Harley museum to celebrate black leather jacket (AP)

MILWAUKEE – The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee is paying tribute to the black leather jacket this summer.

The museum will look at its evolution beginning with its role to protect pilots and motorcyclists through its adoption by Hollywood celebrities, rock stars and others as a symbol of rebellion.

It will also look at its modern-day designs from fashion houses such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Gianni Versace.

There will be more than 100 artifacts during the exhibit’s run, including jackets worn by Elvis Presley and Taylor Lautner of the “Twilight” series.

“Worn to be Wild: The Black Leather Jacket” starts June 16.

The Harley-Davidson Museum put together the exhibit with EMP Museum in Seattle, formerly known as the Experience Music Project Museum. It will travel to the Seattle museum in October.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20120214/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_leather_jacket_exhibit

Revised Italian cruise lawsuit adds new plaintiffs (AP)

MIAMI – A revised lawsuit has been filed in Miami adding more plaintiffs and claims that seek millions of dollars in damages in last month’s Italian cruise ship disaster.

Attorneys said Monday the lawsuit now names 39 individual plaintiffs who were aboard the Costa Concordia when it capsized off the Tuscany coast. At least 17 people died and 15 remain missing.

The lawsuit names Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines Inc. and its Costa subsidiary. It initially sought more than $460 million.

Many legal experts say it will be difficult to win lawsuits in Florida because Costa’s tickets require that they be filed in Italy. Passenger lawyers contend Florida is proper because Carnival Corp. is based there.

Other attorneys have announced plans to file lawsuits for passengers in Florida.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20120214/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_cruise_aground_lawsuits

New Vegas museum highlights mob bosses, tommy guns (AP)

LAS VEGAS – In one room, a ghastly photo wall of bloody, uncensored images showcases the mob’s greatest hits.

In another, visitors are taught to load a revolver. And for when a gun just won’t do, an oddball collection of household items — a shovel, a hammer, a baseball bat and an icepick — show the creative side of some of America’s most notorious killers.

On the 83rd anniversary of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Sin City is honoring one of its earliest relationships with the grand opening of a museum dedicated to the mobsters that made this desert town. There are tommy guns, money stacks and a bullet-riddled brick wall from the 1929 massacre that saw Al Capone seize control of the Chicago mob.

Las Vegas has long been enamored with its gangster roots. Its longtime former mayor played himself in the mob flick “Casino” and hotels here often promote their nefarious origins. But the publicly funded, $42 million Mob Museum represents a new height in Sin City’s lawlessness devotion. Even the local FBI agents are in on it.

“We wanted to make sure the truth came out,” said Ellen Knowlton, a former special agent in Las Vegas brought on to legitimize the downtown attraction.

It’s the second mob-themed attraction to open in Las Vegas in the past year. The Mob Experience at the Tropicana casino on the Las Vegas Strip quickly shut down because of slow ticket sales and other problems. It’s slated to reopen later this year under the name Mob Attraction Las Vegas.

City officials said their version will perform better because it’s an authentic examination of the decisions and circumstances that made Las Vegas an international symbol of debauchery and excess. The museum is housed in a former Depression-era federal courthouse where the seventh of 14 U.S. Senate hearings on organized crime was held in the early 1950s. The proceedings watched by 30 million people introduced the mob to most Americans.

But critics argue the government-backed attraction is a waste of tax dollars at a time when Nevada tops the nation in foreclosures and unemployment.

“It’s a risky bet,” said Andy Matthews, president of the conservative Nevada Policy Research Institute, which plans to protest the grand opening ceremony Tuesday.

Nevadans and mobsters have a long, storied history.

Casino workers and longtime visitors alike are known to wax nostalgic about the days when mob bosses kept drink prices low and streets violence free. Their casinos became celebrity playgrounds and architectural icons. The Stardust, El Cortez, Tropicana, Dunes Hotel, Desert Inn, Flamingo and Fremont hotel were all backed by the mob at one point. Elvis and Priscilla Presley tied the knot at the mob-controlled Aladdin resort and Wayne Newton later purchased it.

More recently, Las Vegans thrice made former mob attorney Oscar Goodman their mayor. And when he was term-limited from running again last year, they gave the job to his wife.

The mob, the story goes, helped build out the remote highway that would eventually become the Las Vegas Strip. Gangsters took over resorts built by front men, skimmed the profits and built nightclubs, country clubs, housing tracts and shopping centers.

