EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT 11/07/05 Welcome to EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT for the week of November 7, the weekly e-mail of essential business travel news! To sign up for the e-Alert, click here. Independence Air parent files for bankruptcy ATA keeps shrinking; drops more cities Delta Shuttle rolls out larger aircraft US Airways offers confirmed same-day changes for $25 United begins code-sharing with Swiss International 'Registered Traveler' program to kick off in June 2006 Chicago provides email alerts on airport parking status St. Regis opens in San Francisco; Mandarin Hong Kong to close AIRLINES Independence Air parent files for bankruptcy After months of teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, Independence Air's parent company finally fell in, filing for Chapter 11 protection from creditors. FLYi Inc. officials stressed that Washington Dulles-based Independence Air will continue normal operations, with no additional schedule alterations other than those already announced. But they also said that the company needs to find a buyer or major investor within the next two months "to continue its operations." It plans to ask the court to supervise a formal auction process to that end. The company blamed the airline's ills on "record high fuel prices and extreme revenue weakness," and said it will immediately seek company-wide wage reductions. Its bankruptcy petition listed assets of $378 million and debts of $455 million; the company's unrestricted cash has dwindled to just $24 million. Officials said they expect the company's stock to lose all its value. ATA keeps shrinking; drops more cities ATA Airlines, which recently halted service from Chicago Midway to Boston and Newark, and will do the same to Minneapolis/St. Paul on December 1, last week announced even more service reductions. The airline is seeking to reduce costs in an effort to get out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. ATA now said that on January 10, it will suspend all service in and out of Indianapolis, Denver and San Juan, Puerto Rico. ATA cited "fluctuating demand, excess capacity and high fuel costs" for its latest cutbacks. In Denver, ATA noted, "carriers such as Ted, Frontier and now Southwest Airlines are intensifying competition." ATA still maintains a code-share partnership with Southwest at Chicago Midway. The airline currently operates four daily Chicago Midway-Denver flights and two daily Phoenix-Denver roundtrips (both routes that Southwest is launching in early January). ATA flies to San Juan from Orlando and Chicago Midway; at Indianapolis, it currently has service to Las Vegas, Orlando and Ft. Myers. Delta Shuttle rolls out larger aircraft The Delta Shuttle, Delta's high-frequency service between New York LaGuardia-Boston and LaGuardia-Washington Reagan National, last week started putting larger aircraft on those routes. The Delta Shuttle is replacing 120-seat 737-300s with 134-seat MD-88 aircraft. The MD-88s feature Delta's new mainline cabin interior design, including brighter interiors and leather seats. US Airways offers confirmed same-day changes for $25 US Airways (i.e., the combined US Airways-America West) has started allowing passengers to confirm a seat on a different flight for same-day travel with payment of a $25 fee for domestic flights (except Hawaii) or $50 for international (except Europe). Customers using the new "Move Up" option can request an earlier flight upon airport check-in, as long as the fare on their ticket permits standby travel. Passengers traveling on refundable fares can still change flights on the same day at no charge. United begins code-sharing with Swiss International Starting November 9, United Airlines' code will appear on Swiss International Air Lines flights between Zurich-Los Angeles, Zurich-Chicago, and on connecting flights beyond Zurich to Dubai and Muscat. Swiss International will put its code on United's Washington Dulles-Zurich service as well as its Los Angeles-Honolulu flights. More code-share routes are likely to be added, the airlines said. Frequent flyer members of each airline will be able to earn miles for flights on the other, with mileage redemption possibilities due to begin in early 2006 when Swiss becomes a member of the Star Alliance. FAA/SECURITY 'Registered Traveler' program to kick off in June 2006 The head of the Transportation Security Administration told a congressional committee last week that TSA expects a nationwide "registered traveler" program to begin in June 2006. The program, which was tested locally at several airports over the past two years, would let frequent flyers zip through an expedited security clearance line if they pay a participation fee, undergo a one-time background check, and provide a fingerprint and eye scan. The TSA official said more than four dozen U.S. airports have expressed an interest in taking part. Currently, a Registered Traveler option is only offered at Orlando. The new program is expected to cost $30 to $50, to cover the costs of the background investigation and the eye and fingerprint scans; electronic identity cards with that data stored on them would be issued to each traveler. TSA said it may also speed up the process for Registered Travelers by letting them leave their laptops in their carry-on luggage when they go through security - and their shoes on their feet. The National Business Travel Association said it supports the program as long as it is "fully voluntary, respects the privacy of those who participate, provides expedited screening, works at all participating airports, and is available on a large scale and at a fair price." AIRPORTS Chicago provides email alerts on airport parking status Chicago's Department of Aviation has new information options for travelers who are planning to park their cars at the