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May 13, 2010
top story
Jet Blue and SAA Sign Interline Agreement
Just in time for the World Cup, Jet Blue Airways and South African Airways have signed a comprehensive interline agreement that went into effect this week. Through it, passengers traveling on both airlines can purchase and travel on a single itinerary, allowing for connections at Jet Blue’s JFK hub, from which SAA offers daily non-stop flights to South Africa. Passengers will also be able to check bags to their final destination and receive a boarding pass for both carriers’ flights upon check-in, whether it’s in the U.S. or Africa.
From the brand-new Terminal B in Johannesburg, where SAA has a new Premium Business Class lounge, SAA will operate a steady schedule of flights to World Cup match destinations throughout the event. Meanwhile, Jet Blue passengers can keep up with the action throughout their flights with 36 channels of free, live radio and television on every seatback. Tickets can be purchased by calling SAA reservations at 1-800-722-9675 or by visiting flysaa.com.
Ally Miola
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Virgin Atlantic App Fights Jet Lag
Virgin Atlantic Airways has introduced two new iPhone and iPad apps for frequent travelers: Jet Lag Fighter and the Virgin Atlantic Flight Tracker. The former of the two helps combat the negative effects of travel with a daily activity calendar created through a partnership with Mental Workout and jet lag/sleep expert Dr. Chris Idzikowski. The app’s calendar provides advice based on the selected therapy type, the user’s personal profile and trip details with a real-time predicted adjustment forecast in graph form. Business travelers will particularly benefit from the feature that indicates the times your body will be at peak levels of alertness.
The latter app, the Virgin Atlantic Flight Tracker, allows users to track flights in real time, pinpointing a plane’s exact location around the globe, with arrival and departure information. Passengers can also view the approximate flight path of each aircraft and set an alert to notify them when their plane lands. The apps are available for download here.
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more news
Aeromexico Beefs Up U.S. Route Frequencies
This week Aeromexico added a number of new flights to its roster of American services, including a new overnight “red-eye” service from New York, JFK to Mexico City. The service is part of Aeromexico’s “voyvuelo” initiative, which allows passengers to travel to and from their destination in the same day, and also increases its frequency between the two cities from 14 to 19 weekly flights. Additional flights were introduced between the Mexican capital and Chicago (now once daily Sunday through Friday), Houston (now daily) and Las Vegas (now daily). For more information and flight times, visit aeromexico.com/en_us.
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Iberia Revamps Food and Wine Offerings
Iberia has just updated its wine list for Business Plus passengers and the menu for Tourist Class food on short-haul flights. The new wine selections, available in Iberia’s Business Plus cabin and its VIP lounges at Madrid airport through July, include three reds from the tempranillo grape—Campillo Reserva 2001 (D.O.Ca. Rioja), Sembro 2008 Tinto (D.O. Ribera del Duero) and El Vínculo Reserva 2006 (D.O. La Mancha)—and two whites from Rueda and Penedès—Cuatro Rayas Viñedos Centenarios 2009 (D.O. Rueda) and Atrium Chardonnay 2008 Blanco (D.O. Penedès).
The new Tourist Class food options, “Tu Menú,” are available on flights of three hours or less, with a healthy corner, tapas corner and Spanish flavor options. The menu also includes new beverage options such as Fanta Zero and Eminasin, the alcohol-free wine.
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deal of the week
The Credit You Deserve
China World Hotel, Beijing is offering guests a daily credit of Rmb 200 for every night they stay through August 2010. Points accrued through the “Earn As You Stay Best Available Rate” deal—which can be applied to room rates or hotel services, including food and beverage, laundry and massage treatments—may be redeemed immediately or during visits as late as December 31, 2010. For more information, click here.
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more deals
Celebrate Memorial Day in the Rockies
This Memorial Day, sample the special “Featured Brewers Menu” at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek’s restaurant, 8100 Mountainside Bar and Grill. In addition to two entry tickets to the Blues, Brews and Barbecue Microbrew Festival Tasting, hotel guests who book this package will also receive overnight accommodations, two commemorative tasting mugs and a 30 percent discount on services at Allegria Spa. The package starts at $219 per night. For more information, click here.
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Double Miles Available for New CA Route
Horizon Air has announced a new service between San Jose and LAX, launching August 23, 2010 that includes complimentary Northwest Wine and Microbrew. The four-times-daily service will earn passengers Double Mileage Plan miles through November 23, 2010. For more information, visit alaskaair.com.
