HEADLINE NEWS.

St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands was recently selected as one of America's cleanest beach destinations. The list, which appears in the June 2004 issue of Organic Style, noted St. John's Trunk Bay, Hawksnest Bay and Leinster Bay as being among the top eight beach destinations in the United States, singled out for their pristine shores and fresh clean air.

In a survey conducted by Travel + Leisure magazine and America Online's Travel Channel, Orlando was ranked first in five of seven categories, including Best Cities for Family Attractions, Cities with Ideal Hotels and Resorts for Families, Best Cities for Restaurants for All Ages, Best Cities for State-of-the-Art Playgrounds and Parks, and Top Cities for Up-to-the-Minute Fun for Teens. The online survey asked nearly 500,000 AOL members what they thought about family travel to 25 American cities.

Air Berlin's Stansted operation is to be joined by Manchester and Southampton as UK departure points on 1 November. Manchester will again be daily services Berlin-Tegel (in competition with BA) and Dusseldorf (which also has Lufthansa on the route) plus a four times a weekly route to Paderborn. Southampton to Paderborn will be served three times weekly. The successful Stansted operation continues Berlin-Tegel, Dusseldorf, Hanover, Munster-Osnabruck, Nuremberg, Paderborn and Palma de Mallorca. www.airberlin.com

Air France has confirmed that it will stick to its summer flight schedule even though it cannot use Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2E, part of which collapsed last month at Paris's largest airport. However there will changes of schedules for some long-haul flights, including Boston, Miami, Toronto and Rio de Janeiro. The idea of moving some flights to Orly seems to have been dropped after heavy local lobbying. Whilst in many ways better located than CDG Orly is only supported from the UK with London City operations and does not have the interline connections of Roissy. www.airfrance.com

Air New Zealand unveiled plans to transform the long-haul flying experience for both its economy and its premium customers. From mid- 2005, Air New Zealand will offer its long-haul customers new cabin interiors, seats, in-flight entertainment system and food and beverage service. ANZ's fleet of Boeing 747s will be refitted at a cost of around $100 million, beginning in the middle of next year and work on the last aircraft should be completed by early 2006. Eight new Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft, which will start arriving in September 2005, will have the same interiors and product.

AirTran Airways announced on June 29 2004 enhancements to its existing frequent traveler rewards program, A+ Rewards. The enhancements come amidst the reduction of benefits on other airlines and offer members the unique opportunity to gain a free(a) ticket to anywhere in the world, whether the airline flies there or not. "AirTran Airways is known throughout the industry not just for low fares, but exemplary customer service and the most-friendly Crew Members in the business," said Bob Fornaro, president and chief operating officer. "We chose to enhance our rewards program to expand upon the existing benefits to passengers, and reward our most loyal customers. We, in large part, owe our success to their business, and this is our thank you."

Alaska Airlines celebrated on June 29 2004 the grand opening of its state-of-the-art passenger concourse designed to expedite passengers through Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The new Concourse C features a layout, unique in the industry, for the airline's two-step check-in process. The layout virtually eliminates the conventional check-in counter. It is designed so that Alaska Airlines' passengers can move swiftly to security and on to their gate to board their flights. All of Concourse C's nine gates will be operated exclusively by Alaska Airlines. "I am extremely proud of our staff for designing this process themselves," said Vice President, Customer Services Ed White. "Passengers will discover they can move through this system much faster providing them with much more control over their airport experience. This is the wave of the future for moving people through an airport." The two-step process begins either at home, where the passenger checks- in on line and prints out the boarding pass, or does the same at the airport using an Instant Travel Machine (ITM). In the second step, the passenger takes the boarding pass to the nearby bag check location where the agent scans in the boarding pass, the luggage tags are printed and attached to the passenger's luggage. The passenger then heads off to security.

