Gilt Groupe and Gogo® Team Up to Offer Airline Passengers Exclusive In-Air Deals

NEW YORK and CHICAGO, June 30, 2011 — /PRNewswire/ — Gilt Groupe, Inc., an innovative online shopping destination, and Gogo®, the world’s leading provider of in-flight connectivity, today announced a partnership that offers passengers exclusive in-air sales for both men and women on all Gogo-equipped Delta, United, Virgin America, Alaska Airlines and US Airways aircraft.  Passengers who log onto Gilt.com through Gogo will also have free access to the site and all it has to offer, including children’s apparel and accessories, home decor, Jetsetter, Gilt City, and Gilt Taste.  The program kicks off tomorrow, July 1st.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110630/NY28903LOGO )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080625/NYW098LOGO )

Accessing Gilt.com in air is easy.  All you need is a web enabled laptop or smartphone.  Passengers who log onto the Internet with any web enabled device, will automatically be directed to Gogo’s Web site.  From there they can simply connect to Gilt.com through the Gogo homepage where they’ll have real-time access to exclusive in-air deals and Gilt’s daily selection of products, including fashion for women, men, and children; home decor; gourmet finds; and travel experiences on every continent; and unique activities in a select list of cities and destinations.

“We are very excited to be partnering with Gogo to allow airline passengers the ability to access Gilt.com and exclusive in-air or in-flight sales designed for passengers,” said Kevin Ryan, founder and CEO, Gilt Groupe. “What better way to spend flying time than to explore Gilt and see what inspires you.”

“One of our primary goals is to make Gogo everyone’s favorite part of flying- whether that’s providing shopping, entertainment, news, games or simply keeping people connected to their lives on the ground,” said Ash ElDifrawi, chief marketing officer at Gogo.  “Partnering with Gilt Groupe – a true leader in e-commerce and a leading online shopping site–to offer exclusive in-air deals helps us take a giant leap towards achieving that goal.  We are very excited to be able to partner with Gilt to offer free access to one of passengers’ favorite online shopping destinations – Gilt.com – while they’re in the air.”

About Gilt Groupe, Inc.

Gilt Groupe, www.gilt.com, is an innovative online shopping destination offering its members special access to the most inspiring merchandise and experiences every day, many at insider prices. Gilt continually searches the world for the most coveted brands, including fashion for women, men, and children, home decor, hotels and travel experiences on every continent, and unique activities in a growing list of cities and destinations. We believe that every day is an opportunity to inspire and be inspired.

About Gogo

Gogo is fast becoming everyone’s favorite part of flying. By allowing travelers to get online, in air, Gogo keeps them connected to life. Using Gogo’s exclusive network and services, passengers with laptops and other Wi-Fi enabled devices can get online on all domestic AirTran Airways, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin America flights and on select Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Frontier, United Airlines, and US Airways flights – as well as on thousands of business aircraft – bringing the total to more than 6,000 Gogo equipped aircraft to date.

Back on the ground, Gogo’s 350+ employees in Itasca, IL and Broomfield, CO are working to continually redefine flying as a productive, socially connected, and all-around more satisfying experience. Connect with us at www.gogoair.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gogo and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gogo.

SOURCE Gilt Groupe, Inc.

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/30/3738877/gilt-groupe-and-gogo-team-up-to.html

Malaysia Airlines defends its first-class baby ban — and many of you agree

Tengku Azmil has been engaging in a lot of baby talk lately. And so have more than 600 readers of this blog, but more on that later. 

The Malaysia Airlines chief executive, whom you can find on Twitter as @tengkuazmil, has been bombarded with questions in the Twitter-sphere this week about the pros and cons of the airline’s policy of banning infants from first-class cabins.

• Related

• 

  Baby on board? Not in Malaysia Airlines’ first-class section, CEO tweets

“We already hand out noise canx headphones in 1st class. They don’t work so well for babies crying,” he tweeted in response to an inquiry. To another: “It’s only 1st class tho.”

To be clear: The airline won’t let infants travel first class, whether on passengers’ laps or in seats of their own. Infants are, however, allowed in the business and economy classes. It’s been that way for several years, I learned from one of Azmil’s tweets, so he’s been doing a lot of explaining over the years.

