Travel Update-Weekly Edition
July 24th, 2008
Airline News
American Airlines - Effective
immediately American Airlines (AA) has introduced ticketing restrictions on all
refundable fares within the United States and Canada. On most Premium
Cabin and Full Fare Coach inventories, this change will add a ticketing
requirement of 3 days before departure or 1 day after the booking is made,
whichever comes later. Premium Inventories
are defined as F/A/P/J/D/I. Full Fare Coach
inventories are Y/B. All other refundable Coach
fares require ticketing within one day of booking.
American Airlines will be increasing service to St.
Kitts from Miami with daily flights beginning November 3. American Airlines
flight #2299 will depart Miami daily at 10:50 a.m., arriving in St. Kitts at
2:50 p.m. The return flight #2280 will depart St. Kitts at 3:45 p.m., arriving
in Miami at 6:05 p.m.
Delta Air Lines -
Customers traveling on Delta Air Line’s domestic flights in First
Class or unrestricted Economy Class to or from its hub at New York’s John F.
Kennedy International Airport can enjoy complimentary* US Helicopter Airport
Shuttle Service for a limited time. This promotional offer is valid for
tickets purchased through Aug. 29, 2008. Additional
taxes/fees/restrictions apply; additional details are below. Complimentary US
Helicopter service between JFK and Manhattan is available year-round to Delta
BusinessElite customers.
Midwest Airlines - Midwest Air has cut
daily flights to 11 U.S.
cities including San Diego, Baltimore, St. Louis and two
Florida
destinations as the airline grounds a third of its fleet to counter soaring fuel
costs. On Sept. 8, Midwest will stop flying to Fort
Lauderdale and Fort Myers, Fla., and San
Diego. It will keep service to Los
Angeles and Seattle, though passengers
will travel through Kansas
City, Mo., the carrier
said. After Sept. 8, Midwest Connect will drop eight cities, including Baltimore, Hartford,
Louisville, St.
Louis and San
Antonio. The airline will continue to serve 32
destinations, including Dallas/Fort Worth.
Northwest Airlines -
Northwest will begin offering one Milwaukee-Los
Angeles daily flight Sept. 6. The new service will be on
a 148-seat Airbus 320.
Effective for ticketing on August 1,
2008, the weight exceptions on economy free baggage allowance for travel to/from
China, Hong Kong, Philippines and between Japan and Brazil
will no longer be in effect. The current economy free baggage for
travel to/from China,
Hong Kong, Philippines and between Japan and Brazil
is 2 pieces at 70lbs/32kgs and 62in per piece. The new allowance will
be changed to 2 pieces at 50lbs/23kgs and 62in/158cm per piece.
Additionally, baggage weighing
50-70lbs for travel to/from China, Hong Kong,
Philippines and between
Japan and Brazil
will be assessed a heavy bag fee of 50.00USD/50.00CAD.
Ryanair - No-frills airline
Ryanair said Thursday it will withdraw nearly a third of its aircraft from its
major London base and suspend operations at seven other European airports
because of sky-high fuel costs and its failure to negotiate lower airport fees.
Ryanair said it would operate 28 aircraft at Stansted starting in October, down
from 40. Ryanair also announced it will cancel its services from November 4 to
December 19 at seven destinations: Basel in Switzerland; the Hungarian capital,
Budapest; the Polish cities of Krakow and Rzeszow; Palma and Valencia in Spain;
and Salzburg in Austria. The Dublin-based airline said it would operate 14
percent fewer flights from Stansted than during the previous winter season.
Ryanair said it also was transferring some Stansted-based aircraft to new winter
routes, chiefly to Spain's holiday islands and Costa del Sol as well as Katowice
in southern Poland. Destinations facing reduced winter flights include Rome,
Dublin, and Glasgow in Scotland.
United Airlines - United Airlines will be closing Red Carpet Clubs in the
following airports: Atlanta International, Baltimore/Washington
International, Dallas/Ft Worth International, and Minneapolis/St Paul
International. With record-breaking fuel costs, United is continually
working to better allocate resources to provide the products and services that
matter most to customers. The decision to close the clubs was based on a number
of factors including customer usage, operating cost and strategic
alignment. Actual timing of each club's closing is still being finalized
but United is targeting having all four clubs closed by October 10th of
this year.
Virgin Blue Airlines - Virgin
Blue Airlines has announced that it will remove a further two Boeing 737
aircraft from the Australian domestic market by October 2008, reducing capacity
by approximately 3% in addition to the previously stated 6% planned capacity
reduction for the fiscal year 2008-09. Virgin
Blue will introduce a new 'pay for weight' baggage policy which will apply to
Virgin Blue and Pacific Blue domestic flights for fares booked from August 18,
2008, on flights departing from September 1, 2008. This
policy replaces the current allowance of up to 20kg of free checked baggage.
