You might remember that last October I reported that All Nippon Airways (ANA) was introducing "toilet concierge staff" in their gate areas to encourage travelers to use the toilet before they boarded their flight thereby reducing the weight of the aircraft.
Now, they have designate women only toilets onboard their flights. They will be available to women in all classes of service and available to men only if ill and the toilet is no being used. It should be noted that there are no male only designated toilets. Women can use all of them.
I was not sure how I felt about this until it struck me that I embrace it as now they can add urinals, the newspaper and other "man cave" necessities to the "other" toilets to make our trip's also pleasant and quicker. Add Aqua Velvet scent to men's toilet and some kind of spiced potpourri to the woman's designated toilet! Instead of feeling less "special" by not having a designated men's toilet, maybe there is a men's benefit here? :)
Pothos: Travel news, travel industry updates, corporate and business travel
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
BA strike result annouced
from ABTN
British Airways cabin crew have voted in favour of industrial action.
Strikes could take place as early as next Monday.
BA has contingency plans in place - including using pilots as cabin crew - to minimise the disruption.
It is still possible that strikes can be averted, according to arbitration body Acas, which is acting as a mediator between both parties.
Talks will continue this week in the hope a solution can be found.
Some newspapers have claimed militant cabin crew members are targeting a 10-day strike, but that they will deliberately avoid disrupting the Easter holidays and a potential backlash from the British public.
BA's unionised cabin crew - who are members of the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association (Bassa), a branch of the Transport and General Workers Union - are unhappy that BA imposed a pay freeze on staff and reduced pay and conditions for new starts without consulting the union.
A High Court judge last week ruled that BA was within its rights to introduce the cost cutting measures.
BA is set to post record losses for the second consecutive year in April, though its Q4 figures for last year were better than forecast.
British Airways cabin crew have voted in favour of industrial action.
Strikes could take place as early as next Monday.
BA has contingency plans in place - including using pilots as cabin crew - to minimise the disruption.
It is still possible that strikes can be averted, according to arbitration body Acas, which is acting as a mediator between both parties.
Talks will continue this week in the hope a solution can be found.
Some newspapers have claimed militant cabin crew members are targeting a 10-day strike, but that they will deliberately avoid disrupting the Easter holidays and a potential backlash from the British public.
BA's unionised cabin crew - who are members of the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association (Bassa), a branch of the Transport and General Workers Union - are unhappy that BA imposed a pay freeze on staff and reduced pay and conditions for new starts without consulting the union.
A High Court judge last week ruled that BA was within its rights to introduce the cost cutting measures.
BA is set to post record losses for the second consecutive year in April, though its Q4 figures for last year were better than forecast.
Lufthansa Pilots Start Massive Four-Day Strike
from Der Speigel online
A four-day pilots' strike at German national airline Lufthansa began on Monday and is causing massive disruption for travellers, with 800 flights expected to be cancelled per day. Lufthansa's management is seeking a court injunction to stop the strike.
Pilots at German national airline Deutsche Lufthansa began a four-day strike on Monday that is leading to massive disruption with some 800 flights due to be cancelled on Monday alone, around two thirds of all scheduled flights, the airline said.
The strike by 4,000 pilots is the largest in German aviation history and has caused chaos at Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Berlin airports.
The airline's management applied for a court injunction on Monday to try to force the pilots to return to work. A spokeswoman for the airline said the strike was having a disproportionate impact and that the management had a responsibility to prevent damage to the firm, its staff and its shareholders.
The Frankfurt labour court will consider Lufthansa's request at a hearing on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. CET (4.30 p.m. GMT). Lufthansa is claiming that the strike is in breach of rules governing labor relations, the court said.
The pilots are striking over demands for job guarantees because they fear Lufthansa plans to cut staff costs by shifting jobs to foreign subsidiaries such as Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines or Lufthansa Italia, where salaries are lower.
Switch to Trains
They said they were prepared to drop a demand for a 6.4 percent pay raise in return for guarantees, but the management has rejected the offer and says the union is demanding an undue influence on managerial decisions.
Passengers are being rebooked on flights operated by rivals and Lufthansa subsidiaries, or have been forced to switch to trains for domestic travel.
Lufthansa has said the strike will cost it about €100 million ($135 million) in cash, in addition to lost ticket sales and damage to its reputation. The strike will affect tens of thousands of passengers each day. Lufthansa transports some 150,000 people on an average working day.
