• I didn’t learn about this until yesterday and was very saddened to hear of the loss of fellow aviation geek and editor of NYCAviation.com, Matthew Molnar. The New York Times ran a very respectful article yesterday (linked above) of his passing noting his incredible passion for aviation.
• Delta Air Lines will debut outdoor terrace ‘Sky Decks’ at its Sky Club lounges in Atlanta and New York’s JFK. I’ll certainly be buying a day-pass my next time through ATL or JFK after they open to take in the #avgeek beauty and inhale a few Jet A fumes.
• The Northeast was particularly hard-hit by flight cancellations today as a winter storm moved through the area. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled today according to FlightAware.com as of this posting.
• A Hawaii tax judge has ruled online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity owe $150 million in taxes to Hawaii. The ruling states the OTAs should have paid hotel taxes based on the retail rates they sold the rooms to clients for, not the wholesale rates they are charged by the hotels. I’m a bit surprised such tax language and requirements aren’t spelled out clearly in the agreements between OTAs and hotels, if that’s indeed the case.
• Air France is looking to launch a new regional airline named HOP! beginning this summer. The carrier will reportedly serve short- and medium-haul routes in France and throughout Europe with 530 daily flights to 136 destinations.

I don’t normally post airline sweeps, but this one particularly caught my eye given it includes roundtrip business class tickets for two and a four-night stay at the Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg. And throw in a couple of tickets to Disneyland Paris, $1,000 in luggage and a $4,000 shopping spree at Barneys.

To enter, click the above graphic which takes you to the Air France Facebook page (requires “Liking” Air France) and complete the form under “Electric Holiday Sweepstakes.” Or you can also visit BarneysNY on Facebook to do the same.

Only one entry is allowed before the end of the sweepstakes period of January 3, 2013.

The kicker, as always, is the 1099 you’d receive if you win and accept the prize. The total ARV on this one is US$20,000. I entered, though I’d be hard-pressed to take on the tax burden if I won. Would you?

Here’s a look at a recent Affaires Business Class offering from Air France (2011) for this installment of Amenity Kit Reviews. For a better description of each category and the 7-point scale for scoring, please review my introductory post.

Bag/Container: The exterior of the padded case is rich milk chocolate in color with metallic gold hues when held in light. Air France’s logo is embossed on the lower right edge of the leather (or pleather) magnetic snap closure flap. Inside, you’ll find a tiny main section along with two small polyester mesh pockets. The textured canvas on the edges and interior flap is a nice touch, but it basically looks like a woman’s evening handbag. And with its limited capacity, reusability is low. Score: 3

Skin Care: This will be quick as there’s simply a single tube of Clarins “Multi-Active Day” early wrinkle correction cream. It’s fine, though has a strong unidentifiable odor and actually would cause me to tear if I moisturized my crow’s feet. I’ll assume there’s proper hand lotion in the lavatories. With that, I’m rather unimpressed. Score: 2

Oral Care: The kit contains your standard soft-bristled short-handled toothbrush with a cover, along with a tube of Sunstar, non-flavored toothpaste that contained just enough for a single use. I remain unimpressed to this point. Score: 3

Comfort Items: This category gets slightly more interesting as the kit includes a bit more here to appease my critical review format. The one size fits all eyeshades are rather tight, but they get the job done. As do the basic, low-quality single use socks and earplugs. Air France does, however, provide a few extras in this category, including a shoehorn, comb, headphone “bonnet” covers and a “do not disturb” sticker. I very much like the inclusion of a drawstring shoe bag. Score: 5

Intangibles: Beyond the gorgeous coloring and extras in the comfort category, the kit completely underwhelmed. It feels like Air France went a little cheap on several of the items. Also, as a branding dork, I would like to have seen the Air France logo appear on the comb or shoehorn, perhaps, along with maybe a SkyTeam alliance plug somewhere. Score: 2

Total score & comments:

I think a result of 3.15 is generous given my stringent scoring requirements. It’s a pretty meager international business class offering compared to many I’ve reviewed.

