The Consumer Memo, 8/21: Southwest goes Wi-Fi

Going wirelessSouthwest Airlines is on its way to providing in-flight Wi-Fi access on all of its aircraft. The airline and Internet Wi-Fi service provider Row 44 have plans to roll out the program in the first quarter of 2010.

Southwest has been testing the service on four aircraft since February 2009.

Ding and dent check
Hertz is testing photographic equipment that will scan its vehicles for dings and dents before and after a rental to boost damage payments and save time.

The photo system is part of a broader plan to use technology to increase efficiency and improve customer service. The equipment produces a high-resolution, digital photograph of the rental car, and will compare before and after pictures for differences.

Hertz employees currently walk around the vehicle and mark any damage on a form, which the customer signs.

Apple watch
Apple gazing Figuring out what Apple Inc. has in store for its next big product launch has become a popular spectator sport. While iPod sales have remained solid, there is a belief that the growth rates for the digital media players could be slowing, leading to the thought that Apple could be about to enter the market with a new tablet, or mini-PC, that falls somewhere in size and scale between the iPod touch and the MacBook laptop PC.

Apple is saying nothing. However, industry analysts who follow Apple say it’s all but certain a tablet version of the Mac will be on the market by early 2010, if not sooner.

American bag fee
New bag feeAmerican Airlines will charge $50 to check a second bag on most international flights to help increase revenue as travel declines and fuel prices rise.

The change, effective for tickets bought starting Sept. 14, applies on trans-Atlantic flights to, from or through India, England, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Switzerland and to U.S. territories. Those flights represented about 16 percent of American’s capacity this year through July.

Sleep-disorder suit
CVS Caremark Corp. and Rite Aid Corp. sued Cephalon Inc. and several generic-drug makers for allegedly conspiring to delay competition to its sleep-disorder drug Provigil.

Cephalon signed four patent settlements with generic-drug makers totaling more than $200 million so they wouldn’t begin sales until 2012, the drug-store chains said in the complaint filed Thursday in federal court in Philadelphia. Absent the illegal agreements, generic versions of the drug would have been available as early as January 2006, the complaint said.

Credit card restraint
Credit card users seemed to get a grip on some of their financial troubles in July as more were able to pay their bills, reversing earlier trends of increasing delinquency rates and defaults.

Moody’s Investors Service, which tracks credit card trends, said in a report released Friday, that performance improved across all categories in July.

Recalls
--About 420,000 Hungry figures and Hungry magnets, manufactured in China and distributed by Weight Watchers Intl. of New York, because sewing needles have been found inside. The company has received two reports of needles, but no reports of injuries. The recalled items were sold by Weight Watchers between April 2009 and July 2009. Details: 866-288-3891; on the Web.

--About 1,300 Pensi fans, manufactured in China by The Modern Fan Co. Inc. of Ashland, Ore., because an internal problem can cause the fan to fall from the ceiling. The fans were sold online, as well as by lighting showrooms, fan specialty stores and electrical distributors around the country between August 2008 and July 2009. Details: 888-588-3267; on the Web.