Jun 30th, 2011 at 8:30AM: UK airports and ports are experiencing delays as many customs and immigration officials are on a one-day strike.
The UK Border Agency is one of several UK public sector unions on strike over plans to change pensions, a move they say will have employees working longer, paying more into the system, and getting less out of it when they retire.
Some Border Agency workers started early, at 6pm ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
airlines posts
UK strike slows down ports and airports
Jun 30th, 2011 at 8:30AM: UK airports and ports are experiencing delays as many customs and immigration officials are on a one-day strike.
The UK Border Agency is one of several UK public sector unions on strike over plans to change pensions, a move they say will have employees working longer, paying more into the system, and getting less out of it when they retire.
Some Border Agency workers started early, at 6pm ...Airlines challenge new consumer protection rules
Jun 20th, 2011 at 7:00AM: In April , the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced wide-ranging Airline Passenger Rules that included, among other things, that airlines disclose all potential fees up front in advertising. Airlines want more time and are challenging the new advertising rules.
Airlines say they need another 6 months or so to "overcome substantial technological problems and properly train their ...Airline fuel costs up almost a third since last year
Jun 14th, 2011 at 1:00PM: So, how expensive is fuel for the airline industry? Brace yourself: the situation is pretty ugly. In April 2011, airlines in the United States dropped an average of $2.99 a gallon on fuel. That number sounds a lot better than what you're seeing at the pump, right? How can it be that bad?
Well, this is yet another month-over-month increase. In March, the airlines spent an average of only $2.80 a ...Airline fees are worth more than Facebook
Jun 13th, 2011 at 3:30PM:
Outside the travel world, everyone's marveling at the prospect of a Facebook IPO, which could be valued at as much as $100 billion. So, what are we missing while we fawn over Mark Zuckerberg's creation? How about the slow, stodgy, ugly airline industry. Known for a painful user experience and a steady decline of free features, the likes of Delta and American Airlines are outdoing the hottest ...Airline tarmac delays: the first full year of results is in!
Jun 7th, 2011 at 1:30PM: We're now looking back on a full year of limited tarmac delays. In April 2010, the airline industry seemed like it was begging and pleading with the American public not to accept the insanity that the government was forcing upon them. Mayhem would rule, the industry claimed, as standards for performance would prevent everyone from getting anywhere. It would be ugly ... far uglier than the service ...Galley Gossip: Age, weight and height requirements for flight attendants (and why Christina Ricci could never be a Pan Am stewardess)
Jun 7th, 2011 at 9:30AM:
"In this male-dominated world, in that famously openly chauvinistic culture, these women were really taking the reins and running their lives in a way most women didn't," Christina Ricci said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about her upcoming television show, Pan Am, a night time soap opera revolving around the lives of flight attendants and pilots in the 1960's. Think Mad Men ...Iceland volcano cancels flights
May 24th, 2011 at 7:00AM:
Here we go again.
After last year's misery from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, now another Icelandic volcano, Grimsvötn, is causing a new round of worries.
More than 250 flights have already been canceled as a cloud of volcanic ash blows over Scotland. Most of Ireland, northern Wales, and northern England will see the ash later today.
Several Scottish airports have been ...Northwest Airlines memorabilia becomes big with collectors
May 18th, 2011 at 2:00PM: Two years after being absorbed by Delta, Northwest Airlines has become a hot ticket again among airline collectors. Airline museums in Minnesota and Atlanta are seeking artifacts from Northwest and all things NWA-related are selling on eBay, according to the Detroit Free Press.
"It was the airline everyone loved to hate, but you know what? People are starting to miss it," said Bruce Kitt of ...The weather delay blues
May 15th, 2011 at 8:00AM:
Ahh... travel. It can be such a magnificent, wonderful thing. Exploring other cultures, visiting beautiful destinations, and sampling local cuisines are all magically sublime experiences. But when things don't quite go as planned, it can be an extremely frustrating affair. One that makes us wonder why we ever left home in the first place.
I received a sobering reminder of this little fact ...What airlines could learn from cruise lines
Apr 29th, 2011 at 11:00AM:
Most cruise lines operate efficiently out of necessity. If they don't take care of business, ships sink and people die. They sail floating cities out into the ocean where there is very little help to fall back on. At sea, the Captain is simply "the master of the vessel" as they tell say on ships and whatever gets thrown his way gets handled.
