Hawaiian Airlines will give away more than 133,054 prizes to travelers this month and in May to promote interisland and West Coast travel. Two grand prizes are available - fantasy Las Vegas vacations for two, including first-class air on Hawaiian, seven nights at the California Hotel and Casino, backstage passes to the Enter The Night extravaganza, photos with show stars, golf packages and $10,000 in cash. Two first prizes are similar vacation packages with $5,000 cash.
Standard&Poor's assigned yesterday a BB- rating to ValuJet Inc.'s $125 million senior notes, the carrier said. ValuJet's corporate credit rating is BB.
Gemini Air Cargo, an indirect air carrier, said it signed an agreement with World Airways for DC-10-30F service between the U.S. and Korea. The pact covers operations between New York Kennedy and Seoul Kimpo every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Gemini said it acquired the purchase right to six DC-10-30s from Potomac Financial Group in September and is converting the aircraft to cargo aircraft under an agreement with Aeronavali. Three of the six aircraft have been modified and are in operation.
Trans World Express operator Trans States Airlines will begin serving Richmond from New York Kennedy June 15, offering three daily roundtrips. Passengers will receive double frequent flyer miles until Aug. 15. The carrier will offer $99 roundtrip introductory fares between the two cities for tickets purchased by midnight April 9. The fares are good for travel June 16-July 16.
ALM Antillean Airlines will launch nonstop service between Atlanta and Aruba with continuing service to Curaao and Bonaire. The flight, which starts April 7, will be operated every Sunday.
Retaliating for DOT's inaction on Japan Airline's bid for Tokyo and Kona service, Japan's Ministry of Transport told United and Northwest March 29 that it will impose limits on the U.S. carriers' services. The MOT said it was deferring action on frequency increases requested for May and also would impose limits on the carriers' fifth freedom passenger composition. The U.S. put a hold on JAL's proposed Tokyo-Kona service because of Japan's continued inaction on United's applications for Osaka-Seoul and Osaka- Bangkok service, a U.S. government official said.
The avionics market will grow at double-digit rates through 1998, according to a forecast by Frost&Sullivan, Mountain View, Calif. "However, it is expected that only three or four companies will be able to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in this area because companies will need a wide range of products to succeed," the forecast says.
FAA Administrator David Hinson, taking advantage of the agency's new personnel system, named Carson Eoyang program director for training and Joel Taub deputy chief financial officer. Hinson estimated the new FAA Executive System reduced the hiring time for these positions by more than a month. Eoyang, who was training officer for NASA, will be responsible for management, research, forecasting and long-range planning of personnel activities. Taub will provide guidance for budget formulation, budget execution and accounting functions.
USAir has reduced fares from Nashville to Washington National, and from Savannah, Ga., to six cities. The Nashville tariffs are as much as $145 lower than regular fares each way, beginning June 15, when the carrier starts serving the route. Fares from Savannah have been cut as much as 35% to Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. The fares require a 21-day advance purchase.
American is urging DOT to turn down Aeroflot's application to operate beyond-Miami service to Lima, Peru, with full local traffic rights. Although the U.S.-Russia agreement "provides for traffic rights beyond Miami to several points in South America, Lima is not one of them," American said. Commenting that several U.S.
DOT has granted Ansett Airlines affiliate Kendell Airlines authority to operate code-share service with United between Sydney and Canberra, Australia, beginning immediately. Kendell will display United's designator code on flights on the route. Operating Saab 340 aircraft, Kendell will replace Ansett Australia, which currently displays United's code, on the Sydney-Canberra route. Kendell and Ansett are jointly owned by the Australian corporations TNT Limited and The New Corporation (DAILY, March 15). Kendell will not code share on United's flights between the U.S.
American has signed a code-sharing pact with El Al, enabling the carriers to place their codes on each other's flights between Tel Aviv and Chicago O'Hare, Los Angles, Miami and Newark. The agreement takes effect Nov. 1. American's AA code will go on El Al flights from Tel Aviv to Chicago and Newark, while El Al will put its LY designator on some American flights operating between Chicago and both Los Angeles/Miami, and also between Newark and Chicago/Los Angeles/Miami.
Continental's operating success continued into the first quarter and the carrier is preparing to reveal record-breaking results, according to Chairman and Chief Executive Gordon Bethune.He told employees the numbers to be released this month are "far in excess" of expectations.
