ROYAL
TREATMENT: The Monaco Government Tourist Office will hold
free breakfast seminars for travel agents in the Southeast from
Sept. 22 to 24. Attendees will receive information on package
deals, meet with representatives from some of Monacos premier
hotels and learn about sales tools such as the Monaco-Savvy
Web-based referral system, the Web Travel Agent Club and the Travel
Agent Sales Guide. Seminars will be held at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta
on Sept. 21; the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty Six in Fort Lauderdale on
Sept. 22; the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach in Palm Beach, Fla., on Sept.
23; and the Sofitel Miami on Sept. 24. To register, visit www.visitmonaco.com/seminar or call (800) 753-9696,
ext. 303.
A STRONG
FINNISH: The Finnish National Gallery is marking the 150th
anniversary of artist Albert Edelfelt (1854-1905) with an
exhibition of his works at the Ateneum in Helsinki. The show, to
run Sept. 3 to Jan. 30, aims to increase the visibility and
prestige of Finnish art, said director general Tuula Arkio.
Edelfelt was the first Finnish-born artist to achieve international
acclaim. For more, visit the Ateneum site at www.ateneum.fi/en or
contact the Finnish Tourist Board at (800) FIN-INFO or www.visitfinland.com/na.
SWISS
AIR: Codeshare partners American Airlines and Swiss
International Air Lines (Swiss) said they were more closely
coordinating service on the New York-Zurich route to expand travel choices. As
of Oct. 31, Americans flight from New York (Kennedy) to Zurich will
depart at 9 p.m., instead of 5:20 p.m., while Swiss will keep its
competing 6:30 p.m. departure. Westbound, Swiss will move its
Zurich departure to New York from 12:30 p.m. to 10 a.m., and
American will change its departure from 10:55 a.m. to 1 p.m. The
changes do not affect Americans Dallas/Fort Worth-to-Zurich service
or other Swiss routes to the New York area.
CZECH IT
OUT: Nordique Tours offers its popular packages to Prague,
Czech Republic, from $359 per person, double, for travel Nov. 1 to
March 31 if booked by Sept. 30. But hurry, space is tight; the Los
Angeles area operator has reportedly received some 3,000 agent
bookings since announcing the rate. The deal includes round-trip
airfare and four nights accommodations,
with daily breakfast, at 3-star Prague hotels. Sample prices, based
on Wednesday or Thursday departures, are $359 from New York
(Kennedy); $409 from Boston and Philadelphia; $459 from Atlanta,
Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Minneapolis and Washington; $509 from
Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Houston and Phoenix; and $574 from Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Ore. Commission
information was not available at press time; for more, call (800)
995-7997 or visit www.picassotours.com.
FEELING
LUCKY: British carrier BMI put its new thrice-weekly
U.K.-bound flights out of Las Vegas on sale for fall and winter
travel if booked by Sept. 3. Restricted, roundtrip fares from Las
Vegas to Manchester -- and London (Heathrow), via Manchester -- are
$399 in economy, $1,199 in New Economy and $3,199 in business
class, for travel Oct. 31 to March 31. Onward service to Aberdeen,
Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland is $75 extra, roundtrip, in all
classes. For reservations or flight details, call (800)
788-0555.