A strong team of eight promoted American Holidays’ USA programmes to the travel trade and media last night at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.
Kristin Skinner, Senior Travel Consultant and California Specialist, highlighted the 20% increase in transatlantic seats this year and the recently announced Aer Lingus year-round non-stop Dublin – San Francisco service that will commence in April 2014 and operate five times per week with an A330.
She also thanked the US carriers, as well as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, for their “invaluable support”.
Special guest John Hennessey-Niland, Charge D’Affaires at the US Embassy, also welcomed the 20% increase in seat capacity and pointed out that there are now 20 flights daily from Ireland to the USA.
American Holidays co-sponsored the well-attended event in conjunction with Brand USA, Delta Air Lines, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, and Visit USA Committee.
Discover America
The ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) application process is fast, easy, costs only $14, and is valid or up to two years or until the holder’s passport expires (esta.cbp.dhs.gov).
The USA stretches across six time zones: Eastern Standard Time (EST) is Greenwich Mean Time minus 5 hours (GMT -5); Central Standard Time (CST) is GMT -6; Mountain Standard Time (MST is GMT -7); Pacific Standard Time (PST) is GMT -8; Alaskan Standard Time (AST) is GMT -9; and Hawaii Aleutian Standard Time (HAST) is GMT -10.
The USA has nearly 400 national parks and protected areas known as national monuments.
The distance between New York and California is 2,917 miles, slightly less than the distance from New York to London (3,400 miles).
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC are the world’s second and third most visited museums, behind only the Louvre in Paris.
