News and Offers on Flights from UK

Indian Carriers Count on the Direct Jet-Fuel Import Approval

2012-02-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Indian government panel approved a plan that authorizes Indian airlines to import jet fuel directly. This approval is likely to help cash starved carriers to cut fuel costs by up to 20 percent.

At present, Indian carriers are required only to buy jet fuel from oil marketing companies including some government owned companies like Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp.

The right to import jet fuel directly has long been demanded by Indian carriers led by Kingfisher Airlines. Jet fuel accounts for about half of the operating costs of these carriers.

The oil marketing companies as mandated by the government levy different federal and state taxes raising the cost manifold and the jet fuel prices in India rank amongst the highest in the world. Fuel costs make for the biggest lump of the tickets price and remain an important factor in deciding an airlines’ ability or inability to offer cheap flights for travel.

The authorization to allow direct fuel imports is likely to reduce costs by 15 to 20 percent. However, the authorization announced to import fuel directly is still pending approval from the cabinet.

Jet Airways, popular choice of travellers booking flights to India, has shown interest in seeking help from oil companies to import jet fuel.

Most Indian airlines have succumbed to the high fuel costs, ruthless competition and economic slowdown, in the recent years.

Indian carriers are expected to lose up to $3 billion in the current fiscal year ending March and the State-owned Air India is expected to account for more than half of this estimate, as revealed by CAPA.

Sources revealed that Indian Aviation Ministry expects the total debt of the aviation industry in this fiscal year to rise to $20 billion. Air India has been approved for a $4bn debt restructuring and may issue INR74 billion ($1.5 billion) of bonds, informed Aviation Minister, without providing details.

The move is still pending approval from the cabinet and requires buy-in from lenders, who have been reluctant to agree to any plans involving acquisition of equities in Air India or requiring large writedowns.

The panel is soon going to pass its recommendation to the cabinet to allow participation of foreign airlines to buy up to 49 percent of Indian airlines.

Passenger’s Benefit

The possibility for the airlines to pass on the savings to the travellers in the form of cheap ticket deals on flights to India and within can not be ruled out. However, it is quite certain that the airlines would first focus on paying off their debts, cut operational costs and recover losses.

While cheap flights due to this move may not be on the cards, practical judgement indicates that, if not sooner, the passengers who travel frequently on Indian carriers stand to benefit from the government’s decision at a later stage, provided other price factors remain reasonably stable.

Qatar Airways Begins 2012 expansion with New Flights to Georgia

2012-02-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

The five-star carrier, Qatar Airways’ new 2012 expansion programme is in progress after the airline rolled out scheduled daily flights to Tbilisi, Georgia via Baku, Azerbaijan on 1st February.

The Doha based carrier, Qatar Airways rolled out its new 2012 expansion programme with the launch of its scheduled flights to Tbilisi, Georgia via Baku, Azerbaijan.

While leading a high-profile delegation on the Baku and Tbilisi inaugural flight QR976, the chief executive of Qatar Airways, Mr. Akbar Al Baker said that Azerbaijan’s rising tourism sector and energy resources were main reasons that lead the airline make a decision of initiating operations there.

Al Baker further said: “We assessed Azerbaijan as a destination with great potential that would create a new air corridor providing wider choices for both leisure and business travellers”.

The inaugural Flight QR976 was greeted with an arrival ceremony at the Tbilisi International Airport.

On arrival in Tbilisi, Al Baker addressed the guests and said that Georgia was an extremely underserved region of Europe, which actuated the airline to think about opening up the route.

Al Baker added: “Tbilisi becomes Qatar Airways’ 112th destination worldwide and it gives me great pleasure to celebrate our arrival here.”

“We sincerely look forward to growing this route with additional capacity in the future and we look forward to welcoming more destinations into our ever increasing European network,” said Al Baker.

Qatar Airways is going to operate a new two-class configuration aircraft Airbus A320 on the Baku and Tbilisi routes. With 12 seats in Business Class and up to 132 seats in Economy, this aircraft will be highly rewarding for those seeking comparatively cheap flights tickets with Qatar Airways to travel to the renowned holiday spot, Tbilisi, via Baku.

Regardless of the economy class travellers with relatively cheap flights tickets or business class passengers, Airbus A320 will offer TVs with over 900 audios and videos on demand options to all its passengers.

The five-star carrier and has won the coveted Skytrax Airline of the Year Award in 2011. The airline caters over100 international destinations and offers frequent flights to Dubai, Melbourne, Muscat, Kuwait, Entebbe, Shanghai, Singapore, Bangkok, Delhi and Goa to name a few.

Qatar Airways decided to cater two more cities in South Eastern Europe in order to expand its network route that currently includes Ankara, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Venice, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London Heathrow and Madrid.

In fact, the airline is one of the preferred names for travelling to Middle East with flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat etc as well as to countless other short, mid and long haul destinations scattered in Europe, Africa, USA and Asia Pacific.

As per its new 2012 expansion plan, Qatar Airways will start flights to seven new destinations counting Kigali from March 21; Zagreb from May 9; Perth from July 3; with dates yet to be declared for other new routes – Mombasa, Zanzibar, Helsinki, and Gassim.

Reference

Heathrow Resumes Normal Flight Schedule After Cancellations

2012-02-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

Travellers on flights to and from London got some respite on Monday as the Heathrow airport operated a normal flight schedule. On Sunday, the airport cancelled 50% of the services due to heavy snow and freezing fog.

After cancelling hundreds of flights over the weekend, London's Heathrow Airport conducted almost normal operations on Monday, allowing travellers to heave a sigh of relief.

The airport trimmed down its services almost by half on Sunday owing to heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures all across the country.

One of the busiest airports on the globe, London Heathrow normally operates around 1,300 flights a day, serving some 180,000 people in the process.

“Heathrow is open and our usual flight schedule is operating today,” the airport said in a statement on Monday.

“There will, however, be a handful of cancellations as result of yesterday's disruption. We advise passengers to contact their airlines to check before they come to the airport,” the statement added.

BAA grounded 200 flights on Saturday as heavy snow engulfed the country, forcing the travellers to rework on their travel schedules. On Sunday, more flights were cancelled even as the conditions were forecasted to be dry with a partial thaw.

Heathrow released a statement that read: “We took the decision with airlines and air traffic control yesterday to reduce the flight schedule in advance.

“By cancelling flights in advance airlines have been able to rebook some people on to flights that are departing, and passengers have had better quality information about whether they can fly or not.”

Other London airports were also affected but not massively. Stansted, Gatwick Birmingham and Luton suspended operations for some time on Saturday night but the airport continued with its normal services the subsequent day.

Gatwick airport released a statement that said the airport is “open for business” but travellers are recommended to make sure of their flight statuses before moving out of their houses. Stansted said it was “open and operating as normal.”

Different Airlines: Where they stand

Most airlines with flights to and from London were impacted by Heathrow’s cancellation of services.

Ryanair, a budget airline renowned for offering cheap flight tickets, cancelled four flights on Saturday and one on Sunday. The airline offered alternate options to affected travellers, without any charges, ensuring that travellers who book cheap flight tickets with this no-frills airline are not required to shell out more.

Emirates and Etihad Airways were also forced to cancel flights to London. On Monday, both airlines offered a normal schedule.

Indian airlines like Kingfisher and Air India were also forced to ground flights to London. While Kingfisher did away with Mumbai-London and Delhi-London flights, Air India decided to club two of its flights.

Ireland’s flag carrier, Aer Lingus axed 16 flights between Ireland and the UK over the weekend. The airline arranged for a larger aircraft to transport passengers who had their flights cancelled.

Reference

Qatar Airways’ Opens London Lounge, Eyes Major 2012 Expansion

2012-01-30T08:24:00.000-08:00

Qatar Airways launches its premium lounge at London Heathrow which marks the beginning of another eventful year for the Doha based airline. 2012 will be all about capacity enhancement on existing routes and addition of new routes on the Qatar’s network.

The Doha-based Qatar Airways has launched its new premium lounge for first and business class travellers at Terminal 4 of the London’s Heathrow Airport.

The premium lounge has been designed like a boutique hotel instead of the traditional lounge facility for an airline at the airports, and is staffed with employees hired from five star hotels and restaurants. The lounge has a capacity to house 90 passengers and features a theatre-style Global Brasserie kitchen, innovative Delicatessen, Signature Martini bar, private shower services, heated floors and mirrors, hotel-style towels, branded toiletries, etc.

The free Wi-Fi network and discreet power sockets at each seat are other facilities provided to the passengers booking tickets for on Qatar flights to London from Doha, and return.

At the launch of this premium lounge, the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar al-Baker said: “The lounge is the latest development in our rapidly expanding global route network and we are eyeing opportunities to open further airport lounges in destinations where we operate more than two frequencies a day”.

Qatar’s 2012 Route Expansion Plan

The airline has announced additional capacity for its Heathrow – Doha route by increasing the present four flights to five, effective March 25. This will considerably add to the daily inventory of economy class tickets for passengers looking for cheap flights to London with the airline.

More importantly, in the year 2012, the airline is planning to operate several new flight routes. The expansion begins with Baku in Azerbaijan and Tbilisi in Georgia with flights launching on February 1. This will be soon followed by flight to Kigali in Rwanda on March 21; Zagreb, Croatia on May 9 and Perth, Western Australia on July 3. The dates for flights to Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Helsinki (Finland), Mombasa (Kenya) and Zanzibar (Tanzania) are yet to be declared.

Operations to Perth is set realise Qatar’s capacity enhancement goal for Australia that the airline has been considering since it launched direct flights to Melbourne in December 2009. Flights to Perth will use Boeing 777 with two class configuration – 42 Seats for Business and 217 economy class.

Qatar Plans to Operate First Dreamliner from Heathrow

Qatar Airways is aiming to become the first airline to operate the Boeing 787 from the UK. Boeing 787 Dreamliner is considered to be unbeatable in terms of fuel efficiency and passengers can expect that airlines may pass on the fuel cost saving in the form of cheap flight tickets to them.

The Dreamliner will be configured with two travel classes – business class for luxury seekers and economy class for passengers looking for comparatively cheap flights tickets with the airline.

Out of five flights to London, the airline will be offering one daily flight with the Dreamliner later in 2012. The airline is scheduled to get the delivery of its first 787 in the coming summer and will make London as its first destination outside the Gulf.

Emirates and Alaska Airlines Announce Frequent-Flyer Partnership

2012-01-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

Dubai’s Emirates, one of the world’s largest airlines, and Seattle based Alaska Airlines have decided to join hands. The two major carriers have come together to launch a new frequent flier partnership.

Dubai based Emirates and Seattle based Alaska Airlines have launched a new frequent flier partnership.

The deal between these two major players will allow passengers to collect Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan miles when they travel to any of Emirates’ numerous destinations worldwide. Similarly, the collaboration will make it possible for Emirates’ Skywards members to accrue miles across the Alaska Airlines flight network that encompasses the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“As part of our commitment to Seattle, we are launching our service by partnering with Seattle’s hometown airline to offer customers the convenience of a frequent flier partnership as well as one-stop check-in and through checked baggage,” Nigel Page, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for the Americas, was quoted in news reports.

He continued: “Emirates looks forward to welcoming Alaska Airlines customers with our affordably luxurious service both on the ground and in the air.”

Caroline Boren, Alaska’s Managing Director, Loyalty Marketing and Customer Advocacy, appeared buoyed with this new development.

"Alaska Airlines is delighted to welcome Emirates as our newest Mileage Plan partner,” she was quoted in news portals.

"Our customers will be able to earn and redeem miles on Emirates — a carrier admired for its service and quality and with a route network that gives our members even more access to global destinations,” she said.

In a bid to promote this new partnership, the two airlines will start offering double miles on each others’ flights. Double miles will be offered starting March 1 through May 31, 2012. It sure will be a wonderful opportunity for travellers with enough air miles to redeem their miles for rewards such as cheap flight tickets and airport lounge access.

Emirates to Serve Seattle

Industry experts believe that Emirates’ frequent flier partnership with Alaska Airlines is an effort to create a buzz around the Dubai-based airline’s March 1, 2012 launch of flights to Dubai from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It will be a daily nonstop service and a B777-300ER will be used on the route. With the commencement of operations, Seattle will become the airline’s newest gateway in the US after New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and most recently, Dallas/Fort Worth.

Apart from serving passengers who wish to book flights to Dubai from Seattle, Emirates hopes to serve travellers who want to fly via Dubai to destinations in the Indian Subcontinent and Africa. Emirates is a full-service airline that is not really known for offering cheap flight tickets but maybe with increase in the number of options getting hands around cheap tickets may get relatively easier.

On the other hand, Alaska Airlines has also announced that it will be boost its flight services this summer from Portland, Ore., to Santa Barbara, Calif.; Bellingham, Wash.; and several cities in Montana.

Ramadan 2012- The Month of Fasting this year

2012-01-16T02:06:00.000-08:00

Ramadan 2012 - The Month of Fasting this year

• Ramadan Meaning? Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is a special Month for over two billion Muslims throughout the world. It is of a special meaning to Muslims as it is the Fourth Pillar of The Muslim Faith. Sawm (fasting) during the month of Ramadan represents more than an act of worship, as it is time for inner reflection, devotion to god and self – control. It is also thought of as a sort of tune – up for a Muslim’s spiritual life. The Ramadan 2012 is about to in the mid of this year and all the Muslim’s across the world must be waiting for this holy month very curiously.

• What are the benefits of Ramadan fasting? The fasting of Ramadan is believed to improve the physical and mental health. It gives a rest for a stomach, which is working 24 hours a day for eleven months and has been proven to be a good method of losing extra weight. The month feels like going “into maintenance” and is almost like charging one’s batteries for the rest of the year. It is also a break from the routine of modern life. Fasting is also considered as a method of self-purification by cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry. It also teaches the meaning of self-control, patience, unselfishness, moderation, will power, discipline and social belonging. You must be thinking of fasting this year Ramadan 2012 season, definitely going to be good and happy for you.

• Who fasts in Ramadan? Sawm or Abstention means complete abstention from eating, drinking, smoking and intimate sexual contact from dawn to sunset. It also means curbing of even the smallest of evil intentions and desires. Fasting of Ramadan is obligatory to every adult Muslim, male or female if he/she is mentally and physically fit and not on a journey. Women in certain conditions (period of menstruation and nursing) are exempted from fasting but must make it up if they can otherwise they must feed a needy person for every day missed. You must decide to fasts in Ramadan 2012 if possible all the ways.

• When is Ramadan 2012? Ramadan is part of the Lunar Calendar and begins with the sighting of the new moon. Since the Lunar Calendar is eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, Ramadan comes eleven days earlier every year which allows fasting in various seasons and weather conditions. Ramadan 2012 for the year is expected to begin on July 20st depending on the sighting of the moon.

• How is Ramadan in Dubai? Ramadan in Dubai is a unique and different experience due to the fact that people from different parts of the world live and bring their own cultural heritage to this cosmopolitan city. The working hours are slightly altered During Ramadan and all restaurants and coffee shops remain closed from dawn to sunset. While Public Restaurants and coffee shops outside hotels remain closed during the day, Restaurants at hotels remain open during the day and food and drinks are freely served in those areas. Each hotel has a different policy on which and how many food & drink outlets are open so it is advisable to check with your hotel. While non-Muslims are not required to fast, they are obliged by law not to eat; drink and smoke in all public areas such as streets, shopping malls, cars and public offices during the fasting hours. All hotels currently serving alcohol can continue to do so after Iftar i.e. from 19:00 until 02:00.

Dubai is generally very tolerant with regards to clothing in public areas and on private beaches. In Ramadan It is advisable to have sensible attire when out in public areas especially during the day. Swim suites are allowed on Private beaches.

• What goes on after sunset? The city is bustling with life in the morning and until the early afternoon when it is time to break fasting (Iftar in Arabic). Traffic clearly slows down during the Iftar period. The city goes back to the very busy mode of the morning and remains so until the early hours of the morning. Shopping centers and Souks open up for business after Iftar and remain so until late at night. It is customary to see people doing their shopping as late as 01:00 or 02:00. Fasting people go out after Iftar to one of the hundreds of coffee shops in the city to enjoy the evening and stay up until late at night chatting, eating and drinking special Ramadan delicacies. Most hotels especially those on the beach set up their own (Ramadan tent) out in the open and by the beach to entertain guests all night.

• What happens after Ramadan? The end of Ramadan is announced by the sighting of the moon and the festivities (Eid in Arabic) go on for three days. The 1st day of Eid begins at dawn when all Muslims go for prayer out in the open. Visits to relatives and friends especially the sick and the elderly take place all day and special sweets are made for the occasion and new clothes are purchased for the children. All public offices and some private sector offices remain closed for the festivities.

Emirates Launches Dubai-Dublin Flights

2012-01-11T02:34:00.000-08:00

Dubai’s Emirates launched its new Dublin route on Monday. It is the third new route to be added to the airline’s route network in 2012. Dubai-Dublin will be a daily service and is set to offer convenient connections to travellers.

Adding a major tourism and business link to the Middle East, Emirates Airlines began its operations between Dublin and Dubai from Monday.

The Dublin service is Emirates’ third new route to go underway in 2012 after the launch of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Buenos Aires in Argentina in the first week of 2012.

New flights to Dublin will provide an efficient course to travellers in key markets like Australia, India, Thailand and China.

Tim Clark, President, Emirates airline; Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation; Ram Menen, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President-Cargo; Ciaran Madden, Ireland’s Ambassador to the UAE; Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport; Colm McLoughlin, Vice Chairman, Dubai Duty Free; and Niall Gibbons, CEO Tourism Ireland were some of the luminaries who were on board the inaugural flight from Dubai - Ireland.

Dubai-based Emirates will be providing daily flights to Dublin. The airline will ply an Aircraft A330-200 on the route that will feature a three-tier configuration. Ample options will be available for travellers who look for luxury while travel as well for those who seek comparatively cheap flight tickets with economy class.

Flight EK 0161 will take off from Dubai airport at 0700hrs and is scheduled to land at Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2 at 1130hrs. On the return journey next day, Flight EK 0162 will take off from Dublin at 1255hrs and arrive at Dubai at 0025hrs.

Tim Clark, President, Emirates described the new flight launch as an excellent development for both Irish business and Irish tourism.

“We are now connecting Ireland not only to Dubai, but also to over 100 destinations throughout the world. Solid early bookings have demonstrated that the demand is there, opening up new markets for passengers and cargo to and from the Republic,” news reports quoted Tim Clark as stating.

Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport also hailed Emirates’ new launch.

“The inauguration of this new daily service between Dubai and Dublin is a huge boost for Irish tourism, business and aviation. With a daily direct service between Dubai and Ireland, trade, tourism and relations between the two countries and beyond will continue to grow,” said he said.

Target Markets

Australia is considered one of the key markets for this service. Heaps of Irish nationals are based in Australia and Emirates hopes to tap into this market segment. It is reported that approximately 70 passengers on the 237-seat inaugural flight came from bookings in ‘the Kangaroo Land.’

Emirates offers as many as 70 flights to Australia each week, including an A380 service to Sydney. Cheap flight tickets may not be easy to come by with Emirates’ A380 but services and amenities offered on board the world's largest passenger airliner are surely appealing.

In the coming months, Emirates will be launching flights to Lusaka, Harare, Seattle and Dallas.

Emirates Airlines to Route Flights To Ho Chi Minh City

2012-01-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

Dubai based carrier, Emirates Airlines would be operating daily non-stop flights to Vietnam’s commercial capital, Ho Chi Minh City. The destination emirates’ 8th newly added route in 2012 as a part of its expansion plans in South East Asia.