When I wrote about the airline’s baby ban this week, I asked readers to weigh in. In the highly unscientific online poll, Azmil appears to have fans: 289 said yes, airlines should ban babies in first-class cabins; 122 said no; and 204 said “ban them in all classes.” Ouch. 

Malaysia Airlines defended its stance in this online statement Wednesday from the director of operations, who explained why the policy came about. It  has to do with eliminating bassinets in favor of ottomans for first-class travelers, though Azmil’s tweets suggest that it’s more about crying babies.

The issue became a hot topic after an Australian Business Traveller article Tuesday confirmed with Azmil (yes, via tweets) that the first-class infant ban, which applies to the airline’s current 747s, would carry over to its Airbus A380s when they come into service next year.

Article source: http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-malaysia-airline-infants-20110630,0,2731939.story

RoomSaver.com’s LastCall Creates Winning Solution for Travelers and Hotels

ORLANDO, Fla.–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–RoomSaver.com, a brand of Travel Media Group and a division of Dominion
Enterprises, has launched their new daily deal service LastCall
to provide travelers with the ability to save up to 50% on vouchers for
unsold hotel rooms.

“is to match market and
demand and create a win/win situation for both travelers and hotels. If
we can create an environment in this market where hotel rooms don’t go
empty and travelers are happy, then everyone wins.”

“Our services have always been about delivering real value to travelers
at discounted walk-in rates,” explained Mark Novak, vice president of Travel
Media Group. “Now we are offering consumers the ability to save even
more while having the opportunity to book their reservations in advance.”

The LastCall service currently provided by RoomSaver.com
allows travelers to purchase discounted vouchers for future hotel stays
and then book those rooms directly with the property when they are ready
to travel.

While factors such as gas prices and airline tickets continue to
fluctuate up and down, travelers are seeking out different ways to
budget for both business and personal trips. Patrick O’Brien, business
development manager for Travel Media Group, said, “People are now going
online to window shop, and with the emergence of daily deal and discount
sites, they are doing this from the comfort of their own home. With
LastCall we have created an opportunity for travelers to now purchase
and reserve their rooms while they are window shopping with our current
discounts on RoomSaver.com.”

With over 20 years of experience helping travelers save money while
generating additional revenue and income for the hotel industry, Travel
Media Group sees the LastCall product as an extension of their current
business model. “The goal,” O’Brien explained, “is to match market and
demand and create a win/win situation for both travelers and hotels. If
we can create an environment in this market where hotel rooms don’t go
empty and travelers are happy, then everyone wins.”

LastCall is currently available in the Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas,
Nevada markets. With their current nationwide sales network,
RoomSaver.com plans on expanding LastCall nationally over the next few
weeks. In the meantime, travelers can find a listing of all current
LastCall Daily Deals on the homepage of the RoomSaver.com website.

About RoomSaver.com

Created in 1999, RoomSaver.com is the online partner of the RoomSaver
print guide. The website lists discounts on over 5,000 hotels in 50
states offering the best rates on hotels throughout the country.
RoomSaver.com unites the traveler and hotelier online, improving the way
people research, locate and advertise hotel rooms. RoomSaver is a
division of Dominion Enterprises and Travel Media Group, which also
operates HotelCoupons.com.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the
automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment
rental, and employment industries. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., with
4,900 employees nationwide, the company provides a comprehensive suite
of technology-based marketing solutions, more than 40 market-leading Web
sites, and 280 magazines. For more information, visit www.dominionenterprises.com.

Article source: http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20110629006987/en/hotel-deal/travel/daily-deal

Tips to keep scam artists from ruining your vacation

Group Travel Scams -

So, before you put money down on your summer vacation, follow these tips to avoid travel-related scams:

1. Beware of unsolicited emails or phone calls offering hard-to-believe deals on travel to desirable locations. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

2. If you are working with a travel agency or vacation planning service, get all details about the trip in writing. Watch out for vague promises regarding “five-star” resorts or “luxury” cruises at cut-rate prices.

3. Think again before believing that you’ve won a free vacation. These may be thinly-veiled ploys to obtain credit card information. And you should never have to pay to collect a prize.

4. Check out the travel company before giving them any money. Make sure it’s registered with the American Society of Travel Agents.

5. Watch out for travel clubs offering free memberships. Often these services charge your credit card every month to provide few if any benefits.

