OAG Travel News

Officials of the United States and the Netherlands formally launched a new initiative to open membership in their expedited air travel programs to citizens of both countries in an effort to streamline entry processes for pre-screened fliers. Citizens of the two nations now may apply to join the other country´s frequent traveler program allowing streamlined processing at the border. This arrangement is the first for the United States with a nation outside of North America. By mutually recognizing these two programs, the governments of the United States and the Netherlands will be making travel between our nations more convenient and more secure, said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. www.dhs.gov. www.nbta.org.

Air passengers will be able to claim millions of pounds in compensation for cancelled flights after a secret deal between British Airways and a group of complainants, The Times has learnt. The settlement, agreed after months of negotiations, could end the frustrations of passengers who are left stranded at airports and unable to claim redress for ruined holidays and aborted business meetings. Among those who may be able to claim compensation are the thousands of passengers stuck at Heathrow during the fiasco of Terminals opening days last year. The breakthrough comes after British Airways paid a group of passengers, including 21 Britons, an average of 388 GBP each for cancelling their flights. The payments are BAs first to British claimants.
 
Aeromexico has introduced deeply discounted Amigos Fares for travel agents, a customized website, and specialized travel agent and customer newsletters to make it easier than ever to promote and book the airline´s flights from 16 U.S. markets and two Canadian cities to more than 45 destinations throughout Mexico. www.aeromexicotrade.com.

Air France, Amadeus Between April 16 and Oct. 30, members of Nice Airports passenger program Club Airport Premier (CAP) and Air Frances frequent flyer program traveling on the Nice-Paris Orly domestic route will pilot a new boarding device, Pass and Fly. The pilot project will simplify passenger recognition, the crediting of CAP points and airplane boarding, through the use of a mobile phone that is Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled. It is the first time in air travel that NFC, a short-range, wireless connectivity technology, will be used to enable mobile boarding passes. NFC integrates wireless technology into mobile phones, allowing interaction among electronic devices. This means it enables the passenger to be identified and also obtain a digital boarding pass when they swipe their mobile phone across a reader that is set up at the airport. www.airfrance.fr, www.amadeus.com or www.ier.fr.

Air Jamaica now offers daily flights between Toronto and Jamaica, having increased scheduled service throughout the spring and summer travel season. Now through June 12, 2009, Air Jamaica will operate a daily nonstop flight from Toronto to Kingston departing at 6:15 p.m., and a return flight departing Kingston at 11:50 a.m. From June 13, 2009, through the remainder of the summer season, the schedule will remain the same, Sunday through Friday. On Saturdays, the outbound flight will depart Toronto at 6:30 p.m. with the return flight departing Kingston at 12:10 p.m. www.airjamaica.com.

Air New Zealand flight attendants working at its Zeal320 subsidiary and represented by the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union voted to strike for four days beginning May 7 in a "move toward pay parity with other Air New Zealand cabin crew."

AirAsia X will increase five-times-weekly Kuala Lumpur-London Stansted service to daily on July 1.

Air Berlin may face a pilots strike as 82.2% of voting Vereinigung Cockpit members voted to approve a walkout.

Alaska Airlines Airlines Adding Checked-Baggage Charges. Emboldened by the revenue success of checked-bag fees, several carriers this week said they are implementing new charges, including Alaska Airlines' plan to follow legacy carriers in implementing a first-checked-bag fee, US Airways' plan to add a $5 surcharge for customers paying to check bags at the airport and Delta Air Lines' intention to bring its second-bag fee to international markets. US Airways said economy customers traveling on or after July 9 would have to pay an additional $5 if they elect to settle checked-bag charges at the airport. The carrier, like all of its domestic legacy carrier competitors, already levies a $15 fee for the first bag and $25 for the second. The carrier today began enabling customers to prepay first- and second-bag fees as they check in online through its Web site.

