In an effort to make your air travels, and those of your animal companions, more "personable," and to make the airline industry much more huggable, Virgin America introduces Boo, its Pet Liaison and the self-proclaimed world's cutest dog.

Enjoy this Friday moment of cuteness.

The following is a dispatch from Rob Cotter, a frequent One+ contributor, who is attending the IT&CMA conference in Bangkok, Thailand.

At this yearʼs IT&CMA event, Thai Airways International announced a new route connecting Bangkok to Europeʼs leading MICE destination and capital of Belgium, Brussels. Starting on November 17, it will be the only carrier operating non-stop flights to the heart of the European Union.

“We anticipate the international communities in Thailand and the European Union will appreciate the advantage of the direct route,” said Ruangyos Pamon-Montri, vice president of the sales and distribution department for Thai Airways International. “We have made it that much easier for the leisure travelers to expand their travel beyond Bangkok and Brussels.”

In addition to this new route, the airline also announced that they will be adding three super jumbo Airbus A380s to their fleet by the end of 2012 and have recently begun to operate a new sub-brand airline—THAI Smile Air—offering more choice and increase levels of passenger luxury.

The national carrier is following their forward track for growth and expansion: should you need a tropical break after a heavy meeting at the heart of the EU, Thai Airways can whisk you off and have you there in time for breakfast.

—Rob Cotter

Lufthansa is launching flights to London Gatwick, the airline’s eighth destination in the United Kingdom, in October. The German carrier will serve the U.K.’s second-largest airport twice daily, connecting it with Frankfurt and to Lufthansa’s global network. The route will be operated by a Boeing B737-500 with 120 seats in Business and Economy Class.

“The new service to a third London airport will enable us to offer an attractive alternative for passengers flying to London,” said Kay Kratky, a member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board. “The city’s second-largest airport will also be of interest to leisure travelers who wish to visit the south of England and its impressive coastline.” 

With the introduction of flights to Gatwick, Lufthansa will increase its weekly services from Germany to the U.K. to 455. This winter, in addition to London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London City, Lufthansa’s UK route network will encompass Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Google has now added flight information to its search results. 

"If you have a particular destination in mind, you can now quickly find out which airlines serve that specific route and when they fly," wrote Petter Wedum on Inside Search. "For example, if you search for flights from San Francisco to Minneapolis, you’ll see a selection of non-stop flights and the airlines that offer them. To see a full timetable, click on 'Schedule of non-stop flights.'"

Wedum says that searchers can also see all the destinations with non-stop flights from a particular airport. 

"If you’re in Buffalo, New York, and need ideas for a weekend getaway, search for 'flights from Buffalo' to see popular travel destinations from Buffalo," he wrote. "By clicking 'Show all non-stop routes,' you can get the full list of destinations, and from there, you can click to get more flight details."

The feature currently only works for non-stop flights. I'm sure, though, that Google will waste no time to include connecting flight information in the future. 

In the March issue, I report on the need to embrace failure in the work environment to improve processes and achieve ultimate success. I cite a new book by Alina Tugend. In Better by Mistake, Tugend uses research studies to show that mistakes often lead to better results, as evidenced by airline errors in the 1970s and 1980s. When crews were empowered to confer with the captain, accident rates fell dramatically. It seems, most air accidents occur due to crew error, not faulty equipment.

Now, the International Air Transport Association says that safety performance for Western-built jet aircraft in 2010 was the lowest in aviation history. The global accident rate (measured in hull losses per million flights of Western-built jet aircraft) was 0.61. That is equal to one accident for every 1.6 million flights and marks a significant improvement from the 0.71 rate recorded in 2009 (one accident for 1.4 million flights). Compared to 10 years ago, the accident rate has been cut 42 percent.

