Freesun News, weekly magazine for travel and tourism, Belgium

Monte-Carlo Travel Market Change Dimension...
From January 13th to 15th 2006, Monte Carlo Travel Market, the prestige tourism event, presents to the public and professionals a selection of the most exclusive travels in the world. Read more

Reorganized US Airways Group, Inc. Complete Merger With America West Airlines
• Merger Creates Nation’s Fifth Largest Domestic Airline
• Customer Benefits Include Domestic and International Routes, Low Fares, Full Service
• Company Begins Trading on the New York Stock Exchange Under the LCC Symbol
Read more

Fully satisfied with the Airbus A318s it operates that are now an integral part of the Airbus A320 family of aircraft, Air France has decided to exercise three of the ten purchase options it has on the A318, the smallest in the A320 family.
Pierre Vellay head of New Aircraft and Fleet at Air France announced that “Air France is today the only airline in the world operating all the aircraft in the A320 family and this has beneficial repercussions on the cost of operating the A318”.

In its meeting today, the Supervisory Board of Austrian Airlines AG approved the application to purchase a Boeing B777-200ER long-range jet as the first replacement for the sale of two Airbus A340-200 aircraft. The Supervisory Board meeting also granted an application to sell/market up to three Canadair Regional CRJ 100 short-range jets and market one Boeing B737-600.

Study: Travel will remain largest online retail category in 2010
The second decade of eCommerce will be marked by innovations that will make online shopping easier and more engaging. This will boost US online retail sales from $172 billion in 2005 to $329 billion in 2010, according to a new forecast by Forrester Research, Inc.. The increase translates to a solid 14 percent compound annual growth rate over the next five years. Read more.

Dolce International Hotel, Resort & Conference Destinations fêtera son 25ème anniversaire en octobre 2005. Les 22 Destinations Dolce organiseront chacune un événement particulier pendant ce dernier quadrimestre. Certaines promotions spéciales anniversaire sont d'ores et déjà disponibles. En savoir plus.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - September 28, 2005 - China Southern Airlines with the largest and most technically advanced airline fleet in The People's Republic of China announces that it has expanded its Airbus A320 service between Vietnam and its brand new multi-million dollar hub at the new Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, China.

NEW YORK and LONDON, Sept. 27 -- Today, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced that Washington DC, USA would be the venue of the 6th Global Travel & Tourism Summit, taking place from April 10 to 12, 2006.
The Summit is the highest profile event for one of the largest industries in the world -- Travel & Tourism, accounting for 10.6 percent of GDP and 221 million jobs worldwide.

KUALA LUMPUR, September 28, 2005 -- The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) predicts that all Asia Pacific destinations will receive continued growth in tourist arrivals from India to at least 2007.

PATA predicts a "more intreprid" Chinese traveller
KUALA LUMPUR, September 28, 2005 -- The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) today predicted strong growth in international travel from China (PRC) to Malaysia (36%), Korea (ROK) (30%), Lao PDR (20%), Hawaii (20%), India (19%), the Maldives (16%) and Thailand (16%) to 2007. Read more.

Russia's Middle Classes Trip Out
KUALA LUMPUR, September 27, 2005 -- Russia's emerging middle-class is driving annual growth rates of more than 7% in outbound travel, according to a new Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) report entitled Total Tourism Russia. PATA's Strategic Intelligence Centre
(SIC) launched the executive summary of the report today at a PATA Travel Mart 2005 educational workshop entitled "Russia's Potential". Read more.

MIAMI, Sept. 27 -- Due to the indefinite closure of the Port of New Orleans, Royal Caribbean International's Grandeur of the Seas will begin offering four- and five-night Western Caribbean itineraries from the Port of Tampa beginning Dec. 3, 2005. Grandeur had been scheduled to sail from the Port of New Orleans on a series of seven-night Western Caribbean cruises from December 2005 through May 2006, when she was to be repositioned to the Port of Baltimore.

KUALA LUMPUR, September 27 -- For the first time, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will open its PATA Gold Awards to non-PATA members as well as members. The objective is to strengthen the PATA Gold Awards as the leading travel industry awards for the Asia Pacific region. The deadline for submissions for the 2006 PATA Gold Awards is December 1, 2005.

Malev happy about "Tourist Invasion in Budapest"
The number of foreign visitors to Budapest hit an all-time record this summer. Read more

New Eurail Passes in 2006 Expand Options for Exploring Europe
- New Eurail National Pass
- New Eurail Regional Pass Country Combination
- Romania Welcomed as New Eurail Country for Eurailpass and Eurailpass Flexi
Read more

HOUSTON, Sept. 24 -- Omni Hotels announces that the Omni Houston Hotel (near the Galleria) and the Omni Houston Westside have successfully weathered Hurricane Rita without any damage. The hotels are fully functioning, staffed and available immediately to take reservations for those in need. Guests may call 1-800-THE-OMNI or go directly to http://www.omnihotels.com/ for reservations.

HOUSTON, Sept. 24 -- Continental Airlines plans to operate a nearly complete schedule of flights at its hub at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport beginning early morning on Sunday, Sept. 25.
With Houston escaping the full force of Hurricane Rita, the airport was not significantly impacted by the storm and forecast weather conditions should permit normal, safe operations on Sunday.

On the strength of the combined networks of Air France and KLM, Air France is pursuing its development policy on the fast-growing markets of Latin America and Asia, as well as to oil and gas destinations. Read more

National tourism administrations, tour operators, hotels, tourism schools and the media are set to celebrate World Tourism Day, whose theme this year is "Travel and Transport: From the Imagination of Jules Verne to 21st Century Reality", in tribute to the great French visionary and writer.
World Tourism Day (WTD) is celebrated worldwide every 27 September, a date that was chosen to coincide with an important milestone in world tourism, the anniversary of the adoption of the WTO Statutes on 27 September 1970.

La prochaine saison de sports d'hiver s'annonce prometteuse. Quelques semaines après le lancement des toutes nouvelles brochures pour cet hiver, Thomas Cook Travel Shop enregistre, par rapport à l'année dernière, une augmentation à pratiquement toutes les destinations de sports d'hiver. La Suisse, la Bulgarie, l'Autriche, le Sud de l'Allemagne et Andorre, essentiellement, affichent de bons résultats. Grâce à une "action skipass" unique, Thomas Cook Travel Shop tend à convaincre tous ceux et celles qui n'ont pas encore décidé d'aller dévaler les pentes enneigées cet hiver.

