Unique luxury hotels, fashionable travel and much more

The blight of most business and leisure travelers is the fear of lost luggage, and it is not without due cause. Last year airlines managed to lose over two million bags, an average of 12.07 bags per thousand passengers, although this figure is actually lower than in previous years.

Despite high-tech equipment to label and scan bags, tens of thousands of air travelers arrive and their luggage does not. While the fortunate ones are eventually reconciled with their essentials, bags not claimed within 90 days are sent to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Alabama where shoppers arrive by the busload to pick up bargains on clothing, personal and electrical goods, as well as great value designer luggage.

Apparently the four main ways that luggage gets lost are:

• The routing label is damaged or torn off accidentally
• Owners fail to pick up their luggage
• The attendant types in the wrong destination code during transit
• The bag is loaded onto the wrong plane by human error

In most cases, if the bag is correctly coded it will eventually reach the correct destination. Provided that the owner has filled in a lost luggage report, it will eventually be delivered to the destination.

The best backup is to ensure your name, address and telephone number are clearly marked on a permanent tag, preferably inside the suitcase for security reasons. Also, clearly individualize your bag for easy recognition on the carousel (and to avoid someone else mistaking it for their identical black bag).

If the bag is lost for good, compensation is calculated by the airline based on the original purchase price of the goods (photographic evidence of your packed bag can be useful) less any depreciation. New laws introduced in August 2011 now require airlines to also refund any checked baggage fees for the lost baggage – a small consolation.

by Gillian

Rising to the challenge as the number of business and leisure travellers fall, the luxury hotel market reports an impressive growth since 2008, according to John Vanderslice, representative for Hilton Global luxury hotels. He puts it down to the concept of the “luxury manifesto”. As he sees it, paying for a luxury hotel room should include a five star hotel room along with a whole package of services with a philosophy based on the L-word.

His perception is backed up by figures just out showing revenue per room in luxury hotels up to April 9, 2011 was 15.3% higher than the same period last year. This far outpaced the rest of the travel industry, according to Smith Travel Research.

Vanderslice believes that true luxury hotels are learning to focus on employee needs and morale, and that spirit permeates throughout the hotel. Happy staff, after all, engender happy guests who check out feeling that whatever the bill, they got value for money.

Luxury hotels are also embracing the idea of genuine experiences, not just a comfortable room, hence the growth of learning vacations and themed hotel stays. Top-notch restaurants in luxury hotels should not only offer excellent cuisine but also the chance to take a cooking class in a foreign country.

Waldorf Hotels is introducing Smartphones to allow guests to check in easily with their personal concierge and better all-round service from staff is becoming the expected norm, not an optional extra. It seems these small but important issues are certainly paying off.

by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels