Journeyetc

Journeyetc


Soho Beach Club Opens in Miami

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 04:26 PM PDT

There's another reason for you to go to Miami and celebrate the beach, the most beautiful people alive who just happen to be clad in bikinis, and the seemingly endless supply of sunlight. The Soho just opened its Beach House in Miami and it's showing a lot of promise, so far.

Of course there's a long waiting list (news: 750 people just got ahead of you) and a hefty fee ($1,500) for membership, but if you want the facilities bad enough, you can be a fortunate stranger and check in at the hotel. You'll have to make a call for beach house reservations, though, because the last time we checked, the online reservation tool on the Soho Beach House website seemed to have done a Houdini on us.

The rates are listed, though, and they begin at a mere $400 a night. Of course, that's only for the "side room" which is a humble but cozy 300 x 400 feet of space. If you want something more spacious, you'll have to shell out $625 or more. That's the starting rate for Beachside Rooms.


Airlines Improve Peak Season Perfomance

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 04:20 PM PDT

U.S. airlines which are notorious for having their flights delayed during peak seasons actually improved their performance the past summer. According to New York reports, there was only one aircraft delayed in the tarmac, and the delay was no more than three hours.

Generally, the airlines were able to bring their passengers to their destination on schedule, with the on-time rating of eighteen major airlines raised to 81.7%. This rating bested their performances in the past months. When they checked further, a rating that good during a peak season hasn't been recorded in years, which is a good sign for travelers and airline companies.

Among the best performers were the Hawaiian Airlines and the Alaska Airlines. Third on the list is Continental Air. Those who didn't perform so well included Comair (for its regional flights with Delta), Jetblue, and Delta Air. They were able to trace the improved general performance of the airlines when none of the 18 major players cancelled their flights.

Usually, when the flight is delayed for more than three hours, the airline company cancels the flight to dodge fines. United Flight 700 (San Juan, Puerto Rico – Washington Dulles) was the only plane to be delayed for more than three hours on August 5. Even this flight didn't do so bad, being delayed for only 20 minutes over three hours.

The peak travel season last August was the fourth month they've imposed the tarmac rule, and so far, it seems to be doing its magic. There were only eight delays on the tarmac recorded from May to August of this year, compared to 66 flights which were recorded in the same timeframe last year (2009).

Despite the recorded improvements, though, U.S. passengers still seem to be unsatisfied. Complaints are still piling up, mostly about delays, cancelations, ticketing, lost/mishandled baggage, and customer service. Ironically, the complaints rose, from July 2009's 924 complaints to the 1012 complaints file the same month this year.


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