Business Travel Airlines News

Holiday Travel Gets Even Pricier
Flying on peak travel dates has always cost more, but this year it’s more expensive than ever, thanks to $10 surcharges several carriers are levying each way on certain dates.

Peak travel surcharge dates, according the fare monitoring site FareCompare.com, are Nov. 29 and 30, Dec. 19, 26 and 27, Jan 2 and 3, March 14, 20, 21 and 28, April 11 and May 28. American Airlines introduced the surcharge, US Airways followed and several others matched. (Source: FareCompare.com.)

Budding Corporate Travel Demand Sparks Airline Optimism
Corporate travel demand is improving, according to executives of the major legacy airlines.

They say corporate clients are taking to the skies in greater numbers, companies are easing restrictions and travelers in some cases are booking closer in to travel dates and increasingly selecting full fares.

"A lot of our corporate accounts are starting to hit the road again," said Delta Air Lines President Ed Bastian, adding that corporate fliers are "starting to move up the price point." Analysts sounded a similar theme throughout the industry's earnings calls. "There is evidence of improving travel demand, including from corporations," said Kevin Crissey of UBS. "All of the companies that have reported have cited this to one extent or another." Source: BTN Online

New Air-Traffic-Control Systems Offer Improved Communications Air-traffic controllers in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand now have modern satellite-based systems that operate over oceans.

With frequent automatic position reporting from airplanes and email-like communications between pilots and controllers, these new systems are designed to fill the kind of communication void that occurred after Air France Flight 447 crashed in the Atlantic Ocean last June.

The new systems offer many other benefits as well. The FAA’s NextGen program is aiming at extending these satellite benefits over land as well as over oceans, replacing the current ground-based communication system. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

United Offers One-Year, $249 Baggage Fee
United Airlines has put a new twist on baggage fees with Premier Baggage, charging customers a flat price that allows them to check two standard bags at no additional cost every time they fly on a United or United Express operated flight in a year. Customers can purchase a subscription for an introductory price of $249, entitling them to check two standard bags on United and United Express operated flights domestically and internationally, where applicable, rather than paying to check bags each trip.

The annual subscription also covers the standard checked baggage charge for up to eight companions traveling under the same confirmation number as the subscriber.

Mileage Plus Premier members are exempt from first and second bag fees on standard bags. (Source: United press release).

Track Flights on Your iPhone
FlightAware, which has more than two million monthly users using it for flight tracking, has released an application for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.

Users can download the free app from the Apple App Store, allowing them to track the real-time status and position of airline and private flights in the United States on their iPhones. (Source: FlightAware press release).

High-Speed Rail Could Ease Air Gridlock
A Brookings Institution study finds that air corridors of 500 miles or less between metropolitan hubs —distances at which trains can compete with planes—are the source of an increasing number of air delays. One reason for the congestion — no alternative transportation.

The delays can be so onerous that they discourage some would be travelers, who opt to stay home. The government is investing billions to improve rail options in some of these markets, but it will be years before they’re ready for consumers to ride. (Sources: Brookings Institution press release).

Reservations and Frequent Flier Program Charts

Reservations
Airline	Book round-trip ticket by phone	Preferred seat	Ticket change fee: Domestic-International	Fee to change flight to same destination on day of departure1
AirTran	$15	$6 or $20	$75-Not applicable	$75
Alaska	$15	Not available	$75 online; $100 on phone; $125 at travel agency-$100	0
Allegiant	$23.50 per one-way flight; $33.50 for roundtrip	$5-$25	$50 per one-way flight-Not applicable	Not allowed to change ticket within 24 hours of departure
American	$20	Not applicable	$150-$150-$250	$50
Continental	$15	Not available	$150-$150-$250	$50
Delta	$20	Not available on Delta; $5-$35 on domestic flights, $15-$75 Northwest international flights	$150-$250	$50
Frontier	$25	Not available	$50 or $150-$150	$75 or $150
Hawaiian	$10-$25	Not available	$150 or $200 per flight-$150 or $200 per flight	$150 or $200 per flight
JetBlue	$15	$10-$40	$100-$100	$40
Midwest	$25	$20-$50	$100-$100	$50
Southwest	0	priority-boarding fee $10	0-Not applicable	0
Spirit	0	$7-$20	$100 online; $110 on telephone-$100 online; $110 on telephone	$100 online; $110 on telephone
United	$25	$14-$119	$150-$150-$250	$75
US Airways	$25 domestic ticket; $35 international ticket	$5-$30	$150-$250	$50
For confirmed seat; difference in fare may also be charged.

