Men Who Like to Travel - David Latt

Spring is the perfect time for an off-season, weekend in California 's Sonoma Valle y . Premium rates don't begin until just before the Memorial Day weekend. Off-season extends from the end of harvest in November through mid-May. During December, January, and February there can be a bit of rain, which is good for the grapes. Even for visitors, the inclement weather adds to the valley's charms, especially with so many restaurants serving comfort food and delicious wines. During March and April, day time temperatures hover in the mid 60's to low 70's, with the nights still in fireplace-cozy mid-40s. A few buds are beginning to appear on the grape vines, but brilliantly colored wild flowers are already in full bloom. Fields of bright yellow mustard plants spread as far as the eye can see. Tall green grasses glistening in the morning light surround mile after mile of still dormant, grayish grape vines. The lifeless looking vines mask the vitality that is ...

Arriving in Doha On our delivery flight from Seattle to Doha, the coach cabins were completely e mpty. Only 20 business class seats were occupied on the 259 seat Boeing 777-200LR. But we weren't complaining. We relaxed, slept, read, and watched movies. When we arrived in Doha in the afternoon, the pilot announced that we would make an approach low over the field but not land. We assumed this was the airplane's "salute" to its new home. We discovered it was something else entirely. Traditionally, the first time a new model of an aircraft is delivered to Qatar Airways, fire trucks welcome the plane with an archway of water. Since our plane was the second Boeing 777-200LR, there would be no ceremony. When we flew low over the field we saw that we were in fact getting a welcoming. There were a hundred or more yellow jacketed men and women and dozens of men in traditional white Arabic robes and headdresses. When the plane landed, red carpeted stairs were pushed up...

On our delivery flight from Seattle to Doha, the coach cabins were completely e mpty and only 20 business class seats were occupied on the 259 seat Boeing 777-200LR. But we weren't complaining. We relaxed, slept, read, and watched movies. When we arrived in Doha in the afternoon, the pilot announced that we would make an approach low over the field but not land. We assumed this was the airplane's "salute" to its new home. We discovered it w as something else entirely. Traditionally, the first time a new model of an aircraft is delivered to Qatar Airways, fire trucks welcome the plane with an archway of water. Since our plane was the second Boeing 777-20 0LR, there would be no ceremony. When we flew low over the field we saw that we were in fact getting a welcoming. There were a hundred or more yellow jacketed men and women and dozens of men in traditional white Arabic robes and headdresses. When the plane landed, red carpeted stairs were pushed up to the p...

First impressions are important but sometimes they can be deceiving. When you pull up in front of the Qatar Airways' Premium Terminal in Doha, you'll think you're checking into a hotel because you are met at the curb by valets who load your bags onto luggage carriers. Unless several flights are leaving at the same time, which can happen in the morning, there are no queues. A concierge leads you to a desk where you take a seat in a plush leather chair while an airline clerk relieves you of your bag and checks you in. After a quick walk through security and a look through the Duty Free Shop, it's upstairs to the second floor lounges. Besides a fully serviced business center and conference rooms, there are men and women's prayer rooms, a children's play area and nursery, a room for families, and a video game room. The Business Class and First Class Lounges have waiting areas with more of those comfortable leather chairs and a restaurant with a full buffet...

For the next week I'll be on a trip of a lifetime. With a group of writers from around the world, I am traveling to Seattle to tour the Boeing factory and pick up a new 777-200LR that will join Qatar Airways ' 5-Star fleet. The airline begins nonstop, daily service between Houston and Doha on March 30, 2009. Normally Qatar Airways doesn't fly from Seattle. This is a delivery trip so besides our group, the certification team from Boeing and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, and the airline staff, we'll barely number 20 passengers on a plane that can seat 217 in coach and 42 in business. The opportunity to go behind the scenes on the introduction of a new airplane into service is so unique, I'm going to post about the experience. Along the way I'm also going write about my visit to Seattle, a city I know and love but haven't seen for many years, and Doha, a city that is new to me and one I look forward to exploring. Before we picked up the Triple-7 ...

I love the new car smell. Does an airplane h ave the same cool, sexy, absolutely fabulous fragrance as a car or is it something more, well, plane-like? Yesterday I had the unique pleasure of answering that question. Qatar Airways invited half a dozen of us to come along on the delivery flight of their second Boeing 777-200LR , flying from Boeing Field outside Seattle to Doha International Airport, Qatar. With Doha as its hub and routes already well established in Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and, of course, the Middle East, the Boeing 777-200LR gives Qatar Airways a reach of 8,000 nautical miles, putting them in striking distance of just about any destination in the world. Several years ago Qatar Airways pushed into the American market with non-stop service to New York and Washington, D.C. Starting March 30, 2009, the airline will begin flights b etween Houston and Doha. With service to Houston , they will strengthen their relationship with American energy businesses. For...

Recently Accor redesigned its loyalty program to differentiate itself from its competitors,. Each of its branded hotels had its own program. Spanning so many levels of hotel service--luxury (Sofitel), upscale (Pullman MGallery), midscale (Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel), and economy (Ibis, All Seasons, Motel6)-- Accor wanted a more focused approach, so all the individual programs were consolidated into their new A/Club . Like other hotel loyalty programs, every time you stay in an Accor property, you earn points. The more nights you stay, the more points you accumulate, the more free nights you earn. In that, Accor is similar to the award programs offered by its competitors, InterContinental, Starwood, Hilton, and Marriott. What's different about A/Club is Accor uses its loyalty program to encourage their customers to spend as much time as possible inside their properties. If you belong to A/Club and stay at the Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg , for example, you earn points for ...