chris Archives - TravelSkills

Another Airbus A380 arriving at SFO

August 16, 2012

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Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced that it will be flying its flagship A380 between SFO and Hong Kong with continuing service to Singapore this winter. SIA is the first Asian carrier to fly the double decker A380 into SFO. (Lufthansa and Air France arrived at SFO with the A380 first.)

Most frequent travelers have only dreamed of flying Singapore Airlines, renowned for its top notch service, Singapore girls and over-the-top business and first class cabins. It’s frequently cited as the best airline in the world. Airline spokesperson James Boyd told TravelSkills, “It’s important to note that the A380 will only be on the SFO route for three months. It’s a great ‘pop-up’ opportunity for Bay Area business travelers to get a taste of our premium flagship service.”

Singapore currently flies Boeing 777s between SFO and Singapore twice a day– one flight stops over in Seoul, the other stops over in Hong Kong. While the B777 service is nice, it’s now a little dated and not near as nice as what SIA offers on its big A380. Flip through the slideshow above to see its famous first class suite and the widest business class seat in the sky.

SIA’s got a super-sexy flight number on its SFO>HKG>SIN run: SQ1, which departs SFO at 10:50 pm and arrives Hong Kong at 5:50 am two days later. Flight time is 15 hours to Hong Kong, plus another four hours to Singapore, so you’ll have plenty of time to soak up the luxury. SQ2 arrives back in SFO at around 8:30 pm.

SIA is a Star Alliance partner, but unfortunately, you cannot redeem United Mileage Plus miles for SIA’s business or first class seats. However, coach seats are available starting at 65,000 miles round trip.

Ready to go? A quick scan of roundtrip fares for mid January between SFO and Singapore shows coach at about $1250; business at $5,900 and first at $12,500.

Have you ever flown Singapore Airlines before? What did you think?

Singapore Airlines’ flagship A380. (Courtesy: Singapore Airlines)

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Two exotic new hotels in Paris (Slideshow)

August 15, 2012

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Earlier this month in Paris, I had a chance to swing by two of the city’s newest hotels: The W Paris- Opera and the Shangri-La.

Wow! The city of lights hotel scene has got it going on.

The W hotel is so new that the cab driver from the Gare du Nord did not know what I was talking about when I said, “S’il vous plaît me prendre à hotel W.” (Thank you, Triplingo!) I had to find the Google map on my mobile phone to show him the way.

This brand new 91-room hotel is located in the center of the city near the famous old Opera House. As in most W hotels, there’s always a scene in the lobby (spilling out onto the sidewalk in summer), with DJ’s, models, wannabe models and assorted poseurs.

Rooms are small and unusually appointed… for example, there are stickers on the wall and pillows on beds with caricatures of famous French men and women. Throughout the hotel are walls of black enameled sheet metal punctured with holes through which lights sparkle— I was told this sparkle was supposed to represent the melding of New York and Paris. In the less expensive rooms, bathrooms are separated from the room by a sink and mirror– not a wall or a door. This offers a bare minimum of privacy– the small, black-walled closet-like room for the toilet is separated from the rest of the room by only a sliding door. (See slideshow above) That’s no problem if you have the room to yourself… but not great if sharing with another.

On the upside, the hotel is brand new…and new is good in a popular city like Paris where much of the hotel stock is overused and outdated. Basic wi-fi is free. It has a super-convenient location in the center of the city with easy access to several metro lines. There’s a clean, bright fitness studio on the top floor. Speaking English is no problem, and the young, toned, well-coiffed staff is eager to please— not a hint of French snootiness. High demand is keeping base rates this fall in the $500 per night range.

The chic new Shangri-La hotel opened in late 2010 and is giving established 5-star hotels like the Four Seasons Georges V or the Le Meurice the jitters. It took four years to restore this building– which was once the home of Napoleon’s grand nephew Roland Bonaparte– located in the Trocadero, a posh neighborhood of embassies and mansions between the Arc d’ Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.

You’ll find a comfortable blend of Asian hospitality (hot tea delivered to rooms at check in, congee on the breakfast menu) and chic French design. It’s not a huge hotel– only 81 rooms– about half of which offer dramatic views of the Eiffel Tower. Elegance like this does not come cheaply… room rates start at $900 per night. The Shangri-La suite in the penthouse fetches a cool $23,000 per night. (Flip through the slideshow above for a peek of this spectacular suite!)

