All Entries in the "Transportation" Category

St. Regis Announces Partnership with Bentley Motors

St. Regis, one of the premier names in the Starwood Hotels & Resorts family has announced a new partnership with luxury auto maker Bentley Motors. The partnership will also include hotel properties that are part of Starwood’s The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts division.

According to the announcement the hotels will be using Bentley vehicles both for house fleets and special driving programs aimed at residents and hotel guests. Bentley represents the ultimate in luxury vehicles combining unparalleled style and quality, making their cars the perfect match for the unrivalled luxury found at St. Regis and The Luxury Collection.

Virgin Atlantic’s New Clubhouse at JFK Airport

You’ve chosen to fly Virgin Atlantic — a great choice if you’re looking to fly in style — and Virgin wants to reward you with their new lounge at JFK Airport in New York. The lounge combines everything you love about flying Virgin Atlantic with everything you love about New York City.

From the moment you walk in you’ll be dazzled by the ambience and stylish design featuring modern, open spaces, beautiful colours and textures, and just the right lighting to set the mood.

Located beyond airport security, the Virgin Atlantic lounge provides you with the privacy and intimacy you desire. Enjoy a drink at the chic Uptown cocktail bar or relax on our oversized red ball sofa. If there’s still work to be done, the lounge features an Internet bar with a staff ready to assist you in any way they can.

Qatar Airways Opens New Premium Lounge at London Heathrow

Qatar Airways introduced 15 new destinations in 2011, a move that plays heavily into the importance of London’s Heathrow airport as the hub of the airline’s European operations. In order to reinforce that position the airline recently announced the opening of a brand-new passenger lounge. The Premium Lounge at Terminal 4 is the second such passenger lounge from Qatar Airways, and the first of its kind in Europe.

The most significant difference between the Premium Lounge and those offered by competing airlines is the atmosphere. Rather than have the look and feel of a typical airport lounge, designers created the space to feel more like a luxury resort. The lounge includes private showers with brand name toiletries, hotel quality towels, heated floors, and other amenities. Throughout the space guests will enjoy free WiFi connection, a fully equipped business center, and power outlets at every seat.

Guests can also enjoy drinks at the Martini Bar and light meals in the delicatessen. Qatar Airlines even went so far as to hire the best talent from five-star hotels to staff their kitchen space. The entire lounge is meant to reward loyal customers with the luxury travel experience they deserve.

Qantas’ New A380 First Class Luxury Cabin

Qantas Airlines has introduced a new first-class cabin on its A380 jet that looks like something out of a science fiction film. In fact, reviewers at TechEBlog had no trouble saying it reminded them of the USS Enterprise from the popular “Star Trek” series. One look and you’ll understand why.

Designed by Marc Newson, the exclusive cabin features leather seats, full-length beds, and a common social area, all enclosed in a very sleek and futuristic package worthy of any intergalactic ship. In addition, everything under passenger control is operated by LCD touch screens. Individual “suites” include futuristic sliding doors with dark window panels.

Bora Bora: Traveling to the French Polynesian Islands on Air Tahiti Nui

If you plan to visit the French Polynesian Islands, and Bora Bora in particular, your options to travel from the United States are fairly limited. Within the continental United States the only flights available are on Air Tahiti Nui, and they depart from Los Angeles. The flights depart from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and arrive in Papeete, Tahiti, Faa’a’s International airport (PPT).

The opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful places in the world doesn’t necessarily come cheap. A round-trip ticket starts at $965 during low travels seasons and $1,161 during peak seasons.

The flight to Tahiti is just over 8 hours, and onboard you will find that Air Tahiti Nui is not your run-of-the-mill airline. Air Tahiti Nui is a real treat. The first thing you’ll notice when you board is the well maintained, clean interiors. Pillows and blankets are provided on your seat as your arrive. Also provided is a package of goods to ensure you have a comfortable flight, including an eye mask, socks, stickers to indicate if you do or don’t want to be distributed while you’re sleeping, if they are serving food, ear plugs, and more. When boarding the plane they even play traditional Tahitian music to set the mood.

JetSuite Brings Fuel Efficiency to Priviate Luxury Aviation

Southern California-based JetSuite is proud to announce a new program which makes them the only private jet operator to fly the new Embraer Phenom 100. This new jet is the most fuel-efficient in its class and will enable JetSuite to provide more service to more destinations at a lower cost. Along with completely updating their fleet, the company now wants to offer more affordable private aviation services to give customers the best flight options with no obligations.

JetSuite currently provides private aviation services to airports in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, utilizing what the company calls SuiteSpots. The company, which has earned the highest possible safety rating from ARG/US, attributes a lot of their success to CEO Alex Wilcox. Wilcox is one of the founding executives of JetBlue, though he’s no longer with them.

Frommer’s Top Airport Lounges for 2011

Airport travel lounges are a godsend to frequent fliers who need a peaceful and relaxing environment while they wait for flights. So much so that even as employers are cutting expenses by eliminating club membership perks, many individuals are paying for it out of pocket. If you find yourself in this position, you might be interested to know Frommer’s Travel Guides’ top airport lounges for 2011.

The Wing, from Cathay Pacific Airways’ Hong Kong terminal earned the number one slot with a 1st-class lounge that offers individual privacy rooms complete with shower, toilet, and deck chair, as well as a 32-seat restaurant and library. The Upper Class Clubhouse from Virgin Atlantic at Heathrow took second place, with a roof-top garden, observation deck, TV room, and billiards.

The remaining three of the top five also went to lounges in cities outside the U.S., including Kuala Lumpur, Munich, and Tokyo. In the States, New York and Houston are tops. Lounges at several of their airports offer everything from massages to free food and drink. Most offer free wireless Internet access, real desks to work at, and plenty of peace and quiet.

New Airport Wing Opens at San Francisco Airport

After a three-year construction project San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has opened a new state-of-the-art terminal to handle increased domestic traffic. Terminal 2 is not new construction; rather, it is an old terminal that was previously closed in 2000 when SFO opened a new international terminal. The airport decided to resurrect the former terminal in 2008 in response to increased traffic. American Airlines and Virgin America will call the new terminal home.

The San Francisco Bay area stands to benefit, with the addition of nearly 3,000 new jobs between airline expansion and terminal tenants. Tenant construction is expected to bring an additional $15 million to the airport while the increased traffic should benefit both business and tourism.

Terminal 2 concessions provide a innovative verity of dining an shopping options that are far superior to other airports thought the world including:

Thomson Airways Reveals a New Way to Fly

Thomson Airways has shared its vision for the 787’s interior configuration. Thomson will get its first 787 in early 2012. It has the second highest capacity seating 288 passengers in a two-class configuration with a Premium Economy cabin with seven side-by-side seating and will have room for 47 passengers, and a two rare nine-abreast zone that will be accommodating 150 and 91 passengers. In-flight entertainment for 787 will feature Panasonic IFE; Thomson will be the first to offer broadband connectivity for both cabins. Other features found in the aircraft are wider aisles, more legroom, aromatherapy and juice bar.

The new aircraft is focusing on the comfort and well-being of it’s passengers. The lower altitude cabin pressure, which is 6,000 ft rather than standard 8,000 ft. will assure less headaches, sickness and fatigue. The usage of advanced materials in the aircraft will lead to higher cabin humidity that will reduce dryness and dehydration.