One third of all flights will be cancelled at Lufthansa's low-cost unit Germanwings. Its regional partners Cityline or Eurowings, which operate on less busy domestic and short-haul European routes, are not facing strike action.
A Lufthansa spokesman told Deutschlandfunk radio on Monday: "Responsibility for all the impact -- on customers, on the future of the company and on Germany as economic location -- rests solely with the union."
'You Can Call That Blackmail'
Industry leaders have warned that the strike, which also affects Lufthansa's cargo operations, will damage the economy which is tentatively recovering from its worst downturn since World War II.
The head of the pilot's union Cockpit, Winfried Stricher, defended the decision to strike. "If Lufthansa goes on buying more airlines, for example in Eastern Europe, we'll all be flying at dumping wages soon," Stricher told SPIEGEL ONLINE.
"The management keeps signalling to us that it will relocate work abroad if no savings are made. You can call that blackmail."
Rival British Airways may also be facing a strike. A strike ballot by cabin crew comes to an end on Monday.
Passengers can find information about daily flight schedules during the strike here. In addition, Lufthansa has set up a free passenger hotline at 0800-850-6070. Germanwings passengers can called 0800-664-4935 or visit this Web page for scheduling information.
FOOTNOTE: A judge did grant a two week injunction today. So,the strike is on hiatus a the moment.
A four-day pilots' strike at German national airline Lufthansa began on Monday and is causing massive disruption for travellers, with 800 flights expected to be cancelled per day. Lufthansa's management is seeking a court injunction to stop the strike.
Pilots at German national airline Deutsche Lufthansa began a four-day strike on Monday that is leading to massive disruption with some 800 flights due to be cancelled on Monday alone, around two thirds of all scheduled flights, the airline said.
The strike by 4,000 pilots is the largest in German aviation history and has caused chaos at Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Berlin airports.
The airline's management applied for a court injunction on Monday to try to force the pilots to return to work. A spokeswoman for the airline said the strike was having a disproportionate impact and that the management had a responsibility to prevent damage to the firm, its staff and its shareholders.
The Frankfurt labour court will consider Lufthansa's request at a hearing on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. CET (4.30 p.m. GMT). Lufthansa is claiming that the strike is in breach of rules governing labor relations, the court said.
The pilots are striking over demands for job guarantees because they fear Lufthansa plans to cut staff costs by shifting jobs to foreign subsidiaries such as Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines or Lufthansa Italia, where salaries are lower.
Switch to Trains
They said they were prepared to drop a demand for a 6.4 percent pay raise in return for guarantees, but the management has rejected the offer and says the union is demanding an undue influence on managerial decisions.
Passengers are being rebooked on flights operated by rivals and Lufthansa subsidiaries, or have been forced to switch to trains for domestic travel.
Lufthansa has said the strike will cost it about €100 million ($135 million) in cash, in addition to lost ticket sales and damage to its reputation. The strike will affect tens of thousands of passengers each day. Lufthansa transports some 150,000 people on an average working day.
One third of all flights will be cancelled at Lufthansa's low-cost unit Germanwings. Its regional partners Cityline or Eurowings, which operate on less busy domestic and short-haul European routes, are not facing strike action.
A Lufthansa spokesman told Deutschlandfunk radio on Monday: "Responsibility for all the impact -- on customers, on the future of the company and on Germany as economic location -- rests solely with the union."
'You Can Call That Blackmail'
Industry leaders have warned that the strike, which also affects Lufthansa's cargo operations, will damage the economy which is tentatively recovering from its worst downturn since World War II.
The head of the pilot's union Cockpit, Winfried Stricher, defended the decision to strike. "If Lufthansa goes on buying more airlines, for example in Eastern Europe, we'll all be flying at dumping wages soon," Stricher told SPIEGEL ONLINE.
"The management keeps signalling to us that it will relocate work abroad if no savings are made. You can call that blackmail."
Rival British Airways may also be facing a strike. A strike ballot by cabin crew comes to an end on Monday.
Passengers can find information about daily flight schedules during the strike here. In addition, Lufthansa has set up a free passenger hotline at 0800-850-6070. Germanwings passengers can called 0800-664-4935 or visit this Web page for scheduling information.
