New storm may linger in Florida — A stubbornly slow Tropical Storm Ophelia likely will linger off Florida’s east coast for several days, bringing heavy rain, dangerous rip currents and beach erosion along coastal Volusia and Brevard counties, forecasters said Wednesday. (Orlando Sentinel)
Negotiations to resume between Northwest and striking mechanics — Northwest Airlines and its striking mechanics were to resume talks on Thursday, with the airline demanding even steeper cuts than the ones that prompted mechanics to walk out. (AP)
Delta plans layoffs, service cuts, jet sales — Delta Air Lines (DAL) on Wednesday said it will cut service and jobs at its Cincinnati hub, add international flights and sell 11 airplanes to improve its financial position. The announcement comes as Delta prepares for a possible Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and follows several cost-saving moves in recent months. (USA Today)
No changes, yet, for US Airways workers — US Airways employees will see no immediate change in pay, either up or down, as a result of the proposed merger with America West Airlines. Aware that the integration of two work forces and different cultures will be the No. 1 barrier to a successful union, America West told employees this week that all labor contracts will remain in place after the merger is complete and will remain in place for at least a year. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Traffic tumbles at airport as carriers jockey for position — Despite the fast start by Southwest Airlines and gains by other carriers, passenger traffic at Pittsburgh International Airport tumbled once again in July, mostly because of cutbacks by US Airways. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Amtrak chief urges rail use — Rising fuel costs and other economic aftershocks from Hurricane Katrina could jump-start efforts to be less dependent on cars, the nation’s top passenger rail official said here yesterday. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Orlando ready to offer refuge — As thousands of people trickle into Central Florida in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Orlando’s tourism industry is trying to sort out its role in aiding evacuees. While many hotels are offering rooms at discounted rates, it’s not clear just how many people are turning to the area’s 100,000 rooms for shelter. (Orlando Sentinel)
If I’m on the terrorist watch list, security can’t be working that well — My name, Michael Olson, appears on a watch list, maintained by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), of people who the TSA believes are threats to airline security. I fly a lot, and so I care about both security and convenience. I don’t want to be a threat to anyone. But the TSA thinks I might be. (San Jose Mercury News)
The road less traveled, via the Web — Thanks to the advent of the Web, it’s simple to book an African safari or remote mountain trek from the comfort of your living room.And, also thanks to the Web, a multitude of tour operators and trek guides advertise online, making it difficult to sort through them all. (MarketWatch)
Amtrak boosts Acela service again — Amtrak’s high-speed Acela service between Washington and New York will have three more daily departures beginning Sept. 12. The latest additions will increase Washington-to-New York Acela service to 12 daily trips. Amtrak operated 15 a day before suspending service. (Washington Business Journal)
Airlift of Katrina evacuees still on hold — State emergency management officials still don’t know when Missouri might receive people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. A St. Louis Welcome Center at Lambert Airport and two facilities in Kansas City are prepared to take a total of 2,500 evacuees, but none was scheduled to arrive Thursday. (AP)
AmWest-British Airways code-share to end — The pending merger between America West Airlines and US Airways will bring an end to the 10-year code-share partnership between America West and British Airways , America West said in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing late Wednesday. Here’s what that means for passengers: The last day for frequent-flyer members to earn miles on the other carrier will be Dec. 31 of this year. (The Business Journal of Phoenix)
U.S. prosecutors allege safety violations by American Airlines — American Airlines put its passengers at risk and violated multiple federal air-safety regulations in 2003 by allowing one of its jets to fly with a leaky fuel tank, according to a civil complaint filed by the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn. (AP)
Man restrained on Katrina evacuee flight — Passengers on a Frontier Airlines plane carrying Hurricane Katrina evacuees from Houston to Denver subdued a man and tied him up with duct tape after he assaulted a flight attendant, police said. (AP)
Rollback of airline excise tax unlikely — Big airlines have sought a partial rollback of ticket taxes paid by passengers to cover some of the staggering losses due to soaring fuel costs but transportation regulators said late on Wednesday it was an unlikely option. (Reuters)
Skip Bowman, Carrie Charney, Christopher Elliott, Leslie Friedman, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.
