Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines has launched a distance-based fare sale, ranging from $25 one way for trips under 375 miles, up to $100 for trips of more than 1,000 miles. This is indeed special because it’s been more than 13 years since Southwest has offered rates like this!

The fare special breaks down this way:
Up to 375 miles $25
375 to 549 miles $50
550 to 999 miles $75
1,000 miles or more $100

Naturally, the sale period doesn’t cover the holidays. Southwest said the fares are available for purchase through 1:59 a.m. CST Thursday. Travel dates are Dec. 2 to Dec. 16 and Jan. 5 to Feb. 10.

Southwest launches fares that bring back the days of the short-shorts and go-go boots.

The DART Green Line is now officially in action. After months of testing the trains and getting everyone in the Fair Park, Deep Ellum and Downtown areas acclimated to seeing them, it’s now full speed ahead.

The other day, we got a chance to do an advanced ride so we could get a feel for it. I understand that you non-Dallasites who live in cities where people think nothing of public transport must be thinking, “So what?” But for us, this is truly a novelty.

Even though people have been watching the line being built for the past 2 years and watched it being tested for the past 3 months, just now are people putting 2 + 2 together. So often in the past few days I’ve been hearing how people are making plans to go to PLANO to try a restaurant that’s just 1 block from the DART stop. Kind of sad yet funny — Deep Ellumites/Downtowners are thinking it’s a novelty to go to suburbia. And it is — for us.

I’m also hearing people say that they can just walk over to the Deep Ellum or Baylor station and then take a train and get off at the escalator for the Angelika Theater at Mockingbird Station for a film.

By and large, most people I’ve heard along the Green Line aren’t the type to by monthly or annual passes. We’ll probably pay for a day pass because we might use it once a week.

After much hype of the DART Green Line, the official kick-off will begin tomorrow.

The public is invited to preview the new Green Line on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activities, food and entertainment are planned at the four new stations.

•Deep Ellum Station (Good-Latimer Expressway and Gaston Avenue): A celebration of Deep Ellum art, music, history and Hispanic heritage at the Latino Cultural Center.

•Baylor University Medical Center Station (Hall and Junius streets): A health fair, including free screenings and Zumba dancing.

•Fair Park Station (Parry and Exposition avenues): Four hours at Fair Park museums, the Music Hall and other attractions.

•MLK Jr. Station (J.B. Jackson Jr. Boulevard and Trunk Avenue): A community celebration for the whole family. Regular service begins Monday, when a kickoff, including coffee and donuts, will be held from 5 to 9 a.m. at the four new stations and Victory Station.

After almost 30 years of debates and a $5 million warchest for the critics, the voters of Dallas have approved the hotel to be built by the convention center.

The critics were richly funded by the Crow family who own the Hilton Anatole near the World Trade Center. But the city moved ahead and bought the land and awaited the outcome of the voters.

Most hotels are in it for the money; however, Dallas is going into hotel ownership not so much for a large profit margin but to enhance the viability of the convention center, provide jobs, etc. The day to day management will be run by the Omni Hotel group.

Love it or hate it, the hotel is on the fast track for construction so that it’s ready in time for the 2011 Super Bowl that will be held at the new Texas Stadium.

The DART finance and budget committee voted to forward a proposal to raise one-way fares for local bus and train riders just 25 cents, instead of the 50-cent hike staff members had requested earlier this year. Currently, one-way routes cost $1.50.

The full board will vote on the proposal May 12. In addition to the one-way fares, most other prices for DART buses and trains will go up. Monthly local-service passes will jump $15, to $65. TRE commuters could pay up to $7.50 per day rather than $5, depending on how far they ride the line.

Another change? Ten-packs of daily passes that are sold to social service agencies won’t go to $32.50, and instead will stay at $25. (The agencies give the passes for free to clients in need.)

A quarter here, and a quarter there – pretty soon it adds up to about $10 more a month for riders who pay the daily fares for a month’s worth of trips to and from work.

DART is expecting a serious revenue shortfall and even though they raised fares in December 2007, they are looking at raising fairs again when the Green Line opens this September. The base daily rate will increase from $3 to $4.

Contact your board members. DART policy is set by board members, who are in turn appointed by the agency’s member cities. Some members have raised questions about the plans to raise rates, citing the economy. You can add your voice to their deliberations by contacting them. For a roster of board members, visit www.dart.org/about/board/boardbios/ boardbios.asp. Or call 214-749-3278 and ask for the office of board support. You also can e-mail dartinfo@dart.org.

Attend public hearings. DART is required to hold public hearings on any proposed fare increases. They will hold meetings to hear residents’ views at 6:30 p.m. April 14.

Attend DART board meetings. Once the hearings are over, the DART board will have to vote, probably first in the budget and finance committee and then at the full board’s committee-of-the-whole in May. All of those meetings are open to the public and are held downtown at 1401 Pacific Ave. Agendas for the meetings, almost always held on Tuesdays, are posted online a few days in advance at www.dart.org/about/board/boardagendas/ boardagendas.asp. The next regular day of meetings is March 24, and the fare proposals will be discussed by the budget and finance committee.

AAA-Texas said Tuesday it’s adding 100 full-time positions in Texas.

A spokesman for the organization said some of the jobs are salaried positions, while others are commission-based sales positions.

AAA-Texas hopes to hire 30 employees to sell membership and insurance products in the Dallas-Fort Worth area offices alone.

The company said it also is seeking applications for 75 positions within its Emergency Road Service Call Center.

These positions will generally work at AAA’s Texas headquarters in Irving on either the second shift or on the weekends.

The company also has available positions within its Claims Unit and Policy Management Group and has sales jobs located in Amarillo, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio.

AAA-Texas says all of the openings are full-time jobs with regular medical and dental plans as well as 401(k) and company pension plans. Interested candidates are being directed to the company’s Web site: AAA.com.