Meeting News - March 24, 2008 - (Page 18)

Transportation & Services Did Cruises Go Overboard with Fuel Surcharges? Class-action lawsuit filed against cruise companies alleges price fixing and unfair rates New York—Multiple cruise lines— including Royal Caribbean Cruises and Carnival Corp., which collectively hold 90 percent of the North America cruise market—were named in a class-action lawsuit alleging that they colluded to fix unreasonably high fuel surcharges. At the same time, Florida Attorney General Bill Collum’s office is investigating that charge and whether the companies properly disclosed the fare hikes to already-booked passengers. According to the complaint, filed by Florida attorney Harley Tropin on behalf of New York resident Jason Ablelove, the cruise lines engaged in a conspiracy to “fix, raise, maintain, and/or stabilize the energy surcharge prices.” The fuel surcharges, reported on by MeetingNews when they were announced by several companies in November, amounted to $5 to $10 per person per day, depending on the company. The lawsuit alleged that the surcharges were set higher than the actual increased cost of fuel, and that the companies violated passengers’ right to free and open competition. The suit also cites a 1997 settlement between several of the defendants and Florida’s attorney general, which said that the cruise lines can no longer charge customers any fees in addition to the advertised initial ticket price, except for fees passed on by the company to a government agency. Although Tropin did not respond to a request for comment by press time, the cruise companies issued statements denying the charges. Royal Caribbean said: “Like many other businesses, we have been significantly impacted by the record-high fuel prices of the recent past. Also, like many of those businesses, we implemented a fuel supplement…We think this is a fair and reasonable response to the problem, and we intend to continue assessing the supplement on a temporary basis, and may periodically adjust it as fuel prices fluctuate. Our company reached these decisions independent of the other parties named in the lawsuit, and we will rely upon these simple and straightforward facts in Edited by Lori Morris lori.morris@nielsen.com been significantly impacted by the record-high fuel prices…we will rely upon facts in responding to this meritless lawsuit. —Royal Caribbean statement “Like many other businesses, we have ” responding to this meritless lawsuit.” Carnival responded in a similar vein: “We believe that our fuel surcharge complies with applicable laws. The lawsuit in question is completely without merit, and we will vigorously defend ourselves against this claim.” Getting Down to Business: Singapore Airlines Announces All-Business-Class Flights from U.S. Singapore—To meet the needs of its large contingent of business travelers, Singapore Airlines will be converting its five Airbus A340-500 ultra-longrange aircraft with an all-business-class configuration on daily, nonstop flights between New York and Singapore, and Los Angeles and Singapore. The transition will take place gradually, starting in mid-May and finishing by the end of September. The planes’ current setup, 181 seats among two separate classes, will be replaced with the airline’s new business-class seats—the widest business-class offerings in the sky, according to the company. The new seats will be configured like those on the carrier’s other aircraft, in a 1-2-1 pattern giving each Flat Out: Singapore Airlines’ new passenger access to the aisles. While the planes are being retrofitseats convert to horizontal beds. ted, the existing service between Los Angeles and Singapore will not operate on Tuesdays from mid-May to mid-June. The New York route will not be interrupted. Passengers who have already purchased economy-class seats will be reaccommodated where possible, and future customers seeking economyclass seats can book on the airlines’ one-stop flights. 18 MeetingNews March 24, 2008 Westin, United Give Fliers A Heavenly Experience New York—In an effort to make VIPs feel even more comfortable on premium-service transcontinental flights, United Airlines has partnered with Westin Hotels & Resorts to offer the chain’s signature Heavenly Bed products aboard flights. The partnership marks the first time hotel-branded bedding will be used on a U.S. airline. Also, United’s Red Carpet Clubs at New York JFK, Los Angeles International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport will debut custom-designed Westin Renewal Lounges later this year. The lounges will be private areas with luxurious touches from Westin that the airline hopes will calm weary travelers. Tradeshow Logistics Launches Green Initiative Atlanta—TradeshowLogistics is helping promote green practices in the convention industry by launching Exhibiting Green, an initiative that aims to help trade show sponsors produce environmentally sound events. The initiative also addresses TradeshowLogistics’ internal operations, ensuring the firm is more eco-friendly by implementing environmental sensitivity training for all employees, offering the option to telecommute, and eliminating printed exhibitors’ manuals, among other initiatives. TradeshowLogistics also has demonstrated its commitment to going green by becoming a founding sponsor of the Convene Green Alliance, an industry initiative that seeks to effect positive environmental practices and minimize the carbon footprints of events. The alliance was developed by 15 highprofile associations in response to members’ demands that their organizations and sponsored events have more earth-friendly habits. r www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - March 24, 2008

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