Increased law enforcement scrutiny and competition from business titans like Howard Hughes saw Las Vegas turn corporate in the late 1960s. Then the celebrity chefs and Cirque du Soleil dancers moved in. These days, Las Vegas feels more like a raunchy version of Disney World than a mob hangout.

“We felt nostalgic the moment the old days ended,” said Michael Green, a history professor at the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas working with the museum. “To Americans, Las Vegas will always have that image and they don’t come here for Mickey Mouse.”

Museum officials deny that they are sensationalizing the mob experience to sell tickets, which cost up to $18 each. One exhibit shows the modern reach of organized crime through the drug cartels of Mexico, money laundering schemes in the Bahamas, counterfeit rings in China and human trafficking in Brazil.

The museum also attempts to show the personal motivations behind the mug shots. There are pictures of a baby-faced Anthony Spilotro marking his First Communion, Frank Costello relaxing in a hammock at home and gambling titan Meyer Lansky with his daughter at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, his arm tenderly hooked around her waist. All three were among the mob’s most powerful men.

But the museum’s extensive photography collection depicting cratered heads, imploded cars and full body bags likely will be its biggest draw among fans expecting a hefty dose of mob violence. There’s Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn, his lifeless body splayed out in a Chicago bowling alley in 1939. Another photo depicts the death of Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria, assassinated at his favorite Italian restaurant in New York in 1931.

A small gift store also plays up the mob’s bloodthirsty reputation. The shelves lined with novelty items feature mobster paper dolls and gangster teddy bears dressed in striped suits and armed with plastic machine guns.

A T-shirt reads: “In Godfather We Trust.”

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20120214/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_vegas_mob_attraction

New Pre-Paid Car Rental Deals offered by Fare Buzz

NEW YORK, N.Y. /eNewsChannels/ — Fare Buzz, a travel company based in New York City, is now offering pre-paid car rental deals at net rates to save customers money on their daily, weekly or monthly car rentals.

The deals can be found on the company’s website at www.farebuzz.com/car-rentals or by calling their agents at 1-888-808-4123.

“Fare Buzz understands the importance of car rentals for both business and leisure travelers,” said Arnold Walter, President and CEO of Fare Buzz. “Our pre-paid net rates now allow customers to spend more time on the road and less time at the counter. It just makes more sense for today’s busy traveler.”

According to a recent study by Auto Rental News, the U.S. car rental industry showed an increase of 8.1 percent in 2011 and total revenue of $22.4 billion. The total revenue seen in 2011 is the most the industry has gained within the past 10 years, and shows a positive trend within the car rental industry.

“We’ve seen a substantial growth over the years in car rentals, and feel it’s an important part of our customers travel needs,” said Walter. “With that in mind, our pre-paid rates on car rentals will continue to grow this area of travel and will continue to save our customers money.”

Fare Buzz has an easy to use booking engine for their customers to book a car rental for pick up at several airports and cities around the world. Rates currently start as low as $25 per day and can be found in cities like New York, London, Zurich and Mumbai. The type of car rentals available varies from Compact to SUV and Mini Vans to premium, luxury rentals.

About Fare Buzz:

Started in 1994 in New York City, Fare Buzz is one of the leading travel providers in the industry. The company has created affiliations with vendors of various travel products. Due to Fare Buzz’ buying power, the company is able to negotiate aggressive deals on air, hotels, car rentals and now vacation rentals to pass the savings on to the consumer.

In addition, Fare Buzz also specializes in discounted business class fares and offers an attractive rewards program for customers. For additional information, please contact Margaret Yekulis at margaret@farebuzz.com.

More information please visit: http://www.farebuzz.com .

Copyright © 2012 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

Copr. © 2012 eNewsChannels™ and Aria Munro.

Related Topics: Business, Newsdesk.
Tags: Automotive, car rental deals, Fare Buzz, Internet, New York, online travel booking, Travel and Tourism

Permalink for this story: http://enewschannels.com/2012/02/14/enc14284_035816.php

Article source: http://enewschannels.com/2012/02/14/enc14284_035816.php

Valentine’s Day: Sweet savings with JetBlue, Frontier flash sales

It’s just what I wanted for Valentine’s Day! A one-day sale from JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines with really cheap spring airfares to Northern California, the East Coast and other destinations. 

