air travel

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Doomed United Is Textbook of Biz Don'ts

(Newser) - United Airlines’ dismal service and financial stature may soon send it to Chapter 11, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a “teachable moment,” Shaun Rein writes in Forbes. Herewith, three lessons:
  • Loyal customers return: "Consumers are more price sensitive in this economy, and they are
...

Salt Lake Tops Best Airports List
 Salt Lake Tops 
 Best Airports List 



TRAVEL
Jul 25, 2009 8:24 AM CDT

Salt Lake Tops Best Airports List

(Newser) - Some airports just seem to be charmed when it comes to on-time departures. Travel + Leisure ranks the 10 best in America based on percentage of flights delayed:
  1. Salt Lake City: Last year's winner continues its reign, cutting delays by 2% from 2008, to just 12%.
  2. Portland, Ore.: At 15%,
...

Brit Flights Will Bar 'Flu-ish' Passengers

Docs blast 'nonsense' plan to keep ill off airplanes

(Newser) - British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will refuse to check in passengers with symptoms of swine flu unless they have doctors' notes saying they're healthy, reports the Times of London. Passengers with runny noses, headaches, or sore throats will be told not to board their flights. The new policy has outraged...

10 Ways to Game the Airlines

(Newser) - Airlines offer more than you know—and would rather you didn't know about it. The Chicago Tribune runs down a list of ways to benefit from airline secrets:
  • Complain early and often: Whatever the problem, "airlines tend to buy grouchy passengers off with frequent-flier miles."
  • Travel agents work
...

Middle Seat on the Plane? I'd Rather ...

(Newser) - Nobody likes the middle seat on an airplane, and a recent study shows fliers would rather endure some novel discomforts than sit squeezed between two seatmates. BlackBook runs down a few—as well as what's particularly unpleasant about the middle seat.
  • 56% of respondents would rather have their teeth drilled
...

Flying-Phobic Comic Takes to the Air

AirTran is using him to pump wi-fi service

(Newser) - The best way to get over fear of flying? If you’re comedian Mark Malkoff, living on a plane for 30 days. Malkoff—who once lived in an Ikea store for a week—embarked upon his journey this month, but it wasn’t all for the sake of therapy. He’...

Buckle Up for Higher Airfares





  Buckle Up for Higher Airfares 
Jun 25, 2009 10:24 AM CDT

Buckle Up for Higher Airfares

(Newser) - If you’re planning on flying this summer, book your tickets now. After a long period of dropping fares and constant sales, prices went up earlier this month and appear likely to keep rising throughout the summer, the Wall Street Journal reports. “I think for the consumer, it’s...

Seoul's Airport Is World's No. 1

None in North America makes top 10

(Newser) - Incheon International airport in Seoul, South Korea, is the world's best, according to a British survey that took into account passengers' experiences with check-in, departures, transfers, and arrivals. Two other Asian airports, in Hong Kong and Singapore, finished second and third, the BBC reports.

Cheap Deals Bring Back the Vacation
 Cheap Deals 
 Bring Back 
 the Vacation 

TRAVEL
May 19, 2009 11:53 AM CDT

Cheap Deals Bring Back the Vacation

Flights, hotels drop prices in economic slump

(Newser) - When it comes to vacationing this summer, “the power is with the consumer,” says a consultant: The troubled economy has airlines, hotels, and cruises dropping prices dramatically. International airfares are down 14%, domestic fares 17%, Travelocity says; and for the first time since 2005, AAA predicts an uptick...

Airline Pitches the Really Friendly Skies

Let-it-all-hang-out Air New Zealand won't nickel-and-dime you

(Newser) - To tout its distaste for hidden fees, Air New Zealand is mounting a tasteful display—of nudity. The airline's new commercial features employees wearing nothing but body paint, the Boston Globe reports. The campaign, called “Nothing to Hide,” touts the now-antiquated practice of providing meals and not charging...

Hackers Expose Holes in Air Traffic Safety

Vulnerabilities abound ahead of planned $20B FAA upgrade

(Newser) - Civilian air traffic computer networks are riddled with security holes, and hackers have breached them several times in the past few years, the Wall Street Journal reports. Intruders could gain access to operational systems by first hacking into administrative areas using 763 separate “high risk” holes in those systems,...

Iris Cards Let Travelers Skip Customs

US signs deal with Holland, and more are on the way

(Newser) - A new digital card will allow Americans to skip customs lines at a foreign airport for the first time, reports USA Today. In a deal between Homeland Security officials and the Netherlands, US travelers approved for the ID card will be able to speed through Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, while...

From Cargo to First Class: Pet-Only Airline Nears Takeoff

Seat-free plane offers a different way to travel with pets

(Newser) - With Pet Airways’ summer launch, cats and dogs will get a first-class alternative to flying cargo. Passengers at major US airports will be able to drop their pets off for travel on a seat-free plane staffed with attendants, Zootoo reports. Spots on the first pets-only flight—scheduled for July 14...

United Forces 'Seatmates of Size' to Buy Extra Ticket

(Newser) - United Airlines is coming down hard on its chubbier passengers with a new rule requiring those who can’t fit into one seat to buy another ticket, MSNBC reports. “Seatmates of size” are defined as the unlucky passengers who can’t buckle their seatbelts—even with an extension—or...

DJ AM Swears Off Flying After Cheating Death—Again

Had booked ticket on doomed Buffalo flight

(Newser) - Adam Goldstein, better known as DJ AM, is finished with planes, TMZ reports. Not only was he badly burned in a plane crash last year, but the DJ had a ticket for the Continental commuter flight that crashed near Buffalo last month, killing everyone on board. Goldstein didn’t board...

Airlines Panic as Recession Grounds Passengers

Falling price of oil fails to make up for slump in demand

(Newser) - A steep slide in passengers has airline execs reaching for the panic button, reports the Wall Street Journal. Airlines had banked on the drastic drop in oil prices more than making up for falling demand caused by the recession, but the decline—especially in first and business class—has been...

Struggling Airlines Pitch Clean(er) Planes

As customers become more valued, so does customer service

(Newser) - United Airlines used to give its planes’ interiors a thorough cleaning only every 6 months to save cash. But with carriers now fighting for every passenger, cleanliness has become a crucial weapon, the Chicago Tribune reports. Some United planes now get “heavy” cleans every two weeks. “People don’...

'Sir Richard, What Is That White Stuff?'

Airline chief Branson gets complaint about food

(Newser) - Sir Richard Branson personally responded to a “constructive if tongue-in-cheek” complaint letter from a Virgin Atlantic passenger, reprinted in the Telegraph. The beleaguered (and unnamed) flyer likened the dining experience to an awful Christmas morning. “You open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your...

Emma Thompson, Others Try to Foil Heathrow Plans

Group opposed to plan aims to drag project into legal quicksand

(Newser) - A high-profile coalition led by Greenpeace has purchased a soccer field-sized piece of land intended to become part of a new runway for London’s Heathrow airport, the Times reports. The group intends to parcel out the land to thousands of individual owners, dragging out any attempt to buy it...

More Trouble Looms for Holiday Travelers

Snow, rain will continue through weekend

(Newser) - Holiday travelers may be in for more trouble this weekend, USA Today reports. Snow is expected from Montana to New Mexico, rain in the Midwest could cause flooding, and the South can expect heavy thunderstorms and possibly a few tornadoes. "It's going to be a wild ride," said...

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