Electric Cars Joining Enterprise's Fleet in 2011 - Azumano Travel @ 9:33 am PDT
Enterprise Rent-A-Car today announced the first phase of its plans to offer electric vehicles (EVs) at select offices throughout its neighborhood network of more than 5,000 U.S. locations. Delivery of 500 Nissan LEAFs will begin in January 2011 and will continue throughout the year. In addition to the LEAFs, the company will offer customers electric vehicles from other manufacturers as they become available. The announcement is the latest evolution of Enterprise’s ongoing commitment to embracing alternative technologies. Electric vehicles, commonly referred to as EVs, use no gasoline and do not produce greenhouse gas emissions. The cars can be charged using a standard 110-volt home outlet, or a 220-volt or 480-volt commercial charging station. Most EVs can travel about 100 miles on a single charge, accommodating the travel habits of the daily commuter, who drives an average of approximately 40 miles a day.
June Air Demand Grows by Double Digits - Azumano Travel @ 8:35 am PDT
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), worldwide international air travel demand grew by nearly 12 percent in June with particular strength shown in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Traffic for international travel on North American airlines grew nearly 11 percent in June, but growth was below the average worldwide rate. Europe lagged behind all other regions. "The industry continues to recover faster than expected, but with sharp regional differences," IATA director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said. "Europe is recovering at half the speed of Asia with passenger growth of 7.8 percent compared to the 15.5 percent growth in Asia/Pacific." Among the peak performers in June, Middle Eastern carriers posted international demand growth of 18 percent, while Latin American carriers saw international passenger traffic grow by nearly 15 percent.
Though the overall traffic recovery is encouraging, some experts project the pace of international passenger growth to subside. Bisignani stated, "Business confidence remains high, and there is no indication that the recovery will stall any time soon. But, with government stimulus packages tailing off and restocking largely completed, we do expect some slowing over the months ahead."
Source: IATA
Delta Adds Service in Key East Coast Cities - Azumano Travel @ 8:22 am PDT
Delta Air Lines plans to add service between 21 cities and Washington, D.C. or New York this fall. Schedule highlights include:
Washington: Increased service at Washington-Reagan National Airport, with new or increased service to nine cities beginning Oct. 31 for a total of 21 new daily nonstop flights: Hartford, CO; Columbus, Ohio; Jacksonville, FL; Orlando; Miami; Tampa; Boston; and Indianapolis.
New York: Enhanced domestic and international service at LaGuardia and JFK airports in New York, with new or expanded service to 12 cities beginning Sept. 7: Nashville, Tenn.; St. Louis; Norfolk, Va.; Richmond, Va.; Kansas City, Mo.; San Antonio; Cleveland; Charlotte, N.C.; Orange County, Calif.; Baltimore; Montreal and Toronto. Routes will be operated from either LaGuardia or JFK airports. Delta also recently launched an expansion of its Delta Shuttle business product with new service between New York-LaGuardia and Chicago O'Hare.
"As we plan our schedules for the fall, we continue to be focused on connecting communities of all sizes to the nation's top business markets," said Bob Cortelyou, Delta's senior vice president – Network Planning. "From New York to Washington to Chicago to Los Angeles, we have continued to optimize flight schedules for our business customers without adding additional aircraft."
Source: Delta Air Lines
Icelandair, Alaska & Horizon Announce New Codeshare Partnership - Azumano Travel @ 10:05 am PDT
Icelandair and Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air have joined forces to open a whole new world for west coast travelers. In cooperation with Alaska Airlines, Icelandair will provide convenient code share flights from a host of West Coast cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Spokane and Anchorage. A reciprocal frequent flier partnership, scheduled to launch this fall, will also allow Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members to earn and redeem miles on Icelandair flights between Seattle and Iceland and over 20 of Europe’s most popular destinations. Icelandair is proud to boast the shortest travel time to Scandinavia from the Pacific Northwest and offers travelers updated Boeing aircraft with personal entertainment centers, and three cabins of service including their new Economy Comfort Class.
