United signs South America code share agreement

United Airlines has signed a new code share agreement with South America's TACA GROUP, which should expand international destination options, frequent flier schemes for both airlines, and spell good news for passengers.

TACA GROUP offers an extensive service in the Americas with hubs in El Salvador, Costa Rica and Peru, serving 35 cities in 19 countries. This will open up a new network of flights and destinations for United passengers to redeem their frequent flier points.

Once the technical aspects are in place and full government approvals have been given, United customers will be able to book flights with connecting TACA services all the way through on one ticket.

Virgin America comes one step closer to flying

Virgin America, the regional airline backed by British billionaire Richard Branson, is one step closer to starting operations.

The airline began recruiting flight staff last month and has now submitted a list of 40 markets that it would like to serve.

Virgin America has been in the pipeline for two years and has met opposition from the country's established airlines, with whom Virgin would be competing.

AirTran’s across-the-board sale

AirTran Airways has put all destinations across its route network on sale. Buy by Thursday, March 9, and travel through Wednesday, August 23.

Purchase tickets via the website or by calling 1-800-AIR-TRAN. These ten-day advance purchase fares are predicated on one-way pricing, and do not require a round-trip purchase or a Saturday night stay. The special discount airfares are non-refundable. If you change your reservation after ticketing, there’s a $50 fee in addition to any applicable increase in airfare.

Shang-high hopes for cheaper China flights

American Airlines will launch a new nonstop daily service between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Shanghai, according to reports in the Chinese press.

The new flights will begin in April, breaking the monopoly that United Airlines has on the route and cutting ticket prices.

"American Airlines' entry into the market will stiffen the competition," explained Alfred Li, general sales manager of United Airlines, to The Shanghai Daily. "We have to lower the prices as a strategy to face the competition."

American plans to commence flights on April 2 with an 11.05am departure from Chicago, touching down at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 2.15pm on April 3. The return flight will depart Shanghai at 4.25pm, arriving in Chicago at 5pm. Two Boeing 777s will operate on the route.

American Eagle flies feather afield

From May 6 American Eagle will be spreading its wings from Chicago O'Hare International Airport with a new nonstop weekend service to Freeport, Bahamas. The planned route is the first to connect the Windy City with the Bahamas direct.

Serving the vacation crowd, the new route will operate until September 3, using a 70-seater Canadair CRJ-700 jet. The outbound flight, 4477, leaves Chicago at 1.10pm arriving in Freeport at 5.12pm. The return jet is scheduled to take off at 5.52pm for an 8pm touchdown at O'Hare. Both flights will operate on Saturday and Sunday.

DING! $28 fares from Southwest

Southwest Airlines is celebrating the first anniversary of its DING! service by offering one-way fares from $28.

The savings are available through DING! from today (Tuesday, February 28) for two days on selected Southwest routes. Tickets booked on these fares are valid for travel from March 7 through April 30.

DING! is a downloadable subscription service that delivers Southwest's latest deals direct to customers' desktops. To be eligible for these cheap seats would-be travelers must sign up to DING! via Southwest's website.

Air Canada’s new Fort McMurray connection

Fort McMurray Airport (YMM) in Alberta has had good service to Calgary (YYC) and Edmonton (YEA) for some time, but now Air Canada plans to launch nonstop flights between the airport and its prime hub at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

Set for an April 8 launch, Air Canada says theirs will be the only nonstop flight in the market. From Toronto, the flight will continue to St. John’s.

Dallas/Fort Worth expands wireless coverage

Travelers using Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport’s (DFW) new International Terminal D or parking in the facility’s adjacent garage, should enjoy clear, uninterrupted wireless reception thanks to a new distributed antenna system designed to handle cellular and PCS-band commercial wireless signals.

Furnished by Andrew Corporation, the system works by receiving signals from operators’ base stations, and then sending them down hallways, through corridors, and into the nooks and crannies that comprise Terminal D. Andrew has lots of experience at the airport, having already installed distributed antenna systems in Terminals A, B, C and E – as well as other buildings in the massive airport.

New dining options coming to Spokane

Following the trend of airports around the country, Spokane International Airport (GEG) is upgrading its dining options and providing passengers with new places to eat, drink, and relax.

The Pacific Northwest aerodrome fields more than 70 flights per day to cities throughout North America, and more than three million travelers pass through it each year.

Delta’s largest hubs are right on time

© Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines is touting the fact that its second- and third-largest hubs led the pack in terms of on-time arrival performance this past year.

The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) says that, among the nation’s 33 largest airports, Salt Lake City International (SLC) recorded the best on-time arrivals record. Almost 84 per cent of Salt Lake City’s flights arrived on time, that is within 15 minutes of schedule.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport’s (CVG) numbers were only slight less impressive. The BTS says that 82.65 per cent of its flights pulled up to the gate on time.