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FAA/SECURITY

Security: Is the paranoia finally letting up?

Since 9/11, the government and the airline industry have demonstrated an intense – and justified – focus on making sure that anyone who might pose a security threat wasn’t allowed to board a plane. But many observers, ranging from civil libertarians to ordinary passengers who were wrongly denied boarding, have argued that things went way too far in the name of security. The government’s super-secret “no-fly list’ of names of suspected terrorists expanded dramatically (some estimates say there are more than 300,000 names on it now), and airline staff and security officials tended to pull people off airplanes first and ask questions later.
There were some signs last week that things may be easing up slightly. For one thing, Transportation Security Administration chief Kip Hawley told a Senate panel that the administration is reviewing the no-fly list with the intention of removing about half the names on it. That should curtail the number of complaints from flyers who were denied boarding due to mix-ups, or because they had names that matched or were similar to those on the list, he said. Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, a member of the committee, said his wife Catherine was often stopped at the airport because of confusion with the name “Cat Stevens,” the former pop singer who became a Muslim with the name Yusuf Islam – and whose names are on the no-fly list.
Meanwhile, a jury in Miami last week ordered American Airlines to pay $400,000 to a passenger of Portuguese descent who was removed from a flight in 2003 along with two Middle Eastern men sitting in the same row; the passenger maintained that he didn’t know them and was removed solely due to his appearance. And Northwest Airlines agreed to offer an apology and compensation to 40 American Muslims who were denied boarding in Germany earlier this month on a flight to the U.S., on their way back from a Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

AIRLINES

Virgin America revamps structure, reveals aircraft details

San Francisco-based Virgin America, whose application for an operating certificate was tentatively rejected by the Transportation Department last month over issues of foreign control, has made changes to its corporate structure and operations that it said should meet DOT’s concerns. The fledgling airline also unveiled details of the aircraft and in-flight services it will offer, which include some significant innovations.
Among other things, Virgin America said that the U.K.-based Virgin Group will give up one of its three seats on the eight-person board of directors; that Virgin Group will put all of its Virgin America voting shares into a trust with a DOT-approved U.S. trustee (even though U.S. law allows it to hold a 25 percent voting stake); that Virgin America’s U.S. investment funds will limit investors only to U.S. citizens; and that Virgin America will even remove its CEO (Fred Reid, a former Delta and Lufthansa executive) if DOT requires it, since he was hired by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.
As for the new airline product – which consumers can check out at www.LetVAFly.com – it will include innovations aboard Virgin America’s two-class Airbus A320s such as mood lighting and self-service mini bars. The mood lighting in both cabins will provide color tones “that slowly change over time relative to external conditions, and help guests look and feel good,” the company said. Both cabins will also have personal entertainment systems with nine-inch touch-screens; besides calling up pay-per-view movies or live satellite TV from Dish Network, passengers can use the interactive system to play games, order food when they want it, build playlists from 3,000 MP3 files or listen to 20 radio channels, even send messages to other passengers from their seat.
The first class cabin will offer 55-inch pitch for its eight seats, which will be 21 inches wide and will feature an in-seat massage function. The 141 economy seats will be black leather, with 32-inch pitch. The aircraft will be equipped to offer WiFi throughout the cabin, and to deploy wireless air-to-ground high-speed connectivity in the future.
Virgin America noted that it had been allowed to start flying last year, as it planned, it would have saved consumers $786 million, or an average of $88 roundtrip.

United changes terms of Mileage Plus program

United Airlines said that it is changing the rules for Mileage Plus participants, so that miles in inactive accounts will now expire after 18 months instead of three years. “Mileage Plus accounts that have not earned or redeemed miles since July 1, 2006 will have associated miles expire on December 31, 2007,” a spokesman said. “This change makes our Mileage Plus program better for customers who are more loyal to United, reduces our operating costs and brings our program in line with major competitors.” Members whose miles are threatened can keep accounts active in a variety of ways, from taking a flight on United or any of 28 airline partners to buying products that earn miles to transferring miles to another member’s account.

INTERNATIONAL

BA uses mediator to avert Jan. 29 strike threat

Faced with a walkout of its cabin staff January 29-31, British Airways has called in a government mediator in an effort to break the current impasse in negotiations over wages and working conditions. Talks had broken off between management and labor, and members of the union representing BA cabin crew had already voted to authorize a walkout. In fact, the union said that if negotiations make no headway, they are also prepared to conduct additional short-term strikes from February 5 to 7, and again February 12 to 14. British Airways said that passengers booked on flights from January 29 through February 16 would be permitted to make changes in their reservations if they wish.

American joins other Oneworld carriers at Tokyo Narita

American Airlines last week moved its operations at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2, joining other Oneworld global alliance members including Qantas, Cathay Pacific and Finnair, as well as pending Oneworld member Japan Airlines. As part of the relocation, American has opened a new 13,300 square foot Admirals Club in Terminal 2, next to Gate 71. American noted that the new club is 83 percent larger than its predecessor at Narita, and close to the gates of both American and its Oneworld partners. The new Admirals Club provides access to Lenovo computers and printing services, as well as Wi-Fi access throughout. The move to Terminal 2 “makes it clear to customers and competitors that American intends to be a major player at Narita and in the Asia-Pacific region,” a spokesman said.

British all-business-class carrier debuts

January 25 is the start-up date for the newest entrant in the transatlantic all-business-class competition, U.K.-based Silverjet (www.flysilverjet.com). The carrier will use a 767 reconfigured from 300 seats down to 100, operating one daily roundtrip between Newark International’s Terminal B and London’s Luton Airport. Current fares start as low as $899 each way. The aircraft is configured with 6 foot-3 inch long seat-beds that recline flat; it will offer five bathrooms (including one exclusively for women) as well as wardrobes and large luggage lockers for carry-ons. Passengers will get individual entertainment systems, and Silverjet will have special departure/arrival lounges at both airports.

News Briefs: AA links with Malev; Germany’s LTU eyes LAX, LAS

*American Airlines has applied for government approval to begin code-sharing with Malev Hungarian Airlines starting March 25, putting the AA code on Malev’s JFK-Budapest route and on flights beyond Budapest to several destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. American said it has also formed a reciprocal frequent flyer partnership with Malev. Meanwhile, American has also formed an interline ticketing agreement with the Ukraine’s AeroSvit Airlines.

*German carrier LTU International Airways said it plans to begin service to Dusseldorf on May 3 from two new U.S. gateways – Los Angeles, with five flights a week; and Las Vegas, with two.

*Subject to government approvals, Continental Airlines will launch new daily transatlantic service June 7 between Newark and Athens.

AIRPORTS

Southwest hints at growth plans for Philadelphia

At Philadelphia International, Southwest Airlines this spring may announce service to several new cities, now that it has secured extra gates in the airport’s Terminal E, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The newspaper cited Southwest CEO Gary Kelly as saying that the addition of five more gates at PHL by mid-October will give the airline the breathing room it has needed to speed up its expansion there. Currently, the airline has four gates in Terminal E and four in Terminal D. Kelly did not say which new cities Southwest will add from Philadelphia, but the newspaper speculated that the possibilities include Washington Dulles, Cleveland, Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Louisville, Birmingham, Albany, Buffalo and Norfolk. Meanwhile, Southwest also reportedly will discontinue Philadelphia-Hartford flights after March 10.

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