The boarding process and seating strategies of Dallas-based airline, Southwest has long been a hot-button issue. Southwest Airlines plans not to ditch its cattle-call boarding for assigned seating but announced to switch to a more orderly system throughout the country this fall. It is anticipated that already quick boarding will become speedier and frustrating campouts at the gate will be eliminated. Southwest is the only big domestic carrier that lets passengers pick their own seat. This 34-years long cattle-call system is expected to be alleviated by November when the airline will give passengers an assigned number within its current boarding groups (A, B and C). The new system will allow passengers to get rid of the need to wait in line to secure a good boarding position. The airline also plans to make other changes at its airport gates. This means, the check-in process will remain the same. Fliers will still be able to get a boarding pass 24 hours in advance. But they will be issued a number and a letter. At the gate, Southwest agents will call out groups and divide them according to number into six columns of five people each. Image Credit Source: ABC News

To kill traveler’s boredom to some extent, Virgin has implemented a Bluetooth-style seat-to-seat chat system that allows passengers to connect with fellow travelers elsewhere on the aircraft. Built into the back of seat, passengers will be able to use seat-to-seat chat system by setting their consoles to the discoverable mode. After selecting the seat-to-seat chat option, fliers are prompted to enter a chat name and then select the number of the seat of the person they’d like to chat with. The chat is displayed on the seat-back monitor. Passengers have to tap through Virgin America’s chat code of conduct, before they chat. This system also has a drawback. The keyboard buttons on the remote control are small and a bit tough to use for the chat. Still, the chat option is unique and a fun way to pass time. At any rate, it’s a pretty cool advancement. Image Credit Source: USA Today

Three years ago International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched its drive for Internet booking and electronic ticketing (e-ticketing). There are so many airlines such as British Airways, Ryanair and Easyjet that are already paper-free. Now IATA plans to expand the electronic ticketing facility and abandon paper tickets totally by next June. It is said that the changeover will not only help cut airlines’ costs by $9 for every traveler but would also help the industry save 50,000 mature trees a year. China is one of the fastest-growing markets for air travel and is heading to be the first country in the world to operate an entirely paper-free ticketing system by the end of this year. Source: Reuters

While on move, we people often forget to charge our cell phones, laptops and other battery-operated gadgets. The gadget-laden people are the great sufferers. To help these gadget-laden travelers stay in touch, several airports across the country are installing electric charging stations. So far, two freestanding charging kiosks have been set up near the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport’s heavily used train system in terminals A and B. Each kiosk has four seating areas equipped with a small desk and an electrical outlet. As well as Ethernet plugs that tap into the free Internet connection. At Dallas Love Field, Southwest Airlines is experimenting with charging stations at three gates. The airline has also been testing it at one gate in San Antonio for the past year. Source: MSNBC

To lure well-heeled business travelers, several airlines are upgrading their business-class cabins. United Airline, the second-largest U.S. carrier by passenger traffic, has announced that it will be the first American airline to add fully reclining seats to its international business-class cabins. The upgradation of the United Airline carriers is scheduled to complete by late 2009. The business-class cabins will have new seats that fold down completely flat and stretch out to 6’4" (nearly two meters). Also, there will 15.4-inch television, noise-canceling headphones, and iPod jacks that will keep the passengers busy if they remain awake during the flight. Source: Gadling

To heighten the security, British Airways plans to introduce a new biometric security system at Heathrow Terminal 5 when it opens in March next year. Terminal 5 is the biggest aviation project in Europe that will host British Airway’s entire Heathrow operation and extra checks on passengers have been introduced following the recent security threats. The passengers will have their fingerprints checked and faces scanned when they pass through the regular security check, and they’ll have to undergo a security check again before they board the plane. Domestic passengers departing through Terminal 5 will have to undergo the biometric security check but International passengers will be subject to the normal checks and controls and will not undergo these biometric checks. British Airways spokesman said: The biometric system basically adds another level of security and ensures that people can’t swap tickets or go on flights they weren’t supposed to go on or whatever else they may be up to. The biometric security check has been introduced after a successful trial of the biometric technology at Heathrow Terminal 3. Source: Telegraph

