Airbus Crashes Before it Leaves the Plant

An Airbus 360-600 plane due to be delivered to Etihad Airways crashed during ground tests at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) before it ever left the plant (that airport is part of Airbus Industrie complex). According to a report by Aviation Safety Net, "the wheels were not chocked. Some engine and brake tests were carried out and all four engines were on high power for about three minutes. The aircraft began to move forward and hit a concrete blast fence thirteen seconds later. The nose went up and through a blast fence. Five persons were injured."

According to a slightly different report by Germany's Spiegel, "A crash during the testing of a new Airbus jet has left 10 people injured, three seriously, in the French city of Toulouse. French government officials reported that the nine people on board, including three seriously, and one person on the ground were injured."

In any case, click on the Aviation Safety Net and/or Spiegel link. The images are amazing. I for one am glad that pilots tend to be a lot more methodical than the mechanics, technicians and/or engineers who were involved in this November 15 test. Etihad is the airline of the United Arab Emirates -- and no, I never heard of it before either.

Shortly after the incident, BBC reported that "those hurt belonged to a firm contracted to test the plane before delivery." Does Blackwater test aircraft?, I wonder.

Windjammer Continues Canceling Cruises

Twice before I have posted the sorry news about Windjammer Barefoot Cruises' problems -- once in August when the company's problems were becoming too apparent to ignore and again earlier this month when it appeared that the fleet had all but sailed its last cruise. It appears that the company is continuing to schedule cruises, book passengers, presumably collect their money and then cancel in the last minute, often not notifying passengers until they are practically ready to board their ship.

Just a few days ago, WBC canceled the scheduled December 8 cruise on the "Legacy," the only one of the four tall ships that was reportedly still in good enough condition to sail. According to CruiseMates' electronic newsletter, "The news was revealed deep within the non-affiliated message board web site called the Flotilla which Windjammer Cruises uses as its main contact point for its customers. Windjammer president Joey Burke says in a message entitled 'Happy Thanksgiving' that '4 more crew members are leaving so I guess the sailing for the 8th is definitely off. [...] I have a 2 week charter on the Legacy on beginning 23rd, I guess that will be the official startup.'"

The president guesses! I'm not guessing that this is no way to run a railroad -- I mean a cruise line, no matter how low-key and modest it might be. CruiseMates, which knows more about the fine points of cruise law than I do, continues, "Knowingly selling cruises on ships that cannot sail is illegal according the Florida Sellers of Travel statutes. The pattern to date (since November 3) has been to continue selling cruises on the 'Legacy' and then cancel them at the last minute."

Florida law might not reach far into the heart of WBC, which seems to be owned by a family trust whose official address is the Isle of Man, an island in the Irish Sea that is a tax-free haven for all sorts off-shore businesses that find it desirable to be away from more heavily regulated jurisdictions.

The Internet is a wonderful thing. When I Googled "Windjammer, Isle of Man,"one name that appeared on a list of speakers at some sort of seminar put on by or sponsored by Off-Shore Magazine: "Denis Kleinfeld is General Counsel to Four Points Family Office, (USVI) and a principal of The Kleinfeld Law Firm, a Miami, Florida based law firm with associated offices in London, England, and Geneva, Switzerland, and a Director of Windjammer Cruises. Mr Kleinfeld's primary practice focus is on sophisticated national and international income, estate and wealth protection planning for individuals and privately held companies."

Unfortunately, Windjammer Barefoot Cruises appears to have no interest in protecting or respecting its customers' plans or money.

A Smart Way to Get a Good Seat on Southwest

People who are still deluded into thinking that airline travel is a glamorous or comfortable or luxurious travel experience (except in the front of the plane where it still has some of those attributes) don't seem to like Southwest Airlines' first-come, first-seated policies. They somehow prefer being assigned a seat by a computer and still being called by boarding group. I don't quite understand this, because I believe that airplane travel these days is no more glamorous or luxurious than taking a bus or commuter train -- and considerably less comfortable at that.

I was quite impressed by a recent "Coach Class" posting on the tactics one frequent Southwest flyer employs to get the best possible seat. It's copyrighted, so I can't copy it onto this blog, but if you are flying Southwest, it's worth a look. Southwest is modifying its boarding process and "Boarding School," the carrier's online description of the details, is clever enough to merit a click. It shows that this innovative, low-fare carrier exhibits considerable creative flair and light-heartedness, two qualities in short supply in the airline business.

