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Airline News
 AirTran
Airways New Flight Service
Beginning February 4, AirTran Airways began new daily nonstop service
between Philadelphia and Fort Myers and between Milwaukee and Fort Lauderdale.
AirTran Airways announced new daily nonstop service between Atlanta and
Denver International Airport, making Denver the carrier’s 41st destination.
The airline will launch two daily nonstop flights between Denver and its
Atlanta hub, with connections to dozens of additional destinations. Service
begins May 21, 2003, and tickets are now available for purchase.
 Aloha
Airlines New Flight Service
Aloha Airlines will launch service from Burbank, CA, to Maui beginning
February 14. The carrier will offer four flights weekly and will expand
to daily service one month later. In April, the flight will originate
in Sacramento, CA, which will launch a Sacramento-Burbank-Kahalui route.
In June, Aloha will supplement its Oakland, CA, service with four flights
per week to Lihue, Kauai. Also, at that time, the four-times per week
flight from Oakland to Kona on the Big Island will become daily.
 American
Airlines
Reservation Centers Closing
American has plans to close its Las Vegas and Norfolk, VA reservation
offices. These two of its 10 domestic reservation offices employ about
900 workers.
Seasonal Service to Spain
American and Delta will add nonstop seasonal service to Barcelona from
the U.S. American will operate daily, nonstop flights from JFK to the
city from June 14 to Oct. 24. Both American and Delta flights will be
aboard wide-body Boeing 767 jets with two-class configurations.
New Flight Service
American and American Eagle will expand their service from Columbus April
6 by adding another daily flight to Dallas/Fort Worth, two more daily
flights to O'Hare and one more to LaGuardia.
American will begin offering the only nonstop service between JFK and
Orange County, Calif. Beginning April 6, flights will operate three times
a day Sunday to Friday, and twice on Saturdays.
 America
West
Hub Closing
America West is closing its hub in Columbus, Ohio. The carrier, which
operates far larger hubs in Phoenix and Las Vegas, said between early
April and mid-June it will downsize its Columbus operation from 49 daily
departures to 15 destinations to just 4 flights to Phoenix and Las Vegas.
The airline said it is losing about $25 million a year at Columbus and
must eliminate "consistently unprofitable" flying. It said the
value of the Columbus hub, established as a connecting hub between the
southern and central U.S. and the East Coast, diminished as America West
added flights to major East Coast markets from Phoenix and Las Vegas.
It also has faced major airline competition on nearly every route from
Columbus.
New Paper Ticket Fee
America West is now charging a fee for paper tickets issued in the U.S.
and Canada when an electronic ticket is available. Many other airlines
already have done that, but America West added a twist. It's charging
$25 for each paper ticket issued by an agent, but $35 for each one issued
by "designated Internet travel providers." The $35 level also
applies to bulk and off-tariff tickets issued in the U.S.
 Continental
New Flight Service
Starting April 6, Continental Airlines will introduce the only nonstop
flights between Savannah, GA, and Houston when it introduces twice-daily
service to Bush Intercontinental. A convenient schedule of morning and
afternoon flights will allow same-day business travel to and from Houston,
as well as easy connections to worldwide destinations from Bush Intercontinental.
On May 2, Continental will introduce twice-daily nonstop service between
its Cleveland hub and Ottawa International Airport. This new service will
complement existing nonstop service from Ottawa to its New York hub, as
well as its Continental Connection regional service to Albany, NY.
Additionally, on June 12 Continental will reinstate service between Houston
and Aruba and between Newark and Trinidad.
Meanwhile, Continental Express will launch twice-daily nonstop service
this spring from its Cleveland hub to both Austin (April 6) and San Antonio
(May 2) on a 50-passenger regional jet. Continental already serves those
cities on nonstop flights from its Houston and Newark hubs.
 Delta
Airlines
Same Day Standby Started March 1
Effective March 1,2003, Delta began their new Same Day Confirmed travel
program on flights operated by Delta, Delta Connection Carriers (except
American Eagle), Delta Shuttle, and Delta Express. With the introduction
of this program, voluntary standby will no longer be offered. Based on
seat availability, customers may be confirmed on an alternate flight,
on the same day as ticketed, within three hours from the scheduled departure
time of the requested flight. Ticketed customers holding a nonrefundable
ticket will be assessed a Same Day Confirmed non-refundable fee of $25
USD (exception: Delta Shuttle $100 USD). Travelers may utilize the self-service
kiosks to print a separate receipt for this fee for business expense purposes.
In addition, Reservations, City Ticket Offices and the airport ticket
counters will also be able to process separate receipts.
