| Security takes the bon out of voyaging for family
We took the family to Paris for Christmas. It was the first time my husband and I wondered whether the five of us could do such a trip again. It wasn't because of Paris, which was gorgeous and child-friendly, or that we were traveling with 2-month-old Darby. Portable and pleasant, she slept through both plane rides and did not complain about being nursed in the Louvre or on the Pont Neuf. It wasn't even the cost; we got three of the tickets through a frequent-flier program and found a terrific apartment online at www.londonguestsuites.com. It was the security. I don't think our family can again face the gantlet of security forces one must go through to get in and out of this country. Seasoned traveler that I am, I had reduced the children's carry-on items to a minimum -- crayons, paper, Game Boys.
State 'cares' for cancer victims
Felicitas Poe felt a strange lump in her breast when laying in bed.The 34-year-old is among the 182,800 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year, according to the American Cancer Society. More than 41,000 women will die from the disease this year, making breast cancer the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in American women. State lawmakers enacted breast and cervical cancer legislation in 2004 by passing SB 1609. The bill expanded the composition of the Oklahoma Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment Advisory Committee to identify populations at highest risk for breast or cervical cancer and to recommend actions to reduce the costs of this disease, said Cathy McKinney of Edmond, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority."I think it's saved my life," said Felicitas Poe, a single mother of two young daughters in Edmond.
Tourism officials fret over downturn
The state's top tourism official said yesterday that she is "very concerned" about a 5.7 percent decline in January visitor arrivals and that the boom portion of the visitor industry's cycle might be over. The new numbers are a sign that the visitor industry's once frenetic pace, characterized last year by difficulties for tourists getting flights or hotel rooms, has slowed, said State Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert. January visitor numbers released yesterday by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism were dismal enough to prompt some members of the visitor industry to call them a harbinger of challenging times to come. While DBEDT statistics showed that arrivals from Hawaii's top visitor market, the Western states, rose 1.4 percent in January, arrivals from the more sought-after U.S.
New Airline May Mean Cheaper Flights in Memphis
Airfares in the Bluff City may be about to fly in for a more reasonable landing. A new airline is coming to town. Frontier Airlines announced today that it will soon be flying in and out of Memphis and offering cheaper fares. That could force the other airlines to drop their ticket prices too. Eyewitness News Everywhere talked to Mid-south travelers about how important it could be. The announcement Wednesday February 14, 2007 means it may soon be cheaper for some people to leave Memphis and head out west. Donna Benitone and Jeff Littrell had to be together on Valentine's Day. The long distance couple is no stranger to the Memphis airport or the fares. Littrell said, “I'm always flying in here, in and out. I would think the flights would be cheaper because I fly Northwest on flights that change in Memphis that are about the same or less.
Southwest adding Orlando flights
Southwest Airlines is boosting its Orlando International Airport service this summer. The airline plans to add six, daily round-trip nonstop flights to cities it already serves. Beginning June 4, the airline will add an extra flight between Orlando and Providence, R.I., bringing the daily total to six. That same day, it will also add a daily flight to a schedule that currently includes three trips between Orlando and Houston. Beginning July 2, it will add a daily round-trip between Orlando and Long Island, bringing the total to six. At the same time, it will add one more daily flight between Orlando and Columbus, Ohio, for a total of three. Starting July 17, Southwest will add a daily round-trip flight between Orlando and Birmingham bringing the total to three, as well double the number of daily flights between Orlando and Louisville to two.
|
