Air France will gradually be introducing from 30 January 2010 onwards on its short-haul flights, a brand new seat on its Airbus A319, A320 and A321 fleets operating on the domestic network.

Air France’s new short-haul seat, designed jointly by Air France and Recaro, which received an award for innovation at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, provides additional comfort and more space with:

• 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) more legroom,

• An enhanced seatback with a natural 15° recline,

• A more streamlined and comfortable foam seat.

This new seat is also more environmentally friendly, since environmental aspects were taken into account at the start of the design stage.

‘Following investment on the long-haul network with the new Premium Voyageur cabin class, Air France is now investing on the domestic network to provide passengers with a more comfortable seat that is also environmentally friendly’, said  Patrick Roux, head of marketing at Air France-KLM.

1/20/2010 1:13:31 PM UTC    Comments 

From 28th March 2010, China Airlines will launch the first non-stop flights to Taipei from London Heathrow, Terminal 4. The new service will operate three times a week and will offer 30 business class seats and 246 seats in economy class. Previously, UK passengers have had to travel via Amsterdam in order to fly to Taiwan with China Airlines.
 
Flights to Taiwan will depart from London Heathrow Terminal 4 at 21:15 on Tuesdays and Sundays, arriving at Tayoyuan International Airport at 18:15 the following day. Thursday services will depart slightly later at 22:05 and will arrive in Taiwan at 19:05 the following day.
 
Return flights from London Heathrow to Taipei start from £585 in low season, including taxes.
 
www.china-airlines.com

1/19/2010 1:42:51 PM UTC    Comments 

Kingfisher Airlines, revampes King Club, the airlines frequent flyer programme and the launch of King Platinum, a brand new and exclusive tier of membership for King Club.

Commenting on this unique initiative Ms. Anshu Sarin, General Manager, King Club said, "King Club is India’s most rewarding frequent flyer programme and we wanted to take this experience to the next level by upgrading the features and introducing King Platinum, the pinnacle of King Club. With this new addition to the King Club program, Platinum members can now avail many first-of-their-kind benefits. The card is designed to compliment discerning lifestyle and needs of highly successful individuals who will settle for nothing but the best in every sphere of their lives. The King Platinum card provides members with personalized recognition and privileges befitting their exclusive status.”

The new King Club has exclusive features like the innovative Daily Status Review system which ensures that one enjoys quick and flexible tier upgrades, Fast Track Earning, Family Club, Air Boutique ONLINE the premium online reward shop that allows the member to redeem their King Miles for attractive rewards.

The new King Platinum tier has been loaded with exclusive features like:
• 5 upgrade vouchers
• 35% tier bonus miles
• Unlimited lounge access for member and two additional lounge vouchers for their companions
• Lounge vouchers which can be used by family members
• A complimentary King Gold card for their companion
• Waivers on select administrative charges
• Exclusive Lifestyle privileges
• A dedicated Concierge desk for member assistance and more

Kingfisher Airlines has blazed a trail of innovations and introduced a range of market-firsts that have completely redefined the whole experience of flying. By elevating its customers to a level of being ‘guests’ and not just passengers, Kingfisher Airlines has endeared itself to consumers.

1/19/2010 11:57:11 AM UTC    Comments 

Qantas Chief Executive Officer, Mr Alan Joyce, said the airline now offered A380 services on four routes – two from Melbourne and two from Sydney. “We are pleased that as we continue to grow our A380 fleet and offering, customer demand for the aircraft and feedback on the Qantas A380 experience remains extremely strong,” Mr Joyce said.

“Qantas operated its inaugural A380 flight to London from Sydney in January 2009 and this week we have made the A380 option available to our Victoria customers.” The recent arrival of our fifth and sixth A380s has made this possible.

Qantas will operate one to two services a week between Melbourne and London via Singapore (QF9 on Mondays/Sundays and the return QF10 on Fridays/Saturdays). Regular twice-weekly flights will commence on 29 March 2010.

