Shanghai Airlines, a Chinese regional carrier, predicted on Tuesday that it would post a loss for 2007, deteriorating from a net profit of 8.2 million yuan ($1.1 million) in 2006.
The airline posted a loss of 134.5 million yuan in the first half of last year, but said at the time that earnings were improving and a full-year profit was very likely. Read More…
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U.S., U.K. regulators impose nearly $550 million in penalties for collusion.
British Airways was fined almost $550 million on Wednesday by U.S. and British regulators after the airline acknowledged colluding with rival Virgin Atlantic over fuel surcharges.
Full Story here.
The United States is continuing to sink on the radar of places foreigners want to visit, even as the worlds tourism pie continues to grow. Its a problem that has the potential to deeply affect the future health of the lodging business stateside as the Federal Government continues to put up blockades for those that want to spend their vacations here.
And while its understandable the Government is trying to protect Americans with certain in-place policies, the overall effect of a restrictive visitor visa policy is turning off potential vacationers to the idea of an American getaway.
At a luncheon last week sponsored by the Big Apple chapter of the Hospitality, Sales and Marketing Association International, a representative of the Travel Industry Association discussed the challenges faced by American lodging companies.
Very recently we saw a change in the rules, which made passport necessary for the people traveling to Canada and Caribbean. Well, it turns out that the backlog of passport applications is so great that the US will relax those rules and permit Americans to travel to these countries without a passport.
This change again puts a question mark on the security issues for which the earlier rule was made. Now the question is – Is the US officials are putting the security on stake to generate more revenues?
Probably yes.
According to The Transportation Security Administration, the new technology is in development that will screens bottles for liquid explosives at the USA’s busiest airports this summer.
The agency plans to deploy 200 machines at airports to detect a certain explosive in the containers passengers are allowed to bring through security checkpoints.
“It’s designed to detect a very specific type of liquid threat that is found in common household liquids,” company marketing director Bruce Cumming tells USA TODAY. The TSA says the machines address some of the concerns raised in August after a thwarted terrorist plot to bomb U.S.-bound jets with liquid explosives.
USA TODAY says “the hand-held machines will not ease restrictions that limit passengers to carrying small containers of liquids and gels on board aircraft, TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe said. They will primarily check bottles holding medicines, baby formula and other items that passengers can carry on board in unlimited quantities.” Howe tells the paper: “It may not necessarily mean any specific benefit to the traveling public other than enhanced security.” The TSA already has tested the devices in Miami and Newark.
Disney becomes no Smoking Zone
From June 1, visitors to Disney will no longer be allowed to smoke in rooms or outdoors on balconies and patios at any of the company’s 22 hotels, resorts and time-share properties. Smoking is already limited to designated areas within theme parks and public spaces. Hotels that are near Disney, but not owned by the Walt Disney Company will not affected by the ban.
American Airlines this week is rolling out on a limited basis new entertainment gadgets in a move that could shape the future in-flight options on the world’s largest carrier.
Portable in-flight entertainment devices have been around for years. American’s move is significant because devices have been mostly limited to international routes. Unlike American’s digital download device, most have been simple DVD players.
American’s is the first portable device with newly released movies and daily updated news programming, says Michael Childers, managing director of programming firm IMS, which updates the content for American Airlines. Passenger reaction will help the airline decide whether to expand the program.
Since Tuesday, American has been providing first- and business class customers on some transcontinental flights a device featuring a seven-inch touch-screen monitor. Developed by France-based Archos, American is offering it on New York-Los Angeles and New York-San Francisco flights on Boeing 767-200s and some 767-300s. Next month, American will offer the devices on Miami-San Francisco flights.
The device contains 12 movies, some of which aren’t yet released on DVDs. Examples of available movies: Music and Lyrics, The Painted Veil and Catch and Release. It carries 15 hours of news, TV shows, music videos and the equivalent of 50 CDs of music.
Airlines find the portable devices attractive because they are cheaper than installing seatback entertainment systems. Childers says Alaska started the in-flight portable devices trend several years ago, and the Seattle-based carrier now has rents a similar system called Digeplayer. — with nine movies, music and TV shows — on long haul flights. United also offers a portable DVD player with 10 movies for premium class passengers on transcontinental flights.
Source: USA Today
According to ZDNet’s columnist David Berlind, Expedia has manipulated its information systems and business processes in a way that extends the life of a transaction so that the travel site can spam its customers with special travel deals and offers even though its customers may have opted out from such offers.
For whatever reasons, Expedia apparently believes that its e-mail qualifies as a transactional e-mail and is therefore exempt from the Can Spam Act. It’s probably for this reason that e-mail is also void of any instructions or links for unsubscribing. So, is that it? Since Expedia sees its coupon offers as transactional e-mails, does that mean I’m stuck and that I must receive them from here until eternity?
There’s no coupon in the e-mail, just a reminder that you have access to one. So maybe that’s how Expedia does it. It loads everyone’s account with a special coupon and then, Expedia thinks because they’ve loaded one into your account, it gets to send you e-mail about it.
Sorry, that work-around doesn’t work for me. My sense is that Expedia is way out of line and is operating in open violation of the Can Spam Act on at least two counts. First, ignoring the e-mail preferences of its customers. Second, sending commercial e-mail with no clearly marked unsubscribe links.
“Soon you’ll be able to rent a chic, mini-hotel room at Gatwick and Heathrow airports. The new concept, called Yotel, is a mix between the tiny cubicles popular in high-rent Japanese cities and British Airways’ stylish first-class cabin. (Customers are called ‘passengers.’)”
“The ultra-modern, windowless Yotel rooms cost about $50 for a four-hour block, with hourly extensions available. Overnight stays start at about $110. Price includes free Internet access, workstation, on-demand movies and mood lighting. The first Yotel at Gatwick opens in May; the second opens at Heathrow in July. In the future, you could see Yotels pop up in other airports and central-city locations.”
Source: USA Today
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