• What's elliott?
• About elliott
• Contact us

t o p i c s

• Business
• Commentary
• Destinations
• Help
• Leisure
• Technology
• Vault

Copyright Elliott Publishing. All rights reserved. For more information, call (305) 453-4781 or send e-mail to us.

E L L I O T T' S TRAVEL NOTES
Travel news, opinion and analysis

April 1, 2004

Going to Dominican Republic? Drive
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has condemned the actions of the government in the Dominican Republic to lock out its air traffic controller workforce and replace it with unqualified controllers, a move that has resulted in serious safety concerns for that country and also increased demands on U.S. controllers working in Miami who handle the airspace around that Caribbean region. “Using uncertified, unqualified controllers creates a serious hazard to aircraft,” National Air Traffic Controllers Association Executive Vice President Ruth Marlin said. NATCA | Posted 6 a.m.
-- Sun-Sentinel: Lockdown slows air traffic in Caribbean

• This is scary. Never mind that this is happening right in my own back yard, but the last think anyone wants is a mid-air collision. That's no April Fool's joke. Send us your comments.

Stressed Passengers Need Trains
Back from the annual vacation watching baseball in Arizona, I'm reminded once again just how close we are to a national transportation crisis. Except in the most remote parts of the country, our interstate system and the freeways that feed it are clogged with cars and trucks virtually 24 hours a day. In Phoenix, where concrete now covers about half of the great Sun Valley desert, the traffic gridlock is rated the third worst in the nation. And, of course, the airports are nothing short of a joke . Naples Daily News | Posted 6:20 a.m.
<-- MSNBC: Jets, trains targeted for bomb threats

Book Now - While You Still Can
Did you hear? US Airways has decided to give away free tickets until midnight tonight. April Fools! Just kidding! No, no airline is giving away free tickets. But the travel industry is playing an enormous April Fools Day joke on consumers, and those who don't move fast enough are going to be the butt of the joke. But those who book by the end of the business day today are going to walk away with unprecedented savings (in some cases) on spring and summer travel to hot spots across the globe. MSNBC | Posted 6:30 a.m.

-----------------------------------

• And finally ... Recent reports that the travel recovery may have been an illusion aren't theoretical, at least when it comes to US Airways. This just in from one of our agency insiders: "US Airways is in the process of closing all city ticket offices, cutting back their sales force, and opting out of backend overrides (30 day notice, hand-delivered today) for all but the top top producers. One sales rep has said that the Southwest presence in Philadelphia will cut US Airways' revenues by close to 60% once the airline is there. We are watching US Airways very carefully. While not pulling clients off of them, we are looking at bookings beyond the summer with some caution." Posted 8 a.m. | Send us your comments.

>> Yesterday's Notes | Tomorrow's Notes <<

E-mail Elliott | Other bloggers | About this blog

Latest Travel Notes | Complete Archives