February's Five Weirdest Travel Industry Stories
BNET's back again for a list of the month's most unusual goings-on.
Ladies Only in the Air
Women will have female-only toilets on Japan's All Nippon Airways starting next month. The new feature will be on most international flights and was created because of several requests and a 2007 online survey where 90% of women wanted a woman-only bathroom because they were tired of putting the toilet seat down. All Nippon is also responding to market demand, because Korean Air and Japan Airlines both offer women-only restrooms.
Man Arrested for Stealing Bras Off Hotel Balcony
In Honolulu, a 19-year-old man was arrested on burglary and drug charges after allegedly climbing onto the balcony of a hotel and taking two bras. Police and hotel security went to the man's room at the Island Colony Hotel Feb. 22 and found the man asleep with two bras on the floor and drugs on the dresser, police said. Officers said the man had taken the intimate garments from the hotel room next to his, likely climbing from his balcony to the next, entering the room through its unlocked lanai door. No word on whether the bras were for the him or someone special.
Couple Sued for Installing IKEA Kitchen in Tony Hotel
The Paramount Realty Group is suing Icelandic power couple, mogul Jon Asgeir Johannesson and his wife, designer Ingibjorg Palmadottir, for installing an "ugly" kitchen on the 16th floor of the chi-chi Gramercy Park Hotel. The megacouple rented the entire floor for $312,000 last year.
In the complaint, the realty group calls the kitchen "ugly" and "an embarrassment" to the renting tenant, who has apparently been made a subject of ridicule among the jet set. The complaint continues, "The kitchen installed is manufactured by IKEA, which is generally known to offer low-budget furniture." Paramount is seeking $52,000 in damages. Perhaps that will be enough to cover the new tenant's psychiatric bill.
Hotel Schwag, Without the Hotel
Westin Hotels and Resorts is partnering with Amazon.com to offer its users "the first hotel-branded storefront on the shopping Web site." (Yes, I'm underwhelmed, too.) The virtual storefront will sell its Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Bath trinkets, White Tea candles, glassware and paper, all sold under the heading of Westin Wellness Collection. I'm not sure it's a great idea, but Westin is owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, a company looking at any way to lessen its recent $362 million timeshare losses.
Newark Airport Cameras Are Now Alarming
Airport cameras at Newark Liberty International will be fitted with alarms that will alert security when they are malfunctioning. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reported that it will install the alarms after a security breach last month closed a terminal for several hours, when a man slipped under a security rope to give a goodbye kiss to his girlfriend. Afterwards, airport officials realized security checkpoint cameras hadn't been working for several days, forcing them to borrow footage from nearby Continental Airlines. No word on what will happen if the alarms stop working, but probably nothing.
Photo: ddjohn11