AMSTELVEEN, September 23, 2005 - Luxair has for the coming 10 years contracted all of its engine maintenance for its Boeing 737-700 fleet to KLM Engineering & Maintenance. The exclusive deal comprises planned and unplanned maintenance on Luxair's CFM56-7B20 engines. It also enables Luxair to request KLM Engineering & Maintenance to make reserve engines available.

AMMAN, JORDAN, 22 September 2005 - The Regional Conference on Tourism Communications for the Middle East and North Africa (TOURCOM), which finished on Wednesday in the Jordanian capital, called on international media to communicate the region’s rich culture and help improve its image to increase tolerance in an increasingly polarized world. Read more.

AMSTELVEEN, September 23, 2005 - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will begin operating business jet services to Houston at the start of the 2005-06 winter schedule. The new Airbus A330-200 will be deployed on routes to the United States and Middle East. KLM will also launch services to new destinations in the East African and Indian growth markets.
KLM and Air France will further align their networks by consolidating services to Kuwait and Malabo (Equatorial Guinea).
Overall, KLM will raise capacity (in available seat kilometers) by 7%, compared to last winter. The winter schedule commences on Sunday, October 30, and ends on Saturday, March 25, 2006.

Le Méridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort in Thailand will re-open on October 15, after closing in December 2004 due to tsunami-related damage. To celebrate the resort is offering a special opening rate from £45 (USD $75) per room per night including breakfast and excluding tax.
For further information and reservations visit www.lemeridien.com, call 08000 28 28 40 or visit your local travel agent

NEW YORK, -- The emergency landing of a New York bound, near-fully-loaded JetBlue airliner in California last night was not the first time an Airbus A-320 was forced to land with a misdirected nose wheel landing gear, according to attorneys and pilots with the aviation law firm Kreindler & Kreindler LLP .

Bangkok, 22 September 2005 - In recognition of its international services to the business travel industry, the Conrad Bangkok has been awarded "Best New Business Hotel in Asia-Pacific" for the second consecutive year, as voted by the readers of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific magazine.

PURCHASE, N.Y., Sept. 22 -- Eos, the first airline focused since inception exclusively on the transatlantic business traveler, today announced that it is currently accepting reservations for its daily roundtrip service between New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and London Stansted (STN), with its inaugural flight slated for November 1. Eastbound flights will depart New York JFK at 7:05 p.m. and arrive London Stansted at 7:30 a.m.; westbound flights will depart London Stansted at 10:30 a.m. and arrive New York JFK at 1:29 p.m.

FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 22 -- American Airlines is substituting larger aircraft on some flights out of Houston today to accommodate additional passengers wanting to evacuate the area due to Hurricane Rita.
American is substituting two Boeing 777s and two Boeing 767s -- the largest aircraft types in the airline's fleet -- in place of smaller narrowbody planes that are normally flown out of Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport. In all, the larger aircraft will provide about 360 additional seats compared to the narrowbody planes. That's equivalent to adding about three additional narrowbody flights.

HOUSTON, Sept. 22 -- Continental Airlines is preparing for Hurricane Rita by continuing to evacuate travelers from Houston. The airline is making operational decisions with the highest priority placed on the safety of its customers and employees.
Continental expects to be able to operate only a reduced Houston schedule on Friday morning, and will cease flight operations at Houston at noon. All Continental Airlines flights from Houston on Friday afternoon and Saturday are being cancelled. All Continental Express flights from Houston on Friday and Saturday are being cancelled. Flights are expected to resume Sunday morning. Throughout the weekend, all flights not involving Houston should operate normally. The best way to check the status of a particular flight is to visit continental.com .
Freesun News encourage the tourism industry to contribute to the ongoing Hurricane Katrina relief efforts by visiting the below links:
www.redcross.org
www.salvationarmy.com

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 22 -- US Airways Group Inc. has today completed the sale of certain Embraer regional jet aircraft and slot assets to Republic Airways Holdings, generating approximately $90 million in liquidity for US Airways as it completes its Chapter 11 restructuring and merger with America West Airlines. The regional jets and the slots will continue to operate as US Airways Express.

AMSTELVEEN, September 22, 2005 - The KLM Crown Lounge at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has been considerably expanded and now offers a fully refurbished interior and improved catering service. The concept for the new lounge was specially developed in response to extensive research among KLM passengers and has been applied to all KLM Crown Lounges worldwide. KLM's Deputy President & CEO Peter Hartman officially opened the new lounge this morning.
The new Crown Lounge is located in the European departures hall. Expanded by 660 m2 to cover a total surface area of 2,200 m2, the lounge now offers seating for 581 travelers, 176 more than before.

AMSTELVEEN, September 22, 2005 - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has no alternative but to temporarily suspend all flights to Houston, as Hurricane Rita continues on its path across the Gulf of Mexico towards the coast of Texas.
KLM has cancelled the Amsterdam-Houston roundtrips, KL661/662, scheduled for September 23, 24 and 25, as well as flights KL663/664 scheduled for September 23, 24 and 25, including the Houston-Amsterdam return flight on September 26.
Today's Amsterdam-Houston roundtrip was flown to schedule. The flight crew on board will return to the Netherlands immediately.

AMSTELVEEN, September 22 - Germania Fluggegesellschaft mbH will have the overhaul of landing gear for its Boeing 737-700 fleet performed by KLM Engineering & Maintenance. A contract sealing this agreement was signed today. The deal also enables Germania to borrow a complete landing gear during the period that its ten 737s are being maintained at KLM Engineering & Maintenance at Schiphol.

