Keepingitreal

Today's News Highlights 06.20.11

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
McIlroy captures history at Congressional
Rory McIlroy posts the lowest mark in tournament history, shooting a final-round 69 for a total of 16-under 268, as he runs away with the 111th U.S. Open.
(By Barry Svrluga)

CEO Pay: What the area’s executives make
Hefty stock awards and bonuses drove total compensation up over 20 percent for Washington’s highest-paid chief executives last year, reflecting a nationwide trend among the largest public companies.
(By Danielle Douglas)

With executive pay, rich pull away from America
A mounting body of economic research indicates that the rise in pay for company executives is a critical feature in the widening income gap.
(By Peter Whoriskey)

Rise in charitable giving may signal economic rebound
Charitable giving in the United States rose last year for the first time in two years, signaling a rebound in the economy.
(By Annie Gowen)

Hospitals courting primary-care doctors
The push is forcing doctors to make decisions about how to deliver care to patients.
(By Lena H. Sun)

POLITICS
PROMISES, PROMISES: No action yet from Obama on guns despite call for steps
WASHINGTON — More than five months after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head, the White House has yet to take any new steps on gun violence, even though that’s what President Barack Obama called for in the wake of the shooting.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Black slaves, freedmen risked their lives to work as Union spies down South during Civil War
WASHINGTON — In the Confederate circles he navigated, John Scobell was considered just another Mississippi slave: singing, shuffling, illiterate and completely ignorant of the Civil War going on around him.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

PROMISES, PROMISES: No action yet from Obama on guns despite call for steps
WASHINGTON — More than five months after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head, the White House has yet to take any new steps on gun violence, even though that’s what President Barack Obama called for in the wake of the shooting.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Michelle Obama aims to inspire youth leaders during upcoming visit to South Africa, Botswana
WASHINGTON — Michelle Obama is fond of saying there’s no magic to her being first lady.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

First lady departs for trip to to Africa
First lady Michelle Obama, along with her two daughters, left for Africa on Sunday, her second official solo journey abroad.
(, The Washington Post)

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STYLE
Ask Amy: Words of love, uttered and ... forgotten?
During a weekend outing, her boyfriend told her he loved her, would marry her “in a week” and wanted her to have his baby. The next day, he couldn’t remember what he said. Yes, there was drinking involved.
(, Tribune Media Service)

Hints From Heloise: Special guest request
Heloise asks: Is it fair to ask for unusual, specialty or hard-to-find food items when you are a guest in someone’s home? Readers, what do you have to say?
(, King)

Why a mom may have stayed with an abusive husband
Mom didn’t leave her abusive husband and now a daughter won’t forgive her. Did Mom have a good reason for staying — such as loss of her children?
(, The Washington Post)

Calm by the green, crazed by the pitch
At the U.S. Open and the Gold Cup, vastly dissimilar cultures were on display — entirely different, yet very much the same.
( by Rick Maese , The Washington Post)

FTC vs. National Gallery
Republican lawmaker’s push to have the National Gallery take over the historic FTC building has sparked a turf battle in Washington.
( by Ned Martel , The Washington Post)

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SPORTS
Giants fan beating suspect up for parole revocation hearing at Los Angeles jail
LOS ANGELES — The main suspect in the brutal beating of a San Francisco Giants fan outside Dodger Stadium in March faces a court hearing to determine whether he should remain in jail for violating terms of his parole.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Sunday's Sports In Brief
BETHESDA, Md. — On another brilliant day of golf, Rory McIlroy ran away with the U.S. Open title, winning by eight shots and breaking the tournament scoring record by a whopping four strokes.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Franchitti wins in Milwaukee, pulls even with Power in IndyCar points standings
WEST ALLIS, Wis. — With Sunday’s win in Milwaukee, Dario Franchitti pulled even with Will Power in the IndyCar Series points standings.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Even with White Sox, Cubs under .500, crosstown series could provide some drama
CHICAGO — Ozzie Guillen’s kidney stone just might be the perfect metaphor for this baseball season in Chicago.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Ticket to Augusta: Kevin Chappell's strong US Open comes to a Masters-ful conclusion
BETHESDA, Md. — The top eight finishers at the U.S. Open qualify for next year’s Masters, and that’s a big deal for someone like Kevin Chappell.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

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WORLD
Reports: Japan's prime minister under pressure to resign next month
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, criticized for his handling of the tsunami disaster and the country’s sluggish economy, is under pressure to resign next month if budget bills are passed by parliament, reports said Monday.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Syria’s president: ‘Saboteurs’ are trying to exploit a movement seeking legitimate reforms
Syria’s embattled president says “saboteurs” are trying to exploit legitimate demands for reform in the country.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

