This summer, tourists are driving New Yorkers crazy
This summer, tourists are driving New Yorkers crazy — New York, America’s No. 1 tourist destination, is packed with more visitors this summer than ever, creating jobs, pumping billions into the economy — and making life miserable for some residents used to having the city to themselves. (Bloomberg)
Teenager set to launch airline — A Merseyside teenager is set to join the ranks of no-frills travel operators with the launch of his own airline. Daniel Reilly, of Maghull, set up Nexus Airlines in his bedroom after finding inspiration from a school project. (BBC)
Emily wobbles toward Mexico border — A determined Hurricane Emily wobbled erratically as it crept closer to the Mexican coast early Wednesday with top winds of 125 mph, and forecasters warned it could grow even stronger before making landfall. (CNN)
Pssst! Wanna invest in an airline? — “I fly ‘em, but never buy ‘em.” Fund manager Paul Nolte’s view of airline stocks is typical. Most investors have sworn off the sector, spooked by the U.S. industry’s $32 billion in losses since 2000 and the prospects for more red ink amid near-record fuel prices. (Reuters)
Second-largest travel agency swallows ‘poison pill’ — Arapahoe County, Colo.-based travel management company Navigant International Inc. has put in place a poison pill to deter hostile takeovers. The move comes after two foreign companies recently increased their ownership to more than 11 percent each. (Denver Post)
Will the real surf city please stand up? — Far from Iraq turmoil, rising oil prices, and London bombings — and admittedly petty by all such comparisons — there’s a new battle being waged in America’s end-of-the-rainbow state. Mirroring other longstanding rifts that divide California north and south, the issue is about identity and basic values, cultural world views, and capitalism. Or, to be a bit more specific … surfing. (The Christian Science Monitor)
Families of victims sue American Airlines — A 2004 plane crash in Missouri that killed 13 people has prompted three families to file suit in Dallas County District Court. The families filed the suit Monday against Fort Worth-based AMR Corp. and American Airlines Inc., as well as their affiliate Corporate Airlines. (Biz Journal)
Canadian MP blasts ‘no-fly’ list — A Manitoba MP is questioning the value of airline no-fly lists after being red-flagged for scrutiny at the airport twice in less than four months. Pat Martin says he’s “getting fed up” with the screening procedures that have prompted frustrating ticket-counter delays with Air Canada on two occasions. (CP)
Northwest braces for possible strike — Facing what could be its worst labor dispute since a pilots strike grounded planes in 1998, Northwest Airlines Inc. is preparing to fly a full schedule if its mechanics walk off the job. Northwest has told employees it is confident the airline could fly without union mechanics and aircraft cleaners, more than 900 of whom are based at Detroit Metro Airport. (Free Press)
Delta Air Lines reshuffles boardroom — Delta Air Lines Inc. CEO Jerry Grinstein has shuffled the ranks of upper management in a move widely viewed as another key step in Grinstein’s ongoing selection of his own successor. Delta’s chief financial officer, Michael Palumbo, has left the Atlanta-based carrier and is being replaced by Edward Bastian, former CFO with Atlanta-based Acuity Brands Inc. (Biz Journal)
Is security lax at Florida airports? — A Miami television station reports its staff members were able to pass South Florida airport security without required government-issued identification. A reporter for WPLG-Channel 10 said that she was able to get through security at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport showing her company ID, which she described as basically a Polaroid photo with her name and job title printed below. (UPI)
Frustrated passenger in fake bomb threat — A frustrated Irishman caused mayhem at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport after shouting he had a bomb in his luggage after staff at the information desk could not answer his questions. The 23-year-old man created panic as passengers ran for their lives when he shouted bomb in the arrivals area. (Irish Post)
Skip Bowman, Richard Wong, Carrie Charney, Leslie Friedman, John Frenaye, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra.