Posted by Seth on April 30, 2011 under frequent flyer, points | 
Ever wonder what’s going through the minds of the folks running your favorite loyalty programs? Of course; we all do. Ever think you’d see five of the most prominent program leaders sitting in the same room, taking questions from their customers about what makes their programs work and why they have chosen certain specific policies? Me neither.
Last Friday, at the first ever Randy Petersen Travel Executive Summit, a group of us were treated to exactly that. The heads of Delta, American Airlines, United Airlines, Hyatt and American Express Membership Rewards came together for a question and answer session led by Mr. Petersen, by most accounts the guru of loyalty programs. After discussing the history of the programs (we’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of the very first one this month) and taking a walk down memory lane it was time to get to the meat of the discussion. Many questions were asked and the program heads were mostly quite responsive, though there were a number of issues where answers were denied in favor of not violating company policy or SEC regulations. Can’t say I really blame them there.
So what were the highlights of the session? I’ve picked out a few of my favorite nuggets and expanded on those discussions.
The "elites" really are
One of the oft-asked and never answered questions about the airline loyalty programs is just how special are the "elite" customers, the ones flying the most miles, really are. And the airlines held firm this time around as well, refusing to disclose the data. But they did give a couple hints as to what the numbers are.
For United Airlines the population of top-tier elites – Global Services and 1Ks – was described as "small six figures" in size. If that’s anything like the way merger partner Continental describes "mid-year" there is certainly plenty of wiggle room there in terms of nailing down what the number really is, but may more specific than the previous non-disclosures. Foland also made it clear that they do distinguish between their frequent customers and their high value customers and that they have many metrics on which they measure those things. Not surprisingly, the two are not always the same folks.
For Delta the numbers were not presented so much based on how many are elite but rather who generates the revenue for the company. It is a very small number of people that really are the High Value Customers for them, similar to the other carriers. The top 1% of customers are responsible for 10-12% of revenue to the company. Expanding that pool out to the top ~3% of customers doubles the revenue pool to about 25%. It drops off precipitously from there, with the bottom 70% of the customers representing only 40% of the annual revenue. It is no wonder that the companies cater to their best customers; they far and away represent more cash.
Mileage expiry is a big deal, except when it isn’t
Jeff Robertson, the man running Delta‘s SkyMiles program, noted at one point that as a company they strive to do what is right for the customer and for the company, even if sometimes that move costs them a little bit of money. In the case of changing their expiry policy for SkyMiles, there is no doubt that the change had some costs, though Jeff also noted that miles expiring represented the single most significant complaint that they received as an organization. And apparently the cost of not expiring them wasn’t so high so everyone wins, right? That’s Delta’s take on the situation.
The other two airline executives speaking on the panel, Jeff Foland from United Airlines and Maya Lieberman from American Airlines, had a different take. They noted that the purpose of the programs is to keep customers engaged with the brand. If a customer hasn’t been engaged for almost two years the expiry is a great opportunity to bring them back into the fold and remind them of the value of those points they’re holding, way better than just holding the points on the book and hoping the customer comes back eventually. Which is better in the long term for the programs? I guess we’ll all have to wait and find out.
It is also worth noting that if the points accrual is so slow that there’s a two year gap in the process, odds are that the points are a bad investment anyways. A customer showing loyalty with such low frequency is likely to be better served financially by simply being loyal to their wallet and buying the cheapest fare available rather than paying extra to accrue miles in a program.
The folks buying miles aren’t who I thought they were
Pretty much every airline now offers the ability to just buy miles outright. During the booking process, at check-in and in various other transactions along the way the opportunities to buy miles are every growing. The problem with these programs is that they are rarely a good value, at least not in bulk. Every now and then it might make sense to top off an account for an award but just not that often.
