TravelLeisureNews

Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For more than a decade, Microsoft Corp. has been committed to providing intuitive and easy-to-use mapping solutions that help consumers plan ahead and drive with confidence once on the road. Microsoft has taken its commitment to the next level with the launch today of Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 Standard and Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 with GPS Locator, which combines the No. 1 best-selling(1) travel and mapping software for the U.S. with a Pharos Science & Applications Inc. Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that plugs into the Universal Serial Bus port on a PC. The updated versions deliver the trip-planning and driving tools that consumers have come to love and expect, along with several new and enhanced features that will help consumers save even more time and money while on the road.

As fuel prices skyrocket, more and more travelers cancel or look for affordable alternatives to scheduled family vacations. Many opt for "staycations" -- or take time off work to enjoy the sights and places close to home that they may have overlooked or never made the time to go see. Read more

September 8, 2008 -- Gourmet cooking classes in Italy…Wine tasting in Napa Valley…Skiing in Aspen…These are just some of Americans’ favorite things to do in perennial favorite destinations. Indeed, when most travelers think of places to indulge in their favorite pastime, the tried and true automatically come to mind. However, there are many new unexpected places to enjoy old favorites that are gaining momentum— from surfing in Madagascar to camel racing in the United Arab Emirates to attending one of the world’s hippest musical festivals in Iceland.

In a recent survey by American Express Travel exploring the role that personal interests play in vacation planning, 87% of respondents indicated that personal interests drove the majority of their vacation plans and 57% said they were willing to travel any distance to explore their personal interests. Below are some of the most popular pastimes reported and surprising, exciting, and cutting-edge places to explore them provided by American Express Travel specialists. Read more

September 2, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines wants you to keep your cash ... and hand over your plastic! No, Southwest is not adding new service fees, but beginning Sept. 9, all Southwest Airlines aircraft will be equipped with handheld credit card devices that will enable Flight Attendants to take drink orders in a flash, and accept credit and debit cards for payment of cocktails, beer, wine, and Lo-Carb Monster energy drinks. The airline will no longer accept cash onboard.

"For years, Customers have been asking Southwest to accept credit cards onboard for payment, and now we can give our Customers one more feature they want," said Scott Halfmann, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Provisioning. "No more remembering to hit the cash machine before boarding your flight!" Read more

August 27, 2008/PRNewswire/ -- Whether it is an airline ticket, car trip or bus fare, the high price of gas continues to stretch travel budgets to their limits. In order to help travelers find outstanding destinations in their own backyard, and cut down on the associated fuel costs, TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel community, today announced the release of its Gas Tank Getaways tool (www.tripadvisor.com/tankofgas). This tool provides travelers with vacation destination options that are a tank of gas or less away from home.

TripAdvisor's Gas Tank Getaways tool allows travelers to insert their starting point and choose how far they want to travel by picking how much gas they want to use. Analyzing this information, TripAdvisor provides up to five destination suggestions within the chosen fuel range, showing the places that are the most highly rated by TripAdvisor travelers. Each destination listed displays its distance from the traveler's starting point, and how much it costs (in gas) to get to that particular place, based on current U.S. fuel prices. Clicking on one of these destinations, a TripAdvisor Quick Guide can also be dynamically generated, providing information about top-rated area attractions, restaurants and hotels. Read more

August 27, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At a Virtual Travel Show sponsored by AAA Travel last night, Royal Caribbean International unveiled two more neighborhoods for the highly anticipated Oasis of the Seas, the world's largest and most revolutionary cruise ship when she launches in November 2009. The Pool and Sports Zone and the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center were announced at the consumer Internet event, revealing additional examples of innovation and amenities for which Royal Caribbean has been renowned throughout the cruise line's history. This latest announcement precedes the opening of Oasis of the Seas' general bookings on September 3, 2008.

"Royal Caribbean is thrilled that AAA Travel is providing us a forum to make another momentous announcement for Oasis of the Seas," said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. "This latest unveiling of two more neighborhoods to be found on Oasis of the Seas continues to prove our legacy of revolutionary cruise ship design. We have developed the Pool and Sports Zone and the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center to give our guests even more choices on a unique and memorable Royal Caribbean cruise." Read more

August 26, 2008 – Balanzza, makers of the first digital luggage scale for travelers, announces the release of its new model, the Ergo. This improved model comes equipped with a more visible LCD display and ergonomic handle, which makes it easier than ever to weigh your luggage before arriving at the airport. Balanzza helps travelers avoid unexpected overweight charges at the airline ticket counter, as well as the inconvenience and embarrassment of having to redistribute belongings on the airport floor.

