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SIA to fly from Houston to Moscow, Singapore

Singapore Airlines announced the launch of nonstop flights from Houston to Moscow, with continuing service to Singapore, beginning March 20. The four-weekly flights will provide the first direct air link between the Russian capital and the US state of Texas. The new Singapore Airlines service will provide new travel options for both corporate and leisure travelers to Russia, as well as a convenient link to the carrier’s extensive network throughout Asia. The airline will operate its newest Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on the route in a three-class configuration: 8 First Class, 42 Business Class and 228 Economy Class seats.

Houston will become SIA’s fifth US gateway, beside Newark, New York-JFK, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Using your cell phone as airline boarding pass?

A three-month experimental program at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport has begun to test a technology using encrypted bar codes on mobile device screens. Instead of a paper boarding pass, Continental Airlines and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will let passengers leaving Houston to show a code the airline has sent to their cell phone or PDA.

The two-dimensional bar stores the passenger's name and flight information and will be screened at the airport by the TSA administration with a handheld scanner. The new check-in procedure could eliminate the need for a paper document (besides photo ID) and prevent from people trying to use fraudulent paper boarding passes. Initially, the pilot program will be used solely on Continental flights at Houston Intercontinental. However, if successful, the paperless technology will expand nationwide.

Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center, New York City 2007