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| NEWS
HEADLINES |
| Amex,
NBTA Forecast Substantial Travel Cost
Growth
Oct 31, 2005 -- Companies next year will
spend more on corporate travel as rates
offered by all types of suppliers—coupled
with the overall number of business trips—are
expected to grow both domestically and
internationally, according to separate
forecasts released this month by the National
Business Travel Association and American
Express. MORE
Too
many seats hurting the airline industry?
Southwest Airlines chief executive Gary
Kelly said the struggling industry’s
biggest problem — even above high
fuel costs — is too many seats.
MORE
United,
Swiss To Share Code
Nov 1, 2005 -- Swiss International Air
Lines and United Airlines on Nov. 9 will
begin a codeshare agreement, "expanding
international destination options and
mileage opportunities for customers of
both carriers. The agreement represents
further integration of Swiss into the
Star Alliance, following its merger and
subsequent consolidation efforts with
Lufthansa German Airlines. MORE |
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Execs
More Cognizant Of Travel Costs
Nov 3, 2005 -- Faced with rising travel
expenses, chief financial officers and
finance execs are growing ever more aware
of travel costs and policy compliance,
according to an America Express survey
of financial executives at more than 250
companies, mostly in the midmarket category.
MORE
US
Airways Announces Reduced Fee for Confirmed
Changes to Same-Day Travel
Nov 1, 2005 -- To take advantage of the
Move Up program, customers simply make
a request upon airport check-in for an
earlier flight. Since there are no time
restrictions with the Move Up program,
customers can select a standby flight
departing any time earlier on the same
day. If space is available, a confirmed
seat assignment will be provided for only
$25 on domestic flights, excluding Hawaii,
and $50 for international flights, excluding
Europe. If space is not available, customers
may still be placed on the standby list,
for no fee at all. MORE |
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Airline
News |
| Chase,
United Airlines Introduce New Business Card
October 28, 2005 – Chase and United Mileage
Plus Business Awards Visaâ card, will enable
small businesses to earn travel rewards, Mileage Plus
miles and Perks Plus points, for their business purchases.
Perks Plus points are redeemable for business travel
on United, and for upgrades and other exclusive small
business benefits. MORE
United
loses $1.8 billion on special items but posts solid
operating result
Nov 1, 2005 -- UAL Corp. posted a third-quarter net
loss of $1.77 billion as $1.84 billion in bankruptcy-related
noncash charges overwhelmed a strong performance at
the operating level where the company reported a profit
of $165 million, reflecting a 3.5% operating margin,
compared with an operating loss of $80 million a year
ago." United is a fundamentally better company
today with sustainable improvements across the business
and solid operational performance. MORE
American
Pilots Consider New Contract Talks
Nov 1, 2005 -- Leaders of American Airlines' pilots'
union are to meet on Tuesday to consider contract
talks aimed at boosting productivity, but avoiding
any wage or benefit cuts. MORE |
US
Airways Exchanges Common Stock for America West Airlines'
7.25 Percent Senior Exchangeable Notes
Oct 28, 2005 -- US Airways Group, Inc. has repurchased
from noteholders approximately $250 million in principal
amount at maturity of America West Airlines, Inc.'s
7.25 percent senior exchangeable notes due 2023. MORE
Delta
seeks to impose new contract on pilots through bankruptcy
Nov 3, 2005 -- Delta Air Lines asked a US Bankruptcy
Court to permit it to impose a new contract on its
pilots that would reduce pilot pay rates by 19.5%.
The carrier is imposing $605 million in pay and benefit
reductions on its 44,000 other employees.MORE
Northwest,
Unions In Talks On Temporary Cuts
Nov 2, 2005 -- Northwest Airlines said that if it
can get temporary savings worth 60 percent of its
total USD$1.4 billion labor savings goal, the airline
could delay a hearing on its request to void its contracts.
MORE
Mechanics
strike at Northwest appears over
Nov 2, 2005 -- Defiant Northwest Airlines mechanics
still picket. Their union urges them to stay strong.
But airline observers and even some strikers say it's
as good as over. MORE |
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Air
Canada reverses its fortunes, firms Boeing order
Nov 3, 2005 -- ACE Aviation Holdings, parent of Air
Canada, reported third-quarter net income of C$270
million ($229.6 million) compared to an C$81 million
loss in the year-ago period. MORE
ATA
To Suspend Some Services
Nov 1, 2005 -- ATA Airlines would suspend service
to and from Denver, Indianapolis and San Juan, Puerto
Rico, to combat high fuel costs and excess capacity.
