Controller sickout causes Spain travel chaos

A massive air traffic controller sickout Friday on the eve of a long holiday weekend caused travel chaos throughout Spain, forcing authorities to close eight airports, including the main European hub in Madrid.

The controllers left their posts amid a lengthy dispute over working situation and just hours after the administration of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodrigo Zapatero approved an austerity measure to partially privatize airports, and to hand over management of Madrid and Barcelona airports to the private sector.

Spain's air traffic right, known as Aena, issued an advisory telling all passengers planning to take flights to stay away from airports because "air traffic has been interrupted" and there was no immediate word when the sickout might end.

Snow causes more travel disruption as Labour urges ministers to 'get a grip'

Motorists, rail commuters and air travelers endured another day of travel chaos, as Gatwick, Britain's second biggest airport, remained shut for another day and key rail routes were closed.

The government was accused of complacency with Labour urging it to "get a grip" on the widespread transport paralysis amid claims the disruption was costing £1.2bn a day. Philip Hammond, the transport secretary, told lessons would be learned and that an urgent review would be completed before Christmas.

The transport specialist leading the review, David Quarmby, said the heaviest snowfall for this time of year since 1965 had overwhelmed local authorities, train operators and airport owners. "It is unreasonable to expect that you can clear it all in 24 hours flat," said Quarmby, chairman of the RAC Foundation.

Virgin America Flies into DFW

Fliers are getting a new way to journey out of Dallas-Fort Worth airport starting today.

Virgin America, the high-tech airline by Sir Richard Branson, is launching two daily non-stop flights to Los Angeles. They'll add two daily flights to San Francisco International on Dec. 6.

A Virgin Airbus A320 will get all the honors today, including the water cannon salute, at a special welcoming ceremony on the tarmac at DFW.

Branson, Dallas mayor Tom Leppert, Fort Worth mayor pro-tem Danny Smith, and other dignitaries will be on hand.

Virgin America has won top honors from Conde Nast Traveler and Travel and Leisure magazines for its built-in entertainment features, all-red mood lighting and white leather first-class seating.

Last Minute Travel Deals to South Padre Island

So you're thinking about going to South Padre Island for some summer enjoyment, but you made the decision at the last minute? Families, college students, and adventure seekers all may get sucked into the fun that is South Padre Island with little advance notice. AOL Travel knows this and is here to help you find last minute travel deals to South Padre Island.

First, know that there aren't any flights straight to South Padre Island. This confuses many people who try plan last minute flights to South Padre Island. The closest airport is Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport at 20 miles away. (Car, taxi, or hotel shuttle will get you the rest of the way.) If you're having problems finding flights through here, you may have to consider alternate airports.

That said, head to Priceline.com's particular page for last minute deals. They typically contain a combination of airfare and hotel room from providers looking to fill their airplanes and hotels at the last minute. Simply choose your destination of South Padre Island, where you're leaving from, and your travel dates. Priceline scours the Internet for the South Padre Island travel deals that best meet your criteria.

Travel Increase at Atlantic City International

Atlantic City International Airport is seeing a significant travel raise this year.
The airport has seen a 36-percent boost since the beginning of this year compared to 2009 and trust it will surpass the numbers from 2007 – the airport’s the highest number of travelers to date, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Spokesperson for the South Jersey Transportation Authority Sarah Gordon tells the Inky that the airport is seeing results in their attempt to expand their market area to Philadelphia suburbs and their strategic marketing campaign.

Though revenue is declining for Atlantic City casinos, there has been an influx in reservations for conferences held in the city, reports NJ.com. That can attribute to the raise of passengers to the airport. The publication says that reservations have increased 73-percent in recent years.

Cathay Pacific to Boost Capacity 11% Next Year on Global Travel Pickup

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., the Hong Kong carrier expecting a record yearly profit, will increase passenger capacity 11 percent next year as the economic pickup stokes demand for premium-class travel.

“It’s certainly very strong at the moment,” Chief Executive Officer Tony Tyler said in an interview in the city today. “That’s giving us a fine feeling and, of course, great results.”

The airline is due to get nine new widebody passenger aircraft next year as rising wages in China and a rebound in the worldwide economy spurs demand for business and leisure flights. Asia-Pacific travel growth will likely continue to outpace global demand next year, said Andrew Herdman, director general at the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.

“I’m optimistic we’ll see continued growth into 2011,” Herdman said in a Bloomberg TV interview in Kuala Lumpur. Airlines in the region “have got costs under control and they’re managing power carefully,” he said.

Spirit Airlines computer crash causes holiday travel snarl

Spirit Airlines is working with the company that oversees its computer systems to fix problems with their reservations scheme, Misty Pinson, Director of Corporate Communications for Spirit Airlines told CNN.

“All flights are operating and we have not had any cancellations. We are very proud of our workers for stepping up and ensuring that our customers are checked in without an automated system.”

Scott Wintner, a spokesperson for the Detroit Metro Airport told CNN, Spirit Airlines have been going back to older pencil and paper system - checking people in manually. Instead of checking people in on a first come, first serve basis, agents have been taking people into groups and checking them in based on their departing times. That has led to agents being unable to provide passengers approximate wait times.

And if you're flying Spirit you probably won't be able to get any help online either. As of the time of this posting it appears the computer crash has also led to the website being down.