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

July 22, 2004

Man Takes Tractor on Airport Joyride
An airline passenger wearing only a pair of pajama bottoms stole a baggage tractor at Atlanta's main airport and drove it onto an active runway early Wednesday, police said. Atlanta police say Robert W. Buzzell, 31, had walked out an exit door that had an alarm at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Flights were not affected by the incident, which took place before 6 a.m., airport officials said. The man was stopped by mechanics who asked him for an employee identification card. When he could not provide one, they escorted him to an office and called police. Authorities said the man appeared mentally unstable. AP | Posted 6:30 a.m.
• Man Was a Delta Air Lines Passenger (WJXT)
• Charged With Interfering With Security (Ananova)

It's funny, but consider what might have happened if Buzzell had darker motives. Any wonder that there are so many concerns about airport security? Maybe that's because there really is no reliable and effective way of securing an airport, other than turning it into a military airfield.

15-Foot Waves Ruin Bermuda Cruise
Hundreds of passengers fell violently sick as their Bermuda-bound cruise ships were pounded by 15 foot waves during a fierce storm. The Norwegian Crown and Norwegian Majesty were tossed about mercilessly as the winds struck in the middle of Monday night, several hours after they had left America. Many passengers were shocked at how waves pushed the giant vessels around like toys. Honeymooners Susan and Joseph Purtill, endured a nightmare start to married life on board the Norwegian Crown. "I was so sick I swore I would fly home," Mrs. Purtill told The Royal Gazette. She added staff would not allow passengers to go out on deck. "I was on my honeymoon and I spent the whole day in bed alone." Royal Gazette | Posted 6:45 a.m.

Ryanair Wants To Zero Out Fares
Michael O'Leary, the head of Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, said in a German newspaper interview released that his carrier might well be offering free air tickets in 10 years' time. Asked by the weekly newspaper Die Zeit what Ryanair's minimum price for an air ticket would be, O'Leary said: "There is no minimum price." "Why shouldn't we give away seats for free," he said in comments reproduced in German. "We'd get our money from the hotels we bring our passengers to, from the rental car firms, the airport shops and from the airports themselves who'd be happy to have us fly there," the Ryanair chief said. "Our competitors will raise their prices because they're losing money. We'll cut ours." AFP | Posted 7 a.m.

Video Shows Hijackers Being Screened - Surveillance video from Washington's Dulles Airport shows four of the five hijackers being pulled aside to undergo additional scrutiny after setting off metal detectors, on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. They were then permitted to board the fateful flight that later crashed into the Pentagon. AP | Posted 7 a.m.

American, America West Post Profits - Cost-cutting measures helped AMR Corp. and America West Holdings Corp. reported slim second-quarter profit Wednesday, while Northwest Airlines Corp. had a loss. AMR, American Airlines' parent, had net income of $6 million, or 3 cents a share, contrasted with a year-earlier loss of $75 million, or 47 cents a share. Bloomberg | Posted 7:05 a.m.

Orbitz Lowers 2004 Forecast - Orbitz Inc. put earnings for the second quarter above previous estimates, but lowered its forecast for the year. In a statement, the Chicago-based company said second-quarter revenue and full-year expectations have been affected by a slower ramp-up of a merchant hotel program and a more competitive marketing environment, which affected hotel and air revenue. AP | Posted 7 a.m.

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• Off the Record... I received an invitation yesterday to attend RoachFest '04 on Aug. 7 in Philadelphia, which is billed as the first-ever forum where frequent fliers can meet face-to-face with US Airways airline executives to share ideas and ask questions. Details are on the Cockroach Web site. What makes this different from an airline focus group? Well, anyone can come - even yours truly. I've gotta hand it to the US Airways brass for taking that kind of risk. Posted 7:10 a.m. | Send us your comments.

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