airlines (136)

Miramar, Florida (Tripatini Newswire) Lowfare carrier Spirit Airlines, notable in recent years for pushing the envelope with its advertising as well as add-on fees such as the one imposed in 2010 for items stored in overhead bins,today again put itself in the forefront of the à-la-carte surcharges wave. CEO Ben Baldanza announced that as of September 1, Spirit will be instituting two additional fees, one built into the ticket price and another charged in-flight.

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The in-flight charge will be $1

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Mixing the Business Trip With The Family Vacation

The road warrior, the business traveler represents a huge 50% or more of a hotel’s revenue, so the report just out in Travel Leaders  was good news..

The 2011 business travel survey suggested that 76% of business-focused travel agents are predicting their booking will match or exceed bookings for 2010, and while they were at it, they identified the top reasons a business traveler books a hotel.

But what we found very interesting in the same report,
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From NMT Images

Arianna Huffington Refuses To Turn Off Cell Phone In Flight

If anyone can buck the rules, Arianna Huffington can. And does.

The out-spoken founder of the Huffington Post reportedly refused to turn off her mobile device during a weekend Dulles to LaGuardia flight, and, according to an irate passenger, she chatted and texted the entire time.

The Washington Post reported that the angry passenger confronted Huffington and both were pulled aside and questioned when the plane landed, but n

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Singapore Airlines - Always Number One!


 Flying Singapore can be a depressing experience because you may wish you could choose them on every route, domestic and international. Their excellence and consistency shows just how good an airline can be and just how awful many US carriers really are. They are the first airline to take delivery of ...the new Airbus 380. Why are they considered the best airline in the world? Start with the newest, most sumptuous aircraft, add some of the best flight attendants, and food that can actually be me

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From NMT Images

Saying “Bye” to Continental’s Name... And Free Food

With the Continental-United merger a done deal watch for the legacy name “Continental” to fade into history.

The Houston Chronicle says that Jeff Simisek, Continental’s CEO, starts his new job as CEO of the new United Airlines, a fleet now carrying the name of United but the Continental emblem.

The Continental name and logo won’t disappear tomorrow, and the airlines will continue to fly separately for a 18 months or so until they g
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From NMT Images

FAA Creates New Regs Limiting Flying Time For Pilots

Even Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, admitted that it took the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) longer than it should have.

But now the 15 months spent crafting a plan to lessen pilots’ flying hours, thus reducing the dangers of pilot fatigue, are about to become a reality.

The rules, which were announced a couple of days ago, will make it mandatory for pilots to have 9 hours of rest between work days, instead of the cur
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The world’s first carbon neutral airline, Nature Air, has been named theOverall Winner in Conde Nast Traveler’s World Savers Awards in theairline category. Among 32 honorees chosen from 164 applicants for theprestigious award, Nature Air was recognized as an industry leader inaddressing issues of global poverty, health, education and environmentaldepredation.

The Costa Rica-based airline wasacknowledged for comprehensive efforts to compensate for its carbonemissions and social initiatives to prom
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From NMT Images

When James Hough’s pet puppy, Iagan, died on Delta flight #125 from Brussels to Atlanta in February, he was devastated.

But not paralyzed. He confronted Delta, which initially offered him $1,800 in compensation.

But Hough wanted answers, not money, so he persisted in trying to determine just how his dog died. He asked to see the original crate Iagan was carried in.

Instead, Delta sent a brand new crate, representing it as the original one.
Hough challenged Delta, which then withdrew
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Southwest Airlines and AirTran Tie The Knot

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From NMT Images
Southwest and AirTran Tie The Knot

And the mergers go on.

As Continental and United work toward a seamless merger, today’s news that Southwest Airline will acquire competitor AirTran in effect continues to reduce airline choices for travelers, and continues to hold them hostage to the pricing and fee whims of fewer and fewer airlines.

Southwest, admittedly one of the few airlines not to burden passengers with fees and hidden costs, will pay 1.4 billion in a cash and stock purchase fo
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Dogs Die On Airline Flights

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From NMT Images
Dogs Die On Airline Flights

A couple of things surprised me in the just-released AP/USA Travel Department of Transportation (DOT) report that 122 dogs died on airplanes since May 2005.

I was surprised that DOT only required reporting the death of dogs in transport since 2005. What took them so long? Did dog deaths not matter much?

And candidly I was surprised by some of the callous comments made on an MSNBC web page by readers.
One asked if there were "Any volunteers to ship your sma
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Dumping the 3-1-1 Rule

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From Blogger Pictures

It’s not official, and the Transportation Security Administration is tight-lipped, but practically speaking, the unpopular and probably ineffective 3-1-1 flight rule (no gels, aerosols or liquid) is all but dead.

3-1-1 limited passengers’ rights to carry any kind of liquid on a plane to a 3.4 ounce bottle, in a 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-lock bag, with a limit of 1 bag per passenger, placed in screening bin.
The agency’s web site still posts the restriction, but MSNBC
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Continental and United Airlines Tie The Knot, Say “I do.”
It seems the final “I do’s” or at least ”I promise to try” have been spoken in the long and somewhat rocky courtship between Continental Airlines and UAL Corp’s United Airlines creating the biggest airline in the world. It will surpass Delta Air Lines in terms of the number of passengers carried.

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From Blogger Pictures
The talks stalled in 2008 when Continental’s CEO Larry Kellner squashed the deal either because of excessive caution or fear
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The misdirected attempt to declare carry-on baggage "essential" so that it would be subject to the transportation excise tax won't affect airlines at all. It will on add a 7.5% tax on top of the baggage fees that is paid by passengers.Should Schumer and his cosponsors prevail (I doubt that they will), the cost of any carry-on bag will go up by 7.5 percent. The excise tax is a separate tax on top of other taxes and exclusively paid for by passengers, not the airlines.http://www.consumertraveler.c
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From From Kaleel

Debut of Inside Trip.Com: Adding Big Value to Airfare Searches

Last week marked the debut of InsideTrip.com, a new breed of airfare meta search engine.

While Kayak and other legacy search engines are perfectly capable of coming up with comparative air fares, the well-laid out, graphics-driven InsideTrip.com takes the search experience to a new level.
It evaluates an airline's itinerary and scores it, assigning it a "Trip Quality" rating based on twelve factors including aircraft a
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Traveling by plane is of course one of the safest (and fastest) methods of getting from point A to point B, but crowded airports, long waits at security checkpoints and baggage restrictions can make flying a nightmare when you have a disability.


With the help of legislation and strong advocacy, airlines and airports are making it more accessible for travelers with disabilities. We’ve created a fully accessible guide to help you navigate the airports, with tips and tricks to make f

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7 Travel Health Tips for Your Next Trip

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by Phil Paoletta

Whether it’s a mild cold, a stubborn case of the runs, or occasionally something worse, many of us have had the unfortunate experience of getting sick on the road. Illness of any kind can derail or even ruin your trip, which is why it’s important to avoid catching something in the first place. Some of these tips will seem like no-brainers, but you’d be surprised how easily they can fall between the cracks in the whirlwind of travel. Stay mindful, though, and stay healthy.

Do S

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