And it’s not just the Shangri-La that is giving luxury hoteliers in Paris heartburn… a new Mandarin Oriental just opened near the Place Vendome this summer– just a few blocks away from the famous Paris Ritz hotel, which is closed for the next two years for a complete re-do.

What are your favorite Paris hotels? Please leave your comments below.

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✈ Summer airline & airport news

August 15, 2012

Hello TICKET readers! We hope you are having a great summer. We’ve been busy working on new endeavors. The best way for you to keep up with what we are reading and seeing this summer is via Facebook and Twitter. If you are not already following us on these outlets, please sign on today!

Here’s a brief chronicle and links to some of the most important travel news for TICKET readers over the last couple months:

Delta flight attendant Katherine Lee, aka “Deltalina”

NO MORE DELTALINA? If you are a fan of Delta’s popular 2008 safety video and the lovely Deltalina finger wag, get ready for a surprise. Rumor has it that later this year Delta will be unveiling a new safety video featuring a different cast of crew members– with a possible cameo appearance by flight attendant Katherine Lee, a.k.a Deltalina. The new video is reportedly going to be light hearted and funny to attract the attention of those who don’t think it’s important to watch. Delta has neither confirmed nor denied the rumor of a a new safety video. Have you ever had Deltalina as your flight attendant? How do you feel about Delta possibly changing its pre-flight safety video?

NO MORE COMAIR. Delta has finally pulled the plug on long-ailing Comair– a move that continues the shrinkage of Delta’s once large hub operation at Cincinnati. Comair was founded in 1977. Delta purchased Comair for almost $2 billion in 2000.

ECONOMY COMFORT. Delta has made it easier for corporate travelers to book economy comfort seats via their travel agencies by making them available through the Amadeus GDS. Prior to this, travelers only had access to the roomier coach seats via Delta.com

TRIPLE MILES. You’ll earn triple Delta SkyMiles at Marriott brands beginning with your second stay from July 1-October 31. Details here.

DISADVANTAGED MULTI-MILLIONAIRES? Several of Atlanta’s politically connected elite with lucrative airport concessionaire contracts (including Maynard Jackson’s heirs) may not deserve “disadvantaged” designation…and some have never even visited the stores that they “own.” According to this investigative story by the AJC, there’s a standoff between the FAA and GDOT over the recent reshuffling of airport contracts.

DELTA DOES DALLAS. With Southwest Airlines in its crosshairs, starting Sept 5, Delta will launch 5x daily roundtrips between ATL and close-in Dallas Love Field using 50 seat CRJs. Delta is able to get around the Wright Amendment by using aircraft with fewer than 56 seats. Since Southwest only flies much larger 737’s, it can’t offer ATL-DAL flights until the Wright Amendment expires in 2014. Would you fly to Dallas Love? Or will you stick with the more familiar DFW? Leave your comments below!

Southwest Airlines California state flag themed 737 at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

ATL-SFO&LAX. Southwest Airlines begins offering a two daily nonstops between ATL and San Francisco on September 30. Outbound flights depart ATL at 11 am and 6 pm. Return flights depart SFO at 7:40 am and 3:00pm. AirTran will continue with its two daily, two-class roundtrips through at least early March 2013. Similarly, both Southwest and AirTran now fly nonstop between ATL and Los Angeles LAX. Eventually, as AirTran phases out, your only nonstop, non-Delta option on these 4-5 hour flights to the west coast will be on Southwest. AirTran has already turned over the long ATL-Seattle run to Southwest only. It’s on these transcons that the absence of AirTran’s business class is going to be felt most!

PRIORITY CLUB 24-HR SALE. From noon Aug 15 until noon Aug 16, you can book Holiday Inn Resorts using Priority Club points for half price. Only good for trips September 4 thru November 2– but not a bad deal at all if you have the points and the time off.

PRE-CHECK GROWTH. We are hearing that PreCheck lanes at ATL security are frequently longer than other, supposedly less exclusive lines. Agree or disagree? PreCheck expanding fast, and is now available for Delta flyers at Charlotte, Chicago ORD Terminal 2, Detroit Checkpoint 2, Indianapolis Checkpoint A, New York La Guardia Terminal D, Las Vegas D gates, Boston-Logan Terminal A, LAX Terminal 5, Minneapolis Checkpoint 4, Orlando East Checkpoint, Portland PDX, Washington-Reagan South Pier, Salt Lake City Terminal 2, Seattle Checkpoint 5 and Tampa Terminal E.

