Consolidators must now change the way they handle reservations for disabled guests
It should not have taken a lawsuit to require hotel consolidators to accommodate disabled travelers who ask for accessible rooms. But it did. Candy Harrington, author of several books on handicap travel, calls this settlement agreed to by those third-party reservations services that book discounted hotel rooms and other travel components "a huge victory for disabled travelers."
She posted an informative report on her Barrier Free Travel blog applauding the settlement in the case of Smith v. Hotels.com L.P, in which the consolidator "has agreed to alter their way of doing business." By September of this year, details about accessible rooms are supposed to appear on the searchable websites of Hotels.com and Expedia.com.
Harrington continued that "travelers will actually be able to search for an accessible room with specific access features. So, for example, you'll be able to search for a room at a three-star hotel with a roll-in shower in Cleveland. That's a huge improvement in the whole system, as currently you can't determine a room's accessibility features when you search their database....And, in many cases you will actually be able to reserve that specific accessible room. It won't exactly be a point, click and book option, but a trained customer service representative will work with each disabled customer to make sure an accessible room that meets their needs is reserved. The representative will have to contact the property directly to make these arrangements, as hotels.com buys blocks of rooms, not specific rooms."
Harrington speculated that "this settlement may very well influence the Department of Justice as they revise the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for hotels (also called transient lodging). Revisions under consideration include making hotels responsible for third party reservation systems that don't adequately reserve accessible rooms; and requiring properties to block accessible rooms upon reservation."
Harrington also noted that the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) such those proposed revisions, though it is mysterious to me why they would not want to do everything possible to encourage hotel and motel occupancy by a large and growing segment of the traveling public. Boomers with wanderlust in their aging bones are beginning to have mobility issues, and I would the hotel trade association have applauded not opposed the settlement.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Cracks in the Checked-Bag Fee Policies?
Delta waives fee for some AmEx cardholders
Beginning on June 1, Delta Air Lines is waiving the fee immensely unpopular fee for the first piece of checked luggage checked for most people who carry the Delta-affiliated American Express Gold, Platinum and Reserve SkyMiles cards. Delta and other major airlines have these co-branded card arrangements, meaning that cardholders typically earn one frequent flier mile for each dollar they spend using it, not only for air travel but for other purchases as well. Most airlines airlines do not charge their premium frequent fliers for first checked-bag. Delta reportedly earned $215 million in baggage fees in the first quarter of this year, leading some people in the industry to speculate that American Express paid Delta to waive the fee for cardholders.
Other possible "cracks"?
Beginning on June 1, Delta Air Lines is waiving the fee immensely unpopular fee for the first piece of checked luggage checked for most people who carry the Delta-affiliated American Express Gold, Platinum and Reserve SkyMiles cards. Delta and other major airlines have these co-branded card arrangements, meaning that cardholders typically earn one frequent flier mile for each dollar they spend using it, not only for air travel but for other purchases as well. Most airlines airlines do not charge their premium frequent fliers for first checked-bag. Delta reportedly earned $215 million in baggage fees in the first quarter of this year, leading some people in the industry to speculate that American Express paid Delta to waive the fee for cardholders.
Other possible "cracks"?
- JetBlue's current one-day 10th-anniversary promotion charges $10 for all remaining seats on flights tomorrow (May 11) and Wednesdays (May 12). I've never flown JetBlue and don't know whether they customarily charged for checked bags
- Frontier's present Whole Enchilada sale is a fully refundable Classic Plus fare that includes two free checked bags and other extras.
- Southwest does not charge for the first two checked bags, No way. No how. At least not yet.
Glacier National Park's Centennial
Rededication ceremony May 11, the 100th anniversary of northern Montana park
In early May, the big rotary plows are still working to clear Going-to-the-Sun Glacier Road through Glacier National Park, a similar operation to the annual reopening of Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park. I can only imagine how deep the snows lay on On May 11, 1910, when Glacier was designated as the 10th national park in the U.S. system. There are many similarities between these two iconic parks in the Rocky Mountains -- and also Yellowstone between them -- fantastic scenery, great wildlife habitat, far more vistation in summer than in winter when through roads are buried in deep snow.
