Headline News

Airguide Online, April 16, 2004

According to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, record gasoline prices will not stop Americans from hitting the road this summer. The report predicts that the increase in domestic summer travel will create an increase of 5.3 percent in revenue per available room for hotels.

Australian airlines outperformed operators in the US and Europe in ontime performance in Jan., according to the first official figures on domestic flight punctuality released by the government. The Bureau of Transport and Regional Services statistics showed that 87.1% of departures and 86.7% of arrivals operated by the major carriers were achieved within 15 min. of scheduled times. Western Australia Regional airline Skywest was the leading performer with 95% of its flights for the month landing and taking off ontime. It finished ahead of Qantas with 87.3% of departures and 89.5% of arrivals conducted ontime, compared to Virgin Blue with 84.4% and 83.8% of departures and arrivals ontime.

Access America, a travel insurance company, has partnered with Continental to offer trip protection to passengers whom book from Continental.com. The insurance will be available starting next month. It will offer Airline Ticket Protector, which provides trip cancellation and interruption coverage, and 24-hour global emergency assistance. A site www.etravelprotection.com/continental has been developed exclusively for Continental's customers.

American is doubling its AAdvantage miles on flights from New York Kennedy to San Francisco and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The offer is good for San Juan from now through May 31, and for San Francisco between April 16 and May 31 2004. Travelers must register prior to travel at www.aa.com/offers and enter the promotion code for San Juan (NYSJU) or San Francisco (NYSFO), or by calling the AAdvantage dial-in system at 800-882-8880.

Cathay Pacific Airways completed installation of its new business class cabin on all of its long-haul aircraft, which include 747-400s, A340s and three-class A330s.

Continental Airlines raised its fuel surcharge from $10 to $15 each way for travel in the US and between the US and Canada to help offset higher jet fuel prices.

Continental will eliminate paper tickets entirely by the end of this year, including interline tickets. Those airlines that have not implemented electronic interline capabilities, 50 in all, have had their interline ticketing and baggage agreements eliminated, the airline said. David Grizzle, senior VP of corporate development, says the airline is "quite serious about our paperless objective" and it will eliminate issuance and acceptance of paper tickets for all of its flights. It currently has 20 e-ticket partners and has more than 180 interline ticketing and baggage agreements with airlines. It said it looks forward to bringing e-ticket technology to each of those interline agreements.

Hawaiian Airlines has received the last governmental approval it needed before its May 18 2004 expansion to Sydney. The airline has received its international airline license from Australia's Department of Transport and Regional Services, clearing the carrier for the launch of four nonstop roundtrips a week between Honolulu and Sydney. The route marks Hawaiian's return to this market after an absence of more than a decade. In related news, Hawaiian and Boeing Capital Corp. again have agreed to extend lease negotiations, this time through May 31. At issue are agreements for 11 Boeing 717-200 aircraft for its inter-island network and three Boeing 767-300ER planes for transpacific service that Hawaiian leases directly from BCC or through BCC-controlled trust arrangements. The latest extension is subject to approval by U.S. bankruptcy court.

Hawaiian Airlines is alerting consumers to a ticketing scam for a package of mainland tickets. An Asian man, about 50 years old who walks with a limp and calls himself either Wayne or Dwayne of Wayne Travel Discount is selling five roundtrip mainland tickets with a sixth for free for $250 apiece. Customers must pay up front, and the first ticket is actually sold through a bona fide travel agency at a higher fare than the one he is advertising. But they find that the other five tickets are invalid when they go to use them. Keoni Wagner, VP of public affairs, said "Unless you're booking directly with Hawaiian online or through our reservations department, we recommend that travelers purchase tickets through a licensed, professional travel agent." Anyone who thinks they may have been scammed should file a report with the police and call Hawaiian's customer advocate line at 808-838-3500.

Iberia will install Tenzing's new high-speed e-mail and instant messaging service in business class on its long-haul fleet of A340-600s and A340-300s beginning in Oct. 2004.

Independence Air is telling potential new customers that it will begin selling tickets sometime in May 2004, and its iCLUB members (those registered on its site at www.flyi.com) will be emailed the exact date ahead of the rest of the world. The airline says it is driven to offer a product that is less expensive and easier to fly than most airlines, while giving them a straightforward fare structure with limited restrictions. Independence Air, which is now Atlantic Coast Airlines, will launch June 16 from Washington-Dulles Airport. By the end of the summer, it expects to be flying to 35 cities. Customers who sign up to the airline's iCLUB will receive $25 off their first roundtrip flight if it is booked by Sept. 30 and flown by Dec. 31 2004.