Headline News
Here comes the latest news...Alaska style.
We wade through the news to find the gems that will help you plan your adventure travel vacations.
Alaska Railroad's New Whistle Stop Service Accesses Spectacular Chugach Backcountry
The U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Railroad have partnered on The Whistle Stop Project to provide recreational access to the spectacular backcountry of the Chugach National Forest between Anchorage and Seward. No roads lead to this wilderness area, which means you'll be able to get away from the crowds.
The Chugach Whistle Stop service to Spencer Glacier officially opened in August 2007, making Summer 2008 the first season it's been fully operational. The Spencer Glacier stop is the first of five Whistle Stops planned for the future; other stops will include Leubner Lake, Bartlett Glacier, Grandview and Trail Creek.
VBT Bicycling Vacations Rides into Southwest and Sonoran Desert with New Itinerary
VBT Bicycling Vacations, an award-winning international bicycle tour operator, announced its latest North American biking vacation, Arizona: Sonoran Splendor. The seven-day tour, which winds its way through the Tucson Basin, debuts in November 2008.
“We're very excited about showing our guests this amazing part of our country,” said Gregg Marston, president of VBT. “The wide open spaces and soft rolling hills of the Tucson Basin make for great bicycling. We’ll ride not only through starkly beautiful desert, but also along grasslands, on a canyon-side road, and through a forest of rare cacti found only in Sonora. We’ll also visit a riverside bird sanctuary and the expansive Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a living museum of the desert ecosystem.”
Orbitz Guarantees Automatic Cash Refund
If Airfare Drops After Travel Is Booked
Orbitz.com, a pioneer in online travel, introduced a game-changing new service for its customers called Orbitz Price Assurance(SM). The latest in a history of innovations from Orbitz, Orbitz Price Assurance allows customers to book and buy airfare and rest easy, knowing they are getting the best price for their flight available on Orbitz.com.
With Orbitz Price Assurance, if the price drops for a plane ticket booked on Orbitz.com and another customer subsequently books the same airline ticket on Orbitz.com for less, Orbitz will automatically send travelers a cash refund for the difference.
Northwest Airlines Matches Competitors
with $15 Fee for First Checked Bag
Northwest Airlines announced it is implementing a $15 fee for a first checked piece of luggage on domestic coach-class tickets purchased beginning July 10, 2008, for travel on or after August 28, 2008. This follows on the heels of similar announcements by American Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways. I suspect that Delta (which plans to merge with Northwest) and Continental will follow suit soon enough, as will most if not all of the low-cost carriers. Southwest continues to be the only airline that allows two free checked bags to all passengers on domestic flights.
As with the other aforementioned airlines charging for your first checked bag, Northwest is adding this fee on top of a $25 charge it previously implemented for a second checked bag. Both fees apply each way to travel in North America (U.S./Canada), Mexico and the Caribbean. Passengers are still allowed two free checked bags when flying outside of the U.S. (excluding Canada).
Keeping Track of New Airline Fees
All the additional fees the airlines are introducing as a means to offset skyrocketing fuel costs are getting pretty tough to stay on top of, with announcements occuring almost every day. Honestly, it's making my head spin. Airlines have started charging for soda, water, snacks, seats and even booking award travel, as well as increasing fees for overweight luggage, oversized luggage and extra luggage above and beyond the first two pieces. SmarterTravel.com is a reputable travel news source that's compiled a list of fees for each airline and is keeping the list updated daily when necessary, so I thought I'd pass on the link to you: The Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees.
Even with this handy source tracking fees for you, it's still wise to check with the airline of your choice directly, either through its website or toll-free customer service number, to make sure you are aware of all the latest fees you can incur. Needless to say, the fees can add up quickly, so just looking at the "bottom line" cost of a ticket doesn't swing it any longer. You'll need to add in all the fees that will apply to figure out just who is offering the cheapest ticket to your destination.
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