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British Airways will charge for advance seat reservations beginning October 7, 2009. This option will require BA passengers, seating in economy class, to pay for a pre-assigned seat instead of waiting until online check-in opens 24 hours before departure.

Getting on a domestic plane without ID. According to the TSA, if you have lost your identification, you will be required to provide the document-checking officer with something to help in confirming your ID. A letter with the address on it would work, or a copy of a police report if the wallet was stolen. Anything this person might have to help identify themselves would be very helpful. Additionally, according to the TSA Web site, a passenger "may be subjected to additional screening protocols, including enhanced physical screening, enhanced carry-on and/or checked baggage screening, interviews with behavior-detection or law-enforcement officers and other measures." "Passengers whose identity cannot be verified by TSA may not be allowed to go through the checkpoint or onto an airplane." One way to avoid potential hassles is to carry backup identification -- your passport, a Xerox of your driver's license or government-issued ID. (For international travel, make copies of your passport.) Then keep this backup material -- along with a list of emergency numbers, such as whom to call to report lost or stolen credit cards -- in a separate location in your luggage. The TSA list of accepted backup identification is at www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/acceptable_documents.shtm

The Mileage Plus® Fall Double EQM or EQS promotion: Now through December 15, 2009, and only on www.united.com/doubleeqms  United travelers may register to earn double Elite Qualifying Miles* (EQM) or double Elite Qualifying Segments (EQS) for paid travel on United and United Express between September 3 and December 15. This is a special opportunity to help travelers retain elite status or earn a higher level. Earn a choice of either double Elite Qualifying Miles* (EQM) or double Elite Qualifying Segments (EQS) on qualifying United® or United Express® flights. Registration and travel period: September 3 - December 15, 2009. Travelers can register for only one offer. Customers who register for both offers will receive double Elite Qualifying Miles. *Elite Qualifying Miles are not redeemable for flights, but do count toward Premier®, Premier Executive® and 1K® status. Registration Pages  www.united.com/offer/mpw049  - Double EQM Offer www.united.com/offer/mpw059  - Double EQS Offer

2009 Elite Choice Program now through Dec. 15, 2009: Elite Choice is the program that allows Members to choose rewards with United throughout the year. Members may choose rewards such as dining certificates, sweepstakes entries and much more.  To register and to review the rewards that are available in 2009 (based on the March 1, 2009 elite level), click on www.united.com/2009choice.  Registration must be completed by December 15, 2009.For complete information on current promotions, including Terms & Conditions, go to: http://www.united.com/mileagepluspromotions

Luxury hotels cut star ratings to save cash. Starwood Hotels & Resorts the U.S. owner of luxury brands including St. Regis and W Hotels, will let some of its properties reduce their level of service -- and number of stars -- until the industry begins to recover, spokeswoman K.C. Kavanagh said. Hilton Hotels and InterContinental Hotels have already cut the ratings for some locations. (Full story)

US Airways is bumping up its fees for first and second checked bags by $5 each. The airline will charge $20 for the first checked bag and $30 for the second, when bags are checked online. The current charge is $15 for a first checked bag and $25 for a second checked bag when checked online. Passengers will also pay an extra $5 per bag checked in at the airport. The current bag fees at the airport are $20 for the first and $30 for the second. The US Airways fee changes are effective starting August 26 for travel on or after Oct. 7.

American, Delta and US Air will charge a $50 fee to check a second bag on flights to most cities in Europe and to India. Starting Sept.14 for American, passengers on those flights will pay the fee to check a second piece of luggage. The first bag is still free. American said the fees would apply on routes to, from, or through India, as well as the countries of Belgium, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.

Continental Airlines expects to join the Star Alliance of carriers on Oct. 27, three days after leaving the rival SkyTeam grouping. Continental has managed to maintain its schedule for the transfer -- the first defection between the three alliances that dominate the global airline sector -- despite a longer-than-expected approval process from US regulators.

Delta Air Lines plans to roughly double its flights at New York’s LaGuardia Airport while cutting flights at Washington’s Reagan National Airport. The move is part of a deal Delta  has struck with US Airways to swap flying rights at LaGuardia and Reagan National. It calls for Delta to give 42 operating “slot pairs,” or rights for one takeoff and one landing, at Reagan National to US Airways. In exchange, Delta will get 125 of US Airways’ operating slot pairs at LaGuardia. Federal regulators have to sign off on the agreement, a process expected to take until early 2010. Flights at LaGuardia, Reagan and two other congested airports are restricted using government-allocated slots.

Delta reinstated its Red Coats program, after disbanding it in 2005. The agents are helping customers resolve problems on the spot in Atlanta and New York, and will soon be found in fourteen airports across the country. The Red Coats are able to issue tickets and vouchers from hand-held devices, so they can handle any problem immediately. In a time when many airlines are cutting labor costs, Delta may be breaking away from the crowd.

Wash hands aboard flights  NYT Editorial   The new H1N1 flu has already been transmitted from one passenger to another on a commercial airline, and it is likely that more such incidents will occur if the virus resurges as anticipated this fall. The aviation industry and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have tried to reassure passengers that air travel is still safe, but so far they have done too little to try to limit the number of such transmissions. It is not practical to screen all airline passengers to identify those who harbor infection. A better approach is to educate the public on proper hand-washing and cough etiquette and to give them the hand sanitizer they need to keep clean. Yet on a recent full flight from Boston to Orlando, Fla., I was horrified to see that most of my fellow passengers failed to periodically wash or sanitize their hands.  Several of my fellow doctors have likewise observed a lack of hygiene by airplane passengers, and no effort by airline personnel to educate people on the importance of washing their hands.

 

 
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