Airlines try to lure fliers away from travel websites
The Detroit News
Some airlines are making travelers work harder to find a deal.
Carriers are offering more deals to passengers who book flights directly on their websites. It’s an effort to steer people away from online travel agencies such as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity, which charge the carriers commissions of roughly $10 to $25 a ticket.
While travelers save money, they also must do without the convenience of one-stop shopping.
Albanian Tourism Project Puts Beds in Bunkers
ABC News
The Balkan country of Albania has hundreds of thousands of disused communist-era bunkers and a booming tourist industry. Now a joint German-Albanian project has put the two things together — and is converting a bunker into a backpacker hostel.
In the coastal town of Tale, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Albanian capital of Tirana, 10 German and 10 Albanian university students are at work on a unique tourism project. They’re converting a former bunker into a hostel that will provide space for up to eight people.
A new attraction in the Magic Kingdom – alcohol
Boston.com
The addition of “Gaston’s Tavern” to the newly-revamped Fantasyland in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom raised some eyebrows recently due to the theme park’s long-standing ban on alcoholic beverages. What’s in a name though, right?
As it turns out though, alcohol will not be served at the forthcoming restaurant. It will, however, be served at “Be Our Guest,” which opens Nov. 19, sparking a debate as to why the ban has been lifted at the most family-friendly of Disney’s four theme parks.
“As part of the overall theming, we wanted to offer wine that enhances the guest experience and complements the French-inspired cuisine,” beverage director Stuart McGuire told the Disney Parks Blog. “The wines focus primarily on France’s famous wine-growing regions, including Champagne, Alsace, Loire, Rhone, Burgundy and Bordeaux.
American Airlines, American Red Cross Partner to Aid Victims of Hurricane Isaac
American Airlines and American Eagle, in partnership with the American Red Cross, are taking action to provide relief to those affected by Hurricane Isaac.
Through Oct. 1, AAdvantage® members can earn a one-time award of 250 miles for a minimum donation of $50, or 500 miles for a donation of $100 or more to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.
For more information or to donate please visit AA.com/JoinUs.
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