Hurricane Emily slams into Yucatan Peninsula
Hurricane Emily slams into Yucatan Peninsula — Hurricane Emily weakened early Monday after crashing onto the Gulf shores of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula with 135 mph winds. Forecasters predict it will cross into the Gulf of Mexico later in the day. (CNN)
Free trips yield bonuses for lawmakers — Globe-trotting members of Congress reap a valuable fringe benefit they do not disclose: frequent-flier miles from trips they take at the expense of special interests or taxpayers. It does not take long for the miles to add up for free personal travel or upgrades to first class. “There’s no question it’s a definite benefit. I would call it a nice perk,” said Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill. He uses the frequent flier miles for upgrades and personal free trips, such as travel to charity golf tournaments in Sun Valley, Idaho. (AP)
For airports, bigger is better — When it opens Saturday, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport’s massive new international Terminal D will be one of the grandest airport terminals anywhere. Built for $1.4 billion, the 28-gate terminal includes a high-end hotel and an array of features designed to move passengers with comfortable efficiency. (USA Today)
Air New Zealand grounds flights in strike — About 1000 Air New Zealand flight attendants are today launching the first of a wave of 48-hour strikes, forcing the airline to cancel about 30 per cent of long-haul flights. The airline says about 15,000 passengers will be disrupted by three strikes between now and midnight next Monday, during which it is cancelling 85 flights - 45 outward and 40 to New Zealand. (Herald)
Korea’s Asiana faces work stoppage — Unionized pilots at Asiana Airlines, South Korea’s second-largest carrier, began a strike yesterday after negotiations with management failed. The airline said it canceled one domestic flight but expects few initial disruptions. The walkout began at noon, union official Lee Sang-jun said. Asiana’s unionized pilots have presented a wide range of demands to management, including more rest days, a greater say in management decisions and a higher retirement age. (AP)
Massachusetts tries to lure cruises to Boston — With the number of Americans taking cruises every year exploding, port marketers believe they can increase not only Boston’s share of the business but also lure smaller vessels to such ports as Gloucester or Salem. ”The concept is that our urban areas have incredible historic resources that are attractive to the cruise industry,” said Rick Armstrong, executive secretary of the Massachusetts Seaport Advisory Council, which advises state government on port development. (Boston Globe)
Pension futures up in the air — Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-East Elmhurst, NY) has co-sponsored an amendment, passed by the House, that would prohibit the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation from implementing its United Airlines pension agreement. (Daily News)
Report: American Airlines was on the brink of bankruptcy — Even American Airlines, the world’s biggest carrier and long the US industry’s financial powerhouse, has flirted with disaster. When chief executive Gerard Arpey took over in 2003, the company was just weeks away from the unthinkable. Last week he revealed to The Sunday Times that the airline’s board had given him authority to file for Chapter 11 if he could not secure the right pay deal with flight attendants. (Times)
Car rental rates up for the first time in years — For the first time in years, the major rental car companies last month succeeded in increasing published rates across the board. Many industry insiders contend the hikes will stick or even increase as rental firms and industry insiders anticipate tighter fleet supply and higher vehicle costs from auto manufacturers. The nearly unanimous move among car rental suppliers puts further pressure on buyers heading to iron out contracts. (BTN)
Brit sues TSA over ’security threat’ allegation — Robert William Gray, a British citizen living in West Yarmouth, has been flying small planes for Cape Air for four years. He has even ferried US Representative William Delahunt and Senator Edward M. Kennedy on some of his trips, according to his lawyer. Yet when the 34-year-old pilot sought permission last fall from the Transportation Security Administration to take flight training courses so he could fly larger planes, the agency denied his request, saying he poses a “threat to aviation or national security.” (Boston Globe)
UAL cuts could be final soon — United Airlines this week could wrap up efforts to wrest $700 million in contract changes from employees, a grueling process that’s involved contentious negotiations, verbal sparring and numerous strike threats. United’s 20,000 ground workers - the last employee group that has yet to ratify new contract terms with the bankrupt carrier - will finish voting on a tentative agreement calling for wage and benefits cuts. (RMN)
Emily slows, but could regain momentum — After shutting much of Mexico’s crude oil production, Hurricane Emily weakened over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula into a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds near 75 miles per hour, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said in an advisory on Monday. The NHC, however, forecast the storm could re-strengthen and regain major hurricane status before landfall as it crosses the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico. (Reuters)
Correspondents: Skip Bowman, Richard Wong, Carrie Charney, Leslie Friedman, John Frenaye, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra.