Sabre Travel Information Network joined United last week in offering travelers the carrier's ticketless system, called E-Ticketing, which is also available on Apollo and System One. Worldspan introduced the service this week.
Continental has applied for certificate authority to operate scheduled combination service between Newark and Manchester, England. Proposing to continue daily nonstop 757-200 service it currently operates under exemption authority, Continental argued that no other carrier offers Newark-Manchester service and only British Airways operates between New York and Manchester. Continental also notes that the U.S.-U.K. agreement last June 5 - the so-called mini-deal - opened up regional U.K. markets to U.S. service.
ValuJet's traffic jumped 135% in December to 265.7 million revenue passenger miles compared with last December on 134% more capacity for a total of 423.4 million available seat miles. The carrier's traffic for the year was up 179% from 1994 to 2.6 billion RPMs on 159% more capacity. Its load factor in December was 62.8%, up 0.2 points, and for the year it improved 4.8 points to 68.8%. Dec 95 Dec 94 12 Mths 95 12 Mths 94 RPMs 265,733,000 113,110,000 2,624,298,000 940,546,000
Delta has introduced daily one-stop service from Tucson to Atlanta via Albuquerque, giving its Tucson customers single-connection service to four international destinations - Shannon, Dublin, Barcelona and Madrid.
Canadian Airlines launched a fare sale yesterday, cutting ticket prices by as much as 83% off full coach fares and as much as 40% off excursion fares. The sale applies to travel throughout Canada and to destinations in the U.S., Europe and Latin America. The discounts, which require a seven-day advance purchase, are available through Jan. 12 for travel through the end of May.
Two European airlines - Virgin Atlantic Airways and Lufthansa - are offering winter discounts between Europe and the U.S. Lufthansa's sale prices start at $338 roundtrip between Frankfurt and 10 gateway cities in the U.S. The promotion runs through March 21. Virgin Atlantic ticket prices to the U.K. start at $278 roundtrip from Miami and $368 from the western U.S. Travel on the Virgin Atlantic fares must be completed by March 22.
British Airways traffic grew 7.9% in December over the same month in 1994, almost keeping pace with an 8% capacity increase. The carrier flew 4.4 billion revenue passenger miles for the month on 6.5 billion available seat miles. The passenger load factor was 67.8%, down 0.1 points from December 1994. The number of passengers carried grew 2.5% to 2.3 million. For the period April through December, the first three quarters of BA's financial year, traffic gained 9.6% on 6.1% additional capacity. Passenger load factor was up 2.4 points to 74.8%.
British Midland Airways is offering U.S. travel agents a 20% commission for each discounted ticket for travel to Europe sold under the carrier's fare sale, which continues through March 31. Agents also receive a free ticket for every 20 tickets they sell during the period.
The year just ended could be called The Year of "The Rule." The year just ahead will begin to unfold the true significance of DOT Secretary Federico Pena's new Commuter Safety Rule and its impact on the regional airline industry. For the majority of the airlines and the communities, the impact will be slight. Others may find it too onerous to remain in business. The Rule mandates that all commercial aircraft with 10 or more passenger seats meet FAR Part 25 transport-category certification standards and be operated under Part 121 rather than Part 135.
DOT Public Affairs Specialist Elaine Matrigali retired this week. An 18- year DOT veteran, Matrigali served in public affairs for 15 years after spending three years working for the Coast Guard. Separately, DOT has awarded 126 fifth-freedom frequencies for 1996 U.S.-Germany summer service with Delta receiving 98 and United 28.
DOT prohibited Mesa Air Group carriers from suspending essential air service to six communities in the western U.S. until April 8 or until a new carrier is selected for the service. In making its decision, DOT rejected Mesa's Dec. 8 notice of intent to suspend Jan. 1 its Beech 1900 service at Kingman, Ariz.; Silver City, N.M.; Goodland, Kan.; Lamar, Colo.; and Merced and Visalia, Calif. Mountain West Airlines operates EAS at the first four points, while WestAir serves the California communities. Both are Mesa subsidiaries and operate as United Express.