Chris Elliott's List of Top Travel Blogs

Christopher Elliott, whom I would definitely list among the top travel bloggers, published 'The 7 Most Influential Travel Bloggers of 2007.' Here's his list, but you need to click on his blog to find out why he selected them:

Mark Ashley's Upgrade: Travel Better
Paul Brady's Jaunted
Arthur Frommer's Frommers
Holly Hegeman's PlaneBuzz
Wendy Perrin's Perrin Post
Ben Popken's Consumerist (travel being just of the consumer issues Popken and his team cover)
Rick Seaney's Rick Seaney

Elliott then went on to name these 7 rising stars with growing influence:

Delta Airlines' own corporate blog
Joe Brancatelli's Summer of Our Discontent (Brancatelli also maintains Joe Sent Me, which IMHO is a better name for a travel site or blog from a guy named Joe.)
Peter Greenberg's PeterGreenberg
Jeanne LeBlanc's Coach Class
National Geographic Traveler's Intelligent Travel
Bill Marriott's Marriott on the Move
Southwest Airlines' Nuts About Southwest

I am totally confident (wink! wink!) that if Elliott had assembled a list of the 7 up-and-comers right behind the 7 rising stars that are right behind the 7 influentials, Travel-Babel would be on it, right Chris? After all, I'm an individual without a paycheck or a regular gig from the likes of the National Geographic Society, Conde-Nast, Marriott Hotels, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, the Hartford Courant, 'The Today Show,' etc. -- though influence and reliable (and presumably sizable) checks certainly are not mutually exclusive. Far from it. My only regular gig is providing ski content to frommers.com, and trust me when I tell you that's not a high-paying outlet.

In my own modest, individual way, I think I'm right at the threshold of the influentials. I believe that Travel-Babel was the first with a post about Bill Marriott's blog, less than two months after he launched it. Even though I don't usually write about cruise ships or the Caribbean, I sounded a fairly early alarm about Windjammer Barefoot Cruises' problems and later wrote about their eventual meltdown. Travel-Babel was one of the few travel blogs to report on the accident and eventual sinking of the "Explorer" during an Antarctic cruise just last week. I tried to sort out the conflicting early reports that came from wire services and mainstream online media.

I could perhaps do more if I focused on just one thing, but I don't. In addition to Travel-Babel (which includes destination reports as well as travel news and consumer issues), I maintain blogs on Colorado-centric (but not Colorado exclusive) culinary/food topics and one on Nordic Walking, an increasingly popular form of fitness walking with poles. And oh yes, I do write books and magazine articles. Perhaps I'd be more influential if I weren't spreading myself and my words so thin. With 14 more influential blogs to follow, I'm probably going to be spreading myself even thinner.

NY Times on Airline Inequities

My inbox contains a growing number of press releases and promotional messages from airlines promising great service (i.e., flight attendants who are truly attentive), wide seats, with lots of legroom, food created by name chefs, personal entertainment systems, outlets for laptops and iPods, magazines and, for longhaul flights, bedlike seats that can lie flat. The great majority of these features are reserved for the passengers in the front of the plane, domestically and especially on international flights.

For everyone else packed into "steerage," flying is more a trial that a pleasure. The New York Times noticed too, in its usual articulate way, in a feature called "Class Conflict." Michelle Higgins, who writes the "Practical Traveler" column, likened the back of the plane to the ninth circle of Hell. She wrote that "flying in coach has become an increasingly miserable experience. Legroom is practically nonexistent. Passengers are more tightly packed together. Hot meals have been eliminated. Ditto pillows and blankets. And the next time that guy in front of you leans his seat back directly into your face, few of your fellow passengers are likely to blame you if you feel a brief, murderous urge to strike back."

She interviewed an executive who told of an appalling American Airlines Dallas-Honolulu roundtrip flight and told her that the audio for the movie was broken, the light indicating whether the lavatory was occupied was "squirrely" and confusing, and the food alledgedly available for purchase ran out before the entire cabin was served. On his return, the audio worked but only in Spanish, and his seat would not stay in the upright position, which is required for takeoff and landing. Of course, it the plane was not totally full, he might have been able to move at those times, but if it was, he wouldn't have been able to comply with the rules.