Related posts:

Ranking the 19 Amenity Kits I’ve Reviewed

Amenity Kit Review Introduction

In other airline and travel industry news last week…

• United Airlines reported its January 2012 operational performance and enjoyed another month of increased consolidated passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) – up 8.5 to 9.5 percent. On-time performance and the number of flights successfully completed also grew about 1.1 percentage points from a year prior to 82.2% and 98.9%, respectively.
• Staying with January performance figures, Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) saw its strongest January in air ticket sales since 2001, realizing a 10.7% increase from 2011 and a 22.3% gain over 2010. ARC acts as a clearinghouse between travel agencies, airlines, and other companies that sell airline tickets to ensure funds are settled as expected. Adding to the good news was the fact that total transactions were up 3.2% vs. declining transaction figures the entire previous year.
• The TSA announced they will significantly expand the PreCheck trusted traveler program to include more than 15 new airports in the near future. The program is currently limited to select frequent flyers flying out of Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Minneapolis. American and Delta were the launch airlines, but the program has since expanded to other carriers. I’m hoping to soon receive notice from United that they’ll be participating at my home airport, LAX.
• Airport administrators across the country have a love-hate relationship with the newly passed long-term FAA funding reauthorization bill. While they are happy with the stability it brings, many airports are balking since the bill didn’t include an increase to passenger facility charges (PFCs), the funds they use for airport improvements. The current cap is $4.50 per flight segment, originally set in 2000, and they feel it no longer covers the increases seen in construction costs during the last decade.
• Alaska Airlines announced two new nonstops from their Seattle hub this week. Beginning June 11, they will launch daily service from Sea-Tac to Philadelphia in direct competition with US Airways, and on July 16, commence service to Ft. Lauderdale. The new Ft. Lauderdale flight will replace existing service to Miami. According to Joe Sprague, Alaska’s VP of Marketing, “By redirecting our flight to the lower-cost Fort Lauderdale airport, we can serve the same geographic area and continue to offer our customers low fares.”
• I think I need to start a new series here on Frequently Flying devoted to the airline-traveling idiot of the week. This past week, a passenger attempted to bring a hallowed-out grenade through security in his (or her – the article is gender neutral) carry-on bag. The TSA caught it (unlike previous items), confiscated it and the passenger was denied boarding. (S)he is now also under investigation by the TSA.

And finally, here are some Quick Hits:

• Air Canada posted a $250 million loss for 2011
• Air France had an awful week of flight cancellations due to labor unrest
• A Qantas A380 is out-of-service for wing inspections
• Chicago’s Mayor meets with United’s newest local employees
• Kayak drops support for their BlackBerry app

