The Teamsters union and Delta agreed to a consent order issued by a Georgia District Court that says Delta may not prohibit employees from wearing small lapel pins showing affiliation with the Teamsters or displaying small stickers but can prohibit employees from wearing or displaying campaign "message" buttons, stickers or other materials. The Dec. 26 DAILY reported the union lost the lawsuit it and several mechanics brought against the airline.
Worldspan launched electronic ticketing in the U.S. marketplace yesterday, with United as the first airline participant. The computer reservations system vendor said Northwest and TWA will join early this year, and it will offer ticketless travel on Delta in the second quarter. There is no added cost to the travel agent for electronic ticketing.
The federal government shutdown, already affecting visitor volume at national parks, museums and monuments, threatens to turn away international travelers to the U.S. The U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration is unable to operate its promotions campaigns in the U.K. and Japan that were touted last year as major initiatives to increasing tourism. The USTTA cannot answer requests for critical research data or market intelligence.
Air cargo grew only 0.5% in November, reflecting what Air Transport Association President Carol Hallett said could be the start of a "minimal growth trend which we saw in passenger traffic statistics for much of 1995."International cargo actually declined.
Video packages of the October White House Conference on Travel and Tourism are available from the Center for Organization Development. The videos comprise a five-minute tape of the conference, several segment tapes, including President Clinton's speech, and five hours of conference footage. They are available in VHS format for home use or 3/4-inch and high-end BetaCam SP format. To order, call 800-828-6306.
Japan Travel Bureau says the number of package-tour sales in the first half of 1995 rose 14% to 494,000. The bureau estimates sales for 1995 totaled 930,000.
Visa U.S.A. on Jan. 1 began offering car rental companies a peak-hour guaranteed reservations service that helps with fleet management. Customers who guarantee their rental with a Visa card during peak hours will be assured that a car will be waiting for them. Customers must cancel eight hours in advance of the scheduled pick-up time to avoid being charged as much as one day's rental fee. If a cardholder's flight is canceled or the airport closes, the rental can be canceled one hour before the scheduled pick-up time.
Travel industry executives and government officials ranked the White House Conference on Travel and Tourism the most important news story of 1995 for the travel industry, according to a survey conducted by Travel Advance. The newsletter, which monitors media coverage of the industry, said funding for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration came in second.
Hertz has a special deal for customers who take advantage of the 1996 Affordable Europe Early Booking Special. Customers who prepay by March 31 will receive a Hertz phone card, free one-class upgrade on a weekly rental of an intermediate or larger car and a $10 certificate toward the purchase of optional services. The program is for European-bound leisure travelers. The phone card provides eight minutes of free calling time from Europe to the U.S., or 20 minutes within the U.S.
Delta is asking computer reservations system vendors to reduce their distribution costs in light of changing distribution methods, and telling them that it and other airlines will be forced to reduce or eliminate their CRS participation otherwise. Citing emerging distribution technology, Robert Coggin, Delta's executive VP-marketing, said, "In this environment, CRSs will be forced to offer product distribution for lower participation fees, and the more efficient CRSs will have an advantage over other systems.
Delta is offering visitors to Atlanta discounted fares without the usual Saturday night stay requirement for three weeks during the Olympic Games. Delta's action comes in response to the dearth of hotel rooms in the area and the schedules of Olympic events.
Alamo Rent A Car and its airline partners are offering a Wheel Deals program that gives customers in the U.S. who fly on one of 11 airlines discounted car rental rates until Feb. 10. Rates vary by region of the country. Renters must present a return airline ticket at the counter. The eligible airlines are Alaska, American, British Airways, Delta, Hawaiian, Midwest Express, Southwest, Northwest, TWA, United and USAir. Renters receive double frequent flyer miles through Jan. 31 when renting for at least three days, and triple miles for five days or more.
DOT Inspector General Mary Schiavo said Arthur Stewart and his company, Gary Aerospace Corp. of Hondo, Texas, and Jose Mendiola and his company, JLM Aviation International of Naperville, Ill., were convicted of manufacturing and marketing counterfeit parts for Boeing 727 aircraft. Stewart and Gary Aerospace were convicted in San Antonio of conspiring to manufacture counterfeit Boeing slat track roller bolt assemblies, a part of the 727 wing that helps control the aircraft during takeoff and landing.
American Society of Travel Agents' conference updates: The venue of the 1996 Western Regional Conference has been changed to Kauai, Hawaii, May 2- 5. The Kauai Marriott in Lihue will be the primary conference hotel. ASTA's Cruisefest, Jan. 11-14 in Miami, has attracted a record number of travel agents. Participants can take part in ship inspections and hear from top cruise executives.
International Jet Engine Supply Inc., Air 21 Merger Corp., a newly formed wholly owned subsidiary of International Jet and Air 21, have executed a merger agreement in which Air 21 is the surviving corporation and a subsidiary of International Jet. Once the merger is consummated, each issued and outstanding share of common stock in Air 21 will be converted into one share of International Jet common stock. Air 21's stockholders will hold a special meeting tomorrow to vote on the merger.
American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is seeking the assistance of executives of airlines, hotels, car rental companies, cruise lines and tour operators in its fight against the "unscrupulous" practices of credential mills. ASTA recently asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the practices of card mills, which offer travel agent credentials to people who are not professionals, and it wants industry executives to do the same.
Nine airlines filed a Part 13 complaint at FAA last month alleging that the City and County of Denver is diverting revenues from Denver International Airport (DIA) to maintain the former Stapleton Airport in violation of federal law and Denver's grant assurances. The complaint - filed by American, American Trans Air, Continental, Delta, Federal Express, Northwest, TWA, United and USAir - contends that Denver has taken no steps to dispose of Stapleton at fair market value and to use the proceeds for development of the new airport, as required by Congress.
JetTrain Corp. has asked DOT for another extension of 30 days, to Jan. 31, to begin operations before its certificate is subject to dormancy rules. The would-be startup carrier, which intends to operate short-haul service on the East Coast, said it "has encountered unforeseeable delays which render it unable to commence air transportation" before the current Dec. 31 deadline. In November, DOT granted the carrier an extension from Oct. 24 to Dec. 31 to start service.
United Parcel Service said yesterday it will launch distance-based pricing for its air express services on Feb. 3. The company also announced rate increases for most of its services, including a 4.9% hike for air express. John Alden, senior VP-business development, said prices for UPS Next Day Air will drop as much as 40% in short-distance zones and increase as much as 28% in longer-distance zones. He said the rates will reflect actual costs more accurately. The rates will be based on ZIP code. Previously, express shipments were priced only by weight.
Cargo carried by U.S. airlines rose 11% to 15.2 billion ton miles, while mail shipments increased 4.5% from 1994 levels, according to the Air Transport Association's yearend report (DAILY, Jan. 2). ATA also noted two fatal crashes by U.S. carriers that resulted in 166 deaths. Average domestic air fares, excluding taxes, rose 3.8% to 13.5 cents per passenger per mile for the first 11 months of 1995. Revenue per passenger mile for the same period in 1994 was 13 cents.