British foreign secretary says Syrian leader Assad must reform or go, asks Turkey's help
LUXEMBOURG — Britain’s foreign secretary said Monday that Syria’s leader must reform or go, as the country’s regime continues a brutal crackdown on dissent.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Greek power company workers start strikes against privatization, potentially causing shortages
ATHENS, Greece — Greece faces potential power outages as employees at the main power utility strike to protest the company’s privatization, part of austerity plans essential for the country to avoid a default.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Handful of Melbourne-Sydney flights canceled as volcanic ash moves over southern Australia
SYDNEY — Qantas and Virgin Australia plan to cancel flights into and out of the southern city of Adelaide on Tuesday, when an ash cloud from a Chilean volcano is expected to again move into Australian airspace. Some service on a budget carrier between the country’s two largest cities was also suspended.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

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LIVE DISCUSSIONS

Outlook: Faux lesbians and anonymity online
Join Washington Post bloggers Melissa Bell and Elizabeth Flock as they discuss the quest to unmask the real blogger behind the "Gay Girl in Damascus" blog.
(, vForum)

D.C.'s biggest stories: Lunchline's Clinton Yates breaks them down (video)
Clinton Yates a news junkie and pop culture fanatic who scours The Washington Post and its partner sites every weekday to find the gems that you want to read but don't have time to search for.
(, vForum)

Outlook: Faux lesbians and anonymity online
Join Washington Post bloggers Melissa Bell and Elizabeth Flock as they discuss the quest to unmask the real blogger behind the "Gay Girl in Damascus" blog.
(, vForum)

From devoted, to deadbeat, to cannibal: How animal fathers survive in the wild
Join Dr. Stephen Vessey as he chats about the various ways animals choose to rear their young. How different are they from human dads?
(, vForum)

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TECHNOLOGY
‘Reminder: Call Dad,’ Another Notch In Google’s Belt Of Social Fail

( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)

Adobe Software Updates To Help Devs Build iOS, PlayBook And Android Apps

( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)

The Bitcoin Trials Continue: Mt. Gox Exchange Collapses Due To Compromised Account

( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)

VillageVines Relaunches As Savored, Expands Discount Dining To 10 Cities

( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)

Yup, YouTube Counts Video Ads As Regular Views

( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)

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EDITORIAL
More questions about those erasures
D.C. school officials wonder why the popular Singapore math program hasn’t worked at an elementary school.
(, The Washington Post)

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BUSINESS
Athens will get loan to avoid default, but must act on spending, privatization laws
LUXEMBOURG — The markets were in jittery mood once again Monday after eurozone finance ministers failed to agree to release the next bailout loan installment to Greece — money that is needed to prevent a debt default that could trigger financial chaos.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Athens will get loan to avoid default, but must act on spending, privatization laws
LUXEMBOURG — European stocks and the euro slipped Monday after eurozone finance ministers came up short of a final deal to get Greece its next installment of bailout money that is needed to prevent a default that could cause financial chaos.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Airbus superjumbo A380 grounded at Paris Air Show after clipping a wing
LE BOURGET, France — Airbus’ star jet has been grounded after clipping a wing on a taxiway structure, the latest in an embarrassing string of incidents for the European jet maker at the aviation industry’s premier showcase.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Japanese exports drop 10.3 percent in May as impact from quake and tsunami lingers
TOKYO — Japan’s exports dropped for the third straight month in May, hit by massive production losses in the auto sector following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disasters, the government said Monday.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

‘Reminder: Call Dad,’ Another Notch In Google’s Belt Of Social Fail

Travelers disembark 'nightmare' cruise amid cheers

Airline passengers could get a 1-2-3 punch

Corporate travel and ticket sales of premium seats are down. Overall demand is weak. And fuel prices are rising — again. The one-two-three punch could be bad news for consumers this fall, as airlines face pressure to raise fares or cut more capacity to cover their costs.Executives at several airlines, including Delta, Southwest, US Airways, Continental and American, gave bleak outlooks Thursday during an investor conference in New York, and there was little talk from anyone of a near-term rebound. AirTran offered a bright spot amid the industry woes, as its chief financial officer said the discount carrier expects to have "one of the best years in the company's history."The rise in unemployment and hits Americans have taken to the value of their homes, coupled with the meltdown in the financial markets, has caused a significant slowdown in air travel. Airlines also have lost business from the swine flu, which has caused some people to cancel travel plans to Mexico.Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines Inc. projects it will take a $125 million to $150 million revenue hit in the second quarter because of the impact on air travel from the swine flu virus. The quarter ends June 30. The swine flu scare also has hurt Delta sales to customers in Asia, who may be worried about travel because of the SARS outbreak in 2003.The overall drop in demand has coincided with a recent increase in fuel prices, which means lower sales — one executive said industry passenger revenues have declined nearly 20 percent in the first four months of the year — are meeting higher costs.If fuel prices continue to climb into the fall, airlines will be under pressure to raise prices or cut more capacity to cover their costs, Delta President Ed Bastian said. Delta has made a decision not to "put seats out into the marketplace if we can't recover the cost of that seat," he said.Experts have said they don't expect fare sales to end anytime soon, given weak demand for air travel. CONTINUE READING..

