Hilton Hotels Corp.'s new check-in process will enable guests to bypass the front desk and be escorted directly to their rooms. With the Zip-In Check- In Plus program, customers with reservations and pre-approved credit can check in with door attendants, bellhops, front desk employees, concierges and assistant managers. Hilton will implement the program at 120 properties in the U.S. by yearend.
National Transportation Safety Board is asking Congress for several legislative changes as part of its reauthorization, including extension of the chairman's term to four years from the current two and temporary deferral of the release of information obtained in connection with the agency's participation in investigations conducted by foreign states.
The aviation industry faces the "almost certain prospect that public funding will fall short of what we need," and this "could significantly constrain the future growth of the industry," FAA Administrator David Hinson warned Wednesday at FAA's 21st Annual Commercial Aviation Forecast Conference in Washington, D.C. "Aviation can grow only if the infrastructure is in place to accommodate that growth," he said, but FAA is coping with a budget that is $600 million smaller than it was three years ago and doing its job with 500 fewer employees.
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) may offer legislation to make illegal diversion of airport revenue a criminal offense. Wolf, chairman of the House Appropriations transportation subcommittee, also suggested that enforcement would be improved if determinations on whether diversion has occurred are delegated to counsel for the Office of Inspector General rather than to FAA or DOT lawyers.
Top 25 Domestic City-Pair Markets Over 750 Miles O&D Passengers Third Quarter 1995 Long Total Average Haul Markets Non-Stop Passengers Rank Rank City-Pair Mileage Per Day 1 3 Los Angeles - New York 2,467 8,132 2 5 New York - San Francisco 2,574 6,148
Legislation (H.R.3019) introduced late Tuesday to fund the federal government for the rest of fiscal 1996 would guarantee collective bargaining rights for FAA's unionized employees after FAA adopts its new personnel management system. The language is the top legislative priority of FAA unions, and the provision was proposed by the Clinton administration in its request for supplemental appropriations bill language. The fiscal 1996 DOT appropriations act requires FAA to adopt new procurement and personnel systems by April 1.
Atlas Air said it is acquiring five 747-200s and spare engines from Federal Express for use until 1998. Atlas Chairman Michael Chowdry said Atlas and FedEx are "currently in discussions regarding additional new contracts for the Federal Express aircraft." They are to be delivered during an eight- month period beginning this month. Atlas announced last month it was acquiring six 747-200s purchased from Thai Airways. Deliveries are to begin this year, after the aircraft are converted to freighters.
Six travel agencies in Cambodia are forming the Cambodian Travel Agencies Association to assist local travel companies in resolving common problems, and to develop a dialogue with the country's tourism ministry. The agencies are Diethelm Travel, Intraco Travel, Apsara Tours, East West Travel, Peace Travel and Hanuman Travel.
Continental and USAir are cutting spring fares by up to 40% in line with Northwest and American sales (DAILY, March 6), differing on some dates and destinations. Continental is cutting fares on most U.S. flights for travel March 20-June 30 and to Latin America and Europe for travel March 20-June 15. USAir cut prices in the U.S. and Canada for travel through April 30. TWA, which on Tuesday matched Northwest's offer of up to 40% off domestic tickets purchased by tomorrow, yesterday extended the purchase deadline to March 15 and increased the discounts to 60%.
Chinese missile tests scheduled March 8-15 will force airlines to reroute most flights between Taiwan and Japan, Guam and the U.S., adding five to 15 minutes' flying time. The test area lies about 35 kilometers off Taiwan's northeastern coast.
Travel and tourism industry friend Rep. Toby Roth (R-Wis.), author of legislation to create a national tourism office, announced this week he will not seek re-election at the end of the year. Roth is chairman of the House International Relations subcommittee on international economic policy and trade.
International Lease Finance Corp. said yesterday it placed 38 firm orders and eight options for Airbus Industrie aircraft and 18 orders and two options for Boeing aircraft. The ILFC order brings life to the dormant A330 series. ILFC ordered 13 A330-200s, one A330-300, 12 A340-300s, three A319s, six A320s and three A321s. The A330-200 orders are the first for this longer-range version (6,400 nautical miles) of the twin-engine aircraft.
January's winter storms and record snowfalls in the Midwest and on the East Coast exacted their tolls on airline service as the nation's major carriers recorded a 62.7% on-time record - the lowest since data collection began. The previous low was 66.4% in December 1987, three months after DOT started collecting on-time data, according to DOT's Air Travel Consumer Report, issued Tuesday. Southwest posted the best record at 77.9% followed by Alaska at 72%.
International travelers have given the U.S. the highest marks of any nation in a survey ranking an unusual travel benefit - really good toilet paper. The fourth annual Quilted Northern Toilet Paper Report found the U.S. ranked No. 1 for good and abundant bathroom tissue by 73% of those polled. Russia tied for last place with British "100" paper. The U.S. also won in the "best bathrooms" category, and the worst were said to be in China and the Middle East.
Hertz has added Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean as participating locations in its frequent flyer programs. Members can earn 500 bonus miles when renting a car in those countries within 24 hours of a flight. Double miles will be available April 15 through June 15. Participating airlines include Alaska, American, British Airways, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United.
Top 25 Domestic City-Pair Markets O&D Passengers Third Quarter 1995 1995 1994 Average Market Market Passengers Rank Rank City-Pair Per Day 1 2 Honolulu - Kahului 8,543 2 1 Chicago - New York 8,506 3 3 Los Angeles - New York 8,132 4 4 Boston - New York 6,195
Fortis Aviation was appointed by Global Aircraft Leasing to offer for sale or lease two 747-100 aircraft built in 1970 and 1971 and delivered new to Aer Lingus. The aircraft were D-checked in 1993 and 1994, respectively, and all Section 41 work has been completed.
TravelWeb will be launched today on the World Wide Web by hotel chains offering booking capabilities at more than 6,000 hotels worldwide. Airline ticket and rental car access will follow.
Precision Standard's Pemco World Air Services subsidiary has contracted with Ansett to perform a heavy maintenance check and major interior and avionics modifications on a 767-200.
A Boeing marketing executive said yesterday the "recovery is under way in the commercial airplane industry," but the company is cutting 1,500 aircraft from its estimate of the replacement aircraft market and expects nearly half the U.S. Stage 2 fleet to be hushkitted. Despite the reduction, Boeing said in its 1996 market forecast it expects airlines to need 15,900 aircraft over the next 20 years, up 500 over last year's forecast. Nancy Bethel, VP-marketing, estimated the orders at $1.1 trillion, up from the $1.04 trillion Boeing forecast last year for 15,400 units.
Travelers to and from Taiwan set records in 1995 as foreign visitors totaled 2.33 million and Taiwanese traveling overseas numbered 5.18 million, about one-fourth of the island's population. The tendency to leave home places the Taiwanese, per capita, among the world's most frequent travelers.
Travel Guard International has compiled a list of "weird but true" vacation mishaps that were filed as claims by policyholders and paid by the company. The claims involve a man on his honeymoon who was knocked unconscious by a coconut, a large rat that carried off a vacationer's dentures and hearing aid from the night stand in his hotel room, and a man whose wallet and watch were stolen from the beach as he rescued a swimmer from drowning.
World Airways parent WorldCorp will act soon, perhaps within a month, to try to increase the value of the airline's stock, WorldCorp Chief Executive Coleman Andrews told investors yesterday. Investors have suggested a spinoff of World Airways or WorldCorp's home banking business, US Order, but Andrews said that option is not attractive for tax reasons. Andrews said the company is investigating four other possibilities for the airline but refused to elaborate.