MORE
Virgin
Atlantic buys flu treatment
Nov 3, 2005 -- Virgin Atlantic Airways has ordered
a stockpile of the antiviral drug Tamiflu "as
a purely precautionary measure" in the event
of a human outbreak of bird flu. MORE
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AirTran
leaves Worldspan, inks deal with Galileo
NoV 1, 2005 -- AirTran reached an agreement with Cendant
Travel Distribution Services to distribute its fares,
schedules and inventory through Cendant's Galileo/Apollo
systems. It reached an agreement to distribute through
Sabre and Travelocity last month. MORE
Gambling
May Replace Air Fares At Ryanair
Nov 2, 2005 -- Ryanair believes revenue from inflight
gaming and gambling could eventually replace the need
to charge air fares. MORE
BAA
To Cut 700 Jobs As Growth Slows
Nov 1, 2005 -- Airport operator BAA planned to cut
700 jobs under a cost-saving program and posted higher
first-half earnings despite rising utility bills and
slowing passenger growth. MORE |
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Rail
/ Hotel / Car / Cruise News
Amtrak
- Hurricane Wilma - Florida Service Restoration Update
Nov 2, 2005 -- The daily Auto Train has resumed its
service in both directions from Lorton, Va., (south
of Washington, D.C.) and Sanford, Fla. (north of Orlando).
The Silver Service trains are operating only between
New York City and Orlando. MORE
Hotels
Run the Gamete
Nov 3, 2005 -- Three Starwood properties in the Caribbean
and Bahamas have given birth to the concept, a three-night
getaway that includes romantic dinners, spa treatments
and island potions said to increase chances of a pregnancy.
MORE
Aspen
hotel's $1 million package includes ski passes and
car
Nov 2, 2005 -- The four-star Hotel Jerome in Aspen
began offering a 10-night holiday vacation package
that includes unlimited ski passes and private lessons,
an on-call masseuses, a chauffeur and a Maybach car
that sells for no less than $375,000 that guest gets
to keep. The price tag: a mere $1 million. MORE
Marriott
International Declares Cash Dividend
Nov 3, 2005 -- Marriott International, Inc. board
of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend
of ten and one half cents per share of common stock.
The dividend is payable Jan. 10, 2006 to shareholders
of record as of Dec. 15, 2005. MORE
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All
of Marriott’s 187 hotels and resorts in Florida
are open and operating following Hurricane Wilma.
Nov 1, 2005 -- A few hotels in the area continue to
experience power outages and may be temporarily closed.
These hotels will be open once utilities have been
restored. MORE
Major cruise lines
make storm-related itinerary changes:
Carnival
Cruise Lines
Royal
Caribbean
Norwegian
Cruise Line
Celebrity
Cruises
Disney
Cruise Line
Holland
America Line
Norwegian
Cruise Lines' Newest US Flagged Vessel
November 2, 2005 – NCL America will welcome
the new Pride of Hawai`i to its U.S. Flagged fleet
in April 2006. She will be the largest US flagged
passenger ship ever built, and will join Pride of
Aloha and Pride of America offering seven-day, inter-island
cruises visiting the beautiful 50th state’s
four main islands. MORE |
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Other
Industry Related News
Concern
about a bird flu pandemic has airlines recalling
SARS epidemic of 2002-03
Airlines and the trade associations representing
them are taking steps these days to prevent
the avian bird flu from becoming the next SARS
panic, which wreaked havoc on the commercial
aviation industry three years ago. MORE
Airports
to Get New System To Avoid Runway Collisions
The Federal Aviation Administration announced
plans to install a new system that the agency
says will reduce the chances of aircraft collisions
on the nation's runways and taxiways. MORE
Some
Fliers Can Skip Long Security Lines Starting
in June
Nove 4, 2005 -- A program that speeds pre-screened
travelers through security will begin June 20,
launching what airports hope will be a new era
of checkpoint screening. MORE
New
runway safety system to be installed at 15 airports
Nov 3, 2005 -- A new radar system designed to
keep airplanes from colliding on the ground
will be installed at 15 airports, starting in
January in Seattle, the Federal Aviation Administration
said. MORE
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US
Considers Lifting Airline Ownership Limits
Nov 2, 2005 -- The Bush administration wants
to ease restrictions on overseas investment
in US airlines, a move that could give struggling
carriers a route for fresh capital and break
the logjam in transatlantic aviation talks,
industry sources. MORE
DOT
foreign investment proposal blasted on both
sides of pond
November 4, 2005 -- US Dept. of Transportation's
surprise proposal to ease its interpretation
of foreign ownership restrictions in order to
encourage more investment in the US airline
industry has drawn negative comments on both
sides of the Atlantic. MORE
Suspect
travelers to be screened for infectious diseases
Nov 3, 2005 -- The federal government will install
a new quarantine station at Boston's Logan International
Airport to evaluate travelers who may pose a
health threat to the region, officials said.
MORE
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