| January 20, 2011
top story JAL and AA Announce Joint Business Venture  Last week, Japan Airlines (JAL) and American Airlines (AA) announced that they will begin a joint business venture on trans-Pacific flights from April 1, 2011. The news came nearly two months to the day after both airlines were granted anti-trust immunity by the U.S. Department of Transportation and spells out a number of benefits for passengers, including better flight schedules with shorter connections, enhanced codeshare opportunities and reduced fares. On March 27, JAL will relocate to AA's Terminal 3 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, creating an easier experience for travelers connecting from domestic AA flights to departing JAL services. However, all incoming JAL flights will continue to arrive at Terminal 5 for Customs and Immigrations. The joint business will apply to 10 non-stop flights, initially, with further expansion into Asia pending government approval. Ally Miola
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find us online! Follow Business Traveler on Facebook! Follow Business Traveler on Twitter! more news Airlines Taming Tarmac Delays  The nation's largest airlines are making progress when it comes to tarmac delays, according to the most recent Air Travel Consumer Report, released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This past November marked the second month in a row that there were no tarmac delays of three hours or more reported, representing a significant improvement since the DOT began tracking the statistics with 18 domestic airlines in October 2008. To give an example, between May and November of 2009, there were 550 reported tarmac delays of three hours or more; but for the same seven-month period in 2010, that number was slashed to just 12. A major factor for this dramatic turnaround is the new tarmac delay rule that prohibits U.S. airlines operating domestic flights from permitting an aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours without deplaning passengers, allowing certain exceptions for safety reasons. Now, airlines are opting to cancel flights, rather than force extended delays on customers. The month of November 2010 reported 11 canceled flights with tarmac delays of more than two hours, as opposed to none in November 2009. Additionally, this past October and November were the only months with no tarmac delays of three hours or more reported, pointing to a promising trend for airline passengers. AM
Code Share Crack Down The DOT is working to take the surprise out of airline bookings for consumers over the next two months. This month, the department's Aviation Enforcement Office provided airlines and ticket agents with specific guidelines for notifying passengers who are booking code-share flights, specifically addressing online booking requirements. The DOT has already clarified that airlines must disclose code-sharing arrangements to passengers before they book a flight, but new legislation adopted in August 2010 clarified the requirements for Internet Web sites selling airline tickets, stipulating that any code-sharing information must be included on the same screen and next to the itinerary. Currently, some Web sites include this information on another page that is accessed through a hyperlink, or displayed when a cursor passes over a link. "When passengers buy an airline ticket, they have the right to know which airline will be operating their flight," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Airlines and ticket agents have 60 days to modify their Web sites to comply with these rules before the Aviation Enforcement Office will take action. AM
Qantas Brings A380 Back; Korean Air to Launch U.S. A380 Service  After grounding its entire A380 fleet in November 2010, Qantas reintroduced the aircraft on services between Los Angeles and Australia, beginning with QF93 departing from Melbourne on January 16. The airline has worked closely with Airbus and the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce until all parties, including the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, were satisfied that it was safe to resume flying the A380 on the Los Angeles–Australia routes. According to chief executive officer, Mr. Alan Joyce, "Only when we, our manufacturers and our regulators were completely satisfied that it was safe to begin flying the aircraft again did we resume A380 services, initially on London routes only. The decision not to operate Los Angeles services allowed us to gain further operational experience before deploying the A380 on these routes." By using alternate aircraft, Qantas' operating schedule remains unaffected until all A380 aircraft are reintroduced to the fleet. For the remainder of January, Qantas will operate 14 A380 services per week on the following routes: Melbourne-Singapore-London, Los Angeles-Sydney, and Sydney-Singapore-London. In other A380 news, Korean Air will begin flying the new aircraft on U.S. routes this year. Initially, it will fly from JFK three times a week (beginning August 2), increasing to daily service from September 1. This will mark the first A380 flight between New York and Asia, while the interior layout also makes the plane among the most spacious of its kind, with only 407 total seats. On October 1, the airline will launch A380 daily flights from LAX. AM
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deal of the week Dining Out Just Got More Appetizing  Looking to arrange client meetings in New York or LA and not sure where to book your meal? You're in luck, because both cities will be hosting their winter 2011 Restaurant Weeks, with fantastic deals and top-rate restaurants. The dineLA Restaurant Week is a two-week event running from January 23 to 28 and January 30 to February 4, 2011. Special three-course lunches are available from $16 to $28, while three-course dinners are on offer from $26 to $44. Click here for a full listing of participating restaurants and their menu offers. Meanwhile, you can take a bite out of The Big Apple during NYC Restaurant Week from January 24 to February 6 (excluding Saturdays and, for certain restaurants, Sundays). Three-course meals are available from $24.07 (lunch) and $35 (dinner) during this two-week promotional event. Click here for more information and reservations. AM
