Escaping the cattle car -- but at what cost?

Premium economy air service of some sort -- better than regular economy but not as lush as business class -- is becoming the norm for big airlines around the world. Recent announcements by American Airlines and Cathay Pacific highlight the spreading acceptance of the idea. Although the names may be the same, however, the products certainly are not. Instead, airlines use the term to cover two distinct approaches, with two distinct pricing models:

"Real Premium Economy," in my terms, provides a separate cabin featuring a combination of seats that are wider than regular economy and offer eight to 10 inches more legroom, in most cases with upgraded cabin and beverage service and often with dedicated check-in and boarding and a bigger baggage allowance. It's really a lot better than ordinary economy, in fact, it's about like the first iterations of business class before business class became so outlandishly lavish. Airlines can honestly describe it as "comfortable," a claim many lines falsely claim for their regular economy services.

The downside is the pricing. For the most part, premium economy fares tend to vary somewhere around double the cost of regular economy. Clearly, the price points are aimed more at enticing business travelers whose policies or budgets forbid business class then at leisure travelers looking to escape the miseries of regular economy. Occasionally, however, the big lines offer "sale" prices that bring fares down to a level that might interest vacationers.

Real premium economy is becoming the norm for long-haul planes on the big airlines based in Asia, Europe, and the South Pacific. Lines that offer or will soon offer real premium economy include Air France, Alitalia, ANA, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, EVA, JAL, Qantas, SAS, Thai (one aircraft type only), Turkish, Virgin Atlantic, and Virgin Australia. The most significant holdouts include ElAl, Emirates, KLM, Korean, LAN, Lufthansa, and Singapore.

"Semi-premium Economy" is what I call the approach taken by the big U.S.-based airlines: they have installed (or are installing) a separate forward part of the regular economy cabins with several rows of seats providing three to six inches extra legroom. The seats are the same as regular economy, which means they're too narrow to accommodate American adults without crowding. United's "Economy Plus," already available fleet-wide, provides standard-economy cabin service; Delta's "Economy Extra," available on most long-haul planes and being added fleet-wise, includes superior cabin service and extra amenities; American is just getting started with its "Main Cabin Extra" installation and hasn't announced details about cabin service. Among the smaller lines, Frontier provides a similar product. Overseas, KLM is the only big line to use this approach -- an interesting decision, given that partner Air France offers real premium economy.

The big plus to semi-premium economy is the pricing. Access is generally "free" to high-level frequent flyers and travelers on full-fare coach tickets, and travelers on even the cheapest tickets can move up by paying fees that vary from less than $10 to $110 per flight.

A few lines that haven't installed separate cabins charge extra for the very few exit-row and bulkhead seats that airplane design dictates must provide extra room. Most charge nominal fees; the main exception is Virgin America, which charges something like four times the regular coach fare.

The main domestic big-line holdouts include Alaska, Hawaiian, Southwest, and US Airways. You shouldn't be surprised if all but Southwest decide to install the semi-premium option.

Your Choice. The choice you get is obvious: Pay a little more for a little better trip or pay a lot more for a much better trip.

-- For domestic travel, semi-premium is your only option.

-- Flying overseas, choose American, United, or US Airways if you like the semi-premium approach; choose a big Asian, European, or Pacific line if you want the real thing.

-- If you opt for real premium economy, look for periodic promotions that bring the price to the point that it can look attractive to even an ordinary leisure traveler.

And don't be fooled by mislabeling semi-premium as real premium economy.

(Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins(at)mind.net. Perkins' new book for small business and independent professionals, "Business Travel When It's Your Money," is now available through www.mybusinesstravel.com or www.amazon.com)

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Japan: A singular destination

The pictures of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of northern Japan a year ago captured the anguish of a nation. No traveler — really, no person — could look at those images and not feel some despair. As a frequent traveler there (and a one-time resident), I have a real affection for the country and its people. As we mark this grim anniversary, I wanted to share some of the admirable things about the Land of the Rising Sun that haven't changed and indeed make Japan a singular destination.

