Warming up for another airline fee

Beginning May 1, coach passengers on American’s domestic flights that last more than two hours, as well as those on flights to Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America, will have to pay $8 for a blanket and inflatable neck pillow. The airline will throw in a $10 off Coupon for purchases of more than $30 at Bed Bath & Beyond stores.

On domestic flights of less than two hours, coach passengers won’t have access to blankets at all. Premium-class passengers on all American flights and coach passengers on longer international flights will continue to get free blankets and pillows.

American (AMR) says the fee is largely a bottom-line decision.

“Everything we do is evaluated in terms of what’s best economically for the company while still providing services customers want,” says American spokeswoman Andrea Huguely.

“I don’t think it’s an unreasonable fee,” says Henry Harteveldt, travel industry analyst at Forrester Research. “It gives the passenger some control. If they want a blanket they can pay extra for it; if not, they didn’t pay for it as part of their fare.”

Crucial travel strategies

How do I get a good Deal this year?

For one thing, keep track of those surcharges, and see if you can avoid flying on popular holiday travel dates. The airlines are banking on these high-demand days, and flexible travelers will benefit from adjusting their schedules accordingly.

Most importantly, compare, compare, compare. It’s a time-worn adage, but it’s also as relevant as ever this year. Airlines are in tough competition for a reduced number of travelers, and it’s fair to assume we’ll see lots of fare wars and competing sales as the summer travel season approaches. Start benchmarking fares to your destination as much as two or three months ahead of time, and monitor them for a few weeks to see what happens. When you find a price you like, you’ll know just how good a Deal you’re getting.

Further, this is a year where discounted last-minute flights may play a larger role in the airline business. Carriers will no doubt try to push up fares in advance of flights, with the hope that public uncertainty about pricing trends will lead people to book early rather than risk watching their fare go up. If you have a strong enough stomach, you may be rewarded with a Deal if wait until a week or two before your trip to book your flight. (Caveat: This won’t necessarily apply to the most popular destinations, such as Europe.)

Dealing with fees

Keep factoring ancillary fees into your fare comparisons, and consider airlines that charge fewer fees than the competition. Most importantly, keep up with all the new fees so that you know exactly what you’ll be paying, and try to travel with only a carry-on if you can.

United has an annual bag fee program that may work for frequent travelers. For $249 a year, you can check an unlimited number of bags on all United flights. If you know you’ll be traveling a lot, and United’s service and fares work for you, this could be a good money-saving option. So far, no other carriers have come out with a similar program.

Choosing an affordable destination

the real bargains will likely be on the ground, and savvy shoppers would be wise to start any search by looking for great hotel deals and worrying about airfare later. Most travelers take the opposite approach—airfare first, hotel almost as an afterthought—but unstable fare pricing in 2010 suggests this may not be the way to go. In fact, this is a good year to base your destination choices on price, since some destinations may offer deals too good to pass up.

Within hotels, high-end properties have generally seen larger price drops than other properties. This has resulted in price compression, where the difference between rates at high-end hotels and those at middle-of-the-pack accommodations has shrunk, making upscale rooms more accessible to budget-conscious travelers.

Airport security issues

You simply need to give yourself extra time. You may not need it here in the States, but consider it an investment in peace of mind. Abroad, give yourself an extra two hours or more beyond what you would normally budget. Again, you may not need it, but you may also be glad you arrived early.

Beyond time, be prepared for some new experiences. The Department of Homeland Security is expected to add roughly 300 whole-body imaging scanners to U.S. airports this year. These scanners can see beneath your clothing and detect some non-metallic items such as bomb-making materials and composite knives. They also create a greyscale image of your body, which many people feel is a violation of privacy. For the average traveler, this will be a very new and potentially unsettling aspect of airport security, but it appears these scanners will nevertheless become a part of the flying experience.

Lastly, keep an eye on the news, as the security situation is constantly evolving. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and foreign security officials may make policy changes, for better or worse, and you don’t want to be surprised at the airport. Make sure you pack in accordance with current restrictions so your security wait time is minimized. Use common sense and check anything that might invite time-consuming additional scrutiny.

SOURCE: USA TODAY

Airline fees on the rise, again

Continental, Delta, American and United Airlines have boosted their fuel surcharges on flights to Europe by $20. Surcharges vary by route, but the airlines typically impose fuel charges of about $242 on flights to London and $280 on routes to many popular destinations on the continent.