News from Dublin :
End of Summer Special! - 10% discount on all 2, 3, and 6 day Dublin Passes!
Accommodation Special Offers! - The best deals on Dublin Accommodation
The Bulmers International Comedy Festival - find out more about this festival.
Dublin Tourism - RSS Feeds - Get the latest information on Dublin directly from our server to you.
Thin Lizzy's Lynott back in town - A new statue to Phil Lynott is unvailed in Dublin!
Read details

It is announced today that one of the two ships due for delivery from Italian shipbuilders Fincantieri in 2008 has been allocated to P&O Cruises. The new 116,000 tonne cruise ship, to be named Ventura, will be the largest ever built specifically for Britain and will carry 3,100 passengers and 1,200 officers and crew.

bmi today announced its intention to become the first British airline offering an in-flight mobile phone service to passengers travelling to major business destinations out of Heathrow.
bmi is preparing to pilot the service on an Airbus A320 in late 2006 by which time partner OnAir expects that the on-board equipment developed for it by Airbus, Siemens and other partners will be fully certified and the necessary telecommunications regulatory approvals will be in place, permitting the safe use of mobile phones in-flight for the first time.

Hurricane Katrina could cost the Gulf Coast up to £2.7 billion in tourism by the end of the year, according to the Travel Industry Association (TIA).

Brussels, 21 September 2005 - SN Brussels Airlines is literally giving wings to Asterix and Obelix. From today, the two world-famous comic strip heroes will decorate the fuselage of two SN aircraft and will travel throughout Europe over the coming months.

TRAVCO, with almost 20 years experience in the field, offers its services to the entire international travel trade. Important news this year is the remarkable expansion of its European inventory, where TRAVCO, with 15 dedicated contractors from all nationalities of Europe, has negotiated and increased its directly contracted hotels from the previous 750 to the current 2500 hotels. read more.

NEW YORK, Sept. 21 -- Continental Airlines announced today that it will begin daily nonstop service between its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport and Barcelona, Spain beginning May 18, 2006, subject to government approval. This service will be the only year-round, nonstop flight between the U.S. and Barcelona.

OPT - Wallonie Bruxelles: Flash and News. En savoir plus

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 21 -- BringYourPet.com announces the recent addition of two Orlando, FL pet friendly hotels to its Web site: the Ramada Inn Resort Eastgate and the Travelodge Hotel Maingate East.

BANGKOK, 21 September, 2005 -- Accor continues its rapid expansion in China with the signing of management agreements for three hotels, including two new Sofitels, in the Shanghai area and in Guangzhou.
The expansion of Accor?s five-star Sofitel hotel brand is part of a dramatic development that will see Accor's hotel network double in size from the current 24 hotels to 50 hotels by the end of 2007, including over 20 Sofitel hotels and resorts.
During 2005 Accor opened Sofitel hotels in Xian and Xiamen, with the Sofitel Zhongshan Golf Resort Nanjing scheduled to open in December this year. In 2005, Sofitel will continue its growth with some openings in China,Australia, New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Vietnam, Brazil and Egypt.

DENVER and FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 20 -- American Airlines has signed an agreement with Western Union Financial Services, Inc., a subsidiary of First Data Corp. (NYSE:FDC) to accept payment for airfare in cash at over 46,000 U.S.-based Western Union locations -- after tickets are reserved online at http://www.aa.com/ or by phone with American Airlines reservation representatives. The service is available to consumers immediately.
According to research, approximately 50 million adults in the U.S. do not have credit cards, and this new payment option provides customers with another alternative to pay for travel. In fact, a recent report found that 32 percent of consumers simply prefer to pay for major travel expenses with cash or check.

FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 20 -- American Airlines today said it will restart limited service into and out of New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport tomorrow -- Wednesday, Sept. 21. American will initially operate three daily round trips between its Dallas/Fort Worth hub and New Orleans using 136-seat MD-80 aircraft.

The nightlife scene has boomed in Las Vegas over the last five years with a wide range of clubs to suit all interests and age groups. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority?s 2004 visitor profile study, nearly 25 percent of the destination?s 37.4 million visitors spent part of their trip in a nightclub, bar or lounge.

Hurricane Rita expected to reach category 4 in the Gulf of Mexico by 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, forecasters say.

easyJet today announces that it has given a four-year contract for the handling of its aircraft and passengers at Geneva Airport to Swissport.

The ninth Radisson SAS Hotel on the island of Ireland, located in Little Island, Cork, has celebrated its official opening, attended by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment Mr. Micheál Martin T.D.

Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of a new hotel in Dublin city centre, due for completion in October 2006.

20 Sep 05 -- Today at Nottingham East Midlands airport, easyJet, Europe's leading low cost airline, celebrates a milestone for its Midlands base as it welcomes its three millionth passenger at check-in.
easyJet began operations from Nottingham East Midlands on 14 March 2002, carrying over 486,000 passengers in the first year. Today, easyJet offer nine routes throughout the UK and Europe. The airline expects to carry 870,000 passengers by the end of this calendar year.

Bruxelles, le 20 septembre 2005.-- Aviapartner SA, ses actionnaires et 3i annoncent la conclusion définitive de la vente de 100% des actions d’Aviapartner à Aviapartner LH3 SARL, une société supportée par 3i Investments plc, un des principaux fonds d'investissement européens, et dans lequel certains membres du management du groupe Aviapartner ont également investi.
Theo Dilissen deviendra le nouveau CEO du groupe Aviapartner. Theo Dilissen se réjouit de la perspective de prendre la tête du groupe et est convaincu que le groupe Aviapartner dispose de tous les atouts pour continuer son expansion en Europe.

Fairbanks, Alaska (AK) - The Fairbanks 2005-2006 Winter Guide is now available for free. The 32-page, full-color brochure with winter activity listings and a full slate of events offers a lighthearted and informative look at winter in Interior Alaska and the Arctic. A new section has been added – “Winter Fun: It’s Cool to Be Safe!” which offers some simple tips for getting the most out of your winter experience.
For a free copy of the 2005-06 Fairbanks Winter Guide, contact the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau at
1-800-327-5774 or (907) 456-5774 or by writing to 550 First Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701. Or order the guide on line at www.explorefairbanks.com.

Global hotel group Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Pierhead Project Investors Inc. to manage a 200-bedroom hotel in Barbados. Part of a new luxury waterfront development at the Pierhead in Bridgetown, Le Méridien Barbados is expected to open in 2010.

Nouvelles d'Allemagne : Tour d'Allemagne en famille - Semaines de randonnées dans la Forêt Noire en octobre - Promenade sans bagages le long du Danube - „Fantissima“ à Brühl - Soirée exceptionnelle de jazz à Goslar: le Chris Barber Band - Virgin Express vole sur Berlin. En savoir plus

Tourist Journal automne 2005 - le journal des vacances des Cantons de l'Est. Téléchargez l'édition complète 7,3 Mb (20 pages).

