e-Scapes

Fewer Travelers Head to Skies This Christmas

Scott Mayerowitz — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:53:10 -0500

ABC News’ Scott Mayerowitz reports: Travelers heading home for Christmas can expect to see fewer fellow passengers at the airport this year. The Air Transport Association of America, the industry’s trade group, announced today that it expects 41 million passengers to travel over the upcoming winter holidays, down 2.5 percent from the same period last year. (The ATA generously defines the holiday travel period as Dec. 17 through Jan. 6.)

The three busiest travel days during this holiday period are expected to be Sunday, Dec. 27, Monday, Dec. 28 and Tuesday, Dec. 29, respectively, based on sample data from the 2008 winter holiday period.

“We are continuing to see fewer air travelers over the holidays, a trend that has been apparent throughout 2009,” ATA President and CEO James C. May said in a statement. “Capacity reductions will likely mean fuller flights on many days.”

Passengers are encouraged to pack light, check their flight status before leaving for the airport and to remember to arrive early to allow plenty of time for check-in and security screening.

Pack any gifts unwrapped, as they may need to be inspected by security. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) also is providing additional helpful hints for holiday travelers online.

Passengers also should be aware that they could be asked to provide their date of birth and gender when making a reservation as part of the TSA’s new "secure flight" program.

Aviation - United States - Transportation Security Administration - Air Transport Association - Christmas

AirTran Puts Ads on Seatbacks

Scott Mayerowitz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:22:36 -0500

ABC News' Scott Mayerowitz reports: Just when you thought it was safe to fly again, frequent fliers are about to be bombarded with a new wave of advertising, this time on the plane.

AirTran Airways announced today that it would outfit all of its 138 Boeing jets with seat back advertising. During the next two weeks, each seat will be outfitted with a 2.5-inch by and 9-inch color ad.

"We have gone to great lengths to present these advertisements in a tasteful, unobtrusive way that we believe customers will enjoy," Tad Hutcheson, AirTran Airways' vice president of marketing and sales, said in a statement.

The ads are in addition to the ones AirTran already offers in its in-flight magazine, in seat pockets, on catering items like napkins and as part of flight attendant announcements.

The first ads come from the Mother Nature Network, offering people a chance to win a seven-night cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's new Oasis of the Seas.

The airline isn’t the first to try and seek more ad dollars from the space inside its cabin.

Irish discounter RyanAir -- you know the airline that has said it might one day charge to use the bathroom -- has already done this. America West, which acquired US Airways and took its name, used to have ads inside its tray tables. But passengers only saw the ads when they put down the tray table.

Defunct airline Skybus also has such ads and even sold the paintjob on one plane’s exterior to Nationwide insurance.

AirTran’s ads come in addition to the ones fliers already see in in-flight magazines and of course through the SkyMall catalog. Some airlines are experimenting with selling theater tickets, ground transportation and other goods to their passengers. Hey, there’s nothing like a captive audience.

This all comes as airlines struggle to stay afloat as business and leisure travelers continue to stay home and oil prices creep back up again.

US Airways - AirTran Airways - Royal Caribbean International - MS Oasis of the Seas - Flight attendant

Sofitel Creates New 'Legend' Luxury Brand

Scott Mayerowitz — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:15:13 -0400

ABC News' Scott Mayerowitz reports: With so many hotels in a chain it is hard to tell which ones are truly extraordinary and others which are just, well ordinary. (There’s nothing wrong with them, but they just fit in with the rest of the chain and lack a bit of distinction.) To get around that, hotel companies have for years separated their properties into different brands.

But to truly show excellence, hotel chains have created collections of the top-end hotels. To separate its top hotels from the rest of the Sheratons, Westins and St. Regis properties out there, Starwood has its “Luxury Collection.” Hyatt has its Park Hyatt collection, Marriott has its JW Marriott brand, and Hilton recently launched its Waldorf Astoria branding push. Even Best Western has a “premier” set of hotels.

