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| Vol. 5 | Issue 10 | March 6, 2007 |    |
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) thought it was being snubbed when Airbus
announced that its proving flight of the 555-seat superjumbo A380
would fly under Lufthansa’s auspices and fly into JFK on March 19. LAX
and Qantas complained, and now the beleaguered and delayed aircraft will have
a twin
dispatched,
a Qantas flight, to land at LAX at the same time that day.
Airbus, which lost customers when it kept pushing back the aircraft’s readiness date, says it is still on track to begin deliveries to airlines in October. To manage that, it has now temporarily shelved its cargo version of the aircraft. That caused UPS last week to follow FedEx in canceling its order, so it will be interesting to see if Airbus can still afford the personnel it needs to keep to its passenger-jet production schedule.
It’s also interesting to see why LAX almost lost out. By the end of the year, in comparison with six gates at SFO that can accommodate the superjumbo, LAX will only have two. Qantas is in the process of shifting eight of its weekly Sydney (SYD)-LAX flights to land in San Francisco instead.
So many airlines have complained about overcrowding at LAX that last week, Los Angeles lawmakers agreed to add 11 more gates on the west side of the Bradley International Terminal, in addition to the already-underway renovations and expansion of that terminal. But the airlines say that the move may help with housekeeping, but doesn’t resolve the underlying problem — lack of space.
Potentially more troublesome to travelers’ pocketbooks, nearly two dozen
international airlines have jointly filed a complaint with the Department of
Transportation, objecting to sharply higher rents LAX plans to charge beginning
in April. Seven
U.S.-based airlines had previously gotten together to file a similar complaint,
and American, Continental and Delta have mutually filed a federal lawsuit.
The basis of
many of the
complaints is that some carriers still have leases that make them immune to
the rate increases, but most don’t. Carriers whose rents go up face the
unappealing choice between raising their fares and thus becoming less competitive
with lower-rent-paying airlines, or watching their bottom lines drop. Many
of the airlines are vowing to offset the cost increases by decreasing their
presence at LAX in favor of SFO and Las Vegas (LAS) or satellite airports outside
Los Angeles. 
American Airlines is making life easier for its AAdvantage members with a
redesigned and improved awards
redemption toolkit. Program members will now see color-coded calendars
for easy at-a-glance identification of what flight dates are available for
what award levels. Would-be miles redeemers can also now search for flight
availability over a four-week period and not only on individual dates.
BMI, which flies out of Chicago (ORD) and Las Vegas (LAS) via London (LHR)
to 24 destinations in Europe and the Middle East, is expanding its Diamond
Club frequent-flyer program with new amenities, benefits and levels.
All levels of Diamond Club membership except the basic Blue level will now
get free food and drink onboard flights out of Heathrow where previously they
had to pay for catering. On shorter-haul aircraft that have minimal business-class
seating, all club members will get priority seating near the front of the economy
cabin. A new premium level, Blue Plus, has been added for new club members
who hit the 3,000-miles mark.
Now that we’ve all gotten used to being able to go online and track
flights, routes, and delays, here’s something new: You can find out if
it’s going to be a bumpy ride. The free flight tracking and air travel
information tools at FlightExplorer.com
have been upgraded to include current weather and forecast turbulence. When
you
input your scheduled flight and time, a map shows the route and allows you
to overlay different elements, including high- and low-level turbulence. Although
the airlines have this information and do a good job whenever possible of rerouting
in order to avoid the bumps, the maps (so far, only of the United States) give
you an idea of when turbulence looks avoidable — and when you’d
better stock up on Dramamine. Another neat tool is a button that lets you see
the
most recent 15-day on-time performance of your specific flight.
A just-released study of world travel and tourism competitiveness turns out
to be a wealth of useful information for anyone doing business around the world — and
it’s free. The first World
Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report is a 400-plus-page
downloadable document put out by the WEF, an independent nonprofit Swiss-based
organization, in conjunction with Booz Allen Hamilton. It uses a staggering
array of data to rank 124 countries on 52 variables, pulling together a lot
of diverse information that’s a treasure trove for anyone assessing business
opportunities or investments — or looking for cocktail party chat. In
addition to standard tourism-related and infrastructure categories, countries
are ranked
for their price competitiveness, attitudes toward foreign visitors, workforce
wellness, availability of ATMs, communications infrastructure, reliability
of police services, and business cost of terrorism.
Aer Lingus will officially end its membership in the OneWorld alliance as of March 31. The former state airline of Ireland, which went public last year, has been repositioning itself as a budget airline to compete with — and fend off a hostile takeover by — competitor Ryanair. Its withdrawal from OneWorld means more hassle for travelers needing boarding passes for connecting flights, and downgrades some of its miles value. For example, Aer Lingus will continue to participate in American’s AAdvantage program, but miles earned on Aer Lingus will no longer count toward elite status.
