travelwriter

JD Power & Associates has just released their 2009 North America Airline Satisfaction Survey measuring overall customer satisfaction of both vacationers and business travelers.
The survey found that overall customer satisfaction with the airlines has declined for the third year in a row while the rate of on-time arrivals has increased, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

Ratings were based on overall satisfaction and the experience during the reservation process, check-in, boarding, de-planing, baggage, aircraft, flight crew, in-flight services, and cost/fees.

Low Cost Airlines:
JetBlue Airways was ranked as the number one low cost airline providing the highest overall customer satisfaction followed closely by Southwest Airlines as number two.  Westjet came in as number one for the ‘check-in experience’ as well as the ‘boarding, de-planing, and baggage experience’ while Southwest was number one for the ‘reservation experience.’

Traditional Network Airlines:
Alaska Airlines was ranked as the number one traditional network carrier with the highest overall customer satisfaction rate followed by Continental Airlines as a close second.  Continental Airlines was the number one airline for ‘cost & fees’ as well as for ‘in-flight services.’

Boeing issued a press release yesterday announcing the postponement of the first scheduled flight of their Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft “due to a need to reinforce an area within the side-of-body section of the aircraft.” 

The need was identified during regular scheduled testing of Boeing’s ‘full-scale static test plane.’  Paying customers and paying airlines will have to wait until the new schedule for the first flight and first delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is made available in the next several weeks.  Boeing has 865 orders from 55 airlines for the Dreamliner aircraft.

The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner features innovative lighting, 30% larger overhead luggage bins, tall 19” windows, improved air quality within the cabin, along with cutting edge technology.  The Dreamliner is capable of flying up to 300 passengers depending on the exact configuration of the aircraft.

For more information, visit: NewAirplane

Early yesterday morning, Continental flight 61, enroute from Brussels, Belgium, landed safely at Newark Liberty International airport in New Jersey even though the pilot died during the flight.

The Boeing 777 landed safely with the two first officers onboard flying the aircraft as required by FAA rules for international flights.  Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency crews and Continental customer service staff who escorted the passengers from the plane.

With this very unusual situation, officials state that even though the cut off age for working pilots was recently increased from age 60 to 65, every pilot is required to pass a rigorous physical every six months.

flydubai, Dubai’s first economy airline, took its first flight on Monday, June 2, 2009, to the Lebanese capital of Beirut bringing a fresh new approach to air travel in the region.

The concept behind flydubai is simple as customers only pay for the services they desire.  The flydubai ticket prices includes all taxes and one carry-on per passenger weighing up to 10kg.  There are no paper tickets, only boarding passes.  There is no extra charge to book your own airline ticket online.

CEO of flydubai, Ghaith Al Ghaith, stated that “flydubai will fly to airport that are currently underserved by the traditional carriers…we are looking forward to providing the reality of accessible, low cost, uncomplicated travel.”

For more information, visit: flydubai

There is still time to book great travel deals with Southwest Airlines Summer Sale.

Southwest is offering one-way fares as low as $49.  Sample fares include Denver to Amarillo for $49, Ft. Lauderdale to Birmingham $92, and Salt Lake City to Reno/Tahoe for $83.

Tickets must be purchased by June 18, 2009, and require a 14-day advance purchase.  Fares are valid for travel Tuesdays and Wednesdays and all travel must be completed by Oct 28, 2009.  All prices shown are one-way based on a round trip purchase.  Surcharges/taxes/fees are not included.

Take advantage of the Southwest Airlines Summer Sale by visiting Southwest.com and have a little pre-fun before the flight by checking out Southwest Raps it Up.

Brazilian Air Force officials have just announced they found what appears to be wreckage from the missing Air France flight that disappeared yesterday enroute from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France.

After departing Rio and nearly 4 hours later, Air France flight 447 left radar contact.  According to Air France officials, the Airbus A330 with 228 passengers and crew onboard, “crossed through a thunderous zone with strong turbulence.”  This is the suspected cause of the apparent crash.

Most of the passengers onboard the ill-fated flight were from France, Brazil and Germany with the remaining passengers from 29 additional countries including the United States and Canada.

Air France has also just announced it will be holding “an inter-religious ceremony for the relatives and friends of the victims on Wednesday, June 3, at 4 p.m. at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.”

Earlier this week Continental Airlines announced it will launch two new routes to Brazil starting later this summer.

A daily nonstop flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from Houston plus a through flight from New Orleans will begin service on August 1, 2009.  Continental will be flying Boeing 767-200 aircraft that accommodate 174 passengers onboard.

 “This new flight links important energy centers with convenient nonstop service,” said John Slater, Continental staff vice president for Latin America and Caribbean. “It also provides the most direct routing from numerous western points being that it is the only nonstop flight between Houston and Rio west of the Mississippi.”

Travelforkids.com recently announced their pick for the Best Bet Family Vacation for 2009: Montreal and Quebec City where you can take the family on a European vacation without leaving the continent.

According to Travelforkids.com, “Where else can kids travel back to a time of cobblestone streets and cannons, dress up in 18th century clothing, or watch a bagel being made from scratch and eat it hot out of a wood-burning oven?”

Travelforkids.com going on to explain that “Quebec City is home to beautiful well-preserved old city walls, fortress-like gates, ramparts, turrets and cannons all set within a vibrant cosmopolitan city.”  Children can have the time of their lives climbing up on to the cannons at Parc Montmorency, dressing up, riding a ferry, ice skating outdoors, running through Battelfields Park, riding in a horse carriage, watching otters, riding coasters and so much more, not to even mention the food.

The Canadian dollar exchange rates are good for U.S. visitors and the province of Quebec offers unique enriching places to visit.  For more information on travel to Quebec, visit Bonjour Quebec or view a number of online e-brochures.

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On Monday in Los Angeles, CA, Japan Airlines flight 61 was on the tarmac preparing for takeoff to Japan’s Narita airport when the jet’s engine sucked in a baggage cart.

As the Boeing 747 backed away from the terminal, a baggage cart was being towed nearby.  The metal container was lodged in the left outside #1 engine of the jet and had to be forcibly removed.

All 245 passengers onboard the Japan Airlines flight were taken back into the Tom Bradley International terminal to be rebooked on another flight.  According to officials, there were no injuries reported.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Southwest Airlines is introducing its mommy blogger, Jessica Turner, and launching a campaign called My Peanut and I Fly Southwest. To celebrate the launch, Southwest Airlines also is giving away one family four-pack of airline tickets to any destination the airline serves. 

Southwest Airlines has created a variety of My Peanut and I Fly Southwest online buttons for moms and dads who fly with their kids. Parents who post the online button on their blog, Facebook profile, and/or other social media sites are eligible to win the prize pack.

“At Southwest, we love families and blogging, so inviting Jessica to be our mommy blogger made perfect sense for our Company,” said Paula Berg, Manger of Emerging Media. “The My Peanut and I Fly Southwest button is a fun way for bloggers and social media participants to show their Southwest support – and maybe even win a great vacation package.”

The My Peanut and I Fly Southwest buttons are available on the Nuts About Southwest blog.  For a chance to win a family four-pack of airline tickets, simply post a My Peanut and I Fly Southwest button somewhere online, then leave a comment on the May 8 Nuts About Southwest blog post about the buttons. Be sure to include a link to where you posted the button. This contest ends May 31, 2009.