That’s why I was surprised to hear the great mileage guru Randy Petersen announce (several times over the course of the events) that he buys the miles at the kiosk nearly every time. He’s got tons already and earns them at a blistering pace, and he’s buying more at almost certainly overpriced levels. Even more surprising was a statistic he shared with the group: Over 50% of the folks buying the miles have elite status on the airline they’re buying from. The people who have the most points are also most aggressive about buying more. I just do not understand that.
Speaking with Gary Leff during a break he related similar tales, including one US Airways Chairman’s Preferred member who buys the miles on every single trip. Sure, he gets some awesome reward redemptions out of the deal, but at what price? Then again, if you’re willing to pay the $4500 cost for the trip and points are the right way to find that price point, why not?
Loyalty programs are sortof a zero-sum game, but it is still possible to win
One of the questions asked of the panel was how it is possible that there are loyalty programs can provide value to the companies as well as the customers. All of the loyalty programs are obviously trying to drive revenue to the company so it is hard to have a situation where everyone can win. Indeed, at the macro level the programs are more or less zero-sum efforts – some customers are going to profit and some will not but overall it will still be a benefit for the programs.
Jeff Foland perhaps summed it up best:
We want our currency and elite status to carry more value for the member tomorrow than it does today. We have to do that against the backdrop of running a fiscally responsible company.
So what does that mean? Well, for starters it means that they really do want some customers to have a chance at winning. It also means that when the good arbitrage situations arise that the customers can exploit there is a pretty good chance that the airlines are going to be closing them up in search of that "fiscally responsible" effort.
There has only been one incident in recent memory that resulted in points (the "currency" Foland is referring to above) actually increasing in value. It doesn’t appear that there are any similar changes on the horizon. So to make sure that the currency value increases it is important to pay attention to the trends in the industry and to make sure you’re redeeming the points, not just accumulating them.
Other bits
There were a number of other interesting things discussed, from the future of lifetime status recognition (unsurprisingly United and American were quite tight-lipped on the topic) to how issuing a credit card can help Hyatt drive heads in beds, their core business focus. Oh, and apparently LOTS of folks like redeeming their Membership Rewards points for toasters and other housewares; such a horrible value.
Neither American nor United would comment on any possible changes that may be coming with their lifetime status levels though Ms. Lieberman did note that the ranks of elites on American are somewhat swollen due to their easier accrual policies. No particularly useful information on what the changes are going to be, other than that they’ll provide plenty of notice and communicate them effectively should anything happen, but otherwise mums the word there.
Delta noted that perhaps the biggest challenge they face from a loyalty program perspective is not the merger of Continental and United, but rather that of AirTran and Southwest. The latter represents a sea change to the competition landscape in Atlanta and the new Rapid Rewards program, part of a trend towards rewarding spend more than miles, is a huge part of that change. What it means for SkyMiles or passengers in Atlanta will be fun to watch in the coming months.
Ultimately I must say that it was a great event, both for the information shared and the networking opportunities in the room. Whether with other travel writers (Ben from Today In The Sky and Brian from The Points Guy were two of the bigger names there, along with Gary Leff who was one of the hosts) or rubbing elbows with the executives who make the decisions about how the programs actually operate, it was a great day for meeting new folks and extending existing relationships.
Related Posts
Tags: AirTran, American Airlines, American Express, Atlanta, Continental, frequent flyer, Hyatt, Membership Rewards, merger, points, Southwest Airline, United, US Air
Posted by Seth on April 28, 2011 under Mileage Run, Trip Reports |
The São Paulo Cathedral, also known as the Catedral da Sé de São Paulo is the largest in South America. With a capacity of 8,000 people and towers rising 92 meters it is rather impressive in size. Plus it has the bonus of being stunningly beautiful, too.
Along side of the park leading up to the cathedral there were lots of folks shouting and preaching. The guy in the yellow shirt just behind the statue above was definitely towards the crazy end of the spectrum; sadly my lack of Portuguese knowledge precluded me from understanding much of what he said.
The stained glass windows are impressive, particularly in the afternoon as they cast beautiful rays of light down into the pews.
