Pro-X-Travel

Summer flights expected to be full - CNN.com

Washington (CNN) -- Passengers on U.S. airlines this summer will stand a good chance of finding the seat next to them occupied.

The industry group Airlines for America, or A4A, released its summer travel forecast Wednesday.

"We are projecting slightly fuller flights driven in part by a record number of international travelers," A4A Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich predicted in a conference call with reporters. "Over the course of the summer, we expect 206.2 million passengers to travel globally on U.S. airlines."

In terms of the number of passengers, the prediction for June 1 to August 31 is comparable to last year, and about 5% below the 2007 peak of 217.6 million, according to the group.

But load factors, or the percentage of the seats that are full, should be slightly higher than last year, Heimlich said. In 2011, the average ranged from 85% to 87% full.

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Amazing first-class air cabins - CNN.com

(Departures) -- When San Francisco law firm operations director Jeffrey Lais was due for a well-earned vacation, he booked himself a first-class ticket to Munich on Lufthansa.

Once aboard the German carrier's A346, he was led to his first-class suite, where a spacious leather seat and ottoman ran the length of four airplane windows and various compartments overflowed with noise-canceling headphones, menus, pajamas and slippers. After a dinner of caviar, prawn confit, duck breast and an assortment of French cheeses, a flight attendant converted Lais's seat into a mattress-topped flatbed—complete with duvet and giant pillows—and showed him how to seal his seat from view with a privacy screen for the rest of the 12-hour flight.

There's no doubt about it, first class makes travel better.

As airlines stave off bankruptcy by cutting amenities and services to their economy classes, there seems to be a shield around the almighty first class. According to the International Air Transport Association, this is because upper-class passengers, although a small minority among international air travelers, account for almost a third of airline revenues. It's not surprising, then, that recent reports show that cabin modifications, especially those that favor upper-class travelers, are the fastest-growing segment of the airline MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) industry.

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Regional Airlines Squeezed by Flight Cutbacks and Higher Fares - NYTimes.com

“The whole point of flying should be to save a lot of time, and I didn’t,” Mr. Hunter said.

For anyone trying to fly between the smaller cities in the United States, it’s not easy to get from here to there anymore.

The major airlines have been paring service for much of the last decade. But their cutbacks accelerated three years ago as carriers merged, fuel prices spiked and the recession reduced demand for seats. Even after the economy started to recover and passengers came back, the big airlines did not restore many of their flights, particularly on routes to small airports, as they sought to bolster their profits.

The strategy has squeezed the regional airlines, whose purpose is to ferry passengers on behalf of the major airlines and provide the backbone of air service to the nation’s small airports. Three regional carriers have filed for bankruptcy protection since 2010, including Pinnacle Airlines in April.

via www.nytimes.com

Tall flier decries extra legroom fee - CNN.com

(CNN) -- Many tall fliers know: Those precious exit row or bulkhead seats now often come with a price as airlines charge for the extra bit of legroom.

That's not sitting well with Malcolm Johnson, a 6-foot-7-inch architect from Edmonton, Alberta, who says they should be available to tall travelers without the added cost.

Johnson is on a mission to get Air Canada -- the airline he flies most -- to stop charging the fee.

He filed a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency last year, but it was rejected in December on the grounds that he didn't fully qualify as a disabled person with a special condition, he said. Johnson is vowing to appeal the decision.

"It's a penalty for tall people ... to pay for those seats -- they're the only seats on the craft that we can fit into," he said.

Air Canada has not responded to a request for comment.

Johnson flies on the airline from Edmonton to France twice a year, but since there are no direct flights available, the journey usually requires four legs for a round-trip. He was always able to get a fairly comfortable seat at no charge, but that changed when the carrier implemented the fee about two years ago.

Air Canada charges up to $50 for a coach seat with extra legroom on each flight, so Johnson ends up paying $200 extra, he said. If his wife comes along and wants to sit next to him, the couple ends up paying $400 extra.

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What to do if you're bumped from a flight - CNN.com

Editor's note: George Hobica is the creator of Airfarewatchdog.com. The site is a division of Expedia.com, which also owns Hotwire.com and TripAdvisor.com.

(CNN) -- When Irfan Baig checked in for a flight from Memphis to Chicago a full 90 minutes before departure, he had no idea it was going to be such a bumpy flight -- or that he'd never take off.

In addition to having checked in well ahead of flight time, Baig had a confirmed seat assignment and was actually sitting in his seat when an American Airlines employee appeared and chose three passengers to boot off the plane.

"When I inquired why I was picked out of the 100-plus passenger list, I was told I was one of the last to check in," the Seattle-based software engineer recalls. "Really? Ninety minutes ahead?"

Worse still, American gave him a $250 travel voucher, when he was entitled to a cash payment.

Oh, airlines.

But there's some good news about the airlines' policies concerning involuntary denied boarding (IDB to airline geeks, getting bumped to you and me).

First, the compensation for being bumped has gone up.

Passengers can now collect up to $1,300 for being bumped from a domestic flight if they arrive at their destination more than two hours later than scheduled, under Department of Transportation rules revised earlier this year. (The previous maximum was $800.)

