Changes in the Air

PayPal fans now have the option to use their account to pay for US Airways tickets.

US Airways Adds PayPal to Ticketing Options

American Airlines has agreed to offers its airline tickets through Priceline. It also announced a $5 fare increase for many of its U.S. routes, and that, in turn, prompted Southwest to take a breather from playing fashion police to raise fares along many of its routes out of Dallas Love Field by $10.

Southwest Raises Some Fares

Jet Blue is lobbying to become the first low-cost carrier in the U.S. to fly to Bogota, Columbia from Fort Lauderdale.

Jet Blue Asks for Colombia Flights

By November, Delta will begin serving up a revamped menu created by Todd English that features items like a chilled black olive spaghetti salad and a roast beef cobb sandwich on select flights. Look for the menu to become standard on all long haul flights by the spring. Delta To Preview Menu from Celebrity Chef

While AirTrain is beefing up its Florida service, Skybus is cutting almost a third of its routes to focus on short haul flights in 2008.

Small Airline to Focus on More, Shorter Flights

More Draaanks

Bunking in at a Hilton? Be on the lookout for master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim’s signature cocktails, based on traditional elixirs from around the world. The hotel chain is rolling out the beverages in select lounges and bars at U.S. Hilton properties.

The Best of the Best

Conde Nast Traveler has announced the results of its 20th annual Reader’s Choice Awards, which appear in the November issue of the magazine. The big winners? Singapore Airlines remained in the number one slot for international airlines (it’s been there for 19 of the last 20 years), while San Francisco beat out every other city in the country to remain readers’ favorite urban destination. While the results aren’t up on Concierge.com yet (the magazine’s web arm), they are available on Hotels News Resource.

And speaking of Singapore Airlines, the company has officially become the first Airbus A380 customer to actually receive the long-awaited mega-plane. Airbus Delivers Long-Delayed A380

Meanwhile….

The Heard Museum in Phoenix will waive admission for veterans and active duty personnel from Nov. 13-16, 2007.

Green Bay, WI welcomed its first Cambria Suites property this week.

Washington, DC looks like its will be trading the antiquated zone system used by its taxi cabs for meter system used everywhere else in the country. Meters Coming to DC Taxis

How to See PB

San Diego has the Gaslamp clubs, 5-star hotels and mega tourist attractions like the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld. La Jolla has slick restaurants, high-end boutique hotels, posh shops and fine art galleries galore. But nary a 15-minute drive away, the lesser-known enclave of Pacific Beach (“PB” to locals) promises the right slice of Southern California for travelers seeking a laid-back, sea salt-in-your-mouth adventure filled with mom ‘n pop eateries, quirky beachfront hotels, surf shops and – of course – bars packed with tan 20-somethings clad in uniforms of jeans and flip-flops.

Here are my picks for where to go and what to do in Pacific Beach, Calif.

Where to Eat

Late-night, dig into some seriously sinful Mexican from Ramone’s, an all-night joint that caters to the post-bar crowd with quesadillas, burritos, tacos, tortas – you name it.

I took on the Ramone’s Burrito and was bowled-over by the experience. Of course, this was 2:30am and five drinks into the hole. By I stand by my burrito experience, nonetheless.

Breakfast at Kono’s is a must. And if you happen to miss the breakfast hour, no worries. Kono’s serves breakfast plates and egg-filled burritos the size of newborn babies all day long. Be prepared to wait in line to order at the counter. Once you’ve paid, head outside to one of the two nearby decks and wait for the staff to ferry your food right to the table. The seating area across the sidewalk (behind the wind chime and hammock shop) has the best views of the beach and nearby pier.

Note that we stuck to bargain eats while we were in PB, and we recommend you do the same. They’re just to good to ignore….if you want to drop cash, head to La Jolla (more on that later this week).

Where to Stay



Eat cheap means more funds for a slick suite at Tower 23, the only trace of L.A.-esque glamour in the district. The boxy, stark-white hotel sits across a park-like lawn from the beach, right in the heart of PB and around the corner from Kono’s. Guests sunbathe on the private, second-floor Tower deck with views clear out into the Pacific, while hungry patrons dine on the oceanfront terrace at the onsite restaurant Jordan Surf, an all-day destination (brunch on the weekends) for foodie-friendly California cuisine and seafood.

Rooms outfitted with teak furnishings, private balconies, H2o bath amenities and modernist layouts are hard to score last-minute. Make sure to call early for weekends and during summer months.