CanJet, Boeing Jamaica Defense Force counterterrorism unit stormed a CanJet 737 that had been hijacked on the ground for more than 8 hr. at Montego Bay by a lone gunman early yesterday morning, arresting the perpetrator and freeing six hostages. The ordeal began at around 10 p.m. Sunday night when "a young man armed with a gun. . .forced his way through security checkpoints" and boarded the 737, which was on a stopover en route to Santa Clara, Cuba, from Halifax, according to CanJet. The perpetrator demanded to be taken to Cuba. He immediately released all 159 passengers and two crewmembers after boarding the plane, but held six crewmembers hostage through the night, the airline said. Jamaican officials told reporters that negotiations proved futile, necessitating the raid. They added that the gunman, identified as a 20-year-old Montego Bay man, quickly was disarmed and arrested. No injuries were reported. CanJet said the flight was a charter operated for Transat Tours Canada. A Jamaican government spokesperson said the perpetrator acted alone and that the hijacking was "not anything that would be of concern in terms of an international incident." CanJet said the passengers were taken to a hotel in Montego Bay and were to be flown to Santa Clara on another 737 last night.

CanJet, Boeing A would-be hijacker surrendered to the authorities today after releasing the last of more than 180 hostages he seized hours earlier aboard a Canadian charter jet in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The suspect, described as "a troubled young man" who had demanded to be flown to Cuba, breached security about 10 pm local time Sunday (0300 GMT Monday) to force his way aboard the CanJet charter flight at Sangster International Airport in Jamaica's prime tourist resort. A shot was fired as the drama unfolded but no one was wounded, a senior police official said. CanJet said the incident aboard Flight 918, involving a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 182 passengers and crew, occurred after it made a scheduled landing in Montego Bay en route from Halifax, Nova Scotia. CanJet vice president and general manager Kent Woodside, told a pre-dawn news conference in Halifax that all 174 passengers and two crew members had been safely removed from the aircraft, but six crew were still on the plane with the gunman on the tarmac at Sangster Airport. After tense negotiations, personally overseen by Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding and his national security minister, Dwight Nelson, the gunman freed his remaining hostages unharmed and surrendered to police, a government statement said. It did not elaborate but Information Minister Daryl Vaz said earlier that the suspect, who was believed to be armed with a handgun, was a Jamaican from Montego Bay aged about 20. "This is the case of a troubled young man," Vaz told CNN, adding, "He definitely has had some mental challenges." "Originally, his demands were to be flown to Cuba because the flight actually was going to Cuba and then back to Halifax. That really was his demand," Vaz said.

Clickair Spanish budget carrier Clickair has introduced a new Internet booking feature, giving passengers the option of paying a small fee to lock their selected fare for a 24- or 72-hour period. Clickair is charging euro2 ($2.70) for a 24-hour hold and euro5 to guarantee the fare for 72 hours. If the time lapses and the fare has not been confirmed, it is re-released for sale. Speaking during the French Connect networking conference in Shannon, Clickair chief Alex Cruz said the carrier had "turned on" the feature last week.

Continental Airlines Federal aviation authorities on Wednesday were investigating a rocky Texas flight over the weekend that reportedly left a 47-year-old woman paralyzed and in intensive care. The woman was on Continental Flight 511 en route from Houston to McAllen, Texas, early Saturday, a one-hour trip that had been delayed more than three hours because of severe storms that barreled through the Houston area on Friday night. The woman's attorney, Ramon Garcia, said Tuesday that his client struck her head on the bathroom ceiling when the plane suddenly dropped during turbulence. The woman was stretched out on the plane's floor for the remainder of the flight until paramedics could start treating her, the attorney said. The woman fractured her spinal column and cannot walk at this time, said Garcia, who added that the mother of three did not want to be identified. He said she had surgery on her back and is scheduled to undergo another operation. Dr. Trey Fulp, an orthopedic spine surgeon at McAllen Medical Center, was quoted in the Monitor newspaper in McAllen as saying the woman suffered a fractured neck and a back injury that left her paralyzed from the chest down. The doctor said it was unclear whether she will walk again, even though some people can recover from such injuries, the newspaper reported.