Passengers can also get as much as $650 (up from $400) if they get to their destination within one to two hours of the scheduled time, according to the new rule.

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Study: Business travel to be more expensive next year - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

Business travelers will pay more for plane tickets and hotel rooms in 2012, according to a new report.

The Global Business Travel Association said managers expect to pay up to 5 percent more for business travel next year.

Negotiations are tougher right now, with hotels and airlines offering less generous discounts on volume buys, the group said.

"Companies are attuned to the importance of travel and boosting their budgets in the face of higher rates so they can keep their people on the road," said GBTA CEO Jim McMullan.

via www.bizjournals.com

Booted frequent flier takes on airline - CNN.com

(CNN) -- Can complaining too much get you booted from a frequent flier program?

It's one of the questions at the heart of a lawsuit filed against Northwest -- now owned by Delta Air Lines -- by S. Binyomin Ginsberg, a rabbi who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and frequently travels to lecture and teach.

Ginsberg joined Northwest's WorldPerks frequent flier program in 1999 and reached Platinum Elite status in 2005.

But in June of 2008, Ginsberg said a Northwest representative called him and told him his status was being revoked "on the ground that he had 'abused' the program," according to court papers.

Ginsberg said the airline also took away the hundreds of thousands of miles accumulated in his account.

"It didn't make sense. Initially, when they contacted me on the phone I thought it was a prank call," Ginsberg said.

"When I pushed for a reason and clarification, they told me it was because I was complaining too much."

In July 2008, Northwest sent the rabbi a letter noting that he had made 24 complaints in the past eight months, including nine incidents of his bag arriving late at the luggage carousel, according to court papers.

"You have continually asked for compensation over and above our guidelines. We have awarded you $1,925.00 in travel credit vouchers, 78,500 WorldPerks bonus miles, a voucher extension for your son, and $491.00 in cash reimbursements," the letter states, according to court papers.

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7 worst travel fashion sins | CNNGo.com

The question of whether it is possible to look good while exploring the globe is one that has long vexed the more fashion-inclined traveler.

As any idiot who has sweated and stumbled around Angkor in a pairing of jeans and Cuban heels will know, the vagaries of adventure are none too forgiving of an outfit more suited to Wall Street than a crumbling World Heritage Site. 

Traveling demands a practical approach to dressing, and that doesn’t tend to win much in the way of fashion kudos.

Yet if hipster chic is a no-no for obvious reasons of comfort, it is somewhat less clear why some of the following missteps have established themselves as acceptable travel accouterments over the years.

via www.cnngo.com

DOT moves to ban e-cigarettes on planes - CNN.com

(CNN) -- Puffing on electronic cigarettes is already a no-no on flights, but the government wants there to be no doubt.

The Department of Transportation is proposing to explicitly ban the use of the devices on planes.

"Airline passengers have rights, and this new rule would enhance passenger comfort and reduce any confusion surrounding the use of electronic cigarettes in flight," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Electronic cigarettes look like the real thing, but they're actually battery-operated devices that turn nicotine into a vapor that is inhaled by the user, according to the FDA.

They're a potential cause for concern because "there is a lack of scientific data and knowledge of the ingredients in electronic cigarettes," the DOT said.

But the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association criticized the move, insisting that the devices only emit water vapor.

"It makes absolutely zero sense," said Ray Story, the group's CEO.

via www.cnn.com

Traveling with pets: A top 10 list of hotels with creature comforts - latimes.com

American hotels and resorts increasingly are putting on the dog for guests who vacation with pets, says  travel website TripAdvisor, which has created a list of its top 10 picks for pet-friendly resorts in the U.S.

The list features properties that rate highly with TripAdvisor readers and includes city lodgings and beach resorts. 

Among the properties listed: a New York City hotel that offers the services of a dog psychic, a Massachusetts lodge that has concierge services that include dog walking and a Carmel inn that features nightly "Yappy Hour" cocktail parties.

TripAdvisor, which surveyed readers about traveling with animals, says that 44% have taken their pets on the road in the last 12 months and 47% plan to do so in the coming year.

“TripAdvisor’s survey shows that for 22% of pet-owners, finding quality pet-friendly accommodations is the most frustrating aspect of traveling with their animals," said Karen Drake, a representative. "While some accommodation options may be off-limits, there are countless fantastic properties which extend a warm welcome to four-legged companions.”

West Coast hotels that made TripAdvisor's top 10 list include Oregon’s Hotel Monaco Portland, (888) 207-2201, where travelers can pick up a map of pet-friendly local breweries (one even offers a doggie beer); and two Carmel hotels, the Cypress Inn, which has nightly meet-and-greet happy hour sessions fordogs and their owners, (800) 443-7443, and the Carmel Country Inn, (800) 215-6343, where unlimited dog biscuits are always available in the hotel kitchen.  

