Continental changes concourses in Denver
Paperless boarding takes off at United
Continental to charge coach passengers for meals
The devil in United’s “unlimited upgrade” details isn’t the devil you know
How to get the best seat in coach
Forcing Airlines to Play Nice With Fliers
Airlines get defensive over tarmac-delay rules
Packing your carry-ons defensively
Full-body scans will become mandatory, O'Hare TSA chief says
Fewer frequent fliers to receive free upgrades
Now elite status gets you free Internet (sometimes) with Marriott
Recreation of the "Miracle on the Hudson"
Dave Caroll strikes again "United needs to change in a big way"
Apple award!

Continental changes concourses in Denver
Continental Airlines moves its Denver operations from Concourse A to Concourse B at Denver Internation Airport.  Read more

Paperless boarding takes off at United
More air travelers may soon be scanning their smartphones instead of paper slips at airport gates.  United has become the latest airline to offer mobile boarding passes for customers equipped with Web-enabled mobile phones or devices, such as iPhones or BlackBerrys.  (CNN Travel)  Read more

Continental to charge coach passengers for meals
Continental Airlines' "free meals at mealtime" program is about to become a thing of the past for the airlines' coach passengers. The airline announced that starting in the fall, coach passengers on most domestic flights will not be offered free meals, a move that saves the carrier about $35 million a year. Continental will continue to provide complimentary beverages and snacks.  (Houston Chronicle)  Read more

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The devil in United’s “unlimited upgrade” details isn’t the devil you know
As a regular (if often grumpy) United elite-level flier, there's something very appealing about the offer of unlimited domestic upgrades.  (Consumer Traveler)  Read more

How to get the best seat in coach
The days of reserving an airline ticket and then selecting a seat for free are numbered. Increasingly, carriers are charging passengers a fee to reserve in certain rows in coach. It’s the latest move in what the airlines call “à la carte pricing.”  (MSNBC)  Read more

Forcing Airlines to Play Nice With Fliers
Fliers who feel they have been mistreated by airlines may soon be in for a bit of relief. New government rules go into effect next month that will give travelers more rights—and maybe even more recourse—when travel goes awry.  (The New York Times)  Read more

Airlines get defensive over tarmac-delay rules
Columnist Rob Lovitt explains how Continental Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek indicated with recent comments that the carriers have no intention of fixing the issues that result in long delays on the tarmac and instead will cancel flights to avoid fines. Industry groups have expressed disappointment with the airlines. "We were hoping the airlines would make good on their commitment to improving in this area, but they've demonstrated that they're just not willing to take the steps necessary to curb these delays," said Colin Tooze, vice president of government affairs at ASTA.  (MSNBC)  Read more

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Packing your carry-ons defensively
Ned Levi discusses packing your carry-ons defensively to to reduce passengers' problems at security, and the risks of breakage or lost or stolen luggage by anticipating potential carry-on woes.  (Consumer Traveler)  Read more

Full-body scans will become mandatory, O'Hare TSA chief says
As Chicago O'Hare introduces fliers to full-body scans this week, the airport's federal security director predicts the controversial technology eventually will be mandatory. The scanners already have moved up from secondary to primary screening at airports around the country, and "we expect at some point all passengers will receive a body scan," Kathleen Petrowsky says.  (The Gazette)  Read more

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Fewer frequent fliers to receive free upgrades
Frequent fliers who have earned elite status traditionally have been awarded with complimentary upgrades. But this year, upgrades might be more difficult to come by as fewer first-class seats are available because of capacity cuts and more people have earned elite status through nonflight activities. "Over the next two years, unless you're at the midtier elite level and upwards, you're probably never going to be able to get any upgrades," said Randy Petersen, founder of FlyerTalk.com. (The New York Times)  Read more

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Now elite status gets you free Internet (sometimes) with Marriott
One of the most irritating hotel surcharges for many travelers is for Internet access.  But now Marriott, which has only had free Internet at their lower-priced Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield, Springhill, and Towneplace properties, will stop charging their best customers at their main brands.  (Consumer Traveler)  Read more

Recreation of the "Miracle on the Hudson"
It's been more than a year since "the miracle on the Hudson," when a superbly trained flight crew landed US Airways flight 1549 on the Hudson river, then successfully evacuated the passengers. Now there's been a remarkable digital recreation of the event, complete with the flight deck's real-time comments, air-traffic control tapes and a computerized animation of the flight.  View the video

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