On July 1, passengers traveling on American Airlines International Flagship Service in First or Business Class on most routes will experience a new SpAA In Flight amenity comfort kit featuring Temple Spa aromatherapy products. Inspired by the Mediterranean culture, the SPA- TO-GO products are luxury, spa-based skin and body treatments for travelers on the go. "Given their busy and sometimes hectic schedules, many of our customers don't have time to visit a spa," said Dan Garton, American's executive vice president-Marketing. "With these products, we can bring a little bit of the spa experience to our customers in flight." The SPA-TO-GO aromatherapy products included in the comfort kits are:

* ALL IN ALL - Face and Body Balm, a versatile moisturizing balm for hands, body and face. Designed to ward off the drying effects of air travel, it can also be used as a hair conditioner.

* ALL TALK - Lip Balm, a rich formula packed with natural plant extracts, botanicals and vitamins to leave lips soft and chap free.

* TAKE A GRIP - Dry Shower, a lotion that gives you a just-showered refreshment without the use of soap or water. Just apply to the hands and skin to eliminate stickiness. Dries to a silky touch.

* AAAHHH! - Leg and Foot Balm, a soothing balm for well-traveled legs that need pampering. The emollient contains extracts of dandelion to refresh legs and feet.

Whether on a business or leisure trip, customers can use the products to refresh during flight. Passengers on American's international flights to and from Japan, Europe, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Santiago and Rio de Janeiro will receive the new SpAA In Flight amenity kits. The complimentary amenity kit also includes comfort socks, tissues, earplugs, a toothpick, toothbrush and toothpaste, and a refreshing mint. For more information on Temple Spa products, visit their Web site at www.templespa.com

American Airlines offers companion ticket for flying two round trips by Nov. 15, 2004. Whether your travel is for business or pleasure, fly two round trips on nonstop flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Boston (BOS), New York Kennedy (JFK) or Washington Dulles (IAD) between now and Nov. 15, 2004, and you can earn a companion ticket. The companion ticket is valid for Economy Class travel from Sept. 7, 2004, through Feb. 16, 2005, on nonstop flights from LAX to destinations in the continental United States, Canada or San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. Some restrictions apply. You must register for this offer prior to travel. You can register and obtain complete offer details, terms and conditions at www.aa.com/offers or by calling the AAdvantage Dial-In system at 1-800- 882-8880. Follow the prompts and when asked, enter promotion code LAXCM. To register, you must be an AAdvantage member. If not a member, you can sign up for a free membership online or when you call to make your reservations.

American Airlines Admirals Club members traveling to or from Seattle- Tacoma International Airport in Washington state, now can enjoy a stylish, private club in the new concourse. On Saturday, June 26 2004, American Airlines opened a new Admirals Club facility, located in the new 888,000-square-foot Concourse A at Seattle-Tacoma Airport. The club is conveniently positioned across from gate A9 on the mezzanine level. Designed for American's discerning Admirals Club members, the 4,709- square-foot, state-of-the-art club is an oasis that blends both comfort and style. "The Admirals Club has become synonymous with comfort and elegance, and this newest club is no exception," said Dan Garton, American's executive vice president-Marketing. "This club provides our customers the personalized, professional service they've come to expect from the Admirals Club." The lounge overlooks the expanse of the new concourse and will feature a view of Mount Rainier in the distance. The new club offers seating for more than 65 customers. Club amenities include a "cell phone free" zone, a TV lounge with 50-inch flat plasma screen television and eight work carrels, including one with a PC providing high- speed Internet access. Customers will have use of a laser-jet printer, complimentary local phone service, equal-access phone service with data ports, use of a copy machine, and access to fax services.

U.S. low-cost carrier ATA Airlines plans to fly to destinations in Europe starting next year and is negotiating with German airport Cologne-Bonn, the company said on Friday. "We want to fly to two or three European cities, and are currently in intensive talks concerning this," ATA Vice President Douglas Yakota told reporters in Cologne. He added that Germany, and in particular the Cologne-Bonn airport due to its success in low-cost travel, were high on the list of potential destinations. German long-haul charter carrier LTU reacted sharply to these plans, underscoring intense competition in the beleaguered airline industry. "You have to assume that we'll come with a corresponding offer for the same price and possibly better quality," said LTU managing director Juergen Marbach.

