Monday

American will keep operating American Eagle, CEO says

Doug Parker, the CEO of American Airlines, said the carrier is not planning to sell its
affiliate, American Eagle. "We have no plans to do anything with Eagle at this point
other than to own it and have it provide services for American," Parker said.
American Eagle pilots voted against a labor contract that would have provided
Embraer E-175 aircraft. Air Transport World (4/4)
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Alaska Airlines to enhance inflight entertainment options for passengers

By the end of the year, Alaska Airlines plans to offer customizable in-flight
entertainment options that will allow passengers to access movies and television
from their personal electronic devices for a fee. Dubbed GoGo Vision, the service
will provide full Internet access on laptops and personal electronic devices. The
airline said that speeds are similar to wireless mobile broadband services on the
ground. The Oregonian (Portland) (4/4), USA Today/Today in the Sky blog (4/4)
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Boeing debuts stretched Dreamliner 787-9

Boeing launched a larger version of its Dreamliner on Saturday with the rollout of
the 787-9, which seats 280 passengers. "Theyre a little bit longer, with a lot more
redesigned systems," said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst for the Teal Group,
of the 787-9. "Its mostly refinement and improvement rather than radical changes."
American City Business Journals/Seattle/Puget Sound BizTalk blog (4/4)
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Boeing and Airbus report net orders for Q1

Boeing announced it had 234 net orders during the first quarter, outpacing Airbus,
which booked 103 net orders during the same period. Air Canada finalized an order
last week for 61 Boeing aircraft, while China ordered 27 Airbus aircraft last month.
During the quarter, Boeing also delivered 161 commercial aircraft, while Airbus
delivered 141 aircraft. Reuters (4/4)
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Companies live and die by their employees

Businesses with fewer than 500 employees drive the economy, and represent about
55% of all jobs in the country. However, finding suitable employees can be tough.
Small Business Owners with limited time and resources need to make every new
hire count because the actions of each employee can go straight to the bottom line.
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and learn how to hire smarter.

Detroit aims for airport upgrades

Coleman A. Young International Airport in Detroit could receive $28.5 million in
upgrades as part of the city's bankruptcy plan. "The end goal to all of this is to turn
the airport into a destination where people would like to come and benefit from all
the wonderful things that are happening downtown," said Jason Watt, airport
manager. The Washington Times/The Associated Press (4/4)
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A vibrant U.S. airline industry is critical to U.S. economic growth and job creation,
but the aviation industry is currently subjected to 17 different federally imposed
taxes. Today, U.S. airline passengers pay $63 in federal taxes on a typical $300
domestic roundtrip ticket, or 21% of the ticket price. That amount will increase in
July when the TSA passenger security tax more than doubles from $2.50 to $5.60
per one-way trip, costing customers more than $1 billion annually. What's more, as
part of the president's 2015 budget proposal, the taxes paid on that $300 ticket
would jump to $77 or 26% of the total ticket price. Join us in telling Washington to
stop going hog wild and that you'll support more taxes when pigs fly!
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Chicago O'Hare unveils $26M renovation of international terminal

Chicago O'Hare International Airport debuted its $26 million renovation of Terminal
5 last week. The international terminal now features 24 retail stores and
restaurants, as well as a XpresSpa featuring massages and manicures. "From now
on, when you land in the world-class city, you're going to get a
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Airlines improve experience through technology
Airlines are improving the passenger experience by offering technology such as self-
serve kiosks. "Number one is to put control and convenience in the hands of our
customers," said Jeff Foland, executive vice president of marketing, technology and
strategy at United Airlines. The carrier plans to open its high-tech Terminal B at
Logan International Airport in Boston at the end of the month. USA Today (4/7)
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United launches Mercedes-Benz service at LAX for elite travelers

United Airlines is debuting more perks for elite travelers at Los Angeles International
Airport. United will chauffeur elite passengers who need to make connecting flights
in Mercedes-Benz cars. Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst at Hudson
Crossing, said, "the more you pay, the better your experience will be in terms of
access to the best seats, boarding, security or other elements like that." Daily
Breeze (Torrance, Calif.) (4/6)
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Qualities that every leader needs

Good leaders are healthy in their bodies and their minds, writes Bob Rosen. Such
health also includes a less tangible spiritual strength. "It means serving a larger
purpose -- one that's more than meeting organizational goals. That focus lets you
get to the heart of the matter, avoiding trivial distractions and building an
environment of respect and trust," Rosen writes. ThoughtLeaders blog (3/31)
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Tuesday

