Pearson's Terminal 2 Closes

I would like to feel sad about Terminal 2 closing on Monday night, but I can't. As a frequent user of Toronto's massive airport, anything and everything they do to make the experience better is welcomed with open arms by me.

Sure, Terminal 2 had convenient parking and modern seventies architecture, but it was massive and the interior was dark and gloomy. My lasting memory of good old Terminal 2 will be the endless hallways you had to walk down to get out of the damn place. The walk to customs or the baggage carousel's took forever!

To accommodate the traffic from Terminal 2, the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) has added a new $800-million expansion to the already revamped Terminal 1 called "Pier F" which opened Monday night. Pier F will be capable of handling 38 million passengers a year and is approximately 84,000 square-metres. Officials say the new wing is aimed at "simplifying and enhancing" the travel experience, with 25 new gates for international traffic, 680 metres of moving walkways, and Canada's largest duty-free store. I say bring it on!

Pier F was in development for eight years, and with it comes a new runway as well as new taxiways, utilities, roads, bridges, an on-airport train system, and upgrades to Terminal 3. When all is said and done, the plan is to simplify the transfer process for passengers. And again I say bring it on.

Airport travel is not the fun and exciting experience it used to be. Increased security screenings, line ups, rushed transfer times and crowded planes all combine to make it a stressful and harried process. Anything, and I mean anything they can do to make it better is okay by me. Will I miss Terminal 2? Nope.

BA Strike Cancelled

British Airways (BA) has announced the cancellation of the proposed strike action by its cabin crew, members of The Transport and General Workers’ Union planned for January 30-31, February 5-7, and February 12-14.

As their Web site states, the carrier has reinstated a complete flight schedule for January 30 and January 31. Travelers wishing to travel on any reinstated flight must contact BA or their travel agent as soon as possible to confirm travel.

Conversely, the carrier has advised passengers not to go to the airport unless they hold a confirmed booking on a reinstated flight.

Passengers who have made alternative flight arrangements and are satisfied with these arrangements do not need to rebook or reconfirm.

BA Strike Delayed

A proposed strike at British Airways (BA) has been postponed for 24 hours to allow more time for negotiations between cabin crew staff and management.

Members of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) had been due to start a three-day strike on January 29th. As a result, travelers flying on this day should be able to travel as normal. However, if negotiations are not settled by this date, planned industrial action will still go ahead on January 30th and 31st, in a move that could affect thousands of travelers.

BA has put together a set of contingency plans and have communicated these with the travel industry. If you think you may be affected by the strike, please contact your travel agent.

This is a good time to remind you that travel agents are a valuable resource for travelers when something unexpected like this happens. They are apprised of the most up to date information from the airline, they can give you give you options and help you to rearrange your travel plans. Having a professional on your side goes a long way when something like this happens.

6 Ways to Save on Your Next Hotel Room

If you're the type of traveler who just wants a decent place to hang your hat and you don't want to spend a fortune to do it, here are seven ways to save on your next hotel room:

Be flexible
Hotel rates are based on supply and demand, so be aware of peak periods. If your destination's high season is from December through April and you're trying to book near the end of April, you might find considerable savings if you change your travel dates by a week or two. Also, keep in mind that at many properties you'll be charged peak-season rates for your entire stay even if you straddle the dates between peak and nonpeak seasons. So ask when rates go down.

Use your frequent-flier miles
If you have a credit card that allows you to earn frequent-flier miles for purchases, contact the company (or visit its Web site) and ask about hotel deals or promotions during the time you'll be traveling. Also check with any airlines for which you have frequent-flier miles.

Check out our website
Our hotel booking engine gives you access to hotel rooms bought in advance from consolidators as well as access to last minute sell-offs from the large hotel chains. It is rare to find a lower rate than what is available on our engine because of our partner's enormous buying power. Hotels are anxious to post their best rates on the engine because they know how successful it is in bringing customers to their properties. travelmyway hotel booking engine

Don't be afraid to haggle
Most people are so intimidated by know-it-all hotel desk clerks that they don't try bargaining for a better deal. But negotiating for a better deal is often worth the trouble, because most hotel general managers would prefer having a customer paying a lower-than-usual rate to no customer at all. And if you find something on your hotel bill that you feel is unfair -- such as an outrageously high phone charge -- don't be afraid to complain about this either. To keep your goodwill, hotels will often reduce or eliminate such charges.

