Essential Travel News for 6/11/07

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

FAA/SECURITY

Coming next year: Fingerprint scans for international flyers

The Department of Homeland Security is hoping to begin a new program in 2008 that would require all international air travelers departing the U.S. to undergo a fingerprint scan during airport check-in. According to the trade newspaper Travel Weekly, DHS deputy secretary Michael Jackson outlined the plan last week at the annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association in Montreal. He said DHS is willing to provide airlines with the fingerprint scanners, which would be electronically linked to passport readers. Airlines are opposed to the plan, and argue that DHS should handle the fingerprint scans, not airline employees. But Jackson reportedly downplayed concerns that the procedure would add significantly to check-in times. He said it is also possible that airlines could incorporate the fingerprint scans into their airport self-check-in technology, according to Travel Weekly.

INTERNATIONAL

Virgin said to plan all-business-class operation from U.S.

Wire service reports from London quote a Virgin Atlantic spokesman as saying the company will begin operating an all-business-class airline between the U.S. and Europe “in the next 12 to 18 months.” The plans by Virgin come on the heels of recent comments by a British Airways executive who said BA is looking into the same concept – although it has no firm plans yet to proceed. Both companies are said to be feeling the impact – although it is still small – of competition from new all-premium-class carriers like Eos, MAXjet and Silverjet, all of which operate from the U.S. to London. Both Virgin and BA are said to be concerned about the start of the new “open skies” aviation pact between the E.U. and the U.S., which could open up their London Heathrow stronghold to new competitors. Virgin is reportedly looking at all-business service from New York to key financial centers like Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Zurich as well as London, and later adding other U.S. gateways. According to the wire reports, the Virgin spokesman said the airline could eventually devote as many as 15 aircraft to the all-business venture, including some 787s it has on order.

Delta, Northwest, Continental could get Heathrow access next year

Three U.S. airlines that currently have no access to London Heathrow could get a foot in the door there next year with some help from their global alliance friends. According to the trade journal Air Transport World, Air France and KLM – now a single company – are in discussions aimed at transferring some of their Heathrow slots to their U.S. partners in the SkyTeam alliance. Those partners are Northwest – which operates a close partnership with KLM on transatlantic routes – Delta and Continental. The transfers could happen once the new “open skies” agreement between the U.S. and the European Union takes effect next spring. Under the current U.S.-U.K. bilateral, the only U.S. airlines allowed to fly into LHR are American and United. Heathrow is so busy that take-off and landing slots are hard to come by, so even if an airline has the rights to fly into LHR, it still has to acquire slots somehow.

AIRLINES

Consumer groups complain as airline performance hits new lows

New statistics covering the first four months of 2007 indicate that U.S. airlines’ operating performance is getting worse – and two consumer advocacy groups say the government doesn’t seem interested in making things better for passengers.

According to the latest Transportation Department statistics, 28 percent of domestic flights operated by the largest 20 carriers arrived more than 15 minutes late during January-April – the worst performance for that four-month period since the government started tracking such things 13 years ago. During the same period, the airlines’ flight cancellation rate was 2.8 percent for domestic departures, higher than it’s been since 2001. Causes of the delays ranged from weather to late-arriving planes to crew and maintenance issues. The three New York airports – LaGuardia, JFK and Newark – topped the list of late-arriving flights.

Meanwhile, two consumer advocacy groups representing airline passengers – Aviation Consumer Action Project (ACAP) and the new Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights – blasted federal officials for being unresponsive to the problems of air travelers. They said they were among five consumer groups that requested a meeting last month with DOT Secretary Mary Peters and FAA Administrator Marion Blakey to discuss solutions to the problem of passengers being stranded on aircraft during hours-long ground delays. But after “several follow-up phone calls and written communications,” they got no response from the two agencies, according to ACAP executive director Paul Hudson. Citing the above statistics on airline operations so far this year, Hudson warned that “the air transportation system is careening toward crisis and gridlock this summer.” He noted that DOT has scheduled meetings with airline executives ot discuss the situation, but none with consumer groups.

Two new consumer surveys find dissatisfaction with airlines

The latest survey to gauge passenger satisfaction with U.S. airlines comes from Consumer Reports, which polled some 23,000 readers in February on their flying experiences. The general result: Airlines “could try a lot harder to please” their customers, the magazine said. Compared with other industries covered in its surveys, “the airline industry’s average satisfaction score of 72 is worse than that of hotels and rental car companies, and better only than such perennials of frustration as wireless carriers, cable TV operators and computer tech support.”

