British Airways Has a Plan....But So Does the FAA

Want to know the biggest issue that concerns airlines right about now? It is the government's effort to limit flights out of the most congested airports--JFK, LaGuardia, and O'Hare. The FAA is determined to cut down on the ridiculous amount of late flights that all come from one thing...well two if you consider weather as one. It's the number of flights that the airlines are scheduling between 3 pm and 9 pm.

In New York's JFK, a mandate has already been thrown down. The airlines must move more flights to earlier or later departure times, but British Airways, the largest overseas airline at JFK has plans to launch a NEW AIRLINE!

The lucrative path between London and New York is making all airlines want to increase flights on this route. So BA wants to bump it up from 51 to 55 weekly. That's just for British Air. There is no way that the FAA will just sit back and allow the Brits to push even more flights during the same crowded time. But the restrictions, of course, are voluntary.

It's the Open Skies initiative that is making so many airlines around the world expand their routes. This has led to new Delta flights to China and hundreds of more flights from the US to Europe. It's an exciting time....but the famous JFK congestion puts a damper on the excitement.

Orlando's Price Increase Delights Off Airport Lots

Thanks! Say the folks who run the off-airport parking lots at Orlando International Airport. Thanks because the airport just raised the parking rates by $1, making them cost $10 per day. And non-guest valet parking at the airport's HYatt hotel now costs $23 per day, instead of $21.

The Orlando Business Journal had this story today.

"Hopefully, this will mean more business for us and all off-site lots -- but mostly us," laughs Doug Yuen, general manager of Park to Fly on Frontage Road. His lot charges $7.99 per day, an amount that increases to $9.19 when airport fees and taxes are factored in. To find parking at this lot, go to this link

Airport Capacity Lags Behind Flyer's Demand

A story in Aviation Week reports on an FAA study that finds that 14 airports and eight metropolitan areas in the US will need new capacity to handle the anticipated growth in air traffic through 2025.

We have been blogging about the many protests and court injunctions that are raised each time airport planners propose expanding runways and building new parking lots. It seems that almost every one of these projects has determined foes. Yet the fact is--we need much more capacity to serve a public that is determined to fly. Here is a snip from the report:

"US Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters lauded Atlanta for investing aggressively to keep pace with air travel by opening its fifth runway, a new tower and taxiway and construction of a new international terminal. And while that expansion has put Atlanta in good stead in the short term, in the longer term, "air service will suffer if this region doesn't find new ways to handle growing demand and begin looking at building a new airport," she said.

FAA has been working with San Diego for years, as Lindberg Field is a single-runway airport with no room to build and reaching the limits of its capacity. The agency notes that Las Vegas is also running out of capacity but has identified Ivanpah as the site for a future airport.

Work continues on finding a south suburban replacement airport for Chicago as Midway will have exhausted its capacity by 2005. The completion of the O'Hare Modernization Program will help augment capacity for the region, but a new southern airport will be a needed asset."

APR Blog Picked As One of the Best for Travelers

Kudos came in today for this humble blog, and it pleased me. Travelhacker selected the top 100 blogs for business Travelers and among the blogs selected for 'plane information' was our Airport Parking Blog. We are happy to have made the cut!

Here are some of the other useful and well written travel blogs selected to be on this list by categories, selected by Laura Milligan.

General: Smartbusinesstravel.com "read about travel news, get tips on booking hotels and occupying your downtime, or find out how to stay in touch with loved ones while you're away."

Hotels: Hotelchatter.com "Check hotel prices, read reviews, and find contact information for any hotel in the world. This blog also posts fun stories about featured hotels."

Plane Information: Airport Parking Blog "Find information about parking at major airports and read up on general travel tips and news."

The Americas Travel: US Visa Information. "If you or someone you know is traveling to the US, check this site for official information."

European Travel: Eurocheap.com "A must-visit site for any traveler on a budget. Find out how to fly, stay and survive in Europe on the cheap."

Asian Travel: Bootsnall Tokyo/Japan "Search by region to find the best spots in Japan whether you're a first-time tourist or a regular visitor."