Look for weekend deals at business hotels
High-end chain properties that cater to businesspeople are often busy only on weekdays. To fill up rooms on weekends, such hotels often drop their rates dramatically on weekends. Because many of these places are in leisure destinations such as San Diego, Palm Springs, and Miami, they're worth considering even if you're not traveling on business.

Avoid hidden costs
Pricey little extras that hotels never mention can significantly increase the cost of your stay. Don't let this happen. Find out about resort fees, fees for parking, Internet use, safe-deposit boxes and fitness centers before you agree to stay. And don't touch the hotel's phone unless you absolutely have to -- the rates at many large properties can be more than $2 a minute! Also, don't book yourself into a hotel that has amenities, such as business centers or in-room fax machines, you don't need, because the cost of providing them is factored into your room rate.

Where to Go: LA

I like to keep on top of the trends and hip happenings around the world and when I find some cool new hotels, restaurants or bars I like to pass the love around. From my friends at Urban Daddy, I got a great tip on a new bar in LA.

The bar is called the Bar Lubitsch, and its the newest Russian drinking hole from the Bar Marmont crew. Tucked in the heart of West Hollywood's Little Russia, picture a sleek, old school Russian hangout with antique mirrors, cozy booths, a tulip-shaped disco ball, Russian placards and menus and—most importantly—over 200 varieties of vodka.

You heard me - 200 of them. So replace your usual Grey Goose martini with their house specialty, the "Lubitsch Touch." In fact, they take the "art of the cocktail" quite seriously by using only fresh, 100% organic juices and mixes that are made in-house daily; and serving shots in pre-chilled, vintage shot glasses.

If you feel like sipping the good stuff, go for the Jewel of Russia Ultra vodka. (At $25 a shot it ain't cheap, but neither is perfection.)

You can find the Bar Lubitsch at 7702 Santa Monica Blvd (between Spaulding and Stanley Aves), West Hollywood, 323-654-123

Children 12 and Under Will Need ID for Flights

Children who appear to be 12 years of age or older will have to present government-issued ID to board an airplane once Transport Canada's new no-fly list comes into force in March.

The new rules mean children as young as 10 or 11 could be denied the right to board domestic flights if they can't produce government photo ID or present two pieces of non-photo ID issued by government.

The no-fly list will come into force for all domestic flights when final regulations are published in March. The program will be extended to international flights in June.

Under the Passenger Protect program, airlines will be required to screen the names of all persons "who appear to be 12 years of age or older" against the no-fly list before issuing a boarding pass. If there's a match, passengers must produce government-issued ID that shows their name, birth date and gender.

The program also requires airlines do a second screening at the boarding gate by asking passengers who appear to be 12 or older for government-issued ID and comparing it with the name on the boarding pass.

According to the Passenger Protect regulations, the required documents can either be one piece of government-issued photo ID, such as a passport or driver's licence, or two pieces non-photo ID issued by government, at least one of which must show name, birth date and gender.
Unless young travellers have a passport, they will likely fall into the second category and have to produce two pieces of non-photo ID.

According to Transport Canada spokesperson Jacques Dufort, that would most likely be a birth certificate, which shows date of birth and gender, along with a second piece of government ID, such as a health card or social insurance card, showing only the person's name.

Last Minute Florida!

Here's a package to knock your winter boots off! If the cold snap has made you snap - an escape is at hand.

Fly to Orlando, spend 7 nights at the Knight's Inn Maingate (2*, breakfast daily), and enjoy and intermediate car rental for the week and pay just:

$399/person (based on double occupancy)

Yup, pretty hard to beat that price. Departures are on Jan 26 or 27th. Taxes are $227 extra.

Included:
Round trip airfare from Toronto
7 nights accommodation
Intermediate car rental for 7 days

The Knights Inn Hotel is conveniently located just one mile from Disney's entrance. There are many fine restaurants and shops within easy walking distance. The hotel offers a free shuttle bus to Walt Disney World Theme Parks, Sea World and Universal Studios and attraction tickets can be purchased at the hotel.

Doggie Day Spa!

File this in your "Over the Top" mental folder. The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota has set up a Doggie Day Spa for their guest's pets.

"Initially there is a lot of playful behavior," says Darlene Davison, the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota's spa director, "but soon their eyelids droop and their muscles relax under the massage therapist's soothing touch." Darlene is talking about massaging dogs -- canine.

