• Recently Written

  • Delta’s New In-flight Safety Video
  • Passport Information
  • Hotel Information March 2008
  • Airlines Information March 2008
  • Did You know that …
  • Frequent Flyer information March 2008
  • Hotel & Car Rental Updates; March
  • Free Day with Avis
  • Avis Rent a Car Coupon
  • Airlines News March 2008

• Categories

  • Airlines
  • American Express
  • Car Rentals
  • Frequent Flyer
  • Hotels
  • Other
  • Presidents Corner

• Archives

  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006

• Blogroll

  • Business Solutions
  • Business travel Evaluation
  • Cruise & Vacations
  • Offices

• News Readers

  • 
  • 
  • 
  •  Subscribe in your reader
  • Receive Email Updates

• Search

Government, Industry Scramble for Solution to Air Delays
Debate continues over solutions to air delays that start in the northeast and spread across the country. Authorities zeroed in on John F. Kennedy International, with the Department of Transportation releasing its target figures for the number of daily flights that can be handled at JFK.

The target is 80 flights per hour between 6 a.m. and 9:59 p.m. daily, upping that to 81 per hour between 3 p.m. and 7:59 p.m. Mary Peters, Secretary of Transportation, said that the department is also developing a series of market-based measures to reduce congestion at New York’s three airports before the start of the 2008 summer travel season.

These include using congestion pricing to preserve passenger choice while reducing delays. Pressure is mounting to solve the problem; the Federal Aviation Administration gave JFK its rarely used worst congestion rating.

That designation means that flight schedules will be reduced in spring and summer whether or not the airlines agree to those reductions. It also formally extends FAA authority to cut schedules of overseas carriers at JFK, if necessary. Meanwhile, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has also entered the fray. It criticized the proposed flight limits, saying such limits would limit growth without solving the congestion problems. Anthony Coscia, chairman of the Port Authority, called the cutting flights “potentially a recipe for worsening the problem by pushing growing passenger demand to other airports.

” The Port Authority proposed expanding capacity, improving efficiency, maintaining safety, and allowing the region’s airports to meet current and future passenger demand. (Source: Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Port Authority of New Jersey press releases).

DOT Reports Airfares Down
Average airfares in the second quarter of 2007 were down 4.5 percent from the second quarter of 2006 and remained below the pre-9/11 high, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

BTS reported that the average domestic itinerary fare in the second quarter of 2007 was $326, down 4.5 percent from the average fare in the second quarter of 2006, the post-2001 high, and down 5.8 percent from the historic second-quarter high of $346 in 2000. (Source: DOT press release).

American Starts Flights to Stansted
American Airlines now has daily service out of John F. Kennedy International to London Stansted, the only transatlantic service between New York and Stansted to offer both Business and Economy class seats. In April, it will add a second daily flight. Stansted airport is becoming increasingly popular with business travelers. It is less than an hour from central London by express rail. American is building a business lounge at the airport that is scheduled to be ready in the spring. (Source: American Airlines press release).

Delta, American Express Partner on Giveaway
Delta Air Lines is offering U.S. SkyMiles members the chance to participate in the third annual “Tickets for Life” sweepstakes and win a grand prize of 2.5 million SkyMiles and $25,000 - enough miles to redeem two domestic tickets every year for 50 years.

To enter the sweepstakes, members must enroll at delta.com/ticketsforlife, purchase a ticket at delta.com between Sept. 25 and. Dec.15, 2007, and travel before Jan. 15, 2008. Members who purchase tickets with any American Express® Card will be entered into the sweepstakes twice. (Source: Delta press release).

Aer Lingus Starts Nonstop San Francisco, Dublin Flights
Aer Lingus has begun non-stop flights between Dublin, Ireland and San Francisco International Airport. It is starting with four nonstops per week, departing Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. (Source: Aer Lingus press release).

Cash-free Flying
Increasingly, airlines are moving to credit cards in-flight. JetBlue has joined airlines such as Midwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, AirTran and others in going cashless in flight and accepting major credit and debit cards instead. American Airlines is also accepting credit and debit cards for onboard purchases, although it still accepts cash.

However, it is testing going completely cashless on flights out of San Francisco. Most carriers accept both cash and credit cards, with some accepting only credit cards on certain flights.

It makes it easier for business travelers to bill their in-flight meals back to the company, but also fattens airlines’ bottom line. Aloha Airlines reports that alcohol sales increased by 30 percent on cashless flights. (Source: airline press releases).

Car and Rail

Amtrak Offers T-Mobile Hotspots in Northeast Stations
Amtrak now has T-Mobile hotspot service in five key stations in its northeast corridor: Washington Union Station, Baltimore Penn Station, Wilmington Station, Philadelphia 30th Street Station and New York Penn Station. A variety of service plans are available, from one-day passes to unlimited annual access. (Source:
Amtrak press release).

