SEC looks into posting of old United story

As if United Airlines has not been having enough trouble these days it had to content last week with an internet echo of an old story.

Officials at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are wondering if there was any improper conduct behind the online release last weekend of a 6-year-old news story that lead to a 75 percent drop in the stock of United Airlines on Monday, according to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

The SEC has opened a “preliminary inquiry” into the online distribution of a Chicago Tribune article from 2002 about United Airlines’ bankruptcy filing, people familiar with the matter said.

The Tribune Co. said in a statement on Wednesday that it believes a single visit to the archived story on the site of its South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper during a low-traffic time period resulted in the computer system displaying it under a tab titled “Popular Stories Business: Most Viewed.”

The article was then picked up by Google News and displayed with no indicate of the original date of publishing. It was later distributed by Bloomberg.

Google’s automated search agent “Googlebot” misclassified the article because it is unable to differentiate between breaking news and frequently viewed stories on the newspaper Web sites, the Tribune said, adding that it had asked Google to stop crawling its sites month ago, but the process had continued.

Meanwhile Continental seems to be happy about their new fees for luggage.

Continental says luggage fee to generate $100 mln

Continental Airlines on Thursday said it expects to see $100 million in revenue and cost savings related to a new $15 dollar bag-check fee.

Canada passes airline passengers’ bill of rights

(September 11, 2008) - At a press conference in Ottowa, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon announced the passage of a passenger’s bill of rights program, nicknamed “Flight Rights.” The Canadian government is the first airline in North America to execute a passengers’ bill of rights.

Under the new law, Canadian airlines will also be required to provide stranded travelers with updated flight delay and schedule change information, along with meal vouchers for delays of four hours and hotel vouchers for delays of eight hours or more.

Eurostar trains halted by fire in Channel Tunnel

Cross-Channel travellers face severe disruption today [September 12] as operators struggle to resume rail services after a fire in the Channel Tunnel yesterday.

The tunnel was closed for the rest of the day, causing disruption to more than 15,000 passengers. Seven people were treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries.

Rape alert campaign on Greek beaches

An anti-rape campaign has been launched by the [British] Foreign Office in resorts in Greece following alarm at the numbers of attacks on female British tourists. More rapes and sexual assaults are reported by British nationals in Greece than in any other tourist destination, according to research by the FCO. British consular officials around Greece were made aware of 39 cases of rape last year, compared with 17 in 1998. Greece is visited by 3 million UK citizens annually and many of the attacks on British female visitors are carried out by fellow Britons.

Zeppelins fly over London

The Star Over London Airship Sponsored by Stella Artois – to give it its full and laborious title – will be sailing over the capital until August 21, offering aerial views of the city previously seen only by blasé pigeons.

The Star has been licensed to fly up to eight trips a day from its base at an airfield in Upminster, Essex. An hour’s ride following the river into town, past Charlton Athletic football club, past city airport, past Canary Wharf and on to within spitting distance – not that you would, obviously – of Westminster, will set you back just £360. Yup, £360.

Munich takes best airport in Europe award for fourth straight year

For the fourth year in a row, Munich Airport has been named the winner of the
“Best Airport in Europe” award in an international survey of 8.2 million passengers worldwide. The annual Airport Survey conducted by Skytrax, an independent, London-based aviation market research firm, is the largest international customer survey of airport quality standards.

Ads to be printed on airline boarding passes

Six international airlines have opened the door to advertisers with a new initiative that will allow ads to appear on boarding passes printed following online check-in.

Tourists to see buried Egyptian solar boat via camera

Zahi Hawas, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said that a huge screen will be put in the solar boat museum, which is on the southern side of the great pyramid. The screen will show the boat which lies 10 metres below the surface.

Fuel crisis boosts Eurostar sales

The cross channel operator reports a 24.7% increase on ticket sales between January and June this year compared to last with traveller numbers reaching 4.63 million, an 18.3% year-on-year increase.

European High-Speed Train Tickets

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