EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT 01/23/06 Welcome to EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT for the week of January 23, the weekly e-mail of essential business travel news! To sign up for the e-Alert, click here. Registered Traveler program set for June debut United cleared for takeoff from Chapter 11 Washington flyers can now get "puffed" American Eagle abandons DFW satellite terminal Southwest seeks room for growth at Denver MAXjet sets March 15 start for IAD-London service Reader Question of the Week: If you decide to enroll in the TSA-backed "Registered Traveler" program (see below), would you have any concerns about whether your personal data will be protected and kept private? Send your reply to skyguide@aexp.com. Several readers responded to last week's question about whether in-flight access to the Internet is important enough to switch airlines. Respondents all agreed in-flight access is desirable - and the longer the flight, the more important it becomes as a factor in choosing one airline over another, as long as the fare is about the same. FAA/SECURITY Registered Traveler program set for June debut The Transportation Security Administration said last week it is moving ahead with plans to roll out a national Registered Traveler program by June. TSA Administrator Kip Hawley told USA Today that June 20 is the target date to start the program, which would allow pre-screened, low-risk passengers to proceed through airport security more quickly. Participation in the program is expected to cost $80 to $100, although that will be determined by program vendors. TSA plans to privatize implementation of the Registered Traveler (RT) program, and said it would work closely with selected vendors to make sure they meet government security standards and can "harmonize technologies and business processes with government-sponsored travel facilitation programs." TSA said it wants vendors to collect 10 fingerprint images from each person who applies to join; they'll be stored on a smart card participants will use at the airport to verify their identity. "TSA will mandate a core RT security assessment for each applicant," the agency said. "If RT providers undertake more in-depth security background checks (e.g. by using commercial data specifically authorized by customers, or by other voluntary means), TSA will offer a variety of enhanced or time-saving participant benefits at passenger screening checkpoints." TSA did not identify those benefits further. But it noted that if RT program vendors invest in screening equipment, pay for extra screeners, or obtain separate airport space for screening, "then TSA is prepared to authorize the use of dedicated screening lanes or alternative screening locations for RT participants." The agency also noted that program participants will not be exempted from random additional screening. TSA said it will have procedures in place that travelers can use to appeal if they believe they were improperly declared ineligible to be in the program. It also said all data on participants will be handled in compliance with the Federal Privacy Act. AIRLINES United cleared for takeoff from Chapter 11 A federal bankruptcy court judge last week approved United Airlines parent UAL's plan for reorganization, clearing the way for the company to come out of Chapter 11 early in February. When it does, it will mark the end of the longest airline bankruptcy proceeding in U.S. history; UAL filed in December 2002. The company is emerging as a much leaner competitor, having slashed $7 billion in annual costs - although much of that came by cutting employees' paychecks and pension benefits, leaving some ill feeling in the workforce. United is starting to call up some $3 billion in exit financing provided by a consortium of lenders. Its old stock will be canceled when it emerges from Chapter 11. United plans to start spending on passenger-related capital improvements this year, like additional automated check-in kiosks and refurbished aircraft cabins. AIRPORTS Washington flyers can now get "puffed" Travelers at Washington D.C.'s two airports may now find themselves being escorted into a "puffer" machine; Reagan National and Dulles airports are the latest to get new explosives detection devices from the Transportation Security Administration. Anyone identified as being in need of extra screening - and some lucky flyers picked at random - will go into the devices, also known as "trace portals." Inside, they'll be subjected to a few puffs of air from the device, which will "sniff" it for traces of explosive materials. The machines have already been deployed to 22 other airports nationwide, including Baltimore/Washington, as TSA continues expanding the program. American Eagle abandons DFW satellite terminal American Eagle last week operated the last flight out of its satellite terminal at Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport; as part of a reshuffling of flight operations at DFW, Eagle flights will operate out of Terminal B once its gates are renovated to accommodate the smaller planes, according to the Ft. Worth Star Telegram. Until then, Eagle flights will operate out of Terminals A and D. Renovation work should be completed this summer, the newspaper said. American Eagle had been using the satellite terminal, near Terminals A and C, for six years. Southwest seeks room for growth at Denver Southwest Airlines, which started flying out of Denver International Airport earlier this month, expects to add a third gate at the facility on March 1 - "a solid indication that the carrier plans to eventually add more nonstop flights," according to the Rocky Mountain News. Southwest currently flies from Denver to Chicago Midway, Las Vegas and Phoenix, and plans to add service in March to Baltimore/Washington and Salt Lake City. It could accommodate all those flights with the two gates it already has at DIA, the newspaper said, adding that there is speculation Southwest will next add flights to Florida or California. AIR ROUTES LOS ANGELES (LAX). Qantas on January 28 will boost frequencies on its Los Angeles-Melbourne route from seven to 14 a week, with half operating non-stop and half via Auckland. On the same date, Qantas will add a fifth weekly non-stop to its LAX-Brisbane route. DEALS AND SPECIALS FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS MAXjet sets March 15 start for IAD-London service MAXjet Airways (www.maxjet.com; 888-435-9629), the all-business-class carrier operating between New York JFK and London Stansted, has set a March 15 start for its second route, from Washington Dulles to Stansted, with an introductory nonrefundable fare of $999 roundtrip, including all government taxes and fees. The new service will operate Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. British carrier bmi (www.flybmi.com; 800-788-0555) is having a short-term sale on flights from Chicago to the U.K.; the purchase deadline is January 26, for travel from February 1 through April 15. Sale fares to Manchester are $155 each way in coach, $405 in premium economy and $1,405 in business class; to London via Manchester, comparable fares are $166, $410 and $1,416. To Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow, fares are $199, $440 and $1,449 respectively. Kimpton Hotels, the San Francisco-based boutique chain with 39 properties across the U.S. and Canada, has started a new benefits program for small and medium-sized businesses. Called the Kimpton Global Business Program, it provides travelers from participating firms with discounts of at least 10 percent off the best available rate as well as services like free Internet access and late checkout. There is no fee to join. Call 877-544-5622 or visit www.KimptonHotels.com. 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. San Diego is booming: Downtown hotel occupancy was nearly 80 percent last year, and airport traffic jumped more than 6 percent. If business will take you to this southern California hotspot this year, don't miss a destination update on the city in the March issue of Executive Travel. By Jim Glab Have a question or comment? Send it to skyguide@aexp.com. To sign up for the e-Alert, click here.