Contending for as-yet-unsecured U.S.-Japan rights, three U.S. carriers assailed United's bid for new service to Japan. One of four U.S. carriers applying for U.S.-Japan service, United tendered a bid to operate Chicago- Osaka, Seattle-Tokyo/Osaka and Washington-Tokyo/Osaka flights. It also asked DOT to lift limits on its frequencies between Chicago and Tokyo, or add eight weekly frequencies to its present six (DAILY, March 8).
Danish carrier Maersk Air will expand its scheduled network between the U.K. and Denmark this summer by adding 31 weekly flights serving four key destinations. The expansion is being driven mainly by growth in western Denmark, which this summer will receive 19 weekly flights operating between London Gatwick and Billund, increasing passenger capacity by almost 20%. Three flights daily will operate Monday to Friday with the introduction of a new lunchtime roundtrip, and twice-daily flights will operate at weekends.
Hawaiian Airlines is offering interisland flight coupons in conjunction with its million-dollar scratch-and-win promotion - Go Where The Action Is. The coupons come in booklets of five valid for travel on any Hawaiian interisland flight through Dec. 31 for $210 per book, or $42 a flight. The coupons can be purchased through April 12. For the next two months, Hawaiian's passengers have a chance to win cash and other prizes.
Gulfstream International Airlines plans to expand its Florida and Bahamas service April 26. The carrier said it will increase service to Miami, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Freeport. New daily flights also will be added between West Palm Beach and Jacksonville and between West Palm Beach and Marsh Harbour, Bahamas. Gulfstream recently expanded its code-sharing arrangement with United to include intra-Florida markets.
American's Allied Pilots Association (APA), in its 91st week of contract negotiations with the company, said management presented the union last week with a short-haul flying proposal that builds on the plan by Delta in its tentative new contract agreement with its Air Line Pilots Association unit. The APA said the proposal envisions a short-haul flying structure in which pilots would fly for a 30% pay reduction from current Fokker 100 book rates, aircraft with as many as 115 seats and on unlimited route designations.
Southwest led the majors in February with an on-time arrival record of 82%, according to DOT's Air Travel Consumer Report, issued yesterday. Overall, the nation's 10 largest carriers recorded a 71.9% on-time rate, a marked improvement from the 62.7% rate posted in January, when harsh winter weather caused a record level of flight delays.
Standard&Poor's affirmed yesterday its A+ senior unsecured debt, A-1 commercial paper, and A preferred stock rating on the securities of International Lease Finance Corp., the ratings agency said. S&P revised its long-term ratings outlook on ILFC to "stable" from "negative." The rating action affects about $7.7 billion of debt and preferred stock.
American Trans Air will begin service from Chicago to six new points this summer - Indianapolis, San Diego, Seattle, Cancun, Grand Cayman and Montego Bay - at introductory fares ranging from $29 to $139 one way. The flights from Chicago Midway will start June 1. Fares to Indianapolis are $29, San Diego $99, Seattle $119 and Cancun, Grand Cayman and Montego Bay $139. Tickets on the introductory fare must be purchased by April 19 for travel June 1 through June 21. The fares do not require a minimum stay or advance purchase.
Aerolineas Argentinas has stationed a 727 in Miami to funnel passengers from Argentina to the Caribbean and Canada. The carrier started operating the 727 April 1 from Miami to Punta Cana, St. Maarten, San Juan, Cancun and Mexico City. It also will operate twice-weekly service to Toronto, with one weekly flight continuing to Montreal. Aerolineas Argentinas has the right to pick up passengers in Miami on flights to Punta Cana and St. Maarten, but the other flights are limited to connecting traffic, a spokeswoman said.
The European Commission said Merrill Lynch, Bankers Trust and Spanish state holding company Teneo may purchase Iberia's stake in Aerolineas Argentinas without waiting for formal authorization. A Commission official said the companies had asked European Competition Commissioner Karel Van Miert to let them proceed without having to put the deal on hold for three weeks, as required by EU competition law. The sale, encouraged by the Commission, is part of a rescue package for the Spanish carrier cleared in January.
Virgin Atlantic is promoting service to Boston and New York with giveaways to passengers who purchase a discount ticket for travel starting in June. The giveaways, which apply to 21-day advance Virgin Value Fares, include a roundtrip ticket on British Midland Airways, a roundtrip ride to Paris on the Eurostar channel tunnel train or a week's car rental from Avis. The fares start at $686 for travel between June 1 and Sept. 30. Fare levels drop in October.