Less than 100 yards away, the Crystal Pier Hotel promises a completely different, much more “PB” overnight stay. Located at the end of Garnet Street, this hotel is actually a collection of blue-shuttered, white cottages extending from the entry arch along the length of the wooden pier. Fall asleep each night of your stay (a minimum two-night stay is required) to the rumbling surf below. When the sun comes out, guests head to outdoor patio chairs and white recliners to watch wet-suit clad surfers catching waves just feet from the pilings below. The over-the-ocean location is the main draw here. Cottage interiors are no-frills affairs, despite their often-hefty room rates.

Where to Take Your Inner Frat Boy

Hey, sometimes we all have to let our inner frat boy out to play. It happens to the best of us. And when it does, there’s perhaps no better place to be in PB than the Pacific Beach Bar & Grill, home on the weekends to Club Tremors. This multi-level bar, restaurant and nightclub venue goes big on Friday and Saturday nights, when all the kids in the area come out to play. And by play, we mean guzzle shooters and check out members of the opposite sex (or same sex, as the case may be).

An alternative is the nearby Plum Crazy, a Philadelphia Eagles bar that likes to party. I think the sign says it all.

Where to Stick Your Toes in the Sand

While there are plenty of beaches in the area, one of the quietest and most emblematic of the PB vibe is Tourmaline Surfing Park and Beach, a one-mile swathe of sandy terrain located north of Crystal Pier. On hot summer days, of course, expect plenty of people to turn up on this stretch of sand. But outside of peak season, visitors often find this little gem to be emptier than its compatriots and peppered with sun-bleached regulars who hang out in the parking lot before heading into the surf with their boards.

Over the weekend, I checked into the concierge level of San Diego’s Marriott Mission Valley (anonymously, of course) to uncover the inner workings of this SoCal lodging option.

What Not to Miss

The most striking part of the hotel had to be the outdoor pool area when lit up at night. Set into a sunken deck area below the hotel’s lobby level and just off the fitness center, the pool is centrally located, but affords guests some degree of privacy. The hot tub, for example, is tucked into a nook at one end of the pool in such a way that you’d have to actually be on the pool level to see into it, and large hammocks set into concrete alcoves along one side of the pool deck await guests seeking shelter from the sun. Cushioned chairs and tables peppering the public courtyard that separates the lobby and the pool area below create an outdoor lounge of sorts that’s not only functional, but quite nice to look at as you’re cruising through the ground level.

Inside, the lobby impresses with its warm hues and colorful seating areas, while the restaurant and bar beyond are casual destinations frequented for business breakfasts and quitting-time cocktails.

An airport check-in computer is a perk for guests without checked luggage who want to hit the airport and avoid the lines.

Although I was disappointed to find the concierge level lounge closed on the weekends, that’s a fairly standard practice considering that the bulk of guests using the lounge are weeknight visitors. In lieu of the lounge amenities, the hotel offered me a choice of various beverages and snacks when I checked in. Soda, bottled water and fruit were among the offerings, but I opted for a half-bottle of wine and a cheese and cracker plate – both of which turned out to be nice perks during my stay.

In the Room

I’m always kind of working in one capacity or another, so even though much of my visit was more leisure than business, my inner workaholic was pleased to find ample in-room power outlets (notice the outlet by the bed, pictured here) and plenty of desk space for my laptop and tangled mass of cords and accessories (camera, phone, aforementioned laptop, wireless mouse, iPod, Apple Airport Express).

Bottled water and chocolates were welcome treats that appeared in my room each night, and I’m always happy to have a balcony (even if it looks out on the highway).

As for the bed, it was honestly more comfortable than my own (note: this may be due to the fact that I bought my mattress off craigslist in a frenzy of sleep-deprived panic after my dog ate a whole the size of her own body in its predecessor).

But what really impressed me about the sleep situation had to be the pillows. Most hotels load up their beds with pillows-on-roids, you know, pillows so puffed-up and bulbous you feel like your neck is positioned at a right angle to the bed when you lie down. And then you toss all night and wake up in the morning totally jacked. But this bed, thank the hotel gods, had at least two normal, malleable pillows that allowed me to sleep with just the right amount of angle.

The Lack Factor

So what was lacking at this hotel? Room service ends at midnight. Clearly, not a huge problem for mid-week travelers, but when you drag your wine-addled self back to the hotel after a night out in the Gaslamp (more on that later this week), you’re going to be S.O.L.

