Five-year-old Kingfisher Airlines, which serves 58 cities in India, has signed a memorandum of understanding to become a full member of the global Oneworld alliance, which includes American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and others.

Existing Oneworld members currently serve five points in India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. American currently operates non-stop service to Delhi from its hub at Chicago O’Hare.

Kingfisher has applied with India’s civil aviation authorities for approval to join the alliance, and after that is received, the airline’s membership is expected to take effect sometime in 2011, Oneworld said. Kingfisher has a fleet of 66 planes, mostly Airbus jets, and carried 10.9 million passengers during the last fiscal year on a schedule of 383 daily flights.

Labels: airline, Frequent Flier, Kingfisher Airlines, Oneworld

Top executives at two of the five largest United States airlines said on Tuesday they are open to a merger, adding that the airline industry needs to consolidate to return to profitability, Reuters reported.

Speaking at the Reuters Travel and Leisure Summit in New York, United Airlines’ chief financial officer, Kathryn Mikells, said the third-largest American airline is open to merging with domestic or foreign carriers.

“UAL has been supportive of consolidation for a long time,” Ms. Mikells said at the summit. “It is something we will continue to look at.”

In a separate interview with the news service at the conference, US Airways‘ chief financial officer, Derek Kerr, said his airline was open to merging with another United States carrier.

Labels: airline, merger, Star Alliance, United, US Air

Starwood said its New York City plans include the redevelopment this year of its Sheraton Manhattan at Times Square, located at 51st Street and Seventh Avenue, and the opening of six more New York hotels in 2010; it already has 13 in the city. In April, Starwood will take the Sheraton name off the Sheraton Manhattan and operate it as “a non-branded Starwood property” while it finalizes its redevelopment plan. The hotel will remain open and will still be a member of the Starwood Preferred Guest plan; but it will be an independent location because “the hotel does not currently meet the upgraded standards of the Sheraton brand,” Starwood said. The company also plans to spend $90 million this year renovating the nearby Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers. Starwood said its new openings in New York this year will include Sheratons in Brooklyn and in Manhattan’s Tribeca district; the W New York Downtown; and a Four Points by Sheraton in Long Island City, Queens, as well as an Aloft property in Brooklyn and an Element in Manhattan near Times Square.

Labels: hotel, JFK, LGA, Manhattan, New York City, NYC, Starwood

Southwest Airlines has introduced a new travel application for users of Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch, available from Apple’s App Store at www.itunes.com/appstore. Southwest customers can use the new app to make flight reservations, check in for their flights, view flight status, see Southwest schedules, and download the airline’s DING feature, which will send them exclusive fare discounts on Southwest flights as soon as they become available. The new Southwest app is free. For more information, go to www.southwest.com/iphone.

Labels: deals, iPhone, iPod, Southwest Airlines, travel

It took more than a dozen years to build, and it cost $1.5 billion, but Washington Dulles Airport’s new AeroTrain finally started operating last week. The three-car electric trains with rubber wheels will carry passengers between the main passenger terminals and the airport’s A, B and C concourse gates - although those going to C gates will have to walk 500 feet underground from the train stop, because it was located underneath a planned future concourse that has yet to be built. Passengers using the D concourse and the International Arrivals Terminal will still have to use the airport’s mobile lounges. The trains will run every two minutes during peak travel times, and will have enough space for 50 passengers with their carry-ons.

Labels: airport, Dulles, IAD, shuttle, transit, travel

With the holiday season upon us, we know that many of you will be traveling in the next month or so and ultimately you're going to be stuck in an airport.

Introducing GateGuru, an app that serves as your insiders' guide to America's airports, available today.

Think of it as the answer for the next time you're in the airport, you've got a couple hours to kill, and you're wondering where you can get some great dumplings. Or you're looking at the dumplings, but really want fries. Or you're running late, and you need to find the most efficient route between the security line, the duty free and your plane.

The app uses GPS to recognize which domestic airport you're sitting in, and then you type in what you need to survive your delay—a good beer and a decent steak, maybe a foot massage—and you'll get a list of the best and closest options.

And soon, GateGuru will add flight notification—your phone will get a quick alert if your plane's been delayed, so you can keep on talking with that traveling salesman you met at the bar.

Labels: airline, airport, food, mobile, travel, WiFi

Carnival Corporation has reached an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to construct a 130,000-ton cruise ship for its Carnival Cruise Lines brand, scheduled to enter service in spring 2012. To be built at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard under a U.S. dollar denominated contract, the all-in cost of the vessel is approximately $200,000 per lower berth.

The new 3,690-passenger vessel will offer many of the same innovations featured on the recently launched Carnival Dream, as well as some exciting new elements to be announced at a later date.

Like Carnival Dream, which has earned accolades for its creative design and on-board amenities, the new 130,000-ton ship will include a WaterWorks aqua park with a 300-foot-long corkscrew water slide, a stunning indoor/outdoor cafe and live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza, and a wide range of staterooms including deluxe ocean views with two-bathrooms, some of which feature five berths and hold particular appeal for families.

Labels: Carnival Cruise Lines, cruise