Contributed by Jenna Gottleib and Jill Lawless, AP
In an in an image from an Aug. 19, 2014 video, a sign is posted on the road next to Bardarbunga, a subglacial stratovolcano located under Iceland's largest glacier. On Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014, Iceland closed airspace over the Bardarbunga volcano on Saturday after the Meteorological Office said an eruption had begun under the ice of Europe’s largest glacier. The English portion of the sign reads, ""Uncertainty phase due to unrest in Bardarbunga". (AP Photo/Courtesy Channel 2 Iceland)
Iceland lowered its aviation alert level to orange from red Sunday, saying there was no sign of an imminent eruption at the Bardarbunga volcano. And scientists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office said their announcement Saturday that the volcano had experienced a subglacial eruption was wrong.
But the office cautioned in a statement that seismic activity at the volcano, which has been hit by thousands of earthquakes over the past week, was not slowing, and an eruption remained a possibility in coming days.
Two earthquakes measuring over 5 in magnitude - the biggest yet - shook the volcano beneath Iceland's vast Vatnajokull glacier early Sunday. The Met Office recorded earthquakes of 5.3 and 5.1 in the early hours.
Iceland had raised the alert for aviation Saturday to red, the highest level on a five-point scale, warning that an ash-emitting eruption could be imminent.
An orange alert indicates "heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption."
After the alert was lowered, aviation authorities lifted a no-fly zone that had been imposed for 100 nautical miles by 140 nautical miles (185 kilometers by 260 kilometers) around the volcano.
A 2010 eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokul volcano caused a week of international aviation chaos, with more than 100,000 flights cancelled. Aviation officials closed Europe's air space for five days out of fear that volcanic ash could harm jet engines.
Any new eruption would be likely to be less disruptive. European aviation authorities have changed their policy, giving airlines detailed information about the location and density of ash clouds but leaving decisions to airlines and national regulators.
"Even if there were to be a major eruption, it would not necessarily produce a high ash column, so the likelihood of interruption of trans-Atlantic and European air travel remains low," said Open University geoscientist David Rothery.
Britain's National Air Traffic Service said it was monitoring what it called a "dynamic situation" but was expecting normal operations Sunday.
Fresh tastes, clever design and a relaxed vibe are the order of the day for Amsterdam’s innovative and pop-up restaurants It’s good to share … &samhoud places street food specializes in small plates – and a neat twist on the burger
&samhoud places street food
Steps from Central station, the original &samhoud places has two Michelin stars thanks to Heston Blumenthal-esque molecular maestro Moshik Roth. Now, a more affordable sister venue has opened below, with the Israeli chef still at the reins. High-quality plates to share ape global street snacks: the delectable Sam (€13) – chicken, oyster and kimchi in a lettuce wrap – is Korean-inspired, while the Tomeato (€9.50) is a US-style burger in which the yummy “mince” is actually, miraculously, tomato concentrate. • Oosterdokskade 5, +31 20 260 2094, samhoudplaces.com . Open Wed-Fri midday-10.30pm, Sat 2pm-10.30pm, Sun midday-7pm
Instock
Holland’s first “food waste” restaurant, Instock serves a daily changing, three-course menu for €20, making inventive use of supermarket leftovers “rescued” that morning. Open until 2 November, it is the result of four retail industry workers’ dismay at society’s profligacy. “We wanted to show that lots of produce that shops throw away is perfectly fine,” says Freke van Nimwegen. With two full rooms – part of an old gas factory fringing the stately Westerpark – and a packed patio each night, they seem to be succeeding. • Polonceaukade 9, +31 6 4971 2261, instock.nl. Open Fri-Sat 5.30pm-11pm, Sun 10.30am-5pm
Pllek
Pllek is reached by a ferry across the IJ (bay), which takes you to Amsterdam-Noord – the city’s upcoming area. This playground of abandoned shipyards is now filling with creative types, and its patron saint is Pllek, a bar-restaurant assembled from scratch two years ago. Inside are cushy sofas and a disco ball; outside there are reclaimed petrol containers, cushioned decking, picnic tables, ivy-lined scaffold pipes and a sandy terrace leading to the IJ, in which visitors can swim. Yoga classes are common, as are exhibitions. Amid all the fun, chef Dimitri Mulder serves organic food all day: the pan-fried mullet with samphire (€18.50) is especially nice and fresh. • TT Neveritaweg 59, +31 20 290 0020, pllek.nl. Open daily from 9.30am-10pm
