Tag: Chicago (Page 8 of 12)

Alaska Airlines Expanding West Coast Service

August 30, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Alaska Airlines is adding new routes and additional frequencies.

SEATTLE, Aug. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Alaska Airlines reaffirms its commitment to the West Coast with new, nonstop service from the Pacific Northwest and the state of Alaska in the north, and from San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego in the south.

Starting in early January, guests will be able to travel eight new routes, which will appeal to both leisure travelers and those flying for business. Tickets are now on sale. The new scheduled service will link these destinations:

Spokane to Los Angeles (two daily departures)
Spokane to San Francisco (two daily departures)
Redmond / Bend, Oregon to Los Angeles
Redmond / Bend, Oregon to San Diego
Redmond / Bend, Oregon to San Francisco
Boise to Los Angeles (two daily departures)
Missoula, Montana to Los Angeles
Anchorage to San Francisco

“We’re excited to offer even more nonstops between vibrant Pacific Northwest communities and our growing hubs in California,” said Brett Catlin, Alaska Airlines managing director of capacity planning and alliances. “Whether it’s travel for a weekend getaway to Missoula or a day trip to San Francisco, we’re proud to offer nearly 600 daily flights between West Coast cities.”

Alaska is also increasing the frequency of flights between certain markets:

Beginning Jan. 7, there will be an additional flight between San Francisco and Orange County, California, for a total of seven daily nonstops. On March 19, there will be the addition of a second daily flight between San Francisco and Chicago O’Hare.
On Jan. 7, the flight between San Diego and Orlando, which is currently flown five times a week, becomes daily nonstop service. Starting March 19, second daily flights will begin between San Diego and Boise, and San Diego and Santa Rosa, California. Also on March 19, nonstop service between San Diego and San Jose, California, increases from four to six flights daily. On May 21, a second daily flight between San Diego and Boston goes into service.

Alaska’s guests can connect with the airline’s Global Partners at gateway airports on the West Coast – such as Los Angeles and San Francisco – to fly to more than 900 destinations around the globe. Flyers can also earn and redeem miles with the airline’s highly-acclaimed Mileage Plan program.

A majority of the new routes will be served by the Embraer 175 jet, an aircraft with only window and aisle seating – no middle seats. On all of the new routes, guests will enjoy award-winning service in a three-class cabin that includes First Class and Premium Class; a fresh, seasonal food and beverage menu; Most Free Movies in the Sky with hundreds of movies and TV shows available for viewing on personal devices; free texting on most flights; and Wi-Fi connectivity for purchase.

Alaska has also renovated its airport lounges in Anchorage, Los Angeles and Seattle, with a brand-new lounge in San Francisco scheduled to open in 2020.

Alaska Airlines and its regional partners fly 46 million guests a year to more than 115 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. Alaska Airlines ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America” in the J.D. Power North America Airline Satisfaction Study for 12 consecutive years from 2008 to 2019. Learn about Alaska’s award-winning service at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

Frontier Airlines Announces 15 Nonstop Routes from Newark

August 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

NEWARK, N.J. Aug. 27, 2019 – Low Fare carrier, Frontier Airlines, today announces new low-cost service from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) with 15 nonstop routes, including two international destinations: Cancun**, Mexico and Punta Cana**, Dominican Republic. To celebrate this new, low-cost service, Frontier is offering fares as low as $15* in addition to allowing customers to take advantage of the airline’s unique Kids Fly Free offer — both are available at flyfrontier.com.

The new routes include the only low-cost, nonstop options from EWR to Cancun**, Mexico; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Miami; Punta Cana**, Dominican Republic; Phoenix; Raleigh, N.C., and San Juan**. In addition, Frontier will offer the only nonstop, cross-country option to Ontario, Calif., opening an affordable, convenient option for travel to the Los Angeles area.

“We’re excited to make flying more affordable for the Garden State with 15 new routes from Newark,” Barry Biffle, President and CEO of Frontier Airlines said. “With fares as low as $15, we hope we inspire more people to fly and are delighted to meet that demand with our ‘Low Fares Done Right’ promise. This includes a focus on serving families as well as the environment with a more sustainable approach to flying.”

Frontier’s flights from Newark will operate entirely outside the delay prone afternoon hours, ensuring the airline can deliver its signature ‘Low Fares Done Right’ service – combining a great low fare with an outstanding flight experience. “We’d like to thank our partners at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the FAA for helping to establish Frontier as an effective low fare option at Newark Liberty Airport, without further contributing to delays in the most congested hours,” Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial for Frontier Airlines said.

