This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@xxxxxxxxx /-------------------- advertisement -----------------------\ IN AMERICA - NOMINATED FOR 6 INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS IN AMERICA has audiences across the country moved by its emotional power. This Holiday season, share the experience of this extraordinary film with everyone you are thankful to have in your life. Ebert & Roeper give IN AMERICA "Two Thumbs Way Up!" Watch the trailer at: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/inamerica \----------------------------------------------------------/ Memo Pad: Another Year of Decline in Flights Made in U.S. December 23, 2003 By JOE SHARKEY Another Year of Decline In Flights Made in U.S. Air service continued to deteriorate this year, with some cities showing losses of 25 percent or more in the number of flights compared with 2001, according to a report by Reconnecting America, a nonprofit group that supports better links between communities and the national transportation networks. The study argues for "a revitalized hub-and-spoke system incorporating rail and bus for shorter trips, or for access to hub airports." It found that the 30 largest hub airports - which account for two-thirds of all available seat miles flown in the United States - had an average of 11.1 percent fewer scheduled flights this year compared with 2001. Air travel has picked up in recent months and airlines are expected to increase capacity slightly in early 2004. Low-fare airlines, for example, are rapidly adding flights to compete with major carriers on the most lucrative routes. But the study documented how some regions have been harder hit than others in the cutbacks since 2001. The three hub airports in the Washington area, as well as hub airports in Boston, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and St. Louis, all had reductions in both flights and available seats of 25 percent or more over that period, according to the report (which is available at www. reconnectingamerica.org). Smaller hub airports were also sharply affected by cutbacks. Atlantic City lost 37.6 percent of its flights; Raleigh-Durham, N.C, lost 30.5 percent; and Kansas City, Mo., lost 30.2 percent. Cities with losses of more than 20 percent included Providence, R.I.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Palm Springs, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Columbus, Ohio; and Eugene, Ore. The report calls on Congress to fill in the widening gaps by creating a plan to integrate air transportation with both feeder routes and alternate routes using rail and bus, including extensive networks of intercity rail lines for trips of 100 to 400 miles. The report suggests using bus or rail, instead of cars, to provide access to airports; using bus or rail to travel from city center to city center; and using bus or rail to substitute for the "spoke" portion of a hub-and-spoke journey. Delta Upgrading Its Elite Rewards Delta Air Lines is making major changes in its SkyMiles Medallion elite program next year to enhance the rewards for Medallion members who have been using higher fares to accrue status credit since the program was initially modified last year. Starting Jan. 1, Medallion members will be eligible for unlimited upgrades when flying on any published fare. Upgrades will also be processed automatically so that members can verify them online, Delta said. In addition, companions flying with Medallion members will be eligible for free upgrades on most fares. Last year, Delta rattled many of its frequent fliers when it revamped its Medallion elite-status program to give more per-mile credit to those flying on higher fares and less per-mile credit for those flying on cheaper discount fares. Despite predictions that many members would flee, "by the end of this year we will have more Medallion members than we had last year," said Patrice Miles, the airline's vice president for consumer marketing. Medallion members "committed to Delta this year and worked hard to earn their elite status," Ms. Miles added. The changes, she said, will make it far easier for them to upgrade from coach to first class (when first-class seats are available), and to keep track of those upgrades. Delta said it would also award mileage-credit bonuses to Medallion members flying short routes. In the past, a passenger got credit for 500 miles on flights of 500 miles or less. Next year, that changes to credit of 750 miles for trips under 500 miles for most fares, Delta said. Frontier Is Planning Los Angeles Mini-Hub Continuing its challenges to both UAL's United Airlines and Southwest Airlines in the West and Midwest, Frontier Airlines said it would establish a mini-hub at Los Angeles International Airport and begin service to St. Louis; Kansas City, Mo.; and Minneapolis from Los Angeles in April. The changes will be Frontier's first expansion of point-to-point routes outside of Denver International Airport. "We have focused on the growth of our hub in Denver for the past 10 years,'' said Sean Menke, Frontier's senior vice president for marketing, "and we feel comfortable that we are now at a point that we can begin to fully leverage and utilize that asset as we begin to offer nonstop service outside of Denver to complement our hub schedule."JOE SHARKEY http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/23/business/23memo.html?ex=1073187874&ei=1&en=134bb1ba4c80763f --------------------------------- Get Home Delivery of The New York Times Newspaper. Imagine reading The New York Times any time & anywhere you like! Leisurely catch up on events & expand your horizons. Enjoy now for 50% off Home Delivery! Click here: http://www.nytimes.com/ads/nytcirc/index.html HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact onlinesales@xxxxxxxxxxx or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@xxxxxxxxxxxx Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company