EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT 06/05/06 Welcome to EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT for the week of June 5, the weekly e-mail of essential business travel news! To sign up for the e-Alert, click here. Star Alliance opens consolidated terminal at Tokyo Narita Varig faces major financial woes, fleet shrinkage Alliance news: Aer Lingus leaving Oneworld; Star adds Air China Delta pilots vote to approve wage, benefit cuts JetBlue expands its New York JFK home base THIS WEEK'S QUESTION FOR READERS: What are your thoughts on first class: Do you ever pay for it? Can you still get upgrades into it? Is it still needed, or would a more spacious section of coach be enough? Send your thoughts to skyguide@aexp.com. Last week, we asked if the possibility of going on a combined business/leisure trip with your spouse/family appealed to you for this summer. Apparently not. Reader Lynn Camp said she would take a pleasure trip, but "with no tie-in to business." Reader N. Jeanne Johnson replied: "We'll definitely not be combining any business and pleasure trips where flying is the mode of transportation. Flying is now so uncomfortable that my family and I restrict it to just mandatory trips." INTERNATIONAL Star Alliance opens consolidated terminal at Tokyo Narita At Tokyo Narita International Airport, the global Star Alliance last week opened a new consolidated facility in Terminal 1. According to a spokesman for United Airlines, the U.S. alliance member, the new facility in the south wing of Terminal 1 is the alliance's "largest co-location project and most ambitious project to date. It will offer some of the fastest connection times for Star Alliance travelers." The new facility also offers passengers a choice of six departure lounges, new baggage screening technology that should reduce waiting times, a priority security lane for premium passengers and a number of shopping and dining options. According to the spokesman, the terminal has "the industry's first zonal check-in area, that serves customers by the class of travel and not by individual airline." United Global Services, 1K and Premier Executive members will be able to use a special Star Gold check-in area. The facility also has 126 self-check-in devices that can be used for travel on any alliance member carrier. United has a First International Lounge at the new terminal, as well as a Red Carper Club; both are near Gate 31. The Japanese partner carrier in Star Alliance is ANA; other Asia/Pacific member carriers include Singapore, Asiana, Thai and Air New Zealand. Varig faces major financial woes, fleet shrinkage Brazil's financially troubled Varig Airlines is facing an auction this week in which it could give up aircraft and routes to interested buyers as part of an effort to reduce its staggering debt - estimated at more than $3 billion, according to wire service reports. If the company sells off all its domestic and international operating authority, it could mean the creation of a new company that would take over Varig's business. Or the airline might keep its international routes and only spin off its domestic operations within Brazil. According to news reports, Varig has already grounded 25 of its 72 planes, and several companies that have leased aircraft to Varig are petitioning a New York court for the authority repossess them. Alliance news: Aer Lingus leaving Oneworld; Star adds Air China Ireland's Aer Lingus said last week it has decided to terminate its membership in the global Oneworld alliance, which includes American Airlines and British Airways, among others. "Alliance membership has inevitably become less relevant for the airline over time, with an increasing number of customers availing of our new direct services at low fares," said CEO Dermot Mannion. "Emphasis in the future will be to continue to expand our range of destinations from Ireland, both short and long haul. Our recently commenced non-stop Dubai service represents the first strand of this strategy." Aer Lingus is expected to continue to maintain bilateral partnerships with Oneworld airlines. In other global alliance developments, the Star Alliance (United, Lufthansa, Singapore, etc.) last week confirmed that it will add Air China as a new member, giving it a foothold in both Shanghai and Beijing. Star Alliance last month announced plans to add Shanghai Airlines as its first Chinese member. Meanwhile, the SkyTeam alliance (Delta, Air France/KLM, Continental, Northwest etc.) said last week it will add Portugalia Airlines as an associate member. SkyTeam recently added Russia's Aeroflot, and it said last week that China Southern "is on track to become a full member of SkyTeam." ADVERTISEMENT Midwest Airlines Adds More Nonstops From Kansas City Midwest Airlines has added additional daily Kansas City nonstops to Boston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York La Guardia and San Diego. Now four daily nonstops serve New York La Guardia and seven fly between Kansas City and Milwaukee, with connections to at least three dozen other cities. Visit midwestairlines.com for more information. AIRLINES Delta pilots