Travel Roundup: Continental Wants Rio, Four Seasons Returns, JetBlue's Ad Deal and More

(MoneyWatch)  Continental wants Houston to Rio de Janeiro route -- Continental Airlines announced it filed an application with the Department of Transportation for daily, year-round flights between Houston and New Orleans to Rio de Janeiro next year. Continental now has three flights a week from Newark and Houston to Sao Paulo during the winter season. [Source: Continental]

Four Seasons returns to Seattle -- The Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Seattle, scheduled to open Nov. 3, marks the return of the luxury brand after five years. The previous hotel changed its name to the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in 2003. The new hotel is owned by the Seattle Hotel Group LLC. [Source: Post-Intelligencer]

JetBlue strikes in-flight ad deal with Ideacast -- JetBlue joins Continental and Frontier airlines by partnering with IdeaCast, creator of Airline TV, an ad network for airlines. Ideacast can now sell video ads and other content on the airline's media network as well as placing traditional ads on seatbacks. [Source: Adweek]

Motel 6 says goodbye to dirty, smelly carpets -- The Dallas-based, low-priced chain, Motel 6, will be changing its standard carpeting to laminate as part of its new Phoenix Prototype and new hotel renovations. The new laminate flooring by Tarkett will require less cleaning and have a 10-year warranty. [Source: HospitalityNet]