The Times observed, "The fact is that airlines, flying so close to full capacity today, have realized that they really don’t have to cater to economy passengers — most of whom are booking on price alone, and who increasingly have no real airline loyalty — because the cost of doing so would never be worth it in pure bottom-line terms." At United, according to the report, eight percent of the passengers generate 36 percent of the airline's revenue.

As a thrifty flyer, I am ambivalent about all this. I do believe that you get what you pay for and those front-cabin passengers do pay a lot more than those in the back of the plane, but a fully functioning airplane (including seatbacks, lights and even audio systems that work) should be a given in both cabins.

The article is fascinating, citing how much money various airlines claim to have saved by cutting out meals and even snacks, eliminating pillows and blankets and other former comforts that even coach passengers were once able to expect. The piece noted that many discount carriers now have better amenities than mainstream carriers. It also include online place for venting anger ( flyertalk.com, airlinerage.com and flightsfromhell.com) and for reading other travelers' rants.

"Explorer" Goes Down

Yesterday's two-part post on the expedition ship "Explorer's" unfortunate encounter with an iceberg, or submerged ice, had an inevitable ending. Twenty or so hours after the ship hit the ice, she sank. I intentionally wrote "unfortunate" rather than "tragic," because no one died and no one has been reported as having suffered more than hypothermia, which would have been tragic indeed. A number of reports of the incident are available online, but the piece written by Moira Welch and Emily Mathieu of the Toronto Star carries a special poignancy because the ship as owned by Toronto-based G.A.P. Adventures. They wrote, "The first cruise ship built to ply the waters off Antarctica became the first ever to sink there." R.I.P. "Explorer."

At last report, many (or perhaps most) of the passengers were airlifted from a Chilean air base to Punta Arenas, Chile, on Saturday and the rest, who seem to have spent a night at an Uruguayan base, were expect to follow on Sunday.

Details were posted on the G.A.P. Adventures website: "Explorer Update (24 November 18:40 EST) All passengers and crew, including the captain of M/S Explorer, are completely safe and in good spirits.The first flight from King George Island has now landed in Punta Arenas, Chile. 75 passengers and 2 staff/crew members were onboard the flight. 11 passengers and 66 staff and crew remain on King George Island and, weather permitting, will be flown to Punta Arenas tomorrow. All passengers are safe and in good spirits. One passenger has reported a sore foot and has been taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. Representatives from the consular offices of Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States are on the ground in Punta Arenas working with G.A.P Adventures staff to assist passengers. Flights home from Punta Arenas are being coordinated."

"Explorer" Hits Iceberg en Route to Antarctica

When I posted the entry below a couple of hours ago, I wrote that I wouldn't keep monitoring all the reports -- but of course, I did. The New York Times web page includes an image of the red-hulled "Explorer" lying practially on her side in amid the ice floes in forbodingly gray water. The site also includes a link to a podcast interview by the Times' Andy Revkin with travel journalist Jon Bowermaster, who happened to be a guest lecturer aboard the "National Geographic Endeavor," which reached the stricken "Explorer" at about the same time as the "Nord Norge." He reported that by the time the two ships reached the scene at 3:00 a.m., passengers and crew had been in lifeboats for about four hours.

The Times report, written by Revkin and Graham Bowley, indicated that the engine room was flooded early in the incident. According to the report, this was not the first time this same ship, which was built in 1969, had experienced problems in these dangerous waters. The Times reporters wrote, "In February 1972, the Explorer, then operating for a Norwegian line as the Lindblad Explorer, ran aground close to the same spot, in similar circumstances. Amid the heaving seas, all her passengers then — mostly Americans — had to be rescued by the Chilean Navy."

While earlier reports indicated that the ship had a double hull, the Times reported: "It had a double bottom, a second sheath of steel to protect it if the ship runs aground, but the vessel did not have a double hull, a complete second complete sheathing of steel — developed after the Titanic, with a double bottom, sank. Built in 1969, the Explorer was small, to move swiftly through dangerous waters."

