- Courtesy of The Lawyers' Travel Service January 16, 2008 In This Issue...
	POTENTIAL AMTRAK STRIKE PROBLEM FOR PENN STATION
	ONE CARRY-ON BAG RULE ENDS AT SOME UK AIRPORTS
	IF BY LAND OR BY SEA, NO PASSPORT NEEDED — YET
	THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
	- HUNTINGTON HOTEL & NOB HILL SPA, San Francisco
	- ZAZA, Houston
	- W CHICAGO CITY CENTER, Chicago

POTENTIAL AMTRAK STRIKE PROBLEM FOR PENN STATION
(source: The New York Sun)

More than 100,000 commuters who rely on Long Island Railroad, Amtrak, and New Jersey Transit for their daily commute into Manhattan could be forced to transfer onto subway lines in Brooklyn and Queens if a possible Amtrak strike shuts down Penn Station at the end of the month.

Nine separate labor unions representing Amtrak workers are threatening to strike as early as January 30. The unions are demanding higher wages through retroactive pay for the eight years they have worked without a new contract.

An emergency board, appointed by President Bush on December 1, recommended that Amtrak meet the unions' demands. The Office of Emergency Management is preparing contingency plans to accommodate commuters in the event that the strike does take place.

If a settlement is not reached by the end of this month, it will be the first strike in Amtrak's 36-year history.

ONE CARRY-ON BAG RULE ENDS AT SOME UK AIRPORTS
(source: Travel Weekly)

The one carry-on bag rule will be lifted at some of Britain's busiest airports, including Heathrow, Stansted and Manchester, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Cardiff, London City, Cardiff, Prestwick and Southampton. Leading airport operator BAA is still hoping to have the ban lifted at Gatwick, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Airport chiefs have appealed for passengers to respect the continuing restrictions on liquids in hand luggage and on the size of bags, amid fears the partial relaxation will produce fresh queues.

Manchester Airport managing director Andrew Cornish warned: "We will have to screen more bags and would appeal to passengers to check the liquids rule. We need them to help us keep queues to a minimum."

Transport secretary Ruth Kelly announced a relaxation of the rules in mid-December, providing airports convinced the Department for Transport they could cope without compromising security. The DfT said it would be up to airports to inform passengers of the rules.

IF BY LAND OR BY SEA, NO PASSPORT NEEDED — YET
(source: USA Today)

A new year is ringing in a new round of confusion about when and where you'll need to carry a U.S. passport.

President Bush signed legislation that postpones until 2009 a requirement to show a passport when returning to the USA by land or sea from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. (Air travelers returning from those regions have needed passports since January 23, 2007.) Despite the one-year delay in requiring passports when entering the USA by land or sea, the Department of Homeland Security still plans to tighten border crossings starting this month.

THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
HUNTINGTON HOTEL & NOB HILL SPA
1075 California Street
San Francisco

The Huntington Hotel & Nob Hill Spa has been ranked consistently as not only the most distinguished choice of San Francisco luxury hotels, but as one of the finest places to stay in the world. Withstanding more than three-quarters of a century in the heart of the community, this family-owned and operated San Francisco hotel property is regarded as one of the last bastions of the city's deep historic roots. Recent honors bestowed upon this downtown San Francisco California hotel include:
 
*2007 Peter Goldman Hotelier of the Year Award; John Cope, President & CEO
*2007 World Travel Award, California's Leading Spa Resort
*SpaFinder's 2007 Reader's Choice Award, top 10 urban hotel spas in the world
*UltimateHotels.com Top 50 Great Restaurants in San Francisco, Big 4 Restaurant named one of the 50 greatest restaurants in the city for 2007
*Frommer's San Francisco Day by Day, Best Spa - Nob Hill Spa
*Elite Meetings Advisory Board, Elite Meetings Excellence Award
*Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2006 & 2007, Big 4 Restaurant voted among the most refined restaurants in San Francisco
*Travel and Leisure's 2005 Award, as one of the world's 500 greatest hotels
*Travel and Leisure's 2004 Award, 100 best hotels in North America
*Condé Nast Traveler's 2003 Gold List, as one of the best places to stay worldwide

With its breathtaking perspective of the Bay Area, this San Francisco hotel is one of few remaining places in which the fast pace of city life gives way to understated elegance and discretion. Seated on one of the city's highest hills, this San Francisco luxury hotel provides superlative views of the skyline or Huntington Park. From its unique position atop the prestigious Nob Hill, this elegant San Francisco hotel offers leisure and business travelers the perfect location.

As a full-service, four-diamond property with a strong tradition of hospitality, this San Francisco luxury hotel provides service with the grace of yesteryear – right alongside today's most modern amenities. Treat yourself to the premier choice of San Francisco hotels, where timeless charm meets contemporary style.

The Lawyers' Travel Service Preferred Hotel Partners Program rate at Huntington Hotel & Nob Hill Spa is $255 (compared to a corporate rate of $315).

THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
ZAZA
5701 Main Street
Houston

Simply irresistible…
This decadent urban resort is a mix of glamour and warmth, of high style and creature comforts. With exquisite lighting and swooping drapes, it’s a theater to entice the senses and intrigue the mind.

This is Hotel ZaZa. An unexpected blend of history, business and fashion, brilliantly located in Houston’s beautiful Museum District. Hotel ZaZa is the luxury hotel of luxury hotels, welcoming you dealmakers, fun-lovers and trendsetters into a delightful world of possibilities.

With amazing attention to detail and a careful balance of work and pleasure, Hotel ZaZa will make sure your Texas stay is wonderfully unforgettable. Hotel ZaZa Houston – almost mystical, always memorable.

The Lawyers' Travel Service Preferred Hotel Partners Program rate at Hotel ZaZa is $229 (compared to a corporate rate of $249).

THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
W CHICAGO CITY CENTER
172 West Adams
Chicago

Welcome to that toddlin' town. Set in the middle of the famed Chicago Loop, W Chicago City Center is close to the Sears Tower, the Chicago Art Institute, music at Millennium Park, and the theater district. Step out into the Windy City.

Their technology, creative cuisine and innovative spaces will help make meetings memorable and events extraordinary. Work the body and unwind the mind at SWEAT, their 24/7 fitness center. Or indulge in an in-room shiatsu session.

Retreat from the bustle of Chi-town into the serenity of their 369 guest rooms. Dive into the comfort of the hotel’s signature pillow top mattresses, 350-thread-count sheets and down comforters. Connect with High Speed Internet Access: all rooms are wired.

The Lawyers' Travel Service Preferred Hotel Partners Program rate at W Chicago City Center is $229 (compared to a corporate rate of $359) through February 29, 2008.

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The Lawyers' Travel Service
www.lawyerstravel.com
info@lawyerstravel.com
800.431.1112