My room had one cramped sink and almost no surface space for toiletries. It was a makeup-meets-hot coffeemaker disaster waiting to happen, not to mention the site of at least two bathroom battles involving my husband and I jockeying to spit our toothpaste out in the sink. He won.

And if you want to get really picky, the television in my room was boxy and old. But it worked. Call me smitten with the flat-screen phenom, and you would be correct.

The Bottom Line

With a location near myriad office parks and big-box retailers (the Westfield Mission Valley Center is less than two miles away) instead of the tourist attractions that draw leisure travelers to the San Diego area, the hotel is an obvious choice for business travelers seeking solid accommodations during the week.

Strolling down Market Street in San Diego’s Gaslamp District on Saturday night around 8pm, I suddenly noticed a huge line of jumpy-looking teenagers clogging up both sides of the street. What were all these teenagers doing amid the myriad bars, restaurants and posh hotels of San Diego’s downtown? With a minor amount of investigation, I discovered the attraction that had drawn the kids out in droves: The Haunted Hotel.

Located next to Hooters (yup, we said it again), on Market at 4th Street, the Haunted Hotel is an annual fright-fest based on classic and contemporary horror flicks. Pay the $13.99 admission and tip toe down the hotel’s creepy hallways and into different rooms along the predetermined path. Each room is devoted to a different horror film.

While teens will love the gross-out props and portrayals of silver screen boogeymen and the hype and energy that comes with an outing to the Gaslamp, parents can breathe easy knowing their kids are heading into an enclosed house of horrors - not an outdoor venue where people can get lost in the dark (either accidentally or on purpose, if you know what I mean).

The Haunted Hotel is open Friday and Saturday from 6pm to 1am, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7pm to 11pm and special hours the week of Halloween.

Et Voila! Celeb News For 10.11.07

Branson Swan Dives

On Wednesday evening, Sir Richard Branson celebrated Virgin America’s inaugural flights to Las Vegas by free-falling 40 stories – harnessed to a safety wire of course. But during the fall, a gust of wind slapped the daredevil billionaire into the side of the Palms Casino Resort. Branson emerged alive, but not without some scrapes and bruises.

Gee, I can’t imagine any better way to promote your new airline than crashing into solid objects at breakneck speeds.

On the upside, Branson did apparently scatter free Virgin America tickets as he fell, though none have been claimed. So be on the lookout in you’re in Vegas this weekend.

As part of the ongoing Virgin America festivities this week, Branson threw quite a shindig at the Wynn Las Vegas nightclub TRYST, where celebs like newlyweds (ew!) Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon (double ew!), Carmen Elektra and The Hills star Lauren Conrad showed up to take part.

Lion Sighting

Earlier this week, news broke that hot-ay environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio (could he be contributing to global warming with his hotness? I think the answer is yes) is planning a eco-friendly Caribbean hotel in conjunction with Four Seasons Resorts.

In Deep Scheetz

All we know is, the news surrounding the death of a 24-year-old Colorado resident in the Las Vegas condo of none other than former Morgans Hotel Group CEO Ed Scheetz is ultra, ultra shady and sad. Autopsy reports showed that Michelle Hatchel died on Aug. 30th from an overdose of cocaine and oxycontin, and the death was initially pegged as a suicide. Last month, Scheetz resigned from his post as CEO “for personal reasons.” Strangely, no police report was ever filed after the death, nor any official police investigation launched into the matter. And now Hatchel’s family is crying foul over the incident and demanding answers about the last hours of Hatchel’s life. Family members claim the young woman called a friend in the middle of the night preceding her death and told them she was afraid and that Scheetz was “being mean.”

And now that Hatchel’s missing cell phone has been “recovered,” text messages she sent the night before she died are adding fuel to the fire. As the New York Post reports, Hatchel wrote, “I can’t believe how much coke he does, all the time, all day long. He keeps leaving me to talk to a girl he dated.”

First reported by ABC News (Suicide? Murder? Murky Death in Vegas) Scheetz’s call to the Las Vegas police has also been circulating around the Internet. You can find a link to it in the ABC article. Trust us, it doesn’t make the guy sound like someone you’d want your daughter dating.

Charlotte’s Web

Nicole Richie and fetus daddy Joel Madden were snapped arriving at Los Angeles International Airport and then on Thursday near the Sydney Intercontinental, where they are reportedly staying during Good Charlotte’s concerts there this weekend. While other bloggers were buzzing about Richie’s tan line, we’re more interested in the hotel.