 

Frequent Flier Programs
Airline	Book free ticket: on phone-online2	Change free ticket's origin-destination: domestic-international	Buying miles-credits
AirTran	0-0	$75- Not applicable	$39.50-credit
Alaska	$15-0	$75 online; $100 on phone; $125 at travel agency-$100	$25-1,000 miles when buying a ticket online; $27.50-1,000 miles when redeeming miles
Allegiant	Not applicable- Not applicable	Not applicable- Not applicable	Not applicable- Not applicable
American	$20-0	$150-$150	$27.50-1,000 miles
Continental	$25-0	$150-$150	$32-1,000 miles
Delta	$20-0	$100-$100	$27.50-1,000 miles
Frontier	$25-0	$75-$75	$28-1,000 miles
Hawaiian	$10 or $20-0	$30 or $50-$50	$30-1,000 miles
JetBlue	$15-0	$100-$100	$5-point, plus $20 fee
Midwest	$25-0	$50-$50	$25-1,000 miles, plus $20 processing fee
Southwest	0-0	0-Not applicable	0-Not applicable
Spirit	0-Not available	$70-$70	not available
United	$25-0	$150-$250	$32.25-1,000 miles, plus $35 processing fee
US Airways	$55 domestic flight; $70-$95 international-$25-$50	$150-$250	$25-1,000 miles, plus $30 processing fee
A fee may apply or could be higher if booking is made close to departure.

Luggage Checked In and Carry On Bag Specifications

Luggage chart by airlines for
checked in fees and carry on bag specifications.

Airlines	First Checked Bag Fees	Second Checked Bag Fees	Checked Baggage Weight	Specifications	Carry on Bag Dimensions
Air Canada	no fee	no fee	50 lb (23 kg) max	For travel within Canada and between Canada and the United States including Hawaii	9" x 15.5" x 21.5" Maximum weight 40 lbs.
American Airlines	Currently $15 For tickets bought Aug. 14 or afterward $20	Currently $25 For tickets bought Aug. 14 or afterward $30	50 lb (23 kg) max	Flights within the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada	45 linear inches (length + width + height) Maximum weight 40 lbs/18 kgs.
	Exceptions to this policy include customers who purchase First or Business Class tickets, AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum and AAdvantage Gold members as well as customers who purchase full-fare tickets in Economy Class.
Continental Airlines	$15	$25	50 lb (23 kg) max	For travel exclusively within 50 U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. See Continental Website for additional destinations.	45 linear inches (length + width + height) Maximum weight 40 lbs/18 kgs.
Delta Air Lines	Domestic $15 International no fee $5 surcharge for baggage checked in at airport (starting Aug 4th)	Domestic $25 International $50 $5 surcharge for baggage checked in at airport (starting Aug 4th)	50 lb (23 kg) max	Domestic fees apply to travel within the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. International fees apply to economy class tickets only	45 linear inches (length + width + height) Maximum weight 40 lbs/18 kgs.
Northwest Airlines	Domestic—$15 International—no fee	Domestic—$25 International—$50	50 lb (23 kg) max	Domestic fees apply to the 50 United States, Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands. International fees apply to coach class tickets only	Cannot exceed 45 linear inches (9" x 14" x 22")
Southwest Airlines	No fee	2nd no fee 3rd through 9th bag $50, 10+ bag $110	50 lb (23 kg) max	No specifications provided	10” x 16” x 24”
United Airlines	Online $15 At airport $20	Online $25 At airport $30 After Sept. 30 International $50 at airport $45 online	50 lb (23 kg) max	Applicable for travel within the 50 United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada	Cannot exceed 45 linear inches or 9" x 14" x 22"
US Airways	Online $15 At airport $20	Online$25 At airport $30 Third - ninth $100	50 lb (23 kg) max	Applies to all flights within the United States, to and from Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean	Cannot exceed 45 inches (14” x 9” x 22”)
Westjet	No fee	No fee	50 lb (23 kg) max	Applicable for travel within Canada or between Canada and the United States	Item 1 21.5” x 9” x 15.5” Item 2 – 16.5” x 6” x 13”

 

Airlines and Security Updates for May

Air Travel Demand Falls Fifth Month in a Row
The Air Transport Association of America reported that passenger revenue fell 23 percent in March 2009 versus the same month in 2008 – the fifth consecutive month in which passenger revenue has fallen from the prior year.