When passengers are required to attend a lifeboat drill shortly after boarding any ship, they usually do so a bit grudgingly, thinking they will never need to know how to put on their life jackets or to which lifeboat station they are assigned. But I'm betting the approximately 100 passengers on the "M/S Explorer" (above left, during a normal Antarctic trip), a relatively small expedition ship and not a luxury cruise ship, were glad they knew what to do and where to go when she hit an iceberg and began taking on water.

All of the passengers and 54 crew members escaped without injury and were taken aboard the "M/S Nord Norge," which then went on King George Island in the South Shetlands. The"Explorer" was "in a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom," according to CNN's report of the incident. The "Nord Norge" reportedly had room for the "Explorer's" pasengers who might want to continue on their trip, according to Susan Hayes of Toronto-based G.A.P. Adventures, which owns the ship.

She told CNN that "there was plenty of time for calm evacuation" and pointed out that passengers heading for Antarctica are equipped for cold weather. When the incident occurred on Thursday night, air temperatures were said to be 23 degrees Fahrenheit, with sea temperature at just around freezing. That's springtime in Austral waters.

Again according to CNN, "Capt. Carlos Munita of the Chilean navy said they received a distress call from the Explorer, saying the vessel had hit an iceberg around 10 p.m. ET Thursday. G.A.P. Adventures spokeswoman Susan Hayes said it was not an iceberg but a 'submerged piece of ice.' She added that while the ship was listing at 35 degrees or more it was not clear whether it would sink." Susan Hayes from Gap adventures talks about the rescue mission.

Several online news reports have been posted, and I'm not going to keep track of all of them, but I've seen various numbers of passengers (91 to over 100). At last report, the ship had not sunk but was listing 35 degrees. CNN reported that "Explorer" was 12 days into a 19-day program according, but on a 25-day itinerary, according to timesonline.com. Also, different media cited different numbers regarding the degree the ship was listing (initially 21 degrees, then 35 and later as much as 40), but of course, that changes as crews try to pump water out faster that it flows in. The collision with the iceberg or submerged piece of ice reportedly left a fist-size hole in the hull, but water was coming in through resulting cracks.

G.A.P. Adventures' website describes the "Explorer": "At only 75 meters in length and equipped with an ice hardened double hull and a fleet of robust zodiacs, she is a go-anywhere ship for the go-anywhere traveller." My first reaction was: Imagine how much worse the circumstances would have been if she were single-hulled ship. Later, I wondered how such a small puncture could wreak such damage on a vessel of that size.

In some ways, I can identify with the entire situation. My husband and I and a friend traveled to Antarctica some years ago aboard the "Disko," a ship built for coastal travel in Greenland where it subsequently ran aground. The "Disko" was not built for the rough Drake Passage that we crossed between Ushuaia, Argentina, and the Antarctic Peninsula and where the "Explorer" ran into trouble. That was our sole Antarctic experience, but our friend has been back twice since then. Antarctica is that captivating! As a guest blogger on Feast, I recently reviewed a book called Berserk in the Antarctic, about an unbelievable crossing of the Drake in a 27-foot sailboat called "Berserk." Few people would have given the little Berserk odds of making it to Antarctica and back but she did, and few people would have given the "Explorer" odds of not making it.

The Beetle of the Skies?

A New York Times Great Getaways advertorial message that arrived in my inbox this morning reads: "Öntimenleiven means you'll be impressed by Lufthansa's punctuality. You'll also appreciate nohassleböarden, and the warm greetings you'll receive from Lufthansa personnel. Once on board, you can settle into your schnöozenseat to be pampered in comfort for your entire journey. It all adds up to eazenträvel for you to over 400 worldwide destinations."

It brought to mind the old Volkswagen ad campaign featuring a real German word, Fahrvergnügen -- meaning "driving pleasure." Then I thought of Häagen-Dazs ice cream, a premium brand that is part of the Dreyer's multi-brand ice cream empire, which I think is now produced under a joint venture company of Pillsbury and Nestle. In any case, before it became a cog in a multi-national corporate wheel, Häagen-Dazs was developed and named in the Bronx. Rueben Mattus, who founded the brand, thought that non-English combination of letters and random umlaut conveyed Continental quality and tradition.

