British Airways is to reduce its fuel surcharge on its shorter longhaul routes from today as a result of a fall in the price of oil. As a result, the fuel surcharge on tickets sold in the UK for longhaul flights scheduled at under nine hours in duration will be reduced from £35 per sector to £30 per sector (£60 return trip).

The shorthaul fuel surcharge will remain unchanged at £8 per sector (£16 a return trip).British Airways will also reduce its fuel surcharges by equivalent levels in all markets.

1/12/2007 12:24:28 PM UTC    Comments 

Singapore’s low fare airline, announced today its new service between Singapore and Perth. The airline will commence the service on 23 March 2007 with four flights a week. Tiger Airways will increase the flights to a daily service during peak demand holiday periods. From November 2007, Tiger Airways plans to operate daily to Perth.

Perth is Tiger Airways’ second destination in Australia. We are proud to be the only Asian Low Cost Carrier to link Perth with Asia,” Tiger Airways Chief Executive Tony Davis said. “Tiger Airways will offer more than 70,000 seats a year between the two cities, and replicate the success of its Darwin operations in stimulating more travel between the two destinations.

“With return fares starting from S$21.52 one way (excluding taxes and fees), travel between Singapore and Perth has never been as affordable. Seats are now on sale.

www.tigerairways.com 

1/12/2007 12:23:35 PM UTC    Comments 

Qantas has announced it would increase its non-stop services between Australia and San Francisco from three to five per week from 26 March 2007. Qantas resumed services three times a week between Sydney and San Francisco in March 2006, and the destination has quickly established itself as a popular option for people travelling between Australia and the United States.

www.qantas.co.uk

1/12/2007 12:22:40 PM UTC    Comments 

Thistle Hotels is providing the perfect excuse for a bit of self indulgence this January and February, some well earned “Time for me”, with discounted breaks across the UK:

Escape to the Coast: Head to Thistle Brighton for a place to rest your weary head after a day of walking along the shore and up the cobbled Brighton lanes. With rates from £79.00 per room per night, you’ll be able to treat yourself to a relaxing spa treatment and wind down with dinner and sea views at The Promenade restaurant.

Get cosy in the Cotswolds: Located in the picturesque Cotswolds, Cheltenham is a well-known spa-town, with some of the country's most beautiful streets and elegant parks. Relax at Thistle Cheltenham and indulge in a spa treatment at the Otium Health and Leisure club. Room rates from £62.00 per night.

Discover Devon: Thistle Exeter is situated at the centre of this cathedral city and gives you the opportunity to explore the beautiful Devon countryside, coast and moors. Or, why not curl up in front of the fire with a good book and a scone with a fresh dollop of Devonshire clotted cream…delicious! Room rates from £69.00 per night.

Highlands Escape: Head to Thistle Inverness for a spot of pampering in the Highlands. With rates from £55.00 per room per night, you’ll be able to retreat to the spa at the Otium Health and Leisure club, head for a brisk walk or even partake in a spot of monster hunting at Loch Ness. Whichever you choose you can always head back to the hotel for a sauna, steam and sleep at the end of a long day.

www.thistlehotels.com/winter

1/11/2007 12:17:25 PM UTC    Comments 

US Airways is to provide a new daily service between New York's LaGuardia Airport and Myrtle Beach, S.C. US Airways Express carrier Chautauqua Airlines will operate the service with 50-seat Embraer 145 aircraft. The flights are now available for booking, and service will commence March 4.

www.usairways.com

1/11/2007 9:41:37 AM UTC    Comments 

Emirates Airline today announced the introduction of a new daily non-stop flight between Newcastle and Dubai, starting later this year. The Dubai-based international carrier's new service, which will commence on 1 September, 2007, will be the first ever scheduled long-haul flight to operate from Newcastle.

This means that customers in the North-East region will have direct access to one of the most popular tourist destinations and fastest emerging markets of the Middle East. It also opens up an onward route network that stretches across more than 80 destinations worldwide after just one short stop in Dubai.

www.emirates.com/uk

1/10/2007 12:46:07 PM UTC    Comments 

London City Airport welcomed Air One, Italy’s first privately owned airline, who touched down at 09:40 to launch their Rome, Fiumicino service.