Baut
If the north of Amsterdam is upcoming, the east has already arrived. Baut, a pop-up bar-restaurant occupying old newspaper offices, typifies the revived area. Michelle van der Vliet, founder of Amsterdam food blogStory 154, has tactical advice: “Arrive early and head skyward: OpBaut, a grassy first-floor suntrap, has just opened. After cocktails, descend to a dining room of mis-matched furniture, fairy lights and international sharing plates (from €8.50), and splash out on the chef’s four-course surprise menu (€44.50) to get all the best dishes.” Do this soon, though: Baut will close after New Year’s Eve 2014. • Wibautstraat 125, +31 20 465 9260, bautamsterdam.nl. Open Sun-Thurs 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-3am
Trouw
Next door to Baut, in a former printing warehouse, Trouw is a temporary restaurant, club, record label and gallery all rolled into one. The Mediterranean food is reason enough to visit: generous, funky dishes emerging from an island kitchen into a long, low-roofed room of pot plants and industrial piping. Order the extensive vegetable tasting menu (€22.50) for maximum delight, and hope that the eggplant, feta and pomegranate salad is in season. Like its neighbour, Trouw shuts for good on 31 December 2014. • Wibautstraat 127, +31 20 463 7788, trouwamsterdam.nl. Restaurant open Tues-Sat from 5.30pm till close
Canvas
Canvas occupies the seventh floor of more former periodical offices, opposite Trouw and Baut. In June, the edgy new Volkshotel opened inside the building and Canvas, bolstered by a new chef, upped its restaurant game. Visitors can now chew on Kloosterbig piglets (€8.50) or sherry-cooked catfishes (€15.50) as Amsterdam’s trendiest party animals begin to glide by. Arrive early to nab a seat on the balcony, and the city’s most Instagrammable vistas. • Wibautstraat 127, +31 20 261 2100, volkshotel.nl/canvas. Open Mon-Thurs 7am-1am, Friday 7am-4am, Sat 8am-4am, Sun 8am-1am
BAK
Initially, BAK was a nomadic pop-up operation, materialising in various spots across the city to rave reviews. But last year, its three creators decided that their concept – Dutch-produced food, cooked to high standards at low prices – merited a permanent home. They chose a third-floor, loft-like spot in the Old Harbour, with attractive views of houseboats below. Daring and unusual, the menu changes weekly, and costs €34.50 for four full courses (dinner is four courses only, single dishes at lunch from €8). • Van Diemenstraat 408, +31 20 737 2553, bakrestaurant.nl. Open Wed-Sun 11am-3pm and 6.30pm-11pm
The gastrobar
All the best treasure requires a good old hunt. The gastrobar’s location –on snoozy Java Island in the eastern docklands – and its nondescript frontage aren’t initially promising but a local-secret gem awaits inside. The range of minimal, beautifully presented, ambitious and scrumptious small plates is headlined by sea bass with avocado aioli and, for dessert, a rose parfait bearing traces of limoncello (dishes from €9.50). You can sit either inside, watching boats drift by, or on the sunny rear patio. • Sumatrakade 613, +31 20 570 2014, olivergastrobar.nl. Open Wed-Sun from midday till close
Henk
Another temporary joint, Henk sits by the Prinsengracht canal, 10 minutes’ walk from Anne Frank’s House. It’s run by three beautiful, well-dressed sisters and serves a three-course menu made with seasonal veg and local meats for €33. Story 154’s Michelle is a fan: “The large terrace borders a busy bridge, making it the perfect place to sit and watch Amsterdam go by,” she says. You don’t have to leave after dinner, either: just head downstairs to Henk’s special G&T bar.” • Prinsengracht 422, +31 20 233 3223,facebook.com/bar.restaurant.henk. Open Sun-Thurs 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-3am
Restaurant As
Refreshed each week, Restaurant As’s menu is seasonal, locally sourced and intensely flavourful. Four courses for €52 might seem steep-ish but it’s actually a bargain: every item here is delicious, right down to the homemade focaccia. The venue – a brutalist former chapel in well-to-do south Amsterdam – scores it extra points. If the sun’s out, ask to sit at one of the long tables in the garden, under the pergola and cherry trees. • Prinses Irenestraat 19, +31 20 644 0100, restaurantas.nl. Open daily 6.30pm-11pm for dinner, Tues-Fri midday-2.30pm for lunch, Sun midday-10pm special a la carte menu offered
Train travel was provided by Voyages-sncf.com (0844 848 5848,voyages-sncf.com), which has returns from London to Amsterdam from £118
Ask people to draw up a bucket list of islands they would most like to visit and Zanzibar, Barbados,, Tahiti and Sri Lanka are the likeliest candidates to top the polls. Here, we look at a quartet of smaller, lesser know islands that offer an intriguing alternative to the A list and might well be the answer to those in search of something a little different.
