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Weekly UpdatesJul 5, 2009
Travel on newly downsized U.S. airlines will be as cramped as ever this holiday weekend, despite sharp declines in passenger traffic during the economic recession, experts said on Wednesday. Carriers are expecting planes on domestic routes to be more than 90 percent full on the days surrounding U.S. Independence Day on July 4. Load factors are the percent of airplane seats filled. "The last several days this week we've seen load factors in the high 80s and starting today through July 3 we expect to see domestic load factors in the low 90s," Smith said. Jul 1, 2009
Baggage and other fees frustrate us, and pricey tickets make us petulant. In fact, the flying public is so annoyed that satisfaction with airlines fell for the third year in a row, hitting a four-year nadir, a new survey found. Customers found much to love about these carriers, including the flight crew (Alaska), in-flight services (Continental), the aircraft (JetBlue) and costs and fees (Southwest). At the bottom of the traditional carriers: United (604) and US Airways (599). For low-cost airlines: Frontier (692) and AirTran (687). Where airlines differentiate themselves, Sonkin said, is customer service. Carriers that do well focus on operations and customer service. OThe real key is learning how to align the two [areas],O she said. Jun 30, 2009
Air Canada
Air Canada has begun the only scheduled non-stop service between Montral and Fort-de-France, Martinique. The weekly service will be initially offered on Saturdays during the summer between July 4, 2009, and Aug. 29, 2009, and will recommence on a year-round basis on Dec. 5. For more information, visit www.aircanada.com. Jul 2, 2009
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines launched thrice-weekly Bellingham-Las Vegas (to four-times-weekly Aug. 3) aboard a 737-700. Jul 3, 2009
Alaska Airlines
Customers who fly Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air from the Bay Area between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2009, can earn up to 40 percent off Alaska Airlines' new nonstop flights between Oakland, Calif., and the Hawaiian Islands starting this fall. Jul 1, 2009
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines yesterday inaugurated a thrice weekly flight between Portland, Oregon and Maui using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft that seats 157 passengers. Alaska Airlines said flights currently are scheduled on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The frequency will be increased to daily service on Aug. 7. Flights from Portland will depart Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 9:50 a.m. and arrive at 12:45 p.m. Return flights will depart Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 1:45 p.m. and arrive at 10:15 p.m. (all times are local). Alaska Airlines began service to Hawaii in October 2007 and by November 2009 will have 59 nonstop flights a week to the four major Hawaiian Islands. For more information, visit www.alaskair.com. Jul 2, 2009
American Airlines
The last time Terry Williams can remember being headache-free was in December. A chronic migraine has plagued her ever since. So have balance and vision problems, a tremor in her left arm, a prickly sensation in her feet and a loss of childhood memories. Terry Williams hugs her two boys -- Jake, left, and Zack -- in 2006, before she says toxic cabin air made her sick. Terry Williams hugs her two boys -- Jake, left, and Zack -- in 2006, before she says toxic cabin air made her sick. The ailments, she says, began on April 11, 2007. Williams, then a 17-year flight attendant on American Airlines, noticed a "misty haze type of smoke" on flight No. 843 as it taxied toward a gate in Dallas, Texas. That "fume event," as it is known, and the physical maladies she felt afterward drove Williams, 40, to file a product liability lawsuit late Tuesday in Seattle, Washington, against Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, aircraft manufacturers linked to the MD-82 aircraft she was on. Her claim: Toxins in the cabin's air made her sick and a design flaw -- the lack of filters and sensors -- left her unprotected. Jul 3, 2009
American Airlines
In a first for the company, American Airlines is using social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to encourage Hispanic customers to go to its frequent flier program for a broader range of purchases. And in another first for the subsidiary of AMR Corp., Americans social media outreach is part of a broader, 18-month ad campaign that will attempt to marry next-generation marketing efforts on social networking sites with old-school media such as television, print and radio, all of which is aimed at the burgeoning Hispanic population across the United States. The campaign, launched in early June, includes television spots on Spanish language networks such as Univision, Telemundo and Fox Sports en Espanol. American says the ads will be concentrated in the Miami, Chicago and Dallas metro areas, which have significant Hispanic populations. Jul 1, 2009
