Posts in the category "Lounges":

A little bit of this ‘n that today.

(No one is walking off with this bag!)

The story out of Phoenix about a couple who managed to steal more than 1,000 pieces of luggage from the baggage claim carousels at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is alarming, for sure.

But we shouldn’t be surprised.  While many airports have some sort of security in the bag claim area, the job of making sure passengers walk off with only their bags is the responsility of each airline. And in most airports, airlines haven’t been actively monitoring bag match-ups for years.

I’m working on a story about this for my column next week on MSNBC.com, and would love to hear from you if you have any first hand experience to share.

In the meantime, here are some other travel tidbits you might find useful:

Through November, the folks at 3M are once again hosting “privacy havens” at several busy airports around the country.

This year, you’ll find these quiet spots at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and in Terminal 8 at New York’s JFK International Airport. (Exact locations here).

On the busy days right before and after Thanksgiving, these “privacy havens” will also be offering free massages and free Wi-Fi.

And two sweepstakes you may want to enter:

To coincide with the new movie “Up in the Air,” with George Clooney, American Airlines is having an auction and a sweepstakes.  You’ll need to use AAdvantage miles to bid on travel, movie and “experience-” related items in the auction, but entering the contest, which has prizes that include a trip to Los Angeles and 260,000 AAdvantage miles, is free. You’ll just need to watch the trailer and then enter your details.  (Auction bids and sweepstakes entries must be in by Jan 5, 2010.)

And Hilton (which seems to have a part in the Up in the Air movie) is also having an Up in the Air sweepstakes.  You can enter by booking a Hilton stay, but if you’re not heading out on the road before January 18, 2010 you can enter for free by “sending your hand-printed name, address and phone number on 3” x 5” paper to Hilton “Up In The Air” Sweepstakes Alternate Entry, P.O. Box 8600, Westport, CT 06888”

Good luck!

Categories: Air Travel, Airlines, Baggage, Contests, Lounges, Massages, Movies
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Are you planning to park  at Louisville International Airport before June 30, 2009?

Then be sure to go the airport’s Web site and download a coupon for a free day of valet parking.

That’s a good deal.  But wait  – there’s more:  each time you use the coupon you and everyone in your party gets a pass to the airport’s Altitude Club, a lounge that has computer work stations, and complimentary snacks, soft drinks, local and long distance phone calls,  and wireless Internet access.

Categories: Free Stuff, Lounges, Parking
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Wouldn’t it be great to be able to find out exactly what’s going on in a city when you touch down at the airport?

Well, for the next six months, when you touch down at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport you’ll be able to find out what’s going on in town at two “Explore Chicago” lounges promoting the City of Chicago’s tourism website.

The lounges have these HP Touchsmart PCs, comfortable seating (always appreciated) and giant, GigaPan ultra high-resolution panoramas showing iconic Chicago locations including the skyline, Millennium Park, and the interior of the Field Museum.

In addition to the Touchsmart PCs, there are a few computers that let you explore NASA’s website.

The lounges are in Terminal 2; another 50 Touchsmart PC’s are scattered throughout the airport.

Categories: Lounges
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Sunday mornings at SFO can be fairly quiet. Unless it’s a holiday weekend and rain and fog are causing flight delays.

United’s Red Carpet Club on Sunday morning? Quiet as well. Not the usual zillion folks making cold calls, excuses, or dates from the cubicles in the business center.  And plenty of bagels and bananas left on the buffet.

And back in the Westin Renewal Lounge section of the Red Carpet club? It’s even quieter; verging on the serene.

And that’s the goal.

The co-branded lounge-within-a lounge welcomes travelers with an “elixir” made from orange juice, green tea and ginger. There’s also a large window overlooking the activity at a few gates and special photo-therapy lighting that promises to make any jet-lagged passenger feel “more alert, awake and energized.”

I have only one small quibble: there’s a large screen showing really lovely, very calming nature scenes (wait for the orange butterflies!) in HDTV, courtesy of Blue Marvel.  But a narrated informational tag kept cycling through explaining that the programming is so soothing in part because it’s narrative-free.

The are Westin Renewal Lounges in two Red Carpet Club locations: San Francisco (Terminal 3 by gate 80) and Los Angeles (Terminal 7 by gate 70). There’s also one in the First Class Lounge in New York (JFK terminal 7).

Categories: Lounges
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Airport club rooms aren’t just for frequent fliers with expense accounts anymore. At least not at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Starting Thursday, Dec 4, 2008, travelers 21years old and older in search of a relaxing, somewhat upscale place to hang out before or between flights can now pay $25 and spend up to three hours hanging out in the new reLAX Lounge at the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

The lounge is the airport’s first pay-to-use lounge and offers a nice view of airfield activity, complimentary snacks and beverages (coffee, tea, soft drinks), as well as food and alcoholic beverages for purchase. Business services such as wireless Internet access, faxing photocopying and printing are also offered.

Even better: the lounge is located on the mezzanine level of the terminal – BEFORE the security checkpoint. That means even folks stuck at other terminals will be able to make use of this lounge.

Here’s another idea for a relaxing way to spend $25 at LAX: Head on over to the intergalactic-themed Encounter Restaurant at the top of the landmark Theme Building. (You can walk there from pretty much any terminal.) The restaurant offer great views, a cocktail lounge, and serves both lunch and dinner. $25 should get you a drink (or two) and a few appetizers.

Categories: Lounges
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