United to debut world's longest non-stop 787 route

United Airlines plans to launch the longest non-stop route with a Boeing 787 when it
debuts its Los Angeles-Melbourne service in October. The flight between California
and Australia will cover a distance of 7,927 miles. United plans to offer the flight six
days a week. Forbes (4/7)
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American upgrades seating configuration for 777-200

American Airlines has revamped its seating configurations for the Boeing 777-200,
which carries passengers from Los Angeles to several international destinations.
"These include a two-class cabin configuration with American's new Business Class
seats, complete with fully lie-flat and all-aisle access giving you a spacious, personal
and private inflight experience," American said in a statement. "These ultramodern
seats are fully adjustable and convert to 6-foot-4.5-inch fully lie-flat beds to ensure
a rested journey from beginning to end." L.A. Airspace blog (4/7)
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Delta further invests in technology with deployment of "phablets" for

flight attendants
Delta Air Lines plans to equip flight attendants with Nokia Lumia 1520 phone/tablet
devices dubbed "phablets." Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson noted the "huge
investment in technology" the company has made with the goal of providing better
information to employees. "Ultimately you want every employee at Delta to operate
with a handheld device," said Anderson at a summit last month. The phablets will
allow flight attendants to sell meals to passengers and quickly access passenger
information. Skift (4/7), The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (free content) (4/7)

U.S. airlines receive highest ratings in 2013

A report on the quality of U.S. airlines shows that the industry received the highest
rating ever in its 24-year-history. Ratings are based on on-time performance,
baggage handling, customer complaints and customers being involuntarily bumped
from a flight. The report was created by researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University and Wichita State University. Chicago Tribune (tiered subscription
model)/The Associated Press (4/7), Bloomberg Businessweek (4/7), American City
Business Journals/Chicago (4/7)
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Airbus makes comfort a priority aboard A350 XWB

Airbus offered a sneak peek at the passenger cabins aboard its A350 XWB. Airbus
installed all in-flight entertainment boxes under the floor for a roomier cabin, and
also deployed LED lighting for a more comfortable flight. Bloomberg (4/7),
Bloomberg (4/8), Reuters (4/7), Australian Business Traveller (4/8), CNN (4/8)

UATP is the low cost payment network privately owned by the world's airlines. UATP
streamlines billing and provides travel managers with detailed activity reports that
track a traveler's carrier, destination and itinerary. With UATP, airlines can avoid
credit card fees if their corporate clients purchase tickets on the airline that issued
their UATP card. UATP.com

FAA: Key NextGen infrastructure in place by 2015

The Federal Aviation Administration says the "foundational infrastructure" for
NextGen air traffic control will be in place by 2015. About 90% of the Automatic
Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) has been rolled out. The system will be
in place nationwide this spring. The agency expects the complete NextGen air traffic
control system to be in place by 2025. Avionics Magazine online (4/7),
FastLane.DOT.gov/FastLane blog (4/7)

Welcome Aboard: A Guide to Small Business Hiring

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businesses need to act thoughtfully when it comes to finding good candidates. They
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A4A: Huntsville plan flies against Airline Deregulation Act
Officials at Huntsville International Airport in Alabama will maintain uniform landing
fees for all carriers in response to concerns expressed by Airlines for America and its
members. Rob DeLucia, A4A's associate general counsel, likened Huntsville's
incentives for airlines already serving the city to "choosing winners," noting that it is
illegal under the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act because of a requirement for
"airports to treat all airlines equally." On Monday, airport officials backed away from
the plan. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (4/7)

Other loyalty programs may adopt Delta strategy, experts say

Experts predict other frequent flier programs may follow Delta Air Lines in switching
from miles flown to fares paid as a method of calculating loyalty miles. "Those are
very significant changes, and they simply cannot be ignored" by other airlines, said
Jay Sorensen, the president of IdeaWorksCompany. The New York Times (tiered
subscription model) (4/7)
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Stop testing candidates and start talking to them
An interview should be "a conversation, not a test," Jon Marcus writes. Don't be
afraid to deviate from your list of questions, and don't disqualify candidates who fail
to give the exact responses that you're looking for. "It is the interviewer's job, not to
have a test planned, but to be able to listen and react intellectually," Marcus writes.
VentureBeat (4/5)
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