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CNN Live At Daybreak
Tsunami Impact in India; Tsunami Terror; Holiday Travel
Aired December 27, 2004 - 06:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Welcome to the last half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News."
You are look at the aftermath of a suicide car bombing in Baghdad. It happened just a few hours ago outside the offices of a top Shiite political party. At least six people are dead.
A victory for the opposition in the presidential election re-run in Ukraine. With nearly all of the votes counted, opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko appears to have an insurmountable lead.
Japan is setting up a panel to consider allowing a female to ascent the throne. Under present law, it's an honor reserved for men, but no boy has been born to the royal family since 1965.
Twenty-one thousand and still climbing. That's the death toll this morning in Southeast Asia. The planet's strongest earthquake in 40 years triggered deadly tsunamis hundreds of miles away.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Let's talk about those tsunamis a little more now from that 9.0 earthquake off Sumatra. It killed more than 6,000 people in India alone. Whole villages along the southeast coast were swept away. Thousands of Indian fishermen have not returned from sea.
CNN correspondent Suhasini Haidar is in India this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUHASINI HAIDAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The bodies keep coming to this mortuary in the southern Indian city of Chennai. This woman just identified the bodies of three members of her family, who did this morning.
"We had just woken up," she says. "Suddenly, we heard a rumbling sound and saw the seawater rise."
Nothing prepared them for what followed.
(on camera): Within moments, say residents, giant waves engulfed this entire beach area, killing dozens, flattening thousands of homes. The waves taking with them all their belongings. (voice over): Across the southeast Indian coastline, the waves wreaked havoc, washing away villages. Thousands have drowned. Thousands more, many of them fishermen, are missing at sea. Officials say they're also worried about islands off the Indian coastline, where communication links have snapped. The Indian government says it has launched search operations to rescue people stranded, and are air- dropping food and medicines over places that are inundated.
The government must now cope with thousands made homeless in a matter of minutes. Numb with grief, Morma Delihi (ph) looks amongst the remains of his home for anything he can salvage. He finds a ground mat, but his loss, he says, is too great to bear.
"My 5-year-old son is gone," he says. "I ran for my life and survived the wave. Now I can't find him."
For other survivors, grief is mixed with panic and fear. They say they can't rest easy even as weather officials here warn there could be another round of killer tsunamis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Suhasini, are you with us?
HAIDAR: Yes, I am here on the South Indian coast, Carol.
COSTELLO: I just had a few more questions for you. There was absolutely no warning that these tsunamis were coming?
HAIDAR: No. Indian satellites were not able to pick up the tremors from this earthquake. And Indian state officials say tsunamis are not something they are very aware of over here. They have never seen them before, and they completely admit that they were under- prepared to deal with a tragedy of these proportions -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, what happens now? Are rescue workers helping people trying to find people beneath the rubble? What's the next step for these people?
HAIDAR: Well, Carol, just as the Indian government is coming to grips with the giant proportions of this tragedy, families along the Indian coastline are coming to grips with their own personal tragedies.
We've today witnessed burials and cremations. Also, people who have lost their homes are going into schools and other public buildings, where the government is setting up temporary relief centers, hoping that they will provide for them.
But it is clearly becoming a larger and larger problem as the hours go by, Carol. And officials say they are looking for as much help as possible. They're asking non-governmental organizations to pitch in to help out with food, shelter and medicines for these people who have been made homeless -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Any help coming from the United States that you know of?
HAIDAR: None as far as I know of so far. I don't know if the Indian government has actually asked for help from the international governments. They've certainly asked for non-governmental organizations over here. We know that teams from the Red Cross and other international aid organizations are doing assessment studies right now across the south and in Inkohene (ph), where their help is needed most -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Suhasini Haidar joining us live by phone from India this morning. Thank you.
We have a firsthand account of the terror of being caught in a tsunami. You may recognize celebrity interior decorator Nate Berkus, who was on vacation at a resort in Sri Lanka. And by the way, Sri Lanka is off the coast of India.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATE BERKUS, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: We were completely devastated yesterday morning around 9:00 in the morning. We desperately, desperately need help from the government here. We're without water. We're without food. And many of us are injured. There are women and children here who are -- there's a pregnant woman with broken ribs.
