Monday, February 10, 2003
Guided tours offeredat Kodak Theatre
Guided public tours are offered daily at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, permanent home of the Academy Award ceremonies.
Revealed in the tour are such facts as where celebrities sit on Oscar night, how Kodak Theatre was built especially for the Oscars and little-known facts regarding Hollywood's illustrious past.
Also included is a visit to the George Eastman VIP room, site of post-show celebrity parties. The 30-minute walking tours depart every 15 minutes between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for ages 3 through 12 and free for younger than 3.
For more information, call (323) 308-6363 or visit www.kodaktheatre.com on the Web.
Everglades packagegets wildlife close
It's not everywhere that a crocodile and an alligator can lie down together. At least, they can if they want to.
For humans who want to lie down amid myriad wildlife and fish, there's a lodging facility available in South Florida's vast Everglades National Park.
The Flamingo Lodge is not a luxury hotel, it's a basic hotel, says Tom Mesereau, a spokesman for Xanterra Parks and Resorts, which operates lodges, restaurants and concessions in national and state parks. But it offers a chance to see fantastic wildlife that draws tourists to the Everglades, according to Flamingo general manager Peter Hulse.
"It's not uncommon to see an alligator by the road or to spot a manatee as you cruise the backcountry," he says.
"Visitors quickly learn there is no other place on Earth quite like the Everglades."
To introduce the newcomer, the Flamingo offers an annual "Dicover Your Everglades" package April 1-25. The $247-plus-tax package for a family of four includes two nights in the lodge, two tickets for a Florida Bay cruise and a backcountry cruise and a hot breakfast buffet.
Call (800) 600-3813 for more information.
Policy changedfor standby flights
US Airways has altered its same-day standby policy, reducing to $25 from $100 the charge for nonrefundable-fare passengers who want to fly standby on an alternate flight within the United States and Canada.
The airline said the fee remains $100 for European, Caribbean and US Airways Shuttle services.
In fall, the airline began selling $100 coupons that passengers could use for flying standby. Under the change announced in January, a $100 coupon can be exchanged for four $25 coupons.
Most major U.S. airlines revised their same-day standby policies in September and began to charge fees for swapping flights, a practice common among business fliers.
The new fee was a revenue-generating step for the cash-strapped airlines, but it met with strong complaints from passengers, and most airlines have reconsidered.
In December, United Airlines said it was abandoning plans to charge $100 for flying standby, and Continental and American followed suit.
Delta Air Lines, however, began charging $50 for standby on Delta Express flights, and its policy on other flights says: "Effective for tickets purchased on or after Sept. 5, 2002, for domestic travel beginning on March 1, 2003, standby travel is prohibited unless allowed by the rules of the fare. However, upon payment of a $25 service charge, passengers may be confirmed on another same-day flight within three hours of departure of the new flight, provided coach seats are available on the requested flight. Reservations outside three hours are subject to a $100 service charge, plus any difference in fares."
Combined dispatches