Southwest to Bid for Frontier

Leading no-frills, low-fare carrier to bid for Denver-based Frontier. Keep fingers crossed

Frontier Airlines is in bankruptcy protection right now. Republic Airways Holdings seemed poised to take over the Denver-based carrier, its convenient A-Gates at Denver International Airport and, hopefully, bring it out of bankputcy while retaining Coloradans loyalty for this home-grown carrier. A just just-released news from Southwest Airlines indicates that it too is now in the running. Republic indicated that it planned to operate Frontier independently. Whether Southwest would do so is an unknown, but its track record is fantastic. In the best of all worlds as I see it, Southwest's bid would be successful, and that company would run Frontier but under its original colors and with those clever "spokesanimals" on the tail.

Below Southwest's just-out press release as it relates to customers, with the section for the investment/financial community deleted:

Title: Southwest Airlines Developing Bid Proposal in Frontier Airlines Bankruptcy Court Proceeding
Date: 7/30/2009 1:20:00 PM

Low-Fare Carrier Seeks to Acquire Frontier Airlines

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV)
confirmed today that the carrier is preparing a bid to acquire Denver-based
Frontier Airlines, which will be sold at auction in bankruptcy court next
month. The carrier has submitted a nonbinding proposal in accordance with the
bidding procedures established in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern
District of New York. The bid is worth a minimum of $113.6 million, which is
in excess of the bid currently filed by Republic Airways.

Submission of a nonbinding proposal gives Southwest an opportunity to
engage with Frontier in the due diligence required to determine the scope of a
binding proposal to be submitted by the court's Aug. 10, 2009, deadline.

"We are excited about the opportunity to submit a bid," said Gary Kelly,
Southwest's Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO. "We see a strong fit
between our Company cultures, a mutual commitment to high quality Customer
Service, and similar entrepreneurial roots."

A successful acquisition of Frontier Airlines will allow Southwest to
expand its network with its legendary low fares, add jobs into Southwest, and
boost competition in Denver and other cities. Southwest is a qualified
investor and is still preparing its proposal; therefore, it is premature to
comment on the specifics at this point.

To view a Q&A with a Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President Corporate
Services and Corporate Secretary Ron Ricks, please visit:
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/southwest-bids-frontier-airlines.

Frontier filed for bankruptcy court protection in April 2008. On June 22,
2009, Republic Airways submitted a bid to purchase Frontier for $108.8
million.

After 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines offers a reliable product
with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the most productive
airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience
with all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom. Southwest recently
updated its gate areas and improved its boarding procedure to make flying
Southwest Airlines even more convenient and simple. Southwest Airlines
currently serves 66 cities in 33 states, and announced service to Boston
Logan, which begins Aug. 16, 2009, and to Milwaukee, which begins Nov. 1,
2009. Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more
than 35,000 Employees systemwide.

Hotel Review Sites: Useful or Misleading?

Thoughts about hired reporters vs. "volunteers" who post about travel

A few months ago, I needed a last-minute hotel/motel room in Santa Monica. I foolishly booked online without doing due diligence and found myself trapped in the Pacific Sands Motel, which I have described to friends as the "worst motel in the country." I blogged about here. Had I read the traveler-generated reviews on, say, TripAdvisor.com before booking, I might have suspected that it is a pit. But then again, when I looked later, I saw some positive write-ups that might not have deterred me. I've always suspected that some of the good reviews of bad places (and defensive comments to negative reviews) were plants.

Pauline Frommer, whose budget travel genes are as pure as Prince Charles's to the English throne, recently addressed that very topic, "Some marketing folks spend their time posting bogus reviews for the hotels that hire them. The practice of 'buzz marketing' has now become so widespread that TripAdvisor has recently started posting warnings on reviews it thinks may be fake. (I doubt very much they’ll be able to catch more than a small fraction of the fake reviews.)"

She went on to describe Oyster.com, which focuses only on hotels and, more significantly, "sends out a small army of young journalists (right) to write reviews....[who] post numerous pictures, crawl around on the floor looking for scuff marks and cigarette burns (or at least they say they do in their posts) and most importantly, compare and contrast the properties in an informed way."

Frommer praises their energy and accepts their objectivity, but she cautions that prices and price categories are the new site's major weakness. For instance, in examining the listings and reviews in New York, with which she is up-to-date familiar, she finds several properties misplaced, pricewise, and also believes that the averages were calculated in January and February, "the two cheapest months of the year." She added, "The reviewers also seem to be so focused on what’s going on in the hotel that they tend to ignore a key factor in picking where to stay: location. The amenities and charms of particular neighborhoods over others are glossed over lightly on the site." That is directly to contrary to the dreadful Pacific Sands Motel across from the Santa Monica pier, whose location for many people trumps its abundant flaws.