As per its global network expansion plans, Emirates Airlines launched new routes to Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. The Dubai based carrier revealed that it is all set to offer non stop daily flights to Ho Chi Minh City from 4th June 2012.

Emirates initially plans to use an Airbus A330-200 in a two class configuration to operate outbound flight to Ho Chi Minh City and return flight to Dubai. However, Boeing 777-300 ER in two class configuration is expected to serve the new route from 28th October 2012.

The two class configuration on the airliners will accommodate 27 Business Class seats and 251 Economy Class seats. The higher availability of economy class seats will ensure that travellers looking for relatively cheap flights’ tickets with Emirates have more options.

Emirates’ daily non-stop flight, EK 390 will depart Dubai International Airport at 0925hrs arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 1920hrs. The return flight to Dubai, EK 391 will depart Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 2050hrs arriving Dubai airport at 0045hrs, the following day.

Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said, “Following the signing of the Air Services Memorandum of Understanding between Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates in April 2011, we have been busy planning this route and it comes at a very exciting time for the airline, as our global network continues to expand.”

He further added, “Emirates will offer tourists and business travellers, particularly from the Middle East, Africa and Europe, a convenient option to access Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City is one of the most vibrant places in South East Asia and we are convinced that this will prove to be a highly popular route. We look forward to growing our partnership with Vietnam and would like to thank the Government and Airport Authorities for their support in the planning of our launch.”

As revealed by Emirates’ news release, trade between Vietnam and UAE scaled to a whopping US$24 million in 2010 and Emirates’ SkyCargo has been the prominent shipper of Vietnamese export goods to the major Asian gateways including Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong on to European, American, Middle Eastern and African markets.

The lure of a rendezvous with the swanky Emirates Terminal at Dubai Airport is sure to make this new route popular even with travellers who generally are not inclined to splurge on airfares and look for tickets on cheap flights.

Currently, Emirates offers air travel to 117 destinations in 69 countries with 168 airliners. The airline is already the largest A380 operator in the world, operating with 20 A380.

Ho Chi Minh City is Emirates’ 124th destination and eighth route launch this year. Other newly added destinations include Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro (launched on 3rd January); Dublin (9th January); Lusaka and Harare (1st February); Dallas (2nd February) and Seattle (1st March).

Turkish Airlines Teams Up with Thai Airways & TAM

2012-01-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

This New Year has brought big smiles on the faces of the passengers of the Turkish Airlines as the airline has signed codeshare agreement with two renowned airlines - Thai Airways and TAM Airlines.

Codeshare Agreement with Thai Airways

Turkish Airlines, the Atatürk International Airport based carrier, has teamed up with the Thai Airways for a Free Sale Codeshare Agreement. This accord will enable the two airlines to operate certain flights with the help of their own code and flight numbers on a free sale basis. Turkish Airlines will now serve a wider network and will operate flights to Bangkok from its hub Istanbul and further connection to Australia.

Due to this codeshare agreement, Turkish Airlines’ passengers taking flights to Bangkok will be offered seamless connections on Thai Airways-operated flights to Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, Auckland and Kuala Lumpur. Moreover, a similar deal will also be employed to Hong Kong so that the passengers of the Turkish Airlines may book flights on Thai route between Bangkok and Hong Kong. Due to such a soaring frequency of flights, the codeshare agreement might come out as a boon for the travellers seeking relatively cheap flight tickets.

Thai Airways’ President Piyasvasti Amranand said: “By code sharing with Turkish Airlines, THAI can reach many other European cities through Istanbul, which is another gateway for THAI into Europe as well as destinations in Turkey”.

He was further quoted by news reports as saying, “Both our airlines can look forward to mutual strengthening of potential markets through Turkish Airlines’ extensive route net into Europe and through THAI’s strong network in Asia and Australia.”

Code Share Agreement with TAM Airlines

Apart from Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines has also signed a codeshare agreement with TAM Airlines of Brazil. This partnership between the two airlines will amplify the number of options for the flyers planning to travel between South America and Europe and would likely offer a wider choice of operators for the travellers seeking cheap flight tickets.

Once this codeshare agreement comes into effect, TAM Airlines’ passengers will be provided with direct flights between São Paulo and Istanbul in a Turkish Airlines’ flight. On the other hand, Turkish Airlines’ customers will be able to fly on TAM Airlines operated flights to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Porto Alegre and Foz do Iguaçu; and Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Turkish Airlines has won the Skytrax’s World Best Premium Economy Cabin Seat apart from Best Airline – Europe award for 2011. The airline operates domestic and regional and international services across Turkey, Middle East and Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia.

Thai Airways, the flag carrier of Thailand, is another big name in the world of aviation. The Star Airline member was currently under spotlight for becoming the first carrier in Asia to operate flights using biofuels.

TAM Airlines is based at Sao Paolo-Guarulhos International Airport and is the national airline and largest carrier of Brazil.

Reference

Book Your Flights to India for Delightful Ski Holidays

2012-01-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

No other place in the world except India can offer skiers an amazing chance to get high on the thrill of an exhilarating glide down the slopes of the looming Himalayas. Glorious Indian states like Jammu and Kashmir, Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh abound scores of Ski friendly slopes luring skiers from across the borders to hop on Indian flights. As a matter of fact, like the profusion of cheap tickets to travel to India, skiing termini are also burgeoning in the country.

The name of Gulmarg conjures the images of magnificent snow caped mountains with startling slopes. In fact, Gulmarg is known as India's premier skiing destination the altitude of 2, 730m. This amazing hill station is a no-frills "ski resort" that offers a mammoth snowy playground for skiers taking flights to India. Those looking to get the best of skiing trips should plan holidays from the months of December to April, when the snow conditions over here remain excellent for skiing. Additionally, Skiers can find all kind of modern facilities, hotels and restaurants to make their stay worthwhile.

Auli in Garhwal is yet another excellent skiing destination that lures skiers to plan skiing trips with some amazing slopes. The skiing frenzy hill settlement overlooks the towering Himalayan peaks of Nanda Devi, Kamet, Mana Parbat and Dunagiri. For those taking cheap flights to India to indulge in an isolated skiing experience, Mundali offers lofty Himalayan peaks to partake in amazing skiing without burning a hole in the pocket.

Besides Auli, Kumaon’s Munsiyari tops the itinerary of many skiers taking flights to India to partake in skiing and explore the heavenly trekking routes of Ralam, Namik, and Milam glaciers. This hill resort sees streams of skiers taking cheap flights to India to attend the venturesome national championships held during February and March.

The fascinating Himachal Pradesh abounds multiplicity of skiing spots like Kufri, Manali and far-famed Narkanda. Although, skiing tours always remains the primary agenda for those flocking to Kufri, one can also choose to take the heart-warming yak safaris amidst the captivating snowy scenery. The dreamlike beauty of Manali offers a fairytale kind of skiing experience.

Celebrating Near year 2012 in Goa Beaches and Churches

2011-12-29T05:21:00.000-08:00

As the year 2011 slips away quietly into the oblivion of nothingness and the New Year 2012 gradually dawns upon the horizon of time, travel freaks look out for a holiday spot where they can immerse themselves in the festive fervour.

If you are planning such a holiday, then Goa might be your ultimate holiday destination! The mysticism of India coupled with the trademark European languidness – what more can you ask for?

Goa, the smallest state of India, reflects ultimate scenic splendours through its beautiful swaying palm trees, glorious white beaches and sparkling blue water. The charms are aplenty in this region, the charisma is personified and the magnetism is irresistible.

Add to it the ever so famous Goan merrymaking and you have a tourist destination that will prove very hard to beat. The Indian state is famous for its vivacious party culture, modern cities and beautiful venues – all the ingredients that blend together to make Goa perhaps the most ideal place for New Year celebration in the region. No wonder, tourists from all over the globe book cheap flights to India and land up in Goa to revel in the festivities accompanying the New Year celebration.

Sun-drenched paradise, fun-filled beaches, lush greenery, amazing heritage, wonderful churches are some of the few attractions that welcome tourists on New Year holidays.

Beaches
Think Goa, think beaches! Goa beaches are possibly the most preferred venues of parties at the New Year’s Eve. Featuring a coastline that stretches over 100 km, Goa entices approximately 2 million tourists each year with its palm-lined gorgeous beaches.

Calangute, Baga and Vegator are some of the most popular beaches in Goa with their own distinctive charm and characteristics. Incorporate water sports activities like water-skiing, sailing, snorkelling, wind surfing and kayaking to your already fantastic holidays in Goa and you just might be the hot topic of discussion in your office in the year 2012!

A number of parties take place in different resorts throughout the region and the place virtually bathes in music, dance, food and drinks. And just between you and me, while you are there try out the incredible Kaju Feni, an extremely strong local liquor that is sure to take you places (and places you might not want to be!)

Churches
A former Portuguese colony, Goa has no dearth of temples, churches and other wonderful monuments. Get splashed with New Year celebrations; get relaxed admiring the wonderful architectural wonders and your holidays to Goa will be a mind-blowing experience.

You can also enjoy your holidays in Goa with participating in the new year bash sunset on a beach in Goa scheduled at:

Date : Dec 30, 2011
Venue : Querim Beach (Keri), Near Arambol Beach, North Goa Goa
Time : 05:00 PM
Date : Dec 31, 2011
Venue : Querim Beach (Keri), Near Arambol Beach, North Goa Goa
Time : 05:00 PM

Pacha IBIZA show starting from Saturday 31st December 2011, celebrating the show with Juan Diaz & Graham Sahara and Pacha Ibiza Dancers.

New Year 2012 holidays to USA's New York and Las Vegas

2011-12-29T05:09:00.000-08:00

The New Year is just round the corner and if you have booked your flights to USA brace yourself for a roller coaster time of fun and frolic. The immense size of the US translates as dozens of charming places to take one’s pick from for indulging in New Year festivities. In fact, you will be spoilt for choice as almost every New Year attraction is irresistible in the USA. In fact, talking about some of the most well known attractions like the theme parks of Orlando, the overwhelming festivities of New York, and the electrifying parties of Las Vegas would be just scratching the surface. Here is a just a little insight into the New Year celebrations in New York and Las Vegas.

New York

Welcoming 2012 by spending your New Year in New York will be a memorable experience of your holidays in USA. Every year, thousands of tourists pour into New York to witness the gala festivities. Although, there is no end to the events and celebrations, two of the most outstanding events are held at Times Square and Prospect Park. Times Square has been witness to the famous New Year’s Eve ball drop event for more than a century. It is a mesmerising moment as the ball is lowered amidst the countdown for the New Year and finally reaches the ground at the stroke of midnight. Prospect Park is famed for the stunning display of fireworks. Another exhilarating event is Central Park midnight marathon, where thousands participate to the accompaniment of champagne, fireworks, music, and all the trappings of merry making.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas would be the perfect place in USA for innumerable visitors for starting 2012 on a party mode. Dining out, trying out one’s luck at the casino tables, or setting the dance floor on fire at one of the many New Year’s Eve parties are some of the lures of Sin City. Especially, the street party celebration on the main Strip area is a hot draw for many visitors. Similarly, almost every hotel and restaurant will host a gala party. New Year holidays in Las Vegas also spell as a great time for celebrity watching as celebrities are invited to many of the events and functions. A couple of hot parties amongst hundreds of others on the cards for this year round are TAO with Carmen Electra at the Venetian Hotel, and Lax Nightclub’s New Year’s Eve Bash at the Luxor Hotel and Casino.

Happy New Year 2012 in Thailand

2011-12-29T03:36:00.000-08:00

Thailand is one place where people need just an excuse to party and celebrate! So you can well imagine the magnitude and enormity of celebrations in the country as the biggest party of them all draws near.

Indeed, New Year celebration in Thailand is just epic and numbers of tourists pick flights to Thailand setting up newer tourism records with each passing year. With warm and tropical climate, there can be no better place to spend your Christmas and New Year holidays but Thailand.

Being a highly tourist-centric country, Thailand does take its New Year celebrations quite seriously, impressing even the most astute of holiday makers. There’s something in this country for everyone. Be it young or old – the sense of merriment will surely tickle you!

New Year 2012 Celebrations in Bangkok will leave you awe-struck and impressed. Its Central World Plaza is the home for the official New Years Eve countdown. It is a massive shopping centre that features some of the finest and yummiest food courts. People from all over the world come to the city to experience what Central World has to offer. It is a mesmerising spectacle that leaves travellers spellbound and one that is not to be found any where else in the world!

The Peninsula Bangkok Hotel, a world renowned hotel, also boasts of interesting and spectacular holiday decorations. Take a stroll at the foyer and experience wonderful lighting display put forth by the hotel.

Talking about lighting, it must be known that Thais just love making lighting displays and during New Year festivities one can see some of their greatest works. Bright neon lights displayed on the buildings along with perfectly choreographed lighting arrangements on streets will definitely leave you dazzled.

New Year holidays in Bangkok can only be summarised as breathtaking! Thailand is perhaps the only country in the world that celebrates New Year three times a year, but it would be a grave mistake to confer that the festive spark and local enthusiasm fades out with so much activity. In fact, Thais take New Year Celebrations a gear up with each passing year.

Holiday season results in a spurt in Thai tourism and this is when most of the nation’s hotels are fully booked. It is highly important to book hotel in advance if you are planning a New Year holiday in Thailand. Plan early, party hard and have an experience of a lifetime this year as the brand new year of 2012 settles in.

Top Holiday Destinations for New Year 2012 in Australia

2011-12-29T03:25:00.000-08:00

Parades, New Year Eve’s balls, music shows, celebrity events, theme parties and almost every conceivable form of entertainment becomes a part of New Year celebrations in Australia. Literally, every place becomes a celebratory venue, ranging right from beaches and parklands to people’s drawing rooms and backyards. Anyone catching flights to Australia in the near future should definitely consider the following places for celebrating New Year’s Eve.

Sydney

The residents of Sydney claim that Sydney is the world’s most liveable city. The city is definitely one place in Australia that beats New Year celebrations any where else in the country. In fact, Sydney is supposed to be the first city in the world to celebrate New Year. Visiting Sydney during New Year makes every penny spent on those flights to Australia absolutely worth it. The fireworks display alone makes for an unforgettable experience and draws scores of tourists. Tens of thousands of fireworks light up the night sky into a shimmering canopy of shooting stars. In fact, the fireworks display is biggest highlight of New Year celebrations in Sydney. Darling Harbour is the main venue of the fireworks displays.

Melbourne

Melbourne welcomes the New Year with a bang. If comedians, DJs, and live bands spice up the night at Birrarung Marr parklands, the Alexandra Gardens bursts with magic shows, dances, and movie screenings. Chilling out at the Waterfront City Piazza in Docklands and picnicking on the Victoria Harbour Promenade are yet other ways to experience New Year celebrations in Melbourne. Absolutely not to be missed are the two fireworks displays, one at 9:15 p.m. and the one at midnight. Melbourne will be a truly rocking place to welcome 2011 during your holidays in Australia.

Adelaide

Anyone planning to take holidays to Adelaide for New Year’s Eve, 2011 is in for a treat. Taking in the sight of the most stunning fireworks display in South Australia from the Elder Park is one of the biggest charms of a New Year celebration in Adelaide. Balmy summer skies, band performances, and innumerable multi-ethnic cuisines set the mood right for some merry dancing. Conjurers and amusement rides exhilarate children and adults alike. Some of the major hotspots for New Year celebrations are the seaside town of Beachport and the Victoria Harbor port. The Pinky Flat’s family fireworks display at 9 p.m. and the Victoria Bridge at midnight are amongst the must witness events of a New Year break in Adelaide.

New York is ready to Rock You to welcome 2012

2011-12-29T03:18:00.000-08:00

New York is ready to Rock You. Find Out How it's going to be for 2012

The empire state of New York is well worth a visit anytime of the year. Be it lip smacking culinary delights or legendary shopping and a galaxy of amazing sightseeing wonders – there are plenty of reasons to jump aboard flights to New York. The destination counts amongst the most popular hot spots in USA. In case, you are planning to travel in the recent future, there are some additional charms to look forward to.

On 19th September, Harlem’s wide boulevards will play host to the gala annual African American Day Parade. Watching this parade is a very cheap but exhilarating way to while away the time. This colourful spectacle of humanity complete with jazzily attired dancers swaying to heart thudding music snakes its way from 111th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard to 142nd Street and onwards to Fifth Avenue.

The Catskill Mountain Thunder in East Durham’s Blackthorne Resort is an epic motorcycle festival and will definitely add a thump to your holidays. Bikers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New England, and New York, all converge here to participate in the event. While the bikers are up to their dare devil antics, the onlooker may simply indulge in safe flights of fancy from the sidelines. The festival spells as four days of endless fun and excitement packed with numerous events from 16th to the 19th September. Two of the major highlights are a delectable Sunday pig roast accompanied with free beer and an antique motorcycle display.

Another forthcoming attraction is the world famous New York Fashion Week from 9th to 16th September, which will see gorgeous models decked up in spring collections setting the catwalk on fire. Menswear dominates the first two days. After that it is an all out time for women’s wear. The venue is Lincoln Center and the top names from the world of fashion would gather in New York. This is also the time to steal magnificent hotel deals in New York. Book your flights to New York right now to enjoy the extraordinary fun and lifetime holiday experience.

IAG Acquires BMI; Virgin Slams the Deal

2011-12-27T08:27:00.000-08:00

IAG, British Airways’ owner, beat competitor Virgin Atlantic in the bidding battle for Lufthansa's loss-making airline BMI. This will help the group to secure its future growth at Heathrow, one of world’s busiest airports.

British Airways’ owner International Airlines Group (IAG) has won the race to buy loss-making BMI. IAG has edged out Virgin Atlantic by acquiring BMI from Lufthansa with a 172.5 million-pound ($271 million) bid.

Buying Heathrow airport's second largest airline will add 56 slot pairs to IAG’s portfolio at UK’s primary airport. This will raise the BA’s share from about 44% to 53% at the airport, consolidating the carrier’s position at Heathrow.

BMI has operations to Middle East, Europe and Africa and has 8.5% of the Heathrow landing slots. BMI also owns BMI regional and BMIBaby, a low fare airline known to offer cheap flight tickets. IAG has made it clear that it is only interested in BMI’s mainline business. The group warned there will be “significant price reduction” in case Lufthansa is not able to sell off BMI Regional and BMIBaby before the deal finalises.

Virgin Atlantic Not Happy

Beaten in the race to buy BMI, Virgin Atlantic does not seem to be taking the defeat very sportingly! Virgin’s founder Sir Richard Branson claimed the deal to be bad for the industry and urged European competition authorities to block it.

News websites quoted Sir Richard as saying: “BA is already dominant at Heathrow and their removal of bmi just tightens their stranglehold at the world's busiest international airport. We will fight this monopoly every step of the way as we think it is bad for the consumer, bad for the industry and bad for Britain.”

A spokesman for Virgin added further: “If the acquisition is completed, it will tilt the competitive landscape dangerously towards BA and cast a shadow over the British travelling public. We will be asking the competition authorities to stop this deal and to protect the many millions of passengers on routes where BA and BMI currently compete.”

He also implied that the monopoly of BA on London Heathrow is going to be bad news for travellers who seek cheap flight tickets from the airport.

“With Heathrow sewn up, BA can use its monopoly power to force up prices at the expense of the consumer,” he was quoted news portals.

‘Target Asia’

British Airways is one of the world’s largest carriers with a strong presence in many parts of the world. Sources indicate that UK’s flag carrier will now be looking to exploit some of BMI’s slots by switching them to inter- continental routes once the airline gets the delivery of 12 Airbus SAS A380 super jumbos and 24 Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliners in 2013. IAG may start offering flights to Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea and Vietnam, and boost its services to China from Heathrow.

