Northwest is restricting passengers to one piece of carry-on luggage and requiring them to check extra bags in an attempt to facilitate departures and eliminate onboard storage-area crowding. Requests to change the carrier's unlimited-carry-on policy came mainly from customer service employees and flight attendants, said Northwest spokesman Jim Faulkner. "We don't have to hold up the plane as much while people store their bags," he said. Passengers still can carry on a purse, laptop computer, coat, camera, infant bag, reading material and umbrella.
America West has added second daily nonstop flights between Phoenix and two northeast points, Philadelphia and Boston. The carrier offers two one- stops from Phoenix to Boston and three one-stops from Boston to Phoenix. Its nonstops to Boston are the only ones from Phoenix.
With the House and Senate going to conference as early as this week on the DOT appropriations bill, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee apparently intends to insist on language in his bill making changes in statutory restrictions on service at Dallas Love Field (DAILY, July 23). "I think the Wright Amendment ought to go," Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said in an interview taped for broadcast yesterday on Aviation News Today. "I'd like to repeal it - period.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Revenues and Expenses First Quarter 1997 (In Dollars) Total Operating % Passenger Carrier Revenues Change Revenues Alaska 288,061,000 9.31 243,460,000 America West 452,375,848 11.48 421,547,019
Air France Chairman Christian Blanc is leaving the company he rescued from bankruptcy in a disagreement with the French government over privatizing the state-owned carrier. "I...shall not seek re-election when the directors are re-appointed in early October," Blanc said Friday in Paris.
TWA believes that the third quarter of 1997 will be its first profitable quarter in more than a year, and that several financial moves it intends to make will improve its short-term outlook and position it to take advantage of growth opportunities during 1998. "We expect to be profitable in the third quarter," Chairman Gerald Gitner told The DAILY. TWA has taken and is taking steps to improve its ability to generate revenues and profits. It considers its decision last week to lease an additional new 767-300 from International Lease Finance Corp.
DOT granted Pan Am and Carnival Air Lines an exemption to allow the carriers to complete the acquisition of Carnival's stock by Pan Am "pending the Department's action on their de facto transfer application." The carriers filed jointly seeking the exemption based on their plans to "consummate the purchase...after...shareholder approval" faster than DOT could complete its analysis and issue a decision on the transfer (DAILY, Aug. 8).
Northwest's ALPA negotiators have concluded a round of talks by agreeing tentatively to three more sections of a new contract, covering workers' compensation benefits, discipline and discharge, and grievances. The carrier and the pilots now agree tentatively on 11 sections. The Master Executive Council has scheduled road shows for members Sept. 17 in Minneapolis, Sept. 20 and 21 in Narita, Sept. 22 in Honolulu, Sept. 25 in Detroit, Sept. 26 in Memphis and Sept. 30 in Seattle.
France's determination not to privatize Air France (see story on Page 423) comes as Germany and Lufthansa head in the opposite direction. Germany said last week it will sell its remaining 37% stake in the national carrier Oct. 13, raising up to 5 billion Deutschmarks (US$2.7 billion) for Germany and eliminating government participation in the airline.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers International Traffic First Quarter 1997 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) Alaska 230 22.73 1,107 255,179 Latin 230 22.73 1,107 255,179
After about eight months of document gathering and pleadings, DOT issued Friday a procedural schedule for the American/British Airways alliance case that includes an oral hearing before a DOT panel. A BA spokeswoman said the carrier still was examining the notice. American "overall is pleased with the order, because our detractors have worked long and hard to ensure such an order" - setting in motion a formal examination of the alliance - "never saw the light of day," a spokesman said.
United, which has a fleet of 579 aircraft, says it will have reduced aircraft noise emissions 25% more than federal standards require by yearend. Further initiatives include retiring 48 aircraft and taking delivery of 57 new aircraft by the end of 1998, and installing hushkits on 99 727s by the end of 1999.
The top ten U.S. passenger carriers recorded improved rates for on-time arrivals, mishandled baggage and consumer complaints in July, compared with both June 1997 and July 1996, according to DOT's monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. Carriers also bumped fewer passengers in the second quarter of 1997 than during the previous quarter.
Southwest is teaming with Visa USA to give one customer and 100 friends a chance to fly free to the Sea World Park of the customer's choice. Any customer who uses a Visa credit card through Nov. 16 to buy a ticket on Southwest will be entered in the Personal Party Sweepstakes. The winner, to be drawn Dec. 6, will receive a three-day trip to a Sea World Park, including air fare, hotel, and $100 per person spending money.
Delta Air Line Pilots Association Master Executive Council Chairman Denny Dolan told members a recent meeting with the airline's new chief executive, Leo Mullin, was a "very positive first step" in establishing a fresh approach to pending issues. The union has expressed deep frustration over management policies and its implementation of a concessionary contract. Dolan said Mullin enthusiastically agreed to attend the union's next MEC meeting, scheduled Oct. 13-17 in Orlando.
In Federal Register dated Aug. 29...Issued an AD on certain Raytheon 125- 800A and Hawker 800 aircraft requiring modification of the rudder...Superseded an AD on Airbus A310 and A300-600 aircraft concerning overriding the autopilot when it is in the pitch control axis.
DOT denied Delta's petition to revoke Continental's Newark-Rio de Janeiro authority and activate Delta's backup authority. Delta and Continental both won rights this year to serve Brazil, but DOT awarded Delta only seven frequencies from Atlanta, compared with Continental's 14. Delta's backup award is for seven frequencies on New York-Sao Paulo/Rio.
Challenge Air is disputing tentative DOT findings that its frequencies to Argentina have become dormant, an issue complicating the allocation of rights and the sale of Arrow Air frequencies to FedEx. Challenge denied DOT's Aug. 14 tentative finding that Challenge's frequencies are dormant since they were not used during a 90-day period.
International Air Cargo Association officials say that although the 23 open-skies agreements concluded by the Transportation Department "do not provide total free and unlimited cargo service in all respects, they do represent a major step forward and a strong move toward complete freedom of the skies for air cargo." But air cargo still is "restricted in service and growth by international agreements and route restrictions designed to protect passenger services and national air carriers."
United reported increased customer satisfaction with its food service as a result of its Million Dollar Partnership with LSG Lufthansa Service/Sky Chefs. Improved food quality on 26 transcontinental flights from Newark has led to an "incredible increase in ratings" for food from April through July compared with last year, said Bob Sobczewski, United's manager of on- board service, North America. First-class customers rated overall meal satisfaction 14 percentage points higher, and ratings in economy went up six points over the year-earlier period.
Fine Airlines suspended operations after a 10-day inspection that FAA said found "inadequate control over its cargo operation," including hazardous materials violations. The action followed the fatal crash Aug. 7 of a Fine Air DC-8 freighter on takeoff from Miami Airport. The crash will affect the entire air cargo industry as FAA adopts tougher inspection measures. Administrator Jane Garvey said inspectors are immediately changing their focus on loading procedures as they inspect cargo carriers.
