- October 2009
- Current Events
- Travel Tips
- Supplier News
- Regional
- International
- Government/Legislation
- Technology
- Industry Trends/Innovations
- Supplier Spotlight
- Spotlight on Leisure Offers
- Supplier Promotions
Current Events
-
U.S. Helicopter temporarily halts service
In late September, U.S. Helicopter announced it was temporarily halting all service “as we regroup to add aircraft to our fleet and introduce new routes.” According to a statement on the company’s website, they plan to return to service by late November.
U.S. Helicopter operated an “8 Minute Airport Shuttle” service from Manhattan heliports to the Kennedy International or Newark Liberty International Airport.
Sources: New York Times, flyush.com
Passenger bill of rights still a hot issue
Members of the business travel industry are moving toward support of the Snowe-Boxer language included in the Senate FAA bill, S1451, FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act—commonly referred to as the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights.
If passed, among other things the bill would:
- Require passengers be provided with food, water, comfortable cabin ventilation and temperature.
- Give passengers the opportunity to deplane after three hours on the ground.
- Require carriers and airports to develop contingency plans to be reviewed and approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT). It would also allow DOT to fine carriers and airports that fail to submit plans or comply with plans.
- Create a DOT consumer complaint hotline so passengers can inform the agency about delays.
The three-hour deplaning option is considered an advisable number to avoid risks of fatal blood clots, dehydration, being deprived of glucose or medications, and other situations. Anyone with compromised health as well as the elderly, disabled persons, children, and those affected by some degree of claustrophobia (30 percent of the American population) would be assured they could get “ out” and get their needs met in 3.5 hours, thus alleviating some distress and anxiety. According to the DOT’s Air Travel Consumer Report there were 164 domestic flights with tarmac delays of three or more hours in July.
Prior to the August incident when passengers were stranded overnight in Rochester, Minn., on a Continental Airlines flight operated by ExpressJet Airlines, the travel industry believed the government and the airlines would work out ways to handle long delays without legislation. However, support is now building for strong legislation. The National Business Travel Association, the American Society of Travel Agents, as well as the Business Travel Coalition, all of which had opposed such legislation, have concluded that there is a market failure that needs to be addressed by government intervention.
Bob Crandall, former president and chairman of American Airlines, recently said, “I think the airline industry should have led the way in responding to this problem rather than having resisted it. Every responsible airline executive I know thinks these things are an outrage.”
Sources: NBTA, Travel Weekly, Associated Press, management.travel, Business Travel Coalition
