ritish Airways customers who are
"disruptive or abusive" to the airline's airport staff will be
issued yellow warning cards, modeled after the ones referees issue
to soccer players for dangerous or unsportsmanlike behavior.
In soccer, getting two yellow cards in one game earns a player
an automatic red card and removal from the game. British Airways
doesn't hand out red cards, but if a traveler is issued a yellow
card and continues the behavior, the airline might refuse to let
him on the flight or call the police.
British Airways has been using a similar yellow-card system in
flight since September 1998 and has issued about two or three a
month, often in full view of other passengers, an airline
spokeswoman said. If the passenger doesn't cease the behavior
immediately, British Airways will go so far as to ban the passenger
from future flights or call the cops.
The airline expanded the system to airports because of an
apparent increase in "ground rage" incidents.
• • •
elta on Nov. 11 will expand an
offering -- already tested in more than a dozen cities -- under
which some customers can stand by for first class upgrades for a
mileage-based fee ranging from $50 to $150.
The option will be offered on certain off-peak domestic flights
when first class seats are available.
Customers can request the option at the gate or ticket counter.
The product is available to passengers with confirmed reservations,
but those booked on certain deeply discounted and "sale" fares are
excluded.
Delta's SkyMiles Medallion members will continue to be offered
upgrade priority before the standby product is offered at the
gate.
• • •
anChile opened a reservations
center in Miami for passengers and agents throughout North America.
More than 50 LanChile agents will staff the center.
• • •
S Airways is planning to lay
off hundreds more pilots, the Air Line Pilots Association said,
amid new revenue warnings from the airline's chief executive.
The association said US Airways pilots have been notified that
the airline will furlough at least 326 of them Jan. 7 and 145 more
sometime between January and April.
The union's Master Executive Council for US Airways said the
council is "extremely disappointed in management's continuing focus
on increasing pilot furloughs," which it said would bring the total
number to 750 since the airline and pilots reached a restructuring
agreement.
In a weekly message to employees near the time the pilots were
notified, US Airways chairman and CEO David Siegel said the revenue
market for U.S. airlines again has deteriorated, commenting, "The
industry over the last several weeks has just completely fallen off
a cliff."
He said the airline is deciding whether it needs to lower its
revenue forecast for next year and look for more spending cuts.
• • •
ill air bags make you feel
safer on an airplane?
AmSafe Aviation said it signed a deal with Air Canada to equip
its A319, 320, 321 and 340 aircraft with the company's Aviation
Inflatable Restraint. That will make Air Canada the 17th airline to
use them since the company began installing them in February 2001,
AmSafe said.
AmSafe said the system resembles a normal seat belt in size and
shape but contains an air bag that inflates rapidly upon sensing an
impact.
The sensors are designed to distinguish among various inputs,
such as a hard landing, severe in-flight turbulence or bumping the
seat, without setting off the air bag, the company said.
Air Canada expects to have the system installed on up to 18
aircraft by the end of 2003.
• • •
merican received Department of
Transportation approval to serve Kenya and Tanzania from the U.S.,
which it plans to do by placing its code on Swiss flights out of
Zurich.
Swiss, an American alliance partner, flies four times a week
from Zurich to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, via Nairobi, Kenya.
American said the service will mark its first on-line access to the
two African nations.