14.11.2025
Mexicana Airlines and Star Alliance Agree to Termination of Membership Effective March 31st, 2004
All members of the Star Alliance in a meeting of its Alliance Management Board have mutually agreed that Mexicana Airlines' membership will end March 31, 2004.

In a joint statement, both Mexicana Airlines and the other members of the alliance express their commitment to maintain the current Star Alliance product offering including frequent flyer and lounge access benefits to their customers until the set date.

Measured by responses from 551 North American corporate travel buyers, the Business Travel News survey asked respondents to rank major domestic airlines and cut-rate carriers in various categories ranging from flexibility in negotiating prices and amenities to the quality of sales representatives' visits, carrier communication and overall price value. Complete survey results are available in the Nov. 11 issue of Business Travel News.

Continental Airlines is the world's seventh-largest airline with more than 2,200 daily departures to 127 domestic and 96 international destinations throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. With 42,000 mainline employees, the airline has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and carries approximately 41 million passengers per year. Fortune ranks Continental one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America, highest among major U.S. carriers in the quality of its service and products, and No. 2 on its list of Most Admired Global Airlines. For more company information, visit continental.com.

In terms of the leasing agreement, signed with Boeing last month, Gulf Air will take delivery of a further three Airbus wide-bodied A340-300 aircraft, one of which rolled off the delivery line at the Airbus factory in Toulouse at the end of October. This takes the total of A340s in the Gulf Air fleet to 10.

“The three aircraft will enter service early next year to meet the increasing requirements of our network and our commitment to daily frequencies,” said President and Chief Executive, James Hogan, confirming the agreements.

“With record results in the third quarter, we are lining up for a strong close to the year, and are well placed to move into the next phase of our network and fleet expansion during the second year of our restructuring programme,” he said. “Although the post-SARS recovery has been better than expected, the market still favours buyers, and we have been able to leverage these conditions to negotiate agreements on very good terms.”

This agreement follows leasing acquisitions in July this year, which added two new A340s and an A320 to the airline’s fleet.

“The expansion of our fleet is a vital part of Gulf Air’s restructuring strategy which aims to double the fleet to 60 aircraft by 2009,” he said.

The airline is proceeding with due diligence and has conducted a careful fleet requirement analysis. A detailed request for information sent out in July this year has already brought responses from all the major aircraft and engine manufacturers, including Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer, who are expected to submit further proposals in the coming months.

“Our increasing network and expanding fleet in addition to benefitting our customers, also offers new opportunities for the growing number of Gulf national pilots employed by the airline,” said Captain Hameed Ali, Vice President of Operations. “We have already started a training programme which will prepare our pilots to operate the new aircraft.”

If a customer books through Marriott and then finds a lower publicly available rate within 24 hours for the same hotel, room type, and dates anywhere on an Internet travel site, through a travel agency, travel management company or even Marriott, the hotel will match the lower rate and give an additional
25 percent off. Marriott is the first major lodging company to offer a comprehensive rate guarantee beyond the internet.

Company research shows that travelers spend as much as half a day shopping to find the best room rates, and that the majority of travelers do not make hotel reservations on the internet.

Marriott’s Look No FurtherSM Best Rate Guarantee is a holistic approach that levels the playing field to ensure all customers have equal access to the best available room rates. This is an important distinction between Marriott and other major lodging companies, which offer internet-only guarantees and/or web-only rates. Internet-only guarantees and web-only rates create a disadvantage for travelers who prefer to book through traditional channels, such as travel agents, telephone reservations centers or directly with the hotel.

The Marriott guarantee reinforces the company’s single image inventory principle to offer customers the same rates and availability information across Marriott reservation channels. Single image inventory also ensures travel agencies, global reservations systems and travel management companies have the same access to Marriott’s best available rates. This supports Marriott’s long-standing philosophy “to sell the way customers want to buy.”

Marriott’s Look No FurtherSM Best Rate Guarantee will be offered globally and will apply to the following Marriott brands: Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites and Marriott Vacation Club International.

Currently in its final stage of complete renovation, The Regent Esplanade Hotel is a magnificent landmark building that offers all modern comforts, while retaining all the charm of its original 1925 Art Nouveau architecture. The hotel has 207 individually designed guest rooms, a grand restaurant in a modern style, a classic contemporary cocktail bar and a simple but elegant French bistro, complete with glazed conservatory and outdoor terrace extending on to one of Zagreb’s elegant piazzas. A grand ballroom, well equipped conference rooms, business facilities and parking, complete the hotel’s impressive list of facilities.

The hotel is superbly situated in the city center, a five-minute walk from the main business and shopping area. International rail links are within easy access and Zagreb Airport is only sixteen kilometers from the hotel. It is expected that The Regent Esplanade Hotel, Zagreb, will open in January 2004.

Kurt Ritter, President and CEO of Rezidor SAS Hospitality comments; “I am absolutely thrilled to have signed our first Regent. It’s the addition of another flagship property to our portfolio and it also takes us into Croatia for the very first time. In its heyday the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb was the epitome of style and elegance in the city, as well as being the luxury stopover for the passengers of The Orient Express. Through the Regent brand, we fully intend to uphold all of these traditions and values but in a way that’s relevant now to a modern and forward thinking city like Zagreb. I am convinced that securing The Regent Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb will also now help us to secure more Regents throughout Europe and the Middle East.”

10.11.2025
Star Alliance to Discuss Termination of Membership of Mexicana Airlines
The members of Star Alliance have agreed to discuss a termination of the membership of Mexicana Airlines in the global alliance at the next regular Alliance Management Board meeting on November 13 in Frankfurt, Germany.

The decision follows the official announcement of the termination of the bilateral relationship between United Airlines and Mexicana Airlines earlier today.

In a joint statement, the members of the alliance "regret this development but do not see any other solution for the future of our business partnership. The combined strength of the Star Alliance membership will ensure that the international air travel market, and in particular Mexico, will remain well served by our team of high quality airlines."