From where I sit in a fly-over state, a glaring flaw that still currently exists is its extreme geographic limitation: currently Aruba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Las Vegas ("coming soon"), Miami and New York. Three Caribbean destinations and three mainland cities. That's it.

My travel plans include none of the above, and when I go to New York, my favorite and most economical accommodation is the Hotel Fold-Out Couch at a friend's place. Still, Pauline Frommer's recommendation, even with caveats, carries considerable weight, so I share it here.

Frontier's Larry the Lynx Commercial Wins an Emmy

There nust be something about airliners' tails....

Back in airlines' bright, shiny and profitable days ( i.e., the '70s) and when they sought to attract the traveling businessman with slightly provacative commercials, Continental Airlines ran a television commercial that claimed,

"We really move our tails for you.

We make your every wish come true.

Fly Continental Airlines.

We really move our tails for you."

The follow-up described Continental planes, in their former livery (right), as "proud birds with golden tails." Ah, the fantasy of shapely young stewardesses aiming to please.

Fast-forward to the 21st century, when more overtly sexy commercials fill the airwaves (the current Cadillac commercial presented ad nauseum during the Tour de France), but even the most clueless creative department won't pretend that air travel today is sexy.

An ad campaign for Denver-based Frontier Airlines, which is about to become part of the Republic Airways group (but hopefully will retain its own identity), has been running an ad campaign that is cute, clever and memorable. Talking animals on the tails of Frontier planes extol the virtues of Frontier, and one of them is now a regional Emmy winner.

The honored ad features Larry the Lynx (right) and Jack the Rabbit, two of the "spokesanimals" adorning the tails of Frontier's planes, who explain that the airline has switched to leather seats. Larry adds that Frontier doesn't have a cow its planes, because "It would be creepy." Click here to see the Emmy-winning commercial.

Rebirth of Snowcat Skiing at Irwin Lodge -- Hopefully

Once the largest snowcat skiing venue in the US, Irwin Lodge might come out of mothballs

From 1986 to 2002, the Irwin Lodge off the Kebler Pass Road 23 miles from Crested Butte was the country biggest and best-known backcountry skiing operations. A 24-room lodge (below) located in a former mining camp accommodated overnight guests in rustic comfort and great congeniality. Sublime skiing on 600 to 700 inches of snow per year within a permit area of 1,600 acres with a vertical of up to 2,100 feet per run made for memorable experiences. When the previous operator pulled out of the backcountry business in 2002, the lodge was put on the market for $3.95 million. No sale. Now, a glimmer of resurrection is on the horizon.

Alan Bernholtz, Town Council member of six years, mayor of Crested Butte, founder of and senior guide for Crested Butte Mountain Guides, co-founder of the Crested Butte Avalanche Center, activist and indefatigable organizer of and volunteer at community events, has established Irwin Backcountry Guides LLC in the hopes of starting operation for the winter 2009-10 for extremely limited guided snowcat day skiing and snowboarding. You can read the USFS letter inviting comments to this proposal by click here. Bernoltz has already made some modifications to his original applications to comply with initial US Forest Service requests and is awaiting approval for to set up service for the coming winter. From a distance, the lodge (below) appears in good shape.

As solid as the lodge looks from a distance, bringing it back into operating condition after seven winters at 10,700 feet in the Colorado Rockies is daunting. The good news is that the roof appears largely intact, in in the great scheme of things, it probably is. However, a closeup reveals the toll that seven winters have taken on the cedar siding, doors and windows. "No trespassing" signs abound, and pink plastic tape surrounds the property, so a micro-inspection is not possible. Locals have told me that all or most of the furnishings are gone, and that the inside would need a lot of work to make it habitable.

Irwin Backcountry Guides has reportedly rehabilitated a cabin on the property to use as a warming hut and perhaps lunch spot for day visitors. I think the cabin below with its spiffy adjacent outhouse must be it. This cabin nestles a couple of hundred feet below the main lodge.

The initial permit application is for just 10 skiers or riders per day, but the buzz in town swirls around the possibility of eventual heli-skiing operations at the Irwin Lodge site. I see two results if that is approved: the lodge would have to be massively rehabilitated and a lot of townsfolk who treasure open backcountry access will be massively pissed, especially if the operation is aimed at attracting the kind of deep-pocketed clientele that can afford heli-skiing.

Meanwhile, there is not yet dedicated contact information for Irwin Backcountry Guides, but you can certainly reach them via Crested Butte Mountain Guides, P.O, Box 1718, Crested Butte, Colorado 81224; 970-349-5430.

