Senate rips security fee
Senate rips security fee — Senate Republicans and Democrats united in criticism yesterday of President Bush’s proposal to increase security fees on airline tickets, saying that the costs of securing the nation’s aviation system should be paid for by government. Bush has proposed adding $3 to the existing $2.50 fee airline passengers pay for each flight.
Mickey miffed at US tourism image — Mickey Mouse has a bone to pick with Uncle Sam. Some U.S. travel executives — including those who run Disneyland and Walt Disney World — think the government needs to do more to improve the country’s image with foreign tourists who increasingly are choosing other places for their vacations. Tourism officials ascribe the decline partly to anti-Americanism that arose after the country launched military action in Afghanistan and Iraq and to the “hassle factor†associated with new visa application and airport security procedures.
European air travelers get new rights — Air passengers who are unable to board their flights because of overbooking, cancellations or flight delays can now demand greater compensation. New EU rules set compensation at between 250 euros and 600 euros, depending on the length of the flight.
IAC, Expedia’s owner, posts $42.6 million loss — Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActiveCorp, owner of Expedia and the HSN home-shopping network, posted a fourth-quarter loss of $42.6 million after writing down the value of some assets. Revenue from the company’s travel businesses fell short of analysts’ expectations.
‘Weak points’ blamed for Paris airport collapse — A commission investigating the partial collapse last May of an ultramodern terminal at France’s main international airport reported its findings Tuesday, placing the blame on “weak points” in the building’s complex design. Jean Berthier, a senior French engineer who led the panel, cited a number of construction weaknesses that left the arched concrete roof of the terminal at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle International Airport near Paris vulnerable to changes in exterior temperature.
Too much hair gel? You’re fired! — An airport check-in worker sent home for having too much gel in his hair will remain suspended for up to a week. John Graham, 20, a GMB shop steward at Stansted Airport in Essex, was sent home last Thursday after he arrived at work sporting a spiky hairstyle.