Others in the top 10:

Affinia Dumont, which offers a pet psychic, New York City; Ocean Park Resort, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Palomar Washington DC; Laughing Horse Lodge, Port Aransas, Texas; The Paw House Inn, West Rutland, Vt.;  La Quinta Inn & Suites, Valdosta, Ga.; and Hotel Marlowe, Cambridge, Mass., which has a concierge to walk dogs.

via www.latimes.com

Airport screening: The 'P word' and other possibilities - CNN.com

(CNN) -- A decade ago, tiny "travel-size" shampoos were fun stocking stuffers and a more expensive, more convenient means of packing toiletries for a trip. Now they're a reminder of the layered security landscape that has evolved at airports since the September 11, 2001, attacks.

As the 10-year anniversary of that day approaches, CNN asked security experts to weigh in on changes in aviation security in the United States since 9/11 and to offer a glimpse of what's likely to happen next.

The good news for the widely criticized Transportation Security Administration? Some security analysts like where the agency is headed.

"The TSA is exhibiting much more open-mindedness and has already accepted the concept that there is a need to look at people as well as what they carry," said Rafi Ron, president of Virginia-based New Age Security Solutions and former head of security of Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.

But despite all the hassles travelers now endure to get on an airplane, two experts' picks for the decade's most significant safety improvements had nothing to do with checkpoint screening. They were reinforced cockpit doors and the screening of checked luggage for explosives. So how do all the other measures -- the ones that aggravate the shoeless, jacket-less masses -- hold up in security analysts' eyes?

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World's 15 most expensive hotel suites - CNN.com

That's the philosophy behind all extravagant luxury goods, and nothing says "senseless overspending" like blowing thousands on a place to sleep, shower and store your clothes while you go about your day.

For anyone with a few hundred thousand to squander, this is a to-do list. For the rest of us, it's a can't-do, won't-do, don't-even-want-to-do list.

15. Peninsula Suite, The Peninsula, Hong Kong

US$10,000 per night

A stay at Hong Kong's grande dame begins at the airport, where you're picked up by a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce, part of The Pen's signature fleet.

Or, if you're feeling really flash (and flush), you can arrive by helicopter -- the hotel has two rooftop helipads for their super-rich guests.

At more than 371 square meters, The Peninsula suite, on the 26th floor, provides the most stunning vistas over Victoria Harbour, along with a 24-hour butler and chauffeur service, mini-gym and fully equipped kitchen.

+852 2920 2888; www.peninsula.com

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Flier comfort: Boeing 787 myths and facts - CNN.com

Editor's note: Brett Snyder writes a weekly CNN.com travel column. Snyder is the founder of air travel assistance site Cranky Concierge, and he writes the consumer air travel blog The Cranky Flier.

(CNN) -- The long-delayed and much-awaited Boeing 787 aircraft has finished testing and will see its first customer delivery next month to All Nippon Airways. Soon, you'll be able to hop on board this bird yourself, but would you even know it if you did?

Aircraft manufacturers like to promote the greatness of their new airplanes when it comes to passenger comfort, but many of those promises require the airline to actually configure planes the way the manufacturer suggests. That usually doesn't happen, despite grandiose ideas.

With the 787's entry into service approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some of the promises of the 787 to see which will actually hold up.

You'll have a lot more space: False

This is a favorite myth of any new airplane. When the 747 first came out, it had lounges with pianos. Then the airlines realized that they needed a lot more seats to make more money on each flight, and the lounges disappeared. This time, there was a lot of talk about more personal space, but that's really at the whim of each airline.

via www.cnn.com

Boeing rolls out 787 Dreamliner after years of delay - CNN.com

Everett, Washington (CNN) -- The Boeing 787 Dreamliner sparkled Saturday in rare Pacific northwest sunshine as the plane made its long-awaited debut.

Three years overdue and billions of dollars over the budget, Boeing will finally deliver the 787 Dreamliner to Japan's All Nippon Airways next month in Tokyo.

The plane is scheduled to be the first to carry commercial passengers in the 787 Dreamliner series, which has been plagued by delays but promises to revolutionize air travel.

"We are rolling out the first delivery airplane, the first 787. That's an amazing thing for those who have worked on the program five, six, seven years, here at Boeing and our partners around the world," said Scott Fancher, Boeing's vice president and general manager of the 787 program.

The plane is the first commercial airliner to be made mostly of carbon composites or super durable plastic. Those materials mean a lighter plane that Boeing says could use 20% less fuel than conventional airliners, making way for a more environmentally-friendly and cost effective aircraft option for airlines.

via www.cnn.com

Fliers won't get air travel tax refund - CNN.com

(CNN) -- As late as this morning, it looked like if you had traveled while the Federal Aviation Administration was shut down, there was a good chance that the government owed you a tax refund.

Those hopes have now been dashed as Congress decided to make the taxes retroactive to when the FAA shut down July 23.

If you were hoping to get some money back, it's not happening.

Tax collection doesn't have to begin again until the end of the day Monday, so buying tickets over the next few days will be a tricky process.

Congress periodically has to renew the authorization of the FAA to do a variety of things, and one of those things is collecting taxes on air travel.

As with everything in Washington, the left and the right tried to sneak in politically charged riders that prevented the FAA reauthorization from moving forward to fund projects such as the NextGen air traffic control overhaul.

via www.cnn.com