Travel Roundup: Japanese Sequester American Airlines Flight, Hawaii's Occupancy Sinks, Alaska Halts Blankets and Pillows and More

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Japanese officials sequester American Airlines flight from Los Angeles — Japanese health officials concerned about the spread of swine flu sequestered 38 passengers and two flight attendants that arrived on an American Airlines Inc. flight from Los Angeles. The officials are testing only one passenger and holding the other 37 for observation at a hotel since they sat next to the tested passenger. Flight 169 left Los Angeles on Sunday and arrived today at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport. [Source: Dallas Morning News]

Hawaii hotels sank to two-decade occupancy low in March — Hawaiian hotel occupancy sank to a more than 20-year low in March, with about one-third of all hotel rooms empty, according to Hospitality Advisors LLC. Statewide, hotel occupancy was 66.9 percent in March, about 11 points lower than 77.3 percent occupancy a year earlier, and the lowest since the survey began in 1987. The average daily room rate fell 16.5 percent to $182.17, also the sharpest decline since 1987. [Source: Honolulu Advertiser]

Alaska removes pillows and blankets because of swine flu worries — Alaska Airlines said it has removed pillows and blankets from all of its 114 planes to help sanitize cabins because of swine flu. The airline said Friday that it is also cleaning the aircraft overnight using a disinfectant and sanitizer that contains a “virucidal,” or virus-killing cleanser. Aircraft arriving from Mexico are also receiving additional surface cleanings before boarding begins, the airlines said in a statement. [Source: Pacific Business News]

Freedom of the Seas makes debut in Cape Canaveral — Royal Caribbean International’s new Cape Canaveral-based ship, Freedom of the Seas, and its 3,900 passengers sail to the Caribbean today. Passengers on the Freedom of the Seas, known as the world’s largest cruise ship, began boarding Monday morning just a few hours after the ship docked at Port Canaveral. [Source: Florida Today]

Tags: American Airlines, Los Angeles, Aircraft, Passenger, Swine Flu, Aerospace & Defense, Manufacturing, Barbara E. Hernandez

Bay Area resident and award-winning business journalist Barbara E. Hernandez has covered tourism, real estate and personal finance. Her clients include the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Washington Post.

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