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A federal judge in New York has blocked a threatened strike by Northwest Airlines flight attendants that could have resulted in some flights being delayed or even canceled. With just hours to go before the flight attendants’ Friday deadline, the court prohibited them from implementing any organized work stoppages.

“As summer vacation seasons winds down, this is very welcome news,” said Consumer Help Web president Joan Bounacos. “Northwest did a great job weathering their mechanic’s strike in 2005, but this could have ruined many people’s vacations.”

Commenting on Judge Victor Marrero’s decision, Doug Steenland, Northwest’s president and chief executive officer, said, “We remain committed to negotiating a consensual agreement with our flight attendants and hope to accomplish that goal in the near future.”

The Labor Day Holiday weekend starts next Friday.

Posted under Travel

In response to a serious terrorist threat to international aviation security, the Secretary of Homeland Security has elevated the Homeland Security Advisory System Threat Condition to Severe, or Red, for all commercial flights from the United Kingdom to the United States, and to High, or Orange, for all other international flights and all domestic commercial aviation.

There are approximately 106 flights per day between the United Kingdom and the United States. Although numerous arrests have been made in the U.K. to disrupt and neutralize this threat, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is taking a number of heightened protective measures to ensure the continued safety and security of our international and domestic air travel.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will be implementing a series of security measures – some visible and some not visible – to ensure the security of the traveling public and the Nation’s transportation system. TSA is immediately implementing following changes to airport screening procedures:

NO LIQUIDS OR GELS OF ANY KIND WILL BE PERMITTED IN CARRY-ON BAGGAGE. ITEMS MUST BE IN CHECKED BAGGAGE. This includes all beverages, shampoo, suntan lotion, creams, tooth paste, hair gel, and other items of similar consistency.

Exception: Baby formula and breast milk if a baby or small child is traveling; prescription medicine with a name that matches the passenger’s ticket; and insulin and essential other non-prescription medicines

* Beverages purchased in the sterile area must be consumed before boarding because they will not be permitted onboard the aircraft.
* Passengers traveling from the U.K. to the U.S. will be subject to a more extensive screening process.

Posted under Travel

Bowing to pressure from rising fuel costs, Southwest Airlines has raised its maximum fare to $309.

The airline, which is known for no-frills flying including a lack of assigned seating, was the single largest increase in the company’s history, according to a spokesperson.

The increase moves the highest amount charged for a fare from $299, a rate Southwest put in place nearly four years ago.

Posted under Travel

Following on the heels of Delta and United, which both tried to operate smaller regional subsidiaries flying small jets, bankrupt Northwest Airlines has purchased Independence Air’s “operating certificate”.

The document is issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. Industry observers Consumer Help Web spoke with say that similar transactions are common when an airline is liquidated. One likened the process to selling a taxicab medallion in New York on a much grander scale.

Northwest and Delta remain in bankruptcy protection although both observers we spoke with said that customers shouldn’t panic over their frequent flier miles. “Seats will be tough to find,” said one source, “because they will sell a seat instead of giving it away.” The source recommended travelers with flexible plans continue checking because seats allocated for “revenue” customers may be freed up later for award travel.

Posted under Travel

A live test of e-Passports, that contain contactless chips with biographic and biometric information and the readers that are capable of reading these e-Passports, begins January 15, 2006 at Terminal G at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This test is a collaborative effort between the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore that will run through April 15, 2006.

“This test provides an important opportunity to work with our international partners to further the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to put in place an e-Passport reader solution by the fall of this year,” said Jim Williams, director of US VISIT, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program.

Participants include citizens of Australia and New Zealand who have been issued the new e-Passports, Singapore Airlines crew and officials holding trial e-Passports and U.S. diplomatic and official e-Passport holders.

The test will assess the operational impact of using new equipment and software to read and verify the information embedded in the e Passports. Participants will present their e-Passports when arriving in the United States at SFO, at Changi Airport in Singapore or at Sydney Airport in Australia.

The e-Passport contains the holder’s biographic information and a biometric identifier, in this case a digital photograph, embedded in a contactless chip set in the passport. The inspection process for those participating does not change.

The e-Passports being tested are enabled with a security feature known as Basic Access Control (BAC), which helps prevent the unauthorized reading, or “skimming,” of information from e Passports.

