News

Oops, They Did It Again

Is it deja vu? American Airlines has once again decided it is time to quit playing ball at Love Field. After their latest attempt at service from the close in airport, they pulled their flights from San Antonio and St Louis while they beefed up the schedules to Austin and Kansas City. Now those two cities bite the dust come July 2 and they're sending those little regional jets from Love to Chicago O'Hare. Unfortunately it won't quite be the service they offered last time when they went head-to-head with the now defunct Legend Airlines. On the upside, you will be able to fly from Love to O'Hare and connect to the world. Well, for a little while anyway.

The Return Of A Classic

The Plaza Hotel in New York City, which has been closed for two years for a $400 million renovation, finally reopened its doors to the public on March 1. The Fairmont-managed hotel reopened with 282 guest rooms and suites and 182 private residences. The hotel’s public spaces -- the Palm Court, the Oak Bar and Oak Room, the Terrace Room, the Grand Ballroom and the Edwardian Room – have been restored, including a replica of the original stained-glass ceiling in the Palm Court. Welcome back.

Tiptoe To The Tulips

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, in cooperation with its joint venture partner Northwest Airlines, has begun daily wide-body service from DFW to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, one of the world's top international connecting hubs. KLM operates the route with Airbus A330-200 aircraft. KLM flight 670 (NWA flight 8670) departs DFW in the late afternoon and arrives Amsterdam early the following morning. The return, KLM flight 669 (NWA flight 8669) departs from Schiphol Airport in the morning and arrives early in the afternoon at DFW

Amsterdam will represent the 38th international destination for DFW, the highest number in the Airport's history. KLM offers connections from its hub at Schiphol Airport to 75 worldwide destinations.

The Lowdown on Carry-ons

Before you jet off on your next vacation, we'd like to remind you about recent changes to airport security guidelines. The Transportation Security Administration allows passengers to carry on containers of aerosols, liquids and gels that are no more than 3.4 ounces in size. So as you prepare for your flight, please keep in mind the following guidelines:

- Travel-size toiletries (3.4 ounces or less) must fit comfortably within one, quart-size, clear plastic, zip-top bag. Empty containers are prohibited.

- The plastic bag containing liquids must be removed from carry-on luggage before passing through security checkpoints and must be screened separately.

- After clearing security, you may purchase beverages and other items in the secure boarding area to bring onboard.

For the most up-to-date information, please reference the TSA Website .

It's Time To Get A Passport

If you are planning a trip to the Caribbean or Mexico this year, make sure you pack a valid U.S. passport. All U.S. citizens returning by air from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico and Central and South America must show a valid U.S. passport to re-enter the United States. This is a significant change from past policy, where only a driver's license and birth certificate were needed to re-enter the U.S.

This change is mandated by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 1994. According to Homeland Security Acting Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, Randy Beardsworth, "Our goal is to strengthen border security and expedite entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors. By ensuring that travelers possess secure documents, such as the passport, Homeland Security will be able to conduct more effective and efficient interviews at our borders."

If you don't have a passport, keep in mind it takes 6-8 weeks to process a passport, and the busiest season for issuing this document is from January to June. For information on applying for a passport, visit the Department of State website.