Flying? Don’t Book Under a Nickname

The Transportation Security Administration is getting ready to take over responsibility from the airlines for checking passengers’ names against terrorist watch lists, and is advising travelers to start booking airline tickets using their full name as it appears on their driver’s license or passport.Later this summer, the agency will also begin requiring airlines to ask passengers for their birth date and gender during the ticketing process, information the carriers will then transfer to the T.S.A. The goal is to help make the watch list matching process more accurate.But it turns out that what’s in a name is more complicated than many reservation systems are currently prepared to handle. So the airlines are telling passengers not to worry if there is no place to enter a middle name when purchasing a ticket, or no field for a date of birth.“I think the most important thing for passengers to know is that when their airline is ready to ask for that information, they’ll ask for it,” said Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American Airlines — advice that was echoed by other carriers.While the T.S.A. has announced Aug. 15 as a target date for the airlines to begin asking for each passenger’s full name, gender and date of birth, and has already begun publicizing the program, called Secure Flight, the agency acknowledged that it would go into effect in phases as the airlines update their systems.“What we’re trying to do is make the public aware that these changes are coming,” said Paul Leyh, the agency’s director for Secure Flight. “If your name is Jonathan Smith and you travel as John Smith and your license says Johnny Smith — get all those things aligned.”The government’s aim is to streamline the process of checking travelers’ names against its watch lists — a task currently handled separately by each airline — and to collect more detailed information so passengers with names similar to those on the watch list are less likely to be mistakenly detained.Asking for a birth date, for instance, decreases the likelihood that a child with a name close to one on the list would be subject to an additional search — one example of a false match that has led to complaints.As part of the Secure Flight program, travelers who have gotten caught up in some type of name problem and go through the process to get their identity cleared will be assigned a “redress number” that they can then enter when booking a flight.This number, along with the other passenger information, will be sent to the T.S.A., which will check it against terrorist watch lists and tell the airline whether the traveler is cleared to get a boarding pass, should be subject to an additional search or is not allowed to fly.“Secure Flight is going to allow us to clear over 99 percent of passengers,” Mr. Leyh said.For travelers who are cleared, the T.S.A. will keep passenger information on file for seven days. For those who are a potential match, it will be kept for seven years and for confirmed matches, it will be stored for 99 years.Concerns about data storage and privacy were among the issues that held up the transfer of name-matching duties from the airlines to the government, which was mandated by Congress in 2004.While many of those objections have been addressed by narrowing the scope of the information collected, there are still concerns about the quality of the watch list data.“To be precise, we support the fact that the government is now trying to make its matches more accurate,” said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which has been advocating for stronger privacy protections since Secure Flight’s inception.“The problem with Secure Flight is that there’s still not adequate transparency or redress for people who are placed on the list,” Mr. Rotenberg said. “As we know from the latest report from the inspector general, the list is riddled with errors.”The change will probably also create frustrations for people who go by different names and have to standardize the name listed on their passport, driver’s license and possibly frequent-flier accounts.“I’ve got Francis on my passport but I’ve always gone by Frank — my state I.D. and all of my frequent-flier accounts are Frank,” said Frank Ritchotte, who handles logistics for an audio and visual equipment manufacturer and flies about 150,000 miles a year. CONTINUE READING..