Basically, Everything Costs Extra in the Sky

Fee, Fee, woe is me. Jason R. Rich writes in today's NY Daily News about the many fees that airlines are levying to try to squeeze more money out of each passenger mile. If you want to avoid them, just bring a laptop DVD, a pillow, some food, drink, lightweight baggage and a blanket. And remember to reserve your parking at Airport Parking Reservations too!

Some fees and charges to expect when heading into the skies:
$300-$500 a year if you want to chill out in an airline’s VIP lounge. A one-day guest pass will cost $50-$75.

$100 to cash in frequent flier miles if you do it at the last minute. If you wind up not using the ticket, or change your itinerary, it might cost another $100 to redeposit the miles into your account.

$50-$85 to fly with a small dog in an underseat carrier. Bring along a child under age 2 to sit on your lap and you’ll pay 10% of the adult fare.

$25-$50 if your checked bags weigh more than 50 pounds each. There’s also an extra fee for any passenger who checks more than two bags or whose bags are considered oversized. Golf clubs, skis and some musical instruments are considered oversized baggage.

$5 for a box of snacks, including a piece of fruit, a cookie and a teensy bag of pretzels. Most airlines still give you soda, juice or water for free, though.

$5 for on-demand movies, if your airline even has them.

$5 for a fleece blanket and inflatable pillow on JetBlue. If you want comfort and warmth gratis, you can get a lower-quality blanket and pillow.

$2-$3 a bag if you want to save time and your back with curbside check-in. The baggage attendant will also expect something for his trouble.

Step Right Up and Have Your Face Scanned

Have you heard about the new biometric 'e passports?'

In Portugal's Algarve region, in the south, fliers have been using biometric ePassports to move through the airport quickly. Holders of the British biometric ePassport have been making use of a scanning facility at Faro airport in Portugal which offers speedy passage through the hub.

The system, known as Rapid, requires holders to place their ePassport before a reader and stand on a spot for their face to be scanned, a process that takes around 20 seconds.

Facial recognition technology compares the traveller's features to a facial biometric, stored on a secure chip in the ePassport, effectively carrying out the same job as an immigration officer.

Since the initiative began last year some eight million ePassports have been issued to British citizens. As well as offering quicker passage through airports, the passports are also harder to forge, with more complex page designs and watermarks.

Speaking at the Biometrics 2007 exhibition in London, home office minister Meg Hillier said: "The system in place at Faro is a sign of things to come, as countries all around the world adopt biometric technology to strengthen border controls and the security of their travel documents." The system will be offered at all of Portugal's airports by the end of the year.

Virgin Offers 'In Car Check In' --Whodathunk?

A couple we traveled with this summer to Italy flew over on Virgin, and they got pairs of pajamas from their business class cabin that they wore later in the week, they loved it! Impressed too were they with the movie selections and stand up lounge.

E-Turbo News included some news about Virgin Atlantic, some people's idea of their favorite airline. Virgin Atlantic has unveiled a new lounge for business and Upper Class passengers at London Heathrow Airport. It’s part of a multi-million pound redevelopment of Terminal 3 that is going on at the same time as the construction of the new Terminal 5.

The airline aims to offer the world’s fastest departure service in its new Upper Class Wing, with passengers offered In-Car Check-in as they are about to leave home or office in a Virgin Atlantic dedicated limousine. The In-Car Check-in service is operated in cooperation with Virgin’s limousine service partner, Tristar Worldwide, and passengers are greeted on arrival at Heathrow with their boarding cards and baggage labels already prepared.

“Our new Upper Class Wing will enable our business passengers to fly through check-in, whiz through security and lounge in the Clubhouse,” said Virgin Atlantic CEO Steve Ridgway. “At last, they can speed through Terminal 3 within minutes. It will be a fast, efficient and stress-free experience, which will save precious time at the airport. It will be very quick and refreshing for our travelers, compared with other airlines.”

What's That Thing In Your Backseat, Lady?

The trails and tribulations of the lone cyclist by Samantha Bennett of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

"Once when I was coming home from vacation, I pulled up at the toll booth where you pay for parking your car at Pittsburgh International, fresh and relaxed from my trip, and the guy asked me if I wanted the handicapped rate.

"W-why?" I asked slowly.

"Well, I see you got that wheelchair in the back of the car. That is a wheelchair, right?"