A flat
fee of $8 will apply for an increased allowance of 23kgs of checked baggage for
guests traveling on all discount fares. If the checked baggage allowance has not
been pre-purchased, a $20 charge for up to 23kgs will apply at airport
check-in.
WestJet Airlines -
WestJet says its passengers won’t be able to use their credit cards at
self-serve kiosks at airports across the country anymore. The Calgary-based
airline made the announcement on Wednesday, July 23, following a report of
credit-card fraud at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Financial
institutions have reportedly begun investigating isolated fraud incidents
stemming from the use of credit cards to obtain boarding passes from the kiosks.
There are 150 self-serve kiosks at Pearson, Canada’s busiest airport. The kiosks
are owned by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which manages the airport,
but the flow of information to and from airlines is managed by two technology
companies.
Airport/Destination
News
China- Security has been increased at
Hongqiao International Airport (ZSSS/SHA) and Pudong International Airport
(ZSPD/PVG) in Shanghai ahead of the Olympics. According to officials, in
addition to normal check-in procedures, luggage and carry-on items will also be
checked at all entrances to terminal buildings. Chemical paper -- used to detect
prohibited items in passengers' bags, including explosive or flammable items --
scanners and X-ray machines will all be used in order to secure the premises and
the passengers. In light of the increased security measures, which were
implemented on 20 July, officials have indicated that passengers should allot an
additional two hours in order to avoid missing flights. Passengers are also
being advised of liquid bans prior to boarding flights and are only allowed one
cosmetic item with a volume of no more than 100 ml (3.5 oz). Airport staff will
also be required to pass through security checks, increasing the delay for
passengers. In an effort to decrease the delay, airport officials have opened 27
check lanes. Motorists have been advised to not park in front of the terminal to
avoid causing traffic jams. Additional security measures were also implemented
in 18 other cities and regions around China, including Beijing. The increased
security measures are slated to remain in place until October 1, which is China's National
Day.
Minneapolis/St. Paul International
Airport - Up
to 80,000 additional travellers and enhanced security during the Republican
National Convention could mean longer delays for passengers at the Minneapolis-St.
Paul International Airport. Airport officials
expect 60,000 to 80,000 additional travellers during the convention, which runs
Sept. 1 through 4. They equate the increase
to a busy holiday weekend, but say security will be much tighter.
The
Transportation Security Administration gave a security overview for the RNC
during a recent Metropolitan Airports Commission's meeting. The
agency said there will be increased aircraft security and additional
runway
inspections. Other changes that may be more visible to passengers include
enhanced screenings, extra checkpoints, credential verification and increased
vehicle searches, which may include random checks of cars outside the airport
according to MAC officials. Officials say TSA agents from out of town and police
officers from neighboring cities will be brought in to help. They predict the
busiest day at the airport will be Sept. 5.
Sri Lanka
- From July 27 until August 4 Colombo will host the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit. Heads of state from
several countries in the region -- including India, Pakistan and Afghanistan --
will attend. As such, security in Colombo will be extremely tight with large
sections of the city restricted to residents and official personnel only.
Sources indicate that some areas of the capital are restricted, with limited
movement for people and vehicles, and other areas are off limits for civilians.
Four high security zones have been declared in the city, and access to roads
from the Ceramic roundabout and Kollupitiya up to Old Parliament road has been
restricted. Additional designated high security areas include the Sri Lanka
Ports Authority area, Police Headquarters area, Janadhipathi Mawatha and Galle
Face. Security arrangements for residents living in off-limit areas require
security identification of the individuals and their vehicles. Special security
arrangements have also been instituted for Bandaranaike International Airport;
Fort Colpetty and Slave Island railway stations will be closed. Transportation
disruptions and high levels of vehicular traffic are likely in the areas
surrounding the restricted neighborhoods. Furthermore, while the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group has declared a unilateral ceasefire
during the summit, this does not preclude other transnational terror groups or a
rogue LTTE faction from targeting the summit. Foreigners should avoid travel to
Colombo at this time if at all possible and should keep current with local news
to minimize disruptions if in the
city.
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
Democratic
Republic Of Congo-
On July 23 the U.S. Department of
State issued the following Travel Warning: "This Travel Warning clarifies the
areas of eastern Congo affected by rebel activity, deletes information on
Ebola, and adds information on aviation safety. Overall, the security
situation in the country remains unchanged. This Warning supersedes the Travel
Warning for the Democratic Republic of the Congo issued January 8, 2008. "The
Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa). Conditions within certain
regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remain dangerous.