Often referred to as the ‘new Maldives’, the Quirimbas is an archipelago of sparkling islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of northern Mozambique. Aside from some of the most jaw-dropping beaches on the planet, the islands are home to a huge amount of protected wildlife, including turtles, whale sharks, dolphins and Manta rays.
Vamizi Island, slender and crescent-shaped, was home to the first lodge in the Quirimbas. The island now boasts a collection of luxurious private villas, each with a chef, housekeeping and hospitality manager; there are also ten smaller, beachfront villas. Daily life revolved around beach barbeques, remote picnics, diving, big game fishing, pampering and sunset dhow cruises.
Few Australians have ever been, but Lord Howe is a true gem. A two-hour flight from Sydney or Brisbane, this World Heritage Listed island is Australia’s very own South Sea island. Dominated by volcanic highlands and fringed by a lagoon that is protected by the most southerly reef on the planet. . There are many endemic species of wildlife, including a flightless woodhen, so it is no wonder Sir David Attenborough described the island as “so extraordinary it is almost unbelievable”.
Other than to yachties island-hopping the string of Grenadines, Bequia (only seven square miles) is one of the least known of the Caribbean islands, but has all the usual assets of warm seas and sunshine.
Those wanting to get involved in local life and hang out with local fishermen and boat builders – the Frangipani on the harbour is its heartbeat – will fall in love with Bequia. The island has excellent beaches, Princess Margaret and Lower Bay, are both walkable or a short water taxi from Port Elizabeth, the village-size capital.
Nantucket, the so-called ‘Faraway Island’, lies as far from US mainland as France does from Folkestone. Fourteen miles long and four miles wide, the island has become one of the most affluent vacation spots in the USA. As well as fantastic beaches, Nantucket also boats an incredible history. In the 1800s it was the whaling capital of the world until, with the demise of whaling, the population shrank. Today, however, the whole island is classified as a National Historic Monument, an America without shopping malls, traffic lights and McDonald’s.
The lack of development lies at the root of its charm. Nantucket is about old money, its ‘cottages’ owned by people whose names mean less than the corporations they skipper.
Contributed by Nick Van Gruisen, Managing Director of The Ultimate Travel Company. www.aluxurytravelblog.com
This Aug. 7, 2014 file photo shows people walking along the Monteliusvagen path on the cliffs over the northern shore of the Sodermalm district in Stockholm. (AP Photo/Per Gustavsson, File)
There's no shortage of ways to spend your money in Stockholm, one of Europe's most expensive cities.
Contributed by Karl Ritter and Malin Rising, AP
A dinner or even just a drink can set you back more than you expected.
Luckily, the Swedish capital is an outdoorsy place, meaning there's also a lot of stuff you can do for free.
THE OLD TOWN
A stroll along the narrow alleys winding through Stockholm's Old Town offers a glimpse into the city's past. Or rather, a cleaned-up version of its past, without the foul stench of waste that filled the medieval core before modern-day plumbing. Old Town today is so tidily picturesque it almost has a Disneyland feel. Buildings from the 17th century stand askew, worn by time but meticulously repaired and repainted in soft shades of yellow and rose. Unless you're looking for a plastic Viking helmet, turn off the main street and its gift shops and discover a plethora of small boutiques, art galleries and fashionable cafes. Pause at the idyllic Stortorget square and spare a thought for the 80 Swedish nobles who in 1520 lost their heads here in a mass execution known as the Stockholm bloodbath. Then watch the changing of the guards at the nearby Royal Palace and ponder why one of the world's most egalitarian countries still has a king.