Lufthansa's new ad -- whether only online or also in the print media -- uses pseudo-German words to convey the same message. Just as well that we can enjoy such ersatz (real German for "substitute" or even "phony") Continentalism here, because the dollar is continuing to fall against other currencies, and at $1.48 dollars to the euro (yesterday's close), many American travelers won't be able to afford the real thing.

Wine Tasting Shop Possible at DIA

Back in September, I reported that Denver International Airport was looking at new, more upscale concessions. While the notion of yet more chains was dispiriting, the possibility of more (and better) options was encouraging. Little did I know that during that very month, San Francisco-based Taste Inc. opened its first Vino Volo Wine Room at an airport location. What a clever play on words that is. Vino volo is Italian for "wine flight," a tasting term that is also perfect for airport locations with good wine.

These cozy, comfortable facilities (right) are a combination of wine lounge and restaurant serving small plates, tasting bar and boutique wine retail area. World wines are available by the glass, in small-pour wine flights and by the bottle. All Vino Volo tasting rooms are in post-security areas. Currently, they can be found at Terminal A at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), Terminal A at Sacramento International Airport (SMF), the Central Terminal Marketplace at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Concourse C at Washington-Dulles Airport (IAD) and new American Airlines Terminal 8 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). No less than the Wall Street Journal called it "a suave chain of wine bars with first-rate food."

The Denver Post reported today that the company and Denver International Airport are discussing opening one at DIA too. I certainly hope they come to an agreement. It's one kind of chain that I wouldn't mind at all, because while it can't make the flights any more comfortable, the wait will be more civilized.

On-Again, Off-Again Hawaii Superferry is On Again

After optimistic predictions and unexpected setbacks, the Hawaii Superferry will finally start Oahu-Maui service on December 1. The inaugural passenger fare is $29 one-way through December 20, 2007. From December 21 through March 12, 2008, it will rise to $39. These special inaugural fares are available only with an advance purchase basis. Reservations are required from www.HawaiiSuperferry.com or 877-HI-FERRY (877-443-3779).

Inaugural vehicle fares are $55 one-way for cars and $35 for motorcycles, scooters and mopeds. The fuel surcharge has been waived for these promotional fares. Automatic refunds will be issued to customers who previously purchased tickets at a higher fare for travel December 1, 2007 to March 12, 2008.

Hawaii Superferry initially is offering one daily roundtrip, leaving Honolulu at 6:30 a.m. and arriving in Kahului at 9:30 a.m.. and departing Kahului at 11:00 a.m. and arriving in Honolulu at 2:00 p.m. No date has yet been set for Kauai service.

Aspen Flights to Divert to Grand Junction?

A lifetime ago, before Vail-Eagle County Airport was expanded to handle commercial aviation (and probably before it even bore that name, Grand Junction's Walker Field was considered a reasonable air gateway to Aspen. It was closer than Denver via a drive without two high passes. In fact, some ski tour operators packaged Aspen land arrangements with Grand Junction flights.

At this writing, Colorado still hasn't experienced more than dustings of snow here and there (see my previous post), so a recent report in the Grand Junction Sentinel carries a bit of surrealism. But memories are sharp of the heavy blizzards that played havoc with traffic at Denver International Airport, where many/most passengers flying to Aspen transfer -- and small mountain airports like Aspen's carry their own weather vulnerabilities. Last winter, 335 Aspen flights were canceled, requiring alternate arrangements for some 15,000 passengers. (How those flying into Aspen might have been affected was not covered in the report, but then again, it's hard to feel sorry for people with their own LearJets who might be inconvenienced.)

Sentinal reporter Mike McKibbin wrote that "The two largest airlines at the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport hope some planned schedule and operational changes, such as diverting more flights to Grand Junction when Aspen has heavy snow, will help them avoid problems encountered last winter.

"SkyWest, which operates United Express flights in Aspen, accounts for 75 percent of the Aspen airport’s commercial business, according to airport figures. SkyWest also operates Delta flights, while Mesa Airlines, US Airways and America West serve the airport, too.

"'Many of last winter’s canceled flights resulted from blizzards and inclement weather at other airports,' SkyWest spokeswoman Marissa Snow said. 'Blizzards that hit Denver immediately before and after Christmas led to the cancellation of several packed flights to Aspen,' she said."