In other airline and travel industry news last week…

• Southwest Airlines placed a monumental order for 208 Boeing 737 aircraft this week that includes 150 of the manufacturer’s newest Max version, making the carrier the official launch customer. The first delivery to Southwest won’t occur until 2017. At list prices, the order value is $19 billion and $4.7 billion for the aircraft and engines respectively.
• In addition to his new role as CEO of American Airlines, Tom Horton has been elected Chairman of the oneworld alliance this week. He offered to have another of the alliance carriers’ executives take the post, but “the unanimous view was that the alliance would benefit greatly at this time from the continuity in our leadership that Tom represents – while at the same time underlining the commitment of oneworld to American while it undergoes its restructuring.”
• Cathay Pacific opened their new lounge at San Francisco’s International Airport, the first CX-owned facility in the United States. A grand opening reception was held this past Thursday and Loyalty Traveler has a great review of it. The carrier also introduced details of its new Premium Economy Class product that will be rolled out beginning in March next year. The seats will feature 38 inches of pitch, enhanced recline, footrests, in-seat power and much more.
• Hearings for the dispute between Qantas and the pilots union won’t occur until June next year due in part to the complexity of the matter. The carrier has until March 19^th to submit key witness statements and expert evidence to the panel of “workplace umpires,” while the pilots union has to do the same by April 30^th. Other hearings will take place earlier between the carrier and baggage handler and engineer unions.
• The FAA granted certification to the passenger Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental this week, green lighting deliveries to begin early next year. Lufthansa is the launch customer for the passenger version. The FAA also approved extended operations (ETOPS) of Boeing 777s to 330-minutes, up from 240-minutes this week. This will allow carriers to fly more direct routes between airports and reduce carbon emissions.
• On the passenger front, a Frenchman was arrested this week for his excessive pilfering of items from Air France First Class cabins, which he then resold online. Among the items stolen were napkins, glasses, plates and blankets. The article claims he made about 10,000 euros off the sales of the items during the past three years. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take a glass or two over the years, but I never resell the tiny amount of stuff I’ve taken.
• Speaking of fraud, the Airlines Reporting Corporation has seen a “marked increase” in unauthorized airline tickets issued. Last year, 18 of these incidents were reported, but the figure to-date for 2011 is 113 and those tickets are valued at more than $1 million. Phishing scams are the main culprit where travel agents receive what they think is official communication from trusted GDS companies and click the link to enter their credentials.
• Finally, staying on the GDS front, Travelport will begin charging travel agencies more for services they currently use for free. Beginning January 1^st, the company’s Agility program that allows agents to use certain client databases, PNR search capabilities, fulfillment services, queues and more will come with a $35 fee per terminal per month. Agency incentives for using GDS technology still remain, but new costs such as this are pointing to a changing landscape in the GDS-Agency relationship.

In other airline, hotel and travel industry news this week…

• This is old news now, but if you’ve stayed away from media of all types this week you should know American Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Long-time CEO Gerard Arpey also resigned as CEO and now Thomas Horton is taking the lead position. There will be few, if any, customer-side impacts with the main goal of the reorganization being reduction of costs, mainly labor. American also has asked the court to shed leases on 24 aircraft currently unutilized and in storage. My thoughts are with non-management staff as I’m sure you’ll be experiencing pay cuts (flight attendants, I know, took a 33% hit in 2003).
• The Federal Aviation Administration issued United Airlines – Continental Airlines a single operating certificate as was expected. All Continental flights will now be using “United” as their call sign when communicating with air traffic control. I believe this also now opens the door for the merged carrier cross-utilize pilots and flight attendants on either UA or CO aircraft, assuming they have the necessary qualifications of course.
• The Air Transport Association (ATA) has changed its name to Airlines for America (A4A). The trade association works closely with the airlines in being a unified voice with technical, legal and political organizations. Their purpose is to “foster a business environment that drives our nation’s economy and global competitiveness.” A4A member airlines and their affiliates account for more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. It was created by 14 airlines in 1936 and has played a major role in everything aviation-related in our country from the creation of the Civil Aeronautics Board to deregulation in 1978 to dealing with the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
• The amount of personal data shared among countries about airline passengers flying between the European Union and the United States will be increasing. Some data has been shared since 2007, but additional passenger name record (PNR) items, info on crimes punishable by at least three years in prison and enhanced watch list information will come into play soon. After six months, personal ID and contact information will be masked, but stored for 10 years for suspects of serious crimes and 15 years for known terrorists.
• Air France fired an outsourced maintenance vendor in China after discovering one of their Airbus A340s was missing 30 screws from one of its wings. That jet flew for five days before it was noticed, but I’d also be keen to put some of the blame on Air France. Is there not a maintenance look over once an airplane comes back from service? The carrier claims safety was never compromised. I disagree.
• Finally, check out this rather Glee-like commercial from Indian carrier IndiGo Airlines. It’s pretty darn entertaining. 

Pretty incredible video to share today of an Air France A380 clipping the tail of a Delta Connection Comair Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-700 at New York’s JFK Airport last night. The Air France jumbo, flight 7 bound for Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, was taxiing out to the runway for takeoff when it clipped the regional jet and gave it quite a rotation. No one was injured on either aircraft, but if there’s ever a reason to keep your seatbelt fastened until the plane is fully at the gate, this is it.

Someone also posted the live Air Traffic Control (ATC) audio from the incident & here it is.