LOSS OF SERVICE. This month AirTran ends nonstop service between ATL and Sarasota. It’s also dumping its popular nonstops between ATL and New York’s Westchester County airport. On September 1, Delta will stop flying between ATL and New York’s Stewart Airport, located about an hour north of NYC. Delta has axed CRJ nonstops between ATL and Meridian, MS, to be replaced by Silver Airways, which uses Saab turboprops.

TATTY SKY CLUBS? From TICKET reader GN: “We just spent 2 hours in the renovated Philadelphia Sky Club. While it is a vast improvement over the old Crown Room location, I was very disappointed to discover that the ‘new’ furniture is already worn out and broken. The designer made some furniture selections that do not hold up to the wear and tear this space receives. It’s a shame because it detracts from an otherwise very nice space.”

Gorgeous circles at Turkish Airlines lounge in Istanbul. (Photo: Turkish Airlines)

BEAUTIFUL LOUNGES. Check out my latest Executive Travel Magazine slideshow on the World’s most Beautiful Airline Lounges! (NOTE: Look for the purple “Launch Slideshow” box to the left of the copy.) Do you agree with my choices?

DELTA WI-FI OVERWATER. Delta announced that starting in early 2013 it will begin installation of new satellite-based inflight Wi-Fi from Gogo on 150 long-haul internationally configured Boeing 777, 767, 747, Airbus 330 and transoceanic Boeing 757 aircraft. Currently, the Gogo system only works via a land-based network of antennae in North America.

SORRY, SILVERS! The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting story on the plight of silver elite level members of Delta and United. It points out that the pool of elite level flyers has swollen in recent years, primarily due to mergers and exaggerated credit card mileage bonuses. At The TICKET, we covered this sad state of affairs in 2010 and that post remains the #1, most read and commented-on post of all time.

DELTA PENTHOUSE. Take a look at Delta’s new business class configuration upstairs in its 747s.

BETTER FLYING ON BIG DELTA JETS. The recent announcement of Southwest/Air Tran’s 717 fleet moving to Delta is good news for those who hate the small 50-seat jets operated by Delta Connection. These new planes are part of a plan to phase out the smaller jets (which have poor efficiency in the current high fuel environment) while maintaining similar capacity in the marketplace. The new 717s, not expected to come online for at least a year, will be outfitted with 12 first class seats, 15 Economy Comfort seats, and 83 economy class seats, all of which will have access to Gogo wi-fi.

NEW NEW YORK FLIGHTS. Delta will launch a series of new nonstop flights from New York LaGuardia and JFK to feed into its growing New York hub. A new daily LaGuardia to Bermuda flight will operate aboard a Boeing 737-800 beginning in April 2013. Nonstop service to Nassau will switch from weekly to daily from LaGuardia beginning in December. From JFK, new daily service to Montego Bay, Aruba, and Punta Cana will please sun seekers who want to get away from the cold. These new daily flights begin in December just in time for the holidays. Floridian-bound travelers will also have expanded service from LaGuardia with double dailies to Sarasota/Bradenton and additional frequencies to Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Ft. Myers. The latter also will gain a new daily nonstop to JFK.

DON’T CRY FOR ME. In anticipation of Aerolineas Argentinas’ entry into SkyTeam, the agreement has now been inked to allow earning and redeeming of SkyMiles on the Argentine national carrier’s flights. The airline should formally join SkyTeam later this year.

Aeromexico jets lined up at Benito Juarez Int’l in Mexico City (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

HOLA MEXICO. In addition to Delta nonstops, SkyTeam partner Aeromexico now has nonstops between Atlanta and Mexico City. Daily flights using an Embraer 190 depart Atlanta at 2:40 p.m. and arrive at Mexico City at 5:25 p.m.; flights depart Mexico City at 9:05 a.m. and arrive at Atlanta at 1:40 p.m. If you are headed to Mexico City soon, be sure to see my latest BBC Travel story Business Trip: Mexico City for the latest and greatest tips and info.

DESERT-BOUND? Saudia Airlines has officially joined SkyTeam opening dozens of new destinations throughout the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent that were previously unreachable with partners. These include cities in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. While they may not be at the top of your vacation plans, many are important business destinations and this strengthens SkyTeam’s global position since most airlines in the Middle East are not part of a larger alliance as of yet.