Bowing. I often have my first experience before takeoff from LAX, when the entire cabin crew aboard the JAL flight bows in unison before the safety announcements. This collective gesture of welcome and appreciation is repeated everywhere: from the attendants putting you on the limousine bus at the airport to the staff of the ryokan (inn) as you check out.

Onigiri. These little triangles of rice, with a dollop of salmon, kelp or tuna inside, and wrapped in nori seaweed, were once road snacks for samurai. Now, road warriors and corporate workers buy them at convenience stores to put in lunch boxes or eat onboard long-distance trains. I haven't officially arrived in Japan until I've eaten one.

Buddhist temple gardens. A priest in Kyoto once told me that a temple garden is more than a green space: It's a place to draw inspiration. But you don't need to know anything about Buddhism to experience the peace that comes from clearing your mind. Sit on the temple's tatami and focus on a rock, lantern or leaf in the garden, and let the rest of the world disappear.

Hot spring baths. Whether it's in mosaic-muraled bathhouses, cedar tubs in the countryside or stone baths on a mountaintop, Japan is all about bathing in onsen, natural mineral waters said to be good for rheumatism, high blood pressure and general relaxation.

Vending machines. Sure, we have vending machines in the States, but machines that sell hot and cold canned drinks, with temperatures that can be changed seasonally? All kinds of awesome. Vending machines are a way of life in Japan, selling subway tickets, Coke on a mountainside by a middle-of-nowhere hiking trail, beer, toys, even underwear.

Hospitality. It must be an unwritten law that ryokan room attendants are prohibited from saying, "No." When I've offered to carry suitcases that seem bigger than the bell clerk, my offers are routinely and politely declined. All this, and never a thought of a tip.

Luggage shipping. Nobody likes fussing with luggage at airports and train stations, and Japan's amazing door-to-door shipping system means it will travel cross-country — overnight! — for less than the cost of checking it on your flight. Ship to a hotel, and it's a good bet that the staff will have delivered it to your room before you've checked in.

Haiku: Daringly simple. Remarkably expressive. You can do it too.

Ramen. If the only ramen you've ever known is from those plastic packets, you won't know what hit you when you have your first taste of real ramen. It starts with the broth — soy sauce, salt, miso, pork bones and more — and the noodles topped with bamboo shoots, half a hard-boiled egg and strips of roast pork. The obsession extends to a ramen museum (with plenty of tasting opportunities).

Tatami rooms. Minimalism may have been discovered by the rest of the world over the last 50 years, but it goes back ages in Japan. A traditional Japanese room has tatami (mats) on the floor, simple stucco walls supported by wooden posts, and an alcove called a tokonoma, used to display your changing selection of hanging scrolls, pottery and seasonal ikebana.

Harajuku girls. Sassy though they may look in their manga-inspired cosplay (costume play) outfits, beneath the makeup, they're basically sweet kids. If one bumps into you, it's a good bet she will raise a palm in apology and say, "Sumimasen" (excuse me).

Conveyor-belt sushi. Two obsessions: sushi and automation, mashed together with style and fun. It's taking the world by storm from Kyoto to Koreatown.

Taxis. Sorry, America. Japan has us beat on this, white-gloved hands down. Taxi doors open and close automatically, lace doilies cover the seats, drivers are unfailingly polite and tipping never enters their mind. If you don't know the route or can't speak Japanese, it's a good idea to have a map to your destination. In the unlikely event that the driver takes the wrong route, I've had instances where he (or, increasingly, she) will shut off the meter.

Contemporary architecture. Certain Tokyo districts look like galleries of modern architecture. The five Japanese Pritzker Prize winners (the second most in the world, after the U.S.) have quietly influenced design worldwide, yet the Japanese are happy to be schooled by architects from elsewhere. Case in point: Uruguay-born, New York-based Rafael Vinoly designed the Tokyo International Forum, by my reckoning (and many others'), Japan's greatest modern building.

