Essential Travel News for 7/16/07

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FAA/SECURITY

FAA chief warns of air traffic crisis without funding reform

FAA Administrator Marion Blakey warned the Senate Finance Committee that the nation’s aviation system “is rapidly approaching critical mass,” and things will just get worse in the future without an overhaul of FAA funding to permit a new generation of air traffic control technology. Last year was “the worst in history for air transportation delays,” she said, and “it is clear 2007 will be even worse.” Her agency and its air traffic controllers are working with radar-based, 50-year-old technology, Blakey said, urging Congress to back funding for a satellite-based navigation and traffic control system the agency calls NextGen. With the current system, “we have already squeezed out virtually every ounce of capacity that’s available to us,” Blakey said, and yet the number of commercial airline passengers is projected to grow to one billion by 2015, 36 percent more than last year. What’s more, the amount of general aviation and private jet traffic is expected to more than triple by 2020, putting even more strain on the system.

Blakey argued for a cost-based funding structure that evens out inequities in the current taxes and fees imposed by the government. For example, she noted that in the current system, “corporate jets contribute very little tax revenue despite often using virtually the same airspace and services as a commercial jetliner.” She said a commercial jet flying from LaGuardia to Miami pays about $2,105 in taxes, vs. $236 for a private jet on the same route. “This boils down to the passengers flying on commercial airlines subsidizing the flights of corporate executives and others who fly private jets, and a system that incentivizes incredible growth in general aviation traffic,” Blakey said.

New York area flight congestion could be worst in the nation

Flying into or out of New York? Better build some extra time into your schedule. During the first five months of 2007, almost 40 percent of all flights at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark were late, according to government figures, vs. about 26 percent nationwide. Some of the worst problems are at JFK, which USA Today said is “choking on delays, creating a ripple effect throughout the U.S. aviation system.” According to the Air Transport Association, a trade group of the nation’s largest airlines, “The New York City metropolitan area airspace is completely saturated and near gridlock… commercial airlines are already being forced to cancel hundreds of flights and inconvenience thousands of travelers due to air traffic control restraints and strong summer thunderstorm activity.” ATA said the FAA should do something about the increasing number of small corporate jets that use New York-area airspace, which it said now account for 30 percent of all flight activity there. The New York Times noted that part of the problem is due to the FAA’s decision earlier this year to lift a cap on the number of arrivals and departures allowed at JFK between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., a change that it said led to an increase of 26 percent in flight activity at that airport.

TSA to start testing new x-rays for carry-on luggage

It’s time for more advanced technology at the security check-point: The Transportation Security Administration said it will soon begin field-testing next-generation x-ray devices from three vendors for carry-on luggage. Called Advanced Technology (AT) x-ray, the systems were created by L3 Communications, Smiths Detection and Rapsicon; they will provide “greatly enhanced explosive detection capabilities” for carry-ons, TSA said, since they provide multi-view and high-definition x-ray scans. According to Mike Golden, the agency’s chief of technology, “Comparing AT x-ray to current technology is like comparing a VHS tape to a DVD. Both play movies, but one is much clearer than the other.” AT x-ray technology is already in common use for checked luggage, but these smaller devices are the first to apply the technology to checked bags. TSA is leasing seven machines from each of the three vendors, but has not yet said where the devices will be deployed.

AIRLINES

American widens window for Confirmed Flight Change to 12 hours

American Airlines said its customers can now use the company’s Confirmed Flight Change option within 12 hours of the scheduled departure of their alternate flight choice. Previously, the time window was three hours. Confirmed Flight Change lets a traveler request a confirmed seat on an earlier or later flight on the same day they are scheduled to travel, and if one is available, they can get it for a $25 fee. Travelers still have the option of going standby for no fee. The flight change option is available for flights in the U.S. and to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and points in the Caribbean. “Flights outside the 12-hour window do not qualify for a $25 Confirmed Flight Change,” a spokesman said. “Instead, those flights will continue to require a change fee – generally $50 to $100 for a confirmed seat.” Passengers can make the change request at a self-service airport check-in device; by calling reservations; or at the airport counter. “For confirmed seats on flights later than the original ticketed flight, passengers must cancel their original ticketed flight reservation prior to the original ticketed departure time,” the spokesman noted. For details, go to www.aa.com/selfservice.

Virgin America wins final U.S. approval to start flying next month

Low-cost start-up carrier Virgin America said last week it has finally received an operating license from the U.S. Department of Transportation, clearing the way for the company to start selling tickets. San Francisco-based Virgin America said it plans to start operations in August; it did not announce which markets it will enter first, but in the past, Virgin America said it will begin with San Francisco-New York JFK flights, to be followed by service from SFO to Washington Dulles, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. Virgin America said it is now “fully staffed, has taken delivery of 10 new Airbus 319/320 aircraft, and is ready to advertise, sell tickets and operate the airline.” The company has a total of 33 Airbus planes on order, and said it expects to be flying to 10 cities within its first year of operation.

