Top Airline Safety Questions- PART 2

The most important questions about airline safety answered in this easy-to-follow run-down:

3.      What kind of emergency am I most likely to face?

For every accident, there are dozens, even hundreds of unusual circumstances that can happen during a flight.

For a passenger, the most likely emergencies that you will face where you will have to do something is an evacuation of the aircraft using the emergency slides or using the emergency oxygen system. In most cases, the evacuation is ordered as a precautionary measure, not because the passengers face imminent danger.

Emergency oxygen masks may be deployed automatically or be deployed manually by the flight crew. In most cases, deployment of the masks does not indicate that the passengers are in imminent danger.

An example of an emergency evacuation that went very well, was the 2005 Air France crash in Toronto. The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Paris to Toronto. The aircraft encountered heavy thunderstorms upon arrival in Toronto. The crew was able to land, but was unable to stop the aircraft on the runway. The aircraft departed the runway and rolled into a gully where the aircraft broke up and caught fire. All passengers and crew were able to successfully escape the burning plane. None of the 12 crew members and or 297 passengers were killed.

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The World’s Top Ten Party Hotels – PART 8

A renaissance continues to rock LA’s formerly business-only Downtown neighbourhood.

The past decade has brought slick residential condos, a concert hall, plenty of art galleries, and stylish bars, restaurants, and party hotels (the rooftop at The Standard Downtown remains a trendy drink spot) and, now, the transformation – from a no-fly zone to a stylish city enclave – is nearly complete with the unveiling of the enormous, 2.5-billion-dollar L.A. LIVE, a sports, entertainment, and hotel complex next to the STAPLES Center and Nokia Theatre.

Considered the cornerstone of Downtown’s new entertainment endeavour, the Ritz-Carlton at L.A. LIVE, opened in April 2010, is stacked on top of the also new JW Marriot and the Ritz-Carlton Residences on the upper floors of a 54-story, LEED-certified tower, and features a sleek, contemporary aesthetic (a fresh look for a Ritz) and a full-service spa.

Just minutes away from the hotel, guests can take advantage of L.A. LIVE’s offerings — bowl at Lucky Strike Lanes, dine at restaurants like Katsuya or Rosa Mexicana, catch a Lakers game, rage at a Lady Gaga concert (she has shows scheduled at the STAPLES Center in March), perhaps even attend the Grammys — then head for some pre- or post-event partying to the Ritz’s Club Lounge on the 23rd floor for cocktails and sweeping city views; the rooftop pool lounge, Ion, on the 26th floor; or WP24, Wolfgang Puck’s onsite Asian restaurant.

The hotel’s I Love L.A. LIVE package, priced from $309/night, includes a guest room, 10 percent off dining, valet parking, and any two L.A. LIVE add-ons like Bowling with shoe rental at Lucky Strike Bowling, movie tickets at Regal Cinemas, ESPN Zone Game Cards, and Grammy Museum tickets. Standard rack rates go for $309/night.

The World’s Top Ten Party Hotels – PART 6

Checking out your room at the Metropolitan London — with its minimalist sophistication, COMO Shambhala bath products, Egyptian cotton sheets, and yoga mat, and sweeping views of Hyde Park from some — you may not feel like you’ve just checked into the biggest party hotel in London, but you have.

After lunch or dinner at the hotel’s Michelin-starred Nobu outpost, head over to the Met Bar. The party starts during Afternoon De-Light (Monday–Saturday, 3pm to 6pm), an alternatively alcoholic take on English teatime where alcohol-optional mar-tea-nis are served alongside healthier versions of traditional scones and sandwiches.

Things really heat up at night when the bar hosts the latest London DJs, music acts, and entertainers; past performers include bands Oasis and Kings of Leon. The regular monthly schedule features themed events like “Rockaoke” (karaoke with a live band) and an electronica club night. The exclusive Met Bar is open to hotel guests and Met members only (aside from a small, impossible to penetrate, guest list) which makes booking a room here all the more appealing.

True revellers will want to book the hotel’s Party Like a Rock Star – Sleep Like a Baby package (from £309/night; subject to availability), which includes such essential amenities as Purple Haze shots (champagne-topped passionfruit vodka concoctions) on arrival, VIP access to several London nightclubs, and a “Party Box” with an inflatable guitar and hangover-hiding eye mask. Published rates start at £390/night.

Top 10 Airport Lounges:

Treat yourself to one of these executive airport lounges and relax in 1st class comfort:

The Wing; Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong International Airport

Zen is the word at this 43,000-square-foot, wood-and-granite, open-air facility overlooking the terminal. Spread out at the 80-foot, aptly named Long Bar, or dine at one of four restaurants, including the Haven (strictly for first-class passengers) and a Japanese noodle bar. The Spa offers a complete line of services, but nothing tops the private cabanas, complete with personal showers, beds and oversized tubs. True road warriors, however, can spend their time on the wireless Web from anywhere in The Wing.

Clubhouse; Virgin Atlantic, San Francisco International Airport
Shortly after SFO’s International Terminal opened its doors last year, Virgin’s $3.2 million Clubhouse followed suit. Most striking are the multicolored, floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay and the city’s skyline. A rotating digital-art exhibit showcases local artists, and in an extension of the Upper Class “Freedom” menu, where you’re free to eat whatever and whenever you want, the Clubhouse serves light snacks and entrees at any time of the day or night.