New routes from EWR beginning Nov. 14, 2019:

TO/FROM	SERVICE FREQUENCY	INTRO FARE	APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE:
McCarran International Airport (LAS)	Daily	$15*	Tuesday, Wednesday
Orlando International Airport (MCO)	Twice Daily	$15*	Tuesday, Wednesday
Miami International Airport (MIA)	Daily(Twice Daily eff. Dec. 10, 2019)	$15*	Tuesday, Wednesday
San Juan Airport (SJU)**	Daily	$29*	Tuesday, Wednesday

New routes from EWR beginning Dec. 10, 2019:

TO/FROM	SERVICE FREQUENCY	INTRO FARE	APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE:
Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)	Daily	$15*	Tuesday, Wednesday
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)	Daily	$15*	Tuesday, Wednesday
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)	Daily	$15*	Tuesday, Wednesday

Service to Palm Beach is seasonal, frequency and times are subject to change, so please check FlyFrontier.com for the most updated schedule.

New routes from EWR beginning March and April 2020 with tickets going on sale at a later date:

TO/FROM

Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ)**

Cancun International Airport (CUN)**

Denver International Airport (DEN)

Ontario International Airport (ONT)

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

“We are proud to be considered America’s Greenest Airline,” Biffle continued. “Frontier is the most fuel-efficient airline in the U.S., offering passengers both the most affordable and sustainable approach to flying.”

Frontier operates over 90 A320 family aircraft and has the largest A320neo fleet in the U.S., delivering the highest level of noise reduction and fuel-efficiency, compared to previous models. The use of these aircraft, Frontier’s seating configuration, weight-saving tactics, and baggage process have all contributed to the airline’s average of 39% fuel savings compared to other U.S. airlines (fuel savings is based on Frontier Airlines 2018 fuel consumption per seat-mile compared to the weighted average of major U.S. airlines). More information about Frontier’s green commitments are available at FlyGreener.com.

Frontier is committed to families. One of the most popular family offers is Kids Fly Free whereby one kid can fly free for every adult with Discount Den travel club membership on select dates and flights. Additional information about Kids Fly Free is available at https://www.flyfrontier.com/kidsflyfree. In addition to Kids Fly Free, Frontier offers special rewards and status benefits for the whole family. Plus, every Frontier aircraft features a unique animal on its tail — from Griz the Bear to Otto the Owl, to Flo the Flamingo — kids will enjoy getting to know their new animal friends.

Frontier is focused on more than low fares. The carrier offers customers the ability to customize travel to their needs and budget. For example, customers can purchase options a la carte or in one low-priced bundle called the WORKS. This bundle includes refundability, a carry-on bag, a checked bag, the best available seat, waived change fees, and priority boarding.

The airline’s frequent flier program, FRONTIER Miles lets members enjoy many benefits as well as the ability to attain Elite status. Like the airline, FRONTIER Miles is family-friendly, and the program makes it easy for families to enjoy the rewards together, including family pooling of miles. FRONTIER Miles is aptly named because you earn one mile for every mile flown – no funny formulas at Frontier. If a customer travels a little or a lot, they will find FRONTIER Miles rewarding.

With over 150 new Airbus planes on order, Frontier will continue to grow to deliver on the mission of providing affordable travel across America. Frontier’s young fleet also ensures that the company keeps fares low and that customers will enjoy a pleasant and reliable experience flying with the airline.

Media: For downloadable video and images of Frontier aircraft and airport operations, visit: https://news.flyfrontier.com/images–video/

United Airlines Announces MileagePlus Miles Never Expire

August 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO, Aug. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — United Airlines announced that effective immediately, MileagePlus award miles never expire, giving members a lifetime to use miles on flights, experiences, hotels and more.

“We want to demonstrate to our members that we are committing to them for the long-haul and giving customers a lifetime to use miles is an exceptionally meaningful benefit,” said Luc Bondar, vice president of loyalty and president of MileagePlus at United. “Our MileagePlus program provides customers more ways to earn and use miles than any other U.S. airline. More customers used miles to book award trips in 2018 than in any year before, and we expect with today’s announcement that even more will use miles to travel the world in the years to come.”

