Airport News - North America.

May 31, 2009

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun collecting biometrics -- digital fingerprints and photographs -- from non-U.S. citizens departing the United States as part of a pilot program at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. Since 2004, biometrics have helped DHS prevent the use of fraudulent documents, protect visitors from identity theft and stop thousands of criminals and immigration violators from entering the United States. May 29, 2009

American Airlines

Due to heavy summer loads and high volumes of checked baggage, customers traveling on American or American Eagle to certain destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America will not be able to check extra bags or boxes during the embargo period. The baggage embargo applies to San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa and San Salvador in Central America; Maracaibo, Cali, Medellin, La Paz, Santa Cruz and Quito in South America; Santo Domingo, Santiago, Port-au-Prince, Grenada and Kingston in the Caribbean; Nassau, George-Town, Exuma, Marsh Harbour and Freeport in the Bahamas; as well as Guadalajara, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosi, Chihuahua and Leon in Mexico. All American Eagle flights to and from San Juan are also included. American is a founding member of the global oneworld Alliance. www.aa.com May 29, 2009

American Airlines

Summer is fast approaching, so American Airlines and American Eagle, its regional affiliate, are reminding customers about the box and bag embargo on flights to certain destinations from June 6 through Aug. 25, 2009. May 28, 2009

American Airlines

American Airlines Cashless Cabins Begin Monday Onboard U.S. Domestic and Canada Flights. On June 1, American Airlines will go cashless onboard flights within the continental United States, as well as flights to and from Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada. For inflight purchases such as headsets, fresh meals, snacks and alcoholic beverages, American will accept American Express Cards and other major credit or debit cards only. Flight attendants utilize a hand-held Onboard Sales Recorder to charge credit and debit cards, eliminating the need to search for small bills or change. American, a founding member of the global oneworld[umlaut] Alliance, has used these hand-held devices since May 2006. Receipts will be provided to passengers upon request. Cashless cabins will not be implemented onboard American Eagle and AmericanConnection flights - only cash will continue to be accepted onboard those flights, just as it is today. May 27, 2009

American Eagle

American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, unveiled its schedule for two previously announced round-trip flights between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK) in Manhattan, Kan., which will begin Aug. 25. The new service will be operated with 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets. May 26, 2009

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

Great Lakes Brewing Company to Open the Tap at the AIRMALL at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The award-winning lagers, ales and porters from Great Lakes Brewing Company, a Cleveland original, will soon flow from the tap at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). BAA Cleveland, developer of the AIRMALL at CLE, has forged a lease agreement with Cleveland Partners, LLC, who will introduce an enhanced, brand-approved version of the Great Lakes Brewing Company restaurant and bar in the AIRMALL, bringing more regional flavor to the airport. May 28, 2009

Delta Air Lines

Smart airlines offer more to retain its passengers in times of economic trouble, but instead Delta Air Lines said on Wednesday it will charge international travelers USD 50 to check a second bag only on its U.S.-European routes, citing a "competitive decision" for scaling back its plans for the fee. In April, the Atlanta-based carrier said it would charge the fees on all international flights in a bid to raise USD 100 million annually. "We constantly monitor the industry landscape to ensure our fares and fees are competitive," spokeswoman Betsy Talton said in an email explaining the change. The first bag is free on Delta international flights. A better idea might be no charge for bags and better service to compete with its Euro competitors by putting passengers first instead levying petty fees. May 28, 2009

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines is offering Delta SkyMiles and Northwest WorldPerks members 2,500 bonus miles for each flight segment purchased and flown on the Delta Shuttle between New York City and Boston or Washington, D.C. from May 26 through July 26, 2009 May 26, 2009

Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines

All Northwest Airlines check-in positions at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport will be consolidated with Delta Air Lines. The move is a continuation of the airlinesO merger in October. Delta will be phasing out the Northwest brand over the next year, making Delta the largest commercial airline service in the world and says all customers flying Delta or Northwest should now check in with Delta. May 26, 2009

