ATLANTA, Dec. 3, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today reported traffic results for November 2010.  System traffic in November 2010 increased 7.5 percent compared to November 2009 on a 7.5 percent increase in capacity.  Load factor decreased 0.1 points to 79.5 percent.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090202/DELTALOGO )

Domestic traffic increased 5.3 percent year over year on a 4.5 percent increase in capacity.  Domestic load factor increased 0.5 points to 80.3 percent.  International traffic increased 11.3 percent year over year on a [...]

Google (GOOG) announced two new acquisitions in separate blog posts Friday: It has bought speech-synthesis software maker Phonetic Arts and video-distribution technology firm Widevine Technologies.

The U.K.-based Phonetic Arts acquisition will help the search giant improve its voice-activated search services, making them more “natural” and less robot-like,” Mike Cohen, Google’s manager of speech technology, says on the blog. “We are excited about their technology, and while we don’t have plans to share yet, we’re confident that together we’ll move a little [...]

Google’s unabashed ascension to the Internet search throne has caused some to doubt the sincerity of its “Don’t be evil” motto and made it a prime target for market watchdogs.

The latest headache for the firm came Tuesday when European Union officials announced an antitrust probe into accusations by rivals that the Silicon Valley giant was rigging the online search market.

Smaller companies accused Google of “unfavorable treatment” of their services in both unpaid and sponsored search results, the crucial listings that [...]

CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Continental Airlines received top honors in Business Travel News’ (BTN) Annual Airline Survey for the third consecutive year. The recognition marks the sixth time Continental finished first in the 13 years BTN has measured corporate travel buyer perceptions of airline performance in delivering service and maintaining preferred relationships.

“We are honored to once again receive this recognition, which reflects the hard work of my co-workers over the past year,” said worldwide sales senior vice president [...]

This photo was emailed while onboard a Lufthansa transoceanic flight. It features Lufthansa VP Christian Koerfgen (left) and Deutsche Telekom vice president Martin Schlieker try out their new long-haul WiFi connections.

Bert Archer photo/for the Toronto Star

I’m writing this 10,000 metres over the Atlantic, and thanks to Lufthansa’s new FlyNet transatlantic WiFi service, which launches to the public on Wednesday, I’ll be sending it in to my editor from here, too.

I’m feeling a little of the same esprit de geek [...]

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 29, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Virgin America, the California-based airline, today announces a “Cool Flights, Subzero Fares” sale to celebrate Cyber Monday, featuring low fares on the airline that’s reinventing flying as we know it.  With cool fares for travel across its network – including its warm weather destinations, Virgin America is encouraging flyers to gear up for winter travel and see for themselves why the carrier was just named “Best Domestic Airline” in the prestigious Conde Nast [...]

They say that the best way to deal with a frustrating situation is to try and laugh at it. Television producer Bob Cohen is attempting to do just that by putting ‘The Office’ twist on the overworked, underpaid flight attendants.

It should come as no surprise that the idea of a frazzled flight attendant dealing with the daily crises of air travel is being made into a series. According to Variety, television veteran Bob Cohen is developing a scripted [...]

We show you the top apps that make life easier if you’re using a thin and light notebook.

There comes a time in every business traveller’s life when the realisation hits that carrying a 3KG notebook is generally incompatible with the cabin baggage restrictions applied by airlines. One corporate-issue notebook and a wheely-bag adds up to nearly the 6-7KG cabin baggage limit, leaving little allowance for anything else. With airline profit margins being cut razor-thin, cabin baggage allowances are being [...]

Jupiterimages

What happens when a passenger gets sick at 30,000 feet?

Think being seasick is a nightmare? Consider falling ill while you’re on a plane several hours from landing, with no doctor onboard.

Late last month, it was a famous passenger — former President Jimmy Carter — who made headlines after he got “airsick” on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Cleveland. But every day, passengers from all walks of life are struck with illnesses while traveling on commercial flights — with [...]

Complaints about airport security recently triggered calls for a consumer-led “Opt-Out” day (boycotting full-body scans) that would hopelessly snarl travel plans and force the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to rethink its intrusive methods. Airline and government officials worried that there would be nationwide travel disruptions today.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “Despite threats of protests from passengers angry at new security rules, it was relatively smooth sailing – and flying – at O’Hare Airport Wednesday. Lines at ticket counters and at [...]

AIRLINES

2 Latin carriers to join alliance

Latin American carriers Avianca-Taca and Copa Airlines will join Star Alliance, the network that includes Continental Airlines. The airlines should completely join the alliance by mid 2012.

Star Alliance passengers will in the future have access to flights connecting through the Copa Airlines hubs in Panama City, Panama, and Bogota, Colombia, and the Avianca-TACA hubs in Bogota; San Salvador, El Salvador; Lima, [...]

In the past few years, many airports have been reinventing themselves by offering more spacious and “livable” environments that can make delays and missed flights literally fly by. More comfortable seating, shopping malls and tucked away cafes are popping up at airports all over the country