TRAVELHotNews.com Magazine

The New Year begins with a Treasure Hunt

Here's your chance to show your hunting skills

TravelHotNews.com is launching a new contest - The Treasure Hunt! Join the fun and you could win great "treasures."Here's how it works. Starting January 2, hidden in the TRAVELHotNews.com site will be ten treasure chests. Each chest will have a question connected to the site. The winner must complete the form by answering all 10 questions correctly. The first two people to answer correctly are the winners. The first set of correct answers wins an all-inclusive vacation for two compliments of Signature Vacations. [Full text]

Running late? Orbitz will call ahead for you

TLCservice ensures you have a room on arrival

Online travel site Orbitz, has announced a hotel notification service for customers who book a package (flight and hotel) through the web site. In the event of a flight delay, OrbitzTLC will call customers and, with their permission, alert the hotel to let the front desk know they will be arriving late. Should the clients not be able to make it at all, or should rooms be unavailable, Orbitz will, with the client's permission, then work to rebook travellers at a new hotel. "We are now working to ensure that your hotel stay will be honoured if your flight is delayed, one more way the high-tech, human touch of OrbitzTLC serves our customers," said Randy Wagner, Chief Marketing Officer, Orbitz Worldwide. The new OrbitzTLC hotel alerts system is simple. [Full text]

Cruise the Polar Regions with The Adventure Fleet

Four ships offer expedition choices

First Choice Expedition Cruising (FCEC) is a new business unit of First Choice Holidays plc which will trade under the name of The Adventure Fleet. It was formed following the acquisition Intrav and Peregrine Adventures - companies which have sold expedition cruising trips as part of their tour operations for a number of years.Peregrine Adventures based in Australia operates expedition cruise itineraries on the Akademik Ioffe and the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Both ships are working scientific research vessels, ice-rated and capable of carrying between 100-110 passengers. Intrav, whose expedition cruising business is run by Clipper Cruise Line owns two purpose built expedition cruise ships. [Full text]

US tentatively rejects Virgin America

U.S. ownership and independence of Virgin Group at issue

Sir Richard Branson

The US Department of Transport has tentatively rejected Virgin America's application for a U.S. operating certificate after concluding the carrier is not controlled or 75%-owned by U.S. citizens. Virgin America cannot begin operations unless its ownership structure becomes more American. The decision threatens to keep the proposed domestic U.S. airline grounded. Virgin America has 14 days to file an objection to the decision, however, the DOT rarely overturns its tentative orders. The DOT indicated Virgin American also could get approval by revising its ownership, corporate structure and "associated agreements." Virgin America disagrees with the decision and will respond on January 10, saying it remains committed to getting its operating certificate. Virgin America plans to commence service in the spring of 2007 from San Francisco to New York's Kennedy Airport. [Full text]

Norwegian Pearl to display art masterpieces

Paintings from private art collection to be shown on board

When NCL Corp. introduced Norwegian Dawn several years ago, the ship displayed masterpieces from the private art collection of Star Cruises chairman Tan Sri K. T. Lim. Two of those paintings are being transferred to the new Norwegian Pearl, which entered service from Miami this month. The Pearl will gain a Renoir and a Van Gogh, according to NCL Corp. evp Andy Stuart. Paintings by Matisse and Monet will remain on Norwegian Dawn. [Full text]

MAKE A 'SUN DEAL' WITH SUNQUEST

Win up to $250 every time you play

Starting today, Sunquest is launching 'Sun Deal.' The fun new interactive game just for agents will have you winning up to $250 in Sears gift cards every time you play. With every Sunquest booking made between December 28 and January 31, you are eligible to play the game. It's easy. Just go to sunquestagent.ca, click on Sun Deal, enter your booking number and you will be given instructions on how to play. and win! In Sun Deal, suitcases are randomly loaded with dollar values ranging from 1 cent all the way up to $250 and you are told to pick one suitcase to set aside and then select 10 more that will be eliminated from the game, and so on until you are down to just one. [Full text]