Austria
9 Countries in Euro Zone Downgraded by S&P
Standard & Poor’s stripped France of its AAA credit rating, also cutting eight others in the process. Portugal’s credit rating fell to junk status and Italy’s was lowered by two steps, as S&P sent a signal that Europe’s sovereign debt crisis was far from over.
In announcing the changes, which have further weakened the effort of the euro zone’s bailout fund, Standard & Poor’s said: “Today’s rating actions are primarily driven …
Dinner for One: The Same Procedure As Every Year On New Year’s Eve
Around this time of year, if you are meeting or chatting with colleagues from Central Europe or Scandinavia and the topic of “dinner for one” comes up, they are probably not talking about dining alone. If they say “the same procedure as last year?” and laugh or reply “the same procedure as every year, James,” they are not talking about how they close the books at year’s end or perform …
Munich Airport VIP Wing – Review
Air travel – and airports – once were indeed glamorous, but today, long security lines, crowded airline lounges, and indifferent staff make that image seem like another world.
It is possible, however, to recapture some of that glamour – for a small fee. Airports in cities from London (Heathrow) to Singapore (Changi) to Munich offer a very different arrival and/or departure experience for those willing to foot the bill.
This past June, …
New Vienna Luxury Hotel To Be Ritz-Carlton Instead Of Shangri-La
Ritz-Carlton will operate a new 202-room luxury hotel situated in two historic palaces on Vienna’s Schubertring that was originally scheduled to open earlier this year as the Shangri-La chain’s first hotel in Austria. It will be the Ritz-Carlton’s first hotel in Austria as well.
In February of this year, two months before the planned opening and after over 100 employees had been hired, Shangri-La withdrew from the project.
The developer, BAI (Bauträger …
Etihad Airways to Add In-Flight Internet and Mobile Phone Service to Widebodies
Etihad Airways will add in-flight entertainment and in-flight Internet and TV to its new Airbus A380, Airbus A350, Boeing 787, and Boeing 777-ER jets as well as to its current fleet of long-haul, wide-body aircraft, for a total of 100 planes.
Etihad will deploy systems from Panasonic Avionics, including the company’s eX2 and eX3 platforms, over a ten-year period and will use AeroMobile for in-flight telephony. The deal has a list …
The Equinox Resort, Manchester, Vermont – Hotel Review
Since 1769, the Equinox Resort has been a meeting place, first for America’s founding fathers, and now, as part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection of hotels and resorts, for vacationers and business travelers who have sought it out, in part for its idyllic New England location but also for the interesting and unusual activities the resort offers its guests.
On the eve of a major winter storm, I drove up to Vermont …