6. Always use a credit card when purchasing a trip. If you feel you’ve been swindled, alert your credit card company.

7. Beware of timeshare deals involving high-pressure sales pitches. These are often strategies to get consumers to purchase overpriced timeshares with escalating maintenance fees.

8. If you will travel overseas, let your bank and credit card companies know what countries you’ll be visiting and when you plan to return so they can watch for any suspicious charges.

For more information, visit the National Consumers League website at www.nclnet.org http://e2ma.net/go/9495576464/3744204/107359577/9444/goto:http://www.nclnet.org/ or contact the Public Protection Department of the Attorney General’s Office at (501) 682-2341, (800) 482-8982 or www.ArkansasAG.gov http://e2ma.net/go/9495576464/3744204/107359578/9444/goto:http://www.ArkansasAG.gov.

Article source: http://www.kait8.com/story/15001930/dont-let-scam-artists-ruin-your-vacation

United Continental flight attendants pick a union (AP)

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA says it has won a union election at United Continental Holdings Inc.

United and Continental merged last year. The election was needed to decide which union would represent the combined flight attendant workforce.

The 15,000 flight attendants at United are already in the Association of Flight Attendants. That union now adds 9,200 flight attendants from Continental Airlines. They had previously been in the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Vote totals were not immediately available.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110629/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_united_continental_labor

Top 10 Travel Deals Out of Alaska

This is the time of year when everyone is thinking about getting away and luckily the airlines are cooperating by listing some great summer travel deals.

Alaska TravelGram’s Scott McMurren has put together a list of the top best travel deals out of Alaska and into your favorite destinations.

10. Anchorage-Minneapolis. Both Delta and Sun Country are offering nonstop flights. Fly in July for $482 roundtrip, all in. After Aug. 10, 2011, the price drops to $456 roundtrip, all in.

9. Anchorage-Chicago. Delta has the least expensive fare to the Windy City starting Aug. 10 for just $435 roundtrip, all in.

8. Anchorage-Washington, D.C. Both Delta and Alaska Airlines have good fares, starting Aug. 10. Delta has more seats and more options. Prices starting at $475 roundtrip, all in.

7. Anchorage-Phoenix. US Airways offers nonstop service between Anchorage and Phoenix. Starting Aug. 10 for $495 roundtrip, all in.

6. Anchorage-San Francisco/Sacramento. A double feature! Both San Francisco and Sacramento are on sale from Anchorage with Alaska Airlines for $415 roundtrip, all in.

5. Anchorage-Denver. Scott McMurren is lovin’ him some Frontier Airlines right now. Fly in July for $353 roundtrip, all in. There are more available seats than Alaska Airlines, which comes in a little higher at $365. If you’re coming out of Fairbanks, it’s just $295 roundtrip, all in on Frontier to make it to Denver.

4. Anchorage-LAX. Just $294 roundtrip, all in on Alaska Airlines.
3. Anchorage-Long Beach. Just $294 roundtrip, all in on jetBlue Airways.
2. Anchorage-New Orleans. Fly Delta between Aug. 7 and Oct. 10 for $379 roundtrip, all in.

A tie for number one:

1. Fairbanks-Seattle. Fly between July 11 and Aug 11 for $435 roundtrip, all in. Nonstop.

1. Fairbanks-Frankfurt. Fly Condor German Airlines nonstop to Frankfurt from Fairbanks on June 30, returning July 14, 2011. Cost? Just $721 roundtrip, all in.

Article source: http://www.ktva.com/home/outbound-xml-feeds/Top-10-Travel-Deals-Out-of-Alaska-124749794.html

Fireworks haulers get rules break for the Fourth (AP)

RICHMOND, Va. – Truckers hauling fireworks to light up cities nationwide are being given an exemption on federal driving rules for the July 4th holiday, sparking concerns for safety advocates. But the industry says without it, some places wouldn’t have enough green to pay for flashes of red, white and blue.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted an exemption to hours-of-service rules for members of the American Pyrotechnics Association, covering 3,000 commercial drivers and about 50 companies carrying an estimated 10 million pounds of fireworks across the country.

Those truckers will be sharing the nation’s roads and highways with the 39 million motorists that the American Automobile Association predicts will travel 50 miles or more during the July 4th holiday weekend.