FOOTNOTE: A judge did grant a two week injunction today. So,the strike is on hiatus a the moment.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
13% happy to sleep with strangers on flights
13% of people would be happy to share a Skycouch with a stranger they met in queue, according to the latest poll from flight comparison site Skyscanner. The Skycouch, which has been developed by Air New Zealand, works by converting a row of three airline seats into a bed. It is being heralded as the first ‘lie-down economy bed’, and the first major improvement in economy class travel comfort in 20 years. Three seats must be purchased together, with the third seat offered at a discounted rate. Each of the seats has a cushion that folds up from beneath, and arm rests all tuck away, creating a flat mattress that will allow two adults to stretch out.
73% of the people who voted in Skyscanner’s poll said that they would happily pay the extra for a Skycouch, of which 60.5% said they would share with their partner. 25% said that they wouldn’t pay the extra and would rather save their money.
Nearly 500 people voted in the poll, and the overall results show that Air New Zealand’s innovation is a winner with long haul flyers and a lucrative move for the airline.
73% of the people who voted in Skyscanner’s poll said that they would happily pay the extra for a Skycouch, of which 60.5% said they would share with their partner. 25% said that they wouldn’t pay the extra and would rather save their money.
Nearly 500 people voted in the poll, and the overall results show that Air New Zealand’s innovation is a winner with long haul flyers and a lucrative move for the airline.
International Trusted Traveler Programs Gaining Momentum
excerpt from USA Today.
I use this program for a few years no and love it as well as some of my well traveled colleagues like Charles Massey, CMP
•Global Entry. Its membership totals 36,000. Its kiosks are used about 600 times a day at the 20 airports where they're active.
U.S. Customs receives "a pretty steady stream" of 3,000 to 4,000 applications a month, up from 1,500 when it operated at seven airports two years ago, says John Wagner, the agency's director of Trusted Traveler Programs.
"We'll see a steady increase in number of applications as the year progresses," Wagner says.
Global Entry members scan their machine-readable passport or permanent resident card at the kiosks in customs, and authenticate identification via fingerprints. Users then answer several questions. A receipt is printed, and members can proceed to baggage claim or a luggage-inspection booth.
Kiosk clearance takes about 40 seconds, Wagner says. Dealing with an immigration officer averages about a minute for U.S. citizens and three minutes for non-citizens.
The anticipated increase in membership will partially come from foreigners. Last year, Global Entry was expanded to include Dutch citizens who are also members of the Netherlands' trusted traveler program. Global Entry members can also apply to join the Dutch program. U.S. Customs is in talks to include the United Kingdom and Germany, Wagner says.
To gain more domestic customers, the agency will partner with airlines and market it to frequent fliers.
I use this program for a few years no and love it as well as some of my well traveled colleagues like Charles Massey, CMP
•Global Entry. Its membership totals 36,000. Its kiosks are used about 600 times a day at the 20 airports where they're active.
U.S. Customs receives "a pretty steady stream" of 3,000 to 4,000 applications a month, up from 1,500 when it operated at seven airports two years ago, says John Wagner, the agency's director of Trusted Traveler Programs.
"We'll see a steady increase in number of applications as the year progresses," Wagner says.
Global Entry members scan their machine-readable passport or permanent resident card at the kiosks in customs, and authenticate identification via fingerprints. Users then answer several questions. A receipt is printed, and members can proceed to baggage claim or a luggage-inspection booth.
Kiosk clearance takes about 40 seconds, Wagner says. Dealing with an immigration officer averages about a minute for U.S. citizens and three minutes for non-citizens.
The anticipated increase in membership will partially come from foreigners. Last year, Global Entry was expanded to include Dutch citizens who are also members of the Netherlands' trusted traveler program. Global Entry members can also apply to join the Dutch program. U.S. Customs is in talks to include the United Kingdom and Germany, Wagner says.
To gain more domestic customers, the agency will partner with airlines and market it to frequent fliers.
Monday, February 1, 2010
new seating planned for Air New Zealand
I have always liked this carrier. I ave flown them to NZ and Tahiti and Australia. Now, they have proven their grit by throwing out all the old conceptions of seating an leading innovation. Their CEO said he was mortified by the lack of seating styles available through Boeing for its 777, so, after spending $300M per plane, NZ decided to design their own! More recyclable materials that reduce weight and add comfort like bean bag foots rests. Premium economy seats can now face each other for meals, talking & playing games and on the near horizon... ECONOMY will offer sky couch seats! Yes, lie flat in economy. Air New Zealand is a two class aircraft so with these extraordinary changes in economy, can you imagine the new Business Premium? ll this will start to enter their fleet in November 2010, first LAX to Auckland.
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