Santa Monica Says No to Hotel Doormen Asking for Bribes
Travelers visiting Santa Monica will rejoice at hearing they will no longer have to put up with higher cab fares and poor services anymore, as hotel doormen are banned from asking for bribes or “cookies” from taxi drivers in order to direct hotel guests to them. Although and old scheme (or contractual agreement in some cases) that has kept hotel doormen happy and taxis willing to pay busy, the cookies have been officially banned by Santa Monica authorities.
While the practice has been forbidden on March 1st, authorities are currently investigating allegations that doormen of luxury hotels in Santa Monica are still favoring big-fare taxi drivers in exchange for the customary bribe. The practice has been replaced with a new taxi franchise system, but the 10% percent doormen have been used to seems to still hold a powerful attraction. Read more…
Google to Accept Justice Department Terms on ITA Deal
After yesterday’s news stating the Justice Department was close to reaching and agreement on the Google-ITA deal, anonymous sources are once again sharing glimpses on how the negotiations are going. According to unnamed persons close to the deal quoted by Bloomberg, search giant Google agreed to have travel search and services monitored by the Justice Department in order to be allowed to complete the acquisition of airline ticketing software company ITA.
The agreement also requires Google to be subject to compulsory licensing and to create firewalls on client data. If the deal goes through, the Justice Department might take the opportunity to start a larger investigation of Google.
Travel Better Now Than Ten Years Ago, Says Survey
In spite of all the turmoil caused by security requirements and screenings in airport, or lost or late luggage due to extreme weather conditions and other tourism disruption factors, most people believe travel is much better now than it was ten years ago. This is the main conclusion of a new Orbitz survey of 1000 US respondents that have traveled over the past 12 months.
According to the poll results released by the online travel company, 71% or respondents believe travel has improved over the past decade, another 61% stating that the possibility to compare online travel offers is the best thing about 2011 vacationing compared to a decade ago. Read more…
Travelers Use Loyalty Points as Cash Replacements
In today’s economic climate, travelers are looking more and more to use their loyalty points as cash replacements rather then turn them into miles. This is one of the major conclusions reached in the global travel loyalty industry study released this week by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
“What we have seen with the recession is that people are more engaged with these programs. They shift their behavior more towards gift cards, gas cards – things they would have bought normally on their own budget. When times are tough, they are looking to loyalty programs to redeem everyday items,” according to Don Berg, vice president of Loyalty Programs and Partherships for IHG.
Earth’s Most Inaccessible and Mysterious Landscapes
Travel is one of the most exhilarating experiences we can have. From adventurous Kruger Park Safaris and dangerous Amazon jungle adventures to luxurious New York City shopping sprees and body breaking climbs up Everest, the world really is at our feet when it comes to exploration. Well, mostly. There are some places that are so remote and secluded that few will ever get to travel there. Places so distant and inaccessible that they are virtually impossible to travel to without a world of planning and expertise.
The northern pole of inaccessibility
Otherwise known as the Arctic Pole, as the name boldly suggests, this destination is the farthest point from any coastline and epically far away from any land masses that would make it accessible to the average traveler. Mostly of interest to explorers, the destination is located on pack ice in the Arctic Ocean and is about 661km away from the North Pole. Read more…
7 Travel Tips for a Safe Trip
Traveling is such a wonderful experience for most people. Visiting new, exciting destinations is certainly something that we look forward to for some rest and relaxation. In traveling though, safety is important and you need to be aware of how you can travel safely and be prepared for emergencies that could happen. Please review these 7 travel tips for a safe and pleasurable trip.
1. Educate yourself about the destination you are intending to visit
This is especially important if you are traveling overseas. Check to see that your destination is indeed a safe place to go. You can contact the country’s embassy website for travel warnings, or you can get in touch with your own country’s minister of foreign affairs to ask about your intended destination. The important thing is to do your homework before making extensive travel plans. Read more…
Travelers Upset by Credit Card Commissions for Payments Abroad
Frequently traveling abroad and using credit cards to pay for most of the expenses is easy and pain-free in theory. If we put aside the once in a while incidents when certain cards just don’t work, with no apparent reason, there are still currency conversion fees and other such extras added by card issuing companies and banks for payments abroad.
Those who feel the strongest effects of such additions are business travelers who spend the most time on the road and rely both on personal and business cards to pay for their abroad expenses. Typically, the added costs can reach about 3% or the paid amount, with about 1% charged by Visa, MasterCard and other credit card providers, and another 1.5 to 2% added by banks. Read more…
