Headline News

Airguide Online, June 30, 2004

Southwest Airlines celebrated on June 30 2004 the launch of its Spanish booking engine available at www.southwest.com/vamonos where Customers can make their flight reservations entirely in Spanish on the Internet. With the online booking tool, travelers can take advantage of Southwest's low air fares and frequent flights en espanol (in Spanish). For more information, visit: www.southwest.com/jp/enespanol.shtml?src=PR_vamonos_063004

Swiss International will be offering its new all-Business Class service between Zurich and New York (Newark) six times a week. The flights will be operated by a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) aircraft with seating for 56 passengers. The new service is scheduled to be launched on January 15, 2005. Swiss International's current Airbus A330 operations between Zurich and New York (Newark) will be simultaneously withdrawn. Swiss International will continue to offer its present New York (JFK) services from both Zurich and Geneva. The new service will be carefully tailored to business travellers' requirements. Passengers will enjoy shorter boarding times, a calmer ambience on board and special inflight service. Cabin comfort will also be assured by the provision of lie-flat seats at a generous 153 cm pitch. And no fewer than four flight attendants will be assigned to each departure.

United Airlines announced on June 30 2004 a 5 percent fare hike Wednesday on most flights to international destinations from the United States, citing rising fuel costs as the reason. The increase is the latest of numerous attempts by U.S. carriers this year to try to have passengers share the burden of soaring jet-fuel prices. Last month, United rescinded a $10-per-round-trip fuel surcharge on most North American fares after only a day when American Airlines was the only competitor to follow. "Escalating Fuel prices are a growing concern throughout the airline industry," said John Tague, executive vice president-Marketing, Sales and Revenue. "We must take the necessary steps to manage our exposure to this unprecedented rise in expense." The fare increase applies to all published non-sale fares on flights to international destinations that originate in the United States, including United First and United Business fares, Unrestricted and discounted United Economy fares and most consolidator fares.

United Airlines announced on June 29 2004 that, following the conclusion of a new aviation agreement by the governments of the People's Republic of China and the United States, the airline has applied to begin new, daily nonstop service between Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Shanghai's Pudong International Airport (PVG) effective October 31, 2004. Service would commence on that date pending completion of the necessary regulatory procedures by the relevant Chinese and U.S. government agencies.

The "GoFares" giveaway is part of a nine-day awareness campaign to tell Washington-area customers about US Airways' new everyday low GoFares. US Airways employees have been spotted throughout the region handing out gifts, purchasing buckets of golf balls and area driving ranges, buying hundreds of car washes, and treating gas station customers to free fill- ups. The bright yellow bus and Hummer SUV emblazoned with "GoFares" and filled with bright yellow-clad US Airways employees emblazoned with "GoFares" have been spotted on the streets of greater Washington for a week now, handing out almost 10,000 Krispy Kreme donuts, 20,000 boxes of mints, 50,000 luggage tags, and thousands of meals, hot dogs, ice cream bars, hats and T-shirts. But now the stakes are getting higher, with travel packages up for grabs to the first person who spots Seth, "The Go Fares Guy" in a series of appearances on Thursday and Friday.