Articles for ‘Business Travel’ Category
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
By Joe Brancatelli
There isn’t much sign that international premium-class travel is picking up, but that hasn’t stopped the airlines from looking for niches to add new service. Here’s what’s on tap for the so-called “summer schedule” that, by airline tradition, starts in late March.
- Meanwhile, Continental will also resume flights between Hong Kong and Guam on April 2. The twice-weekly service will be operated with Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
- Speaking of Lufthansa, it will begin flying between its Munich hub and Miami International Airport on March 29. Flights will operate three times a week.
- Icelandair will launch three weekly flights from Orlando/Sanford to Keflavik on March 27.
- Taiwan travelers take note: EVA Air will launch Taipei-Toronto flights on March 29. The three-day-a-week service will make an intermediate stop in Anchorage on the Asia-bound flights.
- And China Airlines will launch a Taipei-London service on March 28. That, too, will operate three times a week.
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Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.
Tags: airlines, Business Travel, Continental Airlines, Flights, international travel, Lufthansa
Posted in Business Travel, Flights, On the Road, Travel News | No Comments »
Thursday, January 28th, 2010
By Joe Brancatelli
After the first full year of charging checked baggage fees on flights, the five remaining legacy carriers are racking up huge annual losses. American Airlines, for example, reported a full-year 2009 loss of $1.5 billion, and Continental reported a 2009 loss of $282 million. On the other hand, Southwest Airlines, the lone carrier that still permits all travelers to check two bags on flights free of charge, reported a $99 million profit in 2009.
So how have the legacy carriers reacted to their losses and Southwest’s profit? They’ve all raised their checked baggage fees again. It started with Delta Air Lines, which now charges $23 for the first bag and $32 for the second if you pay online or $25 and $35 at the airport. Within a dollar or two, all of the other legacy carriers matched. Southwest has been thrilled with this decision and has been advertising heavily to promote its bags-fly-free policy.
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Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.
Tags: airfare, airlines, American Airlines, Business Travel, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Flights, travel
Posted in Business Travel, Flights, Travel News | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
By Joe Brancatelli
Immediately after the “underwear bomber” struck a Northwest flight headed to Detroit on Christmas Day, the United States demanded more security checks on incoming flights from foreign destinations. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), Canada’s equivalent of the Transportation Security Administration, acted immediately. It tightened controls at its security checkpoints at Canadian airports and began hand-inspecting carry-on bags.
But that promptly overwhelmed its system for processing transborder flights; they were going out hours late or not at all. So the Canadian government decided to relieve the pressure on Air Canada, WestJet and the U.S. carriers serving Canada by instituting a draconian no-carry-on-bag rule (more…)
Tags: airline security, airlines, Business Travel, Canada travel, Flights, travel
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Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
American Airlines is the last of the so-called legacy carriers to increase its checked baggage fees.
Starting with tickets purchased Feb. 1, checked baggage fees will go up to $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second. The fees apply to economy class flights within and between the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Certain travelers are exempt. Checked baggage fees can be paid at airport kiosks, ticket counters and at curbside check-in.
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Monday, January 18th, 2010
US Airways is the latest carrier to increase its checked baggage fees.
Effective today for flights on or after Feb. 1, checked baggage fees go up to $25 (each way) for the first bag and $35 for the second. Travelers who check bags in advance through the airline’s Web site pay slightly less : $23 for the first bag; $32 for the second.
The new checked baggage fees apply to all flights except those between the U.S. and Europe, South America and the Middle East. Certain travelers are exempt.
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Monday, January 18th, 2010
By Joe Brancatelli
AIRPORT REPORT
Comings, goings, changes and moves: While our attention was diverted by the holidays and the terrorism chaos, a lot of airport-related news came in over the metaphoric transom. Ready for the full report? We’ll go fast.
- AirTran Airways is bringing its flights back to Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi. AirTran returned to the airport this month with service from Atlanta and Tampa.
- Two hotels at or near Chicago/O’Hare airport have closed. The Wyndham O’Hare at Rosemont closed on Dec. 31. And in Arlington Heights, the Sheraton Chicago Northwest bit the dust on the same day.
- Southwest Airlines says it will fly into the new Northwest Florida Beaches Airport in Panama City when it opens in May. The privately owned airport will have Southwest flights to Nashville, Baltimore/Washington, Houston/Hobby and Orlando.
- OpenSkies, the boutique British Airways carrier that flies to Paris/Orly, is shifting all of its flights to Newark Liberty International. Flights to New York/Kennedy ended earlier this month.
- AT&T has added Wi-Fi service at Tulsa airport. Prices start at $7.99 for 24 hours for travelers who don’t have access through an AT&T subscription or Boingo.
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Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.
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Friday, January 15th, 2010
By Joe Brancatelli
HOTEL HOT SHEET
Another burst of hotel openings around the world: The supply of new hotels seems endless, even after a year of (bad) records for the lodging industry, which recording steep declines in average daily price and occupancy rates. Still, more supply is good for us and, let’s be honest, we’re not kicking about declining hotel room rates, right?
- Three of the newest properties are from Carlson, the company best known for its Radisson chain. It has chosen to open three more of its medium-priced hotels, an 88-room Country Inns & Suites in Lexington Park, Md., and an 81-room property in Washington, Pennsylvania, not far from Pittsburgh. And in Louisville, Kentucky, it has converted a former Marriott hotel into a 252-room Park Inn outpost. (more…)
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Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
United Airlines is matching the increased checked baggage fees announced earlier this week by Delta Air Lines and Continental Airlines.
Starting Thursday, travelers who book economy class tickets for United flights on or after Jan. 21 will pay checked baggage fees of $25 (each way) for the first bag and $35 for the second. There is a discount on checked baggage fees when travelers pay on United’s Web site.
The increased checked baggage fees apply for flights within the 50 United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. Certain travelers are exempt.
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Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Delta Air Lines and Continental Airlines are increasing their checked baggage fees.
Effective today, a first checked bag on Delta flights will cost $23 each way; a second, $32, for travelers who prepay on Delta’s Web site. Travelers who wait to check bags at the airport ticket counter, kiosk or curbside will pay more: $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second. The new fees apply to tickets purchased on or after Jan. 5, for coach flights within the 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
For travel on Delta between the U.S. and Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and South America, one checked bag is free and a second is $25 online or $30 at the airport. For flights between the U.S. and Europe, the first checked bag is free; the second is $50. (more…)
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Monday, January 11th, 2010
(Photo by Hady Khandani/Courtesy: Lufthansa)
By Joe Brancatelli
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
The future of in-flight Wi-Fi according to Lufthansa: About 650 domestic jets have been equipped with Aircell’s GoGo in-flight Wi-Fi service nut, but for all the publicity it has generated, there is very little evidence that travelers are interested in buying. The so-called “take” rate on flights is only about five percent — and an unknown (but large) portion of those fliers are surfing free thanks to some promotion or other.
Yet one international carrier has remained a supporter of in-flight Wi-Fi even when the product literally didn’t exist. Lufthansa was the largest customer of the Boeing Connexion service, which collapsed in 2006 with perhaps a billion dollars in losses for the plane maker. Lufthansa searched for a replacement over the last three years (international in-flight Wi-Fi requires an expensive, satellite-based overwater system, unlike the land-based GoGo) and it thinks it’s found one. (more…)
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