|
In T=
his
Issue
A=
verage
Airfares Fall
A=
AL
Brings Back Larger Aircrafts To Little
Rock
B=
uilding
a Better Air Traffic Control System
T=
ravel
News Briefs
T=
ravel
Alert Update - India=
V=
acation
Specials
M=
eeting
& Event Planning Services
T=
ravel
Alerts and Travel Warnings
NOVEMBER VACATION SPECIALS
Cruise Lines and Tour Operators continue offering great
values that are too good to believe.
Contact our leisure department for new weekly promotio=
ns:
Re=
nnert
Travel
21=
0-524-3300
CTP EVENT PLANNERS
Planning
an Event or Corporate Meeting?
Jump start the new year for 2009
Meetings and Events by contacting one of our CTP EVENT PLANNERS!
"We Make You Look Good!" is the CTP Event Planners mantra. We
attend to every last bit of minutia so that you can relax as the perfect
event comes to life. Our clients and their guests never suspect the amoun=
t of
work Event Planners invest in their events - a fact that you are sure to
appreciate, and that we know is the truest sign of our success.
Register wi=
th the
Embassy or Consulates
Registration with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate=
(in
the country you are visiting) makes your presence and whereabouts known, =
in
case it is necessary for a consular officer to contact you in an emergenc=
y.
During a disaster overseas, American consular officers can assist in
evacuation were that to become necessary, but they cannot assist you if t=
hey
do not know where you are. You can register with the nearest U.S.
Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s
travel registration web
site.
TRAVEL
QUICK LINKS
Bureau Consular Affairs –=
; w=
ww.travel.state.gov/index.html
Health Information – www.mdtra=
velhealth.com
FAA –
www.faa.gov
Traffic Conditions – www.traffic.com<=
/a>
Weather –
www.weather.com
Currency Conversion – www=
.oanda.com/convert/classic
Time Conversion – www.world=
timeserve.com
Current Airport Status – www.fly.faa.gov<=
/a>
TRAVEL WARNINGS
Travel Warnings
are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a count=
ry dangerous
or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's
ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of =
an
embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff.
For list of
countries please visit:
=
www.=
travel.state.gov/index.html=
Curre=
nt
Travel Warnings
Guinea 10/17/2009
Lebanon 09/29/2009
Cote d'Ivoire 9/22/2009
Philippines 09/17/2009
Congo, Democratic Republic of the /01/=
2009
Mali 08/31/2009
Eritrea 08/28/2009
Central African Republic 009
Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
08/14/2009
Kenya 07/24/2009
Afghanistan 07/23/2009
Burundi 07/22/2009
Nigeria 07/17/2009
Haiti 07/17/2009
Iran 07/01/2009
Sri Lanka 06/26/2009
Yemen 06/26/2009
Saudi Arabia 06/26/2009
Uzbekistan 06/16/2009
Iraq 06/15/2009
Pakistan 06/12/2009
Chad 06/02/2009
Nepal 05/22/2009
Georgia 04/09/2009
Sudan 04/08/2009
Colombia 03/25/2009
Algeria 03/04/2009
Syria 02/12/2009
Somalia
TRAVEL ALERTS
Tr=
avel
Alerts are issued to disseminate information about short-te=
rm
conditions, generally within a particular country, that pose imminent ris=
ks
to the security of U.S.
citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of
terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and
high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports
events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alerto
disseminate information about short-term conditions, generally within a
particular country, that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S.
citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of
terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and
high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports
events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert.
Current Travel Alerts:
India 10/29/2009
Honduras 10/20/2009
Tanzania (including Zanzibar) Cuba 10/09/2009
China - H1N1 Quarantine Measures09/25/2009<=
br>
Mozambique 09/23/2009
Germany 09/23/2009
Uganda 09/11/2009
China - Security Concerns in the City of Urumqi
09/09/2009
Mauritania 09/01/2009
Mexico - Security 8/20/2009
Hurricane Season 05/29/200902/20/200=
9
02/11/20092008&n=
bsp;
08/12/20008
CONT=
ACT
CTP
Phon=
e:
(210)
366-9565
(800)
523-9036
Fax:=
(210)
366-5052
Visit our
Website:
http://www.ctptravelservices.c=
om
|
AVERAGE AIRFARE FELL IN 2ND QUA=
RTER
NEARLY
TO '98 LEVELS
![](3D"TheCTPReviewNovemberEdition2009_files/image006.jpg") The
average domestic fare in the second quarter was nearly identical to ticket
prices during that period in 1998, according to statistics released
Wednesday. The average fare for a domestic trip from April to June was $3=
01,
down 13% from a year earlier and the steepest year-over-year dip in nearl=
y 15
years, the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation
Statistics reports.
Before this year=
, the
biggest year-over-year drop was between the fourth quarter of 2000 and the
fourth quarter of 2001, after the terror attacks of Sept. 11. The average
price of a domestic trip slipped 11.8% then, the bureau says.<=
/span>
Airfare trackers=
say
that the decline isn’t surprising. Since late last year, airlines h=
ave
repeatedly slashed fares to try to entice cash-strapped travelers who are
forgoing vacations and business trips in the midst of a deep recession. A
drop in the number of business travelers, whose premium-priced tickets co=
uld
normally make up for some cheaper seats going empty, compelled airlines to
chase after vacationers.
