Travel
All 3 big U.S. carriers to offer refunds on Zika concerns -- All three of the USA's biggest airlines are allowing some customers to cancel or postpone their trips if they're ticketed to fly to areas affected by Zika.  American, United and Delta each made the move this week amid rising concerns about the mosquito-borne virus. United and Delta will allow customers concerned about the Zika virus to cancel or postpone their trips if they're ticketed to fly to areas affected by Zika. American Airlines also said it would allow certain customers to do the same. USA Today Related: WHO leader: Zika virus 'spreading explosively'
Is this the best airline safety video ever? Creative clip will keep passengers hooked -- 
This safety video launched by Qantas is sure to keep passengers glued to their screens and not nodding off in the aisles. As most planes now use pre-recorded videos these days instead of the traditional demonstration by air hostesses standing in the aisle, the challenge is to keep people watching. So instead of the usual talk through securing your seatbelts, oxygen masks and storing your bags while inside the plane, the creative Australian airline has taken a leap outside the box. UK Daily Mirror
How booking sites influence which hotels you pick -- Online travel agencies are exerting greater influence over which hotels pop up first on your search screen. Hotels don't like the practice, which can be so subtle that consumers rarely notice. Expedia now uses customer ratings and complaints to order some hotel searches, punishing hotels with problems or disputes with Expedia customers to lower pages of search results-no man's land for bookings. If a hotel overbooks and "walks" a customer to a substitute hotel, Expedia and its other brands, Travelocity, Orbitz and Hotels.com can now hold that against the hotel. Scott McCartney/Wall Street Journal
Service will complain to airlines for you -- Taking to Twitter when something goes wrong with an airline can be effective - but it can also be maddening and time-consuming. Service is a newly-launched app that wants to make customer service interactions with airlines (as well as other types of businesses) quick and painless. Customer service interactions that can drag out over days on Twitter are good for neither the company nor business. Bailey Rizzo/Mashable
American unveils new amenity kits for premium fliers -- American Airlines unveiled a new collection of amenity kits on Wednesday that will begin appearing on flights this March. American has collaborated with several big brands for its amenity kit update. The kits will feature designs and products from Cole Haan, 3LAB Skincare, C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries and Clark's Botanicals. The carrier says it designed the kits with the help of Buzz, a firm described by American as "in-flight experience specialists." Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today
Airlines
American Airlines plane bound for LAX forced to land after 6 fall ill mid-flight -- A Los Angeles-bound American Airlines flight carrying 188 people was forced to return to London's Heathrow Airport after several flight attendants and crew members fell ill mid-flight, the airline told ABC. One flight attendant "literally just fainted... just fell forward, put her hand out and hit the floor," passenger Kris Evans told ABC News. "It was crazy." The Boeing 777, which took off at 12:05 p.m., landed safely in London about five hours later, where it was met by ambulances, American Airlines said. Erin Dooley/ABC News
MIA-bound American Airlines flight spots drone in its path -- As an American Airlines flight from Chicago approached Runway 9 Wednesday at Miami International Airport, the pilot spotted something that shouldn't have been there - a drone. The approaching plane reported the sighting and Miami-Dade police officers stationed at the airport canvassed to find the pilot of the unmanned device, according to Miami-Dade police. The search turned up empty. C.M. Guerrero/Miami Herald
Gulf carriers continue to take traffic from American, Delta and United -- Not surprisingly, when Gulf carriers enter a U.S. market, they take passengers from U.S. airlines and their joint venture partners. A new report quantified the decline in Chicago, San Francisco and Orlando. The report was prepared for the Partnership for Open and Fair Skies, which represents American, Delta, United and their unions. It said that in the months following the entry of one of the three subsidized Gulf carriers into a market, U.S. and partner traffic to select destinations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia fell 8.8% in Chicago, 13.1% in San Francisco and 13.3% in Orlando. Ted Reed/The Street