Tokyo subways. Other cities only wish they had a Metro. Tokyo's amazing train network is the envy of the world, spotless, punctual and genteel. With 13 lines below ground and a tangle of additional lines above ground, it's the life blood of the city. If you hear anyone talking loudly on board, it's almost certainly not in Japanese. Those images you've seen of packers shoving folks into cars — only at certain stations during rush hour.

Tea ceremony. Yes, there's tea involved, but that's only one part of it. In the tea ceremony (I prefer a direct translation of the Japanese word sado, the way of tea), the setup is as important as the action: fresh picked flower in the tokonoma, calligraphy scroll conveying a precise emotion, bowls and vases selected specificly for the season. It's all about making the most of this one moment — it sounds very Zen, and in this case that's not a cliche.

Tsukiji fish market. Times Square has nothing on the bustle of the world's largest market for fish and seafood, some 450 varieties in the heart of Tokyo. It's difficult to view the auctions, but browsing the hundreds of wholesalers is a fascinating peek at where your fish comes from. Warning: Fast-moving motorized carts take no prisoners. Afterward, browse the Outer Market for produce and pottery, then indulge in a sushi breakfast at one of dozens of tiny shops.

High-tech toilets. Are heated toilet seats necessary? Maybe not, but they sure are nice on a cold winter morning. Japan has elevated plumbing to an art, and the graphics on the push buttons are adorable.

100 yen stores. Japan is famously expensive, but more and more (not just) Japanese are shopping at the equivalent of dollar stores. You're not going to get top-shelf stuff, but the wares — rice bowls to rice crackers, neckties to knickers — are often equal to what you'd buy elsewhere. Where else can you outfit your entire kitchen for the equivalent of $50?

Ninjas. 'Nuff said.

travel@latimes.com

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48 Hours in Singapore

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Got 48 hours to explore Singapore? The Asian financial and business centre has undergone a makeover in recent years and it is now also a playground for Asia's rich where sleek skyscrapers meet quaint shops.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most out of a visit to this multicultural Southeast Asian city-state.

FRIDAY

5 p.m. - Hop on the Singapore River Cruise to trace the island's journey from a sleepy fishing village to a bustling metropolis. The boats come at a roughly 15 minute interval and pass through Marina Bay, Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay.

6 p.m. - Try your luck at the Marina Bay Sands casino, or get a good view of the business district from the SkyPark. You can also check out the exhibitions at the lotus-inspired ArtScience Museum.

Enjoy fine dining at restaurants with names such asWolfgang Puck and Mario Batali. For a taste of East-meets-West, try Sky on 57 by local French-trained chef Justin Quek And feast while enjoying a panoramic view of Singapore's bay from level 57.

Alternatively, take a 20 minute walk around Marina Bay to One Fullerton, where you can see the Merlion, with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, and hit the bars.

You can also take a short walk to Esplanade, Singapore's durian-shaped performing arts venue, and pig out at Gluttons Bay, an outdoor hawker area next to Esplanade.

11 p.m. - Take a cab to Zouk and party the night away. Zouk houses four different clubs: Velvet Underground, Phuture, The Wine Bar and the main Zouk room.

SATURDAY

9 a.m. - Tuck into prata, a fried pancake often served with curry, at Little India. Get a glimpse into the Hindu religion at the temples, and shop at the giant Mustafa Centre, which is popular with visitors from India andPakistan as well as Singapore's own Indian community because of its wide range of goods and spices from South Asia.

12 p.m. - Ride the MRT (subway) to Bugis, then take a 10-15 minute walk to Haji Lane, where you can check out indie shops, cafes and restaurants offering a shisha pipe for smoking. Also visit the gold-domed Sultan Mosque, which was built in 1824.

