The departures of all United Airlines were halted system-wide for two hours due to a computer malfunction. It is said that the problem was computer outage which lasted from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. PDT, when the departures were able to resume. O’Hare, Dulles and airports in Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco are the hubs of United Airlines and all United flights across its system had been grounded because of the computer hangups. Inbound and outbound flights of United Airlines at O’Hare International Airport were delayed between one and two hours. However, United flights at Washington Dulles International Airport did not affect departures on any other airlines. At San Francisco International Airport, a dozen United flights had been affected and most delays averaged 20 to 30 minutes. Transportation officials say delays were shorter at Washington, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The cause of the problem is not yet known. Image Source: CNN

Several airlines are planning to make their business class cabins more comfortable with new cushier seats, more lie-flat beds, gourmet food and high-tech entertainment. Among those major airlines that have announced the upgradation of their international cabins are American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Some major carriers in Europe and Asia are already investing for the upgradation of their business-class cabins and few others will announce their plans at the National Business Travel Association convention scheduled to take place next week in Boston. British Airways plans to change the seats of the business class cabins of its planes. There will be lie-flat seats and an individual entertainment system. Also, there will be a self-serve kitchen stocked with sandwiches, fruits, snacks and drinks. The seats of American Airline planes will also be outfitted by the year-end. By the end of this year United plans to retrofit its international business-class cabin at the NBTA. All-business-class flights between Newark and Frankfurt will start in October with 44 lie-flat seats per jet. Soon, you will get premium comforts in several airlines but you’ll have to shell out more to get it. Source: USA Today