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

December 2, 2004

What a Ride For United Flight 668
It was a rough trip for 118 people who were on a Chicago to New York flight Wednesday. They endured an aborted takeoff, a switch in planes, severe turbulence and a landing at an unexpected airport. United Airlines says Flight 668, scheduled to take off from O’Hare at 6:00 this morning, was forced to abort take off. Passengers had heard a loud popping noise and some saw a bright flash coming from the right engine. United spokeswoman Andrea Arroyo says a stalled compressor is the suspected cause. Passenger Gary Bonkowski says the aborted take-off happened just seconds before the Airbus 319’s nose was about to lift into the air. (WBBM) Posted 6:35 a.m.
• Safety Glitch Forces Delta Jet to Land (Times)
• Virgin Blue Jet Makes Emergency Landing (Australian)

And you thought airport security was the toughest part of the trip. Not at this time of the year.

Cendant to Buy Ebookers for $400M
Cendant, the world's largest travel group, is on Thursday expected to announce a deal to buy Ebookers, the European internet travel site, worth about $400m. The deal is further evidence of growing consolidation in the competitive online travel market. Cendant, which owns brands including the Ramada hotel franchise and the Avis car rental chain, recently acquired Orbitz, the second largest travel site in the US, for more than $1.2bn. The group, which also owns Galileo, a distribution system that connects suppliers with agents, has built a war chest for acquisitions, having spun off several businesses including a truck fleet operation and Jackson Hewitt, the second largest tax service in the US. (FT) Posted 6:45 a.m.

Delta Pilots Retire Early En Masse
Delta Air Lines pilots, facing a 32.5 percent pay cut, retired effective Wednesday at triple the rate of just a month ago. Of 235 retiring pilots who filed retirement papers with the Atlanta-based airline by Tuesday's deadline, 202 were early retirements, pilots union spokeswoman Karen Miller said. Fifteen of the retiring pilots are based out of Salt Lake City, Delta's third largest hub, Miller said. Of that 15, 14 were pilots who chose early retirement. Pilots account for about 650 of Delta's 4,500 employees in Salt Lake City. (Tribune) Posted 6:50 a.m.

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A Bogus Bereavement Fare
When Hank Greenberg's sister dies and he must fly to Pittsburgh for the funeral, he's offered an expensive "bereavement" fare through the major airlines. Travelocity's price is half that - or so he thinks. After he tries to buy the ticket, the cost just keeps going up. Is Travelocity to blame for the rising fare? Is he? And what's the deal on airline bereavement discounts, anyway? (Triprights.com) Posted 6:55 a.m.

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'High Noon' For US Airways, Unions
A bankruptcy judge today begins hearings on US Airways' request to reject its union contracts and impose $1 billion in wage and benefits cuts on 28,000 workers. "It's high noon," said Vaughn Cordle, chief analyst with Airline Forecasts in Washington, D.C. "The survival of the airline hangs in the balance." Two unions, representing customer agents and flight attendants, are threatening to strike if Judge Stephen S. Mitchell in Alexandria, Va., approves US Airways' request. Mitchell is not expected to rule until early next year. (Tribune-Review) Posted 7 a.m.

Southeast Airlines Goes Out of Business
Southeast Airlines, a Florida-based discount airline serving seven destinations along the Atlantic seaboard and Midwest, announced that it has ceased operations. The company said in a statement posted on its Web site late Tuesday that it "has made its final landing and has ceased airline operations. We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause to our customers." (News Press) Posted 7:05 a.m.

Mexican Resorts Offers $8.7 Million Weekend
A Mexican resort has come up with an offer to tempt the most extravagant holiday-maker - a three-night stay with private jet and golf, for a mere $8.7m. The Marquis Los Cabos hotel in Baja California says it has already had a handful of inquiries about the deal. It includes the services of a Michelin-starred chef and the chance to play a round of golf with star Jack Nicklaus. (BBC) Posted 7:10 a.m.

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