There will be two flights daily Monday – Friday, departing London City Airport at 10:10 and 16:50, plus a Saturday service departing at 10:10 and a Sunday service departing at 16:50. Air One offers both a business and economy product. Fares will start at £65 one-way including taxes.

www.londoncityairport.com www.flyairone.it

1/10/2007 12:44:56 PM UTC    Comments 

Qatar Airways has entered 2007 in buoyant mood celebrating the 10th anniversary of its re-launch with nine new destinations planned during the year. Dar es Salaam, the commercial and financial centre of Tanzania, becomes the newest addition to Qatar Airways’ family of routes when direct non-stop services are launched to the city today.

Qatar Airways will operate four flights a week between Doha International Airport and Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.

The Doha-based airline sees 2007 as a year of huge expansion with non-stop services planned to key destinations around the world – Bali, New York, Lagos, Ho Chi Minh City, Chennai, Ahmedabad and two, as yet to be announced, cities in northern and eastern Europe.

www.qatarairways.com

1/10/2007 12:44:04 PM UTC    Comments 

JetBlue Airways today announces its continued expansion in the Bay Area with new low-fare service between San Francisco International Airport and both New York/JFK and Boston beginning May 3, 2007. With the addition of JetBlue's five daily flights to SFO, the low-fare airline will offer the most nonstop flights between New York City and the Bay Area, where it already serves Oakland and San Jose, as well as the

most California destinations served nonstop from both Boston and New York City.

To celebrate JetBlue is offering one-way fares from San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose to Boston and New York City starting at $99.00 each way, with regular fares ranging between $159.00 and $399.00 each way.

www.jetblue.com

1/9/2007 4:52:39 PM UTC    Comments 

Lufthansa is extending the weekend even further so that even more UK passengers can take advantage of bargain fares available in the airline’s latest ‘Lufthansa Long Weekend’.

The five-day ‘sale’ from, 12th to 16th January, will offer travellers the chance to take advantage of special fares on many of Lufthansa’s 12,908 flights per week to a total of 183 destinations in 78 countries. Amongst the special return fares (inclusive of all taxes and surcharges) are Cairo, Muscat, Beijing and Osaka with return flights to Europe also available from £79.

The special fares for the latest ‘Lufthansa Long Weekend’ will be unveiled on www.lufthansa.com at one minute past midnight on the morning of Friday 12th January and will be available for booking until midnight on Tuesday 16th January.

1/9/2007 1:28:05 PM UTC    Comments 

The doubling of air passenger duty, due to come into operation on February 1st, may actually have the opposite of the desired effect. That’s according to Portman Travel, the UK’s leading independent travel management company.“The Treasury justified the hike on environmental grounds, but it has not identified environmental schemes which will benefit directly from the increase in duty,” said Bob Govan, Portman’s marketing and development director.

Govan fears that initiatives which help companies to offset their carbon emissions will suffer when the duty rise comes into effect next month. “Many businesses already pay a voluntary ‘tax’ on their business travel via carbon-offset schemes,” said Govan. “These programmes neutralise carbon emissions caused by business travel by investing directly in renewable energy projects, re-forestation and other carbon-neutralising initiatives.

“My fear is that large business travel users will be unwilling to continue funding voluntary schemes when the new duty comes into effect and companies considering joining these schemes will decide against it.” There is a widespread belief that the tax hike, which doubles duty on long-haul flights to £80, is simply designed to give the Treasury extra funds without any specific benefit to the environment.

“The duty rise is unlikely to reduce the volume of business travel,” said Govan, “but it may damage schemes which directly offset the environmental impact that business travel causes.”

www.portmanforest.com.

1/9/2007 12:48:47 PM UTC    Comments 

Continental Airlines and US Helicopter have launched an eight-minute shuttle service between Newark Liberty International Airport and Downtown Manhattan. The service provides a fast and easy option for business travellers who wish to travel to and from Manhattan in style.

Continental customers arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport and travelling on US Helicopter’s service to Manhattan will proceed to US Helicopter’s departure gate 71 at Terminal C.  Baggage will be automatically transferred via US Helicopter to Downtown Manhattan Heliport on Wall Street.

A one-way ticket aboard US Helicopter costs £811 and can be purchased by visiting www.flyush.com.  A link to US Helicopter’s Web site is also available at www.continental.com.

1/9/2007 12:47:08 PM UTC    Comments 

Tiger Airways, Singapore’s low fare airline, launched the first scheduled international flights from Singapore to Udon Thani, its latest destination. 