JetBlue Airways: The Love-A-Fare sale offers one-way airfare to New York’s JFK Airport for $145 from Long Beach, Los Angeles and Burbank. Other one-way fares from Long Beach include $39 to Las Vegas; $50 to Sacramento, San Francisco and Oakland; $80 to Salt Lake City and Seattle; and $90 to Portland.

The fine print: The offer is good until 8:59 p.m. PST tonight (Tuesday) for travel between Feb. 21 and April 3 with some restricted travel and blackout dates. I checked online this morning (Tuesday) and found good availability for $80 tickets each way from Long Beach to Seattle on Feb. 23 to 27. Contact: JetBlue, (800) 538-2583

Frontier Airlines: The Valentine’s Day Sale offers one-way fares from Los Angeles for $71 to Denver and $141 to Aspen, Colo. 

The fine print: This offer also is good until 8:59 p.m. PST tonight (Tuesday) for travel through March 8 with a three-day advance purchase. Again, dates of travel are restricted. I didn’t find wide availability, but this deal could work for those with flexible dates. For example, I found availability for the $141 airfare from L.A. to Aspen good for a trip from Sunday to Feb. 21 and from March 5 or 6 to March 9 (even though that return date falls outside the travel window). Contact: Frontier Airlines, (800) 432-1359.

Article source: http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-valentines-day-sale-airfares-20120214,1,6717986.story

Valentine’s Day: Get a room, maybe a luxe one, with Hotel Tonight

Valentine’s Day doesn’t really need to be over-planned or over-thought, especially when Hotel Tonight has your back.

The smartphone app for last-minute hotel bookings offers a Suite Heart deal that kicks off at noon Tuesday for rooms in L.A. and more than 25 other cities.

Here’s how it works: One of the three daily hotel offers revealed at noon Feb. 14 will provide a romantic luxury suite with a bottle of Champagne at the regular room price. How do you know which hotel to choose? Look for the heart icon next to the listing.

Don’t take too long to decide if you want to take advantage of this deal. Hotel Tonight rooms regularly sell out, and luxury digs might go fast on Valentine’s Day.

If you don’t have the app, go to the Hotel Tonight’s website and download it to your iPhone, iPad, iTouch or Android.

Article source: http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-valentines-day-hotels-20120214,0,3174579.story

Virginia: Presidential perk at Colonial Williamsburg this weekend

Washington, Jefferson and Madison will be chatting with guests at Colonial Williamsburg this Presidents Day weekend when presidents of all stripes — PTA, student council, book club, etc. — get free admission to the re-created 18th century Virginia attraction.

The deal: Williamsburg visitors have a chance to hobnob with the Founding Fathers (well, actors playing them) and take in special programs, including a fife-and-drum salute to the presidents and QAs with some of them. The historic area is between Richmond and Norfolk, about 150 miles southeast of Washington.

To score a single-day admission ticket, you have to show proof that you too are or were a president of some group or organization, either with a letter, website, card or other form of identification.

When: The offer is good for free admission Saturday through Monday.

Tested: How presidential is your family? If everyone holds or has held a title, you save $22.95 for adults and $11.50 for children 6-12.

Contact: Colonial Williamburg, (800) 447-8679

Article source: http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-colonial-williamsburg-20120213,1,4523265.story

Relatives toss roses into sea near Italian ship (AP)

GIGLIO, Italy – Tossing bouquets of red roses into the sea, the relatives of people still missing one month after the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster mourned in a private tribute Monday.

The family members boarded a small boat that took them 50 meters (yards) from the stricken cruise ship, which struck a reef Jan. 13 off the Tuscan coast when its captain made an unauthorized maneuver. Seventeen people died while trying to flee and 15 remain missing and are presumed dead.

The search for the missing was called off after authorities determined it was too risky for the rescue divers.

Among family members at the scene of the tragedy was Susy Albertini, the mother of 5-year-old Dayana Arlotti, who was traveling with her father William, who is also missing. Kevin Rebello, the brother of a missing waiter from India, also attended, as did the families of missing French and German passengers.

The relatives hugged each other as the roses floated on the Mediterranean. Rebello said Monday’s anniversary was the hardest day yet since the shipwreck.

“I haven’t lost hope yet, anything can still happen, a miracle. He may be injured, he may have lost consciousness, anything may have happened. I still have hope, I always have hope, hope is the last thing to die,” Rebello said. “I hope I will find him as soon as possible, to bring him home.”

Dayana Arlotti was on the cruise with her father and his girlfriend, who survived the tragedy. William and Dayana disappeared after they returned to the cabin to get medicine for his severe diabetes, the Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported. Family members seeking news called his cell phone for days after the tragedy until it stopped ringing on the fifth day.

