Business Travel Tips

With the “Aviation Consumer Protection and Enforcement” section included in the website of the Dept. of Transportation (DOT), airline passengers will find easier to file a complaint about problems they are experiencing with an airline.

Fliers can use a complaint form to file a complaint about any kind of difficulty they experienced with an airline — lost luggage, damaged bags, problems with refunds etc…

The complaint form, linked from “Aviation Consumer Protection and Enforcement” home page, is at http://airconsumer.dot.gov/escomplaint/es.cfm.

Continental and United matched checked bag fee increases by Delta.

The airlines are now charging $23 online and $25 at the airport for the first checked-bag, $32 online and $35 at the airport for the second checked-bag.

American Airlines, Continental and United have also raised fuel surcharges on travel to Europe by $20 per roundtrip.

Fuel surcharges were raised to $242 for London per roundtrip and to $280 for most cities in Europe.

China Airlines announced it will start a non-stop service between Taipei, Taiwan and London Heathrow on March 28, 2010.

This service will operate three times per week. Airbus A340-300 which seat 30 business-class and 246 economy-class customers, will be used on the route.

China Airlines already offers flights to a number of European destinations including Frankfurt (non-stop), Vienna (non-stop), Amsterdam (stop over in Bangkok), Rome (stop over in Delhi) and Prague (via codeshare agreement with Czech Airlines).

The carrier also offers links to a number of major cities in Germany (Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Nuremburg, Stuttgart) via a landmark codeshare agreement with rail operator ICE Germany.

Amtrak announced it will add Wi-Fi service on its high-speed Acela trains between Washington, New York and Boston.

The Wi-Fi service will initially be free.
Amtrak said the installation of Wi-Fi access on Acela trains would be complete in March.

Passengers will have the opportunity to remain connected for the three hours it takes to travel between New York and either Washington or Boston. (source)

United Airlines is offering discount flights from from Hong Kong to Los Angeles. Roundtrip flights in Economy Class from Hong Kong to Los Angeles starts from HK$6,850.

Tickets must be purchased January 31, 2010 through the United Hong Kong website.
Travel period: from now through March 31, 2010.

United has also launched a promotion for its Mileage Plus members, offering 500 bonus miles to all customers booking flights through its website for the first time, or to customers who have not booked a flight since August 14 2008.
Mileage Plus members can also purchase Award Accelerator, which enables them to multiply the miles on their itinerary and credit them to their Mileage Plus®account and redeem miles for travel rewards sooner.