EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT 07/05/05 Welcome to EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT for the week of July 5, the weekly e-mail of essential business travel news! To sign up for the e-Alert, click here. DOT warns of summer delays at nine airports TSA expands "puffer" machines to more airports this month Northwest, mechanics bracing for confrontation Southwest adds a new city this fall Atlanta adds Wi-Fi; Delta deploys international check-in spots American opens Admirals Club at Honolulu Air New Zealand revamps long-haul fare policies FAA/SECURITY DOT warns of summer delays at nine airports A new report on the U.S. aviation industry from the Transportation Department's Inspector General warns travelers that flight delays are once again becoming a serious problem. In the first quarter of 2005, the report said, delays in many markets exceeded those of 2000, previously the worst year on record. This summer, the report said, the airports facing the greatest likelihood of flight delays include Philadelphia, New York LaGuardia, Newark, Washington Dulles, Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale. "All had some or all of the following factors: significant delays last summer, substantial projected traffic growth this summer, and consistently elevated delay rates sustained over the past year or longer," the report noted. It also warned of delays at New York JFK, Boston and Chicago O'Hare, based on their delay rates in past summers and in the first half of June 2005. TSA expands "puffer" machines to more airports this month The Transportation Security Administration said it has successfully concluded its pilot testing of new "explosives trace detection portals" at several airports, and will proceed with a wider deployment of the new technology this month. "Positive feedback from participating airports, airlines and passengers indicates that the technology greatly enhances customer service," a TSA official said. The equipment is already in use in the airports where it has been tested, including Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Gulfport (Miss.), Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Phoenix, Providence, Rochester, San Francisco, San Diego and Tampa. From July through September, TSA said, it will start using the machines in Charlotte, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Ft. Lauderdale, Newark, New York LaGuardia, Palm Beach, Pittsburgh, San Juan and Washington D.C.'s two airports. Passengers selected for extra scrutiny will be asked to step inside the portal, where a few puffs of air will be directed at them and then analyzed by the machine for traces of explosives. TSA said it expects to have 100 more of these "puffer" machines in the nation's airports by January 2006. AIRLINES Northwest, mechanics bracing for confrontation The tense situation between Northwest Airlines and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association didn't get any better last week, as the airline reportedly rejected the union's offer to take a 16 percent pay cut, and the union sent out ballots for a strike vote to its members. The union said its offer was deemed inadequate by Northwest management, which is said to be demanding a 25 percent pay cut and the layoffs of about half its current workforce of mechanics. The union also hinted that it believes Northwest management may be willing to take the company into bankruptcy to get the wage reductions it wants. Meanwhile, Northwest CEO Doug Steenland reportedly told employees in a recorded message that the airline will keep flying in the event of a strike. According to press reports, Steenland told employees that Northwest has "comprehensive plans in place to be ready for any contingency." Mechanics had alleged earlier that management was quietly soliciting qualified replacement workers to take over their duties if they walk off the job. Southwest will add Fort Myers to its network Southwest Airlines said last week it will add a 61st airport to its route network later this year: Fort Myers, Fla. The low-cost carrier said it will launch service to Ft. Myers' Southwest Florida International Airport in October, but it has not yet announced which cities it will serve from the airport. That will be revealed later this month, officials said. Southwest already serves five Florida airports: Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa Bay and West Palm Beach. AIRPORTS Atlanta adds Wi-Fi; Delta deploys international check-in spots Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport will start up airport-wide wireless access by the end of the summer, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The paper said the airport is installing a neutral host system, so that any service provider will be able to make Wi-Fi available to its subscribers; non-subscribers would be able to buy one-day access for $4 to $9, airport officials said. They added that the fiber-optic communications upgrade to the airport will also mean the elimination of cell phone "dead zones" that currently exist in parts of the underground rail system and some baggage claim areas. Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines said it has installed eight new international check-in locations at the "Kiss "N Fly" drop-off area of the South Terminal's parking lot, and will add six more by month's end at curbside upstairs next to the terminal. Delta said the new check-in positions should significantly reduce waiting time for international check-ins, which are increasing since the carrier is adding several new overseas routes from Atlanta this year. American opens Admirals Club at Honolulu American Airlines last week opened a new Admirals Club facility at Honolulu International Airport; it shares the club with Qantas, American's partner in the Oneworld alliance. The new Admirals Club is located airside in the Ewa Concourse, on Level 3 above Gate 26. The lounge offers showers, workstations with computers and telephones, free high-speed Internet access, a fax machine and PC data ports. Members can get free snacks and beverages. The club is open daily from 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. INTERNATIONAL Air New Zealand revamps long-haul fare policies Air New Zealand said it is introducing new fares and purchase policies for long-haul international routes, simplifying the pricing structure and giving travelers new service options. For one thing, the airline said it has created a new "Advance Deal" policy, promising the lowest fare to flyers who book their flights early on the Air New Zealand web site (www.airnewzealand.com/usa). "Currently, international fares are inconsistent or high for people who want to book their flights early," an airline spokesman said. "Additionally, most North American customers are conditioned to wait and book their flights closer to departure date in order to take advantage of last minute deals. Now, the earlier travelers book their flights, the better the deal." Air New Zealand said it is also eliminating weekend surcharges and minimum stay requirements, and "significantly reducing seasonal fares." Travelers will also be able now to book a roundtrip ticket that combines classes - e.g., flying coach one way and business class on the return. AIR ROUTES CHICAGO MIDWAY (MDW). Southwest Airlines' latest expansion at Chicago Midway is set for July 5, when it will begin two new daily non-stops to Albany, N.Y.; one to Tucson; and one to Sacramento. At the same time, Southwest is adding a seventh daily MDW-Los Angeles flight, and a fifth between Midway and Islip, Long Island. DENVER (DEN). Frontier Airways has added a third daily roundtrip between Denver and Nashville, and a fifth between Denver-San Francisco; on July 10, Frontier will add a sixth daily Denver-DFW flight and a fourth daily Denver-St. Louis flight. MILWAUKEE (MKE). Midwest Airlines will kick off new service July 10 between Milwaukee and Houston's Hobby Airport, operating twice daily with 88-seat Boeing 717s. NEW YORK KENNEDY (JFK). Air Tahiti Nui has started up non-stop service between JFK (Terminal 4) and Papeete, Tahiti, with a one-stop connection to Sydney. The airline uses a three-class A340-300 for the 12-hour flights, which operate westbound Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Meanwhile, Delta this week transitions JFK-San Francisco and JFK-Seattle service to its low-cost Song affiliate. THIS WEEK'S DEALS AND SPECIALS FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS American Express said last week that Delta SkyMiles Credit Card members can earn double miles for all purchases made with the card from July 1 through August 31. To qualify, cardholders must register at www.americanexpress.com/deltaenroll by August 31, or by calling 800-615-0403. Spirit Airlines is promoting its new business class cabin, Spirit Plus, with special fares available for travel July 12 to November 15. Spirit Plus has six more inches of legroom that the airline's coach seats, and the two-by-two seats are six inches wider than in coach; Spirit Plus also provides free cocktails and snacks, dedicated check-in and priority boarding. Sample roundtrip sale fares, which are available at www.spiritair.com and require a six-day advance purchase, start at $232 between LaGuardia and Ft. Lauderdale or Chicago and Ft. Lauderdale; $312 between Detroit and Las Vegas; $212 between Detroit and LaGuardia. Fares vary by day of the week. For links to other websites where you can search for bargains, click here: www.executivetravelonline.com/reference/deals.html For in-depth analysis, news, features and opinions about the current business travel scene, check out Joe Sent Me (www.joesentme.com), produced by veteran traveler advocate/journalist Joe Brancatelli and a team of contributors. By Jim Glab To sign up for the e-Alert, click here.