BA has never operated flights to Incheon airport - the biggest hub in South Korea, and the airline discontinued its flights to Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) in 2001 to focus more on Bangkok and Singapore.

However, Sir Richard alleged the plan about new markets from Heathrow is just a “smoke-screen."

Etihad Airways - Biggest Single Stakeholder in Air Berlin

2011-12-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

Etihad Airways of Abu Dhabi and German airline, Air Berlin has announced a strategic deal making Etihad Air Berlin’s biggest stakeholder with access to new European networks as it seeks to maintain pace with its major opponent, Emirates.

The fast-growing Gulf airline, Etihad Airways has accomplished its goal of expanding in Europe by becoming the biggest stakeholder in Air Berlin, a key German carrier. Etihad Airways, which earlier only had less than 3 percent stake in Air Berlin has now boosted it to 29 percent.

As per the deal announced on Monday, Etihad Airways will give approx $255 million (£162 million) of funds for the fleet development and network expansion at Air Berlin and in return will take two seats on the board of Directors of Air Berlin.

Moreover, the deal also includes a code share agreement that will grant Etihad access to Air Berlin’s European short-distance network, and to the German capital of Berlin.

“The strategic partnership with Etihad Airways opens up enormous opportunities for the future of our company.” Air Berlin CEO, Hartmut Mehdorn said.

Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer James Hogan welcomed this deal and said, “This new partnership expands our network reach, gives us access to 33 million new passengers, and provides us with a real opportunity for global growth. Through Air Berlin, we gain immediate access to a broad and complementary European market, with outstanding connectivity options for customers of both airlines.”

Moreover, the German carrier has also decided to move its Middle East operation from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and will offer flights to Abu Dhabi from Berlin four times a week. This deal will possibly be very rewarding for the budget-oriented European travellers seeking cheap flight tickets to travel to Abu Dhabi.

Further, as per the agreement, Air Berlin will initially serve four A330-200 flights between Berlin and Abu Dhabi per week from January 15, 2012, which will enable the European travellers to access 29 flights per week between Abu Dhabi and four German hubs. This frequency can go as high as 42 flights from mid April.

Every year millions of Europeans book tickets for flights to Abu Dhabi and land at the city’s airport to experience blissful holidays. The agreement between the second largest airline of Germany and the flag carriers of UAE has raised the chances of these travellers being able to net cheap flight tickets.

For maintaining the cost efficiencies across the two companies, both the airlines have planned to create a combined procurement panel to handle areas like fleet procurement and operation, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and other general procurements.

Hartmut Mehdorn was quoted in online reports as saying: “This partnership opens enormous opportunities. Abu Dhabi will become our new gateway to Asia and Australia.”

James Hogan showed his contentment with the agreement and referred it as the most important one in the history of Etihad Airways.

With the agreement, Etihad Airways has raised its stake in Air Berlin from 2.99 percent to 29.2 percent followed by ESAS, Pegasus Airlines’ parent company.

Reference

New Airline May Rival BA on All-Business Class Route to NYC

2011-12-22T07:36:00.000-08:00

Mysterious Odyssey Airlines might soon woo executive flyers with all-business class flights to New York from London city. The airline is predicted to strike a concrete blow to British Airways with use of Cseries jets eliminating an enroute refuel stopover.

Odyssey Airlines, a new entrant in the British air travel industry which is yet to be launched, is anticipated to woo business class flyers with its non-stop all-business class services. Various online sources indicate that the venture would fly the aircraft in an all business class configuration with an unspecified number of seats from London City Airport to New York and several other locations.

If analysts are to be believed, the yet-to-be-launched venture directly targets British Airways and help the CSeries jets manufacturer, Bombardier, strike a more concrete blow to Airbus.

The mysterious airline is expected to offer direct and non-stop flights to New York. Odyssey airline is expected to use the future CSeries jet that would eliminate the necessity of fuel stop in Ireland for those taking its flights to New York. This could actually give the new carrier an edge over BA as its twice-daily flights from London City to New York airport, by contrast, must stop and refuel in Ireland on westbound flights because of Airbus A318’s fuel carrying limitations.

According to one online source, the new airline aims to target the bankers and other professionals by offering a non-stop transatlantic business travel. While the key users would mainly be corporate executives, it is no surprise that some business class leisure travellers and holiday makers would also like to take advantage of the shorter transatlantic travel time, though definitely with some premium on ticket price – the airline by no means seems to make cheap tickets its USP.

Cheap flights or no cheap flights, the airline is sure to grab the attention of the frequent business class travellers to New York and offer enough incentive, perks and advantages to tempt off business flyers to renounce their loyalty program points.

However, considering the past closure of many all-business airlines due to the high costs and the difficulty in matching benefits offered by several big players it can be said that Odyssey’s path may be strewn with financial hazards. Numerous projects in North America and Europe also failed in the last few years, like the U.S.-based Maxjets, that filed for bankruptcy in 2007 and UK-based Silverjet, which foundered in 2008.

Mystery Around Odyssey Airlines

Adding to the mystery of the yet-to-be-launched airline, online sources cited Bombardier spokesperson John Arnone as saying, "We do have unidentified customers for the CS100."

Furthermore, the company confirmed sale of 10 CSeries to an unidentified European customer back in June, which has further added to the mystery over the newest industry entrant.

Bombardiers Advantage

Several online sources reported that Bombardier, primarily a train and plane building organisation, has long sought its CSeries to penetrate the $100 billion-a-year jet market, a decision which partially instigated the Airbus and Boeing into enhancing their top selling narrow body jets’ fleet.

John Arnone was cited as saying, "Yes, the aircraft will be certified to fly over water. That's the intention."

As per the online sources, Bombardiers CSeries passenger jet, a transcontinental aircraft, intends to obtain certification to cover intercontinental routes.

Reference

Southall Travel Wins Jet Airways Best Overall Agent Award Yet Again

2011-12-21T04:43:00.000-08:00

Southall Travel has bagged the ‘Best Overall Agent Award 2010-2011’ from Jet Airways, one of the leading airlines based out of India that operates international flights around the world and domestic flights in India. This is the fourth consecutive time Southall Travel has won this award.

Southall Travel was honoured with the award during the Agents Awards night held at the Gloucester Millenium Hotel in London on Wednesday, the 12th of October 2011.

The award was presented to Mr Jaymin Borkhatria, Director of Sales, Southall Travel by Jet Airways’ Mr. Sudheer Raghavan, Executive Vice President, Commercial and Mrs. Lydia Nazareth, General Manager Sales, UK and Ireland. Southall

Mr. Paras Borkhatria, Area Sales Manager of The Holiday Team, which is Southall Travel’s wholesale division and Mr. Mukesh Sharma, Account Manager, Jet Airways were also present at the event.

The travel agency has won the accolade for four successive years starting 2007-2008. The company closed the year 2010-2011 with a sales figure of around £243 million.

Kingfisher Airlines to Become a Part of Oneworld

2011-12-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

India’s Kingfisher Airlines is all ready to become the subcontinent’s first airline to be a part of any global airline alliance. Kingfisher will be a member of oneworld, premier airline consortium, from Feb 10, 2012.

Kingfisher Airlines is all set to become a full-time member of oneworld. The airline said on Monday it will be joining one of the world’s premier airline alliances from Feb 10, 2012.

Once Kingfisher Airlines joins oneworld, it will become the Indian subcontinent’s first carrier to become a part of any international airline group and the first of the three carriers to join the consortium in its biggest membership expansion drive in years. Germany’s airberlin is scheduled to join it shortly afterwards and Malaysia Airlines will be the third to join the alliance in the year.

Kingfisher Airlines expects the move to boost the carrier financially.

“It will strengthen us financially, through revenues from passengers transferring to our network from our oneworld partners and the cost reduction opportunities the alliance offers,” Kingfisher Airlines’ Chairman Vijay Mallya said in a statement.

“We will be flying as part of the world's leading quality airline alliance - and the first carrier from the subcontinent to be accepted into any of the global airline groups,” he said.

India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a blooming aviation market. And the fact that India remains one of the world’s leading holiday destinations doesn’t hurt either. India based passengers as well as international travellers who are on constant lookout for cheap flight tickets to India will surely be pleased with the news. With Kingfisher joining the alliance, there will be better connection on offer, which in turn might assist travellers in landing up with cheap flight tickets.

In addition, the membership with oneworld will allow the Indian airline’s frequent flyers club members to redeem their travel miles in other carriers of the group as well.

Formed in 1999, oneworld is an alliance of a number of carriers, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Finnair, among others. The addition of the Kingfisher will enable the group to serve 800 airports in approximately 150 countries. The airline consortium has a combined fleet of more than 2,250 aircraft, serving more than 300 million passengers a year.

Kingfisher to Boost oneworld’s network

Kingfisher’s inclusion in the group will allow oneworld to offer better connections on flights to India from different parts of the world.

Bruce Ashby, CEO oneworld was quoted as saying: “Kingfisher Airlines will expand oneworld’s network substantially in a key region of growing travel demand, with a carrier that matches our demanding requirements, while enabling Kingfisher Airlines to offer its customers a truly global network on quality partners. We are looking forward to welcoming them to the oneworld alliance in February.”

Currently, seven of oneworld’s airlines – American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian – operate flights to India.

Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad are the five Indian gateways that are served by the airlines presently.

Qantas Makes Peace Pact with Engineers’ Union

2011-12-19T07:27:00.000-08:00

Qantas airline and the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) have reached a truce deal. Nearly 1,600 licensed aircraft maintenance engineers will be covered under the agreement that was presented to Fair Work Australia today.

Qantas has managed to negotiate a truce with one of the three unions at the centre of the industrial clash that resulted in the grounding of the airline’s entire fleet in October.

Qantas Airways, Australia’s flag carrier, sealed a deal with the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) by agreeing to a 3 per cent annual wage hike for the next three years. ALAEA represents 1600 licensed aircraft maintenance engineers.

The airline and the ALAEA presented the agreement proposal to the industrial regulator today.

Qantas’ Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said the airline is pleased that finally a deal has been negotiated between two parties.

“After such a damaging industrial campaign, this is a positive outcome that will allow Qantas to move forward with certainty,” Alan Joyce was quoted as saying in the airline’s media release posted on the website.

“The proposal submitted to Fair Work Australia is a good deal for Qantas and its licenced engineers. However, it does not contain any of the restrictive demands that would have handed control of parts of the airline to the union.

“Throughout the negotiation process, we have been willing to offer reasonable pay increases and conditions – provided the union withdraw its attempts to influence how Qantas is run,” Mr Joyce continued

‘The Flying Kangaroo’ will offer a three per cent pay rise in return for agreeing to new work practices put forth by the airline. The union also agreed to drop its demand for construction of a new hangar for Airbus A380s.

With a truce deal clenched, Qantas Airways will surely breathe a sigh of relief. The airline has been embroiled in labour disputes with three major workers’ unions for quite some time now. As a result, the airline was forced to ground each and every flight to and from Australia two months ago in order to force an end to ongoing industrial action. The move did not go too well with travellers as thousands were stranded at airports with all flights to Australia being suspended. Later, the Australian carrier was forced to offer cheap flight tickets and in some case even free tickets to win back passengers.

No Deal With Others

Any sort of compromise is yet to be reached with other two employee groups - ground staff and long haul pilots. It is expected that disputes with these unions will go to binding arbitration next year. Meanwhile, Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) has filed legal action against Fair Work’s order banning all parties from taking industrial action.

Qantas has plans to launch two other carriers in Asia next year. One of them is scheduled to be a low-cost unit in Japan that will be offer cheap flight tickets for air travel.

The other is planned to be a full-service airline based in Singapore or Malaysia.

Emirates Paints Dublin Red as It Promotes New Service to City

2011-12-16T07:38:00.000-08:00

Emirates, one of Middle East’s largest airlines, organised a dinner in Dublin, Ireland in a bid to promote its new daily service to Dublin. The event was attended by more than 800 guests including ministers and country diplomats.

Emirates, Dubai’s flag carrier, hosted a grand dinner in Dublin earlier in this week. The airline organised the event to promote its new daily service to Dublin that will start operating from 9th January.

The event saw a massive turnout with people from varied backgrounds like business, sport, art and music showing up in support of the airline. Ireland’s Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar and UAE Ambassadors to Ireland and the UK – His Excellencies Khalid Nasser Rashid Lootah and Abdulrahman Ghanem Almutaiwee, respectively – also graced the do with their presence.

Performance by Lionel Richie was perhaps the biggest highlight of the dinner event that was hosted at the Convention Centre Dublin.

“We can see unusually high demand for the first two weeks after launch. This is an excellent response from the Irish market and we have not witnessed this level of bookings, nor such strong interest in a new route, for many years,” said Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales Worldwide.

“This gives us huge confidence in Ireland and the figures support the commercial research that precedes any decision we take to launch a new service,” he was further quoted in a press release posted on company’s website.

Emirates is one of world’s largest airlines and is one of the automatic options for travellers who need to travel to the Dubai or need a stopover at the city for an onward journey. Emirates is perhaps not an airline that generally rolls out cheap flight tickets but the airline’s quality of in-flight service is considered to be one the best in the industry.

From 9th January, EK 0161 will take off from the Dubai airport at 0700hrs and land at the Dublin Airport at 1130hrs. EK 0162 will depart from Dublin at 1255hrs and land in Dubai at 0025hrs, the next day.

This new flight service is going to benefit passengers who wish to travel non-stop from Ireland to Dubai. Travellers will be able to make an onward journey to various destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia. Australia, one of the key markets for Ireland, is served heavily by the airline with more than 70 flights to Australia every week, including an A380 flight to Australia’s Sydney.

“Dublin has always been on our radar and there are already strong levels of trade and tourism activity between Ireland and the UAE, not to mention the important equine affiliations,” Mr Antinori said.

An A330-200 is scheduled to be plied on the new Dublin-Dubai route. It will be three-class configuration with enough options for those who seek luxury as well as for those who prefer cheap flight tickets comparatively.

Moreover, the aircraft will feature 15 tonnes of belly hold cargo capacity.

Etihad Airways Orders 10 Boeing 787-9s and Two 777 Freighters

2011-12-15T02:36:00.000-08:00

On Monday, the Etihad Airways announced that it would place an order for 10 787-9 Dreamliners and two Boeing 777 Freighters. This deal of worth $2.8 billion approx has made the airline the world's biggest Dreamliner consumer.

Being two of the most fuel-efficient aircraft in the world, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777 have gained much popularity in the world of air travel. With the purchase of 10 787-9 Dreamliners and two Boeing 777 Freighters, Etihad Airways is hoping that this deal would speed up the company's growth as it has been flourishing quickly since the beginning of year 2003.

The flag airline of UAE, Etihad Airways is one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world. The airline operates flights to almost 70 destinations in nearly 50 countries. The airline may not be highly popular for selling tickets on cheap flights to UAE or other destinations yet stay on the top of the preference list of millions of travellers due to its premium facilities and services. Now, with airline’s decision to purchase 10 787-9 Dreamliners, which are 20 percent extra fuel efficient, the airline is expected to reduce its operating cost and pass on the benefit to travellers in the form of cheap tickets.

If not all airline routes, travellers booking on 787 routes to and from Abu Dhabi are likely to net cheap flights to UAE and save on holiday trips to tour the country.

Abu Dhabi Airport is the hub for Etihad and with cheaper tickets, the already sought after city will also become a preferred port of entry for those planning to travel to UAE.

The first commercial debut of the 787 Dreamliner was originally scheduled for 2008 but took place only this October. Due to such an extended hold-up in the production, many airlines have reportedly withdrawn their orders Boeing.

Emirates Increases Flights to Venice; Offers Wi-Fi on A380s

2011-12-15T02:10:00.000-08:00

Emirates will start operating double daily flights to Venice from 25th March 2012. Currently, the airline offers a daily service to the destination. Emirates has also announced its plan to provide Internet connection onboard A380s.

Dubai’s flag carrier, Emirates will operate daily double flights to Venice from 25th March next year. Emirates, one of the largest Middle East carriers, started offering flights to the beautiful Italian city in July 2007. And it is worth mentioning that Emirates remains the only airline in the market that runs a non-stop passenger service between Venice-Dubai!

Venice is a popular holiday destination that entices heaps of vacationers every year to start looking for cheap flights to the city. The city is also a commercial hub, bustling with small and medium sized companies. It is these very market segments that the Dubai based airline hopes to cater to with its introductory second daily service.

Emirates’ flight to Venice, EK 137, will depart from the Dubai International Airport at 1545hrs and arrive in Venice at 2000hrs. The return flight, EK 138, will take off from the Venice Marco Polo Airport at 2150hrs and will land in Dubai at 0535hrs the next day.

Emirates will be plying 267-seater Airbus 340-300 on the route. The travel configuration of the aircraft will be three-tier, with first class, business class and economy class options.

“Since launching our third gateway into Italy four years ago, Venice has gone from strength, both on the passenger and cargo side,” Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ senior vice president, Europe and Russian Federation, was quoted as saying in different news reports.

The announcement of the new daily flight to Venice comes a fortnight after Emirates decided to introduce a 489-seat A380 on one of its double daily flights to Rome. The positioning of the A380 on the popular route will allow travellers to enjoy the charms of the double-decker all the way through to destinations like Australia and Thailand - markets served by the A380. And given the number of seats available for economy class travellers in the world’s largest passenger airliner, the fact that cheap flight tickets will perhaps be easy to grab on the route cannot be completely discounted!

Emirates Launches In-Flight Internet on A380s

Talking of Emirates’ A380, the airline has decided to offer Wi Fi connectivity for its passengers on Airbus A380s. Passengers will now be able to operate Wi Fi enabled devices including smart phones, tablets and laptops in air.

Internet service will be provided by OnAir, with prices starting from US $7.50 for mobile devices and US $15 for laptops.

Travellers who would rather prefer cheap air tickets with Emirates than Wi Fi connectivity must not lose sleep as it is an option ancillary service and the charges for it will not be incorporated in air tickets. Travellers who wish to take advantage of the service would have to pay separately.

Initially, the new Wi-Fi services will launch on 11 of 19 in-service Emirates A380s and gradually it will be installed across its entire fleet of A380s.

Reference

Emirates Jacks Up Flights to Paris; Launches A380 to Rome

2011-12-07T04:23:00.000-08:00

Dubai’s Emirates is increasing its weekly scheduled flights to Paris by adding five more services in response to strong demand. Emirates also expanded its A380 network by making Dubai-Rome route an A380 one.

Dubai’s Emirates Airline will start offering additional five weekly flights to Paris by the end of 2012. The airline has announced the move in response to the steadily growing passenger demand on the Dubai-Paris route.

Emirates, one of the Middle East’s leading airlines, will start providing an additional four flights a week to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport from March 25. This will be in addition to already operational double-daily flights to the airport. Further, the flight frequency to Pairs will be heightened to five additional weekly flights in the winter of 2012. The total number of weekly flights to Paris from Dubai is set to rise to 19 by the end of the next year.

Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation, Emirates, was quoted as saying: “Demand to and from France, particularly from business travelers, is such that a third frequency has always been an objective for Emirates.

“With these additional services, we will help to satisfy that demand, while providing more opportunities for travel between Paris, Dubai and beyond to our network of more than 100 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia,” Obaidalla further added.

Additional four flights to Paris will start operating from March and will run on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The fifth extra flight, scheduled to be launched in October, will be operated on Tuesdays by the airline.

Additional frequencies will be operated with aircraft 777-300ER, with a configuration of eight first class private suites, 42 lie-flat seats in business class and 310 economy class seats for those with cheap flight tickets on their minds.

Flight EK 071 will take off from the Dubai airport at 0355 hrs and land in French capital at 0905 hrs. For the return journey, Flight EK072 will depart from the Paris airport at 1110 hrs and will arrive at Dubai at 1940hrs.