Le développement touristique en Egypte, en août 2005
- Pendant le mois d'août 2005, l'Egypte a enregistré 743 319 touristes, dont 23 861 touristes provenant du Benelux.
- De janvier à août 2005, 5 843 604 touristes ont visité l'Egypte dont 250 327 touristes du Benelux.
- Au cours du mois d'août 2005, l'Egypte a enregistré 10 921 301 nuitées dont 395 795 du Benelux.
- Durant la période janvier- août 2005, l'Egypte a enregistré 57 726 595 nuitées dont 2 594 568 du Benelux.

To celebrate more than 46 years of its scheduled air-services between Vienna and Moscow and the established close relations between the two cities Austrian Airlines organized on September 17, 2005, at Sheremetievo 2 International Airport a ceremony to officially name an Airbus A319 jet 'Moscow'.

Thalys en Europcar innoveren eens te meer en stellen hun klanten vanaf oktober de « Daytrip »-aanbieding voor. Met deze exclusieve aanbieding voor klanten in Comfort 1 die tussen Brussel en Parijs reizen, is het mogelijk om op het laatste moment een auto te reserveren, aangezien de reservatie voortaan aan boord van de Thalys kan! Voor een uniek forfait van 49 € incl. BTW beschikken Thalys-klanten, na een telefoontje aan boord van de Thalys, gedurende 5 uur en op vertoon van hun ticket, over een Europcar-auto, die voor hen klaar staat bij aankomst in het station.

Amersfoort (Pays-Bas)/Lausanne (Suisse)/Paris (FR), le 15 septembre 2005 - Golden Tulip Hospitality et Expedia sont entrés dans un accord prévoyant un partenariat marketing assurant aux clients d'Expedia et d'Hotels.com un meilleur accès et une meilleure connexion sur plus de 400 hôtels. Ces hôtels comprennent les hôtels de Golden Hospitality Group et ses partenaires et alliés. Les réseaux concernés sont Golden Tulip, Tulip Inn, Pacific International Suites, Pacific International Apartments, Pensione, Plaza Hotels, Grand Pacific, et Golden Tulip Resort.

Best Western Australia won 'Best Australian Hotel Group' for the second year running, at the National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA) held in Sydney on Saturday evening.

Cendant Corporation is entering the upscale lodging sector at long last after acquiring the Wyndham hotel brand and franchise for $100 million in cash. Cendant bought more than 100 full-service lodging properties in major US, Mexican and Caribbean markets. Cendant will also acquire franchise agreements for 82 hotels and management contracts for 29 hotels from Wyndham, an affiliate of The Blackstone Group.
By acquiring the Wyndham management contracts, Cendant Hotel Group will transition from a pure franchisor into a diversified management and franchise company for the first time in its 15-year history.

SINGAPORE, 16 September 2005 - Raffles International and American Express announced yesterday, the official launch of exclusive Centurion Suites in eight Raffles hotels and resorts at seven destinations across the world. These suites offer the ultimate in luxury service and amenities for American Express Centurion Cardmembers globally.

Thomas Cook Citytrips fête son 15e anniversaire et met sur pied, à cette occasion, une grande action en collaboration avec Virgin Express.
Si vous réservez un citytrip à Barcelone, Madrid, Valence, Lisbonne, Milan, Nice, Athènes ou Berlin, la 2e personne prend l'avion avec vous pour 1 euro seulement!

The Austrian Airlines Group announces that from 26 September 2005 onwards, the fuel surcharge for all short-range and medium-range flights will be raised from its previous level of EUR 9 to a new figure of EUR 12. The surcharge will rise from EUR 37 to EUR 52 for all long-range flights. These surcharges apply to each flight taken. The increase applies to all scheduled tickets of the Austrian Airlines Group sold and issued as of this date.

Due to the record-high cost of jet fuel, Northwest Airlines has announced that it will indefinitely suspend its daily nonstop service from New York's JFK Airport to Tokyo's Narita Airport. Northwest's nonstop New York-Tokyo service will be discontinued from October 2. The airline will however continue to offer single connecting service from New York area airports to Tokyo through its Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul hubs.

Star Alliance is offering Frequent Flyer Programme (FFP) upgrade redemption option across the alliance, rather than on an individual carrier basis, now available to the FFP members of ANA (ANA Mileage Club), Lufthansa (Miles & More) and Singapore Airlines (KrisFlyer). Other Star Alliance member carriers will begin to offer this product during 2006. Star Alliance Upgrade Awards allows customers to redeem miles or points from their FFP account to upgrade by one class, either from Economy Class to Business Class or from Business Class to First Class, on scheduled flights operated by participating member carriers.

Thai Airways International in cooperation with the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Krungthai Card Public Company Limited (KTC) are launching a THAI Corporate Travel Card. The card will be extended to Thailand's leading companies for special privilege packages from THAI on flights from Bangkok to Phuket, Krabi, and Trang. Cardholder privileges include special air fares for flying THAI services, 50% discount for weekday travel and 30% for weekend travel, and special support for corporate meetings, seminars, and incentives by TCEB.

Leading luxury hotel group Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has opened its first-ever hotel in India, on 8 September. The 17-storey hotel opened with a limited inventory of guestrooms and suites, with the remaining rooms inventory to be unveiled at the hotel's grand opening in early November 2005, for a total of 323 guestrooms and suites. The Shangri-La hotel, New Delhi caters to business guests with high-speed internet access and wireless LAN, a business centre and three meeting rooms.

Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., announces the appointment of Paul M. White as Vice President - Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the company. He will replace James G. Struthers who has
held the position since April 2000.

The Oriental, Singapore is reopening its doors after a comprehensive, multi-million-dollar renovation. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is offering the Oriental Indulgence Package, valid through 2005 and priced at S$7,998 (US$4,783) per night based on double occupancy. It includes accommodation in an Oriental Suite, breakfast (in-room or at the Club Lounge); private limousine service throughout stay; personal butler service; customized in-room menu preparation by the chef and sommelier; two hour, 45-minute romance spa package consisting of the Welcome Foot Ritual, Tranquility Bath and Oriental Massage for two; customized sight-seeing tour; (S$299) US$179 dining credit at all hotel restaurants; and optional golf and/or entertainment excursions.