Daddy Dearest?

Angelina Jolie and estranged, scary-looking father also known as actor Jon Voight were placed at the same hotel earlier this week, which we recently discovered is the Waldorf Astoria, according to bloggers. But while the paps are dying for the father and daughter to make amends, the incident appears to be mere coincidence and not evidence of an impending reconciliation between the two.

Minor Leagues

At this point, we delve into the tedium of celebrity sightings free of freak accidents, cocaine overdoses, family feuds, fashion faux pas and major business transactions.

We read that a pregnant Christina Aguilera exited the Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills with Jordan Bratman this week. Later, she reportedly went shopping for a stroller.

A bunch of people - including Bill Pullman and Ed Koch - were at Manhattan’s Bowery Hotel earlier this week for a Cinema Society premiere party. And apparently, they all think Eva Mendes is hot.

And Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn were spotted having a drink together at the Beverly Hills Hotel Bar Nineteen 12. They talked to David Beckham. They looked happy. Fascinating.

And with that, we bid you adieu….

Book a hotel stay of three or more nights through Travelocity this fall, enter the promo code HOTELSALE at checkout, pay with your Mastercard and you’ll save $50 on the total cost of your stay. The offers is good for more than 1,000 hotels, including trusty favorites like the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and Joie de Vivre’s Hotel Angeleno in Los Angeles.

Travelocity $50 Off with Mastercard Promo

Between now and the end of the year, United Airlines is offering its United Mileage Plus members an option to pay an additional $20 for any roundtrip flight taken by Dec. 31, 2007 and receive 1,000 bonus miles in return. To take advantage of the promotion, travelers must be members of the United Mileage Plus program, register for the program and pay for the $20 fee through United, either online or over the phone.

If you wanted to buy 1,000 miles through United Airlines without this promotion, it would cost you $64.57.

Earn award travel faster with AddMiles

Welcome to the TravelPost.com Insider It Gear Report

Show ‘Em What You Got

Aren’t dopp kits usually like the most boring travel accessories in the world? Well, not this one. The X-Posed XRay Dopp Case by Fred is one way to bring the fun back to an experience many frequent travelers have come to loathe. Okay, okay. Schlepping this through airport security may not actually be any more fun than carrying an undecorated alternative, but we think it’s cute. So there. Oh and thanks, Fred. Whoever you are. Cost: $12.

Hide Those Hooters

Lest you think we’ve become a wee bit obsessed with hooters lately, let me point out that Bebe au Lait’s new breastfeeding coverlet is actually called the Original Hooter Hider Nursing Cover. We’re not making that up. Designed by Claire Ekelund, this travel accessory for nursing moms comes in European silks, as well as organic and cotton fabrics and features a structured neck that allows mom (and only mom) to see baby nursing. No more slipping blankies and angry, anti-nursing-in-public airline attendants. Cost: $35.

Dude, Where’s My Wi-Fi?

Good traveling folk, we may soon see an end to the dreaded hotspot shuffle (which, if you don’t already know, is the increasingly common dance one must often perform to find a strong wi-fi connection in an airport, coffeeshop, hotel, etc.).

The ThinkGeek Wi-Fi Detector Shirt detects wireless Internet networks and announces their signal strength using an animated, glowing decal only a true geek could love.

Suddenly, just by wearing a shirt, you’ll know exactly where to plop down and fire up your laptop in airports and hotels (places where signals are notoriously uneven). But how, you may be asking yourself, will I be able to wash this new specimen of high-tech fashion? Easy. The decal is detachable (as is the AAA battery pack). This geek-tastic piece of apparel will be in stock by the end of October. Cost: $29.99

Source: Gizmodo

Toss One Back

These days, seems everyone in water bottle land (a highly populated, very wet place) is talking about Swiss-designed Sigg aluminum water bottles. Patagonia’s new all-black version is sure to appeal to traveling granolas, while the Sigg Lifestyle water bottle offers a hydration solution for style-conscious eco-ists (and, um, thirsty people).

For those of you thinking, why should I care about this aluminum water bottle, here are a few important advantages of this alternative to plastic: they’re ultra lightweight, extra durable, leak-proof and made with a non-toxic liner that is designed to be safe and devoid of taste or smell. You know, so your beverages taste like they’re supposed to. And when you’re done with the bottle (maybe after you’re dead, unless you bequeath it to your beneficiaries), you can rest easy knowing it’s 100 percent recyclable.

