Alaska Airlines board to buy back millions in stock

A plan to repurchase $50 million worth of Alaska Air Group stock was approved by the airline holding group’s board, the company announced Friday. Alaska Air Group is the SeaTac-based holding company for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. The repurchases will come from cash on hand. Bill Ayer, the airline’s chairman, said the program will reward stockholders without threatening the airline’s cash situation. Stock buyback programs are designed to enhance stock prices by reducing the number of public shares outstanding

400 Years of History on Lake Champlain

2009 marks the 400th anniversary of French explorer Samuel de Champlain’s first visit to the lake that now bears his name. The celebration will include exploration tours of over 300 shipwrecks at the bottom of the lake, a 13-day international waterfront festival, Heritage Days to celebrate French ancestry and much more. For more information on Summer-Fall Events Celebrate 400 Years of Culture, Beauty And History on Lake Champlain http://www.champlain400.com/

Finland Summer Fun For Families

Finland thrives in the summer as the days get light and long. Several theme parks and zoos open their gates, and there are hundreds of festivals of song, dance and theater to keep the whole family entertained. And in a land of thousands of lakes and a beautiful seacoast with many islands, a summer cruise is a must. For more information http://www.muumimaailma.fi/

EuropebyAir Adds Israel Special Fares

Europe by Air known for their Flight Pass to hop around Europe, has recently added fares beyond Europe. Israel is their lastest addition and if your travel arrangements are flexible you can find considerable savings. One example is TEL AVIV - Barcelona/Munich $199 one way which includes all taxes and fees. This and other destinations are available on the EuropebyAir website.

Travel Perks ?

This was recently posted by Jill K Robinson and felt it was worth sharing.

Have you ever gotten excited about a travel “perk,” only to realize later that it isn’t all that? Here are a few we’ve come up with at TravelMuse that bug us: Swim-up bars. It may sound nice to luxuriate in a swimming pool and not have to get out and drip at the bar just to order a drink. But when you look at the people sitting at the swim-up bars and see how long they stay there (hours) while drinking, you just have to wonder: How do they not need to use the bathroom? First class on domestic flights. We all appreciate the larger seats, free beverages and silverware, but first-class seats and service on domestic routes are never quite as special as those on international ones. Sure, it’s probably about the money you spend. Isn’t everything? Airline clubs. Some are better (Continental—free alcoholic beverages) than others (American—no free booze), and sitting in a cushy seat while you’re waiting for your flight certainly is better than the waiting areas at the gate. Usually, when we spend money on a membership, we expect a little more than a nice seat and free Wi-Fi, like free (or inexpensive) drinks and more than nuts to chew on. Don’t you? Wireless Internet in hotels. Why is it that it often seems cheaper hotels offer free Wi-Fi and more expensive ones charge you a fee? Shouldn’t that be covered in the rate you’re paying already? And if you’re paying a fee, shouldn’t the Wi-Fi work? Complimentary breakfasts. Yum! We always appreciate eating, especially when a hotel throws it in for free. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but a soggy croissant and warm orange juice isn’t worth advertising as “complimentary breakfast.” And is it really necessary to tack on that tacky supplement for lukewarm eggs and meat with your “free” meal?

Adventure Canada Announces Its New Innovative Approach

Mississauga, ON — Hobnob with artists, musicians, photographers and writers while taking in the landscape and culture of Northern Quebec, Labrador, Newfoundland & Nova Scotia on this 11-day floating workshop.Award-winning tour company Adventure Canada is delighted to bring passengers this new innovative concept in expedition cruising. In partnership with the Walrus Magazine, special guests including author Alistair McLeod, CBC Host Shelagh Rogers and publisher of the Walrus Magazine, Shelley Ambrose, will host passengers onboard the 118-passenger Clipper Adventurer. The Atlantic Arts Float will have a multi-disciplinary focus, with the goal of creating new art, music and mixed media among its participants. Traveling through breathtaking landscapes and enriched by a world-class resource team, passengers will draw inspiration from the riches of Atlantic Canada. Guided expeditionary stops and Zodiac cruises along Labrador’s coast will allow time for wildlife viewing, spectacular tundra hikes, sketching, painting and photography. On this journey passengers will visit the region of Nunatsiavut, home of the Labrador Inuit, where they will visit both natural and cultural sites of importance. Further south travellers will examine the merchant and Maritime Archaic histories enroute through the Strait of Belle Isle. After stopping in Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and spending a few days along Newfoundland’s remote south shore, passengers will make their way down the east coast of Nova Scotia. The voyage ends in Halifax, where travellers will have the opportunity to exhibit their works in a mixed-media show that the whole world is invited to. For more informaion 888-888-2682 or www.advedturecanada.com .

Freddie Awards

This year's winners will be announced at the Freddie Awards ceremony on April 23, 2009 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport in conjunction with the FTMA 2009 Spring Conference.

Frontier Airlines to Provide Travelers With Storm Flexibility

In response to a forecast for significant snow in the Denver Metro area on Thursday, March 26, 2009, Frontier Airlines has put the following travel policy guidelines into place for all customers scheduled to travel on March 25-27, 2009, who purchased tickets on or before March 24, 2009:Customers scheduled on the above dates may elect to stand-by free of charge on an earlier date or time. Origin and destination cities must remain the same.For customers who have already started their travel, rules and restrictions regarding standard change fees, advance purchase, day or time applications, blackouts and minimum or maximum stay requirements have been waived. Origin and destination cities must remain the same. Changes must be made by midnight, March 27, 2009 and travel completed by April 8, 2009. For customers who have not begun travel, they may make one change to their travel plans without a change fee. All rescheduled travel may be subject to higher fares if it does not meet the original rule or booking class. For more information, please visit FrontierAirlines.com.

WTMY 1280 Talking Travel with Roy Lowey

Roy Lowey and Travel Journalist, Kay Fernandez talk about her new web site http://www.chocolate-travel.com/, Bob Fisher some of the best Travelosophy 2008, Brian Moore and Lisa Codianne Fowler chat about Ireland. Broadcasting from Florida's SunCoast Radio WTMY Sarasota and on the web...Sunday Travel Radio 5pm ET

Daylight saving time begins March 8th in the U.S.

In the United States Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 a.m. local time on the second Sunday in March. On the first Sunday in November areas on Daylight Saving Time return to Standard Time at 2:00 a.m. When Daylight Saving Time begins turn your clocks ahead one hour. When Daylight Saving Time ends turn your clocks back one hour. The names in each time zone change along with Daylight Saving Time. Eastern Standard Time (EST) becomes Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), and so forth. Arizona, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa do not observe Daylight Saving Time. In the United States, Under the Uniform Time Act, the Department of Transportation is in charge of time zones in the United States and ensuring that jurisdictions observing Daylight Saving Time begin and end on the same date.On Monday August 8, 2005 President Bush signed into law a broad energy bill that will extend Daylight Saving Time by four weeks beginning in 2007. Since 1986 the United States had observed Daylight Saving Time from the first Sunday in April through the last Sunday in October. The provisions of the bill call for Daylight Saving Time to begin three weeks earlier on the second Sunday in March and end on the first Sunday in November.

For information on other states and countries ck out this list...http://www.timeanddate.com/time/dstevents.html