ATA Airlines announced on June 23 2004 that it has entered into agreements with six airlines to offer interline electronic ticketing. This convenience allows passengers to use one e-ticket when traveling on itineraries that include both ATA and one of the cooperative airlines. The service is now available between ATA and United, Continental, Hawaiian, Alaska, Aloha and Delta. In addition, customers taking advantage of interline e-ticketing will no longer need a paper ticket to transfer, they can simply use their original e-ticket, creating less hassle. E-tickets may be issued by any of the seven carriers and are available through ticketing offices, airport locations and travel agencies. Interline e-ticketing combined with full-service, curbside check-in and gate automation provides ease throughout the airport, saving customers time by simplifying the check-in and boarding processes. Finally, ATA's Travel Awards program offers loyal customers who book their travel at ATA.com great travel awards when they fly frequently on ATA or ATA Connection. For details and official rules for the program, visit www.ata.com

Blue Star Jets, which claims to be the fastest growing executive jet brokerage in the US, is to set up a satellite office in Europe with the UK, France or Italy as target headquarters. Founded in 2001 Blue Star says it has access to 4,000 aircraft worldwide. The New York based operation, which also has offices in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Phoenix, Boca Raton and Montreal says that between 15 and 18 million people are flying privately every year. www.bluestarjets.com

British Airways' passengers from Detroit will enjoy a truly upgraded experience beginning July 8 2004. That's the day the airline moves its flights from Detroit Metro's Berry Terminal to the state-of-the-art McNamara Terminal. The moment British Airways' passengers enter the McNamara Terminal they will be served a feast for the eyes. The building's 21st century esthetics are superb. There are upgraded amenities throughout, worthy of one of the world's finest airport facilities, like elegant shopping and fine restaurants, convenient exchange booths, a gate shuttle service and a spacious Customs and Immigration Hall. Arriving passengers with onward connections within the U.S. will enjoy same-terminal connections, a vast improvement over Berry where they have to change buildings. At the Westin Hotel, directly adjacent to the McNamara Terminal and close to the British Airways Check-in Desks, First and Club World passengers will enjoy the comforts and ambiance of the Flight Deck Observation Area prior to departure. They can relax in comfortable couches or upholstered chairs and enjoy a splendid view of the activity on the tarmac. As well, wireless Internet and business services are available. And with the Westin Hotel having its own separate airside security screening, passengers will enjoy a quicker and quieter departure experience. To make the passenger experience even better, British Airways' daily Boeing 777 flight to London-Heathrow has been rescheduled to depart 15 minutes earlier giving easy connections to seven additional cities in Europe: Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Kiev, Madrid, Milan (Malpensa) and Munich.

British Airways last week introduced a new improved food service in Club Europe. The move coincides with the completion of a refurbishment of the Heathrow T1 executive lounges including the addition of a premium class check-in area, self-service check-in kiosks, and an exclusive security channel. Whilst the full English breakfast will remain a popular choice the airline will introduce a new continental breakfast option and a hot panini on its midrange European flights to destinations such as Frankfurt, Geneva and Lyon. On longer short haul flights, including Stockholm, Barcelona and Lisbon, customers will be offered two hot meal choices for dinner and lunch, plus a further salad option for those wanting a healthier meal. As well as improved quality and choice, customers will also notice a change of presentation with menu cards, white linen tablecloths and new round china plates, replacing the existing 'airline' style dish. www.ba.com

Continental Airlines announced on June 23 2004 reduced one-way fares linking its hubs in New York, Houston and Cleveland with cities across the country, offering significant savings for Coach and First Class travel for those unable to plan their travel weeks in advance.

Delta Airlines has confirmed non-stop service from Atlanta to Belize commencing December 11. Delta's Boeing 737 aircraft seats150 passengers and will offer customers non-stop flights on Saturdays only between its Atlanta hub and Belize. Flights will depart Atlanta at 10:30 am and arrive in Belize at 12:40 pm. On its return, the flight will depart Belize at 2:15 pm. to arrive in Atlanta at 6:10 pm. The airline also will be increasing flights to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, from Atlanta on Sept. 15, bring those up to daily service. It also will fly that route year-round. Delta previously has operated that as a Saturday, seasonal service.