Long waits for cabs at ATL turning away convention biz.

EMBARRASSING CAB QUEUES AT ATL. From TICKET reader BB: “Only in Atlanta. Did you know that to use a credit card in a taxi at ATL, you first have to stand in one line, and have a clerk run your credit card to get an authorization. She then hands you a paper slip with the authorization and only then can you stand in another line for cabs. Whaaaa?? No where else in the world…… Just ridiculous! This was actually mentioned in a feedback forum for the conference I was attending as another reason it won’t be held in Atlanta again.”

BUH-BYE PARTNERS. Indian carriers Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines will discontinue their partnership with SkyMiles Oct. 1. Until then, travelers can earn and redeem miles on both carriers on applicable fares. This is a great value as both airlines offer excellent networks within the region although Kingfisher has been undergoing severe financial problems as of late.

HOW TO USE TERMINAL F. (Thanks to TICKET reader Richard Higgins for the following advice)

>To get to new international terminal F, drive down I-75, NOT the old route via I-85. The MARTA does not go all the way to the new terminal. There is a shuttle bus between (old) domestic terminal and new terminal F, but allow an extra half-hour if you choose this option.
>International departures may go out either from F or E, but all departing international passengers are processed at the new terminal F.
>Arrivals: International flights may arrive at either F or E, but you and your baggage will be processed through F, so arrange ground transport at F.
>Baggage from all international flights to Atlanta will be picked up at F.
IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS:
>If your departing international flight has a USA stop before going international, ignore these instructions and go to domestic terminal as before.
>If your arriving international flight has a USA stop before arriving in Atlanta, ignore these new instructions; you will arrive at domestic terminal as before.

Speaking of Terminal F, check out what the AJC has to report on that LOOOONG walk between Terminal E and Terminal F reported by TICKET readers earlier this summer.

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Apple vs Visa vs United Olympic ads: Who wins?

July 31, 2012

There are three Olympic ads running this week that have a lot to do with frequent travel AND the Bay Area. They are perfect to instigate commentary and debate on TravelSkills. Take a gander and tell us which one wins the gold medal in your mind. Leave your comments below.

Apple, which is based here and on which this blog is created each week, has a clever ad depicting how an Apple Genius on board a plane comes to the rescue of passengers in the middle of a flight much like a doctor would.

Visa, a card most TravelSkills reader have in their wallet, which is also Bay Area based, put out a variety of ads, the most dramatic of which shows an Olympic diver descending from the tippy top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

United, which is an official sponsor of the US Olympic Team, offers up an ad meant to tug at our Olympic heartstrings, showing athletes in various stages of departure.

First up, Apple:

Next up, Visa:

Next up, United:

Sorry but you must click over to United to see this ad… it has disabled embedding for some reason….click on the image to view. http://youtu.be/BxMPQFqFmeA

They are all good, but which one gets the gold…and why? Please leave your comments below.

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London hotel rates crash, flights half full…

July 24, 2012

London’s St Pancras International station… where Eurostar trains depart for Brussels and Paris. Will it fill to the gills? See below for my outlook…. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Yesterday I received an interesting missive about London from the folks at Hotwire— the giant SF-based “opaque” booking site– you know, the kind of site that won’t reveal the name of the provider until you pay. It’s also the kind of site hoteliers flock to when they are desperate to unload unsold inventory at big last-minute discounts.

This is one of many signals we are getting that the Olympics in London might be a big bust for local travel suppliers hoping to cash in big. Your humble BAT editor was working and living in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Olympics and saw the same phenomenon– hotels raised rates to the sky, local residents renovated homes in the hopes of renting them out to the crush of visitors. Warehouses were converted into huge entertainment venues for visitors.

Then the Olympics came… but the swath of visitors did not. They were scared away by all the warnings ahead of time. Traffic in the city was non-existent. Locals telecommuted or used public transport as instructed. Many left town altogether. Visitors attended events, then returned to their hotels… to sleep, not party all night. Except for the Olympic venues, Atlanta was a ghost town during the ’96 Games.

I wonder if the same thing will happen in London? Based on what I’m hearing, it’s possible. First it was the unprecedented, nearly too-good-to-be-true fare sale offering SFO-London round trips for just $2008 in business class. My United flight to London in early August is half full according to the United web site– there are still 25 out of 49 business class seats available. Coach is less than 75% full. Just five out of 12 first class seats are taken. This is PEAK summer travel season, folks!

