Fares in many cities could be on their way up
Fares in many cities could be on their way up — After Independence Air shuts down Thursday, airfares in many of the more than 30 cities it serves could double or even triple, airfare experts predict. (USA Today)
Despite persistent criticism, airline chief stayed his course — Kerry B. Skeen set out to create a low-cost airline for Washington area travelers — particularly those in Northern Virginia — so they would not have to drive an hour or so to Baltimore-Washington International to get cheap flights on Southwest Airlines. That will all come to an end Thursday. (The Washington Post)
US Airways credit card launch offer 50-cent trips — The new US Airways credit card offers frequent-flyer credits on US Airways equal to 1.5 miles for every $1 spent, which is 50 percent more than most airline-affiliated cards, plus up to 25,000 bonus miles for signing up. (The Boston Globe)
Complaint shines light on ticketing abuses — Last week, an ethics complaint was filed against ARTA Travel of Plano, Tex., with the American Society of Travel Agents. The complaint charges the agency with two violations of the American Society of Travel Agents’ code of ethics: recycling unused tickets for its personal use and claiming airline awards it is not entitled to. (The New York Times)
Resolve to make travel dreams a reality — Have you had enough of dieting resolutions and decided that 2006 is the year you’ll finally treat yourself to the vacation you’ve been daydreaming about? With some smart planning you may find yourself sipping a Mai Thai in Maui without returning home with a mountain of debt. Here’s how. (CNN)
Thailand tourism, one year after the tsunami – Many places in Thailand have made a remarkable recovery. Hotels and restaurants are open, and the beaches are clean, the water clear and green. Tourists will see little physical damage, but economic damage is significant. (The Los Angeles Times)
Southwest Airlines prepares for opening day in Denver — Greeted by erupting water cannons and cheering employees, a Southwest Airlines plane rolled up to Denver International Airport on Monday as the low-fare carrier prepared to resume service to the Mile High City after a 20-year absence. (AP)
Analysts: 2006 pivotal year for airlines — The U.S. airline industry is coming off an up-and-down year that saw two major carriers file for bankruptcy but others begin to pull out of a nosedive that began in 2001. Losses at the biggest U.S. airlines since the economic downturn in 2001 were expected to approach $30 billion. Still, 2005 was nearly a good year. Some think 2006 will be a pivotal year. (AP)
New Orleans aquarium restocking after losses — Like New Orleans itself, the Audobon Aquarium of the Americas is now on a long road back. And like the city, the revival will depend, in part, on hardy holdouts and returning evacuees, some still living far away  including Satchmo, Voodoo and 17 other penguins now cooling their heels in California. (AP)
Some travelers still love riding the rails — While Amrak’s future is in question, fans are plentiful at Washington’s Union Station. Some 3.7 million people passed through the terminal in 2004  the latest year for which numbers are available  part of a record 25 million passengers nationwide. That was up 4%, more than a million travelers, since 2003. (AP)
US tests RFID passports at San Francisco airport — The US Department of Homeland Security is to begin a major trial of passports embedded with radio frequency identification (RFID) chips at San Francisco International Airport this month. (Computer Weekly)
Swingers unnerve families at hotel — Soccer families and swingers do not mix. Especially when the parents of adolescent soccer players checked their daughters into a hotel that was hosting a New Year’s Eve party for more than 200 self-described swingers, who had reserved a downstairs ballroom along with rooms on the ninth floor.