The most exciting news this week is probably that the voting process for the airport story of the year has come to and end today. Why is that exciting? Well, of course because we now know which story won the award! You have to stay tuned for a tiny bit longer though as sift through the votes and make sure everything is correct! One thing is for sure, it looks like it was a photo finish between two stories…

Let’s move on now to our news round-up: Surely you agree that flight delays are are the core of what LateDeparture is all about and this week two flight delay headlines stood out: The first one came from The New York Times reporting that New York airports account for half of all U.S. flight delays. According to the news in the first half of 2011, the region’s airspace — defined as the big three airports (JFK, LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR)), plus Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, which caters to corporate jets, and Philadelphia International Airport (IATA: PHL) — handled 12 percent of all domestic flights but accounted for nearly half of all delays in the nation. In the same period in 2005, they represented just a third of all delays, according to a report by the cited Government Accountability Office.

The second headline was about delays too, but it put a positive spin on it and called it on-time performance. We’re of course talking about FlightStats’ 2011 Airport On-time Performance Awards (OPS). A number of U.S. and International airports received the prestigious award – see our cover story from earlier in the week with all the details.

San Francisco’s SFO airport probably acknowledges that some flight delays are unavoidable and came up with its own solution: a Yoga room. According to PassengerTerminalToday the airport has opened a yoga room in its newly refurbished Terminal 2, providing passengers with a place for contemplation and self-reflection. The news stated that the room, which is located just past the security checkpoint, was designed by Terminal 2’s architect Gensler and features a floating wall and low lighting levels.

And finally we have a news item from Spain for you: There – as we heard through CNN- the Spanish airline Spanair went bust early Saturday, and forced many passengers to find seats on flights with other airlines at short notice. The news stated that according to a spokeswoman at Madrid’s Barajas Airport (IATA: MAD) said there were not large numbers of stranded passengers there, and that other airlines have been able to get passengers on to other flights. A spokesman for Barcelona’s El Prat airport (IATA: BCN) said about 20 Spanair planes were sitting on the tarmac at the old terminal.

With that we wish you all a great new week; delay-free of course!

[Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by Augusto Mia Battaglia photography]

The tool, published for free by comparison engine FindTheBest, even lets you filter and compare airlines by price per checked bag, primary operating regions, airline fees and more, simplifying the process of making sure you’re not only on time, but you’re not getting slammed for things other airlines won’t charge you for. Next time you’re planning a trip or choosing an airline, make sure to take a peek at this tool so you can minimize the time you spend sitting around at the airport. You spend enough time getting herded through security, why spend time waiting for a late flight?  Happy travels!

LAX is the first airport where American Airlines offers this premium service. The Flagship Check-in experience is located in Terminal 4 in the east lobby with exclusive curbside access leading to a private facility. There, customers are greeted by customer service representatives who can personally assist with individual travel requirements, including check-in and baggage check, seat or itinerary changes and connecting flight information. To further expedite the travel process, customers receive immediate access to a designated separate security line, offering easy access through security checkpoints. Flagship Check-in is available to eligible customers between 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Customers who are eligible for Flagship Check-in include ConciergeKey(SM) members and customers of American’s Five Star Service – a personal one-on-one airport assistance program, on the day of travel. Also included are First Class customers departing LAX onboard an American Airlines three-class transcontinental or three-class international aircraft.

“American continues to deliver the ideal travel experience for our high-value customers,” said Virasb Vahidi, American’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Flagship Check-in provides the exclusivity and seamless service that our high-end customers value, and we believe this unique service best aligns with their travel desires.”

The airline expects the service to become available at additional airports in 2012. For more information about Flagship Check-in service, please visit www.aa.com/flagshipcheckin.

[Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by skinnylawyer]

SWISS operates five different lounges at Zurich Airport. The three main lounges are located at what the airline calls the ‘SWISS Lounge Center Zurich’. There you find the SWISS Business Lounge – with 1,100m2 and 233 seats the biggest one. This one is also the lounge you’re most likely to get access to. This lounge offers the usual things like free Wifi, internet stations, showers and a basic buffet with changing snacks. What is different to most other lounges I’ve seen is the attention to detail in regards to the interior design: The floors are made of beautiful dark wooden parquet and the walls of limestone and the furniture is custom made from Vitra. Altogether this gives the space a warm and homely, yet contemporary feel.

Next is the Senator lounge (Star Alliance Gold lounge; pictured above) which has a similar look and feel to the business lounge but is located on two levels. It also offers a more varied buffet than the business lounge.