Car Rental Companies Launch Carbon Offset Program
Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car have introduced customer carbon offset program that gives the 20 to 25 million customers who rent from them each year the chance to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated by their rentals by paying $1.25 per rental to fund certifies offset projects that work to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. The three car rental companies will match the purchases, dollar for dollar, up to $1 million. The program will start Jan. 1.

Spot Light on
Business Travel Cost

The American Express 2008 Global Business Travel Forecast projects that business travel demand will out pace capacity in 2008, driving rate increase across air, hotel, car rental and meetings.

• Worldwide airfares expected to climb
• Hotel rates to see double digit increases in U.S., Europe and Asia
• Domestic trips including air, car and hotel, expected to increase six percent, costing an average of $1,110
• International trips expected to increase nearly seven percent for an average cost of $3,171
• Competition in some markets should help ease some airfare increases
• U.S.-E.U. Open Skies Accord, low-price airlines and efficient aircraft will also temper air increases
• Hoteliers to enjoy high demand and slow supply growth

Source: American Express

 

Aeromexico, Mexico´s largest airline announced its newest flight from Atlanta to Mexico City, with a daily non-stop flight starting on November 15th, 2007.

From Atlanta, flights will depart daily at 3:00pm, arriving in Mexico City Airport at 5:55pm return flights from Mexico City will depart daily at 9:25am, arriving in Atlanta at 1:45pm. This flight will offer great connectivity with the cities of Guadalajara, Los Cabos, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Monterrey via Mexico City.

Aeromexico is committed to consistently exceeding passengers’ expectations and takes pride in its high level of service. All passengers, including coach class, enjoy traditional Mexican hospitality with snack meals, complimentary cocktails, exceptional in-flight service, and superior on-time performance.

For the most discriminating traveler, Aeromexico’s Clase Premier first class cabin offers an exemplary travel experience featuring spacious seating, a personal entertainment system, gourmet dining menu designed by Mexico’s top chef, Monica Patino to create the menus served during long-haul flights (on international flights lasting over three and half hours) in Clase Premier. Monica’s intuitive and aesthetic handling of ingredients always glorifies the dishes she presents. Together, Aeromexico and chef Patino put their all into getting products from land to the air for you to enjoy the skies.

For more information and complete flight schedules from all U.S. gateways served by Aeromexico, please visit Aeromexico’s web site at www.aeromexico.com or call
1 (800) 237-6639.

Aeromexico serves more than 40 cities in Mexico, more than any other airline, and 15 gateway cities in the United States including; Austin, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas Los Angeles; Miami; New York City; Ontario, Orlando, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Tucson and Seattle – Pairs and Madrid in Europe – Managua, Nicaragua and San Pedro Sula, Honduras in Central America - Sao Paulo, Brazil, Lima, Peru, Buenos Aires, Argentina & Santiago de Chile in South America as well as Narita, Japan in Asia.

Founded in 1988, Aeromexico has become the leading carrier in the region by maintaining the highest service levels, which have earned the airline numerous top rankings in the industry. The airline was the first Mexican carrier to introduce a frequent flyer program. Today, Aeromexico’s Club Premier Program enjoys more than two million members. Aeromexico is a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance, which provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services.

Delta Air Lines is extending its online Medallion Marketplace to Silver and Gold Medallions, offering all U.S. based SkyMiles Medallion members access the Marketplace. Medallion members let their fingers do the shopping to redeem miles or miles and money for travel and non-travel merchandise including:

• Plasma screen TVs, DVD players and a wide variety of electronics
• Experiential packages with fighter pilot simulations, hot air ballooning, whitewater rafting, rodeo riding and NASCAR driving opportunities
• Hotel or condo stays at some of the finest locations in the world
• Access to some of the top golf courses in the country
• Gift cards from more than 100 vendors including popular stores, restaurants and movie theater chains

"The Medallion Marketplace is very popular among our members and we’ve received a very positive response from Gold and Silver Medallions during promotional periods, so we are opening this benefit up to them all the time," said Jeff Robertson, managing director of the SkyMiles Program. "This is another step in continued efforts to provide our customers more choice in using their valuable frequent flyer miles."

Medallion members may log on to delta.com/medallionmarketplace at any time with their SkyMiles number and PIN to browse, shop and redeem miles online for a variety of items which they can purchase for themselves or as gifts for others. Items offered are worth a range of miles - from movie passes for fewer than 1,000 miles, to a full day of driving a NASCAR stock car for about 250,000 miles.

from Delta Airlines