The Sri Lankan army seems to only have very few helicopters here that have touched down and taken away very few of the injured people.
We've all been sleeping in a field throughout the night. And right now, I believe it's about 4:00 in the morning here. I'm with about a group of 50 tourists, as well as many locals. And it's just been utter devastation, bodies everywhere, and just really absolutely horrible, horrible devastation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And a just time ago, we talked to the U.S. ambassador in Sri Lanka. He reported to us that five Americans are known dead. There are at least 100 Americans in Sri Lanka, and teams sent out in jeeps are trying to find these people and get word to their loved ones back here at home.
We're also hearing harrowing tales from other Westerners, who survived the tsunamis. Many of them consider themselves lucky.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My leg is injured, my arm, missing a tooth. So, there are people down there a lot worse off than me. A lot worse. Hospitals are jam-packed, very full.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was lost for two hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you're OK now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's OK. The flood rushed (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And then he hung onto a door in the hotel until the (UNINTELLIGIBLE). He came out two hours later.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were at Surin (ph) Beach, and, yes, it came in maybe two waves. The first wave, the tide came up. And the second one, it just entered the hotel and then everywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And a number of international tourists are among the dead across Southeast Asia. When we get word of any numbers for you, of course we'll pass them along to you.
Let's talk about holiday travel now. Many of you holiday travelers probably felt more like Scrooge this Christmas. In fact, many of you are probably still stuck in the airport. Oh, it was a rough ride at many airports across the country. We'll bring you tips on how to navigate your next trip, this coming trip.
Plus, if you like the taste of caviar, you're going to pay big bucks for it. Ali Velshi on the rising cost of luxury goods. That's straight ahead.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: This is what the weather looks like in New York City this morning. This is Long Island. Oh, it's nasty outside. Well, that's the last picture from our affiliate WABC. So, I guess we're getting the storm that the Midwest suffered through a few days ago. It's just our turn.
The news isn't all bad for air travelers. Really, it isn't. Millions of you successfully made your trip without extremely long delays. But for those of you still stuck in an airport, we do have some tips for you this morning, because millions of Americans did not make it home for Christmas. Can't believe it.
Joining me this morning from Washington is "USA Today" travel writer Ben Mutzabaugh.
Good morning, Ben.
BEN MUTZABAUGH, "USA TODAY" TRAVEL WRITER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: OK. So, which disaster do you want to talk about first? Comair canceling its flights, the luggage handlers not showing up for work in Philadelphia?
Yes, there is no shortage. And suffice to say, a lot of travelers, like you said, not only were inconvenienced, but a lot of them had their entire holiday travel plans scrubbed because of the operational meltdown, as one of the airline CEOs called it.
But there are some things you can do if you're affected to help you -- you know, to help you get out of this situation. The first thing is, this is a pretty catastrophic -- for these two airlines anyway -- this is a pretty catastrophic system failure. So, there may be some situations where there's not a lot you can do. But there are some things that will help.
First of all -- and this seems, you know, if you're talking to preschoolers, but it's important to remember, don't get angry at the ticket agents. Even if you think you're justified in your anger, save it for a letter and ask for a voucher. Because those ticket agents, they have a lot of leeway to help you or to not help you. And if they think you're a jerk, they're not going to help you find that last remaining seat or they're not going to -- you know, they don't have to help you if they don't want to. So...
COSTELLO: Yes. But, Ben, do you know what's really frustrating? Sometimes those ticket agents just aren't around. So, you're sitting there waiting for news, any kind of news, waiting to change -- you can't even find one.
MUTZABAUGH: Well, that's another area where you can take things into your own hands. Everyone thinks -- a lot of people instantly think they have to go right to the ticket counter or to the gate or somewhere where there's a ticket agent. Pick up your cell phone, go to a pay phone, call the 1-800 reservations number. Probably 7 out of 10 times people at the 800 number at the airline can help you just as well as people in the airport can.
COSTELLO: And, of course, you have to have patience for that, too, because you could be on hold for a very long time.