A statue of the Virgin Mary was retrieved from the ship and donated by the Costa Crociere SpA cruise company that owns the Concordia was placed in the main port church for memorial Mass held later Monday. Along with relatives of the missing, Costa CEO Pier Luigi Foschi attended the service.

“The feeling that has always been with me during these 30 days and today is sorrow. Sorrow for those who died, for those who are missing,” said the Rev. Lorenzo Pasquotti.

After weeks of delays due to bad weather, underwater pumping operations began Sunday to remove some of the 500,000 gallons of fuel aboard the ship, which has threatened to turn the human tragedy into an environmental disaster. Crews on Monday emptied the first of 15 tanks that are believed to hold around 84 percent of the fuel on board, Italy’s civil protection department said.

Officials say it will take 28 consecutive days of pumping to empty the tanks.

There have been no reports so far of heavy fuel leaking into the pristine waters off the tiny island of Giglio, which are part of a protected sanctuary for dolphins, whales and proposes.

The Concordia had 4,200 people on board when it slammed into a reef off Giglio after the captain deviated from the ship’s planned course in an apparent stunt. Passengers have said the captain then delayed sounding the evacuation alarm until the ship listed so heavily that lifeboats on one side couldn’t be lowered.

The captain, Francesco Schettino, is under house arrest, accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the ship before all the passengers had been evacuated.

Italian officials have said it will take seven to ten months after the fuel is pumped out for salvage experts to remove the ship from the shore.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20120213/ap_tr_ge/eu_travel_brief_italy_ship_aground

Get the best airline travel deals without breaking the bank

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

Want to know how to get a leg up on the best airfares? On this week’s Money Monday, we’ll show you how! If you’re booking a simple trip, like from here to Atlanta, or something domestic, it may be easier to book it on your own.

Leslie Steele is a veteran Baton Rouge travel agent. She says having a travel agent can be helpful when planning trips that include hotels, rental cars, or other specifics. ”We’re there to stand behind you, and if you have a problem, we’re there with whatever to help you with it.”

So what about those big sales we see advertised everyday? They’re mostly to hook you in, because so few seats are ever really on sale.

Now, what about that best time to buy? Farecompare.com says the best day is Tuesday, more specifically, Tuesday mid-afternoon. It’s because when airlines launch sales, it’s usually on a Monday night. By Tuesday afternoon, other carriers have time to match them to give you the best chance for deal.  The best days to fly? Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, in the early morning or dinner hour.

Here’s a cheap travel secret. You can save the 8% federal tax on some overseas flights. It all depends on the itinerary of your trip. If you fly from one city in the U.S. (like Baton Rouge) to another, (Atlanta for example), then fly out of the country, the federal tax on airfare isn’t due if you are taking a flight from one city in the U.S. to another in order to catch an overseas flight.  For more information on the best fare tips, check out the link on our homepage.

Copyright 2012 WAFB. All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.wafb.com/story/16927660/get-the-best-airline-travel-deals-without-breaking-the-bank

Schiphol airport reopens after bomb threat (AP)

AMSTERDAM – A major disruption at Amsterdam’s busy Schiphol Airport ended Monday after military police arrested a man who had locked himself in a toilet, claiming to have a bomb, officials said.

Authorities said that the operations at the airport — one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs — are back to normal after the incident led to the evacuation of two terminals and numerous flight delays.

Rob van Kapel, a spokesman for the military police, refused to say whether the man had explosives on him, but said the suspect does not present any further danger to the public. He said the suspect had been in communication with professional negotiators before he was taken into custody. Under Dutch privacy laws, the man’s identity will not be disclosed.

Van Kapel said the man had hidden in a restroom on the upper floors of the airport, a panorama area accessible for people seeking to view planes taking off or landing.

He said prosecutors have begun a criminal investigation, and it was too early to say what charges the man might face or what his mental condition is.

On Christmas Day, 2009, Nigerian student Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab managed to smuggle explosives onto a flight from Schiphol to Detroit after flying into Amsterdam from Lagos.

He has pleaded guilty to trying to blow up the Northwest Airlines plane by injecting chemicals into a package of explosives concealed in his underwear and is due to be sentenced Thursday. He faces life imprisonment.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20120213/ap_tr_ge/eu_travel_brief_netherlands_airport_threat

Next Page »