The five groups represented by the Transport Workers Union of America included Fleet Service, Dispatch, Maintenance Control Technicians, Simulator Technicians, and Ground School and Simulator Pilot Instructors. They cover 11,000 employees.

Two divisions-those representing Aircraft Maintenance and Related Workers along with Stores Clerks—voted against accepting the offer.

Bruce Hicks, an American Airlines spokesman, said in a written statement today that the new agreements will save 1,300 jobs and provide a profit-sharing plan, future pay increases, a 401 (k) company match, and other benefits.

The vote, which was conducted through the weekend, comes as the airline is trying to convince the judge overseeing the bankruptcy proceedings to throw out contracts for other unions. The airline is also negotiating new deals with unions representing pilots and flight attendants.

“Some of our members found the company’s last offer to be a safer bet than waiting on the court to make a decision,” TWU’s International President James C. Little said in a written statement. “The members in bargaining units that voted ‘no’ thought the proposals were not in their best interests. We respect our members’ decision regardless of how they voted.”

In a written statement, American Airlines expressed disappointment in the two groups that didn’t agree to its proposal. Hicks said the airline would continue to pursue its effort to reject their current agreements.

If the court approves that, the groups risk losing “the job savings and improvements offered in the settlement proposals,” Hicks said.

The airline, whose parent company AMR Corp. declared bankruptcy in November, is seeking to cut $1.25 billion in labor costs.

The most dramatic downsizing comes in Milwaukee, where Frontier’s latest round of cuts will leave it with just seven daily flights there by June 1.

As part of that, Frontier is ending service from Milwaukee to Columbus (Ohio), Indianapolis, Nashville, New York LaGuardia, Omaha and Pittsburgh.

Frontier’s wind-down of its onetime Milwaukee hub has happened with staggering speed.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes it was just in May of 2011 that “Frontier had 86 daily flights out of Mitchell.” The Business Journal of Milwaukee adds “Frontier has lease agreements for 21 gates on Concourse D,” a big number for an airline that will soon be down to just seven daily flights at the airport.

“The airport is working with Frontier to determine the best use of those gates,” Milwaukee airport spokeswoman Pat Rowe tells the Business Journal. “It certainly doesn’t need all of those gates.”

Frontier also has all but abandoned Kansas City, which recently had been the second-biggest hub in Midwest’s network. The latest nonstop routes to get the ax out of Kansas City are Boston (ended this past Wednesday) and New York LaGuardia (ends June 1), the Kansas City Business Journal reports.

Those cuts — combined with other cuts Frontier is making there — will reduce its year-round service from Kansas City to just two daily domestic nonstop destinations: Denver and Washington Reagan National. Frontier’s online route map also lists service from Kansas City to three Mexican destinations, though those schedules vary by season.

But, Frontier’s route shake-up hasn’t been only about downsizing. At the same time it’s been trimming its Midwest bases, Frontier also has been beefing up its biggest hub at Denver. Also on Frontier’s expansion list: an Orlando focus city offering point-to-point demand to a variety of market types. Elsewhere, Frontier has added several point-to-point routes from Colorado Springs and from some Caribbean destinations.

The dazzling new area is located in the middle of North Terminal and is adjacent to Concourse D skytrain station 3, for quick access from any of the 47 gates in North Terminal within four minutes.

Upon arrival at the new FIS facility, international travellers will be greeted by a passport control area featuring 78 lanes that can process 2,000 passengers per hour. MIA is also among a select group of United States airports with six dedicated lanes for Global Entry, which provides expedited processing for travellers who have registered with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Once processed, passengers will collect their checked bags in a spacious new second-level baggage claim area and then exit on either the second level for connecting flights or to the first level greeter’s lobby.

Befitting for the top international gateway to the U.S., the terrazzo floor of the new greeter’s lobby features a rendering of the globe titled “Gateway of the World.”