MUTZABAUGH: But it could be shorter than those lines, given the situation this weekend or this week.
COSTELLO: True. OK. Let's talk about luggage, because a lot of people have lost their luggage because of that, you know, luggage handler problem in Philadelphia. So what should you do?
MUTZABAUGH: This is one where you're really sort of stuck. If you've checked your luggage and it's lost, just be persistent in getting a hold of the airline and ask them to track it down. This is one area where, unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot that you can do. But if you are traveling going forward, especially on US Airways, you might want to try to take everything on a carry-on or send something if it's that important.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about -- you know, a lot of people say this was a work stoppage event, and that's why so many flights were canceled, because a lot of people apparently called in sick, and they didn't have workers to replace them. But is that really plausible?
MUTZABAUGH: Well, this is a really ugly labor dispute that seems like it's developing at US Airways. You had, what the airline says, a record number of workers calling in sick, and then they obviously were short-staffed and couldn't handle all of the luggage. The union says that this was not an organized work stoppage, which is probably true. But what most people seem to think has happened are people are bitter at the company. And let's face it, these workers have had a lot of pay cuts, 20-30 percent pay cuts, two or three times in three or four years. And they want to spend holidays with their families. They're making probably 40 percent less than they were a few years ago. So, they didn't really see the conflict with calling in sick.
Now, of course, the airlines -- yes. Of course, the airline's side, they can't deliver the luggage.
And the bottom line is, the person who is traveling, they're not going to be sympathetic to either side. They're just going to remember that their luggage didn't make it, that their trip was ruined or at least, you know, not enhanced. And they're going to remember that for US Airways.
So, hopefully for the airline, they can get their ducks in a row and improve their customer service.
COSTELLO: Yes. Yes, because it doesn't sound like it's going to get better anytime soon. Ben Mutzabaugh...
MUTZABAUGH: And they're -- thank you.
COSTELLO: Go ahead.
MUTZABAUGH: Oh, they're losing a lot of money as well. That's part of the problem with the lost luggage. They're having to pay fees, I believe what I saw, is $50 for the first day your luggage hasn't arrived, and then it's $25 for each additional day. And that doesn't sound like much, but you've heard there are seven planes, I think, full of luggage being shipped around the East Coast on US Airways. So that's a lot of passengers, a lot of luggage, and you have a bankrupt carrier that's on the verge of liquidation. That doesn't help.
COSTELLO: No, it doesn't. Ben Mutzabaugh live from Washington this morning. Thank you.
MUTZABAUGH: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
We're learning about the enormity of the killer tsunamis across Southeast Asia. The death toll is up again this morning. Now more than 21,000 are reported dead and many thousands are still missing. It's the world's largest earthquake in 40 years, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake.
A new era in Ukraine, that's the word from Viktor Yushchenko, the opposition presidential candidate. With nearly all of the votes counted, Yushchenko is the apparent winner of Ukraine's twice re-run presidential election.
In money news, Wal-Mart's suppliers are rushing to meet a January deadline to install radio tags on their products. The radio frequency identification devices are designed to keep better track of inventory than bar codes do.
In culture, a Michael Moore alert. The "Houston Chronicle" reports some pharmaceutical companies are telling their employees to be wary of the filmmaker. His charges have included President Bush in "Fahrenheit 9/11." Now, Moore has his sights set on the health care industry, including drug-makers.
In sports, a record-setting day for Peyton Manning. The Indianapolis Colts star broke Dan Marino's single season touchdown pass records with his 49th TD pass. But the Colts beat San Diego 34- 31 in overtime. A lot of close games this weekend.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: If you were in an airport over the weekend, you probably have a holiday travel tale to tell. In fact, we've told some already this morning.
Let's go to Rick Sanchez who no doubt will be following this story on "AMERICAN MORNING."
Good morning -- Rick.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Not only the people affected, Carol, but the reasons that these people are being affected. And actually, there's a bevy of them. It has, in some cases, to do with computer. In some cases it's to do with highways that are stuck and people can't get to the airports, including the people who work at airports.
