Oops! Wrong fare
Ooops! Wrong fare — Delta Air Lines Inc. broke its new $499 fare cap on Friday when a computer “glitch” loaded higher fares on a few routes. Delta spokesman Anthony Black said the airline on Friday published $509 one-way, walk-up fares on some routes. He said the airline has corrected fares and is offering refunds.
JetBlue bags JD Power award — Perhaps proving the adage that “less is more,” JetBlue Airways’ streamlined and customer-friendly operations earned it J.D. Power and Associates’ top ranking among its competitors Monday. The low-fare operator has made its name with cheap flights, during which passengers can tune in to satellite TV. Though there are no free meals on board, JetBlue’s Airbus A320s are among the newest in the air and have leather seating throughout.
Travel industry grew 6.7 percent last year — The U.S. tourism industry grew 6.7 percent in 2004 led by sales of food, airline travel, recreation and entertainment goods, the government said on Monday. The U.S. Commerce Department said tourism sales in 2004 rose to $960.7 billion from $900.0 billion in 2003. It marked the third straight annual increase in sales of travel-related good and services.
Business travel fuels hotel gains — A pickup in business travel accounted for half of the 4.5 percent increase in demand for hotel rooms in 2004, according to a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study. The business travel recovery accounted for an additional 110,000 rooms rented daily in the year ended Sept. 30, the study said.
US Airways gets financing — Bankrupt US Airways Group Inc. has secured $125 million from a regional partner to help it restructure and said it would seek a short extension of its right to file a reorganization plan without interference from creditors.
New scanners are silent but effective — The “suicide bomber” clips a shrapnel-filled belt around his waist and buttons up his jacket to conceal it. As he turns back and forth in front of a semi-circular white panel, about the size of a shower cubicle, a computer monitor shows the metal-packed cylinders standing out clearly in white against his body. This is no real security alarm.
Contributing: John Frenaye