Travel News You Can Use
By Judy Newell July 25, 2008 San Miguel de Allende


Mexico Travel News

Tulum hotels ordered to close 

Federal agencies have ordered the closing of six Tulum hotels and are investigating two others in relation to various irregularities. Now the National Institute of Anthropology and History is asking that these six, plus seven more, be demolished. 

The hotels are located in a national park and, allegedly, within an archaeological zone. The boundaries of the zone—which includes some of the most frequently visited Maya ruins—are in dispute. So is the category of the park, which may or may not be a protected nature area in which private construction is not permitted. The hotels will remain open until their guests depart, but no new guests may be registered. 

Mexican airlines cut back flights

The number of seats available aboard Mexican airlines has been reduced by nearly 20 percent, according to figures released by the Civil Aviation Administration. The reduction is blamed on the high price of fuel. 

Four of the smaller airlines have grounded 31 planes which have proven too expensive to fly under current conditions. Flights to several cities have been suspended or simply terminated. Interjet, which launched its first international route to Guatemala City, no longer flies there. 

Since 2005, the number of airlines operating in Mexico has more than doubled. None are believed to be earning a profit.

US airlines to cut 50 flights to Mexico

American Airlines and American Eagle plan to eliminate 11 flights to Mexico within the next few weeks. Delta also will be cutting back, eliminating flights from Los Angeles to Loreto and to Manzanillo among others. United is suspending service between Chicago and Mexico City and Continental confirms that it is considering cutbacks. 

In all, the Mexican Association of Travel Agents reports that 50 flights from the US and Canada are being eliminated. 

Pyramids to get light and sound—again 
Work has begun to install a night light-and-sound show at Teotihuacan, better known to travelers simply as the Pyramids. Two pyramids are part of a vast complex that may have been the largest city on earth 1,500 years ago. 

An earlier light-and-sound show featuring the voices of Hollywood stars of the sixties (Charlton Heston comes to mind) operated at the site about 40 years ago, but never attracted hordes of visitors. Teotihuacan tends to be cold on winter nights, rainy during the summer and, while only 30 miles north of Mexico City, takes nearly two hours to reach. Getting back may be somewhat quicker, as traffic diminishes late in the evening. 

A budget of about US$4 million has been approved for the project. No big name stars have signed on yet. Indeed, no mention has been made of whether the sound will be in English or Spanish. 

New flight to Huatulco 

Interjet, one of the new low-fare airlines, has started flying daily from Toluca (near Mexico City) to Huatulco, the Pacific coast resort being “relaunched.”

Earlier this year, President Felipe Calderón pledged to get the development of Huatulco back on track. The Interjet flight is the first indication that something is happening.

On the Oaxaca shore and more east than south of Acapulco, Huatulco was one of five master-planned resort destinations developed by Fonatur three decades ago. It was expected to have 10,000 hotel rooms by now, but has only 2,500. 


Airline News

Air France increases fuel surcharge again

Due to high fuel prices, Air France is increasing its fuel surcharge from 2 to 14 euros per segment. This increase is valid on tickets for trips from France, issued as of July 10, 2008. Half of the increase will be withdrawn as soon as the price per barrel stabilizes under US$130. 

US Airways to end in-flight movies on domestic flights

US Airways will stop showing in-flight movies on its domestic flights, a move that the carrier says will save it about US$10 million a year in fuel and other costs. The video systems add about 500 pounds to a plane’s weight. That, coupled with a drop in the number of customers willing to pay US$5 for headsets, led to the airline’s decision. “We simply can’t afford to do it anymore,” a US Airways vice president said. The movie systems will be turned off November 1. Movies still will be available on trans-Atlantic and Hawaii flights. 

Continental Airlines charged for Concorde crash

Continental Airlines and five individuals will stand trial in a French court and be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the Air France Concorde crash at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris that killed 113 people on July 25, 2000. 

The five include Henri Perrier (director of the Concorde program), the head of France's civil aviation authority at the time of the crash, two Continental engineers and another man who worked on the Concorde project.

Continental has been called to trial after consecutive investigations concluded that a strip of metal that fell onto the runway from a Continental flight burst a tire on the departing Concorde, sending shrapnel flying into the plane’s oil tanks, causing it to catch fire. Continental has denied any responsibility for the crash and has said it would fight any charges.

A statement released by the prosecutor claims that Continental was negligent in its maintenance of the DC-10 aircraft and failed to follow normal procedures over repairs. The statement comes after a previous judicial report stated that Aerospatiale, Concorde’s manufacturer, failed to fix a flawed design that resulted in more than 70 incidents involving the plane’s tires between 1979 and 2000. 

The prosecutor’s statement also claimed France’s civil aviation chief was negligent for not enforcing design safety for the Concorde and not adding extra protection to the under-wing fuel tanks until after the tragic crash.

French officials said earlier this year that any trial would likely not begin until later this year or early 2009. 

Midwest racing to avoid bankruptcy filing

Pressure appears to be mounting on Midwest Airlines. The Wall Street Journal says the company “is racing to craft a restructuring plan to avoid a bankruptcy-court filing.” Midwest has already said it will ground 12 of its 37 jets, retiring its fuel-guzzling MD-80 aircraft. 

Midwest CEO Timothy Hoeksema also has warned of layoffs and has called on many of the airline’s remaining front-line workers to take pay cuts of up to 65 percent. Hoeksema calls the airline’s situation “critical” and warns the airline’s restructuring plan must be put into action within 30 days “to make sure we have the cash level necessary to operate.”


Sources: Mexican Tourism News, USA Today, TRO Travelgram, Travel Agent Central, Associated Press, Modern Agent


Judy Newell, a writer and travel industry executive, heads the custom tour company Perfect Journeys that specializes in luxury and adventure travel. Contact her with comments or suggestions at JudyNewell_03@msn.com  or go to her website www.PerfectJourneys.net.