Emirates' Rome A380 Flight Underway

Emirates boosted its network of A380 connections by launching A380 services to Rome. It will be a daily operation.

“With the A380 forming part of the double daily service to Rome, twice daily flights to Milan and a daily offering into Venice, Italy is becoming an increasingly active market,” Salem Obaidalla was quoted in various news reports.

Flight EK 097 that takes off from the Dubai International Airport at 0910hrs and lands in Rome at 1235hrs will now be now utilize the services of the double-decker. The largest aircraft in the world will ensure that there are 250 seats extra each day on the popular Dubai-Rome route. Budget conscious travellers who look for cheap flight tickets are more likely to end up with cheap tickets when the availability is ample.

A380 on Dubai-Rome route will feature 399 seats in Economy, 76 fully-flat, mini pods in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites.

Air India Aims to buy 27 Boeing 787 Dreamliners

2011-12-05T01:49:00.000-08:00

The flag carrier of India, Air India has planned to purchase 27 Boeing 787s. The airline is intending to go for a sale-and-leaseback agreement in order to fix the financial burden this would implicate. Read below to get the wider picture of the news.

Air India, the flag carrier of India is heading to purchase 27 Boeing 787 aircraft. The airline initially decided to obtain it in the year 2006.

Air India is a renowned carrier and perhaps the first preferred airline for booking tickets for flights to India. Behind Jet Airways, Kingfisher and IndiGo, Air India has the fourth largest contribution in India's domestic air travel market. However, from the past sometime, the airline has been in the red.

As per the conference held on Tuesday, the cash-strapped airline’s board members have decided that rather than going for outright purchase, the airline would opt for a sale-and-leaseback arrangement that would help it to handle the financial burden this deal will include.

Moreover, the airline also has plans to lease out some of its new and old planes to reduce its thumping debts of Rs 43,777 crore.

To bring down its material consumption, Air India is considering the proposals of substituting the full meals with a snack for onboard flights of less than 90 minutes and ceasing the service of hot meals completely on flights of less than one hour.

The carrier intends to lease out its surplus capacity of two Boeing 747-400 planes and some Boeing 777-200 long-range planes as soon it will get the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

World’s best fuel-efficient airliner, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is possibly a boon for budget travellers looking for cheap flight to India. However, cheap flight tickets due to higher fuel efficiency is not the only plus point of the airliner. Boeing 787 also features amazing interiors for more stress-free medium and long-haul flights to and from India.

Tussle Between Indian Airlines and Air India to Fly the Dreamliner

Since the time Air India has planned to purchase the Boeing 787 aircraft, the pilot associations of the integrated Indian Airlines and Air India have been going under a big tussle over the right to fly it.

However, Air India put forward a policy of 1:1 which states one pilot each from Indian Airlines and Air India will be assigned the flight duty on the Boeing 787 aircraft. Even though, Air India and ICPA (representing the IA pilots) have favoured this policy, IPG (representing AI pilots) have contradicted it. IPG feels that its pilots have elite right and seniority to fly the 787s. Consequently, IPG has challenged the carrier’s step in the court.

Now it is to be seen how Air India will handle the situation emerged due to conflicts between the IPG and Indian Commercial Pilots Association over the airline’s intended policy of 1:1.

Virgin Australia-Singapore Airlines Pact Gets Final ACCC Stamp

2011-12-01T08:18:00.000-08:00

Australia

’s competition regulator has given its final nod for an alliance between Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines, saying it will boost competition. Meanwhile, SIA’s subsidiary Scoot announces to kick off with Sydney-Changi flights.

Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines have been provided with the final authorization required to form an alliance.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australia’s competition regulator, gave the green signal for the deal on Thursday saying the tie-up is likely to augment competition for international air travellers. In October, the regulatory body gave its preliminary approval for the alliance.

This will enable the two carriers to cooperate on pricing, scheduling, marketing and sales on Australia-Singapore flights as well as international and domestic connections.

Travel analysts believe that the pact is likely to cause concern to Qantas Airways, which is the biggest competitor to Virgin Australia in the segment. However, it sure spells good times for budget conscious passengers as amplified competition is expected to bring in cheap flight tickets for the travellers.

ACCC Chairman Rod Sims was quoted in a statement: “The ACCC considers that the alliance is likely to lead to increased competition for international air passenger services.”

ACCC said the alliance would “be attractive to both corporate and government passengers” and is unlikely to be anti-competitive in any of the relevant markets.

Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti welcomed the ACCC’s stamp of approval: “This is excellent news for Australian travellers as it provides our guests with access to around 70 additional destinations across Asia, India and Africa, with one of the best airlines in the world.

“The alliance will also be positive for tourism in Australia, as it will enable us to provide Singapore Airlines’ customers with seamless travel through to over 30 destinations around Australia and we will jointly promote these destinations”, Mr Borghetti said in a press release.

Mr Borghetti further spoke of the benefits that travellers are set to enjoy because of the alliance.

“Through reciprocal codeshare, frequent flyer recognition and lounge access with each of our alliance partners, Virgin Australia will be able to offer guests a first-rate seamless travel experience that spans the globe with four of the world’s best airlines”, he said.

SIA’s Scoot to Offer Sydney-Changi flights

In different yet not completely unrelated news, Singapore Airlines’ long haul budget airline Scoot announced to commence its operations by offering flights to Sydney, Australia. Scoot, launched last month, said it is planning to operate daily flights to Sydney from Singapore's Changi airport from the mid of 2012.

Cheap flight tickets will be on cards as the airline promises to offer air tickets up to 40 percent lower than full-service airlines. Initially, Scoot will be operating its services with a fleet of four Boeing 777s which it plans to expand to 14 by 2015.

New Zealand, North Asia, Europe and India are other potential destinations that have been named by Singapore Airlines’ long haul low cost subsidiary.

Reference

Airlines Cancel Flights, Issue Advisory for UK Public Sector Strike

2011-11-30T05:15:00.000-08:00

Travellers with scheduled flight to London today (Wednesday, 30 Nov) would do well to check out their flight status as airlines around the globe are cancelling services in the wake of nationwide industrial unrest in the United Kingdom.

Many public sector unions, including the UK border agency staff and those representing immigration have joined the protest that erupted over planned changes to public-sector pensions. Chaos and long waiting queues are expected at different airports around the country, especially London Heathrow.

While almost every airline that operates to and from the UK has issued travel advisory for the passengers, few airlines have gone ahead and cancelled flights to London to avoid any sort of inconvenience at the airports.

British Airways, UK’s flag carrier, has plans to run a normal flight schedule on the day of strike. BA is the largest operator at Heathrow and is offering free of charge flight changes to travellers who are willing.

Hong Kong’s flag carrier, Cathay Pacific has confirmed on its website that it will be operating normal schedule. However, the carrier advised passengers to avoid non essential travel on the day. Travellers will not be charged anything for flight tickets changes if they opt to do so, the website said.

Delta Air Lines has cancelled few flights to and from the UK. The airline posted a travel advisory on its website warning customers to expect delays of up to eight hours. Passengers who are planning for a ticket reissue must do so on or before Dec. 2 for a travel no later than Dec. 7.

Singapore Airlines’ flight SQ308 (Singapore-London) and SQ319 (London-Singapore) have been cancelled for 30 November due to the strike. The airline’s website said that alternative travel arrangements will be made for the impacted passengers.

Air India, India’s national carrier, has also decided to cancel four flights to London. Amritsar-Delhi-London (AI-115), London-Delhi (AI-116), Delhi-London (AI-111) and London-Delhi (AI-112) will be grounded and arrangements for travellers have been made on other flights.

Ryanair, an Irish airline popular for cheap flights, is operating a normal flight program for 30 November. However, the budget carrier has made it clear that travellers may face delays at passport controls/immigration. Another airline popular in Europe for doling out cheap flight tickets, EasyJet is also operating a full schedule of flights.

Emirates, the Dubai based carrier, has cancelled flights to the UK on the day of walkout to avoid any sort of disruptions. Emirates grounded EK029 from Dubai to London Heathrow and EK030 from London Heathrow to Dubai.

Virgin Atlantic’s flight program is unaltered by the industrial action. However, the airline has suggested travellers to mull over flight changes so as to avoid inconveniences.

Reference

UK Strike: Crowds & Chaos Expected on Wednesday at Airports

2011-11-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

Come Wednesday and the airports all over the UK just might bear pictures of utmost frenzy as travellers may face a waiting period of up to 12 hours to clear immigration as fewer than half the immigration desks will be manned.

Mass flight cancellations are on the cards due to next week’s public sector strike that is set to engulf UK international airports.

London Heathrow is expected to be most affected airport as it is the busiest one in the entire European continent. Add to it the flight pattern of the airport and the problem augments for the travellers. Almost 100 long-haul flights are scheduled to land at Heathrow before 9am on Wednesday.

“Modelling of the impacts of strike action on passenger flows show that there are likely to be very long delays of up to 12 hours to arriving passengers,” Normand Boivin, Chief Operating Officer of Heathrow wrote in a letter posted on the airport's website.

Mr Boivin also urged that carriers with flight operations to Heathrow on 30 November to half the passenger load to reduce delays.

“We will plan for a normal flight schedule, but we are requesting all carriers to reduce load factors on each international flight arriving into Heathrow on 30 November to 50 per cent of normal levels,” he wrote.

Gatwick has also warned of “significant disruption” on Wednesday if the unions opt for the strike.

Scott Stanley, Gatwick's Chief Operating Officer, warned: “Unfortunately, airport staff can not man the desks at the Border Zone but we will provide all necessary assistance to the Border Agency and we are determined to make sure that the needs and welfare of all our passengers will be met on the day.”

The row is over planned alterations to public sector pensions.

Almost every airline with flight operations to the UK has issued travel warnings to its passengers for Wednesday. Most of them are offering flight changes free of cost to reduce troubles for passengers who were lucky enough to grab cheap flight tickets. So far, very few carriers like Etihad have announced flight cancellation for the day.

Qantas is offering to rebook on alternative flights between 28 November 2011 and 07 December 2011 for passengers who are scheduled to arrive at London Heathrow on Wednesday. British Airways is also offering free of cost flight changes for passengers.

Easyjet, a no frills airline known for doling out cheap flight tickets, has warned travellers to be prepared for hold-up and allow for delays while making further travel plans.

Airlines in the Gulf have also issued warnings to put the travellers on alert who have bookings on flights to UK on Wednesday. Gulf Air warned that flights to UK may face massive delays on the 30th.

News Reference

Qatar Airways stated flights to London Heathrow and Manchester will most likely be affected by the strike.

Qantas Labour Dispute to Be Settled By Arbitration

2011-11-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

Australian airline Qantas Airways’ talks with the unions of pilots and ground-staff were unsuccessful in reaching any new agreement. Each party has concluded that the issue would now go to obligatory arbitration.

Qantas Airways has been involved in a bitter conflict with employee unions over pay and moving jobs to Asia for some time now. But it seems that the dispute will now come to an end as Fair Work Australia is set to interfere through binding arbitration with talks between the warring parties failing to reach any logical conclusion.

On Monday, negotiations between Qantas and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA), the only holdout for a negotiated settlement, failed to crop up any sort of agreement. Now all parties must accept Australia's industrial umpire settlement.

“We haven't been able to reach a new agreement with the ALAEA, so will now let the independent umpire decide,” Qantas' Chief Executive Officer, Alan Joyce, said in a statement.

The development is seen as good news for Qantas Airways by industry insiders as no party can engage in any sort of industrial action while the arbitration is in process. The Flying Kangaroo would surely be relieved by the fact that there would be no more travel disruptions. Last month, the airline grounded all of its flights to force the Australia Government to interfere. As a result, an arbitration court ordered to put an end to flights grounding and offered the carrier and unions 21 days to arrive at an agreement.

Qantas Airways and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) failed to reach a fresh agreement on pay and conditions for more than 3,500 employees.

“Qantas is extremely disappointed that despite over six months of negotiations and a further three weeks of conciliation talks before Fair Work Australia the TWU has refused to remove its unreasonable demands,” Qantas said in a statement.

Alan Joyce also promised support to the government in case TWU launches a legal challenge.

Speaking about Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA), Mr Joyce said: “We did make some progress in negotiations with movement on both sides however in the end we were unable to reach a new agreement for our 1,600 long-haul pilots.”

Customers Returning: Qantas

It seems Qantas is finally beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. As per the airline, customers have returned “in large numbers” since the carrier has resumed flying after its fleet grounding episode. Thousands of travellers with bookings on flights to and from Australia were affected by the action. Qantas has tried real hard to tempt travellers, offering them perks, cheap flight tickets and even free air tickets (to those who were affected by fleet grounding). With peak holiday travel season coming up, the airline has gone all out to woo frequent flyers by providing them more perks, offering them cheap flight tickets, etc.

Alan Joyce said that customers can carry on to book flights with total confidence that their flights will not be interrupted by industrial action.

News Reference

Airfrance A380 flights to Dubai starting from 05 December 2011

2011-11-23T06:12:00.000-08:00

Delightful Dubai is the jewel of Middle East

You can now book any A380 flights to Dubai with Air France, operating on daily basis.

Starting 05 December 2011

The minimum airfares of Airfrance flights are starting from £349

Offers are inclusive of all taxes and charges and subject to availability booking open by 30 nov 2011

AIRFRANCE, KLM, DELTA flights worldwide special offers

2011-11-23T06:06:00.001-08:00

Cheap flights to Orlando from £353
Cheap flights to Abu Dhabi from £355
Cheap flights to New York from £361
Cheap flights to Las Vegas from £385
Cheap flights to Los Angeles from £395
Cheap flights to San Francisco from £405
Cheap flights to Mumbai from £405
Cheap flights to Toronto from £419
Cheap flights to Delhi from £429
Cheap flights to Kuala Lumpur from £479
Cheap flights to Singapore from £535
Cheap flights to Johannesburg from £545

Offers are inclusive of all taxes and charges and subject to availability booking open by 30 nov 2011

Special offer on direct flights to Bangkok

2011-11-23T05:53:00.000-08:00

Economy Class flights to Bangkok From £581 pp
Elite Class flights to Bangkok From £876 pp
Business Class flights to Bangkok From £1766 pp

Offers are inclusive of all taxes and charges and subject to availability booking open by 30 nov 2011

Qatar Airways to Expand Wings Around the World

2011-11-21T06:17:00.000-08:00

Qatar Airways is all set to expand its horizon in the year 2012. The airline made public its route expansion program for the next year at the Dubai Air Show held on Friday. With the new program, the airline hopes to make its presence stronger in regions like Australia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

The five-star airline is going to launch flight to Perth (Australia), Helsinki (Finnish capital), Zagreb (Croatia), Gassim (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Kigali (Rwanda) and Mombasa (Kenya).

While cheap tickets on flights is not exactly what people think when they hear of Qatar Airways, the rise in the competition on the seven routes will perhaps ensure that budget travellers have better chances of grabbing cheap flight tickets.

Each of the seven new routes will be operated from the Qatar Airways’ hub in Doha. As per the airline the routes will become functional over the next few months. These new flight routes will accompany flights to Baku and Tbilisi, the capital cities of Azerbaijan and Georgia, respectively that were announced earlier in the year.

Qatar Airways’ Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker spoke about the company’s aggressive strategy.

“We are continuing what we started back in 1997 when Qatar Airways was launched with new routes and new aircraft being introduced at an unprecedented rate to further strengthen what is truly a global network airline,” Al Baker was quoted in the company’s press release.

“Our mission has been to operate to key business and leisure destinations around the world, but also to underserved markets where others dare not venture into. We take bold decisions to serve certain markets because we believe it makes strong business sense.

“Today’s announcement shows the confidence Qatar Airways has in such a diverse range of destinations. We look forward to offering even greater choice to the travelling public that they so deserve,” Al Baker continued.

Qatar Airways’ New Routes

Qatar Airways’ flights to Perth will be second air travel route in Australia after it launched operations to Melbourne couple of years ago.

The airline’s operations to Helsinki and Zagreb will give a boost to Qatar’s presence in Europe. In 2011, Qatar started seven routes to Europe.

If one talks about the African continent, then the launch of three new routes will surely bolster the carrier’s business in the area. Kenya’s Mombasa and Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean are considered popular holiday destinations while Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali is a mining hub and is sure to attract business travellers.

Much closer to home lies the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the airline is in the mood to keep it closer and covered. The carrier has added fifth destination to the country - Gassim.

News Reference

Kingfisher Airlines Crisis: More Flights Cancelled

2011-11-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

Travellers suffer the most as India’s Kingfisher Airlines keeps on cancelling its flights. The airline grounded 30 flights on Thursday, the fourth consecutive day of flight cancellations. DGCA sends a show-cause notice to the carrier.

Kingfisher Airlines cancelled flights for fourth day in a row on Thursday to cause great inconvenience to passengers all over the country. More than 30 flights were grounded yesterday. This takes the total tally of flight cancelled in past few days to well over 100.

Chaos was the order of the day at various airports around the country as confusion ruled the roost with no clear information or guidelines coming out of the airline. Very few international flights have been cancelled so far but many foreign tourists on Indian holidays were concerned about their domestic travel within India.

Kingfisher Airlines is one of the biggest names in the India’s aviation industry and the company’s massive flight cancellations have left people in lurch. Those who made advance booking with Kingfisher Airlines in a bid to net cheap flight tickets were perhaps most disappointed with the grounding of flights.

Sources in the industry said that more than 30 pilots and crew members with Kingfisher have not reported for duty in the past few days on grounds of illness. There have been other unverified reports that say that some 100 pilots had quit the airline in past few weeks.

The airline’s flight schedule has also been affected with three oil companies - HPCL, IOC and BPCL – discontinuing the grant of credit to the carrier for lifting jet fuel. The oil companies have put Kingfisher on a cash-and-carry payment mode.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that Kingfisher has been sent show-cause notice as to why the airline had not taken the regulator's prior approval to limit its operations. The DGCA has also asked the Vijay Mallya-owned carrier to offer information regarding steps that have been taken by the airline to take care of the passengers with bookings on the flights that were cancelled.

Kingfisher is yet to reply to the DGCA’s notice.

Kingfisher Airlines had said in a statement: “For a limited period, these flights are either being cancelled or clubbed with other Kingfisher flights in a well-controlled and pre-determined manner.

“In continuation of our earlier announcement to focus on the full-service market, KFA has initiated reconfiguration of its aircraft,” it further said.

Chief Executive Officer of Kingfisher Airlines, Sanjay Aggarwal was quoted in news websites as stating, “We decided to reduce frequency in some of the routes where we had multiple flights like Delhi-Mumbai or low passenger load like Nanded-Mysore.”

Kingfisher Cancellations Cause Surge in Air Fares

Kingfisher Airlines’ cancellation of substantial number of flights over the period of four days means an increase in air fares for travellers. In the current scenario it has become extremely difficult for passengers to net cheap flight tickets for domestic travel.

Passengers at major airports in the country have complained of inconvenience. The have been forced to rebook on other airlines paying a premium of 20-40 per cent at the last moment.

News Reference

Oneworld Alliance Members Geared Up For Lucrative Fare Sale

2011-11-09T01:14:00.000-08:00

American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia are celebrating the first anniversary of their joint business. These oneworld alliance members have decided to offer cheap tickets with distinctive fare sale to amplify the Christmas festivities.

American Airlines recent news release promulgated the launch of a joint fare sale by the oneworld Airline Trio - American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia. This unique fare sale is set to lure budget travellers with cheap flights between the United States and European destinations.