Looking up from the dead center of the area where the nave and the transept cross using a fisheye lens. One of my favorite views of any church.
The Cathedral is not particularly old; it was begun in 1913 and completed in 1967, replacing the previous structure that was constructed in the mid-18th century. The current cathedral was built to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Sao Paulo.
Like many of the other major landmarks of Sao Paulo, the Cathedral is a site not to be missed, particularly on a quick spin through town like the one I was on.
Related Posts:
Posted by Seth on April 27, 2011 under Mileage Run, Trip Reports |
The Virada Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil offered up a tremendously broad range of performances. One of the most entertaining was the Mexican Wrestling matches that were staged. I certainly didn’t expect it but it turned in to a great way to pass an hour of time.
They were setting up the ring as I wandered past and, uncertain of exactly what was coming, I grabbed a ring-side space against the railing and waited for the show to start. Soon enough the crowd started to stir, chanting for their favorites. Out came the wrestlers, dressed in their uniforms/costumes and we were treated to quite the entertaining display.
Lest there is any doubt, the entire thing was scripted. It was clear as some of the moves missed and were repeated that these guys had worked out their script in advance, including who would win and lose each round. But that certainly didn’t take away from the entertainment. They were pretty impressive to watch as they lifted, flipped and tossed each other around the ring, all the while playing to the crowd and hamming it up.
There was plenty more going on all over town, and I was still delusional that I might be able to save my original itinerary, so it was time to move on. Next stop: The Mercado Municipal for some fantastic foodie scenes and a delicious lunch!
Related Posts:
Posted by Seth on April 26, 2011 under Mileage Run, Trip Reports |
The local markets are, in many ways, the heart and soul of any city. Sao Paulo is no exception, and the Mercado Municipal was alive and crowded with vendors and customers, locals and tourists alike. It had an energy and vibrancy that was simply phenomenal. The market is not incredibly old (it opened for business in 1933), but it is housed in a beautiful building along the Tamanduateí River and houses an incredible variety of culinary treats.
Fresh fruit was one of the best represented offerings in the market, with plenty of stalls, a tremendously broad selection and lots of vendors offering up samples to potential customers. The fruit was beautifully arrayed and, based both on the small sample I purchased and the looks on the faces of the other customers, quite delicious, too.
Showing the Portuguese and Italian heritage of the nation, the market had more bacalao (dried, salted cod) on offer than anywhere else I’ve ever seen it. Add in a number of shops selling pork products of various persuasions and it felt quite a bit like we were in El Boqueria in Barcelona rather than South America. Small world, huh?
The meats were particularly impressive in their variety and certainly fresh, too. At least one of the vendors was curing and drying meats right there in the market. It doesn’t get much better than that.
There were butchers (mostly pork on offer) and cheese shops. There’s a liquor store (they were having a beer tasting as I passed by) and flowers and sweets and spices and olives and fish and lots of other options, too. It was very much a foodie overload. And that’s even before you I got to the prepared food stalls.
Down on the main level of the market there are a few stalls that operate as restaurants. Seating comes at a premium – there isn’t a lot of space for tables and they can get quite crowded – but the food is delicious. I chose one of the shops and settled in for a Pernil sandwich and a Chopp (pronounced shop-ee), the local brew.
More food than I could handle and a deliciously refreshing, cold beer. I even managed to snag a seat thanks to one of the waiters. Truly nothing to complain about at all. And they had several other options available. Plus, there were several other restaurants available, both on the ground level and upstairs on the mezzanine.
Up on the mezzanine the shops were more like real restaurants than food stalls. Lots more seating space and a bit of variety in dining options. Plus waiters with plenty of Chopp to be had by all.
The views down onto the market floor were also rather spectacular.
The stained glass windows in the market are beautifully ornate. The artist, Russian Sorgenicht Conrad Filho, also produced the stained glass windows in the Sé Cathedral in Sao Paulo and hundreds of other churches across the country. Seeing the beauty of the windows, both in the market and later in the cathedral, I can understand why he was invited to produce so many. They are stunning.