Bad Salzuflen/Dresden, 16 September 2005 - Dr. Monika Gommolla, Chairlady of Maritim Hotelgesellschaft mbH, Mr. Ingolf Rossberg, Lord Mayor of the City of Dresden and Dr. Karl-Joseph Hermanns-Engel, CEO of AXA Investment Managers were on site in Dresden on Wednesday 14 September 2005 to celebrate the topping-out of the new Maritim Hotel Dresden built in the historical Erlweinspeicher warehouse directly on the banks of the River Elbe and close to the famous baroque old town. With this innovative project Maritim will lead the way in the Dresden and Saxony conference and hotel market.

A partir d’octobre, British Airways effectuera 35 vols à destination de l’Inde, au départ de Londres Heathrow :
Nouvelle route vers Bangalore, 5 vols par semaine; Augmentation de la fréquence de vols vers Mumbai, 2 vols quotidiens; Plus de vols vers Chennai, désormais 6 départs hebdomadaires
A partir de la saison d’été, en mars 2006, British Airways augmentera encore la fréquence jusqu’à 45 vols hebdomadaires avec encore plus de disponibilité et de connections.

Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) has introduced further services from Birmingham International Airport. SAS now flies to Stockholm three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The new route provides travellers from the Midlands with a direct service straight to the Swedish Capital and complements SAS' existing double daily service from Birmingham to Copenhagen, making Scandinavia more accessible than ever before.

The Windsor Court Hotel New Orleans has announced that it will re-open on 1st November, 2005. "As New Orleans starts the challenging process of recovery, we felt it important to open as soon as possible. The impact of events following the hurricane has been much greater than anybody initially expected, so we are keen to start providing a degree of normalcy to our staff and the community"

KLM Statement on NWA Filing For Chapter 11
AMSTELVEEN, September 15, 2005 - KLM partner Northwest Airlines has last night filed for protection under the so called “Chapter 11” ruling. This allows the company to intensify its efforts to restructure itself financially and operationally. Read more

Delta Under Chapter 11 : No Impact on Air France. Read More

Did Airline Deregulation Lead to Bankruptcy Filings for Delta, Northwest?
ARLINGTON, Texas, Sept. 14 / -- Today two major U.S. airlines, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 ultimately could be to blame.read more

"Use Tourism in War on Poverty" - World Leaders urged
NEW YORK, 14 September 2005 - Representatives from governments and industry strongly backed the World Tourism Organization’s call to increase tourism to help realize the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. Read more.

DALLAS, Sept. 14 -- Southwest Airlines announced today its intent to resume service to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport at the beginning of next week. The carrier plans to initially return to the New Orleans airport with two daily roundtrip flights to Houston, Texas. The exact date and times of the flights will be released later this week.

L'aéroport de Domodedovo de Moscou s'agrandit et améliore ses services en réponse à une augmentation du nombre de voyageurs
MOSCOU, September 13 -- L'aéroport international de Domodedovo a lancé un programme d'amélioration de la qualité des services offerts dans le cadre d'une campagne à grande échelle visant à répondre aux besoins d'un nombre croissant de voyageurs. En savoir plus

News from Riga - the Dessert of European Cities
Better to learn Russian in Riga than in Russia?
IFLA Metropolitan Libraries Annual Conference in Riga
Kempinski to operate second hotel in Latvia
Follow the flights of the Latvian Black Storks
New ferry between Stockholm and Riga
Homo Novus Theatre Festival
Aer Lingus starts operations on Riga Airport
Convention bureau services

Een pintje pakken tijdens het 163ste Pilsner Bier Festival in Tsjechië
Op zoek naar een gezellig weekendje weg? Wie van een biertje en goed eten houdt, zou zich uitstekend kunnen vermaken tijdens het 163ste Pilsner bierfestival dat in het weekeinde van vrijdag 30 september tot en met zondag 2 oktober georganiseerd in de Prazdroj bierbrouwerij in het Tsjechisch Plzen ? beter bekend als Pilsen. Lees meer

Tourism Brussels - Wallonia : Flash and News. Read more

Sri Lanka's olifanten - een unieke ontmoeting. Lees meer

WTO And UNEP Launching A Joint Publication: Making Tourism
06 Sep 05 -- The World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) combined their efforts to condense all aspects of the sustainability of tourism into a single
publication: Making Tourism More Sustainable: a Guide for Policy Makers. It will be launched simultaneously by the two organizations in Madrid and Paris on 6 September. Read more

Le site d'Abouseir en Egypte ouvert à la visite à partir d'octobre 2005. En savoir plus.

Nouvelles d'Allemagne
Promenades automnales en Forêt Noire - En mobilhome à travers l'Eifel - Le « Fantôme de l'Opéra » à Essen- Randonnée dans la région vallonnée du Chiemgau - Balade d'automne dans la vallée de la Lorelei - Cinquante ans de Documenta à Kassel - A Bonn, c'est le client qui cuisine
En savoir plus

Aviapartner ondertekent een historisch contract met Lufthansa in Keulen-Bonn
Brussel/Keulen, 6 september 2005 - Aviapartner, de belangrijkste onafhankelijke verlener van grondafhandelingsdiensten in continentaal Europa, meldt met fierheid het akkoord met Lufthansa voor een belangrijk contract. Lees meer

Nouveau modèle d'affaires low fare pour Thomas Cook Airlines. Nouveau! www.thomascookairlines.com: un site de réservation convivial et performant. En savoir plus

La France Branchée
- Rendez-vous d'exception
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Eurostar lance le podcasting en Belgique
Eurostar, le train à grande vitesse qui relie la Belgique et la France à la Grande-Bretagne, lance le podcasting en Belgique. Eurostar utilise cette nouvelle technologie pour mettre en avant la destination Londres de manière créative et humoristique. L'auditeur a également la possibilité d'entendre l'expérience londonienne du présentateur Wim Oosterlinck. Pour ce podcasting, Eurostar a conclu un partenariat avec Skynet. Ensemble ils sont précurseurs sur le marché belge. Les podcasts peuvent être téléchargés sur eurostar.com/londonXperience et skynet.be. En savoir plus

Nieuws uit Oostenrijk
Oostenrijk een paradijs voor lekkerbekken - Culinaire wandelingen in Wenen, maanzaad in Neder-Oostenrijk, de wijnen van het Kamptal - Culinaire reis langs de Via Leone, Chinese traditie in Dorfgastein, Kaasstraat Bregenzerwoud - Kellergassen, Tiroler Wirtshaus, Schnaps- een levenselixir- Wandelen - Tien ongewone wandeltips voor de herfst - Enkele ideeën voor fervente stappers - Oostenrijk viert Mozart in 2006 (deel 2) - Oostenrijk kort. Lees meer.