US eases travel, money restraints on Cuba

In a measured break with a half-century of U.S. policy toward communist Cuba, the Obama administration lifted restrictions Monday on Cuban-Americans who want to travel and send money to their island homeland.In a further gesture of openness, U.S. telecommunications firms were freed to seek business there, too. But the broader U.S. trade embargo remained in place.The White House portrayed its changes, which fulfilled one of President Barack Obama's campaign promises, as a path to promoting personal freedom in one of the few remaining communist nations. They also marked another major step away from the foreign policy priorities of the Bush administration.But the moves fell far short of the more drastic policy adjustments that some — including Republican Sen. Richard Lugar — have argued are required to promote U.S. interests in Latin America and to bring about change in Cuba. For most Americans, Cuba remains the only country in the world their government prohibits them from visiting — a barrier to potential travelers as well as to the Cuban tourist industry that would like to see them.Cubans welcomed the changes but said more should be done."It's help that the people really need," Fermina Gonzalez, a 46-year-old housewife in the leafy Havana neighborhood of Vedado, said of the ending of limits on money sent by Cuban-Americans. "Right now, we have to work lots of jobs just to make ends meet."But few Cubans expect Obama to end the trade embargo or allow American tourists to visit the island without limits."He should do more and lift travel restrictions for all Americans," said Alberto Sal, a 68-year-old retiree. "Until he does that, I don't think he's doing much."Lifting or substantially easing the economic embargo, as set forth in the Cuban Assets Control Regulations and administered by the Treasury Department, would require legislative action by Congress. The White House made no mention of any intention to seek such changes; Obama said as a presidential candidate that the embargo was a form of leverage to press for democratic reforms in Cuba.Julia Sweig, director of Latin studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, described Obama's changes as "teensy, weensy" and said they appear to be driven more by domestic political calculations that by foreign policy considerations."This is a cautious first step by a president whose political advisers are looking at the Florida electoral vote," she said in a telephone interview, "and who are not looking at this as a matter of foreign policy. That's the big problem with Cuba policy. We have a policy toward Miami and not toward Havana."Sweig added, however, that Obama's decision to authorize more telecommunications links with Cuba was a "potentially significant opening," particularly if the Cuban government follows through and allows those connections.Jose Miguel Vivanco of Human Rights Watch welcomed the Cuba announcement but said more should be done."If President Obama is serious about promoting change in Cuba, this executive order must be part of a larger shift away from the U.S.'s unilateral approach toward the Cuban government," Vivanco said. CONTINUE READING...

Strengthening dollar good for travelers

Who would have thought it? While Wall Street plunges, the U.S. dollar surges. And that wholly unexpected rise in the value of the dollar is the biggest news in travel. It has more of an impact on your vacation choices than any other single factor.The extent of the rise is startling. While most of us are aware that the dollar has risen against the euro and the British pound by 20 to 30 percent, the dollar is up against other currencies by 40 to 50 percent. And it is in countries whose currencies have fallen by startling percentages that a vacation trip has become most affordable for U.S. travelers.Mexico leads the list. A year or so ago, you received 10 pesos for one U.S. dollar. Today, you receive more than 15 pesos for a dollar. Drug-related violence in Mexico is mostly confined to cities along the U.S. border, leaving the tourist areas (Cancun, the Mayan Riviera, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas) largely untroubled, so Mexico should receive an increasing number of U.S. vacationers.Turkey has become affordable again. A year ago, $1 bought 1.18 Turkish lira. Today: 1.74 Turkish lira, an increase in the purchasing power of the dollar of 47 percent.Australia's dollar is exchanged at a rate of 1.53 Australian dollars for one U.S. dollar. A year ago, you received only 1.06 Australian dollars. The improvement is better than 45 percent. And with a new airline - Richard Branson's V Australia - doing battle with Australia's flag carrier, Qantas, airfares to Australia are under such downward pressure that a vacation Down Under is something you really should consider.New Zealand is doing even worse. A year ago, you received 1.24 New Zealand dollars for one U.S. dollar; today you receive 1.95, 57 percent more - a great reason for traveling to "Lord of the Rings" territory.The Brazilian real has fallen by about 45 percent against the dollar. A year ago, you received 1.67 Brazilian reals for $1; today you receive 2.33.The Russian ruble and the Polish zloty have fallen by 40 to 50 percent against the dollar. The currencies of several other eastern and central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania) have fallen by just as much.The South Korean won has fallen by more than 50 percent against the dollar. So has the Swedish krona.These currency shifts, and others like them, may give you some vacation ideas. If you have savings left in these troubled economic times, you may discover that 2009 has become an excellent time to engage in international travel. SOURCE:SFGATE.COM