Opposition from airlines and aircraft manufacturers at the International Civil Aviation Organization's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP/3) meeting last month prevented the group from making much-needed reforms, Airports Council International, Geneva, said. ACI said it was disappointed with CAEP/3's recommendation to leave current aircraft noise and emission levels unchanged (DAILY, Dec. 19). "We believe there is an environmental need for increased stringencies on noise and engine emissions.
Englewood, Colo.-based Centennial Express filed a Part 13 complaint at FAA alleging that the Jefferson County, Colo., Airport Authority has prohibited scheduled passenger service at Jefferson County Airport under Part 135 in violation of federal preemption laws and FAA grant assurances. The company has a longstanding complaint at FAA against the Arapahoe County, Colo., Public Airport Authority for prohibiting access to Centennial Airport under terms Centennial Express considers reasonable.
Air Baltic signed a memorandum of understanding with Avro International Aerospace to lease three RJ70 regional jet aircraft in a deal officials valued at $60 million. The lease agreement calls for delivery of the first aircraft this month with the other two early this year.
TWA has waived the rebooking fee for passengers affected by a winter storm that disrupted the carrier's St. Louis operations this week. The fees will be waived through today for travel that is rescheduled within seven days of the original departure date.
Amadeus intends to respond today from its Madrid headquarters to Delta's insistence that computer reservations systems reduce fees to help airlines cut distribution costs, but it is not likely to announce changes to the way it does business, a spokesman hinted yesterday. The carrier did not name any particular CRS Wednesday when it said rising fees could force it to reduce or eliminate participation in CRSs, but System One Amadeus and Sabre are the only CRSs to have boosted charges recently (DAILY, Jan. 4).
United Airlines and Hilton Hotels were the winners of the 1995 InsideFlyer Freddie Awards' top prize, sponsored by MCI, which honor each year the best frequent travel programs of airlines, hotels and credit cards. Program of the Year awards went to United's Mileage Plus and Hilton's HHonors programs. Mileage Plus also took the Freddie for the Best Overall Award Schedule, and Hilton won four others - Best Overall Award Schedule, Best Overall Promotions, Best Newsletter and Best Elite-Level.
United and America West frequent flyer members can earn double mileage when renting from Dollar Rent A Car on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays in the first quarter of this year. For United Mileage Plus members, the amount is 1,000 miles and for America West FlightFund members 2,000 miles. During the rest of the week, United members can earn 500 miles and America West members 1,000 miles. Dollar customers do not have to take a flight to earn the miles.
GATX A321 Partners, a new partnership managed by GATX Capital Corp.'s Air Group, placed an order for nine A321-200s valued at $580 million. Deliveries of this higher-performance version, which will be powered by CFMI CFM56-5B engines, will begin in April 1997. Glenn Hickerson, president of Air Group, said the A321 is the "most fuel-efficient per passenger of any single-aisle jetliner." GATX/CL Air, a partnership of GATX Capital Corp., Credit Lyonnais and others, has ordered, taken delivery of and placed 16 A320s with airlines.
The British should be getting their fill of Beaujolais, if British Airways' experience is a guide. The carrier's French cargo operation carried 750 tons of Beaujolais last year, surpassing by 28% its previous shipment record of 585 tons in 1989.
DOT has issued an order suspending conditions imposed on travel transactions involving the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). Imposed after an Executive Order on June 5, 1992, called for economic sanctions against Yugoslavia, the conditions effectively prohibited transactions related to transportation between the U.S. and Yugoslavia. The order lifts measures prohibiting sale in the U.S. of transportation including a stop in Yugoslavia; prohibiting U.S.
Arinc pronounced operational its ADSATC Gateway (automatic dependent surveillance and air traffic control) for communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM). The new system "provides for the initiation of FANS 1 CNS/ATM services," Arinc said. It integrates the use of ADS (automatic dependent surveillance) with advanced air traffic control automation. Other related ATC communications products - controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) and voice transcription - also are operational.