Did you notice the quote about blizzards from some named Snow? About 30 daily commercial flights are scheduled for Aspen this winter, including SkyWest and Mesa Airlines commuters from Denver. Those are vulnerable to weather problems on the Front Range, though Denver International Airport itself has promised to improve its snow removal operations. Longer nonstops from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago and shorter ones from Phoenix and Salt Lake could also be affected in some situations.

Then, there were elevation issues impacting some Aspen Flights. McKibbin wrote, "Early-winter cancellations of SkyWest flights occurred last year when barometric pressure dropped lower than the level at which the CRJ-700 aircraft, which SkyWest uses in Aspen, was allowed to fly." Didn't SkyWest notice Aspen's elevation?, I wonder.

In any case, with new diversion plans in place and DIA ramping up its snow removal operations, a superstitious person might think that it won't snow at all. But I'm optimistic, not superstitious, so I'm hoping it will snow any day now.

Sketchy Start to the North American Ski Season

For skiers and snowboarders, the ideal winter would be one with cold weather for snowmaking through all of November, with real snow starting to fall on top of that just before Thanksgiving and enough natural snow all season long for wonderful spring conditions -- in New England and elsewhere in the Northeast and Quebec, the upper Midwest, the Rockies, the Sierra Nevada and other West Coast ranges and the Alps. There's hardly ever a winter like that. This year, Thanksgiving is on the 22nd, which is as early as it can possibly be, eliminating up to a week of wiggle room for snowmaking or real snow.

Last winter, snow in the Alps was frighteningly sparse, as it was in much of North America;'s snowbelt -- the Rockies being a notable exception. Things have flipped this year. The snow gods have smiled on the Alps so far this season. It is somewhat surprising that the low-elevation Kitzbühel Alpen group of mountains has enough natural snow to open at least 30 cable cars and lifts this weekend (groomer at work, right, in a photo taken on November 15). In fact, the Resterhöhe near Kitzbühel launched the season on November 2, which is very early indeed.


This year, with the exception of trails with ribbons of machine-made snow, much of the US West is still bare, and many resorts have postponed their opening dates. In Colorado, Eldora, Steamboat and Vail won't be open until December. Taos, NM, has pushed the season start back to mid-December. Even Grand Targhee, WY, has pushed back its season start date. In Utah, only Solitude is operating with two out of 64 runs open. Snowbasin intends to open for Thanksgiving and Sundance on December 7. No other resort has committed to an opening date. Colorado areas report how many lifts and what percentage of green circle, blue square and black diamond terrain is open rather than the number of runs. Among them, the seven areas within two hours of metro Denver plus Wolf Creek are running a total of 18 lifts among them.

In Vermont, Killington, Mount Snow and Okemo are open with four lifts each running. In New Hampshire, Bretton Woods was the first to open, and Attitash and Waterville Valley are cranking up this weekend.

Three notable North American exceptions are Whistler, BC; Banff/Lake Louise, AL, and Alyeska, near Anchorage. Whistler is opening on November 17 with two gondolas and three upper-mountain chairs and cautions about early-season conditions. Adjacent Blackcomb (some owner, joint lift ticket) opens November 22. Of thre three Banff/Lake Louise ski areas, Sunshine is the "most open," with the eight-passenger access gondola, five chairlifts, two moving carpets and 50 runs. Alyeska has logged 130 inches of since since November 1. Currently, the upper mountain boasts 84 inches of snowpack, midway has 48 inches and the base 22 inches. This winter could be on pace to break last year's all-time record over 28 inches of snow in December alone and 668 inches for the season, making Alyeska Resort one of the few with over 600 inches of annual snow.

Looks Like Curtains for Windjammer Barefoot Cruises

My report last summer on the problems that appeared to be sinking Windjammer Barefoot Cruises resulted in more Comments over a longer period than any other post in the history of this blog. Now, according to a report issued by CruiseMates.com's E-newsletter, the lid is on the coffin. All that remains is for it to be nailed shut (My words, not CruiseMates'.) I'm not a cruise authority, but I've been red-flagging this failing company -- gently and diplomatically, I hope, because I love those tall ships -- for months. I had hoped to be proved wrong, but it appears that I was right in my cautions.

