Friday, January 28, 2005 United Offers Earn a Free* trip around the world -- United, United Express® and TedSM flights completed between May 1, 2004 and April 30, 2005 qualify for the offer and still earn Mileage Plus® miles. Registration and membership in Mileage Plus is required. Flights must be credited to your Mileage Plus account to qualify. United® gives you an opportunity to say you've been around the world. In addition to your Mileage Plus® miles, earn one credit for every flight segment originating or terminating in Washington, D.C. (Dulles, IAD and Reagan, DCA) and Baltimore (BWI) greater than $100 (connecting traffic does not qualify). Then redeem these flight credits for free travel. The more credits you earn, the further you can go - all the way to the ultimate reward – a free* trip around the world. And earning credits is easy since United offers the most flights to the most destinations from Washington, D.C. Fly United. Save with Starwood. -- Purchase a flight at united.com and earn 20% off your next stay at a participating Starwood hotel. US
Airways Reservations Call And Service Centers To Be Consolidated In Winston-Salem,
N.C. -- US Airways will consolidate existing facilities, offer all
employees the opportunity to transfer with some relocation assistance,
and if they choose not to transfer, provide an early-out package consisting
of enhanced severance, airline pass travel, extended medical benefits,
and professional outplacement and job assistance. Earn Thousands of Bonus Miles for Travel throughout 2005! -- US Airways offers a special bonus for tickets purchased between now and January 30, 2005. Members will earn 40,000 bonus miles for roundtrip travel in Envoy Class to Europe; 10,000 bonus miles for roundtrip travel in any class of service to the Caribbean or Latin America; and double miles on everything else for roundtrip travel between now and December 31, 2005. Virus strikes cruise ship -- Nearly 250 people on a seven-day Caribbean cruise were sickened by a Norwalk-like stomach virus, which officials believe was brought on board by a passenger previously exposed to it, the cruise line said Friday. The Mariner of the Seas is set to dock in Port Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday, Royal Caribbean spokesman Michael Sheehan said in a statement. The ship has been sailing in the Western Caribbean with 3,465 guests and 1,190 crew members. Of those, 229 guests and 18 crew members were believed to have been affected by the virus. Those who became ill were treated and "responded well" to over-the-counter medication, the company said. The virus was traced to a guest who had symptoms for two days prior to the cruise's departure. New US international low-cost airline: SkyLink -- Skylink Airways, Inc. received DOT approval for as many as 15 international destinations. Not since the 1970 with Laker Airways and Peoples Express has there been a U.S.-based low-cost airline. Based in Virginia, Skylink intends to fly wide-body Boeing 767s to as many as 15 countries on four continents, beginning this spring with service from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Stansted Airport, London’s low-cost carrier airport hub, reported the Washington Post. Aruba, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Taiwan have been named as other potential destinations. Headed by veteran airline industry executive Kenneth Carlson, Skylink plans to sell economy and business-class tickets at fares 15 to 70 percent lower than those offered by traditional carriers. A one-way business-class fare to Europe will be $700 instead of the $2,300 to $2,400 charged by traditional airlines. Economy fares are planned to start at $300 one-way. Song planning 33% expansion -- The hotly competitive US transcon markets will get another low-fare player this summer when Delta Air Lines' Song unit enters them as part of a broader expansion accompanying a 33% increase in its fleet from 36 to 48 757s. Some industry analysts and CEOs are skeptical about the new airline, as major airlines are also lowering fares and would fight hard to protect their international market profits. It appears, the company’s strategy is to use low cost airport hubs, where they can partner with other U.S. and European low-cost airlines for connecting flights. One problem will be the lacks of interline baggage service between the low-cost airlines. America West Introduces New Brand Message - Employees and Customers Are Invited to 'Get on Board!' -- America West Airlines unveiled a new brand campaign that clearly highlights the airline's unique position as the nation's premier low-fare carrier and the only airline to give consumers the ability to "Upgrade Their Low Fare Experience." The campaign will encourage consumers to join other savvy business and leisure travelers and "Get on Board" America West. America
West Now Has Interline E-Ticketing Agreements With Six Airlines, Simplifying
Travel for Customers Worldwide America West Airlines Announces New Service From Las Vegas Hub --AWA will initiate new nonstop jet service between its Las Vegas hub and Anchorage, Alaska as well as Pittsburgh. With this new service, America West will operate 146 daily departures to 61 nonstop destinations from Las Vegas, more than any other carrier. The service to Anchorage will begin on May 1, 2005. Coupled with Anchorage's service to America West's Phoenix hub, customers will enjoy one-stop connecting service to 66 cities in the U.S. and Mexico. This includes new roundtrip connecting service to Boston; New York/JFK; Newark, New Jersey; Philadelphia; and Pittsburgh. America West will operate this new route using the 124-seat Airbus 319 (A319) aircraft. The Pittsburgh route will begin on April 3, 2005, providing one-stop connecting service to 41 destinations spanning North America including the Oregon cities of Eugene and