You may have seen those odd-looking little black or gray things hanging around the necks of fellow air travelers. They are the size of a small matchbox or a really tiny MP3 player. The idea behind these "ionizers" is that they screen out particles from the air -- perhaps even bacteria -- that might otherwise cause the wearer allergies or head colds. The ads for some state they "protect against harmful airborne pollutants and germs" (AirTamer) or "reduce particles in the 0.04 to 3 micron range" (Fresh Air Buddy). I looked into four products for this article, three you wear around your neck and one you adhere over the air nozzle above you in the plane.
Some suppliers mention that their portable devices, such as the one I use, can be worn elsewhere than airplanes, in any crowded situation such as theaters, restaurants, offices, subways, trains and buses. That may be a good idea, especially during flu season.
Anecdotal Evidence
It's not scientific proof, but, for example, I think my purifier, Air Supply, works. I don't believe it's just a coincidence that the number of plain old ordinary head colds I suffer after flying somewhere has dropped from about half the time to around a fourth of the time, a 50% decrease. I use the Ultra-Miniature Air Supply, which costs $150 (the AS 150 MM model) and is said by the manufacturer to be "the world's first wearable air purifier." They say it "reduces pollutants, dust, smoke, pollens, bacteria, perfumes, odors and allergen particles floating in the air" and that it "projects trillions of air cleansing ions from its grill that electronically charge pollutants." The manufacturers, Wein Products, say Air Supply "is not an ionizer or ozone machine but rather a new class of device called Plasma Discharge Ionic Purifiers" and say they were the first to commercialize this technology, with two-year tests at UCLA School of Microbiology, resulting in a "90% reduction in germ colony growth." They say the Good Housekeeping Institute tested it against cat allergen and cigarette smoke and recommended it. You will often see it advertised in in-flight shopping catalogs, but you can order directly from Wein at www.weinproducts.com. I wear mine on every flight now.
The AirTamer
Comtech Research, the distributors of the AirTamer A 300 are quick to point out that theirs "is not the personal air purifier that caught fire on Continental Airlines flight 1065." "It is impossible for this situation to happen with the AirTamer," they say. It is a small, gray air ionizer less than the size of a pack of cigarettes (some say it looks like an MP3 player). It's a negative ionizer, say the distributors, Cometech Research, indicating they had looked at other personal air purifiers and "all we found was junk" until finding this one. "Some of them only emitted ozone, or even undesirable positive ions. (No kidding)." It "helps eliminate viruses, pollen, smoke, mold spores, pet dander, dust, dust mites from your personal space," they say, and that it "cleans up to 110% more pollutants than the competition: (namely) 99.01% vs. 46.66%." They say the ozone output is undetectable. You can buy the AirTamer A300 for $119.95 at tel. 866/466-4937 or at www.negativeiongenerators.com.
Comtech Research buys its AirTamers from Filter Stream and says the devices are manufactured in China (where else?). You can buy the AirTamer A300 from Filter Stream directly for $59.99 at www.filterstream.com or at tel. 866/625-3218. If and when my Air Supply unit wears out, I just might switch to Air Tamer, as it looks like a good product, too.
A Filter
The Plane Clean Air device, made in the USA, is a round filter that attaches to the overhead air nozzle, the makers claiming that it "prevents 99.5% of allergens, airborne viruses, bacteria and other particulate matter from the flowing air stream from going into the passengers [sic] face." They say it "meets FAA certification requirements," but I have never seen anyone use it. Each unit comes with two filters and two adhesive gaskets. One gasket and filter will last approximately eight flights, they say, and "under normal usage, the unit will last five years." You'll need to know before boarding whether your aircraft does, indeed, have an overhead air nozzle, as some newer planes do not, in fact. If I knew nothing of such filters and saw the person in the next seat adhering one to his or her air nozzle, I would probably ask for an explanation, and so would, I suspect, an alert flight attendant. The cost per unit is $19.95, for filter and adhesive gasket $6.95. It's made by Allergy Asthma Technology Ltd., Morton Grove, IL, tel. 800/621-5545, www.allergyasthmatech.com.
(They also sell a Wearable Air Purifier which looks exactly like my Ultra Miniature Air Supply, made in Japan, they say, by the Wein Company and selling at nearly the same price, $149.95.)