Finally the crown of the SWISS lounges, the SWISS First Lounge: With about 170 guests per day, this is (logically) the smallest yet most exclusive of the three. Again it has a similar overall look and feel than the others but because of its smaller size, the lounge almost feels like one of those stylish Zurich apartments every Swiss aspires to own one day. Speaking of apartment, this lounge even features living room style corners with TV and sofas. You can even occupy one of the two day rooms and get away from it all. For business minded travellers the lounge offers meeting rooms with projectors. Breakfast, lunch, snacks or dinner is offered in a separate, Restaurant-style dining room with great views towards the airfield and the midfield terminal.

The hidden gem of the SWISS Lounge Center, however, is the Smokers Bar. According to the airline, the bar with a length of 27.6m is the longest, served airport bar in the world. It can be accessed directly from the Business and Senator lounge – of course First Class passengers have access as well. The drawback? Well, it’s a smokers bar!

As the SWISS Lounge Center is located in the airport’s “Schengen zone”, the airline is currently building another lounge in the “Non-Schengen zone” – the B Gates. According to the airline, this lounge will open in early December.

Finally there is the arrival lounge, which offers showers, a washroom and two ‘Relax Areas’ as well as a cafeteria where you can book your hotel or find out about train connections.

Overall the SWISS lounges at Zurich airport met my expectations. They tick all the boxes of what frequent travellers are looking for and they surely are well aligned with the airlines national values. Maybe a hint of excitement is missing, but then as we established earlier this is one of those Swiss values too. The SWISS Lounge Center Zurich is generally open between 6am and 11pm. You can find more information on the airline’s website.

Relaxing in the SWISS Business Lounge at Zurich Airport

Stylish dining in the SWISS First Lounge

[All photos from Swiss International Air Lines - all rights reserved]

5. Lineas Aereas Azteca (2007, 9 planes over 6 months)
   The Mexican government suspended operations of budget airline Lineas Aereas Azteca in March 2007 citing safety concerns and failure to comply with administrative and technical procedures. In October 2007 the Mexican airline association allowed it to restart operations and Azteca was invited to join Star Alliance. The airline, however, ceased operations before it was able to join.

4. Conviasa (2010, 26 planes over 2 weeks)
   Conviasa, the Venezuelan carrier received the no-fly order for all its 26 aircraft after a crash of one of its planes on 17 September 2010. The airline’s flights were re-instated two weeks later.

3. Southwest Airlines (2011, 80 aircraft over 3 days)
   On April 1, 2011, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 had to make an emergency landing in Yuma, Arizona after an almost 2 m (6 ft) wide hole appeared in the top of the airplane’s fuselage. The airlines grounded all other of its 737-300 fleet and inspected them for similar cracks. Subsequently the airline found 3 other planes with similar faults.

2. Qantas (2010, 6 planes, 2.5 months)
   Even though this grounding only involved 6 aircraft, it received a very high global attention as the airline grounded the world’s largest airliner: the Airbus A380. On 4 November 2010 Qantas Flight 32, fitted with four Trent 972 engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce suffered an uncontained turbine disc failure of its left inboard engine shortly after taking off from Singapore Changi Airport (IATA: SIN; LD reviewed). The flight returned to Singapore and landed safely. In the aftermath Qantas swiftly grounded all of its 6 A380 for 2.5 months.

1. Swissair (2001, the entire fleet)
   Even though this grounding happened almost a decade ago, it’s still our number 1 grounding in recent times: Unable to make payments to creditors on its large debt that yielded from a failed strategy and the aftermath of 911 the entire Swissair fleet was abruptly grounded on 2 October 2001. Flights were later reinstated but in March 2002, SAirGroup, Swissair’s parent company was handed over for liquidation ending 71 years of service of the Swiss icon.