Southwest States It Will Not Be Liable For Mechanical Difficulties - Azumano Travel @ 12:42 pm PDT
According to the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson-headquartered Southwest Airlines recently added “mechanical difficulties” to the list of acts of God and other events for which the carrier will not be liable if travel is delayed. The change appears among the fine print in their contract of carriage next to events such as wars, riots, storms, earthquakes and other acts of God that are “outside of (Southwest’s) control.” It further states that Southwest has no obligation to provide compensation for “any type of special, incidental or consequential damages.” According to Robert Mann, an airline industry analyst in New York, keeping an aircraft fleet mechanically safe "is certainly within the control of any airline." Even if Southwest sticks to its current high level of customer service, Mann said, the new contract wording sets a bad industry precedent. Another analyst suggested other carriers may follow suit.
House Bill Would Bar New Local Taxes On Car Rentals - Azumano Travel @ 8:02 am PDT
Representatives of business and consumer groups appeared before the House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law in Washington last week to support proposed legislation that would ban state and local governments from imposing new taxes on car rentals in their jurisdictions. The bill, H.R. 4175, titled the “End Discriminatory State Taxes for Automobile Renters Act,” was introduced last December by Rep. Frederick Boucher (D.-Va.). Proponents of the legislation were most critical of rental car taxes that are used to fund local projects totally unrelated to transportation, such as sports stadiums, performing arts centers, or culinary institutes. According to National Consumers League executive direction Sally Greenberg, 43 states and the District of Columbia currently have a total of 118 various excise taxes on car rentals – an 800% increase in the past two decades. The legislation would not affect car rental taxes already in effect.
Source: SkyGuide e-Alert
US Approves American/British Airways/Iberia Alliance - Azumano Travel @ 7:48 am PDT
The US Transportation Department gave their final approval on the antitrust waiver for a transatlantic alliance between Oneworld members, American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia. Fellow oneworld® members Finnair and Royal Jordanian also received antitrust immunity from DOT. This new joint venture will allow these carriers to coordinate scheduling and pricing, while sharing revenue and costs on those routes. The DOT required that a limited number of landing slots at London’s Heathrow airport be surrendered to competitors in exchange for the joint venture approval. According to the DOT, the new arrangement will enable these Oneworld carriers to "compete more vigorously" with the Star Alliance and SkyTeam, alliances that already have immunized joint ventures for transatlantic routes. Also, the DOT said the Oneworld joint venture would benefit travelers with "lower fares in some markets, new nonstop routes, improved services and better schedules." Customers also will receive numerous benefits, including expanded opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles and elite tier benefits and continued reciprocal airport lounge access.
American Airlines and Jetblue Launch Interline Partnership - Azumano Travel @ 10:19 am PDT
American Airlines and JetBlue launch their partnership today with the availability of interline service in non-overlapping markets from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Boston’s Logan Airport (BOS). Under the cooperative agreement, JetBlue customers will be able to easily connect to 14 of American’s international destinations departing from JFK and BOS, including Barcelona, Brussels, Paris, Rome, London, Madrid, Manchester (UK), Milan, Zurich, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Tokyo (Narita and Haneda).
The 18 JetBlue domestic markets contributed to the partnership, also at JFK and BOS, include Portland, OR; Nantucket, MA; Burlington, VT; Phoenix; Buffalo, NY; Portland, ME; Denver; Richmond, VA; Houston; Rochester and Syracuse, NY; Washington Dulles; Fort Myers, Sarasota, West Palm Beach and Jacksonville, FL; Salt Lake City and New Orleans.
The agreement includes seamless check-in and baggage services for customers making connections between the two airlines in the New York and Boston markets. A frequent flyer relationship is slated to begin later this year.
Travel To Turkey on Terror Alert - Azumano Travel @ 11:15 am PDT
Breaking Travel News reports Turkey’s tourism industry is on alert following a warning from a Kurdish separatist group that it plans a wave of violence following the collapse of a year-long cease-fire. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said it will target major Turkish cities, including those popular with tourists and businessmen, which have occasionally been hit by bombings in the last decade. The war between the Turkish government and the PKK lasted 26 years and claimed 40,000 lives. But the breakdown of talks and a year-long ceasefire spells an uncertain period for the nation. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office last night said they advised “against all but essential travel” to the south east of Turkey due to the “high threat from terrorism” – although this inland region is well away from the country’s tourist hotspots on the coast.
