AirOptions Blog

Columnist Scott McCartney says that it’s time for airlines to resolve the issue of stranding people on grounded airplanes for hours on end. He says that airport managers, former airline executives, engineers and other insiders have offered common-sense ideas. For example, airlines could be given a number rather than queuing so they could drop passengers at the gate without losing their place in line. The Wall Street Journal (9/24)

For much of the past decade, government officials, airports and others have continually added rules in an effort to improve airport security. The latest rule, which is currently being phased in, requires airline passengers’ names on their tickets to exactly match the names on their government-issued IDs. With President Barack Obama poised to tap former FBI special agent Erroll G. Southers to lead the Transportation Security Administration, more changes could be ahead. The New York Times (9/27)

In the second quarter, spending on travel and tourism declined 1.4% compared with the first quarter of the year. In the first quarter, the sector was down nearly 9%. The decline’s slowdown indicates a turnaround may be near. “People are starting to think about traveling again,” said Gus Lira, Sales Director of AirOptions. But, “the unemployment rate still increasing and the businesses still not showing the corporate profits are going to mean that both leisure and business travel are going to take another quarter or two to really start to rebound.” Read more about it here: The Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics blog (9/23)

For the third time since March 2008, China has forbidden foreigners from visiting Tibet. As the anniversary of the 1949 Communist victory approaches, China is once again being cautious, local tour operators say. Foreigners who had already received their permits to visit Tibet will be allowed to go, but new restrictions will be in place. The New York Times (9/22)

As advocates of passenger-rights legislation met in Washington, D.C., this week, Sen. Barbara Boxer said Congress will likely approve such legislation. “Every day they [airlines] prove to us how much we need this legislation,” said Boxer, D-Calif., who is co-sponsoring the bill. However, Boxer said the rules, which are included in the reauthorization bill for the FAA, could be “watered down.” USA TODAY/The Associated Press (9/23)

Significantly fewer people have been crossing the U.S. borders between Canada and Mexico since June 1, when one aspect of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative went into effect, requiring passports or other types of identification for such crossings. The change, along with the economic downturn, weather and other challenges, has hit businesses in border communities that rely on tourism. USA TODAY (9/8)

At the National Business Travel Association’s convention, industry insiders discussed the affects of the economic downturn and offered predictions for when spending on business travel would return to pre-recession levels. Some say they expect the turnaround to start next year, while others say it will be a matter of years. “We want to be optimistic about some of the upward trends we’re seeing,” said Sabre Holdings chairman and CEO Sam Gilliland, “although what we could be experiencing is just bumping along the bottom. Considering where we’ve been, bouncing along the bottom isn’t such a bad thing, frankly. We are beginning to be encouraged.” BTNOnline.com (9/7)