Federal Express is seeking authority to operate all-cargo service between Miami and Panama City, Panama, and Bogota, Colombia, in conjunction with its existing all-cargo service between the U.S. and South and Central America. With the new authority, the carrier plans to operate Boeing 727- 200 freighter aircraft over a Memphis-Miami-Caracas-Bogota routing southbound and a Bogota-Panama City-Memphis routing northbound. FedEx proposes five weekly flights in both directions. (Docket OST-96-1186)
America West has appointed Edward Methot VP-flight operations, responsible for pilot hiring, training, flight standards and flight safety, as well as crew scheduling and FAA liaison. Methot has spent the last 30 years in various management positions at United, most recently as director-flight operations.
The major members of the Airbus Industrie consortium now have endorsed changing the structure of Airbus Industrie, perhaps into a public limited company. Following a lead first announced by British Aerospace, a German government report last week said that the "long-term success of Airbus can only be guaranteed if the partners soon agree on an efficient company structure, competitive at an international level." This was followed by an Aerospatiale announcement that it welcomed a move to convert Airbus this summer.
The Alliance Airport Authority in Fort Worth approved last week a bond sale "not to exceed" $250 million for the purchase and construction of a regional sorting facility for Federal Express, scheduled to be operational in October 1997 at the airport, north of Fort Worth. Assistant Fort Worth City Manager Ramon Guajardo said concerns by FedEx that Alliance has only one runway were answered when the city committed to widening Taxiway Bravo to meet minimum standards for use as a backup runway.
UPS said yesterday it has signed a pact with Taiwan to establish its main Asia/Pacific hub there and plans to invest more than $400 million in the facility over the next several years (DAILY, March 26). In an unrelated move, UPS also said it is installing head-up guidance systems (HGS) on 59 727s and retrofitting 12 747-100s and 26 DC-8-73s with new fuel quantity indicators. The pact on the new hub was signed with the Taiwan Civil Aeronautics Administration, said Charles Adams, VP-Asia Pacific.
Worldspan and AT&T have signed an agreement to upgrade the computer reservations system's data network to a more advanced platform, the new AT&T InterSpan Frame Relay Service. It replaces the X.25-based Protocol Conversion Service at Worldspan's U.S. locations. Installation begins this year and will continue through next year. The CRS said the new platform will enable it to offer branch-to-branch communication and Internet connectivity in the future.
Cost of travel rose more than other consumer goods in February, when the travel price index gained 2.1%, compared with 0.3% in the consumer price index. For several months, the cost of travel has lagged behind increases in other consumer spending. Leading the increase was a 5% jump in air fares from January and a 4.2% gain in lodging prices. Air fares are up 3.9% from February 1995. (More travel and tourism news following Page 510).
Hyatt Resorts Caribbean is offering a $99 air fare program between New York and the Caribbean when passengers pay for a five-night stay at the Hyatt Cerromar Beach or the Hyatt Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico, the Hyatt Regency St. John and the Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman. The total Hyatt Air Promotion package starts at $575 per person and is good for stays from April 14 through Dec. 19.
Hawaiian Airlines has begun using CD-ROM technology on its interisland flights between Oahu and Maui, providing passengers with real-time flight data, destination information and inflight entertainment from overhead video screens. Hawaiian is testing the system on its Island Shuttle flights and plans to phase it into other interisland flights in the next four months. The videos include destination information presented by Hawaii residents. The system is being offered in cooperation with a partnership of Canadian Marconi Company and ASI Technology Pty Ltd.
Travelodge is offering an "11th Night Free Program" in the U.S., which has been available in Canada for the past three years. The company said its guests say the most valuable premium it can offer is a complimentary room night.
Transat A.T. of Montreal reported $138.6 million in revenues for the quarter ended Jan. 31, up from $121 million in the same period last year. At the same time, the Canadian travel and tourism company posted a net loss of $381,000, substantially narrowed from a net loss of $2.2 million last year. Despite difficult market conditions, Transat said its tour operator revenues were up 59% at Air Transat Holidays in Toronto, 33% at Vacances Air Transat Quebec, 24% at Air Transat Holidays in Vancouver, 155% at Vacances Air Transat in France and 24% at Nolitour in Montreal.
