American Airlines is about to pull its airline listings out of Kayak

American Airlines is about to pull its airline listings out of Kayak and is considering doing the same with Orbitz. If it does so, other airlines such as Continental and Northwest may follow suit.

Airlines don’t like the booking sites because they have to pay them a referral fee for every ticket they sell, as opposed to capturing the full fare when travelers book on their individual sites. Even though that only amounts to a few dollars per ticket, every dollar counts to the troubled airlines?especially now with fuel prices going sky-high and the consumer spending going down.

American Airlines has a particular beef with Kayak because it tends to show AA flights through its partnership with Orbitz instead of directly from American. That means American has to pay a double tax, once to Kayak and once to Orbitz. (The deal between Kayak and Orbitz, charges the competing CEO, was meant to drive up traffic numbers on Kayak as it was potentially seeking an IPO prior to raising $200 million instead last December).

The decision to sever ties with Kayak supposedly has already been made. The only question is whether Orbitz can salvage its relationship with the airline. This should strengthen competing travel sites, especially newer ones that link directly to the airlines like Mobissimo and Yapta.

Delta doubles charge for second checked bag, boosts other fees

Delta Air Lines Inc., the third-largest U.S. carrier, will double its charge for checking a second bag on a domestic flight as part of a set of fee increases to help offset the high cost of fuel.

The Atlanta-based carrier said Tuesday that the changes will apply to customers who purchase a ticket on or after Thursday for travel on or after Aug. 5.

Fee changes include an increase from $25 to $50 to check a second bag for domestic travel. Fees for specialty items that require special handling, such as surfboards or ski equipment, will increase on domestic and international flights, Delta said.

First Class, BusinessElite and Medallion customers will still be able to check up to three bags at no charge, the airline said.

Delta said that as fuel costs remain high, it believes revising its fee structure for excess bags and specialty items is essential to generate the necessary revenues to offset its higher costs.

Delta currently does not charge passengers for checking a first bag on domestic flights. It has said it is studying a decision by several other major carriers to impose that fee.

Delta customers checking bags on international flights can check a first and second bag at no charge.

Fees are for each extra bag, each way.

The fee for checking a third bag on a domestic flight will increase from $80 to $125, while the fee for checking a bag that is between 51 and 70 pounds (23 and 32 kilograms) on a domestic flight will rise from $80 to $90.

Delta warned on its website that if a customer has an extra piece of baggage that goes over the weight limit and the size limit, the passenger will be charged three times — once for the extra bag, once for going over the size limit and once for going over the weight limit.

The airline said it accepts up to 10 checked bags on Delta mainline flights and four checked bags on Delta Connection carriers.

It said a $175 charge per item applies to media representatives carrying camera, film, video tape, lighting, or sound equipment.

Delta announced April 14 that it will acquire Eagan, Minnesota-based Northwest Airlines Corp. in a stock-swap deal that would create the world's largest carrier in terms of traffic. The deal is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.

JetBlue Adds Tampa Route at Westchester County Airport

JetBlue Airways will expand its presence at Westchester County Airport near White Plains, N.Y., this winter, growing to become the airline with the most seats to the most destinations as it begins nonstop service to Tampa, Fla., and adds more flights on routes to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Palm Beach. JetBlue's added service to all four cities takes flight Nov. 2, bringing even more convenient and affordable service to Westchester County, Fairfield County, and Hudson Valley travelers just in time for the snowbird season. JetBlue will offer the following 11 daily departures from Westchester County Airport this winter: Fort Lauderdale (three daily flights), Fort Myers (one daily flight), Orlando (four daily flights), Palm Beach (two daily flights), Tampa (one daily flight). JetBlue will operate its new Tampa route aboard the 150-seat Airbus A320.

Delta accepts PayPal payments

PayPal has added Delta Air Lines to its long list of merchants that accept PayPal payments for online sales. Customers booking travel at delta.com now have the option to use their secure PayPal accounts when purchasing new airline tickets.

PayPal has added Delta Air Lines to its long list of merchants that accept PayPal payments for online sales. Customers booking travel at delta.com now have the option to use their secure PayPal accounts when purchasing new airline tickets.

“We are excited to add Delta Air Lines, one of the most established airlines in the world, to our growing stable of travel merchants,” said Tyler Hoffman, senior director of merchant services at PayPal. “Many of our customers already book their international and domestic travel with Delta’s award winning Web site, delta.com, and are excited to now have the option of using their PayPal accounts to do so.”

With more than 60 million active accounts, PayPal provides consumers with a safer, easier way to pay for items and services online. With a PayPal account, Delta customers can choose from several different payment options to fund transactions, including PayPal account balance, bank account, debit cards, and credit cards, all while keeping their financial information private and secure.

“PayPal provides additional payment flexibility that supports Delta’s commitment to providing today’s busy travelers with the ease, convenience, and value they demand. We already guarantee that customers will find our best published fares at delta.com, and PayPal brings them another great option to purchase tickets,” said Josh Weiss, Delta’s managing director responsible for delta.com and self-service products.

Walt Disney World Resort unveiled a new vision for Downtown Disney

Walt Disney World Resort unveiled a new vision for Downtown Disney, with new shopping, dining and other experiences including a completely re-imagined Pleasure Island. Also planned are numerous enhancements to Downtown Disney locations, as well as additional theming and storytelling brought to life by Walt Disney Imagineers. Over the next year, the 120-acre entertainment-shopping-dining complex will add a number of one-of-a-kind, immersive experiences for clients. Downtown Disney will even get its own iconic attraction, in the form of a giant, tethered balloon that will take guests 300 feet into the air to view Walt Disney World Resort. Other new experiences include: T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure, a dinosaur-themed family eatery to debut this fall. Also this fall, a design-your-own t-shirt store from Hanes will add to the growing collection of merchandise clients can personalize at Downtown Disney. E-brands Restaurants, an Orlando-based, multi-concept restaurant group, will premier its newest concept at Downtown Disney in spring 2009. The casual eatery will feature authentic Central and South American cuisine, specialty drinks and live music along the waterfront. To make way for the new offerings, the last day of operation for all of the clubs currently on Pleasure Island will be Sept. 27. Other locations on Pleasure Island, including Raglan Road, Fuego by Sosa Cigars, Curl by Sammy Duval, Orlando Harley-Davidson and outdoor food and beverage locations will remain open during the transition.

To complement these new experiences, many popular Downtown Disney locations will undergo enhancements. Beginning this summer, Portobello Yacht Club will be transformed into a Tuscan Country Trattoria. This fall, Goofy's Candy Company will add a special new room that will enable families to host one-of-a-kind birthday parties at Downtown Disney. The Marketplace Stage will be completely replaced with a larger, covered stage this fall to welcome even more entertainment to Downtown Disney and serve as a new premier venue for Disney Magic Music Days. Fulton's Crab House will update its interior fixtures and furnishings and exterior in spring 2009. Next year, Wolfgang Puck Café will update its interior fixtures and furnishings and enclose its patio with glass to enable guests to enjoy the outdoors year-round.