Now the French hotel company Accor is taking its luxury Sofitel brand and trying to distinguish a few ultra-upscale properties there as “Sofitel Legend.” Sofitel is calling these properties “the best in the destination,” promising guests everything from butler services to the best chefs and sommeliers.

The first such destination is the Metropole in Hanoi, Vietnam, which has just completed a multi-million renovation.

Accor plans several other Sofitel Legend properties in the next few years including: the Grand in Amsterdam; the Palais Jamaï in Fez, Morocco; the Winter Palace in Luxor, Egypt; the Old Cataract in Aswan, Egypt; the Santa Clara in Cartagena, Colombia and the Hua Hin resort in Thailand.

Nostalgia in Nebraska: Competitors Husk Corn by Hand, Vie for Spot at Nationals

Christina Caron — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:47:26 -0400

Harvesting corn by hand is not a day-to-day chore these days -- but once a year, Nebraskans give in to the nostalgia and make a sport of it at the Nebraska State Hand Cornhusking Contest. Competitors range from pre-teens to adults, with plenty of "golden agers" on hand. For those in this 75-and-older category, the contest is a yearly chance to get back to their roots. Many picked corn by hand as kids on their family farms.

On Saturday, about 50 competitors walked down rows of a snow-covered field, plucking ears of corn from the stalks, ripping off their husks and tossing them over their shoulders into wagons towed by huge draft horses. Contestants went for a set amount of time, depending on the category they fell into. After time was up, volunteers scooped the corn from each contestant's wagon into a bin and took each to be weighed.

The weather wasn't kind this year, with temperatures below the freezing mark and an inch and a half of snow on the ground. Attendance was down from the usual 70 or so competitors, but given the weather, organizer Elaine Stuhr was pleased with the turnout.

The top competitors in each of the 13 categories advance to the nationals which will be held in Huntington, Ind., on Oct. 17-18. This year, in the "golden ager" category, the top three competitors were William Gentrup, 80, of West Point, Neb., (first place winner), Roland Lauer, 82, from Gothenberg, Neb. (second place) and in third place, Jack Guthrie, 79, of Odesssa, Neb.

The tradition of cornhusking contests stretches back to 1924, the first year of the Mid-West Cornhusking Contest that pitted farmers from Iowa, Nebraska and Indiana against each other. By 1933, the national contest, which was held in Nebraska, drew 70,000 people, according to contest organizers. Now, of course, combines and tractors have replaced the human labor that went into harvesting a field, but for one day a year, Nebraskans can satisfy their desire for a taste of the olden days.

-- Emily Ingram, ABC News on Campus reporter at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Win a Free Night at 86 Sheratons

Scott Mayerowitz — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:06:02 -0400

ABC News’ Scott Mayerowitz asks: Do you want a free hotel room?

Here’s your chance: Starwood’s Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is giving away more than 2,000 rooms at 86 of its properties in the U.S. and Canada -- about 40 percent of the brand's North American locations.

To get the free deal -- valid only for Friday Oct. 23 -- prospective travelers must register online between Oct. 6 and 9 at sheraton.com/freenight for a chance to win one of the free nights.

Sheraton recently underwent a $6 billion makeover and is running this deal to promote its newly renovated hotels including the Sheraton Waikiki, Sheraton Boston, Sheraton Kauai, Sheraton Dallas and Sheraton Phoenix Downtown.

And hey, if you are staying for free Friday night, chances are you might be booking a paying night for Saturday, right?

As part of the overhaul, there are now 70,000 new or newly renovated guestrooms -- 50,000 in North America alone – and More than 100,000 brand new Sheraton Sweet Sleeper all-white, high thread count beds in 211 hotels and 83,000 guestrooms worldwide.

Nearly half of Sheraton’s North American portfolio -- 98 properties -- were renovated in the last three years.

