SEPTEMBER 2008

USA Today - September 30, 2008
Fuel Gamble: Southwest's Hedges Give It An Advantage
While most airline customers have had to grapple with fare hikes and new fees, those flying Southwest "have had a smoother trip" thanks largely to the company's efforts to lock in fuel at pre-set prices...

msnbc - September 29, 2008
Four rules travelers should know for 2009
Changes on horizon, and being caught unaware will cost time, frustration...

msnbc - September 29, 2008
Airfares Aren't Taking Off Everywhere
Despite gloomy predictions and reports, some prices drop, rise moderately...

Reuters - September 29, 2008
Mexican Government To Invest MXN5 Billion In New Pacific Resort
MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- The Mexican government plans to invest 5 billion pesos ($454.4 million) in the development of a new major tourism resort in the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa, President Felipe Calderon said Monday.

Reuters - September 29, 2008
Thomas Cook Up On Arcandor Relief; Keeps Condor
LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Shares in Europe's second-biggest travel firm, Thomas Cook (TCG.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), were the biggest FTSE-100 .FTSE riser on Monday after its 53 percent shareholder Arcandor (AROG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said it would not need to sell any of its stake in the group.

Reuters - September 29, 2008
TUI Travel Confident Of Meeting Fy Expectations
LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - TUI Travel (TT.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Europe's biggest travel firm, said on Monday it is confident of meeting its expectations...

USA Today - September 26, 2008
Flier Outrage Forces Airlines To Back Down On Some -- But Not All -- Changes
Continental is reinstating its practice of awarding a minimum 500 miles per flight, but only for elite-level members of its OnePass frequent flier program...

USA Today - September 25, 2008
Delta, Northwest Shareholders Ok Merger Combo Plan
NEW YORK — Delta Air Lines shareholders gave the go-ahead Thursday to the company's purchase of Northwest Airlines by approving the issuance of new stock as part of the transaction.

Reuters - September 25, 2008
Lufthansa CEO Sees Merger Talk Readiness
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHAG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Chief Executive Wolfgang Mayrhuber said there is great willingness to discuss mergers in the airline industry as carriers seek to cut costs, a magazine reported.

msnbc - September 23, 2008
Preview of a Passengers’ Bill of Rights
A passengers' bill of rights recently passed in Canada gives travelers entitlement to a meal after a four-hour delay, a voucher for a hotel after an eight-hour delay and the right to get off a plane after waiting more than 90 minutes.

Reuters - September 23, 2008
Airlines Tougher On Company Travel
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cash-strapped airlines are more aggressively cutting corporate discounts or pulling contracts entirely if businesses fall short of their air travel commitments, business travel executives said on Tuesday.

The Economist - September 23, 2008
Air Canada Drops Its Second-Bag Fee
IN A first for a major North American airline, Air Canada has dropped the C$25 ($24) fee it was levying on passengers checking in a second piece of luggage.

Reuters - September 23, 2008
Car-Rental Firms On Overdrive To Stave Off Crisis
BANGALORE (Reuters) - As falling travel rates and rising fuel prices wallop the U.S. car-rental industry...

The Economist - September 18, 2008
JetBlue's eBay Success
JETBLUE'S recent use of eBay to sell tickets by online auction was a success, says this week’s Economist.

USA Today - September 18, 2008
Five Ways Airline Capacity Cuts Will Affect You
You've probably read about the legacy and low-fare airlines making big "capacity cuts" throughout this year, but you may not know how those cuts will affect you.

The Economist - September 16, 2008
United's $50 Second-Bag Charge
UNITED AIRLINES is to charge economy-class passengers on domestic American flights (plus services to Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands) $50 to check in a second item of baggage.

USA Today - September 12, 2008
Alaska Airlines to Cut 1,000 jobs
Alaska Airlines says it will cut up to 1,000 jobs and reduce flight departures by 15% as record oil prices and a slowing economy take their toll.

Other agencies/airlines that have just tanked:

Seguro (UK) Travel agent
Futura (Spanish) Air line
Alitalia (Italy) National Air line
Ryanair (UK) Discount Air line

USA Today - September 12, 2008
Thousands of Travelers Stranded As Uk Tour Operator Xl Collapses
LONDON — Thousands of British travelers were stranded Friday when the country's third-largest tour operator collapsed under pressure from high fuel prices and a sagging economy.

USA Today - September 11, 2008
Continental: Charging for a First Checked Bag To Net $100M
HOUSTON (AP) — Continental Airlines said it continues to expect that it will carry fewer customers in the U.S. but collect more from them, including more than $100 million a year in fees and savings by charging travelers to check luggage.

USA Today - September 12, 2008
Fewer Flights Could Mean Longer Connection Times
Worried about catching your connecting flight this fall? Airline passengers who connect at four hub airports will gain at least some extra time this fall, at a time when jet fuel prices have resulted in reduced flight schedules.

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