Official personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa are restricted from
travel to the North Kivu area unless the travel is for official business and
has been authorized by the Embassy. "Fighting between armed rebels, Congolese
military forces, and U.N. peacekeeping troops continues in the provinces of
North and South Kivu, eastern Orientale, northern Katanga, and sporadically in
Bas Congo. U.S. citizens are warned particularly against travel in eastern
Congo as fighting there is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Armed groups as well as active duty and demobilized Congolese troops in parts
of the country, including eastern Congo, are known to pillage, carjack, and
steal vehicles, kill extra-judicially, rape, kidnap, and carry out military or
paramilitary operations. Government soldiers, as well as rebel fighters
expected to be demobilized as a result of ongoing peace processes, remain a
security concern. Travelers are frequently detained and questioned by poorly
disciplined security forces at numerous roadblocks and border crossings
throughout the country. "Travelers to the DRC frequently experience
difficulties at the airport and other ports of entry, such as temporary
detention, passport confiscation, and demands by immigration and security
personnel for unofficial 'special fees.' Visas are not available at ports of
entry. All resident foreigners, including Americans, are required to register
at the office of the Direction General de Migration (DGM) in the commune of
their place of residence. Border closures of 24-48 hour durations can occur
without much advance notice. "Enforcement of aviation safety standards in the
DRC is uneven, with frequent incidents and crashes. The U.S. Embassy has
prohibited official travel by U.S. government employees and contractors on all
DRC-owned and operated commercial airlines due to safety and maintenance
concerns. International flights on foreign-owned and -operated carriers are
not affected by this notice."
Spain- On July 21 the U.S. Embassy in Madrid issued the
following Warden Message: "The Basque terrorist group, ETA, has claimed
responsibility for detonating five bombs in northern Spain this weekend, four
of which occurred near popular seaside resorts in Cantabria. Although no one
was killed, there were several injuries. These bombings may mark the beginning
of ETA's traditional summer bombing campaign, which targets holiday resorts to
hurt the Spanish tourist industry. "In light of these recent bombings, U.S.
citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be
aware of local events in all parts of Spain, and take the appropriate steps to
bolster their personal security."
Sri
Lanka -
On July 23, the U.S. Embassy in
Colombo issued the following Warden Message: "The Government of Sri Lanka will
be hosting the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
Summit from July 27 - August 3, 2008 in Colombo. Sri Lankan authorities have
announced numerous road closures to the general public during the summit,
which include Galle Road north of Kollupitiya Junction where the U.S. Embassy
is located. "The Embassy will remain open during the summit period. However,
due to the likely difficulty of traveling to and within Colombo during the
SAARC summit, the Embassy encourages American citizens who require routine
services to come to the Embassy prior to or after the SAARC Summit. Americans
are reminded to obey all instructions from security personnel. The high
profile nature of the SAARC summit may mean a greater likelihood that you will
be stopped for security checks."
Timor -
Leste - The U.S.
Department of State issued the following Travel Warning for Timor-Leste
on July 22: "This Travel Warning
updates information regarding the security situation in Timor-Leste (formerly
East Timor). The Department of State advises U.S. citizens of the continuing
potential for violent civil unrest in Timor-Leste and urges U.S. citizens to
consider carefully the risks of travel to Timor-Leste at this time. Americans
currently in Timor-Leste should evaluate carefully their safety and security
situation in light of this Travel Warning. This supersedes the Travel Warning
issued on February 15, 2008. "While politically-related civil unrest in
Timor-Leste has diminished and security has improved, the potential for
violence remains. Security conditions could deteriorate without warning, and
foreigners may be specifically targeted. U.S. citizens should consider
carefully the risks of travel to Timor-Leste. Those already in Timor-Leste
should exercise caution, limit movements to the extent possible, and maintain
a high level of security awareness while moving around in Dili; be alert to
the potential for violence, and avoid demonstrations, large gatherings, and
areas where disturbances have occurred. Demonstrations can occur anywhere, and
especially at or near symbols and institutions of the Government of
Timor-Leste, including government buildings and houses belonging to prominent
politicians. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn
confrontational and escalate into violence. "Since April 2006, Timor-Leste has
experienced outbreaks of politically-related civil unrest, and the risk of
further violent unrest continues. In 2007 violent disturbances broke out in
Dili and in the Eastern districts of Baucau and Viqueque following the
President’s announcement of a new government. In February 2008 rebels carried
out an unsuccessful assassination attempt against the President and Prime
Minister. The attackers subsequently surrendered, and the security situation
has remained calm since then. However, indiscriminate communal violence and
criminal violence have occurred, and they can occur unexpectedly throughout
the country. "Areas in Dili affected by violence have included the
international airport and its surroundings and the areas around internally
displaced persons camps near the Comoro market and Bairo Pite. Gang-related
violence has occurred often in Dili, and Americans risk intentional or
inadvertent injury when traveling in affected areas. Criminals have been known
to operate illegal checkpoints for taxis and minibuses in some areas of Dili.
American citizens are advised against using taxis or minibuses for
transportation. Americans remaining in Timor-Leste despite this warning should
monitor the media for updates on the safety and security situation and check
the status of flights before traveling to the airport."
July 17, 2008
July 10, 2008
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