Southwest Airlines leads the airline pack with air traffic modernization. Budget Travel lists innovations that you will love and that will make travel easier. British Airways starts flying from London to Las Vegas.
SWA on track for RNP by end of 2010
Southwest Airlines has equipped 66 percent of its aircraft with Required Navigation Performance. The airline says that it will have all of its pilots trained by December 2010.
Southwest, which is investing $175 million to become RNP-capable fleetwide, is aiming for at least a three-mile reduction in miles per flight, which it says would provide enough fuel consumption savings to generate a return on its investment within five years. But some of the RNP procedures in place right now, which overlay traditional approaches, are not more efficient, Southwest officials say.
More information about Required Navigation Performance can be found here.
Flight innovations you’ll love
For some getting to the airport and flying across the country or across the ocean can be a hassle. Budget Travel has found innovations that may make travel easier on the passengers in the coming years.
Driverless pods at airports
Someday, driverless pods may be zipping passengers between an airport and its parking lots. Fully automated, pods are more convenient than shuttle buses driven by humans. Currently, 18 pods are being tested at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5. They let you board when you want to, rather than wait for a bus on a fixed schedule. Punch in your destination, such as a parking lot, on a touch screen. Then leave the driving to the machine, which glides on rails at speeds of 25 mph. A bonus perk: The pods are battery powered, so they don’t spew out environmentally destructive exhaust.
British Airways challenges Virgin Atlantic over London-Vegas nonstops
On Sunday, the first non-stop London Heathrow to Las Vegas Route, operated by British Airways, landed at McCarran International Airport.
British Airways plans to run flights on twin-engine Boeing 777s from London to Las Vegas and they are offering some pretty tempting rates. BNET reports that it costs just $276 for roundtrip economy flights from November 2 to December 20 and December 24 to March 28 if tickets are purchased this week.
(Photo: caribb/Flickr Creative Commons)
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