Canceling airline ticket usually results in fee

Most big U.S. airlines tell you even their "nonrefundable" tickets are "reusable," meaning that if you cancel your flight, you won't get your money back but you can use the value of your ticket toward a future ticket, less an exchange fee. Of course, you have to cancel before the departure date. But that promise has become a bit iffy lately. Some of those airlines charge what amount to punitive exchange fees - high enough to call into question the airlines' basic honesty in advertising reusable fares.Currently, if you cancel a nonrefundable ticket, only Southwest allows you to apply the full value of the ticket toward a future trip, with no fee at all. According to the most recent information I have, for domestic travel, you pay $75 on AirTran, Alaska or Virgin America; $80 on Spirit; $100 on JetBlue, Delta, Northwest, Frontier or Midwest; and $150 on American, Continental, Hawaiian ($30 for inter-island), United or US Airways. Don't be surprised to see further hikes in those fees as the airlines keep squeezing more and more extras out of their customers.International exchanges are even more complicated. Depending on airline and destination, exchange fees can be as high as $250. Moreover, some airliners allow exchanges, even with a fee, on only the return portion of a round-trip ticket. And many low-price international tickets are totally nonrefundable. Also, some tickets have always been totally nonrefundable and nonreusable, among them many consolidator discount tickets and tickets you buy through Hotwire or Priceline.Ticket exchange has a spotty history. When nonrefundable tickets were first introduced, they were totally nonrefundable under ordinary circumstances but refundable in the case of an emergency. However, the airlines rapidly found that savvy travelers could easily obtain or forge doctors' notes or other emergency documentation, and ruling on individual cases got to be a major headache. Partly in response to this problem, the airlines decided to keep the cheap tickets nonrefundable (no money back) but make them reusable, with a fee. Initially, most charged only $25 and, at that level, the system was fair and practical. But as the airlines became increasingly greedy, most hiked fees to their current onerous levels.As a partial offset to the fee increases, some still allow no-fee cancellation in the very limited case of death of the traveler, a travel companion, or a close family member, with a death certificate required. For now, Southwest is the obvious consumer-friendly champ. Not only does it still allow you to retain the full value of your ticket if you have to cancel, but - for travelers age 65 and up - it also sells fully refundable senior fares that are usually higher than the cheapest options but less than refundable tickets for travelers of any age.Clearly, you're at some financial risk any time you buy any nonrefundable ticket (except on Southwest). If you have to cancel a trip, at best, you're on the hook for a fee that can easily represent more than half the price of the ticket. And at worst, you could be out the entire ticket price. For that reason, you should seriously consider trip-cancellation insurance any time you have a lot of money up front:-- Regular travel insurance, bought separately, usually starts at around 5 percent of your total payments, but the price increases for older travelers - sharply for travelers over 70. That premium typically pays for a bundled policy including cancellation, medical, baggage and other coverages. SOURCE:SFGATE.COM

AAA offers presidential inauguration package

There’s no doubt that tickets will be hard to come by in January when Barack Obama is sworn in as our country's 44th president.AAA has seized the opportunity and they're offering a special presidential inauguration package. For $879 you can attend the actual inauguration ceremony and parade, visit Arlington National Cemetery and tour all the D.C. monuments and museums.All your hotel accommodations and even some meals are included as well. AAA's Presidential Inauguration Tour departs on Sunday, January 18th and returns in the evening on Wednesday, January 21st.  Highlights of the trip include the Presidential Inauguration and parade, admission to the new "Newseum," a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, a Washington D.C. City highlights tours, including the Washington Mall, and an illuminated monuments tour with stops.The tour also features a AAA professional tour host, deluxe motorcoach transportation, three nights hotel accommodations, some meals, taxes and gratuities at a rate of $879.00 per person based on double occupancy. Single and triple rates are also available upon request. For more information click here or call 888-320-3163.

Government to Take Over Airline Passenger Vetting

The Department of Homeland Security will take over responsibility for checking airline passenger names against government watch lists beginning in January, and will require travelers for the first time to provide their full name, birth date and gender as a condition for boarding commercial flights, U.S. officials said Wednesday.Security officials say the additional personal information -- which will be given to airlines to forward to the federal agency in charge -- will dramatically cut down on cases of mistaken identity, in which people with names similar to those on watch lists are wrongly barred or delayed from flights.The changes, to be phased in next year, will apply to 2 million daily passengers aboard all domestic flights and international flights to, from or over the United States. By transferring the screening duty from the airlines to the federal government, the Secure Flight program marks the Bush administration's long-delayed fulfillment of a top aviation security priority after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) chief Kip Hawley said yesterday that, except in rare situations, passengers who do not provide the additional information will not be given boarding passes."If you don't provide the data, then you are going to put yourself in a position where you are probably going to be a selectee," subject at a minimum to greater future security scrutiny, Chertoff said in remarks announcing the program at Reagan National Airport."We know that threats to our aviation system persist," he said. Secure Flight "will increase security and efficiency, it'll protect passengers' privacy, and it will reduce the number of false-positive misidentifications."SOURCE:WASHINGTONPOST.COM

