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Weekly UpdatesAug 16, 2009
US Air Transport Assn. earlier this week called on FAA to withdraw its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking overhauling airline training programs for aircraft crewmembers and flight dispatchers. In a sharply worded statement, the trade group called the proposal "logistically impossible to implement" and said it "seems to abandon the advancements in pilot training programs that have been instrumental in improving airline safety." ATA President and CEO James May said in a statement, "While we appreciate the FAA's desire to quickly adopt new training rules, we believe that the rule as proposed could set the safety clock back by more than a decade." The NPRM was published in the Federal Register in January. Airlines would have five years from the effective date of a final rule to insure that pilots, flight engineers, flight attendants and dispatchers are in compliance with the new training requirements. According to the preamble, "the primary purpose. . .is to establish new requirements for traditional air carrier training programs to ensure that safety-critical training is included. These changes are expected to make a significant contribution to the FAA's accident reduction goal." ATA recommended that the agency suspend the rulemaking "and immediately convene an Aviation Rulemaking Committee to address the many conflicts and inconsistencies identified in the ATA comments." Aug 13, 2009
TSA is about to require airline passengers to provide even more personal information when booking flights. The second phase of the Transportation Security Administration, or TSAOs, Secure Flight Program will begin Aug. 15 and will require travelers to give their date of birth and gender when purchasing tickets. The first phase began in May after most airlines began requesting a passengerOs name as it appears on government identification. Aug 12, 2009
Close formation flying involving only two aircraft could deliver fuel savings of up to 14 percent, according to a US Air Force study. Chief scientist Werner Dahm says the work is intended to ensure that "two aircraft can maintain the sweet spot", and that an operational system would be likely to use an automated flight mode. Aug 11, 2009
We all know the drill: you show up at the airport with plenty of time to spare, only to discover that your flightOs been delayed and now you have hours to kill. Or worse yet, youOve already boarded your flight and now youOre stuck on the tarmac. There is some good news overall: the worst airport (thereOs a new winner this year) improved on its delays by 3 percentage points. It was also the only airport to have 30 percent or more of its flights delayed; last year, four airports broke the 30 percent barrier. This upward trend meant that even though some airports improved their on-time performance, their ranking may not have changed much. Dallas decreased its flight delays by a lotN6 percentage pointsNbut it remained at the No. 4 spot in the top 10 worst airports. And JFKNdespite decreasing its delays 11 percentage points over the past 2 yearsNtied with Dallas for that No. 4 spot. Some of these airports will come as no surprise: the skies around New York City continue to be congested, backing up traffic at all three area airports. And other hubs like Atlanta and Chicago remain on the list of offenders. But both the best and worst lists have some newcomers this year. PhiladelphiaNon neither list in 2007 or 2008Nshowed up in the top 10 worst airports (22 percent of flights were delayed). Orlando had sunnier news, breaking into the 10 best list with just 18 percent of its flights delayed (good news, of course, for visitors to Disney World). Detroit, too, joins the ranks of the elite, with 17 percent of its flights delayed. And of course some airports have disappeared from the lists. ThatOs unfortunate for Seattle, which was one of the 10 best in 2008. ItOs better news for Chicago Midway (MDW), which at 25 percent was one of the 10 worst in 2008. Aug 10, 2009
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines will inaugurate daily service between Portland, Ore., and Chicago, starting Nov. 16, 2009. To celebrate, Alaska Airlines is offering USD 99 one-way fares on the new nonstop route for tickets purchased by Aug. 31, for travel by Jan. 31, 2010. Fares are available for purchase today on alaskaair.com or by calling 800-ALASKAAIR or 800-392-0228). OThis new nonstop service provides customers with a critical link between Portland and the nation's second-busiest airport, which has recently experienced significant capacity cutbacks by other airlines,O said Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines' vice president of planning and revenue management. Aug 13, 2009
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines says in a letter to its customers that it is increasing the cost of companion fares available through its Visa Signature card from USD 50 to USD 99. The price increase go into effect Oct. 1. The airline says it's the first increase in companion fares in 10 years and still a great deal. The airline is making another change to the credit card's terms. It will eliminate the 2,000 free anniversary miles it has granted annually to cardholders, starting on Dec. 31. Aug 13, 2009
