Passengers Asked To Chip In For Fuel On Diverted Plane

by Jessica Festa on

As if fuel surcharges, baggage fees and having to pay for food on expensive flights wasn’t bad enough, on Wednesday, passengers on board an Air France flight that got diverted from Beirut to Damascus were asked to help “chip in” to refuel the plane.

The reason for the diversion was tensions in Beirut. Unfortunately, the airline suspended flights to Damascus in March due to safety reasons.

Roland, a 23-year-old engineer on the flight, explained the flight got held up in Syria’s capital because of the fuel dilemma. He told news.come.au, “There were some negotiations going on to buy fuel because Air France doesn’t fly to Damascus at the moment and so it doesn’t have an account with Damascus airport authorities.”

According to an anonymous Air France employee, the crew at first tried to pay for the fuel in Damascus with a credit card; however, the transaction could not be completed because of financial sanctions, which have been imposed on Syria.

It is unclear how the issue was finally resolved.

[Image via Joe Jones]

Sleeping Man Found On Luggage Belt In Rome Airport

by Jessica Festa on

Airport security certainly sees some unusual items going through baggage screenings; however, the TSA at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport were recently shocked when the outline and internal organs of a sleeping man popped up on their X-Ray machine.

According to The Guardian, a 36-year-old Norwegian tourist was found fast asleep on the baggage conveyor belt in Terminal 3. He had spent about 25 minutes riding around, blissfully unaware of where he was. Unfortunately, waking up was not so pleasant as he is now facing charges for the unauthorized ride.

When found, the man appeared to have been drinking heavily. After dumping his bags on the luggage belt at an unoccupied check-in point, he had lay down and fallen asleep on the main belt. Thankfully, police say his impromptu journey was not a security risk.

“There is a security system – a sort of roll-up blind – which can only be opened by the member of staff who loads the baggage,” a police officer told Italian newspaper La Repubblica. “[The Norwegian] could have carried on going round the main belt but he could never have ended up in sensitive areas of the airport.”

[Image via MadEmoiselle Sugar]

Hotel News We Noted: August 17, 2012

by McLean Robbins on

Greetings, from warm and muggy Florida! As we stretch into the last weeks of summer break, we’ve got some cool hotels on tap to keep you full with your weekly dose of “Hotel News We Noted.”

As always, if you have a tip, trend or topical idea you’d like to tell us about, send us a note.

Coming Soon: Hotel Openings
Want the scoop on where your favorite hotels are heading? The Delano announced plans to build in Moscow, we’ll be reporting live on the Capella in Georgetown, opening in early 2013, the Weekapaug Inn, in Weekapaug, Rhode Island, is re-opening from a $20 million renovation in October and QT Sydney, a new five-star design hotel in Australia, is coming September 17.

Branded Hotels: Ikea?
The budget furniture maker is primed to enter the hotel market in a big way. The Inter Ikea name will feature 100 budget-friendly hotels (they will not have the Scandanavian line’s famed flat-pack furniture), according to Reuters. The Inter Ikea brand already owns a few hotels, but this represents their first major move into the hospitality space. The first hotel will likely enter the market in Germany in 2014 and be run by a separate hotel operator.

Eco-Amenity: An In-House Bottling Plant at Shangri-La
We’ve heard of a lot of hotels going eco-friendly, but this is the first we’ve heard of an in-house bottling plant. Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa and Golden Sands Resort in Penang will see a reduction of approximately10,379 pounds of plastic drinking bottles per year through this new initiative. The complimentary drinking water will be packaged in 1.0-liter glass bottles and will replace the plastic mineral water bottles currently used. The resort is the first in Penang accorded this bottling license, and it will serve both carbonated and stilled water.

Hotel Packages: Le Divorce
Papers signed? Celebrate your single status with a three- to 30-day package at Kamalame Cay, a private island resort in the Bahamas. The package includes meals, a spa day and unlimited booze and cigarettes (okay, ew). For every three days on island, guests can choose from one activity from a special “Le Divorce Activities Menu,” including such items as spa treatments, fishing excursions and underwater adventures. Those booking this package can also fill out a “virtue and vice” form three weeks prior to arrival detailing favorite cocktail(s), preferred style of wine(s), favorite fruit(s), favorite candy or other “naughty” treats, favorite author(s), favorite musician(s), etc. Personalized “surprises” will then magically appear in a fun way throughout the stay. Rates start at $600 per night; those booking the full 30 days receive 20 percent off.

Romance On The Road: Couples Want More Leisure Travel Time

by McLean Robbins on

A new Courtyard by Marriott survey shows that travelers in relationships crave leisure getaways and feel as if they don’t get to take enough trips with their partner.

The survey revealed that 25 percent of couples never travel for leisure purposes, and on average, 50 percent only travel together once or twice per year. According to the survey of men and women, almost 70 percent say they don’t go away often enough as a couple, and 87 percent enjoy traveling with their spouse or significant other more than anyone else.

The good news, according to the survey, is both men and women agree on what’s important when on vacation together. Top couples’ priorities include visiting local attractions (56 percent), rejuvenating (39 percent), being romantic (37 percent), developing their relationship (35 percent), eating great new foods (33 percent), and relaxing at their hotel (28 percent).

When asked what they wish their partner would surprise them with away from home, both men and women ranked a fancy dinner out as number one. Following a fancy dinner, men would like to be surprised with catching a pro sporting event or an adventure activity, and women would like to be surprised with a couple’s spa treatment or shopping – although both men and women recognize those activities may not be on top of their partner’s activity wish list.

What do you think? Do you get away enough with your partner? If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?

[Flickr image of Bora Bora via Benoit Mahe]

Would You Swim In The World’s Scariest Pool?

by Jessica Festa on




How far would you go to get a bird’s-eye city view while swimming? If you’re staying at the Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Kangqiao, you’ll get to take a dip in their glass-bottom pool, which appears to be suspended in mid-air as it partially hangs over a 24-story drop (shown above).

The adrenaline-pumping pool, which is the first of its kind in China, is 98 feet long and 20 feet wide. It was designed by Singaporean company Chan Sau Yan Associates.

“We wanted to provide our guests a unique swimming experience, and let them feel they’re vacationing even in a bustling city,” a spokesperson from InterContinental Hotels Group, parent company of Holiday Inn, told news.com.au.

So far, the guests seem to enjoy the feeling of being able to swim in the sky. Don’t worry, the bottom is made with toughened glass for added safety.

Would you swim in this pool?

[Image via InterContinental Hotels Group]