Ecological escape – Frontier’s San Jose service

© costarica.com

Costa Rica is the epicenter of Central American environmental consciousness. Eco-tourism has soared in recent years. Increasingly, airlines are heading south from the United States, bound for San Jose’s (SJO) Aeropuerto Juan Santamaria International.

Frontier Airlines is the latest carrier to make the journey. It has launched nonstop service from its Denver (DEN) hub.

There will be four weekly departures initially. Then, beginning January 5, 2008, the carrier will add a fifth weekly flight.

All flights are aboard Frontier’s new A319s, twin-jet Airbus aircraft with wildlife on the tail. That’s how you can spot a Frontier flight out on the tarmac – bold lettering on the side of the fuselage, and North American animals arrayed on the tail.

Sun Country Airlines is a hit with customers

Sun Country Airlines has been voted the No. 1 airline for customer satisfaction in the Market Metrix Hospitality Index, based on interviews with 35,000 customers over the past three months.

Employee performance and customer-service commitments are considered in the index, which also takes into account individual feedback from passengers.

Tom Petters, Owner and Chairman of the Board at Sun Country Airlines, said: "This award is due to the hard work and dedication of all our employees. I would like to thank the team at Sun Country for the level of customer service they provide and our passengers for their continued support."

Southern Skyways to offer West Virginia-Las Vegas flights

Georgia-based Southern Skyways will operate a new route from Charleston, West Virginia, to Las Vegas from March 11, 2008.

The direct outbound flight will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with the return service from Las Vegas to Charleston running on Tuesdays and Fridays. Flights to Las Vegas start at $169 each way.

Rick Atkinson, Yeager Airport Director, announced the new flights yesterday, explaining that a Boeing 757 aircraft with seats for 176 passengers would operate the service.

Los Angeles International prepares for Airbus return

Officials at Los Angeles International (LAX) are making final preparations for the permanent return of wide-bodied Airbus A380s.

Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles, said a multi-billion dollar investment into the site has made the airport the natural choice for carriers operating the aircraft.

Speaking at the preview flight of Qantas's new Airbus which will begin a route from LAX to Australia next year, the Mayor explained that the city is in the final stages of planning for the new service.

Villaraigosa commented: "Los Angeles is the obvious destination for the first U.S. flights of new large aircraft so it is critical that LAX has the infrastructure necessary to receive them.

Virgin America hosts PJ Party

Virgin America was host to the Victoria's Secret PJ Party on Wednesday (November 28). The lingerie firm teamed up with the carrier to present a late-night on-board fashion show to passengers on flight 317 from New York to Los Angeles.

Held on-board aircraft Runway Angel, the PJ Party was hosted by supermodels Selita Ebanks and Miranda Kerr, with passengers given makeovers and offered the opportunity to purchase pieces from the new range.

Customers were invited to wear pajamas for the flight and received complimentary Victoria's Secret cosmetics.

New Airbus aircraft will help Hawaiian Air extend reach

What has happened at Hawaiian Airlines could mark the prelude to something very, very big for Hawaiian tourism: scheduled nonstop service to Europe.

Hawaiian has agreed to deals with Airbus and Rolls-Royce to acquire as many as 24 new long-range widebodies, including as many as a dozen A350XWB-800s (the XWB stands for eXtra Wide Body). The craft is capable of making nonstop runs not just to far-flung East Coast cities on the Mainland of the United States but to distant destinations in Australia, Asia and even Europe. Currently, no one offers scheduled nonstop service to Hawaii from Europe. Powered by Rolls-Royce powerplants, the A350XWB could be a game-charger. Foreign airlines have been disinclined to launch Europe - Hawaii service. But a Hawaii-based carrier could pull it off.

Hawaiian also ordered as many as 12 A330-200s, which can serve virtually any point in North America nonstop from Hawaii. They'll replace the carrier's current long-haulers, venerable Boeing 767-300s.

Continental’s post-Thanksgiving weekend deals

© Continental Airlines

‘Twas the weekend after Thanksgiving, and all through its Web site Continental Airlines had weekend wonders for those hungry for flight.

Okay, so the rhyme doesn’t quite work. But Continental Airlines’ post-Thanksgiving weekend sales does, with roundtrip discount airfares as low as $99.

Book and buy fast, by 11:59pm (Central Time) on Friday, November 30, at www.continental.com. Then, fly out on Saturday, December 1, and return either on Monday, December 3, or Tuesday, December 4. It’s a great way to see family and friends this hurried holiday season, during a time when you can save a bundle.

Daunting delays – another proposed LaGuardia solution

It’s one of the most convenient airports in the country, and one of the most delay-prone. It’s one of the smallest major aerodromes out there, and one of the busiest. Love it or hate it, New Yorkers can’t do without LaGuardia (LGA), but they could do without the seemingly endemic delays.

To that end, another proposal to solve the chronic problems that plague the Big Apple’s picked-upon pocketport. This time the suggestions come from David Stempler, President of the Air Travelers Association.

Stempler, whose group sits on the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) influential New York Aviation Rulemaking Committee, calls for a “Passengers First” solution to the slowness infecting LGA.

Charlottetown-Ottawa to go year-round

Air Canada will introduce a nonstop year-round service between Charlottetown and Ottawa next May.

The carrier has announced that the daily service will help to accommodate passengers visiting Prince Edward Island.

Commencing on May 1, the service will be operated by Air Canada Jazz. Flights will depart Ottawa at 11am (local time) and arrive in Charlottetown at 1:40pm. The return flight will leave Prince Edward Island at 2:15pm and touch down in Ottawa at 3:05pm.

American to shed Eagle feathers – spin-off

American Airlines, the world's largest airline, is getting set to shed its American Eagle commuter/regional operation, spinning it off. The idea is to boost stockholder value in AA (American’s airline code).

The move certainly isn’t unprecedented. Lots of carriers have spun off some commuter/regional operations, including Continental Airlines. This doesn’t mean the major airlines won’t have commuter regional operations, flights on RJs and propjets to smaller cities. It’s just that another entity will do the actual flying.

In today’s outsourced economy, no one is immune. The airlines have gone to great lengths to cut costs and boost stock prices. American Eagle is a huge operation: 300 aircraft, and as many as 1,700 daily flights. The carrier specializes in feeding flyers to American’s hubs at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Miami (MIA), New York Kennedy (JFK), and San Juan, PR (SJU).