EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT 09/18/06 Welcome to EXECUTIVE TRAVEL SKYGUIDE E-ALERT for the week of September 18, the weekly e-mail of essential business travel news! To sign up for the e-Alert, click here. Questions raised about Registered Traveler enrollment costs New York Times backs carry-on ban Judge blocks job actions by Northwest flight attendants Delta starts rollout of new domestic entertainment systems Continental bans extra-heavy checked bags Midwest Airlines will start accepting credit cards onboard New Northwest regional subsidiary wins approval BWIA to disappear from the Caribbean in December Washington Dulles unveils mock-up of underground trains Philadelphia tries out free WiFi Strike threat diminishes in Chicago, San Francisco THIS WEEK'S QUESTION FOR READERS: Send your replies to skyguide@aexp.com. Although the TSA appears to be waffling on the subject (see story below), it indicated last week it might cost frequent flyers up to $200 to take part in the Registered Traveler program designed to facilitate airport security checks. Our question this week: How much would you be willing to spend to participate in Registered Traveler, and what benefits would you expect in return for that money? Send your comments to skyguide@aexp.com Last week, we asked about unusual security incidents at overseas airports, and Craig Dickson had a good one. Before Yugoslavia split up, he was flying into Zagreb on the national carrier, JAT. On the bulkhead was a mural depicting a man whom Dickson - an engineer who worked in the power industry - recognized as the scientist/inventor Nicola Tesla. He told his traveling companions all about Tesla as the plane approached Zagreb. Inside the airport, two soldiers with machine guns told Dickson to come with them to a back room, where he was confronted by a high-ranking officer and two men in plain clothes whom he recognized as having been seated near him on the flight. The officer demanded to know why Dickson was so well-informed about a Yugoslav national hero; Dickson explained his background and told them a lot more about Tesla. Dickson also mentioned he was a semi-professional magician, and the officer demanded he perform some tricks, which he did. Then he was released. "This was the first time I had witnessed profiling in action," Dickson said. "Two nationals reported something out of the norm to officials; they followed up. Back then it seemed excessive, today it seems very necessary." FAA/SECURITY Questions raised about Registered Traveler enrollment costs Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff did some backpedaling last week after the Transportation Security Administration said it plans to charge a fee of $100 to $120 to persons who enroll in a Registered Traveler program designed to speed frequent flyers through security procedures. That would be in addition to a fee of around $80 payable to the private companies that administer the security program at airports, for a total enrollment cost of as much as $200 per person. After the TSA disclosure drew protests from a coalition of Registered Traveler vendor companies, Chertoff said no final decision has been made yet on what TSA will charge. The TSA wants some money to cover the cost of background checks, and a larger amount to pay for the TSA security screeners who would staff the special checkpoints set up for participants. Meanwhile, advance registration is starting for Registered Travelers in New York and Cincinnati, both part of the Clear program operated by Verified Identity Pass Inc. In New York, British Airways said it is taking advance registrations at www.ba.com/jfkclear for persons who travel regularly from its Terminal 7 at JFK Airport. Participants provide background information and later will have to undergo iris and fingerprint scans. The annual fee will be $79.95 plus TSA charges. The same fee applies at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, where the vendor is taking advance registrations at www.flyclear.com. Both sites are expected to begin operating later this fall. New York Times backs carry-on ban In an editorial last week, the New York Times suggested that in the interests of greater security, carry-on luggage should be banned for all air travelers. At the very least, the newspaper said, carry-ons should be limited to "one small personal bag per passenger to tote travel documents, keys, vital medications, reading materials and any other minimal items that are allowed." If this happened, the newspaper argued, not only would security be enhanced, but security lines would move faster and planes could be boarded more quickly without the usual fighting for overhead space. The "downside," the Times conceded, would be a lot more checked baggage, raising the risk that those screeners won't take the time necessary to scan everything properly for explosives; or that they will, and bag loading will get backed up and flights thus delayed. As for business travelers, "separating people from their laptops during flights would be painful, although some people could surely use the time to go over reading material, or even revert to pen and paper," the newspaper argued. AIRLINES Judge blocks job actions by Northwest flight attendants A federal judge in New York has ruled that Northwest Airlines' restive flight attendants cannot