Archives: August 2009

Pilots See Lithium Batteries as Airline Safety Risk

Posted by: Justin Bachman on August 26

Is there a potentially lethal hazard lurking in airplanes? The largest U.S. pilots' union thinks so, and is asking federal regulators to ban bulk shipments of lithium-ion batteries in passenger...

Continental Express 'Nightmare' Flight Delay Caused by Mesaba, DOT Says

Posted by: Justin Bachman on August 21

A Continental Express pilot tried fervently to get her passengers into the Rochester, Minn., airport on Aug. 8 after being diverted from Minneapolis-St. Paul because of bad weather, according to...

How to ID that unnamed "4-star hotel" on Hotwire

Posted by: Dean Foust on August 20

I've always been reluctant to use sites like HotWire or Priceline, where you can snag a bargain on a hotel room--but don't know the identity until after you've booked the...

Which would you prefer: Good night of sleep--or a good romp in the hay?

Posted by: Dean Foust on August 20

So, pick your side folks: A perfect night’s sleep, or great sex? Apparently, more of you prefer the sleep. According to a new survey of 12,500 frequent travelers (sponsored by...

Do small cities deserve taxpayer subsidies to sustain air service?

Posted by: Dean Foust on August 18

Some media organizations have ordered their staff to cancel their subscriptions to other publications, but I'm glad to see that the New York Times is still getting their copies of...

The Amazing Race: an iPhone, a Blackberry and a guidebook in Atlanta

Posted by: Dean Foust on August 17

BusinessWeek Traveler's Check: The Amazing Race from Shalini Ramachandran on Vimeo. Here's my intern, Shalini Ramachandran's, entry about the usefulness of smart phones in travel: As smart phones become an...

Southwest Rejected in Auction for Frontier Airlines

Posted by: Justin Bachman on August 13

Southwest Airlines (LUV) did not prevail in its bid for Denver-based rival Frontier Airlines, a somewhat surprising development on the first day of the Aug. 13 auction for the bankrupt...

Delta, US Airways trade slots in New York, Washington

Posted by: Dean Foust on August 13

U.S. airlines have laid off employees, extracted huge pay cuts from the remaining workers, fobbed off their pension obligations on the federal government, scaled back their routes structures and…they’re still...

JetBlue Tries an ‘All You Can Eat’ Approach

Posted by: Justin Bachman on August 12

JetBlue’s (JBLU) “all-you-can-fly” approach to flights for a month has already delivered in terms of marketing bang-for-the-buck. The slow, post-Labor Day travel period likely presented the airline with plenty of...

Are Southwest and Virgin America Getting a Bit Ahead of Themselves?

Posted by: Justin Bachman on August 11

Like many an entrepreneurial venture, building an airline is all about the story. Consider the likes of Herb Kelleher, Richard Branson, Freddie Laker, Michael O’Leary, Tony Fernandes: This audacious group...

Passengers' 'Rights' Bills Get New Ammunition

Posted by: Justin Bachman on August 10

Like the kid who drops an easy fly in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie game, Continental Express (CAL) is today likely garnering heaps of scorn throughout...

iPhone App of the week for Business Travelers: Earthcomber

Posted by: Dean Foust on August 06

This week, I asked my summer intern, Shalini Ramachandran, to research the best iPhone apps for travelers to find nearby conveniences, from gas stations to hospitals. Here's her report: With...

Business Jet Makers Could Book Negative Orders for 2009

Posted by: Carol Matlack on August 06

Manufacturers of business jets are likely to book more cancellations than new orders this year, as corporate and private customers cancel orders worth billions of dollars. “Some companies will buck...

FAA Chief: New Pilot Rest Rules Urgent for Industry

Posted by: Justin Bachman on August 05

As the FAA revises pilot training and rest rules, Administrator Randy Babbitt threw down a bit of a warning to pilots and airlines: Don’t hinder the process. Babbitt spoke Wednesday...