A Cautionary Tale
A Fresh Air Buddy, a device similar to my Air Supply unit and manufactured by its maker, Wein Products, exploded when its non-rechargeable battery was improperly recharged by a passenger before he boarded a Continental flight from Houston to Portland on December 15, 2006. About an hour into the flight, this led to a short circuit in the device, "thermal runaway, battery failure, and an explosion" says the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) report. Wein wants to emphasize that there was no fire. There were warnings in the printed instructions for the unit about trying to recharge non-rechargeable batteries, but the passenger ignored them, apparently. The small battery explosion was scary enough to cause the pilot to make an emergency landing at Colorado Springs. Nobody was injured save the offending passenger, who had a small burn mark on his chest. Distributors stopped sales of the Fresh Air Buddy, and apparently have not resumed them at time of writing (phone calls from the writer to the company were not returned.) Moral: don't fiddle around with trying to recharge the non-rechargeable batteries -- you could get burned
Showing posts with label Southwest airlines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Southwest airlines. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Southwest Airlines Merger ?
Southwest Airlines History of buyouts:
Southwest's investment in bankrupt ATA Airlines Inc. in 2004 offers a good example of being ready, he said. Of course, the airline is well aware of the pitfalls of acquiring another carrier, a strategy it followed in 1993 when it acquired Morris Air and in 1986 when it bought Muse Air
What is the state of the airline industry?
Very tenuous. I think the business cycle this decade has been very difficult for our industry. You know, finally in 2006 and 2007, you were seeing some profit reports by various airlines. Two emerged from bankruptcy in 2007. It looks like those profits may be short-lived. ...
I think the industry is much unprepared for a slowdown in the economy, especially given the high energy prices. The industry is not well-hedged, and the balance sheets are in terrible shape. The cost structures, for the most part, are still very high, even after bankruptcy. So it'll be an interesting 2008.
What shape are southwest in going into a possible slow period and the high fuel prices?
I feel that we're as prepared now as we ever have been. We've got a great fuel hedge this year. It's not quite as good next year, but it's still very good and certainly provides us tremendous protection.
We're 70 percent hedged next year at about $50 a barrel. And this year, it was over 90 percent at $50 a barrel. So we just don't have the same amount of coverage, but it's still very, very good, and it will still save us hundreds of millions of dollars.
The balance sheet is in great shape. You know, our leverage is well below 50 percent. We're under 40 percent total debt – that's including all of our aircraft leases.
We've slowed down our growth to be prepared for a more difficult economic environment next year, so we won't be adding to the risk profile aggressively. We'll be growing next year about, oh, 4 to 5 percent, I think. In terms of the fleet, that will be a net of between five to 10 airplanes. So, we'll be slowing our capital spending as well. ...
Southwest's investment in bankrupt ATA Airlines Inc. in 2004 offers a good example of being ready, he said. Of course, the airline is well aware of the pitfalls of acquiring another carrier, a strategy it followed in 1993 when it acquired Morris Air and in 1986 when it bought Muse Air
What is the state of the airline industry?
Very tenuous. I think the business cycle this decade has been very difficult for our industry. You know, finally in 2006 and 2007, you were seeing some profit reports by various airlines. Two emerged from bankruptcy in 2007. It looks like those profits may be short-lived. ...
I think the industry is much unprepared for a slowdown in the economy, especially given the high energy prices. The industry is not well-hedged, and the balance sheets are in terrible shape. The cost structures, for the most part, are still very high, even after bankruptcy. So it'll be an interesting 2008.
What shape are southwest in going into a possible slow period and the high fuel prices?
I feel that we're as prepared now as we ever have been. We've got a great fuel hedge this year. It's not quite as good next year, but it's still very good and certainly provides us tremendous protection.
We're 70 percent hedged next year at about $50 a barrel. And this year, it was over 90 percent at $50 a barrel. So we just don't have the same amount of coverage, but it's still very, very good, and it will still save us hundreds of millions of dollars.
The balance sheet is in great shape. You know, our leverage is well below 50 percent. We're under 40 percent total debt – that's including all of our aircraft leases.
We've slowed down our growth to be prepared for a more difficult economic environment next year, so we won't be adding to the risk profile aggressively. We'll be growing next year about, oh, 4 to 5 percent, I think. In terms of the fleet, that will be a net of between five to 10 airplanes. So, we'll be slowing our capital spending as well. ...
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Is Southwest Airlines Buying Airtran ?
Southwest Airlines Buying rival Airtran ?
Don't count out Southwest if the long-predicted wave of airline consolidation ever takes off. "At some point, I think we'll probably acquire somebody," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly told The Dallas Morning News in a recent interview. "There's bound to be a scenario that we would say, 'That scenario out of these 10, yep, that one would work for us.' We'd want to be prepared for that opportunity that presents itself."
