Joseph A. McInerney, president and chief executive of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, said that even if employees are picketing properties, guests can expect the "same, usual service."
"This might be an inconvenience, but will not affect your stay," McInerney said.
| _ Attention, Business Travelers _ E-mail Keith L. Alexander about your experiences, good and bad, at alexanderk@washpost.com or write to him at The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. Please include your name, address, and day and evening telephone numbers.
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EPA Warns About Airline Water: The Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday that 12.6 percent of the planes it tested had drinking water on board that failed to meet the agency's standards. The EPA inspected the water on 158 planes at seven airports.
The preliminary study tested tank water used in the galleys and lavatory sinks.
Doug Willis, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, the organization that represents the nation's airlines, said the group was "confident" that the airlines' drinking water was safe and that no one had ever become sick from it. About 87 percent of the planes tested met EPA water standards.
Coliform bacteria, a non-illness-causing bacteria, was found aboard 20 planes, suggesting that other more serious forms of bacteria could be present, according to the EPA. Two planes tested positive for E. coli.
Cynthia Bergman, an EPA spokeswoman, declined to identify which airlines were part of the study. Only U.S.-based airlines were tested. The EPA and the airlines are working to resolve concerns about the water quality.
The EPA tested water aboard planes at all three Washington area airports -- Reagan National, Dulles International and Baltimore-Washington International -- and at San Francisco International, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International, Philadelphia International and Dallas-Ft. Worth International airports.
Southwest Is No. 1: Budget carrier Southwest Airlines carried the most travelers -- 39.8 million -- during the first six months of 2004, according to the latest numbers from the Transportation Department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Delta Air Lines was second with 39.4 million passengers, and American came in third with 36.2 million. Arlington-based US Airways was sixth with 18.4 million passengers. Last year, Southwest ranked second in the same period behind Delta Air Lines, which flew 38.4 million passengers.
Question of the Week: You board your flight expecting a quiet, relaxing trip. Instead, your seatmate loves to talk and talk and talk. What do you do? Tell us about your experiences. What strategies do you use to get yourself out of these dreaded conversations? Send your thoughts to alexanderk@washpost.com. Please include your name and a daytime telephone number.
