In view of an planned eight-hour strike by Alitalia flight attendants and air traffic controllers, the airlines has cancelled almost 400 flights today. A strike by the staff earlier on May 3, forced the airline to scrap 350 flights. Unions have been trying to keep up the pressure on the airline during contract negotiations. Alitalia said 394 flights were expected to be canceled because of the impending walkout, set to last from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. A list of the cancelled flights is here. The strike is ion lie of the rule-book protest. The light crews, insist that rules regulating the number of crew members and the hours of rest between flights be meticulously observed, refused to fly. Strikes, low-cost competitors and high fuel costs have plagued Alitalia, which the government has put up for sale. The Italian government, with a 49.9 percent stake, is the largest stake-holder in the airline. The Italian state is looking to sell its controlling stake in the airline. Tackling Alitalia’s notoriously tough labour unions is expected to be among the challenges facing any buyer. To add to commuting woes, taxi drivers have also announced their latest nationwide strike. The May 31 strike, like one earlier this month, was called to protest Premier Romano Prodi’s efforts to liberalize the taxi sector, with the aim of making more cabs available. Source: Seattle Times

As per J.D. Power and Associates’ customer-satisfaction rankings of North American airlines, JetBlue Airways Corp. and Continental Airlines Inc. have topped once again. Image credit Continental finished first among traditional network carriers for the second straight year. Despite severe delays and flight cancellations caused by weather and computer malfunctions in the past year, JetBlue remained the top-ranked U.S. low-cost airline carrier. JetBlue Airways ranked highest overall for the third consecutive year, earning the highest ranking for low-cost carriers defined as airlines that operate single-cabin aircraft with typically low fares in 2006 and 2007. The overall customer satisfaction based on performance in seven measures, including cost and fees, flight crew, in-flight services, aircraft, boarding/deplaning/baggage, check-in and reservation. However six of the eight carriers saw their scores fall from 2006. That decline was largely limited to the eight network airlines rated. Their average score was 667 out of a possible 1,000 points, down eight points from the 2006 survey. The worst low-fare carrier, AirTran Airways, with 721 points scored higher than the best network carrier did, Continental, with 704 points. Northwest Airlines scored the worst in customer satisfaction amongst the eight major airlines. Even as the skies are getting crowded, competition between airlines is getting tighter. At the end of the day it is customer satisfaction that’s going to get more passengers on board. Source: Dallas News

The historic Qantas Boeing 707-138B lands for the last time at Sydney International Airport. The final touch town for Qantas, a 47-year-old Boeing 707, Australia’s first passenger jet aircraft is to be at the outback Queensland town of Longreach, where national airline Qantas began in 1920. Rescued from a scrap heap in Britain, it underwent a four-year restoration only to be flown back to its final display-resting place. The pilot captain Roger Walter had said that, the plane was a joy to fly, much different from flying a modern jet aircraft with modern instrumentation. This plane has been a passage between Australia and the world. Museum manager Colin Westwood said the passenger jet made aviation history by cutting 21 hours off the flight time from Australia to England. Though you can no longer be a passenger on it but definitely check it out at the Qantas Founders Outback Museum. Source: SMH