Delta Song, Low-fare Subsidiary
Delta’s plans for a new low-cost, low-fare subsidiary are in the
works. The new airline-within-an-airline, called “Song,” aims
to start flights on April 15, using a fleet of 36 single-class Boeing
757 aircraft. With the 757s configured for 199 all-coach seats, Song will
provide 33 inches of legroom, compared to 31 inches on Delta’s standard
757s.
Song preliminary service begins with a flight from New York (Kennedy)
to West Palm Beach. By October, it plans to use Song's three dozen 757
aircraft to provide 144 daily nonstop flights between key Florida leisure
destinations (Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando) and northeastern
cities of New York, Boston, Hartford and Washington.
One way fares will range from $79-$299 with 14-day, 7-day, 3-day, walkup
and sale fares, and no Saturday-night-stay requirement. Customers will
earn Delta frequent flyer miles. Tickets go on sale March 31st.
Seasonal Service to Spain
American and Delta will add nonstop seasonal service to Barcelona from
the U.S. American will operate daily, nonstop flights from JFK to the
city from June 14 to Oct. 24. For its part, Delta plans similar nonstop
flights to Barcelona from both Kennedy and Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport
from May 1 to Oct. 31. Both American and Delta flights will be aboard
wide-body Boeing 767 jets with two-class configurations.
Frontier
Frontier extended a new, simplified fare structure, eliminating advance-purchase
requirements, as well as fare differences based on time and day of week.
In its place is a first-come, first-served system in which each flight
has six fares, with a certain number of seats allocated for each fare.
Frontier said the new structure reduces its highest-level business fares
by up to 44% and its lowest available walk-up fares by as much as 68%,
with all fares capped at $499 one-way.
Hawaiian
Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines enhanced its service between Honolulu and Las Vegas,
adding nonstop flights three days per week. On Wednesdays, Fridays and
Sundays, Hawaiian will fly nonstop between Honolulu and Las Vegas on 767
aircraft. For, the other four days, the trip to Las Vegas includes a stopover
in Ontario, CA. Nonstop service to Las Vegas will increase to daily during
the summer, June 13 to August 31.
JetBlue
New Flight Service
On May 8, JetBlue will launch thrice-daily flights between Atlanta and
its West Coast base at Long Beach, CA. This new route will enable JetBlue
to offer connecting service to Atlanta, via Long Beach, from both Oakland
and Las Vegas.
Also on May 8, JetBlue will launch new daily service between Long Beach
and Fort Lauderdale. The carrier already flies from Long Beach to New
York, Washington, Oakland, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
KLM
New Flight Service
KLM will begin flying between Amsterdam and Casablanca, Morocco-CMN
– in the summer 2003. CMN will be served and operated with KLM’s
737-400 equipment. Northwest Airlines will codeshare with KLM on this
route.
Lufthansa
Eliminated First Class
In January, Lufthansa eliminated first class on its Boston-Frankfurt and
Philadelphia-Frankfurt flights. In March they will eliminate first class
in the Atlanta-Frankfurt service. There are plans to do the same on seven
additional routes outside North America in the near future.
The airline said "plans are under way" to put the two-class
configuration (coach and business) on one of the three daily Frankfurt-New
York (Kennedy) flights. In explaining the decision, Lufthansa said it
has "registered a drop in demand for first class travel on some intercontinental
flights to destinations with a strong tourist character."
Three-class service is continuing on its other U.S. routes, including
Boston-Munich, and will be in force on the Portland, OR-Frankfurt service
it will launch March 31.
New Flight Service
Lufthansa will launch daily nonstop service beginning March 31, between
Los Angeles and Munich.
Midwest
Express
New Flight Service
Midwest Express will begin nonstop service between Kansas City and San
Francisco on May 1, with twice-daily weekdays and Sundays and once-daily
flights on Saturdays.
The airline also will launch Milwaukee-San Francisco year-round service
May 1, also twice-daily weekdays and once on Saturdays. That new service
will replace what had been the airline's once-daily May-December service
on the route.
 Northwest
Airlines
International Checked Baggage Fee Reduced
Effective January 23, Northwest Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
have reduced the maximum weight accepted for a single bag being checked
for international travel. Previously, individual bags weighing up to 150
pounds were accepted as checked baggage subject to applicable overweight
fees. The new maximum weight of a bag being checked is 100 pounds subject
to applicable overweight fees. This change makes the international and
domestic bag policy consistent. The international free baggage allowance
of two bags weighing up to 70 pounds per piece remains unchanged.
Individual pieces of baggage that weigh more than 100 pounds will no
longer be accepted as checked baggage. Passengers with luggage that exceeds
the 100-pound limit are urged to repack to meet the maximum weight acceptance
or to ship the items as cargo using a known shipper or freight forwarder.
