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Southwest Air: Forget To Set Alarm...Forget Refund


We fear that Southwest, once our favorite laid-back economy airline, is slip-sliding into the nickel-diming mode of other airlines. The most recent example is that SW will no longer refund the fare of passengers who fail to be there for scheduled flights.

In the past, if you showed up late, there were ways to get around it. The SW airport staff would do their best let you board a later flight, or even get you on a rival airline flight. And it cost you nothing beyond the fare you paid for your original ticket.  

Under the new SW policy, if you miss your flight without adequate reason or prior contact, you may have to forfeit your fare. Flyers should be aware of the logical reason for the new SW rule. In these days of tightening budgets and high fuel prices, flights with empty seats represent lost income for airlines.

For more information, contact your favorite hometown or online travel agency, or go to www.southwest.com

Rome, Italy: Graffiti and Cats at the Colosseum PDF Print E-mail


The 2,000-year-old scrawls on the walls don’t say winning gladiator Lanceus Armstreus used performance enhancing nectar of the gods. However, they do reveal new clues to what fans of the famous sports stadium wrote all those centuries ago.

Recent restoration efforts at the Colosseum have resulted in uncovering of First Century tunnels that haven’t been seen in at least 60 years. Workers found the walls scrawled with explicit graffiti and writings dating all the way back from the earliest years. Some of the graphic artwork would make the scrawls on modern bathroom walls look tame in comparison.

Another interesting feature of the Colosseum is that it’s a traditional feral cat sanctuary. Of the estimated 300,000 stray cats roaming the streets of Rome, at least several hundred make their permanent home in the Colosseum. City volunteers care for the feeding and health of the stadium’s thriving cat colony.

About visiting hours, tours, fees and other information, go to the-colosseum.net/idx-en.htm

 
 
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