United continues to enhance its award-winning MileagePlus program, making it more beneficial for customers. Highlights include:

Recently announced partnership with CLEAR that includes free or discounted CLEAR membership pricing for U.S.-based MileagePlus members.
Award travel to more destinations than any other U.S. airline with service to more than 1,300 destinations through United and Star Alliance partners, and ability to book award travel on United and all Star Alliance partners through the United mobile app.
Most low-priced economy award availability of any global U.S. airline.
Everyday opportunities to use miles starting as low as 1,000 miles for eGift cards when purchasing through MileagePlusX.

Every customer. Every flight. Every day.

In 2019, United is focusing more than ever on its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers’ best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today’s announcement, United recently announced that customers on all domestic flights can now choose from three complimentary inflight snack items, announced that luxury skincare line Sunday Riley will make products exclusively for United customers to experience in amenity kits, released a re-imagined version of the most downloaded app in the airline industry, introduced ConnectionSaver, a new tool dedicated to improving the experience for customers connecting from one United flight to the next and made DIRECTV free for every passenger on 211 aircraft, offering more than 100 channels on seat back monitors on more than 30,000 seats.

United Airlines Adding New Service to Tokyo Haneda Airport

August 18, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO, Aug. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — United Airlines today announced it will begin service between four of its U.S. hubs and Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport, located approximately 15 minutes from downtown Tokyo. United will begin operating nonstop service between Chicago, Los Angeles, New York/Newark and Washington, D.C. and Haneda on March 28, 2020, subject to government approval. United currently offers daily nonstop service between San Francisco and Haneda. Tickets for United’s new Haneda flights will be available for purchase starting Saturday, August 17.

In addition to United’s new Haneda flights, Tokyo’s Narita International airport will continue to be a hub for United with nonstop daily service between Narita and Denver, Guam, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark and San Francisco. With the start of these new routes, United will no longer serve Narita from its Chicago and Washington D.C. hubs, and will shift these flights from Narita to Haneda.

“Our new service to Haneda gives our customers more choice and connections to more than 65 destinations throughout Asia. With service beginning next spring, we look forward to providing convenient service for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and beyond,” said Patrick Quayle, United’s vice president of International Network. “United has offered nonstop service between the U.S. and Japan for more than 40 years and we are excited to expand our Japan network at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and continue to be the largest U.S. carrier to Japan.”

United commends the efforts of Secretary Elaine Chao, her team at the U.S. Department of Transportation and officials at the U.S. State Department in making additional services at Tokyo Haneda a reality starting spring 2020.

Every customer. Every flight. Every day.

About United

United’s shared purpose is “Connecting People. Uniting the World.” We are more focused than ever on our commitment to customers through a series of innovations and improvements designed to help build a great experience: Every customer. Every flight. Every day. Together, United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,900 flights a day to 356 airports across five continents. In 2018, United and United Express operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than 158 million customers. United is proud to have the world’s most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 783 mainline aircraft and the airline’s United Express carriers operate 561 regional aircraft. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United’s parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.

American Airlines Makes First Entrance Into Africa

August 11, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Airline expands global network with flights to Casablanca, Tel Aviv and Krakow beginning next summer

FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines has the cure for the end-of-summer blues: new routes for next summer. Today, American unveiled its summer 2020 international schedule, which includes the following new service:

Philadelphia (PHL) to Casablanca, Morocco (CMN) begins June 4
Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) begins Sept. 9
Chicago (ORD) to Krakow, Poland (KRK) begins May 7
ORD to Budapest, Hungary (BUD) begins May 7
ORD to Prague, Czech Republic (PRG) begins May 8

Furthering frontiers: Africa

When American begins service to Morocco next year, it will be the airline’s first entrance into the African continent. American will be the only U.S. carrier with nonstop service to Casablanca, which will be operated three times per week on a Boeing 757.

“Our customers and team members have been asking when we’re going to start service to Africa, and I couldn’t be more pleased to make this announcement for service beginning in 2020,” said Vasu Raja, American’s Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning. “We look forward to working with Royal Air Maroc when they join oneworld^® in 2020, which will allow for even more connections further into Africa to places like Marrakech, Lagos and Accra. This is only the beginning.”

Returning to Tel Aviv

As demand continues to grow between the U.S. and TLV, American is adding three weekly flights from DFW, its largest hub. These flights will serve customers throughout the U.S. and allow many customers to make only one stop, rather than the previous two stops that were available, to TLV. And as the tech industry continues to grow in the market, American will provide the most efficient routing to U.S. tech cities like Austin, Texas, and San Jose, California, in addition to one-stop service to 33 new cities in the U.S.