The collapse of oil prices has killed what little serious interest airlines ever had in biofuels -- Just as bologna sandwiches don't taste nearly as good when hamburger meat sells for 99 cents a pound, airlines are losing their taste for biofuels now that they can buy a gallon of conventional jet fuel for less than a buck. Over the past 15 years there have been waves of interest in biofuels as industry leaders grew concerned about oil prices, global terrorism, economic weakness, environmental issues, sustainability and other big picture issues. Dan Reed/Forbes
For the first time ever, Southwest pilots plan to picket carrier's home base, Dallas Love Field -- Southwest Airlines pilots plan to picket the carrier at its home base - Dallas Love Field - one week from today. According to the announcement from the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, this will be mark their "first-ever informational picket" at the city-owned airport. This has been a long time in the making. Back in May the SWAPA announced that it was ramping up a so-called "Strike Preparedness Committee," as negotiations with the Dallas-based carrier dragged on since 2012. Robert Wilonsky/Dallas Morning News
Case Study: Can an airline cut "turn times" without adding staff? -- Kentaro Hayashi buttoned his uniform shirt and wondered if he could really pull this off. As president of RSA Ground, the subsidiary of Rising Sun Airlines responsible for servicing its planes at airports across Japan, he'd been under enormous pressure in recent months. Thanks to increased demand for air travel, Rising Sun's flights were now fuller and more frequent than ever before. Ethan Bernstein & Ryan Buell/Harvard Business Review
JetBlue is upgrading their planes to feel more like your living room -- If you want your travel experience to be kind of like sitting on the couch at home, JetBlue is making further strides to make that dream come true. The company announced that it will be completely revamping all of its Airbus A320 cabins in the realm of both comfort and in-flight entertainment. In addition to adding 12 new seats per plane (yet still claiming to maintain "the most legroom in coach" versus other airlines), they are adding reclinable head rests, a "patented comfort suspension system," and LED cabin lighting. Shay Spence/People
Hawaiian Airlines' earnings soar, but don't expect lower fares -- Hawaiian Airlines posted record fourth quarter profits thanks to plunging fuel prices. But some interisland passengers said the airline should pass on its savings in the form of lower fares. The state's largest carrier today reported net income of $37.9 million or 66 cents per share, a 41.4 percent jump from the year-earlier quarter. Hawaiian said its fuel costs tumbled from $150.8 million in fourth quarter 2014 to $88.4 million in the latest three-month period. Hawaii News Now
Airlines aren't learning enough from near misses -- When it comes to flight safety, U.S. airlines are pretty good at learning from accidents. But new research shows airlines should be learning more from accidents that never happen. A new study led by BYU organizational behavior professor Peter Madsen finds that airlines are flying past an opportunity to increase safety by ignoring too many "near misses." "Studies show pilots or crew members make at least one potentially hazardous error on 68 percent of commercial airline flights, but very few of these errors lead to an accident," Madsen said. Claims Journal
Airports
Airberlin cancels launch of DFW-Dusseldorf flights -- Airberlin will not launch its planned service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Dusseldorf, Germany in May. In November, the German carrier had announced flights between the two cities four times a week starting on May 6. It also offered a promotional fare of $1,099 on the new route. But it appears that slow ticket sales on the route led airberlin to drop the new service. Andrea Ahles/Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Official envisions 'Interim Casino' within six months at Hartford Airport Sheraton -- Bradley International Airport may hold the ace card in the competition to host Connecticut's third casino. Kevin Dillon, the executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, said Wednesday that space at the Sheraton Hartford Hotel at the airport could be turned into an "interim casino" while a permanent gaming venue is built at Bradley. "We do believe it could be up and running relatively quickly," Dillon said, after disclosing the option at a panel discussion in downtown Hartford on development along the I-91 corridor north of the city. Kenneth R. Gosselin/Hartford Courant
FAA