How much do you think it costs to pamper your pooch, the Ritz-Carlton way?

Oh, about $130 per session. Add to the hotel's 20-pound weight limit and the additional $125 nonrefundable pet fee and the "privileged pup" plan comes out to a minimum of $12.75 a pound. And that's just the standard package.

For another $220, Ritz-Carlton adds gourmet dog biscuits, an in-room massage, a choice of nail buffing or nail polish, a souvenir photo, a brisk walk over Sarasota's scenic Ringling Bridge and a gourmet meal of organic stew and designer water.

The amazing thing is that obviously there is a demand for this kind of pooch pampering. Consider the following US Stats - our neighbours to the south spend about $38.4 billion on their pets annually, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturer's Association. Spending on pets increased an average of $2.3 billion a year since the association started tracking numbers in 1997.

Look for traveling with your pets as one of the upcoming trends in travel this year!

Weather or Not...The Canadians are Coming!

In warm winters past, the industry always claimed that a good cold snap or vicious snowstorm was needed to get the phones ringing. But this year, as Ontario sails through one of its warmest winters in history, business has been booming.

Why you ask? I think the market has changed and Canadians have changed too – getting away from winter, even a mild one, is something that has become ingrained, as much for a restful break as an escape from the cold. People are now used to getting away to the south in the winter, they plan for it every year and weather be damned.

I know weather has been the topic of conversation for most of us living in Ontario, but it hasn't deterred our customers. Nor, in fact, has the whole US passport requirement. Perhaps its our Canadian way of being prepared in advance, but we haven't seen any real issues with the new law. In fact, many of our customers had their passports already.

Phoenix Hotel, San Francisco

Looking for something a little different on your next trip to San Francisco? Sick of cookie cutter hotels without personality? Well, the Phoenix Hotel might be just what you are looking for!

The funky island-inspired Phoenix Hotel is the perfect urban hide-away. The rooms are not that great, but the hotel features over 250 original works of art on the grounds including paintings, photographs, and sculptures from local artists. You will receive free tattoos upon check-in and don't forget to check out the Phoenix Fun Book, a coloring book inspired by the eclectic history of the hotel.

Each spacious '50s style bungalow room is decorated with handmade bamboo furnishings, tropical plants. All guestrooms have views of the courtyard and pool.

Bambuddha Lounge, the restaurant, draws on South-East Asian cuisine influences to offer a dinner menu at reasonable prices.

The Phoenix Hotel is located in the Tenderloin District near the historic Civic Center, home of the San Francisco Ballet, Opera, Symphony and Government offices. The hotel is in close proximity to some of the city's hottest music venues, including the Great American Music Hall, Slims, The Warfield, The Fillmore, Bimbo's, and the San Francisco Symphony. Downtown and Union Square are a short drive or walk away.

We'd be happy to book this hotel for you or introduce you to some other equally interesting hotel options. As always, you can book this hotel online at our website www.travelmyway.ca

Epicurean Excursions

Here's a new idea in travel tours. Horizon & Co have set up epicurean tours for passionate amateurs which combine an entertaining mix of hands-on cooking and visits to kitchens of local chefs, wine and food tastings and local market excursions.

The itineraries are designed for both enthusiastic cooks and those who enjoy good food and good wine. Daily activities leave time for individual exploration, and guest chefs are chosen for their ability to communicate a genuine passion for their cuisine.

Destinations include the familiar like Tuscany and India, but also include some intriguing options like Hungary, Indochina, and Morocco.

Interested? Give us a call and we can send you out some more info on these exceptional tours

New US Travel Requirements

I just wanted to remind air travelers that new document requirements will come into effect January 23, 2007, as per the United States' Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). At this time, all passengers including Canadian and U.S. citizens will be required to present a valid passport when traveling by air to the United States.

We strongly recommend customers who do not hold valid passports apply for new passports well in advance of travel plans.

This new regulation is a change from prior requirements. Effective January 23, 2007, driver licenses and other government-issued photo identification will no longer be accepted as valid travel documentation for Canadian and U.S. citizens traveling by air between Canada and the United States. Alternatively, NEXUS Air cards will be accepted by U.S. authorities when traveling by air from Vancouver International Airport to the United States.

Additional information on Canada-U.S. border regulations is available from the Canada Border Services Agency www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca. Information on Canadian passport applications is available from Passport Canada www.pptc.gc.ca.