Hurricane Wilma weakens slightly
Hurricane Wilma weakens slightly — Record-breaking Hurricane Wilma weakened slightly to a Category 4 hurricane with top winds of near 150 mph early Thursday, but forecasters warned the storm may reintensify later in the day. (CNN)
— Airlines sign deals to safeguard passenger water — Twenty-four airlines have signed agreements with the government subjecting the carriers to fines of up to $27,500 if they fail to adopt tougher safeguards for monitoring and disinfecting the drinking water served to passengers. (AP)
Deep loss for American, bleak outlook for others — Near-runaway jet fuel prices are pushing the USA’s struggling airlines deeper into financial trouble. The latest evidence arrived Wednesday: Disappointingly deep third-quarter losses by American and bleak outlooks issued by Continental and Delta. (USA Today)
Pump prices fall further — Gasoline prices fell by nearly 2 cents a gallon Wednesday while diesel prices edged higher, according to a daily report issued by the travel club AAA. The average nationwide price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline dipped to $2.723 from $2.742 a gallon Tuesday, AAA reported. (CNN/Money)
Bird flu flares in Asia, kills another person — Bird flu has taken another human life, officials said on Thursday — a 48-year-old Thai man who was the 67th person known to have been killed by a virus steadily creeping into Europe and toward Africa. (Reuters)
American trips north hit 26-year low — Canada’s $58-billion tourism industry is being hammered by the strong loonie, stubbornly high gasoline prices and congested border crossings as American visitors stay home in droves. (Globe and Mail)
Bob Hope Airport summer passenger numbers take off — Record numbers of travelers flew in and out of the Bob Hope Airport this summer, brought by an improved economy and more flights by two new carriers, JetBlue and Delta Air Lines. (LA Daily News)
Cuba, U.S. rules hurt families, group says — Washington and Havana rip apart Cuban families with travel policies that violate civil rights, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday in a report that marks the first time the group investigates two countries in the same study. (Miami Herald)
Fewer rooms at the inn — Fueled by increasing tourism and business travel, the recovery in the lodging industry that began last year remains solid. Rooms are commanding ever-higher rates and occupancy is improving steadily, industry data shows. But the industry is also benefiting from the fact that the number of hotel rooms is not keeping pace with demand. (The New York Times)
Massport shoots to double nonstop global flights — The Massachusetts Port Authority is hoping it can prove to airlines that there are tens of thousands of people throughout New England and Maritime Canada who want more nonstop service from Logan to international destinations. Today, passengers at Logan can take nonstop flights to 28 international cities. (The Boston Globe)
Southwest to serve Denver; 3Q profit nearly doubles — Southwest Airlines on Thursday reported its third-quarter profit almost doubled as the low-cost carrier relied on fuel hedging to offset the rising price of oil that has hurt the industry. (AP)
Boeing may speed up 787 production — The Boeing Co. may increase the rate it makes the new 787 Dreamliner to meet rising demand for the fuel-efficient aircraft, a company executive said Wednesday. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Delta’s pilots will talk cuts — Delta Air Lines’ pilots union agreed Wednesday to begin negotiating a stopgap pay-cut deal aimed at delaying the bankruptcy court’s intervention that could result in deeper concessions. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Carrie Charney, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.