Just to look, one would think that airlines must ...Airlines that could kill you
Apr 28th, 2011 at 7:00AM: Aviation safety is no small concern for the European Commission when it comes to airlines that could kill you. Airlines not up to standard are banned. Over 90 companies and 250 airlines are on the no-flight blacklist with African, Indonesian and Kazakhstan airlines dominating the list.
The 17th update of the so-called "blacklist" of airlines banned in the 27-nation European Union is serious ...Airline passenger rights upgraded
Apr 21st, 2011 at 1:00PM:
Flying the friendly skies got a bit more friendly this week as the Department of Transportation upgraded the Airline Passenger Bill Of Rights made the law of the land last year. As a result, fewer checked bags should be lost or damaged, fewer passengers should get bumped and fewer flights should get stuck on the tarmac.
"Airline passengers have a right to be treated fairly," said ...2011 Airline Quality Ratings - AirTran at number one
Apr 5th, 2011 at 10:00AM: The 2011 Airline Quality Ratings (AQR) were just released, and AirTran topped the list at number one. The Atlanta based air line got top marks in the study that accounts for on time arrivals, mishandled baggage, complaints, and other metrics. The study only includes airlines in the United States and provides interesting statistics about the overall quality of domestic air travel.
The main form ...Travel industry battered by world crises says CNN
Mar 27th, 2011 at 8:00AM: A recent report from CNN says that the spate of world crises that have occurred in the first three months of the year has hit the travel industry especially hard. Natural disasters and political unrest have left many travelers rethinking their plans or cancelling trips altogether as they scramble to avoid a host of issues across the globe.
The earthquake and tsunami in Japan, coupled with fears ...Vegetarian passenger tosses meat at flight attendant
Mar 21st, 2011 at 2:30PM:
One of the simple truths about air travel is that the food is usually somewhere between sub-par and awful. Sure, there are exceptions, but these are unlikely oases in a desert of damp sodium-rich indelicacies. Unless you are posted up in first class on Singapore Air eating pan-seared Chilean bass in bouillabaisse broth with capsicum confit and zucchini pasta or one of their many other haute ...Delta Air Lines announces Delta Assist for Facebook
Mar 3rd, 2011 at 4:30PM: Delta Assist on Twitter has been a winning investment for the nation's largest carrier. By utilizing the social networking site, Delta has been able to cater a niche customer service product to a vociferous audience -- a product well lauded by the travel community.
Now, they're taking that success to Facebook. With the program that launches today, Delta plans to be the world's first mover in ...Condor airline to offer service from Frankfurt to Seattle
Feb 23rd, 2011 at 8:00AM: Condor, a German based budget airline, has announced that it will begin offering service between Frankfurt and Seattle starting in June, with twice weekly flights that will give travelers more affordable options for visiting Europe this year. The new service is expected to begin on June 23, with flights taking place on Monday and Thursday of each week, running through October. This new route is in ...Five business travel challenges for small companies to overcome
Feb 17th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Regardless of economic conditions, owning and running a small business isn't easy. It's always tough to find clients, allocate your funds effectively and maximize your bang for the buck. And, business travel is a big part of this. When you go out on the road, you know you're committing some serious cash to the endeavor, and you want to make sure you get as much value out of it as possible.
Part ...Mixed Bag: Six stats about airline performance in 2010
Feb 11th, 2011 at 9:00AM: Last year was a good one for the airline industry in the United States. In addition to posting record profits, carriers also showed some improvement in other areas, such as on-time arrivals. The latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows a slight improvement in getting from Point A to Point B on time, edging from 79.5 percent in 2009 to 79.8 percent in 2010.
December was a ...Not knowing wife's name gets her stuck in China
Feb 10th, 2011 at 3:30PM: When you take the SAT, you get 200 points for spelling your name right. Ever wonder why? Well, you should ask Wen Ling Lian and her husband, Robert Schlund. Lian left Wayne, Michigan for China, on a trip to visit her family. While in flight, she saw that her name had an "e" stuck on the end of it. Though not a problem in the United States, she knew it would be when she tried to leave China later. ...