Fares have start=
ed to
creep up. Last week, Delta introduced a $10 fare increase, with the rest =
of
the big legacy airlines following suit. In contrast to last year, when th=
ere
were 15 domestic fare increases, there have only been five this year. All=
of
those have been since mid-June.
Among the top 100
airports, Huntsville, Ala., had the highest average domest=
ic
fare in the second quarter at $471. Atlantic
City had the lowest, at $185, the bureau reporte=
d.
AMERICAN BRINGING MAINLINE SERVICE BACK TO LITTLE RO=
CK
American's
Little Rock
customers will have soon have fewer but roomier options on flights to
Dallas/Fort Worth. The Associated Press writes AA
"confirmed Wednesday it will begin using McDonnell Douglas MD-80s in
April on four daily American Eagle flights between Little Rock and Dallas/Fort Worth
International Airport. The new plan also calls for reducing the number of
daily flights between Little=
Rock
and Dallas/Fort Worth from 12 to seven. Little Rock airport director Ron Mathieu =
says
the other three flights will be 50-seat regional jets — meaning an
overall reduction of 22 seats from the 740 available now. “American
spokeswoman Andrea Huguely says the aircraft upgrade will help cater to
premium business customers looking for amenities like first-class options=
.
BUILDING
A BETTER AIR-TRAFFIC-CONTROL SYSTEM
Air-traffic cont=
rollers
in the U.S., Europe,=
Canada, =
Australia
and New Zealand,
who control most of the air traffic across oceans, now have modern
satellite-based systems that include frequent automatic position reporting
from airplanes and email-like communications between pilots and controlle=
rs.
Besides just kno=
wing
where planes are with more-accurate and more-timely position reports, the
benefits of modern systems are numerous: Flights are shortened by allowing
more efficient routes, saving time for travelers, money for airlines and
reducing the carbon footprint of airliners. And travelers get smoother fl=
ights
because planes can fly closer together, allowing more to use the
least-turbulent altitudes.
What’s hap=
pened in
recent years over oceans offers a glimpse of what governments and airlines
hope will happen over land—a “Next Generation” system t=
hat
will be a vast improvement over the ground-based radar and radio
communications system in place for the past 50 years. <=
/p>
The Federal Avia=
tion
Administration’s “NextGen” development program for the
continental U.S.
has a history of delays and failures. But it is now on track, according to
government and industry groups, to produce in the next 10 years or so an
air-traffic-control system with lots more capacity. With satellite-based =
data
links instead of radar, which is somewhat slow and not precisely accurate,
jets will be able to safely travel closer together, reducing delays. Fast=
er
communications over data links will allow controllers to handle more
airplanes at one time. And with better computer systems that can predict
conflicts far in advance, planes will get to pick their best route rather
than be restricted to the set paths in the sky today. Systems to handle b=
usy
skies over land will be different from the oceanic system, but built with=
the
same functions, communications and data links.
“This is k=
ind of a
view into Next Gen,” said Rick Day, senior vice president of operat=
ions
for the FAA’s air-traffic organization. “It’s a total
transformation from the controller’s point of view.”
The U.S. system,=
called
Advanced Technology and Oceanic Procedures, or ATOP, was adapted by Lockh=
eed
Martin Corp. from a system developed in New Zealand (Australia’s sy=
stem
was the other finalist). So far, ATOP has saved airlines 330,000 flying m=
iles
per year—as far as flying to the moon and half-way back—and
nearly 10 million gallons of fuel.
The system has b=
een in
use in the U.S.
for four years. Data come from multiple sources on board aircraft, in case
one fails, and multiple computers run together on the ground to provide
backup. Planes report every 14 minutes, though controllers can change tha=
t to
more frequent reporting, if necessary. If a position report is six minutes
overdue, alarms go off. And the system automatically warns controllers if
planes stray off course.
Using ATOP, if a=
pilot
requests an altitude or route change, the system loads the new informatio=
n,
based on the data transmission from the plane, calculates any possible
conflicts and suggests responses from the controller automatically. If th=
ere
aren’t any problems with the request, approval can be sent with a
couple of mouse clicks. And if any other flights are in the way of the
requested new route, they get highlighted on the controller’s scree=
n in
red.
“Previousl=
y if
aircraft wanted to climb or reroute, it was a tedious process and control=
lers
often didn’t have time,” said Dennis Addison, support manager=
for
FAA’s Oakland
center. Now controllers can provide better routes and altitudes for fligh=
ts.
“It’s really changed the way we do business,” he said.<=
o:p>
Controllers can =
allow
airlines to design their own flight paths instead of using one of the 16
routes drawn up each day by controllers in the U.S.
and Japan.
(These are the routes that—based on winds, temperatures and other
factors—controllers think will be best for that day.) That flexibil=
ity
allows them to optimize each flight’s route, based on the latest wi=
nd
and temperature reports (the colder it is, the more efficient a jet engine
is).
