Air Travel News

Considering that mobile web sites haven’t been around all that long and mobile apps are even newer, the travel industry is showing remarkably consistent results in the level of satisfaction that consumers report with their products.

The proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways has moved forward after it won the approval of the bankruptcy judge overseeing AMR Corp.’s Chapter 11 case — but the deal still has a couple of more hurdles to cross.

The first test flight to study Boeing’s proposed fix for the 787 Dreamliner’s battery problems took place last week, and the company’s CEO said he expects the aircraft will soon win government approvals to resume service.

If you hardly ever see an empty seat on your airline flights these days, you’re not alone. According to the latest government statistics, commercial airline flights in 2012 were the most crowded they’ve been since the end of World War II.

The Federal Aviation Administration has come out with a list of the airports where air traffic control tower services will be ended as a result of the federal budget sequestration, but there have been no indications that those closings will have any significant impact on commercial airline operations.

Courtesy of Steelcase - Marriott

If holding a business meeting in your hotel lobby or guestroom doesn’t inspire you, then Marriott may have the answer. The hotel company has teamed with Steelcase, a workspace design company, to create settings for small meetings that promote collaboration: studios of varying sizes that accommodate meetings from three to 75 attendees, and common areas, many with natural light and outside access. Called Workspring at Marriott, the spaces offer technology, wireless access, office supplies and food and beverages. The Redmond Marriott Town Center near Seattle is the first hotel to offer the small meetings suites, though the company is identifying other U.S. and worldwide markets.

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© Air-O-Swiss

Plane travel and hotel living can dehydrate you, preventing a good night’s rest. Air-O-Swiss makes a portable travel humidifier that outputs up to one gallon in a 24-hour period. Just attach your own 17-ounce/0.5-liter plastic water bottle. The $39.99 unit weighs 0.7 pounds and includes an AC adapter and 100/240-volt plugs.

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Courtesy of Bombardier, Inc.

The Learjet 85, to debut this year, is built with composite structures that maximize cabin volume, representing the largest Learjet ever designed. The aircraft is being added to Flexjet’s fractional aircraft program. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 are also made of composite materials.

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© Maximilian Hensel / dpa / Corbis

Airline reviewer Skytrax assigns ratings to airlines based on a “quality analysis across more than 800 different areas of product and service delivery.” The reviews are based strictly on onboard/airport service and do not reflect any safety issues. Among airlines with low Skytrax star ratings:

Source: Skytrax

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In airport news, a number of new dining options are coming to New York JFK’s Terminal 4, where Delta will soon unveil a big expansion; Chicago O’Hare is the latest airport where American has rolled out self-service baggage check-in for passengers; TSA adds another airport to its PreCheck program; San Diego expands a major security checkpoint; and Memphis cuts the ribbon on a consolidated rental car center.