The largest domestic carrier in US, American Airlines is poised to introduce a series of changes in its frequent flier program. The changes come in the wake of a severe crisis in the country’s aviation industry as most of the commercial airlines struggle to deal with spiraling fuel costs and a general slow down of the economy. News of the revised program was greeted with dismay at the stock market where shares of AMR, the Airlines’ parent company, slipped by 5.75% to rest at $10.33.

Most of the changes in American’s frequent flier program would center on a revised fee structure and would require customers to attain a higher mileage to be eligible for upgrades and free tickets. Currently, its AAdvantage program has more than sixty million members, of whom around 843000 received upgrades in 2007. According to the same sources, in 2007 American Airlines handed free tickets to almost 2.6 million passengers.

On Thursday, American Airlines sent an e-mail message to its AAdvantage members, informing them of the revisions in its frequent flier program. The new fee and mileage structure was also posted on the company website, aa.com. The changes brought about by American Airlines comes barely a week after the third largest domestic carrier in the US, Delta Airlines also announced revisions in its frequent flier program.

-Kalyani Mookherji

Even as the world remains transfixed on the sporting feats being achieved in the Beijing Olympics, much of the action will be taking place away from the stadium arc lights. The present Olympics not only offers athletes from around the world a great opportunity to showcase their talents but also gives a chance to global businesses – like those in the US state of Utah – to make inroads into the vast market which has 1.3 billion potential customers.

The American state of Utah has strong trade links with China and many in the state’s business community are hoping that the Olympics will offer a better chance for both cultural and commercial interaction. According to the Governor, Jon Huntsman Jr, Utah’s trade with China is worth $500 million annually which is expected to touch $ 1 billion soon. This will make China one of the top three trading partners of Utah.

Among the many Utah companies currently doing business with China are NuSkin Enterprises, Wencor West, EnergySolutions, USANA and Huntsman Chemical. Two years ago, almost two dozen companies from Utah accompanied Gov Huntsman on a trade mission to China. Governor Huntsman himself is something of an authority on China, having been a former US trade ambassador and having lived in the country three times on various appointments. Also the fact that he speaks fluent Mandarin helps him to better understand the various aspects of the US-China equation.

-Kalyani Mookherji

New revelations from former child workers uncover the full story behind the immigration raids at Agriprocessor plant that thrust the small US town of Postville under national spotlights. Statements from underage girls describe the dangerous working conditions at the kosher meat-packing factory which was raided by Iowa state Immigration authorities on May 12 this year.

Seventeen year old Luisa Lopez was one of the girls who had been working at the factory at the time of the raid. She claims that she had never been asked about her age when she was given the job. Neither did anyone show her how to use the perilously-long scissors in cutting meat. Under Iowa law, no one less than eighteen years is allowed to work in meat packing plant floors.

On May 12, State Immigration authorities raided the Agriprocessors plant at Postville, where they found dozens of underage workers employed in flagrant violation of the state’s labor law. The raid also led to the arrest of 389 undocumented workers and created a record for the largest number of arrests in a single-site enforcement effort. The Agriprocessors plant is the largest kosher meat packing factory in the country and one of the biggest employers of this small town in Northeastern Iowa.

-Kalyani Mookherji

The Euro sank still further against the dollar, coming to rest at a five-month low on Friday. This slide came in the wake of European Central Bank President denying reports of any imminent hike in interest rates. The decline in Euro reveals that the economic slow down is no longer just about the dollar but is affecting growth all over the world.

The Euro fell as far as $1.5195 on trading platform EBS before settling at $1.5207. Overall the currency had shed around 0.7 percent from late New York trade which was the lowest drop it had seen in five months. The Euro also fell 0.6 percent against the yen to rest at 166.67 yen.

The slide in Euro seemed to have been hastened by the denial of any rise in interest rates by Jean-Claude Trichet, the President of European Central Bank. The ECB rates remained unchanged at 4.25 percent. Analysts said that Trichet had little choice, considering that the Bank had hiked interest rates only last month. The market however, chose to focus more on Trichet’s comments on the European economy in which he expressed concern at rising inflationary trends and the slowing growth rates in the euro zone.