 [Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by Bernard Garon]

Luckily we won’t have to wait for the expensive dinner to finish (a table for 10 costs a whopping $35,000) to know the winners were already released a few weeks ago. Here they are:

Airline Of the Year:
Emirates Airline

Regional Airline Of the Year:
Air Nostrum Iberia Regional

Aviation Technology Achievement:
GE Aviation GE90

Passenger Service:
Virgin America

Market Leadership:
Turkish Airlines

Airline Technology Leadership:
Alaska Airlines

Phoenix Award:
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings

Nothing overly surprising here. Emirates has already won countless awards, yet personally I don’t think it’s the best airline out there. You do have to give them credits for their financial achievements and their oftentimes leading approach in customer service and innovation which is then later copied by other airlines. My favourite is the Phoenix award as it “acknowledging airlines that have gone through a life-changing transformation”. This year, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings wins this price for its highly successful turnaround to achieve consistent profitability and operational reliability. Since they are a cargo airline, I can’t add any further colour to that. My apologies

Here’s the ATW’s full press release:

EMIRATES NAMED AIRLINE OF THE YEAR BY AIR TRANSPORT WORLD MAGAZINE

NEW YORK, NY (January 18, 2011) – Penton Media’s Air Transport World®, the leading monthly magazine covering the global airline industry, announced the selection of Emirates Airline as its Airline of the Year for 2011. The Dubai, UAE-based carrier is being honored for its strong commitment to safety and operational excellence, its trendsetting customer service and its superb financial performance including a 22-year consecutive annual profit streak.

Since launching service in 1985, Emirates has grown into one of the largest and most dynamic airlines in the world and has transformed Dubai into a major connecting hub for global air travel. It is also a leader in developing flexible air routings that save fuel and reduce CO2 emissions.

The editors noted that Emirates was the first airline to introduce personal seatback entertainment units and the first to enable passengers to make authorized onboard mobile phone calls. Its Airbus A380s feature showers for first class passengers.
The editors selected Spain’s Air Nostrum as the Regional Airline of the Year, citing its superb safety record and longstanding commitment to delivering excellent customer service. The editors applauded Air Nostrum’s sterling financial performance including 13 consecutive years of profitability through 2008 as it grew to become Europe’s second-largest independent regional airline. Additionally, the editors were impressed by Air Nostrum’s swift and decisive response to the 2009 downturn in the Spanish economy that has positioned the carrier for renewed success going forward.

The Aviation Technology Achievement Award was presented to GE Aviation for the development of the GE90, the world’s most powerful aircraft engine family and the exclusive powerplant for Boeing’s largest and longest-range versions of the 777. As the first commercial powerplant to feature a composite fan blade, the GE90 broke new ground in engine technology and is among the most fuel efficient and reliable engines in service today. The 115,000-lb. thrust version of the GE90 has no equal in the world.
Virgin America received the Passenger Service Award. Since launching service in 2007, the San Francisco-based airline has raised the bar for passenger service in North America with its stylish, high-tech product featuring leather seats and cabin mood lighting. Passengers can enjoy 18 channels of live TV, up to 30 on-demand pay per view movies, Wi-Fi and a music library containing 3,000 MP3s. They can order food from their seats via their interactive video screens.

Turkish Airlines received the Market Leadership Award. The Istanbul-based airline has taken full advantage of its hub astride the historic East-West trade routes to become Europe’s fastest growing network airline and among the world’s most profitable carriers, with income of $370 million in 2009. Earnings through the first nine months of 2010 totaled $169 million. The airline’s route network covers 169 destinations, up from 101 in 2003.

The Phoenix Award, acknowledging airlines that have gone through a life-changing transformation, was presented to Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings for its highly successful turnaround to achieve consistent profitability and operational reliability. Even as the global air cargo market severely contracted in 2009, Atlas boosted net income 22%, following a strategy focused on cost-cutting and operating efficiency rather than sheer size.

For the second time, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines was selected to receive the Airline Technology Leadership Award owing to its extensive track record of innovation in cockpit, safety and customer service technology and systems, such as Required Navigation Performance and the Airport of the Future in Anchorage and Seattle that has led to dramatic reductions in passenger check-in times.

The awards will be presented on February 8 in Washington, D.C., at ATW’s gala dinner and celebration at the Renaissance Hotel. Further information about the award winners is available in the February issue of ATW and at www.atwonline.com.
Air Transport World (www.ATWOnline.com) is the leading monthly magazine serving the airline and commercial aircraft manufacturing and support industries. It launched its awards program in 1974. ATW is published by Penton Media.

[Photo from Emirates]

LateDeparture.com has previously written about Terminal 5 but we then focused on the main building, housing the “A gates”. Terminal 5’s full structure, however, consists today of the main building and a satellite terminal with the B gates (Terminal 5B). A third complex, the C gates (or Terminal 5C), is currently in construction and due to open in May 2010. British Airways mainly operates their long haul flights from the B gates, hence I now got the chance to have a closer look at it.

