HOUSE KEEPING: Remember when you click on the pictures in "Where's Johnny Jet," they will open up in another window. Just click the "x"(close) in each picture to get back to the newsletter. This should alleviate complaints about closing Johnny Jet. Thanks again for your support, and remember: If you book trips on the web, please go through JohnnyJet.com. (It will save you money).
LOS ANGELES
Shortly after I arrived home, I switched cell phone providers. I had been a longtime Verizon Wireless customer but when I went in to get my sorry phone fixed, their customer service reps were horrible as usual. The price they were asking to replace it was absurd ($150). Instead, I took my business to
T-Mobile whose customer service my friends have been bragging about for a long time. They were right. Not only is my new Blackberry Pearl smaller than my regular cell phone, but it comes with many more capabilities. I love it! The T-Mobile sales guys even told me how I could get the phone for free by going to CVS and getting a copy of their penny saver coupon book. I can’t tell you what a joy it is to land in a domestic or international city, turn on my phone and have immediate access to emails. It saves me so much time and aggravation. If I’d had it earlier, I could’ve booked that London hotel room from my Blackberry! TIP: Although, I was willing to pay Verizon’s $150 fee to break my contract, I took a chance and called their 800 number. I told the agent that my lawyer friend had informed me that Verizon had changed their text messaging rates which meant that they had altered my contract without notifying me. So, in turn, that makes my contract null and void. Guess what? It worked! I got out of the contract for free. Ha ha ha!
PRSA Living
down at the beach, I hardly ever go to downtown L.A. except to see the occasional play, sporting event or to grab dim sum. When I got invited to speak on a panel for the annual PRSA
(Public Relations Society of America) conference
that was being held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel downtown, I decided to spend the night there instead of traveling back and forth in traffic. My panel with Jayne Clark from USA Today and David Lytle from Frommers.com was entitled, "How to Make the Cut in an Era of Web Attention Spans and Shrinking Editorial Space". It was interesting, we
had a lot of fun together and I met some incredible PR agents.
DOWNTOWN L.A.
The Biltmore was the event’s host hotel. It’s a historic landmark (opened in 1923) and has been home to presidents, kings, Hollywood celebrities and, at one time, the Academy Awards. When I was there, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson
announced his candidacy for the presidency in the room right next door. The hotel is centrally located in downtown Los Angeles’ business, financial and cultural district. A half-mile away is the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Ahmanson Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Although downtown L.A.
might look like NYC, it’s the complete opposite. There’s absolutely no one walking around at night and I’m not talking late night. This place is like a ghost town outside of business hours and one of the hotel’s restaurants proved it. Smeraldi’s was eerily empty. On top of that, the service wasn’t great and the food was just mediocre.
MILLENNIUM BILTMORE HOTEL, LOS ANGELES
Walking into the Millennium Biltmore lobby, I felt like I was in Europe. The interiors
are absolutely gorgeous, filled with stunning, Italian-Renaissance architecture with ornate columns, vivid frescoes and marble floors. The rooms
are less desirable
as they are in much need of a renovation. They are dated, including the bedding (they have bedspreads not duvets), old TVs
and thin windows.
If you stay here, be sure to bring earplugs because I was awakened at 7am to the squeal of a police siren that sounded
like it was outside in the hallway. It made my already crazy, MSG-induced dreams turn almost tragic as I desperately
tried to figure out what was real and what was not. For a brief moment, I was trying to figure out if I had done something wrong ...
like strangle that London hotel discounter rep and I almost jumped out of bed to make my escape! Thank God I didn’t; I sleep naked.
Room rates begin at $129 (AAA members get a discount). Overnight valet costs $32 (what a rip!) and Internet access is $9.95 (a good deal)
for 24 hours (though it’s kind of slow).
Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles, 506 South Grand Avenue, Tel.: +1 213 624 1011, reservation: +1 800-245-8673.
VIDEO
Sorry! No video this week, but we do have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on their servers.
NEXT WEEK Next week we fly to Vega$, baby and head to another international destination, though this one doesn’t require a long flight.
*PLEASE tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!
All information presented here is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Please confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.
*If you heard about us somewhere else or have the link to the story please email Johnny Jet media and let us know where!
