Thursday, September 27, 2012

Passengers Still Demand DOT Action For Full Disclosure

The Department of Transportation (DOT)this year required all travel agencies to fully disclose the cost of the airfares, including all taxes and fees. Airlines however are still not required to clearly display the variety of charges that they subject passengers to thus making it impossible to do reasonable comparisons of the costs of travel. The airlines have also been reluctant to allow agents access to these ancillary fees even though all global distribution systems (GDS) are ready to implement them. A federal rulemaking is expected to address this flaw in the airline distribution process by the U.S. Department of Transportation(DOT). www.premieretravel.com

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Oil Drops Below $90 But Airlines Raise Fares Sighting High Fuel Costs

Last month, price of oil and its jet fuel derrivative rose. Immediately, airlines increased fares to compensate. Now oil is back to where it was before the increase, and the airlines' response? Another fare increase! The Department of Transportation (DOT) ignores the price fixing that airlines have perfected over the years. One airline raises fares and waits for other airlines to match. If they do, the fare increase stays. If they don't, the maverick airline rolls back the increase "to stay competitive". www.premieretravel.com

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

More Operational Pain at American Airlines

American Airlines once again announced capacity cuts of 2% in addition to previous cuts through the end of October due "pilot retirements, sick calls and mechanical issues". Recently American won a court ruling allowing it to cut pay of its pilots. The airline has succeeded in bankruptcy court to toss the labor agreements with its pilots. The "sick calls" and pilots' anger over labor issues and new rules are likely to add a big uncertainty to American's ability to provide reliable service to many destinations in the next several weeks. www.premieretravel.com

Friday, September 14, 2012

Spirit Airlines Honeymoon is Over

Wall Street's love affair with Spirit Airlines and its brash management appears to be over. The stock took a beating today after the company disclosed its disappointing August load factors. Passengers are also catching on to the Spirit pricing model which underprices the base fare but carries a big hefty assortment of fees that puts the price on par with the competition. Spirit is the only carrier that charges for carry-on bags. It recently responded to passnegers' complaints about this fee by announcing that they would more than double that to a whopping $100 for the first bag. www.premieretravel.com

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

New Livery Over Washington Skies

Emirates will start daily non-stop service between Washington Dulles and Dubai September 12. The service will use the latest Boeing 777 Extended Range and will feature top flight amenities. In celebration of this launch, Emirates introduced promotional fares and upgrades. www.premieretravel.com

Friday, September 7, 2012

Mileage Plus Members Can Sign Up for TSA Pre-Screen

If you are a MileagePlus® member, you will need to sign into your account to apply for pre-screening. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is implementing an expedited security screening program at participating airports that will allow certain travelers to move through security with greater efficiency and ease when traveling on an itinerary wholly within the United States. The TSA manages and operates this pre-screening program as described below. Please contact the TSA for information and answers to questions. How it works: If you apply to the program, the TSA will determine your eligibility for expedited screening prior to each flight and will embed this information in the barcode of your boarding pass. When you arrive at a participating airport, go to the designated security checkpoint where the TSA agent will scan your boarding pass and direct you to the assigned pre-screening lane if you are eligible for that flight. In this lane, you may no longer need to remove the following items: Shoes (some, such as steel-toed shoes, may require removal) 3-1-1 compliant bag from your carry-on (all liquid restrictions still apply) Laptop from your bag (if electronics are stacked on top of each other, they require removal) Light outerwear or jacket Belt (large belt buckles may require removal)
Please note, the TSA uses random and unpredictable security measures. Therefore, you are not guaranteed expedited screening for every flight, even if you have applied to the program. www.premieretravel.com

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Global Entry Saves Time

A TSA program designed to expedite travelers entering the U.S. offers significant time savings and conveniences for inbound travelers from overseas. At airports, program participants proceed to Global Entry kiosks, present their machine-readable passport or U.S. permanent resident card, place their fingertips on the scanner for fingerprint verification, and make a customs declaration. The kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs the traveler to baggage claim and the exit. Travelers must be pre-approved for the Global Entry program. All applicants undergo a rigorous background check and interview before enrollment. While Global Entry's goal is to speed travelers through the process, members may be selected for further examination when entering the United States. Any violation of the program's terms and conditions will result in appropriate enforcement action and revocation of the traveler's membership privileges. To apply, go to www.globalentry.gov www.premieretravel.com