Electric wheelchairs, pet kennels and musical instruments weighing more
than 100 pounds will continue to be accepted as checked baggage.
Narita Terminal Move Planned for Mid-April
Northwest will improve the travel experience for passengers at NRT with
a move to Satellite 2 of Terminal 1 in mid-April. With the move, Northwest
will operate 7 direct access gates where the distance from arrival gate
to customs and baggage claim will be approximately one-third the distance
of the present location. Northwest will continue to operate bus service
for those flights that cannot be accommodated by direct access gates.
New Flight Service
Beginning April 6, Northwest will offer new daily service from Minneapolis/St.
Paul to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Starting April 18, Northwest will begin new spring and summer service
to Myrtle Beach, SC, from its hub in Detroit. This service will continue
through September 30.
On May 1, Northwest will begin nonstop service between Minneapolis/St.
Paul and Helena, Montana. (Previously, this service included a stop in
Billings, Montana.)
Effective June 21, Northwest will begin twice-daily service from Minneapolis/St.
Paul to Portland, Maine. These flights will be operated by Northwest Airlink
affiliate, Pinnacle Airlines using the airline’s 50-passenger Canadair
Regional Jet (CRJ).
Northwest Expands Self Service Devices
Eight self-service devices were installed in Honolulu during the month
of January bringing the Northwest E-service center count to 643 installed
devices at 145 stations.
Southwest
New Flight Service
Southwest is adding another transcontinental route. The airline will
launch nonstop service between Baltimore/Washington and San Diego beginning
July 6.
United
Airlines
International Flight Changes
United is changing the following international flight schedules:
- Effective March 12, the nonstop service from Miami to Rio de Janeiro
will become one-stop service through Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Effective March 30, service to Auckland, New Zealand will be discontinued.
United will rebook customers with tickets for March 30 or beyond on
United code-share flights operated by Star partner Air New Zealand.
- Effective June 2, United will introduce daily nonstop service between
San Francisco and Seoul, Korea.
Domestic Baggage Fees
United will begin charging $25 on domestic flights for each piece of checked
baggage weighing 50 pounds or more, beginning January 26. The new fee
replaces the current $80 fee for baggage weighing more than 70 pounds.
New Flight Service
United Airlines will launch new nonstop scheduled service between its
Denver hub and Charlotte on Saturday, April 6, 2003. United will operate
two daily round-trip flights in the market using Boeing 737 aircraft.
US
Airways
New Flight Service
On February 15, US Airways began daily nonstop service between its
Philadelphia hub and Grand Bahama Island, using 169-seat A321 aircraft
on Saturdays and 120-seat A319 aircraft Sunday through Friday.
On February 16, US Airways began weekly service between Boston and San
Juan service on A319 aircraft; Sunday flights will be added March 9.
Additionally, beginning May 4, US Airways is launching daily nonstop
service from Boston to Bermuda. Boston will become the fourth gateway
US Airways has to the island. US Airways will resume seasonal Saturday
service from Washington (National) in March and increase that to daily
service in April. Seasonal service from New York LaGuardia resumes in
April and from Charlotte, NC, in June.
Modified Standby Fee
Effective January 9, 2003, US Airways revised its standby policy yet again.
The airline Thursday lowered its same-day standby fee from $100 to $25
for domestic and U.S.-Canada travel for travelers on nonrefundable fares.
Same-day standby will continue to cost $100 for the US Airways Shuttle,
Europe and Caribbean service.
The action seemingly is a response to Delta, which on March 1 will lower
its $100 fee for confirming a seat on a different same-day flight to $25--and
that's if the restricted-fare customer makes the booking within three
hours of that flight's scheduled departure. However, US Airways is not
limiting its $25 fee to a three-hour window.
Customers can purchase the required US Airways standby coupons at any
airport or city ticket office. Customers who already purchased US Airways
$100 standby coupons under the previous fee structure can exchange the
coupons for four $25 vouchers.
US Airways Shuttle Offers Triple Mileage
Mileage Plus members on US Airways Shuttle flights have a special opportunity
to earn triple mileage and triple Dividend Miles - that's six times the
miles for each US Airways Shuttle flight for travel now through June 30,
2003.
US Airways Shuttle provides hourly service every business day between:
- Boston and Washington Reagan National or New York LaGuardia
- New York LaGuardia and Washington Reagan National
To qualify for the triple miles, simply register once before you travel
and be sure to provide your Mileage Plus account number in your reservation
each time you fly. Click here to register: http://www.usairways.com/dm/7270
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