A little chorus began singing in my head when this press release popped up in my RSS reader today:

Southwest Airlines Bringing the Internet to the Sky Via Satellite

If all goes according to plan, Southwest Airlines will begin testing in-flight Internet services delivered via broadband satellite on four aircraft this summer. The service, delivered by Row 44, will allow passengers with wi-fi enabled devices full access to the Internet and email.

What strange events could have transpired, you may be asking yourself upon viewing the above image, to land beautiful Miss Beyonce in the middle of a common livestock show? No, the singer and Jay-Z ladyfriend is not there to vie for the title of most prodigious posterior against bovine opponents, nor is the star considering a career shift towards the herding business. Along with several international and local celebrities, Beyonce is one of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau’s picks for a forthcoming tourism campaign, one the CVB hopes will “enhance” Houston’s image and attract more tourists and businesses to the area.

As USA Today reports in Houston Taps Beyonce, Other Celebrities for Tourism Pitch:

The ads in the “My Houston” campaign will…. begin appearing in February in the Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Continental Airlines’ in-flight magazine and other publications, said Lindsey Brown, marketing director for the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Broadcast ads are also being developed, she said.

The bureau has stopped using its most recent slogan: “Space City: A Space of Infinite Possibilities,” Brown said. And the celebrities featured in the new ads won’t be asked to recite a snappy catchphrase.

That last point may very well have been one of the CVB’s most prudent moves. Another of the celebrities representing Houston in the ad campaign is none other than George W. Bush, someone with a slightly sketchy track record for regurgitating hyperbole many could spew forth in their sleep.

What’s next? Jay-Z hanging out at the White House?

Last comment: it was certainly nice of USA Today to give this news some play. After all, if not for the article, readers would have only known about Houston’s new image via the advertisements in the publication’s own pages. Sigh.

Call me a travel geek, but I always get excited when a completely new hotel chain debuts. This week’s opening of the first NYLO Hotel in Plano, Texas is no exception, (even if it is in Plano). Like many hotels that have gone before it, this newcomer to the lodging scene is trying to hit that sweet spot somewhere at the intersection of the trendy boutique hotel and the bland, but functional business hotel. The whole notion is to look really cool while charging less than other places that look really cool and still manage to offer all the amenities core business travelers expect.

At NYLO Plano, high-ceilinged rooms feature flat screen TVs, iPod-compatible audio systems, free local and domestic long-distance calls, free wired and wireless high-speed Internet access and free bottled water. Another little detail: in-room desks are movable (i.e. on rollers), so you can configure your workspace. While those are standard amenities in every room, the hotel also has rooms with glass walls, separate lounge areas, Bose sound systems and private terraces. PURE rooms with air purification systems are also available.

One of the concepts the hotel is trying to brand is its Loft concept. Each NYLO Loft is sort of a catch-all space where guests can eat, drink, meet and lounge. There’s sit-down dining, grab-n-go fare, a bar, coffee, a library for meetings and a courtyard with barbecue grills.

Through February 29th, the hotel is offering reduced rates when you enter the promo code 65DAY at checkout. Rates vary, but with the promo code, I found a NYLO king loft room (the standard room size) available for $169 on a Wednesday night in mid-January. The rate drops to $109 for a Friday night. If you really wanted to do it up (as much as one can in Plano, of course), you could book a NYLO suite mid-week for $219/night and $159 on the weekends.

Tres interessant. As Engadget (and countless others, but I read it first on Engadget) reported this week, Continental Airlines is starting a cell phone check-in three-month trial at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The new method allows passengers to check-in using cell phones or PDA devices. According to the Houston Chronicle (Continental First to Try Cell Phone Boarding Passes):

The program will allow passengers to receive boarding passes electronically, then present bar codes on the screen to be scanned by TSA security officers at the checkpoint, according to Continental.

Ultimately, it could eliminate the need for a paper document besides photo identification. Continental is the first U.S. carrier to test paperless boarding passes.

