HEADLINE NEWS.

The U.S. Department of State has issued a warning for travel to Lebanon to remind Americans of the dangers involved in visiting there. There have been public expressions of anti-U.S. sentiment, as well as bombings directed at U.S. franchises. While tensions on the southern border have been quiet in the past few months, the potential for violence by Hezbollah and Palestinian militants could happen without warning. State urges any Americans in Lebanon to register with the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.

AAA announced on May 18 2004 plans to make its routing and mapping technology available to all Internet users through a new Web site www.aaamaps.com. The new set has many of the same capabilities as the association's Internet TripTik, and includes such information as Diamond Ratings for hotels and restaurants. While Internet TripTik is ony available to members, the new technology is available to all; Internet TripTik is a more comprehensive planning tool.

The Travel Industry Association of America says the U.S. should be prepared for long lines, delays and gridlock this summer, when it expects leisure travel to rise by 3.2 percent from last summer. Suzanne Cook, TIA's senior vice president of research, says, "For the first time in years, the summer travel season will start off with a bang, and we expect it to stay strong through August." Consumers, however, are concerned with rising prices of travel. But Sandra Hughes, vice president of AAA Travel, believes rising fuel costs will not stop driving vacationers. AAA predicts a record number of Americans will travel for the Memorial Day holiday; its agents say they are seeing dramatic increases in travel interest for this spring.

According to the American Weekend Getaway Poll, conducted by Enterprise Rent-a-Car, 93 percent of respondents said they are likely to take driving weekend getaways in the next year. In addition, 20 percent responded that they are likely to consider renting a vehicle for such trips. Among other facts revealed, the study showed that one in six people (approximately 17 million Americans) have rented a vehicle for a weekend getaway in the past 12 months and that nearly seven in 10 motorists prefer weekend getaways to extended vacations because they are more economical.

Cheap Tickets has remodeled its Web site www.cheaptickets.com in response to customer feedback. The Cendant company said consumers want faster site speed, simpler page designs and user-friendly features. Cheap Tickets said it also has improved its dynamic packaging with more luxury travel packages and the ability to make a purchase without using a password. The new site now has fewer pages to navigate and allows faster access to special hotel rates.

Continental Airlines has raised fares throughout its system of $10 each way for flights up to 1,000 miles, and $20 for flights over 1,000 miles. According to Chairman and CEO Gordon Bethune, airlines in general cannot afford to operate with the high costs of fuel at previous prices, much less at higher prices.

Explore Chinatown is NYC & Company's newest marketing campaign to boost Chinatown's awareness as an important destination for New York City visitors. The two-year campaign aims to rebuild the area's economy, which took a big hit from the Sept. 11 attacks. The new campaign includes a Web site www.explorechinatown.com with itineraries, an events calendar and an online map. A visitor information booth will also be built in Chinatown and an Explore Chinatown brochure with a map will be available at local businesses, information kiosks and NYC's Official Visitor Information Center on Seventh Ave. at 53rd St. Tourism packages and programs are also being developed.

Dollar Rent A Car is a teaming up with another rewards program, offering its customers opportunities to earn points to redeem for merchandise. This time, the car rental firm has partnered with Hudson's Bay Company (Canada's largest department store retailer) and its Hbc Rewards Program, which allows members to earn points for gift cards and merchandise redemption. Both U.S. and Canadian customers who are in the program can earn 10,000 Hbc points with every Dollar rental. Similarly, Dollar is giving customers triple points for rentals now through July 31 2004.

Hawaiian Airlines www.hawaiianair.com is boosting its summer lift in response to traveler demand. It is offering a daily nonstop linking San Diego and Kahului, Maui from June 11 through Sept. 6 2004, and increasing its nonstop Seattle-Kahului service from four flights a week to daily, also effective June 11. The airline also is increasing its nonstops between Honolulu and Pago Pago from twice a week to three times a week.

Hawaiian Airlines inaugurated Honolulu-Sydney service, and said it anticipates the flights will generate more than 34,000 visitors to the islands in the first year. The nonstop flights operate four times per week with Boeing 767-300ER aircraft in a 2-3-2 seat configuration.

HMY Airways, a Vancouver-based airline that is expanding service to Maui and Honolulu in June, has changed its name to Harmony Airways. The name HMY has always been short for harmony. David Sylvester, president, says, "With new destinations coming online and a third jet in service, we're now raising the bar to defy our customers' expectations." The airline offers hot meals and 30 fewer seats than comparably sized aircraft.

Independence Air, the airline that is being formed from the existing regional airline Atlantic Coast, will begin flying to 35 destinations from Washington Dulles on June 16 2004. The flights will be phased in throughout August. By the end of the summer, it will be operating 300 daily departures. All flights are now available for sale on www.FLYi.com. The airline revealed the cities it will serve and the simplified fares. All flights will be on 50 seat jets with all-leather seats. In the fall, it will begin adding 27 new 132 seat A319s. While many markets it will serve are smaller cities, such as Syracuse, Savannah, Dayton, Lansing, Burlington and Stewart/Newburgh, it also will have several flights per day to Chicago, Newark, Boston, New York- Kennedy, Pittsburgh and Detroit.

The New Jersey office of Travel & Tourism www.visitnj.org has launched an online travel guide that enables users to create travel itineraries and download maps and directions to places of interest around the Garden State. The site features sections covering activities, events, attractions, maps and directions. Web surfers can use the section called MyTripStops to create personalized travel itineraries.

Payless Car Rental has increased its rental fleet by about 2,000 vehicles with the addition of six new franchise locations. These new operations are located in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers, Fla.; Philadelphia; San Antonio; and Sacramento, Calif. This move is part of a continued strategy of aggressive growth to service the top 50 car rental airport markets.

Thrifty Car Rental kicked off its Blue Chip Rewards program as a new facet of its popular Blue Chip Express Rental Program. Blue Chip members will earn credits through the program that can be redeemed for free rental days throughout the U.S. and Canada. Normally, one free day is earned after 16 credits are earned (usually one credit per rental day), but now through Sept. 30 2004, Thrifty is giving members double rewards when bookings are made through the company Web site www.thrifty.com. Single credits will be earned when bookings are made through other channels.

USA3000 Airlines will add Newark-Bermuda flights to its schedule on Sept. 3 2004 with fares as low as $79 one-way. Flights will depart on Tuesdays and Fridays. The airline offers free meal service and in- flight entertainment. Reservations can be made in English or Spanish on the telephone or online. Reservations can be made through an agent, or by calling 877-USA-3000 or at www.usa3000.com.