Udon Thani, which also serves as a gateway to Vientiane Laos, is Tiger Airways 6th destination in Thailand; the others being Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Krabi and Phuket. Tiger Airlines operates 122 flights a week between Thailand and Singapore, making it the largest international low fare airline to serve Thailand. Tiger Airways is the only airline to operate scheduled direct flights between Singapore and Udon Thani.

www.tigerairways.com

1/9/2007 10:18:28 AM UTC    Comments 

Cathay Pacific Airways today announced that it has worked with Air China to reduce the “Minimum Connecting Time” (MCT) between the two carriers at Hong Kong International Airport. The move will make more connections available to passengers travelling through Hong Kong as well as reducing waiting times. The MCT revision will also help to further enhance Hong Kong’s standing as an international aviation hub and gateway to and from the Chinese Mainland.

The change in MCT between Cathay Pacific and Air China now means that all connections between the two carriers have been reduced to 60 minutes. Previously, the MCT for Air China passengers connecting through Hong Kong ranged from 70 to 90 minutes.

As a result, passengers are now able to book an additional 134 connecting flights each week through the Hong Kong hub. At the same time, new origins and destinations have been opened up. So, for example, passengers can now book a journey between Guiyang in China and Colombo in Sri Lanka, while travellers from Chengdu are able to book a journey to Singapore flying through Hong Kong.

www.cathaypacific.com

1/9/2007 10:17:23 AM UTC    Comments 

Etihad Airways, the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates, has confirmed that it will begin flights to Australia within the next few months from its base in Abu Dhabi. This follows the conclusion of an extended aviation bilateral agreement between the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

Etihad Airways Chief Executive, James Hogan, said: “We appreciate the support of the Government of Abu Dhabi in securing the additional rights that will allow us to start flights to Australia in the next few months. I believe that our service will significantly drive and support the development of trade and tourism between the UAE and Australia. We are finalising the arrangements and hope to announce full details shortly.”

1/9/2007 10:14:43 AM UTC    Comments 

Following the news that Easyjet has cancelled all flights at Bristol Airport, Flybe one of Europe's largest low fares airlines, has announced it will step in and offer passengers disrupted by the cancellations, a special rescue discount offer of £20 off flights to and from its nearest bases to Bristol - Exeter, Southampton and Birmingham.

Flybe’s rescue package will provide stranded passengers with an alternative travel option at minimum cost.

To purchase these fares, passengers can call the Flybe Customer Call Centre on 0871 522 6100.  In order to qualify passengers taking advantage of this discount will need to provide proof of their original booking of their cancelled service from Bristol on departure.

1/8/2007 12:12:00 PM UTC    Comments 

von Essen is pleased to announce the appointment of Lee Clarke as head chef at The Ickworth Hotel near Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk.

Clarke joins the von Essen collection from Shell, where he spent two years as head chef, responsible for the private fine dining and hospitality facilities at Shell Tower in London. Lee's rich and varied culinary career has spanned 14 years and has included positions at a number of renowned London eateries, such as the Michelin-starred Mirabelle restaurant, The Ivy, and Harvey Nichols.

Ickworth Hotel is the former home of the Marquis of Bristol and is surrounded by 1,800 acres of National Trust parkland.

www.vonessenhotels.com

1/8/2007 12:06:43 PM UTC    Comments 

Greenbee, the new direct services company from the John Lewis Partnership, will become the destination shop for travellers in 2007.  Greenbee has signed up Cox & Kings, the world's longest established travel company, to provide an exclusive range of planned group tours and bespoke travel itineraries.  

The alliance will see Greenbee offer tailored packages, adventure, cultural and prestige tours in addition to the direct travel services it offers through Expedia.

With exotic destinations ranging from Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands to India, Kenya, Morocco and Mongolia, the itineraries will be dedicated to providing inspiration to those seeking luxury, independent or group travel options. Customers will be able to speak to specialist travel consultants who have travelled extensively in their specialist regions and have the expert knowledge to help customers book their dream holiday. The holidays are displayed online at

www.greenbee.com/travel

1/8/2007 12:05:38 PM UTC    Comments 

The low fares airline, Iceland Express is celebrating its fourth birthday with a 3000-seat sale at £19.00 one-way (excluding taxes). Seats are available on their route between London Stansted and Reykjavik for travel between January and October and must be booked via the www.icelandexpress.co.uk website on the 10th, 11th or 12th January 2007.

The seat sale fare is £19.00 one-way (excluding taxes) or £51.00 one way (including taxes). Bookings open at mid-day on the 10th January for 48 hours.

1/5/2007 12:44:51 PM UTC    Comments 

Continental Airlines has announced that it has completed the installation of Audio/Video on Demand in the BusinessFirst cabins of its entire fleet of 41 Boeing 757 aircraft used primarily on transatlantic flights to/from its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport.

