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Alerts for 1/08/07


Travel alerts for the week of January 8

To sign up to receive an expanded version of this weekly e-Alert bulletin from Executive Travel SKYGUIDE, click here.

This week's question for readers:


THIS WEEK'S QUESTION FOR READERS:
A new study suggests jet lag -- especially from eastbound flights -- can have serious health effects on older individuals (see story below). Have you ever experienced major jet lag malaise to the point where it affected your work? Give us the specifics. Also, let us know if you have any tricks, tips or advice for avoiding the ill effects of long-haul travel across time zones.



FAA/SECURITY

Coming soon: Ads on airport security screening equipment

Advertisers love air travelers. That's why they are always looking for new ways to reach them. Aside form the obvious avenues like in-flight magazines and billboards in airport concourses, advertisements in recent times have even spread to in-flight tray-tables and - in Europe - even to the outside of aircraft fuselages. So it should come as no surprise that one remaining ad-free zone - the airport security screening area - will soon fall victim. According to the trade publication Aviation Week, the Transportation Security Administration plans a pilot test at several airports that will allow commercial advertisers to put their messages on security screening equipment - specifically, the insides and bottoms of those plastic bins where you put your laptops and shoes. TSA said potential advertisers will have to form partnership agreements with airport operators; the advertisers will be expected to provide TSA with plastic bins and tables at no cost in exchange for the right to advertise.

AIRLINES

Can jet lag kill you? Apparently, it kills old mice

A scientific study at the University of Virginia raises troubling health issues for frequent long-haul flyers: It suggests that for older individuals, the health effects of jet lag could be serious -- or even fatal, according to a story in the Washington Post. The study was published in a recent issue of the journal Current Biology, with the ominous headline: "Chronic Jet Lag Increases Mortality in Aged Mice." In what the newspaper called "one of the first hard scientific looks into the health effects of jet lag," researchers subjected mice to the equivalent of an airline flight from Washington to Paris once a week for eight weeks. The results? Among a control group of mice that didn't get the jet-lag experience, 17 percent died during the study. Among older mice who did take the "trips," 53 percent passed away. Younger mice who got the jet-lag treatment "seemed to rebound more quickly and were not immediately harmed," the news report said.

Given the equivalent of a weekly Paris-to-Washington flight (instead of the reverse) for eight weeks, the death rate among older mice dropped to 32 percent, the newspaper said - suggesting that the effects of westbound jet lag are not as bad as eastbound jet lag -- as many travelers can attest from personal experience.

Continental upgrades in-flight entertainment, power ports

Continental Airlines is installing enhanced on-board entertainment systems in its international fleet and is also upgrading the power ports on those aircraft. The company said it has finished installing new Audio/Video On Demand (AVOD) technology in the BusinessFirst cabins of its 41 757s - used mainly for transatlantic flights out of Newark - and will add it to the economy cabins of those planes starting this summer. The system lets flyers select from 25 movies, 25 short-subject programs and 50 music CDs, as well as 20 video games and Berlitz interactive language-training programs. Passengers can use touch-screen controls to stop, pause, rewind and fast-forward their selections.

A more elaborate AVOD system is going into the BusinessFirst and economy cabins of Continental's 777s, starting in March 2007. On those aircraft, the system will offer up more than 250 movies, 300 short subjects, 150 CDs (with the capability to create individual playlists), 25 video games and the Berlitz language programming.

Continental said it is also upgrading onboard power ports. On the 757s, Continental said, it is adding new power ports at each of the 16 BusinessFirst seats, as well as two power ports for every three economy class seats located forward of the emergency exit rows. "These are the first Continental aircraft to be equipped with power ports that accept the standard electric plugs from most countries around the world. No special adapter is necessary," a spokesperson said. "AC power ports will be installed throughout the entire economy cabin when AVOD is added to the main cabins of these 757 aircraft beginning summer 2007."

US Airways, Delta getting more large regional jets

US Airways last week took delivery of its first 99-seat Embraer 190 jet; the company has placed firm orders for 25 of the planes, with options for 32 more. The US Airways Embraer 190s will have 88 coach seats and 11 first class seats, and will be put into service starting next month on routes from the airline's Philadelphia hub to Hartford, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Providence and Manchester, N.H. They will operate as US Airways mainline service, not US Airways Express.

Meanwhile, Delta last week asked its bankruptcy court judge for permission to buy 30 new 76-seat regional jets from Bombardier, with options for 30 more. If approved, Delta said the new two-class jets will enable it to expand to markets that can't be served profitably with its existing fleet, and to upgrade equipment in other markets to larger planes. The new planes should be delivered starting in September if the court gives the deal a green light.

Northwest negotiates deal to buy Mesaba

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported last week that Northwest Airlines has reached a deal to buy its bankrupt Northwest Airlink regional partner, Mesaba Airlines. Mesaba's creditors are reportedly in favor of the deal, but the regional carrier's parent company, MAIR Holdings, has yet to weigh in on the matter. Northwest's board is expected to consider the purchase at a meeting later this week. The newspaper said that if Mesaba is acquired by Northwest, the smaller airline would continue to operate the 49 Saab turboprops it has now, but would also gain access to 76-passenger regional jets that Northwest has ordered. The paper said Northwest will incorporate the planned acquisition into its own reorganization plan, which could be filed later this month.

Alaska will add more transcon markets this year

Alaska Airlines announced that it will increase the number of transcontinental markets it flies from six to eight later this year, when it begins two new routes out of Portland, Oregon. The airline set a September 9 start-up for one daily Portland-Boston flight and a daily Portland-Orlando roundtrip, using 737-700s. Alaska has been slowly expanding its presence in transcontinental markets since 2001, when it began Seattle-Washington D.C. service. Since then it has added flights from Seattle to Boston, Newark, Orlando and Miami, and between Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

INTERNATIONAL

Philadelphia, O'Hare adding new international services

Both Philadelphia and Chicago O'Hare will be adding new international services this spring.

At Philadelphia, US Airways has secured gate space in Terminal A-East that will allow it to expand its transatlantic operations. The airline said it will use the extra space to begin three new European routes in 2007: Daily service will begin to Athens on May 25; to Brussels on June 1 and to Zurich on June 8. The Athens service will be seasonal, continuing through early October, while the other routes will operate year-round.

Meanwhile, two new international carriers are coming to Chicago O'Hare in the spring. Virgin Atlantic Airways will add Chicago as its tenth U.S. gateway starting April 23, with daily service to London Heathrow; and South African Airways will introduce O'Hare-Johannesburg service in May, with four flights a week operating via Dakar, Senegal.

French all-business-class carrier starts flying

L'Avion, a new French airline, has become the newest addition to the growing roster of transatlantic all-business-class carriers. The company last week started operating a 90-seat 757 between Newark International and Paris Orly six days a week. The plane has two-by-two seating and will offer seasonal in-flight cuisine served on tablecloths with selections of French wines and champagnes. Seats recline up to 140 degrees; each seat has a power port, and passengers are given individual digital video players. L'Avion's regular roundtrip fares start at $1,599, but it was offering a special of $999 for the first 1,000 confirmed reservations. Go to www.lavion.com or call 866-692-6759.


See also ...



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Latest page update: made by Patty , Jan 8 2007, 1:52 PM EST (about this update About This Update Patty Edited by Patty


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Patty Jet lag remedies 2 Jan 13 2007, 3:02 AM EST by David_C.
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Have you ever experienced major jet lag malaise? Do you have any tricks, tips or advice for avoiding its ill effects?
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