Yesterday, there were quite a few articles pertaining to US Airways. Since they have a hub in my hometown, I thought it’d be appropriate to mention their latest news. Article 1 is about US Airways hiring Translations.com. Apparently US Airways would like to make their website readable in 10 different languages. I’m assuming that the move is aimed at accommodating new European destinations. New International routes for the carrier include: Philadelphia to Tel Aviv, Philadelphia to Birmingham UK, and Philadelphia to Oslo, Norway. So, I bet Norwegian is on that list somewhere. Is it good for US Airways to do this? Absolutely. Would you fly Thai Airways, like so many Americans do, if they had the website in Thai only? Probably not. So, a good move by US Airways. However, I have to question why they couldn’t easily recruit native speakers.
Next item; Lobbying. According to a report issued by the Associated Press, US Airways spent $450,000 on lobbying in Washington D.C. The airline lobbied on moderating oil prices, and pushed for a bill that would start a cap-and-trade system in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They also lobbied on restricting flights out of Washington’s Reagan International Airport. The article also said that US Airways lobbied the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, and the TSA.
It seems a bit… chilling to think that airlines are paying a decent sum of cash to get rulings / decisions made in their favor. I feel as though airlines have no business playing in the FAA, DHS, DOT, and TSA. Security administrations are there to regulate and ensure that air travel is safe. Yet, be aware that US Airways is not the only airline lobbying. I’m sure nearly all of the airlines are lobbying one way or another. Remember that letter that 12 airlines sent out to nearly all of their frequent flier members? Well, I’m sure all of those airlines lobbied on oil prices.
That’s the latest from US Airways. Tomorrow, I plan on writing a post in the Airport category. Stick Around.
Image: flickr.com