Delta Air Lines celebrates 75 years of serving customers on June 18 2004 with events in Atlanta. "Delta and Atlanta have become almost synonymous. Together we have shared nearly seventy-five years of growth and progress," said Jerry Grinstein, Delta's Chief Executive Officer. "We thank our employees, customers and the entire Atlanta community for their support and loyalty to Delta throughout the years. We look forward to extending our close relationship with the people of this city for a long time to come." Delta's presence in Atlanta has grown from one flight that carried five passengers in 1930 to the largest single airline hub operation in the world. Delta now offers customers nearly 1,000 daily nonstop flights to 190 cities in 30 countries from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. With more than 32,000 employees in the Atlanta area, Delta is the single largest private employer in Georgia. Delta's economic impact on the Atlanta region exceeds $12 billion.

Egyptair has taken delivery of the first of seven Airbus A330-200s on order, becoming a new operator of the type. It will use the aircraft on routes to Europe and within the Middle East. Each aircraft seats 24 passengers in business class and 244 in economy, and is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700s. Egyptair was the first customer in the Arab world for Airbus and the airline also operates A320s, A321s and A340. www.egyptair.com.eg

JetBlue Airways officially launched on June 28 2004 its new corporate booking tool, CompanyBlue. CompanyBlue provides, at no charge, corporate travel managers with online reporting tools to track employee spending, itineraries and flight credits while allowing corporate travelers to book JetBlue flights online quickly and easily. Upon registering for CompanyBlue, companies are provided with a logo and an imbedded link with their company ID and password. Travel managers can place the imbedded logo on their intranet allowing travelers quick and easy access to their dedicated CompanyBlue booking site. For tracking these CompanyBlue bookings, travel managers are given access to a special password-protected website where reports detailing company spending, key market pair analysis, accrued/redeemed cancellation credits and employee itineraries can be viewed and/or downloaded. In addition to the standard JetBlue amenities like new planes, leather seats and DIRECTV at every seat, companies will also recognize a better bottom line when using JetBlue for business with walkup fares that are never more than $299 in nonstop markets, $25 change fees, transferable cancellation credits, free same day standby travel and free wireless Internet access at JetBlue's Terminal 6 at JFK and in Long Beach Airport. Along with all the benefits of using JetBlue for business travel, CompanyBlue bookings will also be backed by the CompanyBlue Service Commitment. While specific compensation and details are only made available to CompanyBlue customers, this commitment guarantees companies that JetBlue will make it up to their travelers if a flight is ever delayed more than two hours. For more information or to register for CompanyBlue, companies should visit: www.jetblue.com/companyblue.

Discount carrier JetBlue Airways announced on June 24 2004 that it will launch service from New York's LaGuardia Airport to destinations in Florida, while increasing the number of daily departures to Florida destinations from Boston's Logan Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

JetBlue Airways is also adding new service this Fall to Fort Myers, the airline's fourth Florida city served from Boston, and is expanding its existing service from Logan International Airport up to 20 daily departures.

JetBlue Airways plans to expand service between JFK and Florida this Fall/Winter season by inaugurating its first flights from New York's LaGuardia Airport and adding flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport. At its peak this winter, the airline plans to offer up to 71 daily departures from New York to Florida.

Northwest Airlines announced on June 3 2004 that it has added French language capabilities to its www.nwa.com Web site.

Ryanair has backed down from its policy of being Europe's meanest airline when it comes to cabin baggage. The airline has increased the carry-on luggage allowance from just 7 kilos to 10 kilo with immediate effect. The current hold baggage maximum allowance of 15 kilos per passenger remains unchanged and is the least offered by any European airline. Never an airline to give anything away if it can help it Ryanaires excess luggage charge has gone up 12.5% to [pounds sterling]4.50/E7 per kilo. www.ryanair.com

Southwest Airlines celebrated on June 30 2004 the launch of its Spanish booking engine available at www.southwest.com/vamonos where Customers can make their flight reservations entirely in Spanish on the Internet. With the online booking tool, travelers can take advantage of Southwest's low air fares and frequent flights en espanol (in Spanish). For more information, visit: www.southwest.com/jp/enespanol.shtml?src=PR_vamonos_063004

