Labor Day air travel up
Air travel traffic over the Labor Day holiday is expected to rise 3 percent compared with last year, to 14.2 million passengers. During the seven-day Labor Day travel period, Sept. 2-8, the industry expects 2 million air travelers per day, about 59,000 more daily than last year. Friday, Sept. 4, is expected to be the busiest day for flying. Chicago Tribune
Black train passengers booted
The Napa Valley Wine Train has issued an apology to a book club of mostly black women who said they were booted from a tasting tour because of their race. The 11 members of the book club said employees ordered them off the train on Aug. 22, mid-journey, and marched them down several aisles to their embarrassment. Associated PRess
Travel Trend
'Ridiculously low' airfares finally return
Airline fare wars are making a comeback. Don't expect widespread sales or cheap flights home for Thanksgiving, but a number of cities are seeing ridiculously low prices at off-peak hours. Fliers have been able to fly from Chicago to Boston for $80 round-trip, San Francisco to Las Vegas for $67 round-trip and New York to Los Angeles, with a connection, for $150 round-trip. "This is the big break consumers have been waiting for in response to lower fuel prices," says Seth Kaplan of the Airline Weekly newsletter. The best prices are for flights on traditionally slow days like Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. And it helps if Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines or Frontier Airlines flies the route. American Airlines and — to a lesser extent — Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are matching some of those airlines' discount fares. "They're trying to force them out of the market and they have the power to do this because they are making record profits," says George Hobica of AirfareWatchdog.com. Associated PRess
HOtel Check-in
Luxury competition in Vienna
The first property in Austria from the Hyatt brand, the 143-room Park Hyatt Vienna opened last summer in a four-columned sandstone building that housed the Austrian Monarchy Bank. The Park Hyatt is now a serious competitor to the city's well-known luxury hotels such as the Bristol and the Sacher. With an unbeatable location near popular attractions, standout service and luxe touches, the Park Hyatt is an easy choice for travelers looking for high-end but contemporary accommodations in Vienna. It's a departure from many other luxury hotels in town that have a more traditional and slightly stuffy feel, and the historical former bank setting gives it a nongeneric, authentic sensibility. (From 480 euros.) New York Times
Web Buzz
HitList app finds flight deals
Travel app HitList can search for inexpensive flights to your dream destinations. Tell the app where you want to go, and it will notify you when deals to those destinations pop up. You can use the app to build a wish list of destinations, invite friends to join you on trips or see where your friends have been. It won me with its curated lists in the "Explore" section. Find topics such as "Spicy Food Spots," "For the Architecture Aficionado," "America Off the Grid," "Euro Rail Stops," "Best Cities for Singles," "Best Cities for Vegans" and more. The "Weekend Getaways" section can search for airfare deals from your home city. (For Android, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch. Requires iOS7 or later. Free. hitlistapp.com.)Los Angeles Times