We’re not saying things are hunky-dory,” said John Heimlich, chief economist for the Air Transport Association, the trade group representing U.S. airlines. “All we’re saying is that some of the indicators we look at and some of the recent trends are promising, and that’s the first time I’ve used that word in a long time.”

With these words, we may see the airlines pull out of their free fall. The industry has been pummeled since September 11th, 2001 with fear of terrorism, high fuel prices, and unprecedented competition.

Responding by cutting back on flights, lowering labor costs, and raising prices, the major airlines are starting to get out from under the billions of losses that they have been facing. Adjusting to the new playing field that the low cost airlines such as Southwest, JetBlue, and Airtran have created has been hard for the majors, as seen by almost all of them entering into bankruptcy.

But hopefully, blue skys will be ahead for the airlines.  

An Air Marshall shot a person on an American Airlines flight while it was on the ground. Initial reports say that the person shot announced that they had a bomb. If so, this is another sign that the precautions taken after 9/11 are working.

Radio reports say this happened in the gangway, but AP is reporting that the shooting occurred on the airplane.

Update: It looks like the passenger is dead, and that he were running up and down the aisle of the plane.

Update 2 - The passengers name has been revealed, he was RIGOBERTO ALPIZAR, and lived near Orlando in a Maitland, Florida.

There is a great deal of information in this post, and at the end links to bloggers who are also covering the story. We will be updating throughout the day.

Picture from The Sidney Morning Herald via Sky News.

AP – A federal air marshal opened fire on board an American Airlines flight on the ground at Miami International Airport, according to a law enforcement official who spoke only on condition of anonymity. At least one person was wounded, according to broadcast reports said. The plane had just arrived from Colombia and was headed to Orlando. Television showed police SWAT officers surrounding the plane.

Airport and Miami-Dade County police officials said they had no immediate comment. Airlines officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

CNN adds:

Flight 924 was in Miami on a stopover during a flight from Medellin, Colombia, to Orlando, Florida, when the man said there was a bomb in his carry-on luggage, a Department of Homeland Security official said.

He was confronted by a team of federal air marshals, who pursued the man down the boarding bridge and ordered him to get on the ground, the official said.

When the man appeared to reach into his baggage, at least one shot was fired by the marshals, wounding the man, the official said, adding that marshals’ actions were consistent with their training.

This is the first time an air marshal has fired a weapon on or near an airplane, a federal official said.

Fox News has a statement from American Airlines and some more information:

There was an incident at the Jet Bridge involving FLT 924 departing Miami for Orlando (after arriving from Colombia). A federal marshal was involved in the incident. No further comment,” American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said in a statement.

Details surrounding the incident were not immediately clear, but footage showed medical personnel boarding American Airlines flight 924 with a stretcher and around 25 to 30 police vehicles on the scene.

Sources told FOX News the person may have been unbalanced.

The Miami Herald has even more information:

Sources told WFOR that the incident didn’t appear to have been terrorism related.

According to this report, the passenger had been ”acting aggressively” on the plane and ”had words” with two federal air Marshals on board. The man reportedly reached for his bag and said something about an explosive or bomb when he was shot.

VbSpurs is liveblogging the coverage, and found this interview:

Mary Gardner, a passenger in the same AA plane, described vividly what happened, to local news Channel 6 NBC.

She was seated in coach about 3 rows back from the action, next to a retired AA pilot, as this apparently happened in the First Class section. The ex–pilot knew the Air Marshalls in question, as he pointed them out to her, just as the incident began.

Suddenly, when the plane was stationary, everyone awaiting take-off again, she sees a woman hysterical coming from the jetway. About late 30s, early 40s, and “English-speaking” without accent, which suggests she might be American.

She was shouting, “My husband is Bi-polar!”, as this man started flailing about, running erratically, up and down the aisles, which is when the Air Marshall in question, engaged the suspect. The latter reached into a carry-on handbag, this after being chased by the Air Marshall throughout the plane, without firing at him, and appaerntly, this caused the Marshall to conclude he was an immediate danger not only to himself, but to others. He was shot down on the spot. The body of the suspect is still on the plane, albeit the passengers have long since been put on busses.