Qantas operates 14 services each week between Melbourne and London – up to two on the A380 and the remaining 12 on the Boeing 747-400.

1/19/2010 11:56:17 AM UTC    Comments 

bmi, British Midland International, will be launching a new route between London Heathrow and Vienna from March 28 2010, with fares available to book from today (18 January 2010).  The route will be operated using an Airbus A320 aircraft in conjunction with Austrian Airlines, also part of Star Alliance, to offer five flights a day, seven days a week.

The new route announcement comes as bmi relaunches its UK & Ireland product as the airline continues its programme of developments across its network. 

Return fares with bmi from London Heathrow to Vienna start from just £99 return including taxes,

www.flybmi.com.

1/18/2010 12:09:13 PM UTC    Comments 

Holiday Inn has taken the unprecedented step of introducing human bed warmers into its hotels, helping guests get a great night’s sleep and keep the cold at bay.

Holiday Inn has teamed up with sleep psychologist Dr Chris Idzikowski and a dedicated team of bed warmers to heat up guests’ beds. Dressed in all in one sleeper suits, the bed warmers will work as human electric blankets, bringing the bed temperature up before guests climb in so guests can be toasty warm from the moment their heads hit the pillow.

As Dr Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre explains: “There's plenty of scientific evidence to show that sleep starts at the beginning of the night when body temperature starts to drop. The decline occurs partly because the blood vessels of the hands, face and feet open up and release heat.

“A warm bed – approximately 20 to 24 degrees Celsius – is a good way to start this process whereas a cold bed would inhibit sleep.  Holiday Inn’s new bed warmers service should help people achieve a good night’s sleep especially as it’s taking much longer for them to warm up when they come in from the snow.

Jane Bednall, spokesperson for Holiday Inn said: “People want to leave the cold outside and climb into a warm bed.  The new Holiday Inn bed warmers service is a bit like having a giant hot water bottle in your bed, warming it up before guests climb in to give them a great night’s sleep away from the cold.  And of course they jump out before you jump in!”

The bed warmers toasting suits (pictured) were specially designed to maximise sheet heating efficiency.  The complimentary five minute bed warming service will trial at Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum, Holiday Inn Kingston South and Holiday Inn Manchester Central Park.
Sessions should be booked to take place between 21.00 and 23.00, from 18 to 25 January 2010.

1/18/2010 12:08:17 PM UTC    Comments 

Boeing has completed initial airworthiness testing on the 787 Dreamliner. This milestone will enable more crew members to take part in flights and will allow more airplanes to join the flight test program.

“This is an important step forward,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We are very pleased with the results we have achieved so far. The airplane has been performing as we expected.”

Since the first flight in mid-December, the program has conducted 15 flights, achieving several key accomplishments. Pilots have taken the airplane to an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) and a speed of Mach 0.65. Nearly 60 hours of flying have been completed. Initial stall tests and other dynamic maneuvers have been run, as well as an extensive check-out of the airplane’s systems. Six different pilots have been behind the controls of the 787.

In the weeks ahead, the team will continue to expand the flight envelope at which the 787 will operate to reach an altitude of more than 40,000 feet (12,192 meters) and a speed of Mach 0.85. Subsequent testing will push the airplane beyond expected operational conditions. 

“The pilots have told me the results we are seeing in flight match their expectations and the simulations we’ve run. That’s a real tribute to Boeing’s expertise and the international team that helped develop and build the airplane,” said Fancher.

Flight testing will continue in the months ahead. First delivery is planned for the fourth quarter of this year.

1/18/2010 10:35:20 AM UTC    Comments 

Marriott International rings in the New Year and the new decade by offering leisure travelers a Global Rate Break, 20 percent savings on weekend room rates at participating hotels around the world.  Select resorts in the Caribbean, Latin America and Hawaii are offering up to 40 percent off room rates.

