US Airways is celebrating the July 4th holiday with special sale fares, starting at $98 roundtrip, between Charlotte, NC; Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC and select nonstop markets in the East, Midwest, South and Florida. To qualify for this special offer, tickets must be purchased no later than June 27, 2003. Travel must be nonstop, originating July 1-3 and returning July 4-5 or originating July 4 and returning July 5, 2003. Tickets become nonrefundable 24 hours after making initial reservation and under cetain conditions may be changed prior to the departure of each flight segment for a minimum $100 fee. If changes are not made prior to midnight of the departure date of each flight, the entire remaining ticket will have no further value. Sale fare does not include taxes and fees. Please contact your World Travel reservationist for additional details.

Effective Tuesday, June 24, 2003 the World Health Organization (WHO) is no longer recommending that travelers postpone all but essential travel to any area of the world that has experienced outbreaks of SARS. On June 24, WHO removed its SARS travel alert from the last remaining affected area - Beijing. The capital city of China was removed from the list because it has been 20 days since the last new case of the disease was reported. On June 23, WHO removed Hong Kong from its list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS. Toronto, Canada, and Taiwan Province of China are the last areas in which a local chain of transmission is occurring, however, no travel recommendations are advised to these areas.

Airlines are slowly restoring U.S. flights to and from Asia as the fear over the SARS outbreak subsides and travel warnings are lifted. Travelers' interest in flying to Asia has increased enough to prompt the restoration of approximately 20 of the 324 flights cut at the height of the outbreak. Airlines expanding trans-Pacific schedules include Cathay Pacific Airway, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Continental Airlines.

Beginning this fall Lufthansa will offer passengers a new Business Class with more comfort and will introduce a completely new seat that can be converted into a bed. Lufthansa is also investing some 30 million euros into a program for its premium customers, offering them outstanding service with their own terminals at Frankfurt and Munich as well as exclusively designed transfer lounges. The new terminal changes are expected to be complete by summer 2004.

Delta Air Lines is progressing ahead of schedule on an 81-airport project aimed at bringing efficiencies to domestic passenger processing and providing travelers with improved customer service. The $30 million project, slated for completion by Labor Day, includes a mix of technological advancements and redefined roles for many of the airline's airport personnel. The genesis of the project was market research last summer in the Northeast corridor that found business travelers favor airlines that quickly move them from the curb to the gate. Once the project is completed, Delta will offer more than 800 self-service kiosks nationwide.

On June 24, 2003 Delta slashed walk-up coach fares by as much as 40% for more than 60 nonstop routes out of Salt Lake City, and started selling walk-up upgrades to first class on those routes for as little as $50. Delta said the change is long-term, with no scheduled end date. The fares, however, are offered for limited number of seats, with blackout dates around the holidays. Delta said its been doing the same thing for approximately 40 nonstop routes from its Atlanta hub since March and has been pleased with the results, although there are no plans to expand the program beyond the Atlanta and Salt Lake City routes.

ANC Rental Corporation, the parent company of National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car has signed an agreement to sell National and Alamo to Cerberus Capital Management LP, a private New York investment firm for $290 million. The sale culminates the restructuring effort that ANC has undertaken since filing for bankruptcy protection in November 2001.

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