The airline trio plans to offer round-trip economy class tickets as low as $224, each way. However, flyers would need to book the economy class tickets atleast seven days and business class tickets atleast 14 days prior to travel to enjoy the low fares; tickets must be booked not later than 11:59 p.m. Nov. 15th 2011 (Central Time).

As per the news release, special economy class fares to continental Europe will be lowest for travel, Sundays through Thursdays, while for UK, economy class travel fares will be cheapest Mondays through Wednesdays. However, special business class tickets would be valid throughout the week.

Tourists willing to partake in this scheme can log onto www.aa.com to find the schedules and book cheap flights.

Originating Dates

The originating travel dates for economy class to Europe run from Nov. 8 through Dec. 16, 2011 and Dec. 25, 2011 through April 1, 2012 with June 15, 2012 travel as conclusion date.

The originating travel dates for business class are from Nov. 15, 2011 through May 22, 2012 with June 15, 2012 as the travel conclusion date.

Embargo Dates

While the Embargo dates for economy class travel are from Dec. 17th through Dec. 24th 2011, there are no embargo dates for business class travel.

Ticket Validity

Economy class tickets will be valid for travel originating from Nov. 8th 2011 through Dec. 16th 2011 or from Dec. 25th 2011, through Apr 1st 2012, with return completed by midnight June 15th 2012.

Business Class fares will be valid for travel beginning Nov. 15th 2011, through May 22nd 2012, with return travel completed by midnight June 15th 2012.

Additionally, if the flights are cancelled before scheduled departure, partially used tickets would be valid for one year for from the travel date; unused tickets will be valid for one year from the issuing date. Conversely, if the tickets are not cancelled before scheduled departure, the ticket will have no value.

Fare Information

The tickets will be non-refundable and non-transferable and may not be available on all flights. Additionally, the change fee for economy class tickets to Europe will be $275 plus fare difference (if any) and for business class fares to Europe will be $500 plus fare difference.

The special fares will not include

A federal excise tax of $3.70 per U.S. domestic flight segment, defined as one takeoff and landing, of a passenger's itinerary

up to $18 per round trip in local airport charges

September 11th Security Fee of $2.50 per enplanement originating at a U.S. airport

government taxes and fees of up to $190 for Economy Class and $250 for Business Class, for international destinations, which may vary through destinations.

News Reference

Virgin Atlantic to Serve Vancouver; to Add Second Flight to San Francisco

2011-11-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

Virgin Atlantic will start operating flights between Vancouver and London Heathrow from May 2012. The services will go on till October and will be offered four times a week. Virgin Atlantic also announced a second London and San Francisco service.

Yesterday, Virgin Atlantic Airways made a significant announcement of launching a new seasonal route to between Vancouver and London Heathrow Airport.

The new flight service that will be offered four times a week from May 24th to Oct. 25th is expected to provide a boost of $54 million to Vancouver’s tourism revenue. Vancouver – London route is likely to be utilised by 40,000 travellers.

In a response to the airline’s announcement, the Honourable Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia was quoted as stating, “Today’s announcement by Virgin Atlantic, of four new weekly flights between London and Vancouver, is positive news for British Columbia’s tourism industry.”

She was also quoted as saying, “The United Kingdom is one of our key markets and also serves as a hub for other international travellers heading to our province. Virgin Atlantic is recognized around the world as a progressive airline and we look forward to welcoming their passengers to British Columbia when their service begins next summer.”

The launch of the new air travel route gains significance in the view of the Olympic Games 2012 that will be hosted by London. Then there is the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne. Both these events are likely to attract tourists from all over the world to the UK capital.

Airbus A340-300s will be plied on the new route. Aircraft will have the configuration of Upper Class, Premium Economy and Economy. Travellers with a preference for cheap tickets on flights to San Francisco will surely have much better chance of grabbing them as ample amount of premium economy and economy seats are available on the new route.

Virgin Atlantic also announced the launch of a second flight between London and San Francisco. It will start operating from March 2012 and will run until October 2012. It will be a three times a week service (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).

“The North American market has always been at the core of our business. Our success here has been due to our investment in product innovation and our willingness to respond to customer demand,” Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Executive said.

“With almost 20,000 people flying from the UK to Canada each month in the peak season, the UK is the largest overseas market for passengers to British Columbia,” he was further quoted.

The increased competition among the carriers will also be beneficial for passengers as it will be much easier for them to net cheap flight tickets, something that Steve Ridgway emphasised on.

“Greater competition to both Vancouver and San Francisco will benefit passengers through improved choice and better value for money,” he was quoted in news reports.

News Reference

Qantas - Free Tickets to Affected Fliers, Resumes Talks with Union

2011-11-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

Qantas Airways hopes to tempt disgruntled travellers by offering free flight tickets to them. Offers for overseas customers and frequent fliers will be announced soon. Also, the airline met union members on Monday to start off negotiation process.

Qantas Airways is pulling out all the stops to win back customers. One of the world’s largest airlines is offering free air tickets to the travellers who were hit by the airline’s decision to ground the entire fleet in the midst of an industrial dispute.

Qantas, an airline not known for offering very cheap flights, said that passengers whose journeys were affected by the fleet grounding will be offered a free return economy flight within Australia or to New Zealand over a two-year period from Dec. 14. It sure means that the airline is doing all it can to attract travellers.

“This ticket offer is one of a range of initiatives we will be launching as a way of saying sorry as we move forward into this period of stability,” said Alan Joyce, Qantas Chief Executive Officer in a statement.

“Throughout the long period of industrial activity we have been acutely aware of the impact on our customers,” Alan Joyce added. As per the CEO, this is the Qantas’ way to gain back customer loyalty. And if reports are to be believed then ‘customer loyalty’ might cost Qantas as much as A$20 million.

The recent past really has been a troubled time for Australia’s flag carrier. Stung by a string of strikes, the airline decided to halt its operations all over the world on Oct. 29. Around 80,000 passengers were impacted by this drastic measure of the carrier.

Operations resumed as Fair Work Australia intervened. The airline and unions were given 21 days to reach a new contract or face binding arbitration.

Loyalty to be Rewarded

All the passengers will be offered compensation for all reasonable losses resulting from the fleet grounding, said Qantas.

“Now that no more industrial action can take place and the cloud of further strike action has lifted, we are 100 percent focused on what matters to customers, getting them to their destinations, safely, on time and in comfort, and in rewarding their loyalty to Qantas,” Alan Joyce was quoted.

Qantas will be making announcements for its overseas customers and frequent fliers soon. It remains to be seen what the airline doles out for these two very important segments of travellers. Will it be cheap flight tickets, more travel privileges or some other incentive?

Qantas-Union Talks Resume

Even as Qantas Airways is trying to tempt travellers with free flights, the airline met the union members for negotiations. This was the first meeting of the parties after the Australian airline grounded its entire fleet.

Secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, Steve Purvinas stated that another negotiating session is slated for Thursday.

“By today (Monday), we’ll know whether Qantas are interested in negotiating an outcome or whether they’ll continue to stonewall — which has been the case up until now,” Purvinas was quoted as saying in news reports.

Singapore Airlines Ultimately Finds the Way to Scoot Around

2011-11-07T04:30:00.000-08:00

Singapore Airlines has added yet another laurel to its flagship brand by launching a new long-haul budget carrier, Scoot. The airline has joined the bandwagon of Asia's growing no-frills air travel to lure budget travellers.

Singapore Airlines has launched a new long-haul budget carrier, Scoot. On Tuesday, the newly launched airline’s CEO Campbell Wilson put across information that ‘Scoot’ will start operating its flights by June 2012. Additionally he informed reporters that the airline contrives to operate four Boeing 777-200 jets by the end of next year.

As per the online sources, the airline plans to start serving destinations as far as five to ten hours from Singapore, the operational base for Scoot. To begin with, the airline may start flights to four or more cities in China and Australia.

Campbell Wilson said, “This new market segment is growing fast”. He hopes to tap on the emerging market. “We aim to bring new business to the SIA group.” he said.

Singapore Airlines has been long relying on its top-notch onboard services to lead the long-haul first and business class market in the Asia to Europe routes and now the carrier has finally decided to plunge in the developing no-frills air travel market.

However, Singapore Airlines is likely to be rivalled by Air Asia X, under the flagship of Malaysia's AirAsia and JetStar, a unit of Qantas in the region's long-haul budget market. Online sources report analysts of believing that Scoot might introduce extra frills to outperform the opposition.

Scoot Strategies

Campbell Wilson said that Scoot will offer two cabin classes, with economy tickets approximately 40 percent cheaper than air tickets offered by other premium carriers. Additionally, customers will be able to put forth their preference for seats, meals and baggage options.

"We'll offer many other options so people can customize their experience," Wilson said.

Acquiring several Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, which can make a journey of up to 13 hours, is primary on the list of Scoot’s plan in order to start offering cheap flights to European and African destinations. Additionally, the airline plans to hire about 52 pilots, 250 flight attendants and 40 ground staff sometime next year.

Industry Outlook

It has been reported that Singapore Airlines spent approximately 283 million SGD to kick-start Scoot. While this wholly owned subsidiary is the latest addition under the well-regarded flagship brand of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, a mid-cost regional carrier for popular Asian destinations, is already being operated by the group. SIA also possesses one third stakes of Tiger Airways, a budget carrier that offers cheap tickets.

As per online sources, Shukor Yusof, an aviation analyst with Standard and Poor’s informed that Scoot has joined this bandwagon to bring home the bacon from the lucrative low cost airline market. He further added that budget and cheap flights perked up Changi Airport’s traffic by approximately 25 percent this year.

"Budget airlines are not a fad. They're here to stay. The market certainly has shifted from legacy carriers to discount carriers," he was quoted.

Lufthansa Adds Gatwick and Aberdeen Routes

2011-11-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Lufthansa, the German airline which is understood to be in advanced talks about selling BMI, has started off new flights to Gatwick and Aberdeen. Number of flights to Heathrow is also pushed up by the airline.

Lufthansa has considerably increased its flight services to the UK with the launch of its winter schedules. Taking advantage of the new fourth runway at Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Lufthansa has initiated new routes to London Gatwick and Aberdeen, Scotland.

Lufthansa will now offer a new double daily service from Gatwick and three-times-a-day service from Aberdeen. Moreover, the German based airline will be amplifying its current flight frequency to Heathrow. Lufthansa will now run six additional flights every week to the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the one of the busiest in the world.

Inundated with choices now, travellers would be hoping to net cheap flight tickets on the route much more easily.

Guy Stephenson, Gatwick Airport’s commercial director said: “It is great to welcome Lufthansa and strengthen the links between the financial and economic centres of London and Frankfurt.

“The new Gatwick-Frankfurt route isn’t just good news for the business traveller however.

“It will also benefit the leisure passenger who will be able to plug into Lufthansa’s global network and visit destinations such as Mumbai and Johannesburg.

“This is why the route is so exciting, as it helps make Gatwick one of the most globally connected airports in the world and gives passengers the largest choice of destinations to fly to,” Guy Stephenson further added.

Gatwick currently provides over 200 global connections to the travellers and by linking Gatwick to Frankfurt, Lufthansa has opened further travel avenues for the passengers. Not many days ago, AirAsia X (a Malaysian-based low-cost airline) and Vietnam Airlines (the national flag carrier of Vietnam) also started offering their services on the Gatwick route.

The schedule of the Lufthansa’s new routes is as follows:

Flights will take off from Gatwick at 0945 and 1740 and arrive at Frankfurt at 1220 and 2015, respectively. Flights will depart from Frankfurt at 0845 and 1625 and arrive at Gatwick at 0910 and 1650.

From Aberdeen, flights are scheduled to take off at 0605, 0955 and 1740 and to arrive in Frankfurt at 0900, 1250 and 2035, respectively. Flights from Frankfurt will depart at 0815, 1600 and 2135 and will land in Aberdeen at 0920, 1705 and 2240.

Lufthansa & British Airways Reach Agreement on BMI: Reports

It seems that Lufthansa and UK have much going on these days. Apart from new flight launches, Lufthansa is also making news because of the airline’s negotiations with different groups regarding the selling of BMI, a low-cost carrier known for doling out cheap flight tickets.

If reports are to be anything to go by then BMI is all set to be lapped up by British Airways’ parent company, IAG. Budget travellers who prefer to fly with BMI will surely be all ears for the official announcement, if and when it comes!

Etihad Adds Maldives and Seychelles on Its Global Network

2011-11-03T07:59:00.001-07:00

Its time to rejoice for those who love Etihad Airways, those who wish to visit Maldives and the Seychelles and those (particularly) who hope to travel to these destinations with Etihad!

Abu Dhabi's flag carrier has launched flights to perhaps two of the most exotic holiday destinations in the world. While the flight service to Maldives kick started from Tuesday (1^st November), maiden flight to Seychelles landed a day after on Wednesday.

There is no denying the fact that both these Indian Ocean destinations are highly placed when it comes to appeal and allure. Similarly, one cannot argue the fact these charming vacation spots are not cheap and generally cater to vacationers who are not exactly on shoe-string budget! But here is where Etihad airline comes to picture! Though Etihad itself is not known to dole out cheap flight tickets, with the increase in the number of options it just might get a little easy to land up cheap flight tickets to Maldives and the Seychelles.

Etihad flight EY278 landed for the first time in Maldives at the Malé International Airport on Tuesday. The flight was greeted with a water cannon salute, bodu-beru dancers, coconuts and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The carrier will operate a daily return service from Abu Dhabi to Malé.

The airline's first flight to Seychelles landed at the Seychelles International Airport in Mahé on Wednesday.

Traditional water cannon greeted the flight at the airport. Airbus A320 will be used to offer four return services per week from Abu Dhabi to Mahé.

News Source

Qantas Flights Back to Normal After Chaos

2011-11-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

After two days of chaos that left thousands of travellers high and dry around the world, Qantas Airways says its flight schedule is back to normal on Tuesday morning. There are also reports of airline slashing down airfares.

Qantas Airways says its flights were back to normal on Tuesday after the airline grounded its entire fleet on Saturday to counter the continuing strikes that have been marring the company for past few months now.

Qantas said all of its flights were operating on time and as scheduled. The airline said that the backlog of travellers caused as a result of fleet grounding is likely to be cleared by Tuesday afternoon.

In a completely unexpected and startling move, Qantas Airways had grounded all its flights on Saturday to create a scene of chaos at airports all over the world. Australia’s flag carrier took the step as a response to a string of strikes by unions representing pilots, aircraft mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers.

Heaps of passengers - be it budget travellers with cheap flight tickets or passengers with first class tickets - were subjected to alarm and turmoil as every Qantas flight was off the schedule.

Confusion and panic ruled the roost for some 48 hours before an Australian court put an end to 48 hours of travel chaos. The arbitration court ordered to put an end to the strikes and also ordered to call off the staff lockout by the airline. The court has provided the warring parties 21 days to settle their differences and reach for an agreement. And if they fail to do so then they will be forced into a mandatory arbitration.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce advocated his move to ground the flights.

“I'll make whatever tough decisions are needed to be made in order to ensure the survival of this great company,” Alan Joyce was quoted as stating in various news portals.

Incessant union strikes have caused the cancellation of 600 Qantas flights in past few months. This has adversely impacted nearly 70,000 customers and has cost Qantas Airways 70 million Australian dollars ($75 million).

Qantas Airways is said to have infuriated union workers when it stated in August that it hopes to improve its unprofitable overseas business by starting an Asia-based airline with its own name and brand. The five-year restructure plan will cost 1,000 jobs.

Qantas Airways Will Reduce Airfares: Reports

Reports are doing the rounds that Qantas Airways, one of the world’s largest airlines, will start doling out promotional enticements to attract travellers. There is no denying the fact that the airline’s reputation and brand image has taken a grand beating during the last few months of unending industrial action which culminated with airline grounding all of its flights. If reports are to be believed then the airline will offer cheap flight tickets to entice travellers. Certain other plans are also being formulated to tempt passengers during the peak travel holiday season of Christmas.

It will surely require an effort to bring back the lost business for Qantas Airways.

Opt For Businesses Certified by Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa

2011-10-31T05:39:00.000-07:00

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) is a non-profit organisation that promotes and encourages fair and responsible business practice by South African tourism establishments. The organisation issues a certification programme that backs tourism establishments that meet the criteria.

South Africa is visited in hordes by tourists from all over the world. With tourist destinations like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, South African tourism has become a sort of phenomenon. Many look for cheap flights tickets to South Africa that land at any of its many airports to explore the myriad of the country’s attractions and charms. In such a blossoming tourism scenario, it becomes relevant that a certain organisation takes care of the working of tourist-oriented businesses and look into different aspects of it like fair wages and working conditions, fair purchasing, fair operations, equitable distribution of benefits and respect for human rights, culture and environment. This is where Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa comes into picture.

Tourists who book flights to South Africa and choose to stay or use the services of an FTTSA-certified establishment will make sure that their holiday travel is going to benefit local communities and economies. It will also ensure that the establishment you are dealing with is operated ethically and in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa has won many accolades with the most recent one being the winner in the 2010 Africa Investor Tourism Awards under Best Sustainable Tourism Investment category.

Qantas Strikes to Impact 10,000 passengers on Friday

2011-10-29T03:46:00.000-07:00

More than 10,000 passengers are to be affected as Qantas Airways cancels 70 flights amid another series of strikes by its ground workers. Qantas says the rolling strikes have cost the airline A$68 million so far.

Qantas Airways cancels 70 flights as the ground workers at airports all across the country decide to go on a strike.

The cancellation of 70 Qantas flights will affect more than more than 10,000 passengers on Friday.

If one looks at the cumulative figure of passengers who have been affected by the recent months of industrial action at Qantas Airways, then the number hovers around at a staggering 70,000! Past few months have indeed been quite troublesome for Australia’s national carrier with months of strikes by unions representing aircraft pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers.

Unions have apprehensions regarding the airline’s plans to move jobs offshore. Pay and work conditions are some other concerns of the unions.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce urges unions to put “more realistic” demands on the negotiation table.

“We urge the unions to stop this, to put to the table more realistic demands and to think about the jobs they're endangering around the country," he told the Nine Network.

"We've always said we want to do anything that will stop this disruption happening to our passengers - again I apologise to those customers that have been impacted by this."

On the other hand, unions questioned the ‘fat pay cheques’ of the management. "Engineers, like many other employees at Qantas, can't understand why plans to offshore jobs and sack 1000 people are being rewarded with cash bonuses and fat pay cheques to the CEO and management," Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA)’s federal secretary, Steve Purvinas was quoted by news websites.

Qantas Says Strikes Have Cost A$68 million

The protracted labour dispute has cost Qantas A$68 million so far. The airline is loosing a further A$15 million per week in revenues. The situation has become really serious for the airline with a massive decline in the advance bookings on carrier’s flights.

With the peak holiday travel season of Christmas drawing near, travellers are getting wary of booking with Qantas Airways. Especially, travellers who make advance bookings in order to net cheap flight tickets are apprehensive as no one with cheap flight tickets would like to face a cancellation at the time of journey.

Qantas said that the industrial action, taken up by the engineers', pilots' and Transport Workers' unions, has cost the airline more than the Chilean volcanic ash cloud.

"This drawn-out and co-ordinated industrial campaign by these three unions is now having a major impact on Qantas," Joyce said in a statement on Friday.

"$68 million is a significant impact on the company and the costs will continue to rise."

"In comparison, the impact on Qantas from grounding aircraft during the recent volcanic ash cloud was $49 million."

ANA's 787 Dreamliner Completes First Commercial Flight

2011-10-29T03:40:00.000-07:00

Boeing 787 Dreamliner completed its first commercial flight on Wednesday. All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight flew from Narita to Hong Kong and took four hours to reach the destination. The jet will return back to Japan on Thursday.

