BOOKING UP IN JULY AT ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska Airlines has reported that the temporary shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration, which meant taxes and fees have not been collected since July 23, has led to an increase in July bookings. Alaska didn’t increase its fares when the FAA shut down and as a result, the airline says, new bookings increased 26% in the seven days after July 23, compared with the week before. Alaska Airlines RPK rose 6.8% to 2.12 billion from 1.99 billion in July 2010, while ASM rose 5.5% last month to 2.4 billion from 2.3 billion a year earlier. Passenger revenue also increased in