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It’s o-vah.

US Airways is giving up in its efforts to merge with Delta. Delta’s creditors are backing management’s efforts to emerge as a standalone company, and the airline has lined up exit financing.

Will US Airways go after someone else? Maybe. Northwest, the obvious next choice, says it doesn’t want a merger partner. There are other combinations to watch, too. Midwest rejected AirTran’s bid. United and Continental keep coming up as possible suitors, and United’s CEO mentions his desire for consolidation anytime he sees an open mike.

The failure of US-DL may mean that the immediate rush to mergers is over, but I’m sure we’ll see a merger of some kind announced before the year is out.

For now, though, nothing has changed.

Related:
- Reader mail: What will airline mergers mean to consumers?
- Here we go again: Airline merger madness, back in the news
- US Airways bids for Delta

The state of New Mexico has ordered US Airways to stop serving alcohol on board its airplanes.

The ruling applies only when the airline is in New Mexican airspace, and the flight is en route to or from an airport in the state. After a fatal drunk driving accident involving a passenger who tied one on in flight, New Mexican officials determined that US Airways wasn’t licensed to serve alcohol, and was effectively “bootlegging.”

Wow. Apparently, this is legit. Other airlines operating in New Mexico actually have a liquor license. Who knew?

Frankly, I’m not a lawyer, but I would have assumed that airlines were serving alcohol legally as part of some interstate commerce provision. But I guess they need a liquor license in every state (and city?) in which they operate.

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The war on runway safety
Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi Airport hasn’t worked out as everyone hoped, with cost overruns, insufficient bathrooms, and shoddy workmanship. But now, by virtue of its failure to renew its safety certificate, it’s officially unsafe. Runways have been plagued with cracks and debris. (You’ll be pleased to know that the airport is still operating as normal. Nice. Wouldn’t want to let safety get in the way of the schedule!)

The war on skycaps
Skycaps at Boston’s Logan Airport have filed a class action lawsuit against American Airlines. The suit alleges that the airline’s policy of charging $2 per bag for curbside check-in is cutting into the skycaps’ tips. Indeed, many people assume the fee goes to the skycap, but it actually goes to the airline. The fees exist at plenty of other airports and with plenty of other airlines. Will more skycaps organize and sue?

The war on horse meat
I really don’t know what to make of this. “American Airlines and Delta Air Lines said early Thursday afternoon that they had suspended transport of horse meat to overseas markets – mainly France, Belgium and Japan – where it is consumed.” Horse butchers are angry. It’s a long story.

The war on fusion cuisine
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture will soon travel the world, inspecting Japanese restaurants and certifying their authenticity. I realize that this is as much cultural nationalism as it is a marketing device, but it’s moronic. California rolls aren’t authentic to Japan, but they’re a standard of sushi restaurants in America. Deal with it. It’s a globalized world, and the notion of a “pure” cultural product is a sham. And it’s been a sham for some time. We’ve been globalizing for hundreds of years. (The spice trade, anyone?) But if the Japanese taxpayer wants to pay for this culinary boondoggle, have at it. (Thanks Dr. Vino!)

The war on broken in-flight entertainment
I get as irritated as the next guy when the audio-video system is broken on a long flight, but attacking the staff is probably not the way to go. Customers on board several Qantas aircraft that have been experiencing technical trouble with their video system “are becoming openly abusive and threatening” to flight attendants in flight. Not cool. Better bring a book.

The war for Delta
US Airways really, really, really, really, really wants to buy Delta. They’re now offering to raise their offer by another $1 billion if the creditors agree to postpone a meeting to discuss Delta’s in-house restructuring. Wake me up when this is over.

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Miles Part 1: United Airlines alters its online booking bonus
Say goodbye to the 1000-mile booking bonus on United.com. It’s been revised to 500 miles for the roundtrip. BUT… while they taketh away, they also now giveth an online booking bonus of 250 miles for one-way trips, and 500 for circle-trips and open-jaws. Unfortunately, they still aren’t plugging the codeshare hole: If ANY of your flights are on a United codeshare partner (other than United Express or Ted) or if the itinerary includes any connections on another airline, you won’t get the bonus. Asinine.

