Northwest flight attendants nix proposal
Northwest flight attendants nix proposal — Flight attendants at Northwest Airlines rejected a contract proposal that would have cut their base pay 21% and reduced vacation and sick time, saving the airline $195 million a year. Eighty percent of flight attendants who cast ballots voted against the contract. (The Detroit Free Press)
Cash-strapped states embrace toll roads — Once seen as harbors of patronage, turnpikes are seeing a roadway renaissance. New technology that allows drivers to buzz through booths at a full clip is changing how Americans perceive their motoring experience, and revealing creative - and profitable - ways to build and maintain roads. (The Christian Science Monitor)
Travel visits balloon 35% — Almost 150 million consumers visited a travel Web site last year–marking a 35 percent surge from 2004, according to a report released Tuesday by comScore. (Online Media Daily)
Airlines should team up to buy fuel — Global airlines should consider collective fuel buying to save money, Malaysian Airline System Chief Executive Idris Jala said on Tuesday, and called on trade body IATA to study the idea. (Reuters)
Airports open services to keep fliers plugged-in — A growing number of airports have become remote offices for business travelers. At San Francisco’s airport, for example, travelers in Terminal 3 can rent laptops, private workstations and meeting rooms at a business center operated by PowerPort. (USA Today)
Making the most of Venice — This week, the writer seeks a more authentic and potentially cheaper way to experience Venice, a city that attracts some 19 million visitors every year, by avoiding the tourist traps and hanging out with the locals. (The New York Times)
Travel agent to repay victims $75,000 — A Ronan, Mont., travel agent who wrote bad checks and made unauthorized charges on her clients’ credit cards has been ordered to pay some $75,000 in restitution and apologize to her victims. (Billings Gazette)
Air travel forecast: zero elbowroom – for years to come — A confluence of factors is making airplanes more crowded, probably for the indefinite future. Traveler demand is strong. Carriers are paring down the number of flights they offer. And the Internet is helping both sides find and fill empty seats. (The Christian Science Monitor)
Carrie Charney, Christopher Elliott, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.