Other Bloggers covering the shooting:

• The Moderate Voice: Another good re-cap
• My Pet Jawa
• Michelle Malkin
vbspurs from Sundries  is live blogging it
• Opinion Bug
• Stop The ACLU – Interesting point about how the blame game will go

A 5.5 million dollar upgrade at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport will be making a big difference in its ability to get flights in and out of the airport in bad weather.

The upgrade announced by Federal Aviation Administration officials on Tuesday will help steer pilots toward runways at one of the nation’s busiest airports even when severe weather hampers visibility. The equipment is to be installed next month and will immediately reduce flight delays, the FAA said.

Congestion at O’Hare can quickly cause gridlock in the U.S. commercial aviation system. Transportation Department officials said last month that backups at O’Hare affect 40 percent of U.S. flights a day.

New navigation equipment at O’Hare had been suggested as long ago as 1991. But it wasn’t until late last year that the federal government secured enough money for the updates.

The navigation upgrade, which will allow planes landing on autopilot to be directed by transmitting devices buried in the runways, will save airlines about $40 million a year, the Transportation Department said.

The FAA on Tuesday also announced plans to add new arrival and departure routes at O’Hare. The agency also plans to install a backup radar system and build two more air traffic control towers at the airport. Via CBS 2

As much as I dislike paying more for travel, this is good news for the industry. It looks like the big boys are learning that you can not sell a seat that costs 150 dollars to fly for 100 dollars.

A fare increase launched by American Airlines appeared to stick Friday, as Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Continental Airlines said they, too, would raise fares in most U.S. cities.

American blamed fuel prices when it announced fare increases of $5 one-way and $10 round-trip on most domestic and U.S.-Canada flights on Thursday. It was the latest among several fare hikes by U.S. airlines in recent months. Some stuck when competitors matched them; others were abandoned.

Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch said the airline matched American except in markets where they offer fares to compete with Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Northwest also didn’t raise its higher-priced walk-up business fares, he said.

Houston-based Continental and Delta also acknowledged matching the increases Friday afternoon. via USA Today

And people are not happy about it. This loophole is starting to capture the attention of the flying public and more importantly. I use skype on a regular basis for talking to people throughout the world, and it is a wonderful tool. The clarity is better, and the cost is free if you are talking to another skype user, or very cheap if you are calling a telephone number.

However with this being said, I would go crazy if I was on an international flight and the person sitting next to me was talking on the phone the whole time.

But these days, there is a new wrinkle. Say you’re on El Al or maybe SAS or Lufthansa — one of the airlines that offers broadband Internet during flights for about $30 a trip. There are a lot of positives. You can do e-mail. You can get some Christmas shopping done. You can watch videos of curling.

But then the guy next to you boots up Skype. This is software that lets people make free or cheap phone calls over the Internet. Other software does this, too, including Yahoo Messenger.

Your seatmate connects to someone and starts talking. Maybe he has a headset — or maybe he doesn’t, and you have to hear both sides of the conversation as the other person crackles out of the laptop’s speakers.

There are no rules against this. It’s not a cellphone conversation. He is not using a BlackBerry or any unapproved electronic device. He’s on a laptop, on the plane’s Internet service, using software to make a phone call.

There’s not much you can do. You’re trying to read, but the guy is inches away from you in your coach seat. You feel the bile rising in your gullet. You read the same sentence six times, but all your brain takes in is the conversation next to you. And then the guy breaks out a webcam.

(more…)

Wheelchairs service at airports have caused over two-thirds of the the complaints that were recieved by the Department of Transportation last year. The report cited poor assistance, the complaints also told of incidents of damaged chairs, bad seating arrangements, long waits and difficult accessibility.