Now this… from Hotwire:

Hotels across London are offering discounts of up to 50% during the Summer Games. Many have overestimated demand, put their prices too high and are now left with unsold rooms just a few days before the Games are to begin.
These hotels are now offering up to 50% off on discount travel websites like Hotwire.com. Three star and above London hotels are available for under $154 due to lower-than-anticipated demand. Data from discount travel website Hotwire.com show hotel prices through the first half of the games are actually lower than earlier this year.
While many London hotels anticipated a flurry of business from the games, the reality is that the economy is soft, business and leisure travelers who aren’t traveling for the Games are avoiding the city, and even an event as big as the Games couldn’t fill all the rooms in London.
These factors have led hoteliers to turn to secret hotel website Hotwire.com as a safe place where they can discount last minute and fill rooms without tarnishing their brands, and they’ve created some surprising deals for travelers looking for a last minute trip.
Some of the best available hotel rates in Central London are:
   5-star hotel in Mayfair for $154 for the week of July 23, 2012
   4-star hotel in Westminster has $140 rates through the games and into September
   3 or 4-star hotels in Notting Hill-Bayswater for $70 in late July
   3 or 4-star hotels in London Docklands have rates ranging from $59-116 during mid to late July and August
3-star hotels in Kensington-Earls Court for $120 in late July

EXTRA: Virgin America is offering a significant 20% discount for flights between August 28 and November 14. Note that this is an unpublished “private sale” (associated with guitar maker Fender) and requires you to sign up in order to receive the discount. Even better: It applies to one or two folks traveling together. To get the deal, you must book your trip by July 31. Sign up here.

20% off means that $400 round trip to New York in October will only cost you $320. So there. TravelSkills just saved you 80 bucks (or $160 if you plan to travel with a special someone)! What to thank us? Then TELL YOUR FRIENDS about TravelSkills— tell them to subscribe just like you did!

What do you think will happen in London? Will it be a teaming kluster or a quaint and efficient European capital during the Games? Are you going? What do you expect? Please leave your comments below.

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Late summer fare sales require fast action

July 17, 2012

Southwest’s California flag-themed B737–one of my favorites– at SFO. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Several airlines have launched a pretty good fare sale for late summer trips– starting as soon as late July and lasting into fall months. However, you must act fast– the good deals are available for the next one to three days only.

For example, Virgin America is offering round trips of $156 (all in) for SFO to LA, San Diego or Las Vegas. Chicago is $378 round trip. Washington, DC and Philly are running at about $400 round trip. The popular SFO-JFK run does not seem to be included in this sale…nearly all fares, even on those awful red-eyes are in the $500 range. The sale fares are only good for travel Monday-Thursday from July 31 through September 12. If you fly on Tuesday or Weds, JetBlue will take you down to Long Beach for $130 round trip. To get these fares, you must book by this Wednesday, July 18 at midnight.

Southwest is offering a pretty good fall fare sale, but the deals don’t kick in until August 20 and are good for travel through December 14 (minus some blackout dates around holidays.) I found SFO-Atlanta for as little as $300 round trip (good on Southwest or AirTran). SFO or OAK to Chicago Midway is about $350. There are plenty of other cities on sale from the Bay Area, so just click on the link above to see them. Sale fares on Southwest or AirTran are available on all days except Sunday, and must be booked by this Friday, July 20.

United has Denver or Austin on sale for about $250 round trip (all in) during August and September. New York JFK and Chicago are in the low $400’s all in. Boston for $360 round trip is not bad for August. You can still buzz over to London (everyone I’ve talked to says that it’s as polished and ready as ever) for just $880 round trip in September or October when the crowds have gone home and the weather is at its best. How about SFO-San Juan, Puerto Rico for just $315 round trip? I’ve rarely seen fares from the Bay to the Caribbean as low as that! Midweek trips from the Bay Area to Honolulu are down as low as $450 which is not bad for mid-August. United has not published an end date for booking, but it’s likely similar to other airlines… which are running for the next 24-48 hours only.

Most other major carriers have matched these fares so shop around if you can’t find what you are looking for. Please keep in mind that I checked these fares on Tuesday morning, July 17, so they are subject to change.

