21 May 2013
  • Ash cloud rises over Alaskan volcano, canceling commercial and cargo flights

    Transport

    An Alaska volcano eruption is prompting regional airlines to cancel flights to nearby communities, including a town that reported traces of fallen ash. Pavlof Volcano released ash plumes as high as 22,000 feet over the weekend, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory. Clouds obscured the volcano Monday, but U.S. Geological Survey scientists said seismic instruments [...]

  • Greyhound to mimic airlines and charge more during peak travel periods

    Transport

    Greyhound, the iconic U.S. bus brand, has turned to pricing models used by the airline industry as it seeks a ticketing system capable of boosting profitability by charging more for travel during peak periods. FirstGroup Plc, the U.K. company that owns Greyhound, will spend as much $40 million on computerized yield-management technology to replace Greyhound’s [...]

  • Carnival’s profits fall short as battered line drops fares to woo back cruisers

    Transport

    Carnival Corp., the world’s largest cruise operator, lowered its profit forecast for the second half of 2013, saying price cuts undertaken after a series of mishaps will hurt margins. The shares fell. Full-year profit will total $1.45 to $1.65 a share, Miami-based Carnival said today in a statement. That’s down from a previous forecast of [...]

20 May 2013
  • Five startups that want to define the future of travel in five different ways

    Digital

    Between business and leisure travel, transportation that ranges from planes to bikes, and booking platforms for everything from hotels to tours, there are endless opportunities to define the future of travel. This week’s SkiftSeedlings speaks to that breadth of opportunity by including everything from a media company looking to launch the world’s largest consumer travel [...]

  • Gatwick boss decries state of airport shuttle while ignoring state of airport

    Transport

    Remember that time you took the Gatwick Express into town, only there weren’t any seats left, so you had to sit on the roof? Or the time you were delayed for two hours because a farmer was herding his cows across the line at East Croydon, and all the local traders popped up to sell [...]

  • Where does the world’s largest aircraft A380 mostly fly? Asia, of course

    Transport

    There are 103 A380s in service as of early May-2013. Emirates has 33 and Singapore Airlines has 19, so when assessing network scheduling, these two and their hubs predominate: of the 1,048 weekly A380 flights, 402 are from Emirates alone. Dubai and Singapore airport see the most A380 flights. But there are some less predictable [...]

  • Caribbean island’s tourism bleeds after Virgin Atlantic cuts capacity

    Transport

    There is a very fine line when writing a column like this. The risk of being branded as a pessimist is high. I only hope that readers will focus on the message that I am trying to convey and perhaps apply some of the content objectively to look at issues in a broader, more holistic [...]

  • Rail passengers in U.S. Northeast brace for hellish week

    SkiftX

    Two commuter trains collided just outside Bridgeport, Conn., on Friday evening, damaging the tracks and snarling travel in the Northeast. Here’s a look at what commuters can expect Monday, as the work week gets under way, and beyond: METRO-NORTH RAILROAD SERVICE PROBLEMS: Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says roads could be a mess for a [...]

  • New York senator urges airlines to lower flight change fees

    Transport

    New York Sen. Charles Schumer is urging airlines to reverse flight change fee increases. The Democrat said Sunday that the additional charge makes it difficult for families on fixed budgets. Four major airlines — Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, U.S. Airways and United Arilines — recently increased fees on ticket changes from $150 to $200. [...]

  • Will American Airlines new boarding process lead to free-for-all at the gate?

    Transport

    Give American Airlines credit for trying a new method to board passengers more quickly. Airlines constantly tinker with the boarding process, and this time American says it has found a way to cut an average of two minutes from the 40 minutes to 45 minutes that it takes to board a narrowbody aircraft. American narrow [...]