Delta began charging $8 more for the first checked bag and $7 more for a second for Tickets sold starting January 5, 2010. Continental did the same thing beginning with Tickets sold starting Saturday. United will charge $5 more than before. It takes effect on Tickets bought beginning Thursday for travel after January 21.

The three airlines will be charging $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for the second if the bags are checked at the airport. The fee is slightly lower for bags checked in online.

“It’s a match” of Delta’s higher bag fees, Continental spokeswoman Mary Clark says. “But we don’t normally comment on our rationale” for matching competitors’ pricing changes.

An American Airlines spokesman said the airline has not changed their fees, but they’re studying the moves by the other airlines. Southwest Airlines does not charge to check the first two bags.

It’s easy to see why airlines raise service fees. Their final results won’t be announced until later this month, but U.S. carriers are expected to post a combined 2009 loss of about $2.9 billion, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Airlines have cut flights and gone to smaller planes in response to weak passenger numbers and high fuel costs to try to limit losses.

CONTRIBUTING: USA TODAY, ASSOCIATED PRESS

‘Nut-free’ flight option

Air Canada has been ordered by Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) to  be able to create a nut-free “buffer zone” on its flights. The Toronto Star writes the move follows “complaints from two passengers about the inconsistent and difficult experiences they faced when they asked Air Canada to accommodate their severe nut allergies.” The Toronto Sun adds “the CTA ruled (Thursday) that people with peanut and nut allergies face significant barriers to safe travel and should be treated as having a disability. As such, all accommodations should be made to ensure their safety while travelling with Air Canada.”

Toronto’s National Post says the CTA “gave Air Canada 30 days to come up with a plan to create a ‘buffer zone’ for each aircraft type when passengers with nut allergies warn them ahead of time.” In its ruling, the CTA says passengers sitting in such zones “will be advised that they can only eat foods that are peanut-free or nut-free and that they will only be offered peanut-free or nut-free foods as part of Air Canada’s onboard snack or meal will also address the risk of other passengers eating peanuts or nuts,” according to the CBC.

Air Canada says it is reviewing the decision. The Globe and Mail of Toronto notes “Air Canada stopped serving peanuts years ago, but the airline still serves cashews and other snacks that contain nuts.” As for WestJet, Canada’s No. 2 carrier, the Edmonton Sun writes it “already has a policy in place, where on-board personnel try to create a voluntary buffer zone around people with nut allergies. WestJet doesn’t serve meals and only has nut-free snacks.”

Still, despite the CTA’s ruling, Sophia Huyer – one of the passengers to present a complaint – says she’s not satisfied. The Globe and Mail writes Huyer “wants all nuts banned from all airlines.” Huyer adds to the Star: “I know no area can be totally nut-free, but if you’re serving nuts, you are actively increasing the risk anyway.”

SOURCE: USA TODAY

Full body scans are “in” for 2010

Days after a Nigerian man allegedly tried to ignite plastic explosives on an airplane over Detroit, security companies say they have new body-scanning machines capable of screening passengers for such material in seconds that could replace the metal detectors used for decades at airports around the world.

The machines could be a central part of a security review President Obama ordered Monday. The review will cover “all screening policies, technologies and procedures related to air travel,” Obama said in Hawaii.

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport will begin using bodyscanners on all passengers taking flights to the United States following the attempted terrorist attack on a U.S.-bound flight on Christmas Day, the Dutch interior minister said Wednesday.

The millimeter-wave bodyscanners will be in place in about three weeks, Dutch Interior Minister Guusje ter Horst told a news conference at The Hague.

“We’ve escaped a very serious attack with serious consequences, but unfortunately in this world there are individuals who do not shy away from attacks on innocent people,” she said.

Manufacturers say they are close to removing a major obstacle by building machines that can scan under passengers’ clothing in a few seconds. Machines now used at 19 U.S. airports take up to 30 seconds because passengers must stand inside a glass portal with arms raised as a scanner rotates around them.

A machine being tested at a federal lab is “as quick as going through a metal detector,” said Peter Kant, a vice president of Rapiscan Systems, the manufacturer. “You don’t even stop walking.”

Free gift wrapping at the airport

Several airports are offering free gift wrapping service. Travelers are advised to leave gifts unwrapped prior to checking them or taking them through security checkpoints if they want to avoid secondary screening.