SUBWAY ART
If you're riding the subway anyway ($5 for a single fare or $15 for a day pass), you can enjoy what Stockholm tourism officials call the "world's longest art exhibition" for free. Nearly all of the 100 stations on Stockholm's three subway lines are decorated with murals, mosaics, sculptures or art installations. Highlights include the historic artefacts at Kungstradgarden (Blue line) and Siri Derkert's feminist wall paintings at Ostermalmstorg (Red line). If you have a valid subway ticket you can join a free guided tour in English of Stockholm's underground art, departing at 3 p.m. from the T-Centralen station every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from June through August.
DOWNTOWN SWIMMING
In Stockholm, a city spread out over more than a dozen islands at the intersection of Lake Malaren and the Baltic Sea, some locals will tell you the water is clean enough to drink. That may be a stretch. You never see anyone cupping their hand for a refreshing swig from the city's many canals and waterways. However, in warm weather you do see people go for a swim just about everywhere there's access to water. There are more than 30 public bathing spots in Stockholm - from the rocks at Fredhall to the small sandy beach at Langholmen. Don't be surprised to find daring youths jump into the waters right in front of City Hall.
MONTELIUSVAGEN
There are places in the world where even an unskilled photographer can easily take a picture worthy of being framed and admired. Monteliusvagen is one of those places. This walking path on the cliffs over the northern shore of the Sodermalm district offers a breathtaking view of Stockholm's skyline. The Riddarfjarden bay acts like a mirror, reflecting the elegant facades of Old Town's waterfront palaces and the massive bell tower of the castle-like City Hall, home of the annual Nobel Prize banquet. Come here at sunset or sunrise to maximize the wow factor.
WOODLAND CEMETERY
OK, so going to a cemetery may not be on the top of your list when visiting a new city. This one, though, is truly original. Skogskyrkogarden, a woodland cemetery on the southern edge of Stockholm, was created between 1917 and 1920 and became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. Here the departed rest in natural surroundings, modest headstones marking their graves in imperfect rows amid the pine trees. The idea behind the cemetery, designed by Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz, was to blend architecture with nature, altering the landscape as little as possible. The cemetery is always open and entry is free, though you'll have to pay about $15 for a guided tour. Visitors are asked to respect those who come here to mourn - more than 2,000 funerals are held yearly in the cemetery's five chapels.
Head for the Med near the city of Narbonne and you’ll see why artists are drawn by its fishing villages, lagoons and sandy beaches – and why the French have kept it to themselves
Golden daze … Gruissan has been a popular holiday spot for Narbonne families since the mid-19th century. Photograph: Jean-Pierre Degas/Getty Images
The magic wasn't diminished when we later learned that the pigment comes from salt-tolerant algae, dunaliella salina, whose colour intensifies as wind and sun concentrate the salt solution. We had enjoyed many stunning maritime views along this overlooked stretch of the Mediterranean near Narbonne, but our “coral sea” at the Salins de Gruissan complex topped them all.
This whole coast does a good line in the unexpected: it is the south of France, but not as we know it. A south of France with quiet roads and long, uncrowded sandy beaches (even in August there is plenty of room), and without braying Brits and Riviera-high prices. Tourist honeypot Carcassonne, with its tour buses and gift shops, is 40 minutes away, but few UK holidaymakers stray coastwards: 80% of all summer visitors to the Narbonnaise region are French.
Narbonne
Narbonne, a city of just over 50,000 people, was an important Roman seaport, but centuries of silting of the Aude river have left it snoozing 15km inland. Its focal point is the Canal de la Robine, offshoot of theCanal du Midi, and wide new promenades on both sides are perfect for evening strolling.
Other attractions include a quarter of a cathedral: begun in 1272, theCathedral of Saint Just and Saint Pasteur has a vaulted choir that soars to 41m, a cloister and, er, that’s it. City fathers realised in the early 14th century that adding the nave and transept would entail – unthinkably – knocking down the ramparts. And so the truncated monument stands; a reminder that there’s nothing new about the cock-up. There’s also a medieval bishop’s palace with museum and art gallery – don’t miss the modern north African art on the top floor – and a spooky Roman warehouse complex, the Horreum.
Over the canal, probably the city’s loveliest sight, for eyes and belly, is the 1901 wrought-iron and glass market, Les Halles. Open every day, it has all the veg, seafood, patisserie and stinky cheese you could wish for, and several bars for savouring them. Les Tapas de la Clape, half-way down the left-hand side, is probably the best of a good bunch, for an oyster, wine and charcuterie marriage made in heaven.