Insider It Gear is a regular series from TravelPost.com that showcases new travel gear, products and accessories that today’s active traveler simply can’t live without. Okay, maybe you can, but we’re having a hard time. Got ideas for an upcoming edition of Insider It Gear? Contact Us. We won’t bite. Often.

Crushed Hooters

It seems staying in a Hooters-themed inn isn’t for everyone. Or really, for much of anyone at all. After pouring $1 million into its Lakeland, FL inn back in 2002, the owl-loving restaurant chain demolished the Hooters Inn Motel over the weekend. But fear not, ye traveling fans of buffalo wings and hot pants, the adjacent Hooters Restaurant along Interstate 4-U.S. 98 remains. Phew.

Emeril Does Vegas… Again

Come January 2008, celeb chef and restaurateur Emeril Lagasse will open a Table 10 restaurant at The Palazzo, which is currently being built by the Las Vegas Sands Corp next to the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino. The new dining destination will be Lagasse’s third in Sin City.

Up, Up in the Air

Last week, Frontier Airlines began the first non-stop service between Denver and Sioux City today, something we are sure plenty of traveling Iowans will consider a pretty Sioux-weet development.

Southwest Plays Fashion Police Again

This time, the airline objected not to a woman’s skimpy outfit, but to a fishing enthusiast’s t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase, “Master Baiter.” The passenger changed his t-shirt, but not before protesting that the airline’s request infringed upon his First Amendment right to free speech. Of course, then he sat down and shut up so he could make it home on time. In other news, Southwest officially has the sense of humor of a British governess. From the 1800’s.

Sustainable Tourism Made Simple

Travelers these days are always looking for ways to “do good,” whether it be buying carbon offsets or heading on volunteer vacations. But there’s a much simpler and more concrete way to do good the next time you head to the airport: actually tip your skycap. Most baggage handlers who perform curbside check-in make the majority of their money in tips. Fork over a buck or two per bag. Consider it good travel karma.

In the Pink

As the Informed Traveler blog notes, the Kor Hotels group, which operates posh spots like the Viceroy Santa Monica, is offering special Think Pink rates, special pink cocktails and pinked-themed gifts at its hotels this month in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At the aforementioned Viceroy Santa Monica, the Think Pink package for a Saturday night in October starts at $379/night and includes overnight accommodations, pink velvet martinis for two and a fleece picnic throw (also known as a tiny blanket). Ten percent of the proceeds from your stay will benefit the UCLA Breast Cancer Center.

Antoine’s Restaurant, New Orleans

It’s not everyday you find photographs of Pope John Paul II and well-coiffed debutantes occupying the same walls. Nor is it everyday that one dines from a kitchen that has played host to everyone from Bing Crosby to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. But that’s exactly what you’ll encounter at Antoine’s, the oldest family-operated restaurant in the United States.

And while many come to experience the ambiance of a place that’s been serving patrons since 1840, still more come to taste the original recipe for the founding chef’s most famous dish. Served on the half-shell since 1889, Oysters Rockefeller are known for their substantive, yet smooth sauce and its strangely tart, yet intensely rich flavor. But trying to figure out exactly what’s in the iconic dish is almost an exercise in foodie futility. Simply put, Oysters Rockefeller just do not taste like anything except Oysters Rockefeller. And to this day, the restaurant still keeps the recipe a closely-guarded secret. Ask your waiter to divulge the ingredients, and he’s likely to rattle off a few items, then smile coyly and offer, perhaps by way of distraction, a personal tour of the steamy, bustling kitchen, the opulent private dining rooms or the 165-foot-long, seven-foot-wide wine cellar with a 25,000 bottle capacity (pictured).

While the restaurant’s formality strikes an interesting contrast to the raunchy reveling happening just blocks away on Bourbon Street, even this historic venue cuts loose on Sunday mornings for the weekly Jazz Brunch. Settle in with the sweet, apple brandy brunch cocktail Antoine’s Smile, order up a plate of Oysters Rockefeller and end with classics like the crab cakes with horseradish sauce or fried trout amandine for a meal that truly sums up the flavor of New Orleans.

Antoine’s, 713 Saint Louis St., 504-581-4422

The TravelPost.com Insider Native City series is a regular feature highlighting unique, iconic or influential edibles, products and other creations found in some of the world’s most popular travel destinations. If you have a suggestion for an upcoming Native City feature, contact us.