Stay Up to Date on the Latest Travel Trends from ABC News on Twitter

The participating hotels are:

Sheraton Suites Galleria

Sheraton Birmingham

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina

Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers

Sheraton Waikiki

Sheraton New York

Sheraton Boston

Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner

Sheraton Parsippany

Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek

Sheraton Grand Sacramento

Sheraton Overland Park

Sheraton Phoenix

Sheraton Cable Beach

Sheraton Denver

Sheraton Dallas

Sheraton Centre Toronto

Sheraton Kauai

Le Centre Sheraton Montreal

Sheraton Gateway Toronto

Sheraton Suites Philadelphia

Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel

Sheraton Universal Hotel

Sheraton Suites Elk Grove Village

Sheraton Suites Country Club Plaza

Sheraton Suites Market Center

Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel

Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites

Sheraton Parkway Toronto

Sheraton Colonial Hotel & Golf Club Boston North

Sheraton Suites Plantation

Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel

Sheraton Gateway Hotel Los Angeles Airport

Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel

Sheraton Anchorage

Sheraton Cerritos Hotel

Sheraton Raleigh

Sheraton Commander Hotel

Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel

Sheraton Reston

Sheraton San Jose

Sheraton Madison

Sheraton Westport Chalet

Sheraton Newark Airport Hotel

Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls

Sheraton Providence Airport

Sheraton National Hotel

Sheraton Park South

Sheraton Laval Hotel

Sheraton North Houston at George Bush Int. Airport

Sheraton Mahwah COO

Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel

Sheraton Denver West Hotel

Sheraton Sand Key Resort

Sheraton Charlotte Airport

Sheraton Anaheim

Sheraton Columbia Towne Centre Hotel

Sheraton Edison Hotel

Sheraton Minneapolis West

Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown Hotel

Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk

Sheraton Jacksonville

Sheraton Orlando North Hotel

Sheraton Baltimore Hotel

Sheraton Duluth Hotel

Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel

Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa

Sheraton La Jolla

Sheraton Dallas North Hotel

Sheraton Harrisburg

Sheraton Herndon Dulles Airport Hotel

Sheraton Suites San Diego

Sheraton Washington North Hotel

Sheraton North Charleston Convention Center

Sheraton Austin Hotel

Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel

Sheraton Chicago Northbrook

Sheraton Arlington

Sheraton Baltimore Washington

Sheraton Suites San Diego At Symphony Hall

Sheraton Houston West

Sheraton Stonebriar

Sheraton Suites Columbus

Sheraton Gateway Atlanta

Sheraton Vancouver Airport

Sheraton Garden Grove-Anaheim South

U.K. Celebrates Darwin and Dating

Kate Barrett — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:40:22 -0500

ABC News' Emily Wither Reports: The United Kingdom celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin this week and marked the 150th anniversary of the publication of the English naturalist's famous book, "On The Origin Of Species." To mark the bicentennial, Darwin's home and study was re-opened to the public following a three month renovation by English Heritage. The Down House in Kent was Darwin's home for 40 years.

If you don't fancy a trip to Kent and want to stay in London, the Natural History Museum is also celebrating Darwin's ideas, running what it calls the largest ever exhibition covering all aspects of his life. The display features a range of original artifacts and documents as well as a ceiling installation of a cut-away tree.

If you have a date to impress this weekend, a sure-fire recipe for Valentine's romance would be a red rose flight on the London Eye. The eye, for those of you who don't know, is a large, enclosed ferris wheel offering spectacular views of the city during the day and night. This Saturday, it will be lit up in red and you can spoil your loved one on a 30-minute ride, rose, champagne and chocolates included.

And if an evening of forced romance in an overcrowded restaurant doesn't sound appealing to you, why not cheer yourself up with Comedy Camp's (Anti)-Valentine's Day Special at Barcode? Three top comedians who also feel equally grumpy about Valentine's Day will be performing.

SJU v. SJO? Travel Gaffe, a Costly $2,150 Mistake

Eleanor Hong — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:38:21 -0500

Welcome to Puerto Rico. Surprise!