Terraces Lounge; British Airways, JFK International Airport
Dubbed “an air travel environment for the 21st century,” Terraces is indeed more backyard than board room, with trickling water fountains, the sounds of birds chirping, fully reclining lounge chairs under white umbrellas, and–no joke–the subtle scent of cut grass. A Molton Brown Travel Spa has hydrotherapy showers, reflexology treatments and specially designed pre- and post-flight massages.

Silver Kris; Singapore Airlines, Singapore Changi Airport
Service-conscious Singapore’s 30,000-square-foot lounge accommodates 200 first-class and 450 business-class passengers. Tropical plants and aquariums abound, walls are covered with works by local artists, and 42-inch plasma screens show news and sports continuously.

Extra Travel Tip
No time for down time? London’s Heathrow recently opened the “Island,” a pay-as-you-go airport lounge in Terminal 3. Open daily from 5 AM to 2 PM, admission is $36 per person and allows access to one of 29 showers, steam cleaning and shoe shining, satellite television, and Internet connections.

President’s Club; Continental Airlines, Ronald Reagan National Airport, Washington D.C.
Back when National Airport was first built in the 1940s, the space that is now occupied by the President’s Club was the airport’s dining hall, a place where senators, generals and other VIPs would have dinner and watch as the world’s first airliners skimmed in and off the runway. Over the years, the space has been everything from administrative offices to a disco in the 1970s, but now it has been returned to its proper use: the care and feeding of important people. And boy does it ever. After a $3 million renovation, this sleek, wood-paneled club today is reminiscent of a first-class lounge on a Cunard ocean liner. The super-sleek décor is a mix of vintage aviation tchotchkes and other retro touches, including soft leather chairs and sofas, that make this as pleasant a place to kill a few hours as can be found in the capital. There is also a small bar, a separate TV area and a section of cubbies with desks, as well as a private conference room.

Smoker’s Lounge; Swissair, Zurich International Airport
Not that Swissair’s other lounges aren’t worth the trip, but the airline’s Smoker’s Lounge wins out for its Cuban-style cigar bar where you can go Bacchic with cigars, whiskey and cognac, all sold at duty-free prices.

Star Alliance Lounge; Zurich International Airport
The first of what Star Alliance members hope will be many such lounges–namely, in Brussels, Buenos Aires, Manila and Los Angeles–opened in August. Premium passengers flying Lufthansa, SAS, Thai Airways, Austrian Airlines and others can use the facility, which was designed by Toronto architects Kuwabara, Payne, McKenna and Blumberg, and offers a dedicated check-in and sales counter.

VIP Lounge; LanChile, Santiago International Airport

Charging ahead of its South American competitors, LanChile opened a new lounge last month to rival any other on the continent. At 7,500 square feet, the lounge is not huge but it’s comfortable, with ample work space, baths and showers, and a good selection of Chilean wines.

Golden Lounge; Malaysian Airlines, Kuala Lumpur International Airport
The only airport in the world with a glass-enclosed rain forest in the middle of it, Kuala Lumpur’s home airline lounge has a literal river running through it, along with a gym, bedrooms, a computer-games corner and a nursery with babysitting services.

SAS Lounge; Copenhagen International Airport
Bright, open and airy, SAS’ two-tiered Copenhagen lounge makes use of local Scandinavian design and materials, including blonde birch, maple, oak, limestone, wool and leather. In a nod to Scandinavian culture, Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson designed the giant kaleidoscope sculpture suspended from the ceiling, and the airline published Scandinavian Words, a series of 18 short novels, many only now translated into English, for the lounge library.

I read an interesting piece of news today about how Alaskan Airlines and Horizon Air are resorting to mobile services, in an effort to retain customer loyalty. The mobile services that these two airlines are currently offering are designed for the iPhone, BlackBerry and Microsoft Windows Mobile users and are hoped to improve their passengers travel experience and convenience.

These new services will enable passengers to make changes to their reservations, access airport information and potentially purchase tickets. Passengers can also check their flight status information, flight schedules, flight alerts and check-in 1 to 24 hours prior to their scheduled departure. Furthermore, passengers can use their “My Trips” feature to view their itinerary, change their seats, check their upgrade status and add an Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan number to their reservation. (for more information check out www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/database-crm/5632.html)

I believe that the more savvy Airlines are finally beginning to realize that with so many carriers and options available to travelers, retaining loyalty and repeated visits are becoming harder to achieve. Brand loyalty has been replaced by price consciousness thanks to the proliferation of budget carriers.

At last years WIT conference an ‘expert’ in the travel industry said that to retain customers, airlines and hotels need to offer more than just refurbished toilets and renovated rooms. What is missing is that little extra service that makes passengers and guests feel special and cared for. Being an ArrivedOK subscriber, I think the expert hit the nail on the head. Its no longer enough to offer the superficial trimmings that most hotels and airlines think us travelers require.

Instead, what we are actually looking for is convenience, and the knowledge that you care about how we feel. If an airline or hotel offered me the use of ArrivedOK FOC for flying or staying with them, I would consider traveling and staying with them during my next trip. Its those little extras, the intangibles that make us feel cared for, and that is what retains loyalty.