How to avoid the hazards of booking travel online

(Travel + Leisure) -- A couple of years ago, online travel-booking sites such as Expedia and Travelocity began issuing service-related manifestos -- the idea being that you could contact them with problems before or during your trip, much like you would a travel agent. But read further, and you'll discover that these are promises to provide good customer service, and aren't built to protect you from the fees and penalties you may incur due to last-minute cancellations. In fact, I've heard more complaints than ever lately, probably because we generally associate words like promise and guarantee with money back. Case in point: Roberta Sherman, a Travel + Leisure reader from San Francisco, recently booked a hotel stay in Cancún for $430 through Travelocity. When she missed her connecting flight from Dallas due to bad weather, she immediately called Travelocity to let them know she wouldn't make it to the hotel that night. Travelocity, in turn, told her to call the hotel, but despite the circumstances, she was charged the full amount. Could she have done anything to avoid this? Prepaid rates might be cheaper, but they come with tight restrictions Sherman had booked a room marked with a Travelocity "GoodBuy" tag. She prepaid the reduced rate, which had a 48-hour cancellation window. Expedia "Special Rate" hotels work similarly, in that you pay at the time of booking. But if you cancel or change your reservation with less than 72 hours' notice, you'll have to fork over a fee that's generally equal to the first night's room charge plus tax. According to a Travelocity representative, the guarantee to "make things right" kicked in the moment Sherman called from the airport. But since the agent reminded her of the penalty at the time of purchase and she agreed to it, they didn't feel obliged to negotiate a refund (after much persistence, however, she was reimbursed -- two months later). Lessons learned: Prepay only when the rate is a significant savings, and read regulations closely. Cancellation policies differ, especially with multi-component bookings Another T+L reader, Marcy Soltis of New York City, booked a Las Vegas air-and-hotel package through Orbitz in January 2007. When her midmorning flight was canceled, she called the site for help. After waiting on hold for 2 1/2 hours, an agent finally told her that Orbitz could refund the hotel charges, but that she'd have to deal directly with Delta concerning her flight. SOURCE: CNN.COM

The Best Seat in the Plane

Remember when first-class seats meant the best on the plane? That’s not always the case anymore. In the last decade, some airlines began eliminating first class, while keeping the amenities that make their highest-paying passengers feel like the most important people on board. They just call it by a different name. Delta Air Lines, for example, calls its prime seats BusinessElite class on international flights. Continental Airlines calls them BusinessFirst. The airlines themselves were in part responsible for the declining number of first-class seats. Once they improved business class — with bigger seats that open into fully flat beds, menus by celebrity chefs, individual entertainment systems and airport lounges where first- and business-class travelers rubbed elbows — “it became more difficult for travelers to justify the additional exorbitant price of first class,” said Peter P. Belobaba, manager of the M.I.T. Global Airline Industry Program. The recent rise of all-business-class airlines has just added to the pressure on first class.On a trans-Atlantic flight from New York to London or Frankfurt, a typical round-trip business fare would be about $5,500. A so-called true first-class seat would run about $8,500 and up.“With corporate business travelers demanding the most comfortable ride possible but not willing to pay the price, the demand for first class shrunk,” Joanne Smith, a senior vice president for Delta, said. “So it made no financial sense for us to continue it.” By stepping down to business class from first class, travelers lose the additional space separating seats, a higher ratio of flight attendants to passengers and that intangible amenity, prestige.This is not to say that first class is disappearing. A few airlines showcase a new first class that humbles traditional first, in which passengers find privacy in enclosed suites or pods, with ottomans, tables, double beds and designer amenities to satisfy the most affluent traveler. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Southwest Grounds 43 Planes for Checks

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines Co. grounded 43 planes to examine if they were structurally sound enough to carry passengers after it recently acknowledged it had missed required inspections of some planes for cracks. Southwest shares fell more than 9 percent before closing down 7.3 percent. The move announced Wednesday affects about 8 percent of its fleet and comes as Southwest faces a $10.2 million civil penalty for continuing to fly almost 50 planes after the airline told regulators that it had missed required inspections of the planes.The Federal Aviation Administration, which announced the penalty last week, has also come under fire for failing to ground the Southwest jets last year, when agency inspectors learned they had not been inspected for cracks in the fuselage.Southwest initially said it grounded 41 planes, but spokeswoman Linda Rutherford later said 38 planes were taken off the schedule for additional inspection along with five others that were already in hangars undergoing routine maintenance. Rutherford said the airline pulled the planes out of service after getting clarification from manufacturer Boeing Co. on Tuesday night about the type of inspection — visual or magnetic, or a combination of both — needed for areas around the windows on some older Boeing 737-300 and 737-500 jets. By midday Wednesday, six planes had undergone the 90-minute inspection and were returned to service, Rutherford said. She said the remaining planes were expected to be back flying by Wednesday night. A 44th plane covered by the Boeing instructions had already been retired, she said.Southwest had cancelled 118 flights by midday Wednesday, or about 9 percent of its scheduled flights, according to Flightstats.com, which tracks airline operations. Rutherford said some of the cancelations were due to bad weather in Houston.The company said it had 520 Boeing 737 jets at the end of last year. Nearly 200 of them are older models, the Boeing 737-300, that were supposed to undergo extra inspections for cracks in the fuselage. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Choosing the right currency for your trip

