AirTran Airways Introduces New E-Ticketing Capabilities for Corporate Travelers

PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AAI) , today announced on the floor at the annual National Business Travel Association convention held in Los Angeles, Calif., that the airline has introduced new e-ticketing capabilities to simplify the booking, ticketing and reporting process for corporate travelers through select global distribution systems (GDS). The airline is adding this new enhancement to save corporations time and money when booking AirTran Airways through the GDS.

This enhancement is another step in AirTran Airways' ongoing commitment to make it easy to do business with the airline. Effective today, e-ticketing will be available initially through the Sabre GDS and will enable corporations and travel management companies to book AirTran Airways in the same fashion as any other airline.

The benefits of e-tickets are reduced documentation costs, enhanced passenger check-in options, reduced fraud, and the elimination of lost, stolen and pre-paid tickets.

In the coming months, the airline will be announcing additional capabilities through the GDS systems, such as improved seat assignment and Business Class upgrade functionality, frequent traveler recognition, and expanded corporate program integration.

AirTran Airways pioneered ticketless travel fifteen years ago and will continue to offer ticketless travel while adding e-ticket travel. Ticketless travel, available through www.airtran.com or 800-AIRTRAN, is a reservation with a confirmation number and payment is settled through the airline. E- ticketing is a reservation which includes a ticket number, an accounting and reporting trail, inventory management, and other airline interline options, and payment is settled through the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). E- ticketing will give corporate travelers more ticketing and interline capabilities.

"We are committed to building our corporate business, and the introduction of e-ticketing is a major step forward for AirTran Airways," said Paul G. Clements, general manager of sales for AirTran Airways. "While we will continue to be a ticketless airline, AirTran Airways will work to improve GDS functionality for our corporate partners."

"Moving to a 100% e-ticketing environment is a very significant industry initiative," said David Gross, senior vice president of Airline Distribution for Sabre Travel Network. "AirTran Airways is a valuable partner of Sabre's and we are delighted to be to the first GDS to launch e-ticketing with them. We look forward to launching additional functionality that will continue to streamline and enhance the booking process."

Delta Air Lines Gets Ready for a Grand Entrance into Tegucigalpa with a Brand-New Boeing 737-700

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will launch the first-ever nonstop daily flights between Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Toncontin Airport in Honduras’ capital city of Tegucigalpa, starting Dec. 18, 2008 (subject to foreign government approval). The new flights will be operated using brand-new Boeing 737-700 aircraft being delivered to Delta this year that will allow the addition of service at unique airports such as Tegucigalpa with short runways, extreme temperatures and high altitudes.

“We’ve been looking forward to flying into Tegucigalpa for a long time, and the brand-new 737-700 aircraft makes it possible, complementing the long list of Central American destinations Delta serves,” said Delta’s Christophe Didier, vice president of Sales and Government Affairs for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Our flights to San Pedro Sula and Roatan have consistently performed well, and we are immensely optimistic to see Tegucigalpa become a great addition to our Honduras service.”

Delta inaugurated service to San Pedro Sula and Roatan in March 2006.

Gas Prices Continue to Top Travelers’ List of Most Frustrating Issues

BUSINESS WIRE--In national survey of recent travelers, commissioned by travel insurance and assistance provider Access America, in unaided responses, nearly half (48%) of recent travelers identified gas prices as the most frustrating issue they faced while traveling. That number is double what is was (24%) nine months ago. (Unaided responses are often more powerful than aided responses, because the respondent can choose any response they choose, including nothing.)

“Frustration with gas prices has been a consistent issue for travelers since the Access America Travel Frustration Index was launched last year,” said Mark Cipolletti, vice president for marketing and communications for Access America. “Whether in the form of increased air fares or miles on the road that cost more and more each day, gas prices are a particularly frustrating issue that spills over into non-travel time as well. It’s informative to see how this frustration has increased over time in-step with rising fuel costs.”

Gas ranks high on the frustration scale for both leisure and business travelers and across demographic factors such as region of the country and income. Among leisure travelers, 86 percent report frustration with gas prices, while business travelers registered at 85 percent. Across all income segments more than 80 percent of respondents said they are frustrated with gas prices, similarly all regions of the country registered above 80 percent.

When asked to rate their frustration with gas prices, three quarters (74%) said they are “very frustrated” with the cost of gas.

The Access America Travel Frustration Index measures ten categories each quarter. While gas was clearly the most frustrating issue, costs of travel and service issues on airlines also registered on the frustration scale – though both of these issues trailed frustrations with gas prices significantly and even showed improvement over previous quarters. More than half (52%) of respondents said they are frustrated with the cost of airline, cruise line and train tickets. Frustrations with these costs ranked nearly 10 percentage points above frustration with other costs, such as costs of lodging (43%).

Slightly less than half (48%) of respondents said they are frustrated with airline and airport services, such as lost or delayed baggage, cramped and overcrowded planes, missed connections, long lines, etc. That number is down from previous quarters, when more than half of respondents were reporting frustration with these issues.

In unaided responses, flight delays and airline/airport issues garnered just three percent and six percent respectively, ranking well below cost concerns (including gas) and crowds or traffic issues.

Booking travel remained the least frustrating issue for travelers. Just 18 percent of respondents ranked booking their trip, including working with a travel agent, selecting a destination or selecting a supplier as frustrating.