Volunteers at Phoenix Sky Harbor will offer gift wrapping past security Dec. 21 through Dec. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations, which will be given to charities, will be accepted. The Container Store and Southwest Airlines are teaming up for free gift wrapping service at the following airports on Dec. 21 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm: Dallas Love Field (Gate 5); Phoenix (D Gates); Denver (Gate C41); St. Louis (Gates 14 and 16) and Baltimore-Washington (Gates B1, B2 and B3). You don’t have to be a Southwest customer to take advantage of it, the carrier says.

So get your gifts wrapped at the airport this year! Happy Holidays!

Tips to prevent lost bags

The following tips, provided by airport-technology expert Lukas Loeffler, may help fliers avoid the hassle of a delayed or lost bag. Loeffler is a vice president at Siemens, an electrical engineering conglomerate that provides baggage-handling equipment at 435 U.S. airports.

•Connecting flights. Not allowing enough time between connecting flights and flying on more than one airline increases the probability of losing a bag. Make sure to schedule at least 30 minutes between connecting flights.

•Packing gifts. Don’t wrap them, because the metalized foil in wrapping paper appears solid during security screening. A manual bag search is required and may delay the bag.

•Bag’s size and weight. Oversize and heavy bags increase the chance of falling off a conveyer belt or being rerouted for manual sorting or extra security screening. Small bags should be carried on.

•Access to a bag’s contents. Make sure a bag is easy for security screeners to open, or use locks that the Transportation Security Administration can open with a master key. Bags that are difficult to open increase the likelihood of a delay or damage.

•Luggage straps. Loose straps or bulky belts around a bag may get caught in conveyer equipment. A bag could be damaged or delayed.

•Flight check-in. Checking in for a flight as early as possible eliminates the need to rush a bag through, when mistakes can be made. Find out an airline’s deadline for checking a bag and meet it.

•Bag tag. Make sure the owner is identified inside and outside a bag, and check the destination and flight number on the tag before leaving the bag.

By following these few tips, your bags should make it on time with you.

SOURCE: USA Today

United orders 50 new wide-body jets

United has generated buzz throughout the aviation industry today with its order for 50 new wide-body jets. The order was split evenly between U.S jetmaker Boeing and European counterpart Airbus. The Associated Press writes “United said it ordered 25 of Boeing’s long-awaited 787 widebody jetliners and 25 of the Airbus A350. Delivery is expected between 2016 and 2019, around the same time the airline will retire Boeing 747 and 767 aircraft. At list prices the planes would be worth roughly $10 billion, with about $4 billion for Boeing’s 787-8 and about $6 billion for the Airbus plane. United President John Tague said they got a discount, which is common for jet orders.”

The Chicago Tribune contributes “the airplane order is the first placed by United in more than a decade, and the first major update to its fleet since the late 1980s and early 1990s, when United committed to the Boeing 777s for overseas flying and Airbus A320 narrowbodies for shorter flights within North America. United smartly took advantage of dismal market conditions that have left order books largely empty at Chicago-based Boeing and France-based Airbus this year. Observers expected United to obtain discounts and favorable financing terms from the manufacturers as one of the few airlines buying at a time when other carriers are delaying or canceling aircraft orders.”

“Our decision to move forward aggressively at the bottom of the business cycle clearly benefited us. We secured the right aircraft and the right Deal for United,” UAL CFO Kathryn Mikells says in a press release. “The orders require minimal capital over the next few years but ensure we will have the right planes to strengthen our global network over the next decade.”

Airports want to increase fees

Citing escalating construction costs, airports have been lobbying Congress to raise the cap on the “passenger facility charge” that fliers pay as part of their airline Tickets.

The charge – now at $4.50 for each leg of the trip, up to $18 per round trip – funds the building of runways, terminals and gates.

Airports would like to see the charge increased to $7.50 and indexed to the inflationary cost of construction.

A bill in the House to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration proposes an increase to $7 a leg. A Senate committee has voted to keep the cap at $4.50.

“All we’re trying to do is keep up with inflation,” says Todd Hauptli of the American Association of Airport Executives. He argues that the purchasing power of the facility charge has fallen by about 50% since 2000.

Airlines, which act as the collectors on the facility charge, oppose an increase. They’re already under fire from consumers for charging extra fees for services.

Atlanta airport dog park

Dog owners will want to take of this story that ran last week from The Associated Press. The news agency writes “a new fenced-in dog park is part of the ground transportation center on the west end of the passenger terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The 1,000-square-foot park, which opened on Nov. 18, can accommodate two pooches at a time and features flowers, grass, rocks, benches and two original pieces of art. Biodegradable pet waste bags are also available there.”