March passenger traffic on U.S. airlines fell by 10 percent, while the overall cost to fly one mile fell by 13 percent. Declines extended beyond the mainland United States to transatlantic, transpacific and Latin markets. (Source: Air Transport Association press release).

Airlines Cut Fares
JetBlue Airways trimmed $100 off some of its nonrefundable fares. Air France introduced a lower priced business “leisure” fare for the summer and Continental Airlines cut BusinessFirst fares to Asia. JetBlue dropped nonrefundable fares from $599 to $499 on 24 of its transcontinental routes.

Air France is offering a 60-day advance purchase business fare to 25 popular destinations in Europe and the Middle East. Sample roundtrip fares: New York-Paris, $2,222, Houston-Madrid, $2,622 and Chicago-Zurich, $2,458. Continental is now offering fares from the New York area to Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo starting at $3,076. (Source: Air France, Continental, JetBlue press releases).

Delta, Northwest Merge Frequent Flyer Programs in SkyMiles Card

American Express has launched a marketing campaign to build awareness for the SkyMiles cards in key Delta hubs that were formerly Northwest hubs within the U.S. including Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Memphis.

The Northwest WorldPerks and Delta SkyMiles frequent flyer programs are merging, but Northwest members will have to apply for a Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express to continue earning miles both from credit card purchases and from flying. American Express is expanding benefits in the program, so that card members can earn and redeem miles in more ways and places, including the ability to earn double miles on all Delta and Northwest operated flights.

Gold and Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit card members and Delta Reserve card members, who now earn Double Miles on virtually every dollar of spend with Delta, can also earn Double Miles on all purchases made with Delta’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Northwest.

The Pay with Miles feature, which currently allows Gold, Platinum and Reserve card members to book Delta flights with no black-out dates or inventory restrictions on delta.com, will also be expanded to all Northwest-operated flights. (Source: American Express press release).

Corporate America Curtails Travel to Mexico
Forty-seven percent of members of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) responding to a survey of the impact of the swine flu on their company’s travel said that their companies have restricted business travel to Mexico.

Three percent have restricted travel to the U.S. and Mexico, while 7 percent are restricting travel to any country with reported cases of H1N1 swine influenza. One percent reported restricting travel to the U.S. only. Forty-two percent are claiming no travel restrictions at all. Excluding travel to Mexico, only 11 percent of respondents cited travel restrictions.

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association said airlines were prepared for dealing with swine flu, saying IATA has worked with WHO to prepare guidance materials for front-line staff at airlines, including cabin crew, maintenance workers, cleaners, passenger agents and cargo/baggage handlers. WHO advises there should be no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders.

It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities. (Source: ACTE, IATA press releases).

Security

Customs Deactivates Older NEXUS Cards
U.S. Customs and Border Protection canceled old NEXUS cards for current NEXUS members on May 1. CBP has been mailing new NEXUS cards, a card that simplifies border crossing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers, to all members since November. The new cards have enhanced security features and allow U.S. and Canadian citizen cardholders to comply with the documentary requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

All members must activate their new cards within 30 days, verify and update their U.S. mailing address by going to https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov/.
NEXUS members should destroy their old cards after activating their new ones.
(Source: Customs press release).

Secure Flight Program

To All Travelers:

Secure Flight is a program that was developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in response to a key 9/11 Commission recommendation: uniform watch list matching by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The mission of the Secure Flight Program is to enhance the security of domestic and international commercial air travel through the use of improved watch list matching.

Secure Flight will conduct uniform prescreening of passenger information against federal government watch lists for domestic and international flights. TSA will take over this responsibility from aircraft operators who, up until now, have been responsible for checking passengers against government watch lists.

Secure Flight will match the name, date of birth and gender information for each passenger against government watch lists to:

After matching passenger information against government watch lists, Secure Flight will transmit the matching results back to airlines.

Williamsburg Travel-American Express must collect the required information from all travelers:

• Name as it appears on your government-issued photo ID that you use to pass through airport security.
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Redress Number (If Applicable)

The information will be stored permanently in profiles so that you do not need to provide the information every time that you travel. This information is required before an airline will issue a boarding pass for travel.

Passengers who decline to provide this information to the airlines in advance of their travel plans will face – at a minimum – additional screening and delays at the airport, likely to include being denied boarding.

For some travelers this may be different than the way your name appears on frequent flyer accounts. You will need to change the frequent flyer accounts.

Additional Information about Secure Flight Program.

1. May 15th all names must exactly match your government issued I.D.
2. August 15th you must also provide gender, date of birth, etc.