You can check out the newspaper’s video of how it works below:

The New York Times reported the trend way back in January 2007, but at the time, the only airlines trying the new check-in method were All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines and Germany’s DBA.

As much as I love the idea of kicking paper boarding passes to the curb, the idea seems like it will present plenty of problems. Not the least of which is what happens if your cell phone gets stolen in the airport after you’ve passed security? Or what if it falls out of your pocket and into the toilet (not pretty, but this has happened to yours truly)?

At the Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa just outside of Scottsdale, AZ, you could begin Thanksgiving this year with a breakfast horseback ride, continue with mid-morning tennis instruction before settling in for a traditional Thanksgiving meal with prix fixe menus at resort restaurants The Latilla and The Palo Verde. On Friday, the festivities continue with a tennis doubles round-robin in the morning, midday children’s arts and crafts and an afternoon walk with the resort’s resident geologist to uncover the history of the rocks surrounding the property. Or you could just say screw it and go to the Golden Door Spa. You certainly won’t have a problem being thankful there.

When we checked today, you could still book a casita room for $319/night. These are the most basic rooms at the resort, but still offer wood-burning fireplaces, oversized tubs, private patios, robes and slippers, Egyptian cotton sheets and separate sleeping and sitting areas.

Want to see Steve Nash in person? The Phoenix Suns’ point guard will be appearing in person for a roast at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Arizona on Oct. 12, 2007. Joining in the festivities is a roster of celebrity guests, including Wayne Gretzky. Tickets to the event won’t come cheap. We’re talking $1,500 a person just to hang in the audience and $4,000 per couple for event tickets and overnight accommodations. Of course, you could just show up to mingle outside with the legions of fans who are sure to be on hand for the event.

If you were to visit Scottsdale’s Hotel Valley Ho, you’d be pleased to find Red Flower bath amenities in Terrazzo tile bathrooms outfitted with sexy translucent walls. You’d also want to sample a Mai Tai at Trader Vic’s and nurse your hangover from the night’s festivities in one of the posh poolside cabanas.

Steve Nash Celebrity Roast Featuring a Performance by John Legend

Those travelers who enjoy Southwest’s open-seating scheme will be pleased to learn that the company has officially decided to stick with the system after testing other methods on selected routes this year. But the airline is making one change that will likely make frequent Southwest passengers jump for joy. Instead of jockeying for a place in one of the A, B or C queues (you usually have to stand in and protect your spot for at least 45 minutes before boarding begins), passengers will now receive numbers along with letters printed on their boarding passes. The numbers are not seat assignments, but instead designate the order in which passengers are to board the plane. You can prep for your flight by checking out the airline’s “Boarding School” tutorial linked below.

Expect to see the new boarding procedure in effect by November.

Southwest Airlines Boarding School Tutorial

While it seems unlikely that most travelers would have reason to fly four roundtrip long haul flights on Southwest Airlines before Nov. 15, 2007 (flights that they haven’t booked yet), travelers who do will be able to take advantage of the airline’s latest Click ‘n Save Deal. The best part? The deal still offers a free roundtrip ticket anywhere in the U.S. that Southwest flies if you only book and fly two long haul flights on Southwest by Nov. 15th. It’s much more likely that travelers will be able to take advantage of the latter part of the deal. For all the details, click the link below.

Fly 2, Get 1 Free! Fly 4, Aloha Hawaii!

P.S. Southwest Airlines has matched Virgin America’s fares - but is also offering deals for many more destinations than its rival low-cost carrier. Book by Sept. 6th for travel Sept. 12-30, 2007. Seven day advance purchase required.

Southwest Hot Fares

Come January 1, 2008, most public places in Fort Worth will be smoke-free. That includes restaurants, but does not include hotel meeting rooms or outdoor dining areas.

Fort Worth Council Approves Smoking Ordinance