Time to book is limited. The Global Rate Break is available for booking up to January 22, 2010 for relaxing weekend stays (Thursday – Sunday) with family, friends and loved ones that occur between January 22 and March 21, 2010.*  Visit www.marriott.com/globalratebreak1 and insert promotional code F5X to check availability and book your stay

Some resorts and hotels are going a step further, offering the 20 percent off their room rates seven days a week.  In total, guests will have the flexibility of choosing from more than 2,500 participating Marriott hotels around the world among the company’s portfolio of brands:

Marriott Hotels & Resorts.     
JW Marriott
Renaissance Hotels
Courtyard by Marriott
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Residence Inn by Marriott
TownePlace Inn by Marriott
Marriott Vacation Club

1/15/2010 5:13:50 PM UTC    Comments 

Many UK businesses have turned to executive helicopters to get them around the gridlocked UK road network as this unprecedented winter weather takes its toll.

PremiAir, executive helicopter charter operator is actually reporting an upturn in operations as executives needing to get on with their normal business recognise the unique value of helicopters and their ability to get them quickly around the UK, even when major and regional airports are disrupted.

1/15/2010 5:13:01 PM UTC    Comments 

Air New Zealand's New Year Sale fares are now available and prices to New Zealand start from £675 per person (fully inclusive of all pre-payable taxes) for a return flight from London Heathrow to Auckland in Pacific Economy (valid for travel between 16 April - 20 June 2010).  Alternatively, Los Angeles, a return economy flight starts from just £384 including taxes (valid for travel between 12 January - 30 June or 22 August - 30 November 2010).

Scott Carr, Air New Zealand's General Manager UK and Europe, comments: "We know that as well as feeling the pinch after Christmas, many people are also wanting to escape the weather we've been having.  With temperatures in Los Angeles around 25 degrees and New Zealand experiencing one of the best summers in a decade we suggest people get on one of our flights out of here!  Both locations offer a great holiday experience, whether it's the glitz of LA or the serenity of New Zealand and will definitely lift any post Christmas blues". 

www.airnewzealand.co.uk

1/15/2010 4:47:20 PM UTC    Comments 

Air France will commence services to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates from 3 May 2010.  The new 5 times weekly schedule marks the return of Air France services to Abu Dhabi after a nine year break.

The new service will be flown by a 208-seater Airbus A330-200 and will offer passengers a choice of business class (Affaires), premium economy (Premium Voyageur) and economy (Voyageur) seating. Lead in fares from the UK begins from £366 return including all taxes and from Ireland start from €676 return including all taxes.  Flights are available to book now for travel from 3 May 2010. 

www.airfrance.co.uk

1/12/2010 3:15:59 PM UTC    Comments 

As Iraq is increasingly opening up to civil aviation, demand for flights to the country is growing. Lufthansa is therefore examining the possibility of launching several new services to Iraq and is currently planning to serve the capital, Baghdad, and the city of Erbil in Northern Iraq via Frankfurt and Munich.

Lufthansa aims to launch the new services in the summer of 2010, once it has obtained the necessary traffic rights. Further infrastructure requirements are also being examined. With the resumption of flights to Iraq, Lufthansa is pursuing its policy of expanding its route network in the Middle East, which it presently serves with 88 flights per week to 14 destinations in eleven countries.

The exact flight times and fares will be announced at a later date as soon as booking for the new routes opens.

1/12/2010 3:15:16 PM UTC    Comments 

Stelios Haji-Ioannou is expanding his super budget brand easyHotel into Berlin, Germany as he announced today that the hotel is taking reservations from the 11th January through their website www.easyhotel.com . Located in Hackescher Markt in the centre of Berlin, the value for money hotel will open its doors on 8th March 2010 with an opening offer starting from just €10 (euros) per night for a double room. 

This latest addition to the easyHotel portfolio is a new build budget hotel and the 12th property to be opened by the brand. Located on Rosenthaler Strasse it offers 125 air conditioned bedrooms which are priced on the basis of the earlier you book, the less you pay and periods of high demand cost more than less popular periods.

