Ease of Travel

In a press release, American Airlines will begin offering a Lifetime Admirals Club Membership to customers between Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2005. If you’re already a member, you get a $200 discount on the upgrade to a lifetime membership.

A lifetime membership for a non-member is $5,500 ($5,300 for a non-member). Seniors (65+) members pay $2,300 ($2,500 for non-members). Call up Admirals Club Customer Service, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (CDT) at 1-800-237-7971 (from the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico) or 1-817-963-6100.

The membership benefits include:

Access to more than 40 Admirals Club locations worldwide

Business Centers offering individual workstations, data ports, printers, copiers, fax machines, computers and complimentary high speed Internet at most locations

Conference rooms (for a nominal fee, whether traveling or not)

Many locations include a spa-like shower facility, flat-panel televisions with DIRECTV® service and a Children’s Room

Professional staff to assist with travel or business needs

CNN reports that there will be a new trans-Atlantic airliner vying for your business travel needs. The company is named Eos and has applied for approval to fly between JFK and London, Stansted. Their 757s will only have 48 seats so each traveler gets the comfort of 21 sq. ft. per person and fully flat beds. It will only fly that one route with three planes and plans to be 20 to 25% cheaper than its competitors.

“We’ve designed every aspect of the Eos experience specifically with the business traveler in mind,” says David Spurlock, founder and CEO of Eos, who is a former head of strategy at British Airways.

USAToday has reported that major airlines in the East and Southeast may shut down as a result of jet fuel shortages:

Shortages appear most severe at airports in Charlotte, Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers, Fla. But two of the USA’s busiest airports could also be affected — Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and Washington Dulles.

Industry consultant John Armbrust says the supply disruption could cause some airports to run out of fuel in a week or two. John Heimlich, chief economist at the airline trade group Air Transport Association, says two weeks is more realistic.

I suggest avoiding travel to the area regardless (the last thing they need are more people) of whether there is a jet fuel shortfall that causes the airports to shut down.