The Mercado Municipal is definitely worth a stop as you pass through Sao Paulo. Have a snack and a beer and relax amidst the beautiful fresh produce and cured meats. Even with the hustle and bustle of the patrons and merchants it can be quite a pleasant break from the rest of Sao Paulo.
Related Posts:
Posted by Seth on April 26, 2011 under Hotel, points, Review |
Hong Kong can be an incredibly expensive destination to visit. It can also be incredibly affordable. The key is finding a good balance of quality and price, particularly in lodgings. It turns out that with a little digging it can be done, though probably not where you would expect to find it.
The western branded chains all have properties available but, well, they really don’t do much for me. I’ve stayed in the Renaissance when the price was right (and the location certainly was right!) but the regular rates they ask are 2-3x what I’m generally looking to pay for a night. Then there are the Chunking Mansions. More or less glorified hostels (some not so glorified) these are low-rent and low-class. They work, but dealing with finding the correct property once in there can be a challenge and I’m rarely up for fighting to find my hotel after a long flight.
Get rid of both those categories and what’s left are the mid-range, mid-priced properties that suit me just fine. Priced at roughly USD $70-90/night they fit my budget quite nicely and there is at least one local chain that manages to do it with a bit of style, too. My last time through town I stayed at Mingle on the Wing. This time I stayed at Mingle at the Eden. They call themselves "boutique" which is likely just code for "small rooms" but it works at these properties, at least for me.
The rooms are simple (and certainly not spacious) but they are also clean. They include free internet (while the more expensive hotels charge for it) and generally just make it a reasonable stay experience. They are situated a 5 minute walk (a bit more if, like me, you get lost trying to leave the train station) from the Central train station, making for a quick commute to and from the airport or to just about anywhere in town on the metro system. Also a short walk away is the Lan Kwai Fong area, with plenty of bars to offer up an evening’s worth of entertainment.
Here are a couple photos from the room taken with my BB (which mostly explains the low quality of the photos).
Like I said, definitely not luxe, but if you’re looking for a clean, reasonably priced room in a good location it is hard to do much better than this in Hong Kong. They’re generally available for booking on hotels.com where you can get credits in their Welcome Rewards program so you’re not fully forgoing any point earning. Also try shopping them at wotif.com where the prices and inventory seem to be different from time to time.
Posted by Seth on April 25, 2011 under Mileage Run, Trip Reports |
I thought I had planned well for my 12 hour visit to Sao Paulo, Brazil. I asked a good friend for tips on things to see, mapped out the bus timetable and generally was ready to take in the city as best I could in the short time I was there. I even thought that I had a few words of Portuguese under my belt to help figure things out. Needless to say, the plans fell apart nearly from the get-go. Fortunately the end result was still a ton of fun.
The first stop was supposed to be the cafe in the arrivals area of the airport for Chopp (the local, unpasteurized beer; pronounced shop-ee) and some snacks for breakfast. Apparently their taps were broken so no fresh jetlag fighting beer for me, though I did end up with some Pao do Quiejo (cheesey bread) and a beer anyways.
Then the bus service wasn’t actually going where I wanted to go. Due to language barriers I had a bit of trouble understanding why, though it was quickly revealed when I did finally make it downtown on another bus an hour later to a nearby Metro station. It turns out that Sao Paulo was in the midst of the Virada Festival, a weekend-long celebration of music and culture and the plaza I was headed had been closed down to all vehicles and filled with stages for the various performances.
Actually, much of downtown was filled with stages. There were dozens scattered around with everything from a Beatles cover band playing every album, in order, to a rave at the Se Cathedral Park. There were street performers and roving drum corps and many, many other forms of entertainment. Including Mexican wrestling.
All of the street performers were entertaining. Having the city streets blocked off and filled with hundreds of thousands of Paulistas and other folks in for the festivities made it that much more enjoyable.
