Feature 1: Delta Air Lines has launched a Web-based system that allows passengers to bid on a reverse auction in return for agreeing to be bumped from a flight.

Delta Web-based bumping auctions

Passengers can submit bids online or at airport kiosks, indicating a price they are willing to accept for being bumped. The bids go straight to gate agents who will accept the lowest bid.

Got Time? Get Rewarded – Delta.com

How low can you go? Economist

Feature 2: Southwest Airlines began implementing Required Navigation Performance (RNP) — a part of the FAA’s NextGen initiative — at 11 Southwest airports that will provide the company with $16 million in annual savings.

Southwest expects the savings to climb to $60 million once RNP/NextGen has been implemented at all Southwest airports.  Southwest has been working on the RNP project for four years with partners Boeing, GE, and Honeywell. RNP brings together the accuracy of global positioning systems with the capabilities of advanced aircraft avionics and new flight procedures.
GE, Boeing may save airlines $450M – Bloomberg News

Here’s the rest of the week’s interesting news:-

FlightCaster acquired by Next Jump – FlightCaster.com
TripIt acquired by Concur in $120 million deal – TripIt.com
Skyscanner widens its net with Zoombu deal – Scotsman.com

American Airlines statement regarding court action against Sabre - AA.com
AMR shares fall as UBS downgrades over online fight - Reuters

American Airlines selects ITA Software for next generation availability engine – AA.com
American executive says Google didn’t affect ITA deal – WSJ
Federal antitrust officials preparing for court case to block Google-ITA Software merger – Washington Post

Jetsetter testing Expert Planning Service - NYT
Voyage Prive first private travel sale site to launch iPhone app - Apple.com

yQ launches world’s first online global airport meet and assist network – yQNow.com
Travellution announces beta release – Travellution.com

CES 2011 attracts more than 140,000 attendees in Las Vegas – News Simplified
Generation Y panelists in Las Vegas say technology won’t upend convention business – LV Sun

Renaissance Hotels launches global hospitality “Navigator” program – Marriott.com
TripAdvisor adds user reviews to flight search – LA Times

Photo credit – Delta Blog