vote to approve wage, benefit cuts Pilots at Delta Air Lines - who came close to striking several weeks ago over the airline's demands for steep wage reductions and its attempts to force unilateral changes on the pilots through the bankruptcy court - voted last week in favor of a new contract that gives the airline much of what it wanted. Management and pilot representatives had negotiated the tentative pact in a last-minute bid to avert a court-ordered contract that could have triggered a walkout. The new contract, which was quickly endorsed by Delta's bankruptcy judge, will save the company an estimated $280 million a year in pilot costs through lower wages and more stringent productivity requirements. It amounts to a pay cut of about 14 percent for the pilots. JetBlue expands its New York JFK home base JetBlue Airways last week opened up seven more gates at its New York JFK base, a 50 percent increase in gate space from its previous 14 gates. The company describes the new gate area as "an extension" of Terminal 6, "accessible via convenient shuttle bus service." The new facility has free WiFi access, power outlets for laptops, seating for 100 persons at each gate, a pair of newsstands, a New York Sports Bar and Grill and two Cibo Express take-out food shops. With the extra gates, JetBlue said it has the capacity to grow to as many as 185 flights a day at JFK. "This additional capacity will help the low-fare airline grow into its brand-new home at Terminal 5 once construction is complete by 2009," a spokesman said. That terminal - the old TWA facility - will have 26 gates and will give JetBlue capacity for 250 daily flights. Meanwhile, JetBlue also said last week that in July, it will add a new route that completely bypasses its JFK base as well as its growing presence in Boston. On July 20, JetBlue will start flying once a day between Syracuse and Orlando.< AIR ROUTES ATLANTA (ATL). Delta will continue its transatlantic expansion this week with new daily service between Atlanta and Edinburgh, Scotland, starting June 5; and new daily service between Atlanta and Venice, Italy, effective June 6. Delta also will start new service June 8 from Atlanta to Ecuador, with daily 757 flights to Quito, continuing on to Guayaquil. Meanwhile, Delta will beef up domestic schedules from Atlanta for summer starting on June 8, when it adds an eleventh daily roundtrip to Baltimore/Washington; an eighth to Dayton; a tenth and eleventh to DFW; a ninth to Denver; a seventh to Ft. Myers; an eighth to Indianapolis; a ninth to Jacksonville and a ninth to Kansas City. Delta will also increase daily frequencies between Atlanta-Los Angeles from 11 to 13; between Atlanta-Milwaukee from six to seven; Atlanta-Myrtle Beach from five to six; Atlanta-Raleigh/Durham from 10 to 11; Atlanta-Sarasota from six to seven; and Atlanta-Tampa from nine to 10. Also on June 8, Delta kicks off new service four times a week between Atlanta and Calgary, Alberta; and twice a week between Atlanta and Bozeman, Mont. In addition, Delta Connection/Atlantic Southeast will begin operating daily roundtrips June 8 between Atlanta-Bangor, Me.; Atlanta-Traverse City, Mich.; Atlanta-Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Atlanta-Atlantic City, N.J. BOSTON (BOS). Delta will begin one daily roundtrip effective June 8 between Boston and Charleston, S.C. CHICAGO O'HARE (ORD). On June 8, United Airlines will start operating seasonal daily mainline service between O'Hare and Jackson Hole, Wyo. The carrier will also roll out United Express "explus" regional jet service (with first class, economy and Economy Plus seating) on seasonal daily service between O'Hare and Bozeman, Mont.; and on seasonal weekend service from O'Hare to Billings and Missoula, Mont. Also on June 8, American Airlines kicks off daily seasonal service from O'Hare to Calgary and Vancouver, continuing through August 31. CINCINNATI (CVG). Effective June 8, Delta will add one daily roundtrip between Cincinnati and Anchorage; and Delta Connection/Comair will launch twice-daily flights between Cincinnati and Traverse City, Mich. DALLAS/FT. WORTH (DFW). On June 8, American Airlines will start flying daily seasonal service (through August 30) from DFW to Eagle County, Colorado (Vail). DENVER (DEN). United Express will expand to twice-daily frequencies June 8 between Denver and Idaho Falls, Idaho. On the same date, United Express will debut its three-class "explus" regional jet service on daily service between Denver-Toronto and Denver-Cincinnati. HONOLULU (HNL). United Airlines this month si scheduled to begin new weekend service between San Diego-Honolulu and Seattle-Honolulu. INDIANAPOLIS (IND). Effective June 7, AirTran Airways is due to launch one daily 737 roundtrip between San Francisco and Indianapolis. Last week, Northwest Airlines started its own daily IND-San Francisco non-stop service; and on June 8, Northwest will add a second daily Indianapolis-Los Angeles non-stop, and will start operating daily IND-Seattle non-stop service for the summer continuing through August 21. Also on June 8, Northwest will replace its one daily regional jet flight between