It is interesting to see airlines discounting fares for travel during August– typically one of the busiest and most expensive times of the year for air travel. Clearly, demand for summer trips has not met the airlines’ expectations, which is a signal to me that consumers are becoming increasingly skittish.

What about you? Are you up for a late summer vacation? Or are you making plans for business trips this fall? Are these fares low enough to make you jump?

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Virgin America debuts new Banana Republic uniforms

July 12, 2012

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Two Bay Area companies well known for their distinctive style, Virgin America and Banana Republic, have teamed up to create a new line of uniforms for Virgin America’s 2,000+ front-line employees. The new look is dubbed “utility chic.”

Starting on August 8, the new line will make its debut on ~~runways~~ airplane aisles and airport concourses as Virgin’s flight attendants, pilots and airport employees don their new attire.

The project began with what sounds like a “Project Runway” challenge among Banana Republic design teams in New York City. Each team submitted their early designs to a panel of Virgin employees, and the winning design won the chance to create the full collection. Virgin says that the entire process took 18 months, multiple fittings, focus groups (and likely many cross-country SFO-JFK trips) to design. There’s a variety of styles for Virgin America’s pilots, in-flight and guest service employees.

Project Runway’s snappy Tim Gunn (Photo: A+E Networks)

For men, the nine styles include leather jackets, lined mac coats, striped sleeve sweaters, woven shirts and pants. For women, thirteen styles include a classic pencil skirt, slim dress, trousers, leather jacket and trench to start, paired with luxe silk print scarves, slim plaque belts and Virgin America-branded serving aprons for in-flight meal service. All looks include classic aviation touches, such as shoulder tabs and button chest pockets.

Take a spin through the slideshow above and let us know what you think! I for one will miss the pilot’s current all-black (and oh so S-F) uniform– from the looks of the photos provided by Virgin, it will change to a smoky brown. I was also hoping that flight attendant pumps would be red– just like those worn by Virgin Atlantic flight attendants. A spokesperson told TravelSkills that red pumps (and even boots!) are on the drawing board for next year. I do like the leather jackets!

So come on, channel your inner Tim Gunn, click through the slideshow and tell us what you think about the new styles! Comments below please!

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Business class, ATL-London: just $2007 round trip

July 1, 2012

If you’ve got a hankering to check out London before, during or after the Olympics, get this: British Airways launched a sale last week with fares of just $2012 ROUND TRIP (all in) on nonstops between ATL (plus all other US gateways) and London Heathrow. Delta and other US carriers serving London have matched this astoundingly low business class fare.

How astounding, you may ask? Well, get this: Economy class nonstop round trips between ATL and LHR during July and August now run about $1,200 round trip. So why not pay the $800 premium for business class (which normally runs in the $5,000 to $8,000 range)?

Not only do you get the nice business class deal (and a big seat), but you get the bonus miles for flying up front. For example, in business class on Delta, you earn a whopping 12,630 SkyMiles for the ATL-LHR roundtrip, plus the additional bonus based on your medallion status. When flying coach, you earn 8,420 SkyMiles miles roundtrip.

When I checked today, Delta was slightly undercutting BA with a $2007.10 roundtrip fare.

These are some of the lowest roundtrip business class fares I may have ever seen between ATL and London. It makes me wonder if the Olympics are going to be a boom or a bust for the travel industry. What do you think? Is $2008 round trip business class enough to make you jump for a last minute trip to London?

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What’s your advice for San Francisco-bound business travelers?

April 26, 2012

Click on the image to read the full column on BBC.com

One of the many hats I wear is that of business travel columnist for BBC.com. This month, I wrote “Business Trip: San Francisco,” which offers advice to visiting business travelers. It typically includes top upscale hotels– both elegant and edgy, dining or entertainment suggestions, local color and local protocol or etiquette advice.

This is the twelfth in a series of destination focused business travel piece I’ve written for BBC.com over the last year– other cities I’ve recently written about include: London, Seoul, Rio de Janeiro and Frankfurt.

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Anyway, I thought writing about San Francisco, the city I know and love best, would be a breeze. But it was a lot tougher than I expected! The most difficult part was deciding what NOT to include. My instructions from BBC are to keep the stories short and sweet– a quick read for busy global business travelers from anywhere in the English-speaking world.

So Dear Reader, what advice would YOU offer a global business traveler visiting our fair city? What did I leave out? Please leave your comments, advice or suggestions below! And then send the link to this page to visitors headed our way!