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TRAVELWATCHER
Insider news & notes from your business travel authority
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UP IN THE AIR
The U.S. Department of State will no longer
add visa pages into U.S. passports
On November 19th, 2015 the U.S. State Department announced that it will no longer add pages to passports beginning January 1, 2016. We strongly encourage our clients with passports they expect to fill with visas or entry stamps to request additional pages as soon as possible. Save the hassle (and money) by adding pages now. The government fees for additional pages are less than a renewal and all your visas will remain in one passport book. We are working closely with State Department officials to understand the renewal process after January 1, 2016 and we will provide updates as we learn them. Meanwhile, read more here
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Chicago O'Hare opens new runway, control tower
Runway 10R-28L, the fifth east-west parallel runway at the airport, is located on the south airfield. It will be used primarily for arrivals. The runway is the farthest one from the terminal. Planes landing there will have a 20-minute taxi to the gate. In good weather, the airport anticipates a 24% increase in airport arrival rates (from 92 to 114 flights per hour) because of the new runway. Construction on the $516 million runway and taxiway system began in spring 2011, after American and United signed an agreement with the city. The new $41 million air traffic control tower was built to manage operations for the new runway.
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Supersonic jets: a reality?
CNN Travel -- Here we go again with another super-cool design for an airliner that flies faster than the speed of sound. The latest new concept design is called Skreemr, which -- if developed -- supposedly would carry 75 passengers from London to New York in 30 minutes...It's getting hard to separate engineers' dreams from what's likely in a real-world economy. In July, Airbus was granted a patent for a supersonic airliner that would fly from New York to London in 90 minutes. Airbus tried to tamp down all the excitement by saying that this was just one of hundreds of concept patents filed every year. Last year, Lockheed Martin announced it was working with NASA on a supersonic airliner that would fly from New York to LA in 2.5 hours. Now, there's the Skreemr -- which looks downright sexy, especially to an aviation enthusiast or engineer. But if you're among last year's 3.3 billion airline passengers, this is kind of meaningless, at least for now...
Sonic boom
One big problem is heat. Objects traveling past Mach 5 can reach upwards of 980 C (1800 F), and there is a limit to the type of materials that can withstand those kinds of temperatures. The sonic boom is also all but guaranteed when an object breaks the sound barrier, and is a menace in urban areas.
The Concorde The reason the Concorde stopped flying twelve years ago: Supersonic travel is expensive and people didn't want to pay for it. Make no mistake, if there's a robust market for these planes in the future, companies will build them. Read the full article here
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Chatwal NY
As The Lambs Club, the Chatwal served as a clubhouse and general hangout for luminaries like Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields and Spencer Tracy. Its relaunch in 2010 changed the facility's purpose but not its Golden Era ambiance. Art Deco modernism is combined with sophisticated service. In essence, the Chatwal is a love letter to travelers, especially those who crave the days when traveling was glamorous.
Its intimate 76 guestrooms feature custom, handmade mattresses outfitted with Frette linens. We recommend the Producer's Suite for its private rooftop terrace. And as a Protravel client, you will receive an upgrade on arrival, subject to availability, daily continental breakfast two and a $100 equivalent spa services credit.
First Four Seasons to open in Brazil
Iron House Real Estate has entered into a partnership with Tamweelview European Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), to bring the first Four Seasons hotel and private residences to São Paulo Brazil. Four Seasons Hotel São Paulo at Nações Unidas is expected to open in 2017, with Private Residences to follow. The luxury Hotel and Private Residences will be located at a 880,000 square foot mixed-used development including lush green spaces in the southern part of São Paulo known as Parque da Cidade. The 254-room Hotel and 84 Private Residences will be the first foray into Brazil for Four Seasons. Mandarin Oriental: French flair plus Boston charm
Joining its award-winning sister restaurants in London and New York, Bar Boulud Boston at the Mandarin Oriental is a French-inspired bistro and wine bar from internationally acclaimed chef Daniel Boulud. Specializing in classic brasserie fare, Bar Boulud is known for being one of the best French restaurants in Boston with its seasonal New England-inspired Menu and signature charcuterie from renowned Parisian charcutier Gilles Verot.
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TECHNOLOGYCORNER
How to get free wifi while traveling
When you book through your Protravel advisor, free wi-fi is often included as an amenity in our negotiated and preferred partner hotel rates. However, when you're not in the hotel, these tips for finding free wi-fi might help you stay connected:
- Ask your cable provider for wireless access: Several of the country's largest cable providers enable their customers to access Wi-Fi hotspots far from home. Cablewifi.com allows Bright House Networks, Cox Communications, Optimum, Time Warner Cable and XFINITY customers to find a hotspot using their home cable login information. The options range from sprawling to sparse from city to city, so take a moment to do your homework before embarking on your trip.
- Don't let time limitations stand in your way: Many of the free Wi-Fi connections you encounter on your travels are only free for a limited period, before asking for a credit card to continue accessing the internet. But these trial periods aren't necessarily tied to your device as much as your device's MAC (media access control address). Resetting your MAC address at the end of a trial period will usually allow to you reconnect to the Wi-Fi without a problem.
- There's always Starbucks and McDonald's: Nearly all of Starbucks' 21,000 and McDonald's 35,000 locations offer free Wi-Fi. Other national brands with free wifi include Apple Stores, Barnes & Noble, Dunkin Donuts, Lowes, Macy's and Whole Foods.
- Check before you go: When possible, it's best to look up free Wi-Fi hot spots in the area you plan to travel. That's where Wi-Fi databases come in handy. The Wi-Fi FreeSpot Directory http://www.wififreespot.com/ has thousands of free spots. It organizes hot spots by state or business and has special sections for airports, hotels and even campgrounds with hot spots.
- Tether your phone: Tethering allows you to turn your smartphone's cellular Internet connection into a Wi-Fi hot spot for your tablet or laptop. It doesn't cost anything extra to tether if you have a shared data plan from your cellular provider. Read how here
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Smart Luggage?
Your suitcase is the latest product to be given a technology makeover, with in-built GPS tracking and messaging. That means bags will be able to pair with your phone and send you a text about where they are, when they have been taken off a plane or if someone opens them without your consent. Read the full article
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YOURLIFE
Pointers for graceful dining all over the globe
Virtuoso Life--It's unlucky to cut your noodles in China, polite to eat with your hands in North Africa and don't make a cheese mistake in Italy. Read more here
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THEGREATESCAPE
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts: Anatomy of a brandHyatt is a leader in global hospitality with proud heritage of making guests feel more than welcome. Explore below to learn more about how they provide authentic hospitality through their portfolio of brands worldwide. Click here for link.
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