January 30, 2014 
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Mexico City: Insiders' Tips for a Smooth Trip  

Safety, transportation, the city's best business restaurants and other advice from top concierges

 

By Mark Chesnut 

Insights and advice from Jaime Garcia, chief concierge at the Hilton Mexico City Reforma; Ramiro Mercado Romero, chief concierge at the Presidente InterContinental Mexico City; Sergio Rodriguez, chief concierge at the Hyatt Regency Mexico City; and Lauro Urdapilleta Fern�ndez, concierge at the Radisson Perisur.

 

What's the best way to get from the airport to the hotel?

Jaime Garcia, chief concierge at the Hilton Mexico City Reforma:

We recommend that you buy a ticket for an authorized taxi in the stands [at the airport] located inside terminals T1 and T2, either in the baggage claim area or in the waiting area. Recommended operators are Sitio 300, Sitio Imagen, Sitio Excelencia and Yellow Cabs, all of which have set fares for the central zone (zona 4). We also suggest a private, personalized pick-up service through our own taxi service.  

 

Ramiro Mercado Romero, chief concierge at the Presidente InterContinental Mexico City: We have an executive service, for which the driver waits with a sign with your name - or you can take an airport car, as long as you buy your ticket in the established stands and don't accept transportation offers from people who are walking around the corridors.

 

Sergio Rodriguez, chief concierge at the Hyatt Regency Mexico City: We suggest that you use an authorized taxi; that way you will travel safely. Another option that the Hyatt Regency Mexico City offers is a pick-up service, for which the guest requests that the hotel send a driver from the authorized sitio to go to the airport.

 

Lauro Urdapilleta Fern�ndez, concierge at the Radisson Perisur: There are two ways: send a taxi from the hotel to the airport to pick up the guest in the arrivals area [or] take an authorized taxi from the airport. 

 

What restaurants and bars do you recommend outside of your hotel for business travelers looking to entertain colleagues and clients?

Garcia: Restaurante 18 Puertas - Near the hotel, [within walking distance]; it's a place where, in addition to an excellent quality of service and food, you can enjoy a conversation without distractions, in spite of being in the center of the city. Its menu is Italian-Argentinian, and they have a large

Restaurante 18 Puertas

 wine menu.

 

Mercado: Hacienda de los Morales - for its food, service and excellent facilities.

 

Rodriguez: Among the restaurants that we can recommend are Dulce Patria, Pujol, Quintonil - three options for avant-garde Mexican cuisine. 

 

Urdapilleta: Mexican food: Antigua Hacienda de Tlalpan (it was the home of [actress] Maria Felix). Argentine food: Piantao; their specialty is homemade pasta and beef. 

 

What's the best way to travel around the city?

Garcia: In our hotel we have a taxi stand that is secure and authorized, over which we have control and supervision of the drivers by telephone and/or radio, assuring the quality of the service and security of our guests. The service operates with modern vehicles in excellent condition, and bilingual drivers; they also have insurance policies in case of a mishap.

 

Mercado: If you don't know the city, it's best to contract a driver who knows the shortcuts, and to avoid going out during peak traffic hours, which are between a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

 

Rodriguez: The hotel has a servicio de sitios, authorized by the federal secretary of tourism, which is in constant contact with the hotel and has information about traffic and alternate routes to arrive in the best way at the destinations requested by guests.

 

Urdapilleta: In general, I recommend the taxis del sitio at the hotel, because they are controlled when they offer services to our guests. 

 

Stay Safe and Secure

The precautions Mercado, Garcia, Rodriguez and Urdapilleta urge their guests to take

  • Use secure taxis from established sitios or those authorized by the hotel or airport
  • Consult with your concierge about the specific risks of neighborhoods you'll be visiting
  • Don't wear flashy jewelry
  • Carry minimal cash and don't take out your wallet to access it
  • Carry only one credit card
  • Don't carry official documents with you unless you need them
  • Don't walk alone in unfamiliar areas
  • Report any problems to the appropriate authorities

Restaurante 18 Puertas, courtesy Restaurante 18 Puertas; Passport by swimparallel

 

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Air Transport World names Delta Airline of the Year: Innovation, excellent safety record, high standards of customer service among reasons Delta is first U.S. carrier in a decade to earn this award

Delta Air Lines to upgrade 225 domestic aircraft through 2016: Power at all seats, slimline seats with adjustable headrests, updated lavatories and more to improve comfort on narrowbody aircraft, including Boeing 757-200 and 737-800, Airbus A319 and A320

 

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Travel News

Weather Disruptions in the U.S.