Controlling plan=
es over
oceans presents all kinds of challenges because aircraft are out of normal
radio and radar range. For decades, controllers relied on position reports
over high-frequency radio every hour or so, competing for air time with
fishing vessels and all kinds of other traffic.
Because of the
inaccuracies and time between reports, planes were spaced far
apart—often about 100 miles—to ensure safety. That added to
delays since flights had to wait for space in the stream of planes and ma=
de
it difficult for lots of flights to get on ideal tracks for winds, slowing
flights and increasing fuel burn. It also made it hard to change altitudes
when the ride got bumpy. Now, with more-accurate and timely position
reporting, separation between airplanes can be reduced to as little as 30
miles over oceans. (Over land, planes are kept at least five miles behind=
one
another, but that may well be reduced when satellite-based navigation
replaces radar.)
Not all planes a=
cross
oceans have data-link capabilities, and high-frequency radio is still used
with some flights and as a backup with others. Many aircraft also have
satellite phones that controllers can call. And some nations, notably Brazil and Senegal, which were handlin=
g Air
France Flight 447, don’t yet have modern oceanic air-traffic-control
systems. The Airbus A330 jet with 228 people aboard crashed on June 1 abo=
ut
930 miles off the coast of Brazil.
Senegal never took c=
ontrol
of the jet from Brazil,
and it wasn’t until seven hours later that controllers in Madrid and Brest,
France,
raised an alarm, investigators said.
<=
/span>
TRAVEL NEWS BRIEFS
Lithium batteries aboa=
rd
planes cause increasing concern
Some safety experts are
increasingly concerned about "the last unrestricted fire hazard"
allowed through security at U.S.
airports: electronic devices powered by lithium batteries. There have bee=
n 22
battery fires reported on passenger aircraft since 1999, and more than ha=
lf
came in the past three years. "Most air passengers and flight crews =
are
likely unaware of the fire risks posed by rechargeable lithium
batteries," according to a 2008 report from the NTSB. The FAA plans =
to
begin a campaign of public service announcements in U.S. airports next year to =
alert
fliers to the danger. The New York Times (fr=
ee
registration) (10/26)
<=
/span>
Free airborne Wi-Fi se=
rvice to
launch soon
SkyTown Center, a free airborne Wi-Fi network, expects to l=
aunch
by Nov. 1, allowing passengers to shop, play games and watch TV at no cha=
rge.
SkyMall and the Home Shopping Network are among the big retailers providi=
ng
content, though development partners Row 44 and JiWire have yet to announ=
ce
which airlines will offer the service. Chicago Tribune=
(10/27)
<=
/span>
Southwest premiers &qu=
ot;green
aircraft" for 6-month trial
Southwest Airlines debut=
ed its
new "green aircraft" Wednesday on a Dallas-to-Seattle flight th=
at
marked the start of a six-month test for the specially outfitted Boeing
737-700. Environmentally friendly carpeting and upholstery are 520 pounds
lighter than traditional materials, potentially saving some 10,000 gallon=
s of
fuel annually. AviationWeek.com
(10/21)
<=
/span>
Delta adds 17 cities to
international network
Even as it cuts internat=
ional
capacity by 15%, Delta Air Lines is shuffling aircraft to add service to =
17
cities overseas. Delta's aim is to devote half its total capacity to
international routes, up from 25% in 2006. Bloomberg (=
10/20)
<=
/span>
This year, holiday air=
fare
rewards early birds
Procrastinators were rew=
arded
last year when they put off booking flights for travel over the holidays =
as
airlines continually reduced costs and offered last-minute deals. This ye=
ar,
the landscape has changed and those who book early are getting the best
deals. Bing Travel reports that fares for travel over Thanksgiving weekend
have jumped 6% or more during the past week. The New York Times
(10/15)
<=
/span>
GPS to make Gulf fligh=
ts safer,
faster, more efficient
Air traffic controllers will=
soon
be able to peer into a "giant blind spot" over the Gulf of Mexico when a modern GPS system replaces
50-year-old radars that cannot see far beyond the shoreline. ITT Corp., u=
nder
a contract with the FAA, is building a network of broadcasting towers on =
oil
rigs that will help give pilots and controllers real-time information on =
the
exact whereabouts of other aircraft. "We've used radar for the past =
50
years and it has served us well, but it has reached its limits," say=
s an
FAA official in charge of upgrading the Gulf system. Houston Chronicle
(10/15)
<=
/span>
TRAVEL
WARNING - INDIA
U.S. cautions American=
s about
traveling in India
The
State Department has issued a travel alert for India after the FBI broke u=
p a
terrorist attack plot in the country. "The U.S.
government continues to receive information that terrorist groups may be
planning attacks in India,"
the State Department said in an updated alert. "Terrorists and their
sympathizers have demonstrated their willingness and capability to attack
targets where Americans or Westerners are known to congregate or visit.&q=
uot;
Read the official travel alert for India. Press Trust of India (10/30)
<=
/span>
<=
/span>
|
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