Much-needed new connection for Illinois’ capital – AA via St. Louis

© American Airlines

Staying connected is critical for small cities, especially when that small city is the capital of a major state such as Illinois. American Airlines’ fliers get a boost in terms of connection opportunities when American Eagle begins flying twice daily between Springfield, IL (SPI) and St. Louis (STL) on November 4. St. Louis is a significant domestic hub for American Airlines, and has been since the carrier merged with TWA.

Politicians were quick to commend the new route. Dick Durban, Illinois Democratic Senator, says the latest link “will make a big difference for those living and doing business in the capital city”. You can’t imagine what a difference until you’ve lived in a town with service to just one or two cities.

Heretofore, about the only way to fly commercially to or from Springfield has been via either Chicago Midway (MDW) or O’Hare (ORD) airports. While discount airline Allegiant Air has inaugurated nonstop service to Las Vegas (LAS), it’s essentially an “O&D” (origin and destination) route, one not intended to facilitate connections. American Eagle’s St. Louis link opens up a slew of new connection options for Springfield fliers.

The better to see you with – here comes NextGen

As delays soar, and fliers simmer, there may be some relief just over the horizon. The Federal Aviation Administration has selected a company to provide the keystone technology for the agency’s vaunted Next Generation Air Transportation System - NextGen for those of you collecting acronyms. ITT Corporation is the winner, and the company will be required to have the technology ready by 2010, and able to cover the whole country by 2013.

Specifically, ITT is going to build a system called ADS-B, short for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast. It’s a satellite-based system that FAA contends, “is nearly ten times more accurate than [ground-bound] radar”. The idea is to tell controllers and pilots the precise location of aircraft. That, in turn, is supposed to translate into more direct flight routings, enhanced safety, and fewer delays.

Those final two items command attention.

Arizona airport officers receive special training

Police officers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport are to be given special security training, it has been announced.

According to the Arizona Republic, the City Council is to spend $90,000 training employees in behavior-recognition techniques already in place at airports in Miami, Boston and London and Glasgow in the United Kingdom.

It is hoped that the training will have been completed in time for February's Super Bowl, when the Arizona airport will receive a huge influx of passenger traffic.

Boston-Philadelphia flights with Delta

© Comair

Delta Air Lines is to begin a new service between Boston Logan International Airport and Philadelphia International.

From November 5, Delta Connection carrier Comair will offer four daily flights between the two Northeast cities.

Services will leave Massachusetts at 7am, 11am, 3pm, and 6pm, touching down in Pennsylvania at 8:30am, 12:28pm, 4:30pm, and 7:35pm, respectively.

Triple competition on Raleigh/Durham-Orlando route

By early next year there should be at least three airlines competing on the Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Orlando (MCO) route. Discount airline AirTran Airways intends to be the new player. The carrier says it will launch nonstop nonstop service on February 14, 2008.

AirTran will loft a single daily nonstop on the route, and it will compete against another discount airline - Southwest - well as Delta Connection.

AirTran will fly a 717 twinjet on the Florida route.

Palm Springs to get new northern California connection

Palm Springs (PSP) attracts lots of folks during the winter months. This winter there will be a new way to get to the desert enclave. Horizon Air intends to launch seasonal nonstop service from San Jose (SJC) to Palm Springs from November 4. Flights will be seasonal, and they'll continue through April 6, 2008. That takes in the high season.

High-frills (free Starbucks coffee, wine, and microbrews) Horizon Air will deploy new CRJ-700 regional jets on the West Coast route. There will be a single daily nonstop.

To boost service from the Pacific Northwest to the resort area, Horizon Air will supplement partner Alaska Airlines' seasonal service from Portland, OR (PDX) to Palm Springs by flying a CRJ-700 on that route.

AirTran renews partnership with Coca-Cola

AirTran Airways has renewed its partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, signing a new three-year contract.

The airline was the first carrier in the world to supply in-flight Coca-Cola products such as Coca-Cola Zero, Dasani Water, Minute Maid Lemonade, and Cherry Coke Zero, and boards 16 different Coca-Cola items.

Tad Hutcheson, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales for AirTran Airways, commented: "AirTran Airways is thrilled to continue our long relationship with The Coca-Cola Company, a passenger favorite and one of America's top consumer brands.

More ground time for AA aircraft possible

One of the prime tenets of making money in the airline business is the quick turn time, getting passengers and bags off, loading other fliers and luggage on, and dispatching flying machines fast. The notion is simple: an airplane sitting on the ground doesn't make money. High utilization is king.

In a recent interview on NBC's Today Show American Airlines CEO Gerard Arpey said the nation's largest carrier is considering adding more ground time. The idea is to make it easier for passengers to make connections, and baggage handlers to transfer luggage between flights.

Arpey accedes that this will cost the carrier money, but he told the Today Show audience: “We understand that we've got to address some of the concerns of our customers, so we're going to be working hard to do that.”

Paper tickets on the way out

Cheap flights will be entirely electronically based from June 1 next year, it has been confirmed. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has confirmed that paper tickets are to be phased out, with no more on order.

Giovanni Bisignani, Director General of the IATA, confirmed: "In just 278 more days, the paper ticket will become a collector's item."

The move to wholesale electronic ticketing will save carriers $9 per traveler, though Bisignani did not confirm if customers would benefit from this, Reuters reports. He added: "We are changing an industry with tangible benefits for travellers, agents, airlines and the environment.

AirTran gives up on Midwest

© AirTran Airways

AirTran Airways has commented on its decision to halt efforts to merge with Midwest Air Group.

Despite months of discussions, and several offers from AirTran, the Midwest board rejected the final AirTran offer, opting to sell Midwest Airlines to TPG Capital and Northwest Airlines.

Joe Leonard, Chairman and Chief Executive of AirTran Airways, admitted disappointment at the eventual conclusion to the lengthy talks. "We sought to acquire Midwest because we believe joining the two airlines would have created a unique, efficient, truly national low-cost carrier with tremendous benefits for shareholders, communities and employees," he commented.