SARS plays havoc with China travelThe State...

SARS plays havoc with China travel

The State Department has warned U.S. citizens against going to China because of the outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, there. It also has advised that travelers arriving from SARS-affected nations may be quarantined or sent to hospitals.

SARS has killed more than 100 people worldwide and infected thousands more. China and Hong Kong account for about 80% of the victims.

In related developments, Singapore Airlines, Asiana Airlines and other Asian carriers further reduced flights to China, just months after increasing capacity, as travel demand fell.

Singapore Air suspended all flights to Guangzhou in southern China’s Guangdong Province, where SARS is thought to have originated, and the airline reduced 40% of its services to Beijing and Shanghai. South Korea’s Asiana cut one-quarter of its flights to Chinese cities.

Cruises also continued to be disrupted. Star Cruises Ltd., the world’s No. 4 cruise line, canceled cruises on two of its ships after two crew members were hospitalized on suspicion of having an infectious respiratory disease, wire services reported. The affected cruises are through May on the SuperStar Virgo, which travels around Southeast Asia, and through July on the SuperStar Leo, which visits Hong Kong and China.

For SARS updates visit the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site, www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars, or the World Health Organization’s site, www.who.int/csr/sars/en.

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Concorde jets

will fly into

history in 2003

After nearly three decades of taking jet-setters across the Atlantic at record speed, the Concorde supersonic fleet is being retired. Air France said it would stop flying the jets May 31, British Airways by the end of October.

In announcing its decision, Air France cited decreased business traffic and increasing maintenance costs. British Airways said “a long-term revenue and cost trend” was responsible rather than the effects of the Iraq war.

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Hilton to reopen

across from

WTC site

The Millenium Hilton Hotel, across the street from the former World Trade Center site in Manhattan, will reopen April 27 after more than $30 million in renovations. It has been closed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which damaged its facade and broke windows.

Even though there was no structural damage, “we stripped the hotel from pencils to carpets to curtains” to remove soot and other particles, said Roger Swadish, area vice president of operations for Hilton Hotels Corp. In a first for Hilton, each of the 565 refurnished guest rooms has a 42-inch plasma-screen TV, he added. There’s also a redesigned, Americana-themed restaurant, Church & Dey.

Introductory rates begin at $199 per room per night. (212) 693-2001, www.hilton.com.

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Frequent-flier

insurance bars

new members

PrivilegeFlyer, a membership program for frequent fliers, has stopped providing its AwardGuard insurance coverage to new members. Under the coverage, members, who pay $119 per year, can get frequent-flier award replacements worth up to $7,500 if their airline goes out of business.

Program President Randy Petersen said AwardGuard was suspended last month for new members only; current members continue to be covered. He attributed the cutoff to soaring insurance premiums caused by the airline industry’s financial problems. As of last week, he was still hoping to negotiate acceptable rates.

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DEAL OF THE WEEK

Luxury cruises

out of L.A. from $110 per day

Crystal Cruises is offering three May sailings from Los Angeles at a fraction of the luxury line’s usual rates, which average $450 per person per day, double occupancy. The sailings on the 940-passenger Crystal Harmony were added after the ship was pulled from Asia because of the outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, in that region. Prices begin at $995 per person, double occupancy, for nine days, departing May 1 for San Diego and Mexico; $895 for seven days, departing May 10 to Mexico; and $795 for six days, departing May 17 for Vancouver, Canada. See a travel agent to book. For general information, call (800) 804-1500 or visit www.crystalcruises.com.

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FREE FOR THE ASKING

British Columbia

vacation planner

The “British Columbia 2003 Vacation Planner” reviews the Canadian province region by region, from Vancouver Island to the northern wilderness. A companion guide, “British Columbia Escapes,” lists lodging deals. (800) 435-5622 (option No. 5 on the recorded menu), www.hellobc.com. (Click on “Request a Free Guide.”)

-- Times staff and wires