Delta Air Lines is expanding its global network to offer customers nonstop flights to Dallas' Love Field Airport. Effective July 6, 2009, Delta will offer three new daily round-trip flights between its Memphis, Tennessee hub and Dallas' downtown airport, connecting in-town Dallas customers to the world's largest airline network. Customers flying between Love Field and Memphis will have connecting opportunities to 237 peak-day flights to 90 worldwide destinations. Daily round-trip flights between Dallas Love Field and Memphis are available for sale at delta.com beginning today with the following schedule: Flight** Departs Arrives Effective NW 2672 Love Field at 6 am Memphis at 7:40 am July 7, 2009 NW 2674 Love Field at 11:25 am Memphis at 1:05 pm July 6, 2009 NW 2676 Love Field at 4:15 pm Memphis at 5:55 pm July 6, 2009 NW 2673 Memphis at 9:15 am Love Field at 11 am July 6, 2009 NW 2675 Memphis at 2 pm Love Field at 3:45 pm July 6, 2009 NW 2677 Memphis at 7:51 pm Love Field at 9:36 pm July 6, 2009 **Flights operated by Delta Connection carrier Pinnacle Airlines using 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets. The new Love Field flights complement existing service from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport where Delta offers 36 peak-day departures to its seven U. hubs - Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, and Salt Lake City.

Delta Air Lines will start charging passengers on international flights 50 USD for checking a second bag, saying it's making the move in response to the global recession. As the first major U.S. carrier to charge a fee to check a second bag on international flights, Atlanta-based Delta's move could spur other carriers to consider adding the fee as well. The Delta fee was effective for new bookings starting Tuesday for international travel beginning July 1. Some are exempt from the fee, including business class passengers, elite-level SkyMiles frequent flier members, active duty military traveling on orders and those who bought a full-fare Y-class ticket. Delta, the largest carrier at Palm Beach International Airport, expects the fee to bring in more than 100 million USD in revenue annually.

Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines A man accused of telling an off-duty Northwest Airlines pilot that he had explosives in his carry-on bag was sentenced to four years probation for making false threats. Federal investigators said the Northwest Airlines plane was backing away from a gate at Denver International Airport last year when 56-year-old Mark Randall Rayborn grabbed his bag and told the pilot seated next to him that he had five pounds of explosives that security screeners had missed. The flight was delayed for four hours as bomb-sniffing dogs searched the plane and the 140 passengers were screened again. Investigators said Rayborn was drunk at the time he made the statement. He was sentenced in federal court Monday.

El Al Israel Airlines Competition on the Tel Aviv-London route is heating up. Over the next two weeks, El Al Israel Airlines Ltd., which has launched a daily morning flight to Luton Airport in north London, is offering round-trip tickets for just 199 USD plus frequent flyer points on some flights.
 
El Al Israel Airlines, which has launched a daily morning flight to Luton Airport in north London, is offering round-trip tickets for just $199 plus frequent flyer points on some flights. El Al head of marketing Amit Livni said that the morning flight to Luton targets people seeking to arrive in London at the start of the business day. "There is no doubt that there is heavy demand for the London route, and all airlines flying there have added flights. As part of our collaboration with Luton Airport, we've obtained fast entry lanes that enable businesspeople carrying only hand luggage to leave the airport within ten minutes of landing," he said.
 
Flybe took delivery of its 50th Bombardier Q400 yesterday. It also announced the launch of a 19-times-weekly London Gatwick-Leeds Bradford service on June 29.
 
Horizon Air is celebrating 20 years of service to Victoria International Airport with a month-long celebration for all passengers flying from Victoria. Horizon and the Victoria Airport Authority have teamed up to celebrate from April 23 through May 20. During this time, passengers flying from Victoria to Seattle will have the opportunity to win prizes, including certificates toward discounted future flights on Horizon, at the gate. Historical photos will also be on display, offering passengers a look back at Horizon´s service over the years. www.horizonair.com.

JetBlue Airways Corp. on Thursday said it will "aggressively defend" itself against growing competition on routes and pricing from rivals including Southwest Airlines and Virgin America, after posting a first-quarter profit that topped Wall Street expectations. Aiming directly at the growing presence of Southwest at major eastern airports. JetBlue will offer fares starting at 39 USD 10 USD cheaper than Southwest's lowest fare. JetBlue has launched aggressive sales on various routes especially transcontinental trips as competition from Southwest and Virgin America heats up. JetBlue is adding to a large number of flights from its home base at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to the Caribbean. Pending government approval, the Barbados flights will begin on Oct. 1.
 
