Travel-On Travel Industry News
Events We're Watching
Friday, March 16, 2012

  • India - Kingfisher Airlines Pilots Threaten Strike

    Kingfisher Airlines pilots have threatened to launch a general strike if the cash-strapped airline does not pay their outstanding salaries by March 12. Severe cancellations are likely as early as March 13 if the action goes ahead. Many pilots are already engaging in unofficial work stoppages, such as staging mass sick outs, in retaliation for the unpaid salaries. Kingfisher Airlines is currently only operating a small fraction of its usual flights due to financial problems.

  • United Kingdom - Heathrow Express Rail Strike

    Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members working for London's Heathrow Express rail service plan to go on strike for 24 hours starting at 1215 March 11 over disciplinary disputes. Despite the work stoppage, the company will provide a half-hourly train service between Paddington Station and London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) Terminal 5 via LHR Central Terminals 1 and 3. A bus service will operate between Terminal 4 and Heathrow Central Terminals 1 and 3. Service on the rail network will return to normal at 1500 March 12.

  • Passport Day This Saturday

    Need a passport or some extra pages for the one you’ve got? To show up at most of the country’s 25 regional passport agencies you typically need a weekday appointment, plans to travel within two weeks, and an extra $60 for the expedite fee. But no appointments or travel plans are necessary this Saturday at the 25 regional passport offices during the U.S. Department of State’s annual Passport Day in the USA. On Saturday, travelers will be able to apply in person for a passport that requires standard processing, which is 4-6 weeks. Those who need expedited processing (2-3 weeks) will still have to pay $60 extra.

Q and A

Is wi-fi service on planes free?

Wi-fi service is available on an ever-increasing number of aircraft. With few exceptions, the service comes with a fee. The price varies by airline, length of flight, type of device, etc. Many airlines offer a variety of passes available by flight, day, month, or year. Most in-flight wi-fi services support email, web shopping, and provide access to a cache of Entertainment on Demand shows and movies, but limit access to NetFlix or websites with streaming video due to the extensive bandwidth required.

Did you know?

  • Never step over someone's legs in Nepal
  • In many Asian countries it is impolite to touch someone with your foot or use your foot to point to someone or something
  • Avoid shaking hands across a threshold in Russia
  • When in Portugal never ask for salt or pepper if they aren't on the table
  • Never fill your own glass in Japan; fill the glass of the person next to you and wait for them to reciprocate

Important Reminder For Online Profile Users!

United Airlines has issued new Mileage Plus numbers. In order to ensure that the correct number is applied to your reservations so that you can receive the correct mileage credit it is important to update your profile.

  • If you currently have a United Mileage Plus Membership - replace the existing number with the new one as soon as you receive it.
  • If you currently have a Continental OnePass number - re-label this number as "United" in your profile.
  • If you currently have both United and Continental numbers - delete the existing United number and re-label the Continental number as United.
If you have any questions, please contact your account manager or lead agent for assistance.