delta
AIRLINE NEWS
Delta has launched a third daily flight between Heathrow and Atlanta, while US Air is shifting its daily London flight to Heathrow from Gatwick.
JetBlue is adding Boston-Houston Hobby service on July 25 with two daily flights, supplementing its existing service to Hobby from JFK.
Alitalia’s refusal to compensate two passengers whose flight was canceled has ended up costing the carrier $125,000 and lots of bad publicity, after the passengers complained to the US Department of Transportation.
Alaska Airlines adds nonstop service from San Diego to Boston, its sixth new city served from there this year, on April 30. Next month Scandinavian Airlines will launch a new route from Copenhagen to San Francisco, flying six times weekly via London Heathrow. (4/2/13)
AIRLINES RAISE FARES AIMED AT BUSINESS TRAVELERS
U.S. airlines started increasing fares aimed at business travelers last week, and if everyone holds their ground, it will be the first successful price increase of 2013. A similar attempt to raise fares failed the week before, but Southwest is in on this increase. Delta started the wave, boosting the price of tickets purchased within seven days of domestic travel by $4 to $10 round trip, and the other major carriers, including Southwest, followed. Southwest’s participation is a key to guaranteeing a fare increase’s success because others don’t want to charge more than their cheapest competitors. The increase comes as airlines reported lower profits last year. (USA Today, 2/21/13)
TSA TO EXTEND REACH OF PRECHECK
TSA will offer PreCheck expedited passenger screening service at five more airports beginning April 1, bringing its total to 40 participating locations, including new additions Austin, Cleveland, Memphis, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham. PreCheck’s expedited process enables eligible passengers on participating airlines to keep on their shoes, light outerwear and belt, keep their laptop in its case, and keep their compliant liquids/gels bag in a carry-on. Select passengers on Alaska Airlines, American, Delta, United, and US Airways are eligible to participate. Those eligible include U.S. citizens who have opted-in through the participating airlines, as well as members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Trusted Traveler programs. (TSA News You Can Use email 2/22/13)
AIRLINE NEWS
For the 3rd time this year carriers have failed to sustain a hike in domestic airfares. Delta attempted to add $4 to $10 per roundtrip on Feb. 13 but other airlines did not match and Delta dropped the increase by Feb. 15.(USAToday.com, 01/17/13)
Reagan National Airport is experiencing a growth spurt. Passenger arrivals were up by 900,000 in 2012 over 2011 due to the introduction of convenient new carrier routes for domestic flights. BWI posted record gains in passenger traffic for the 3rd straight year with 22.6 arrivals. (WashingtonPost.com, 2/19/13)
A month of investigation has yet to determine what caused batteries to overheat in 2 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The planes are still grounded worldwide. Boeing is proposing that the suspect lithium batteries be housed in heavy-duty titanium or steel containment boxes in hopes of getting clearance from the FAA for the Dreamliners to take to the skies again. (SeattleTimes.com, 2/16/13)
AIRLINE NEWS
Spirit Airlines will begin daily Las Vegas service from Baltimore and Philadelphia on April 25. Spirit begins operations at Philadelphia on April 4, with daily service to Dallas-Fort Worth, and opens seasonal service to Myrtle Beach on April 25.
Delta has unveiled its new amenity kit for Business Elite passengers on international flights. It features a Tumi case, eye mask, socks, shoe horn, shoe polish, comb, dental kit, tissues, antibacterial wipes, earplugs and a pen, hand lotion and lip moisturizer. (Travel Weekly, Business Traveller, 2/4/13)
AIRLINE NEWS
American Airlines and US Airways are close to finalizing a merger which would create the world’s largest airline. The carriers are negotiating price and management structure. (Rueters.com, 01/25/13)
Delta will soon open the very first outdoor terraces at Atlanta and New York JFK airports.The Sky Deck at Delta Sky Club will debut this May in JFK’s Terminal 4 and this summer in Atlanta’s new international terminal in concourse F with impressive views of the runways. (BusinessTraveller.com, 01/29/13)
Hundreds of new Boeing 787 Dreamliners remain grounded worldwide while investigations into lithium batteries and electrical
systems are conducted. (TravelMole.com, 01/29/13)
DELTA CHANGING SKYMILES POLICY
To dissuade mileage runners, SkyMiles members who buys the cheapest fares, rack up miles and achieve the highest levels of perks, Delta is introducing a spending requirement to reward its very best customers who pay the most. Now the least expensive tickets will rack up fewer miles. Those who pay more for their seats will earn more miles and a better shot at upgrades not having to compete with as many mileage runners. (ABCNews.go.com, 01/26/13)
FEATURED PARTNER: DELTA AIR LINES
The Wall Street Journal has named Delta as its top overall carrier when measuring six key metrics that affect customer service, including completion factor and on-time performance. It was in the top three in all six measures of airline operations studied and that consistency put it ahead of No. 2 Alaska Airlines. Delta explained that it worked on making flying more predictable for customers during bad-weather days and running a clean operation on good-weather days. The Wall Street Journal, 1/10/13
FEATURED PARTNER: DELTA AIR LINES
Delta Named Vendor of the Year by Omega World Travel for Second Consecutive Year – On Dec. 11, Delta was again recognized as the “Vendor of the Year” by Omega World Travel, selected from over 60 vendors with which Omega works in all travel categories. Our trans-Atlantic joint venture generates $80 million in annual revenue. The award to Delta applauds the superb daily customer service provided by Senior Sales Account Executive, Dave Begley, to each of Omega’s 100 or more ARC locations throughout the U.S. and in the U.K. It also acknowledges the strong partnership which Delta has forged among all levels of representation from Sales Account Executive, District Sales Manager, Director and VP.
DELTA CONTINUES DOMESTIC FLEET RESTRUCTURING
Delta Air Lines has finalized an agreement with Bombardier Aerospace in view of reducing inefficient flying, implementing strong capacity discipline and improving customer experience. Delta’s fleet optimization plan involves replacing less efficient single-class 50-seat aircraft with new two-class 76-seat aircraft. As part of the agreement, Delta will acquire 40 new CRJ900 two-class regional jets, with the option to purchase an additional 30 CRJ900 aircraft, and Bombardier will assist Delta in phasing out 60 single-class CRJ200 aircraft. (EturboNews, 12/6/12)
