monday: Mustache Mirror

by Mike Barish on

I’m no stranger to facial hair. And I’m certainly a supporter of mustaches. However, I understand that there are many people who can’t grow lip sweaters. Whether it’s due to genetics, illness, workplace rules or simply gender, some poor souls must remain fresh-faced. Until Locks for Love allows me to donate my beard to someone (all joking aside, that’s a great charity that I urge you to check out), those without blooming facial follicles will be forced to find alternative means for covering their lips. While using a permanent marker to draw a stache may seem like a good idea, that can get out of hand. Fake mustaches tend to fall off at inopportune times and masks are just plain creepy. Thankfully, SkyMall is prepared to address this serious issue. Now, when guests come over to SkyMall Monday headquarters, they too can have a mustache thanks to the new Mustache Mirror.Mustaches show that you are a virile man (or woman, if you’re Sicilian). They display your power, confidence and potency. These are traits that must be broadcast to the world. For some, however, mustaches are as elusive as unicorns, leprechauns and the McRib. That doesn’t mean that they should be denied the joy one experiences when they first see themselves with a swath of hair darting across their upper lip like a steamship proudly crossing the Atlantic.

Think that mustaches are only for pedophiles and dictators? Believe that mustaches should have died in the 80s? Your prejudice only makes me more determined to share the product description with you:

Ever wonder how you’d look styled with a ‘stache? Worry not about facial hair farming inhibitions, thanks to our exclusive beveled-edge mirror.

Three bushy, manly lip ticklers are printed boldly at the perfect level so you can try one on for size; the ready-to-hang accent will be a hit in your entry or powder room.

Worry not, indeed! Plus, we’re bringing back the term “powder room.” That’s a bonus.

While I would prefer to see more than three mustaches on the mirror and wish that handlebar varieties made up less than 66.6% of the options, I still feel that the Mustache Mirror is a major breakthrough in facial hair research.

For all of you without mustaches, this is your rebirth. You have a second chance to live the life you always felt you were supposed to live. Remember, mustaches are not a choice. They’re a way of life.

For more information on mustaches, I urge you to visit the American Mustache Institute.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.