A hull loss is an accident in which the aircraft is destroyed or substantially damaged and is not subsequently repaired. In absolute numbers, 2010 saw the following results:

• 2.4 billion people flew safely on 36.8 million flights (28.4 million jet, 8.4 million turboprop)

• 17 hull loss accidents involving western-built jet aircraft compared to 19 in 2009

• 94 accidents (all aircraft types, Eastern and Western built) compared to 90 in 2009

• 23 fatal accidents (all aircraft types) compared to 18 in 2009

• 786 fatalities compared to 685 in 2009

But as I read the numbers, it seems like the only stat that has improved is hull losses by two. Accidents are up, as are fatal accidents and fatalities. That hardly seems like an improvement...though perhaps the numbers are based on more overall flights.

For the full report, visit the IATA website.

(Image courtesy Chinavasion.com.)

Lufthansa is launching the world’s first ever scheduled commercial passenger flights using bio-fuel in the first half of 2011, with an IAE (International Aero Engines) powered Airbus A321 aircraft. The daily flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt, will be the first in the world to use a bio-fuel blend made from 50 percent hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). When it is consumed, fuel made from bio-mass material emits the CO2 it naturally absorbs when it grows, thereby helping neutralize overall CO2 emissions.

The daily flights will begin in April 2011 and will initially continue for a period of six months as part of the Burn Fair project to study the long-term impact of sustainable bio-fuels on aircraft performance. Airbus’ role is to provide technical assistance and to monitor the fuel properties.

The bio-fuel is being provided by Finland based Neste Oil, under a long-term agreement with Lufthansa. The fuel will only be produced from sustainable feedstock sources to make sure that the bio-feedstock does not compete for food, water nor land. 

Hidden airline fees are really $#%@-ing off travelers, according to a research by a consortium of travel orgs, which just recent launched a website for angry customers: Madashellabouthiddenfees.com. The site allows travelers to share their own hidden-fee horror stories, create YouTube videos and sign a petition to the U.S. Department of Transportation urging it to require airlines to disclose fees in advance. Consumer Travel Alliance, the Business Travel Coalition and the American Society of Travel Agents also proclaimed Sept. 23 as “Mad As Hell Day!” Study results reveal the following.

• Two-thirds (66 percent) of travelers have been surprised at the airport by unexpected fees for things such as checked bags, seat requests, extra legroom and stand-by. 

• Another two-thirds (65 percent) of travelers say such fees placed some or a great deal of unexpected financial strain on their budgets.

• A nearly-unanimous 99 percent of travelers think airlines should be required to disclose all of their fees in advance on every website that sells their tickets. 

• When asked to rank fees they find most annoying, travelers cited carry-on baggage fees (91 percent) calling, seat reservation fees (88 percent), checked baggage fees (74 percent) and telephone reservation fees (67 percent).

Tired of airline fees? I sure am. Every time I fly, it's usually just one fee after another. For business or personal travelers that can get old really fast.

For attendees at our conferences, meetings and events it can get down right expensive and budget limiting. It's getting to the point where it's actually keeping people from attending all together!

So is there a cure for this all-to-common pain? A cure, no. But there are some tips and tricks you can use and share with others that will help you get closer to a remedy.

Here you go . . .

Fly the Poor Man's First Class: The slowest days of the week to fly (and usually also the cheapest) are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, which is when it's more likely that the middle seat next to you will be empty so you'll have more room than if you'd upgraded. I have a personal record of 13 straight flights with no one sitting next to me! It's great when you have some work to do on the plane. And on that note, some planes now have WiFi service—something I have to be honest I was a bit leery of at first. But, at rates starting at only $4.95 for the entire flight on most American flights, it's a great service when you're in a pinch and the connection speed is just as good as you would expect on the ground. 

Do you have any personal tips? Send them my way at dbasler@mpiweb.org and we'll add them to the list.

Your air ticket may look cheap, but you're probably paying way more than you think. The Consumer Travel Alliance recently conducted an analysis of hidden airline fees and what portion of a typical traveler’s air travel costs were unknown or undisclosed at the time of purchase. And guess what? A typical traveler requesting extra legroom and checking a single bag pays an average 26 percent more than the base price of the ticket. A traveler checking two bags pays more than half the price of the ticket in additional fees that were hidden at the time of the transaction. The amount of hidden fees charged to a typical traveler with a single bag ran up to 82 percent of the price of base fare, and a traveler with two bags faced fees up to 153 percent of base fare.