Expansion in Eastern Europe

American’s Midwest hub, ORD, has seen significant growth and now offers more domestic and international seats today than it has in more than a decade. Next summer, the growth continues with three new destinations in Eastern Europe, including American’s first flight to KRK and new service to PRG and BUD, which American began flying to seasonally from PHL in 2018. American will offer the most premium seats to Eastern Europe of all U.S. carriers next summer, as all of the new flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-8, featuring 20 Flagship Business seats and 28 Premium Economy seats.

“There’s strong local demand to Eastern Europe in Chicago, and it’s important that we provide more service for our customers to visit family and friends or explore a new part of the world,” said Raja. “Chicago has been a great example of trying new things with our network, like seasonal service to Athens that launched earlier this year, and when customers take advantage, it allows us the opportunity to keep growing.”

American will be the only U.S. carrier providing service to KRK, BUD and PRG from ORD.

New flights will be available for purchase Aug. 12, with the exception of TLV, which will be available for purchase Oct. 10.

All routes subject to government approval.

FreightCar America Closing its Roanoke Manufacturing Facility

July 22, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Closure represents next step in the Company’s long-term cost and footprint reduction strategies
When complete in early 2020, the Company is expected to save $5 million per year in fixed costs

CHICAGO, July 22, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreightCar America, Inc. (RAIL) announced today that it has started the process to permanently close its Roanoke, Virginia manufacturing facility. The Company will retain the necessary workforce to build cars at the facility through November.

“The closure of our Roanoke facility is another next step in our ‘Back to Basics’ strategy as we continue to streamline our manufacturing footprint and match it to our future product offering,” said Jim Meyer, President and Chief Executive Officer of FreightCar America. “Reducing our fixed costs and achieving world-class output from our much larger Shoals facility have always been core pillars of our turnaround strategy.”

Meyer added, “We have spent the last two years building our talent, processes and overall capabilities at Shoals and the plant is now in a position to accept the Roanoke models and volume. This action, when complete in the first half of 2020, is expected to save approximately $5 million per year.”

Meyer concluded, “Our people at Roanoke have consistently performed above all expectations. We are extremely thankful for everything they have given the Company.”

The Company will offer select employees the opportunity to relocate to other parts of the business.

About FreightCar America

FreightCar America, Inc. manufactures a wide range of railroad freight cars, supplies railcar parts and leases freight cars through its FreightCar America Leasing Company subsidiaries. FreightCar America designs and builds high-quality railcars, including bulk commodity cars, covered hopper cars, intermodal and non-intermodal flat cars, mill gondola cars, coil steel cars, boxcars and coal cars. It is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and has facilities in the following locations: Cherokee, Alabama; Grand Island, Nebraska; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Roanoke, Virginia; and Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. More information about FreightCar America is available on its website at www.freightcaramerica.com

Ford to Upgrade Chicago Plant for SUV’s, Add 450 Workers

July 22, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

DETROIT (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co said on Monday it would invest $50 million upgrading a Chicago facility to partially assemble hybrid electric SUVs and vehicles for police use, creating 450 jobs.

The plant currently modifies vehicles for police use. That work will be transferred to a nearby facility.

After retooling, the new production line will later this year start partially assembling hybrid versions of the Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle and the luxury Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring SUV.

It will also partially assemble the Police Interceptor SUV.

On Friday, Ford said it would lay off about 200 workers in September at a Canadian manufacturing plant in Oakville, Ontario, with more layoffs possible in January, because of slowing sales of the sedans that the plant manufactures.

Overall, U.S. new vehicle sales are expected to fall this year, although pickup trucks and SUVs remain more popular than traditional passenger cars.

Last week, Ford also kicked off talks on a new four-year contract with the United Auto Workers union, with job security, healthcare costs and the use of temporary workers expected to be major sticking points.

(Reporting by Nick Carey; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Southwest Expects 737 MAX Cancellations Beyond October 1

July 1, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO, July 1 (Reuters) – Southwest Airlines expects it will have to remove the grounded Boeing Co 737 MAX jets from its flying schedule beyond the current Oct. 1 re-entry date following the discovery of a fresh safety issue, Chief Executive Gary Kelly told employees on Monday.

