United to cut off check-in 30 minutes before takeoff
Chronically late travelers have less time to dawdle on their way to the airport if they plan to check in for a United flight. United Airlines is changing its check-in cutoff time to 30 minutes before a flight, instead of 20 minutes, to improve on-time performance.
The change, which goes into effect Wednesday, means customers’ reservations may be canceled if they are not checked in at least 30 minutes before their flight. Latecomers whose reservations are canceled can fly stand-by on a later flight.
According to United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski, if a flight has empty seats and someone arrives late, the reservation may not be canceled.
“Tickets are subject to cancellation depending on how full the plane is,” she said, adding, “The planes are quite full these days.”
Fewer than 1 percent of customers typically check in less than 30 minutes before their flight, according to United. Those who check in online from work or home don’t have to worry about checking in at the airport. And United is keeping its requirement that passengers must check in luggage in Denver at least 45 minutes before the flight.
Al Día: Para leer este artículo en español, vaya a denverpost.com/aldia
GREENWOOD VILLAGE
Ex-First Data CEO sells stock shares
Former First Data Corp. chief executive Charlie Fote isn’t waiting to see whether the company’s plans to spin off its Western Union subsidiary this year pays for shareholders.
Fote netted $50.8 million Friday by exercising options representing 2.37 million shares of First Data stock. He paid $55.3 million to exercise the options, then sold the shares on the open market for $106 million.
In 1995, Fote helped First Data acquire Western Union and oversaw an aggressive global expansion by the money-transfer provider. Fote’s predecessor, Ric Duques, replaced him as CEO in November.
DENVER
Janus unit to invest
in stocks outside U.S.
Janus Capital Group Inc., a Denver-based investment manager, said its Intech unit will sell its first fund that invests in stocks based outside the U.S. to gain clients worldwide.
The fund will invest in a range of stocks from around the world, said Neal Jenkins, a spokesman for the company in its London office. Previously, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.-based Intech invested only in U.S. stocks.
LONGMONT
DigitalGlobe names chief operating officer
DigitalGlobe announced Monday it has hired Scott Smith as chief operating officer.
Smith had been executive vice president at Space Imaging, where he was in charge of sales, operations and engineering.
INDIANAPOLIS
ATA Airlines cleared to leave bankruptcy
A federal judge on Monday cleared the way for ATA Airlines and its parent company, ATA Holdings Corp., to emerge from bankruptcy after more than 14 months of federal financial protection.
The Indianapolis carrier is expected to announce today the date it will emerge after final paperwork is filed.
NEW YORK
Wal-Mart projects Jan. sales at high end
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has estimated that its January sales will be at the high end of the company’s forecast.
The world’s largest retailer said Saturday that sales at stores open at least a year are expected to rise 4.7 percent
TORONTO
Investors trump bid for Fairmont hotels
A group of investors that includes Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has agreed to buy luxury hotel chain Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. for about $3.3 billion in cash, trumping an earlier bid by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, the company said.
Including assumed debt, Fairmont said the value of the deal is about $3.9 billion. Under the deal, a Canadian company owned by Prince Alwaleed’s Kingdom Hotels International and Los Angeles-based real-estate investment fund Colony Capital will acquire all of Fairmont’s outstanding shares for $45 each in cash.
BANGALORE, India
Dell plans to expand presence in India
Computermaker Dell Inc. will open a fourth call center in India, add 5,000 employees to its current 10,000 workers and begin manufacturing computers in the nation, the company said Monday.
Kevin Rollins, president and chief executive of Dell, said at a news conference in New Delhi that the new call center, planned for the Gurgaon suburbs, would join Dell’s current centers in Bangalore and Hyderabad in the south and Mohali in the north.
NEW YORK
Time Warner effort taps ex-Viacom CEO
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has recruited former Viacom Inc. chief executive Frank Biondi to lead a fight for control of Time Warner Inc., the world’s biggest media company.
Biondi would replace New York-based Time Warner’s current chairman and chief executive, Richard Parsons, under a plan to be presented next week, Icahn said Monday in an e-mail.
NEW YORK
Moody’s may raise oil producer’s debt rating
Moody’s Investors Service said it may raise Kerr-McGee Corp.’s long-term debt rating because of the oil and natural-gas producer’s reduced financial risk.
The rating affects $2.6 billion of debt for the Oklahoma City- based company, Moody’s said Monday in a statement.
WASHINGTON
U.S. to borrow record quarterly amount
The U.S. government plans to borrow $188 billion from January to March, the most ever for a single quarter, as the Treasury sells 30-year bonds for the first time since 2001 to meet demand for longer-term debt.
The borrowing plan is $17 billion more than the previous estimate, the Treasury said.
WASHINGTON
Short-term T-bill rates highest since ’01
Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills rose in Monday’s auction to the highest levels in nearly five years.
The Treasury Department auctioned $20 billion in three- month bills at a discount rate of 4.375 percent, up from 4.290 percent last week, and an additional $17 billion in six-month bills at a rate of 4.435 percent, up from 4.340 percent last week.
The three-month rate was the highest since the bills averaged 4.520 percent March 12, 2001.
The six-month rate was the highest since 4.530 percent March 5, 2001.
