Air Canada announced it will add four seasonal nonstop routes to Europe next year. The new routes: Montreal-Athens; Montreal-Barcelona; Toronto-Athens; and Toronto-Barcelona. All four routes will operate three times a week between June 3 and Oct. 18. Air Canada will fly 244-seat Boeing 767-300ER jets on the routes.

Alaska Airlines has resurrected the popular "nerd bird" route, providing nonstop service between San Jose, CA. and Austin, TX. The flight will originate in Portland, OR., and the airline will add another daily flight between the three cities starting March 14, 2010. Alaska will inaugurate the new route with its "Wi-Fi One" aircraft, a specially-equipped Boeing 737-700 offering inflight broadband Internet access. Customers will be able to connect to Alaska Airlines Inflight Wi-Fi using any Wi-Fi enabled device, such as a laptop, smart phone, or portable media player.

Allegiant announced it will add nonstop service between the Tri-Cities Airport near Pasco, WA. and Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The carrier will fly one round-trip flight each Thursday and Sunday. Allegiant also flies to Las Vegas NV. from Pasco WA.

Continental has announced it is going truly paperless at SFO. The system allows the airline to send a boarding pass to a cell Phone or PDA. The image is then scanned by the TSA at the security checkpoint, eliminating the need for a paper boarding pass.

Continental has announced plans to add a baggage fee on international flights. The first bag will remain free, but the second bag will cost passengers $50. This includes flights traveling between Europe and the United States, and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hawaiian will begin charging customers for a first checked bag on flights within Hawaii. Beginning with tickets purchased on or after Sept. 14, the carrier will charge $10.00 for the first bag on flights within the Hawaiian islands.

JetBlue has announced they will discontinue three daily flights between San Jose and Long Beach in January.

Midwest announced an increase in checked baggage fees for tickets issued after Sept. 1. Passengers will now be charged $20.00 each way for the first piece of checked baggage, $30.00 for the second piece and $50.00 for each piece exceeding the second. Bags may not exceed 50 pounds and the outside dimensions when added together may not exceed 62 inches. On codeshare flights, baggage allowances and fees will be determined by the policy of the carrier on which the passenger's flight originates. For example, passengers on a Northwest codeshare flight operated by Midwest will check in with Midwest, and Midwest baggage allowances and fees will apply. Conversely, passengers on a Midwest codeshare flight operated by Northwest will check in with Northwest, and Northwest baggage allowances and fees will apply.

Southwest has introduced EarlyBird check-in. This allows customers the option to score an early boarding position by adding an additional $10 to the price of a one-way fare. The low-cost service automatically reserves a boarding position for Customers prior to general check-in, allowing EarlyBird Customers to begin boarding the plane after Southwest's Business Select and Rapid Rewards A-List Customers. EarlyBird Check-in is available for travel beginning Sept. 3.

Southwest Airlines will temporarily halt flights on three routes early next year. The airline will cut one flight per day on 92 routes and increase service on 42 routes, usually by one trip per day as well. Southwest also will suspend service between Albuquerque, NM., and Portland, OR.; and between Manchester, NH., and Phoenix, AZ. with flights resuming in February. Flights between Kansas City, MO., and Seattle will stop in January and resume in May, according to the airline. Southwest will add nonstop service from St. Louis to Boston and Minneapolis in January.

United has announced it will accept only credit and debit cards for most onboard purchases on flights to and from Brazil and Argentina, as well as trans-Atlantic flights. To speed cabin service, provide receipts, and increase efficiency, cash will no longer be accepted onboard these flights, except for duty-free purchases.

US Airways continues to enhance its customers' in-flight experience with the introduction of several new restaurant-quality cocktails and premium beverages for sale on flights. The new beverage options complement the popular premium snacks US Airways began offering earlier this summer, all under a new in-flight menu called US Airways MarketPlace. New to US Airways' MarketPlace menu are Stirrings' award-winning, all-natural cocktail mixers. Customers can choose from three new cocktails for $8 each - a Pomegranate Martini, Mai Tai or Margarita, all made with real fruit juice, triple-filtered water and cane sugar. Also new to the airline's in-flight menu are three well-known 'pick-me-ups' for $3 each: AriZona Arnold Palmer Lite Half & Half, the classic iced tea lemonade combo; iced Starbucks® Frappuccino® Coffee Drink; and Red Bull. US Airways is also adding Beck's, a classic German pilsner, to its list of beers, which already includes Budweiser and Bud Light. Beer, wine and spirits are available for $7 each. Café Mystique, a gourmet blend by Higgins & Burke, has been selected as US Airways' new onboard coffee. Café Mystique and the airline's assortment of soda, juices and water are complimentary. As part of its MarketPlace menu, US Airways will continue to sell a variety of sweet and savory snacks and fresh meals on longer flights. Food options range from $3 for snacks to $7 for fresh meals.

Virgin America announced changes to the airline's baggage fees. Effective for all bookings made on or after Aug. 21, for travel starting on or after Sept. 10, the airline has changed its baggage fee to a flat $20 rate for all checked items (excluding the first and second bag for First Class travelers; and the first bag for Main Cabin Select and Refundable Fare travelers). Previously, the airline's fee was $15 for these checked items. Any Main Cabin guest who books a non-refundable ticket for travel starting on or after Sept. 10, will be charged a flat rate of $20 for each checked bag ($20 for a first checked bag and $20 for the second through the tenth checked bag). Guests who purchased Virgin America tickets and travel before Sept. 10, will be charged per the airline's previous bag fee rate. Guests can pay checked bag charges when they check in at airport kiosks, on-line or at any airport ticket counter.

All airline members of the oneworld alliance serving Barcelona's El Prat airport are to transfer their operations into its new Terminal 1 with effect from Sept. 9. Five of the alliance's carriers serve the airport - Iberia along with its affiliate Iberia Regional Air Nostrum, American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair and Royal Jordanian. Iberia's value-based associate, Vueling, which is not part of oneworld, is also moving to Terminal 1 at the same time.

Approximately 1,500 delegates will congregate in Pittsburgh, PA . September 24 and 25 for the bi-annual Group of 20 (G20) summit. The event is likely to cause massive business and transportation disruptions as officials attempt to secure the multiple summit venues. Thousands of media members and social activists are expected to flock to the city alongside the delegates, cramming hotels and straining Pittsburgh's mass transit system. Thousands of additional security personnel will be deployed to counter security threats and contain social unrest. Due to a history of mass protests and violence at G20 summits, expect security to be extremely tight as the summit date approaches.