And in other cases, just the weather, nothing more, as Chad has been describing, stranded passengers, long delays all over the country, problems at two airlines to blame specifically, and we're going to be getting into that, breaking those down for you, because they really are separate and different; the reasons, that is.
And it's not over yet. How much longer can travelers expect to be stranded? We will be talking to at least one aviation consultant. Michael Boyd (ph) is going to be joining us. That and a whole lot more right here on "AMERICAN MORNING."
And isn't the snow nice, Carol?
COSTELLO: It looks pretty. It just feels bad.
SANCHEZ: My family is in town this week with me, and my 3-year- old daughter was walking around Manhattan yesterday like this.
COSTELLO: Oh! Now see...
SANCHEZ: Trying to catch the snow.
COSTELLO: That makes the snow more enjoyable.
SANCHEZ: Well, for her, it certainly is. COSTELLO: Exactly. Thank you, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Appreciate it.
COSTELLO: We'll see you in about 10 minutes.
SANCHEZ: All right.
COSTELLO: Planning to ring in the New Year with French champagne? You'll pay a lot more this year. The rising cost of luxury imports next.
DAYBREAK will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The cost of fine cuisine and high-end dining is going up. You might say people who can afford to dine out in style aren't really all that worried about money. But as our DAYBREAK contributor, Ali Velshi, reports, the rich ones aren't the only ones eating rice -- or eating price spikes, I should say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN DAYBREAK CONTRIBUTOR (voice over): If you think it's tough being rich, try being the restaurants or food stores that supply the rich.
We all ended up paying more for things like tomatoes this year, because crops were damaged by hurricanes. But the rich, they don't survive on American-grown tomatoes. The stuff they eat comes from far afield, really far afield. That means they get flown in or brought in by ship, and the cost of fuel gets added to the bill.
And it's hard enough already to eat fancy imported foods. The plummeting value of the U.S. dollar in Europe means the price of goods and foods imported from there is skyrocketing faster than you can say I'll have what Trump is having.
The dollar has fallen about 35 percent against the euro since the beginning of 2002. Over the past year, the average price that American importers pay for foreign products has gone up 3.4 percent. And that hits truffles, just one of the high-end foods imported from Europe specifically.
And according to one retailer, the price of French wine is 10 to 15 percent higher than it was last year.
So, what do you care about the rates? Remember, this affects the good folks feeding the rich probably more than the rich themselves. Most restaurants work on slim margins. And because of that some of the better restaurants across the country are hoping you won't ask for certain items, like European caviar.
TONY MONTUANO, SPIAGGIA RESTAURANT, CHICAGO: And last year, our cost was maybe $700 for a pound, and this year it's close to $1,000 a pound. So, we really can't cut back on the luxury European goods that we bring in, because that's what we're all about.
VELSHI: And think of this over your morning cup of joe: Starbucks raised its prices a couple of months ago for the first time in years. Why? The rising cost of commodities, like cocoa, sugar, even milk, which is produced right here in America.
The good news? A cheaper dollar makes things produced here less expensive to overseas rich people, and more attractive to Americans, too. That could mean big business for U.S. producers of high-end foods, like truffles and caviar.
And what do the chefs to the rich have to say about 2005?
MONTUANO: I don't think there's really any sign that the dollar is going to improve or that these goods are going to cost us any less next year.
VELSHI: Ali Velshi, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And you are watching DAYBREAK for a Monday morning. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: A live look at the city of Boston this morning, Chad. And I guess the snow is coming down there, too.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MYERS: Hey, if you're in Boston, you won -- well, at least one person did, won the mug from last week, the DAYBREAK coffee mug. Here are the questions from last Wednesday. Reviewing the questions. How many killer whales now live at Sea World in San Diego? The number was eight. And what weight loss program will Kirstie Alley endorse? And that is Jenny Craig.
The winner, Rich Daly, Rich Daly of Boston is now the only person in Boston with a DAYBREAK coffee mug.
COSTELLO: That is thrilling for him!
MYERS: It is.
COSTELLO: My goodness! And, of course, we'll have the next DAYBREAK coffee quiz on Wednesday.
MYERS: All right.