If you are a Williamsburg-American Express Client

For those travelers using the Rearden Personal Assistant or Trip Manager online booking product, please update your profiles with required information online.

Please complete our online Secure Flight Information.

If you are a new client please complete our Confidential Traveler Profile.

Introduction and Travel News Updates

 

Enjoyed talking to you about your business travel. Please let us know if we maybe of help.

Here is a list of our business services:
willtrav.com/business/

Meeting & Events:
willtrav.com/business/meeting-events/

Please feel free to take advantage of
our coupon for a free day of parking:
www.willtrav.com/free-parking.html

Business Travel
www.willtrav.com/
Vacation updates
www.cruiseandvacationexperts.com/

Sign up for our Cruise & Vacation Updates

 

Thank you again,

Jack Kennard
Web Designer & Sales Coordinator
Williamsburg-American Express
http://willtrav.com
770 261-8617
800 952-9922

Business travel & Delta Northwest Merger News

North American Carriers Are Single Bright Spot in Dismal Global Aviation Market
The International Air Transport Association revised its outlook for global aviation last month, forecasting $4.7 billion loss for 2009, a bigger loss than the $2.5 billion it projected in December. But it said that North American carriers were doing the best and forecasting a $100 million combined profit for the year for them.

IATA said they had matched a 7.5 percent fall in demand with 7.5 percent in capacity cuts. It also said they benefited management and lower spot fuel prices. The current economic turmoil is hitting Asia Pacific carriers the hardest.

The Middle East is the only region to see demand grow, and capacity grew more.  European carriers are expected to lose $1 billion. An expected 2.9 percent drop in the Europe’s GDP probably will cause demand to drop 6.5 percent. (Source: IATA press release).

Delta Phases Out Northwest Signs
Delta Air Lines absorption of Northwest has moved to the frontline. Nearly 40,000 flight attendants, pilots, airport lounge  representatives, ticket counter and gate agents now are wearing Delta livery.

New Delta signs are now up at more than 400 ticket counters, gates and baggage claim areas at three hub airports in Detroit, Memphis and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Delta has already rebranded 119 other airports worldwide.

By the end of next year, all Northwest planes will be painted Delta colors.
The two carriers have already synchronized flight schedules and route maps. (Source: Delta press release).

Delta Offers Up To Triple Miles through June 15
Delta Air Lines is offering SkyMiles and Northwest WorldPerks members up to triple flown miles toward elite status on select fares purchased for travel through June 15.

Travelers will earn triple miles on first, business and premium economy fares; double miles on discounted economy fares. Travelers will earn actual miles on deeply discounted fares.

The bonus applies only to miles counting towards Medallion or Elite status.  Medallion and Elite Qualification Segments—another way to qualify for elite status—are not included.

To qualify for Medallion status, fliers must earn 25,000 qualified
miles. (Source: Delta press release).

American to Install Wi-Fi on 300 more Planes over Next Two Years
It’s getting easier to stay connected in flight. American Airlines will install  Gogo Inflight Internet on more than 300 domestic aircraft over the next two years.

It already has Wi-Fi on 15 of its 767-200s, which are primarily used on nonstops between New York’s JFK and San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami.

It will install the service on 150 MD-80 aircraft this year and then move on to its Boeing 737-800 fleet. The cost is $12.95 for flights more than three hours, $9.95 for flights three hours or less and $7.95 for a pass for customers using a handheld device on flights of any length (Source: American press release).

Southwest Continues Adding Priority Security Access for Business Select, Rapid Rewards Customers
Southwest Airlines has introduced priority security lane access for its Business Select and Rapid Reward A-list customer at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

It’s already in place at several other Southwest airports, including Baltimore/Washington International, Dallas Love Field, Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Orange County John Wayne, Denver International, San Francisco International, and Los Angeles International. It will continue to add it as needed. (Source: Southwest press release).

Amtrak Offers Lower Acela Fares
Amtrak is offering new low fares on Acela Express trains, saving passengers up to 25 percent on previous lowest fares. Acela Business class tickets start at $99 between Washington, DC (WAS) and New York (NYP), and $79 between New York and Boston (BOS).

A 14-day advance purchase policy applies, and availability is limited. Fares are available through June 26. The tickets are one-way and nonrefundable, but can be exchanged. (Source: Amtrak press release).

Airlines Travel News Updates from American Express

International Travel Keeps Dropping
Demand for international travel fell 5.6 percent year over year in January, a full percentage point more than the 4.6 percent drop in December and the fifth consecutive month that traffic fell, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Demand continues to fall faster than airlines can cut capacity; capacity cuts were two percent. The decline was biggest in Asia, 8.4 percent; North America was second with 6.2 percent.