Medford; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Spokane, Wash.; and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. America West will utilize the 150-seat Airbus 320 (A320) aircraft on this new route. Delta Customers Traveling in the Southeast May Be Affected by Winter Storms -- Delta customers booked on flights to or from Atlanta, and other impacted cities in the Southeast, may make adjustments to their travel schedule due to the potential impact of winter storms on Friday, Jan. 28 through Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005. Delta Begins Interline Electronic Ticketing with Alitalia, Emirates -- Delta has expanded the convenience of electronic ticketing (ET) to customers worldwide who travel on Delta, Alitalia or Emirates flights within the same itinerary. Delta Offers Low Fares to Celebrate New Berlin Service -- For customers looking to do business or see the exciting sights of Germany’s capital, Delta (NYSE: DAL) is offering a “capital” reason to make travel plans now. Delta pilots bring their own food -- Delta Air Lines is not only reducing the number of flight attendants on some flights but also eliminating meals for flight crews, reported The Wall Street Journal. Starting the end of this month, Delta will reduce the number of flight attendants on transoceanic Boeing 767 flights from eight to seven. Crew meals on domestic flights will be dropped 1 April, the newspaper said in citing a company document. That means pilots and flight crew will have to bring their own food and, presumably, eat during their flights. Premier
Bags and Continental Airlines to Launch First Class Gift Bag Service February
1 -- First Class Customers Flying From Newark to Los Angeles, San
Francisco, San Diego and Seattle to Receive Complimentary Gift Bags Northwest Airlines Orders Additional Airbus A330 Aircraft -- Northwest Airlines today announced that it has ordered eight additional Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft. The additional A330s will fly international routes and will replace, on a one-for-one basis, DC10-30 aircraft in Northwest’s fleet beginning in 2006 and continuing through 2007. With these additional A330 aircraft, Northwest will be able to replace the DC10-30 on all trans-Atlantic routes operated by Northwest. Northwest Offers Online Frequent Flyer Upgrade -- Northwest Airlines announced today that members of its WorldPerks frequent flyer program can now purchase a ticket and then redeem miles for first class upgrades, all in a single online transaction, at its nwa.com Web site. The carrier also announced other enhancements to nwa.com including a new option that allows customers to search surrounding airports to help find the lowest fare, new features that allow group and meeting travel to be booked online, and the ability to book vacation packages. American Airlines Launches New 'Food on Board' Program -- Snack Boxes Offered at $3, Sandwich $5 on More Than 600 Routes With Flying Time Longer Than Three Hours. Fort Worth, Texas – On Feb. 1, 2005, American Airlines will begin selling snack boxes at $3 and a sandwich or wrap at $5 in the main cabin on select domestic routes longer than three hours and on transcontinental and Hawaii flights. The new program is part of AA's ongoing Turnaround Plan that stresses "Fly Smart: Give Customers What They Value" and is a direct result of collaboration among employees and feedback from customers and flight attendants. American Airlines Cargo to Offer Travel Rewards; Shippers Can Now Earn Business ExtrAA Points for Booking Cargo Online -- American Airlines Cargosm division today announced a new program that will allow AACargo customers to earn travel rewards for booking cargo shipments online through its AACargo.com Web site. The program, which will be administered through the American Airlines Business ExtrAA® Web site, allows member companies to earn credits toward free travel certificates, upgrades and Admirals Club® memberships for qualified shipments as well as for business travel on American Airlines, American Eagle or AmericanConnection®. Amtrak Service Disruptions: California Zephyr, Pacific Surfliner, Coast Starlight -- Amtrak plans to restore full California Zephyr service later this month. Effective with the westbound departure from Chicago on Jan. 28 and the eastbound departure from Emeryville, Calif., on Jan. 29, the California Zephyr will operate over its full route between Chicago and Emeryville, via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City and Reno. Choice Hotels Offers Earn nights or flights 3 times faster. Book now on choicehotels.com and triple your rewards. -- Earn triple miles. Only at choicehotels.com. Just book a stay at any of the over 3,500 Choice hotels in the U.S. and Caribbean. You'll earn triple miles to use toward your next mileage award with any participating airline. Negotiated 2005 Hotel Rates Rose By 3.9 Percent --Corporate negotiated hotel rates for 2005 increased by an average of 3.9 percent, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. "The range of rates was unusually wide, however, compared to the past few years," said Bjorn Hanson, global head of PwC's hospitality and leisure practice, last week. "Depending on their leverage, travel patterns and willingness to give back value-adds, certain travel managers were able to negotiate increases in the 2 percent to 3 percent range. Others ended up with rate increases that were closer to 7 percent to 8 percent." Marriott re-making 628,000 beds -- By year-end, 628,000 beds at approximately 2,400 hotels worldwide, across eight brands, will have a new, more luxurious look and feel. The global bedding makeover will utilize over 30 million yards of fabric – enough to stretch more than two-thirds of the way around the world – creating softer sheets, plusher mattresses, stylish duvets, more pillows – and a new fresh, white look. |