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Airlines are fighting for the 1% at LAX -- Airlines are fighting for business at Los Angeles International, the largest destination airport in the U.S., renowned for wealthy, celebrity passengers paying full fare and the highly lucrative New York-to-L.A. route. LAX is one of a handful of major U.S. airports where no one carrier dominates -- each of the four biggest airlines now holds market share between 14 percent and 18 percent. To court the most desirable passengers, the airlines have been rolling out amenity-laden cross-country flights, lie-flat business-class seats, vented compartments that can house a pet and a slew of more flights. Mary Schlangenstein/Bloomberg
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Gag gift causes airport evacuation -- A gift meant to elicit laughter didn't seem so funny when it caused an airport terminal to be evacuated and 11 flights to be delayed. Everyone was ushered out of terminal four at the Ontario International Airport Wednesday, Aug. 12, when at 5:29 a.m. a security official spotted a dangerous-looking object in a box on the conveyer belt, said Officer Rob Pedregon of the airport police department. "It was inside a metal box and had the resemblance of a hand grenade," Pedregon said. Peter Surowski/Riverside Press-Enterprise Veronica Rocha/Los Angeles Times Beatriz Valenzuela/San Bernardino Sun CBS LA
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Driver accused of threatening rental car employee at John Wayne Airport with a knife -- A driver was arrested Tuesday night after officials said he threatened a rental car employee at John Wayne Airport with a knife. Michael Grosso, 35, was apparently driving a white Crown Victoria erractically around 9 p.m. near the taxi cab lot adjacent to the John Wayne Airport when an employee who works at an airport rental car agency told him "to be more careful," Lt. Gene Inouye of the Orange County Sheriff's Department said. Alyssa Duranty/Orange County Register
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The 10 Best Airports in the United States -- Sometimes, spending time in the airport isn't so bad. At least, not if you have yoga rooms ... or free Wi-Fi ... or express train service to one of the most happening cities in the U.S. Skytrax recently rounded up their list of the world's best airports, so Hopper found the 10 best airports in the United States on that list. While none of them crack the top 10 worldwide, these airports still boast awesome amenities, convenient transportation, and plenty of routes all over the map. Hopper.com
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U.S.-China aviation talks hit stumbling block on airport access -- Talks to ease limits on flights between the United States and China's gateway cities have stalled over U.S. fears its airlines will be given less attractive time slots for take-off and landing than their Chinese rivals, people familiar with the negotiations said. Travel demand by an increasingly affluent Chinese population is set to soar long-term, a huge business opportunity for both countries' carriers.
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Atlanta airport security: Does TSA have a maximum wait time? -- What's the maximum wait time at the security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport? The Transportation Security Administration says the wait does not often exceed 20 minutes. But if you're looking for that maximum wait time you can dependably count on, you're out of luck. New TSA chief Peter Neffenger visited Hartsfield-Jackson this week to see security operations first-hand, but he parried a question about whether there should be a "target" wait time for travelers. Kelly Yamanouchi/Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Emirates' Dubai to Panama City route to be world's longest -- The Middle East's biggest airline will soon be operating the world's longest commercial flight. Emirates announced plans Thursday to begin daily roundtrip flights between its Dubai hub and Panama City, its first destination in Central America. It says the 17 hour, 35 minute flight when heading west will be the longest anywhere. Australia's Qantas currently operates the world's longest flight, from Dallas to Sydney, which takes just under 17 hours. AP
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Air Canada profit soars as weak dollar impacts airline's bottom line -- Air Canada's second quarter profit came in at $296 million, up 33 per cent from last year's level, the Montreal-based airline revealed Wednesday. The loonie's decline boosted the airline's cost for fuel and other items by $134 million, because jet fuel is priced in U.S. dollars. But the loonie was great news for the airline in other ways, such as boosting passenger revenues by $61 million based on foreign travellers whose ticket fares then get converted into more Canadian dollars. CBC News
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The growing perks of premium economy -- It's time to think of premium economy as a regular class of airline service alongside coach, first and business. Premium economy seats come with better meals and more seat width, legroom, recline and perks at a far cheaper fare than business class. The idea has taken hold everywhere but the U.S., where American, Delta and United have been focused on updating coach with slim seats and boosting business class to international standards. Scott McCartney/Wall Street Journal
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Moving Southwest's Boeing 737 by crane called 'delicate' event -- While hundreds of planes flew out of Orlando International Airport on Wednesday, one Southwest Airlines jet stayed stuck to the ground - literally. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 was being moved from a passenger gate to a maintenance hangar shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday when it went off a taxiway and ended up nose-down in a grassy area, authorities said. The jet's nose gear collapsed and an engine got stuck in the ground, according to the Federal Aviation Authority. Stephanie Allen & Dave Harris/Orlando Sentinel
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For 'safety': Uzbekistan Air to begin weighing passengers -- Uzbekistan Airways says it will begin weighing passengers -along with their carry-on bags - as part of an effort to "ensure flight safety." After check-in, the carrier says customers will be asked to proceed to a "special weighing machine" near their departure gates. Uzbekistan Airways promised individual passenger information would not be revealed, saying the combined passenger-and-baggage weight data would be categorized only as belonging to a man, woman or child. Ben Mutzabuagh/USA Today