The Middle East was the only region to see traffic grow, 3.1 percent. There was one bit of good news: the fact that fuel prices remain well below last year’s levels. But IATA projects that airline revenues will drop $35 billion to $500 billion this year. (Source: IATA press release).

Southwest Offers Free Wi-Fi on Four Planes
Southwest Airlines expects to have four aircraft with in-flight Wi-Fi this month –you’ll be able to tell if you’re aboard one from the placards you see upon boarding and onboard instruction sheets.

Southwest is offering the service for free during the test period. Passengers will be able to log on using Wi-Fi enabled devices such as laptops, iPhones and smart phones. Southwest is also offering an in-flight homepage with the service. It includes an in-flight homepage with a flight tracker and local news and information.

Passengers can follow the plane’s flight path and view points of interest they’re flying over. Cellular technology will not work. (Source: Southwest press release).

More Airlines Go Cash-Free
United Airlines and American Airlines are phasing out cash in flight and will only accept major credit cards and debit cards after a transition period. United is introducing EasyPurchase March 23.

After a brief transition, it will only accept credit and debit cards on flights within the United States, including Hawaii, and on flights to and from Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. It will continue to accept cash on flights to and from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America. On United Express, it will continue to accept cash.

American will begin its transition to credit and debit cards only this summer on flights within the United States and to and from Canada. (Source: United, American press releases).

Delta Enables Mileage Transfers Between Sky Miles, Worldperks
Delta Air Lines said that Delta SkyMiles and Northwest WorldPerks members now can link frequent flyer accounts and transfer miles between both accounts at no charge. Members who link their accounts before March 15, 2009 will earn 500 bonus miles.

This means members who have SkyMiles and WorldPerks accounts can visit delta.com to link their accounts and transfer any amount of miles into either account on an unlimited basis. Both accounts will remain open and functioning until late 2009 when Delta plans to merge the two programs. (Source: Delta press release).

More Accidents But Fewer Fatalities in 2008
On the bright side, aviation safety performance improved, with the total number of aviation fatalities dropping from 692 in 2007 to 502 in 2008, a 56 percent improvement in the fatality rate, according to IATA.

There were more accidents in 2008—109 compared to 100—and the number of fatal accidents increased from 20 in 2007 to 23 in 2008. There were regional differences. North Asia had zero losses.

North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific performed better than the global average; Africa’s accident rate was 2.6 times worse than the world average, but that was a vast improvement over 2005, when it was the worst in the world. Separately, the U.S. Department of Transportation said that the U.S. has seen a 65 percent reduction in the aviation fatal accident rate between 1997 and 2006.

Before the fatal crash in Buffalo last month, the DOT said that there had been no fatal commercial accidents for more than two years. (Source: IATA, DOT press releases).

Airlines News Updates Feb 2009

Airfares Show Some Decreases
Domestic airfares are starting to dip. The average domestic fare fell to $428.29 in December from $525.63 in November according to airfare tracking company Topaz International’s national database. And the average fare for the fourth quarter was $497.69, down from 526.18 for the third quarter.

Airfares have been climbing steadily throughout the year, hitting a high of $633.44 in June and trending downward subsequently.(Source: Topaz International Monthly Airfare Index).

IATA Figures Show Air Travel Continues Decline The International Air Transport

Association (IATA) reported that international traffic dropped 4.6 percent in December from December 2007, but that the 4.6 percent decline was far less dramatic than cargo’s 22.6 drop from the previous December.

Year-end leisure travel booked in advance kept passenger numbers from falling as dramatically as cargo. Still, a 1.5 percent cutback in supply could not keep pace with falling demand. That meant planes weren’t quite as full. “Airlines are struggling to match capacity with fast-falling demand.

Until this comes into balance, even the sharp fall in fuel prices cannot save the industry from drowning in red ink,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s general director. He pointed out that premium travel—the profitable front of the plane–declined 11.5 percent in November. (Source: IATA press release).

Air France-KLM Invest in Alitalia
Air France-KLM is taking a 25 percent minority stake in Alitalia. The partnership will be based on a multi-hub strategy, adding Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa to Paris Charles-de-Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol.

The airline said Alitalia’s acquisition for Air One has strengthened its position in the domestic market; the carriers say they will plan to create synergies using network optimization and revenue management. (Source: Air France-KLM press
release).