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines said it will introduce nonstop service between Portland, Ore. and Chicago on Nov. 16. The airline, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE: ALK) of Seattle, has been flying nonstop to Chicago from Seattle for nine years. Flights will leave Portland at 10:10 a.m. and arrive in ChicagoOs OOHare International Airport at 4 p.m. Flights will leave Chicago at 4:45 p.m. and arrive in Portland at 7:10 p.m. Aug 12, 2009
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines will launch twice-weekly flights to Nadi from Guam and Honolulu on Dec. 18 aboard a Continental Micronesia 737-800. Aug 12, 2009
Continental Airlines
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) assessed civil penalties against Continental Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and US Airways for violating DoT consumer regulations. OAt the Department of Transportation we take the rights of airline passengers seriously, and we will take enforcement action when airlines violate our consumer protection rules,O said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. Aug 11, 2009
Continental Airlines, San Diego
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Continental Airlines announced an expansion of the Paperless Boarding Pass pilot program at San Diego International Airport. The program will allow passengers to receive boarding passes electronically on their cell phones or PDAs, which will then be scanned by TSA security officers at the checkpoint and eliminate the need for a paper boarding pass. OThe deployment of the paperless technology signifies TSA's ongoing commitment to develop and implement new technologies while enhancing security,O said Mike Aguilar, TSA Federal Security Director for San Diego. OWe are pleased to be able to partner with Continental Airlines to expand this program that will help our officers validate authentic boarding documents.O Aug 13, 2009
Continental Express
Forty-seven passengers were forced to sit in a cramped, smelly plane on an airport tarmac for six hours after their flight was diverted because of bad weather. The Friday night Continental Express flight from Houston to Minneapolis scheduled to take just 2 1/2 hours, but the plane was diverted to Rochester airport because of stormy weather and landed around midnight. Instead of allowing passengers to disembark and spend the night in the secure section of the terminal, however, the airline decided to keep the passengers on board the aircraft, airport officials said Monday. Aug 10, 2009
Delta Air Lines, Boeing
Delta Air Lines has quietly issued a request for information to bring 350-plus non-embedded handheld in-flight entertainment devices on each of the 16 Boeing 747-400s it inherited from Northwest Airlines. While a source says the SkyTeam Alliance member issued the RFI in early August, Delta says only that it "is looking at ways to harmonize the customer experience across its fleet". Aug 11, 2009
Horizon Air
Horizon Air will operate daily service to Mammoth, Calif., from Reno, San Jose and Seattle (via Portland) and will increase service from Los Angeles to twice-daily Dec. 17-April 11, all aboard 76-seat Q400s. Aug 10, 2009
Porter Airlines
Porter Airlines will launch four-times-daily Halifax-St. John's service Oct. 5. Aug 10, 2009
Sun Country
Sun Country is offering sale fares for the fall and winter travel seasons. With fares as low as USD 49 one-way consumers can travel to such destinations as Boston, New York, Phoenix and Las Vegas. These fares are available immediately either online at suncountry.com or through Sun Country reservations at 800-359-6786. Fares available are for peak/off-peak periods and good for travel Aug. 21, 2009 through Oct. 13, 2009, Oct. 20, 2009 through Dec. 17, 2009 and Jan. 5, 2010 through Feb. 11, 2010. For more information, visit www.suncountry.com. Aug 12, 2009
US Airways
US Airways has managed to potentially garner rights to serve a key Latin American destination - Sao Paulo - through a deal with Delta to exchange a limited number of international route authorities. The international rights are part of larger slot swap agreement tabled today that entails US Airways transferring 125 pairs of its Express slots at LaGuardia to Delta while 42 pairs of Delta's slots at Washington National are being taken over by US Airways. Aug 12, 2009
US Airways
A request by US Airways to postpone the launch of flights between Philadelphia and Beijing to March 2011 has been denied by the US Department of Transportation (DOT). The carrier was awarded final rights to serve Beijing in January 2008 for an original launch date of March 2009, but was granted a first waiver to postpone the introduction of flights to March 2010 after the unprecedented run-up in fuel prices in July of 2008. In June of this year the carrier sought the second waiver, explaining the global economic recession that immediately followed record fuel costs made the launch of its new service to China unfeasible for the near-term. Aug 10, 2009
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