AirOptions Blog

he Chinese government has imposed a quarantine in response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak, prompting a travel alert from the U.S. State Department. The measures have added to the uncertainty about traveling to the Asian nation as passengers who arrive exhibiting flulike symptoms or flu are placed in a seven-day quarantine. Read the official State Department travel alert for China. TravelPulse (6/30)

In light of United Airlines’ change on its credit card policy, ASTA has sent a letter to the Department of Justice urging officials to ensure that airlines are not colluding to shift expenses to agencies. ASTA asked for a meeting with DOJ officials, and Paul Ruden, senior vice president for legal and industry affairs at the society, said a meeting may be set up for next week. Travel Weekly (6/30)

United Airlines has presented the entire travel agent industry — from large corporate travel management firms to home-based travel agents — with a drastic cost-shifting scheme that could undermine the distribution channel. Organizations, including ASTA, have explained the ramifications of United’s move and are asking agents to band together to face the challenge. Travel Agent (6/30)

AAA predicts fewer vacationers will drive for Fourth of July holiday weekend this year, though lower fares could lead to a surge of nearly 5% in airline bookings. AAA says the lowest average published airfare is down by 16% compared with this time last year, drawing more travelers out of their cars and onto airplanes. Triangle Business Journal (Raleigh/Durham, N.C.) (6/29)

Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other carriers have reduced capacity in response to the economic downturn. Capacity cuts are nothing new, of course, but many industry insiders say this time may be different in that capacity is likely to be slow to return. “This is a major structural shift for our industry,” said Vaughn Cordle, an analyst with the AirlineForecasts consultancy. Travel Weekly (6/30)

Faced with surging oil prices, airlines are once again calling for increased limits on speculators. After mounting an unsuccessful push for additional regulations during the Bush administration, the industry is looking for more help from President Barack Obama, though commodity speculation was not specifically addressed in wide-ranging new financial regulations proposed last week. Glenn Tilton, CEO of United Airlines, has warned the administration that “a repeat of last summer’s astronomical crude-oil prices will bring the nation’s economic recovery to a painful halt.” Reuters (6/19)

Drivers may grumble about gas prices this summer, but the prices are still far lower than they were this time last year, and many Florida travel experts say they don’t expect the prices to be deal-breakers for travel this summer. The Fourth of July likely isn’t expected to be a blockbuster, but as one expert put it, “flat is the new up,” and hotels are pulling out as many deals as possible to attract vacationers. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (6/19)

As the airline industry struggles through a severe downturn, Deutsche Lufthansa has agreed to acquire British Midland Airways in stages. Lufthansa executives have been negotiating with BMI co-founder Michael Bishop since October. Since then, the two sides have been discussing sale price and terms. Meanwhile Central European low-cost carrier SkyEurope Holding has received protection from its creditors. The Wall Street Journal

The final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative went into effect on Monday with officials reporting few delays at borders. The rules require travelers entering the U.S. to show a passport or other government-issued and approved identification. Agents used the first day of the new rules as more of an educational exercise, giving those without the proper ID information about the requirements and then allowing them to enter. USA TODAY (6/1)

Rescuers are searching a vast swath of Atlantic waters for signs of wreckage from Air France Flight 447, which disappeared Monday in an area of intense thunderstorms. Though one French official said the chance of finding survivors is “very very small, even nonexistent,” investigators are eager to recover the Airbus A330’s two black boxes, which can emit signals for up to 30 days. The plane’s computers sent out automated reports of electrical damage, but they were not sent as distress calls, and the crew never reported any emergency. Early speculation has centered on a debilitating lightning strike, but the 4-year-old aircraft was equipped with an emergency generator to power critical systems after an electrical failure. Experts say it has been more than three decades since a large U.S. jetliner was brought down by lightning. The New York Times (6/2)