US Airways adds functionality for mobile devices

US Airways has enhanced its web-based content and functionality for users of PDAs and web-enabled cell phones. Previously, users could only check the airline’s schedules from these devices. Now they can book flights, retrieve and change reservations, check flight status, sign up for Dividend Miles membership and log onto Dividend Miles accounts. It’s all available via www.usairways.com. “It seems like almost all of our customers have a wireless device of some kind on which they have grown accustomed to conducting all manner of business,” a spokesman said. “With a new, convenient text service to be announced later this summer, US Airways is about to become one of the most wireless-friendly carriers in the sky.”

United brings Charlie Trotter into premium cabins

Charlie Trotter’s restaurant in Chicago is one of the city’s best known – and priciest – places to dine. Now United Airlines has hired Chef Trotter to help overhaul the menus in the carrier’s first class and business class cabins, and the results have just started coming out of the galleys. In-flight menus influenced by Trotter’s contributions will include appetizers like citrus-cured smoked salmon and sweet crab salad on fresh bok choy. Among the new entrees are apricot curry braised lamb medallions; morel mushroom risotto and herb-rubbed chicken breast; and orange and ginger cured duck. Menu additions from Charlie Trotter will be added to United’s p.s. premium transcontinental service later this year.

Frontier reportedly cramming more seats onto planes

According to the Denver Post, Frontier Airlines passengers are likely to see slightly less legroom as the airline installs more seats per plane on some aircraft. The newspaper said Frontier plans to add four more seats to its 132-seat A319s and 114-seat A318s – a change that will cut seat pitch in much of the aircraft from 33 inches to 32, although the newspaper said some rows in the rear will see seat pitch cut back to 31 inches. The changes are being made as part of an overhaul that involves installing new trimline leather seats into the Frontier fleet.

Northwest, Southwest start to offer PayPal option

Both Northwest Airlines and Southwest Airlines said they are now letting customers pay for ticket purchases with PayPal, the Internet-based payment system. Individuals who set up PayPal accounts can make payments without divulging credit card numbers or other financial information to the payee. They have the option of linking the payment to a credit card, debit card, bank account or a balance stored within PayPal. PayPal said it currently has 143 million account holders worldwide.

INTERNATIONAL

Still more non-stops to India are on the way

Air-India said it will kick off new daily non-stop service August 1 between New York JFK and Mumbai – the latest in a series of expanded and enhanced routes between the U.S. and India. Air-India said the non-stops, operated with a new long-range model of the 777-200, will supplement its existing New York-India operations via London, which use 747-400s. The new non-stop flight will offer same-terminal connections at Mumbai to a dozen other cities in India.

Currently, Delta offers daily JFK-Mumbai non-stops, while American flies non-stop from Chicago to Delhi; Continental offers non-stop Newark-Delhi flights, and plans to add daily Newark-Mumbai non-stops October 1. In addition, August 5 is the launch date for a new competitor: India’s Jet Airways plans to kick off Newark-Mumbai service via Brussels on that date, to be followed by flights to Toronto in September and to New York JFK and San Francisco by early next year. Meanwhile, India’s Kingfisher Airlines and Continental entered into a partnership for reciprocal frequent flyer and airport lounge privileges as of October 1, to be followed later this year by code-sharing.

AIRPORTS

Nashville reopens American’s Admirals Club

At Nashville International Airport, American Airlines has reopened its Admirals Club, located on Concourse C, mezzanine level, near Gate C12. The new club can seat 60. It is equipped with a business center with four workstations and two Lenovo PCs with Internet access; a T-Mobile WiFi hotspot; and Printer On technology that lets guests send documents via email or web page to the lounge to be printed out. The club also has two flat-panel TVs and staff to help with ticketing and rebooking. It’s open 5:15 a.m.-7:45 p.m. Sunday-Friday and 5:15 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Saturdays.

Delta overhauls Salt Lake City check-in area

At Salt Lake City International Airport, Delta Air Lines has completed renovations in the lobby area to make things easier for passengers checking in. Among the changes: Delta has added four more check-in positions, for a total of 30; it has added nine new “baggage drop” areas for passengers who check in on-line or via one of the lobby self-service kiosks at the airport; it has upgraded those kiosks to handle both domestic and international check-ins in three languages (English, Spanish, French); and it has installed new information displays with color screens that direct customers to check-in lines for faster service. Delta operates 373 flights a day at SLC to 114 destinations.
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