Essential Travel News for 4/30/07

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FAA/SECURITY

Transportation Department probing airlines over chronically late flights

The Transportation Department has started to investigate what it says could be deceptive practices by major airlines in publishing schedules with unrealistic flight times, and failing to inform passengers at the time of booking about specific flights which are chronically late in arriving. According to press reports last week, as many as eight airlines could be facing fines from the agency over their scheduling practices. Although airlines are required to provide data on their flights’ on-time performance, DOT reportedly placed scores of calls to airlines and asked about the likelihood of delays on particular flights – and 41 percent of the time, the airline didn’t disclose that information, media reports said. DOT noted that during February, federal statistics indicated there were 143 flights that arrived late more than 80 percent of the time. The agency wants to determine if airlines are deliberately underestimating the actual flight times in their schedules in order to have their flights listed higher in computerized reservations systems.

AIRLINES

US Airways service upgrades include waiving standby fee for elites

US Airways, which encountered some service glitches at its eastern U.S. hubs during the winter, pledged last week to undertake a substantial program of customer service enhancements. Of special interest to business travelers: The airline said it intends to waive its $25 standby fee for Preferred-level members of its Dividend Miles frequent flyer program. Non-elites will still have to shell out the $25 if they want to stand by at the airport for a departure other than their ticketed flight. US Airways said it has started to make the programming changes and staff training required for the policy change, and said it should be “up and running no later than June.”

In other enhancements, US Airways said it has started an “aggressive hiring plan” to put more than 1,000 new employees into customer service jobs at airports by this summer. About 80 staffers will create “passenger operations control” (POC) centers at US Airways’ Philadelphia and Charlotte hubs, and at Boston and Washington National, similar to what it already has at Phoenix. “POC centers monitor all inbound hub flight activity and identify customers who are on flights that for whatever reason (weather, air traffic congestion, etc.) might miss their connecting flights,” a spokesman said. “These travel professionals interact closely with the airline’s System Support Center to rebook passengers who may misconnect, even before the inbound flight lands.” POC staff will then give the inbound passenger gate information and a new boarding pass for his alternative onward flight, and will dole out meal vouchers and hotel rooms if there are no other flight options that day.

US Airways said that since it combined the old US Airways and America West reservations systems in March, self-service airport kiosks in several eastern cities “have not operated with acceptable reliability,” so it intends to deploy 600 new “start of the art” kiosks staring in late May.

For in-flight service, US Airways said first class and Envoy Class domestic and transatlantic passengers will soon see better food and wine options, and first class customers will see real glassware and silverware with meal service. The airline said that for domestic and transatlantic coach class, it plans to improve the quality and number of options for buy-on-board food, and to test the sale of premium beverages like wine by the glass. In addition to a previously announced upgrade of its 767 fleet, US Airways said it also plans to improve Envoy Class cabins on its 757s, installing fully electric seats with adjustable headrests, 160-degree recline, 60-inch pitch and free AC power adapters, as well as video/audio entertainment devices with on-demand programming.

Skybus announces initial routes, fares as low as $10

Skybus, the new low-cost carrier based at Columbus, Ohio, finally announced its initial route network last week and started selling tickets for as little as $10 each way. All of the airline’s tickets will be sold at its web site, www.skybus.com. The airline will start operations May 22 and will fly Airbus A319s to a variety of destination airports -- some major and some not so major. On May 22, Skybus will begin non-stop service from Columbus to Burbank, Calif.; Portsmouth, N.H.; and Kansas City. It will add Richmond, Va., on May 23, and on May 29 will begin service to Bellingham, Wash.; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; and Greensboro/Winston-Salem, N.C. On June 12, Skybus will begin flights from Columbus to Oakland and will add a second daily flight to Burbank.

In discussing its selection of airports, the company noted that Portsmouth “is a quick 55-minute drive from Boston and is convenient to Portland, Me., and Manchester and Concord, N.H.” It said Bellingham is “located between and is convenient to both Seattle and Vancouver” (it’s 88 miles from the former and 55 from the latter). As a convenience to passengers who “may not be familiar” with some of its destination airports, Skybus said its web site will show information on their locations and options for ground transportation.

CEO Bill Diffenderffer promised Skybus will offer “outrageously low fares… and these fares – starting with at least 10 seats at $10 on every flight – will always be offered,” he said. “They are not ‘promotional’ fares that will go away in a couple of weeks.” He said Skybus will announce more destinations as it takes delivery of more A319s.