Renowned for its ‘no frills’ approach easyHotel Berlin Hackescher Markt is completely transparent on its services and pricing structure and in keeping with the easyHotel concept of value for money, services such as Television, internet access, luggage storage and extra towels are available for a small extra charge to guests who require them.
 
www.easyhotel.com

1/12/2010 3:12:51 PM UTC    Comments 

From April 29th 2010 Star1 Airlines is increasing the number of flights it operates each between London Stansted and Vilnius. By adding an additional flight Thursdays the route from London Stansted to Vilnius will now be operated six times per week with no flight on Saturdays.

"The route between London and Vilnius is now well established with a strong base of regular passengers from both the business community and London-based Lithuanians."  said Jurate Rupsiene, Manager Communication.

www.star1.aero

1/12/2010 3:11:43 PM UTC    Comments 

From 2 – 18 January 2010 Malaysia Airlines is holding a sale to mark the new decade. The airline is offering all-inclusive fares to the whole of South East Asia from £519 return and Australasia from £639 return, for travel from 15 April to 31 May 2010. 

There will also be special fares available for travel to Malaysia and South East Asia from £559, from 15 January to 26 March, 4 to 14 April, 1 to 30 June and 1 September to 30 November 2010.

Malaysia Airlines is also offering a special fare to Australia and New Zealand from £689 return. This fare will be available for travel from London to Perth from 1 February and to the rest of Australia and New Zealand from 15 March to 14 April, 1 to 30 June and 1 September to 30 November 2010. All special fares are available to purchase from 2 to 18 January 2010.

www.malaysiaairlines.com.

1/5/2010 4:34:06 PM UTC    Comments 

Starting June 2010, Iceland Express will fly twice a week from Reykjavik’s Keflavik International Airport to Winnipeg International Airport, in Manitoba, Canada. This is in addition to new London Gatwick to New York, London Gatwick to Akureyri and Birmingham to Reykjavik services, all due to launch in June 2010.

Flights from London Gatwick to Winnipeg start at £467 return including taxes and the first flight will depart on 12 June.

Iceland Express also re-launched its operation from London Stansted in November 2009.

1/5/2010 12:27:12 PM UTC    Comments 

Customers booking between 5 -18 January 2010 can take advantage of  savings on flights to a range of destinations from UK airports. Flights are valid for travel until 15 June 2010

Beirut from...

Manchester via London Heathrow from just £379 return
London Heathrow from just £385 return
Glasgow via London Heathrow from just £405 return

Moscow from...

Manchester via London Heathrow from just £199 return
London Heathrow from just £215 return
Edinburgh via London Heathrow from just £259 return

Riyadh from...

London Heathrow from just £379 return
Manchester via London Heathrow from just £379 return
Edinburgh via London Heathrow from just £379 return
Glasgow via London Heathrow from just £379 return

Customers can also take advantage of the new international lounge, bmi Number One Heathrow.  The lounge is open to bmi Business Class, bmi Gold and Silver Diamond Club members and Star Alliance Gold members

Business Class customers also have the option of a complimentary Chauffeur Drive service, to and from the airport.

www.flybmi.com. 

1/5/2010 11:43:27 AM UTC    Comments 

Virgin Atlantic, today announced that it is offering a range of New Year sale fares to a number of worldwide destinations for Economy and Premium Economy travellers. Return fares in both Economy and Premium Economy class are available for sale until 26 January 2010 for selected destinations and departure dates 

All fares are inclusive of taxes, fees and surcharges and start from as follows:

New York - Economy £299, Premium £542   
Boston - Economy £309, Premium £552
Las Vegas - Economy £459, Premium £863
Dubai - Economy £324, Premium £599   
Johannesburg - Economy £599, Premium £1,077

www.virginatlantic.com    

1/4/2010 3:49:16 PM UTC    Comments 

Award winning Brazilian chef, Helena Rizzo, is the new gastronomic consultant for the airline

TAM Airlines has launched a series of new menus for its international services, a selection of dishes which have been devised for the carrier by the highly acclaimed Brazilian chef, Helena Rizzo. Rizzo is responsible for the award winning São Paulo restaurant and city hot spot, Mani. A recent review of Mani in the Financial Times said that Rizzo’s cooking is both “delightful and clever.”

