DiscoverAmerica.com Features the Best Online Travel Deals and Vacation Packages for Summer 2009
Posted July 14, 2009 , add a comment) WASHINGTON, DC ? June 25, 2009 - With more savvy Americans on the hunt for good values and summer travel deals, DiscoverAmerica.com ? the Official Travel and Tourism Website of the United States ? is now loaded with more than 300 money-saving offers from leading brands such as Best Western, Crowne Plaza, Marriott, Radisson, Gray Line, Hertz and Macy’s through its “Get a Deal” tool featured on every page.
Frugality is the trend in travel. Recent travelhorizons? research revealed that almost two-thirds (62 percent) of U.S. adults intending to travel for leisure purposes between now and October are more likely than last year to comparison shop for deals and travel bargains ? especially online.
“DiscoverAmerica.com’s abundant content helps travelers plan quick, affordable trips,” said Adam Vance, U.S. Travel Association’s senior vice president, marketing and product development. “Planning and booking horizons have narrowed and consumers are employing tactics to keep costs down, so the deals and offers available on DiscoverAmerica.com will help stretch vacation budgets for summer getaways.”
Get a Deal ? Hundreds of Deals on DiscoverAmerica.com
DiscoverAmerica.com is the recently launched one-stop, online source for travel information on all 50 states, the five U.S. territories and more than 100 popular destinations. With the “Get a Deal” tool, users of this Website may view a complete listing of all specials and travel bargains, and refine their search by U.S. destinations, activities and dates.
Find these and other summer travel packages on DiscoverAmerica.com:
? Free room nights and new premium Callaway Golf equipment from Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts.
? Marriott’s “In Love in New Orleans” package, starting at $139 per night.
? 20 percent off admission to Rockefeller Center’s Top of the Rock in New York from Trusted Tours & Attractions.
? “Friday is Freeday” when you stay Thursday or Saturday night at participating Radisson Hotels & Resorts.
? Savings on performances by Blue Man Group in Boston.
? Weekly and weekend car rental specials from Hertz.
? Savings on Golden Gate Bay Cruises, California Sunset Cruises and SF Explorer Cruises from Red and White Fleet.
? VIP access to Galileo at The Franklin with Marriott Hotels of Philadelphia.
? Savings for On Location Tours’ TV and movie site tours in New York and Washington, DC.
One in 5 U.S. adults intending to travel for leisure this summer expect to conduct more research compared to a year ago before planning and booking summer leisure trips, and 1 in 10 report they are planning summer travel much later compared to last year, most likely watching for last-minute summer vacation deals and travel bargains, according to an April travelhorizons? survey conducted by the U.S. Travel Association and Ypartnership.
About DiscoverAmerica.com
Discover America, LLC is a wholly owned entity of the U.S. Travel Association and operates DiscoverAmerica.com, the Official Travel and Tourism Website of the United States, for U.S. resident travelers and for international travelers under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce in the five leading inbound markets to the United States. The website’s content is presently available in five languages: English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese. For more information, visit www.DiscoverAmerica.com.
About U.S. Travel Association
The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $770 billion travel industry. U.S. Travel’s mission is to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States. For more information, visit www.ustravel.org.
Marco Polo appoints Sales Representatives in London and New York
Posted , add a commentMarco Polo Hotels has opened two new sales
representatives’ offices in London and New York.
With the appointment of these sales
representatives in its core long-haul markets, Marco Polo seeks to
enhance and expand the sales coverage by reaching new customers,
through traditional and online channels.
“By entering these primary markets in London and
New York, we are expanding our global sales network and coverage
which will position Marco Polo Hotels as the brand of choice in
the Asia Pacific market,” said Mr. Simon Pearson, Vice President,
Sales & Marketing.
Crowne Plaza Undergoing Resurgence of U.S. Hotel Portfolio
Posted , add a comment InterContinental Hotel Group’s Crowne
Plaza brand is undergoing a resurgence of its Americas hotel
portfolio this year through the investment of a quarter billion
dollars in major renovations by hotel owners.
“We’ve seen a period of incredible
growth over the past few years, mostly with conversion
properties,” said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Management,
Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resort—the Americas. “To become even
stronger players in the market, we’re elevating the brand a step
further through a resurgence of major property renovations.”
By the end of 2009 it is expected that up to 50%
of today’s Crowne Plaza portfolio in the U.S. will be completely renovated.
Approaching its twenty-year
anniversary, the Crowne Plaza in New York City’s Times Square
recently underwent an $85 million renovation.