The Delta regional jet operated by Comair had just landed after arriving from Boston as flight number 6293. It looked to be pulling into the gate, although had stopped short. News reports mention the regional jet was evacuated via a mobile stairway before it was towed, and the Air France jumbo was towed in with a normal disembarkation. Air France cancelled the flight, showing it due to “operational difficulties,” which I find an interesting choice of words.

Their next departure to Paris was flight number 11, scheduled at 9:50pm, but didn’t leave until 1:31am this morning due to a “technical incident.” Additionally, they cancelled the last departure at 11:20pm. With two canceled flights last night, and damage to one of their few SuperJumbos, Air France has a lot of stranded passengers in New York today. It will be interesting to read the eventual NTSB report as to how this happened.

Here’s a pretty hilarious video showing how Braniff International Airways envisioned the future of air travel on supersonic jets. It apparently was made in the 1960s, showing their interpretation of what 1975 air travel might be like. This is a must watch with some pretty amusing takeaways. Check out the woman in the silver outfit rubbing her bum. The purser recommends setting the mood control to 19 for takeoff (on a scale of what?), and you’d have the option to watch three movies. Most chuckling, however, was the statement, “when you’re hungry, you don’t have to push a hostess around, just a button.” As it was, Braniff did lease 10 Concordes from 1978 to 1980 operating a domestic leg from Dallas to Washington Dulles, where then British Airways & Air France took over to fly the overwater legs to London and Paris respectively. Enjoy!

Since I volunteered my seat on United Airlines this morning and scored another $400 in vouchers, I have a bit of time to recap additional news items from the week.

• Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental. The longest passenger aircraft in the world took its maiden flight this past Sunday. As I previously posted, only Lufthansa and Korean Air have orders in for the passenger version, so opportunities are at a minimum to fly on the fourth-generation ‘Queen of the Skies’. The Airline Reporter provides an excellent summary of the event, and links to additional stories, videos and posts.
• Chase Debit rewards ending at United & Continental.  Effective July 12, 2011, holders (including myself) of Chase co-branded debit cards with United Airlines or Continental Airlines will no longer earn miles when using their cards. And beginning April 1^st, you lose the “first checked bag free” benefit. Chase & other banks issuing Visa and MasterCard debit cards are a bit upset the fees they collect on the cards will be slashed courtesy of the Durbin Amendment. As a result, we lose the incentive benefits as consumers and will only now be able to earn miles with a mileage-earning credit card vs. one linked to a bank checking account.
• United Airlines mobile check-in. You can now check-in on your mobile device for worldwide United and United Express-operated flights. Don’t get too excited if you’re already overseas and want to check-in. Presently, only the following non-U.S. airports accept mobile boarding documents: Amsterdam, Brussels, Geneva, London Heathrow, Moscow, Munich, Osaka, and Zurich.
• Continental Airlines adds onboard Wi-Fi. Internet will be coming soon to Continentals’ fleet of domestic Boeing 737s and Boeing 757s that already have the DirecTV service. About 200 planes in total will receive the capability, and United has Wi-Fi available on all of the premium service p.s. aircraft on the JFK-Los Angeles and JFK-San Francisco routes, as well as one additional 757 in the standard domestic configuration. Jeff Smisek this week acknowledged how far behind United is lagging in this capacity, and mentioned it will be a priority in the future to roll it out fleet-wide.
• Hilton HHonors Grand Nights promotion. Hilton announced their second quarter promotion this week, which earns you 1,000 extra HHonors points for each night stayed between April 1 and June 30, 2011. Registration is required and the offer does not apply on certain categories, including many advance purchase rates.
• Air France & Airbus search for wreckage. A new search is underway for Air France flight 447 which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009. The flight took off from Rio de Janeiro bound for Paris, but was never heard from after a series of automated radio messages were sent notifying the airline of numerous problems and warning indications. Pieces of the downed Airbus A330-200 were recovered from the ocean, but this new operation hopes to recover the flight data recorders and other debris.