Think of the millions of times that you typed in G instead of H. Or spelled swallow with one “l.” Or spelled Kyrgyzstan wrong. Then, imagine that your mistake cost someone two days of her three-week vacation to Costa Rica and an extra $2,150.

That is exactly what happened to Samantha Lazzaris, 33, a holistic therapist from the Bedminster section of Bristol, England, according to a report in Britain’s Bristol Evening Post.

The paper reported that because her travel agent typed in SJU instead of SJO as an airport code on her plane ticket, Lazzaris suddenly found herself 1,500 miles from her destination. Instead of going to Costa Rica as she’d intended, she found herself in Puerto Rico … as she did not.

O instead of U. San Juan, Puerto Rico, instead of Juan Santa Maris in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Lazzaris reportedly returned to the travel agency Thomas Cook several times after the initial purchase of her ticket, said her destination several times and Thomas Cook didn’t budge.

“I had trusted Thomas Cook had ensured San Juan was the name of the airport near San Jose in Costa Rica,” said Lazzaris, according to the newspaper report, “which is why I never questioned it.”

“I believe it is not my responsibility to know the computer codes when booking flights,” she added, “but the responsibility of the professional travel agent. This is what I am paying for.”

The Bristol Evening Post reported that when she called Thomas Cook about the mistake, she said Thomas Cook responded that it was the responsibility of the client to check the travel documents and tickets before leaving -- that it was, in essence, Lazzaris’ fault. . . For not spotting the offending U instead of O in the airport code.

Apparently, once the Bristol Evening Post picked up the story, Thomas Cook changed its tune.

"Although there is an onus on passengers to check their flight and ticket details carefully, we have investigated this complaint fully,” Thomas Cook told ABC News in a statement. “We have apologized to Miss Lazzaris and will be refunding her for the additional flights incurred, two nights missed accommodation and a further amount as a gesture of goodwill, which Miss Lazzaris has accepted."

I’m going to double-check all my travel plans from now on.

-ABC News' Esther Young

Beating London's Winter Blues

Kate Barrett — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:14:07 -0500

ABC News' Emily Wither Reports: Londoners failed to maintain the British stiff upper lip this week as they were thrown into chaos after Britain's heaviest snow fall in nearly 20 years.

But with snowy weather expected to continue this weekend, why not beat the winter blues with a visit to Kew Gardens? This weekend the green fingers at Kew have been busy creating a "tropical extravaganza," filling a conservatory with thousands of orchids and tropical flowers such as bromeliads and anthuriums. The weekend also marks Kew's 250th anniversary and there will be all sorts of celebratory treats in store for visitors, not to mention over 300 acres of space for building the ultimate snowman.

If you'd rather spend the Saturday tucked up in bed, tire yourself out the night before in East London's trendy bar, "The Elbow Room." Tonight the kids will be given the elbow as D.J's Neil P, Ash and Reudan play old school R&B, hip-hop and soul for those born on or before Feb. 6, 1979.

Or if you've ever wondered what those city traders are really up to, take a trip to Soho Theatre this weekend for the fast-paced play "Roaring Trade" by Steve Thompson. It's a topical drama about how far people are prepared to go on the trading floor and it's been dubbed "well worth blowing your redundancy money on."

This Weekend in London…

Nitya — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:25:36 -0500

ABC News’ Emily Wither Reports: This weekend in London, visit The New Saatchi Gallery. The gallery opens its second show this weekend; “Unveiled – New Art from the Middle East.” Controversial paintings, sculptures and installations will be on display from 19 young artists from Iran to Algeria. Expect critical, explicit and political - the subject matter is grim ranging from suicide bombers to the oppression of women.

Also raising its curtain this weekend at The Barbican Theatre is a powerful Japanese performance touching on the themes of love and violence and blurring the lines between the old and new Japan. ‘Shun-kin’ is based on the writings of 20th century author Jun'ichiro Tanizaki and tells two tales; ‘A Portrait Of Shunkin’ and ‘In Praise Of Shadows’ which were both written in 1933. The performances will be in Japanese with English subtitles.