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Dan Reed: U.S. airlines play the role of cowardly lions -- It's ironic that it took the killing of a lion, the animal most closely associated with the noble quality of courage, to expose the cowardice of the Big Three U.S. airlines - Delta, United and American. Everyone by now knows the story of Cecil, the African lion killed by a Minnesota dentist who paid $50,000 for a guided safari. Whether the kill was legal or not remains unclear. But Zimbabwe, hardly a shining example of probity under the nearly 30-year rule of the brutal kleptocrat Robert Mugabe, seeks the dentist's extradition even though the country aggressively markets big-game hunting licenses to Western hunters. Dan Reed/Dallas Morning News
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Regulators block Qantas's Asian ambitions -- Like most Asia-Pacific airlines, Qantas recognizes the huge potential of an expanding middle class in China and elsewhere in the region. However, its plans to tap into these opportunities are being frustrated by regulators both overseas and at home. Much of Qantas's growth strategy focuses on establishing new offshore hubs to extend its reach in Asia. Adrian Schofield/Aviation Week & Technology
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Court authorizes auction of bankrupt Mexican airline's assets -- A court in this capital has authorized an auction of the assets of bankrupt Mexican airline Mexicana de Aviacion, the top administrative body of Mexico's judiciary, known as the CJF, said. The auction will kick off on Thursday in accordance with the asset disposal procedure proposed by the trustee in Mexicana's bankruptcy proceedings, the CJF said. In its decision, the Mexico City court gave its authorization for a two-stage auction. Fox News Latino
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No easy formula for best time to book airline tickets -- Travelers dream of the perfect trick to find the cheapest airfare every time, every trip. There are theories, some of them backed up by real number-crunching - shop on a Tuesday, 57 days before your flight. But using a tidy formula to find the cheapest fare might be as futile as trying to time the stock market. "There isn't a golden rule anymore," says Patrick Scurry, chief data scientist for Hopper, a travel-information firm that archives ticket prices. "There are these 'average' rules, but they're not that useful necessarily for a specific trip." David Koenig/AP
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TSA headquarters headed to Alexandria -- The Transportation Security Administration plans to move its 3,800 headquarters employees from Arlington to southern Alexandria, making it the latest in a string of agencies the federal government is moving out of Arlington to save money. Currently located on South 12th Street in Pentagon City, the TSA agreed to move by the spring of 2018 into the Victory Center office complex, at 5001 Eisenhower Ave. near the Van Dorn Metro station. Jonathan O'Connell/Washington Post
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Boeing raises forecast for Indian plane demand -- Boeing estimates Indian carriers will need 1,740 new airplanes, valued at $240 billion, through 2034, a senior executive at the U.S. planemaker said on Wednesday. Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific and India sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a presentation that 84 percent of the new planes required would be single-aisle, while 15 percent would be wide-body aircraft. The new forecast is above that made by Boeing last year, when it estimated Indian demand at 1,600 new airplanes worth $205 billion over 20 years. Reuters
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U.S. Olympic officials optimistic L.A. to be named bid city for 2024 Summer Games -- U.S. Olympic Committee officials say they are "very, very optimistic" about reaching a deal to make Los Angeles the American bidder for the 2024 Summer Games. The USOC has been negotiating with city officials since late last month and talks are expected to continue toward the end of August. "We've got a lot of work to do to get this to the finish line," USOC Chief Executive Scott Blackmun said after a committee board meeting in Denver on Wednesday afternoon. David Wharton/Los Angeles Times Elliott Almond/San Jose Mercury News
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| Transportation Network Companies |
State regulators probing Uber's leasing program -- The California Public Utilities Commission is investigating Uber's car-leasing program for drivers, saying it could violate the 2013 law that legalized the car-booking company. The CPUC said this week it is looking into the growing number of drivers who work for Uber, Lyft and similar companies using leased or rented cars to transport passengers. Uber last month announced a pilot car-leasing program for prospective drivers -- people who want to drive for UberX, the company's lower-cost ride service, but don't own a car. Heather Somerville/San Jose Mercury News Also: PUC gets public input on reform amid outcry over its practices
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Villaraigosa to host Clinton fundraiser in Hollywood Hills home -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will host a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign at his newly purchased Hollywood Hills home. The $100-ticket event on Monday evening touts special guest Joel Benenson, the former chief pollster for Barack Obama. Clinton is not expected to attend the fundraiser, which was first detailed by the Hollywood Reporter. Matt Hamilton/Los Angeles Times
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L.A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich plans run for state Senate -- The contest to succeed Democratic state Sen. Carol Liu when she leaves office next year has drawn another big name: Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. The Republican supervisor, who like Liu is being forced to leave his current post by term limits, has filed papers giving his intent to run for the 25th Senate District seat next year. Patrick McGreevey/Los Angeles Times
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