The Austrian Airlines Group has managed to take another important step towards the harmonisation of its fleet. Today, 15 September 2005, it was announced that a contract has been signed with a French financial investor for the sale of two Airbus A340-200 aircraft. Following delivery work, the jets will be delivered one at the end of the 2005/06 winter schedule and the other at the end of the 2006 summer schedule. The two companies agreed to keep the sale price confidential. An application to acquire replacements for the two long-range aircraft will be presented to the Supervisory Board of the Austrian Airlines Group at the end of September.

Having added the destinations of Shanghai and Singapore to its programme of scheduled services in 2004, the Austrian Airlines Group is continuing the successful expansion of its long-range traffic in 2005. As of 1 September 2005 the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay), the centre of India's booming economy, will become the latest addition to Austrian's long-range programme, with direct services operating five times a week from Vienna.

Icelandair are set to increase their schedule to 21 weekly flights to Iceland next summer with the addition of Manchester to the UK operation. Starting April 7th 2006 Icelandair will commence a year round service with twice weekly flights from Manchester to Reykjavik operating on both Friday and Monday evenings facilitating a long weekend in Iceland.

Virgin Atlantic Airways has added an additional Las Vegas service increasing its flights per week to Las Vegas to six. The new service departs from Gatwick every Friday.

VISIT FLORIDA has learned that British consumers are being misled by bogus travel promotion companies masquerading as an official Florida tourism bureau. VISIT FLORIDA is the only official tourism marketing corporation representing the State of Florida and does NOT sell or solicit travel packages over the phone.

Singapore Airlines, today, received three prestigious awards - Best Long Haul Airline, Best Asian Airline and Best Cabin Crew - which were voted for by UK readers of Business Traveller magazine. Business Traveller's Asia Pacific publication also awarded the airline six awards as voted for by its readers.

Due to the confusion caused by the imminent decision of the College of Commissioners affecting the operation of the Company, Olympic Airlines declares that: "Regardless of the European Commission’s decision, Olympic Airlines shall continue its operations flying to all destinations in accordance with the published timetable. We assure all of our passengers and Travel Agents, who up to now have demonstrated their support for the Company that, Olympic Airlines continues to operate smoothly and expects them on board its flights".

Toronto, Canada - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, the world’s first luxury hotel brand to offer high-speed connectivity throughout its portfolio, is pleased to announce complimentary high-speed Internet access throughout its portfolio as well. Starting Jan 1, 2006, complimentary high-speed Internet access will be available to members of Fairmont President’s Club (FPC), the company’s frequent guest loyalty program. Membership is complimentary, and guests can enroll at the time of reservation or online at their convenience.

Following the success of its expansion at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, easyJet, Europe's leading low cost airline today announced it is adding an extra aircraft to its base in Basel this spring, introducing four new routes and increasing capacity on current routes to Berlin and Hamburg.

easyJet announces that it will join the European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA) with effect from 1st October 2005. The association, which is non-profit making, tackles various issues of joint interest and protects the needs of low fare airlines and their customers.

Singapore, 12 September 2005 - Jet Airways announces the introduction of their second frequency to London, Heathrow from India with a daily non-stop flight from Delhi to London Heathrow effective 30th October, 2005. This is pursuant to Jet Airways being allocated seven additional frequencies on the India (Mumbai / Delhi) ? London (Heathrow) route by the Government of India. Currently, Jet Airways operates daily non-stop flights from Mumbai to London.

On Monday, September 12, a new era in global tourism will be ushered in "live" when Hong Kong Disneyland opens its doors for the first time -- becoming the 11th theme park in the Walt Disney Company family. Located on lush Lantau Island overlooking Penny's Bay, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is a brand-new, world-class family entertainment and recreation center consisting of a magical Disneyland-style theme park, featuring shows and attractions, Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Hollywood Hotel and Inspiration Lake, a public area. This unique resort offers guests of all ages a full day immersed in imagination and creativity uniquely Disney.

Bruxelles, le 12 septembre 2005 - Hilton International, la marque hôtelière la plus connue dans le monde, a annoncé la conclusion d'un partenariat d'entreprise à long terme avec le Team McLaren Mercedes, qui a pris cours à dater du Grand Prix de Belgique, 15ème levée du Championnat du Monde 2005 de Formule 1.

The State of Qatar will proudly host this year's World Tourism Day on the 27th of September. Celebrations will include Qatar's first National Tourism Conference and a series of accompanying events, announced Qatar Tourism Authority.

Bruxelles, 12 septembre 2005 - Le 1er novembre, Martinair inaugurera une nouvelle classe sur tous ses vols intercontinentaux: la Classe Confort. Par rapport à la classe économique, elle offre aux passagers 10% d’espace en plus au niveau des jambes, ainsi qu’un programme de divertissement de qualité et varié. Grâce au Personal Entertainment Player, les passagers pourront en effet visionner le film ou le programme de leur choix. Pour bénéficier de cet upgrade, ils devront acquitter un supplément de 49 € par personne et par trajet, en plus du tarif standard.

