Qantas Cancels Flights Out of Sydney
UK Discovers Safest Seats on Planes
Who’s to Blame for Airport Woes?
Beijing Hotel Rates to Rise, Not Skyrocket
Brothel Bus Comes to Screeching Halt
QANTAS CANCELS 19 FLIGHTS OUT OF SYDNEY – Sydney Morning Herald
Due to strike action, Qantas has cut 19 flights in and out of Sydney, and frustrations are rising. Specifically, the cancellations will affect Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane passengers, but a Qantas spokeswoman assures that, “All passengers have been accommodated on other services.” Apparently, Qantas engineers have been campaigning for a five percent increase in pay, and “have pledged to walk off the job” at various airports. Qantas has offered a three percent pay increase, but discussions between Qantas and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association and the Australian Council of Trade Unions are set to occur on Monday.
Link: Sydney Morning Herald
WHO’S TO BLAME FOR AIRPORT TRAVEL WOES? – International Herald Tribune
When things go wrong at airports, it’s easy to play the blame game. When a flight is delayed, airlines blame airport authorities or air traffic congestion; in an airport snarl, management blames customs, immigration and security staff; travelers are likely to blame airlines, airports, and everything in between for their travel woes. “Airlines would love to be able to control the whole customer experience but they can’t,” said Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president of the World Travel & Tourism Council. “Whoever runs the airport has the responsibility but not the overall control.” For airports to provide speedy and efficient customer service without having control over all aspects of the process, it can be a tough situation. Technology is helping ease the burden, with futuristic amenities like iris and fingerprint recognition, and check-in via PDAs. But good customer service requires investing more cash in human staffing, and that, unfortunately, is not a likely scenario.
Link: International Herald-Tribune
UK STUDY DISCOVERS SAFEST SEATS ON PLANES – The Times (UK)
A study commissioned by the Civil Aviation Authority and conducted by Greenwich University shows that the safest seats on an airplane are—surprise!—in aisle seats close to an emergency exit row, or between two and five rows from the emergency exit. In attempting to escape a plane that has crash-landed and in flames, passengers sitting in the front of the plane have a 65 percent chance of exiting safely, and those sitting toward the rear have a 53 percent chance. Because exit seats are costlier than others, problems now arise with passengers’ survival hinging on whether or not they can pay for a “safer” seat—especially if, as Robert Gifford, director of the Parliamentary Council for Transportation Safety, says, “…your choice of seat on a plane can really be a matter of life or death.”
Link: The Times (UK)
BEIJING HOTEL RATES TO RISE, BUT NOT SKYROCKET – China Daily
Although Beijing hotel room rates are expected to rise during the Olympics, ample capacity and the impact of the Sichuan earthquake mean that prices probably won’t skyrocket. It was initially thought that hotel rates would reach eight to 10 times normal prices, but a recent survey showed they may reach “only” three to five times more. There are 5,892 hotels and other types of accommodations offering 336,000 rooms and 660,000 beds during the Beijing Olympics. So far, 77 percent of Beijing’s five-star hotels and 44 percent of four-star hotels have been booked during this time period.
Link: China Daily
BROTHEL BUS COMES TO SCREECHING HALT – Miami Herald
Talk about a moving violation. A luxury limo bus that was allegedly used as a brothel on wheels went bust on Sunday when three undercover Miami Beach cops climbed on board, just blocks from the police station. ”It was very brazen,” said Detective Juan Sanchez, a Miami Beach police spokesman. “They were offering everything from lap dances to sex.” The six people on board are facing multiple counts of prostitution, violating the public dance hall ordinance and possession of a controlled substance (yes, it was Viagra).
Link: Miami Herald
Want to see other recent Travel News Roundups? Click here.
Or, check out more travel news you can use in our main Travel News section.
Looking for even more in-depth news coverage of the week’s top stories? Visit our Travel News Analysis Category.