COSTELLO: From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired December 27, 2004 - 06:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Welcome to the last half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News."
You are look at the aftermath of a suicide car bombing in Baghdad. It happened just a few hours ago outside the offices of a top Shiite political party. At least six people are dead.
A victory for the opposition in the presidential election re-run in Ukraine. With nearly all of the votes counted, opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko appears to have an insurmountable lead.
Japan is setting up a panel to consider allowing a female to ascent the throne. Under present law, it's an honor reserved for men, but no boy has been born to the royal family since 1965.
Twenty-one thousand and still climbing. That's the death toll this morning in Southeast Asia. The planet's strongest earthquake in 40 years triggered deadly tsunamis hundreds of miles away.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Let's talk about those tsunamis a little more now from that 9.0 earthquake off Sumatra. It killed more than 6,000 people in India alone. Whole villages along the southeast coast were swept away. Thousands of Indian fishermen have not returned from sea.
CNN correspondent Suhasini Haidar is in India this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUHASINI HAIDAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The bodies keep coming to this mortuary in the southern Indian city of Chennai. This woman just identified the bodies of three members of her family, who did this morning.
"We had just woken up," she says. "Suddenly, we heard a rumbling sound and saw the seawater rise."
Nothing prepared them for what followed.
(on camera): Within moments, say residents, giant waves engulfed this entire beach area, killing dozens, flattening thousands of homes. The waves taking with them all their belongings. (voice over): Across the southeast Indian coastline, the waves wreaked havoc, washing away villages. Thousands have drowned. Thousands more, many of them fishermen, are missing at sea. Officials say they're also worried about islands off the Indian coastline, where communication links have snapped. The Indian government says it has launched search operations to rescue people stranded, and are air- dropping food and medicines over places that are inundated.
The government must now cope with thousands made homeless in a matter of minutes. Numb with grief, Morma Delihi (ph) looks amongst the remains of his home for anything he can salvage. He finds a ground mat, but his loss, he says, is too great to bear.
"My 5-year-old son is gone," he says. "I ran for my life and survived the wave. Now I can't find him."
For other survivors, grief is mixed with panic and fear. They say they can't rest easy even as weather officials here warn there could be another round of killer tsunamis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Suhasini, are you with us?
HAIDAR: Yes, I am here on the South Indian coast, Carol.
COSTELLO: I just had a few more questions for you. There was absolutely no warning that these tsunamis were coming?
HAIDAR: No. Indian satellites were not able to pick up the tremors from this earthquake. And Indian state officials say tsunamis are not something they are very aware of over here. They have never seen them before, and they completely admit that they were under- prepared to deal with a tragedy of these proportions -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, what happens now? Are rescue workers helping people trying to find people beneath the rubble? What's the next step for these people?
HAIDAR: Well, Carol, just as the Indian government is coming to grips with the giant proportions of this tragedy, families along the Indian coastline are coming to grips with their own personal tragedies.
We've today witnessed burials and cremations. Also, people who have lost their homes are going into schools and other public buildings, where the government is setting up temporary relief centers, hoping that they will provide for them.
But it is clearly becoming a larger and larger problem as the hours go by, Carol. And officials say they are looking for as much help as possible. They're asking non-governmental organizations to pitch in to help out with food, shelter and medicines for these people who have been made homeless -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Any help coming from the United States that you know of?
HAIDAR: None as far as I know of so far. I don't know if the Indian government has actually asked for help from the international governments. They've certainly asked for non-governmental organizations over here. We know that teams from the Red Cross and other international aid organizations are doing assessment studies right now across the south and in Inkohene (ph), where their help is needed most -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Suhasini Haidar joining us live by phone from India this morning. Thank you.
We have a firsthand account of the terror of being caught in a tsunami. You may recognize celebrity interior decorator Nate Berkus, who was on vacation at a resort in Sri Lanka. And by the way, Sri Lanka is off the coast of India.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATE BERKUS, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: We were completely devastated yesterday morning around 9:00 in the morning. We desperately, desperately need help from the government here. We're without water. We're without food. And many of us are injured. There are women and children here who are -- there's a pregnant woman with broken ribs.