You can buy arts and crafts hand-made from recycled fabric and other materials by local artists at Doinky Doodles! on the second floor of 33 Bali Lane.

Seek to jostle with the locals? Then dive into the crowd at Bugis Street, which has dozens of shops selling snacks, accessories, clothes and other goods -- likeBangkok's Chatuchak Weekend Market, but smaller. Then head to the Fu Lu Shou area, where the Buddhist Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple and the Hindu Sri Krishnan Temple stand side by side.

4 p.m. - Hop on a bus to Chinatown and enter the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, which houses the sacred Buddha tooth in a stupa composed of 320 kg of gold donated by devotees. Stroll on the streets and soak in the colorful atmosphere.

7 p.m. - Sample local food such as char kway teow (fried noodles with cockles), carrot cake (fried radish flour with egg and preserved vegetables) and satay (grilled meat on a skewer) at Chinatown Food Street. You can watch while your friendly hawker cooks your dinner right in front of you.

9 p.m. - For the adventurous, take a cab to Geylang for the durians, the "king of fruits," which some say looks like a hedgehog and smells of the sewer.

SUNDAY

9 a.m. - Take a walk through the sprawling Botanic Gardens and smell the flowers at the National Orchid Garden, with about 600 species and hybrids on display.

12 p.m. - Have brunch at the all-day breakfast restaurant, Wild Honey, at Mandarin Gallery. The menu ranges from Swiss and Japanese to Yemen and European. Alternatively, try the risotto and the sinful butterscotch apple and mixed berries crumble at Food for Thought at 8 Queen Street.

2 p.m. - Revel in contemporary art from Singapore and other Southeast Asian nations at the Singapore Art Museum.

4 p.m. - Finish the trip by hitting the stores at Orchard Road, Singapore's shopping mecca.

(Editing by Elaine Lies and Paul Casciato)

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Offbeat Traveler: Ireland's remote Skellig Michael island

( Christine Schramm / March 9, 2012 )

Beehive-shaped huts atop Skellig Michael. In the background is Little Kellig island, a nesting ground for seabirds.

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Tired passengers leave crippled Costa cruise ship

VICTORIA (Reuters) - Weary passengers complained of unbearable heat and appalling hygiene for three days in the Indian Ocean aboard cruise ship Costa Allegra after a fire knocked out the vessel's main power supply.

With no air conditioning, running water, lights or hot food, the 627 passengers were forced to sleep on deck in the stifling heat until the liner was towed intoSeychelles capital Victoria on Thursday.

One of the Costa Allegra's three diesel generators caught fire on Monday and although the blaze was extinguished within an hour two more generators in the engine room then failed, the ship's captain, Niccolo Alba, told a news conference.

Alba said a general emergency was declared when the generator caught fire, the lifeboats were prepared and passengers were ready to abandon ship as the liner drifted in the Indian Ocean, where Somali pirates roam.

"It was terrible, as you can imagine. Hygiene conditions were absolutely deplorable. I have some photos that show the state of the toilets. We stayed for three days without electricity, it's very difficult to live in such conditions, especially in such heat," one passenger told Reuters Television.

Alba said two people had fallen in the dark and hurt themselves, but he denied an earlier report from a Seychelles health ministry official that six people had broken limbs.

"They were able to put the fire out and from that point on, it was just a matter of inconvenience, not having enough food, not being able to rest well at night...the heat is unbearable, so we had to spend most of our nights on the top deck of the ship," said another passenger.

More than half the passengers took up the offer of a seven or 14-day holiday on the archipelago from the ship's ownerCosta Cruises, the same company whose giant liner Costa Concordia smashed into rocks off Italy in January.

At 29,000 gross tonnes, the ship is considerably smaller than the huge Costa Concordia which capsized, killing at least 25 people.

A team from Costa Cruises, a unit of the U.S. cruise line giantCarnival Corp., boarded the Costa Allegra on Wednesday to arrange hotel accommodation and onward flights for the passengers. It said more than 600 airline seats and 400 rooms had been reserved.