The U.S. and Japan hammered out an agreement yesterday ahead of their March 31 deadline and President Clinton's April 17 visit to Japan. Reached after five rounds of sometimes contentious talks begun last September, the accord expands rights for both nations' all-cargo operators and provides an opportunity for a new U.S. carrier. The U.S. also stressed that current treaty rights, such as Federal Express's beyond service, must continue to be honored.
National Car Rental/Interrent will offer customers who fly on Continental, Midwest Express, Northwest and United April 15-June 15 double air miles for renting at weekend leisure rates and triple miles for weekday leisure rates. American and USAir also are part of the program but do not require a flight in connection with the rental in order to earn miles. Agents booking the miles program will receive a 5% commission.
Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) have introduced the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996 (S.1645), which will enable the U.S. to implement the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty signed five years ago. The protocol is to protect Antarctica, a fragile ecosystem, and designate it as a special conservation area. It also "acknowledges and addresses" the impact of an increasing number of tourists "whose presence is responsible for increasing environmental stress," Sen. Kerry said.
America West is turning a section of its Concourse A at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport into a driving range for parts of Sunday and Monday so that its passengers can take advantage of free hands-on instruction from golf pros. The lessons are to draw attention to FlightLink SkyGolf, a video game that is part of America West's new inflight entertainment system. FlightLink is installed on 71 aircraft and will be available on the entire fleet by summer.
House Transportation aviation subcommittee approved yesterday without amendment legislation (H.R.3159) to reauthorize the National Transportation Safety Board for three years. The bill adopts all NTSB recommendations for legislative changes except the proposal that Congress prohibit the use of NTSB reports as evidence in civil damage litigation (DAILY, March 7). Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) plans to offer an amendment at full committee to raise authorized spending levels, and Rep.
American Society of Travel Agents will follow up on last year's first symposium on aiding the disabled traveler by launching an awareness campaign in cooperation with Hilton Hotels, Avis Rent-A-Car, Princess Cruises and America West.
Bankrupt Dutch aircraft maker Fokker still is talking about a way to continue aircraft production with South Korean Samsung, Saab of Sweden and the Russian aerospace companies Tupolev and Yakovlev. After Fokker declared bankruptcy March 15, a new Asian-Dutch combination also expressed interest, said Economic Affairs Minister Hans Wijers yesterday. Sources close to the negotiations said the Asian company involved is Taiwan Aerospace Corp. Five years ago, the partly state-owned, young-but-cash- rich company tried to buy a stake in McDonnell Douglas.
American Automobile Association (AAA) members saved $80 million in products and services through the Show Your Card&Save program in 1995. AAA is seeking new retail opportunities, possibly a national dining chain. The newest members are Busch Entertainment, including Sea World and Busch Gardens, and Amtrak. Aloha Airlines is the only airline member in the program.
Galileo International and Carlson Wagonlit Travel have signed an agreement to provide travel automation products in nine European markets. Under the plan, which has been negotiated for several months, Galileo will maintain its locations in Europe and form a strategic platform for future growth. Galileo said the two companies' offices "will now migrate all existing Galileo locations to a standard platform of Galileo's latest suite of travel agency tools, including Focalpoint 3.0 and Spectrum, the CD-ROM hotel mapping product."
Swissair will expand its flying this summer with new or return flights to Riga, Vilnius, Friedrichshafen, Bremen, Calgary, Vancouver and Bamako, the carrier said. With the start of the summer schedule, which takes effect March 31, Swissair also will expand its presence in northern Europe. The carrier will increase flying between Copenhagen and Zurich to three daily services, up from the current two. Service between Geneva and Copenhagen will be flown by Crossair, Swissair's regional partner.
Sabre Travel Information Network (STIN) has named James Poage VP-customer marketing. Poage has been working for Texas Instruments as director of software marketing. At STIN, he will direct strategic market planning, leisure marketing and marketing communications, and oversee Sabre's relationships with airlines, hoteliers and car rental companies.
