If you have a tight connection while flying United, you might benefit from the airline's new ConnectionSaver tool that identifies departing flights that can be held for connecting customers. In February, United launched the ConnectionSaver tool at Denver International Airport and then expanded to Chicago O'Hare International Airport – two of the airline's busiest hubs. United announced Monday it plans to expand the ConnectionSaver technology to other airports that United services in the future. Connecting customers receive personalized text messages from ConnectionSaver with directions to the gate for their connecting flight; information about expected travel time between the two gates; and nearby amenities. In a Twitter video posted by United, there is an example of a flight docked at gate B23 at Chicago O'Hare, with passengers shown successfully making a connecting flight at gate C20 to Narita, Japan. The video explains that ConnectionSaver helped make the transfer. According to United, during the past four months, over 14,400 customers who had connecting flights were able to make their flights thanks to ConnectionSaver. Flights that were held for connecting customers were delayed an average of six minutes. <br/>
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SAS and UK regional carrier Flybe are ending their “white label” agreement, under which the UK airline provided short-haul services to SAS on a wet-lease basis. Flybe has operated five ATR 72-600 turboprops on behalf of SAS, primarily out of Stockholm Arlanda on domestic Swedish and Finnish routes for the past four years, using local crews and engineering support. The aircraft operate in full SAS livery. In recent years, SAS has increasingly switched short, thinner routes to several ACMI providers, which operate smaller aircraft than are available in SAS’s mainline fleet, as the Scandinavian carrier sought to reduce costs. <br/>
South African Airways (SAA) has appointed GM for operations Zuks Ramasia as acting CEO following the resignation of Vuyani Jarana. Ramasia assumed her new role June 10. The change comes as the state-owned airline says it is again facing financial problems. The carrier has been kept alive by several cash infusions from the government over recent years. “The board acknowledges the critical financial circumstances confronting the company and is in ongoing discussions with the Department of Public Enterprises, National Treasury and financial institutions with respect to putting in place a financial structure appropriate to supporting the long-term sustainability of the company,” SAA said. The board added that it had begun a search, locally and internationally, for a permanent CEO “with appropriate experience and expertise to stabilise the company and to oversee the implementation of the long-term turnaround strategy.”<br/>