• What's elliott?
• About elliott
• Contact us

t o p i c s

• Business
• Commentary
• Destinations
• Help
• Leisure
• Technology
• Vault

Copyright Elliott Publishing. All rights reserved. For more information, call (305) 453-4781 or send e-mail to us.

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

Underwritten By Cheapflights.com — Compare sales, specials and cheap flights to any destination.

September 8, 2004

U.S. Warns of Indonesia Hotel Attacks
Western hotels are potential targets of terrorist attacks in Indonesia ahead of the third anniversary of the September 11, 2001 mayhem, the United States said in an updated travel alert Tuesday. It reminded citizens to defer non-essential travel to the Southeast Asian archipelago. In the travel warning, the State Department alerted American citizens to "security concerns regarding identifiably western hotels and reminds travelers of the ongoing terrorist threat for Indonesia." US government travelers to Indonesia "have been directed to avoid identifiably western hotels," the statement said, updating an advisory issued about three months ago. AFP | Posted 6:30 a.m.
• Travelers Less Afraid Than in Years Past (Eagle)
• See State Dept. Warning For Indonesia (State.gov)

I agree that we can't live in fear. But this is hardly the time to let our guard down - particularly if we're traveling overseas.

9/11 Looking Normal, Airlines Say
When it comes to air travel demand, Sept. 11 is increasingly looking like any other day during the slow post-Labor Day travel period, airline officials say. On Sept. 11, 2002, the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks, many Americans avoided flying, and traffic levels plunged. Last year, activity edged up, with several carriers saying demand had reached near-normal levels. This Saturday, booking levels appear to match the activity before the attacks, officials at many U.S. airlines said. Rocky Mountain News | Posted 6:35 a.m.

Finnair Offers Texting Check-In
In what it calls a first in international air travel, Finnair says it will let its frequent fliers check in using text messages on mobile phones. The program begins in October and is open to the airline's Finnair Plus cardholders. It will let those passengers who have only carry-on luggage go directly to the departure gate, bypassing ordinary check-in procedures. Like other passengers, they will have to go through a metal detector and security check. Once passengers have activated the service, they will automatically receive a check-in text message from Finnair before a flight with details, including the seat number. AP | Posted 6:45 a.m.

US Airways Pilots Balk At Latest Offer - The leader of a rebel pilot group at US Airways accused the company of demanding too many sacrifices from employees, saying that the airline's request for $295 million in annual wage and benefit cuts from the pilots had "gone from need to greed." But the airline's chief executive, Bruce R. Lakefield, urged the pilots' union to accept the airline's proposal, arguing that "the price is even higher" if no agreement is reached and US Airways is forced to seek bankruptcy protection. The New York Times | Posted 7 a.m.

Air Jamaica Cancels Flights Ahead of Ivan - Air Jamaica, the national airline, has canceled today's scheduled flights in and out of Barbados, Antigua, Grenada and St Lucia, as Hurricane Ivan bears down on the Eastern Caribbean. Observer | Posted 7:05 a.m.

Yahoo! Tests New Travel Site - Yahoo Inc. is launching its first public beta of a travel search engine based on its recent acquisition of online travel company FareChase Inc. Yahoo plans to make the test site available late on Tuesday and is billing it as a prototype for eliciting user feedback and testing the best approach to searching travel provider Web sites for airfare, hotel rooms and rental cars. eWeek | Posted 7:10 a.m.

-----------------------------------

• Off the Record ... I haven't posted anything new today, due in part to the Labor Day holiday and in part because of lingering damage from Hurricane Frances. We lost power yesterday and are still without phones. Meanwhile, Hurricane Ivan looks as if it's going to hit Florida's West Coast, so that's keeping us busy. Posted 7:15 a.m. | Send us your comments.

>> Yesterday's Notes | Tomorrow's Notes <<

E-mail Elliott | Other bloggers | About this blog

Latest Travel Notes | Complete Archives