In the Park Service's words, "With a horizon dominated by snow capped mountains, and more than 130 lakes contained within its 16,000 square miles of pristine backcountry, Glacier quickly became a popular destination for outdoor adventurers and vacationing families a like. Today, 100 years later, Glacier attracts more than two million visitors a year, making it one of the most popular national parks in the States."
This Tuesday, May 11th, beginning at 10:30 a.m., the park celebrates its centennial with a rededication ceremony at the West Glacier Community Building with commemorative items and cake, of course, for attendees. After the ceremony, retired Park Service employees returning to Glacier for this one special day conduct special walking tours with stops at various historical points in the park's compound include the park's museum collection, historic fire hose tower, the original park headquarters building and the historic Belton Bridge.
Another landmark event in a fabulous national park. CEntennial events continue through the year, but I especially wish I could be there for this week's kickoff.
In the Park Service's words, "With a horizon dominated by snow capped mountains, and more than 130 lakes contained within its 16,000 square miles of pristine backcountry, Glacier quickly became a popular destination for outdoor adventurers and vacationing families a like. Today, 100 years later, Glacier attracts more than two million visitors a year, making it one of the most popular national parks in the States."
This Tuesday, May 11th, beginning at 10:30 a.m., the park celebrates its centennial with a rededication ceremony at the West Glacier Community Building with commemorative items and cake, of course, for attendees. After the ceremony, retired Park Service employees returning to Glacier for this one special day conduct special walking tours with stops at various historical points in the park's compound include the park's museum collection, historic fire hose tower, the original park headquarters building and the historic Belton Bridge.
Another landmark event in a fabulous national park. CEntennial events continue through the year, but I especially wish I could be there for this week's kickoff.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Hotel Room Rate Roulette
Online booking site's two-week game can pay off with dollar deals
For two weeks from January 26 through February 6, LastMinuteTravel.com will begin selling its worldwide hotel room inventory for just a dollar per night for up to a seven-night’s stay. The catch is that the the transaction must be completed within 10 15-minute windows scattered randomly on weekdays during those two weeks. During each booking period, the first 500 entrants who complete the process will be able to book every room in its inventory of over 15,000 global hotel partners
To participate in this "World for a Dollar" promotion, sign up here, and to increase the odds of success, travelers can capture clues from the posted videos to the exact sale time. I don't know whether there is a final date by which successful entrants must use their room reservations.
For two weeks from January 26 through February 6, LastMinuteTravel.com will begin selling its worldwide hotel room inventory for just a dollar per night for up to a seven-night’s stay. The catch is that the the transaction must be completed within 10 15-minute windows scattered randomly on weekdays during those two weeks. During each booking period, the first 500 entrants who complete the process will be able to book every room in its inventory of over 15,000 global hotel partners
To participate in this "World for a Dollar" promotion, sign up here, and to increase the odds of success, travelers can capture clues from the posted videos to the exact sale time. I don't know whether there is a final date by which successful entrants must use their room reservations.
Arizona Travel Boycott Gains Momentum
Associations and municipalities pull meetings in Arizona; some individuals simply won't go
Municipal employees in Boulder, a very liberal place that has been described as a city with its own foreign policy, will not be traveling to Arizona on city business in the wake of stringent regulations seeking to identify and detain illegal immigrants. Specifically, it is now a state crime to be in Arizona illegally and requires police and other law-enforcement agents to check documents of people they "reasonably" suspect to be illegal. Those opposed to this law, which requires local law enforcement agencies essentially to act as an adjunct of the federal government and stop individuals with or without additional cause (like a traffic violation), with a demand to produce papers has all the signs of racial profiling. Mexican citizens have been cautioned against visiting Arizona, and a number groups have begun pulling meetings out of the state.
Arizona has suffered self-inflicted tourism wounds before. It reportedly lost some 170 conventions and the Super Bowl in the early 1990s from boycotts because it refused to approve the Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday holiday. Overlapping that boycott was one against Colorado, after state voters approved a confusing, anti-gay constitutional amendment that was never put into effect but that earned it the nickname, "The Hate State." It seems as if Arizona is poised to take that mantle, with social media calls to avoid Arizona going viral. The Arizona hotel industry trade organization has launched its own defense Facebook page.