After taking in a couple performances I headed over to the Mercado Municipal for lunch and more beer. The market is gem in center of town and well worth the visit. Even if you aren’t hungry when you go in you will be by the time you walk amongst its stalls and navigate its merchants, offering everything from fresh produce to dried salt cod to meats and cheeses. All of it looked delicious and the bits I tried absolutely were.
The next stop on my whirlwind itinerary was the Se Cathedral. You can read more about it here but suffice it to say that, like most cathedrals, it was pretty impressive. So was the party going on in the park outside; the contact high I got walking through the crowd was particularly refreshing.
I also wanted to visit MASP, the art museum, but by this point I was running out of energy in a hurry and also having trouble navigating the Metro system to figure out how to get from where I was to where I wanted to be with minimal transfers. Alas, I conceded defeat and chose to head back to the airport an hour earlier than I’d originally planned. That said, the Metro station at the Cathedral was a work of art unto itself. Truly beautiful inside, especially with the passengers streaming to and fro.
I didn’t get to see everything I’d originally planned, but I also managed to discover several bits that I never could have imagined I’d experience thanks to the festival and just wandering around town a bit. Sure, I like to plan and know what I’m getting myself into but, once again, having a bit of flexibility and rolling with the punches proved to be the best approach to experiencing the city.
Related Posts:
Posted by Seth on April 25, 2011 under News, TSA |
Can you list every address you’ve lived at since birth? What about every employer – including the name of your supervisor and their phone number – you have ever had? Every school you attended, including address and phone number? If not, you might not be able to get a passport if the State Department has its way. And those are the easy questions on the newly proposed form DS-5513.
Here’s the justification for the new form as provided in the Federal Register filing:
The primary purpose for soliciting this information is to establish citizenship, identity, and eligibility for a U.S. Passport Book or Passport Card. The information may also be used in connection with issuing other travel documents or evidence of citizenship, and in furtherance of the Secretary’s responsibility for the protection of U.S. nationals abroad.
If you can demonstrate (arguably via a certified birth certificate) that you were born in the US then the above questions are the only ones you really need to complete. If not, however, the questionnaire gets way more detailed. Here are some of the specifics that are asked for:
- What type of document, if any, did your mother use to enter into the United States before your birth?
- Please describe the circumstances of your birth including the names (as well as address and phone number, if available) of persons present or in attendance at your birth.
- Was there any religious or institutional recording of your birth or event occurring around the time of birth? (Example: baptism, circumcision, confirmation or other religious ceremony. Please provide details including the name, location of the
institution, and date.)
They even ask for specific details regarding any medical professionals that may have been involved, including a history of appointment dates. Oh, and the mother’s profession, address and, because we don’t want to be particularly obvious that we’re discriminating against immigrants, "What type of document, if any, did your mother use to enter into the United States before your birth?"
In case you’re curious, they estimate that compiling all this information will take only 45 minutes on average. I only have to answer the easy questions and I’m not sure I can do it that quickly.
Sadly, this will almost certainly become the rule, just like all the other asinine things the government is doing to infringe upon our rights "out of an abundance of caution." Today is the last day to register a complaint to the appropriate officials. The easiest way to do so is to email GarciaAA@state.gov. You must include the DS form number (if applicable), information collection title, and OMB control number in any correspondence. For this particular abomination those details are DS-5513 and Biographical Questionnaire for U.S. Passport; there is no OMB control number currently assigned.
UPDATE (17:55 EDT 25 APR): This form is supposedly only to be used if the veracity of the initially supplied documentation is in doubt. So it probably won’t apply to everyone. Still, there is a TON of data in here way beyond what should be needed to establish citizenship and well beyond what the government should need from us.
Here’s the letter I’m sending. I encourage you to contact them as well. Oh, and the 60-day comment period started on February 24th so it is pretty much over so it is important to act quickly (i.e. TODAY) on this issue!
