Topaz
Shows Business Air Discounts Beat Internet
A summary of the most recent comparative study of corporate travel as
booked by agencies versus various online sources again affirms that agents
deliver significant savings the online channels do not. In the words of
Topaz,
"The corporations on the Business Travel News Corporate Travel 100 would have saved $38 million annually by using their dedicated corporate travel management companies, versus booking their travel via public online sites."
Of note is that the study finds that the per-transaction cost savings delivered by agents continues to decline (presumably as online providers become more efficient) and that smaller corporate travel buyers to not realize as much advantage by booking through agents. Read the complete press statement
US
Airways mechanics to picket in 4 cities Friday
March 4 (Reuters) - US Airways (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) mechanics,
angry that the company wants to outsource some aircraft maintenance, will
picket in four East Coast cities on Friday in the latest sign of tension
between the carrier and its labor unions.
US
Airways Unveils 'Dot Com' Aircraft Livery
March 4, 2004 -- US Airways today unveiled a specialized aircraft livery
to promote the consumer benefits of booking travel online at usairways.com.
Approximately 10 aircraft will wear the ‘Dot Com’ livery.
Delta
Air Lines Announces Increase in Connecting Fees
March 4, 2004 -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) announced today it will raise
some fares to cover the cost of government-imposed passenger facility
charges (PFCs). As a result, customers traveling on some itineraries requiring
a connection may see a price difference between $4.00 and $5.00 each way
from current fare levels, depending on the PFCs charged by their connecting
airport. Previously, Delta had been absorbing these fees for the customer
who connected through a hub airport.
UA's
Ted Takes to the Skies from Tampa
March 3 - Ted, the new low-fare service from United, expanded its service
in Florida today, with flights between Tampa International Airport and
Denver. Ted offers Tampa-area travelers a new, affordable way to fly.
Ted will offer three daily roundtrips between Tampa and Denver. From Denver,
customers will be able to connect on more than 120 United, United Express
and Ted flights to the West Coast.
US
Airways to add Third Daily Kansas City-Washington Service
March 2, 2004 -- US Airways will operate a third daily nonstop roundtrip
flight between Kansas City, Mo., and Ronald Reagan Washington National
Airport, beginning May 3, 2004.
The new flights will use 50-seat Canadair Regional Jets operated by US Airways Express carrier Mesa Airlines. Flights will depart Washington at 8:30 a.m., and will arrive in Kansas City at 10:30 a.m. Return flights will depart Kansas City at 11 a.m., and will arrive in Washington at 2:31 p.m.
Delta
Connection Announces Aircraft Plans for 2004 and 2005
March 2, 2004 — Delta Connection announced today the acquisition
of 32 CRJ200s from Bombardier Aerospace. Delivery will begin in 2005.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines will receive 25 of the aircraft, and SkyWest
Airlines will receive seven. Chautauqua Airlines will receive an additional
13 Embraer regional jet (ERJ) aircraft for 2004 and 2005, bringing Chautauqua’s
total Delta Connection flying to 47 regional jet aircraft.
US
Airways to begin new non-stop Saturday flights to Florida from five cities
in the East
March 1, 2004 -- US Airways will begin new nonstop Saturday service to
Orlando, from Harrisburg, Pa., Columbus, Ohio, Raleigh/Durham, N.C., and
Baltimore-Washington International (BWI), as well as new nonstop service
between Providence, R.I., and Fort Lauderdale, on June 12, 2004. The new
flights will operate each Saturday using 120-seat Airbus A319 and 126-seat
Boeing 737-300 aircraft.
American Airlines postpones resumption
of service to Haiti until March 9
American Airlines said today that it is postponing resumption of service
to Haiti until Tuesday, March 9. The airline suspended service to Haiti
on Feb. 26 because of civil disturbances there, and had announced plans
to restore its flights to and from Port-au-Prince tomorrow, March 5. However,
American said it needs the additional time to coordinate with its local
employees and properly prepare its terminal facilities for its customers.
American will restore service to Port-au-Prince with three daily flights -- two from Miami and one from New York's Kennedy Airport -- and a flight five days a week between Port-au-Prince and Fort Lauderdale. As previously planned, a third daily flight on the Port-au-Prince-Miami route was removed from the schedule, effective March 2.
Hotel
networks face hacker threat
CNN has an interesting piece discussing potential security issues surrounding
wireless guest access at hotels. Despite its growing popularity, the article
suggests that wireless connections leave most people exposed to hackers,
even without their knowledge, because of the way they have their laptops
configured.
Continental Airlines Increases Fares to Help Cover High Fuel Costs
Enterprise goes to great lengths for savings