Travel Update-Weekly Edition
May 29th, 2008
Airline News
Air Canada - Starting July 14, Air Canada will begin
flights between Toronto and both Grand Rapids, Mich., and
Dayton, Ohio. Air Canada affiliate Air Georgian will fly three daily round-trip
flights to Grand Rapids and two to Dayton using 18-seat Beechcraft
aircraft.
AirTran Airways - AirTran is paring back on several
routes to Las Vegas. The carrier has also already dropped Las Vegas service from
Akron-Canton, Ohio, Bloomington, Ill., and the Quad Cities airport near Moline,
Ill. This summer, AirTran will end nonstop Las Vegas flights from Rochester,
N.Y., and Flint, Mich. AirTran will continue to fly nonstop to Las Vegas from
three cities: Atlanta, Milwaukee and
Indianapolis.
American Airlines - American Airlines has announced the
first round of reductions to its flight schedule as part of its previously
announced plans to reduce capacity in an effort to significantly reduce costs
and create a more sustainable supply-and-demand balance in the market. The
actions come in the face of skyrocketing fuel prices and a softening economy.
The
initial changes to the flight schedule include, but are not limited to:
* Discontinuing its Chicago – Buenos Aires service
effective Sept. 3.
* Discontinuing its Chicago – Honolulu service Jan. 5,
2009. Between September 3, 2008, and Jan. 5, 2009, American will operate
Chicago – Honolulu service only on peak demand days.
* Discontinuing its Boston – San Diego service
effective Sept. 3.
* Restructuring American and American Eagle operations at San Juan, Puerto Rico
beginning in September. This round of reductions will affect American and
American Eagle flights originating from San Juan
to the United States and
various islands in the Caribbean.
Customers
impacted by the schedule changes will be contacted and re-accommodated on
alternative flights. In the coming weeks, American Airlines will continue
to make additional schedule reductions in other markets and will assess the
location and route specific impacts of those changes. To affect these changes,
American plans to retire 40-45 mainline aircraft (mostly MD-90's and some Airbus
A300's) and 35-40 regional jets. In an effort to significantly reduce
costs, American Eagle also will retire its Saab fleet by the end of the year.
American
Airlines has announced that it will discontinue service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and
London's Stansted Airport, effective July 2. The service was
launched in October 2007. American
Airlines will continue to offer its full schedule of flights between JFK and
London's Heathrow Airpor
In order to offset rising cost of fuel, American Airlines will increase
the price of liquor and fresh food for sale sandwiches from $5.00 to $6.00
effective June
1st.
British Airways - British Airways PLC and airports
operator BAA said Wednesday that it will not shift its remaining long-haul
flights to Heathrow Airport's
Terminal 5 until after the busy summer period. After switching some long-haul
flights to the problem-plagued new terminal in early June, BA and BAA said they
will transfer the rest in two phases later in the
year.
Continental Airlines - Continental has expanded its
"paperless boarding pass" system. Continental's program, which began last year
in Houston, is now also available at Newark Liberty, Boston and Washington
National. Customers using the system must being traveling to a domestic
destination.
Delta Air Lines - Beginning Nov. 7. Delta will add
nonstop service between Kuwait City and Atlanta. Delta will fly four weekly
flights on the route using Boeing 777-200ER jets. Elsewhere in the Middle East,
Delta will upgrade its Atlanta-Dubai route to daily service beginning Oct. 6.
Delta currently flies the route six times a week.
ExpressJet Airlines - Houston-based
ExpressJet Airlines says it is cutting back scheduled flights by 30 percent
starting Aug. 23. Among them are the Omaha flights to Los Angeles/Ontario
airport. Omaha is one of four cities that will lose ExpressJet service. The
others are Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma and
Bakersfield, Calif. The company will reconsider its decision in the fall and
fuel cost will weigh heavily on any
changes.
Frontier Airlines - Frontier airlines is advising of the
following fees and policy changes effective for tickets purchased on or after
June 10:
* Second checked bag - changing from $0
to $25
* Oversized bags -
changing from $50 to
$75
* Overweight bags -
changing from $50 to
$75
The following customers will not be
charged a service fee to check a 2nd bag provided the bag is within the weight
and size allowance:
* For the second checked bag, customers
who purchased a ticket before June 10,
2008
* EarlyReturns® Summit and Ascent
members
* Active duty military
personnel
Horizon Air -
Soaring fuel costs have forced Horizon Air to alter its fall schedule,
resulting in some routes being canceled and the frequency of flights to other
cities reduced. The changes take place Aug. 25. The Portland to Butte, Mont.,
route will end that day. Passengers traveling to Butte can catch a connecting
flight through Seattle. The Portland to Seattle route will be reduced from 31
flights daily to 21. Horizon will continue to offer flights every 30 minutes
during peak morning and evening travel times. The interval will stretch to an
hour during off-peak times. To see a list of all changes, go to www.alaskasworld.com/.
Midwest
Airlines - Midwest Airlines has announced that it will charge a
$20 fee for customers choosing to check a second bag. The new fee applies to
tickets purchased on or after Saturday, May 24, 2008 for travel June 16 and
beyond. Exempt
from this fee are active members of the U.S. military and Midwest Miles
Executive members. Wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, child car seats and other
mobility-assistive devices are also excluded. Customers will pay the
second bag fee at ticket counter check-in. Payment procedures for kiosk
check-in are being developed and will be available later this summer. In the
meantime, extra staff has been added at Milwaukee's General Mitchell
International Airport, and other locations to accommodate the new procedure.