BUFFALO, N.Y., Sept. 8 -- As a result of the devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina on the greater New Orleans area, officials of Delta Queen Steamboat Company today announced the cancellation of the fall and winter cruise schedule of its steamboat American Queen. The cancellation applies to all three- and four-night cruises from Sept. 17, 2005, until March 5, 2006. The ship will begin sailing again on March 6, 2006. Passengers booked on the affected cruises can receive an automatic refund or choose to rebook the trip with various incentives.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that visits abroad by UK residents rose by 5 per cent during the 12 months ending July 2005, from 62.5 million to 65.4 million. Over this period, visits to Western Europe increased by 1 per cent (to 49.5 million), by 14 per cent (to 5.1 million) to North America and by 21 per cent (to 10.8 million) to other parts of the world.
In the same 12-month period, visits by overseas residents to the UK rose by 11 per cent, from 26.5 million to 29.5 million. Although visits from residents of North America showed a decrease of 3 per cent (to 4.2 million), there was an increase in visits from residents of Western Europe of 11 per cent (to 19.1 million), and from other parts of the world of 25 per cent (to 6.2 million).

Lake Geneva, WI — Worldwide lodging franchisor Choice Hotels International, Inc. has celebrated the opening of the company’s 5000th franchised hotel, a Comfort Suites brand hotel in Lake Geneva, WI.

WARSAW, Poland, Sept. 7 -- Boeing and LOT Polish Airlines today reached an agreement for up to 14 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, making LOT the first global network carrier in Europe to operate the world's newest and most technologically advanced commercial jetliner.

AVIAREPS founding joint venture in the Baltic countries - New office in Tallinn to be opened
With AVIAREPS Baltics the airline representation specialist Aviareps has founded a joint venture in the Baltic countries which has opened a new office in Tallinn. Partner of Aviareps in Estonia will be General Manager Leela Lilleorg. She previously acted in various leading positions within Estonian Air and will be responsible for all activities in the markets Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. First client of Aviareps Baltics is Air Namibia. The new office may be contacted at: Mustamäe Street 24, Tallinn 10621, Estonia
Telephone: +372 668 10 00; Fax: +372 665 01 55 - Email: llilleorg@aviareps.com
With an extensive offices network in more than 30 countries, Aviareps is considered one of the most successful worldwide airline representation companies.

Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, opens the Shangri-La Hotel, New Delhi in two phases beginning with a "soft opening" on 8 September 2005. Shangri-La manages the hotel in agreement with Hotel Excelsior Private Limited, a member of the Eros Group of India.

Hoverspeed, de snelste ferrydienst over het Kanaal, meldt een “beduidende” stijging van het aantal passagiers en voertuigen dat gebruik maakte van zijn diensten in 2005, in vergelijking met dezelfde periode vorig jaar.
Uit de halfjaarlijkse cijfers blijkt dat Hoverspeed tussen 17 maart, datum waarop het nieuwe seizoen begon, en het einde van juni 126.000 voertuigen over het Kanaal vervoerde tussen Calais en Dover: 12 % meer dan tijdens dezelfde periode in 2004. Het aantal passagiers steeg met 7 %.

Jet Airways announces the introduction of their second frequency to London Heathrow from India with a daily non-stop flight from Delhi to London Heathrow effective 30th October, 2005. This is pursuant to Jet Airways being allocated seven additional frequencies on the India (Mumbai / Delhi) - London (Heathrow) route by the Government of India.

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 7 --Northwest Airlines today announced that it will indefinitely suspend its daily nonstop service from New York's JFK Airport to Tokyo's Narita Airport due to the record-high cost of jet fuel.

MICE Russia Industry Convention introduces Business Sessions to its popular Workshop
In response to the continued increase in demand for MICE services in Russia, a day of business sessions has been introduced to the second edition of the MICE Russia Industry Convention, which will take place on 19 September 2005 at the World Trade Centre, Moscow.
Zeljka Tomljenovic, Event Manager, says, 'We believe that the MICE Business Sessions will complement the workshop and, with the MICE industry being relatively new in Russia, will provide an excellent educational platform from which to discuss the development of the industry in Russia. We are delighted to welcome experienced and highly professional speakers and exhibitors to the event."

Following the enormous success of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' e-services, the number of self-service check-in machines and baggage drop-off points at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will be increased even further. Fourteen new baggage drop-off points and sixteen self-service check-in machines will replace check-in rows 13 and 14, located in Departure Hall 2. As a result of the expansion, 75% of KLM's check-in capacity will be “self-service.” Work will commence on September 8 and will take approximately three months.

Embraer and Regional, a fully owned subsidiary of Air France, have announced the signature of the final contract for the purchase of six EMBRAER 190 LR aircraft with six additional options of the same model. These airplanes shall replace an existing order for seven ERJ 145s. The contract is valued US$189 million at list price of the EMBRAER 190.

Carlson Hotels Worldwide Opens Nine New Properties In July
Carlson Hotels Worldwide today announced that the company has added nine new locations under three of its brands globally in July. These include five new Radisson Hotels & Resorts® properties in South America, the Middle East, Europe and the U.S.; three Country Inns & Suites By Carlsonsm locations in India and the U.S.; and one Park Plaza® Hotels & Resorts property in the U.S.

As from September 1, 2005, SN Brussels Airlines connects Sofia with the European capital three times a week with its own Avro aircraft. Thanks to the partnership with Bulgaria Air, clients from both companies can also travel on other days of the week.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will celebrate its 86th anniversary in true tradition with the introduction of a new Delftware miniature. The Delftware miniatures are usually replicas of historical buildings located in the Netherlands. The Teylers Museum in Haarlem was selected for the 86th house because it is the oldest museum in the Netherlands. A first copy of the miniature will be presented to Mrs. Scharloo, curator of Teylers Museum, by Mr. Varwijk, Senior Vice President & Area Manager Western Europe on the occasion of KLM's 86th anniversary on October 7, 2005.

In oktober 2005 vindt in Amsterdam (Nederland) het Amsterdam China Festival plaats, het meest veelzijdige festival over Chinese kunst en cultuur ooit gepresenteerd. Aan het festival nemen meer dan dertig Amsterdamse kunstinstellingen deel, met activiteiten op het gebied van muziek, opera, dans, film, fotografie, literatuur, architectuur, beeldende kunst, lezingen en debat. Het Amsterdam China Festival is een initiatief van het Concertgebouw.

Hurricane Katrina

The Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), in partnership with the Travel & Tourism Coalition and the Travel Business Roundtable, will unveil a new online job bank to help workers displaced by Hurricane Katrina find new employment as soon as possible.
The job bank, at http://www.katrinajobs.org/, will launch September 15. The site will take information from job-seekers and post listings from TIA members, other travel- and hospitality-related companies, and all businesses across American industry.
Most recent statistics show the travel industry in the affected areas in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama accounts for $18.3 billion in business annually, and some 260,000 travel and hospitality industry-related jobs.