Murat Karayilan, a senior PKK commander, said the organization would soon declare “democratic autonomy” in Kurdish regions of south-east Turkey. “If Turkey does not accept this, it is their problem,” he said.
Source: Breaking Travel News
Fly Coast to Coast on AA and Earn Up To 50,000 Bonus Miles - Azumano Travel @ 2:50 pm PDT
This great offer is back! Fly American Airlines transcontinental service between New York and Los Angeles or San Francisco, and earn up to 50,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles for each round trip flown between July 15 and August 31, 2010. The Bonus Code for this promotion is TRNSN.
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles when you fly round trip (25,000 bonus miles for one-way travel) for paid First Class or Business Class fares booked in F or J class of service.
- Earn 25,000 bonus miles when you fly round trip on fares booked in Y, D or I (12,500 bonus miles for one-way travel).
With 10 daily nonstop flights between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles and 5 between New York (JFK) and San Francisco (SFO), you'll have plenty of choices to get you where you want to go. To participate in this program, register prior to travel by visiting American's web site. AAdvantage members who signed up for the transcontinental promotion earlier this year (valid from April 6, 2010 through June 30, 2010 using the same bonus code, TRNSN) are automatically pre-registered for this new offer. Some restrictions may apply.
American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia alliance wins Antitrust Immunity From EC - Azumano Travel @ 10:50 am PDT
According to the Dallas News, American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia have received a favorable decision by the European Commission for antitrust immunity. This approval will allow the three carriers, all members of OneWorld, to enjoy the same legal status as other trans-Atlantic alliances to coordinate schedules, fares and marketing on their services across the North Atlantic. With the European decision in hand, the carriers now need to get a final blessing from the U.S. Department of Transportation to proceed. DOT gave preliminary approval on Feb. 13, but has not yet issued a final order. The EC required certain concessions on behalf of the trio, including: the surrender of enough slots to allow rivals to operate two daily flights from London’s Heathrow Airport to New York Kennedy, two to Boston, one to Dallas/Fort Worth and one to Miami; letting passengers on those competing flights earn miles in the applicants’ frequent-flier programs; and allowing competitors to feed passengers to and from their own flights and prorating the revenues from airfares.
The Pacific Northwest Will Examine Using Biofuels For Jets - Azumano Travel @ 8:28 am PDT
Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Portland International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Spokane International Airport and Washington State University today announced a strategic initiative to promote aviation biofuel development in the Pacific Northwest. The first regional assessment of its kind in the United States, the "Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest" project will look at biomass options within a four-state area as possible sources for creating renewable jet fuel.
The comprehensive assessment will examine all phases of developing a sustainable biofuel industry, including biomass production and harvest, refining, transport infrastructure and actual use by airlines. It will include an analysis of potential biomass sources that are indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, including algae, agriculturally based oilseeds such as camelina, wood byproducts and others. The project is jointly funded by the participating parties and is expected to be completed in approximately six months.
Source: Alaska Airlines
American, Delta and Hawaiian Win Haneda Slots - Azumano Travel @ 10:28 am PDT
According to Redline News, the US Department of Transportation has finalized its tentative decision to award four routes to Tokyo’s downtown Haneda Airport to American Airlines from New York, Delta Air Lines from Los Angeles and Detroit, and Hawaiian Airlines from Honolulu. The new service can begin when the airport’s fourth runway becomes operational later this year. The selected carriers are required to begin their Haneda operations by January 29, 2011.
The opportunities were negotiated in connection with the US-Japan Open-Skies agreement which was concluded last December. They permit US carriers to introduce a total of four daily round-trip services at Haneda. Previously, US carriers serving Tokyo have been limited to using Narita Airport, which is considerably farther from the city.
Source: Redline News
Alaska Tops Aviation Week Rankings - Azumano Travel @ 8:36 am PDT
Alaska Airlines is ranked first among mainline/legacy carriers, according to Aviation Week's 2010 Top Performing Airlines study. Alaska barely beat Singapore Airlines, which had occupied the No. 1 spot for five consecutive years. The highest-ranked carrier in the low-cost/niche category is Allegiant Air, and Australia’s Regional Express Holdings is the best of the regionals for the second year in a row. While airlines from the North America and Asia-Pacific regions saw their average scores rise in this year’s TPA study, the European region showed a decline. The top 10 in the mainline category feature small non-aligned carriers, such as Alaska, Hawaiian Airlines, and Copa, as well as industry giants, such as Lufthansa, Singapore and Qantas. (For a breakdown of airline scores and rankings, go to aviationweek.com/TPA).