United, British Airways Keep Passengers Connected in the Air
Both United Airlines and British Airways are keeping their passengers connected in-flight on certain routes. United Airlines will begin offering in-flight internet service to customers on board its p.s. transcontinental service between New York and California starting in the second half of this year.

The service will be available in all classes for a flat $12.95 fee on all 13 of the Boeing 757s United flies between JFK and Los Angeles and San Francisco.

British Airways will launch text and mobile services on its all-business class service between London City Airport and JFK later this year.

Customers will be able to access the internet and send emails from laptops with GSM data cards as well as their mobile phones and PDAs. Voice service may be offered in the future, depending on customer demand and feedback. (Source: BA, United press releases).

California Fare Wares Mean Cheaper Flights
Southwest is expanding its California service, adding five new nonstops between San Francisco International Airport and John Wayne International Airport starting May 1 and kicking off the service with a $69 fare.

That followed Virgin America’s announcement that it was starting service between San Francisco and John Wayne International April 30 with a $59 introductory fare.

The airfare monitoring website FareCompare.com reported that American Airlines and United Airlines responded with $59 fares April 30 through June 10 and said that a year ago, the two were charging $125 for one-way fights. (Source: Southwest and Virgin America press releases, FareCompare.com blog).

JetBlue to Start Service Out of LAX to New York and Boston
JetBlue Airways will begin service out of Los Angeles International June 18. It is JetBlue’s third Los Angeles airport. It will offer two daily nonstops to New York’s JFK and two daily flights to Boston’s Logan International. (Source: Jet Blue press release).

Airline Updates for August 2008

After Month-Long Hiatus, Airlines Try Another Fare Hike
The airfare monitoring website FareCompare.com reported that Northwest Airlines upped its domestic fares by nearly $80 roundtrip in over 4,000 city pairs for both business and leisure travelers.

The increase came after nearly a month of no airfare hikes. Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare, said that fares may be topping out, due to a sluggish economy and the fact that oil is down, relatively speaking, to the mid $120s per barrel.

He said revenue from added fees is also kicking in. (Source: FareCompare.com).

Delta Doubles Fee for Second Bag, Northwest Charges for First Bag FF Ticket Delta Air Lines upped its charge for a second bag to $50 from $25. It also said it would increase fees for specialty items that require special handling such as surfboards or ski equipment on domestic and international flights.

The new fees apply to tickets bought after July 31 for travel on or after Aug. 5. First Class, BusinessElite and Medallion customers will continue to be able to check up to three bags at no charge.

Customers checking bags on international flights may continue checking a first and second bag at no charge.

Northwest Airlines instituted a $15 charge for the first checked bagged, following American Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways’ lead; this applied to tickets sold after July 10 for travel starting Aug. 28.

Frequent flier elites are exempt from the policy, along with full-fare coach passengers. As of Sept. 15, it will also begin charging service fees for frequent flyer tickets: $25 for domestic, $50 for transatlantic and $100 for transpacific travel. (Source: Delta, Northwest press releases).

Hawaiian Charges for First Bag, Phone Bookings
Hawaiian Airlines began charging $15 for the first piece of checked luggage on flights between the mainland U.S. and Hawaii; the first bag remains free on interisland flights.

Hawaiian will also begin charging a $10 ticketing fee for telephone bookings for interisland flights, $20 for all other routes and $25 for ticketing at the airport. (Source: Hawaiian Airlines press release).

Flight Attendants Decry Turning Planes into Flying Vending Machines
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), lamented the fact that US Airways is now charging for soft drinks in flight, saying it was turning aircraft into “flying vending machines.”

The group said the airline is nickel and diming passengers and turning flight attendants, who are safety pros, into cashiers. (Source: AFA-CWA press release).

Delta Restructures Loyalty Program, Upping Some Mileage Requirements

Delta Air Lines said it was restructuring its SkyMiles frequent flyer program, saying it wanted to give its members greater flexibility and more options when redeeming miles, including the ability to again book the last seat on a flight using miles and three redemption tiers for Award Travel within the continental United States, Alaska and Canada..

Tiers will start at 25,000, 40,000 and 60,000 miles round-trip rather than the two current Award levels starting at 25,000 and 50,000 miles for travel within the continental United States, Alaska and Canada. (Source: Delta press release).

Northwest Ads Nonstop Milwaukee-Los Angeles Service
Northwest Airlines is beginning daily nonstop service between Milwaukee and Los Angeles beginning Sept. 6, using the 148-seat Airbus 320. (Source: Northwest press release).

Next Page »