HOTEL concierge staff should be trained in recommending safe venues for women dining alone, says a new survey.

The poll of women travellers by The Pan Pacific Hotel Group also revealed that women guests want female staff to be available to escort them to their rooms and deliver room service requests.

Volker Ulrich, General Manager of the Pan Pacific San Francisco, said: "Our survey shows that to our female guests, safety and security are still very important issues.

"Hotels have a duty to ensure all their guests feel comfortable and at ease -- but to do so in a way which ensures that women do not feel segregated."

The survey also showed that women prefer lighter dishes on room service menus, and would like to see their mini-bar stocked with small bottles of wine -- so it can be drunk by the glass.

Sleeping success for BA

British Airways has been given the 'thumbs up' from passengers for the service enhancements which the airline has introduced over recent months.

The new Club World seat, which converts into a bed at the touch of a button, is just one of a series of innovations made to the airlines long-haul fleet that has received acclaim from frequent travellers.

Each seat has its own telephone and a power point for a laptop computer, and there's a larger personal video screen offering a choice of 18 channels of entertainment and information. There are new menu choices on board and even pre-flight dining is available in New York.

Last month British Airways started to sell tickets for their new World Traveller Plus cabin, a dedicated section with up to 40 seats which have a 38' pitch and adjustable headrests.

Although it is still too early to judge the success of the new cabin, the airline has said that ticket sales have far exceeded their expectations at this stage.

World Traveller Plus is expected to appeal to small and medium sized companies, dot.coms, the self employed and 'more discerning' leisure customers.

But fierce rival Virgin Atlantic immediately pledged to undercut BA's fares. A spokeswoman said: "British Airways is eight years too late. Virgin's Premium Economy has led the industry for years by offering a superior service for the price of a full economy fare. One thing is for sure -- we will never be beaten on price by BA."

Airport profits fall

Manchester Airport has recorded pre-tax profits of £28.9m for the financial year 1999/2000. The figure is lower than the previous year's £41.4m because of the costs of the second runway and the loss of duty-free sales on journeys within the European Union.

Special British Midland fares

British Midland is offering further reductions on selected routes through its Diamond Europass scheme. The Diamond Europass is a package of five return tickets which customers can buy in advance. The offer entitles travellers to fares of under £200 return in business class to Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels.