Apollo Travel Services will begin late next month to deploy a new product that automates the search for lower air fare availability. Best Buy Quote for domestic itineraries will be made available on a limited basis late in May, and a related product for international itineraries is to be announced in early summer, Apollo said. Best Buy Quote is intended to help travel agents search for lower fares more efficiently and quickly, and enable them to suggest practical alternative flights while staying close to the traveler's initial time specifications.
USAir has signed a $140 million, five-and-one-half-year contract with Bell Atlantic that will save the airline up to $5 million a year by outsourcing voice and data communications. Bell Atlantic will manage USAir's voice and data communications network, which includes reservations, administrative and operational centers, sales offices and retail ticket centers in 150 cities. As part of the contract, Bell Atlantic Network Integration (BANI) will offer employment to up to 137 USAir network professionals from the Communications Services Group.
Canadian Airlines International (CAI) and Philippine Airlines have formed a commercial alliance and plan to launch joint operations between Canada and the Philippines this fall, subject to establishment of an air services pact between the two countries. The carriers will offer daily direct service, including at least two nonstop flights, between Vancouver and Manila. CAI said the service will start in late 1995 with three or four weekly flights and increase to daily frequencies next year.
Travel agent commission cap or no, agent sales set a record in March - $6.107 billion for the month, spurred by lower fares - according to the Airlines Reporting Corp.The month was only the second in which total sales exceeded $6 billion. Domestic commissions were up 2% for the year to date, to $1.025 billion.
Taesa, in response to a published report about financial difficulties at the Mexican airline, said it is in "excellent" financial shape with prospects for continued growth. "While Mexico's financial picture has not been very bright for the past several weeks, the situation has improved, and Taesa is in excellent fiscal shape," said Pierre Murphy, U.S. legal counsel to Taesa. "We have restructured our business plans based on the devaluation of the peso.
Airport and Airway Trust Fund Income Statement October 1, 1994 - January 31, 1995 Current Month RECEIPTS (Revenues) Revenues: Excise Taxes (Transferred from General Fund): Liquid Fuel other than Gas $ 17,373,000.00 Transportation by Air, Seats, Berths, etc. 288,035,000.00
ValuJet yesterday reported first quarter net earnings of $9.1 million, or 31 cents per share, and an operating profit of nearly $14.6 million, and it revealed that it is close to completing arrangements to add Boston to its route network in June. The earnings-per-share figure reflects the carrier's recent two-for-one stock split. "We are pleased with our outstanding operational and financial performance," said Chairman Robert Priddy.
Western Pacific Airlines will begin service April 28 with an unusual logo on the side of its 737s - corporate advertising. The Colorado Springs carrier's first flight to Oklahoma City will be painted with the colors and logo of The Broadmoor Hotel, a Colorado Springs resort. Under its "Air Logo" program, the airline is discussing selling its exteriors to American Express, Adolph Coors Co. and other companies. It begins service on April 28 to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Kansas City and Oklahoma City, and on May 8 to San Francisco.
Chicago City Council, meeting Saturday in special session, approved Mayor Richard Daley's plan to create an alliance with Gary, Ind., for a Chicago- Gary Regional Airport Authority to run the cities' four airports (DAILY, April 17). Daley apparently drafted the plan quickly in cooperation with Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh and Gary Mayor Thomas Barnes. The new authority came into being at midnight on Saturday and will oversee Chicago's O'Hare, Midway and Meigs Field and Gary Regional Airport.
Airport and Airway Trust Fund Balance Sheet As of January 31, 1995 Current Month ASSETS Undisbursed Balances: Available for Investment $ 47.14 TOTAL UNDISBURSED BALANCE (Cash in Account) Receivables: Interest Receivables $ 62,601,801.50 TOTAL RECEIVABLES
Aviation Capital Group subsidiary ACG Acquisition Corp. V has leased a Boeing 737-200 Advanced to Ladeco Chilean Airlines for four years. The aircraft is equipped with Pratt&Whitney JT8D-9A engines. ACG V acquired the airplane recently from Aer Lingus.
The three cargo carriers currently designated for service to Russia are raising concerns about DOT plans to reallocate frequencies for U.S.-Russia cargo service. Saying that none of the authorized carriers - Northern Air Cargo, Federal Express and Evergreen - is currently serving the U.S.-Russia market, DOT issued an order saying it planned to approve a bid by Polar Air Cargo for Russian service, requiring reallocation of current frequencies, and to review the existing designations (DAILY, April 4).
Air Canada's March systemwide passenger traffic rose 5.5% from the same month last year, but again failed to keep pace with the growth in capacity, up 13.6%. The result was a load factor decline of 4.7 percentage points to 61.1%. International traffic increased 6.6% on 15.5% more capacity, and domestic traffic was up 3.4% on 10.4% more available seat miles. Through the first quarter, Air Canada's systemwide traffic increased 5.9% on 14.1% more capacity, pushing its load factor down 4.5 points to 57.7%.
Fokker has received type certification for its Fokker 70 transport from the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority and has delivered the first of five F70s to British Midland, the Dutch manufacturer said yesterday. The carrier ordered four Fokker 100s and five Fokker 70s in November, 1993, and it took options on three aircraft that it can order as either type. The F100s have been delivered, and delivery of the F70s will be completed early next year. The F70 and the F100 have same-type ratings, so pilots qualified to fly one can fly the other without additional training.
Surinam Airways is seeking to add San Juan, Puerto Rico, as a co-terminal for its service to the U.S. Currently authorized to operate scheduled service between points in Surinam and the co-terminal points of New York/Newark and Miami, the carrier is asking to fly cargo service carrying fresh fish to San Juan. Surinam charters or wet-leases cargo capacity from American International Airways and anticipates operating a weekly DC-8-55 cargo charter service between Miami and San Juan and Paramaribo with AIA. Surinam operates to the U.S.
A U.S. bankruptcy court judge in Anchorage will rule today on MarkAir's filing for Chapter 11 protection. MarkAir needs a favorable ruling to keep creditors from repossessing its aircraft (DAILY, April 18).
United Parcel Service daily volume of express packages and documents rose 22.6% in the first quarter to 1.38 million. Domestic U.S. express volume grew 21.7.% from the first quarter last year, and international express volume jumped 36.3%. UPS said the just-ended quarter is the 10th in a row in which its combined domestic and international express volume grew more than 20%.
Alaska Airlines and the Machinists union have reached a tentative agreement on an amended four-year contract covering the carrier's clerical, office and passenger service personnel. The accord comes less than a week after the National Mediation Board sent the two parties into a 30-day cooling-off period. The Machinists have been negotiating the contract since it became amendable in September 1992 (DAILY, April 14).
Carnival Air Lines plans to begin scheduled jet service between New York Kennedy and Nassau on June 23. The flights, to be operated five days a week, will depart New York at 7:30 a.m. and will arrive in Nassau at 10:30 a.m. The airline, which has been flying the route as a charter for several years, is offering an introductory fare of $119 each way.
Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.), ranking Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, this month introduced at the request of the the Clinton administration legislation (S.703) to simplify the organization of DOT by consolidating the various surface modal administrations into a single Intermodal Transportation Administration (ITA). The bill, identical to one (H.R.1440) introduced by Rep. Norman Mineta (D-Calif.) by request, also would transfer the functions of the Office of Commercial Space Transportation to FAA.
A decision on the potential sale of John Wayne Airport, stricken from the Orange County Board of Supervisors agenda yesterday, has been put off for at least 60 days, airport spokeswoman Courtney Wiercioch told The DAILY. Chief Executive Officer William Popejoy removed from the board's agenda a vote on whether to issue a request for qualifications for the potential purchase of the airport.
Four airlines - Aero Zambia, First Air, Gulfstream International and Maersk Air - have been added recently to the roster of carriers participating in the GETS computer reservations system, according to GETS Marketing Co. The four additions bring the total number of GETS participants, including airlines and other travel-related businesses, to 299.
USAir will offer $151.10 roundtrip fares on its new Montreal-Washington National service from June 19 until July 17 on tickets purchased through May 9. It will offer double frequent flyer miles between June 19 and Aug. 31.
Minnesota's Metropolitan Airport Commission this week approved a plan for a potential new airport in Dakota County that could serve as a replacement for Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. Under a state-mandated dual-track planning process, state officials have prepared a comprehensive plan for an airport on a site southwest of Hastings, Minn., while also developing a long-term comprehensive plan for the existing airport.
Continental will unveil tomorrow a system to enhance electronic ticketing systems that it says will take the industry one step closer to the "airport of the future." The system, in development with EDS and AT&T Global Information Systems for a year, will simplify and expedite business and leisure travel, Continental said.