Last week, Boeing said that it would take until at least September to solve 737 MAX software issues – later than airlines had been expecting – after U.S. aviation regulators uncovered a new problem during simulator sessions.

“I’m sure this will cause us to have to take the MAX out of the schedule beyond Oct. 1,” Kelly said in an internal update, adding that the company would also see “what other modifications we might need to make our plans for this year because it’s obviously extending well beyond what I had hoped.”

Kelly did not elaborate on the possible modifications. So far, the Texas-based airline has tried to substitute its MAX routes with spare aircraft but has still been forced to cancel about 115 daily flights.

American Airlines Group and United Airlines Holdings , the other two U.S. carriers that operate the 737 MAX, have removed the jetliner from their flying schedules until early September.

The three airlines are expected to provide more details on the financial toll of a prolonged MAX grounding during second quarter results later in July.

Boeing’s fast-selling narrowbody was grounded worldwide in March following two deadly crashes within five months.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)

Amtrak Customers Celebrate 90 Years of Empire Builder Service

June 13, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Commemorative merchandise now available

CHICAGO – Amtrak today marked the 90th anniversary of the Empire Builder, which travels across the country’s northern tier, allowing customers to experience the grandeur of the Mississippi River Valley, Great Plains, Rockies and the Cascade Range. Daily service between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest provides a vital intercity travel option connecting more than 40 communities in eight states.

Sleeping car customers received wooden train whistles from Amtrak Guest Rewards and all customers departing Chicago received commemorative certificates signed by Amtrak President & CEO Richard Anderson. Prints of a new Empire Builder painting by railroad artist J. Craig Thorpe are available in the Amtrak store and, for a limited time, other items to recognize the anniversary of the service are also availab le from Amtrak.

Inaugurated by the Great Northern Railway (GN), the first westbound Empire Builder departed Chicago on the evening of June 10, 1929, but it was christened the next day in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the GN had its headquarters and where its mainline to Seattle began. The premier service was named for James J. Hill–the “Empire Builder,” who in the late 19th century founded what became the GN.

The GN and three railroads merged in 1970 to form the Burlington Northern, which continued to operate the Empire Builder until May 1, 1971, when newly-formed Amtrak took it over and changed the route to include Milwaukee by using what is now the Canadian Pacific Railway between Chicago and St. Paul. In October 1979, it became the first overnight train to be assigned bi-level Superliner® railcars, setting a higher travel standard that continues today.

Last year, 428,854 customers rode the Amtrak Empire Builder, Trains 7/27 & 8/28.

ExpressJet Airlines Begins Embraer E175 Service

June 13, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

ATLANTA, June 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — ExpressJet Airlines, a United Express carrier, today began service with its newest aircraft type – the Embraer E175. The first flight, UA4042 departed Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

“For ExpressJet and its 3,000 aviation professionals, the Embraer E175 is more than a new, high-tech aircraft,” said Chairman and CEO Subodh Karnik. “It is a symbol of ExpressJet’s future as a growing and trusted United Express partner.”

ExpressJet is adding 25 new E175s to its fleet in 2019. To date, the airline has taken delivery of four E175’s, and will continue adding new aircraft throughout the year. Additionally, ExpressJet recently expanded its crew training capabilities with the addition of an E175 full-motion flight simulator and a cabin door trainer at its Houston Training Complex.

To support its rapid growth, ExpressJet has hired more than 350 new pilots since the start of the year and will double that number by year end. Pilots who sign on with ExpressJet can expect a quick selection process, an immediate class date, and to bid for flying within three months. Pilots interested in signing on with ExpressJet should apply at expressjet.com/pilots or on airlineapps.com.

About ExpressJet Airlines
ExpressJet Airlines operates as United Express, on behalf of United Airlines (UAL), to serve more than 100 airports across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with over 3,300 weekly flights from bases in Chicago, Cleveland, Houston and Newark. ExpressJet’s fleet includes more than 110 Embraer E175, Embraer ERJ145 and Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft, with 25 new Embraer E175s being added in 2019. ExpressJet pilots enjoy top-tier pay and quality of life and a career path to United Airlines. ExpressJet is a subsidiary of ManaAir, LLC. ManaAir is majority-owned by KAir Enterprises and minority-owned by United Airlines. For further information, contact 404-856-1199, corpcomm@expressjet.com.

Furthering frontiers: Africa

Returning to Tel Aviv

Expansion in Eastern Europe

Commemorative merchandise now available

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