American will upgrade 757s, add more first class seats

American Airlines, which has already announced plans for various improvements to its fleet of 777s, 767-300s and 767-200s, is now adding its 757 fleet to the enhancement program. Work on the 757s won’t start until 2008, but when it does, American said it will increase the number of first class seats on all 124 of its 757s from 22 to 24. Planes will also get new cabin interiors and new economy class seats; CRT monitors currently used for in-flight entertainment will be replaced with new LCD monitors, and new digital media file servers will provide passengers with better video and audio quality, American said.

Northwest acquires Mesaba, plans to expand its operations

Mesaba Airlines, which operates as a Northwest Airlink regional partner, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week and was acquired by Northwest. Now a wholly-owned subsidiary, Mesaba will reportedly get a larger fleet of regional jets and will expand its Northwest Airlink operations at the expense of Pinnacle Airlines, another Northwest partner, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Mesaba currently has a fleet of 50 planes, including 34 Saab SF340s and 50-seat Canadair regional jets, which fly to 72 cities from Northwest hubs at Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Memphis. Northwest had already said Mesaba would start operating some new 76-passenger regional jets this year, and now the newspaper reported that Northwest plans to shift another 17 regional jets from Pinnacle to Mesaba, because Pinnacle failed to reach a new labor pact with its pilots by the end of March.

JetBlue adding two new routes in western U.S.

JetBlue Airways said last week it intends to start flying two new routes in the western U.S. this summer. On July 27, the low-cost airline will begin one daily San Francisco-Salt Lake City roundtrip, and one daily San Diego-Salt Lake City flight. JetBlue already operates twice-daily Salt Lake City-Long Beach, Calif, flights as well as daily Salt Lake City-New York JFK service.

INTERNATIONAL

Low-cost Hong Kong airline starts North America service in June

Oasis Hong Kong Airlines, a low-cost international carrier that started flying 747s from Hong Kong to London Gatwick last fall, has increased its fleet of 747s from two to five with the acquisition of three aircraft from All Nippon Airways, and said it plans to start flying to North America in June. The company said on its web site (www.oasishongkong.com) that it will begin Hong Kong-Vancouver service June 28 with six flights a week, and with roundtrip fares starting as low as $509 (U.S.). Last week, Oasis signed a deal with a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company called Discover the World Marketing to handle its sales and reservations in the U.S. and Canada. Discover the World said a new call center in Scottsdale to handle Oasis’ bookings “will be fully operational in May.” Oasis said its future expansion plans include service to Oakland and Chicago in the U.S., and to Cologne/Bonn, Berlin and Milan in Europe. In a promotion for business travelers, persons who book a Vancouver-Hong Kong business class roundtrip for $3,053 by May 15 will get a second roundtrip for free.

Aeroflot introduces new business class

Aeroflot Russian Airlines, a member of the SkyTeam global alliance, has introduced a new executive class service called President. Aeroflot said the new service is available on its 767 transatlantic routes from New York, Los Angeles and Toronto; and on flights to Asia of six hours or more, including service to Tokyo, Bangkok, Shanghai, Hong King and Beijing. President service on Aeroflot includes a dedicated check-in desk at the airport, priority baggage handling, and access to airport lounges, Aeroflot said. In-flight, the President class cabin will provide lie-flat seats, blankets, pillows, “extra space and privacy,” the airline noted. President-class passengers will get a la carte dining options, wine selections, and portable personal entertainment devices.

AIRPORTS

Detroit Metro to install automated parking payment system

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport said it will begin installations later this spring of a new automated system for its parking facilities called 1-2-3 Park –Credit Card In/Credit Card Out. With the new system, drivers no longer need to obtain a ticket when they enter a garage or lot; instead, the just insert a credit or debit card into a machine that records the time, date and card information. When they leave the lot, they insert the same card and the card is automatically billed for the appropriate amount; the machine then prints a receipt for the driver. “With approximately 70 percent of Metro airport’s parkers already using their credit/debit cards to pay for parking, 1-2-3 Park will bring a new level of convenience and service,” an airport spokesman said. He noted that customers will still have the option of taking a ticket and paying by cash at exit lanes if they want to. The new system will first be installed in the Green and Yellow Lots, followed by the Big Blue Deck. The installations should be finished by the end of the summer, concluding with the McNamara Terminal Garage, the spokesman added.


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