“You’ve already got more people on the roadways, so it’s already more dangerous,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Martha Meade. “Then you exempt drivers who have explosives in the back of their truck, and it’s almost like you can see the headlines now.”

Department of Transportation spokesman Duane DeBruyne referred to the Federal Register entry when asked about the decision to grant the exemption.

The agency believes the drivers will meet or exceed current safety standards, and that it has “received no accident notifications, nor is the agency aware of any accidents reportable under terms of the exemption,” the entry says.

The fireworks industry group has been given exemptions since 2004, after federal driving rules were changed, without incident. Association officials say extending the amount of time truckers can be on the road is needed to get fireworks to cities and to give drivers time to set up and set off the displays for holiday celebrations. The drivers hauling the fireworks are often the lead technician responsible for filling the sky with bursts of color.

Most of the trips are short, but the time spent setting off a fireworks display and getting to the next location after the show can cut into the 14-hour maximum that drivers can be on the road per day, said Julie Heckman, executive director of the fireworks industry group. Others in the industry say the low number of commercial drivers with permissions to haul hazardous materials adds to the need for an exemption.

“We have a very narrow window of opportunity to put on well over 14,000 displays across this country for just the 4th of July weekend,” Heckman said. “Without an exemption we couldn’t do it.”

During an 11-day period around July 4th, drivers can exclude off-duty or rest periods that would normally count against their overall workday. Drivers are still subject to the 14-hour on-duty limit and the 11-hour driving time limit, as well as weekly limits. They must also have 10 hours off in between shifts.

The exemption means that a driver whose typical day is from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. could work until midnight if he spends two hours on a break before a fireworks show.

“The 4th of July is similar to our retail season,” said Stephen Vitale, president of Pennsylvania-based Pyrotecnico, which uses about 300 trucks to transport enough fireworks to produce about 600 fireworks displays across the U.S. around Independence Day.

The exemption makes it “efficient and affordable” for companies and communities footing the bill, Vitale said. An average fireworks display around the holiday costs about $15,000, and without the exemption, those costs could double because more trucks and drivers would be needed, he said.

In the association’s federal exemption application, it says if companies had to have additional drivers, those higher costs would mean “many Americans would be denied this important component of the celebration of Independence Day,” according to an entry in the Federal Register.

But that shouldn’t come at the cost of safety, contends Henry Jasny, general counsel for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a safety and consumer group supported by the insurance industry.

“We don’t want to be the Grinch that steals 4th of July from small towns, but they are making a trade-off between safety and cost of fireworks displays,” Jasny said. “To get that fireworks display, they’re allowing drivers potentially to drive while fatigued.”

The National Transportation Safety Board this month listed driver fatigue on its revamped list of top priorities to improve safety. As many as one-third of all commercial motor vehicle crashes are due to fatigue, according to the NTSB.

AAA’s Meade also noted that driver fatigue has been a factor in several recent fatal bus crashes, though buses are subject to an entirely different set of regulations.

The fireworks industry group disputes that the exemption could contribute to driver fatigue.

Drivers often start their shifts in the early morning when traffic is light, and after they get to their destination and set up the displays, they have several hours to rest before they have to hit the road again.

In order to get the exemption, the association must demonstrate that it can maintain a level of safety equal to, or greater than, its level of safety under normal rules.

“Presumably if the agency approved it, the association successfully demonstrated that,” said Rob Abbott, vice president of safety policy for the American Trucking Association and an advisory committee member for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Abbott said that despite various businesses operating trucks, the most recent figures from 2009 show that overall the trucking industry is the safest it has ever been, even though there’s been an increase in the number of miles driven each year.

The fireworks industry isn’t the only one to receive exemptions on driving rules during certain times of the year.

Truck drivers for retail stores are allowed similar exemptions during the Christmas holiday season when making deliveries to customers between Dec. 10 and Dec. 25, and drivers transporting property or passengers to or from motion picture productions also are exempt from certain rules. There also are exemptions for utility companies whose drivers are working in natural disaster areas.

___

Michael Felberbaum can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/MLFelberbaum.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110629/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_fireworks_driving_exemptions

Hybrid drivers lose special privileges in Calif. (AP)

LOS ANGELES – For six years, California gave owners of hybrid cars the keys to the fast lane: permission to drive alone among carpoolers.