The new system allows customers to choose from up to 25 movies, 25 short-subject programs and 50 compact discs.  Once the system is activated by the crew, customers may watch the programming whenever they choose, controlling the programs with easy-to-use touch-screens to stop, pause, rewind and fast forward.  The new entertainment system also has 20 video games and an interactive Berlitz World Traveler program that teaches foreign languages.

These are also the first Continental aircraft to be equipped with power ports that accept the standard electric plugs from most countries around the world.  No special adapter is necessary.  AC power ports will be installed throughout the entire economy cabin when AVOD is added to the main cabins of these 757 aircraft beginning summer 2007.

www.continental.com

1/5/2007 12:43:47 PM UTC    Comments 

Train operator’s timely move to boost punctuality East Coast train operator GNER is distributing radio-controlled watches to around 1,000 of its frontline staff as part of a new drive to get more trains running on time.

The watches automatically adjust themselves once a day in response to a time signal from an atomic clock. Even if the watch is only a fraction of a second out, it will correct itself to the precise time. GNER’s drivers, on-train crews and train despatchers on stations are among those being issued with the watches, as part of a wider employee campaign to boost timekeeping entitled This Time, It’s Personal.

1/5/2007 7:48:14 AM UTC    Comments 

Centralwings introduced new procedures that will allow passengers travelling together on the same reservation number to pool their free luggage allowance within their group. If all passengers have booked as part of the same group on one reservation number, they will be able to combine the total luggage allowance for their group rather than each person being restricted to their own luggage allowance.

The situation before the introduction of “pooled luggage allowances” was that each passenger was only allowed to carry 20kg of registered luggage.  Following the introduction of this new rule, passengers travelling in a group will be able to pool their luggage allowances for the overall benefit of their party. This procedure will ease the check-in process for passengers travelling as part of a group with their children, friends or colleagues. 

Centralwings offers direct flights to Poland from the UK and Ireland:

www.centralwings.com

1/5/2007 7:46:14 AM UTC    Comments 

On 25 March 2007 SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express make way for Brussels Airlines which will launch two new product formulas, the b.flex ‘all in’ travel solution for time-sensitive business travellers and b.light for people who want to travel on a low fare. The low fare offer from 49 euros one way will be offered by Brussels Airlines on fifty European destinations, and this is clearly appreciated by the customers.

The range of flights will be developed further in 2007. Growth plans exist for both the European and intercontinental networks. Because Germany is the President of the European Union as of today, five iso four daily flights between Brussels and Berlin city airport Tempelhof will be in place from next week. Moreover, the number of flights to Eastern Europe is being increased significantly. Extra daily frequencies will be offered and large aircrafts used on the Brussels-Budapest route from February. The flight frequencies will also be increased on the popular Brussels-Prague connection. Brussels Airlines is further investigating the possibility of linking the European capital with Cracow (Poland) from the summer.

1/5/2007 7:44:59 AM UTC    Comments 

Kick start your new year with a trip to Malta or Sicily, courtesy of Air Malta’s fantastic sale fares!

Travel to Malta or Sicily from as little as £41 one way including all taxes and charges when you fly between 9 January and 9 February 2007. Take off to Catania from London Gatwick or choose from 10 departure points throughout England, Ireland and Scotland for flights to Malta.

With three flights a week to Catania and 44 flights a week to Malta from UK airports, there is plenty of opportunity to fly to the sun. Choose from Birmingham, Bristol, Dublin, East Midlands, Glasgow, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle and fly to the Maltese sunshine in just under three hours.

www.airmalta.com

*Price is subject to availability and is valid for bookings made before 31 January

1/4/2007 7:49:43 AM UTC    Comments 

Early indications with Budget Expeditions’ Asia tour bookings suggest that in 2007, Vietnam, China and India will be some of the company’s most popular destinations. Sales & Marketing Manager Richard Leonard said the tours will do well in 2007 because they include all the names and places young people want to see.

“The reason we put these tours together is because we know they contain sights that are really popular with young people. We’re confident our ‘Vietnam Adventure’, ‘Images of India’ and ‘China Encompassed’ tours will continue to be our top sellers in 2007.

“For example in Vietnam, we take you all the way through the country on the Reunification Express, showing you exactly the ontradictions that occur on many levels, both culturally and geographically. The 19 day ‘Vietnam Adventure’ tour travels from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City or reverse, and encompasses the essence of Vietnam – a combination of friendly people, stunning landscapes, imperial cities, serene beach breaks and divine food. Meet the locals on Bex’s Mekong Delta home stay, discover beautiful villages in Sapa, and contrast the caves in Halong Bay with the pagodas of Hue. 

www.tucantravel.com

1/4/2007 7:48:36 AM UTC    Comments 

JetBlue is to begin new services tomorrow, January 4th, from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to JFK and LA/Long Beach. Chicago will be the airlines 50th destination since it launches its first services six years ago.

www.jetblue.com

1/3/2007 4:25:12 PM UTC    Comments 

Flybe, one of Europe’s leading low cost airlines, is today reminding passengers that in light of the recent New Year price hikes by rail operators around the country, flying is a viable travel option in place of rail travel providing passengers with a fast, direct, efficient and low cost route to destinations across the UK.

Flybe provides passengers with a comprehensive route network which spans the backbone of Britain, operating regular flights to 21 destinations in the UK.  And, with the introduction of online check-in last year, passengers face minimal fuss at the airport and can enjoy fast, efficient and good value domestic travel, without having to worry about the price increases of up to 8.4% imposed on train journeys this New Year.

Exeter - Norwich TF* £96.50. FLYBE £29.99
Southampton - Machester TF* £64.50. FLYBE £27.99
Glasgow - Norwich TF* £30.00. FLYBE £29.99
Exeter - Edinburgh TF* £116.00. FLYBE £24.99

*TRAIN OPERATOR FARE (TF), FLYBE FARE (one way including taxes and charges)       

www.flybe.com

1/3/2007 3:47:06 PM UTC    Comments 

British Airways is to resume  services to Trinidad and Tobago’s Port of Spain from London Gatwick from  March,  with  three Boeing 777s a week via Barbados.  It will be the airline’s  tenth destination in the Caribbean.  Port of Spain is already on the  oneworld  network,  through  American  Airlines.  The move follows the resumption  by  British Airways of passenger services to Calgary,from London Heathrow since 1 December. 

1/3/2007 10:54:32 AM UTC    Comments 

American Airlines and its American Eagle affiliate, has announced five new routes for early  2007. American itself will link Austin with Seattle daily from 10  April, and fly between Chicago O’Hare-Shannon non-stop from 1 May.
Currently  the  airline serves the Irish port in conjunction with its daily Chicago-Dublin service.

American  Eagle  will  connect  Miami with the Mexican gateway of Cozumel from 2 March daily. It will also launch two new links  between  Chicago O’Hare and cities in Alabama from 10 April – Birmingham with twice daily.

1/3/2007 10:53:38 AM UTC    Comments 

Iberia is to add Gibraltar to its network with daily flights to and from Madrid from 16 December,timed to offersmooth connections at the airline’s main hub to its domestic and international networks. The move follows a recent accord
between the Spanish, British and Gibraltar governments, opening up Gibraltar’s airport to more services.

Iberia is also linking Algiers with its Madrid hub from 7 January with an initial two return flights a week. The airline says  the  route  is being  opened “to meet the growing demand of Spanish business  travellers and Algerians living in  Spain”.

1/3/2007 10:52:38 AM UTC    Comments 

Cathay Pacific has resumed passenger services to Shanghaiafter a 16-year break, with daily frequencies to and from its Hong  Kong  hub. Its wholly owned subsidiary Dragonair, which will join oneworld as an affiliate in 2007, also serves this route. 

1/3/2007 10:51:51 AM UTC    Comments 

Fares on the Heathrow and Gatwick Express train services have today risen by an average of 7.3 per cent, the largest increases on the rail network.

Open return fares on the Heathrow Express now cost £28 if booked online, up from £26 last year, and £31 if purchased onboard. First class fares have also risen. A return bought online now costs £46 (up from £44) and £47 if purchased onboard. By comparison, open return fares on Heathrow Connect, the stopping service, are now £12.90 or £11.90 for a day return.

Gatwick Express fares have also risen sharply. An express class return now costs £26.80 (previously £25) while a first class return is now £42 (previously £38).

Fares on the Heathrow Express and on Gatwick Express (except for a small number of season ticket fares) are unregulated, which means they are not capped by the government. The increase in regulated fares is capped at inflation plus one per cent. Annual inflation currently stands at 2.7 per cent
 
Source Times Online January 02, 2007 www.timesonline.co.uk

1/3/2007 10:33:11 AM UTC    Comments