United plans for new image overhaul

After coming in last among large airlines in customer satisfaction surveys for two out of the last three years, United Airlines has been overhauling its operations in an effort to increase on-time performance and win back customers. Now the airline is working on the physical appearance of its planes and crew.

Every single one of the airplanes in United’s fleet will be getting a make-over. The grey with black and red stripes interiors (knows within the company as the “tequila sunrise” scheme) will be replaced with blue leather. The 1980’s-era overhead bins will be updated as well. The airline also announced that fashion designer Cynthia Rowley will be creating more stylish, updated crew uniforms.

With a reputation for poor customer service, delays, cancellations, broken guitars, safety violations, and lost luggage, can United really overhaul its image with a few aesthetic updates? Probably not, but airline officials hopes they can continue to address the issues that have led to its poor satisfaction survey rankings and eventually turn things around. Apparently, they just want the airline to look good while they do it.

“Dress Rehearsal” rate offered at the new Sanctuary Hotel in NYC

The Portland Square Hotel in New York is getting a face lift next spring. By fall of 2010, it will be reopen as the four-star boutique Sanctuary Hotel. During the final days of operation, guests who stay in one of the already renovated Sanctuary Studio rooms will receive a discounted rate of $159 per night and get a preview of what the rest of the completed rooms will look like.

The new rooms are decked out with European linens, plasma tvs, and iPod docking stations. Some will have unique design features like exposed brick or metal beams, and all will feature open plan bathrooms with rain showers.

The “Dress Rehearsal” rate of $159 is good through March 31, 2010. When the hotel officialy opens in the fall, rates will be nearly double, at $309 per night. Guests who book a room at the preview rate and then offer feedback about their stay will also receive a $50 credit towards a future stay.

Only nine of the 125 rooms have been renovated as of yet, so the rate may not be available on all dates. To book the deal, you can call the hotel reservation desk, or just type in the code DRESS1 and book online.

Frommers dot WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?

Those of you who cruise through your bookmarks and RSS feeds religiously every day are in for a surprise when you reach Frommers.com. The travel site just relaunched it’s site, featuring an all new frontpage, reengineered for the web savvy reader of 2009. Our insider at Frommers, David Lytle, explains it as follows:

“We gave the site a facelift to make it even more visually appealing. The most significant change can be seen in our wider pages that allow us to accommodate large striking images and widgets that help us contextualize our content further. We didn’t mess with what already works on Frommers.com – lots and lots of in-depth current content to help travelers plan their trips, from our authors and our own savvy readers.”

And striking it is. The landing carousel of five, sweeping images now dominates the frontpage, and now you can directly and easily link to popular facets from Arthur Frommer’s personal blog to the volumes of information all stored within the pages of Frommers.com.

Don’t forget to stop by the Behind the Guides blog while you’re at it, where you can pick up dispatches from all of our favorie guidebook editors.