Miles Part 2: Delta limits your routings for frequent flyer mile redemptions
When you’re trying to get from point A to point B, nonstop flights are usually the preference. But if you’re cashing in miles to travel halfway ’round the world, it’s sometimes nice to break up the trip a little, even if only for one night, to spend a little time in a city along the way. (On international routings, many programs allow you to break up the trip without penalty if there are less than 24 hours layover.) Delta is making such itineraries harder to create. Domestic itineraries will be limited to two stops each way, and international itineraries max out at three stops. If you’re not flying from a major hub, this might affect you more than you think. Gary Leff has the lowdown.

Miles Part 3: US Airways ending partnership with Qantas
Frankly, I’m amazed this hasn’t ended earlier, since US Airways is in Star Alliance and Qantas is in oneworld. As USA Today’s Ben Mutzabaugh reports, you’ll have until February 28 to earn US Airways miles on Qantas. February 28 is also your deadline for booking Qantas award tickets with US miles, though your deadline for flying on that ticket is January 31, 2008.

Free gold status with Hilton?
Not sure if this will work, but Gary Leff (again!) offers a possible way to get Hilton Gold for free. Use this link and enter code EMOD.

Free dream vacation?
CondeNast Traveler’s Wendy Perrin invites you to submit a description of your dream vacation. The winner gets what they ask for. Be creative!

January 18 is William Shatner Travel Blog Appreciation Day
Not sure why, but two — count ‘em, two! — separate blogs written by journalists draw lessons on the travel world by reference to William Shatner. Coincidence, or providence? Benet Wilson invokes the prime-time Shatner in discussing the TSA, while Chris Elliott salutes “The Shat” and his Priceline-hawking skill. I have no relevant Shatner link-ups to make, so I’ll just slap up an image of his amazing 1968 album, The Transformed Man. Update: Shatner’s album has been remastered and re-released! Wow. His renditions of “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” and “Mr. Tambourine Man” are legendary. Here’s the reprint at Amazon.com. (aff. link)

Chicago area to Phoenix area for $1
New discount airline SkyValue is offering $1 tickets from Chicago-Gary Airport (in Gary, Indiana) to Mesa Williams Gateway Airport (outside of Phoenix). Kickin’ it Ryanair style! Alas, the $1 flights are only available on January 24, but return flights are only $79 plus taxes. And the taxes are low, since neither airport seems to charge a passenger service fee. I found (but didn’t buy) long-weekend roundtrip tickets for $91.80 per person, all-in. SkyValue flies Boeing 737-800 jets. Their website is jaw-droppingly horrendous, like it was designed by a teenager in 1996. (via CheapFlights)

FedEx installs first anti-missile system on a commercial jet
We may not be safe from missile attacks in the air, but our overnight deliveries are. The first anti-missile system on a plane was just installed.

“Singapore Girls”: A sexist stereotype or a national treasure?
Regardless of your stand, Singapore Airlines’ flight attendants may be undergoing a makeover.

If you thought hotel pay-per-view was racy now…
…Just wait until they start offering live-action pay-per-view. It’s coming.

More and more airlines are downsizing the planes they fly across the Atlantic. Whether it’s service to new cities on smaller routes, or just a downgrade for existing service, Boeing’s 757 has gotten a new lease on life, despite no longer being produced since 2005.

The latest international route in a 757 is US Airways, which last week announced new 757 service from Philadelphia to Brussels. The airline will be installing winglets on its planes to maximize fuel efficiency (and thereby increase the aircraft’s range).

From a business perspective, this certainly makes sense. Some routes simply aren’t profitable with an Airbus 330/340 or a Boeing 747/767/777. The 757 is the compromise.

757s internationally aren’t new. American Airlines was flying 757s to and from Ireland for a while, without even bothering to upgrade the cabin to an international configuration. Icelandair relies on the 757 for the core of their operations. It was Continental that really got things started, though, by adding the winglets to their existing 757s, putting international business class seats up front, and flying the planes from Newark to smaller European markets like Edinburgh, Bristol, Oslo, and Cologne.