In addition to the Boulder City Council vote to boycott Arizona, Boston, San Francisco and Oakland have done so. An immigration lawyers convention has pulled out of Scottsdale, ABC reported that the law, if not repealed, could cost Phoenix the 2011 All-Star Game. The 2009 All-Star Game brought on the order of $60 million. It is estimated that up to 40 percent of Major League Baseball players at all levels (including Minor League and farm organizations) are Latino. Some interviewed on camera say the law does not disturb them, but some of them might well come from countries with random police stops and a requirement to carry a nation identity card.
While some entities and individuals are avoiding Arizona while this law is on the books, others predictably think it's a damn good thing, by God! A USA Today online poll currently shows that two-thirds of the respondents clicked on "I'm more excited than ever to visit the state." The remaining third split their clicks among four other opinions.
Repressive policy. Support from some. Anger from others. Backlash and reverse-backlash. Defensive actions. Posturing politicians. Innocent people (low-wage hospitality workers in particular) caught in the cross-fire. Business as usual.
Municipal employees in Boulder, a very liberal place that has been described as a city with its own foreign policy, will not be traveling to Arizona on city business in the wake of stringent regulations seeking to identify and detain illegal immigrants. Specifically, it is now a state crime to be in Arizona illegally and requires police and other law-enforcement agents to check documents of people they "reasonably" suspect to be illegal. Those opposed to this law, which requires local law enforcement agencies essentially to act as an adjunct of the federal government and stop individuals with or without additional cause (like a traffic violation), with a demand to produce papers has all the signs of racial profiling. Mexican citizens have been cautioned against visiting Arizona, and a number groups have begun pulling meetings out of the state.In addition to the Boulder City Council vote to boycott Arizona, Boston, San Francisco and Oakland have done so. An immigration lawyers convention has pulled out of Scottsdale, ABC reported that the law, if not repealed, could cost Phoenix the 2011 All-Star Game. The 2009 All-Star Game brought on the order of $60 million. It is estimated that up to 40 percent of Major League Baseball players at all levels (including Minor League and farm organizations) are Latino. Some interviewed on camera say the law does not disturb them, but some of them might well come from countries with random police stops and a requirement to carry a nation identity card.
While some entities and individuals are avoiding Arizona while this law is on the books, others predictably think it's a damn good thing, by God! A USA Today online poll currently shows that two-thirds of the respondents clicked on "I'm more excited than ever to visit the state." The remaining third split their clicks among four other opinions.
Repressive policy. Support from some. Anger from others. Backlash and reverse-backlash. Defensive actions. Posturing politicians. Innocent people (low-wage hospitality workers in particular) caught in the cross-fire. Business as usual.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Sound of Silence in Mexico's Copper Canyon
Riding a railroad to a stunning, quiet place
Most Mexican cities and towns are noisy places, filled with traffic, voices, music and miscellaneous sounds. The Barranca del Cobre, which in English we call the Copper Canyon, is one of the quietest places I have ever been. It is actually not one canyon but a labyrinth of seven enormous canyons that could swallow our Grand Canyon several times over. Other than the two times a day when the train (below) rumbles through the clefted upland called the Sierra Tarahumara, nature's sounds prevail: wind whipping through the trees, rain splashing on rocks and roofs, rain water coursing down hillsides, insistent roosters crowing from dawn to dusk.
Simple homes are perched on ledges or in valleys with some elbow room. Below, a washline with a wondrous view.
Tarahumara women wear bright clothes and keep babies on their backs.
Older children look after younger ones.
Simple, ancient churches established by Spanish missionaries are still used, with celebrations combining Christian and timeless Tarahumara symbolism. Below is San Alonzo de Arareko.
The Tarahumara walk up and down steep canyon paths and through widely scattered settlements.