JetAmerica

A new low-cost airline will begin serving mid-sized U.S. cities that it thinks larger carriers have left behind. Clearwater, Fla.-based JetAmerica said 34 nonstop passenger flights a week will start July 13 at Toledo, Ohio; South Bend, Ind.; Melbourne, Fla.; Newark, N.J.; Minneapolis and Lansing, Mich. Twenty-eight flights start or end at Newark Liberty International Airport. The carrier will add six more flights -- from Toledo to Minneapolis -- starting Aug. 14. JetAmerica is targeting small and midsize cities like Lansing, which has seen the number of daily flights at its Capital Region International Airport fall from 35 to 12 the past five years. The decline is part of a national trend that has seen airfares increase at those airports as daily flights have decreased. May 30, 2009

Midwest Airlines

Midwest Airlines began selling a Business Select fare, in which customers pay more to get to the front of the boarding line, earn extra frequent flyer credit and get a free alcoholic beverage on board, and last fall it also began offering priority security lane access for its business Select and Rapid Reward A-List customers. The push for more business travelers also is one of the main reasons Southwest decided to add service to New York LaGuardia later this year. Southwest said 20 percent of its travelers paid full fare in the first quarter, which is an indicator of the level of business travel (albeit an imperfect one because some leisure travelers buy last-minute fares and some business travelers buy discounted fares). And that figure actually has dropped from about 25 percent because of the recession, which has disproportionately affected business travel. Whether any of this will matter in Milwaukee is another question, because the impact on Midwest will depend in part on which routes Southwest opts to offer its initial services. May 26, 2009

OneWorld

Airline alliance OneWorld has produced a series of free to view videos with tips for business travellers. The videos, which last up to 90 seconds, include advice on finding your way around a foreign city, how to travel light, how to stay wired, how to reduce stress and how to save time. The series has been put together in co-operation with travel guide book Lonely Planet. www.oneworld.com May 28, 2009

San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco International Airport, already one of the worldOs most environmentally conscious airports, is about to get even greener. By 2010, the Airport will be home to a hydrogen fueling station, designed and installed by Linde North America. May 28, 2009

United Airlines, DialAFlight

This summer, DialAFlight have teamed up with United Airlines to offer free children's fares to a whole host of US destinations. Only taxes and surcharges will apply to the ticket. Until the end of August, the American carrier, in conjunction with DialAFlight, are offering free flights to any child accompanied by an adult. Destinations include Orlando, New York and San Francisco. The announcement comes in the midst of an offers-culture amongst airlines and travel agents, all desperate to outdo each other in the wake of the credit crunch and swine flu crises. Although passenger numbers are returning to normal seasonal levels for the summer, it hasn't stopped the major carriers angling for higher volumes. May 28, 2009

United Vacations

United Vacations is offering USD 200 savings on Mexico all-inclusive vacations, which include for one price flight, hotel stay, roundtrip airport/hotel transportation, all meals, beverages and gratuities. The offer is valid for bookings made by 6 p.m. CST on June 15 for travel through Feb. 28, 2010 (some black-out dates apply). Promotion code MEXCARGROW must be used at the time of booking to receive the savings. Save USD 200 on vacations of USD 4,000 or more; USD 100 on vacations of USD 2,200 to USD 3,999; or USD 50 on vacations of USD 1,300 to USD 2,199. www.vaxvacationaccess.com/uv. May 29, 2009

US Airways

US Airways announced today that it will launch daily nonstop flights between its hub at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C. and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil beginning December 2, 2009, pending final approval from the Brazilian government. The new route is US AirwaysO first service to South America and the airlineOs fifth new international route this year. The flight will originate at the airlineOs hub in Philadelphia and continue on to Charlotte and Rio de Janeiro. Service between Charlotte and Rio de Janeiro will be operated with Boeing 767 aircraft with seating for 18 in Envoy, US AirwaysO international business class, and 186 in the main cabin. May 26, 2009

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