"No," I said, "It's my bicycle." And then I paid the outrageous full price for a week's parking at the airport and thought, I am dumb as a box of hair. I could have said, "That's right, mister: The Trek 24-speed wheelchair, complete with bottle cage and derailleur. How big a discount do I get, exactly?"

To be fair to Airport Parking Guy, it was dark, and the bike was in two pieces, the front wheel having been removed and stacked on top of the frame so I could fit it in my car.

As a professional writer, I am already anticipating the three questions you, the reader, have for me.

1: Why don't you just get a bike rack?

Well, I had a bike rack, but I drive a hatchback with a very sloping back window, and the rack never fit securely onto the hypotenuse, as it were. The last thing in the world a cyclist needs is a bike rack that almost fits. You don't want to be changing lanes on the parkway and think, whew, I sure can see better now that stupid wheel isn't taking up the whole mirror. AAAAAAA!

But I discovered that, if I folded the back seats down and took the front wheel off the bike, I could gouge and disfigure the inside of my car instead of the outside.

2: Why would you leave your bike in the back of your car for a week while you fly away on vacation somewhere?

Because it's cheaper than hiring a sitter.

Every time I attempt to remove the bicycle from the back of my car, the handlebars get caught in the autoturf (you know, that fake fuzzy "carpeting"), I strain my back, the crank snags on the lip of the trunk and I get tire tracks on my shirt. Then I have to drag it down the stairs to the basement and hang it up next to the spiders.

The very next time I want to ride, I have to reverse the whole process. It's very unsettling for the spiders. Not to mention my sacroiliac, which has already tried to get a PFA order against me.

So I just leave it in the car. I know someday I will regret this, if I am ever at a party with, say, George Clooney AND Antonio Banderas, and they both need a ride somewhere, and I have only one seat available.

On the other hand, that's what laps are for.

The Fruit of Long Labors Is Delivered to Singapore

Like many frequent travelers, I am very excited about the new Airbus A380 Airplane. Today was a great day for the company, as Singapore Airlines took possession of their first 550-seat bird. View an amazing cutaway view of the jumbo jet here.

What a beauty! There were the famous and luscious Singapore Airlines hostesses, pictured standing in front of the cavernous passenger area, eight big rows and TVs in every seatback. I am sure that flying in this new plane is going to feel different. It also gives 50% lower cabin noise than a 747 and a lower cabin altitude of 5000 ft; both features are expected to reduce the effects of travel fatigue. And you will be able to walk around, up and down the two levels, so long flights won't feel so confining.

The WSJ ran a long story yesterday about how the managers at Airbus heroically saved the company from ruin after the delays on the A380 project. They moved a team of German engineers 80 strong to Toulouse from Hamburg to complete the important work, and fed them duck, foie gras and Languedoc wines to make them feel comfortable.

The reason for the two-year delay on the plane was due to two teams using two different design software programs to work on the same plane. By not forcing the Germans to use the newer, better versions, the French lost them. But a man named Fuchs kicked butt and made the engineers work together. For the first time in history, the journal said, the two nations would work as one on key parts of a major project. "I could sense it was an historic decision for Airbus," said a French manager.

You Can Tell the Bad Guys by How Nervous They Are

USA Today published a story about how airport security staff are learning from the Israelis on how to detect suspicious air travelers right from the get-go.

"Doug Kinsey stands near the security line at Dulles International Airport, watching the passing crowd in silence. Suddenly, his eyes lock on a passenger in jeans and a baseball cap. The man in his 20s looks around the terminal as though he's searching for something. He chews his fingernails and holds his boarding pass against his mouth, seemingly worried.

Kinsey, a Transportation Security Administration screener, huddles with his supervisor, Waverly Cousins, and the two agree: The man could be a problem. Kinsey moves in to talk to him.

The episode this month is one of dozens of encounters airline passengers are having each day -- often unwittingly -- with a fast-growing but controversial security technique called behavior detection. The practice, pioneered by Israeli airport security, involves picking apparently suspicious people out of crowds and asking them questions about travel plans or work. All the while, their faces, body language and speech are being studied.

At the vanguard is the TSA, which plans to train 600 more screeners in the next year and have "behavior-detection officers" in every major airport to spot possible terrorists.

