Corporate Travel InSight Newsletter - May 2011

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Corporate Travel InSight Newsletter - May 2011

Few Snacks At 30,000 Feet

Given that it will save the airline $2.5 million annually, it's entirely reasonable that Continental recently eliminated free pretzels in economy class on its domestic flights. In fact, it was the last legacy carrier to make the move, hanging onto free snacks until last month and, up until a year ago, free in-flight meals too. Although a few discount and regional carriers still hand out complimentary snacks, the practice is fading fast.

Here are some observations and tips about in-flight food and beverage options from the experts at UNIGLOBE Travel.

Welcome To MSP

In its first incarnation, the site of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was the Twin City Speedway race track, but whereas the original business went bankrupt, MSP has grown and thrived and reinvented itself several times. In 2010, 32.8 million passengers passed through its 127 gates, and in recent years it has been celebrated for its fine shopping, its well-designed, easy-to-navigate website, and its commitment to sound environmental practices, including the recycling of its organic waste, and less savory materials such as de-icing fluid. If you're headed to the Midwest, MSP is a traveler-friendly landing spot.

Getting Around: There are two terminals, Terminal 1 Lindbergh (major airlines like Delta and
Continental) and the much smaller Terminal 2 Humphrey (mostly low-cost carriers), and they're accessed via separate roadways, so make sure you know which one you need if you're driving to MSP. The two terminals are connected by a free Light Rail Transit system, although Terminal 2's LRT entrance is located rather inconveniently at the north side of the Orange parking ramp. All gates in Terminal 1 are accessible by walking although a Concourse tram is available connecting Concourses A & B with Concourses C & D.

Relaxing: The Mall in Terminal 1 Lindbergh is likely your first destination if you have time to kill, and in advance of your visit, consider printing some of the 40-plus coupons to save money at almost all of the dining spots and retailers. You can earn additional savings simply by mentioning that you saw an ad for the mall outlet you're visiting scrolling across the bottom of one of the dozens CNN Airport Network-sponsored television screens installed around the airport. Combine your shopping expedition with some exercise using the MSP Start! Walking path, a 1.4 mile-long loop through Terminal 1; keep track of your progress by looking up to find the green dots on signs overhead.

Dining: You're spoiled for choice if food court outlets are your preferred dining option (convenient and inexpensive, and MSP's food court in Terminal 1 Lindbergh has a reputation for cleanliness and warm service). If you're really pressed for time, stop by Surdyk's Flights Wine Market & Bar for a Minneapple Panini to go, made with roast turkey, brie, apples and lingonberry sauce, or a flight-friendly snack box of three cheeses and three styles of salumi, plus a dark Belgian chocolate brownie to finish. For a sit-down meal, try Axel's Bonfire in The Mall across from Checkpoint 3. The spicy blackened walleye filet on balsamic-tossed greens is recommended, as is the mesquite-seasoned rotisserie chicken.

Official Airport Website: www.mspairport.com

Learn more about Minneapolis-St Paul & Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in our Destination Guides.

Travel Blunder: Solo Parent Problem

You're traveling with your 10-year-old to Europe, combining business with a short vacation, and leaving the other parent at home. Checking in for your return flight from Rome, you are both detained and questioned extensively about the whereabouts of the missing parent, causing you to miss your flight. Solution: whether or not you have full custody of your child, a notarized letter from the absent mom or dad granting you permission to travel alone with junior could save you a lot of grief. Heightened awareness of child abductions, especially in disputed custody cases, has prompted airline and border security personnel to question parents traveling solo with their children. Where infants and young children are involved, airlines and customs and immigration officials are very vigilant, since little ones cannot or might be too frightened to speak for themselves if the circumstances are suspicious. The U.S. does not require this documentation, but other countries such as Canada, Mexico, Aruba, and the Bahamas do. Learn more here.

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Hotels On A High

Things are looking up in the hotel industry, way up. The recent opening of the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong prompted some headlines claiming it's now the world's tallest hotel, but the building experts at Frankfurt-based Emporis.com beg to differ. By their standards, to join the list the property must have an occupiable height "devoted at least 90% to hotel uses." The Ritz Carlton H.K. only occupies floors 102 through 118 of the 1,588-foot International Commerce Centre, landing that structure fourth on the list of the world's tallest high-rises. So where are the world's tallest hotels - Here are the Emporis top six:

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$80 Million

Royal Wedding Gift

What analysts predict will be the revenue to hotels, restaurants and retailers in the U.K. as a result of the April 29 wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. Total security bill: $30 million.

This Pen Is Mighty

Short of implanting a computer chip and data port directly into your skull, there probably isn't a more lightweight, versatile, travel-friendly note-taking device on the market than Livescribe. It's essentially a super-enhanced pen and notebook system that allows you to write notes, make diagrams and record conversations that can then be converted into word and image files on your computer, or even turned into "pencasts", Flash movies that can be embedded into a blog or homepage or shared via links or Facebook. The special 'dot paper' notebooks sell for about $5 each; 2 GB Livescribe smartpens start at $99.95 new, with refurbished models priced at $49.95. Available at Best Buy, Target, Staples and other retailers. For details, visit www.livescribe.com.

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Track That Bag

This August, the TSA will introduce a new rule requiring airlines to refund your checked-baggage fees if they lose your bags, or if your bags are delayed by more than 12 hours. Delta, thanks to its $100 million investment in a computerized bag-scanning system, has been able to track bags using radio frequency technology identification (RFID) since 2007. Now this service is open to Delta passengers, too. Sky Miles members simply type in their bag tag numbers on the Track Checked Baggage page at Delta's website and can follow each item's journey from terminal to aircraft to baggage carousel. If a bag goes missing, you file a report and use that reference number to follow up on the bag's whereabouts and your claim. Rebates worth $25 for the first checked bag, $50 for two, are issued if your bags are not received within 12 hours of a reported delay.

Beat The Rush

Once school is out, the nation's most popular destinations will experience a dramatic uptick in visitors. Beat the crowds - especially the school trips and family reunions by traveling on weekdays in May and early June when most kids are still stuck in the classroom, dreaming of their summer escapes to one of these top three U.S. destinations:

1) Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, FL. Admittedly, there's rarely a slow day at any Disney-run attraction unless the weather is foul, but if you avoid Memorial Day weekend, and you're prepared to get an early start, then WDW remains a good choice at this time of year. Stay in an on-site hotel and take advantage of early entry times to the park. New this year: multiple daily departures on the Wild Africa Trek in Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. The three-hour, privately guided adventure tour is not open to kids under eight. Talk to your Uniglobe Travel agent for details.

2) Grand Canyon National Park, South Rim, AZ. Despite the size and grandeur of the canyon, the summer visitors who flock to this accessible, fully serviced area of the park can make the look-outs, scenic rest spots, curio shops and trailheads seem squeezed for space. Flagstaff is probably the better choice for hotels with big-city amenities, but for a romantic stay in the park, try one of the three suites with canyon views at the historic El Tovar Hotel.

3) Washington, DC. Another must-see on many U.S. families' vacation lists is the nation's capital, and its remarkable museums and historic landmarks: the Smithsonian, the Lincoln Memorial, and the White House, to name but three. Warm weather brings out more than the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin in Potomac Park; the district welcomed 16.4 million visitors in 2009, with April and July as the peak months. Need some fresh air after those museum visits? Learn more about the Civil War to Civil Rights self-guided walking trail.

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