Travelers seeking amenities for the 16-hour flight from Chicago

Cathay Pacific Airways, based in Hong Kong, this month added a premium economy class to its flights, including its daily direct flight from Chicago to Hong Kong. Unlike on some airlines where premium economy sections are minor upgrades offering more knee room, Cathay provides a separate cabin with wider seats that have 6 more inches of pitch and more recline, along with a 10.6-inch television, in-seat power and multimedia ports, along with upgrades in food and other amenities. Premium economy, aimed at business travelers on a budget or leisure travelers seeking amenities for the 16-hour flight from Chicago, also comes with priority check-in and boarding and a heavier bag allowance.
LOT Polish Airlines has grounded its two Boeing 787 Dreamliners, including one parked at O'Hare International Airport, through October. Dreamliners have been grounded worldwide since Jan. 16, following problems with its lithium-ion battery that led to two burning incidents on different Japanese airlines. That's also the date LOT was scheduled to fly its inaugural 787 flight from Chicago to Warsaw, but the flight was canceled just hours after the FAA order to ground the planes. LOT officials made the decision to ground Dreamliners through October out of uncertainty, feeling they could not schedule the airline's two 787s for summer-season flights because the cause of battery problems has not been determined, a spokesman said.
For aviation enthusiasts who can't get enough of the 787 Dreamliner battery saga, Boeing has launched a website with information and.Allegiant Travel Co. has begun new nonstop, twice-weekly flights out of Chicago Rockford International Airport to Punta Gorda Airport near Fort Myers, Fla.Two seemingly unrelated companies, Chicago-based United Airlines and Northbrook-based Allstate Insurance Co., have joined up in a marketing pitch: Purchase a new Allstate auto or homeowners policy and get frequent-flier miles in United's MileagePlus program. MileagePlus members in Illinois can earn 2,500 miles with a new auto policy and 2,000 miles with a new homeowners policy. Typically, it takes at least 25,000 reward miles to book a round-trip, domestic, economy-seat flight, making the auto insurance policy worth one-tenth of a free flight.That's something most passengers understand when they book, and Quinby said Carnival did a good job providing passengers on Carnival Triumph with refunds, credits for future trips, free rides home and cash payouts.The calamity aboard Carnival Triumph could dissuade a vacationer from taking a first cruise, Quinby said. He said the industry did see a drop in bookings last year following the deaths off the Italian coast.