SEPTEMBER 2009

USA-Today - September 25, 2009
Fees fatten airline revenue by $3.8 billion
U.S. airlines are raking in more money this year from extra fees, although fewer people are flying.

msnbc - September 25, 2009
Airlines add $10 surcharge over the holidays
MINNEAPOLIS - American and United airlines this week have added $10 surcharges for most of their tickets for travel on three busy days around Thanksgiving and New Year's holidays.

msnbc - September 23, 2009
Pet-friendly airlines instituting insurance guidelines for carriers
Eight of America’s pet-friendly airlines today announced the launch of a new travel program that will put an end to the ongoing problem of travelers and their pets being bumped from flights because the pet carrier does not meet the airline requirements.

Airport Business - September 21, 2009
Flight Ban On Liquids To Be Lifted.... But Not At All Airports
AIR passengers face two years of confusion over how much liquid they can carry in hand luggage.

USA-Today - September 20, 2009
Reader to Hyatt Hotels: "Shame on you" for outsourcing housekeepers
Few of the comments received this weekend about Hyatt Hotels' decision to fire about 100 of its housekeepers at three Boston-area hotels and replace them with outsourced workers expressed empathy for hotel operator. In fact, some readers say they won't stay at Hyatts again because of the move.

Economist - September 19, 2009
How annoying is this?
YOU WON'T believe this one. On a recent flight from Denver to Tucson, Joe Sharkey, the New York Times' "On the Road" columnist, was told that "according to FAA regulations," no one on the plane could place anything in the seat-back pockets.

Reuters - September 18, 2009
U.S. airlines to fare better than global carriers
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. airlines are expected to fare better than most of their foreign counterparts this year because they are trimming unprofitable routes and beefing up balance sheets as the economy begins to rebound.

CNN Travel - September 18, 2009
Stricter punishments for passengers behaving badly
(CNN) -- On a recent Southwest Airlines flight, a man dropped his pants and exposed himself to the female passenger sitting next to him, then punched her, according to an FBI affidavit. The plane was in midair, and the naked man reportedly grew angrier, screaming uncontrollably and shaking his fist in the air.

TravelDailyNews.com - September 14, 2009
U.S. Senate passes ‘Travel Promotion Act’
The U.S. Senate passed S. 1023, the "Travel Promotion Act," with strong bipartisan support, 79 to 19.

Economist - September 14, 2009
Three minutes too late to rent
BE VERY careful if you arrange to pick up a hire car in the evening: arrive even the tiniest bit late and you could get a nasty shock.

Economist - September 4, 2009
Occupancy rates aren't what they were
In Mexico City, more than half of all hotel rooms lie empty. Rio is one of only six cities where hotels are busier. The occupancy rate there has risen to 65%, just above the global average of 63%.

USA-Today - September 4, 2009
As rental car fleets shrink, rates they charge drivers are rising
Rental car rates are climbing, despite sluggish demand resulting from fewer people traveling.

Reuters - September 4, 2009
American Air, FAA dispute may escalate: report
(Reuters) - AMR Corp's American Airlines faces an increasing dispute with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulators over allegedly improper repairs to at least 16 aircraft, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

TravelDailyNews.com - September 4, 2009
Vacation more important than education say 66% of Skyscanner users
Going on holiday has been voted more important than getting educated in a recent poll on travel search site Skyscanner.

USA-Today - September 4, 2009
Mexican tourism mostly dodges Hurricane Jimena
The popular Mexican resort of Los Cabos got a big breather this week, as Hurricane Jimena roared by without causing any significant damage to the southern Baja California towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

Airport Business - September 3, 2009
Airlines make cuts to survive economic slump
American Airlines is cutting 921 flight attendant jobs and Southwest will temporarily halt non-stop flights on three routes early next year in the latest examples of airlines trying to cope with a steep drop in air travel.

USA Today - September 3, 2009
Hawaiian Airlines latest to charge for first checked bag
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaiian Airlines says it will join its competitors in charging a fee for the first checked bag on interisland flights.

msnbc - September 2, 2009
Mexico lifts ban on using cell phones on planes
MEXICO CITY - Hola from the skies! Mexico no longer bans chatting on cell phones during flights.

Reuters - September 2, 2009
Hurricane Jimena batters western Mexico
SAN CARLOS, Mexico, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Hurricane Jimena smashed flimsy buildings, bent trees and tore fishing boats from their moorings as it collided with Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Wednesday.

Economist - September 1, 2009
Legislation and in-flight phone calls
WHILE finding the idea of a plane full of mobile-phone conversations as noxious as the next person, Gulliver is not convinced that it is government’s role to legislate against it. Peter DeFazio, a Democrat Congressman, believes otherwise, though. He wants to stop passengers on American airlines from talking into their mobile phones, as is now permitted in the European Union, and the legislation he authored recently passed through the House of Representatives.

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