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Bostonian Red Sox Game Day Package
Millennium Bostonian Hotel is geared up for baseball season with this special package that includes Superior Plus Accommodations with a step-out balcony view of Faneuil Hall, a pair of Right Field Box tickets within 20 rows of the field and two $25 breakfast vouchers to north 26 Restaurant and Bar. Guests who book this package will also receive a Red Sox Welcome Bag with a walking map to Fenway Park, facts on the legendary stadium and a Red Sox souvenir. This package starts at $459. For more information, call 617-523-3600 or visit millenniumhotels.com.
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tried and tested
Four Seasons Sydney
Sydney, Australia
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
Having recently completed extensive renovations of its guest rooms, suites and public areas, Four Seasons Sydney exudes a sense of understated luxury and high service standards. The staff’s finely honed sense of urgency and focus in problem solving was underscored for me when a mix-up occurred. After my taxi driver pulled up to the hotel, and I left the cab, he sped off with my luggage still in the trunk, assuming (as I had) that a porter had removed it.
When I reached my room and found that my luggage was not on its way up and was nowhere to be found, I gave the staff member in charge of luggage the taxi driver’s ID number from my receipt, and she tracked him down and had my suitcase in my room within minutes after I’d hung up the phone. The staff member who brought my bag up also produced an adaptor, before I had even asked for one.
WHERE IS IT?
Just steps from the Central Business District, Four Seasons Sydney is in The Rocks, a historic area packed with restaurants, cafés, bars, shops and cultural attractions. It’s also just up a small hill from the ferry terminal and the train station.
HOW MANY ROOMS?
Four Seasons Sydney has 531 guest rooms, including 14 suites.
ROOM FACILITIES
My spacious 20th-floor corner Premier Harbour-View room offered spectacular views of Sydney Harbor and the Opera House. I made myself comfortable with my laptop on the window-side chaise, gaping at the mesmerizing vista between reading e-mails. The open-plan, studio-like room was comfortably furnished in a modern style and decorated in earth tones—rich browns, beiges and grays—which, together with dark ebony woodwork and lighting that could easily be softened, produced a calming atmosphere.
In-room Wi-Fi was fast and consistent, and the mini-bar was well stocked. A king-size bed with a padded headboard was flanked by night stands, each topped with a large table lamp, and faced a large flat-screen TV with DVD player. A massive L-shaped, glass-topped working desk, with a wheeled, high-backed leather chair, as well as a suede lounge chair for a colleague, anchored the well-appointed work area. The living area was furnished with a two-seater sofa, a side chair with ottoman, a circular coffee table, and floor lamps with black shades. The Italian marble and limestone-clad bathroom featured a soaking tub with separate shower and was well stocked with L’Occitane bath and body products.
All guest rooms have 42-inch LCD TVs, iPod/MP3 player connectivity, Wi-Fi access, and safes. Room service is available 24 hours.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
At Kable’s restaurant, Chef Jeffrey De Rome puts his twist on classic cuisine, with such enticing entrées as Châteaubriand with château potatoes, roasted mushrooms, béarnaise and red wine sauce, and pan-seared John Dory with crab and parsley risotto and scampi beignets. The tasting menu is a real treat (lobster caviar roll, anyone?), and Kable’s also offers a fine selection of Australian boutique wines. It’s an impressive venue for a business meal, and Kable’s private dining room seats up to 16. (The chef’s table in the garde manger seats 10 to 20 guests.) For a more casual meal, stop by The Café or The Bar. Both serve fare such as sharing plates, desserts, salads and oysters. The Cabana on the pool deck offers fruit drinks, cocktails and salads.
BUSINESS FACILITIES
The business center, open from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., features translation services, photocopying, fax, binding, computer rental, scanner, Internet connection, mobile phone rental and a meeting room seating 10. The Grand Ballroom can seat 950 theater-style or 600 for dinner, and six other meeting and conference rooms can host from 20 to 150 guests. The Executive Club Lounge on the 32nd floor offers complimentary buffet breakfast, all-day snacks, drinks, cocktails, wines and hors d’oeuvres, Club concierge, business stationery, ticket and hotel reservations and complimentary valet pressing.
LEISURE FACILITIES
The Spa at Four Seasons features Elemis and Sodashi treatment products, six treatment rooms, a steam room and sauna. The 24-hour fitness center is well outfitted with cardio equipment and weights, and there is a rooftop pool.
VERDICT
Projecting a quiet confidence, The Four Seasons Sydney is ideal for both business and leisure needs, and close to popular attractions and transportation. Staff speedily addressed and anticipated my needs with aplomb. My room served as both an exquisitely comfortable haven, with inspiring views, and an excellent, smartly-designed business base.
PRICE
Rates start at AUD 202 for a City-View room with a king bed.
CONTACT
Four Seasons Sydney, 199 George St., Sydney, Australia, tel. 61-2-9250-3100, fourseasons.com/sydney.
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Eva Leonard
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