DOT last week tentatively designated Northwest and United to operate third-country code-share service between the U.S. and Warsaw, approving seven weekly frequencies for each carrier to operate services to the Polish capital with its code-share partner, KLM and Lufthansa, respectively. Losing out in the proceeding was Delta, which asked for designation to operate daily service with Austrian Airlines between its U.S. gateways, Atlanta and New York, and Warsaw via Vienna.
Sabre Travel Information Network has introduced a system - Web Marketing Reservations - that enables travel agents to make online bookings directly from their World Wide Web sites. When a customer makes a booking request, the reservation is sent automatically to the agency for ticketing. The Web Marketing Reservations system is free to agencies, which will be charged a $3 fee per reservation booked. The system is available in a domestic version, and an international version, as well as rental car and hotel applications, will be added later.
Northwest Cargo introduced Specific Air International, a service under which it will accept shipments as late as three hours before departure and guarantee that the shipment is moved as booked. The cargo will be recovered within three hours of arrival and the consignee contacted. The service is available to and from Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Ohio, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington to points throughout Asia and Europe.
The Teamsters union lost a bid last week to represent America West's stock clerks. The National Mediation Board said of the 40 employees eligible to vote, 19 supported the union.
ValuJet mechanics have filed a request at the National Mediation Board for a representation election by the Teamster. The union said the mechanics have seen their own professionalism questioned by the May crash, and they are seeking collective bargaining "in order to protect their jobs and expand ValuJet's in-house capabilities." The Teamsters lost a representation election in June 1995 by only five votes. The union said about 70 workers at ValuJet will be eligible to vote.
Most carriers that published second quarter financial results last week - however favorable - pointed to a fuel cost spike and the 4.3-cent federal fuel tax as big contributors to expenses. USAir's fuel bill increased only 11.7%, adding nearly $20 million in costs, but UAL Corp.'s rose 19.7% or $81 million, AMR Corp.'s 17.8% or $70 million and Delta's 19% or $65 million.
DOT has tentatively granted Air Micronesia (AMI) and Federal Express new fifth-freedom all-cargo rights beyond Hong Kong. AMI tentatively received three frequencies to serve the Hong Kong-Manila market (with one frequency converted into two for a total of four), and Federal Express was awarded five frequencies to serve Hong Kong-Subic Bay.
Allied Pilots Association at American swears this story is true: A captain jumpseating on an American flight to Dallas repeatedly refused to follow AMR drug and alcohol testers to a testing area for a good reason - he, wearing a black uniform with gold stripes, was a TWA captain.
Travel agents may begin reporting their sales on Spanish carrier Air Europa and Ecuatoriana de Aviacion with the Airlines Reporting Corp. Air Europa has been operating daily scheduled service since May between New York Kennedy and Madrid, with connections to Barcelona, Malaga, Santiago de Compostela, Palma de Mallorca and the Canary Islands. Ecuatoriana provides service to Quito from Miami with connections to Guayaquil.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it will enter into a lease with United for design, construction and operation of a new 85,000- square-foot cargo facility and 65,000-square-foot administrative and maintenance complex on about 43 acres at New York Kennedy Airport. The lease, approved at the port authority's recent monthly meeting, is for a 20-year term beginning Aug. 1.
Cooper Aviation Industries appointed outside sales representatives as follows: Mike Abrams, St. Louis; Brenda Flanagan, Oklahoma City; Randy French, Texas; Pat Gentile, Columbus, Ohio, and inside sales support representatives as follows: Nora Harned, Ft. Lauderdale; Lisa Kase, Harrisburg, Pa., and Greg Smith, Oklahoma City.
It took a jury 20 minutes last Wednesday to dismiss a suit for $2 million brought by two passengers against Lufthansa accusing the carrier's flight attendants and captain of assault, battery and inflicting emotional distress during a flight from Washington Dulles Airport to Frankfurt. The passengers claimed the flight attendants threw them against the wall, stepped on their toes and blew smoke in their faces after they complained loudly about their seat assignments in the last row of the no-smoking section, and demanded different seats.
Atlantic Aviation promoted Frank DeNisio to modification operations manager and appointed Raul Leal manager-international sales, both in the Aircraft Services Division.
ValuJet plans to submit to FAA by Thursday the last of its documentation for resuming flight operations, and it says it is "still hopeful for restarting in the early part of August." The grounded carrier intends to resume service with 15 aircraft initially after demonstrating to FAA that it is in full compliance with federal aviation regulations.
Members of the Gore Commission, chartered last Thursday by President Clinton, will be chosen for expertise - on security, technology, finance and other disciplines - rather than as representatives of airlines, airports and other interest groups in the usual "parliament," a government official said. It will have a much longer lifespan than the advertised 45 days - its initial report on immediate safety issues will be due within that period, but after that it will look into safety oversight and modernization of air traffic control.
American appointed Frank Morogiello managing director-commercial sales, replacing James Marsicano, who was named VP of the Sabre Interactive Group recently. Morogiello was managing director of field corporate programs and special sales.
United Auto Workers voted to stop work at Pemco Aeroplex in Birmingham, Ala., and at Hayes Targets in Leeds, Ala., according to Matthew Gold, chairman of Pemco parent Precision Standard. Gold said production work and shipments at the two facilities will continue under contingency plans already in place. "The company believes that it has made a very equitable proposal under the circumstances and regrets the union's decision not to recommend it to its membership," he said.