Boeing’s much awaited 787 Dreamliner landed in Hong Kong on Wednesday, creating aviation history. The aircraft took off from the Tokyo's Narita International Airport in the early afternoon and landed in Hong Kong after approximately four hours.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) Flight NH7871 was greeted in Hong Kong with great enthusiasm, reflected by traditional dance and music performances. World’s first charter passenger flight of Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been delayed for more than 3 years and the development would surely bring a sigh of relief from both Boeing’s as well as ANA’s quarters. The aircraft will return to Japan on Thursday.

Around 250 passengers boarded the historic flight of the airline. The list of passengers included a number of journalists as well as several Boeing and ANA executives. All Nippon Airways held a lottery for its frequent flyers to offer a chance to the travellers to buy tickets on the 787 Dreamliner. Some seats were auctioned off for charity.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner is understood to be 20% more fuel-efficient than regular airliners and is also 30% cheaper to maintain. Budget travellers who prefer booking cheap flight tickets will perhaps have better chance with the Dreamliner as the fuel efficiency is more and maintenance costs are low. Apart from the brighter prospects of netting cheap flight tickets, Boeing 787 also promises a much comfortable journey to the travellers.

All Nippon Airways has announced its plans to launch domestic flights with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Nov. 1st. Long-haul flight from Tokyo to Frankfurt will follow the domestic operations.

All About Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Boeing 787 Dreamliner is built of lightweight materials that promise better fuel efficiency. Boeing 787 is the first commercial jet aircraft made mainly of plastic-composite materials.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be a ‘game changer’, if some of the industry experts are to be believed. Boeing hopes to reinvent travel experience for the passengers on medium and long haul flights. The aircraft features larger windows, improved lighting, and air pressure and humidity that are much closer to that on the ground.

Boeing 787’s Delivery Schedule

With a total order of 55 Dreamliner aircraft, All Nippon Airways is the biggest customer of the Boeing 787. So far, the airline has received two jets and it is scheduled to get another nine by the end of March. ANA hopes to bring its tally of Boeing 787 to 20 by the end of March 2013. As per reports, the Boeing 787 will generate fuel savings worth as much as 10 billion yen ($126 million) a year for the carrier.

Boeing has Dreamliner orders from carriers like Air China, British Airways and Delta Air Lines. Japan Airlines has more than 30 787s on order, while United Continental will be the first U.S. carrier to fly the 787.

Qatar Airways to Launch Flights to Libyan Port City of Benghazi

2011-10-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

Qatar Airways will start operating flights to Benghazi from November 1st 2011. Benghazi is Libya's second largest city and is a renowned economic hub of the region.

The airline will offer four flights in a week, non-stop from Doha airport.

This latest launch of Qatar Airways will take the number of destination launches by Qatar Airways to 15 in the current year.

Benghazi, Libya’s north-eastern Mediterranean port city is a key destination for trade and exports with industries like refining, food processing, cement production and tuna fishing scattered all throughout the region. Qatar Airways hopes to serve this segment of the market apart from serving leisure vacationers who go for cheap flight tickets.

Qatar Airways has a well established presence in the region with the airline serving the capital city of Tripoli for few years now. Currently, the airline has abandoned flights to Tripoli due to the political situation. However, the airline hopes to resume the flight services to the Libyan capital soon enough.

The five-star airline will ply an Airbus A320 dual configuration aircraft on the new route. The aircraft will feature 12 seats for travellers who seek the lavishness of the first class and 132 economy class seats fro those prefer booking cheap flight tickets for their travel.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker was delighted with the development and welcomed the new addition to the airline’s wide network. He spoke of Benghazi as a primarily business destination that remains underserved by airlines.

Travel Distribution Summit India 2011: An Overview

2011-10-25T03:46:00.000-07:00

The 6th annual edition of EyeforTravel's Travel Distribution Summit India was held in Novotel Juhu, Mumbai this year from 12th to 13th of October. The conference was a great opportunity for the travel companies to gain knowledge for spreading their businesses and become unrivalled kings of the tourism industry in India.

India’s travel industry is flourishing and has attained great heights in the last few years. The significant reasons for such rising tourism in India are improved infrastructure including better airports, top class transportation facilities, superior technology and economic growth. But what next? Till what time the tourism industry in India will retain this position? Well, this question was the hot topic of discussion at the travel distribution summit India 2011 where the experts gave their views and shared their knowledge about tourism in India.

Millions of travellers booked flights to India to be a part of this significant travel event. Many travel agents and even regular travellers booked advance tickets to grab cheap flights to India to avoid missing the event. It is reported that representatives of several travel related organisations attended this conference including Azran Osman Rani (CEO, AirAsia X), Speaker TBC (IndiGo Airlines) and Sanyukth Sridharan (CCO, SpiceJet) to name a few.

The main topics covered under Travel Distribution Summit India 2011 event are:

Rising trends in the Indian travel industry.

Implementing efficient marketing and revenue policies that may help in increasing business and maximizing profits.

How technologies such as mobiles and Internet are altering the mode of communication for the customers who book tickets via these technologies to plan their holidays.

How technology is developing and how it can affect the tourism sector for its betterment.

Tourism Australia Attracts All

2011-10-21T04:44:00.000-07:00

Australia is top holiday destination and is frequented by millions of vacationers each year. The country is laden with terrific tourist charms – both man-made and natural!

With so many delights and attractions, it is not surprising to know that a fair number of travellers are always on a lookout for cheap flights to Australia. Tourism does play a very important role in the Australian economy. Tourism contributes more than 2.5% to the Australia's GDP and employs nearly 500,000 people in the country. Tourism Australia leaves no stone unturned to promote tourism and entice people to plan holidays and book flight tickets to Australia.

Tourism Australia is known to participate as well as organise a wide range of international shows and events in a bid to promote Australia as a leading travel destination all across the globe. A good portion of such shows are held in the European continent with special emphasis on the United Kingdom, which is key market for Australia tourism. A number of Britons vie to grab cheap flights to Australia each year and most of them succeed as a number of airlines such British Airways and Qantas ply between the regions’ airports. In fact, Tourism Australia has partnered with Qantas on several promotional programs to attract British long haul travellers to grab flights to Australia.

Over the years, Tourism Australia has adopted different consumer campaigns, most of them bringing delightful results for the government. “There’s Nothing Like Australia” is the latest campaign fashioned by the Tourism Australia. The campaign involves Australians because it is believed that they were eager to promote their country and who better than the natives to tell what makes their country so unique!

Two More Aircraft Grounded By Qantas

2011-10-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

For every traveller who thinks he will be able to net cheap tickets on Qantas flights in the current scenario, there is a flight that is being cancelled!!

Indeed, problems just keep on mounting for the Qantas Airways as the airline today decided to ground two more aircraft in response to the continuing industrial action from the Australian Licenced Engineers Association (ALAEA). The industrial action has caused a backlog of maintenance on the Qantas fleet forcing the carrier to ground airplanes. The grounding of two more aircraft will result in cancellation of 80 domestic flights and reduction of some 20,000 in the airline’s capacity.

With holiday travel season just around the corner, the timing of the industrial action, that begin in September, could not have been worse for the travellers who wish to seek cheap flight tickets. With heaps of flights getting cancelled and massive reduction in seating capacity, cheap flight tickets with Qantas currently seem like a utopia for the budget travellers.

As a result of the ban initiated by the ALAEA on overtime and work to rule, Australia’s flag carrier has been forced to scrap seven aircraft and cancel approximately 500 flights.

Alan Joyce, Qantas Chief Executive Officer, stated that the backlog of maintenance is a direct consequence of the continued union action. He said that the industrial action has resulted in the deficit of more than 60,000 man hours of maintenance and this is what has caused the grounding of aircraft.

Sydney Beaches Complete Sydney Holidays

2011-10-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

One of the most incredible metropolises of Australia, Sydney offers everything a holiday maker craves for. The city embraces vibrant cultures, satiating shopping scene, intoxicating nightlife, scrumptious cuisines and not to forget an overwhelming natural splendour through its pristine beaches. Millions around the world travel to Sydney beaches from far and wide. It’s the lively ambience of Sydney beaches which make one’s trip all the more rewarding.

Sydney has a lot to offer in terms of beaches. Cheap flights to Sydney have remained the most admired commodity among beach lovers, surfers and swimmers. Holidays to Sydney are incomplete without an expedition to Sydney beaches. However, the demand for cheap tickets on flights to Sydney doubles up during festivals like Christmas, New Year and Boxing Day. The lively ambience becomes all the more breathtaking at Bondi beach, Coogee beach, Manly Beach, Freshwater Beach, Palm Beach and Cronulla Beach. And the best part is that every beach offers distinctive experience to the holidaymakers who travel to Sydney.

Revelries at the Sydney Beaches during Christmas have always prompted many beach lovers to rummage through airlines looking for tickets on cheap flights to Sydney. Qantas and British Airways are seen as popular options for international travellers. While for those landing in other Aussies cities, cheap flights to Sydney can be easily available with Jet Star Airways, a low cost domestic carrier.

While city sightseeing tours in Sydney are made convenient by the comfortable and convenient transport options, Manly Express Airport Shuttle makes your trip to and from Northern Beaches to the Airport highly convenient.

If you haven’t booked your cheap tickets to Sydney for Christmas and New Year bash at its beaches, rush now.

Qantas Expands DFW – Sydney Flight Services

2011-10-07T02:45:00.000-07:00

Qantas Airways, Australia’s flag carrier, is all set to increase its flight operations on the on the Dallas/ Fort Worth (DFW) – Australia route from July 2012.

Currently, the airline offers four flights per week on this route. This will be increased to six flights per week from 15th January 2012 and to seven per week from 1st July 2012.

Qantas offered first connection to DFW in May 2011, making it convenient for Australians to travel to different American cities via DFW, one of the United States’ leading hub airports.

Qantas Airways ‘oneworld alliance’ partnership with American Airlines will make it even better for the travellers. A number of code share options will sprout up and travellers who look for cheap flight tickets can opt for the one that suits them the most. One is likely to find better deal when more options are available. Qantas and American Airlines also have the approval of the ACCC for a joint business agreement (JBA).

Qantas has also announced a special fare sale to promote the connection. Travellers can book cheap flight tickets till 10th October that will be good for travel between 15th January and 31st August 2012. This indeed is the right time for budget travellers to experience the excellence of the Qantas Airways in a ‘cheap way’.

Apart from making North America and Australia more convenient, this rise in flight frequency will have an economic impact of $200 million annually, as per DFW Airport estimates.

Hello, Says Johannesburg to Emirates A380

2011-10-04T01:42:00.000-07:00

Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub is the latest to join the exclusive set of destinations served by Emirates A380. On Saturday, 1st October, the city greeted the first ever Emirates A380 flight that landed up at the O R Tambo International Airport from Dubai.

The development made Johannesburg the first African city to be served by Emirates A380 and 16th in the world. The flight was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute at the airport.

Emirates is a pretty popular airline in South Africa. The airline is reported to have carried some 900,000 travellers across three South African gateways – Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in the past one year.

A special reception was organised at the O R Tambo International Airport to celebrate the landing of first Emirates A380 flight in Johannesburg. Guests invited at the event were offered an opportunity to explore the A380 aircraft. The aircraft plying between Dubai and Johannesburg will feature almost 400 economy class seats. It sure is good news for travellers who want to revel in the glory of A380 but are more inclined to pay cheap flight tickets. Indeed, budget travellers who seek cheap travel tickets on flights between Dubai and Johannesburg will be the happiest lot with the development. Apart from being an economic powerhouse, Johannesburg is a top holiday destination and lures many from the Middle East.

Emirates is the largest operator of the A380 aircrafts in the world. The airline currently offers A380 services to destinations like London Heathrow, Manchester, Bangkok, Shanghai and Sydney. Singapore Airlines, Qantas Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and Korean Air are other airlines that operate A380 services.

News Reference

Catch Flights to Cairns - Holiday Destination for All Tastes

2011-09-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

Cairns is one of the best holiday destinations in the world. The mere mention of this appealing Australian city conjures images of two bewildering UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Apart from this, Cairns is prolific with myriad of attractions which ideally suffice the element of adventure, history and culture.

This metropolis is a true haven for all sorts of travellers who book cheap flights to Cairns. Here, adventure junkies are proffered with numerous activities like diving in Great Barrier Reef, rafting in Wild Tully River, bungee jumping from AJ Hackett, Kayaking in Far North Queensland and skydiving from Palm Cove in Queensland Australia.

Owing to the city’s marvellous possessions like Cairns Regional Gallery and Cairns Museums, thousands of travellers having penchant for culture or history dig for airlines offering cheap air-tickets on flights to Cairns.

Beauty of Cairns assails the senses of nature-lovers. You can travel to stunning Daintree and Cape Tribulation Rainforests, beguiling Cooktown Heritage & Scenic Rim Walking Trail and amazing Cairns Botanic Gardens and immerse into picturesque natural marvels of the place. And if you yearn to get up close to Cairns wildlife then head to Cairns Wildlife Dome that features striking Australian fauna, such as koalas, snakes and kookaburras.

Last but not the least; shopping is big in Cairns! Head to one of Australia's biggest department store chains, Cairns Central and lay hands on the objects of your desire. Or else head to night markets on The Esplanade for grabbing local arts and crafts, 40-minute massages and a wide selection of food.

Grab Flights to Phuket & Get Captivated by Its Delights

2011-09-14T04:31:00.000-07:00

A tour of Phuket is guaranteed to be brimming with incredible sights and a lot of exciting activities. Hordes of tourists looking for a vacation that promises a lot action but at the same time ensures some tranquil fun opt for airlines that offer cheap air tickets to Phuket.

Phuket is one of Thailand’s biggest tourist magnets. After Bangkok, it is perhaps Phuket that sees maximum tourist activity in the country. Millions rummage around websites for cheap flights to Phuket and most of them are able to do so as a number of airlines offer flights to Phuket.

Tourists who have made their booking on flights to Phuket and are looking to dig out some information regarding attractions in the city must be informed that this Thai city is just teeming with tourist delights! From adventure water activities to beautiful temples, holidays to Phuket translates into a bout of unlimited fun and variety.

A visit to Phang Nga Bay and the Old Phuket Town is perhaps de rigueur on Phuket holidays. While Phang Nga Bay’s biggest attraction lies in the superb sight of sheer cliffs of limestone rising out of brilliant green waters, the Old Phuket Town is most known for its Sino-Portuguese architecture styles. Tourists who book cheap flights to Phuket should include both these spots in their travel itinerary.

Patong's Bangla Road is notorious for its glamorous nightlife. Holiday makers and specifically males are most enamoured by this facet of life in Phuket. Lady boys and girls fill up the street at the Patong's Bangla Road.

Emirates Launches Dubai-Dublin Operations

2011-09-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

It is time for Emirates to unravel the Irish charm! Dubai’s flag carrier is all set to launch new flights on Dubai-Dublin route from the 9th of January 2012. This is going to be the airline’s first foray into the Republic of Ireland, discounting the Emirates SkyCargo which is already operating in Ireland, mainly carrying goods through Manchester.

Vast Irish population that seems to be scattered all over the globe will be the target customers for the airline. Irish population in countries like Australia and the UAE will surely be glad of the new announcement. Ireland is additionally a hugely popular tourist destination with millions visiting the place every year from all over the world.

Travellers are advised to book their cheap flight tickets with the airline as soon as possible as Emirates is not exactly known for providing cheap tickets on its flights! The schedule of the service that will be operational from Jan 9th is as follows - the flight will leave the Dubai airport at 0700hrs and land in Dublin at 1130hrs. For the return flight, the aircraft will leave the Irish capital at 1255hrs and will arrive in Dubai at 0025hrs the following day. Emirates will be deploying an Airbus A330-200 on the route, offering first, business and economy travel classes to passengers.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group was understandably pleased with development. He hoped that the large number of Irish nationals living overseas will ensure that the initiative is successful.

Flights to Johannesburg, the Beating heart of South Africa

2011-09-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Johannesburg is an extraordinary city of South Africa that features superb forests and enthralling mountain ranges. Besides natural magnificence, this city is surprisingly wealthy with soaring skyscrapers, Victorian and Edwardian architecture and top-notch hotels and restaurants. Splendour of this city is incredibly exquisite and tempts millions of holidaymakers to travel to this majestic city every year.

Disembark flights to Johannesburg and loose yourself in the maze of natural wonders, incredible nightlife and historical beauty. This city offers something for everyone whether you are craving adventure, traces of history or a great blast at a club - you will surely get the best.

Johannesburg Zoo is an ideal getaway for witnessing diverse African wildlife that enchants one and all to the hilt. The intriguing fauna life here has for long prompted many wildlife buffs to book cheap flights to Johannesburg. Apart from this, Kruger National Park is something that will leave you in awe.

Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill Museum, and Lesedi Cultural Village are among the great sites for exploring the remarkable aspects of the culture and history. Increasing numbers of historical buffs now head out to Johannesburg which is probably the reason why traveller’s have to dig hard for airlines offering cheap air tickets on flights to Johannesburg.

Not to forget, Johannesburg is an entertainment hub of South Africa. Holidays to Johannesburg will be entirely invigorating as the nightlife of this city is undeniably wild. Melville and Seventh Street are among the popular areas where one can get well-known pubs of the city.

Tips to Grab Cheap Flights Tickets to New York

2011-09-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

New York holidays don’t hit your bottomline that hard if you do your home work well! Here are some tips that I became aware of on my maiden sojourn to New York that helped me save considerably.

Dig the Web

Due to the volatility of the air fares, a careful internet research is what most well informed and frequent travellers resort to before booking flights to any destination in order to grab cheap air fares.

Several online travel agencies are able to beat even the best price offered directly by the airlines when it comes to cheap flights to New York and any other destination. Compare the prices offered by couple of such company and lock on the options that better suit your pocket and travel plans. Further, holiday packages offered by the travel companies can definitely help slash the cost of your holidays.

Book in Advance

Booking well in advance - not days but months - is a simple way to grab cheap flight tickets to New York. Air fares spiral up as the date of travel draws near. No one likes to pay hefty premium on the last minute bookings.

However, if a last minute booking is unavoidable, then knowing that airlines usually overbook their seats can help. And then there are times when a number of passengers do not show up (No Show) at the time of departure. Airlines are able to sell these surplus seats at the last minute for considerably less than what you would get with the travel agents. So the key is to get in touch with the airlines directly for the last minute flight bookings.

India Autumn Sale

2011-09-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

India Autumn Sale with Etihad airways.

ECONOMY	BUSINESS
Mumbai Flights from £415	Mumbai Flights from £1499
Delhi Flights from £415	Delhi Flights from £1499
Hyderabad Flights from £430	Hyderabad Flights from £1499
Bangalore Flights from £430	Bangalore Flights from £1499

Offers are subject to availability.

Discover India with Jet Airways

2011-09-02T07:44:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Flights from £457	Ahmedabad Flights from £493
Delhi Flights from £487	Bangalore Flights from £495
Chennai Flights from £492	Hyderabad Flights from £499
Goa Flights from £492	Amritsar Flights from £534
Cochin Flights from £492	Kolkata Flights from £586

Brisbane enraptures with its unique draws

2011-08-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

Brisbane, The city of gleaming skyscrapers and the capital of Queensland is the third largest city of Australia. The vibrant metropolis located by the Brisbane River has charms that rival even the most blessed city in the world, and is at the forefront of cutting-edge tourism infrastructure, with exceptional hotels and excellent restaurants.

Alluring ambiance, vivacious culture, cosmopolitan character, year-round pleasant weather, marvellous attractions, fascinating cafe scene and lush riverside parks are among the paradisiacal traits of the city. Millions of vacationers around the world plan holidays to this charming city and hunt for airlines offering cheap air tickets on flights to Brisbane.

