Travel Briefs
United and Continental Form Partnership
Continental Airlines and United Airlines announced a framework agreement to cooperate extensively, linking their networks and services worldwide. Route systems for Continental and United networks are complementary, with little overlap and each carrier will take part in domestic codeshare flights and frequent flier programs and lounges. In addition, Continental plans to join United in the Star Alliance.
Delta and NWA Pilots Reach Pre-Merger Agreement
In April, Delta announced its Northwest merger plans, where the new company would be called Delta and headquartered in Atlanta. A major merger milestone was reached as Delta and Northwest pilots have a tentative agreement on a joint contract to take effect upon closing of the Delta-Northwest merger, expected later this year. Combined, the company and its regional partners will provide customers access to more than 390 destinations in 67 countries.
Hertz Launches Friendlier Refueling Policy
Hertz announced a new refueling program, which will reduce the price of the Fuel Purchase Option (FPO) to reflect the average price per gallon in the geographical area where the car is rented. Translation: customers who don't refill the fuel tank before returning the rental vehicle will be charged a local gas price, plus a one-time refueling fee of $6.99. For customers who elect to purchase a tank of gas at the outset of the rental, the fuel price will also reflect local market fuel prices minus a small discount of approximately $0.15 per gallon.
Delta Adds Fuel Surcharge to Award Tickets
Faced with unprecedented fuel costs, Delta Air Lines announced it was adding a fuel surcharge to SkyMiles Award Tickets originating from the U.S. and Canada. Effective August 15, 2008, the SkyMiles program will add: a $25 surcharge for Award Travel between the 50 states and Canada; and a $50 surcharge for Award Travel between the 50 states/Canada and all international destinations. This fuel surcharge will not impact existing ticketed award itineraries or award tickets issued prior to August 15, 2008.
American and United Restrict Refundable Fares
American Airlines and United Airlines have each introduced new ticketing restrictions on refundable fares within the U.S. and Canada. For premium cabin and full fare coach inventories, there will now be a ticketing purchase requirement of three days before departure or one day after the reservation is made, whichever comes later. Prior to this change, customers buying any premium cabin and full fare coach ticket could make a reservation without purchasing the ticket immediately. Now travelers are required to purchase tickets within the stated timelines or the reservations will be canceled by the airline.
Delta's New Baggage Charge and Rebate
Delta customers, who check a second bag beginning August 5, will
see an increase in the fee from $25 to $50. Delta will also
be raising fees for items that require special handling like
surfboards and ski equipment.
See latest Airline Baggage Policies.
In addition, Delta customers, who purchased tickets prior to
April 9, 2008 and traveled on or after May 5 and were charged
a $25 fee to check a second bag, are eligible for a rebate of
the fee. To request a rebate, customers should complete this form.
Rebates are limited to $25 per passenger, per flight.
The $25 fee for a second checked bag continues to apply for
all tickets purchased on or after April 9.
In other Delta news, the carrier announced new nonstop daily
service between New York's JFK and Buenos Aires, Argentina,
starting Dec. 18, 2008.
Continental Relaxes Same-Day Change Policy
Continental Airlines announced a new policy allowing customers to make changes to flights within 24 hours of their original scheduled departure for a discounted change fee. Within the 24-hour same-day period, customers with restricted tickets may change to another flight departing within 12 hours for the discounted fee. Continental previously allowed customers to choose from flights departing within three hours. The fee will be $50 (or $25 for Continental's OnePass Platinum and Gold Elite members). Read more.
United Rolls Out New O'Hare Red Carpet Club
United Airlines opened its first new Red Carpet Club since 2000 at Chicago O'Hare. The club is adjacent to gate B18 in O'Hare's Terminal 1 and includes power outlets accessible from nearly every seat and creatively designed work stations. Enhanced food and beverage options in the club will include two serving areas, a bar, and two self-service juice and soda stations.