Or why not celebrate the year of the Ox in and around London’s China Town. Celebrations will kick off at midday on Sunday 1st February with traditional and contemporary Chinese entertainment in Trafalgar Square. Later on there will be fireworks in Leicester Square, lion dance displays in the heart of China Town and a performance stage in Shaftesbury Avenue.

2009 Marks the Year of the Ox & Obama

Eleanor Hong — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:09:50 -0500

Prosperity -- good luck, fortune and health -- are some of the blessings we all need at this time of year during these economic times.

For many Asian countries, the beginning of this week is filled with New Year festivities and traditions despite the state of the global economy. Asia celebrates the New Year based on the Chinese calendar and zodiac. The Chinese zodiac identifies 12 symbolic animals with specific characteristics for 12-year cycles that assign elements of metal, wood, earth, water or fire.

This lunar new year lands on Jan. 26 with the arrival of the ox and a mixed farewell to the rat. The ox symbolizes prosperity and fortitude -- a character with a lot of patience, who is a hard worker and tenaciously seeks solutions.

Across Asia, each country celebrates the New Year with different cultural food and traditions. China and Taiwan seem to be the most festive and colorful by celebrating with fanfare, fireworks, lion dances and ancestral memorials. Many people wear red, a color that symbolizes luck and good fortune and protects against negativity. Food, especially sweets, certain meats and noodles hold significant meaning. For example, long noodles symbolize longevity.

One common tradition shared by many Asian cultures is to clean your house on New Year's eve. Spring cleaning to start a new year gets rid of any bad luck and evil spirits. Much of the holiday is spent with family. Children bow to their elders with well wishes of health and joy. In return, they receive a little prize of their own -- envelopes of money.

You don't need to be in Asia to celebrate the lunar new year. Asian Americans in the U.S. spend the holiday with local restaurants and community activities. For instance, restaurants and performers gather in New York's Chinatown for a week-long celebration. Most of New Year's is spent with family and extended relatives.

Personally, my family has kept simple Korean traditions for Seolnal (Korean lunar new year). Every year, Koreans eat a bowl of sliced rice cake soup with dumplings called duk mandu gook or ttukguk. Many Korean families eat this from the start of the morning and it's jokingly said that each bowl you eat adds a year to your life. My mother also prepares sashimi for our family set for good luck. Young children are dressed in the colorful silk hanbok, a traditional outfit.

For fun, most children play a game called 'Yut' (pronounced 'yoot'). It's a board game where you throw one-side-painted sticks instead of dice. The way the sticks land with art laying up or down determines how many points you move on the board.

When young Koreans bow to their parents and elders, we have a certain bow which we call sebe and a saying -- "Say hae bok man he bah du say oh" -- for well wishes in the new year. As we bow, parents and elders give their blessings and hopes for each individual in the new year. Children receive envelopes of money from their elders. Families will also pay respects to their past relatives by either setting up a table with fruits, food and dates or by visiting their graves. Respect, best wishes and eating together with family is central to marking the lunar new year.

The Year of Obama?

Coincidentally, President Barack Obama was born under the sign of the ox in 1961. And it seems that he's started his presidency with all the characteristics of his lunar sign. Recently, he's brought some prosperity to local businesses by hanging out in the local scene around the nation's capital. (Read: Obama: Washington's Man About Town)

Born on Aug. 4, 1961, Obama is more specifically a metal ox.

According to astrology.com: "Since this is an Earth year, those people born in a Metal year will generally fare better than others of their animal sign ... The year 2009 will be a period of lasting accomplishments."

Hence, in the year of the ox, it's no surprise that the nation, as well as the world, is waiting to see what fortune Obama's first year in office will offer.

PHOTOS: Lunar New Year Celebrations

- ABC News' Eleanor Hong