Not my idea of a good time

All well and good. But as a customer, I just don’t like this single-aisle plane on long routes. Sure, it can provide point-to-point service for smaller cities, and there’s definitely a benefit in having that convenience. But the comfort just isn’t there on a 757, unless you’re upgraded. A single aisle means more blocked aisles, and less room to get up and stretch. Arguably the ride over the North Atlantic is bumpier than in the widebodies, too.

The seats themselves are no great shakes, either. While every airline configures their seat pitch differently, the 757’s economy-class seats are consistently a narrow 17.2 inches. I have yet to sit in any 757 coach seat — on any airline — that I would truly describe as “comfortable.” These planes are fine for domestic runs, but international service needs a little more space.

8 hours on such a flight? No thanks.

Disagree? Prefer the 8-hour nonstop flight in a single aisle to a one-stop in a widebody? Hit the comments!

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Two observations, as I’m looking at my boarding passes for my flight to Newark, just a couple hours away.

First, the 100 millionth passenger of 2006 lands at one of the New York airports (JFK, LGA, or EWR) today. Boy, I sure hope I’m the lucky winner. Imagine the perks!

Second, and more relevant to the boarding passes: I’m flying United today, but I’m reminded of a recent US Airways flight, and how those boarding passes differed. Those were also printed at home after online check-in, but they lacked a barcode. Here’s one:

I don’t fly US Airways much, so I honestly thought there must be some kind of error, and that the TSA or the airline would give me a hard time. I even asked a US Airways employee if the boarding pass looked okay, because it seemed so… half-assed. The image quality was crap, the print was tiny, and there was no barcode. Security? Ha! Anyone could forge this thing, even without Christopher Soghoian’s fake boarding pass generator. But she said it was fine, and she gave me one of those “is this guy nuts” looks. Good enough!

I suppose US Airways prefers people-power, manually entering passenger data into the computer to check passengers in, to technology.

Airline mergers are headlining the news again today, with United and Continental in early discussions, and with AirTran’s offer for Midwest Airlines confirmed (but declined). This of course comes on top of the US Airways offer for Delta, which Delta is resisting.

So consolidation is afoot. Like lemmings, the airlines run off the cliff, hoping to grow bigger. My feelings on mergers like this are negative, and I’ll just repeat part of an earlier post, when Continental and United were first being bandied about as potential merger partners:

But the bottom line for travelers doesn’t look good. Planes are full, demand is there, and airlines are eking out a profit, even with high oil prices. When airlines say there’s too much capacity, it just means that they want to charge more. A merger would drive out competition and increase prices — at ALL airlines, not just United-Continental. Not to mention the mess that could arise from merging two frequent flyer programs. I’m wary of a merger, and hoping it doesn’t happen.

That said, the counterargument suggests that consolidation will breed the rise of new competitors, or the expansion of other carriers to fill the void (and higher prices) in the wake of mega-mergers.

Possible, and probable in the long run, but in the short to medium run, mergers like this aren’t pro-consumer. They’re pro-Wall Street, and pro-airline executives, and that’s about it.

US Airways announced an $8 billion cash and stock bid to buy Delta out of bankruptcy. If it goes through, the new company will fly under the Delta banner.

It’s pretty remarkable that US Airways is doing this, since they’re not even finished digesting their previous merger (when America West bought the old US Airways and took over the older rival’s name.)

The merger would mean a 10% cut in capacity (i.e., fewer seats, higher prices, fuller planes) and inevitable job losses in cities served by both airlines. Consumers and employees are likely losers here.

Two questions on my mind:

1) Will the emergent Delta be a member of Star Alliance or SkyTeam? I’d put my money on SkyTeam, given Delta’s size and international presence, compared to US Airways.

2) Will this announced offer lead to more mergers? United+Continental has been talked about for some time, though the latest buzz has United going private. But airlines are making money, for now, and the impetus to merge has faded somewhat. US Airways is striking now, while Delta is still in bankruptcy court, and control of the company rests with creditors.

We’ll see what happens.

