Airline News - North America.

For more airline news, data and analysis, please go to: http://www.airguideonline.com/order_formsubs.htm Jul 24, 2006

International arrivals up 22% in April. Commerce Department figures show international arrivals to the U.S. rose 22% in April. So far this year, inbound travel to the U.S. is up 6%, when compared to the first part of 2005. Jul 21, 2006

Fewer Seats, Higher Fares Boost American, Southwest. Two of the largest US airlines posted sharply stronger quarterly results on Wednesday and said industry-wide capacity reductions and fare increases have bolstered their revenue. Jul 20, 2006

Canadian fliers complain about mistakes on U.S. no-fly list. Dozens of Canadian travelers say their names have mistakenly appeared on the U.S. no-fly list. Canadian authorities have received up to 50 complaints in the past two years. Canada does not have a no-fly list, so Canadian carriers screen travelers against the U.S. roster. Jul 19, 2006

Summer travelers face delays, packed planes. Flight delays are at their highest level in years, according to Department of Transportation statistics. Experts say travelers can avoid the most crowded times by flying on Tuesdays and getting to the airport early to try to fly standby on a morning flight. The Air Transport Association expects a record 207 million people to fly between June 1 and Aug. 31. Jul 19, 2006

Airline clubs offer fliers a quiet oasis. Some fliers find peace and quiet at the airport in airline clubs and VIP lounges. Fliers can join the clubs for $500, buy a day pass, or gain membership through high-level credit cards. Jul 17, 2006

Air Midwest

Air Midwest was awarded two-year Essential Air Service contracts by the US Dept. of Transportation to serve Columbia/Jefferson City and Nebraska cities Grand Island and McCook. Beginning this fall aboard Beech 1900Ds it will operate 12-times-weekly flights from Columbia/Jefferson to both Kansas City and St. Louis, twice-daily Grand Island-Omaha flights, daily Grand Island-Kansas City service and twice-daily McCook-Omaha service. Jul 21, 2006

Air Transat

Air Transat will operate thrice-weekly London Gatwick-Toronto flights from December through March 2007, when it will resume daily service on the route. Jul 19, 2006

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines announced the ratification of two four-year labor deals covering more than 3,700 clerical, customer service and ramp workers represented by the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Agreements were reached in May. Jul 19, 2006

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines will launch thrice-weekly Los Angeles-La Paz service from Oct. 30 aboard 737-400s and thrice-weekly San Francisco-Cancun flights on Oct. 28 running through April aboard 737-800s. Jul 19, 2006

American Airlines

American Airlines said it filed an application with the US Dept. of Transportation to operate daily Dallas/Fort Worth-Beijing service from March 25 aboard a 245-seat 777. Jul 21, 2006

American Airlines

American Airlines executives said they were "pleased" with the high quarterly earnings following years of steep losses but warned that the carrier still faces significant "obstacles" to reach consistent profitability. "Fuel costs continue to raise the bar in terms of revenue generation, while the growth of low-cost carriers and continuing competition from bankrupt carriers with significant cost advantages drive the need for increased efficiencies and cost savings across all areas of our business," Chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey said. Arpey also said the airline is on track to achieve another $700 million in annual savings this year and is continuing to search for ways to cut costs. "We obviously have a lot more work to do," he told analysts in a conference call yesterday. As part of ongoing efforts to reduce costs, AA will return 19 leased 757s it inherited in its 2001 buyout of TWA's assets when the planes' leases expire in 2008 and 2009, Arpey announced. American Airlines second-quarter revenues were $4.7 billion, 10.7% above the $4.3 billion for the year-ago quarter. Expenses increased 12.5% to $6 billion from $5.3 billion, with fuel costs jumping 26.5% to $1.7 billion from $1.3 billion last year. Operating income totaled $476 million, more than doubling operating income of $229 million in the year-ago period. Jul 20, 2006

American Airlines

American Airlines will switch from a 767 to a 777 on its second daily Miami-Buenos Aires flight starting Sept. 6. It already operates one 777 on the route daily. It also will switch from a 767 to a 777 on its daily New York JFK-Buenos Aires flight from Oct. 29 to April 2, when it will revert back to a 767. Jul 19, 2006

American Airlines

American Airlines announced a redesigned business-class section on its 767-300s and 777s that includes lie-flat seats, personal inflight entertainment systems and other features that many of its competitors already have implemented on long-haul service. AA has installed the changes on one 767-300 and plans to complete the revamp on its remaining 57 dash 300s and begin retrofits of its 777 business cabins early next year. "Our business class passengers can now fly more comfortably, work more productively and enjoy the flight with expanded entertainment features and dining options," said Senior VP-Global Sales David Cush. American's 767-300s are operated on most of its transatlantic services as well as on select routes within the US and to Latin America. The 777s are flown to London, Japan, China, India and select cities in Latin America. Jul 18, 2006

American Airlines

American adding new perks to business class on some planes. American Airlines will add almost "lie-flat" seats and individual entertainment centers to the business class section of its long-haul airliners. "We started thinking about this in 2000," says Jim Hadden, American's manager of cabin design. Jul 17, 2006

American Eagle

American Eagle will launch flights from Chicago O'Hare to Columbia (daily), Jackson (daily) and Greensboro (twice-daily) on Sept. 6 aboard ERJ-145s. On the same day it will begin twice-daily Columbus-Raleigh/Durham flights and daily New York LaGuardia-Jacksonville service aboard ERJ-135s. Thrice-daily DFW-Alexandria service will begin Dec. 14 aboard Saab 340s. Jul 21, 2006

Delta Air Lines

Delta lowers fares for travelers returning from Lebanon: Delta Air Lines is offering reduced fares for fliers returning to the U.S. from Lebanon through Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. From BWI, fliers can purchase discounted tickets to Delta's destinations in the U.S., Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Jul 21, 2006

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines has been slashing domestic capacity in recent months while adding to its international route network. It has launched more than 50 international routes in the past year and will fly 350 times per week between the US and Europe this summer and nearly 500 times per week to Latin America. It has added more 757s to its fleet in the past year than any other type while decreasing the number of 737s and 767s in operation. In May 2005 it had 85 757-200s in its fleet while this May it had 121. Jul 17, 2006

Delta Air Lines, KLM

Delta Air Lines and KLM announced a codesharing deal that will see KLM place its code on DL flights to 15 US destinations from Atlanta while the US carrier puts its code on KLM flights from Amsterdam to 10 European cities. The two intend to expand the agreement. Jul 20, 2006

Eos Airlines

Eos Airlines will add a second daily New York JFK-London Stansted flight from Sept. 8 aboard a 757-200. Jul 19, 2006

North American Airlines

North American Airlines began weekly service between Baltimore/Washington International and Banjul with continuing service to Accra. It also added a second weekly flight between New York JFK and Accra. Jul 17, 2006

United Airlines

Long-haul routes give major carriers an edge, United CEO says. The ability to fly long-haul international routes gives major U.S. carriers an advantage over discounters, United Airlines Chief Executive Glenn Tilton says. Some analysts and executives disagree, noting a few discounters are starting to serve international routes. Jul 21, 2006

US Airways

US Airways will launch thrice-weekly Las Vegas-Nashville service on Oct. 5 with an A319. Jul 18, 2006

US Airways, TAP Portugal

US Airways unveiled an expanded codeshare agreement with Star Alliance partner TAP Portugal to include additional destinations on both sides of the Atlantic. Jul 18, 2006