Gruissan, 20 minutes from Narbonne, is a fishing village on a hill between two lagoons, with narrow alleyways encircling the ruins of a 12th-century tower. A marina was added in the 20th century, with apartments, restaurants and berths for 1,300 boats.
A seafood lunch in Gruissan. Photograph: Alamy
Gruissan’s huge beach, over the Grazel lagoon, has a longer holiday history. In the mid-19th century, Narbonne families would head here in summer for a beach break before the hard work of the grape harvest, first sleeping in covered wagons, then in cabanes on stilts. The tradition was formalised in the 1920s when, in what might have been France’s first holiday park, the village bought a tract of foreshore from the state and built basic huts – still on stilts – for letting to local families. Today’s chalets are more permanent, with running water and electricity, but the atmosphere remains laid-back and friendly as families barbecue in the spaces beneath their huts, and children run in and out.
Now, non-locals can join in too: chalets for four cost from €490 a week or €50 a night. Try homelidays.com or homeaway.co.uk. (This one:homeaway.co.uk/p1093162 still has availability for August.) Gruissan beach was the setting for the iconic 1986 film Betty Blue, about a couple living in one such chalet.
Moving south, past Port-la-Nouvelle, the Med’s third-busiest commercial port, you come to low-rise La Franqui, down a dead-end road off the main D709, where French families holiday in rented houses or flats overlooking wide sands and clear water, safe for swimming. The contrast with these beaches and those of the Côte d’Azur is the lack of commercialisation: there’s no paying to get on the beach, no shelling out again for parasols and sunbeds. You pick your spot, plant your umbrella and have more euros for beer and ice-cream. Joy!
Here I must add another big difference from the Côte d’Azur: the wind! It blows steadily for much of the year, making the area popular for windsurfing. There are a dozen or more windsurfing schools along the coast and lagoons, and international competitions at Gruissan. The breeze drops a little in summer, enough to make a day at these beaches more pleasant than a stifling bake at Saint-Tropez.
What to do
There are plenty of dedicated cycle routes in the Narbonnaise, such as a gentle 15km seashore stretch north of Gruissan, but there’s nothing like riding with someone on their own patch. Someone such as jovial Roland Bisman of mountain biking company Sportguida, who offers daily trips around these lagoons, islands and canals. Attracted by the motto “quality of time lived, not distance covered” (it rhymes in French), we met Roland near Port-la-Nouvelle to tour Ile de Sainte-Lucie nature reserve – riding pine-shaded paths, climbing a hill for a view of two lagoons and the canal, then slightly scaring ourselves with our speed on the rocky track back down. A three-hour tour with bike and guide cost €19.50 (with reductions for children and families).
Drive time … Liz (on the right) feels the need for 2CV speed. Photograph: Colin Boulter
For something more sedate, but oh, so French, chic thirtysomething Isabelle Castro (+33 6 82 22 17 72, vin4heurestour.fr) gave up an office job to indulge her twin passions: vintage cars and wines. From her base in the wine-growing village of La Palme, she runs evocative drives through the Fitou and Corbieres vineyards in a venerable Citroën 2CV, with tastings and winemaker visits. Go easy on the tastings if you want to take full advantage of the USP of these tours, though: anyone who’s held a licence for more than three years can take the wheel of one of these two-horsepower dames for a spin through the vines – on mercifully deserted little roads. (My husband was much better than me at managing the dashboard-mounted gears.) It’s especially fun for groups of six or more, who can bounce along in a two- or three-car convoy, those in the back seats poking heads through the open roof to take photos and relay messages. Tours are €90 for two.
Too young for wine but too old for sandcastles? The most sullen teenager couldn’t fail to enjoy a Segway tour in Gruissan – they’d probably get the hang of the rather counter-intuitive controls faster than their parents. Families (minimum age 14) set off from the harbour-master’s office to pootle around the marina, then head along the lagoon to the old village, with its higgledy-piggledy houses, church and views from the ruined Tour de Barberousse. Parents will be reassured to know that the friendly tourist office guides will set a limiter on the Segways’ speed. No one’s ridden one into the water yet! Harbour tours are €22pp/€60 for two adults and two children,book on +33 4 68 49 09 00,gruissan-mediterranee.com.
