TRAVELWATCHER

UP IN THE AIR

Premium air travel markets up     

International premium traffic increased 5.4% year-over-year, indicating that premium travel demand has accelerated. The growth was seen on North America-South America routes (up 9.3%), Europe-Far East routes (up 9%), Europe-Middle East routes (up 8.7%), South Pacific routes (up 8.4%) and Africa-Middle East routes (up 7.6%). The weakest growth for premium traffic in November year-over-year was reported on routes within Africa (down 8.2%), Europe-Africa routes (down 2.8%) and routes within North America (down 2.6%).

Economy passenger travel grew 2.4% in November year-over-year, slipping two points from October. IATA attributes the weakness in part as "a result of a slowdown in growth of economy class travel in the Far East. "Overall, the outlook for premium travel markets continues to improve slowly," IATA said. As business confidence rises, and sustained growth in export orders buoys the near-term outlook for world trade, improvements have "already translated to stronger demand on important markets like the North Atlantic, boosting premium travel's share of total travel."

TSA: A break on duty-free carry-ons  

The TSA is loosening the rules on bringing back some liquids in carry-on bags on international flights to the U.S. Passengers had been stymied, if they bought bigger bottles of duty-free liquor at an airport duty-free shop, as they were unable to take them aboard connecting flights in the U.S. Here's the word on the rule change from the TSA:

"Beginning January 31, 2014, passengers traveling internationally into the United States with a connecting flight will be permitted to carry liquids in excess of 100 mL in their carry-on baggage, provided they were purchased in duty-free shops and placed in secure, tamper-evident bags (STEBs). Liquids that cannot be screened and cleared will not be allowed to remain in a passenger's carry-on baggage. Passengers may elect to place these items into checked baggage, if available, or forfeit them prior to entering the secure area of the airport. This may include liquids in opaque, ceramic, or metallic bottles, or other containers that cannot be effectively scanned." 

HOTELNEWS   

Hotel business centers for today's traveler  

USA Today -- The business center was once the only place where travelers could stay connected. Now you can stay connected anywhere and everywhere. "I think the need [for business centers] fundamentally has diminished," says Matthew Carroll, vice president of Global Brand Management for Marriott Hotels & Resorts. People are "traveling with their own technology, whether a laptop or tablet. Even the need to print a boarding pass is going away when you consider that with major airlines, you can check in with an app on a mobile device."

But is the business center going away? Not quite. Most hotels, including Marriott, are reluctant to completely give up on the business center. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, 88% of hotels polled in 2012 still had business centers, especially if the hotel was upscale. Rather than do away with the amenity, hotels are trying to adapt the business center for the modern-day traveler. Many are installing wireless printers so that guests can print from anywhere in the hotel. They are also bringing the business center out into the open so they can flow into the common coffeehouse-like areas that guests now prefer. And they're outfitting them with more comfortable furniture, so people feel like they're working in a living room rather than an office. Some examples:

Westin Hotels and Resorts last year launched a flexible work space called Tangent that is used in place of the traditional business center in some locations and as a supplement in others. The furniture can be organized in different configurations to accommodate meetings. There is also technology for videoconferencing.

Kimpton Hotels have adapted old pay-phone banks into small partitioned workstations.

InterContinental Hotels new EVEN, a wellness brand set to debut this year, will have a Hot Desk rather than traditional business center. The desk will have two laptops and guests will be able to print wirelessly from the laptops or their own devices. InterContinental's Crowne Plaza is letting guests wirelessly print to the business center from anywhere in the hotel. There is also complimentary Wi-Fi and single sign-on access for the length of the stay, meaning once you check in and log on, you don't have to log off until you check out.

Some hotels have decided that guests can be productive without a dedicated business center. Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, says that Aloft, Elements and FourPoints hotels no longer have business centers. Instead, the hotels offer free Wi-Fi so guests can work anywhere on the property. "The hotel is the new connectivity center," he says.

Hotels are also experimenting with desk designs. Designers for Marriott Hotels are working on a surface that can move around the room. Each EVEN hotel room will feature a pull-down desk with multimedia port and white board so guests can work standing up. Beds will have reinforced headboards to give guests back support when they sit and work.

More luxury hotels offering free Wi-Fi   

In most luxury hotels, if you want wireless Internet access, you are going to have to pay. That trend may be changing. Sort of. A survey by the American Hotel and Lodging Association. found that 84% of luxury hotel chains charge for Wi-Fi access, while only 8% of economy hotel chains do. Hotel experts say many luxury hotels are moving toward a "tiered" Wi-Fi program, in which guests get a choice of average-speed Wi-Fi for free or high-speed Wi-Fi at an extra charge.

Loews Hotels & Resorts announced that it will offer free Wi-Fi at all 18 of its hotels nationwide. If you want faster Internet to connect up to eight devices, however, that will cost $19.95 per day. Previously, Loews charged about $15 to $20 per day for the slower Internet that it now offers free of charge.

Hilton Worldwide recently announced that it would begin offering fast Wi-Fi connections for a fee starting at $3.95 per day in hotels where slower Wi-Fi is already free of charge. The company said it will start offering the tiered Wi-Fi in the U.S. at the Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton brands. It will be rolled out worldwide to those brands later this year.

Rocco Forte Hotels has announced that they now offer complimentary wi-fi (up to 3 devices per room) in all of their hotels worldwide.

TECHCORNER   

Our favorite travel apps of the month  

Duolingo: This free app is a fun way to learn a new language easily and on the go. Duo Lingo won iPhone App of the Year in 2013. Written lessons and games help users master a new language as they progress through Spanish, French, German, Brazilian, Portuguese or Italian units. Download Duolingo

TravelSafe: An indispensable tool for smart travelers no matter their destination. It's an app that could possibly save a life or two, if it hasn't already. TravelSafe compiles emergency numbers for countries worldwide, providing access to police, ambulances and fire departments. If a traveler should have a passport issue, every embassy's contact information is listed, as well. Download TravelSafe 

XE Currency: The only currency conversion app you need. It's free and easy to use, but most importantly it sources live, accurate currency rates.

Download XE Currency Exchange 

Foodspotting: Makes finding favorite dishes or new flavors while traveling easier than ever. It's like Yelp but incredibly specific. Travelers can fly into any major city, and some smaller ones, and do a search for whatever they're craving. The best Tom Yum soup in San Francisco, or arepas in Bogota are suddenly just a few clicks away. An emphasis on attractive photography create a visual feast, as well.

Download Foodspotting for iPhone 

THE GREAT ESCAPE  

Spotlight on Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts

Having won numerous international travel and tourism awards, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts are regarded as the most luxurious and innovative around the globe, with properties in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Baku, Frankfurt,  Istanbul, Kuwait, London, Maldives, Mallorca, Rome, and Shanghai. As a Protravel client, you will receive these EXCLUSIVE amenities: 

• Daily buffet breakfast for two in selected hotel restaurant
• Upgrade to next room category based on availability at time of arrival
• $100.00 Food & beverage or spa credit, once per room, per stay
• Early check-in based on availability at time of arrival
• 4:00pm Late check-out based on availability on day of departure
• Complimentary Wi-Fi

Be inspired: Virtuoso's 2014 Best of the Best

"Not all those who wander are lost."-J.R.R. Tolkien