Now hybrids are about to lose the special privilege that was intended as a reward for saving gas and protecting the environment. The vehicles are no longer novel, and transportation officials want to make way for a new generation of even cleaner cars.

Starting Friday, 85,000 hybrid owners have to get back in line with the gas guzzlers, the truckers and everyone else or face steep fines.

For some Southern California road warriors, using the HOV lane can cut their commuting time in half, but it’s an advantage normally reserved for cars carrying at least two or three people.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110629/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_hybrids_carpool_perks

Newport Beach approves new contract for lifeguards (AP)

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Officials in one of California’s most prominent beach cities have approved a new contract with fulltime lifeguards that would scale back pension benefits in the aftermath of public outcry over their compensation.

Newport Beach lifeguards now can retire at age 50 with 30 years of service and receive 90 percent of salary.

Under the new contract approved Tuesday night by the City Council, new hires will have a pension worth up to 50 percent less.

The guards will also increase the amount they pay toward their pensions, from 3.5 percent to 9 percent.

The lifeguards came under fire last month after budget negotiations revealed most earned more than $100,000 a year in total compensation.

The contract trades pension cuts in exchange for saving jobs.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110629/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_lucrative_lifeguarding

dealchecker.co.uk: Orlando to Remain the Hottest US Tourist Spot in 2011

LONDON, June 29, 2011 — /PRNewswire/ –

dealchecker.co.uk says a record numbers of travellers
chose Orlando, Florida as their holiday destination in 2010; they
expect this trend to continue in 2011.

Orlando has been a popular destination for tourists from all
over the world for many years, but it saw a record number of
visitors in 2010. Last year Orlando welcomed over 51 million
visitors and according to dealchecker.co.uk, a
leading online holiday specialist, these figures are set to be
matched by 2011′s visitor numbers.

Alex Saint, CEO of dealchecker.co.uk says, “Florida has always
been a favourite destination for dealchecker.co.uk’s customers, and
Orlando, home of Disneyworld, Universal Studios and countless
waterparks, has proven to be a particular attraction to the many
families that use our services. We’re already seeing a huge
interest in Orlando
flights and holidays and we expect this to continue as we
approach the high season.”

According to figures released by Visit Orlando, over 51.5
million travellers holidayed in Orlando in 2010 compared with the
46.6 million that visited in 2009, which amounts to a 10.5 per cent
total increase in visitor numbers. The city has traditionally been
one of the most visited holiday destinations in the USA and last
year it became the first city in the country to ever hit the 50
million-plus visitors mark. Over 3.6 million of these came from
abroad according to the Visit Orlando report – a
figure that is set to increase as more premium carriers begin
offering cheap flight deals to their customers.

Saint adds, “Florida was one of the original destinations of
choice when package holidays initially became popular in the 1960s
and the state’s willingness to invest in improving their
attractions, accommodation and amenities has meant that Florida
holidays have remained consistently popular. Orlando in
particular is seen by many as the destination of a lifetime, but in
the past the cost of flights meant families could only afford to
visit once. In 2011, flights to Orlando are cheaper than ever
before and this means that travellers are able to come to the
Sunshine State time and time again.”

About dealchecker.co.uk:

dealchecker.co.uk was founded in June 2005. The site is a
leading flight, accommodation, holiday and car hire price
comparison service.

dealchecker.co.uk travel partners are industry leaders offering
the most competitive market travel deals. The site displays all
relevant partners for each travel selection, enabling customers to
make the most informed choice for their travel arrangements.

dealchecker.co.uk is not a tour operator or travel agent, it
does not sell any travel products. When a travel selection is made,
the final transaction is completed in real-time, direct with the
operator or agent that the customer has chosen.

dealchecker.co.uk has developed a crisp user-friendly site to
meet the demands of the modern traveller. Alongside the price
comparison search and Real Deals the website provides a price
tracker, travel tips, destination content and weather trends.

For more news from dealchecker.co.uk and more great travel
deals, visit dealchecker on
Facebook and follow @dealchecker on
Twitter.

SOURCE dealchecker.co.uk

Article source: http://www.centredaily.com/2011/06/29/2806391/dealcheckercouk-orlando-to-remain.html

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