EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT 05/22/06 Welcome to EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT for the week of May 22, the weekly e-mail of essential business travel news! To sign up for the e-Alert, click here. THIS WEEK'S QUESTION FOR READERS: Do you avoid booking connections through a particular airport for fear of delays, bad weather or other reasons? If so, which airport and why? Send your comments to skyguide@aexp.com. Last week, we asked if airport club rooms were worth the money; opinions varied. "The clubs are not as good a value as they used to be," said reader Al Koralek. "They are much more crowded and have cut down on what they serve." Reader Richard Banks says flatly that the club rooms are "overcrowded and not worth the money." But Carolyn Roach, a Delta Platinum member, calls its affiliated SkyTeam lounges a perk "worth its weight in gold." She said she's not happy about Delta's decision to make Platinums start paying for Crown Room privileges, "but I will pay the money." Mike Green, a life member of United's clubs has the right to use their conference rooms; he said sometimes the clubs get so crowded that he books a conference room for himself just "for peace and quiet." Reader SMDew calls the clubs "the best investment I ever made," and Tony Taviano adds that "the ability to clean up after a red-eye to ORD is nice." Tim Scott likes the luggage lockers in United's Denver club so he can explore the airport unencumbered. "I wish United would put these lockers in all their clubs," he remarks. New Atlanta runway expected to reduce congestion, delays Miami adds another Admirals Club Delta Shuttle passengers at LGA get new business center Threat of Northwest Airlink strike recedes after judge's ruling Southwest may end "open seating" boarding policy Delta adds customer enhancements to its web site New security program focuses on passenger behavior Austrian adds new business class; Mexicana comes back to DFW AIRPORTS New Atlanta runway expected to reduce congestion, delays Last week marked the opening of a fifth runway at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a development that some officials said would greatly reduce the chances of delays at the busy facility. "Delta anticipates the fifth runway will immediately improve arrival and departure rates by 25-35 percent and significantly reduce delays for customers flying to, from or through Atlanta during severe weather and peak travel periods," a Delta spokesman said. He noted that more than 40 percent of all Delta passengers' trips originate, terminate or connect at the airport. According to just-released statistics from the Airports Council International, Atlanta is the world's busiest airport in terms of total passenger traffic. Its 2005 total of 85.9 million passengers was a 2.8 percent increase over 2004. Atlanta also surpassed Chicago O'Hare last year as the world's busiest in terms of total flight operations, with 980,386. Meanwhile, a bond sale will begin next month to finance a consolidated car rental facility at Hartsfield-Jackson, as well as an automated people-mover transit system. That structure isn't expected to be ready until sometime in 2008. When it is, no more car rental vans will circulate through the airport; the people-mover will take everyone to the consolidated rental center. On-airport rental companies will have their operations there; off-airport rental firms will pick up their customers at the consolidated rental center's transit station. Miami adds a second Admirals Club American Airlines last week cut the ribbon on a second Admirals Club at Miami International Airport. The new facility is on the Concourse A mezzanine level, across from Gate A12 and above Gate A7. The other club, which opened last November, is on Concourse D. The Concourse A Admirals Club is a9,500 square foot facility that offers members full-service showers, a bar, and a business center that includes an eight-seat conference room, Lenovo desktop computers with free Internet access, PC data ports, phones, printers, copiers and fax service. The club also has a quiet room, cyber café, T-Mobile WiFi access and six flat-panel TVs with DirecTV service. It's open daily from 4:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Delta Shuttle passengers at LGA get new business center New York LaGuardia's Marine Air Terminal, home base for Delta Shuttle flights to Boston and Washington, last week got a new business center courtesy of American Express. Called PowerStop, the facility offers Shuttle passengers 10 workstations with power outlets; four Apple iMac computers; copy and fax machines; and a VIP lounge and conference room. "In addition to PowerStop, the gate area will also be upgraded with new furniture and a complimentary magazine rack," a Delta spokesman said. AIRLINES Threat of Northwest Airlink strike recedes after judge's ruling A bankruptcy judge in Minneapolis last week denied a request by Mesaba Airlines - which operates as a Northwest Airlink partner in the upper Midwest - that it be allowed to scrap its union contracts and impose new wages and work rules unilaterally. Pilots, flight attendants and mechanics had threatened to strike if the court had granted the motion. Both sides will now return to the negotiating table in an effort to reach agreement on new contracts. Mesaba said the court did recognize that the company is in "dire financial straits," and that it would be willing to reconsider Mesaba's motion if the unions don't recognize the airline's fiscal realities. Meanwhile, Northwest Airlines said it has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents 5,600 ground workers, the airline's largest labor group. The agreement has to be ratified by the membership, which had rejected an earlier pact. Southwest may end "open seating" boarding policy According to press reports last week, Southwest Airlines is studying whether or not it should eliminate its traditional "open seating" boarding policy and switch to assigned seating like virtually every other airline. If it decides to make the switch, the earliest it would be able to do so is 2008, officials said, since a change like that requires massive changes to the airline's reservations system. Currently, Southwest passengers are segregated into three boarding groups, depending o how early they check in for their flight, but once a group is called, its members can pick their own seats from whatever is still available. Officials stressed that they would make the switch to assigned seating only if it didn't increase the airline's costs. Delta adds customer enhancements to its web site Delta Air Lines said last week it has made some improvements to the fare-searching capabilities of its web site at www.delta.com. The company said that customers can now use the site to choose a flight "anytime" during a specific travel day; check out flights for three days before or after their preferred departure and return dates; see the best fares available in a full month to destinations worldwide with a single