The Ergo comes at a time where airlines have begun charging for the first piece of checked luggage and overweight fees are rapidly increasing. Overweight fees are added to the checked luggage fees, which means one piece of overweight luggage can cost travelers an upwards of $65 to $100 depending on the airline. The need for travelers to pack smart and weigh their luggage has never been more evident. Read more

August 19, 2008 – With the Atlantic hurricane season under way, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. continues to relieve travelers’ concerns and worries with its “Starwood Caribbean Travel Interruption Policy.” The policy protects groups and individual travelers in the event of a hurricane and provides peace of mind for those vacationing at Starwood resorts throughout the Caribbean.

The Travel Interruption Policy goes in to effect when an area where a Starwood Caribbean resort is located is placed under a Hurricane Watch or Hurricane Warning. Guests holding confirmed and non-refundable deposited reservations who cannot travel to a Starwood Caribbean resort due to a hurricane closure of the resort or airport will receive the option of a full refund or a one-room category upgrade on their next stay if they visit within a year. Read more

August 13, 2008 -- This holiday, those looking to give the gift of a lifetime need look no further than the Flexjet 25 Expert Guide Edition jet card. Each limited edition card from Bombardier Flexjet-the fractional jet ownership program of Bombardier Aerospace, and Jet Solutions LLC, the air carrier operating the Flexjet 25 program under FAA Part 135-pairs the ultimate experience in private jet travel with an unparalleled opportunity for recipients to explore their passions through exclusive access to world-renowned experts for private, one-on-one experiences. From an inside look into the art world with Barbara Guggenheim, to learning Texas Hold 'Em from World Poker Tour bracelet winner Antonio Esfandiari, it's a gift that is sure to soar above the rest.

Starting at $107,900 gift givers who purchase a Flexjet 25 Expert Guide Edition jet card from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, 2008 can combine an exceptional travel experience on the Flexjet 25 fleet of Bombardier high-performance jets with an opportunity for new customers to choose one of six Expert Guide packages. The premier experiences are provided through the Flexjet 25 jet card's partnership with Mint an exclusive lifestyle management service representing a private network of prominent individuals and families worldwide. Read more

Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- While the legendary Fontainebleau Miami Beach is "the" resort where James Bond and Goldfinger sat poolside for a heated game of gin rummy, where Frank and The Rat Pack played and where Elvis was really "in the building," it's much cooler that come October this iconic playground to the stars will be back and more alluring than ever. The much anticipated reopening of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach starts on Oct. 18 and guests can take advantage of a special "soft opening" introductory rate beginning at $239 per night. The official grand opening of the 22-acre resort will take place on Nov. 14 with the sizzling and much anticipated Victoria's Secret Fashion Show -- broadcast on CBS Television and via the Internet.

Famed for architect Morris Lapidus' emblematic curvilinear facade and whimsical interior elements (like the Staircase to Nowhere), virtually every aspect of the resort will woo today's guests. Fronting the Atlantic Ocean, the new 1504-room resort's most distinguishing features will include two new towers; 11 restaurants and lounges, most notably Gotham Steak, Scarpetta and Hakkasan; three dynamic nightlife venues; a 40,000-square-foot spa with mineral-rich water therapies and co-ed swimming pools; and a dramatic oceanfront pool-scape featuring "walls of water" intermingled with a free-form, Lapidus-influenced pool and a sexy enclave surrounded by cabanas and sun loungers. Read more

August 13, 2008– SOLO, a leader in lifestyle-focused collections of laptop and business cases, is developing an innovative new assortment of checkpoint friendly laptop cases called CheckFast. CheckFast bags will allow airline passengers to quickly travel through airport security without removing laptops from their cases. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has recently given manufacturers guidelines to manufacture and market checkpoint friendly bags. The new CheckFast cases from SOLO have been independently tested at test centers by SOLO. In addition Travel Sentry, a longtime partner with SOLO, has approved the new cases as meeting all current checkpoint security guidelines.

Travel Sentry has released its standards for laptop-friendly bags. SOLO is the first laptop case company to have fulfilled the design and testing requirements to be Travel Sentry Approved. Travel Sentry creates and manages standards which improve travel security in cooperation with government security agencies, airlines, airports and the travel goods industry.

By the Fall, SOLO plans to provide consumers with several CheckFast options within its various collections to meet the needs of the marketplace: Read more