Airline service evolves into do-it-yourself
Airline service evolves into do-it-yourself — As airlines have slashed the number of workers to cut costs, they’ve increasingly substituted automated services for jobs humans once did. Travelers are becoming used to the technology, and they’re doing more of the work themselves, including shuffling luggage through bomb detection. (USA Today)
World airline official warns of overcapacity risk — The head of the world’s airline club warned the industry against the danger of overcapacity on Monday, ahead of an air show at which carriers are expected to add to the record aircraft orders they booked last year. (Reuters)
New Orleans tries to summon the party spirit — New Orleanians are doing what seemed impossible six months ago: gathering along St. Charles Avenue to watch Mardi Gras parades and beg for beads. After months of being defined by what it has lost, the city is reveling in what it has preserved. (USA Today)
Safe and sound at sea? — In 2004 and 2005, 13 people were reported missing from ships, said Michael Crye, president of the International Council of Cruise Lines, a trade association that represents lines that carry about 90% of the North Americans who cruise. In that time, more than 20 million passengers cruised. (The Los Angeles Times)
Overseas, the shock of the surcharge — While credit and debit cards make it easier than ever to manage finances while away from home, changes in international fees and the unintended consequences of fraud-detection technology have made traveling with plastic a bit trickier and potentially more expensive than it used to be. (The New York Times)
Illinois’ Quad-City airport a finalist in restroom contest — A trip to a public restroom is often cause for concern about cleanliness, but have no fear when using the facilities at the Quad-City International Airport. The airport in Moline, Ill., is among five finalists in this year’s America’s Best Restroom contest, sponsored by Cintas Corporation’s Sanis brand of restroom services. (AP)
Delta Mexico route launches — Delta Air Lines today launches its new flight from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to Los Cabos, Mexico, and airline officials say the new flight may not be the only one from its Cincinnati hub to Latin America. (The Cincinnati Enquirer)
Dane County airport flies with the big boys — Nearly 70 percent of airline travelers in the airport’s southwestern Wisconsin service area fly out of Madison, according to a 2002 study (the most recent year for the data). The remainder often choose to drive to Milwaukee’s Mitchell Field or O’Hare, sometimes in search of lower fares or a greater selection of nonstop flights. (Wisconsin State Journal)
JetBlue launches daily NYC-Bermuda non-stop flights — Low-cost airline carrier JetBlue Airways will offer two daily non-stop flights between Bermuda and New York, the company said. (AP)
Southwest’s CEO says its strength is in its workers — Says the airline’s CEO Gary Kelly, “We do surveys of other airlines’ customers, and they don’t choose other airlines because of their people. It really is a point of difference. It’s just a way to hopefully re-energize our people and encourage them that what they might deem to be the smallest thing can make a difference with the customer.†(The Arizona Republic)
Briefly: The kitchen is closed for these fliers — Marking a formal end to hot meals in coach on domestic flights, American Airlines in September plans to start removing rear galleys from its MD-80 jets, which fly most of its domestic routes. (The Los Angeles Times)
Ground approach for wireless skies — The Federal Communications Commissions will auction airwave spectrum in May to allow wireless broadband connections on airplanes flying over North America on a ground-to-air network, the best hope for wide implementation.
Dubai investing $15 billion to be big air-industry player — Prospering from near-record oil prices, Dubai plans to invest $15 billion to create a company that will lease planes, develop airports and make aircraft parts to tap into growing demand for air travel in the Middle East and Asia. (Bloomberg News)
‘Open Skies’ air treaty threat — Britain could lose its ability to impose environmental taxes, restrictions and safeguards on airlines under a draft treaty between the EU and US which curtails the power of national governments. (The Guardian)
Carrie Charney, Christopher Elliott, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.