CNN) -- Confused about whether you should book your hotel room with a credit or debit card? Or how much cash to exchange when you arrive overseas? While there are no steadfast rules about what types of currency to bring on your trip, travel and money experts do have recommendations on your best bets and what to avoid as you hit the road. Check out what experts have to say about the four commonly used forms of payment. CREDIT CARDS Pros  Security: Whether you lose your card or it gets stolen, your credit card company has your back, says Ben Woolsey, director of marketing and research at CreditCards.com. The company will ship a new card to you if it's lost or stolen, and they won't make you pay you for fraudulent charges, he explains. Wide acceptance: Cards have "almost universal acceptance across the globe" among restaurants, airlines, hotels and merchants, Woolsey says. They're also almost always required if you want to reserve a rental car or hotel room, Woolsey says, to cover things like incidentals or trashing the room or the car. Good exchange rates: Credit card companies have negotiating power with the banks in foreign countries to convert money at more favorable rates than an individual could, Woolsey says. Cons Foreign transaction fees: Most cards will carry fees up to 3 percent, Woolsey says. Some cards, including Capital One cards, don't charge these fees, but Woolsey warns that these cards tend to have lower credit lines. Limited use in less-traveled destinations: "If you're going to a Third World country, you most likely can't rely on credit cards and you shouldn't," Brice Gosnell, Lonely Planet's regional publisher for the Americas says. Case in point: on a recent monthlong trip to Ethiopia, Gosnell says he was restricted to using cash because "no one" uses credit cards. Before you go Find out where your card is accepted: Of the four major issuers, Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted cards worldwide, followed by American Express, then Discover, Woolsey says.Call your credit card companies: "It's always a good idea to take the five minutes to call your credit card company and say, 'FYI, I'm going to be out of the country for the next two weeks.' It's in their computer. That way they ... don't think your card is stolen." SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Glacier getaways just a plane, boat or walk away

SEWARD, Alaska (AP) -- There are thousands of glaciers in Alaska, and seeing some up close will surely be a highlight of any trip you might be planning to the 49th state this summer. You can see glaciers from the deck of a ship, paddling in a canoe, by floatplane or helicopter, or by driving and hiking to a park.Here are some options: FROM YOUR CRUISE SHIP Most Alaska cruises include a day at sea sailing past glaciers. Some itineraries take you past the Hubbard Glacier, others take you through Glacier Bay. Photo opportunities abound. This is a regular part of your cruise, so you don't pay extra and you don't have to sign up for anything.You'll likely see the glaciers calving -- where sections of them crack and float away or crumble into the sea. Calving is a normal process for glaciers, but it has been accelerated by climate change."Anytime you have a glacier exiting into a lake or body of water, there is the prospect that it will calve," said Roman Motyka, an associate professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. "But as the climate has warmed, glaciers have melted and become thinner and more susceptible to calving."Motyka said that about 90 percent of Alaska's glaciers are retreating. Among those most often seen by summer tourists in Alaska, Mendenhall and Exit Glacier are retreating; Hubbard and Taku are advancing. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Visit the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic has always been a place that I’ve wanted to visit. Back when I was in high school, my best friend was from the Dominica Republic. So I’ve always has a fascination with Dominican people, their food, and their culture. Living in New York you are always crossing paths with the beautiful people from the Dominican Republic. Washington Heights has a large concentration of Dominican’s and you get just a taste of what the culture is like. But has the summer winds down there still is time to take a trip to the Dominican Republic. As I have heard from many Dominican’s I’ve encountered that the weather there in always beautiful and so are the beaches. The DR is a great place to visit to just relax and take in some sun. The have 800 miles of shoreline and amazing white sand. They also have tons of gambling/gaming slots where you can take your chance and see if the beautiful surrounding bring you any luck. So if your looking for your last minute summer vacation then the Dominican Republic is the perfect location.

Study Finds Cocaine, Pot in Rome's Air

Researchers may have figured out what makes la vita so dolce in Rome. A report from Italy's National Research Council released Thursday found that there are traces of cocaine and cannabis in the air of the Eternal City. The institute made the discovery during a study of toxic substances in the air of Rome, Taranto, in the heel of boot-shaped Italy, as well as in Algiers. The results found that in Rome, there were traces of cocaine and cannabis as well as nicotine, caffeine and benzopirene, which is commonly released in cigarette smoke and auto emissions. "The highest concentrations of cocaine were found in the center of Rome and especially in the area of the University of La Sapienza," said Dr. Angelo Cecinato, who led the investigation. Researchers can't say for sure why the high concentrations were registered in those locations, but Cecinato stressed that the findings didn't necessarily mean that cocaine and cannabis are more heavily used there. The report said the maximum concentration of cocaine in Rome 0.1 nanograms per cubic meter was five times less than the legal limit for toxic substances in the air. Nevertheless, researchers said even the small amount was reason for concern. There were small traces of the drugs found in Taranto and none in Algiers, the researchers said. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

lane Travelers Face New Passport Rules

By LAURA MARQUEZ

Jan. 21, 2007 —

If a sunny beach in Mexico or the Caribbean or a trip to the ski resorts of Canada is in your future plans, you will now need a passport if you're traveling by air. It used to be all you needed to jet off to those destinations was a driver's license but that all changes beginning Tuesday. Already, vacation destinations worry they're going to lose American tourist dollars. "They're concerned," says Washington Post travel editor K.C. Summers, "and rightfully so." MORE ON THIS STORY

Virus Sickens Over 380 on Cruise Ship

MIAMI - More than 380 passengers and crew aboard the world's largest cruise ship were sickened by a virus during a seven-day Caribbean cruise, cruise officials said Sunday. Norovirus sickened 338 passengers and 46 crew members about the Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, and they were treated with over-the-counter medication, the Miami-based company said. The ship, which had roughly 3,800 passengers and 1,300 crew members, returned Sunday as scheduled to the Port of Miami. Crew members sanitized frequently touched surfaces such as railings, door handles and elevator buttons after the short-lived outbreak began, officials said. A guest previously exposed to norovirus likely brought it on board Nov. 26, the company said. Noroviruses, characterized by stomach flu-like symptoms, affect about 23 million Americans annually, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. An outbreak struck more than 700 passengers and crew members aboard a trans-Atlantic cruise last month on the Carnival Cruise Lines' Liberty. The Freedom of the Seas, which was christened in May, can carry more than 4,000 people aboard its 15 passenger decks.

Jetliner With 104 on Board Crashes in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria (CNN) -- A Nigerian airliner carrying 104 people crashed Sunday near the Abuja airport shortly after takeoff and burst into flames, airport and government officials told CNN. A hospital official told Nigerian television channel NTA that his facility is treating seven survivors. The Boeing 737, operated by Nigerian airline ADC, was still on fire at the edge of the runway hours after it crashed around noon (6 a.m. ET). Debris from the shattered plane, body parts and personal belongings of passengers were strewn over an area the size of a soccer field where the plane went down in a wooded area, according to The Associated Press. Rescue workers pulled burned corpses from the smoldering fuselage, and about 50 bodies were gathered in a corner of the site, while the tail of the plane hung from a tree, The AP reported. (Watch the scene at hospital near crash site -- 55) The aircraft was heading to the northern Nigerian state of Sokoto and may have been carrying the Muslim state's highest ranking official, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammadu Maccido, according to a senior source with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo's office.

Relaxed Carryon Restrictions

U.S. to relax air travel restrictions

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer

The government is partially lifting its ban against carrying liquids and gels onto airliners, instituted after a plot to bomb jets flying into the United States was foiled, officials said Monday. "We now know enough to say that a total ban is no longer needed from a security point of view," said Kip Hawley, head of the Transportation Security Administration, at a news conference at Reagan National Airport. He said that most liquids and gels that air travelers purchase in secure areas of airports will now be allowed on planes. He called the new procedures a "common sense" approach that would maintain a high level of security at airports but ease conditions for passengers. That means that after passengers go through airport security checkpoints, they can purchase liquids at airport stores and take them onto their planes. The new procedures go into effect on Tuesday.The new security regimen is for an indefinite period and will take effect Tuesday morning, officials said. Tougher airport screening procedures were put in place in August after British police broke up a terrorist plot to assemble and detonate bombs using liquid explosives on airliners crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Britain to the U.S. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_4393502