Most Mexican cities and towns are noisy places, filled with traffic, voices, music and miscellaneous sounds. The Barranca del Cobre, which in English we call the Copper Canyon, is one of the quietest places I have ever been. It is actually not one canyon but a labyrinth of seven enormous canyons that could swallow our Grand Canyon several times over. Other than the two times a day when the train (below) rumbles through the clefted upland called the Sierra Tarahumara, nature's sounds prevail: wind whipping through the trees, rain splashing on rocks and roofs, rain water coursing down hillsides, insistent roosters crowing from dawn to dusk.
Below is the view from the terrace of my room at the Posada de Barrancas.
Tarahumara women make and sell exquisite baskets crafted from pine needles, reeds and other natural materials. These quiet, shy people do not hustle or pester -- nor do they invite bargaining or other aggressive shopping.
Simple homes are perched on ledges or in valleys with some elbow room. Below, a washline with a wondrous view.
Tarahumara women wear bright clothes and keep babies on their backs.
Older children look after younger ones.Simple, ancient churches established by Spanish missionaries are still used, with celebrations combining Christian and timeless Tarahumara symbolism. Below is San Alonzo de Arareko.
The Tarahumara walk up and down steep canyon paths and through widely scattered settlements.
The mother below set out her baskets near a roadside pull-out overlooking a reservoir called Arareko Lake.
Dawn and dusk create equally gorgeous light shows as the sun peaks over or dips toward the canyon rim.
Dawn and dusk create equally gorgeous light shows as the sun peaks over or dips toward the canyon rim.
A Tip for More Than a Tip for the Hotel Housekeeper
When you want to leave something besides cash for the hotel housekeeper, a simple step will keep her from getting into trouble
I just returned from a Society of American Travel Writers Western Chapter meeting in Mazatlan. In addition to printed material, our kind hosts presented us with gifts. Mine included a plastic briefcase, two T-shirts, three baseball caps, a zip-up rain jacket of a material like a lightweight Tyvek, a Nalgene water bottle, a mouse pad with three USB ports, several pens and probably some other schwag that I can't remember.
I will need the press materials and brochures that I gathered, and I already had filled much of the space in my one piece of luggage with Tarahumara baskets and other handicrafts. Sometimes at such meetings, there is a place in the press room where gifts we are unable to use can be returned to the hosts, but this time, there wasn't even a press room. My inclination would be to leave the stuff I couldn't take home for the housekeeper -- along with a gratuity, of course.
My well-traveled colleague Bob Bone suggested that when we do that, we also leave a signed and dated note with the giveaway material, specifying that perhaps the housekeeper or her children might be able to use it. He said that without such a note, a housekeeper might get into trouble if her supervisor sees her leaving with goods. Good point, and I did that.
Sometimes we take clothing or footwear with us for one last wearing before we plan to discard it. Doing this, especially in a developing country, can benefit someone down the line -- but not at the cost of getting the recipient into trouble.
Thanks, Bob, for the excellent suggestion.
I just returned from a Society of American Travel Writers Western Chapter meeting in Mazatlan. In addition to printed material, our kind hosts presented us with gifts. Mine included a plastic briefcase, two T-shirts, three baseball caps, a zip-up rain jacket of a material like a lightweight Tyvek, a Nalgene water bottle, a mouse pad with three USB ports, several pens and probably some other schwag that I can't remember.
I will need the press materials and brochures that I gathered, and I already had filled much of the space in my one piece of luggage with Tarahumara baskets and other handicrafts. Sometimes at such meetings, there is a place in the press room where gifts we are unable to use can be returned to the hosts, but this time, there wasn't even a press room. My inclination would be to leave the stuff I couldn't take home for the housekeeper -- along with a gratuity, of course.
My well-traveled colleague Bob Bone suggested that when we do that, we also leave a signed and dated note with the giveaway material, specifying that perhaps the housekeeper or her children might be able to use it. He said that without such a note, a housekeeper might get into trouble if her supervisor sees her leaving with goods. Good point, and I did that.
Sometimes we take clothing or footwear with us for one last wearing before we plan to discard it. Doing this, especially in a developing country, can benefit someone down the line -- but not at the cost of getting the recipient into trouble.
Thanks, Bob, for the excellent suggestion.
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