"I WANT TO GO HOME"

A small generator was installed in the crippled vessel, but was only powerful enough to run its auxiliary communication system, not the air conditioning or cooking systems.

With no lights working on board, the company said it had dropped hundreds of torches onto the ship to help passengers find their way around at night.

A passenger from Germany praised the crew, saying they had tried their best to make those on board comfortable.

Another passenger from the Indian Ocean island of Reunion said he felt tired and dirty and had been afraid of pirates, but there was never any shortage of drinking water or sandwiches.

Norbert Stiekema, executive vice-president at Costa Cruises, told the news conference that all passengers were offered the option of a holiday or a flight home, and that all outstanding bills on the ship had been cancelled.

The passengers were met in Victoria by ambulances, aRed Cross medical team and a fleet of small buses to take them to hotels on the country's main island of Mahe.

One woman was rushed into an ambulance and another had to be supported as she walked off the ship.

The passengers, including four children, are from 25 nations. The largest contingents are 127 from France and 126 from Italy. There were also 38 Germans, 31 Britons, 13 Canadians and eight Americans.

The Costa Allegra left Diego Suarez in Madagascar on Saturday and, sailing northeast, had been due to dock in Mahe on Tuesday. While 376 passengers opted to stay on in the Seychelles, others had had enough

"I am no longer in the mood for a holiday. I want to go home as soon as I can," said another passenger.

(Editing by David Clarke and Karolina Tagaris)

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Agawa Canyon Snow Train takes a round-trip journey to stillness

AGAWA CANYON, Ontario, Canada -- There are no animals, no birds, not one moving creature, except for a man on a lake who raises his hand as we pass. It is overcast. Sky the color of cotton wool muffles the harsh rocky landscape; the snow and hills blend into a black-and-white panorama dotted with the drab loden of the pines. Snow falls in fits and starts. It is already more than 2 feet deep. Let spring come somewhere else; winter has settled here, as always.

Last year, the Agawa Canyon Snow Train did not run. This year, it has $11 million worth of new equipment, upgraded coaches and splendid new burgundy paint. It has a warm dining car with good service and hearty food. It is running each Saturday through March 10.

The question is: Does anyone have the patience to ride the Snow Train anymore?

"We used to do 25 coaches, two dining cars, two dome cars and five or six engines; we were a mile long," says Craig (Smitty) Smith of EJM Catering, who has worked the train for 17 years. "We would have 1,600 to 1,800 passengers a day. Then, along came 9/11."

That's when everything changed. The Agawa Canyon tour trains, which run in winter, summer and fall, saw business plummet when passports became a requirement to cross the U.S.-Canada border. Gas prices rose and Michigan's economy tanked, damaging the train's busiest source of customers. The value of the U.S. dollar shrank against the Canadian dollar.

Then, a whole generation of travelers who thought Agawa Canyon was the most exotic place in the world passed on, leaving restless younger folks who demand active, not passive experiences.

Now the Snow Train runs just six coaches, one dining car and two engines. This day, it has about 100 passengers spread through three of the cars. The other cars are empty.

Its route? Chug from downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to scenic Agawa Canyon 114 miles north, then return.

In summer, passengers can hike and picnic in the canyon. But in winter, they must stay on board the train the whole trip -- nine hours straight. There's no opening the windows. No smoking. No cell phone service.

And that's exactly what railroad fans love about the Snow Train. They love the silence. They love the feeling of being far, far away in an earlier time. They love the stubborn simplicity of it all.

"Years ago, I came on this train with my parents. Then, when Suzanne and I started dating, we came here again. Now, we've brought our daughter," says David Bergeson of Flat Rock, Mich., who wears a sweatshirt with a picture of a train on it, as do his wife, Suzanne, and 5-year-old daughter, Barbara. They ride trains all over the country.