North Terminal’s new FIS facility opens at a time when visitors to Miami-Dade County are at record-breaking numbers.

MIA is now the top U.S. airport for international flights, with nearly 1,300 weekly flights serving 85 international destinations.

With American Airlines and American Eagle combining to handle nearly 70 percent of MIA’s passengers, and with 95 per cent of Miami-Dade County’s visitors arriving through MIA, the new North Terminal FIS facility will soon be the County’s main front door to the world.

Airline president Sir Richard Branson called on the government to be “more realistic” about the level of APD.

The carrier will replace the route to Kenya with a resumption of flights to Mumbai and an additional service to New York. Virgin Atlantic launched to Nairobi in 2007.

Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer Julie Southern said: “The high price of fuel, increasing UK aviation taxes and insufficient passenger numbers throughout the past five years contributed to the decision.

“These are challenging times for the airline industry and we have to deploy our aircraft to routes with the right level of demand.”

Virgin pointed out fuel costs have risen more than 50% and the APD rate has doubled since it launched the service.

Branson said: “Virgin Atlantic is extremely sad to be withdrawing from Kenya.

“A combination of record fuel prices, higher taxes and a poorly timed slot which did not provide connections from London made it uneconomical to fly from Nairobi.

“Governments must be more realistic about the aviation taxes they impose and urgently need to increase capacity at Heathrow.”

Branson said: “Operating more viable transatlantic capacity allows us to provide better connections to our services to Africa and Asia.”

However, he added: “Virgin remains committed to the future of Kenya. I love the country and its people. We hope to return.”

The last flights will operate from Heathrow on September 23 and from Nairobi on September 24

Under the new partnership, which follows a multi-agency review that began in February, Dentsu America is now responsible for oneworld’s strategic brand messaging and creative development as well as media planning duties worldwide. 

oneworld vice-president commercial, Stephen Usery, said: “From the very first meeting, Dentsu America demonstrated a deep understanding of our brand, as well as our very unique business model and challenges.

“Dentsu came up with a big unifying idea that was relevant and resonated with all of our global airline partners. 

“We were impressed by Dentsu’s ability to create and implement exciting cross-platform and cross-cultural ideas that will help us achieve results in the face of rapidly changing economic, marketing, technological and societal shifts.

“We asked agencies to wow us – and Dentsu did.”

Integrated communication activities set for launch later this year include multi-channel brand and marketing initiatives, which will be adapted across multiple languages and cultures to reflect the 800 destinations in 150 countries served by oneworld member airlines around the globe.

Dentsu America chief executive David Cameron added: “oneworld is home to some of the world’s leading airlines, and its relevance continues to grow year over year.” 

“We’re thrilled that oneworld and its partners responded so positively and recognised the potential of a big unifying idea that leveraged connection points between the oneworld brand, its member airlines and travellers around the world.”

Thousands of passengers face having their flights cancelled or delayed.

Europe’s largest no frills carrier confirmed a number of flight cancellations ahead of the three-day walk out.

Ryanair repeated calls for the European Commission to remove the right to strike from Europe’s air traffic control staff, pointing out that many of Europe’s police forces and army personnel are not allowed to take industrial action.

Air traffic controllers in the US are also prevented by law from striking, and the Commission should apply similar ‘no strike’ rules here to ATC workers in Europe, the airline said.

“It is unacceptable that the skies over Europe are repeatedly closed or flights delayed by the unjustified strike action of tiny numbers of air traffic controllers,” a Ryanair spokesman said.

“These public servants are among the most overpaid and protected in Europe and yet they repeatedly opt for the strike weapon as a first, rather than a last resort.

“The summer schedules in Europe are just weeks’ old and already the Portuguese air traffic controllers will be engaging in three days of strikes.

“The solution to this problem is simple: remove their right to strike in exactly the same way that air traffic controllers in the USA are prevented by law from striking.