To: GarciaAA@state.gov
Subject: Comments on proposed rule for DS-5513 – Biographical Questionnaire for U.S. Passport
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to comment on the proposed rule change published in the Federal Register as Public Notice 7345 regarding form DS-5513 – Biographical Questionnaire for U.S. Passport; there is currently no OMB control number assigned to this document.
The proposed form is collecting an excessive amount of data, well beyond what is necessary to confirm citizenship and issue a passport for qualified individuals. The time burden suggested – an average of 45 minutes – is a gross underestimate of how long it will take to collect even the basic information; answering questions 5-12 will take significantly longer. As an adult in my 30s who is qualified to answer only the basic questions I found that it took me well over one hour to compile the information and it is still incomplete.
My schooling and job history have no bearing on my citizenship status, yet the form asks for full details of both. If I fail to provide it (and potentially if I miss something) the State Department can deny me a passport, even though I am a naturally born citizen.
The form show significant bias against home-birthed children, requiring them to complete extensive documentation as though they are an undocumented alien in this country. Similarly, the extensive details requested about the circumstances of the birth – names and phone numbers of everyone present, for example – are excessive and go well beyond what is necessary to document citizenship.
Travel is a wonderful thing. It provides education, experiences and perspective all at once, helping to better both the people doing the traveling as well as those whom they visit. It should be encouraged and facilitated by our government, not impeded. This form represents an excessive data collection against US citizens and is an undue burden for demonstrating citizenship. It is working against these goals, not towards them.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Wandering Aramean.
Posted by Seth on April 24, 2011 under Mileage Run, Trip Reports |
Apparently I didn’t look too closely when I was planning the six-segment trip from Newark to Seattle. Continental apparently didn’t mind too much either, as they let me book a 22 minute connection in Orlando. The good news is that all the Continental gates there are close together. The bad news is that 22 minutes is a very short connection.
Things got a bit worse as we waited in Houston for the flight to Orlando. Our crew was late arriving to the plane. Now our 22 minute connection was shrinking and there wasn’t much we could do about it. The gate agent in Orlando was quite helpful, offering to protect us on a United flight that would catch us back up with our itinerary but that wasn’t nearly as much fun as trying to actually make the connection.
The good news is that we made the connection, even with the delay. The Continental agents were waiting at the gate and knew that we were on the inbound flight from Houston and they were ready for the late arriving passengers. Even though we missed the cut-off time for being at the gate on-time we managed to keep our seats and the upgrades. Sorry to the folks next in line on the list.
The best part about making the connection is that the crew we had for the quick two-hour flight up to Cleveland was the best of the trip. Most crews are fine and even can be a little fun if you’re willing to chat with them. This crew was one of the few special ones that come along. Ashley, Scott and Michelle were having fun doing their job and it showed. Truly an enjoyable experience. So much so that we briefly investigated changing our last couple flights to get a couple more hours in the air with them. Sadly, that was cost-prohibitive; flying with them to Vegas likely would’ve been a blast.
Moral of the story? Regardless of how stupid a 22 minute connection seems, booking it can be fun. Especially if there isn’t really anything to worry about missing at the next hop if the flights don’t work out right. Besides, when things do work out right, fun times can be found.
Posted by Seth on April 20, 2011 under News |
Apparently when an airline is advertising it.
I got an email from Continental this afternoon suggesting that now would be a great time to visit Las Vegas. And they’re advertising the low, low price of $566 round trip from LaGuardia. For starters, that’s a pretty high sale fare and not likely to drive a ton of business. But beyond that, they’re missing out on the fact that the fare they’re advertising isn’t even the best deal they have on offer.
Check out the fares they have published in the market:
Indeed, there actually are a number of cheaper fares available and if you click the link in their email to search they’ll sell them to you:
I know that the airlines are working to increase their revenue and there are certainly a number of fares that are more expensive than they have been in recent memory, but when they cannot even publish a sale correctly maybe it is time to start wondering what the real issues are in their business model.
Needless to say, I didn’t bite on the "deal."
