Marriott's Fairfield Inns will donate the cost of a 2x4 building stud to Habitat for Humanity for each travel award issued to any of its frequent travel club members. The travel awards include a free night's stay or 1,000 frequent flyer miles, issued after a member has stayed 12 nights. The company said its goal is to generate at least 15,000 2x4s that would frame approximately 25 houses.
Lower-than-expected domestic traffic, an April fire at Dusseldorf Airport and capacity that grew more quickly than revenue passenger kilometers combined to erode first-half profits for German carrier Lufthansa. Pre-tax profits totaled 119 million Deutschmarks (US$80 million), DM70 million (US$47 million) less than the prior-year period, the airline reported yesterday. First-half revenues increased 6.6% to DM9.8 billion (US$6.6 billion). Lufthansa Cargo was the only major subsidiary to report a decline in sales.
The U.S. and Colombia announced an agreement Friday that will allow American to operate New York-Bogota service and freeze the current level of service between the countries for two years. American will be able to operate three weekly roundtrips between New York and Bogota and transfer up to four weekly services to that route from its Miami-Colombia service (DAILY, Aug. 23). After two years, the U.S. may designate one new all- cargo carrier for the market.
Express Airlines I carried a record number of passengers in July, 171,427, even as its capacity decreased 0.1%. Revenue passenger miles rose 25.8% to 42.3 million while available seat miles fell to 72.5 million. The load factor was up 9.1 percentage points to 52.8%. July was the seventh consecutive month the Northwest Airlink carrier posted double-digit increases in both traffic and passengers carried.
In yet another study measuring use of the World Wide Web by travelers, the American Society of Travel Agents said most respondents to a recent survey conducted on its Web site said they had never used the Internet to book travel. Of 2,398 travelers polled, ASTA found 86.8% who never booked travel online, 10.7% who did so one or twice a year, 0.1% who regularly made bookings, and 0.42% who book frequently. Most of the respondents, 66%, were leisure travelers, and slightly less than half were members of a frequent flyer program.
United's $900 million order for 24 Airbus A319s and an unspecified number of options makes it the second largest customer for the A320 family of aircraft, along with its major foreign partner, Lufthansa (DAILY, Aug. 23). The Airbus order was made along with definitive numbers of three types of Boeing aircraft worth $3.5 billion, but United declined to specify how many of the orders were converted options (DAILY, Aug. 15). United and Lufthansa each will be operating 74 aircraft from the A320 family, which includes the larger A321.
The acquisition reform program FAA began in November 1994, including integrated product teams, has "made some progress," the General Accounting Office says, but the agency still has "difficulties in gaining the strong commitment of all employees who hold a stake in the acquisition process." GAO says it found that "agency officials acted in ways that did not reflect a strong commitment to its acquisition mission."
Microscopic explosive traces of "unknown origin" were found on TWA Flight 800, James Kallstrom, FBI assistant director, confirmed Friday. He did not reveal what kind of chemical was found, but said that "based on the scientific evidence, we cannot conclude" that the 747 crash on July 17, killing all 230 aboard, was caused by an explosive device. Forensic experts agree that microscopic explosives traces alone do not allow such a conclusion, Kallstrom said. He said other evidence, such as physical damage, also needs to be available.
U.S. National Carriers Traffic July, 7 Months 1996 July July % 1996 1995 Change American Trans Air Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 996,630 998,264 -0.2 Available Seat Miles (000) 1,365,719 1,281,920 6.5 Load Factor (%) 73.0 77.9 Passengers 548,138 526,370 4.1
Median age of the worldwide jet transport fleet was 12.5 years at the end of 1995, up from 10.5 years in 1985 and seven years in 1975. "The figures indicate that airlines are not only keeping their aircraft longer, but are opting for used aircraft more and more when they enter the market to purchase or lease additional units," says Edwin Laird, managing director of Air Cargo Management Group.
DOT issued a show cause order tentatively allocating American 3.5 weekly U.S.-Peru frequencies, effective Nov. 1, for nonstop service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Lima. The department is using show-cause procedures to allow for comments even though American was the only applicant for the authority, because United asked it to attach conditions to American's authority. The DOT proceeding offering the 3.5 additional weekly U.S.-Peru frequencies originally drew bids from Continental and United as well as American.
Forth Worth Outlet Square, a Texas shopping mall, will become the first mall to offer American AAdvantage miles on a continuing basis, beginning Sept. 7. Frequent flyer program members will receive one mile for each pretax dollar they spend at participating stores in the mall, and a new, automated system will award them miles at the point of sale. A minimum purchase of $25 is required. Members who use a Citibank AAdvantage Visa or Mastercard will receive double miles.
Major Asian carriers posted strong traffic growth in the first quarter of the year. Japan Airlines led the way at 20%, followed by Singapore at 12%, Cathay Pacific at 9.8% and Malaysia Airlines at 6%.
International Aviation Services Ltd. named J.R. Jones director-sales, Anthony Sanchez director-international sales and Alfred Escheu head of the parts/sales division.
The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) is urging DOT to approve International Air Transport Association agreements concerning passenger liability standards. The two related IATA agreements are the Intercarrier Agreement on Passenger Liability and the Agreement on Measures to Implement the IATA Intercarrier Agreement. The agreements would do away with the $75,000 limit on airline liability under the Warsaw Convention to any passenger killed or injured on an international flight to or from the U.S.
Canadian Airlines International is again offering Weekend Getaway specials within Canada and to the U.S. and Europe, which cut fares by as much as 85% in 133 markets. The fares require a three-day advance purchase for travel between Sept. 7 and Dec. 10, starting on a Saturday and ending on the following Monday or Tuesday. Customers flying to London can stay one more day. Examples of roundtrip fares are Toronto-London, $399; Montreal- Toronto, $99; Toronto-Vancouver, $289; Toronto-New York, $179, and Calgary- Las Vegas, $289.
Granted orally to Canadian Airlines International and Inter-Canadien (1991), operating as Ontario Express and Time Air, exemptions to conduct scheduled and charter service between any point or points in Canada and any point or points in the U.S., and authority for each carrier to conduct code-share operations with each of the other carriers in the authorized markets...Granted orally to Polar Air Cargo a two-year exemption to operate scheduled cargo service between New York Kennedy and Helsinki and beyond Finland to Pakistan and Singapore...Granted orally to Fine Airline
