Travel Roundup: Passengers Tackle Bomb Threat, Amtrak's Horizon Air Deal, Virgin Slashes Fares and More

(MoneyWatch)  Airline passengers tackle man who claimed to have a bomb -- Passengers aboard a Los Angeles-bound Delta Air Lines flight tackled a man who tried to open an emergency exit before landing and made a bomb threat. The alleged unruly passenger was bound with plastic and escorted from the plane by police. No explosive device or material was found. The man, identified by Los Angeles Police as Lawrence Johnson, 45, of Kentucky, was booked on suspicion of making a false bomb threat Wednesday. No injuries were reported and no flights were delayed. [Source: Associated Press, Los Angeles Times]

Amtrak suspends trains due to mudslides, passengers get flights -- Mudslides shut down Amtrak service between Portland and Seattle through Saturday, officials reported, but Amtrak still planned to get passengers to their destination Thursday. Working with Horizon Air, the rail line was able to get the regional airline to add two flights reserved for stranded Amtrak customers. Those customers already holding a train ticket would be allowed to fly because Amtrak paid the difference, Amtrak representatives reported. Horizon also lowered its one-way fare from Portland to Seattle to $119. [Source: KPTV, Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

Virgin Atlantic slashes business-class fares -- Virgin Atlantic slashed business-class fares Friday by as much as 40 percent through Jan. 27. British Airways is also following suit to increase demand. Both airlines announced a 40 percent drop in price from London to New York City. While business class was expected to be least affected by the economy, it wasn't -- business travel has tanked. Steve Ridgway, Virgin's chief executive, said the lower fares may prod smaller businesses to part with travel cash. [Source: The Guardian (U.K.)]

Cincinnati airport closes Concourse C -- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport closed Concourse C after Comair officially stopped flights on Dec. 31. Comair and its parent company, Delta Air Lines, moved to Concourses A and B last week. The closure was a cost-cutting measure for Delta, which shrunk Comair's capacity 31.7 percent at the airport. Parking near the concourse will be used during peak hours, so passengers may still have to ride a bus to get to their plane. Although the concourse isn't being used, Delta is still officially leasing the building. [Source: Cincinnati Enquirer]