Nerdier teens would get a lot from a tour of Gruissan’s salt pans. Our guide was an eccentric lady who refused to tell us her name but had a passion for the history, geography – and chemistry – of salt production. As well as the restaurant, there’s a museum, art gallery and shop selling local delicacies, flavoured salts and, our favourite, liquid salt (tour €7.60 adults, 13-18 years €6, lesalindegruissan.fr/en/visites).
Arty types shouldn’t miss LAC (Lieu d’Art Contemporain) in a big old wine warehouse near Sigean. It was founded by Dutch painter Piet Moget, who has lived in the Narbonnaise since 1952. At 86, he is still at the gallery, run now by his daughter Layla, most days. We gazed entranced at his extraordinary studies, in subtle shades, of land and sea, light and water – think Mark Rothko without the agony. The collection also includes works by Karel Appel, Bengt Lindström and more, and this summer’s temporary show is by prize-winning British artist Keith Coventry. Open daily (not Tues) 3pm-7pm, €5pp.
Where to stay
La Galerie, Leucate. Photograph: Marie-Helene Carcanague
Artists are still drawn to the land- and seascapes of the Narbonnaise, and some have opened their doors to tourists, combining studios with B&Bs. Nicolas Galtier lives and works in a 17th-century house, La Galerie (doubles from €80), in the centre of Leucate village, where his large-format paintings – a contemporary take on Renaissance decoration, some with silver and gold leaf – share space with five individually designed guestrooms. Breakfasts are as sumptuous as the art.
In La Franqui, Patrick Chappert-Gaujal uses found objects and a passion for the sea to produce an eclectic range of sculptures, paintings and installations. His studio is in a large wooden house built into a hillside, whose top floor, with massive roof terrace, houses three B&B rooms (Les chambres de la Franqui, doubles from €100) designed by wife Nathalie. Beaches and footpaths abound, but Nathalie said guests often just linger over breakfast, mesmerised by views over seven miles of shoreline.
In Narbonne itself, Hotel La Residence (doubles from €88, breakfast €12) is a 19th-century building furnished with interesting modern takes on French classics. Its location is ideal: walking distance from the train station, even handier for the sights. We fitted in climbing the 13th-century keep of the archbishop’s palace (€4) between breakfast and an 11.15am train to Paris.
In Leucate village, be sure to book for Le Jardin des Filoche (64 Avenue Jean Jaurès, +33 4 68 40 01 12, menu from €27), a family-run affair with tables in a luxuriant garden, equally gorgeous food and, unusually for France, good veggie dishes, such as artichokes with romesco sauce.
En Face restaurant in central Narbonne. Photograph: Liz Boulter
There’s a different feel down on Leucate beach. Biquet’s(+33 4 68 33 00 64, no website) really wants to be an Ibiza beach club: rebuilt each season, it sits amid sweeping sands, decorated with wacky stuff: old anglepoise lamps and bits of plastic doll, say. It is open from breakfast, and at night DJ sets have everyone dancing between the tables and outside on the sand. The food, however, is sophisticated French: oysters, mussels with ginger, John Dory with white beans and ham – served on slates. Special summer events see Michelin-starred chefs guesting in the kitchen.
And for great tapas as the sun goes down on the yachting set’s massed masts, try Le 37.2º in Gruissan port (37.2º Le Matin is the original title of director Jean-Jacques Beineix’s Betty Blue – 37.2C being the body temperature of a pregnant woman).
How to get there
Budget airlines fly to Carcassonne, which is 40 minutes from Narbonne. But if don’t want to feel you’re joining the Waitrose’n’Volvo herd, take a train to Narbonne from London St Pancras. (You can use the change in Paris to add a couple of days in the city of love on the way there or back.)
This product image provided by United Airlines shows a Caprese on Asiago Baguette sandwich, one of a variety of the airline's new first class food options. The Chicago-based airline on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014 announced that it’s upgrading first class food options and replacing snacks with full meals on some of its shortest flights. (AP Photo/United Airlines)
To win the hearts of frequent business travelers, United Airlines is going through their stomachs.
The carrier has been looking for ways to woo back some of its top fliers who defected to other carriers following a rocky merger with Continental Airlines. So, it's upgrading first class food options and replacing snacks with full meals on some of its shortest flights.
The changes, announced Thursday, mean that instead of potato chips, chocolate chip cookies and bananas, passengers on flights of at least 800 miles will get meals such as chicken and mozzarella on a tomato focaccia roll and turkey and Swiss cheese on a cranberry baguette. Currently, meals are only served on flights of 900 miles or more - trips that usually last close to two hours.