Flight Reading
Security Ponders Small Change
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has some loose
change on its hands, about $1 million worth left by travelers at
airport security checkpoints nationwide. It's no small change,
and USA Today explores how abandoned change adds up for the TSA.
Airlines Opposed Program Requiring Digital Fingerprints
The U.S. government wants airlines and cruise ship companies to
collect digital fingerprints of all foreign customers before they
leave the U.S. Opposition and costs runs high for the program,
with early projections saying the travel industry would be saddled
with $12.5 billion in costs over ten years. Read more.
EU Looks to Revamp Air Traffic Management System
The European Union (EU) is seeking to overhaul its air traffic
system and standardize and modernize its protocols and procedures
to assimilate many organizations under one single sky initiative.
Read more.
State Department Alerts
Read U.S. State Department Travel Warnings and Consular Information by Country.
The Egencia Promise
Have you heard about the Egencia Promise and our new Flight Price Guarantee? Learn more.
Travel Light
Travel Trivia Embraces an Artful Summer
The New York City Waterfalls project is art on a monumental scale,
drawing a total of 35,000 gallons of water per minute between its
four locations. Which iconic bridge hosts one such installation
from one of its piers?
Find answer here.
What is the world's largest museum complex, boasting 19 museums,
9 research centers and a national zoo?
Find answer here.
The Louvre may house the Mona Lisa, but this gallery's permanent
collection has Ginevra de' Benci, the only portrait in the United
States painted by Leonardo da Vinci. Where can you see it?
Find answer here.
A Traveler's Tiding
"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."-Ada Louise Huxtable
E-mail this issue of Travel Update by clicking the image below. 
Business Class
with Tom Conway
What, Me Complain
About Air Travel?
One too many trips to the airport has left me a keen observer
of human behavior, a bystander to the bizarre, an onlooker to
the odd.
At times I liken my time in the terminal to a rerun
of the bar scene in the first Star Wars movie; though in most
cases, I feel like I'm the alien.
Sure air travel has become convoluted and difficult, but no
matter how many times I fly, I'm puzzled by the number of travelers
unfamiliar with the protocols and realities of post-9/11 travel.
I've come to expect that if 20 people are in line before me,
that 15 will be unaware that shoes need be removed through security,
meals are no longer served on domestic flights, space for carryons
is limited and that flight attendants don't like being called
stewards or stewardesses.
As a patient and chronically-early traveler, I try not to sweat
the small stuff and to pick my travel battles accordingly. It's
easy for expectations to be low, but in recent months I've noticed
that some complaints are more irritating than the offenses cited.
There are valid complaints, and then there are those begging for
scrutiny, or at least my scrutiny.
For example, on my last trip, a family seated across from me
complained (from boarding to cruising altitude) that the TSA agent
deliberately took extra time with their driver licenses, poring
over every detail unnecessarily. (Okay.)
On the window seat,
a fellow whined about the beer selection. (What, no Stella Artois?)
Behind me, a troupe clad in flip-flops, t-shirts and short-shorts
took issue with the cabin temperature (every 12-14 minutes). Their
grousing died down when the ambient cabin temperature reached the
heat setting reserved for baked potatoes on my countertop toaster oven.
Perhaps my favorite complaint of the flight was directed toward
a wonderfully animated and friendly flight attendant (one who
brought the portly, sweating man lots of bottled water).
Someone remarked to me that she seemed fake and phony and a bit too happy.
(This was a tough crowd.) I remarked that I take every smile for
its face value and applaud her valiant effort to make us all feel
welcome (and keep me hydrated).
I'm sure that minutes later; said passenger revised her
featured complaint to "I sat next to the most dreadful man...."
I bet you can do better, what are some of the most outlandish
travel complaints you've overheard?
Share or comment here.
Have a question for Tom?
Tom Conway, who only complains about complaining, looks forward to your questions, comments and travel tips at bizclass@expedia.com.
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