city's two airports, O'Hare and Midway. Flyers can go to the website www.flychicago.com to get up-to-date information on the availability of space at the airports' parking garages and lots. They can also register to receive updates by email specifically for the days when they expect to travel. "The email alert messages are sent automatically three times per day and every time the status of a parking garage or lot changes," a spokesman said. "By providing a calendar on the registration page, travelers can tailor this service by selecting only the dates they are planning to travel." HOTELS St. Regis opens in San Francisco; Mandarin Hong Kong to close Starwood Hotels has cut the ribbon on the St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco, at Third and Mission streets next to the Museum of Modern Art ... The Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong will close its doors for eight months starting December 28 as it undergoes a major renovation that will reduce the number of guest rooms and increase the number of suites; it expects to reopen in late August 2006 ... In New York City, Hilton has opened the 369-room Hilton Garden Inn Times Square at Eighth Avenue and 48th Street ... The Four Seasons Newport Beach (Calif.) is no longer a Four Seasons; now it's called The Island Hotel Newport Beach ... The Westin Bellevue has opened in Washington State; it's 15 minutes east of downtown Seattle in the Lincoln Square development ... The former Wyndham Garden Hotel Brookfield (Wis.), just outside Milwaukee, is now the Doubletree Hotel Milwaukee/Brookfield. AIR ROUTES DALLAS/FT. WORTH (DFW). American Eagle has begun new service between DFW and Columbia, S.C. with three daily regional jet roundtrips. DETROIT (DTW). On November 8, AirTran begins new daily non-stop service between Detroit and Atlanta with three flights a day; and between Detroit and Orlando with one flight a day. BOSTON (BOS). JetBlue on November 8 kicks off new service between Boston and West Palm Beach, Fla., with two daily roundtrips; and between Boston and New York JFK with eight flights a day. FT. LAUDERDALE (FLL). Spirit Airlines on November 10 begins new service from Ft. Lauderdale to Jamaica, including flights to both Kingston and Montego Bay. INDIANAPOLIS (IND). AirTran is adding new Florida service out of Indianapolis starting November 8, including one daily flight to Ft. Lauderdale, one to Ft. Myers and one to Sarasota-Bradenton, along with a second daily non-stop to Orlando. LAS VEGAS (LAS). New service between Las Vegas-Oklahoma City and Las Vegas-Providence will be launched on November 12 by Southwest Airlines, with one daily roundtrip in each market. On the same day, Southwest will add a second daily Las Vegas-Spokane flight and a second daily Las Vegas-St. Louis roundtrip. MIAMI (MIA). Mexicana has introduced non-stop A319 service between Miami and Mexico City, with one daily roundtrip. NEW ORLEANS (MSY). Southwest Airlines on November 12 will begin eight new daily flights out of New Orleans, including two to Dallas Love Field, two to Nashville, two to Orlando and two to Tampa Bay. Southwest will also increase its New Orleans-Houston Hobby schedule from four flights a day to five. NEW YORK KENNEDY (JFK). Emirates Airlines has pushed back from November 7 to November 16 the start of its second daily JFK-Dubai non-stop, using an A340-500. Meanwhile, JetBlue on November 9 begins a significant expansion of its JFK service, adding eight flights a day between JFK and Boston Logan, using its new Embraer 100-seat regional jets. NEW YORK LAGUARDIA (LGA). On November 8, AirTran kicks off new service between LaGuardia and Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla., with one daily 717 roundtrip. Effective November 10, Spirit Airlines begins one daily roundtrip between LaGuardia and Nassau, Bahamas. ORLANDO (MCO). AirTran on November 8 plans to begin new daily non-stop service between Orlando and Richmond, Va. On November 10, Spirit Airlines begins new service between Orlando and Montego Bay, Jamaica, with flights on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, increasing to daily on December 15. Spirit also will begin one daily roundtrip between Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale on that date. PITTSBURGH (PIT). Starting November 12, Southwest Airlines will boost its schedule between Pittsburgh and Orlando from one daily roundtrip to three, and between Pittsburgh and Chicago Midway from four a day to five. DEALS AND SPECIALS FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS Le Meridien Hotels (www.lemeridien.com) is having a worldwide winter room sale, but you have to book by November 15 to take advantage of these low "Meridien Winter Warmers" rates. They're good for stays during December and January. Only a limited number of rooms is available at participating properties. Sample nightly rates include $99 in Toronto, $125 in Munich, $159 in Milan, $125 in Rio de Janeiro, $99 in Bangkok and $59 in Hamburg. ProTravelGear.com has launched a new and improved web site at www.ProTravelGear.com, and it's marking the occasion by offering a 10 percent discount on all orders placed by November 14. The web site sells all sorts of travel-related products and clothing from various manufacturers. The site also offers free shipping for some specific brands and for orders exceeding $100. The Millennium Hotel in Cincinnati and the Millennium Maxwell House in Nashville have a special deal called the "$100 for $100 Package," available through December 30 at both hotels. When you pay a rate of $100 a night for a room, you also get a $100 food and beverage credit per night. Millennium has a similar deal at The Millennium Airport Hotel in Buffalo, N.Y. that's valid through January 31. Visit www.millenniumhotels.com or call 866-866-8086. 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.