"We have to get out front and take the fight to them and let them know that when they show up at an airport, they're susceptible to being identified," TSA chief Kip Hawley says."

So the next time you fly, try not to look suspicious!

Just How Much Pavement Does America Have?

The Christian Science Monitor's Mark Clayton recently pondered an interesting question. Just how much of America is now a parking lot?

"Early indications point to a lot of asphalt out there. If a single parking space averages 9-feet by 19-feet, then Tippecanoe County's 355,000 spaces translates into two square miles of pavement, the equivalent of about 1,000 football fields. If Tippecanoe is typical, that would mean the US has paved over roughly 6,000 square miles - an area larger than the state of Connecticut - to accommodate cars or trucks.

That's a conservative estimate, Pijanowski stresses, since he has not yet included on-street and residential parking or any other floors of parking garages except the rooftops, which are visible by air. In a nation with nearly 250 million registered vehicles, a few extra Rhode Islands of concrete might not seem to matter that much.

But a key finding in Pijanowski's research is the ratio of parking spaces to vehicles. In Tippecanoe County, at least, there are three times as many spaces as registered passenger vehicles. And there are 11 times as many spaces as families, his yet-to-be-published study found. Does America's four-wheeled fleet really need all that extra elbow room?

But most local governments think the space for cars is necessary, since they often set minimum parking requirements for stores and businesses. And retailers may be happy to spring for the extra cost of a megalot if it means no customer will be turned away even during the busiest shopping days, such as the day after Thanksgiving.

Nevertheless, some cities, including Pasadena, Calif.; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; and Boston, are making progress by revamping parking regulations, charging more for on-street parking, and adjusting the amount of parking required in new developments. In Portland, for instance, maximum parking limits vary with the distance from light-rail stations. There's less parking required to be built near the stations, more several blocks away, the EPA reports. In Palo Alto and Iowa city, the idea of "land banking" - or setting aside land for parking to be built only if it is really needed has meant minimum parking requirements are waived or relaxed.

Who Can Resist a Cute Little Jet Like That?

The headline in today's Daily Hampshire Gazette read "Why Drive When You Can Fly?" and it was for a story about the hot new very light jets, or VLJs that are the big news of aviation these days.

In Hartford CT's Brainard Airport one of the jets attracted a big crowd at a recent trade show for private plane and aircraft owners. And who can resist a little jet that flies three passengers and two crew for more than 1000 miles without a fuel stop. The leader in the field is the Eclipse, with engines made in Connecticut at Pratt and Whitney, a division of United Technologies. A Chicopee-based company called Pogo is planning on offering air charter using 24 of Eclipse jets starting in 2009.

Another of the new little jets is the Cessna Mustang. These too, are so in demand that there's a backlog and a waiting list of private propellor-driven rigs who are dying to make the switch to a sleek cool jet.

Radio Tags Will Soon Speed Up Check In

We recently flew Delta Airlines to Pisa, Italy. When we arrived at the airport in Pisa, instead of the traditional lengthy lines and traditional long row of counters, we saw something different. This is the new trend in airport designs--a collection of more than one dozen self check-in computers, where you typed in your reservation number or swiped a credit card and you printed out your own boarding pass.

Many airlines, such as Alaska Air, are banking on this dispersed way of dealing with checking in customers and in New Zealand, this is being done country wide by Air New Zealand. There are still agents available to help, but the point is, by removing that big back counter, they've empowered customers to take charge and get their own boarding passes, instead of waiting in a long line.

Air New Zealand even has a way of avoiding baggage checking too. They will issue regular customers RFID, or radio tags that can stay with the bags on the belts right onto the plane. This gives the airline staff the ability to match bags with passengers and direct the bags to the right channel.

You will still be able to check bags, but it will be quicker and thus more popular to put the tags on yourself.

More and More Flights to Faraway Places

If you're considering a trip to China or another foreign country, in 2008 you will have a lot more options for flights. That's because several international airlines have recently announced new routes from the US to the fastest growing country in the world. The Transnational's David Jones had this story.

United will inaugurate service in the spring from San Francisco and Guangzhou, becoming the first US carrier to offer this direct flight to the big southern Chinese city. Delta will begin service between Atlanta and Shanghai, bringing the total daily non-stop flights between the two countries to six. And from China, soon China Southern Airlines will fly Beijing to Detroit in March 2009. There is more.

