Travel Advice and Tips for Nashville

We'll start putting some travel tips and advice on here again for you all but if you have any questions or problems, please email me and I will get the answer for you or offer suggestions depending on your need.

Southwest Airlines is reducing a flight a day in Nashville

Southwest Airlines has notified Nashville International Airport (BNA) that effective Aug. 16 through Oct. 30, 2009, it is reducing one flight each to nine markets it currently serves from BNA. Southwest will continue to offer service to each of these cities.

Effective Aug. 16 through Oct. 30, Southwest will reduce one daily flight to each of the following markets:
- Chicago Midway (MDW)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- New Orleans (MSY)
- Orlando (MCO)
- Philadelphia (PHL)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- Raleigh/Durham (RDU)
- San Diego (SAN)
- Tampa (TPA)

“These are seasonal changes that impact early morning and late evening flights. Southwest added an additional flight to several of these markets earlier this year – in March and May schedules. Southwest and several other airlines continue to offer service to these cities,” said Raul Regalado, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, which owns and operates Nashville International.

Southwest Airlines Adding Flights from Nashville

Southwest Airlines has notified Nashville International Airport (BNA) that effective March 8 through May 8, 2008, Southwest is adding one additional flight each to five markets it currently serves from BNA and beginning May 9 through June 26, 2008, is adding back nonstop service to Oakland and Seattle plus an additional flight each to four other markets.

Starting March 8 through May 8, Southwest will add one additional flight to each of the following markets:
Baltimore/Washington (BWI)
Chicago Midway (MDW)
Jacksonville (JAX)
Phoenix (PHX)
Tampa (TPA)

Effective May 9, 2009, to June 26, 2009, Southwest will add back nonstop service to the following markets:
Oakland (OAK)
Seattle (SEA)

In addition, May 9, through June 26, Southwest will add one additional nonstop flight to each of the following markets:
Kansas City (MCI)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Raleigh/Durham (RDU)
San Diego (SAN)

Nashville International Airport is served by 14 carriers. More than 400 average daily arriving and departing flights operate from 47 air carrier gates. Nashville International provides nonstop air service to 90 markets.

For more information, visit FlyNashville.

Holiday travel deasl with Southwest Airlines

$49 - $109 one-way (Monday – Thursday & Saturday) or $59 - $159 one-way (Friday & Sunday)!

Book by November 20 for travel December 9, 2008 - February 28, 2009. 21-day advance purchase.
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Fares do not include federal excise tax of $3.50 per takeoff and landing, airport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9, and government-imposed September 11th Security Fee of up to $5.00 one-way.

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  Available only on southwest.com and swabiz.com 21-day advance purchase is required.
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  Purchase November 18 through November 20, 2008, midnight central standard time.
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  Travel December 9, 2008 through February 28, 2009.
• 
  Fares do not include federal excise tax of $3.50 for each flight segment. A flight segment is defined as a takeoff and a landing.
• 
  Fares do not include airport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9.00 and government-imposed September 11th Security Fee of up to $5.00 one-way.
• 
  Seats are limited. Fares vary by destination and may not be available on all flights during key travel dates (12/20/08 - 1/4/09). Seats may be limited to/from FL between 2/11/09 and 2/28/09 due to Spring Break.
• 
  Travel not available to/from New Orleans, LA, Orange County, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, or Washington (Dulles), DC.
• 
  Offer applies to Southwest Airlines-operated, published, scheduled service.
• 
  This fare is available for one-way travel.
• 
  If combining with other fares, the most restrictive fare's rules apply.
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  Tickets are nonrefundable but (except for tickets purchased through our Group Tickets program)may be applied toward future travel on Southwest Airlines.
• 
  Fares are subject to change until ticketed.
• 
  Any change in itinerary may result in an increase in fare.

Visit Southwest Airlines Hot Fares to get these special deals.

Free imaginary "flights" from JetBlue

Step up for JetBlue Airways Corp's trial of bag check and security systems at its new John F. Kennedy International Airport terminal, which is set to open in September.

New York-based JetBlue is looking for 1,000 of its frequent flyers to show up at JFK on August 23 to check bags given to them by the airline, go through security and wait at the assigned gate for their imaginary "flight."

In return, the airline is promising unspecified "giveaways," free parking and lunch.

Corey talks about how American Airlines has started charging for all checked baggage

Airports add entertainment to lower holiday travel stress

The last place anyone wants to be during the holidays is the airport. Yet that's often where we find ourselves, either dazed and frazzled or waiting at some crowded holding pen for arriving guests. Hard to believe but, yes, airports do feel your pain. Many are even trying to alleviate some of that airport anguish through a roster of daily concerts and live entertainment.



In Nashville International Airport it's a little bit country and a little bit blues with trios and troubadours jazzing up both the Landings Bar and the C-Triangle Food Court.

Read the entire story in the Dallas Morning News.

Warbird SkyVentures

To learn more about Warbird Skyventures, please visit their website.

How The Airlines Are Run

Working in the hospitality industry for a good many years now I have noticed how the airlines run their businesses and it surprises me they are able to continue the same way with no changes in the service.

After the recent outbreak of people being stuck on jets for hours and hours there has been another call for change within the airlines. I have seen this type of thing happen many times and normally they promise a fix after a short "study" of the problem. It seems like this gives them type to get past all the media hype and eventually people go back to business as usual and so do the airlines.

I don't know of any other industry that could continue to lose the property of its customers, delay or cancel services or keep you in an area and not have to let you out. If the hotel industry ran like that, we would be out of business in no time and probably have lawsuits like crazy.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not encouraging lawsuits against the airlines because I don't blame them for not trying to fly in bad weather and I sure don't want to fly in a jet that needs some work done on it.

The things that get me are not with the flight crews or having to pull a plane out of rotation. It is the overbooking, lost luggage or the bag getting broken or torn and the airlines try to say that it wasn't their fault.

If UPS, FED-EX and those types of guys can keep track of the amount of boxes and packages they get each day than you would think the airlines could work on their system and make improvements.

Would I fly out today if I could? Yes...Do I hate the airlines? No, I just wish they would improve some of their practices.