Still, some airlines fared much better than others. JetBlue ranked highest in customer satisfaction with a score of 87, while US Airways was dead last at 62. Since JetBlue had some serious service problems in mid-February, and US Airways suffered similar problems in March, the magazine conducted a follow-up survey in April. In that study, JetBlue remained one of the top-rated carriers, but US Airways, already at the bottom of the satisfaction list, “fell another 10 points in the follow-up survey, to 52 in overall satisfaction,” Consumer Reports said. Midwest Airlines ranked just behind JetBlue with an overall satisfaction score of 86, followed by Southwest (80), Frontier and Hawaiian (both 78). Ranking just above US Airways and its 62 score were United (64); American Eagle (65); Northwest, ATA and American (all at 66) and Delta (67). Continental had the highest ranking among legacy airlines at 72. The magazine noted that in one specific category – seat comfort – the lowest-rated airline was Northwest. JetBlue and Midwest ranked highest in that area, as they did in cabin service.

Just before the Consumer Reports results came out, California-based Market Metrix issued its latest study of consumer satisfaction with the airline and hotel industries. The results? Airline passenger satisfaction “dropped to its lowest level in four years,” the company said. According to Dr. Jonathan Barsky, director of research at Market Metrix, “The drop in passenger satisfaction reveals unprecedented angst among passengers, which has been caused in part by disenchanted employees, increasing fuel costs, bankruptcy, and new record levels of lost, delayed and damaged baggage.”

AirTran extends offer for Midwest once again

For the third time, AirTran Holdings – parent of AirTran Airways – has extended its tender offer for shares of Midwest Airlines, this time until August 10. The offer remains the same, at $15 a share. AirTran said that as of June 8, holders of 14.6 million shares have agreed to tender them to AirTran; that’s 59.5 percent of all shares. Midwest’s board continues to urge shareholders not to sell, claiming that its own growth plan is superior to an AirTran merger in the long run. Midwest shareholders will hold their annual meeting this week, and AirTran has nominated three persons for election to the Midwest board. Midwest general counsel Carol Skomicka said that no matter how many shareholders agree to take up AirTran’s offer, “as a practical matter, board approval would be required for AirTran to accomplish its goal of acquiring our company.” She also noted that even if AirTran’s three candidates are elected to the Midwest board, AirTran wouldn’t have control because there are nine Midwest directors.

Northwest’s Mesaba puts first new regional jet into service

Mesaba Airlines, which operates as Northwest Airlink, has put its first new 76-seat Bombardier CRJ900 regional jet into service. The aircraft is the first of 36 CRJ900s that Mesaba will receive over the next 18 months. It has a two-cabin configuration, with 12 first class seats in a 1x2 configuration and 64 coach seats arranged 2x2. The planes feature leather seats, large windows and overhead bins, and extra headroom. The first aircraft will operate on routes out of Minneapolis-St. Paul to Dallas/Ft. Worth, Fargo and Chicago Midway; the second, due next month, will fly out of MSP to Montreal, Fargo and St. Louis. The planes have a range of 1,400 miles. Mesaba will use the new planes to replace single-class 50-seat regional jets and in some cases, DC9s.

AirTran lets low-cost travelers book seats in advance – for a fee

AirTran Airways now lets purchasers of its lowest fares secure an advance seat assignment – if they are willing to pay a fee for the privilege. Previously, only passengers flying on business class or higher-level coach fares could reserve a specific seat at the time of ticket purchase, at no cost; lower-fare flyers had to wait until they checked in at the airport. Now, AirTran will make advance seat assignments available to lower fares for a fee of $5 one-way. To secure some preferred seats, like those in exit rows, the advance seat assignment fee will be $15.

AIRPORTS

Health clinic opens at Atlanta’s airport

A walk-in health clinic for travelers, airline and airport employees has opened at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Called The AeroClinic, it’s located pre-security, above The Atrium in the main terminal. Staffed by nurses and physician assistants, the clinic offers care for minor illnesses, routine immunizations and filling of prescriptions, as well as tests and monitoring for blood pressure, cholesterol and thyroid conditions. The AeroClinic says that visitors can expect to be taken care of in an average of 15 to 20 minutes for standard diagnosis and treatment. Rates average from $75 to $85 for “minor illness care treatment,” the company said. Patient records will be stored electronically so they can be accessed by personal physicians or by other AeroClinics as they open. The company said it expects to open several more locations at major U.S. airports this year and next,

See also ...

• Alerts Archive