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

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November 5, 2004

Fat Passengers Weigh Down Profits
Heavy suitcases aren't the only things weighing down airplanes and requiring them to burn more fuel, pushing up the cost of flights. A new government study reveals that airlines increasingly have to worry more about the weight of their passengers. America's growing waistlines are hurting the bottom lines of airline companies as the extra pounds on passengers are causing heftier fuel costs, according to the study. Through the 1990s, the average weight of Americans increased by 10 pounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The extra weight caused airlines to spend $275 million to burn 350 million more gallons of fuel in 2000 just to carry the additional weight of Americans, the federal agency estimated in a recent issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. ''The obesity epidemic has unexpected consequences beyond direct health effects,'' said Dr. Deron Burton of the CDC. AP | Posted 6:35 a.m.
• Fuel Calculations Based on 'Internet Data' (Sentinel)
• Accounts for 2.4 Percent Additional Fuel (Newsday)

Hmm, maybe airlines should be offering discounts for slender travelers? Terry Riley's idea doesn't seem so far-fetched now.

P&O Passengers 'Close to Mutiny'
Holidaymakers on a crippled cruise ship forced to turn back early would have mutinied if the owners had denied them a refund, a disgruntled passenger said on Friday. Brisbane woman Diana Scarborough said the P&0 vessel Pacific Sky's South Pacific voyage had been a debacle from start to finish. "If they hadn't given us a refund I think they would have had a mutiny on their hands," she said. The 12-day South Pacific cruise was beset by problems from the outset when technical difficulties delayed its Sunday departure from Brisbane by more than a day. Carrying 1,485 passengers, the ship was forced to turn back on Tuesday night after developing unrelated problems in its starboard engine. Passengers arranged pool deckchairs to spell out SOS when the Pacific Sky limped back into a Brisbane port on Friday. TVNZ | Posted 6:45 a.m.

United Wants to Cut Wages, Pensions
United Airlines, trying to restructure after nearly two years in bankruptcy protection, told its unions last night that it wanted to terminate its four employee pension plans and seek additional wage and benefit cuts, as part of a plan to cut another $2 billion a year in costs. Termination of the pension plans would require approval from the Federal Bankruptcy Court in Chicago, where United sought protection in December 2002. To secure the approval, United would have to convince the judge that it had no other chance of survival. The New York Times | Posted 6:50 a.m.

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Eating Mickey - In a greenhouse on the perimeter of Epcot largely off-limits to park visitors, scientists are discreetly growing produce to look like Mickey Mouse. Rodent-shaped fare has been a staple at Disney’s theme parks for more than a decade – everything from waffles to pasta are shaped like the cartoon icon. But now, food engineering is quietly being taken a step further. > All-new featured story from Not2far.com | Posted 7 a.m.

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In UK, Travel Agents Shunned For Internet - Britons are rejecting the traditional package holiday and spending more on do-it-yourself getaways. In the past six years the market has doubled and is now worth £11.7 billion. It is forecast that this sector could grow by 78 per cent within five years and reach a value of just over £21 billion as the public gain confidence about booking separately for flights and accommodation. The outlook appears bleak for the high street travel agent, however, because these designer breaks are being organized through the Internet so that travelers can take advantage of cheap “no frills” airlines and find accommodation on the web. Times | Posted 7 a.m.

US Issues Guatemala Warning - The U.S. State Department is warning Americans about the dangers of street crime in Guatemala after a series of recent attacks on tourists. Advertisement The warning, posted Wednesday on the State Department Web site, is in effect through May. "Violent criminal activity on the highways in Guatemala has increased," it said. "Crimes against foreigners have included murder, rape, and armed robbery, increasingly in conjunction with highway banditry." AP | Posted 7:05 a.m.

Passenger Sues Lufthansa Over Ticket - and Wins - A Melbourne, Australia, woman who was left stranded in Amsterdam when her around-the-world ticket was rejected by airport check-in staff has successfully sued German airline Lufthansa. Student and part-time model Emily Koen-Cohen, 22, won $650 in compensation at a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing this week. Herald Sun | Posted 7:10 a.m.

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