click; and see weekend fares to specific destinations over a one-month period. "In addition, an upgrade to Delta's flight notification system, the Delta Messenger, will enable SkyMiles members to sign up for their flight notifications on delta.com," a spokesman said. "This new feature allows customers to provide Delta with contact information specific to their needs." Currently, Delta Messenger notifies flyers of canceled flights or advance schedule changes, he said, but later this year it will also notify them of delays. FAA/SECURITY New security program focuses on passenger behavior Better not look shifty-eyed at the airport in the future. News reports last week cited officials of the Transportation Security Administration as confirming that TSA plans to deploy a new program at major airports in which security officials will be trained to watch for suspicious passenger behavior. The program is reportedly modeled on a similar one that has proven very effective in Israel for years. TSA officials said security officers will be educated in how to spot individuals who are showing signs of stress or nervousness. They will be trained to distinguish between normal stress - the sort that many business travelers might display, for instance - and stress that is associated with deception and having something to hide. INTERNATIONAL Austrian adds new business class; Mexicana comes back to DFW • Austrian Airlines next month will begin deployment of a new business class cabin on long-haul flights, with seats nearly two meters long that offer 1.5 meters between seats. The seats recline 172 degrees and have a massage function. Austrian said the seat massager is most effectively used "in combination with the meditation channel and relaxing aromatic oils in the comfort kit" in order to "ensure comfort and karma." The business class will also offer Connexion by Boeing Internet service. It will be introduced first on routes between Vienna and Kuala Lumpur and Sydney, with the whole fleet refitted by July 2007. • Mexicana Airlines, which terminated its service at Dallas/Ft. Worth in January 2006, will come back to the airport July 1, resuming twice-daily non-stops to Mexico City from Terminal D. Mexicana is the first airline to take advantage of a new incentive program the airport devised, aimed at attracting more international carriers by helping them with start-up costs and marketing. AIR ROUTES ATLANTA (ATL). A new transcontinental route for AirTran Airways gets its start on May 25, when the carrier inaugurates twice-daily 737 non-stops between Atlanta and Seattle-Tacoma. On the same date, Delta will increase its ATL-SEA schedule from six flights a day to seven. BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON (BWI). AirTran Airways steps up its presence at BWI on May 25, when it will begin three daily roundtrips between BWI and Detroit Metro, as well as two daily flights between BWI-Milwaukee. The latter route is seasonal, continuing through September 5. CHICAGO MIDWAY (MDW). Southwest Airlines on May 25 will add a new route from its growing base at Chicago Midway when it launches daily non-stops to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. DENVER (DEN). May 25 is the start-up date for new Frontier JetExpress/Horizon Air service between Denver and Calgary, Alberta, with two daily non-stops. DETROIT (DTW). Spirit Airlines has resumed daily Atlantic City-Detroit service, with westbound connections available to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and (starting May 25) San Francisco. LAS VEGAS (LAS). Starting May 25, Southwest Airlines will add a fifth daily frequency to its schedule between Las Vegas and Orange County, California. MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (MSP). Starting May 22 and continuing at least through September, Sun Country Airlines will operate daily (except Saturday) service between MSP and Washington Dulles. NEW YORK KENNEDY (JFK). JetBlue Airways on May 23 will kick off new service between JFK and Portland, Maine, with four daily roundtrips. NEWARK (EWR). Continental Airlines will add its newest transatlantic route on May 23, when it begins daily non-stops between Newark and Copenhagen, using a two-class 757-200. ORLANDO (MCO). Delta Air Lines on May 25 will begin seasonal daily Delta Connection service between Orlando and five cities, continuing through September 4. They are Bloomington, Ill.; Moline, Ill.; Newport News/Williamsburg, Va.; Rochester, N.Y. and Wichita, Kans. SAN FRANCISCO (SFO). Spirit Airlines adds San Francisco International to its route map starting May 25, offering one daily roundtrip to Detroit, with connecting service to New York, Orlando and other points. The eastbound flight is a red-eye. DEALS AND SPECIAL OFFERS FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS Fairmont Hotels is offering reduced seasonal prices at most of its properties under the banner "Only One Way" summer rates (800-830-1411; www.fairmont.com/summer), available through September 5. Sample nightly rates start at $129 in Dallas, $229 in Chicago or San Francisco, $161 in Toronto, $209 in Montreal, $269 in Monte Carlo and $179 in Dubai. In addition, persons who secure their bookings by June 30 with an American Express Card will get a $50 food and beverage credit per room per night, as long as they stay at least two consecutive nights. A summer promotion from InterContinental Hotels Group will let members of its Priority Club (www.priorityclub.com; 888-211-9874) earn up to 20,000 bonus points or 5,000 bonus miles for stays at the group's 3,600 properties through August 31. Members can register online or by phone to earn 2,000 points or 500 miles for every second qualifying night. Nights do not have to be consecutive. Participating brands include InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Hotel Indigo. Continuing the special promotions in honor of the 25th anniversary of its AAdvantage program, American Airlines said it is offering members double miles on all published fares booked on www.aa.com through May 31 and flown by November 15. Members have to register before departure, or before May 31 - whichever is earlier - at www.AAdvantage25.com. United matched the American promotion for the same dates, valid for Mileage Plus members who book online; details can be found at www.united.com/doublemilesoffer. Thrifty Car Rental (www.thrifty.com) has joined Hawaiian Airlines' HawaiianMiles frequent flyer program; members will earn 50 miles per rental day. From June through September, members who book a mid-sized or larger Thrifty car for at least three days with advance reservations will earn double miles if they book using PC Code HAT1. 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. Rome has been attracting visitors for more than 20 centuries. If you have business in the Eternal City, get an update of what's new and what's hot in the June issue of Executive Travel magazine, coming soon. By Jim Glab Have a question or comment? Send it to skyguide@aexp.com. To sign up for the e-Alert, click here.