Fall Travel News: Airlines, TSA wait times

Laptop email plugins for business travelers.

The following airlines are now charging customers who speak directly with reservations agents or airport ticket agents to purchase tickets. Most are charging $5-$10 per reservation: Continental, Northwest, US Airways, American, United.

Delta Airlines

As part of its restructuring, Delta Air Lines is cutting its flights from Dallas-Fort Worth to just 21 a day from more than 250 and moving about half of that service to Atlanta, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City. Delta is adding new cities out of Atlanta effective January 31, 2005. When the move is completed, Delta will have more than 1,000 flights a day out of Atlanta to more than 200 national and international destinations worldwide. For example, it's adding 15 daily flights to Baltimore, bringing the total number of Delta and Delta Connection flights to Washington, D.C airports to 46 daily. With 14 new flights to LaGuardia, it will have 43 daily flights to the New York area (including flights to JFK, Islip and White Plains).

Delta signed a marketing alliance with Alaska and its regional affiliate Horizon Air that includes code sharing and frequent-flyer program reciprocity, subject to government approval. The airlines will continue to schedule flights independently but said they will evaluate their schedules to optimize connections. Code sharing by Delta on Alaska flights will require changes in Delta's pilots' contract.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

The Transportation Security Administration unveiled a Web-based service that enables travelers to look up the average and maximum wait time for security checkpoints at a specific airport for a specific time of day. Results are based on a 28-day rolling average, updated daily.

Nearly 18,000 airline passengers who filed claims that items in their checked luggage were stolen or damaged during airport security checks during the last 18 months will soon find out how much compensation they will receive. The checks, totaling nearly $1.2 million, have yet to be mailed, but written statements from the Transportation Security Administration that list the amount of compensation due are on the way, according to an agency spokesperson.

Amounts to claimants will vary from full restitution to smaller amounts. About 17 % of the claims were denied.

Additional information or inquiries have delayed another 8,000 claims, the TSA said.

Los Angeles International Airport had the largest number of claims, amounting to nearly 2,000. The second largest number of claims, nearly 1,200 , was file at Chicago's O'Hare.

The effort to pay claims has been delayed by difficult and long negotiations between the TSA and the airlines over how to handle them.

Jet Blue & Song

JetBlue and Song plan to launch New York (Kennedy)-Nassau service this year, for their first head-to-head showdown in the international arena. JetBlue plans to begin service Nov 1 on A320 aircraft, pending government approvals, while Song plans to begin Dec 1 with 757 aircraft.

Nassau will be the first international destination for Song and the third for JetBlue, which launched service to Santiago and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in June.

United Airlines

United Airlines will launch a new three-cabin Boeing 757, premium domestic service known as "p.s." The new product will offer more space and comfort for passengers flying between New York and Los Angeles, as well as New York and San Francisco. The new p.s. flights between New York-JFK and Los Angeles will roll out from Oct 18 to late December, while p.s. service between New York-JFK and SFO will roll out from late December to late February 2005.

SkyTeam & China Southern

SkyTeam could be expanding its membership ranks to China.

China Southern and the global airline alliance reached an agreement that SkyTeam called a "preliminary step in the new-member process."

China Southern will need to meet quality standards for alliances and other requirements in order to join, but SkyTeam said it already is looking forward to extending its reach into the Chinese market´s "vast potential growth." SkyTeam currently consist of Delta, Air France, Alitalia, Aeromexico, Korean and Czech Airlines.

Get an expert business travel evaluation.

Did you Know Airlines Hotels & Cars Frequent Flyer Vacations Presidents Corner	The following airlines are now charging customers who speak directly with reservations agents or airport ticket agents to purchase tickets. Most are charging $5-$10 per reservation: Continental, Northwest, US Airways, American, United. Delta Airlines As part of its restructuring, Delta Air Lines is cutting its flights from Dallas-Fort Worth to just 21 a day from more than 250 and moving about half of that service to Atlanta, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City. Delta is adding new cities out of Atlanta effective January 31, 2005. When the move is completed, Delta will have more than 1,000 flights a day out of Atlanta to more than 200 national and international destinations worldwide. For example, it's adding 15 daily flights to Baltimore, bringing the total number of Delta and Delta Connection flights to Washington, D.C airports to 46 daily. With 14 new flights to LaGuardia, it will have 43 daily flights to the New York area (including flights to JFK, Islip and White Plains). Delta signed a marketing alliance with Alaska and its regional affiliate Horizon Air that includes code sharing and frequent-flyer program reciprocity, subject to government approval. The airlines will continue to schedule flights independently but said they will evaluate their schedules to optimize connections. Code sharing by Delta on Alaska flights will require changes in Delta's pilots' contract. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) The Transportation Security Administration unveiled a Web-based service that enables travelers to look up the average and maximum wait time for security checkpoints at a specific airport for a specific time of day. Results are based on a 28-day rolling average, updated daily. Nearly 18,000 airline passengers who filed claims that items in their checked luggage were stolen or damaged during airport security checks during the last 18 months will soon find out how much compensation they will receive. The checks, totaling nearly $1.2 million, have yet to be mailed, but written statements from the Transportation Security Administration that list the amount of compensation due are on the way, according to an agency spokesperson. Amounts to claimants will vary from full restitution to smaller amounts. About 17 % of the claims were denied. Additional information or inquiries have delayed another 8,000 claims, the TSA said. Los Angeles International Airport had the largest number of claims, amounting to nearly 2,000. The second largest number of claims, nearly 1,200 , was file at Chicago's O'Hare. The effort to pay claims has been delayed by difficult and long negotiations between the TSA and the airlines over how to handle them. Jet Blue & Song JetBlue and Song plan to launch New York (Kennedy)-Nassau service this year, for their first head-to-head showdown in the international arena. JetBlue plans to begin service Nov 1 on A320 aircraft, pending government approvals, while Song plans to begin Dec 1 with 757 aircraft. Nassau will be the first international destination for Song and the third for JetBlue, which launched service to Santiago and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in June. United Airlines United Airlines will launch a new three-cabin Boeing 757, premium domestic service known as "p.s." The new product will offer more space and comfort for passengers flying between New York and Los Angeles, as well as New York and San Francisco. The new p.s. flights between New York-JFK and Los Angeles will roll out from Oct 18 to late December, while p.s. service between New York-JFK and SFO will roll out from late December to late February 2005. SkyTeam & China Southern SkyTeam could be expanding its membership ranks to China. China Southern and the global airline alliance reached an agreement that SkyTeam called a "preliminary step in the new-member process." China Southern will need to meet quality standards for alliances and other requirements in order to join, but SkyTeam said it already is looking forward to extending its reach into the Chinese market´s "vast potential growth." SkyTeam currently consist of Delta, Air France, Alitalia, Aeromexico, Korean and Czech Airlines.	Get an expert business travel evaluation.