American Airlines and Orbitz tangle over fees and booking process

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Do you use Orbitz to book flights on American Airlines? Well, your online travel buying habits may have to change. American is getting tough with Orbitz – and other online travel agencies – about how they do business together. For now, you can keep buying tickets on American via Orbitz, but a change could come as early as December 1, 2010.

The rhetoric is already high, as you can see in a recent Bloomberg report. Barney Hartford, the CEO of Orbits, said, “This is a broad attack by American on the travel distribution landscape.” The airline wants the likes of Orbitz to pull flight and fare info directly, rather than through a global distribution system.

So, is this all saber-rattling, or are American’s threats to pull out of Orbitz real. Bloomberg reports:

American can’t afford to pull its content off all the global distribution systems, and its conflict with Orbitz is a “private negotiation that suddenly became public,” said Jay Sorensen, president of aviation consultant Ideaworks and a former marketing director at Midwest Airlines.

Sorensen said he doesn’t “see an agenda here for American to remake the travel industry.” He indicated that this is part of a prudent negotiating strategy but noted that Orbitz may call the carrier’s bluff.

There’s a lot at stake – hundreds of millions of dollars, in fact. American has paid nine-figure sums to companies like Sabre and Galileo to gain access to online travel agencies and wouldn’t mind bypassing them and saving a few bucks, it seems.

So, will negotiations turn into a game of “chicken” as the end of the month approaches? Let’s wait and see how this develops.

[Via USA Today, photo by Deanster1983 via Flickr]

Storm watchers invited to experience La Niña at Olympic National Park

by Kraig Becker on

Long range weather forecasts indicate that we can expect La Niña to have a direct impact on our weather patterns in the months ahead. That powerful natural force tends to sit off the west coast, causing pacific water temperatures to drop while creating storms that can dump rain and snow on large parts of the U.S.

For many of us, the mere thought of these storms is enough to send us scrambling for dryer and warmer conditions, but for adventure travelers and storm watchers, the thought of catching La Niña in her full fury is an opportunity that is often too good to miss.

To help facilitate that, the Kalaloch Lodge, located in Olympic National Park, is offering a Storm Watchers Package that is available now through March 12, 2011, which is when the weather phenomenon is expected to start to fade. The package runs $149/night and includes lodging in a personal cabin located on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The rate also includes breakfast for each person, a souvenir blanket with the Olympic National Park logo on it, and perhaps most importantly of all, rain ponchos for everyone as well. Additional nights can be added for just $99 each. Simply use the promo code STORM10 when booking.

Not to be outdone, the nearby Lake Quinault Lodge is offering a Storm Watchers Package of their own. This package is also available for the same dates as the Kalaloch Lodge and includes a warm and dry fireplace or lakeside room and a rainforest tour for two. The lush forests that surround Lake Quinault receive as much as 12 feet of precipitation between October and March each year, and experiencing those rains can be amazing for nature lovers. This package costs just $119/night and comes with the option of adding additional nights for $50 each. The promo code for this package is LQSTORM10.

So whether you want to experience the power of El Niña on the Pacific Coast or the storms she generates in the rainforest, Olympic National Park has you covered.

Ousted Coney Island businesses plan rally

by Leigh Caldwell on

Patrons of several longtime Coney Island businesses that were recently denied lease renewals are planning a rally at noon Saturday. The patrons are hoping to make Central Amusement International reconsider its plans to shut down some classic Coney Island businesses.

On Monday, CAI told 11 Coney Island boardwalk eateries, shops and concessions that their leases would not be renewed, and that they had 15 days to vacate.

The businesses that are closing include the 76-year-old Ruby’s Bar, a paintball attraction and a beer garden.

CAI told WNYC radio that it plans to invest millions of dollars to make Coney Island a year-round destination, with shopping, dining and entertainment. No official plans for the boardwalk redesign have been released, but CAI says it is seeking tenants who would open sit-down restaurants that could operate year-round.

The company opened the new Luna Park amusement park this year at Coney Island with 19 new rides and entertainment. A second CAI amusement park that features thill rides – called Scream Zone – is slated to open in 2011.

In September, the City of New York announced a record season for Coney island’s Amusement District, with more than 400,000 visitors this summer.