Tour de France Travel Guide

Illustrated guidebook to the Tour's routes, climbs and towns

Every July, my husband and I are gripped by the human drama, athletic competition and sheer scenic splendor of the Tour de France, now cheerintelecast daily in the US by Versus. Especially that it's now in high definition, we watch the crowds in achingly charming cities and towns, the scenic rural roads past farms and vineyards, the cheering fans that choke down the mountain climbs and the fast descents from the alpine zones into the greenery. Every year, we talk about how fine it would be to follow the Tour in person, and every year I enter the online contest on the longest of shots that we'll win a trip for the following year.

We probably will never get there, but now there's a vicarious way to get the inside info. Graham Watson’s recently published Tour de France Travel Guide provides insider’s access based on 31 years of following and photographing the race. According to the publisher, VeloPress, "Watson has mastered the Tour’s daily challenges—where to eat, where to sleep, how to get around, how to see and photograph the race, and most of all, how to enjoy the greatest show on two wheels."

This beautifully illustrated guidebook features hundreds of Graham’s stunning photographs, full-color maps, travel tips, checklists and travel resources, plus such special features as clever menu decoder, tips on how to meet the riders, a glossary of French cycling terms, some history historical on each region of France visited by the Tour and even a chapter on how to photograph the Tour like a pro. I guess my trusty little digital camera won't cut it. Again according to the publisher, "this book presents a fresh and unique strategy for getting around the Tour’s many daily obstacles to find a front-row seat for all the action."

The price is $24.95, which is a lot less than actually being there.

Straphangers in the Sky

Will "vertical seating" at Ryanair, the pioneering low-fare airline's latest wild idea, fly?

Ryanair, a brash super-discount airline based in Ireland, is always coming up with innovative and even outrageous ideas about packing as many bodies as possible into airplanes or deriving revenue from something other than the air fare itself. Ryanair recently conducted a two-week poll of passengers about "vertical seating."

Reportedly already available on some Asian airlines, passengers would lean back in their "seats" and would be buckled up, unlike straphangers on buses or subways. Ryanair wondered whether its passengers would be willing to fly that way if it meant free or super-super-cheap tickets.

The Ireland-based airline released the results of 88,000 passengers who participated in the poll:

Q. If it meant your flight was free, would you stand on a one-hour flight?

A. Yes 66 percent; No 34 percent

Q. If it meant your flight was half that of a seated passenger, would you stand on a one-hour flight?

A. Yes 42 percent; No 58 percent

Q. Do you think passengers should have a choice of sitting or standing as they do on buses, trains and underground transport?

A. Yes 60 percent; No 40 percent

Other than the oxymoronic nature of "vertical seating" itself, I have a few questions. How do you place a carryon under the seat in front of you if there is no seat in front of you? And how can the equate the choice between standing, or rather sitting vertically, on a plane with the ground transportation their poll mentioned. People who choose to stand while commuting generally have no choice. They do so because all the seats are taken -- and there is no fare differential between those who sit and those who stand.

Addition & Subtraction in Tourism Promotion

Israel Tourist Authority "claims" extra land that it has; Michigan "forgets" one-third of its state

The back page of New Mexico magazine is called "One of Our 50 is Missing," filled with anecdotes and examples about people (some of them officials of some level of government) who think New Mexico is somehow part of Old Mexico rather than the United Sates. The license plate even includes USA to clarify in which country a vehicle is registered. That makesNew Mexico accurate and proactive in identifying itself.

Not so the state of Michigan and the State of Israel whose mistaken maps promoting tourism to their area had to be pulled or corrected.

The Associated Press reported on a kerfuffel caused after Michigan released a map without the Upper Peninsula, separated by two Great Lakes from the more populous lower section. AP noted that the "U.P., which is about the size of Denmark and bigger than nine U.S. states, only has 3% of the state's population" was missing from a map released by Michigan itself. The correct map is shown to the upper right.

Some "Yoopers," as U.P. residents call themselves, felt slighted last year when a state-sponsored tourism commercial only showed the more populous peninsula to the south. The TV ad was later fixed." U.P. residents, who refer to themselves as Yoopers, have legislaion on their side requiring their forested, rural portion of the state to be included on all oficial maps.

The AP report continued, "Last year, some high school students from Escanaba wrote to a textbook publisher after a map in a history book appeared to exclude the U.P. from the borders of the United States. The map colored the U.P. white — like the void surrounding the country — while the rest of Michigan was shaded light blue. The map identified states by their postal codes; the U.P. was designated "IL," for Illinois — which had no label. Other maps have shown the U.P. as part of Wisconsin or Canada.

Meanwhile, across he Atlantic, a poster promoting visitation to Israel was withdrawn by a UK truth-in-advertising watchdog called the Advertising Standards Authority after 442 people complained that a map on the poster (lower right) shows the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights as part of Israel. According to a report in The Guardian, the Tourism Ministry responded that the map was "a general schematic tourism and travel map, rather than a political map."