Keeping Abreast of Hooters Air Developments

Hooters Air is just two weeks away from regular service. Here’s what’s on offer: Myrtle Beach-Atlanta starts March 6, once daily except Tuesdays. Atlanta-Newark starts March 20, once daily except Tuesdays. Myrtle Beach-Neward starts April 3, once daily except Tuesdays. All the details of the new airline can be found here. Photos of a Hooters plane and of a cabin interior can be found here Fares start at $99 roundtrip. Aircraft feature all leather seating, extra legroom, and (2) Hooters girls.

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Expensive Advice

I said yesterday that United’s go-forward plan made for interesting reading. But it certainly isn’t worth $1 million a month in consulting fees to McKinsey & Company, and United’s unsecured creditors agree. They’re asking the bankruptcy court to stop the engagement.

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Path forward for United?

United’s January 31 presentation to its creditors committee makes for some (long) interesting reading. It gives a fairly detailed look into where United sees itself and the rest of the industry, and makes its case for: * cutting back mainline flying * growing the regional jet fleet * cutting fees paid to regional partner airlines * starting up a low-cost carrier United believes they are the ultimate Road Warrior airline, but that the Road Warrior segment (high fares, wants First Class) is deteriorating rapidly. United also believes that they are poorly positioned for leisure traffic. A low-cost carrier on leisure routes is their solution. Now, I do see some problems. First, they give away a bit of their myopia when they offer a slide blaming their problems on the Internet. (Customers know price options, spurs…

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Whoops. The New York

Whoops. The New York Times runs a correction today that really is a big oops for them. Because of an editing error, a front-page article yesterday about diplomatic developments in the Iraq crisis misidentified the Bush administration official who said about the weapons inspectors in Iraq, “At some point it will become obvious that it’s time for them to go.” It was an administration official speaking on condition of anonymity, not Condoleezza Rice, President Bush’s national security adviser. Sorry, but the cat is out of the bag…(Thanks to Slate’s Today’s Papers for the pointer.)

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