IND and LaGuardia with a DC9, for a total of three mainline flights a day between Indianapolis and LGA. LAS VEGAS (LAS). Delta will begin daily 737 non-stop service June 8 between Las Vegas and Hartford, Conn. On June 10, Southwest Airlines will add a second daily roundtrip between Long Island/Islip and Las Vegas, and a third between Seattle-Las Vegas. LOS ANGELES. On June 8, United is due to add three daily flights from Los Angeles to Kona and Maui. On the same date, Delta Air Lines will introduce the only non-stop service between LAX and Raleigh/Durham, with a 737-800 flying the route daily (except Saturdays). NEW ORLEANS (MSY). Southwest Airlines will expand service out of New Orleans on June 10, starting new daily non-stops to Ft. Lauderdale, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Baltimore/Washington and Chicago Midway. NEW YORK KENNEDY (JFK). Delta will increase domestic feeder service into its transatlantic hub at JFK June 8, with new Delta Connection/Comair flights on several routes, including four daily roundtrips between JFK-Rochester; one flight a day between JFK-Montreal; two daily flights between JFK-Cleveland; four non-stops a day between JFK-Buffalo and one daily Delta mainline flight between JFK-San Diego. In addition, Delta will add one more daily roundtrip between JFK-Las Vegas, while Delta Connection/Comair will add two more each day between JFK-Detroit. Last week, Mexicana added a second daily flight between JFK and Mexico City. NEW YORK LAGUARDIA (LGA). Effective June 10, Delta will operate one 757 roundtrip a week (on Saturday) between LGA-Las Vegas and another, also a 757 and also on Saturdays, between LGA-Los Angeles. PHILADELPHIA (PHL). US Airways' newest seasonal transatlantic route - Philadelphia to Lisbon - will start up on June 7 and continue until September 7, with four 757 flights a week. SALT LAKE CITY (SLC). Delta will add several spokes from its Salt Lake City hub effective June 8, when it begins daily Delta MD90 flights between SLC-Toronto as well as Delta Connection regional roundtrip jet service twice daily from SLC to Bellingham, Washington and Fargo, N.D.; and once a day to Aspen, Colo.; Des Moines, Iowa; Sioux Falls, S.D.; and Victoria, B.C. SAN FRANCISCO (SFO). On June 5, Air New Zealand will increase frequencies on its San Francisco-Auckland route from six a week to seven. Effective June 7, AirTran Airways is due to launch one daily 737 roundtrip between San Francisco and Indianapolis. WASHINGTON DULLES (IAD). United Airlines on June 8 begins seasonal service from Dulles to Bermuda, with flights operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On the same date, United Express adds "explus" three-class seating on regional jet service between Dulles-Cincinnati and Dulles-Halifax. ADVERTISEMENT Executive Travel magazine invites you to cast your ballot for the 2006 Leading Edge Awards. Tell us what you think is the best of executive travel, from the airlines and hotels that win your loyalty, to your favorite places to unwind, to your preferred financial services companies and technology products to your favorite brands of liquor and luggage. Results will be revealed in the September 2006 issue of Executive Travel magazine. Cast your ballot today! To vote, click here to access the fax ballot form, or email skyguide@aexp.com to request a ballot via email. We look forward to hearing from you! DEALS AND SPECIAL OFFERS FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS Members of AirTran Airways' A+ Rewards program can earn 16 credits, enough for a free roundtrip ticket, when they purchase Internet access or voice service from Earthlink. The offer applies for purchases of EarthLink dial-up, DSL or cable, or trueVoice Unlimited Internet phone service. For details and validity dates, go to www.earthlink.net/partners/airtran/voice/16online. Members of Hilton's HHonors program can now cash in points for two classic resorts in the desert southwest: The Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix and La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, California. Both resorts have come into the fold of the Waldorf-Astoria Collection, part of the Hilton family. For details, go to www.hiltonfamily.com. Want to fly to London in style and take your child along for free? Eos Airlines, which operates a 48-seat 757 configured for maximum private-jet-style comfort, is offering a "Kids Fly Free" promotion through September 3. Persons who use an American Express Card to buy a regular roundtrip ticket between New York JFK-London can take one child under age 18 along at no extra cost, a savings of almost $3,000. For details, call 800-582-9177 or visit www.eosairlines.com/myfamilyvacation. Got business in Hyderabad, in India's fast-growing high-tech corridor? France's Accor Group has just opened the Novotel Hyderabad, and is offering special introductory rates of $110 a night through the end of June. Go to www.accorhotels-asia.com and click on Great Rates/India for booking. 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 Have a question or comment? Send it to skyguide@aexp.com. To sign up for the e-Alert, click here.