Passport deadline deferred

THE U.S. government has backed off a Dec. 31 deadline for requiring travelers to present a passport or “other accepted document” to enter or re-enter the U.S. from the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central and South America.

Such travelers will have until Dec. 31, 2006, to comply, under a proposal issued last week by the departments of State and Homeland Security. People entering or re-entering by sea or air from Canada and Mexico will need passports or other acceptable identification by Dec. 31, 2006. By the end of 2007, the requirement will apply to land crossings too.

The Dec. 31, 2005, deadline, announced in April, drew protests from the travel industry and the affected countries, which expressed concern that passport requirements would hurt tourism.

The two U.S. departments said they changed that date, in part, to “provide a longer lead-time for travelers to come into compliance.”

The preferred document will be a passport. Other documents may also be accepted, but firm guidelines weren’t announced.

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New nonstop LAX flights

STARTING Tuesday, Song, Delta Air Lines’ low-cost carrier, is to begin flying nonstop twice a day between LAX and Boston’s Logan International Airport and once a day between LAX and Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Conn. Information: (800) 359-7664, www.flysong.com.

On Oct. 30, American Airlines is to begin nonstop service between LAX and San Antonio, Texas, once a day. Information: www.aa.com.

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2 Hawaiian resorts get a makeover

TWO luxury golf resorts on Lanai, the tiny Hawaiian island once covered with pineapple fields, are getting remakes and new names. Both will be managed by Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.

The 236-room Manele Bay Hotel, closed since Aug. 15, is undergoing a $40-million renovation.

When it reopens Oct. 1 as the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay, it is expected to have a new fitness center and studio, a refinished pool and a 2,400-square-foot Asian-inspired suite that will cost $5,000 per night. All rooms will have 40-inch flat-screen TVs.

The next few months will bring a new poolside restaurant and bar, outdoor massage huts, a tennis center and activity areas for children and teens, said hotel spokeswoman Elizabeth Fitzgerald.

In mid-January, she said, the 102-room Lodge at Koele will begin renovating its rooms and public areas and building a new spa. It is expected to be renamed the Lodge at Koele, a Four Seasons Hotel.

Published rates at both hotels begin at $375 per night; from Oct. 1 to about mid-December, they will offer a fourth night free. Information: (800) 332-3442, www.fourseasons.com.

-- Jane Engle