Continental to Offer In-Flight Internet Access in 2009
Airbus A380 Heading to London
Bargain Travelers Raise Competition
Distraught Pilot Diverts Flight to Ireland
China Buried Under Worst Storms in 50 Years
CONTINENTAL TO OFFER IN-FLIGHT INTERNET ACCESS IN 2009 – The Wall Street Journal
As of January 2009, Continental Airlines will pair up with a unit of JetBlue to offer passengers free access to the Web. Additionally, free satellite television will be available to first-class seats, and to economy customers for a $6 fee. Continental public relations officer Julie King notes that the much-awaited advancement responds to customers “asking for more entertainment and connectivity options,” and will be installed on all next-generation aircraft.
Link: The Wall Street Journal
AIRBUS A380 HEADING TO LONDON – USA Today
After special appearances, private tours and highly publicized flights, the world’s most gargantuan aircraft, the Airbus A380, which was released in October 2007, will make its first commercial flight to Europe, heading from Singapore to London. The third superjumbo jet to join Singapore Airlines, the A380 will take to the skies on March 18. Passengers can expect to see the Airbus offering daily service to Heathrow Airport in London.
Link: USA Today
BARGAIN TRAVELERS RAISE COMPETITION – BusinessWeek
The U.S. Transportation Department announced recently that average domestic airfare in the third quarter of 2007 has fallen slightly from $330, the average fare for the same period in 2006. As more travelers choose online discounts and low-cost carriers, larger airlines are responding by loosening restrictions and lowering prices so as to remain competitive. Airports in Cincinnati; Anchorage, Alaska; and Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C. had the highest fares in the country, while airports in Hawaii held the bottom three slots.
Link: BusinessWeek
DISTRAUGHT PILOT DIVERTS FLIGHT TO IRELAND – BBC
In a recent flight from Toronto to Heathrow an “unwell” Air Canada pilot made an emergency landing at Ireland’s Shannon airport. Passengers report that the pilot had to be carried from the plane in a fit, cursing and yelling, but above all, declaring that he wanted to talk “to God.” An Air Canada spokesperson maintains that at no point were any of the crew and passengers in danger, and that “The flight was met by medical personnel and the individual is now in care.”
Link: BBC
CHINA BURIED UNDER WORST STORMS IN 50 YEARS – MSN UK
China has been blasted with the country’s the most horrific weather since the 1950s. Blizzards have left major cities devoid of power; transportation has stagnated, and 50 deaths are being attributed to the storms that have also interrupted the Chinese New Year festival. Prior to the storms, officials predicted that 178.6 million people would travel by train to celebrate the holiday, which begins officially on February 7. Without trains, desperate travelers are faced with the far more dangerous option of traveling by bus on the frozen roads.
Link: MSN UK
