Travel Industry Archive

Is it a sign of the apocalypse when topless dancers and strippers leave Las Vegas? Both Les Folies Bergere, a 49-year-old mainstay at the Tropicana, and the relatively new Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce burlesque revue at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino have shuttered their shows. Les Folies Bergere, a choreographed extravaganza featuring topless dancers, was shocking when it first arrived in...

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There really was a never-ending parade of interesting panels at the Phoenix Aviation Symposium last week, and today I’m focusing on one called, “When is it time to modernize the fleet?” If you ask the manufacturers, the answer is now, of course. (They’ll gladly sell you an airplane any time you’d like.) But of course, the answer isn’t that simple. John...

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Cuban travel ban could be lifted — Senators and special interest groups are scheduled to rally for a bill to end travel restriction to Cuba Tuesday and President Barack Obama is expected to further loosen travel restrictions by the Summit of the Americas conference April 17-19 in Trinidad and Tobago. The restrictions were put in place in 1961, and tightened under the Bush...

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The panel on alliances turned out to be one of the more interesting ones at the Phoenix Aviation Symposium. It could have been because the always entertaining American’s SVP of Government Affairs Will Ris ended up joining in, or it could have just been the content itself. The discussion started with the broad question - why were alliances formed? The answer, according to Christian...

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  For one hour last night, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., the world was supposed to go dark to show awareness for global climate change. Perhaps in the end, they took Las Vegas’ cue and went as dark as they could. Las Vegas was made a World Wildlife Foundation flagship city for Earth Hour 2009, and many businesses agreed to the proposal including some cutting lights to signature casinos on...

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Thought it odd to see a press release on MGM Mirage making a $200 million CityCenter payment? Well, because of recent rumors of bankruptcy, MGM Mirage had to cough up the dough or its $8 billion project would be deemed insolvent by investors and creditors alike. The press release said it made the payment even though half of it should have been made by Dubai World, its partner in the project....

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Alaska Airlines says it’s evaluating whether it’s safe to fly into Anchorage after Mount Redoubt erupted again overnight. The airline had resumed flights to Anchorage on Wednesday, after the volcano’s first eruptions in 20 years burped ash into the sky. But then the eruptions resumed Thursday and continued into Friday morning, sending clouds of ash miles above south central...

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Sources say CityCenter close to bankruptcy – MGM Mirage and Infinity World’s $8 billion Las Vegas development, CityCenter, may file bankruptcy, reports say.  MGM Mirage partnered with Infinity World, owned by Dubai World, to operate the project on the Las Vegas Strip which will feature casinos, shopping, hotels and condos, but earlier this week Dubai World sued MGM Mirage for...

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There’s no better time to be in Phoenix than March, and that’s why I find myself at the Phoenix Aviation Symposium this week. Everyone is trying to escape the cold, get some sun, and maybe catch a spring training game or two. But more importantly, the Phoenix Symposium is a very well-regarded event that draws some big name speakers.  We touched on several issues yesterday during...

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Boeing is sticking to its assertion that its long-delayed 787 will take its first flight before the end of the second quarter. That news is attracting Bronx cheers from some quarters of the blogosphere, which after two years of delays is taking anything the company has to say about the new jet’s delivery schedule with a huge grain of salt. But recent reports from Seattle-area journalists...

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