Aer Lingus’s chairman has been ballyhooing a new “pioneering strategic
partnership” with JetBlue, which so far seems to be only a trading of
Web links between the two airlines’ Web sites. Code-sharing is not contemplated;
revenue-sharing from bookings generated on each other’s sites, and through-baggage
handling, are still being discussed. While Aer Lingus announced that the “alliance” would
be operational by late summer, JetBlue predictions call for a “conclusion
of negotiations” by the end of the year.
JetBlue Airways
Round-trip Long Beach (LGB)-New York (NYC), coach
tel 800 JET BLUE
www.jetblue.com
Far be it from me to kick somebody when they’re down — it’s a coincidence, honestly, that I’m adding my two cents to all the chatter about JetBlue.
While on a business trip to the West Coast, I had to make a sudden, unplanned return to New York and then get back to California inside 24 hours. That turned me into a first-time JetBlue flyer. Both flights were on time or nearly on time, which impressed me. I was also impressed by the legroom. Also in the plus column was the DirectTV we’ve heard so much about lately, with a choice of many TV programs for free, as well as three movies for $5 a pop.
I was not, however, impressed with JetBlue’s terminal at JFK. It’s the old TWA terminal — not the cool international one designed by Eero Saarinen, but the 1962 domestic concrete box. It was dirty, not well maintained, and too small; the airline has outgrown the space. The bathrooms (which are few and far between) were small, too — four stalls, two urinals, narrow doorway. When the airline was a new little startup, the terminal might have been adequate, and painting everything blue might have been cute four years ago, but now it just adds to the sense of confinement. Arrivals was a madhouse; I counted my lucky stars that I hadn’t checked any luggage.
My impression didn’t change much when I got to the terminal for the flight back. If WiFi was promised, it didn’t deliver. A decent sushi bar in the center of the departure area was really the only plus.
I was in seat 1C for the return flight to Long Beach (LGB). Although the flight attendants were friendly, one would simply not shut up. He talked loudly, waving his arms for emphasis, while standing not far from me for most of the flight. Somebody needs to tell him that work is not the time or place to discuss everything in your life. It’s bad enough when it’s another passenger chatting too much and too loud; it’s inexcusable when it’s a member of the flight crew.
This seat seemed less comfortable than my inbound seat, and the duct-tape repair of the rubber flooring in the galley was unimpressive. My tray table was filthy on both flights.
The flight was far from cheap; JetBlue has evolved past being a discount carrier. But it got me where I was going, when I wanted to — and unlike those other unlucky souls, I didn’t have to spend eight hours on the tarmac.
Score: ••••• Francis
X. Gallgher
Two airlines just announced fare sales that expire soon. Emirates
is offering a base fare of $198 round trip ($387.80, including all taxes and
surcharges)
between New York (JFK) and Hamburg (HAM) in economy class, for travel before
March 30; tickets must be purchased by March 13. Minimum stay is over a Sunday
night; seats at this price are limited. And, to celebrate its new morning flight
from JFK to Paris (CDG) that starts May 1, Air France is offering special fares
for the morning flight: One-way, in coach, $199 to Paris, and $880 for through
travel to Guangzhou (CAN), Hong Kong (HKG), Johannesburg (JNB) or Singapore
(SIN). The lowest fares are good for travel May 1-17, and must be purchased
by March 11.
If you belong to a frequent-flyer program of any of the 16 Star Alliance member
airlines, the Alliance would like to gift you with a free round of golf (or
golf lesson). To qualify, register
for the promotion and then take a paid round-trip international
flight on any member airline before June 1. Fly in first or business class,
or in
certain specified categories of economy, and you’ll receive a voucher
good at your choice of 200 golf courses worldwide, including Pebble Beach.
The offer is limited to U.S. residents.
Stratton Mountain, Vermont, got more than three feet of snow last month, but
it’s still offering some good deals to attract skiers. The Stay
For Free package lets you buy a three-day midweek lift ticket for
$149 and throws in two free nights of lodging (based on double occupancy) at
Lift Line Lodge. The deal is good Sunday through Thursday until April 5. A
similar weekend deal includes two days each of skiing and lodging for $198
per person.
United Airlines is having a domestic
fare sale for travel from March 6-31; tickets must be purchased
no later than March 24. Lowest coach fares are for Tuesdays and Wednesdays,
and a one-night minimum stay is required. Sample round-trip fares: Chicago
(ORD)-Seattle (SEA) $198; Denver (DEN)-Oakland (OAK) $158. Additional fees
are about $25. Book online for the cheapest price; tickets cost $15 more by
phone and $20 more at the airport.
It’s economy passengers’ turn to save on Virgin Atlantic Airways.
Following on the heels of last month’s Upper Class sale, the airline
is now running a sale
on economy-class seats on specified daily flights to London (LHR)
out of six U.S. airports: Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK),
Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO) and Washington (IAD). Tickets must be purchased
by March 14, for travel from April 1 to May 17 (the Chicago sale doesn’t
start until April 23). Seven-day advance purchase is required, as is a minimum
Saturday-night stay. Round-trip fares range from $350 (from JFK) to $480 (from
LAX).
