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

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September 21, 2004

Hotels in Three Cities May Suffer Strike
The union representing hotel workers in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco--AFL-CIO affiliate Unite Here--today threatened to strike over the lack of a new contract. In case of a walkout, hotel officials in the three cities said they intend to remain open, but travelers face the likelihood of a decrease in service levels as management personnel seek to cover for striking workers. Each of the country's major multi-brand companies, including Marriott International, Hilton Hotels Corp. and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, has significant inventory in these markets. Business Travel News | Posted 6:45 a.m.
• Hotels, Unions Resume Negotiations (Post)
• No Deadline Set For Strike - Yet (AP)

A strike would be disruptive, but it probably wouldn't stop you from checking into your hotel. Slow you down, maybe. But not stop you.

Do Miles Have Future in Bankruptcies?
For the occasional traveler, the latest round of airline bankruptcy filings may feel like the early 1990's, when some big carriers flew under a dark cloud of bankruptcy protection and others never emerged from it. But to frequent fliers like Jean Freeland, the recent airline troubles seem worse. "I'm much more nervous this time," said Ms. Freeland, an editor for the Web site Bonjour Paris, who lives in Rayville, La. "If these airlines go out of business, I think we're in trouble." Business travelers stand to lose a lot more than they did a decade ago. Active frequent fliers hold an average of 70 percent more unredeemed miles than they did during the bankruptcies of the 1990's, according to a survey by e-Rewards Market Research in Dallas. The New York Times | Posted 6:35 a.m.

Plane Water Quality Questioned
The drinking water on more than one of every eight passenger airliners tested by the Environmental Protection Agency flunked the agency's standards for bacteria, the government said Monday. EPA officials said they had no evidence that airline passengers had gotten sick from airplane water. But the agency said in a statement: "Passengers with compromised immune systems or others concerned [about the safety of the water] may want to request canned or bottled beverages." Representatives of the leading airline industry trade group said they were confident that airline water was safe. "There are no reported cases of illnesses due to aircraft drinking water," said Nancy Young, managing director of environmental programs at the Air Transport Assn. But environmentalists said people might be getting sick from airplane drinking water without realizing the cause. Los Angeles Times | Posted 6:35 a.m.

Biz Travelers 'Buy' Hotel Rooms - Some business travelers walk into a hotel acting like they own the place. These days, they often do. A piece of it, anyway. Faced with a tough market for financing hotels, some developers are selling — rather than just renting — rooms to guests, thereby making them condominium hotels. USA Today | Posted 7 a.m.

Panel: Keep US Airways Flying - US Airways gained an ally in bankruptcy court Monday, with the formation of a creditors committee that seems inclined to support the airline's efforts to keep flying. The unsecured creditors committee, comprising 13 creditors whose claims are not backed by US Airways' assets, has standing before the bankruptcy judge to support or oppose moves that the company proposes. The company needs the backing of creditors to emerge from bankruptcy-court protection. Charlotte Observer | Posted 7:05 a.m.

Heathrow Refuelers Strike Looms - Workers who refuel aircraft at London's Heathrow airport are planning to stage a 48-hour strike from Friday. Forty airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Qantas, American Airlines and Air Canada could be affected. BBC | Posted 7:10 a.m.

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• Off the Record ... James Wysong is fascinated by the rise of low-fare airlines. Fascinated and horrified. He wonders why his employers at a major airline haven't caught on to the low-fare trend, and in a just-posted commentary, he berates his bosses for their incomprehensible ticket pricing. Posted 7:15 a.m. | Send us your comments.

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