CruiseMates' E-newsletter came to the point today and also promises a fuller report on its website:

"Two weeks ago, I was fooled by an interview I conducted with a representative from Windjammer cruises, Susan Burke The fact is, I asked her pointed questions about the company's assets, liabilies and plans the company had to find financial footing to keep it afloat. In the end, it turned out that she was misrepresenting the facts to me, if not outright 'lying.' In my book, the omission of critical information is just as egregious as giving someone misinformation.

"It turns out that the company is as close to bankruptcy as I have ever seen a company, and all indications are it is just a matter of time before that is a reality. The odd thing is that they refuse to admit it. Frankly, I have seen Windjammer say one thing and then turn around and do the opposite so many times now that I personally don't believe anything they have to say anymore."

More Airport Security Lapses

Maybe I'm just dense, but I can't figure out why we all have to go through such TSA-mandated security procedures at airports when government investigators managed to pass through screening at 19 unnamed airports with bomb-making components, according to a CNN report, which noted that "Investigators with bomb-making components in their luggage and on their person were able to pass through security checkpoints at 19 U.S. airports without detection, according to the Government Accountability Office."

According to CNN, GAO officials are expected to testify tomorrow before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. "The investigators reported that most of the time security officers followed Transportation Security Administration policies and procedures, but investigators were able to take advantage of 'weaknesses in TSA procedures and other vulnerabilities,'" according to the CNN report continued, without detailing those weaknesses -- of course, in the name of security.

So there we hapless travelers are -- at various times forced to surrender such dangerous objects as nail clippers and lip gloss, put most toiletries in our checked bags, put small quantities in a one-quart zip-lock plastic bag (no smaller or larger than one quart), remove our belts, empty our pockets, take laptops from bags and shuffle, shoeless, through metal detectors. For what? The procedures have taken much of the joy out of traveling -- and it doesn't appear that travelers are any the safer for it.

Thanksgiving weekend is coming up. Tens of millions of passengers will be enduring the TSA game at airports all over the country. I'm glad I'm roasting a turkey here!

Antarctic Adventures Aboard 'Berserk'

I was invited to be a guest blogger by my friend Rosemary Carstens who maintains an elegant quarterly E-publication and an equally elegant blog, both called Feast. She covers travel, art, food and books, which are passions we have in common. I wrote a review of Berserk, a wild tale of three mismatched shipmates (boatmates?) who crossed the world's roughest ocean in a dinky 27-foot sailboat. It's a great read -- and both incarnations of Feast provide great reads too.

Sometime in the future, I might post my review on this blog too, but meanwhile, use the link to visit Rosemary's sites.

I'm Writing About Ski Resorts for frommers.com

This season, I am writing ski resort profiles (called Slope Specs) and Rocky Mountain regional and global resort news for frommers.com. Now that the ski season is in our sights. It is finally cooling off in Colorado, it has reportedly been snowing in the Alps and New England ski areas are blowing snow like mad (and Bretton Woods, NH, is actually open). Despite the unseasonable warmth, the Denver Ski Show drew crowds this weekend, as savvy skiers and riders came to the Denver Convention Center to get good deals on lodging, lift tickets, packages, equipment and clothing. From Thursday through Sunday, it is the turn of New Englanders who can both get stoked and score deals at the upcoming Boston Ski Show. But back to frommers.com. You can see my first three resort profiles online: Killington, Keystone and Alpe d'Huez. While you're there, check up my ski news reports and other valuable travel information on the site.

Dollar Continues to Plunge

In today's currency trading, US$1.00 netted CDN$.96, .6815 Euro, 1.222 Swiss francs and .4580 British pounds. Great for Canadians and Europeans coming to the US but a real budget buster for Americans traveling elsewhere. If you are traveling abroad in the next few months and believe that the dollar's freefall has not ended, you might want to exchange some dollars into your destination's currency now.

Frequent Flyer Programs Compared

My most recent post on this blog, a mere two days ago, concerned frequent flyer programs in general -- and resources for using miles. Frequent flyer programs must be a hot topic these days. Denver Post reporter Kelly Yamagouchi's lead business section story today titled "Miles Puzzle Grows Knotty" with specific emphasis on how Southwest Airlines' increase in Denver service puts another wrinkle in the frequent flyer scene. Most useful is a chart comparing redemption rules, mileage expiration and blackout dates for Frontier's Early Returns, Southwest's Rapid Rewards and United's Mileage Plus. If you fly often and have stacked-up miles, it's worth clipping and saving the chart. If you look at it online, you'll have to click on it in order to enlarge it.

