NWA flight attendants threaten to strike
Northwest flight attendants threaten to strike — Flight attendants for Northwest Airlines Corp. announced yesterday that they have begun a countdown to walk off the job, a day after rejecting a contract that would have cut their pay by about 20 percent. (The Washington Post) (Registration required.)
Tropical storm passes Caribbean islands — Tropical Storm Chris brushed past islands in the eastern Caribbean early Wednesday, and forecasters said the third named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season could strengthen into a hurricane later in the day. (AP)
Mercury rises high in East — Blistering heat settled over the eastern half of the nation Tuesday, sending man and beast in desperate search of relief: an air-conditioned subway car in New York City; a plunge into the Atlantic Ocean in New Jersey; and cold showers for suffering livestock in Ohio. (AP)
US Airways to tackle complaints — Since May, complaints have poured into US Airways’ customer-service department as travelers have had difficulty navigating the Web site or found discrepancies in their frequent-flier account balances. Of the nation’s top 20 airlines, US Airways received the most complaints filed in May with the Transportation Department. (The Washington Post) (Registration required.)
People’s packing lists can be very revealing. I have friends who won’t travel without their laptop, their chihuahua, their electric toothbrush, their binoculars and, yes, even their mother-in-law. But there are really only six things you absolutely must carry — because they can save your life. (Terry Riley on Tripso)
New spin-off Wyndham hopes to re-establish hotels with fresh look — Wyndham Worldwide, which completed its spinoff from Cendant on Tuesday, now plans to bulk up its top hotel brand with better marketing and a new, more consistent look, says CEO Stephen Holmes. (USA Today)
Lung ailments no longer standing in way of flight — Travelers with pulmonary disorders are thrilled that they have better access to the skies, making it easier to visit clients or family, even to take faraway vacations. But some medical experts say in-flight respiratory emergencies are common, and some fliers with serious pulmonary problems are not healthy enough to fly. (USA Today)
The battle at Gettysburg, 143 years later — Time and a tight budget are taking a toll on historic buildings and artillery pieces at one of the nation’s bloodiest battlefields. (USA Today)
‘Smoking airline’ plan, as hotels stub out — As more and more hotels go completely smoke-free, a German entrepreneur is bucking the trend by launching an airline for those determined not to kick the habit. (CNN)
Two Boston highway ramps may open by Labor Day — Governor Mitt Romney said yesterday he hopes to reopen two major Big Dig tunnel ramps by Labor Day, potentially cutting commuting backups by nearly half just as traffic picks up with the start of the school year. (The Boston Globe) (Registration required.)
Storm prompts tourists’ evacuation — Tourists evacuated two small islands off the coast of Puerto Rico on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Chris gained strength in the eastern Caribbean and was expected to become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. (AP)
Costner to return to Field of Dreams — Kevin Costner has been a ghost in Dyersville since starring in “Field of Dreams” in 1989. He has not returned to the eastern Iowa town since its famous cornstalks resurrected Shoeless Joe Jackson on the big screen 17 years ago. But the whisperings that began in June are true. Costner will come. (AP)
Logan’s Terminal A goes green — The terminal, which opened to Delta Air Lines customers in March 2005, received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for Environmental Sustainability last week from the US Green Building Council. (The Boston Globe) (Registration required.)
Carrie Charney, Christopher Elliott, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.