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Friday, August 24, 2012
Events We're Watching

India - Air India to Resume International Operations
Air India is planning to resume all international flights by early September. The airline was forced to halt travel on international routes in June after approximately 400 pilots staged a 58-day strike starting May 7. Exact dates on the route resumption have not yet been finalized, but reports indicate that most flights will recommence by Sept. 5.

Australia - Major Rail Disruptions in Perth
Rail commuters will face major disruptions from 1030 Aug. 17 through Aug. 19 due to the closure of Perth Station. The closure will affect the following lines:
  • Fremantle Line: Trains will end at West Leederville Station
  • Midland and Armadale lines: Trains will end at Claisebrook Station
  • Thornlie Line: Completely closed; buses will provide transport from Cannington Station
Transperth will operate buses on a loop from Claisebrook to West Leederville via Perth Station, but warned that extreme delays and crowding are likely and urged commuters to arrange alternate transport.

China and Vietnam - Typhoon Kai-Tak's Path Shifts South
Typhoon Kai-Tak made landfall on the Leizhou Peninsula in the southwestern part of China's Guangdong Province at about midday Aug. 17. The system is weakening, although it will probably remain a tropical storm as it crosses the Gulf of Tonkin and makes a second landfall in Quang Ninh or Hai Phong provinces in northern Vietnam late Aug. 17 or early Aug. 18. Winds and heavy rain from Kai-Tak will likely cause flash flooding, landslides, and significant transport, power, and telecommunications disruptions, especially in southwestern Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan provinces in China and northern Vietnam. Continued flight delays, diversions, and cancellations are possible at Haikou Meilan and Sanya Phoenix airports until the storm reaches Vietnam. Disruptions are likely at Hanoi's No Bai International Airport and Cat Bi International Airport in Hai Phong as Kai-Tak moves ashore.
Q and A

How do cell phone waiting areas at the airport work?

Cell Phone Waiting Lots have become very popular in recent years and are now offered by virtually all major U.S. airports. These handy lots allow a place for drivers to wait in their vehicles, free of charge, while passengers deplane and claim their luggage. The travelers simply call the driver's cell phone when they are ready to be picked up and the driver meets them at the curb. Most of these lots have a 30-minute maximum wait time and nearly all require that the driver remain with the vehicle.

Submit a question

  • In 1900 the standard first class hotel offered steam heat, gas burners, electric call bells, baths, shared closets on every floor, billiard rooms, barber shops, liveries, and sample rooms for traveling salesmen who needed a place to show their wares
  • Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts was created by Pan American Airlines in 1946 at the behest of President Franklin Roosevelt who wanted to develop trade with South America
  • A study made by the British Hotel Association found that women were more likely than men to steal items from hotel rooms
  • Built in 718 A.D., the Houshi Ryokan in Awazu, Japan, is thought to be the oldest continuously operation hotel and the current owners are the 46th generation of the same family to own and operate the property
  • The Quaker Square Inn at the University of Akron in Ohio, was created from 36 19th-century Quaker Oats Company silos that today house round guest rooms
  • In 1942-43 at the Atlantic Hotel in Hamburg the following sentence could be found on the menu: 'The possibility of an air raid compels us to ask our honoured guests for immediate payment.'

United Makes Global Entry Compensation Available

Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved travelers upon arrival in the United States. As a benefit of the 2012 MileagePlus program, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K and Global Services members may be compensated for the $100 USD fee associated with a new application for Global Entry. Eligible new applicants to Global Entry may receive compensation in one of two ways:

  1. Eligible members who do not have Global Entry should visit united.com/globalentrycompensation to verify eligibility, obtain the personalized code, and receive instructions on how to apply for Global Entry.
  2. Eligible members who applied between January 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 are eligible for a $100 USD TravelBank credit, which can be used toward travel purchased through united.com. These members will need to email United directly at globalentrycredit@united.com and provide their eight-character account number, name as it appears on the account, and confirmation of Global Entry application submission payment summary screenshot, approval letter, etc.).
MileagePlus will communicate similar information directly to eligible members in the coming weeks.