|
|
|
|
U.S. airport lines grow as TSA and Congress blame each other -- There is broad agreement that U.S. airports will not be a pleasant place this summer as security screening lines swell and officials warn that delays will trigger missed flights and may even harm the economy. Where there is disagreement is how we got here. Lawmakers say the Transportation Security Administration is to blame for poor use of resources and failing to anticipate growing traffic levels. The agency says it is doing the best it can within budgetary limits imposed by Congress and the "current threat environment." Alan Levin, Mary Schlangenstein & Michael Sasso/Bloomberg
|
Stuck in a long TSA Line? Some airlines want you to complain on social media -- Some of the nation's largest airlines have decided to use public shaming to try to get the Transportation Security Administration to add more staff at security checkpoints. A trade group called Airlines for America, which represents many U.S. airlines, including American, United, JetBlue and Alaska, has created a new website called I Hate The Wait. On the site, it asks travelers stuck at checkpoints to use the hashtag, #IHateTheWait on Twitter and Instagram. BrianSumers.com
|
Editorial: Safe ways to shorten airport security lines -- Going through airport security, which has never been pleasant, is becoming a hellish experience as wait times increase around the country, in some cities to several hours. Security lines have gotten longer in part because more Americans are flying and government spending on security has not kept up with that growth. Passenger traffic was up nearly 5 percent, to 807 million trips, in the 12 months that ended in January, according to the Department of Transportation. New York Times Editorial Board
|
TSA under investigation for racial profiling -- The Office of the Inspector General has opened up a formal investigation into allegations of racial profiling by the Transportation Security Administration. The agency announced Thursday that the investigation was prompted by a TSA employee who claimed his supervisor advised him to "treat members of the Somali community differently from others who visit the Minneapolis TSA office." Melanie Zanona/The Hill
|
Long lines on first day of TSA upgrades at Hartsfield-Jackson -- Thursday marked the first day a security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is shut down for upgrades. The south terminal checkpoint closed late Wednesday night. Crews are reconstructing the area and bringing in new technology to speed up the screening process. "As bins come into the machine, there is a small chip that's on the bottom of the bin, which will match the bin up with the image on the screen that the screener is looking at," TSA spokesman Mark Howell said. Brett Rosner & Audrey Washington/WSB-TV Atlanta
|
Virgin America expands in Hawaii with flights from LAX -- Virgin America, which launched flights to Hawaii from its San Francisco hub late last year, launched its expansion to the Islands Thursday with flights from Los Angeles. Virgin America will fly daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles International Airport and Honolulu International Airport starting Thursday, the airline said. On June 14, the airline will add flights between Los Angeles and Kahului Airport on Maui. Pacific Business News Maui Now Honolulu Star-Advertiser MyNewsLA.com
|
Bob Hope Airport alters parking rates -- Some passengers at Bob Hope Airport will soon either shell out - or save - $1 when parking at the airfield. Starting May 16, daily parking rates in the parking structure, Lot E and the valet lot will increase by $1, while the rate in Lot C will decrease by $1, airport staff told the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority during a meeting Monday. The price changes are an effort by airport officials to determine which rates best benefit the airfield financially, while still being able to attract passengers into the parking lots. Anthony Clark Carpio/Burbank Leader
|
'Welcome to the USA': International travelers get a taste of Miami with new airport posters -- Miami International Airport wants to give foreign travelers a sampling of all things #SoMiami in a new marketing campaign aimed at adding a personal and welcoming touch to the extensive international arrival process. Miami is the launch pad for the "Market the Welcome" program created by Brand USA, a partnership organization between the federal government and the travel industry aimed at marketing the U.S. to international travelers that began Thursday. The program is expected to extend to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport next. Chabeli Herrera/Miami Herald
|
FAA: Paulding airport won't go commercial until lawsuits are resolved -- The question of a second metro Atlanta commercial airport remains on hold in Paulding County. Amid lawsuits challenging efforts to commercialize Paulding's airport, the Federal Aviation Administration wrote a letter this week saying it will wait until the legal questions are resolved by the courts before making a decision on the airport's commercial certification. Kelly Yamanouci/Atlanta Journal-Constitution
