Airline News - North America.

Sep 17, 2007

FAA Deputy Administrator Robert Sturgell will assume the role of acting administrator today following the departure of Marion Blakey, whose fixed five-year term heading the agency ended yesterday. It is unknown how long it will take for US President George Bush to nominate a permanent replacement. Sep 14, 2007

Demonstrators plan "strand-in" in Washington, D.C.. The Coalition for Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights is planning a demonstration with a mock airplane cabin, hoping to spur congressional action on a passenger bill of rights. Assistant Transportation Secretary Andrew Steinberg notes, however, that very few passengers ever become stranded for long periods. "Last year, your chances of being on the tarmac for more than five hours after leaving the gate were about 1 in 200,000," Steinberg said. Sep 13, 2007

Sept. 11 Damages Trial To Hear Cockpit Tapes. Tapes of the final moments before one of the hijacked airliners in the September 11 attacks crashed into the ground in Pennsylvania may be played at the first case over damages from the attacks to go to trial, a judge has ruled. Sep 13, 2007

Travelers need a meal plan. Passengers need to think ahead when it comes to food options during air travel. Passengers can plan to buy food on board, pick up some take-out at the airport or pack food from home. Whatever they decide, travelers should be sure to have enough to get them through the day and then some, in case of delays. Sep 13, 2007

Americans stood in silence at the times of the Sept. 11 attacks on Sept. 11, while the man behind them, Osama bin Laden, surfaced again to praise the suicide hijackers who killed nearly 3,000 people six years ago. New Yorkers observed moments of silence at the times the hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center and when each of the towers collapsed. Ceremonies were also held at the Pentagon and at a Pennsylvania field, where the third and fourth planes crashed. Sep 11, 2007

ARINC announced the introduction of SkyBuy, an inflight payment and inventory control system designed to automate and monitor inflight sales data wirelessly. ARINC said the solution combines Abanco's MDT In-Flight sales application with ARINC's wireless technology. Sep 11, 2007

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines will begin offering $5 Picnic Packs for sale Sept. 15 on all flights with beverage-cart service. The airline previously offered Picnic Packs only on flights over four hours Sep 14, 2007

Continental Airlines

Continental Airlines will begin offering three daily flights from Piedmont Triad International Airport to its hub in Cleveland. Sep 14, 2007

Delta Air Lines

Delta rolled back 10 percent of its fare increase. Delta Air Lines raised ticket prices last Thursday by USD$5 each way on domestic routes to offset rising costs. The increase followed one launched by Southwest Airlines, which frequently spoils fare increases by failing to match. Delta's increase represents a test of pricing power at the start of the seasonally weak autumn travel period, when demand generally falls off. The airline industry has been battered in recent years by high fuel prices and competition. Carriers managed to cut capacity in 2006 and begin a trend toward higher fares. The trend continued, but slowed, in 2007. Sep 10, 2007

Delta Air Lines

US airlines have begun to withdraw a revenue-boosting fare increase initiated last week by Delta Air Lines, but it is too soon to say whether the bulk of the increase will last. The US economy is also showing signs of slowing, which could crimp consumer spending and weaken travel demand. US employers cut 4,000 jobs in August, the first time the economy had shed jobs since August 2003. Other airlines scaling back fare increases include American Airlines, Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines, Seaney said. Sep 10, 2007

United Airlines

United Airlines will launch daily Los Angeles-Frankfurt flights aboard Boeing 777s from Dec. 15. United currently flies to Frankfurt twice-daily from both San Francisco and Chicago O'Hare and thrice-daily from Washington Dulles. Sep 14, 2007

ZZ

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