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Canada not on sale any more
Remember when the US dollar got around $1.50 Canadian? Memories! (It’s around $1.12 as I type.) But it’s about to get more expensive for non-Canadians visiting the country. It has long been possible to get a tax refund at the border, including the GST paid for hotel stays. Effective April 1, 2007, no such refunds will be possible any longer. Bummer. Nice to get it while it lasted, of course, but honestly, the hotel stay tax refund never made sense to me.

US Airways shortens the life of a mile
Most airlines expire your miles after 3 years (you generally reset the clock with a flight, or any other account activity.) US Airways has now cut that time to 18 months. If you’re earning anything in your account, this is moot. But if you rarely earn miles, make sure to credit something small to your US Airways account to keep balances alive. Better yet, spend ‘em!

Maxjet marketers suck up to the boss
I’m all for fare sales. And a $999 roundtrip business class fare from New York to London is great. But to say that it’s in celebration of the CEO’s birthday? Asskissers. (Use code CEOBDAY to get the deal at maxjet.com.)

The 9/11 hijackers are on the no-fly list
Thank goodness they’re on the list now that they’re dead.

World’s best airport security? Sweden!
Rah, rah, Sweden. Biometrics in full effect, while safeguarding privacy.

US and EU reach deal on passenger data
Not much more information out there, other than the fact that a deal of some kind has been reached. But this means that airlines flying between the EU and US won’t be fined. I certainly hope the details don’t remain secret forever, though.

Slower blogging this week
Expect fewer posts this week. I’m at O’Hare as we speak, waiting for this specific plane to board. Happy travels to those on the road.

United and US Airways have separately introduced shortcuts to 2007 elite status.

United will give you double elite-qualifying miles or segments on all flights actually operated by United (no codeshares), but only if you pay them $499. Ouch!

In previous years they charged $100, $150, or $200 for the end-of-year double counting. $499? That’s a spicy meatball! Who’s gonna bite?

US Airways isn’t charging extra, but it isn’t offering double miles on its flights, either. Instead, from October 1 through December 31, 2006, all miles that you earn through hotels and rental cars count toward elite status.

Remember, there are two kinds of miles: Redeemable miles, which, as the name implies, you actually can (attempt to) cash in for flights, etc., and Elite-qualifying miles, which are solely used to calculate your status with the airline. 25,000 elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) are generally necessary to obtain entry-level elite status.

Earning status in calendar year 2006 nets you status through February 2008.

If you’ve got reservations on US Airways for flights on or after September 20, you’d better check your itineraries after September 4. As reported in Travel Weekly (registration required), the airline is merging the fare class structure and codes between America West and the old US Airways. Flight numbers are changing as well for all reservations made before September 1. The changes will go into effect between September 1 and 4.

What this means:

Travel agents will need to accept the schedule change and cancel the old segments to ensure their clients have a smooth experience with Web and kiosk check-in, automated first class upgrades and seat assignments, the airline said.

Anytime I see “cancel segments,” I get nervous. And with reason: I’ve had itineraries get completely messed up after a schedule change required an agent to cancel and rebook segments. On US Airways, no less!

Hopefully tickets purchased directly from the airline will automatically update, but you’d be wise to check your itineraries after September 4. Look for missing segments, seat assignments, frequent flyer account numbers, and upgrade requests.

An FAQ, aimed at travel agents, but illustrative of the scope of the changes, is here.

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tags: travel | US Airways

Getting into a US Airways airport lounge is cheaper through August 31. Day passes are $15 off — $25 per person instead of the normal $40 fee — if you mention promotion code ES25 at the club front desk. Details are here.

Buying a one-day pass is just one of five ways to lounge in airports. But for one-day passes, this is relatively cheap. A nice feature is that it’s valid for the whole day, at all club locations, and not just for one entry.

Related:
- Promo codes: 10% off US Airways first class; 5% off economy
- Don’t overpay for lounge access. Not even for the Amazing Beer Machine.
- How to lounge in airports

(image: gratuitous image of a US Airways pilot’s retirement cake, via Penny’s Cakes)