“The hotel has been able to achieve double digit RevPAR
Index gains every month in 2009,” said Nan Molofsky, senior vice
president, City Investment Fund, the ownership group for the
hotel.
The Crowne Plaza Old Town Alexandria in
Washington, D.C., completed renovations in March 2008 and has seen
proof that modernization is key in stealing share from
competitors.
“We renovated our guest rooms,
meeting space, restaurant and lobby,” said Hammad Shah, vice
president, Asset Management, Carr Hospitality. “After just one
year we have seen 11 straight months of positive RevPAR Index
growth.”
Etihad Airways and American Airlines sign Codeshare Agreement
Posted , add a commentEtihad Airways and American Airlines are hoping
to receive regulatory approval from the US government for a
proposed new codeshare agreement.
The codeshare agreement will further extend the
two airlines’ global networks by providing access between Abu
Dhabi and key cities in the United States including Washington,
Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston which have previously been
unavailable to Etihad customers.
Etihad Airways
will place its ‘EY’ code on a number of transatlantic services
operated by the US carrier between Europe and the United States,
as well as selected domestic services operated by American
Airlines beyond New York and Chicago.
In turn
American Airlines will place its own ‘AA’ code on services
operated by Etihad Airways between Abu Dhabi and New York (JFK),
Chicago (ORD), Paris (CDG), Dublin, Frankfurt, Manchester and
Milan (MXP).
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ Chief
Executive, said, “The United States represents a key market for
Etihad and one in which we are keen to grow further, both through
the addition of new routes of our own, such as Chicago, and
through close cooperation with other well-established airlines
such as American Airlines.”
The American Airlines domestic routes within the US
covered by the new codeshare arrangement will initially include
flights between New York (JFK) and Washington, Los Angeles and San
Francisco as well as flights between Chicago and Washington, Los
Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.
The
transatlantic services include American Airlines flights between:
Paris (CDG) and Boston, Chicago, Miami; Dublin and Chicago;
Frankfurt and Dallas/Fort Worth; Manchester and Chicago; and Milan
and New York (JFK).
Subject to gaining US
government regulatory approval, the new codeshare agreement is
expected to come into effect to coincide with the launch by Etihad
of its new service to Chicago at the beginning of September, 2009.
Once the codeshare agreement is in place, customers
transferring between the two carriers will be able to purchase a
single ticket for their journey and enjoy the convenience of being
able to check in their luggage to their ultimate destination.
Etihad Airways currently flies to two destinations in
North America: New York (JFK) and Toronto in Canada. The airline
will begin flights to Chicago from Wednesday 2 September, 2009.
The route will be served initially three times a week and will
increase to daily flights from Thursday 1 October, 2009.
American Airlines currently flies transatlantic services
from New York to Barcelona, Brussels, Milan, London, Paris, Rome
and Zurich; Chicago to Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, London,
Manchester, Moscow, New Delhi, Paris and Rome; Miami to London,
Madrid and Paris; Dallas/Fort Worth to London, Madrid, Paris and
Frankfurt; Los Angeles to London; and Raleigh/Durham to London.
Air France’s First A380 to Seat 538 in Three Class Layout
Posted , add a commentAir France’s first Airbus A380 this week moved a
step closer to delivery. The aircraft, which has just been
painted with the airline’s new livery in Hamburg, will start
operating a daily Paris-Charles de Gaulle - New York-JFK route in
November 2009.
Air France is the first European airline to
offer its customers the comfort of the Airbus A380 super jumbo, and the first
airline to offer transatlantic flights between Europe and America
on this new very wide-bodied aircraft.
On board Air France’s first A380, there will be three cabin
classes capable of seating a total of 538 passengers: 80 in the Affaires
cabin and 106 in Voyageur (economy) on the upper deck, 9 in the
Premi?re cabin and 343 in Voyageur on the main deck.
Equipped with four GP7200 engines specially
designed by Engine Alliance, the Air France A380 will carry passengers over a maximum distance of 13,000 kms.
“The A380, particularly well-suited to the
current economic context, will enable Air France to offer its
customers an even better quality of service whilst at the same
time limiting costs. This aircraft is also in line with Air
France’s aim to reduce its carbon emissions. We are looking
forward to welcoming the A380 into our fleet,” said Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, CEO of Air France.
Air France has 12 Airbus A380s on order, four of
which are scheduled to start operating in winter 2009 and spring 2010.
Depending on configuration, the A380 could, if
an airline desired, seat an absolute maximum of just over 800
passengers.