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

August 9, 2004

For Airlines, Worst June In Four Years
Air travel is slowing down as travelers return to the air in numbers not seen since 2000. Slightly more than one in four U.S. flights arrived late in June, meaning they didn't arrive within 15 minutes of schedule, the government reported. It was the worst June performance for the airline industry in four years. Slightly more than 74 percent of Northwest Airlines' flights arrived on time, the airline's worst June showing since 1998. Last year in June, 83 percent of its flights arrived on time. The delays did not deter passengers at Detroit Metro Airport, where traffic jumped 9.5 percent in June compared to June 2003, preliminary figures from the airport show. Free Press | Posted 6:30 a.m.
• America West Had The Angriest Passengers (Republic)
• Fare Wares Flare Up For Fall (USA Today)

These are really the best of times to fly. And the worst of times. The prices are great, but the delays are unbearable. Can't we have it both ways?

Rental Cars Grow Away From Airports
When Enterprise Rent-A-Car Co. opened a rental office in Naperville recently, it was the company's fourth in that western suburb and its ninth in that neck of the woods. And when Hertz Corp. launched a facility in Naperville this summer, it was its third in that growing suburb and its fifth in the immediate vicinity. "We have so many locations that we are within 10 minutes of 90 percent of the population in Chicago and Northwest Indiana," said Christy Conrad, a spokesman for fast-growing Enterprise, which operates more than 5,000 non-airport rental offices in the U.S. "By the end of the year, we plan to have 1,300 [non-airport] locations nationwide," crowed Paula Stifter, a spokeswoman for Hertz, which is pushing hard to grab a bigger piece of the local marketplace. Chicago Tribune | Posted 6:35 a.m.

British Airways Doubles Fuel Tax
British Airways has announced it would pass on the impact of rising oil prices by more than doubling the fuel surcharge paid by long-haul passengers. The airline said that from Wednesday the surcharge would increase from £2.50 to £6 for single trips, and to £12 for return trips. The short-haul surcharge of £2.50 remains unchanged. 'Fuel prices have risen by 45 per cent in the last 12 months and our fuel costs are expected to be £225 million higher than last year,' said John Rishton, BA's chief financial officer. Daily Mail | Posted 6:45 a.m.

O'Hare Negotiations Continue - Negotiations aimed at cutting flights to reduce delays at O'Hare International Airport will resume Monday after a summit involving major airlines ended Friday without much success, officials said. Sixteen airlines participated in three days of meetings in Washington last week with the Federal Aviation Administration, said US Department of Transportation spokesman Brian Turmail. Airlines face a deadline in the next several days to reach voluntary cuts, Turmail said. AP | Posted 7 a.m.

'Terminal' Doesn't Move Parisian - Alfred Merhan has lived quietly on a bench inside Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport for 16 years, his few belongings stuffed into bags and boxes beside him. Merhan's surreal existence under the neon lights of the airport's grim food hall has inspired Steven Spielberg's new blockbuster "The Terminal", starring Tom Hanks in the role of an East European who is stranded at New York's airport for months. Merhan, who was born in Iran and whose real name is Merhan Karimi Nasseri, says he has not seen the film -- or any Spielberg movie -- as there is no cinema at the airport. Reuters | Posted 7:05 a.m.

You Can Leave Your Shirt On - A man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after he tore off his shirt, Hulk Hogan-style, in the terminal of the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport while he argued with airline officials. Joseph G. Ernst, 24, was arrested for misdemeanor disorderly conduct. He pleaded guilty to the charge later Wednesday and was sentenced to spend five days in the Pinellas County Jail. St. Petersburg Times | Posted 7 a.m.

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• Off the Record... as a scuba diving instructor, I was drawn to the story of Vivienne Slear, the diver inadvertently abandoned at sea by a negligent divemaster. Her story of surviving a day in the ocean has been turned into a summer movie. Am I going to watch it? Haven't decided yet. Even though I haven't taught diving in a year, I still have my own nightmares of losing students (thank goodness it's never happened to me). Posted 7:10 a.m. | Send us your comments.

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