Dems prepare for 'long, messy fight' on FAA bill -- Raising the battle flag: With reports rolling in that T&I Chairman Bill Shuster's FAA overhaul proposal could come as early as next week, Democrats are already getting warmed up for combat - though exactly what they'll be battling against, no one's quite sure. As our Heather Caygle writes, "House Democrats say they're bracing for what could be a long, messy fight this spring as Republicans mull snatching air traffic control oversight from the agency." Martine Powers/Politico
FAA releases Super Bowl 50 flight advisory -- The FAA has issued a flight advisory to make pilots aware of temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) that will be in effect on Feb. 7 in connection with Super Bowl 50, which will be played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Multiple notices to airmen will be published to cover the National Football League championship game between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos. The FAA urges pilots to check frequently for changes to valid times and dimensions prior to operating in the affected areas. AOPA
Airplanes
Boeing shares fall sharply following weak 2016 forecast -- Boeing Co. on Wednesday provided financial guidance for 2016 that fell well short of market expectations and plans to deliver fewer commercial jets than last year, triggering a widespread sell off in aerospace shares. The company said it would hand over 740 to 745 commercial aircraft in 2016, down from the 762 last year. The guidance caught investors by surprise, sending shares down almost 10% at one point, though losses had eased by midday. Jon Ostrower/Wall Street Journal
Metro
Gold Line opens in March, Expo in May -- Both the Gold Line extension to Azusa and the Expo Line phase two out to Santa Monica are now in the hands of Metro and testing of trains is becoming more frequent. March 5 is the official start date for 11.5 miles of new Gold Line, east from the current terminus at the Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena. The extension includes stations in downtown Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte/City of Hope, Irwindale, Azusa and APU/Citrus College. The exact date is still uncertain for the Expo Line, but Metro CEO Phil Washington disclosed at the VerdeXchange conference downtown that the trains would begin running in May. Kevin Roderick/LA Observed
LA transportation projects face cuts as gas tax revenues fall -- The low gas prices that consumers are enjoying at the pump will mean cuts in Los Angeles County transportation projects. Despite a surplus in the state budget, the projects will see cutbacks because their funding comes mostly from the state gas tax. As fuel prices go down, the revenue pot grows smaller. California is cutting more than $750 million for road and transit projects statewide, including three in L.A. County, state officials said. Meghan McCarty/KPCC
High-Speed Rail
Bullet train chairman projects lower cost, longer timeline -- The chairman of the board that oversees California's high-speed rail project said Wednesday that the next projection will likely lower the cost of building the train route from the current $68 billion, but he is less confident about its current predictions for how quickly the system can be built. Board Chairman Dan Richard and other officials were called to testify at an Assembly hearing examining the project's cost projections and other concerns raised by lawmakers. Juliet Williams/Associated Press
Transportation Network Companies
Lyft reaches $12.25 million deal with drivers in employment battle -- Lyft may have agreed this week to pay $12.25 million to settle a lawsuit with California drivers who had been seeking the crucial right to be classified as employees, but the pact does not settle the central legal question raised in the case that hangs over the so-called sharing economy. Under the terms of a deal outlined in court papers filed late Tuesday night, Lyft will not reclassify its drivers as employees, a move that would have required the San Francisco ride-hailing company to overhaul its business model to provide drivers with benefits such as minimum wage and reimbursement for driving expenses. Howard Mintz/San Jose Mercury News
Aviation Data & Analysis

Global MRO Spend to Increase 46% By 2026
Courtesy Oliver Wyman PlaneStats
City Government
Charter school founder considering challenge to Eric Garcetti -- Steve Barr, the founder of the Green Dot charter school network, is considering running for mayor against Eric Garcetti in 2017.  In an interview, Barr said he has been disappointed with Garcetti's lack of leadership on education. Barr worked closely with Garcetti's predecessor, Antonio Villaraigosa, during his effort to take control of the L.A. Unified School District in 2005. Gene Maddaus/LA Weekly
Subscribe to Eye on L.A. Aviation (1,521 Subscribers)
Follow Eye on L.A. Aviation on Twitter (1,365 Followers)