More than 500 American Airlines and American Eagle employees helped raise a half-million dollars for Hurricane Katrina relief volunteering to answer phones at American's reservation office in Fort Worth during last weekend's telethon that was broadcast nationwide. This was one of the many efforts by several companies and organizations to help with the telethon.

American Airlines and United Way Team Up to Create the Hurricane Katrina 'Miles to Move Forward' Program
FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 8 -- In response to the massive displacement of Gulf Coast residents caused by Hurricane Katrina, American Airlines and United Way of America have teamed up to create the Hurricane Katrina "Miles to Move Forward" Program, which will provide assistance with air transportation for individuals displaced by the disaster. American is reaching out to its more than 50 million AAdvantage(R) members by asking them to donate a minimum of 1,000 miles from now until Dec. 31, 2005. To get things started, American will commit 1 million AAdvantage miles to the effort. Read more

InterContinental Hotels Group Establishes Dedicated Hotline Number for Hotel Employees Evacuated from Hurricane Impacted Areas
ATLANTA, Sept. 7 -- As the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina continues to unfold, communications to impacted areas remain a challenge with widespread reports of power outages and downed communications channels. One of InterContinental Hotels Group's (IHG) priorities is to provide assistance to its hotel employees affected by the hurricane. We're asking all hotel employees who have evacuated from IHG hotels in the impacted areas to please call our dedicated employee hotline number at 1-800-338-1841 and let us know your current contact information.

TIA - Washington, DC - Travel Industry Job Bank to Help Hurricane Katrina Victims. Read more

Assistance is available for displaced TSA employees desiring to temporarily work in the Houston area. TSA can assist displaced screeners with uniform replacement, work schedules, hotel expenses, and daily meal expenses. Please contact William P. Hobby Airport SOC for 24-hour assistance at (713) 641-8742 or George Bush International Airport HR offices at (281) 848-2949 or (281) 848-2963 from 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m."
For more information regarding TSA, please visit our Web site at http://www.tsa.gov/.

NEW YORK, Sept. 8 -- Cendant Corporation announced that it is still attempting to make contact with 85 of its Fairfield Resorts, Avis and Budget colleagues who lived and worked in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The Company continues to encourage co-workers, friends, relatives or anyone else with information concerning the whereabouts of these associates (see list below) to contact Cendant through a special toll-free hotline (866-827-2347).

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 8 -- MGM MIRAGE announced today that plans for recovery and rebuilding its Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, MS are underway. As the assessment process has begun, the company will commit to rebuild the resort, utilize employees in recovery and reconstruction wherever possible and aid impacted employees.

New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau Update
As of 9 A.M. Tuesday, September 6, 2005. Read more

U.S. Travel Statement From Roger Dow, TIA President and CEO
04 Sep 05 -- Americans are grateful for the numerous offers of relief and support from our international friends around the world. Our hearts and prayers are with the victims of this tragic event.

While it’s not yet possible to travel to New Orleans and some parts of the Gulf Coast, the majority of the U.S. coast is unaffected and open for business. Whether you want to visit California, Florida, New York, Illinois, Washington, DC or any area in-between, visitors should not hesitate to travel around the U.S.

Travelers can visit www.SeeAmerica.org for travel updates on the affected areas, as well as travel information for all U.S. destinations. The website will be updated on a regular basis to reflect current travel conditions.

CHICAGO, Sept. 3 -- As part of a collaborative effort under the Air Transport Association, Department of Transportation, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security, United Airlines on Saturday, Sept. 3., will begin an ongoing shuttle operation to airlift evacuees to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas. United today also will continue its humanitarian flights to New Orleans for hurricane relief.

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 -- Cendant Corporation today announced a series of relief initiatives in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. read more

DALLAS, Sept. 2 -- Southwest Airlines today sent its second humanitarian flight into New Orleans as part of the government's ongoing relief efforts for the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast. A Southwest Boeing 737-700 departed from the carrier's Dallas Headquarters at approximately 11:30 a.m. with Federal law enforcement officials onboard, bound for New Orleans. Also onboard were food, water, and other supplies needed to support relief efforts.

PHOENIX, Sept. 2 - America West Airlines today announced it is encouraging its FlightFund members to participate in the relief effort for victims of Hurricane Katrina by offering members 500 miles for every $50 donation made to the American Red Cross relief efforts. The offer is good through Oct. 31, 2005.

U.S. Airlines Provide Emergency Airlift for New Orleans Evacuees
ATA to Coordinate Unprecedented Civilian Relocation Program for Federal Government.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 -- The Air Transport Association, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation today announced that the airline industry has launched "Operation Air Care" to provide emergency airlift to more than 25,000 New Orleans residents stranded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. read more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 -- Members of Marriott Rewards(R), Marriott International, Inc.'s guest loyalty program, who wish to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina can redeem points for Marriott Gift Cheques. The cheques can be used towards payment of hotel rooms or food at Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn hotels and Marriott Vacation Club International. The cheque will be sent to the member, who can then forward it to the American Red Cross. The Red Cross will distribute the cheques to victims needing assistance paying for hotel rooms and food.

Continental will donate 1,000 tickets to a relief agency to allow displaced residents of the southeastern United States impacted by Hurricane Katrina to relocate within the U.S. Continental envisions the tickets will be used by Katrina refugees who have secured long-term support outside the region and are able to relocate. Travel will be approved and arranged by a relief agency using Continental's ticket donation. Currently Continental is in discussion with relief agencies to determine a process under which the ticket donation can be made available to qualified recipients.

PHOENIX, Sept. 1 -- Best Western announced today that its hotel owners and employees are joining with the American Red Cross to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Through its "Best Western For a Better World" community service program, the company hopes to raise $1 million, with an immediate donation of $250,000 to the organization.

CHICAGO, Sept. 1 --The Boeing Company announced today that it will donate $1 million to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and will match employee and retiree contributions to that organization through the company's Employees Community Fund. The match is dollar-for-dollar for employees and 50 cents-on-the-dollar for eligible employees retired from Boeing. It extends through September 26.