Rita turns into Category 3 storm
Rita develops into Category 3 storm — After lashing the Florida Keys, Hurricane Rita gained power on Wednesday and headed across the Gulf of Mexico on a course that could take it to Texas and dump more rain on Katrina-battered Louisiana. (Reuters)
Storm increases car rental demand — Here is another ripple from Hurricane Katrina: Some big car rental companies in Birmingham say heavy demand from evacuees and disaster workers has forced them to bring in extra rental vehicles. (Birmingham News)
FAA to propose cameras, wireless devices in planes — The latest post-Sept. 11 security change for commercial planes may be cameras in the cabin and wireless devices for flight attendants to alert the cockpit crew to an emergency. (AP)
Governor wants FEMA to pay for hotel rooms for evacuees — Gov. Kathleen Blanco asked federal officials on Tuesday to begin moving evacuees from shelters to hotel rooms because she believes it’s taking too long to provide them permanent housing. (AP)
BA disciplines union officials over strike — British Airways has started disciplinary action against three union officials over an unofficial strike that threw its operations at Heathrow into chaos last month, the company said today. (Guardian)
American to resume New Orleans flights — American Airlines said Tuesday it will resume flights to New Orleans on Wednesday with a scaled-back schedule of three daily round trips between Louis Armstrong International Airport and Dallas. (AP)
Travel agents urge government to save Olympic — Greek travel agents urged the government Tuesday to keep troubled Olympic Airlines operating to bolster the country’s tourism industry, despite an EU ruling that the carrier must return millions or euros (dollars) in illegal aid. (AP)
Aviation ‘huge threat to CO2 aim’ — If the rapid growth in air travel is not curbed UK households and businesses will have to cut carbon dioxide emissions to zero, a report has warned. The action is needed if the government aim of reducing emissions by 60% before 2050 is to be met. (BBC News)
Sea-ing fall foliage by cruise ship — What better way to leaf peep than by cruise ship? You don’t have to contend with traffic and if the leaves aren’t quite “ripe” for viewing in one port of call, then chances are they will be in the next more northerly port. If you act quickly, you may find some availability on a variety of cruises to New England and Canada for trips through late October. (USA Today)
Travel to Canada in July fell to lowest level in two years — Travel to Canada fell to its lowest level in nearly two years in July, pulled down by the smallest number of same-day car trips from the United States on record. (Canadian Press)
Best places to vacation this winter — If you go skiing in Vail this winter, you’ll find more than 100 trails of deep white powder and cozy mountainside lodges. If you go skiing in Big Sky, Mont., you’ll also find more than 100 trails of deep white powder and cozy mountainside lodges. The difference? Vail gets roughly 1.5 million visitors a year. Big Sky? Around a fifth of that. (Money magazine)
Rita threat pushes oil above $68 — Oil prices climbed by $2 a barrel, topping the $68 mark Wednesday as Hurricane Rita threatened to add to U.S. energy supply woes by hammering Gulf of Mexico rigs, pipelines and nearby refineries. (Reuters)
America West family gathers for bittersweet farewell — Employees of America West Airlines and others gathered at the corporate headquarters in Tempe on Tuesday for a carnival to say goodbye to the company name as it merges with US Airways next week. (TheArizona Republic)
LAX to spend $200K to move illegally planted palm trees — Los Angeles International Airport will spend $200,000 to uproot and replant dozens of palms trees that it illegally planted around the airfield five years ago. (AP)
Rita reaches Category 5 strength — For the second time in less than a month, a major hurricane of catastrophic intensity is swirling across the Gulf of Mexico on collision course with the United States, as wary residents of coastal Texas braced for the worst and headed for safer ground. (CNN)
Northwest to lay off 1,400 flight attendants — Northwest Airlines said Wednesday it will lay off 1,400 flight attendants by January as it shrinks in bankruptcy, just months after it re-hired some of them. (AP)
Southwest expects to keep cost edge over rivals — Southwest Airlines expects to be able to keep its cost advantage over most U.S. rivals even as bankruptcy gives them greater latitude to cut their own expenses, its chief executive said Wednesday. (Reuters)
Carrie Charney, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.