Google has already been slapped the federal suit by companies like Geico and American Blinds. Yet again, it is facing the similar situation as American Airlines has sued Google claiming giant’s ad system infringes trademark laws by selling search terms such as American Airlines or AA.com to other companies for promotional means. The company alleges that Google doesn’t have the right to sell its name to any other company and this practice could divert customers away from American’s own site. Also, the company wants Google to award unspecified monetary damages to the airline and pay any money it has made by selling its trademarks. However, American, a unit of AMR Corp, tried to confer a settlement with Google before going to the court. Google, on the other hand, deems that its trademark policy strikes a proper balance between trademark owners’ interests and consumer choice. Image Credit Source: USA Today

It seems chaos at London’s Heathrow Airport has no end. The airport has already been the focus of a storm of complaints about overcrowding, lost bags and now its expansion has raised many questions. As British officials struggle to attract visitors and improve efficiency at Heathrow Airport, residents and environmentalists have set up a camp in protest to the expansion of the airport on the grounds that expansion would mean more flights which would lead to more CO2 emissions that will add to global warming. Activists have pitched tents in a field outside the airport to protest the proposed addition of a runway at the airport and demand a reduction in carbon emissions released by aircraft. Besides a third runway, there are plans to open a new terminal at Heathrow airport by March, 2008. Handling about 40 percent of passengers now flowing through other terminals, the fifth terminal will help improving the airport operations. The third runway is proposed for 2020 and will be the subject of meetings in the fall between British Airport Authorities and the government. Only time will show if the Heathrow protest can do the trick and force stonehearted leaders backed by corporate world to think over the issue and sort out the problem. I personally think that Heathrow protestors deserve praise for their monumental service which is highlighting C02 emissions and drawing attention to global warming. Source: USA Today

In the last five-years, many top airlines have restructured and begun investing heavily in various in-flight amenities in order to incite well-heeled business travelers. United Airlines and American Airlines are two such airlines that have devoted resources to improve their first-class and business-class cabins on international flights. Now, Unite Airlines plans to upgrade in-flight entertainment on domestic flights and increase deep-clean services. VCRs will be replaced with digital servers on narrow-body aircraft. The digital video systems will be added to 269 Airbus A320s and Boeing 757s by the second quarter of 2009. Image Credit Source: IHT

You can experience the power of art at the airport while you wait for your flight. Yes, you’ve read it correctly…Several airports are using art to boost the tourism and soothe the travelers. Including small airports like Atlanta’s, several international airports are opening the art galleries. The Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina opened an art gallery this June. The gallery features 47 paintings and sculptures from local artists, including the ocean-like Swell. There are plans to expand the gallery. Dayton International Airport in Ohio plans to hang paintings, display sculptures, stage musical performances this fall. The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is under renovation and will be completed this September. Pottery, paintings, wall-wrap art of pelicans and other local waterfowl are on tap. Image Credit Including a large display of stone sculptures from Zimbabwe, Atlanta airport has about 300 pieces of art. Giant lifelike ants appear to emerge from a hole in the ceiling and crawl over the ductwork in the baggage area of the airport. Indianapolis’ new airport that will boasts $3.9 million worth of art is scheduled to open in 2008. The airport will feature hand-blown glass wall painting etched with the poetry of local artists, an aviation-themed sculpture with more than 100 pieces of perforated metal and silver beaded chains. A splashy montage of artistically arranged color photos showing off city attractions will be displayed at Port Columbus International Airport in Ohio. Advertising messages will scroll among the photos. No doubt, the art galleries will create the calming environment for the travelers. So, next time you plan to travel by air, reach few hours prior o your flight time so that you are able to enjoy the relaxing benefits. This will greatly enhance your traveling sensation. But, make sure you don’t miss your flight while you take a stroll through these art galleries.

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