more deals Game for Some Golf? The Dubai Desert Classic Golf Tournament will run from February 8 to 13, and Emirates has teamed up with several Dubai hotels to create four-night packages for the world-class event. Attendees can watch top players such as Tiger Woods or Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez compete for the USD $2.5 million prize, against Dubai's dramatic skyline, during the twenty-second annual tournament. Hotel packages are available to Emirates passengers booking flights to Dubai in any class, with rooms available from USD $102 per person, per night, based on double occupancy (airfare not included). Participating hotels include The Address - Dubai Marina, Grand Millennium Dubai, Pullman Mall of the Emirates, Novotel World Trade Centre, Ibis Al Barsha, Qamardeen Hotel and Tamani Hotel Marina. For more information, visit emirates.com/dubaidesertclassic. AM
Extending Your Business Trip Never Looked Better  Starwood Hotels and Resorts is offering Starwood Preferred Guest members the chance to earn extra rewards with a Great Weeks, Grand Weekends promotion. Through April 15, 2011, registered members can now earn double Starpoints every night of the week, with a weekend bonus of an additional 500 Starpoints for every Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday night during their stay. There are no limits on earnings at more than 930 participating hotels across all nine Starwood brands. Visit spg.com/greatweeks by March 31, 2011 to register and take advantage of this offer. AM Crowne Plaza Covers Checked-Baggage Fee for Guests Go ahead and pack that extra pair of shoes—Crowne Plaza is picking up the tab for your checked bags through April 30, 2011. The offer is valid for weekend stays paid for with a Visa credit card at any of the brand's 4,500 hotels and covers fees of up to $100. Click here for more information. AM
tried and tested Jet Airways
Brussels—Mumbai—Delhi   
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
A recent long-haul itinerary of mine from Chicago to New Delhi involved a connection in Brussels and a five-day layover in Mumbai. Code-share partner American Airlines operated the trans-Atlantic portion of this particular journey; as such, service with Jet Airways and this flight check begin in Brussels. Since the code-share agreement allowed me to print a boarding pass in Chicago, my connection onto the Jet Airways flight bound for Mumbai should have been fairly straightforward, with a simple, internal airport transit. Upon deplaning in Brussels, however, no indication of which airline was in which terminal was displayed. Luckily, groups of Jet Airways flight attendants were all migrating towards Terminal B, where I was able to find the departure gate. Inquiring with the gate agent, I was directed to the Jet lounge on the second floor, which consisted of two airy, bright rooms, well-appointed with a wide spectrum of breakfast snacks, as well as wine, liquor and beer for later departing flights. A quick shower was the only luxury that I could afford, however, as boarding was shortly announced upon my return from the facilities. BOARDING
Most of the passengers had already boarded the A332 by the time I made it to the gate, and the brief line threading through the jet bridge moved quickly. Approaching the aircraft, I was warmly welcomed by a flight attendant standing on walnut-stained hardwood floors and then ushered to my seat, 2K, in the front of the wide-body. Two flight attendants passed, introduced themselves and offered a choice of juices or water, as well as a fresh pair of socks, as full amenity kits are only issued on overnight flights. Thereafter, I was left to my business until our on-time departure. SEAT COMFORT
Jet Airways' long-haul business-class cabin is arranged in three symmetrical lie-flat aisles; A and D diagonally face one another in the left bulk of the cabin, while row K faces the hard back of row D. This affords a modest volume of privacy for the rightmost row and is great for napping and concentration. At 21 inches wide and with a generous 49-inch seat pitch, the fully-flat business-class seats had enough space to accommodate a wide range of comforts, whether I was napping, working or exploring the voluminous in-flight entertainment system. A full range of Hollywood and Bollywood films and short features was available for my perusal during the flight, and in between bouts of meals and work, I was able to sneak in a feature film using the supplied headphones. Also available on the IFE system were scores of audio selections, children's games, a paid SMS and phone call service and a text news feed. With in-flight power and tons of space, however, my work took precedence. THE FLIGHT
Despite this being a daytime flight, jet lag put me to sleep during the first few hours of operation, and I slept through the initial beverage and meal service. Upon rising, a flight attendant stopped by with my dinner choice of methi murgh—chicken cooked with Indian spices. Though I chose a water to simply rehydrate, a fine variety of international wines and liquors was available to accompany the meal, including Johnnie Walker Black, gimlets and Champagne cocktails. Just prior to landing, a choice of smoked salmon or stir-fried semolina was offered as a refreshment entrée, though I declined on account of a full stomach. CONNECTION: BOM-DEL
Five days after arriving in Mumbai, I returned to the airport to finish my journey to New Delhi. Check-in at the Mumbai airport was thick with security checkpoints, though the actual procedure of obtaining a ticket from the gate agent was efficient and painless. Jet Airways shares a lounge with Kingfisher Airlines and American Express Platinum, and despite modern and tasteful amenities, the facilities were quite crowded. Basic beverages and snacks were offered for free in the lounge, while alcohol could be purchased for a small fee. Due to a late incoming aircraft, my domestic B737-900 flight was delayed 45 minutes; however, the service on-board was exceptional. With less than 90 minutes in the air, the crew managed to cater a pumpkin soup, pasta salad appetizer, murgh tariwala (chicken curry) entrée, and cheesecake dessert. We were even able to trim 15 minutes off our delay. VERDICT
Both the domestic and the international business-class products offered by Jet Airways are exceptional examples in premium service, with extremely attentive staff, comfortable seats and excellent food. They will definitely be my first choice for future Indian travel. — Grant Martin
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