Continental Air Transport has been providing transportation to Chicago’s major airports, first to Midway and then to O’Hare International, for more than 50 years.
Earlier this week, the company, which operates the Airport Express vans between downtown hotels and O’Hare and Midway, and between many suburbs and the airports, received authorization to begin providing door-to-door service in the Loop, River North, Streeterville and the Near West Side.
No longer will riders living downtown be forced to ask the driver to make a special stop at their condo or office, or arrange to be dropped off at a nearby hotel. And residents of city neighborhoods now will have the same choices that suburbanites have had for years.
John McCarthy, president of Continental, said the firm sought the authorization from the Illinois Commerce Commission following the successful test of a door-to-door service it has been offering in the Lincoln Park and Lakeview neighborhoods since October.
McCarthy said he was seeking to even out his firm’s business, which is subject to swings depending upon whether there is a major convention at McCormick Place.
“With the growth of lofts, condos and apartments, we see this as an opportunity,” he said. “Our Lincoln Park business was a big boon during the past month.”
Chicago’s convention business, and until last month McCarthy’s Airport Express business, goes dormant from early December until the middle of January when the International Housewares Show opens.
The city door-to-door service won’t start, however, until Continental secures rate approval from the commerce commission, McCarthy said. Currently, the firm is charging $18 for rides from Lincoln Park to O’Hare or $13 for two or more people departing from the same location.
Air Force fights back: Stung by its failure to retain highly trained pilots and aircraft mechanics, the U.S. Air Force says it is beefing up a bonus program to entice members to reenlist.
That could turn into bad news for the nation’s airlines, which, faced with a shortage of pilots and mechanics, have been hitting the service ranks for already-trained employees.
Under the program, the Air Force is authorized to pay bonuses of up to $25,000 per year on top of the $840 per month in flight pay that a pilot receives.
Similar bonus programs have been authorized for other hard-to-keep positions in other service branches.
But unlike the Air Force, the Navy, Marines and Army have been meeting their retention goals.
The new program, which was authorized last year by Congress, will allow the military to continue paying the reenlistment bonuses for 25 years. Under the old program, reenlistment bonuses weren’t allowed after 14 years in the service.
Rewards to read e-mail: There probably are a few people out there who will jump at the chance to read advertisements that are e-mailed to them.
Elk Grove Township-based United Airlines is counting on that.
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The carrier is recruiting some of its Mileage Plus frequent flier members to join a program that, as the airline says, “pays you to read e-mail.”
Under the program being run by e-Rewards, participants will be paid a nickel for agreeing to receive the e-mailed ads. They’ll earn more for reading and then reacting to the e-mail.
Once participants have accumulated at least $25 in e-Rewards, they will be able to cash in the “money.” United, for instance, is offering a $25 travel certificate for $25 in e-Rewards.
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