Reaching the satellite terminal is simple and quick: you hop on a short underground shuttle from the main building. Make sure you set aside 10 to 15 minutes for the journey with the actual shuttle ride only taking about 1 minute. There, by the way, I suggest you ride in the front as it travels pretty fast and looking out to the track is a somewhat exciting (I know boys will be boys…).

Once at the terminal, you will find a few shops (see PDF map for details) including a nicely stocked Boots (I liked their selection of miniature travel essentials), a WHSmith, a Duty-Free Shop, a “Caviar House Seafood” bar with a great view towards the main building and a sandwich & coffee place. None of them are actually interesting enough for you to leave the shopping and gourmet heaven of the main building in a hurry, but there is one very distinct advantage of the satellite: it is quiet. Because fewer flights depart from this terminal, less people are present which again means you can easily find somewhere to sit and relax. This, together with the 360 degree view of everything that is going on at Britain’s busiest airport makes it an attractive option for people like me who are fascinated observing the airport’s operations, landing and departing aircrafts (try to spot Singapore Airline’s A380). With the satellite’s close proximity to the main terminal, it could even be an attractive alternative for sitting out longer delays occurring in the main terminal.

[Photo by LateDeparture.com - all rights reserved]

So what is the catch? There of course is one – as always. The airport is small, has only one runway which is not very long (1319 m) and therefore is restricts to STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) airliners. Its operating license says, aircrafts have to be capable of a 5.5 degree or steeper approach. Plus there is a strict noise regulation in place. Therefore only small planes are predominant, particularly the BAe 146 aircraft which means the number of destinations offered are limited.

So, how does the airport terminal rate? Even though the airport is small, a lot of people are passing through on a daily basis. In 2006 2.3 Million people travelled through the City airport according to Wikipedia. Particularly on week days, the airport is at its full capacity affecting the limited space in the terminal. But its not all bad, they have recently increased seating space and anyway, with low delay rates, you can expect to be in and out of the terminal faster than you can say “delay”. In the rare occasion where you do get delayed, here are my Top-X-Things to do:

1. Check out the 2 big bars and mingle with the business men who enjoy their evening beer
2. Sit at the north side of the terminal and count the number of BAe 146 aircrafts taking off
3. Guess the nationalities of the business men and women rushing to the gates
4. Find the biggest TV screen to watch the Olympics coverage
5. Count the number of destinations you can fly to from the departure screens

Airport Name	London City Airport
Website	http://www.londoncityairport.com/
IATA Code	LCY
Design
Shopping
Toilets
Overall	(Because of its convenient location)
	£58.40
	£49.99 (cellar box vintage 2002)

[Picture from Flickr - some rights reserved]

Michael O’Leary is interested in launching a £2bn bid for Stansted airport and proving to BAA and the regulators that he can run it much better than they can.

The current owner, BAA, has recently become under increasing pressure to break up its monopolistic ownership over the three busiest airports in London, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted after continuously failing to improve their performance. However, having Ryanair running an airport would raise other concerns: Would they make travellers pay for every little additional thing as they do with their flights? At least this discussion adds to some movement in the BAA question and that’s always welcomed.

[Picture from Flickr]

As part of our commitment to giving you outstanding service, we do everything we can to get you to your destination on time. So if in spite of all our efforts we can’t depart from Terminal 5 within 15 minutes* of scheduled departure time over the coming weeks, we’d like to give you more than just an apology:

When you fly Club Europe, Euro Traveller or Domestic Flights on a flexible ticket (booking classes JCDYBH) departing from Terminal 5 between now and 02 September 2008 you’ll receive
5,000 BA Miles if your flight leaves later than 15 minutes* of its scheduled departure time from Terminal 5.

BA actually has been doing this for quite some time, but you only received the miles when you actively complained about a particular flight. This offer now sounds fairly generous since manymost Heathrow flights these days suffer a delay. In fairness this delay is often not the result of a problem caused by the airlines, but more because of the airport’s severe capacity constraints. And, surprise, surprise, the small print of BA’s offer then exactly excludes those kind of delays:

British Airways reserves the right to exclude at its discretion any flights where disruption occurs beyond the reasonable control of British Airways. Non–exhaustive examples include severe weather conditions and their ongoing or consequent effects, air traffic control delays and industrial action.

With that, this offer all of a sudden sounds more like a common PR exercise than an innovative and generous customer centric solution.

[Picture from Flickr - some rights reserved]