This is the second live test conducted between the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The goal of the live test is to gather information that can support countries around the world in their development and implementation of e-Passports that comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. It will also provide valuable information on the capability of the reader technology.

“The results of the previous test, held at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Sydney Airport, indicated that further testing would be beneficial to our development of a fully operational system,” Williams said. “So we will conduct further testing to allow for the evaluation of new technologies.”

Biometrics included in a contactless chip provides a further means by which the identity of visitors may be verified, thus preventing entry by imposters and the use of fraudulent documents. Biometrics provide border officials with a critical tool in making admissibility decisions, thus enhancing homeland security.

Posted under Travel

Officials at Independence Air scrambled over the holiday weekend and into the New Year, fielding calls from concerned travelers who were startled to find that the struggling carrier’s long rumored bankruptcy was imminent.

“While we’ve been clear in reminding everyone that this was a possibility, we remained optimistic that there would be a way to avoid reaching this juncture. To date there has not been a firm offer put forward that meets the financial criteria necessary to continue operations as is. Therefore, we are voluntarily discontinuing scheduled service as of Thursday evening,” said Indpendence Air Chairman Kerry Skeen.

The company is frantically trying to rebook travelers, either to come home earlier or on other carriers. According to a 2002 “guidance” statement issued by the Department of Transpation, “passengers holding valid paper or electronic tickets from insolvent or bankrupt carriers for a particular route are entitled at minimum to transportation on a space-available basis on any airline currently serving that route. Airlines may recover costs of providing the transportation such as the direct cost of rewriting a ticket and meal costs.”

Independence, which was formed from what was once known as Atlantic Coast Airways, had been a United regional partner in its former incarnation. In past years (and event past weeks), the airline has spurned offers from United and Mesa Airlines among others to be acquired. Industry experts anticipate that most of the airline will be liquidated although some portion of the airline may exist in bankruptcy protection with minimal assets and eventually become a minor regional carrier again?

The bad news for consumers: Areas heavily served by Independence, especially at its home hub of Washington Dulles (IAD) , will likely suffer price increases due to the reduced competition.

Posted under Travel

Beginning December 22, airline travelers can expect to see more random screenings, fewer prohibited items and a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workforce more dedicated to detecting and defeating more serious threats, such as explosives. These changes are part of an update to security procedures announced today by Assistant Secretary Kip Hawley, to address the ever-evolving threat to commercial aviation.

The specific changes include more additional screenings of passengers and their bags using a variety of methods selected at random. Passengers will also once again be able to carry small tools and scissors on-board aircraft. These changes will allow TSA to focus resources on more serious threats.

“It is paramount to the security of our aviation system that terrorists not be able to know with certainty what screening procedures they will encounter at airports around the nation,” said Kip Hawley, Assistant Secretary. “By incorporating unpredictability into our procedures and eliminating low-threat items, we can better focus our efforts on stopping individuals that wish to do us harm.”

Passengers will continue to walk through a metal detector and have their carry-on and checked baggage screened. However, these measures may now include a brief additional search of their person or their property. Examples of this additional screening include: explosive screening of shoes, hand-wanding of passengers, enhanced pat down searches and inspections of carry-on bags. These searches will be generated at random and will take only about a minute to complete. They will allow Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) to better screen passengers for explosives and other threats to the aviation system.

Beginning December 22, scissors with a cutting edge of four inches or less and tools such as screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers smaller than seven inches will be permitted on board.

Scissors longer than four inches and tools such as crowbars, drills, hammers, and saws will continue to be prohibited from carry-on bags. Lighters will continue to be banned from the cabin of aircraft and in checked baggage.

In addition to these changes, the agency’s 43,000 Transportation Security Screeners have been re-classified as Transportation Security Officers (TSOs).

Posted under Safety, Travel

Airline pilots continue to stay in the news as beleaguered and bankrupt Delta Airlines attempts to wring concessions from its unionized pilots. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) had initially offered a concession package approaching $100 million, but stating that it needed much more, Delta filed a motion this week to have the Bankruptcy Court void its agreement with the pilots. If granted, Delta’s pilots will lose the collective bargaining agreement they had and the airline will be able to force wage concessions.