Posted by Seth on April 15, 2011 under Mileage Run, Trip Reports |
As a travel destination it is hard to rate Guam to incredibly high, especially coming in from the mainland US or Hawaii. Sure, it is warm and generally sunny, but so is most of the Caribbean or the beaches of Mexico and they’re a LOT easier to get to than Guam is. If you happen to be in Japan or Korea already I can somewhat see the appeal – only 4-5 hours away by air and a much different environment that caters to you as a tourist – but really a hard sell coming all the way from New York City. Still, I managed to find a few things to do while there and it wasn’t like the beaches were particularly bad as visiting goes.
The main drag of Tumon Bay Beach is where all the resorts are based and where most tourists end up. The area is just a couple miles from the airport and pretty much serves as the focus of the tourist industry on the island. And with good reason. Other than one section of particularly nice beach that I saw on one of the Navy bases, the beach at Tumon Bay is one of the nicer stretches of land available in Guam for enjoying the Pacific Ocean and it has most of the restaurants and shops, too.
The wide, shallow bay plays more like a lake than an ocean, with virtually no surf to speak of but that’s great for the folks staying at the resorts who are looking to snorkel, windsurf or sail in the area. And the white sand beach is wide enough that there is generally enough room, though it is not particularly deep which can make it a bit crowded at times.
One of the nicer features of the beach is that it is readily accessible both to the guests of the high-priced resorts that sit right on it and to the general public, thanks to Governor Joseph A Flores Park, a public access facility, at one end. With free public parking and access everyone can enjoy the sun and sand.
A bit further south along Marine Corps Drive the tourist population dwindles and the locals dominate the scene. The coast is lined with parks, providing parking and access to the waterfront, though generally much less in the way of actual beachfront. There is a grassy area adjacent to most of the parking lots but no sand to relax on. For some folks that’s probably an ideal sort of beach, but not me.
In addition to the large, calm stretches of coastline there are also some areas where the surf break line is close enough to shore for folks to take advantage of it. Just off of Paseo De Susana Park there were a number of surfers and body boarders doing just that.
The park also has a replica of the Statue of Liberty on display. I happen to like ours in NYC a bit better, but this one is certainly more convenient to visit if you’re in Guam.
Finally, there is a small park adjacent to the regional government building that provides some pretty cool views of the region. The plot of land that now houses the government was used as a fort in the days of Spanish rule and as an anti-aircraft emplacement during World War II; evidence of both eras remains in the park area.
Construction in the region was historically performed by elevating the buildings, both to protect against rising tides or floods as well as to keep critters out. The towers that the buildings were set on are known as lattes and they are rather significant to the history of the island. Traditionally they were built of two pieces, the long, tapered column and then a chunk of coral set atop that. The government recently built a look-out tower that mimics the design and style of a latte. It is actually a pretty neat tower and it provides great views of the coast line.
There is also a marker signifying the base reference point on Guam for all GPS location points on the island. Vaguely interesting for the geek in me.
Between these beaches, the view from Two Lovers’ Point and the diving available on the island I managed to fill my 49 hours on the island well enough. I’m quite certain that I don’t really need to go back as I got my fill and there are more interesting destinations still on my list.
Related Posts:
Posted by Seth on April 14, 2011 under News |
It seems lately that all the discussion fees and airlines involves how annoying they are and how there is no end in sight to what the airlines will think of to charge for. While that is mostly true, there is the occasional positive development on the fee front, where things get better rather than worse. Frontier Airlines announced this week that they are reducing a number of their fees.
Fees covering flight changes ($100->$50), checked baggage ($25->$20 if paid online) and name changes ($100->$50) will all be reduced under the new scheme. So will same-day flight changes at the airport ($50->$25, plus fare difference). And excess bag fees will be standardized across the carrier’s route network ($50).
Definitely still a lot of things customers will be paying fees on, even with the new rules, but in a business market that doesn’t seem keen to remove the fees any time soon, lower is a step in the right direction.
Related Posts:
