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New Luxe Lodgings In San Francisco
National parks in the United States have some great lodgings in stellar locations, but it'll be hard to beat the views at the newest entry: Cavallo Point in San Francisco's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, slated to open June 1. The property, on a former military base established in 1897, has views of the city, the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.
The resort has 68 rooms in renovated National Historic Landmark buildings and 74 in new two-story buildings. All rooms have flat-screen televisions, iPod docking stations and WiFi access. It's operated by Passport Resorts, the same company that runs the way-upscale Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur , in partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
If the location alone is not enough to draw you, consider the spa and wellness center and three- to five-day programs in cooking, art, adventure and wellness. A restaurant featuring California cooking with a French influence will be open to the public.
Double rooms, while cheap by Post Ranch Inn standards, are high by national park standards: Rooms in the historic part of the lodging start at $250 a night and range to $700 for a suite; in the new section, $350 to $750. Details: 888-651-2003, http:/
UPRIGHT AND LOCKED
Merger Watch
Concerned that your already-booked flights for summer vacation will be affected by the Northwest-Delta merger? Relax. It will take at least six months for the merger to occur, and that's if it is approved.
Analysts have been predicting for months that the airlines would rush for merger approval before President Bush's term ends, on the theory that his administration is more friendly to business than the next might be. Department of Transportation approval is required before any carriers can transfer international route authority, and the president's top transportation official publicly supports airline consolidation. The deal also will be scrutinized by the antitrust division of the Justice Depart- ment. Democrats in Congress have promised hearings on antitrust issues and what the merger would mean to passen- gers. However, though Congress might have influence, it has no power; the merger decision will be made by a federal judge.
Likely effects on consumers if the deal is approved: Higher prices in some markets, says Aaron Gelman, professor at Northwestern University's Transportation Center. Gelman adds that he doesn't see either airline saving a lot of money by merging, noting the huge costs involved in training pilots from both airlines. (Delta flies Boeing planes almost exclusively, while Northwest relies mostly on Airbus planes.)
Delta and Northwest are already part of the Sky Team Alliance , so miles and awards earned on either airline can be redeemed at the other. Both also charge similar numbers of points to redeem miles for tickets. In its announcement of the merger plans, Northwest promised that "your WorldPerks miles and Elite program status will be unaffected by this merger."
Any airline can, of course, change the terms of its frequent-flier program. Because an increase in the number of miles needed for a free ticket is always much more likely than a decrease, it's never a bad idea to use your miles when you can.
SECURITY WATCH
Abductions in Mexico
A new travel alert -- or, to be precise, an updated alert -- was issued last week for Americans traveling to Mexico. The State Department bulletin was concerned primarily with criminal activity in the border towns and warned of an increase in narcotics-related violence, including carjackings and armed robbery. But it was this rather astonishing statement that caught CoGo's eye: "Dozens of U.S. citizens were kidnapped and/or murdered in Tijuana in 2007."
Wondering why a stern warning wasn't issued sooner? It's not that media outlets haven't dutifully reported the situation. A February article in the San Diego Union-Tribune, for instance, revealed that "organized, well-financed and violent Mexican kidnapping cells are targeting a growing number of U.S. citizens visiting communities popular with San Diegans and other California residents." Indeed, according to the paper, at least 26 residents of the San Diego area were abducted and held for ransom last year.
When contacted by CoGo, Arturo Martinez Esquer of the Baja California State Tourism Secretariat disputed media accounts of a crime wave, stating that Baja "welcomes more than 25 million visitors a year. Only a few of those have experienced any considerable setbacks during their stay, and none of them since late November of 2007." He said 380,000 people visited Baja during the recent spring break season and experienced no "major setbacks."
But Newsweek, which also investigated the kidnapping surge, reported in a February issue that 18 Americans have been abducted since Thanksgiving . Some of the victims were seriously injured and others were killed, according to the magazine.
One thing's for sure: Americans visiting Mexican border towns should exercise caution. For information on how to avoid being a crime victim in Tijuana, see the Web site of the U.S. consulate general in Tijuana at http:/
TRAVEL TICKER
Through April, Delta will match customer donations to a program aimed at reducing carbon in the atmosphere. The program marks Earth Day on Tuesday and the first anniversary of Delta's voluntary carbon offset program. Under the program, passengers contribute $5.50 for a domestic round-trip flight, $11 for international. The money goes to the nonprofit Conservation Fund, which plants a tree for every $5.50 donated. So far the program has funded the planting of more than 100,000 trees in parks and wildlife refuges.
BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
United has sale fares to Beijing and Shanghai for travel through May 29 . Round-trip fare from Washington Dulles to Beijing is $988 (including $68 taxes). Round-trip fare from Dulles to Shanghai is $1,000 (including $82 taxes). Fare to either city, after sale ends, starts at about $1,600 round trip. Travel Monday-Thursday for cheapest fares. A six-night minimum and 30-day maximum stay apply. Seven-day advance purchase required. Book by April 21 at http:/
Reporting: Cindy Loose, Scott Vogel
Help feed CoGo. Send travel news, road reports and juicy tattles to cogo@washpost.com.