American Airlines
American has completed extensive renovations to its Admirals Club at Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) in Brazil. The lounge, located in Terminal 2, Wing D on the mezzanine level, now has 6,621 square feet, an expansion of more than 1,200 square feet, with seating for more than 220 visitors. The renovated space mixes luxury and convenience by offering an upgraded, multi-functional business center, flat-panel TVs, self-serve complimentary food and beverage selections, and a children's room. Jun 29, 2009
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines and PetRelocation.com are reminding holiday and summer travelers to protect their pets from extreme summer heat during travel. The following guidelines will help pets stay safe and cool when flying this summer season: * Choose the pet's airline carefully. Make sure the airline has a plan in place to protect animals from the heat, like climate-controlled vans and airport kennels. Continental Airlines provides this as part of their PetSafe program. * To allow increased air flow, purchase a pet travel crate that has ventilation on all four sides and is one size larger than the typically recommended size. PetRelocation.com's educational video series offers advice on picking out the right pet travel crate: http://tinyurl.com/travelcrates or travelers can access Continental Airlines' website for details on "how to measure your pet:" http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/travel/animals/petchecklist.pdf
* Acclimate the pet to his travel crate ahead of time. A pet that is comfortable with being in a travel crate will experience less stress, allowing him to breathe steadily and release heat more quickly from his body. Pet owners can watch a video on crate training at PetRelocation.com: http://tinyurl.com/travelcrates * Professional under-coat grooming, rather than shaving, will keep long-haired pets cooler without removing the natural insulation that pet coats provide from the heat. * Avoid putting thick blankets or beds in the travel crate as they restrict airflow and hold in heat. Instead use newspaper or absorbent puppy potty-training pads. * Freeze water in the crate bowls the night before travel. As the ice melts, it will ensure the pet has water throughout the trip and will prevent water from spilling. Jul 2, 2009
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines began nonstop Sydney to Los Angeles flights Friday, becoming only the fourth carrier to fly the lucrative route. Delta Flight 16 left Sydney International Airport at 9:25 a.m. (2325 GMT), kicking off a daily service in either direction with a Boeing 777-200LR. Delta joins United Airlines, Qantas and V Australia on the route. Jul 3, 2009
ExpressJet
US National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating two runway incursions that occurred in Cleveland last month, the most recent being a June 26 incident in which the tower cleared an ExpressJet E-145 to cross Runway 24L and then approximately 19 sec. later cleared a CommutAir Dash 8 for takeoff on Runway 24L. "The ExpressJet flight crew saw the departing airplane and advised the tower controller they would not cross the runway," NTSB stated. The board said that on June 3, a 737 was cleared "to taxi into position [on] the same runway on which an E-145 was cleared and entering for takeoff. . .The two flights came within 500 ft. of each other on Runway 6L." It did not name the airlines involved. NTSB said that "the same developmental controller [was] involved" in both incidents. Jul 1, 2009
Horizon Air
Horizon Air is bringing back direct service from Los Angeles to Sun Valley for the 2009-10 winter season and adding flights from Los Angeles for the 2010 summer season. The airline will also operate flights between Boise and Sun Valley during these periods. Currently, Horizon serves Sun Valley from Seattle only. Horizon will operate one daily direct flight from Los Angeles (LAX), Boise and Seattle to Sun Valley during the ski season from Dec. 19, 2009, through March 21, 2010, and the summer season from May 28 (Seattle) and June 26 (Los Angeles/Boise) through Sept. 6, 2010. HorizonOs new Sun Valley winter and summer service replaces the current year-round schedule from Seattle only, which will end after Sept. 7 and resume in the winter. For more information, visit www.horizonair.com or www.sunvalley.com. Jul 2, 2009
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways has enhanced its 36-channel lineup of DirecTV programming. The following channels now are available to JetBlue customers on their individual seat-back in-flight entertainment systems: 24-hour news channel MSNBC; GolTV, the first U.S. network dedicated fully to soccer with both Spanish and English programming; and SPEED, a racing channel for auto enthusiasts. In addition, TV Land will broadcast Setanta Sports every Saturday from 5 a.m. to Monday at 5 a.m. Jul 2, 2009
Pittsburgh International Airport
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