The chef’s new dishes are characterized by lightness, inspired on tea flavours and aromas, and are available on TAM’s international services as of 10 January 2010.

"TAM’s commitment to service quality is one of the supporting columns of our company’s operation,” explains Manoela Amaro, Marketing Director for the airline. “We want to continuously offer our clients the very best. The annual review and renewal of our international flight menus is part of such a commitment."

There are approximately 500 different options between entrées, main courses and desserts that are offered by TAM in its’ First Class, Business and Economy cabins on international flights. All the new options have been developed with a softness and delicate touch of herb and flower aromas mixed with flavours inspired from around the globe. "We will offer our customers a new gastronomic experience," promises Amaro.

In First Class, filet mignon rosbeef with poached pear and yogi tee-aromatized olive oil, lamb ribs with rosemary au jus and artichoke and tomato caponnata, chicken fillet stuffed with Earl Grey tea and mushrooms with jasmine rice and pak choi, are among the options available. For dessert, there is apple pie with farofa doce (a sweet peanut concoction crumbled into a fine powder), aromatized with rooitea and topped with cinnamon fudge.

For the passenger in Business Class the choices include shrimp with yogurt dressing and yin zhen sprouts, brie cheese and leek ravioli with marinara sauce, sesame crispy chicken fillet with curry sauce and coconut milk and marsala tea and jasmine rice. For dessert, one of the options is an Earl Grey tea panna cotta and lemon with raspberry icing.

In Economy Class the options could include a mix of green vegetables served with carrots and anise, meat casserole au roti sauce with mashed potatoes and sauté vegetables, or chicken drumstick with curry sauce and coconut milk and marsala tea served with white rice and peas, along with balm-mint panna cotta with a raspberry sauce.

Tea on board
Teas are not restricted to the dishes served on board. TAM has hired Carla Saueressig – the top tea-blending specialist in Brazil – to develop a special blend for its on-board service.

Saueressig has created a red-coloured drink, a colour symbolizing life and the warmth of TAM, in which fruity flavours from tropical Brazil and herbs from Amazon come together with a floral tone and a sweet vanilla base, just like the good things in life. "It conveys cosiness, comfort and the pleasure of flying with TAM", says Amaro.

2010 TAM Wine List
As well as re-launching its menus, TAM has also updated the selection of wines it serves on its international flights. The new list is the responsibility of Arthur Azevedo, CEO of the Brazilian Association of Sommeliers in São Paulo, who in addition is also the editor of Wine Style magazine and a consultant of the Artwine site.

To harmonize with the new dishes on the airline’s international menu, the sommelier has sourced wines from different countries and continents.

In First Class the Drappier La Grande Sendrée champagne, from vineyards that are more than 70 years old, is a popular choice. Among the wines, the white Luís Pato Vinhas Velhas from Bairrada, Portugal; and Boutari Moschofilero OPAP Mantínia, from Peloponnese, Greece deserve a special mention; as do the red wines such as L'Etoile de Bergey from the French region of Pessac-Léognan, in Bordeaux, produced by the Garcin-Cathiard family in limited quantities; the Spanish wine, Abadia Retuerta Cuvée Palomar, from Sardon del Duero; Cuvée Palomar, another wine integrating the elite of Spanish wines; and the I Balzini Black Label, from Tuscany, Italy.

For Business Class the Drappier Carte d'Or champagne has been selected, which is produced in the small and charming town of Urville; the white wines include Weingut Brundlmayer Grüner Veltliner, from Austria, and Selbach Oster Bereich Bernkastel Selbach Riesling QbA, from Mosel, Germany; while the red wines feature Fayat-Thunevin, from the French region of Lalande de Pomerol, in Bordeaux; and Ysios Reserva, from Rioja, Spain.

Economy class, selections include the Argentinean wines Grafigna Malbec, from San Juan, and Etchart Torrontés, from Salta.

12/16/2009 9:50:09 AM UTC    Comments