Swiss International will be offering its new all-Business Class service between Zurich and New York (Newark) six times a week. The flights will be operated by a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) aircraft with seating for 56 passengers. The new service is scheduled to be launched on January 15, 2005. Swiss International's current Airbus A330 operations between Zurich and New York (Newark) will be simultaneously withdrawn. Swiss International will continue to offer its present New York (JFK) services from both Zurich and Geneva. The new service will be carefully tailored to business travellers' requirements. Passengers will enjoy shorter boarding times, a calmer ambience on board and special inflight service. Cabin comfort will also be assured by the provision of lie-flat seats at a generous 153 cm pitch. And no fewer than four flight attendants will be assigned to each departure.

United Airlines announced on June 30 2004 a 5 percent fare hike Wednesday on most flights to international destinations from the United States, citing rising fuel costs as the reason. The increase is the latest of numerous attempts by U.S. carriers this year to try to have passengers share the burden of soaring jet-fuel prices. Last month, United rescinded a $10-per-round-trip fuel surcharge on most North American fares after only a day when American Airlines was the only competitor to follow. "Escalating Fuel prices are a growing concern throughout the airline industry," said John Tague, executive vice president-Marketing, Sales and Revenue. "We must take the necessary steps to manage our exposure to this unprecedented rise in expense." The fare increase applies to all published non-sale fares on flights to international destinations that originate in the United States, including United First and United Business fares, Unrestricted and discounted United Economy fares and most consolidator fares.

United Airlines announced on June 29 2004 that, following the conclusion of a new aviation agreement by the governments of the People's Republic of China and the United States, the airline has applied to begin new, daily nonstop service between Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Shanghai's Pudong International Airport (PVG) effective October 31, 2004. Service would commence on that date pending completion of the necessary regulatory procedures by the relevant Chinese and U.S. government agencies.

The "GoFares" giveaway is part of a nine-day awareness campaign to tell Washington-area customers about US Airways' new everyday low GoFares. US Airways employees have been spotted throughout the region handing out gifts, purchasing buckets of golf balls and area driving ranges, buying hundreds of car washes, and treating gas station customers to free fill- ups. The bright yellow bus and Hummer SUV emblazoned with "GoFares" and filled with bright yellow-clad US Airways employees emblazoned with "GoFares" have been spotted on the streets of greater Washington for a week now, handing out almost 10,000 Krispy Kreme donuts, 20,000 boxes of mints, 50,000 luggage tags, and thousands of meals, hot dogs, ice cream bars, hats and T-shirts. But now the stakes are getting higher, with travel packages up for grabs to the first person who spots Seth, "The Go Fares Guy" in a series of appearances on Thursday and Friday.

US Airways rolled out its new low GoFares in the Washington, D.C., market on 22 routes initially from both Dulles and Reagan airports. The fares start at $79 for advance purchases to Fort Lauderdale, Raleigh/Durham, Myrtle Beach and Orlando. Last-minute purchases start at $84 and never go higher than $499 one way. US Airways is slowing unveiling this new simplified fare structure, starting with Philadelphia in April. It is offering double Dividend Miles when booked through an agent, and triple of booked at usairways.com.

Virgin Atlantic, which celebrated its 20th anniversary the week of June 22 2004, is finally to fly to Australia the airline announcing that is has secured traffic rights over Hong Kong, and with a start-up date of 7 December well in time for the Christmas holiday rush. Flight time will be approximately 22 hours 30 minutes (12 hours to HKG, a 90 minute stopover, followed by a nine hour flight south) which could make the service the fastest ever scheduled operation between the two cities. All flights will be operated by 306-seat Airbus A340-600 aircraft with a configuration of 45 Upper Class, 28 Premium Economy and 233 economy seats. From a practical point of view timings allow for an evening departure from London arriving early morning two days later, and a late afternoon departure from Sydney getting into Heathrow very early the next day (all times local). Virgines long term plans call for the introduction of the Airbus A380 on the route. www.virgin.com/atlantic