Passengers on 13 extra routes, such as Houston-to-Des Moines, Iowa, will be getting full meal service starting in February.
The move comes as American Airlines goes the other way, eliminating hot meals on most flights less than 1,000 miles starting Sept. 1. The change - which upset many frequent fliers - is part of American's merger with US Airways and does expand meals to some US Airways flights that previously only had snacks. Delta Air Lines serves first class meals only on flights of more than 900 miles.
That means United will offer full meals on more short flights than its competitors, although each airline makes exceptions for some key shorter business routes like the 731-mile trip between New York and Chicago.
United already this month replaced two bland salad options with four heartier choices. Starting Sept. 1, three frozen and reheated sandwiches currently served will be replaced by eight sandwich and wrap choices made daily. In the fall, it will add Prosecco sparkling wine to its beverage menu.
"Customers shouldn't have to make sacrifices just because they are onboard an aircraft," says Todd Traynor-Corey, the airline's managing director of food design.
That might be true, but in an industry known for its razor-thin profit margins, food has always been a target of cost-cutting. With U.S. airlines each year carrying 645 million passengers domestically, every little food decision had big implications. In the 1980s, then American Airlines CEO Robert Crandall famously decided to remove a single olive from every salad. The thought was: passengers wouldn't notice and American would save $40,000 a year.
It's been a decade since most airlines stopped serving free meals in coach on domestic flights.
Dennis Cary, an airline consultant with ICF International, says meals alone won't drive passengers to one airline over another, but can help leave a better impression of a flight.
"It's on the margin," Cary says, "but it's one of the things people like to talk about."
United has been struggling since its 2010 merger with Continental. It lags behind American and Delta in the number of planes with Wi-Fi, its on-time performance slipped and a series of computer glitches have left passengers angry. Business travelers who fly weekly got fed up with the repeated problems; other airlines were successful in luring some away.
CEO Jeff Smisek has struggled to collect the same high airfares from business customers that other airline do, leading to pressure from Wall Street analysts. Improving food could be a start to winning back some passengers.
A hot meal on a two-hour flight might not sound like a necessity, but for busy frequent fliers it might be the only chance to grab a bite.
"Business travelers, running from a meeting to catch an earlier flight, don't have the time stop and pick up food along the way," says Gary Leff, co-founder of online frequent flier discussion site MilePoint.
Contributed by Hannah Drieier and Jorge Rueda, AP.
Graphic shows reduction in available seats of major airline flights to Venezuela in 2014 compared to 2013; 2c x 3 1/2 inches; 96.3 mm x 88 mm;
Come to Venezuela and you might get a longer trip than you bargained for.
The U.S. Embassy in Caracas issued an advisory Tuesday urging Americans to be careful when traveling to Venezuela because of the steep drop in airline service to the South American country.
The number of seats on flights between Venezuela and the U.S. has fallen by more than half since the beginning of the year, according to the Venezuela Airlines Association. The three largest U.S. carriers - Delta, American and United Airlines - all slashed their service to Venezuela this summer.
The cause: A dispute over some $4 billion in cash trapped in the socialist country.
Decade-old currency controls mean that airlines need government approval to convert local earnings into dollars. And the socialist government, running low on dollars itself, has been preventing carriers from repatriating revenue, with some airlines waiting over a year.
Each successive reduction in service has left passengers scrambling to rebook seats, often for significantly more than they first paid. The scarcity of flights has sent airfares soaring; a one-way ticket to New York now costs more than $1,000.
On Tuesday, the Embassy urged U.S. travelers to leave themselves enough time to make alternative arrangements should their return flights vanish.
While most carriers have reduced service, some, including Air Canada and Italy's Alitalia, have left Venezuela altogether.
Diminishing access to the global air traffic network has many middle class Venezuelans grumbling that they are trapped in their own country.
Even Venezuela's top soccer club is suffering. It said last week it could not find a flight to an international tournament in Peru and would have to spend several days traveling to Colombia and catching a flight from there.
President Nicolas Maduro has downplayed the airline exodus, dismissing it as a crisis cooked up by the "bourgeois press." At one point, he said carriers were only temporarily adjusting schedules to meet demand for flights to Brazil for the World Cup.
He has warned that airlines abandoning the country wouldn't be allowed to return.