Kelly's comments came in a Q & A from the interview that the newspaper runs today. Perhaps the most interesting question posed to Kelly by the Morning News was: "What do you say to an analyst or hedge fund manager who says, "Gary, why don't you eliminate your closest competitor by acquiring Air Tran?"
To that, Kelly responded: "We can't let investors guide the company. That's not to say that investors aren't smart and don't have good ideas, because they do. They just have different motives. We've got to stay true to who we are as a company and build for the long term. ... At some point, I think we'll probably acquire somebody. That's just a reflection of my view that the industry is weak and that there'll be players up for sale, probably in a fire-sale mode, and we'll want to at least be thoughtful about that. We'll still have all the considerations – the fleet, the labor contracts, the seniority issues, the cost implications of it, the cultural aspects of trying to bring two work groups together and on and on and on. We would be concerned about that and always have been."
Don't count out Southwest if the long-predicted wave of airline consolidation ever takes off. "At some point, I think we'll probably acquire somebody," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly told The Dallas Morning News in a recent interview. "There's bound to be a scenario that we would say, 'That scenario out of these 10, yep, that one would work for us.' We'd want to be prepared for that opportunity that presents itself."
Kelly's comments came in a Q & A from the interview that the newspaper runs today. Perhaps the most interesting question posed to Kelly by the Morning News was: "What do you say to an analyst or hedge fund manager who says, "Gary, why don't you eliminate your closest competitor by acquiring Air Tran?"
To that, Kelly responded: "We can't let investors guide the company. That's not to say that investors aren't smart and don't have good ideas, because they do. They just have different motives. We've got to stay true to who we are as a company and build for the long term. ... At some point, I think we'll probably acquire somebody. That's just a reflection of my view that the industry is weak and that there'll be players up for sale, probably in a fire-sale mode, and we'll want to at least be thoughtful about that. We'll still have all the considerations – the fleet, the labor contracts, the seniority issues, the cost implications of it, the cultural aspects of trying to bring two work groups together and on and on and on. We would be concerned about that and always have been."
Friday, December 14, 2007
December 14th deals
Midwest Airlines Peak Holiday Sale
Long before you've even stepped foot in the airport, holiday travel can get pretty ugly. Step one: you shop around for a ticket. You wince and cringe at the sight of these whopper fares before resigning to the idea that you're going to be getting ripped off anyway, and just buy the darn thing before another valuable hour ticks by and they hike the price up another hundred bucks. That's how it goes sometimes at least. Other times, you catch a break, as is the case with this holiday sale from Midwest Airlines (tel. 800/452-2022; www.midwestairlines.com). Holiday sales are by no means a rarity, with every airline and their brother offering some strain of one, but typically their valid dates and your actual holiday don't match up as well as you'd hoped. So we were pleased to see actual peak holiday travel dates available from this Midwest sale. Sample round-trip fares include:
This sale is good for travel from December 18 through January 6, 2008, and all purchases must be made by December 17.
JetBlue Sale Ends Soon
Hurry and you could just catch it. JetBlue (tel. 800/538-2583; www.jetblue.com) is having a four-day sale that ends December 14. They've shaved a few bucks off their normal fares ($20-$30 off short haul routes, a bit more on long haul) for travel January 8 through February 13, 2008.
If you like the time saved by a flexible date search, you'll find most of these fares on Travelocity, Orbitz and Cheapair, but we found lower fares on the JFK to Cancun route on JetBlue itself, and JetBlue has some routes for even less than in this sale, for even longer travel periods. Other airlines quickly matched most routes, but JetBlue flies many of these routes nonstop and the others don't.
Silverjet 5% Off
OK, so it's not a lot but it's better than nuthin'. Silverjet (tel. 877/359-7458; www.flysilverjet.com) is offering a 5% discount off all fares when you book on their site and use promo code 16688X. This offer applies to their all business class flights between New York JFK and London or Dubai and travel must be completed by Dec 31.
South America on Sale
If you're planning a mid-winter jaunt to South America, this is a good time to do your shopping. First up, American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) is having a sale on travel to Buenos Aires, Panama City, and San Jose. With the exception of folks traveling from New York and Miami (which we'll get to next), this sale is going to going to be your best bet. Sample round-trip fares, including taxes, are:
Now, for you folks in New York to Miami, TAM Linhas Areas (tel. 888/235-9826; www.tamairlines.com) has some incredible early spring fares down to Brazil, and not just your usual Rio and Sao Paulo either. You'll also find a few stray fares (round-trip, including taxes as well) to Paraguay, too.