The Sri Lankan army seems to only have very few helicopters here that have touched down and taken away very few of the injured people.
We've all been sleeping in a field throughout the night. And right now, I believe it's about 4:00 in the morning here. I'm with about a group of 50 tourists, as well as many locals. And it's just been utter devastation, bodies everywhere, and just really absolutely horrible, horrible devastation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And a just time ago, we talked to the U.S. ambassador in Sri Lanka. He reported to us that five Americans are known dead. There are at least 100 Americans in Sri Lanka, and teams sent out in jeeps are trying to find these people and get word to their loved ones back here at home.
We're also hearing harrowing tales from other Westerners, who survived the tsunamis. Many of them consider themselves lucky.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My leg is injured, my arm, missing a tooth. So, there are people down there a lot worse off than me. A lot worse. Hospitals are jam-packed, very full.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was lost for two hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you're OK now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's OK. The flood rushed (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And then he hung onto a door in the hotel until the (UNINTELLIGIBLE). He came out two hours later.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were at Surin (ph) Beach, and, yes, it came in maybe two waves. The first wave, the tide came up. And the second one, it just entered the hotel and then everywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And a number of international tourists are among the dead across Southeast Asia. When we get word of any numbers for you, of course we'll pass them along to you.
Let's talk about holiday travel now. Many of you holiday travelers probably felt more like Scrooge this Christmas. In fact, many of you are probably still stuck in the airport. Oh, it was a rough ride at many airports across the country. We'll bring you tips on how to navigate your next trip, this coming trip.
Plus, if you like the taste of caviar, you're going to pay big bucks for it. Ali Velshi on the rising cost of luxury goods. That's straight ahead.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: This is what the weather looks like in New York City this morning. This is Long Island. Oh, it's nasty outside. Well, that's the last picture from our affiliate WABC. So, I guess we're getting the storm that the Midwest suffered through a few days ago. It's just our turn.
The news isn't all bad for air travelers. Really, it isn't. Millions of you successfully made your trip without extremely long delays. But for those of you still stuck in an airport, we do have some tips for you this morning, because millions of Americans did not make it home for Christmas. Can't believe it.
Joining me this morning from Washington is "USA Today" travel writer Ben Mutzabaugh.
Good morning, Ben.
BEN MUTZABAUGH, "USA TODAY" TRAVEL WRITER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: OK. So, which disaster do you want to talk about first? Comair canceling its flights, the luggage handlers not showing up for work in Philadelphia?
Yes, there is no shortage. And suffice to say, a lot of travelers, like you said, not only were inconvenienced, but a lot of them had their entire holiday travel plans scrubbed because of the operational meltdown, as one of the airline CEOs called it.
But there are some things you can do if you're affected to help you -- you know, to help you get out of this situation. The first thing is, this is a pretty catastrophic -- for these two airlines anyway -- this is a pretty catastrophic system failure. So, there may be some situations where there's not a lot you can do. But there are some things that will help.
First of all -- and this seems, you know, if you're talking to preschoolers, but it's important to remember, don't get angry at the ticket agents. Even if you think you're justified in your anger, save it for a letter and ask for a voucher. Because those ticket agents, they have a lot of leeway to help you or to not help you. And if they think you're a jerk, they're not going to help you find that last remaining seat or they're not going to -- you know, they don't have to help you if they don't want to. So...
COSTELLO: Yes. But, Ben, do you know what's really frustrating? Sometimes those ticket agents just aren't around. So, you're sitting there waiting for news, any kind of news, waiting to change -- you can't even find one.
MUTZABAUGH: Well, that's another area where you can take things into your own hands. Everyone thinks -- a lot of people instantly think they have to go right to the ticket counter or to the gate or somewhere where there's a ticket agent. Pick up your cell phone, go to a pay phone, call the 1-800 reservations number. Probably 7 out of 10 times people at the 800 number at the airline can help you just as well as people in the airport can.
COSTELLO: And, of course, you have to have patience for that, too, because you could be on hold for a very long time.
MUTZABAUGH: But it could be shorter than those lines, given the situation this weekend or this week.