-Kalyani Mookherji

Computer industry watchers point out that it will make better business sense for Apple if it takes steps to revise the prices of many of its products which currently cost much more than comparable products from other companies.

Studies conducted by the research firm, NPD shows that while the average Windows desktop sells for $550 in the US, the average desktop from Apple comes with a price tag of $1543. Again the selling price of an average Windows laptop in June this year was $700 while the corresponding price of an average Apple laptop stood at a steep $1515.

The Mac Pros cost much more than comparably-equipped machines from Dell. While one can buy a Pavilion dv7t from HP at $1217.99, for a MacBook Pro from Apple which comes equipped with comparable features, one would have to shell out $2799. Among the all the Apple computer products, only the iMacs seem to be competitively priced.

However it is Apple’s reputation as a premium brand in the technology market that allows the company to get away with high pricing. It is the third largest computer vendor in the United States. But it has not been able to translate this popularity into global sales figures and continues to remain absent in the top five worldwide computer vendors. Thus Apple needs to bring down its prices if it is to gain a wider market share from Microsoft and other PC vendors.

-Kalyani Mookherji

On Thursday, a Californian food company voluntarily recalled frozen ground beef that is being held responsible for causing E.coli infection at a Boy Scout camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Virginia health authorities have confirmed that the strain of E.coli which caused the infections at the camp is the same that has been detected in the contaminated beef.

The beef was packed by S&S Foods at its Azusa plant in California and sold to institutional customers all over the US. The company has announced that it is recalling 153,630 pounds of frozen ground beef after state health authorities in Virginia linked the E. coli outbreak at a Boy Scout camp to the strain of E. coli 0157:H7 found in the beef. An S&S official however announced that the company will also look into possibility of some other source being the original cause of the outbreak.

Between July 20 and 26, around seventy boy scouts and staff members from a summer camp at Goshen, Virginia displayed symptoms of E.coli infection. Among them, twenty seven cases of the infection have been confirmed while one person remains hospitalized with complications. Soon after the outbreak, the camp was shut down as a precautionary measure.

-Kalyani Mookherji

There are several types of travel insurance in the market today, but most of them provide coverage against emergency costs while on a vacation as well as against unforeseen cancellation of trips. Here are a few points one should keep in mind while inquiring about travel insurance.

Ask the insurance agent about what is excluded from the coverage and if it can be included at an extra cost. Also inquire about any deductibles in the policy and if you have a choice of different levels.

One of the most important points to inquire covers the various steps of filing a claim. Find out what proofs are required to claim reimbursement and how long does it generally take to process a claim.

It is essential to have a toll-free, round the clock phone number of the insurance company so that you can reach it from any where in times of emergency.

You also need to clarify from the agent whether the policy will cover multiple destinations or if you will have to take out independent policies for each region or country. However if your vacation is limited to one destination, find out if the company offers a tailor-made insurance policy like for ski-vacationing or cruising.

Finally, inquire if your policy offers extended coverage for other members of your family.

-Kalyani Mookherji

In Forsyth, Dairy Queen celebrated August 7 as Miracle Day by selling ice creams for a good cause. The money from the sale of ice creams will go the local Macon’s Children’s Hospital and be used in improving healthcare facilities at the medical center.

Ronnie Daniel, the owner and manager of Forsyth’s Dairy Queen explained that while Dairy Queens across the country participate in Miracle Day celebrations by raising funds for the Children’s Miracle Network, the money collected in Forsyth will directly go in support of the children’s hospital. Daniel also announced that on that particular day the sale of Blizzards had increased four-fold as buyers pitched in to contribute to a good cause, aided by hot weather conditions on a late summer day.

Other than ice cream sales, there were other ways by which funds were raised in aid of the hospital. Well-wishers gave donations and some volunteers even washed windows. At the hospital, Children too pitched in by helping to make Blizzards. Few local celebrities also showed up to offer their support and among them were the Monroe County Sheriff, John Cary Bittick as well as Frank Malloy from 13WMAZ.

-Kalyani Mookherji