Northwest is hiring … just in case — Northwest Airlines Corp., embroiled in contentious labor negotiations, is seeking flight attendants to replace those who may walk off the job if talks break down. (CNN)
Thrifty car rental eases summer gas woes — Eighty percent of consumers in a recent survey said rising gas prices have impacted their household budgets, with 39 percent indicating that high gas prices have forced them to stay home more often. To take the heat off travelers’ summer gas woes, Thrifty Car Rental recently launched a sweepstakes on their website. Every day from June 1, 2005 through July 31, 2005, Thrifty will award a prize of a year’s worth of free gas in the U.S. (Auto Spectator)
Cities hustle for gay travelers — After reading in his local newspaper that Pittsburgh officials were recruiting gay tourists using a 16-page guide dubbed “City NaviGaytor,” Bob Stamer asked his fellow residents, “What’s this world coming to? This city has enough problems; we don’t need our normal kids to see this disgusting and abnormal behavior.” (Southern Voice)
Sky Team alliance set to accept 4 airlines as interim members — Sky Team, a worldwide airline alliance, has decided to accept four new airlines as part-members.Top executives of the nine Sky Team member airlines announced their plan to adopt a quasi-member system for four airlines at a governing board meeting held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Thursday.The new members are Air Europa of Spain, Kenya Airways of Kenya, Copa Airlines of Panama, and Tarom of Romania. (The Korea Times)
Billionaires battle for business on the Las Vegas strip — On one corner of the Las Vegas Strip, Steve Wynn runs his signature $2.7 billion megaresort and busily plans another. Across the street, Sheldon Adelson is building the Palazzo hotel-casino next to his successful Venetion. Soon to be shimmering near both properties are Donald Trump’s gold-glass hotel-condo towers, and Phil Ruffin has ambitious plans for the aging New Frontier casino. Four billionaire-sized egos. (MSNBC)
Cosmetic surgery contributing to medical tourism in Asia — Looking good is becoming a lucrative business as plastic surgery becomes a draw for tourists in Asia. In Business Ideas this week, Thai cosmetic surgeon Dr Pichet Rochareon talks about his job of making people beautiful, and how plastic or cosmetic surgery is becoming a lucrative contributor to the tourism market. (Radio Singapore International)
More Britons travel with gadgets — Nearly a third of Britons will squeeze £500-worth of high-tech gadgets into their suitcases as they set off on their summer holidays, according to a new study. Far from getting away from it all, most British tourists (85%) take their mobile phones away with them, along with their digital cameras (74%). Britons just could not bear to be without their CD players (27%) and iPods (17%), while one in 10 even admitted taking their laptops on holiday, research from Direct Line Travel Insurance found. (This is London)
Angry passengers get bumped for Trump by cruise line — Angry Norwegian cruise line passengers that risked their lives as they were tragically forced back at sea and subjected to 70 foot waves so the boat could be featured on Donald Trump’s television show, “The Apprentice,” will hold a press conference with their attorneys and hold a rally overlooking the New York waters, Monday, June 13th at 11:00 AM, Pier 17-South St. Seaport, 3rd Floor, Harbour Lights restaurant in Manhattan. (Yahoo)
JetBlue U. — The state-of-the-art simulators at JetBlue’s new Orlando Support Campus will prepare pilots and crew members for scenarios ranging from tame to scary. Central Florida has its share of scary rides, like the Tower of Terror, Space Mountain and the Incredible Hulk roller coaster. But none can match the latest addition — not open to the public — for authenticity and range of frightening scenarios. (Orlando Sentinal)
Pub laws will change to allow extended hours — Britain’s strict licensing laws, dating to World War I, will be swept away Nov. 24 when legislation to relax drinking hours takes effect, the government said. Supporters of the new law, which will end the requirement that pubs shut by 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and by 10:30 p.m. on Sundays, say it will bring an end to binge drinking in the last minutes before closing time, cutting late-night violence. (IHT)
Correspondents: Charles Leocha, Stephanus Surjaputra
