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E L L I O T T ' S TRAVEL NOTES
Travel news, opinion and analysis

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October 25, 2004

Mystery Illness Strikes Vegas Hotel
The Clark County Health District is investigating a mysterious illness that struck dozens of people at a Las Vegas Strip hotel-casino. Guests and employees at the Flamingo Las Vegas reported suffering from flu-like symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and headaches. Brian Labus of the Clark County Health District told KLAS-TV that his agency is trying to figure out what caused the outbreak, which was reported Wednesday. "We're trying to determine what common thread goes through all the different cases," Labus said. "Did they eat at all the same place? Did they all attend the same event? ... We're trying to determine all that right now." KABC | Posted 6:35 a.m.
• Earlier: Norwalk Infects Thousands in Vegas (SB)
• What's It Like To Have Norwalk Virus? (Elliott.org)

I've noticed many more Norwalk reports during the last two months (not all have made this blog). A trend? I hope not.

Canadian Fuel Fees Up - Are We Next?
An online travel agency is advising consumers that some Canadian tour operators and airlines are increasing their fuel charges by $25 effective Monday in response to higher crude oil prices. The announcement was made in a news release by Jonathan Carroll, president of Itravel2000, which is based in the Toronto area but operates nationally through its travel web site. Itravel said the latest increases will boost fuel surcharges by 50 per cent to $75 per roundtrip passenger for all bookings, starting Monday, on all flights to the Caribbean, Mexico, United States, Hawaii, and Europe. The travel agency's spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment. CP | Posted 6:45 a.m.

Cruises Are Getting Costlier
The best bargain in vacation travel is getting costlier. Cruising, although still considered a good deal for its all-inclusive prices, is expected to see a hike in pricing beginning this winter. Bargain shoppers who used to wait until the last minute to book an outside cabin to Mexico or the Caribbean could find themselves paying more than they expected -- or completely left out. "It's about supply and demand, as always," said Terrance Zepke, author of "The Encyclopedia of Cheap Travel." "Demand has increased, so supply has decreased. Many cruises are already sold out for 2005." The reason is simple: Although demand for cruising continues to rise, fewer ships are being built. KR | Posted 6:50 a.m.

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Virgin's Artificial Reality - We've all seen those airline ads that tout splendid service. They're good for a few laughs. But the rhetoric in the magazines and on TV never seems to match the reality in the sky. Normally, this disconnect is something that I let roll off my back. It has never really bothered me. Until recently. I subscribe to many business and travel magazines and have been bombarded with a series of Virgin Atlantic advertisements for their Upper Class service that are bound into the publications. They're cleverly designed to appear to be emergency information cards normally found in airline seatback pockets. > All-new featured story from Ticked.com | Posted 7 a.m.

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San Francisco Mayor Steps in to Strike - Mayor Gavin Newsom stepped up the pressure on hotel owners in the San Francisco hotel labor dispute Sunday, issuing a formal letter asking the two sides to adopt a 90-day cooling-off period that would bring workers back to their jobs while negotiations continue. The request isn't new -- Newsom called for a similar break earlier this month -- but in his letter to both sides Sunday, he said he wanted a written response by Tuesday afternoon. He also wants them to pick up the pace of negotiations and to give him detailed reports of their progress. Chronicle | Posted 7 a.m.

American Will Furlough 1,100 Workers - American Airlines, struggling with rising fuel costs and competition from low-fare carriers, will furlough up to 650 maintenance workers in Kansas City and St. Louis and up to 450 pilots, the company said in a memo given to employees Friday. The news came two days after Fort Worth-based AMR Corp., parent of American, reported that it lost $214 million from July through September and expected an even bigger loss in the fourth quarter. AP | Posted 7:05 a.m.

Collins 'Humiliated' By Airport Search - Veteran actress Joan Collins was left feeling shocked and humiliated after being frisked by a London Heathrow airport security officer. The Dynasty star underwent an intimate search as she prepared to board a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Los Angeles with husband Percy Gibson last week. She says, "Percy and I were preparing to board the aircraft when a female security officer asked me to step to one side for a search. I had already been through security, which, rightly so, is very stringent at Heathrow, so I did not really understand what was happening. WBEX | Posted 7:10 a.m.

Editor's Note: Some subscribers to Elliott's E-Mail, our weekly newsletter, received an unedited version of the electronic dispatch yesterday. Here's the finished version. We're sorry for the inconvenience and needless to say, still proud of our American citizenship.

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