• 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

Underwritten By Cheapflights.com — Compare sales, specials and cheap flights to any destination.

September 13, 2004

US Air Files For Bankruptcy Protection
The airline industry's financial crisis deepened Sunday as cash-strapped US Airways Group Inc., the nation's seventh-largest carrier, filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years. The Arlington, Va.-based airline mainly serves the Eastern half of the country, but its service includes 27 daily departures from California, including 11 from Los Angeles and five from San Diego. Sunday's filing under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code allows US Airways to continue to operate while restructuring its debt. The company said that customers "should notice no changes to flight operations or customer service" and that its frequent-flier program remained intact. But industry analysts said that US Airways' situation was dire and that it was possible the airline's reorganization would eventually dissolve into a liquidation that would ground the carrier forever. Los Angeles Times | Posted 6:30 a.m.
• Life Goes On For US Airways - For Now (NY Times)
• What Went Wrong? Here Are Airlines' Reasons

Here we go ... again.

US Airways Ends With You
So long, US Airways. Now that the nation's seventh-largest carrier has filed for bankruptcy protection a second time in as many years, many industry-watchers give it only a few months before it liquidates. Even David Bronner recently predicted it wouldn't be saved from Chapter 11, and he ought to know. He's the airline's chairman. But while most of the pundits are fixated on the reasons for US Airways' likely demise, one question has gone largely unasked: Who is going to pay for this failure? Certainly, its employees will. Since 2001, the company's rank-and-file workers have given up an unprecedented $1.9 billion in wages and benefits - reductions they willingly accepted in order to keep US Airways flying. When the airline goes belly-up, these loyal employees will also pay with their jobs. But they aren't alone. You'll pay, too. Travelcomment | Posted 6:35 a.m.

Ivan Attacks Caymans, Aims For Cuba
Hurricane Ivan, one of the fiercest Atlantic storms recorded, grew even more powerful and headed toward Cuba Monday after pummeling the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Grenada on a track that eventually will bring it to the U.S. coast. The monster storm, its top sustained winds strengthened to near 160 mph (260 kph), tore off roofs and sent sea water surging over the Caymans, a low-lying British territory and offshore finance center that is home to 45,000 people. Ivan has killed at least 47 people during its rampage through the Caribbean. Now a rare and deadly Category 5 hurricane, Ivan was expected to pass near extreme western Cuba Monday evening, forecasters said. They warned of a 20- to 25-foot storm surge of seawater in Cuba, east of Ivan's center, if it were to make landfall in western Cuba. Reuters | Posted 6:45 a.m.

Hurricane Flight Canceled? Not to Worry - If you had a nonrefundable coach-class ticket to fly out of South Florida when Hurricane Frances shut down local airports, you probably will have a chance to reschedule your flight this month without penalty. Because the hurricane forced flight cancellations, airlines temporarily waived fees up to $100 that they usually charge nonrefundable ticket holders for changing their reservations. But these grace periods are short. Some end today. Miami Herald | Posted 7 a.m.

Caribbean Travelers Secure Refunds - Tour operators are offering full refunds or the chance to go to an alternative destination to thousands of holidaymakers due to travel to the Caribbean over the next few weeks. The Grenada tourist board estimates there were up to 10,000 tourists on the island when Hurricane Ivan, the most powerful hurricane to hit the region in a decade, caused devastation earlier this week. Guardian | Posted 7:05 a.m.

Man Caught at Airport With 19 Pythons - An alleged snake smuggler and a man accused of bringing more than 50 bird eggs to Australia from Singapore faced court in Brisbane today. Gregory John Comans, 47, a company director, was charged with illegally importing 19 rare python snakes after he was arrested at Brisbane airport yesterday after flying in from Singapore. AAP | Posted 7:10 a.m.

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

• Off the Record ... Charlie Leocha is pleased with Northwest Airlines' booking fee reversal, but he's not happy that some of his comments about surcharges were misunderstood by some readers. In a just-posted commentary, he tries to straighten everything out. Posted 7:15 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