Travel alerts for the week of November 13

Airlines

Airlines gear up for Thanksgiving travel crunch

In the face of worsening flight delays, more numerous lost luggage reports and longer security lines, the airline industry is bracing for a major travel crunch starting later this week. The Air Transport Association - representing major U.S. airlines - predicts that 25 million people will take to the skies during the Thanksgiving holiday period, which it defines as November 17 to 28. That's a three percent increase over last year. ATA says planes will be more than 80 percent full during that period, with Sunday, November 26 and Monday, November 27 expected to be the busiest of all.

JetBlue jumps on the 'no trans-fat' bandwagon

Until now, we haven't seen any airlines expressing much concern about what's in their in-flight menu options. But JetBlue Airways last week announced that its in-flight snack offerings have become "100 percent trans-fat free." The airline said the last trans-fatty item in the JetBlue flight attendants' snack baskets went trans-fat-free when the company switched its cookie option to Chocobilly Chocolate Chunk cookies from Immaculate Baking Company. Other items in the snack baskets include cashews, Doritos Munchies, biscotti, Jungle Crackers, Nabisco Wheat Thins and the airline's signature snack, Terra Blue potato chips.

International

Oneworld, Star Alliance set to add new members

The global Oneworld airline alliance - which includes American, British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Iberia and others - will add two South American affiliates, LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador "as early as possible in 2007," a spokesperson said. Other airlines already in line to become full Oneworld members in 2007 include Japan Airlines, Malev Hungarian and Royal Jordanian.

Meanwhile, Star Alliance now expects both Air China and Shanghai Airlines to become members in 2007, according to wire reports. SkyTeam, which includes Delta, Northwest and Continental, is expected to add Guangzhou-based China Southern in 2007.

Two European airlines merge

Brussels Airlines will be the name of a new European airline resulting from the merger of SN Brussels Airlines - the successor to the defunct Sabena - and Brussels-based Virgin Express. The official start-up of the merged company is set for March 25, 2007, according to press reports.

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