Is Tourism Dying?

(Newser) - American Airlines plans to cancel another 570 flights tomorrow, providing little relief for passengers in a jam after three consecutive days of massive snarls, the AP reports. The airline, however, said it was making progress getting wiring up to snuff on its MD-80s and planned to have the entire fleet of 300 planes back in the sky by Saturday, the New York Times notes. More »

(Newser) - Air travelers should brace themselves for several more months of chaos: the wave of FAA audits that began March 30, producing more than 2,000 canceled flights this week, will continue through June 30. In an effort to toughen enforcement of safety standards, the agency has moved to relying less on data provided by the airline themselves and more on on-site inspections, the Wall Street Journal reports. More »

(Newser) - American Airlines expects to cancel 900 more flights today as the airline works to bring its MD-80 aircraft up to FAA standards, the New York Times reports. Thousands more travelers will be stranded at airport hubs, and the problem could spill into tomorrow. American is just the latest airline to be hit with groundings under the more aggressive FAA audits, and more are expected industry-wide in the weeks ahead. More »

(Newser) - In one of 23 such instances recently, an American Airlines pilot told CNN that troubles with the landing gear in his Boeing MD-80 forced him to return to Minneapolis moments after takeoff in December. Problems with the gear knocked out the anti-icing system in the plane, which is at the center of wiring issues that have forced American to cancel more than 1,000 flights the past two days. More »

(Newser) - The days of discounts and perks on major US airlines have disappeared from the horizon, possibly forever, Marketwatch writes. The stratospheric fuel prices that caused three airlines to shut down last week alone are forcing airlines to boost their bottom lines any way they can. Capacity is being cut back and charges for things like second bags are spreading through the industry. More »

(Newser) - Democrats are calling for another stimulus package to help American workers as unemployment soars, the New York Times reports. Almost 250,000 American jobs have been lost since the beginning of the year—including 80,000 in March—leading one policy expert to say it's time the government switched focus from the housing crisis to the flagging job market. More »

(Newser) - Northwest Airlines is jacking up fares and fees and scaling back domestic operations, the Wall Street Journal reports. The airline, trying to deal with soaring fuel costs and a slowing economy without instituting pay cuts, also plans to freeze hiring. Northwest will keep adding international flights, but will add fuel surcharges as high as $160. More »

(Newser) - "The American Experience" hasn't been the come-on Washington officials hoped, Portfolio reports, and DC's tourist board hopes to change that with a new campaign: “Create Your Own Power Trip." With a stumbling economy projected to eat into the US capital's 15 million in annual tourism, the city decided a rebranding was needed to keep up with the competition. More »

(Newser)<