|
Southwest Airlines' ranking drops as United Airlines surges in April on-time arrivals race -- Let's hear it for the also-rans. The April 2016 airline on-time arrival numbers are in today from airline data provider OAG. And the results show Chicago's very own United Airlines, a unit of United Continental Holdings, is starting to look like a real contender. United has struggled for some while to get near the top of the leader board in the hotly-contested on-time arrivals race. Lewis Lazare/Chicago Business Journal
|
American Airlines chooses new business seat for Dreamliner -- American Airlines confirmed Tuesday that it has chosen B/E Aerospace to make the business class seats for its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners that will be delivered later this year. The Fort Worth-based carrier had dropped Zodiac as the provider of its business class seats on the Boeing 787-8 after the seatmaker had continued production problems causing American to delay its initial Dreamliner deliveries from late 2014 to early 2015. Andrea Ahles/Fort Worth Star-Telegram
|
ICAO considers requiring airlines to buy forest-protection emission credits -- The International Civil Aviation Organization is considering new rules that would require airlines to buy two forest-protection emission credits for each metric ton of carbon dioxide, double the typical amount, amid concern over the permits' environmental credibility, according to two people with direct knowledge of negotiations. Bloomberg News
|
United reminds airport workers to monitor "hidden city" tickets -- Are you thinking about breaking a key United Airlines fare rule to save a few bucks? You might want to rethink your plans. United reminded airport workers last month to watch for "hidden city" tickets, which the airline says violate its contract of carriage. "When fraud is suspected, the Customer Service Representatives should send an email to Corporate Security for follow up," the airline said. What are "hidden city" tickets? Here's an example. Let's say you want to fly one-way from Newark to Cleveland next week. BrianSumers.com
|
|
|
|
Amazon partners with Atlas Air Worldwide for cargo services -- Amazon.com Inc. announced plans Thursday to double its fleet of jets for domestic package deliveries through a deal with Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc. that marks its second investment this year in an air cargo airline. The move, which includes the lease of 20 Boeing Co. 767 freights to Amazon, comes after the tech company made a similar agreement in March, when it said it planned to shuttle merchandise around the U.S. using as many as 20 767s from Air Transport Services Group. Joshua Jamerson/Wall Street Journal
|
Summer travel deals are heating up: How to land a great online vacation bargain -- With warmer weather creeping northward across the U.S., travelers are awakening from their winter slumber to start nailing down a trip or two this summer, to get away from the office or household, and share some new experiences with family and friends. There's nothing wrong with that. But when you launch your summer vacation planning campaign, bring a few key weapons to the table - particularly, some old-fashioned budget savvy, and several well-researched, useful online travel and booking sites. Brian O'Connell/The Street
|
A traveler's guide to social media --Bare feet in the foreground, aqua-blue ocean in the background. This Instagram clich� is the extent of many people's knowledge of social media when it comes to travel. But besides letting you humble brag, many apps and sites offer real value to travelers. Among the best reasons to befriend, follow and be followed: You can get leads on great airline and hotel deals, keep a tidy visual diary while you roam and find the hot spots in every city ever 'grammed about. Andrea Bartz/Wall Street Journal
|
Cuba scrambles to keep pace with U.S.-fueled tourism boom -- The number of U.S. visitors to Cuba has nearly doubled this year, its tourism minister said on Wednesday, as the island races to build hotels and expand Havana airport to keep up with booming demand. Tourism has taken off since Cuba and the United States announced they would work to bury the Cold War hatchet in December 2014. The Caribbean island received a record 3.5 million visitors last year. Marc Frank/Reuters
|
Air passenger traffic growth slowed in March - IATA -- Global demand for air travel rose 5.3 percent in March - the slowest rate of growth since June 2015, the International Air Transport Association said on Thursday. "It is premature to say whether this marks the end of the recent very strong results. We do expect further stimulus in the form of network expansion and declines in travel costs. However, the wider economic backdrop remains subdued," said IATA's Director General Tony Tyler. Reuters
|
|
|
|
|
|