conduct any kind of strike or job action against the bankrupt carrier. The judge, who had temporarily enjoined such activity last month until he could study the matter, overturned a bankruptcy court ruling that would have allowed the job actions. Northwest had unilaterally imposed 21 percent wage cuts and tougher work rules on the union after rank-and-file flight attendants voted down two earlier tentative agreements on concessions. It was that action by Northwest that prompted the flight attendants to start planning CHAOS activities - Create Havoc Around Our System, a program of sporadic, limited walkouts targeting specific flights or airports. But the federal judge said allowing the job actions would violate Congress' intention to protect national carriers and the role they play in "the economy, national security, movement of goods and people, and the general well-being of the United States." Northwest said it still intends to sit down with flight attendants to reach a mutual consensus on concessions. Meanwhile, a bankruptcy judge in Minneapolis who is overseeing the reorganization of Mesaba Airlines, a Northwest Airlink partner, overturned an earlier ruling that allowed that airline to dump its flight attendant contract and impose its own wages on the workers. Delta starts rollout of new domestic entertainment systems Delta Air Lines said last week it will begin to deploy reconfigured 757s that formerly flew for its Song unit, replacing Song's one-class seating with first and economy cabins but retaining digital entertainment systems and individual seatback screens at every seat in both classes. The airline said the refitted 757s should be coming out at the rate of 18 a month from now through November. By the end of November, the company expects to be offering the service on all flights from New York JFK to the West Coast and on some longer domestic routes from Atlanta. The planes, with all-leather seats, will let travelers select from entertainment options that include 20 movies, 24 channels of live TV, a wide range of music and 10 video games. During 2007 and 2008, delta said, it will expand the product to more than 100 767-300s, 767-400s, 757s and 737-800s. On schedule listings in the airline's web site (www.delta.com), a small TV icon will designate flights that offer the new entertainment system. Continental bans extra-heavy checked bags Continental Airlines has changed its policy on checked luggage; the airline will no longer accept any bag weighing more than 70 pounds. Continental said it changed the rule in order to match the policies of its foreign partner carriers, noting that more passengers are making international connections. Previously, Continental accepted bags that weighed up to 100 pounds. It allows two free checked bags per passenger if they weigh 50 pounds or less, and charges $25 a bag for those that weigh 51-70 pounds (although some elite-level frequent flyers get two free checked bags of up to 70 pounds). Midwest Airlines will start accepting credit cards onboard Midwest Airlines will reportedly begin accepting credit cards from passengers in mid-November to pay for on-board products and services. According to Abanco International, which is providing the technology to process the in-flight payments, passengers will be able to pull out their plastic to pay for meals, alcoholic drinks and the rental of Midwest's handheld entertainment players. New Northwest regional subsidiary wins approval The Transportation Department last week gave Northwest Airlines its approval for a planned regional subsidiary that will start operations in October at Washington's Dulles International Airport. The first service is expected to be 50-seat regional jet flights between Dulles and Northwest's Minneapolis/St. Paul hub. The new subsidiary, which Northwest created as part of its larger efforts to reorganize under Chapter 11, will be called Compass Airlines. Eventually it is expected to expand to Northwest's other hubs at Detroit and Memphis as well as to smaller cities, using 76-seat jets. Northwest bought the operating certificate of the defunct Independence Air to start the subsidiary. ADVERTISEMENT St. Supery's Dollarhide estate vineyard in Napa Valley is among this region's finest sources of Cabernet Sauvignon. This rich and bold wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas and flavors of black currant, blackberry, sage, coffee and anise. The 2001 vintage is delicious now and will improve with age for several years. SkyGuide eAlert members get free shipping on any wine order including Dollarhide Cabernet Sauvignon through November 15th. Please go to http://www.stsupery.com/exectravel for details. INTERNATIONAL BWIA to disappear from the Caribbean in December BWIA (British West Indies Airways), known to generations of Caribbean travelers as BeeWee, will cease operations on December 31, to be replaced by a new company called Caribbean Airlines, according to press reports. The airline, based in Trinidad and Tobago, has been struggling for years; management said that after the refusal of BWIA's unions to grant the necessary concessions in recent talks, it was left with no choice but to scrap the old company and start a new one. The assets of BWIA will be transferred to Caribbean Airlines and the government of Trinidad and Tobago will kick in $250 million for the