COSTELLO: True. OK. Let's talk about luggage, because a lot of people have lost their luggage because of that, you know, luggage handler problem in Philadelphia. So what should you do?
MUTZABAUGH: This is one where you're really sort of stuck. If you've checked your luggage and it's lost, just be persistent in getting a hold of the airline and ask them to track it down. This is one area where, unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot that you can do. But if you are traveling going forward, especially on US Airways, you might want to try to take everything on a carry-on or send something if it's that important.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about -- you know, a lot of people say this was a work stoppage event, and that's why so many flights were canceled, because a lot of people apparently called in sick, and they didn't have workers to replace them. But is that really plausible?
MUTZABAUGH: Well, this is a really ugly labor dispute that seems like it's developing at US Airways. You had, what the airline says, a record number of workers calling in sick, and then they obviously were short-staffed and couldn't handle all of the luggage. The union says that this was not an organized work stoppage, which is probably true. But what most people seem to think has happened are people are bitter at the company. And let's face it, these workers have had a lot of pay cuts, 20-30 percent pay cuts, two or three times in three or four years. And they want to spend holidays with their families. They're making probably 40 percent less than they were a few years ago. So, they didn't really see the conflict with calling in sick.
Now, of course, the airlines -- yes. Of course, the airline's side, they can't deliver the luggage.
And the bottom line is, the person who is traveling, they're not going to be sympathetic to either side. They're just going to remember that their luggage didn't make it, that their trip was ruined or at least, you know, not enhanced. And they're going to remember that for US Airways.
So, hopefully for the airline, they can get their ducks in a row and improve their customer service.
COSTELLO: Yes. Yes, because it doesn't sound like it's going to get better anytime soon. Ben Mutzabaugh...
MUTZABAUGH: And they're -- thank you.
COSTELLO: Go ahead.
MUTZABAUGH: Oh, they're losing a lot of money as well. That's part of the problem with the lost luggage. They're having to pay fees, I believe what I saw, is $50 for the first day your luggage hasn't arrived, and then it's $25 for each additional day. And that doesn't sound like much, but you've heard there are seven planes, I think, full of luggage being shipped around the East Coast on US Airways. So that's a lot of passengers, a lot of luggage, and you have a bankrupt carrier that's on the verge of liquidation. That doesn't help.
COSTELLO: No, it doesn't. Ben Mutzabaugh live from Washington this morning. Thank you.
MUTZABAUGH: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
We're learning about the enormity of the killer tsunamis across Southeast Asia. The death toll is up again this morning. Now more than 21,000 are reported dead and many thousands are still missing. It's the world's largest earthquake in 40 years, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake.
A new era in Ukraine, that's the word from Viktor Yushchenko, the opposition presidential candidate. With nearly all of the votes counted, Yushchenko is the apparent winner of Ukraine's twice re-run presidential election.
In money news, Wal-Mart's suppliers are rushing to meet a January deadline to install radio tags on their products. The radio frequency identification devices are designed to keep better track of inventory than bar codes do.
In culture, a Michael Moore alert. The "Houston Chronicle" reports some pharmaceutical companies are telling their employees to be wary of the filmmaker. His charges have included President Bush in "Fahrenheit 9/11." Now, Moore has his sights set on the health care industry, including drug-makers.
In sports, a record-setting day for Peyton Manning. The Indianapolis Colts star broke Dan Marino's single season touchdown pass records with his 49th TD pass. But the Colts beat San Diego 34- 31 in overtime. A lot of close games this weekend.
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COSTELLO: If you were in an airport over the weekend, you probably have a holiday travel tale to tell. In fact, we've told some already this morning.
Let's go to Rick Sanchez who no doubt will be following this story on "AMERICAN MORNING."
Good morning -- Rick.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Not only the people affected, Carol, but the reasons that these people are being affected. And actually, there's a bevy of them. It has, in some cases, to do with computer. In some cases it's to do with highways that are stuck and people can't get to the airports, including the people who work at airports.
And in other cases, just the weather, nothing more, as Chad has been describing, stranded passengers, long delays all over the country, problems at two airlines to blame specifically, and we're going to be getting into that, breaking those down for you, because they really are separate and different; the reasons, that is.
