Less May Cost More During Olympic Games

Visitors to the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, July 25-Aug. 9, may find it more cost-efficient to avoid some services and take some travel items along, rather than buying them when they get to Barcelona. Snack foods, fast food, Alka-Seltzer, a visit to the doctor, dry cleaning and tennis balls will all cost more there than they do in Los Angeles. On the other hand, dinner out, a six-pack of beer and the movie theater will cost less, according to Runzheimer International, a company that tracks business costs around the world. For example, grabbing a quick bite at a fast-food restaurant in Barcelona costs an average of $4.99 for a cheeseburger, medium soft drink and large fries. In Los Angeles, that same meal costs $3.69. But dining out at a business-class restaurant in Barcelona costs $22.35, while in Los Angeles it’s $24.57. (For more tips on negotiating the Olympic maze, see story on opposite page.)

Travel Quiz: What U.S. state has the greatest number of threatened and endangered animals and plants?

Ahead of the Pack: As of this month, Cathay Pacific airline’s daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Hong Kong and Vancouver and Hong Kong will be nonsmoking, making the airline the only one to offer nothing but smoke-free flights across the Pacific, although not the only airline that has such flights. (Alaska Air flights between Seattle and Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East are smokeless, and China Airlines has a smoke-free flight between San Francisco and Taipei.) “Our hope is that we will gain more passengers who will come on because we are nonsmoking than we will lose,” a Cathay Pacific official explained. Of interest: After announcing their intent to go smoke-free, airline employees made calls to passengers who had booked smoking seats and advised them (six weeks prior to their scheduled departure dates) of the change. The result was only one cancellation.

Improvements With Taste: In response to problems cited by the Food and Drug Administration during a series of on-train inspections between January and April, Amtrak is making changes in the way it handles food. Among FDA complaints were evidence of insect and rodent infestation. To address these concerns, Amtrak has agreed to replace or repair refrigeration units, upgrade training and supervision of food service and sanitation workers, and upgrade its car-cleaning and pest-control programs. Changes have already begun and will continue as part of a continuing policy to upgrade standards, according to an Amtrak spokeswoman.

Quick Fact: Average number of nights working couples spent away from home for business in 1991: 4.5. Average number spent away for entertainment: 3.8. (Source: U.S. Travel Data Center.)

Keeping Track: Good news for convenience-minded travelers, and for the environment. Alitalia and the Italian state railroad Ferrovie Dello Stato, in a joint project, have just begun offering nonstop train service between Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci international airport and the cities of Naples and Florence. Passengers flying into Rome can board the train at the airport and be served meals and beverages by “flight attendants” on their way to either Naples or Florence. Fares will be the same as for air travel between the cities. While the train journeys will take about an hour longer than flying, travelers will benefit by being deposited in the city centers, rather than having to transfer from airports that are 40 minutes away, as they would if they were flying. And, of course, air quality benefits from fewer airline takeoffs and landings.

But Alitalia isn’t the first on the scene with such an idea. Lufthansa just celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Airport Express train service, which travels north from Frankfurt’s airport to city centers in Bonn, Cologne and Dusseldorf and then to the Dusseldorf airport, and from Frankfurt airport southward to the center of Stuttgart. Like Alitalia, the Lufthansa trains are staffed by “in-flight personnel” who serve airline-style meals.

Vancouver Sky Symphony: Fireworks will light up the skies over Vancouver, B.C., for the third annual Symphony of Fire international competition, July 29 and Aug. 1, 5 and 8. Fireworks experts from Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada will launch 25-minute displays synchronized to music each night of the competition at 8:30 p.m. over False Creek. While the displays are visible from almost anywhere in Vancouver, optimum viewing is near English Bay, northwest of downtown.

Comparatively Speaking: Cruise ship sanitation score for ships inspected in June (a score of 87 or higher indicates acceptable sanitation): Dawn Princess, 87; Nordic Empress, 94; Nordic Prince, 89; Pacific Princess, 90; Regal Princess, 90; Westerdam, 96; Westward, 93; Regent Sea, 85; Royal Odyssey, 83; Universe, 93. (Source: Department of Health and Human Services.)

Quiz Answer: As of July 8, Hawaii had the largest number with 126, according to the federal Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants list. California came in second with 106.