SOME OF LAST WEEK'S READER AIR-eMAIL
Always enjoy checking out your site. My wife Terri and I still travel vicariously through your pix and musings, great stuff! Just wanted to thank you again for allowing us to ride along with you. Joe D – Norwalk, CT
Thanks for the info on this Wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp weather site for future trip planning - incredible resource. Keep up the great work! Joyce -
So great to see you at the PRSA Conference. In a world where people sometimes forget why they're doing what they do, you always know exactly why you're jetting around the world. You were truly authentic, natural and delightful. I know that you were a hit from talking to other participants. Charlotte Novom, ISHC, President Novom Marketing, Inc.;
Novom, YPBR
I loved your trip to Cyprus; especially the last part. I have always dreamed of going to Nicosia but I don't think I will ever go there. There just doesn't seem to be that much to see because I'm not a beach person (I know that Nicosia isn't on the beach). But outside of Nicosia, there doesn't seem that much to do. But I really did enjoy your adventures. One other thing: It seems too hard to get there. You had everything arranged for you but for the average tourist, well, it just doesn't work that way! Have you ever been to Andorra? Gibraltar? I wish you would consider going there sometime. Thanks again for allowing me to travel vicariously! Abraço, James May – Milwaukee, WI
As usual, I always enjoy the newsletter so I can see where you are off to. Lots of people I know have gone to Turkey in the last few years and they all loved the experience. As I am sure you know, American's are also going more frequently now to South America - where the dollar is still strong as opposed to the Euro. Buenos Aires and Santiago are particularly popular - good food, inexpensive and Chile has some great wines (Carmen Winery is a favorite of mine). Lan Chile is a good airline too. Hope you father is doing well. I assume by your upbeat tone in your newsletters that he is. After all, us Italians wear our hearts on our sleeve. Vinny D - Staten Island, NY REPLY: Thanks Vinny! My dad is doing well and my brother is headed to Chile soon to do a story for JohnnyJet.com!
Terrific! Wish I could travel with you but this is the next best thing. Monte M - New York, NY
My daughter just flew Memorial Day weekend from NYC (LaGuardia) via Atlanta to Pensacola FL via Airtrans. They were charging $15 per leg if you wanted to reserve a specific seat rather than take your luck when you check in. That would have been $60 to do what other airlines offer free as a courtesy. Soda's were also $5. You may wish to verify that and alert your readership. If they take Airtrans, they may wish to consider that cost as a comparison to other airlines. Hopefully this is not a portent of things to come in the industry. Thanks, Walt Gordon - Gulf Breeze, FL
RESPONSE FROM BHRC CUSTOMER SERVICES
Dear Johnny Jet
Thank you for your feedback regarding the hotel booking you made at our desk in Heathrow Airport. I have spoken to the Consultant that served you and we are sorry that you feel that you were misled on hotel rates.
Having checked our records, on that day numerous bookings were made by our Reservation Consultants at various airport hotels from £54.00 to £363.00, from Bed and Breakfast to 4 star hotels.
We have allocations with most of the hotels in the vicinity of Heathrow airport. The hotels set the rates at which we book and the rates may vary according to demand.
We regularly book budget accommodation such as the Ibis, Travel Inn and various B&B's. Indeed we have a daily allocation of rooms in these hotels. I have noted that we booked several of our Customers in these hotels, on that day. However, London was extremely busy and the budget hotels got booked up very early in the day. As a result we offered you the Sheraton hotel which was the cheapest hotel we had available.
Hotel rates fluctuate and are set depending on occupancy levels, day of the week, time of the day etc.
Discounts are offered by hotels (just like airlines) on direct or internet bookings subject to conditions i.e. advance bookings, the booking is non refundable, last minutes cancellations....
We have been operating as a Hotel booking agency for over 30 years and we do care about our Customers. In this case the Consultant dealt with your booking to her best ability.
Our main objective is to provide accommodation to suit our Customers requirements and ensure that they have a hassle free stay during their visit. I would like to assure you that there was no intention to act in a mendacious manner.
I hope the above has explained the way in which you were served and in some way will restore your confidence in our Company.
Yours sincerely
Customer Services
MY RESPONSE
Dear customer service,
While I appreciate you having the courtesy to respond, please do not send me nonsense. You obviously did not read the whole story which shows that I was able to get the same room for 1/3 of the price on the same night via the internet and half price when walking up to the desk at the Sheraton. Not only does your company not offer discounted rates (as you claim) but your workers use immoral sales techniques, which I can only assume you approve of. I will go to great lengths to get every newspaper/magazine editor and news producer I know to publish my story and to warn every U.S. citizen traveling through the U.K. not to use your service.
I am highly disappointed, not only in my experience with your company, but in your response.
*Please note that we reserve the right to post excerpts, perhaps edited, from your message on the Johnny Jet website and newsletter. We will not use your full name without your express permission. If you'd rather not have your message posted on the website or newsletter, just say so and it won't be.
HOUSEKEEPING
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