Need a holiday to recover from your holidays? Do your defrazzling in Hawaii. We've seen a whole heap of great round-trip fares to Honolulu this week, starting with US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com):
And of course, US Airways isn't the only game in town. ATA (tel. 800/435-9282; www.ata.com) is having a sale to Hawaii (Hilo, Honolulu, Kona, Lihue and Maui) from practically every city they fly from. And other carriers are matching. Sample round-trip fares include:
And while is sale is predominantly to/from Hawaii, ATA's thrown in some random fares such as Columbus, OH to/from Dallas/Ft. Worth for $79 one-ways (vs Travelocity's lowest listed fare of $89 one-way); Chicago Midway to/from Guadalajara for $102 one-way; and Chicago Midway to/from Cancun for $119 one-way.
Travel is for off-peak only through March 7, 2008, and must be purchased by Dec 18, 2007. Blackouts and other restrictions may apply.
Long before you've even stepped foot in the airport, holiday travel can get pretty ugly. Step one: you shop around for a ticket. You wince and cringe at the sight of these whopper fares before resigning to the idea that you're going to be getting ripped off anyway, and just buy the darn thing before another valuable hour ticks by and they hike the price up another hundred bucks. That's how it goes sometimes at least. Other times, you catch a break, as is the case with this holiday sale from Midwest Airlines (tel. 800/452-2022; www.midwestairlines.com). Holiday sales are by no means a rarity, with every airline and their brother offering some strain of one, but typically their valid dates and your actual holiday don't match up as well as you'd hoped. So we were pleased to see actual peak holiday travel dates available from this Midwest sale. Sample round-trip fares include:
This sale is good for travel from December 18 through January 6, 2008, and all purchases must be made by December 17.
JetBlue Sale Ends Soon
Hurry and you could just catch it. JetBlue (tel. 800/538-2583; www.jetblue.com) is having a four-day sale that ends December 14. They've shaved a few bucks off their normal fares ($20-$30 off short haul routes, a bit more on long haul) for travel January 8 through February 13, 2008.
If you like the time saved by a flexible date search, you'll find most of these fares on Travelocity, Orbitz and Cheapair, but we found lower fares on the JFK to Cancun route on JetBlue itself, and JetBlue has some routes for even less than in this sale, for even longer travel periods. Other airlines quickly matched most routes, but JetBlue flies many of these routes nonstop and the others don't.
Silverjet 5% Off
OK, so it's not a lot but it's better than nuthin'. Silverjet (tel. 877/359-7458; www.flysilverjet.com) is offering a 5% discount off all fares when you book on their site and use promo code 16688X. This offer applies to their all business class flights between New York JFK and London or Dubai and travel must be completed by Dec 31.
South America on Sale
If you're planning a mid-winter jaunt to South America, this is a good time to do your shopping. First up, American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) is having a sale on travel to Buenos Aires, Panama City, and San Jose. With the exception of folks traveling from New York and Miami (which we'll get to next), this sale is going to going to be your best bet. Sample round-trip fares, including taxes, are:
Now, for you folks in New York to Miami, TAM Linhas Areas (tel. 888/235-9826; www.tamairlines.com) has some incredible early spring fares down to Brazil, and not just your usual Rio and Sao Paulo either. You'll also find a few stray fares (round-trip, including taxes as well) to Paraguay, too.
Need a holiday to recover from your holidays? Do your defrazzling in Hawaii. We've seen a whole heap of great round-trip fares to Honolulu this week, starting with US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com):
And of course, US Airways isn't the only game in town. ATA (tel. 800/435-9282; www.ata.com) is having a sale to Hawaii (Hilo, Honolulu, Kona, Lihue and Maui) from practically every city they fly from. And other carriers are matching. Sample round-trip fares include:
And while is sale is predominantly to/from Hawaii, ATA's thrown in some random fares such as Columbus, OH to/from Dallas/Ft. Worth for $79 one-ways (vs Travelocity's lowest listed fare of $89 one-way); Chicago Midway to/from Guadalajara for $102 one-way; and Chicago Midway to/from Cancun for $119 one-way.
Travel is for off-peak only through March 7, 2008, and must be purchased by Dec 18, 2007. Blackouts and other restrictions may apply.
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