Winter weather in the U.S. Midwest, Deep South and Mid-Atlantic has led to thousands of flight cancellations throughout the eastern half of the U.S. and as far southwest as Texas. Major hubs affected include Atlanta (Georgia), Houston (Texas) and Chicago (Illinois). Airlines began cancelling flights on Monday - many of them preemptively - and delays are expected to affect other parts of the country as well. Most U.S. airlines have issued flexible rebooking policies for travelers who may be affected.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

 

New Airline Routes and Route Changes

South America

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is scheduled to begin service between Amsterdam, Netherlands and Santiago, Chile on February 4. The thrice-weekly round-trip flights will be an extension of the European carrier's Amsterdam - Buenos Aires flights.

 

TAM Airlines will begin twice-weekly nonstop service between Belem, Brazil (Par�) and Miami, Florida (U.S.) on February 2.

 

Low-cost Brazil-based carrier Azul Airlines added 12 weekly flights between S�o Paulo Viracopos and Tr�s Lagoas in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. These are the only non-stop flights between the two airports.

 

Ecuador-based TAME airline suspended its daily flights into and out of Venezuela until the Venezuelan government pays it US$43 million it says it is owed for ticket sales in the country. The suspensions briefly left many Venezuelans stranded in Ecuador.

 

TAME Ecuador now flies between the Ecuadorean cities of Quito and Salinas twice weekly, on Thursdays and Sunday, using turboprop aircraft. It is the only direct service between the two locations.

City of Boston

 

Caribbean

U.S.-based JetBlue plans to add a seasonal third weekly flight between the U.S. city of Boston and Montego Bay, Jamaica, operating on Sundays from February 16 through March 2.

 

JetBlue also plans to begin daily direct flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on February 24.

 

International Connections

Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysia Airlines will end its service between Los Angeles International Airport (California, U.S.) and Kuala Lumpur on April 30.

 

Airline Alliance News

U.S.-based JetBlue and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad announced a codeshare agreement. It will begin with Etihad adding its code on 40 JetBlue routes within the U.S. - largely those using New York's JFK International Airport or Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport.

 

Airport News

United Airlines opened a new reception area at Newark Liberty International Airport for members of its invitation-only Global Services elite frequent flier program. The lobby in the New Jersey airport is open only to members of Global Services and to those booked on long-haul international flights in United Global First.

United Airlines Check-In in at San Francisco International Airport

 

United Airlines also moved into a new boarding area at San Francisco International Airport: the 10-gate concourse of boarding area E in terminal 3. The area includes a new United Club and new elite frequent flier check-in area, and United plans to consolidate all of its operations into the terminal. The airline plans to expand its service to secondary cities in Asia from San Francisco.

 

Hotel News

Loews Hotels and Resorts now offers free basic Wi-Fi in all its guestrooms. The chain has 18 properties around North America.

 

The 225-room, all-inclusive Jewel Paradise Cove Beach Resort & Spa opened in Runaway Bay, Jamaica. The Aimbridge Hospitality property, which is adults-only, includes healthy cuisines options, juice and smoothie bars and a spa.

 

Loyalty Program Updates

JetBlue is offering double TrueBlue base loyalty points on all points-eligible flights through March 3. The bonus points will count towards elite status. That translates to a base earning rate of six points per dollar, plus a three-point bonus for booking on the airline's website. The airline is also offering a second bonus program, called Lucky 7, which awards 7,000 additional TrueBlue points to members who fly seven round-trip flights on the airline within a single calendar year. Registration is required for both promotions.

 

Marriott Rewards is offering new members 5,000 bonus points after every second paid stay from February 1 through April 1, in its MegaMiles promotion (which requires registration).

Hertz Rent-a-Car app

 

Ground Transportation

Rental car company Hertz has redesigned its mobile app, called Hertz Rent-a-Car. It now includes the ability to access the app in airplane mode to reschedule and update rentals, faster reservations, a list of future reservation information, persistent login and complete bookings without leaving the app.

 

Enterprise Rent-a-Car agreed to franchise its brand to operators in French Guiana, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

 

Currency News

New rules now prevent Venezuelans who plan to travel abroad from purchasing airline tickets or obtaining cash at the official exchange rate (6.3 bolivars per U.S. dollar at press time). Purchases must now be made at the rate established weekly at central bank auctions (11 bolivars per U.S. dollar at press time). The same fluctuating rate will apply to foreign companies investing in the country and money sent by Venezuelans to family outside the country.

 

The government devaluation of the bolivar for the purchase of flights out of Venezuela also prompted several international airlines to stop selling tickets in Venezuela, although only one - Ecuador-based TAME - has stopped flights.

 

The Venezuelan government also drastically lowered the limit on how much Venezuelans outside the country can spend annually on Venezuelan credit cards, and how much cash they can bring. The government lowered those limits for Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, the Dutch Antilles and the U.S. State of Florida (higher limits remain in place for the rest of the U.S.). 

 

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