Travel Roundup: Boeing Issues 777 Warning, Recession Causes Passport Drop, Starwood Stumps for Hawaii and More

(MoneyWatch)  Boeing issues warning to 777 operators and airlines -- Last week, Boeing Co. issued a warning to those airlines and operators of its Boeing 777s with Trent engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce, saying that ice blocking the fuel path could cause a sudden loss of engine power. Some measures could be taken to lessen the chances of engine failure, the company said, and the Federal Aviation Administration would likely require a redesign of the engine. Boeing's letter to its operators described incidents of engine power loss taking place at both Delta Air Lines and British Airways probably caused by icing. More than 700 Boeing 777s are in service around the globe. [Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

Passport applications decline due to recession -- The U.S. State Department said it expected 25 percent, or 12 million, fewer passports issued this year because of declining foreign travel. The dropping demand caused the State Department to lay off contract employees but the agency says applications are still being processed in only a few weeks. On June 1, Americans will have to show passports or similar ID to travel to Mexico and Canada, but it's unclear if that will mean another spurt of passport applications. [Source: Los Angeles Times]

Starwood Hotels & Resorts employees sell Hawaii on tour -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts employees embarked on a 42-city tour in four countries to promote its 11 Hawaiian properties. About 40 workers will visit cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Sydney, Tokyo and Vancouver, meet with travel agents, tour operators and take part in the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau's showcase events. [Source: Pacific Business News]

Enterprise Rent-A-Car creates 80 hybrid car rental locations -- Enterprise Rent-A-Car will create 80 "hybrid branches," or rental locations that will feature around 5,000 gas and electric hybrid cars, doubling the number in Enterprise's rental fleet. Customers will be able to specifically reserve the hybrids by phone and online. Among the new locations are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Orlando, New York City, Portland, Ore., Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit and Washington, D.C. [Source: Enterprise]