Travellers are endowed with abundant sightseeing attractions and plenty of intriguing activities. Adventure, beach and sport enthusiasts can take their pick from multitude of adrenalin pumping activities. Sailing, kayaking, surfing, diving, snorkelling, cruising, whale watching, rock Climbing, abseiling, hot-air ballooning, sky diving, 4WD excursions, golfing, lush national parks top the minds of holidaymakers who book cheap flights to Brisbane.

The city bewilders everyone who travels to its shores with a mesmerizing fusion of old and new displaying in an array of enthralling attractions and activities. Historical and cultural buffs can blissfully explore the Treasury Building near Victoria Bridge, Queensland Cultural Centre apart from world-beating museums, old and intriguing colonial homes and aboriginal culture.

Behold the magnificence of the grand St John’s Cathedral, breathtaking Story Bridge, the thrilling Wheel of Brisbane, and verdant Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha – some of the most popular attractions on a sightseeing tour of the city. Drink-in the glory of magical Brisbane and cherish those ecstatic moments all your life!!

New Airline Passenger Rights Implemented

2011-08-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s latest set of rules and regulations will go into effect on Tuesday. The new airline rules are comprehensively pro-traveller and seek to reduce airport tarmac delays, further compensate bumped passengers, and make additional fees more transparent.

Under the new regulations, international flights operated by domestic and international airlines in the US will face steep fines if found waiting on the tarmac for more than four hours.

Travellers who are involuntarily bumped from their flights will now be entitled to much more compensation. If the carrier is not able to offer alternative flights within two hours for domestic travel and four hours for international flights, then the airline is legally responsible to offer a compensation of four times the value of ticket up to $1,300. In the past, travellers were only authorized to collect up to $800 for such an inconvenience. With the move, DOT hopes to put a damper on the practise of overbooking. Overbooking mostly impacts passengers with cheap flight tickets as they are the ones who are asked to vacate seats in favour of ‘rich’ travellers. Now with such a massive compensation to pay, it will be very unlikely that airlines will try to bump passengers who have cheap tickets on flights.

Under new guidelines, carriers are also required to refund baggage fees in case of a lost luggage. The rule doesn’t necessitate a bag-fee refund if the baggage is delayed.

The new rules are the latest in the government’s push to expand passenger rights. Some more regulations are set to go into effect in 2012.

Qantas and British Airways Rev Up JSA

2011-08-18T03:26:00.000-07:00

Qantas had multiple aces up its sleeves and presumably all of them were announced on Tuesday! One of them is that Qantas is going to upgrade its long-running Joint Services Agreement (JSA) with British Airways.

The modified JSA allows both carriers to strengthen their Singapore hub as well as to provide superior air travel connections and benefits to passengers who book flights between London Heathrow Airport and Australia.

Under the restructured JSA, it has been reported that Qantas will maintain its Airbus A380 services from Sydney and Melbourne to London through Singapore, while BA will be using Boeing 747 instead of current Boeing 777 for London-Singapore-Sydney flights.

Qantas Group is surely on a roll with a number of new announcements coming out of the group. Qantas has also announced to float a new airline, Jetstar Japan, in partnership with Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi Corporation. It will be a low-cost airline that will be offering cheap flight tickets to travellers in regional Japanese market. This particular move of the group has been widely publicised. And if advertisers are to be believed air fares offered by this airline will surely bring a broad smile on travellers who look for cheap tickets on the flights.

Coming back to the enhanced JSA, it has been agreed upon that come 2012, Qantas will stop its Bangkok-London and Hong Kong-London flights and British Airways will cease its Bangkok-Sydney operations. This will ensure that both carriers reap the maxim benefits of their respective strengths.

India Autumn

2011-08-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

South African Airways

2011-08-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

JAL, Qantas, Mitsubishi Partnership to Give Japan A New Airline

2011-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Qantas is spreading its wings wide to fly high and it is taking Japan Airlines along with it! These oneworld alliance partners, along with the Mitsubishi Corporation, have decided to float an altogether new airline to set the competition on fire in the Japanese air travel market! Jetstar Japan is the name of the new carrier that is set to rise in the Land of Rising Sun!

If advertisers are to be believed Jetstar Japan’s low-cost approach will make customers jump with joy. Cheap flight tickets within the Japanese domestic market will not be such a rarity once the airline starts to roll in the later part of the year 2012.

Jetstar Japan is expected to offer flights out of Tokyo, Narita Airport and Osaka, Kansai International. While initially the airline is just going to cater to the regional market in Japan, as time goes by the airline might delve into short haul international flights operations.

Jetstar Japan plans to launch with a fleet of three Airbus A320s, with each of them configured for 180 passengers in a solitary class. But the airline hopes that it will be able to grow to 24 aircrafts in just first few years of operation.

Qantas’ Jetstar first penetrated Japan in 2007 and since then the airline has become the preferred choice for passengers who look for cheap tickets on flights.

Jetstar Japan is going to follow the Jetstar’s low fare model and promises to roll out cheap airfares on its flights.

All Nippon Airways Ready for Boeing’s First 787 Dreamliner

2011-08-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

All Nippon Airways is in a celebratory mood and why not! The airline is set to receive the Boeing’s first 787 Dreamliner next month. 787 Dreamliner that is supposed to be delivered to the Japan’s flag carrier was rolled out at Boeing's facility in Seattle, United States on Monday.

787 Dreamliner is primarily made up of carbon composites or super durable plastic, making it a comparatively much lighter aircraft. Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner also touted as an extremely efficient airliner as it uses 20 % less fuel than conventional aircrafts. This will ensure cost-effective flights for the airline. Travellers around the world would be interested to see if the airline brings down the cost of air tickets and provide cheap flights to the budget travellers. All Nippon Airways’ popularity ratings will certainly rise if the airline does indeed shares the benefits of cost-effective flights with the passengers and rolls out cheap tickets on flights.

In commemoration of the first 787 Dreamliner, All Nippon Airways plans to fly the first commercial flight as a charter service from the Narita airport to Hong Kong. The airline will then provide air travel services on the Haneda-Okayama and Haneda-Hiroshima routes.

On domestic routes, the Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner will have 12 Premium Class seats and 252 standard class seats. On long-haul international flights, the aircraft will include a total of 158 seats that will include 46 Business Class seats and 112 Economy Class seats. On short-haul international flights, the plane will have 222 seats, including 42 Business Class seats and 180 Economy Class seats.

News Reference

Kuredu Island Resort Maldives

2011-08-04T03:36:00.000-07:00

Special Offer
One sunset cruise complimentary per guest
Free windsurfing equipment for experienced guests

Honeymooners
Complimentary bottle of sparkling wine
Complimentary tropical fruit basket
Honeymoon T-shirt
................

Tips for your Incredible Tour to India

2011-08-04T03:21:00.000-07:00

Plan your holidays for an Incredible Tour in India
Book flights to India
Book a hotel for your stay there
Get the tips for your holidays
Check your Visa, Passport and other important docs are ready with your always
Search and find the travelling locations in India during your stay
Make a list of what you would like to shop about or make a budget for your shopping
Apply for health insurance and travel insurance
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........have fun during your holidays!!!!
नमस्ते इंडिया

Explore Maldives

2011-08-04T03:13:00.000-07:00

Cheap Flights to Bangkok – What Makes them Sell Like Hot Cakes

2011-07-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

Bangkok – the city of dazzling sights and attractions – is a big favourite with holiday makers all over the world. It is the city’s mesmeric blend of traditional and contemporary that has ensured that vacationers make a mad scramble for cheap flight tickets to Bangkok.

Bangkok is really a top class holiday destination! Be it the beautiful temples, yummy food, incredible nightlife or remarkable shopping options – holidays to Bangkok surely lack nothing and this is the reason flights to Bangkok are in demand all over the globe. There is still to be heard of a tourist who is not allured by airlines selling cheap flight tickets to Bangkok!

Let us a take brief look at the attractions that make flights to Bangkok so popular.

Grand Palace is one of the most charming tourist attractions and cannot be missed by vacationers. It is a stunning spectacle that was once a home for Thai royals. The complex of the palace features a range of impressive structures with Wat Phra Kaew being the most attractive one.

Bangkok’s National Museum is another dazzling charm that enchants holiday makers in Bangkok. The museum offers insights into the Thai history, culture and the relevance of Buddhist teachings. Wat Arun, with its soaring 82-metre spire, is yet another tourist delight that beckons people to grab cheap flights to Bangkok.

Bangkok can be visited anytime of the year, but the period between November and March appeals highly to tourists because the climate is cooler. Travellers looking for cheap airfares during this period must book early.

Flights to Amritsar from UK

2011-07-28T02:10:00.000-07:00

British midland International (bmi)

Flights to Amritsar from Heathrow, Belfast, Edinburgh, Manchester, Aberdeen

Flights to Singapore -What makes them so popular

2011-07-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

Rightly considered as one of the world’s most iconic travel destinations, Singapore manages to be many things – a vision of breathtaking skyscrapers, picturesque islands, a repository of blended cultures, and a perfect haven for shopping. Popularly known as Lion City, Singapore enraptures millions of hearts with its mesmerizing stock of flamboyant skylines, lip smacking food, pulsating culture and soothing environs.

Over the period of time, the city has emerged as a big tourist hot spot which has led to an increase in the number of flights to Singapore from around the world. There are countless travel agencies who offer best deals by way of cheap tickets on flights to this marvellous city of Asia.

One big thing that makes Singapore so popular is the vibrant melange of Chinese, Malays, Indians, Peranakans and Eurasian culture. Its multi-faceted society wins the heart of many as it helps in immersing in the cultures, languages, customs and festivals of different lands, merely in one single land. The intriguing multicultural kaleidoscope has for long prompted many cultural enthusiasts to rummage through websites of different airlines who offer low airfares and cheap flights to Singapore.

Singapore is truly a dream-come-true destination that helps you in realising your dream of exploring a pleasant place. This bustling cosmopolitan city is flooded with world’s most renowned tourist attractions like Merlion, Jurong Bird Park, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Esplanade - Theatre on the Bays or Asian Civilisations Museum - the choices of must-see gems of Singapore are endless. One can explore a suitcase full of fun in this great metropolis of Asia.

Reasons Aplenty to Grab Flights to Malaysia

2011-07-20T02:27:00.000-07:00

The wonders and splendours of Malaysia baffled me! This country is truly a holiday maker’s delight because it offers a wonderful blend of traditional and modernity. Millions book flights on airlines to explore the various gems of the country.

The charming traditions of Malays, Chinese, Indians and the Europeans merge to bring out a culture that is absolutely unique and charming. If the effervescent culture doesn’t get you, you will be taken in by the splendid display of luxury and opulence at many of the region’s resorts and hotels. And if even that is not enough to satiate you, then it is time to bring out the ace – the beaches! Beaches in this part of the world are extremely beautiful and are one of the reasons that make flight tickets to Malaysia sell out fast!

While it has be said that it is Kuala Lumpur that triggers a kind of frenzy among vacationers looking for cheap airfares on flights to Malaysia, it is also true that Penang and Langkawi have their own set of ardent admirers.

Penang might just be one of the world’s most beautiful spots. Attractions like Penang Hill and Fort Cornwallis accentuate the beauty of Penang and make it more alluring. Penang Butterfly Farm and Tropical Spice Garden are two other popular tourist haunts.

Langkawi is popular as a beach holiday destination. Apart from the beaches, it offers incredible range of other options for leisure holiday makers, such as superb historical attractions, first-rate diving opportunities, energetic nightlife and duty-free shopping.

Manila International Airport Information: Where to Find It

2011-07-18T04:06:00.000-07:00

Serving more than 25 million passengers annually, the Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport is the busiest and largest airport in the Philippines. The airport is served by a number of airlines and connects to destinations all over the world.

The international airport is a hub for Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, PAL Express, Zest Airways and South East Asian Airlines. Other major global airlines that serve the airport are Gulf Air, Jetstar Airways, Continental Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and Singapore Airlines. Several of these carriers maintain code share alliances with other airlines and thus enabling the travellers to conveniently gather air miles.

Manila is a hugely popular tourist destination – an observation that is verified from the fact that a number of travellers look for Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport information.

Undoubtedly, the internet is the most preferred tool for individuals looking for Manila airport information. One can find a number of useful Manila International Airport guides on the web that offer information and tips regarding every aspect of the airport’s infrastructure and one’s travel. The Manila International Airport’s official website is an ideal guide for the travellers to the airport, acquainting them with all kinds of facilities and amenities that are waiting for them.

The services and facilities offered at the airport are truly world class. There are full-service restaurants, shops and stores, duty-free shopping arcades, medical clinics and lounges. The Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport also maintains banks, ATMs and money exchange facilities for all sorts of financial needs.

Grab Flights to Singapore & Explore Different Hotel Options

2011-07-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

Singapore has all the trappings of a world class tourist attraction – be it mesmerising attractions, wonderful climate, great hospitality, incredible food or stunning shopping alternatives. But one thing that really makes Singapore such a highly loved holiday destination among all is its wide variety of accommodation options!

Millions of tourists book flights tickets to Singapore every year and almost every one of these ‘millions’ require a place of stay in the city. While some go for the luxury Singapore hotels, others prefer the budget accommodation. Travellers who make reservation with cheap flights to Singapore are more likely to opt for hotels that are affordable. However, it must also be added that there have been cases when people try to save money by booking on cheap flights to Singapore just to splurge it on the lavish city hotels! Of course, such cases are rare and those who have a limited budget will definitely avoid the expensive Singapore hotels.

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia and Raffles Hotel Singapore are two of the most luxurious hotels in Singapore that beguile the affluent to board flights to Singapore and land up in the city to enjoy the many world class facilities and amenities that they have to offer.

The Fragrance Hotel and Bayview Hotel Singapore are the ones that attract the budget travellers. Both of these hotels feature most of the contemporary facilities and services, and are highly popular among tourists who make reservations with airlines offering cheap airfares on flights.

Reasons A Galore For People to Book Flights to Perth

2011-07-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

Perth remains one of the biggest tourist destinations in Australia. A small city in size by Australian standards, Perth is replete with different kinds of allures and charms that make it a tall name in the field travel and tourism!

The city’s natural splendour is perhaps the biggest delight that awaits tourists who book tickets on flights to Perth. The glowing beaches coupled with wonderful weather surely make Perth an infinitely charming holiday destination for the vacationers! The city is a big hit among the Britons as a winter sun holiday destination and thousands of them are found rummaging through different websites for cheap airfares on flights to Perth.

Wildlife is one big allure that attracts people towards Perth. The city is flooded with enthralling options for animal lovers. There is a massive city zoo and then there is the Caversham Wildlife Park that is home to multiple varieties of animals and birds.

Australians are renowned all over the world for their prowess in all kinds of sports, be it cricket, tennis, rugby, soccer or swimming. Tourists to Australia will be able to enjoy live action of different sporting activities at national as well as international levels at almost every part of the year. Sports action is in fact one of the biggest reasons that make airlines that operate flights to Australia so popular all across the globe.

Do not miss out a visit to the Swan Valley, one of the world’s oldest wine growing regions! It is an incredible place that features wineries, boutique breweries, art galleries and restaurants.

Charming Cities Make Flights to South Africa Hugely Popular

2011-07-09T04:01:00.000-07:00

Astonishingly beautiful and charmingly attractive, South Africa perhaps takes the crown of being the most diversified country of the world. The nation’s immense natural splendour peeps through its majestic mountains, lush forests and brilliant beaches. The regions’ contemporary allures are equally potent with world class hotels, restaurants, nightlife and shopping options available to the tourists. Not surprisingly, a number of airlines that are operating flights to South Africa are doing a profitable business!

Johannesburg

Johannesburg is one of the largest cities in South Africa and is one big reason people scram like crazy for cheap airfares on flights to South Africa. The natural attractions of this city compete for attention with the locale’s shimmering skyscrapers, wonderful Indian bazaars and ancient architectural wonders. Johannesburg Zoo, Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef City and Mandela Museum are some of the gems that decorate the land of Johannesburg!

Cape Town

Cape Town is extremely fun loving and enormously beautiful! The region is renowned for its fun spirit all across the continent and this is the exact reason that entices the younger crowd to book tickets on flights to South Africa and land up at the Cape Town International Airport. Its architectural marvels make the city all the more popular among vacationers.

Durban

Visit Durban and you will think that you have stumbled upon some charming Indian city! This South African city has a large population of Indian descent and this lends a very multicultural character to the city. Durban’s tourist charms include Alayam Hindu Temple and Natural Science Museum.

Grab Flights to South Africa & Explore a Gourmet Paradise

2011-07-07T02:45:00.000-07:00

Some people live to eat and some people eat to live, but when you are in South Africa even those who are following the latter start contemplating a change to the former! This incredible country turns on its full radiance when it comes to food and eating. Does it surprise you that thousands of travellers who book cheap tickets with airlines offering flights to South Africa are most attracted by the scrumptious delicacies waiting for them?

South African diversity is legendary and it is this diversity that has ensured that even the food served here smacks of wide variety of influences and flavours. From the European to Indian to Chinese – the delicacies offered to the diner in South Africa is surely going to remind them of all kinds of international influences. Wildlife may be the biggest allure that entice people into buying flights to South Africa, but let’s there be no doubt about the fact that if cheap airfares on flights to South Africa are revered all across the globe some credit also goes to the yummy, lip-smacking hot & spicy food of this incredible country!

Cape Town leads the nation when it comes to featuring top class restaurants and hypnotizing foodies into booking cheap flights to South Africa. Cape Town’s eating joints like Azure and Buitenverwachting are award winning dining establishments that ‘force’ even the most discerning diner to smile gluttony from ear to ear. Not without a reason a number of flights to South Africa land up at the Cape Town airport!

Johannesburg is also replete with stunning restaurants that serve wonderful food in enchanting settings.

Singapore Airlines Extends A380 Charm to Los Angeles

2011-07-05T03:10:00.000-07:00

Passengers of Singapore Airlines will now be able to enjoy the charm of Airbus A380 while travelling to the North American destination of Los Angeles. The major Asian airline launched its inaugural A380 flight to Los Angeles via Tokyo on Friday with around 400 passengers on-board.

Singapore Airlines will offer a daily flight to Los Angeles airport on the superjumbo. Being the world's largest passenger jetliner, A380 aircraft is easily the most popular aircraft all across the aviation industry. The popularity of this massive aircraft has meant great business for the Singapore Airlines in the past as it has been recorded that almost every travel route that is being served by A380 witnesses huge passenger traffic.

Bigger aircraft means more economy class seats and more economy class seat means better chance for people to land up with cheap flight tickets. Indeed, the launch of A380 operations on a popular Singapore Airlines route is set to benefit travellers who are on restricted budget and who look for cheap tickets on flight. Furthermore, the better design of A380’s economy class seats ensures better comfort level for the travellers.

In another development, it has been announced that the Singapore Airlines will be expanding its fleet size by leasing 15 new Airbus 330-300 aircrafts. These aircrafts are scheduled to be delivered to the airlines between 2013 and 2015. Singapore Airlines announced that these new aircrafts will be operated in Asia, as well as to some Australian and Middle Eastern destinations.

Grab Flights to New York & Explore Impressive Attractions

2011-07-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

New York City is an incredibly popular city that charms tourists with its myriad of attractions and delights. The city truly reflects the grandeur and magnificence that is so often associated with the United States of America. The popularity of NYC has ensured that a lot of people are always willing to book cheap flight tickets on the airlines to New York.

