Trips by and for women; Southwest will fly to Hawaii

Trips for women

What better way to commemorate Women's History Month in March than by taking a trip for women that's led by women? Roar Africa has organized a women's empowerment trip in South Africa, June 11-16. Female guides and animal trackers will speak. Kelly Lewis of Go!Girl Guides and Damesly, a boutique travel company, is leading a trip to Honolulu from May 17-23. The theme is "Finding yourself," and participants will engage in self-identity work through workshops led by a life coach. Wild Women Expeditions is offering a cultural retreat July 8-13 at a ranch near Calgary, Alberta. The trip will introduce participants to the culture of the Cree, the indigenous people of the area. And Natural World Safaris' "Women of the Arctic" expedition cruise will sail in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard Aug. 10-20. Naturalist Kate Humble is leading the trip, with other female naturalists on hand.

New York Times

Southwest flying to Hawaii

Southwest Airlines has won government approval to begin flights from four California cities to Hawaii, capping a long effort to fly to the popular vacation destination. The company will announce when it'll begin flights and ticket sales in the coming days. "We're going to Hawaii. We're going big," CEO Gary Kelly told analysts. Southwest's initial gateways will include Oakland International Airport, which Southwest also serves from Minneapolis-St. Paul International. Beyond Honolulu, Southwest also will provide inter-island flights to Maui, Kauai and Kona. Some rivals already have started cutting fares in preparation. Southwest's entry into new markets often drives down prices in what's commonly known as "the Southwest effect" (southwest.com/hawaii).

Dallas MOrning NEws

Legoland gets movie sequel

Legoland California has enlisted its master builders to bring a part of the hit movie sequel "Lego Movie 2" directly to the theme park. Visitors can now experience key scenes from the film at the Lego Movie 2 Experience, which re-creates a set from the film. Both the basement scene and the bedroom of Bianca, one of the human characters, are showcased in the new attraction. Not only are the rooms re-created with the Lego models seen in the film, but they're outfitted with the same furnishings, down to the carpet and hardwood floors. Also featured are some of the film's memorable characters such as Queen Watevera Wa-Nabi, queen of the distant Systar System, and General Mayhem, a masked space pilot (legoland.com).

San Diego Union-Tribune

Airfares lower than ever, but there's a catch

The price of a domestic airline ticket has hit a record low, but airlines are still collecting strong profits thanks to passenger fees and other charges. From July through September last year, the average domestic airfare was $343. Adjusted for inflation, that's the lowest average price in any quarter since the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics began keeping track in 1995. Competition from low-cost carriers such as Spirit, Southwest and Frontier have led larger rivals Delta, United and American to offer no-frills fares, called "basic economy" tickets. The nation's carriers continue to earn good profits, driven in part by fees that passengers paid to check bags and change flight reservations, and by revenue from loyalty reward programs, airline-branded credit cards and commissions for booking hotels and rental cars for fliers.

Los Angeles Times