start-up, the press reports said. Employees will have to reapply for their jobs, which will be offered at new, lower salary levels. AIRPORTS Washington Dulles unveils mock-up of new underground trains Users of Washington's Dulles International Airport who want to see what the new underground transportation system there will look like should go to the baggage claim level of the Main Terminal, between Arrivals Doors 6 and 7. There you'll see an exhibit with a full-sized sample train car and other information on the project, which should be finished by 2009. Airport officials last week said the project, now called AeroTrain, "will be the primary conveyance for passengers at Dulles when it opens. The mobile lounges will continue to be used for direct service to international arriving flights, the D Concourse, and aircraft not parked at gates." The $1.3 billion AeroTrain system will use 10 stations, 63 cars and seven miles of track to link the airport's concourses to the Main Terminal building. Philadelphia tries out free WiFi At Philadelphia International Airport, passengers can now get free WiFi connections if they know where to look. The airport has started an experimental pilot program, offering wireless access at no cost in the B/C Food Court. The service there is expected to last "at least through the end of the year and possibly into early spring," an airport spokesman said. At that time, officials will review the results and decide whether to keep and possibly expand the service to other parts of the airport. Outside the free WiFi area, travelers can still connect at a cost of $7.95 for 24 hours or $39.95 for unlimited monthly use. Officials noted that in the past year, WiFi usage at PHL has doubled, to 10,000 connections per month. ADVERTISEMENT MIDWEST AIRLINES Confirmed Standby Option Now Available Travelers whose plans change now have the option to receive a confirmed standby seat on an earlier or later Midwest flight the same day for a $25 fee. A standby request can be made at any Midwest ticket counter or gate within three hours of the scheduled departure of the new flight. http://www.midwestairlines.com HOTELS Strike threat diminishes in Chicago, San Francisco Threats by union hotel workers to walk off their jobs at major chain properties in Chicago and San Francisco appear to be receding. In Chicago, the union representing hotel workers reached new agreements with four Chicago Hyatts, four properties operated by Hilton and four hotels that are part of the Starwood group. In San Francisco, the union also came to terms on a tentative labor agreement with the operators of 13 hotels that had been facing a strike, including several Holiday Inns, the Four Seasons, Fairmont, Hilton, Mark Hopkins, Hyatt Regency, Palace and the Omni. AIR ROUTES ALBUQUERQUE (ABQ). Mesa Airlines/Air Midwest will begin new service September 24 between Albuquerque and White Sands Regional Airport at Alamogordo, N.M., with two flights a day on weekdays. NEW YORK KENNEDY (JFK). Effective September 21, JetBlue will launch new service between JFK and Florida's Sarasota/Bradenton Airport, with one daily roundtrip. SAN ANTONIO (SAT). United Airlines on September 20 will pull the plug on its attempt to create a United Express/Trans States Airlines regional jet mini-hub at San Antonio, terminating its service from that Texas airport to Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, New Orleans and Omaha. Earlier this summer, United ended its regional jet flights from San Antonio to Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Kansas City. DEALS AND SPECIAL OFFERS FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS ATA Airlines has added Thrifty Car Rental and Dollar Rent A Car as partners in its Travel Awards frequent flyer program. Program members will earn 75 points for each Thrifty or Dollar rental. From now through November 15, members can earn triple points for each Thrifty rental of a premium or luxury car or a minivan, convertible or SUV for two days or more. To qualify, rentals must be booked online at www.THRIFTY.com; go to the "Partner Specials" page. During the same period, members can earn double points for Dollar rentals of a compact or larger vehicle for two days or more when they use promotion code ATAD and present a Travel Awards program number at the time of pick-up. Got a bunch of money to invest? If you're a member of American's AAdvantatge program and you place it with Fidelity Investments, you can earn miles. Under a new affiliation between AAdvantage and Fidelity, members who are first-time Fidelity customers and open a new brokerage account can earn 5,000 miles for a deposit of $2,500-$9,999; 15,000 miles for $10,000-$49,999 or 25,000 miles for a deposit of $50,000 or more. Go to www.aa.com/aadvantage or call 800-882-8880. Members of Delta SkyMiles who do a lot of entertaining should be aware that they can earn a bunch of bonus miles with the SkyMiles Dining & Hotels by Rewards Network program. If you register online (at http://skymiles.rewardsnetwork.com/fasttrack) and then spend $300 or more on qualified restaurant meals between singing up and October 31, 2006, you will earn an additional 5 miles per dollar spent for the rest of this year and all of next year. By Jim Glab Have a question or comment? Send it to skyguide@aexp.com. To sign up for the e-Alert, click here.