Help with Frequent Flyer Programs

In Boulder, CO, where I live, one of the growth industries is life coaching. If you engage a life coach, you pay him or her help you analyze your life, set goals and, theoretically, achieve them. I'm quite happy with my life, thank you -- except when I am trying to use some of my accumulated frequent flyer miles. Thanks to Michelle Singletary, a syndicated Washington Post personal finance columnist and broadcast reporter on such financial matters, I now have some resources -- coaches, if you will -- to help with next time I want to use some of my frequent flyer miles. She shared them with her readers, and I'm sharing them with you.

Randy Petersen and Tim Winship have devoted years and built reputations from untangling frequent flyer programs. You might think of them as life coaches for air travelers. Colorado-based Petersen publishes InsideFlyer magazine and maintains http://www.webflyer.com/ and http://www.flyertalk.com/. Winship was a contributing editor to Frequent Flyer magazine, which was published by OAG but has been folded in favor of on-line OAG Executive Travel. He also contributes a column to http://www.smartertravel.com/, and according to Singletary, publishes http://www.frequentflyer.com/.

The two teamed up to write Mileage Pro: The Insider's Guide to Frequent Flyer Programs, published by OAG Worldwide. It is $19.95 at bookstores; $23.90 directly from OAG with standard delivery and $27.90 with expedited delivery, and is also the November selection for the Post's Color of Money Book Club. The Travel Insider's review stated, "It seems for many of us, the more we know (about frequent flier programs) the more we realize we don't know." There I am -- waiting to be coached on to manage my miles better." The Travel Insider does take the authors and/or publisher to task for not including an index, but I guess you cant have everything. I'll suspend comment until I've actually seen it.

BTW, because a friend asked me, I arbitrarily selected "flyer" over "flier" for the spelling I'm using in this blog. Why? Because I wanted to. Now, if air travel frustrates you, go check out those other websites and buy the book.

"1000 Places to See...." Author on Tour

Patricia Schultz, a television producer for The Travel Channel and author of 1000 Places to See Before You Die, is coming to the Boulder Bookstore on November 28 to promote her new book, 1000 Places to See in the USA & Canada Before You Die. Not coincidentally, she produces a television show bearing the same title as her first, phenomenally successful book, which has topped the prestigious New York Times bestseller list. She will speak and sign in Boulder at 7:30 p.m. The bookstore is at 1107 Pearl Street; 303-447-2074. Before she arrives in Boulder, the following stops are scheduled for her November book tour (call the venues or check local media for times):

• November 10 - Miami Book Fair at Miami Dade College, 305-237-3000


• November 14 - Philadelphia Geographical Society, 610-649-5220


• November 17 - Howland Cultural Center, Beacon, NY, 845-831-4988 and 845-831-4614


• November 18 - Barnes & Noble, Kingston, NY, 845-336-0590

United to Begin Denver-London Service

United Airlines will inaugurate nonstop passenger and cargo service between Denver International Airport and London's Heathrow Airport on March 30, 2008. Introductory sale fares are $319 each way for travel Monday through Wednesday and $339 for travel Thursday through Sunday, based on roundtrip travel. Tickets must be purchased from the U.S by November 15, and travel must be completed by May 17. A Saturday overnight is required but, astonishingly and happily, there are no blackout dates.

Meanwhile, United's had been experimenting with dual-end jetways for boarding and exiting planes at DIA to speed up the processes by enabling passengers to use both the front and rear doors and cuts aircraft turn-around time. According to a Denver Post report, United is dropping the system due to a malfunction that damaged one of its aircraft.

Additional new service at DIA is for shorter flights but starting sooner. On Sunday, Southwest Airlines is adding non-stop flights to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Austin, Oklahoma and Seattle. With those, Southwest ups its Denver service to daily flights to 56.

DIA intends to streamline security screenings next year, reportedly becoming the nation's first airport to implement Total Queue Management. This system is designed to speed things up without jeopardizing security. Perhaps some prescreening is involved. Perhaps there's more to it. I just don't know.

Frontier Airlines seems closer to launching its Lynx commuter service, originally scheduled to start last summer.