Even more troubling was the recent testimony on Capitol Hill from ALPA President Captain Duane E. Woerth, a Northwest Airlines pilot. Captain Woerth testified before a Senate committee that ““Bone-crushing pilot fatigue, and the mental errors it leads to, is still one of the largest threats to aviation safety. Sixteen-hour domestic duty days–even longer with more transpacific international operations–are facts of life for airline pilots. Irregular shifts, all-night operations, and significant circadian rhythm challenges all contribute to pilot fatigue.

“With all the contractual work rule concessions that have occurred since 9/11, a higher percentage of pilots are flying more hours and working more days with longer duty periods than at any other time in recent history. No matter what this committee or the Senate may decide to do with the Age 60 Rule, the current flight and duty time rules affecting pilot fatigue need to be enhanced, not weakened.”

Add disgruntled over pay to the “bone-crushing fatigue” cited by the union and one wonders how friendly the skies will be.

Posted under Travel

The Environmental Protection Agency has reached settlements with 11 major domestic airlines and 13 smaller airlines to ensure the safety of the drinking water used by their passengers and crew. The settling airlines have agreed to routinely monitor the quality of water on their airplanes. The action came after an EPA investigation of 327 U.S. and foreign planes at 19 airports in 2004 found total coliform contamination in the drinking water in 15 percent of aircraft.

Total coliform is an indicator that other disease-causing organisms (pathogens) could be in the water and could potentially affect people’s health. The settlements require the airlines to regularly monitor aircraft water systems; notify EPA and the public when tests reveal contamination; and regularly disinfect aircraft water systems and water transfer equipment. The orders also require each airline to study possible sources of contamination from outside of the aircraft.

The information released today will help the traveling public make informed decisions. Passengers with compromised immune systems or others concerned may want to request canned or bottled beverages. EPA will update its information and advice to the traveling public as soon as new information is available at: http://www.epa.gov/airlinewater

“EPA and these airlines worked together to establish new practices for protecting the health of the flying public,” said Grant Nakayama, EPA’s assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance. “We will continue to monitor the safety of water on airlines that use U.S. airports while the agency develops regulations specifically for airline drinking water.”

Ben Grumbles, EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Water, insisted: “The water passengers drink on a plane should be as safe as the water they drink at home. The settlements announced today show that it’s time to fine-tune and upgrade EPA’s water regulations to specifically address airplanes.”

The settlements announced today were reached with: AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, Aloha Airlines, American Airlines, America West, ATA Airlines, Champion Air, Continental Airlines, Continental Micronesia, Falcon Air Express, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Miami Air International, Midwest Airlines, North American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Pace Airlines, Ryan International Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, USA 3000 Airlines, and World Airways. The 11 major domestic airlines who have settled are members of the Air Transport Association, whose 14 members account for 90 percent of U.S. air travel.

EPA is negotiating agreements with Omni Air International and the three remaining members of the Air Transport Association: Delta Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Southwest Airlines. EPA will continue to work with smaller, regional and charter airlines to ensure drinking water quality with agreements similar to those reached with airlines that belong to the Air Transport Association and the National Air Carrier Association, and Air Carrier Association of America.

Meanwhile, EPA is developing regulations for water that is served onboard aircraft. EPA held a public meeting in June as part the development process for the airline drinking water rule.

Posted under Travel

Avoiding mass disruption that has marred previous work stoppages at its company, Northwest Airlines enters the fourth day of a strike by the airline’s mechanic’s union still flying and still seemingly without widespread system problems.

A statement issued by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, the union striking Northwest, claimed that the airline’s on-timer performance this year has been 78%, but that the number of on-time flights has dipped to 50% during the strike. Still, a tour of the carrier’s Memphis hub on Monday and media reports from its other two hubs in Detroit and Minneapolis seem to contradict the number.

“There could be a sampling issue,” said Consumer Help Web President Joan Bounacos. “Although the study reported that 99 flights were surveyed at random, a system-wide number was generated. Just a few outliers could skew that number.” Bounacos also noted that whether the number was 50% or 78% that the airline seemed to be maintaining operations despite the worker action.

“It’s always a good idea to check your flight’s status before leaving for the airport,” Bounacos said. “This action just makes it critical for Northwest travelers.

Although the airline has refused to comment on flight delays or statistics, the company has urged travelers to check on their flights by visiting the airline’s web site at nwa.com or by calling the airline’s toll-free flight information line at (800) 441-1818.

Posted under Travel