Northwest, American, Delta, and United were responsible for over 60% of the complaints. Delta has started a new program to help train employees who interact with the disabled passengers to help reduce these complaints. via Cheapflights

Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Airport, the ATL, is the busiest passenger airport in the country. Serving Atlanta and Northern Georgia, Atlanta Hartsfield also serves as a hub airport, for transfers throughout the United States and the world.

Airlines that service Atlanta are Air Canada (AC) ,Air Jamaica (JM) ,AirTran (FL) ,American (AA) ,America West (HP) ,British Airways (BA) , Continental (CO), Corporate (3C),Frontier (F9) ,Independence Air (D9) ,KLM (KL) ,Korean Air (KE) ,Lufthansa (LH) Midwest (YX), Northwest (NW), United (UA), US Airways (US), Aeromexico (AM), Air France (AF), ASA (EV), Comair (OH), Delta Air Lines (DL), Hooters Air (H1), South African Airways (SA).

Click here for the official web site for Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.

Map of Atlanta Hartsfield. Driving Directions.

Official TSA Security Wait times at Hartsfield (ATL) and Georgia Airports. 

Local  TSA Security Wait times at Hartsfield (ATL) tool.

 Please leave your comments about Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (ATL). This will be an interactive resource to help others who plan to use the airport.

Are you nearing the end of the year and about to lose your Frequent Flyer status, or go from Platinum to generic? The experts are recommending a mileage run, flying on the cheapest long distance flight on your preferred airline just to accrue miles to maintain your Frequent Flyer.

Most travelers take a mileage run to assure or retain elite status for the following year in a specific airline mileage program. Elite status is a valuable commodity. Elite members usually board the aircraft first, bypass check-in lines and go through a special security line at many airports. They are given special phone numbers for reservations or itinerary changes that offer minimal wait times. They are showered with thousands of additional bonus miles on every trip. And perhaps, most importantly, they usually receive unlimited free or inexpensive first class upgrades.

Many “purists” only take single day mileage runs and often turn right around and come home again without even leaving the airport. Mileage runners search for trips that are low in price and high in miles. “Dream Maps,” which is available through Yahoo Travel and Travelocity are the search tools of choice for many mileage runners. You type in your departure city and budget and a Dream Map will display bargain fares to numerous destinations. From my home in San Francisco I found a $163 round trip fare to Denver, $289 to Hawaii, $410 to Paris, and $627 to Japan (including all taxes and fees) using Dream Maps. At those prices, I might even consider a mileage run before year end. Of course you must be flexible on travel dates and destinations to take advantage of these bargains.

Mileage runs have become a major discussion topic in the forums on FlyerTalk.com, a website where frequent fliers converse. Word spreads quickly on FlyerTalk bulletin boards when an airline posts a bargain fare. When Delta Airlines mistakenly posted a $0 air fare to Portland, Maine, Bhatnagar booked three trips to Maine from his home in the Washington area. Bhatnagar saw the fall colors, ate lobster, and visited the L.L. Bean factory on his three quick mileage runs to Maine. The total cost was less than $40 per trip in taxes and Bhatnagar earned around 6,000 miles on each trip. via USA Today

If you are really hard up to maintain your status, there are even classes to attend.

To handle the rising volume of travelers who want assistance planning a mileage run, Joseph recently established a website called Elite Helper.com. Joseph plans to charge a $19 to $49 fee for putting together a mileage run depending on the volume of work involved. Based on the interest in his seminars, I think Joseph is going to have a busy holiday season helping his fellow fliers assure their elite status for next year.

Independence Air’s parent company FLYi inc, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today. The regional carrier has been experiencing financial difficulty for months. The company is planning on operating as normal for the time being, but the low cost carrier is looking at auctioning off its assets in the next 60 days. if the bankruptcy judge is in agreement.

They plan on flying their regular schedule for the time being and that customers should not be affected.

This announcement places another airline in the realm of bankruptcy. The changing of the economic model for modern air travel is a painful process.
via Reuters