Southwest bids for ATA’s LaGuardia slots
Southwest Airlines in a move focused on their marketing push towards full-fare business travelers, has offered a bid to the bankruptcy court for ATA’s LaGuardia landing and take-off slots. This move, if approved by the court, will give Southwest a LaGuardia presence with seven round trips daily.
Megabus gives away 100,000 free seats on bus services
After looking at affordable alternatives to travel between Boston, New York and Washington DC, I have found the lowest prices on buses. These are not buses we might remember from a decade ago. Today’s buses are maintained better and offer more amenities.
Vacation rentals are the next big thing in online travel
One of the last lodging frontiers, vacation rentals, is at the forefront of the PhoCusWright conference in Hollywood. As the movers and shakers of the online travel industry convene, aggregation of the vacation home market is happening on at least four fronts. The leader in the industry is yet to be shaken out, but this sector of the industry will never be the same.
Obama, Democratic majority make unions certain at Delta
The incoming Obama administration and the Democratic majority in the House and Senate have just about eliminated any question about whether non-union Delta workers will prevail over their unionized counterparts from Northwest as the airlines merge. Unions will undoubtedly prevail.
A new wave of travel sites breaks at LA conference
After listening to 32 “innovators” at the PhocusWright Travel Innovation Summit in Hollywood yesterday, the verdict is in: Travelers just want more planning tools.
Best world airports to overnight
Many of us have been stuck overnight in airports without the benefits of a reserved hotel room. Others simply choose to save money by nodding off in the airport waiting areas rather than spending the money for a real bed. The Sleeping in Airports Web site is proof that virtually everything can be found on the web.
Air France starts charging for exit row seats
Air France is taking a page from Delta and Northwest’s book. They are starting to charge €50 (about $63) for exit row seats on their Paris to North America routes. Air France claims the charge is in response to passenger demand. Really?
Careful on code shares
Code-sharing has been a boon to the airline industry. They get the benefits of an expanded route structure without any of the costs by piggybacking on another airline’s flights. If we applied this concept to other industries, Ford could eliminate their quality control problems simply by slapping their logo on a Honda or Toyota.
Delta luggage fees — they giveth and taketh away
While Delta announced a reduction in award-ticket fuel surcharges, a drop in the telephone reservation fee and the elimination of the curbside check-in fee, they add a first-checked-bag fee. In the end customers lose.