Even Bergeson, 45, wasn't sure whether the Snow Train was still in business, and he was thrilled to find it was.

"It's a combination of a weekend getaway in the middle of winter and a chance to see some snow since we don't have any in Detroit," he says.

A bit of history. There has been a railway up here since 1899 for freight and passengers. The regular "Hearst" train (also called the Algoma Central Railway Tour of the Line) runs 296 miles from busy Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, (population 75,000) up to tiny Hearst, Ontario (population 5,000). Many fishing camps and cottages lie along the remote route, so passengers can flag down the train to stop at any point.

Sharing the rails is the more famous Agawa Canyon tour train, which is called the Snow Train in the winter. Since 1972, the tour train has carried more than 3 million passengers to the canyon and back.

Two years ago, owner Canadian National Railway decided the 1940s equipment was too decrepit. It bought a 1968-era ski train from Colorado with 16 coaches and three locomotives and sent most of it away to be rehabbed and repainted. The new tour train has enlarged windows with tinted glass on nine of the 14 coaches and new carpet and seating. It has new GPS-tripped narration explaining the history of the line and the features of the stern Algoma region of northern Ontario.

Coaches also have new flat-screen TVs to show the engineer's view ahead of the train, a feature available only in summer and fall (last summer, some lucky passengers saw a moose).

In winter, the view out the side windows is what you will remember.

Approaching Agawa Canyon, the train has been running downhill for 12 miles. The tracks are smooth, with their good Canadian maintenance.

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United Airlines booking system to erase Continental this weekend

The public face of Continental Airlines will vanish for good this weekend when the carrier and United Airlines adopt a single passenger reservation system, a step that -- at least in the public eye -- will finally cement their 2010 merger.

The move to a unified platform is by far the most significant change customers will experience since the merger of United and Continental to form the world's largest airline, known as United Airlines and owned by United Continental Holdings Inc.

"This, from the customer perspective, is probably the biggest thing that they will see," Martin Hand, United's senior vice president of customer experience, said on Wednesday.

"This truly brings the two carriers together from the customer side," he said.

Hand said United Airlines has adopted the reservation platform of the former Continental Airlines and has spent months training about 15,000 employees -- including reservations agents -- on the software.

United has already moved millions of passenger records to the Continental platform and has notified its frequent flyers of the upcoming change.

"That will come to a culmination overnight Friday night to Saturday morning," Hand said.

Early Saturday morning, the Continental.com website will disappear in favor of the United branded site.

Hand said the company chose the Continental platform over United partly because it offered more flexibility to users making reservations on the site.

He declined to disclose the cost of migrating to the single platform.

United and Continental closed their $3.17 billion merger more than a year ago. Former Continental Chief Executive Jeff Smisek leads the combined carrier.

The new United Continental spent much of 2011 rebranding itself and combining some of its customer service functions to slowly erase the line separating the two airlines. The company won government approval last year to operate as a single carrier.

United Continental has painted most of the old Continental planes in the United livery and is finishing the rest.

Out of public view, however, United Continental faces the tall order of blending its separate unionized work forces and achieving joint labor contracts.

Migration to a single reservation system comes with risk, as US Airways Group learned in 2007 when it attempted to combine the reservation systems of the former America West Airlines and US Airways. The two airlines merged in 2005.

A glitch in their combined system caused the self-service kiosks to fail, forcing passengers to stand in extraordinarily long lines and check in with ticket agents. Thousands of travelers waited in the lines and about 500 travelers at the Charlotte, N.C., hub missed their flights.

Hand said United consulted US Airways, its partner in the global Star Alliance, about the pitfalls of moving to a single reservation system.

Delta Air Lines had a much smoother transition to a single reservation system following its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines.

"Whenever you combine different technology there's risk," said Ray Neidl, an aerospace analyst at Maxim Group.

"In the case of United, they have done a lot of planning. But you never can tell," he said. "At the last minute, there's always likely to be some bugs that pop up."

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