And it's not over yet. How much longer can travelers expect to be stranded? We will be talking to at least one aviation consultant. Michael Boyd (ph) is going to be joining us. That and a whole lot more right here on "AMERICAN MORNING."
And isn't the snow nice, Carol?
COSTELLO: It looks pretty. It just feels bad.
SANCHEZ: My family is in town this week with me, and my 3-year- old daughter was walking around Manhattan yesterday like this.
COSTELLO: Oh! Now see...
SANCHEZ: Trying to catch the snow.
COSTELLO: That makes the snow more enjoyable.
SANCHEZ: Well, for her, it certainly is. COSTELLO: Exactly. Thank you, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Appreciate it.
COSTELLO: We'll see you in about 10 minutes.
SANCHEZ: All right.
COSTELLO: Planning to ring in the New Year with French champagne? You'll pay a lot more this year. The rising cost of luxury imports next.
DAYBREAK will be right back.
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COSTELLO: The cost of fine cuisine and high-end dining is going up. You might say people who can afford to dine out in style aren't really all that worried about money. But as our DAYBREAK contributor, Ali Velshi, reports, the rich ones aren't the only ones eating rice -- or eating price spikes, I should say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN DAYBREAK CONTRIBUTOR (voice over): If you think it's tough being rich, try being the restaurants or food stores that supply the rich.
We all ended up paying more for things like tomatoes this year, because crops were damaged by hurricanes. But the rich, they don't survive on American-grown tomatoes. The stuff they eat comes from far afield, really far afield. That means they get flown in or brought in by ship, and the cost of fuel gets added to the bill.
And it's hard enough already to eat fancy imported foods. The plummeting value of the U.S. dollar in Europe means the price of goods and foods imported from there is skyrocketing faster than you can say I'll have what Trump is having.
The dollar has fallen about 35 percent against the euro since the beginning of 2002. Over the past year, the average price that American importers pay for foreign products has gone up 3.4 percent. And that hits truffles, just one of the high-end foods imported from Europe specifically.
And according to one retailer, the price of French wine is 10 to 15 percent higher than it was last year.
So, what do you care about the rates? Remember, this affects the good folks feeding the rich probably more than the rich themselves. Most restaurants work on slim margins. And because of that some of the better restaurants across the country are hoping you won't ask for certain items, like European caviar.
TONY MONTUANO, SPIAGGIA RESTAURANT, CHICAGO: And last year, our cost was maybe $700 for a pound, and this year it's close to $1,000 a pound. So, we really can't cut back on the luxury European goods that we bring in, because that's what we're all about.
VELSHI: And think of this over your morning cup of joe: Starbucks raised its prices a couple of months ago for the first time in years. Why? The rising cost of commodities, like cocoa, sugar, even milk, which is produced right here in America.
The good news? A cheaper dollar makes things produced here less expensive to overseas rich people, and more attractive to Americans, too. That could mean big business for U.S. producers of high-end foods, like truffles and caviar.
And what do the chefs to the rich have to say about 2005?
MONTUANO: I don't think there's really any sign that the dollar is going to improve or that these goods are going to cost us any less next year.
VELSHI: Ali Velshi, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And you are watching DAYBREAK for a Monday morning. We'll be right back.
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COSTELLO: A live look at the city of Boston this morning, Chad. And I guess the snow is coming down there, too.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is.
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MYERS: Hey, if you're in Boston, you won -- well, at least one person did, won the mug from last week, the DAYBREAK coffee mug. Here are the questions from last Wednesday. Reviewing the questions. How many killer whales now live at Sea World in San Diego? The number was eight. And what weight loss program will Kirstie Alley endorse? And that is Jenny Craig.
The winner, Rich Daly, Rich Daly of Boston is now the only person in Boston with a DAYBREAK coffee mug.
COSTELLO: That is thrilling for him!
MYERS: It is.
COSTELLO: My goodness! And, of course, we'll have the next DAYBREAK coffee quiz on Wednesday.
MYERS: All right.
COSTELLO: From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.
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