European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes thursday december 24, 1987 flight s on time record available to travellers Washington a air travellers had new in formation available tuesday in St Lei Ting what airline or flight they should use for their Holiday travel the transportation department said. Ii was the firs Day that travel agents and airline reservation clerks had on time performance inform Linn about specific flights at their disposal through their Compi Icin de reservation systems. The information is required under  put in effect earlier this year. Department officials cautioned that because the new information is becoming available during the Busy Holiday travel season some problems might occur Dur ing the transition period. Under the regulation the airlines Ore required to provide fur each flight a single digit code indicating How often the flights had arrived on time during the previous month. A flight that arrived within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival Between 80 and 89 percent of the Lime for example would carry the digit "8" As part of the computerized information used by travel agents or airline reservation clerks. Consumer advocates noted however that agents arc not required to provide the information unless specifically asked. Before today Consumers booking an airline ticket. Might have been Given a Choice of several flights during a particular time period and a Range of fares. Now. In addition to these choices Consumers can find out which of those flights is most Likely to gel Ihm there on Lime transportation Secretary Jim Burnley said in u statement. The airlines for several months have been required to submit monthly information of on time performance with the department which has made Summa Ries available to the news Media. However the inclusion of delay information for specific flights As part of the reservation system is considered to be far More useful. This is a definite step in the right direction. Hope fully consumer pressure As Well As the embarrassment Factor will Force the airlines to establish More realistic flight schedules said Jack Gillis a spokesman for the consumer federation of America. The federation recently began publishing an annual guide to air travel that includes on time information about particular airlines and other information. Hut Gillis said it is possible the availability of the on time data through travel agents or reservation clerks May just be adding one More level of complexity to the whole process of gelling a  it remains to be seen if this is the most effective Way to communicate this information to  meanwhile the Federal aviation administration said there were fewer delays attributed to air traffic control problems or poor weather during november the fifth straight month of decline. The Agency said it counted 31 percent fewer delays during november than during the same month in 1986 and 14 percent fewer during the first ii months of 1987 compared with the same period last year. Burnley attributed the reduction in such delays which do not include delays caused by problems of the air carriers themselves to a series of Steps by the Faa and the airlines that have started to produce results these include the development of More realistic night schedules by airlines the shifting of some nights away from congested Lime slots at Busy airports pres sure on airlines from disclosure of on time performance and increased efficiencies in the air traffic control system. During the Busy Holiday travel season we May see More delays but the Overall trend looks Good Dum Ley said. During the first ii months the Faa counted 325,654 flight delays compared with 378,070 during the same period in 1986. During november there were an average of 855 such delays a Day Down from l,23fi a Day in november 19b6, the Faa said. Roman an Feen Ager in Miami for Tennis tourney granted Asylum Miami a a teen age romanian Tennis player was granted political Asylum tuesday after defecting upon her arrival for an International tournament. I want to be in America Madalina Liliana Voi Nea. 17, told reporters during a Brief news conference at the Miami office of the . Immigration and naturalization service. She gave no other reason for her defection. Voinea sought Asylum monday. She was interviewed by ins officials for several hours and by late tuesday morning her request was granted said Perry Rivkind District ins director. Her family knew nothing about this he said. Rivkind said her Case was handled quickly because she came with necessary documents As pan of a government sponsored team. We called the department of state and got an advisory opinion and they said she had a Well founded fear of  Rivkind said. "1 agreed with the opinion and granted  Voinea who arrived saturday for Miami Beach s Orange bowl International championship for juniors was disappointed when she was told it is unlikely she d be Able to play tournament officials said. The romanian Tennis federation failed to file its applications on Lime and All the women s slots were filled said tournament director Don Petrine. There was still room in the tournament however for a male player travelling with her. The tournament started sunday. On monday. Voinea look a taxi from her hotel to Miami International Airport where she asked for Asylum said Melro Dade police spokesman Rey Valdes. Her coach. Ayrl be Garcean. Would not comment on Why the teen Ager sought Asylum. Voin ii i packs Little English and the nervous teen met with the press for Only a few minutes. She had lived with her parents and two Sisters in Bucharest said George Waldroup. Assistant District ins director. He said she did t have any relatives in he United Stales but would be staying with friends at an Undis closed local Ion. Romanian Tennis player Vidalina Lilian Vuleta state Side convicted killer Harris writing her second Book Bedford Hills . A Jean har Ris the killer of Scarsdale diet author or. Her Man tier Nowr says she is keeping up her spirits in prison by working on a second Book. Harris 63, told the Stamford conn., advocate tuesday that her nearly completed Book is titled they always Call us ladies stories from prison the Book is a history or the Bedford Hills prison since its founding As a women s Reforma tory in 1901. It also contains anecdotes about current in males Harris said. It is scheduled for publication in june by Charles Scribner j sons. Her first Book stranger in two worlds was autobiographical. Harris began a 15-Ycar-to-Lifc sentence in 1981 Tor shooting Tarnower to death in his Home on March 10, 1980, allegedly because he was giving her up for a younger woman. She has maintained she shot him while trying to kill herself Christmas tree Blaze kills parents 3 children Eatonton of. A authorities said a Mother father and their three children were killed tuesday when a lighted Christmas tree was ignited by an electrical Short Eaton ton police chief Kent Lawrence identified the victims As Floyd Steven Paynter 30 Pamela sue Payntor 24 Shawn Steven Paynter 5 Brandon Lee Paynter it and Kriston Ashley Paynter. I. Their Central go orca Home was destroyed by the fire. Lawrence said the Christmas tree caught fire from a Short in the wires around the tree after the family had gone to bed. The lights on the tree had been left on he said. The police chief said the Mother father and daughter s bodies were found upstairs in a bed room of the two Story Wood Frame House. The bodies of the two Young boys were found in an other bedroom. Lawrence said the fire started about 2 50 . A neighbor called the fire department. Santa turns cynical after mugging in new York new York a John Mcenery does t believe in Sant Claus anymore. Mcenery 63, was dressed As the Jolly old Elf collecting donations for the salvation army in Midtown Manhattan As he s done for the past sin weeks. Two men threw Mcenry to the ground kicked off his glasses and fled with s65 in coins and his 10-Pound Black Kettle. "1 can t believe anybody could be that Low Mcenery told the daily news. "1 guess i Don t believe in Santa Claus  but he still believes in his cause. Ill tic a rope around my Waist and to the Kettle or i la handcuff myself to the Kettle he said. Court upholds revoking club s liquor License Boston a the Massachusetts supreme court wednesday upheld the revocation of a liquor License to a suburban Boston night club for barring some Blacks front entering the club. The High court unanimously affirmed the decisions of both the Boston licensing Board and the stale alcoholic beverages control commis Sion to pull the liquor License of Asp Ourakian Ltd. At the Cache nightclub in Allston in 1983. The Board revoked the club s License after an investigation produced testimony from 22 wit Nesses is police reports and Othni documentary evidence suggesting a deliberate pattern of discrimination