[Image credit: Flickr user edenpictures]

Abandoned Six Flags New Orleans video is creeping us out

by Leigh Caldwell on

Six Flags New Orleans, which closed as Hurricane Katrina approached in 2005 and has never reopened. The sign outside the park still announces that it’s “CLOSED FOR STORM.”

The theme park was in New Orleans‘ Ninth Ward, one of the hardest hit areas during Katrina and the flooding after the storm. Though many of the rides still stand, Six Flags says that saltwater from the flood has corroded them to the point that they cannot be saved.

The only ride to survive the flood – Batman: The Ride, which was elevated above most of the floodwaters – was refurbished and moved to Six Flags Fiesta Texas in 2008.

After viewing this video of the rotting theme park, I’m wondering why the City of New Orleans, which owns the land, isn’t renting it out as a location for horror movies. Louisiana photographer Teddy Smith shot this video in October, with permission from the City of New Orleans.

As Gizmodo notes, you almost expect to see a horde of zombies come ambling through a scene or two.

World’s first JW Marriott Marquis opens in Miami

by Melanie Nayer on

When entertainment and luxury combine with travel, the options are endless (and often glamorous). Setting a new premise for hotels around the world, the first ever JW Marriott Marquis Miami opened its doors in downtown Miami to a celebrity-infused, technology-studded event that merged sophistication, design, art, fashion and fun into one massive space.

The very first JW Marquis-branded hotel is set to transform way travelers view their hotel stay with an onsite golf school, virtual bowling alley, 10,000-square-foot NBA approved basketball arena and tennis court, billiard room and full-service spa. And, of course, there are guestrooms.

Part-theme park, part-resort, Marriott is setting the stage for a new kind of hotel experience. Are you game?

Rooms

The first in the company’s brand, The JW Marriott Marquis Miami has 41 floors, 313 rooms and 56 suites. There is more than 80,000 sq ft of total meeting space, and 20,000 sq ft Grand Ballroom and three concierge floors. Each guest room comes complete with an illy red Y1 espresso machine, complimentary bottles of water, imported Italian Marble Baths including a television embedded in bathroom mirror and a separate tub and shower.

Restaurants

Three restaurants give guests various options for dining. db Bistro Moderne is home to three time James Beard Foundation winner and French Chef, Daniel Boulud, who creates blends traditional French cuisine with the flavors of the American market. There’s a lounge and street level terrace for casual dining, including and cafe and bar, and Intermezzo, an illy Artisti del Gusto Café that features breakfast options including pastries Wide selection of pastries and other baked items, as well as coffee, cappuccino, espresso and teas.Spa/Fitness

The hotel’s Rik-Rak Salon & Spa, located on the 20th floor includes a full- service spa, beauty salon and fitness center.
The 4,000-square-foot spa includes five massage treatment rooms, including one couples room, co-ed relaxation room, separate men and women’s sauna, and a full-service hair and nail salon. The fitness center will be outfitted with eco-friendly Technogym equipment, top-of-the-line cardio vascular machinery, free weights and a yoga and exercise studio.

Entertainment

In addition to spa and fitness, guests can enjoy an outdoor swimming pool; a 10,000-square-foot NBA approved basketball court, Jim McLean Golf School with virtual golf and golf lessons, a bowling alley, media room, billiard room and a state of the art fitness center.

The Jim McLean Golf School will offer skilled personal instruction, virtual golf simulators, two putting greens, lounge seating, a Pro Shop, and sweeping city views. A 10,000-square-foot arena has a multi-use portable floor system that transforms into an NBA Approved Basketball court, a tennis court featuring the identical surface used at the Sony Ericsson Open or carpeted event space. For the less active sports-lover, take advantage of the hotel’s billiard room or virtual bowling alley.

Business/Corporate

Over 80,000 square feet of space is available for corporate and business events, that includes Virtual Meetings by JW Marriott, in partnership with AT&T and Cisco. The public telepresence facility enables people to hold virtual meetings with customers and colleagues around the world.

JW Marriott is widely known as Marriott International’s luxury brand of hotels, currently consisting of 45 properties around the world.
A second 1,612-room JW Marriott Marquis is scheduled to open in Dubai in 2011, and the company plans to host 73 properties in total in 28 countries by 2013.