COMINGANDGOING
COMINGANDGOING
Help for Travelers
Sunday, August 20, 2006; Page P01
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SECURITY WATCH
Help for Travelers
Some hotels and airlines are taking steps to help air passengers cope with the new ban on bringing liquids and gels aboard flights.
All of the 40 Omni hotels across North America are offering contact lens solution, nail polish remover, cosmetics and skin-care products. These products, available free at front desks, supplement the toothpaste, toothbrushes and other toiletries the hotels usually offer.
Marriott has directed its hotels worldwide (JW Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard and other brands) to ensure that the toothpaste, shaving cream, mouthwash and other supplies commonly offered free are in good supply. "Demand is already increasing," spokesman John Wolf said. The hotel chains Hyatt/Park Hyatt, Best Western and InterContinental (Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, etc.) have taken similar steps. Hilton, on the other hand, sees no need to add to the basic supplies it has offered for years, said company spokeswoman Kathy Shepard. "Guests can always get toiletries from our gift shops."
Some independently owned properties are more generous. The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Mass., for example, is providing guests with amenity kits that include a contact lens case and solution, eyedrops, hair gel and other items. When guests book at the James Hotel in Chicago, they're transferred to a concierge who will arrange for any toiletries they need, free of charge, on arrival.
Northwest and Delta airlines say they're stowing more bottled water and other beverages on flights. American has always assumed that passengers won't carry liquids on board and sees little need to add more, said spokesman Tim Wagner, though the carrier is putting two to four additional liters of bottled water on each flight.
Hotel guests should ask when reserving a room what types of toiletries are offered, and airline passengers should not be shy about asking for beverage refills. Also check the Web sites of popular pharmacy stores (among them CVS, http:/
PLANE TRUTHS
What's Next? Snakes?
You're stowing your bag when suddenly, out slinks a copperhead. Could it be? Actually, the odds of encountering snakes on a plane are even slimmer than the Oscar chances for the new flick "Snakes on a Plane."
Most domestic carriers allow passengers to travel with dogs, cats and household birds -- Northwest even accepts guinea pigs, marmots and monkeys in the cargo hold. But few airlines permit snakes, and even fewer accept venomous ones.
When snakes do go on a plane, the International Air Transport Association's regulations forbid them in the passenger compartment. They must be shipped as cargo, with requirements on the size and sturdiness of the container.
"There's no way to get between the cargo hold and the passenger compartment," says Tim Wagner, spokesman for American Airlines, which accepts only nonvenomous snakes.
But on the chance that you do encounter a snake on a plane, what should you do? Don Boyer, curator of herpetology at the San Diego Zoo, says if you can't tell whether the snake is venomous, "put distance between yourself and the snake, and alert other surrounding passengers nearby to do the same. But don't alarm anybody ." Right.
Boyer also recommends crying out, "Is there a herpetologist on board!?"
TRAVEL TICKER
Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando have both raised prices for the second time this year. Each park will hike to $67 the price of a basic one-day, one-park admission. Meanwhile, a new policy at both Disney and Universal allows guests to reschedule their vacations without penalty if the National Weather Service posts a hurricane warning for Orlando or a guest's home town within seven days of their scheduled arrival.
BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
Bermuda High
Fly last minute to Bermuda starting at $120 each way. United is offering the $279 round-trip fare (including taxes) on nonstop flights from Washington Dulles for travel ending Sept. 5. Fare on other airlines is $360. No advance purchase or minimum stay required. Travel Tuesdays or Thursdays for the lowest fares. Purchase at www.united.com, or pay $10 more by calling 800-UNITED-1.
Reporting: Gary Lee, John Rosenthal.
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