Travelers can continue to check one bag up to 50 pounds and with outside
dimensions totaling up to 62 inches at no
charge.
Northwest Airlines - Northwest Airlines
has announed the launch of a paperless boarding pass, effective May 28, which
will allow customers to use their mobile phone and other handheld devices to
clear security and board the airport. Northwest now offers E-Boarding
Passes to customers traveling on non-stop flights from Indianaplis to cities
within the U.S. when checking in at nwa.com, using a PC or a handheld mobile
device. Northwest, in cooperation with the Transporation Security
Administration, plans to expand the E-Boarding Pass option to addtional cities
in the near future. Passengers choosing E-Boarding Pass no longer require
a printer or kiosk to print their boarding pass. They can receive their
E-Boarding Pass on the move and proceed directly to airport security
checkpoints.
Qantas
Airlines - The soaring cost of fuel has prompted Qantas to ground some
of its domestic flights from July and rethink its international
schedule. The Australian flag carrier’s chief executive officer Geoff Dixon
has said it will come out of some of its lowest performing routes including the
Sydney-Gold Coast route. The equivalent of six jets will be grounded. The
carrier plans to retire one B737 aircraft, ground two B767 aircraft and one
Jetstar A320 aircraft, cancel the delivery of one Jetstar A321 aircraft,
accelerate the retirement of its four B747-300 aircraft, currently operating
trans-continental services to Perth, by December and adjust the flying patterns
of other aircraft, including reducing the use of the B747-400 fleet.
US Airways - In what could be the
ultimate cost-cutting move by airlines buffeted by sky-high fuel prices, US
Airways Group says it will eliminate free snacks in coach class on all its
domestic flights starting June 1. US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant says the
move to cut free snacks was needed to save money in a time of extremely high
fuel costs. The airline is still providing complimentary soft drinks.
Airport/Destination
News
Boston Logan International Airport
- Continental Airlines transformed a former Delta Air Lines lounge
into a new Presidents Club in Boston, a key East Coast destination. The new
lounge is located in Terminal A, past security between CO Gates 6 and
7.
Indonesia -
According to reports released by the World Bank on May 29, severe
flooding is expected to inundate the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on 3-4 June.
Officials stated that an exceptionally high tide is expected to hit the capital,
forcing thousands to flee their homes. In addition, they indicated that the
rising water levels and high tides are due to global warming and that Jakarta is
sinking more than 2 in/5 cm a year. The flooding is expected to reach roof-high
levels as the 18-year semiannual tide cycle hits Indonesia and officials stated
that the highway connecting the capital to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
(WIII/CGK) will most likely be cut
off.
London Heathrow
International Airport - Due to a planned
demonstration on Saturday May 31, there will be some road closures and
changes to bus routes around the eastern side of Heathrow Airport. Customers are advised to allow extra time to travel to Heathrow on this
day or consider using alternative modes of transport. Please
note that the main route to Terminal 5, via the M24, will be open as
normal. Access to Terminal 1, 2 and 3 from the M4 should be unaffected as
will access to Terminal 4 from the A30 Great South West Road. Traffic on
these roads may be heavier than usual. For further information, please see the
following link to BAA's website: http://www.britishairways.com/trave/flightops/public/en_us.
Customers buying Heathrow Express tickets
from this Saturday, May 31, will be issued with a barcode that can be
scanned on the train, eliminating the need for queuing for tickets. The barcode
will either be sent by text to the traveller’s mobile phone or they will receive
it by email. International corporate account manager at Heathrow Express George
Fripp said: "Heathrow Express is introducing the e-ticketing system because of
feedback from clients. Most of our customers are busy professionals who use our
service because it is the most convenient way to get to and from Heathrow
Airport with a journey time of 15 minutes to Heathrow Central (Terminals 1, 2,
3). This removes any queuing at ticket machines or ticket desks. All you need to
do is book online and board the train straight away."
Miscellaneous
State Dept Travel
Warnings and Public announcements - For the full
announcements or further detail on Travel Warnings and Public Announcements,
please see http://travel.state.gov/travel
Mozambique - On May 29 the U.S. Embassy in Maputo issued a Warden
Message, which reads in part as follows: "The Department of State issued a
Travel Alert for South Africa on May 21 to advise American citizens about an
increase in violent attacks against foreigners in South Africa, particularly
refugees and immigrants from other African nations. On May 23, Mozambique
declared a state of emergency due to thousands of Mozambican citizens
returning to the country. The situation is currently calm, but American
citizens should monitor media reports and border congestion when traveling to
South Africa or along the Mozambique-South Africa border. The situation
remains fluid and subject to change. ..."
May 22, 2008
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February 28, 2008
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February 1, 2008
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January 3, 2008
December 27, 2007
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December 5, 2007
November 29, 2007
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November 15, 2007
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November 1, 2007
October 25, 2007
October 18, 2007
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October 4, 2007
September 27, 2007
September 20, 2007
September 13, 2007
September 6, 2007
August 30, 2007
August 23, 2007
August 16, 2007
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August 2, 2007
July 26, 2007
July 20, 2007
July 12, 2007