Source: Aviation Week
26-Story 112-Room Holiday Inn Express Opens in New York City's Financial District - Azumano Travel @ 7:19 am PDT
InterContinental Hotels Group announces the opening of the Holiday Inn Express Wall Street New York, serving visitors to New York City’s vibrant financial district. According to Travel Daily News, the hotel is located at 124-126 Water St. at the corner of Water Street and Wall Street, the new Holiday Inn Express Wall Street New York is at a prime location for both business and leisure travelers. It is just two blocks from the New York Stock Exchange and three blocks from the Federal Reserve Bank. It is also close to popular attractions such as the South Street Seaport, Battery Park and the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. The 26-story Holiday Inn Express Wall Street, with 112 units, features special in-room amenities such as free high-speed Internet access and 32” flat-panel HDTV's. Additionally, there is wireless Internet access throughout the hotel, a business center, a meeting room and great room, and a fitness center.
Save Up To 30% on Round The World Fares - Azumano Travel @ 11:15 am PDT
To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, the SkyTeam airline alliance is currently offering customers a special promotion using the Round the World fare pass with reductions between 5% and 30%. Bookings can be made until September 30, 2010, and travel should be completed before June 30, 2011. With the SkyTeam Round the World Pass, customers need only one ticket to travel around the globe. All 13 member airlines participate in this offer and travelers can plan their trip through the entire SkyTeam network using a selection of carriers. The Round the World Promotion provides further fare discounts on the regular SkyTeam Round the World fare pass. Depending on where the trip starts, customers can get up to 30% discount on the price. The offer applies to both leisure and business travelers.
Source: Delta Air Lines
Alitalia Joins Air France-KLM Group and Delta in Transatlantic Joint Venture - Azumano Travel @ 10:11 am PDT
Alitalia, Italy's leading airline, has joined the Air France-KLM Group and Delta Air Lines in a joint venture, allowing the member airlines to share revenues and costs on their trans-Atlantic routes. With this new partnership, passengers will have convenient access to almost 250 flights and approximately 55,000 seats each day to nearly 500 destinations in Europe and North America. The joint venture represents approximately 26 percent of total trans-Atlantic capacity, with annual revenues estimated at more than $10 billion USD. Governance of the joint venture will be equally shared between Alitalia, the Air France-KLM Group and Delta. The joint venture's geographic scope includes all flights between North America and Europe, between Amsterdam and India and between North America and Tahiti.
Source: Delta Air Lines
NBTA Applauds Confirmation of New TSA Administrator - Azumano Travel @ 12:59 pm PDT
John Pistole, former deputy director of the FBI, has officially been confirmed as Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA position has been vacant since the previous director resigned at the end of the Bush administration. Two previous Obama administration nominations for the job were withdrawn when they ran into confirmation problems. According to the National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the TSA position is an increasingly high-profile post given the Christmas Day bombing attempt and the focus on the no-fly list. Mr Pistole’s extensive experience in law enforcement, specializing in addressing security and vulnerability issues, will complement the agencys mission well. The NBTA endorses the selection of Pistole and according to a statement issued today, the organization looks forward to working with the new administrator to implement measures to accurately and precisely pre-screen business travelers to make air travel safer and more efficient.
Source: National Business Travel Association
US Passport Fees Increase July 13 - Azumano Travel @ 9:43 am PDT
U.S passports will cost more starting July 13. In a news release, the State Department says a recent study shows how much it costs the Bureau of Consular Affairs to provide services and the new, increased fees will cover the actual operating expenses for the 301 overseas consulates, 23 U.S. passport agencies and a number of other centers that provide consular services to both U.S. and foreign citizens. Adult passports will increase from $100 to $135, including a $25 administrative fee. Child passports (under 16) will increase from $85 to $105. Those who travel frequently will find the free service of adding pages to an existing passport will soon cost $82. If you hurry, you may still have time to get those free pages added before July 13. A complete list of the new fees can be viewed here.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
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