Last year US Airways started charging $2 for non-alcoholic beverages ($1 for coffee/tea) on board 
their flights. The charge was started during the crude oil’s rendezvous with $150/barrel, but was not followed by any other airlines. Recently, US Airways’ CEO Chairman, Doug Parker, announced that they are withdrawing the charge and resuming free beverages on the flights.
It is a common practice by airlines to start some charge (or withdraw) them and see if other airlines follow the initiative (or not). This is specially important since the airlines are not supposed to talk with each other on these initiatives or fare prices due the laws against price-fixing.
Good for all of us, except for US Airways’ flight attendants 
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January 17th 2009, Mexicana (or Compañía Mexicana de Aviación) will launch twice-weekly flights from Mexico City to London’s Gatwick Ariport (return flight leaves London at 10:30am and arrives in Mexico City at 17:35p). The airline will be using a Boeing 767-200ER for the service. Mexicana’s plans are to fly to Sao Paulo Grarulhos (GRU), London (LGW)
By November 20th, all the US Airports will have designated TSA passenger security-check lanes called “family lanes” to move through security checks and inspections at “their own pace”. The “popular” lanes had been tested earlier at 48 airports “provide a space for families and passengers who don’t travel very often to move through security at their own pace“.
Indianapolis International Airport’s new Midfield Airport is all set to open on Tuesday November 11th 2008 (purposely delayed 2 weeks to coincide with Veteran’s day). The ceremony will be include “a 1,000 foot ribbon, dozens of speakers, bagpipes and a flyover by the Indiana National Guard’s 122nd Fighter Wing“. Free parking will be available at the garage. The first commercial flight will land after 8pm on Tuesday (opening day) and the departures will start Wednesday.
Next month, the citizens of the following 7 countries (including 6 EU countries) will not require a visa to visit US for 90 days -
Boeing announced recently that it has finished the high-pressure test knows as “high blow” on the airframe of its 787 Dreamliner at its Everett factory on Saturday September 27th 2008. The test takes two hours and is one of the three tests required before its first flight (woo-hoo!).
After last week of canceling flights and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s comments, everyone was waiting for the final shutdown. But yesterday, the airline’s largest labor union reversed course and agreed to concessions contained in the rescue plan
Ethopian Airlines announced that it will commence 6 weekly flights to/from Ouagadougou from October 26th 2008. The new flights will connect Ouagadougou (capital and largest city in Burkina Faso) to all the major Asian capitals. It will operate Boeing 757-200 aircraft (160 seats – 16 cloud nine and 144 economy) for the route.
From the days of $149 per barrel of crude oil to $106-$108 per barrel, none of the airlines seem to have passed the fuel savings yet. (I do admit that one of the reasons is that oil is still very expensive from its cost of $60-$80 a barrel an year back).
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