Travel briefs: New Bay Area flights to Eugene, Oregon

Allegiant to fly from Oakland to Eugene

Allegiant Air, which moved its Bay Area operations from San Francisco to Oakland earlier this year, has announced that it will begin non-stop flights to Eugene, Ore., in June.

The low-cost airline will offer twice-weekly service — on Monday and Fridays — using MD-80 jets that seat 150 passengers.

A limited number of seats are available for the introductory fare of $39 one way; purchase by April 29 on www.allegiantair.com or via travel agent or phone card (702-505-8888) for flights through Sept. 30. After the introductory period, the one-way ticket price will rise to $59.

The flights will leave Oakland at 11:25 a.m. and arrive in Eugene about 85 minutes later, at 12:50 p.m. On the return flight, departures will be at 1:30 p.m., with arrival in Oakland at 2:55 p.m.

In February, the carrier started flying from Oakland to Bellingham, Wash., twice a week. That frequency will increase to three flights a week in May and four in June.

HOTELS

New loyalty points for frequent stays

Desperate to fill empty rooms, hotel chains are beefing up loyalty programs. Most say they're trying to avoid slashing rates to attract business. But they're more than happy to toss in goodies — free hotel rooms, free breakfast
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and oodles of bonus points.

"Awards in general are richer across the industry and probably will be a lot richer soon," says Don Berg, vice president of loyalty programs for InterContinental Hotels Group, or IHG. The company's brands include Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental Hotels.

IHG is giving Priority Club members 3,000 points for a qualifying third-night stay through April 30, double the standard reward. Other chains — Starwood, Marriott and Hilton, among them — are offering similar deals for frequent customers.

UNITED STATES

Advance bookings down in Yellowstone region

Fewer tourists compared to last year have booked advance reservations to visit the greater Yellowstone region this summer, but industry leaders hope low gas prices will lure people to drive to national parks and other attractions in Montana and Wyoming.

Lee Haines, a spokesman for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, told the Billings Gazette that museum planners are expecting flat visitor numbers this year with a slight rise possible in recreational vehicle traffic compared to last year. He said because many RV owners are retired, they have more flexible travel schedules that allow them to drive when gas prices are lower.

Rick Hoeninghausen, director of sales and marketing for Xanterra Parks and Resorts, the main lodging company in Yellowstone, told the Gazette that advance reservations so far this year are down 13 percent from last year. He noted that bookings are good for July and August, but group tours and early season stays are down.
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Britons warned off Bangkok travel

Britons travelling to Bangkok should "urgently review their plans" after the Thai government declared a state of emergency, the Foreign Office has said.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva gave the order for the capital after anti-government protesters forced the cancellation of an Asian summit.

The protesters say Mr Vejjajiva took power unlawfully and the military and judiciary are undermining democracy.

The Foreign Office urged Britons already in Bangkok to stay indoors.

A bulletin on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website stated: "In view of the deteriorating security situation anyone considering going to Bangkok should urgently review their plans.

'Enemies of Thailand'

"British residents in, and visitors to, Bangkok are advised to avoid any areas where demonstrations are taking place and to stay indoors as far as possible."

The FCO told Britons abroad in Thailand to avoid demonstrations and gatherings, including near Government House in central Bangkok, where anti-government protesters have been holding an on-going rally since 26 March.

The protesters broke into the interior ministry and at one point attacked a car they thought was carrying Mr Vejjajiva. He was not inside.

They have also blocked a number of busy road junctions and at least one railway, and taken buses and two armoured vehicles. The prime minister has threatened "tough measures" to end the protests.

About 812,000 British nationals visited Thailand in 2008, according to the Thai tourism authority.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has denounced the protesters, who are calling for fresh elections, as the "enemies of Thailand".
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Holiday Parks in the UK

The UK Holiday Park has become one of the great national institutions. Generations of families, from the turn of the century onwards, have left the UK’s cities to head for their two weeks summer holidays on the British coastline.

The Holiday Park had a fairly humble beginning, essentially offering accommodation, entertainment and food all under one roof, more often than not on the edge of a large traditional seaside town like Blackpool, Skegness or Great Yarmouth.

These holiday parks were very popular with families looking for affordable holidays, at a time when overseas travel was expensive and unobtainable for a large percentage of the general public.

However as overseas travel became more affordable Britain saw the rise of the package holiday in the 70’s and 80’s, which meant that the UK holidays no longer offered the value that was such a unique selling point for many of the popular parks. With the new found competition from guaranteed sun, cheap accommodation, food and drink, UK holiday parks came under increasing pressure.

The challenging times that faced the industry were definitely compounded by a change in perception of the holiday park experience. When you mentioned holiday parks people began to think of the popular TV series Hi-de-Hi and never ending rounds of knobbly knees competitions, donkey rides and red coat style entertainment. Unfortunately combined with cold and windy chalets and indifferent food!

The holiday park has however come a long way since its humble beginnings and in the last ten years the industry has seen a massive revolution in the breadth, quality and style of holiday parks available in the UK.

Like many UK tourism business the independent and multiple holiday park owners began to see a decrease in the interest in their holiday offering. The park owners came up with a number of solutions to counter the perception and the improve the quality of the holiday park experience.

Firstly the accommodation was upgraded. Customers were no longer happy with basic facilities, so holiday parks spent millions on improving accommodation facilities, from upgrading the standard rooms to developing penthouse apartments with plasma TV’s, four poster beds and room service. This resulted in holiday parks giving a more upmarket feel to all their accommodation and provided customers with a much greater range of choice.

Secondly the entertainment offering changed enormously. Some UK parks began to specialise in just offering specific entertainment breaks. Top comedians, shows and musical acts have begun to top the bill and themed weekends specialising in entertainment like county western, 60’s revivals and dance and sport breaks. Parks have also become better at targeting key groups like adult weekends, family activity holidays or special nights for stag and hen groups.

Thirdly the traditional three meals a day offering of parks has probably seen the greatest change. To adapt to the change needs of holiday makers more and more parks have began to offer self catering options rather than providing full or half board and charging extra for meals. Some of the larger chain parks have gone even further and don’t offer any catering, just inviting the restaurants and fast food places to offer food on the Park. However, as the parks themselves have diversified, offering different things to different holiday markets, so has the catering, and some holiday parks now make a virtue of the fact that they offer three top quality meals all day.

One example of a company who stayed ahead of the game was Potters Leisure Resort (http://www.pottersholidays.com/). As the UK’s only Five Star Independent Park they had long been investing to top quality infrastructure, entertainment and catering and the initial costs of the project have been rewarded with a reputation for top quality holiday park experience.

But Potters aren’t the only company offering top quality park style holidays. More and more developments in the UK are building the lodge style accommodation away from the traditional holiday park centres of seaside towns. The inland lodge style developments have specifically moved away from the ‘park’ image and now offer champagne and hot tubs style breaks in a quiet and secluded rural environment.

Parks are springing up right across the UK on the coast and inland and more than ever before the UK holiday park experience offers something for everyone from traditional entertainment in Great Yarmouth, to five star luxury in the Cotswolds. With so much innovation in the industry holiday parks will continue to offer more of what the holidaymaker wants and needs – a top quality holiday experience.
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