“A number of Ryanair flights will be cancelled and any passengers who intended to travel to or from Portugal during the three days of strike action should switch their flights, free of charge.”

The route will launch on October 29, using three-class B777 aircraft fitted with World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and Club World seating.

BA already operates a daily service from Heathrow to Las Vegas, a route which was launched in 2009.

Flights will depart Gatwick on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1130, with the return leg leaving Las Vegas at 1555.

The new Gatwick-Las Vegas route will compete directly with Virgin Atlantic, which serves the US city from Gatwick daily using B747 aircraft.

The city’s mayor today said that Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport would not be ready to open until March 17, 2013.

The new airport was originally due to open on June 3 when it was meant to replace the German capital’s existing two airports: Tegel and Schoenefeld. But this has had to be delayed because of problems with the new airport’s fire prevention measures.

Lufthansa has already announced that it will be running its planned new services from the existing Tegel airport.

Fellow German carrier Air Berlin has also said that it has assigned a taskforce to adapt its expanded flight schedules to the existing facilities at Tegel.

The owner of Berlin-Brandenburg airport has also announced that Manfred Körtgen, managing director for operations and construction, will leave the company while the contract with the consortium responsible for the airport’s project management and site supervision will be terminated.

Immigration minister Damian Green told MPs that it would be bringing forward plans to recruit 70 Border Force staff at the airport so they will be in place after the Olympics end in August.

The new immigration staff were originally going to be recruited for the opening of the new Terminal 2 in 2014.

Green made the announcement when he appeared before the House of Commons Home Affairs select committee yesterday.

“The queue levels we’ve seen at some times of the day – particularly at Heathrow and Stansted – are not acceptable,” said Green. “That’s why we have taken the measures we have already taken and we will take more measures. This is a problem we need to continue gripping.”

But Green added that the first priority would always be security rather than reducing queues.

“We are taking practical steps to address the issue of queues but at the same time the first priority has to be the security of our border,” said Green.

The committee also heard from Colin Matthews, chief executive of Heathrow and Stansted owner BAA, as well as representatives of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Matthews said that inbound delays through Heathrow had “got worse since the summer of 2010”.

“It has been more noticed and commented on in recent months,” said Matthews. “But it has deteriorated since summer 2010.

“We can detect some improvement in last week or so. I believe that it’s because of the additional resources that have been made available.”

Andrew Lord, BA’s director of operations, added that there had been “some improvement” in the levels of the queues in recent days.

Both Lord and Corneel Koster, Virgin Atlantic’s director of operations, safety and security, said they hoped that the opening of a new Border Force control room at Heathrow at the end of May would help reduce the problem.

“We’re very confident and hopeful that the new control room for Heathrow will make a big difference,” added Lord.

Echoing a trend that’s been spreading lately especially in the boutique hotel sector, Paramount hotels would each contain a mini-movie-theater, as well as as library of Paramount films.

Hotels with movie theaters of varying sizes include the Wit, a Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Chicago; the W Leicester Square and 45 Park Lane in London, and the Crosby Street Hotel in New York’s Soho neighborhood.

Paramount Hotels would operate the hotels, though not own them. The company hopes to open as many as 50 properties.

Chairman Ghassan Aridi signed a deal with Paramount for the licensing rights earlier this year, the story says.

Who owns Paramount Hotels? Bloomberg doesn’t name names, but says it’s “owned by a group of investors from the U.S., U.K., Russia and the Middle East.”

Don’t expect a Paramount Hotel to open in the USA anytime soon – if ever.

On the company’s radar screen, according to the article, are destinations far away from the Hollywood Hills: Brazil, the U.K., the Caribbean, Russia, Qatar, Oman, South Africa and Indonesia. Van Vliet says Paramount’s logo – the mountain and 22 stars – has been seen by about 5 billion people and is a powerful symbol.

Van Vliet used to be an executive with Accor, Europe’s biggest hotel company that runs brands such as Sofitel and, in the USA, Motel 6