Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire
Tuesday, April 10, 2001
Hotel association changes seminar venue
The Hawaii Hotel Association got such a big response to its seminar scheduled for Thursday on "Dealing with Unsupervised Minors in Hotel Rooms" that it moved to a larger location, the ballroom at the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki. There are some seats left for the 8:30 a.m. to noon seminar, which will discuss laws covering the rental of hotel rooms to the underage, the attitude of schools to after-prom parties and similar events and what can be done to make them safe, as well as what hotels can do to protect themselves from claims.Speakers will include Todd Condon, director of security at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel and president of the Hawaii Hotel Security Association; Honolulu police officer Allen Ishida; attorney Ronald Y. K. Leong; Mary Murakami, principal of Kailua High School and president of Secondary School Principals; and Robert Witt, executive director of Independent Schools.
The fee is $30 for Hawaii Hotel Association members and their employees and $50 for others. Information and reservations: 923-0407.
RAM Paging Hawaii to become Arch Wireless
RAM Paging Hawaii will change its name to match that of its parent company beginning next month.RAM will use the name Arch Wireless Inc., effective May 1. The company, which provides paging and wireless messaging, has offices on Maui and the Big Island as well as on Oahu. Its parent is based in Westborough, Mass. Service will not be affected by the name change, the company said.
Venture capitalists' funds off 6.3% in fourth quarter
SAN FRANCISCO >> Funds managed by venture capitalists dropped by an average of 6.3 percent in last year's final quarter as the dot-com downfall dragged down the financiers who helped bankroll the e-commerce boom, according to statistics released yesterday.The setback marked the venture capital industry's first quarterly losses since the third quarter of 1998, said Venture Economics, a Thomson Financial research firm that compiled the report. The losses came on the heels of a 6.4 percent gain in last year's third quarter.
American Air to charge $10 for some paper tickets
FORT WORTH, Texas >> On the day American Airlines became the world's largest airline, company officials announced they would begin charging $10 per passenger for paper tickets.The only customers who will be charged are those who buy tickets for American and American Eagle through the AA.com Web site, AA reservations centers, at Travel Centers and at airports. American will waive the fee if there is a significant operational issue or job action, the company said in a statement. The fee does not apply to passengers who pay full fare or purchase tickets through travel agents, or to tickets issued for Executive Platinum members' travel.
American completes acquisition of TWA
FORT WORTH, Texas >> American Airlines became the world's largest air carrier and grounded a venerable competitor yesterday after acquiring the assets of bankrupt Trans World Airlines. The deal, which closes the books on the longest-flying carrier in American commercial aviation, was completed following a day of legal maneuvering capped by a federal judge's refusal to grant a stay that would have blocked it.
NBC shuts down Internet subsidiary
NEW YORK >> NBC is shutting down its loss-ridden Internet subsidiary, acknowledging that any hopes of it becoming profitable had vaporized along with the online advertising market. Many of the 300 jobs there will be eliminated as the unit's assets are integrated into NBC. The announcement yesterday marks the latest move by a major media company to drastically scale back its Internet ambitions.