Flight Attendants is a significant step closer to a strike.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants is a significant step closer to a strike after the union and American Airlines failed to reach an agreement by the end of a five-day bargaining session. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said in a statement late Wednesday that the company left the bargaining table after the two parties were unable to reach a deal. The union said it will now contact the National Mediation Board to request a 30-day cooling-off period. At the end of that period, APFA said it can choose to engage in a strike or seek other types of Òself-help.Ó Mar 4, 2010
Airlines cancel flights as New York faces 2 feet of new snow.
The National Weather Service said the New York area should brace for as much as 24 inches of new snow. The weather has prompted airlines to cancel flights scheduled out of New York, Philadelphia and Boston. Amtrak also has canceled train service on its Empire Service line in New York. Mar 1, 2010
Airlines upgrade premium offerings as business fliers return to the air.
With premium air travel rising for the first time in more than 18 months, airlines are scrambling to woo high-revenue fliers who make all the difference to their bottom line. Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Continental Airlines are among the carriers installing the latest seats and upgrading their menus to compete with international rivals on long-haul flights. Mar 1, 2010
Canada opts for increased user fees to fund airport security.
Airline passengers in Canada will see security fees rise as much as $8.40 per flight on April 1 as the government seeks to fund a major increase in airport security. Airlines have said general funds should be used for full-body scanners and other security upgrades, arguing that new air travel fees would harm the struggling industry. But Transport Minister John Baird said Thursday that charging travelers was fairer than taxing all Canadians. "While we have a long way to go to emerge from this economic downturn, this increase, which is like the cost of earphones or a pillow in some cases, is necessary to protect air travelers from the threats of terrorism," he said. Mar 1, 2010
Carriers to curb flights at JFK as runway is being rebuilt.
Work on a runway at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport is prompting Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and other carriers to curtail flights during the summer season, leaving passengers flying through New York fewer choices. Takeoffs at the airport will be maintained at 525 daily instead of increasing to 650 this summer, the usual season total, according to Ernesto Butcher, an executive with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Mar 1, 2010
Homeland Security on track for air-bound cargo screening.
The Department of Homeland Security is reviewing several programs in preparation for its 2011 budget. According to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the department will proceed with 100% screening of U.S. air-bound cargo by the end of 2010. Napolitano also ordered a review of general aviation security measures after a private plane crashed into an IRS building in Texas last week. Mar 1, 2010
Winter storm disrupts flights in Northeast.
Nearly 1,000 flights have been canceled as a fierce winter storm lashed the Northeast with hurricane-force wind gusts and snowfalls predicted to reach up to two feet. Continental Airlines canceled more than half the flights at its Newark hub, while Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and US Airways canceled hundreds more from Baltimore to Buffalo. Aviation consultant Scott Nason estimated some carriers could take a $50 million to $60 million financial hit from a series of severe storms this quarter. Mar 1, 2010
Behind the scenes in an airline kitchen.
ABC's Scott Mayerowitz goes behind the scenes to report on airlines' attempts to improve the reputation of their food service. Jokes about airline food aren't just a matter of economics, he reports: Chefs must account for flight delays, high altitudes and other factors when planning their menus. Mar 1, 2010
No more opposite-sex screening in Canada.
Travelers who set off metal detectors in Canadian airports will now have their secondary screening conducted by a same-sex officer, under new rules implemented by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. An agency spokesman said the policy change was "simply CATSA's desire to improve its policies and procedures" and was not the result of any particular incident. Mar 1, 2010
Fake joints make for real hassle at airports.
Barbara Brotman has been getting pat-downs for years, she writes, thanks to an artificial hip that inevitably sets off airport metal detectors. While she has nothing but praise for the TSA screeners who wand her respectfully, "it does seem a waste of TSA's time," she writes. "We possessors of artificial hips and knees make unlikely terrorists. If you were to profile us, the organization we would most likely belong to would be AARP." Mar 1, 2010
Radiation experts debate health risks of full-body scanners.
Full-body scanners pose no health threat because their radiation levels are very low, says Dr. Mahadevappa Mahesh of Johns Hopkins University Medical School. "The radiation used in these machines is low-intensity and doesn't even transmit through the body; it reflects off the skin," says Mahesh, who notes that fliers are exposed to more radiation in the airplane than in the airport. But Arjun Makhijani, president of the Institute of Energy and Environmental Research, isn't so sure. "By the conventional methods of calculation, once you expose billions of people to these very low doses of radiation, you will induce some cancers, and a few cancer deaths every year," he argues. Mar 1, 2010
Airlines have a long way to go when it comes to recycling the massive amounts of waste generated.
A new report by the nonprofit environmental group Green America reveals that many of the airlines commonly flown by Americans have a long way to go when it comes to recycling the massive amounts of waste generated on passenger flights. Mar 1, 2010