Delta's new services would include flights to Cairo, Edinburgh, Lagos, Nairobi, Panama City, Tel Aviv and, subject to government approval, Cape Town. In all, Delta plans by June 2008 to operate 204 daily departures from JFK to 93 cities.

Meanwhile, from its Atlanta hub, Delta in June plans to begin nonstop service to Stockholm. The airline said that "55 Swedish businesses operate in the state of Georgia and approximately 900 U.S. companies have operations in Sweden."

Should the Doc Be Paid for Inflight Treatments?

Yusof Sulaiman writes on ETN news about a dispute over a bill. An Australian doctor who “rendered services” to three passengers while on a Malaysian Airlines flight has sparked a debate whether doctors should charge while on a flight should their services be needed. The doctor had sent a bill to the Malaysian flag carrier, according to published reports.

"I left my young family to attend to three sick passengers," said Dr. Matilda Metledge, who was on a flight from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur. Acknowledging her help to fellow passengers, the carrier compensated her with a “token” of toiletries and pajamas after helping two elderly passengers and another passenger who was causing a disturbance.
The carrier had turned down her request for an upgrade.

Wading into the debate, Professor John Gullotta, chairman of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) public health committee, said: "Doctors whose travels are ruined by fellow passengers should be compensated. I myself had three recent flights ruined because I had to treat passengers. The airlines are taking doctors for granted."

AMA has suggested that doctors who declare themselves available on call during a flight be given an upgrade or be paid for their time while on call. "By offering an incentive upfront everyone else can relax."

"It is a bit unfair to expect doctors trying to get away on holiday to be always available and render assistance," added Professor Gullotta. "Obviously we have to do that as part of our Hippocratic Oath and sense of well-being, but the airlines have to take a bit more responsibility."

Lorraine Long, from the Medical Error Action Group, disagreeing with the view, said treating sick people is a doctor's professional obligation, not for reward. "Shouldn't a 'thank you' be sufficient?" she asked. An airline industry observer shares another view. "The doctor's obligation is to the passenger, not to the airline. If there is any bill to be paid, it should be paid by the patient, just like going to the clinic back on the ground."

Aren't You Glad You're Not Parking In Zambia?

A zambian newspaper had a report about a complaint in an airport parking garage at Tambo International airport in South Africa. 'Airport free-for-all for thieves'

He just wanted to go away for the weekend, so Steve Lawrence thought it would be safe to park his car at the long-term parking bay at OR Tambo International Airport.

But when he returned he found the spare wheel on his Isuzu KB double cab had been stolen, and extensive damage was done to the lock and cabling beneath the vehicle.

Lawrence has been quoted between R3 000 and R4 000 to fix his Isuzu and he wants to know why a car he paid to be parked in a secure parking bay was damaged in such a way.

"I am now of the opinion that the airport has become a free-for-all for thieves who work hand-in-hand with security," said the journalist.

"Not only do I have to undergo the inconvenience of having to replace the wheel and lock - for which I hold the Airports Company liable - but my confidence in leaving my vehicle at the airport has been dealt a serious blow.

"I had to pay a substantial amount to park at the airport, only to have my vehicle vandalised."

The Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) insisted, however, that their long-term parking bays were very safe, although they would not say if there were any other incidents at the airport similar to that which happened to Lawrence.

"The security measures currently instituted at OR Tambo International's parking facilities include regular patrols, a permanent deployment of security, and license plate recognition.

"Parking at the airport is, therefore, reasonably safe and secure," said spokesperson Tasniem Patel. "Despite our best efforts to provide a safe and secure environment for our visitors and their property, the airport is a public area which, like other public areas, is susceptible to illegal activities," she said.

Acsa recommended that Lawrence open a criminal case with the police and is offering him a refund of his parking charges. Lawrence, however, isn't impressed with this response as he still has a huge bill to pay to repair his vehicle.

"This is unacceptable," he said. "I have a huge bill and all I can do is warn other people out there not to park at the airport, or they will be robbed blind. What I want to know is: if they can't fix thievery now, what will happen in 2010?"