JetBlue Airways' strategy to expand in the Baltimore-Washington market and solidify its presence at Boston Logan International Airport. JetBlue offers the most destinations from Boston of any airline. JetBlue already serves Dulles International Airport and has been working to get gates at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
 
JetBlue Airways announced today plans to continue its expansion with new service this fall to the Caribbean island of Barbados, subject to receipt of government operating authority. JetBlue intends to begin daily nonstop flights year-round between Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport - where connections to cities across the United States are available - on October 1, 2009. Flights are expected to go on sale in June. Barbados is one of 12 international locations on JetBlue's growing route map and one of the more than 50 destinations throughout the Americas to boast JetBlue's award-winning service. In addition to its new Barbados flights, JetBlue will also begin new service to Jamaica on May 21. JetBlue will operate its Barbados service with spacious 150-seat Airbus A320 aircraft. The A320 offers travelers all of the amenities for which JetBlue has become well-regarded: complimentary seatback television programming including free first-run movies, comfortable leather seats, the most legroom in coach of any US airline, unlimited free snacks, and industry-leading customer service.
 
JetBlue Airways set plans to again expand its focus city at Boston’s Logan International Airport with more service to the Washington area. Award-winning JetBlue will begin four daily flights to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) on Sept. 9, 2009, complementing its existing six daily flights between Boston and Washington Dulles International Airport. Prices between BWI and Boston start at just $39 each way for flights purchased before May 4. www.jetblue.com.
 
Jetstar Pacific will add a fourth daily Ho Chi Minh City-Da Nang flight and a second-daily Hanoi-Da Nang frequency and will increase four-times-weekly Hanoi-Can Tho service to daily on June 1.
 
Heathrow Express claims it is the first train operator to offer transfer tickets to passengers on flights between New York and London Heathrow. Heathrow Express and GuestLogix, an on-board airline retailer, have signed a "unique" deal to distribute the train tickets via a "Mobile Virtual Store" currently being rolled out. But neither Heathrow Express nor GuestLogix could confirm which airlines they will be working with. Heathrow Express and GuestLogix said the technology would be used by "leading carriers representing over 90% of the passenger trips taken annually in North America." www.heathrowexpress.com www.guestlogix.com

Lufthansa relaunched flights between Tel Aviv and Munich on Sunday, saying there was ample demand despite the slowing economy. Lufthansa said it will operate the flights four times a week with Airbus A340-300 jets, adding to the two flights a day it already offers between Tel Aviv and Frankfurt. Lufthansa, one of the largest foreign airlines operating in Israel, had halted flights to and from Munich in 2003 largely due to a wave of Palestinian suicide bombings that badly damaged tourism in the country. As Munich grew into a large hub, the carrier tried to reinstate the flights in 2006 but was rebuffed by the Israeli government. Israel and Germany renegotiated a new transportation deal earlier this year giving Israeli flag carrier El Al more slots in Germany and Lufthansa permission to fly to Munich. Coinciding with the new flight to Munich, El Al on Sunday announced a USD$289 seat sale to compete with Lufthansa, which charges USD$309.

Mokulele Airlines has announced that it has implemented an interline ticketing agreement with Continental Airlines. The agreement allows passengers to book and ticket destinations in Hawaii beyond Continental´s Honolulu gateway in one easy transaction. From Honolulu, Mokulele offers service to Kahului, Maui; Kona and Hilo (effective May 1) on the Big Island; Lihue, Kauai; and Molokai/Hoolehua, Molokai. All of these destinations can now be booked in Continental´s reservations system as connections to/from Continental´s mainland service and Continental Micronesia´s international service in Honolulu. www.mokuleleairlines.com.

Pegasus Airlines will launch a daily Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen-Brussels service on June 22 aboard a 737.

Ryanair
Ryanair may charge a tax for its overweight passengers. First there was the wee fee, then the charge for the privilege of checking-in, now it seems budget airline Ryanair has finally tipped the scales by announcing it is considering a fat tax. The budget airline has never really concerned itself with political correctness when it comes to brash promotions, and it would seem this latest headline-grabbing idea is no different. According to the airline, it was you, the consumer, who voted for this fat tax on its website after it launched a competition giving customers the chance to win free flights by coming up with strange new ideas to save or make the company money. Around 100,000 passengers took part in the online competition and of those 30,000 (29 per cent) voted for a fee for overweight passengers. A quarter voted to charge for toilet paper with Mr O´Leary´s face on it  and 24 per cent voted to pay to smoke in a converted toilet cubicle. As a result of the response to the so-called fat tax, Ryanair says it was now seriously considering implementing it.
 
South African Airways (SAA) is giving away six free nights of luxury and additional perks in Cape Town, South Africa, with the purchase of two tickets in its award-winning Premium Business Class for travel on its flights between the U.S. and Cape Town. Purchase two restricted Premium Business Class seats at a fare of $7,470 each and receive four free nights at the five-star 12 Apostles Hotel & Spa or The Table Bay Hotel, as well as two bonus nights at the boutique luxury Franschhoek Country House in the scenic Cape Winelands. The free hotel stays include breakfasts and transfers, a dinner for two at Cape Towns hottest restaurant, and a private wine tour. The promotion is available for purchase now through May 31, 2009, for travel from May 1 to Aug. 31, 2009. The offer is subject to terms and conditions of restricted Premium Business Class fare. Fare excludes taxes and fuel surcharges. Hotel space is subject to availability. A limited number of rooms are available for this promotion. www.flysaa.com.

South African Airways Vacations and Lion World Tours announced new inventory of their luxury nine-day package priced $1,999 for travel in September and Dec. 1 to 15. The air-inclusive package offers a five-star jaunt in Cape Town with a wine estate and city tour, and a stay at a luxurious safari lodge that includes game drives and meals. Whether traveling to South Africa for the first time, or for the avowed Africa-enthusiast, the package includes the perfect itinerary at the right price for a last-minute getaway, with favorable exchange rates that make South Africa more affordable than ever for American travelers. www.flysaavacations.com
 
Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly last week strongly rejected Wall Street advice that the LCC begin charging for checked baggage to generate more revenue. During a conference call to discuss SWA's third consecutive quarterly loss, multiple analysts pushed Kelly to follow other US carriers and implement baggage fees. But he insisted the move would drive away customers.
 
Southwest Airlines Vacations is throwing in a free Disney Dining Plan with bookings of packages that include flight, hotel and Magic Your Way Tickets, for three or more nights at the Walt Disney World Resort. As an alternative, clients can opt for 50 percent off the Deluxe Dining Plan. In addition, bookings for five or more nights are discounted $100, using Promotion Code 100WDW. The Disney Dining Plan includes one table-service meal, one-counter service meal and one snack per Guest, per night in the client's choice of more than 100 restaurants throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. Bookings must be made by June 21 for travel Aug. 16 to Oct. 3. www.vaxvacationaccess.com/wnv.
 
Sun Country Airlines has announced a fare sale for inbound flights to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Fares start at $59 one way for markets such Boston, New York (JFK) and Los Angeles. Sun Country will offer its every day low fares on outbound flights from the Twin Cities, allowing passengers to purchase a roundtrip ticket at a greatly reduced price. These fares are available immediately either online at www.suncountry.com or through reservations at 800-359-6786. Tickets must be purchased by May 7 and will be good for travel through June 6.

Swiss International did its first flight from Zurich to New York JFK with its new Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-EP-powered A330-300. It has ordered nine of the type and expects to take delivery of three more this year, including the second in June. Three further A330-300s will join the fleet this year and the new aircraft will gradually replace the present Airbus A330-200 fleet between 2009 and 2011. The new long-haul Airbus A330-300 sets new standards of inflight comfort in all three seating classes. Substantially more legroom in Economy, an air-cushioned seat that can be turned into a two-metre lie-flat bed in Business and a "suite above the clouds" in First are the key features of the new cabin product. The new long-hauler also features a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system that offers a vast range of the latest movies in all three classes, along with over 40 TV channels and more than 300 music CDs.

US Airways said passengers can prepay to check in their bags on its website. Now customers who check in online at www.usairways.com with tickets booked for flights on or after July 9 will have the option to prepay $15 for their first checked bag and $25 for their second checked bag. Web check-in is available within 24 hours of scheduled departure time. Passengers who choose to pay for checking their bags at the airport will be charged an additional $5 service fee per bag. The baggage handling fees apply to all flights within the United States and to and from Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. www.usairways.com/baggage.

WestJet Airlines unveiled a new list of customer-service guarantees today as part of an aggressive new marketing campaign aimed at winning market share from Air Canada and staving off the need for the proposed passenger bill of rights now before Parliament. The campaign launched this morning sets in stone what the airline will offer its passengers on day-to-day basis and in the event of delays or cancellations.

Source: ZZ AirGuide 090430

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