Air Travel

For those with long layovers at the Hong Kong International Airport, the 1,171-room Regal Airport Hotel (9 Cheong Tat Road, HKIA, Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, China; phone [852] 2286 8888) has a flexible “Day Use Package.”

Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport and located 30 minutes from central Tokyo by car or train, is opening some of its gates for international flights to/from the US starting in October 2010. (Narita International Airport is about an 80-minute drive from Tokyo.)

The airport will offer eight flights to and from the US per day. Carriers have yet to be announced, but five major US airlines have applied for slots.

Ethiopian Airlines flight No. 409, heading from Beirut to Addis Ababa, crashed into the sea off the coast of Lebanon shortly after takeoff on Jan. 25, 2010, with 90 people aboard. No survivors were found. Investigations on the cause are underway. The plane had been inspected one month prior and declared fit to fly. 

Air France encourages obese passengers to prebook a second seat at a 25% discount, and as of Feb. 1 the airline will refund the price of the extra seat if the flight is not full. 

For overweight passengers who did not book a second seat in advance, the airline does try to accommodate them whenever empty seats are available, but seats are not guaranteed. The airline reserves the right to prevent a large passenger from flying if it might impede evacuations. The decision is left to the captain. 

After an individual unsuccessfully attempted to set off an explosive device on Northwest Airlines’ flight No. 253 en route from Amsterdam to Detroit on Dec. 25, airport and airline security measures were tightened dramatically.

Pam Zent shared her problem regarding luggage-zipper repairs not being covered by Delta Air Lines (March ’14, pg. 26) and queried if there are airlines that accept the responsibility of repairing zippers they’ve damaged.

For a young child on a plane who may be more safe with something other than a seat belt meant for an adult, extra security is offered with the Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES).

Comprising straps and buckles weighing one pound and able to be packed flat or bundled into a 6-inch-tall bag, CARES can be used on window and center seats but not in exit rows. There is no minimum age to use the harness, but children must be between 22 and 44 inches tall and weigh at least 22 pounds.

Many people say they’ve been around the world, but it may have taken them 30 years to do it. I’ve been making a ’round-the-world (RTW) trip almost yearly for decades.

Due to a broken leg suffered in 2009 in Holland, I couldn’t finish my trip that year, and I didn’t do it in 1982 due to a death in the family, but I’ve taken a RTW trip most other years, touring Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia… .

My sister and I (both seniors) took a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, Dec. 16, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014. We set up the trip about eight months in advance through a travel agent, Stacy Robinson Kores of Protravel International (Chicago, IL; 312/895-4608). I would rate her a “10” for her dedication in making our tour right. 

In arranging the itinerary, Stacy used Swain Destinations (Ardmore, PA; 800/227-9246). 

Editor’s note: ITN was emailed a copy of the following letter, sent by a subscriber to Oceania Cruises.

My husband, Stephen, and I traveled aboard the Riviera on the “Italian Escapade” cruise, July 3-13, 2013, sailing from Rome to Venice and including Florence, Sorrento/Capri, Amalfi/Positano, Taormina, Corfu, Kotor and Dubrovnik. 

We have traveled on four other cruise lines, and our experience aboard the Riviera was, by far, the best.