Travel-On Travel Industry News
Friday, June 01, 2012
Events We're Watching

India - More Pilots Threaten to Join Ongoing Air India Strike

Approximately 100 pilots have threatened to join the roughly 400 pilots already on strike at Air India, potentially intensifying flight disruptions in the coming days. Negotiations between the government and the Indian Pilots Guild, which represents the striking pilots, have made little progress since the walkout began May 7. The strike is prompting the cancellation of approximately seven international flights per day, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The government has threatened to stage a lockout if the action is not soon halted, a move that would also lead to more flight cancellations.

Norway - Public Sector Strike June 1-4

Security personnel at major airports plan to strike starting 0600 June 1. The strike will likely disrupt operations at Oslo's Gardermoen, Stavanger Sola, Bergen Flesland, Varnes Trondheim, and Tromsoe Langnes airports. Emergency air traffic will not be affected. Approximately 50,000 state and municipal employees continue an indefinite strike in a wage dispute. Additionally, striking port pilots and employees of local harbor authorities are preventing many vessels from berthing or offloading in and around the Oslo Fjord, including passenger cruise liners and tankers that deliver fuel to local oil terminals.

United States - Severe Weather Threatens Eastern Seaboard

The arrival of a strong cold front is forecast to produce powerful thunderstorms from Georgia to Pennsylvania on June 1. Supercell storms capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph, torrential rainfall, tornadoes, and large hailstones are possible in the affected states. Weather conditions should begin deteriorating after 1400 EDT when the leading edge of the frontal system crosses the Appalachian Mountains. The severe weather threat will persist until about midnight in eastern parts of North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic region. Poor weather will likely cause extensive flight delays at major airports throughout the region. Flight diversions are possible, and ground stops may be put into effect for outbound air traffic destined for cities experiencing severe weather. This could contribute to extensive airport delays throughout the eastern half of the US, especially at major hubs such as Chicago, Atlanta, and Newark. Weather conditions will likely affect the evening commute along the heavily used I-85 and I-95 corridors. Heavy rain may cause poor visibility, flash flooding, and ponding on roads. Localized power outages are likely. As of 0001 June 1, the area at greatest risk for severe weather included the cities of Colombia; Charlotte; Greensboro; Raleigh-Durham; Roanoke; Richmond; Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News; Washington, DC; and Baltimore.
Q and A

What is the difference between waitlist and stand-by?

The waitlist is a computerized program that allows you to be placed on a list and wait for a specific class of service to become available in advance of going to the airport and taking your flight. If the desired class of service becomes available you will pay the usual price in order to be confirmed, as well as any change fee if you have an existing confirmed ticket. Whether or not a waitlist is permitted will depend on the airline and fare rules. Often the deeply discounted fares do not allow waitlists, but intermediate and higher fares usually do.

Stand-by is the ability to board a different flight on the same airline and on the same day for which you are holding a confirmed ticket. Each airline has its own policies regarding which fares, flights, and passengers are eligible for stand-by. Typically, requests to be added to the stand-by list must be done either at the airport or sometimes via online check-in, and time limits can range from no more than 3 hours in advance to up to 24 hours. Costs range from free to about $75 for U.S.-based carriers. If space is available after all confirmed passengers have been seated the stand-by passengers will be boarded.

  • Liberia's capital, Monrovia, was named for U.S. President James Monroe
  • Quito, Ecuador, is the oldest South American capital and has been occupied since well before 1000 A.D.
  • Benin, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka are among the countries with two national capitals
  • South Africa has three capitals - Bloemfontein (judicial), Cape Town (legislative), and Pretoria (official and administrative)
  • Belmopan was built as the new capital of Belize after the old capital, Belize City, was nearly destroyed in a 1961 hurricane
  • When the capital of Kazakhstan was moved in 1991 the existing city was renamed Astana because it was easy to pronounce in all of the local languages

Dispatch from Frankfurt, Germany, by Dave Cahan

Boeing 747Boeing 747

About the time this newsletter goes out, the inaugural flight of Lufthansa’s new Boeing 747-800 Intercontinental will be arriving at Washington Dulles Airport from Frankfurt, Germany to huge fanfare and celebration. "Like" us on Facebook for more information about the 747-8 and to follow Dave's experience on the Inaugural flight.