The overall Frustration Factor (aggregated responses across all categories) went down from the previous quarter, but frustrations are still rising overall in 2008 compared with 2007:

• In March 2008 the aggregated Frustration Factor was 57.6 out of 100, while this quarter the Factor was 55.6 out of 100.
• In August 2007 the Frustration Factor was 53.9 on the same scale.

Complete results for the latest survey, completed in June 2008, across all ten issues measured, are as follows: (percentages show number of respondents who indicated they are frustrated with the issue)

Issue		% reporting frustration
		Quarter2 2008
Cost of gas		86%
Cost of travel		52%
Airline service		48%
Cost of lodging		43%
Illness or injury affecting your trip		39%
Labor actions		36%
Weather delays		28%
Service by other travel suppliers		23%
Booking the trip		18%

US Airways Inks Codeshare Pact with Air China

BUSINESS WIRE--US Airways (NYSE: LCC) customers will soon have more Asia-Pacific connecting options through a new US Airways codeshare relationship with Star Alliance member carrier Air China Limited. The agreement puts the US code on Air China service to Beijing from Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

US Airways will also put its code on connecting flights to Shanghai through Air China’s Beijing hub. However, these connecting options are only available for bookings that include Los Angeles or San Francisco-Beijing service. Customers may purchase these new US Airways travel options beginning June 25, 2008.

Conversely, Air China will put its code on US Airways flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Phoenix, Las Vegas, Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

“We continue to expand our network across the Pacific through our codeshare partners. Air China provides our customers with three U.S. gateways to Beijing and Shanghai, and we now have codeshare arrangements to over 20 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Andrew Nocella, US Airways’ senior vice president, schedule planning and alliances.

“We are pleased to establish this partnership with US Airways, which enhances our cooperation within the Star Alliance network. We believe passengers will benefit from our cooperation, with more convenience and choice through our expanded network and competitive products,” said, Zhang Lan, Air China’s senior vice president.

Delta Air Lines begins nonstop service from New York-JFK to Antigua and Barbuda

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today launches nonstop service today from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Antigua and Barbuda as part of its continued expansion in the Caribbean.

This flight complements Delta’s existing nonstop service to Antigua and Barbuda from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

A prime spot for snorkeling and scuba diving among spectacular coral reef, Antigua (pronounced An-tee’ga) and Barbuda are two islands that comprise one country located in the middle of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean. Barbuda also offers bird watching enthusiasts a significant bird sanctuary in the region.

“Delta continues to open new Caribbean routes out of JFK to bring New Yorkers closer to beautiful beaches, sun, and relaxation,” said Christophe Didier, Delta’s vice president of Sales and Government Affairs in Latin America and the Caribbean for Delta Air Lines. “We have started more than 10 new routes in the Caribbean basin in the last couple of years, many of them departing from JFK as part of our continued international expansion.”

Delta’s new flight will operate Thursdays and Sundays, beginning June 12.

Delta Requests DOT Authority to Offer Service Between New York-JFK and Buenos Aires

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced it filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for permission to start new nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Pending DOT approval, Delta currently plans to offer five flights weekly from December to April and four flights per week during the rest of the year, with the possibility of increasing frequencies depending on demand. If approved, the new flight will begin in December of this year and will complement Delta’s current daily nonstop service between Buenos Aires and Atlanta.

“Developing JFK as a major Delta hub is paramount for the success of our international expansion strategy, and reaching the Americas from New York is an important part of this equation,” said Christophe Didier, Delta’s vice president of Sales and Government Affairs for Latin America and the Caribbean. “JFK is key to our continuous growth in Latin America, especially in a market such as Buenos Aires, a destination that currently lacks sufficient nonstop service to New York City at a time when demand for travel on this route is high.”

Delta offers year-round and seasonal service to Latin America and the Caribbean from eight U.S. airports, mostly from Atlanta and Los Angeles. From JFK, the airline flies to 18 destinations, including San Juan, Puerto Rico; Mexico City, Mexico*; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Panama City, Panama; San Jose and Liberia, Costa Rica; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Georgetown, Guyana; in addition to Jamaica, the Bahamas, and several islands in the Antilles. Later this year, Delta also will start nonstop service between JFK and Bogotá, Colombia.

Lufthansa and JetBlue Complete Stock Purchase Transaction

(PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- JetBlue Airways Corporation (Nasdaq:JBLU) and Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Xetra:WKN823212) today completed their stock purchase agreement transaction in which Lufthansa now holds a 19 percent stake in JetBlue.

With the conclusion of the financial transaction, Lufthansa and JetBlue will begin exploring innovative commercial arrangements designed to benefit both airlines and their customers.
New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue is now pleased to offer customers the most legroom throughout coach (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines). JetBlue introduced complimentary in-flight e-mail and instant messaging services on aircraft "BetaBlue," a first among U.S. domestic airlines. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 53 cities with 550 daily flights. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583) or visit www.jetblue.com.

DIRECTV(r) service is not available on flights outside the continental United States; however, where applicable FOX InFlight(tm) is offered complimentary on these routes. FOX InFlight(tm) is a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. JetBlue's in-flight entertainment service is provided by LiveTV, a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue.