Travel Industry Archive

October numbers are in, and traffic has held up well considering how much capacity has been cut.  Here are the year over year changes in traffic for US airlines (including regional operations). Airline ASMs RPMs Load Factor AirTran (5.6%) (2.3%) +2.7 pts Alaska (6.3%) (4.2%) +1.6 pts American (7.3%) (9.2%) -1.6 pts Continental (6.7%) (7.3%) -0.5 pts Delta (4.7%) (2.2%) +2.0 pts ...

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Las Vegas Sands lays off 11,000 workers in Macau – Las Vegas Sands Co. decides to suspend building in Macau, laying off about 11,000 workers. The Las Vegas-based company already said it would temporarily shut down two sites  including two hotel towers and three casinos. Last week, the company reported that it needs to raise money or stop development to keep from defaulting on its $8.8...

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Delta has been adamant throughout its merger with Northwest that it wouldn’t be closing any hubs. I haven’t believed a word of it. Of course they’re going to say it because they want to get broad support from the government, but now that it’s been approved, we’ll see what plans they really have. As I’ve said before, I still think Cincinnati will disappear...

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Delta reduces flights by 12 percent in Cincinnati — Delta Air Lines will drop about 27 daily flights in Cincinnati, or about 12 percent, in 2009, but a spokeswoman said the airline remains committed to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Spokeswoman Susan Elliott said the airline has no intention of leaving the airport or surrendering it as a hub. [Source: Business...

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You’ve probably seen the news plastered all over the media. Southwest has now decided to codeshare with Mexican carrier Volaris for flights south of the border. It’s great news for passengers because it will likely open up new, low cost opportunities between the US and Mexico, but not everyone is happy. In fact, the pilots are really steaming over this move. This move is very...

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Allegiant Air will be leaving Capital Region International Airport in Lansing, Mich. Jan. 31 and begin its new service to Florida from Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids on Feb. 4. But why would an airline decide to move only about 68 miles west of their present airport to a more suburban market? Allegiant spokeswoman Tyri Squyres said the Las Vegas-based, low-cost airline...

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It’s a big week in Indianapolis as the airport opens a brand new, $1.1 billion terminal that completely replaces the old one. It’s always an exciting time when a new terminal opens, because the passenger experience is inevitably improved dramatically, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the right thing to do. In fact, while it probably made sense at the time they decided...

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MGM Mirage and partner Dubai World commit to $1.6 billion for Las Vegas Strip project –  MGM Mirage and Dubai World seem determined about the MGM Mirage CityCenter project. Both joint-venture partners agreed to back the Las Vegas Strip project even if they can’t get outside financing.  The CityCenter project, a $9.2 billion mixed-use  development, is slated for next year. It...

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I had the chance to visit with LiveTV last week, and the company is convinced it has a problem. Their onboard live television service is doing very well, and they’re about to begin installing their first system on Continental’s narrowbody fleet. But as the world talks more and more about onboard internet, LiveTV is having trouble figuring out how to make it work for them....

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Las Vegas Sands Corp. needs cash – Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced Thursday that it needs to raise money or stop development by next month to keep from defaulting on its $8.8 billion debt.  Reports that the company might renege on its loan agreements caused shares to drop 33 percent. Billionaire and CEO Sheldon Adelson, who has seen his fortunes fall with the company’s stock...

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