Popular Attractions

The attractions of the New York City are truly iconic – be it the massive Empire State Building or the stunning Statue of Liberty! Millions board flights to New York every year to check out glittering charms of the city. While Empire State Building is a testament of the United States’ fortitude during the troubled times of the Great Depression, the Statue of Liberty speaks eloquently of the country’s cordial relations with France.

Other allures that make cheap flights to New York such a wonderful preposition are the Central Park, Times Square, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rockefeller Center and Madison Square. Each of these famous landmarks has ensured that every seat is taken on every flight to New York!

Popular Festivals

Festivals are considered a kind of window that offers a peek into the souls of a society! Therefore it is not a bad idea to plan for your cheap flights to New York during the major festivals that take place in the city.

December is perhaps one of the busiest tourist seasons in New York City as this city celebrates festivals like Christmas and New Year with utmost vigour and pomp. Just make sure that you book your air tickets to New York as early as possible as airfares can soar steeply during the festive period.

Tourist Sites that Make Flights to Australia Popular

2011-06-30T04:56:00.000-07:00

Australia is a huge country with huger attractions! There are very few countries around the world that blend the contemporary glamour with exquisite natural beauty without leaving behind any jarring and obvious transitional notes. But Australia does it and does it style!

Flights to Australia are hugely popular all over the globe. Britons form a substantial chunk of tourists visiting this country every year and book cheap flights to Australia well in advance. Take a look at different tourist attractions and charms that make this country such a popular holiday destination.

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef is guilty! It is guilty of making cheap airfares on flights to Australia such a rarity. This particular Australian attraction is highly popular all over the world with all kinds of travellers and especially with adventurous kinds. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system and is home to some 1,500 species of fish.

Sydney Opera House

World’s busiest performing arts centre, Sydney Opera House is the iconic landmark of the wonderful country of Australia. It is an architectural masterpiece that entices people from all corners of the world. Millions of visitors travel to Australia every year to enjoy the performances that are staged at the Sydney Opera House.

National Gallery of Australia

The National Gallery of Australia, located in Canberra, is an immensely popular attraction among cultural freaks, enticing them to look for cheap airline tickets to Australia. It maintains a massive collection of 100,000 artefacts spanning across Australian Art, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art and International Art.

Amazing Deals by Jet Airways

2011-06-22T01:34:00.000-07:00

Get the latest deals on Jet Airways Flights to India destinations at the discounted cost.

The most amazing deals are available with following destinations in India

Jet Airways Flights to Bangalore: £480
Jet Airways Flights to Delhi: £495
Jet Airways Flights to Mumbai: £516
Jet Airways Flights to Chennai: £527
Jet Airways Flights to Hyderabad: £534
Jet Airways Flights to Cochin: £537
Jet Airways Flights to Kolkata: £537
Jet Airways Flights to Goa: £539
Jet Airways Flights to Ahmedabad: £539
Jet Airways Flights to Amritsar: £539

Prices including all the taxes and charges

Book by 28th Jun 2011, this month!!

Find all the fares on Flights to India here.

Call now for Instant Booking. Offers may change availability.

Happy Travelling !!

Get Familiar with the Hurghada International Airport!

2011-06-20T02:14:00.000-07:00

Does it startle you to know that Hurghada International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Egypt? If No, you surely must have heard of the massive popularity of this stunning tourist destination and if yes, then well…get over it and read on!

Millions use the services and amenities of the Hurghada International Airport and any information regarding the airport is valuable. The internet features some useful Hurghada International Airport guides that one can check out to garner tips, information and instructions. However, it is the website of the Hurghada Airport that truly acts as a guide for the visitors of the airport.

Log onto www.eac-airports.com/OurAirports_Hurghada.aspx, for relevant Hurghada airport information on issues like its history, services, amenities etc. Gauging the popularity of the airport among tourists, it really is a very useful tool. The popularity of the airport is also evident from the fact that a number of airlines serve the airport. For people who prefer luxury there are award winning full-service carriers, for those who would rather prefer cheap tickets there are low-cost carriers and for passengers who are concerned about their air miles and stuff there are number of airlines having code share alliance with other carriers!

For individuals interested in a quick summary of services offered at the Hurghada International Airport – here it goes! The airport is modern structure that features all contemporary amenities like shopping stores, eating joints, lounges, banking and money exchange. The airport is more or less accessible by the disabled and the airlines must to be informed beforehand if certain travellers need special services at arrival or departure.

Luxor International Airport: A Brief Overview

2011-06-17T02:09:00.000-07:00

It is not surprising to know that the Luxor International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Egypt! After all, the wonderful city of Luxor is one of the top holiday destinations around the world. Millions travel to Luxor and millions visit the Luxor International Airport!

Luxor Airport is a modern facility that features information signage at appropriate points offering tips and instructions to the travellers and thus making navigation around the airport pretty convenient. Especially, individuals with special abilities would do well to follow signs at the Luxor Airport that will guide them towards appropriate facilities and amenities.

Talking about information, the official website of the Luxor Airport is another helpful guide for passengers looking for some useful information. The website, www.eac-airports.com, is an attractive tool that is laden with Luxor Airport information.

The Luxor International Airport is replete with all kinds of services for travellers. Be it food, duty free shopping, money exchange and other business services – almost every kind of amenity is provided at the airport! The airport also features a VIP Lounge, a mosque and a missing baggage office for the convenience of the travellers. The Luxor International Airport additionally maintains a first-aid unit that offers emergency health services to the passengers at the airport.

Luxor International is served by airlines from all over the world - be it an award winning full-service carrier, a low-cost budget airline or a private charter. A number of airlines that have code share alliance with various carriers across different continents also use the airport for destinations in the Middle East and African continent.

Handy Visa Information on Travel to Egypt

2011-06-15T02:03:00.000-07:00

Getting a visa to Egypt is probably the dream of every traveller worth his salt. After all, almost no other country in the world can boast destinations like Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada. It goes without saying spending on visa fee and airfares to Egypt are worth every penny. Check out some quick visa facts on Egypt for a hassle free experience.

British passport holders planning to take flights to Egypt should obtain a visa before travelling. However, if you are travelling to Sharm El Sheikh, Nuweiba, Dahab, and Taba resorts, you do not need a visa in advance and can confidently book cheap flights to Egypt. However, this is subject to the condition that the trip stays confined within the boundaries of these destinations and does not exceed beyond 14 days.

Acquiring a visa to Egypt and managing to get your hands on tickets with cheap flights to Egypt does not guarantee your entry into the country. The Egyptian Immigration authorities take the final decision on whether to allow or refuse entry to visitors.

Travellers should ensure that their visas are not out of date before their return. In fact, Egyptian authorities usually detain travellers whose visas are out of date by over 14 days.

Someone who has already taken one of the flights to Egypt, and wants a visa extension, needs to make an application at the Egyptian Passport and Immigration Offices.

Visa applications can be made both through post and directly. The fee for a postal application has to be sent via a postal order, while those who apply directly need to make cash payment.

More visa related information can be obtained by approaching ‘The Egyptian Embassy in London’.

ATLANTIS, THE PALM DUBAI 2011 EK 4 DAY SUMMER SALE!

2011-06-11T03:30:00.000-07:00

Southall Travel have special offers of Atlantis, The Palm with Emirates Airline.

You can book these special offers for travel from 9 June 2011 to 30 September 2011 from 9 june 2011 to 13 june 2011 by calling the customer care at southalltravel.co.uk.

The offer is only available in conjunction with Emirates Airline.

Booking Period: 09 June – 13 June 2011

Market validity: Residents of UK & Ireland Only

The offer is Valid only on new bookings from 09 June – 13 June 2011

Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia Enter Partnership

2011-06-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Effective August 2011, frequent travellers on

Singapore

Airlines and Virgin Australia are going to benefit immensely with the partnership agreement that the two airlines entered into. The alliance is subject to the approval from relevant authorities.

Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia entered into a long term alliance with each other by signing an agreement today. The alliance which aims at combining the network of Singapore Airlines’ international destinations and Virgin Australia’s routes within Australia and pacific will not only result in mutual benefits for the two carriers but it will also benefit their customers in a big way. From throwing open a number of new destinations to these customers, the alliance will allow them to use the resources and facilities of these airlines in a reciprocal way.

News Release

As per a news release published by Singapore Airlines jointly with Virgin Australia, with effect from 1st August when the alliance takes effect,

Singapore Airlines customers will be able to interline on Virgin Australia’s domestic network, allowing them to travel through to a range of destinations with one ticket, through-checked baggage, terminal transfers and inclusive meals; and

Virgin Australia Velocity Gold members and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold members will have reciprocal access to each airline’s airport lounges.

The alliance is subject to approval from the relevant regulatory authorities and the airlines say that the customers will be able to get the full advantage of the partnership from late 2011.

Passenger's Benefits

As a result of the alliance, both the airlines will be able to sell tickets and seats on each other’s international and domestic flights. The codeshare arrangement has always spelled added advantages for the passengers when it comes to the facilities, benefits and the resources of any airlines. Although, the two carriers may not show up amongst airlines selling cheap flight tickets, the valuation of the benefits resulting from their alliance may cheer a number of cheap flight lovers.

Frequent Flyer Programme: The members of Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer will be able to earn and redeem miles when they book on flights operated by Virgin Australia. Conversely, the members of Virgin Australia’s frequent flyer program ‘Velocity’ will be able to earn and redeem the points for miles flown on the flights operated by Singapore Airline.

New Destinations: Through the joining of the networks of two airlines, a number of new destinations have become accessible for the passengers of both the airlines. The network of Singapore Airline has added 70 more destinations in the route map of Virgin Australia and 30 new routes have fallen in the kitty of Singapore Airlines using the network of Virgin Australia. Not just this, the passengers will be able to take up their travel to these destinations on a single ticket while benefiting from through-checked baggage, terminal transfers and inclusive meals.

Reciprocal Lounge Access: The passengers of both the airlines will be able to access each other’s airport lounges.

Immigration Related Info for Travellers to New Zealand

2011-06-07T02:52:00.000-07:00

New Zealand is a splendid tourist destination that boasts of some incredible cities like Auckland, Queenstown and Christchurch.

The beauty of New Zealand ensures that it remains a top holiday spot. Information regarding different travel aspects related to the country remains much sought after by tourists who are all over the place looking for cheap airfares to New Zealand. Below listed pointers will get you ready to grab flights to New Zealand.

Visa

British Nationals who are on a visit of up to six months to New Zealand do not require a visa for the country. They can just book their tickets on flights to New Zealand and land up in the country! British nationals might be asked to produce evidence of their right to reside permanently in the UK by an Immigration Officer. Possession of an onward journey ticket might also be asked to furnish.

Passport

British travellers who are keen to book tickets on cheap flights to New Zealand and visit this charming country must ensure that their passport is valid for at least one month beyond the date of their visa-free stay in New Zealand.

Health

Before grabbing their cheap tickets on flights to New Zealand, travellers are advised to seek medical advice to make certain that all their vaccinations are up to date.

Britain and New Zealand have a reciprocal agreement that enables the nationals of both countries to enjoy the benefits of the National Health Services of the other country (subject to conditions).

Emirates Connects Dubai with Geneva

2011-06-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

Emirates has commenced daily direct flights between the international hubs of Dubai and Geneva.

Passengers on Wednesday’s inaugural flight out of Dubai to the Swiss city came from varied origins including Australia, India, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kuwait, Iran and Mauritius.

In a ceremony to commemorate the first flight, a traditional Swiss dance couple performed inside Emirates' exclusive Terminal 3, before flight EK089 left for Geneva.

"This launch, in particular, has a strong international feel about it - linking Dubai, as a global aviation hub and centre for business and tourism with Geneva, a home to so many international organisations and an important financial and banking centre," said Tim Clark, president, Emirates Airline.

The Dubai-Geneva flight operations will be managed by a combination of Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ERs. The aircraft will be arranged in a three-class configuration and will serve all kinds of passengers – be it the ones who love luxury on travel or the ones who prefer cheap flight tickets.

There will be First Class Private Suites, lie-flat seats in Business Class, and a spacious cabin in Economy Class. Travellers hoping to grab those elusive cheap flight tickets would do well to make their ticket bookings as soon as possible.

Geneva is Emirates' second gateway into Switzerland. The premier airline started its Zurich operations in 1992 and currently offers two daily flights.

The carrier’s EK 089 will leave Dubai airport each day at 0855hrs and arrive in Geneva at 1345hrs. From Geneva, EK 090 will take off at 1515hrs, arriving in Dubai at 2330hrs.

Three Strong Areas of Indian Medical Tourism

2011-06-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

Medical tourism in India is growing at a rollercoaster pace. According to a study conducted by Confederation of Indian Industry, some 150,000 people came to India for medical treatment and official information suggests that the figure is rising at an annual rate of about 15%. Medical facilities in India offer numerous benefits prompting thousands of people into spending on airfares to the country. It has also been analysed that medical tourism can become worth $2.3 billion by 2012. Take a quick look at three of the most potent medical treatments that prompt people into buying tickets to the country.

Heart Treatments

Heart diseases cause many patients to book flights to India. The country has legendary heart surgeons as well as excellent hospitals. Some of these are located in Delhi including Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and Apollo. Travel to the country on cheap flights to India along with the cost of treatment in these hospitals works out to be far cheaper than the cost of treatment alone in western countries. For instance, a heart surgery costing £18,500 in London may be available for as low as £5,000 in Delhi.

Liver Replacement

Undergoing the complex procedure of a liver replacement treatment under expert hands at cheap costs also prompts many people to take flights to India. In fact, many of the specialists carrying out such surgeries have had years of experience in reputed overseas hospitals. With treatment costs being almost half to those of hospitals located in developed countries, patients find that booking cheap flights to India emerges the natural choice.

Orthopaedic Solutions

Different Indian destinations like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata have also earned their reputation for providing a wide range of orthopaedic treatments spanning areas as diverse as fractures, arthritis, and bone tumours at very economic costs. In fact, complex treatments like Cord Blood Transplant and Mismatched Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant have been conducted at almost 1/10th of the cost it entails in the West.

A Little Contemplation on Australian Visas

2011-06-02T02:51:00.001-07:00

Famed for its spectacular destinations like Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Cairns, the Land of Oz is a globally popular holiday spot. Countless Britons also form part of the numerous travellers who painstakingly save up for financing their airfares to this fabled country. Like any other overseas holiday destination, Australia has its own set of visa rules and regulations. Get apprised with some of these.

Visa Types

Travellers booking flights to Australia need to procure a visa. The visas are of different categories such as Electronic Visitor Visas, Maritime Crew Visas, Student Visas, and Working Holiday Visas. The Australian High Commission in London and the Department of Immigration & Citizenship provides somewhat in depth information on the different visas.

Electronic visitor visas are pretty popular with many of the visitors buying tickets for their flights to Australia. Two categories of electronic visitor visas are Electronic Travel Authority and eVisitor visas.

The Electronic Travel Authority can be obtained from travel agents, airlines, and Australian visa offices outside Australia for a service fee of A$20. There is no application charge. Check with your travel agent while booking cheap flights to Australia.

Quite a few travellers bagging their cheap flights to Australia also opt for the eVisitor visas. These electronic visitor visas come free of any service fee or visa application charge. Such visas are available directly from the Department of Immigration & Citizenship.

Australian High Commission

High Commissioner:

HE Mr John Dauth LVO

Address: Australian High Commission
Australia House
Strand
London WC2B 4LA

Information on consular matters is available at the office from Mondays to Fridays

Mexico City International Airport: Facilities for the Disabled

2011-06-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Mexico City International Airport, also known as Benito Juárez International Airport, is the busiest airport in Mexico and serves its capital, Mexico City. It is also the busiest airport in the whole of Latin America in terms of airline aircraft movement. All in all, this one is a pretty significant airport on the world stage!

You must have gone through different Mexico City International Airport Guides or a number of write-ups featuring detailed Mexico City airport information, but what clearly stand out in all such Mexico City airport guides is the highest level of services and amenities offered to the physically disabled.

Facilities for Disabled People

Mexico City International Airport offers services and facilities designed for individuals with varied capacities. The airport offers dedicated services to pregnant women, elderly people and passengers with special needs in order to offer them greater comfort of movement during their stay at the airport.

Some of the special features for the disabled at the airport include elevators, moving walkways, electric ramps and public toilets. Preferential parking is also offered to specially-able individuals at the airport’s parking lots.

The Mexico City Airport’s website is an ideal source of information on these facilities and once a reader is through the website, he will surely need no other Mexico City Airport guide to get him acquainted with this particular facet of the airport.

The website can also be referred for information regarding flight schedules, awards won by the airport and tips for travellers.

Visa Advise for Britons Travelling to South Africa

2011-05-31T02:53:00.000-07:00

South Africa is a top holiday destination that charms people into looking for cheap airfares on flights to the country. Be it the Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth or Durban – South Africa holidays allow you to acquaint with various dazzling cities.

Cheap flights to South Africa are always in demand as it takes tourists into a true paradisiacal land! For travellers who have made up their mind to grab one of those flights to South Africa, the following information regarding the visa policies of South Africa will surely be helpful.

No Visa Required for UK Nationals!

UK nationals do not require a visa to visit South Africa! One can just make up his mind, pack up his bag and jump aboard any of the many flights to South Africa. However, travellers might be asked to furnish certain documents once they reach the shores of the country after grabbing cheap flights South Africa. These documents include but are not restricted to:

Vaccination certificate

Proofs of having funds enough to cover expenses during holidays in South Africa

A return or onward ticket documents that can authenticate their purpose and duration of stay in South Africa.

Visa Extension and Violation

All those travellers who need to extend their stays in South Africa can get in touch with the Department of Home Affairs upon their arrival in the country. Travellers who stay in the country beyond the permitted time without any authority will be required to pay fine. In certain cases, offenders can also be arrested and deported.

Popular Holiday Attractions for Those Taking Flights to Perth

2011-05-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

Isolated yet charming, remote yet incredible and simple yet attractive – the Australian city of Perth is surely a dream destination for anyone who prefers a quiet locale over a hustling and bustling one!
Perth is flooded with majestic attractions that are hugely enchanting and supremely captivating. Holiday makers who book tickets on flights to Perth and descend upon the shores of this city are sure to left be overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and charm of this place. Check out some information that will acquaint you with Perth’s top tourist delights and will give you reasons enough to contemplate your next vacations in this part of the world.

Kings Park and Botanic Gardens

Kings Park and Botanic Gardens is one of Perth’s most scintillating attractions for tourists and locals alike. Located on Mt Eliza, the park offers breathtaking views of the city and Swan River and offers you a summary of Perth’s incredible charm! Kings Park and Botanic Gardens features more than 80 species of birds and boasts of several sight-seeing spots. The park also offers ample amount of space for picnics, walking and cycling. During summer, the park organises a number of concerts and becomes a high priority for everyone who is seeking cheap flights to Perth in order to have a good time in the city.

Perth Zoo

Perth Zoo offers you the opportunity to experience wildlife in its natural surroundings. The zoo is a home to Kangaroos, Koalas, Wallabies, Dingoes, Reptiles, Wetland and Rainforest animals. Perth Zoo’s Nocturnal House and World of Birds are big hits among visitors who travel to the zoo.

Rugby World Cup Making Cheap Flights to New Zealand Big Hit

2011-05-27T05:08:00.000-07:00

This September-October will present you with a once in a lifetime opportunity to enjoy intriguing on-field action amidst the most charming locales that has ever been created by the god! New Zealand is hosting the Rugby World Cup 2011 and for many around the world this is the best news they have heard in their lives!

Imagine this – on match days, world class rugby action with you cheering on your country and on the rest days, getting acquainted with nature’s beauty in its full glory or bungee jumping from highest of towers! With such a wonderful holiday in prospect, is there any doubt in your mind why cheap flights to New Zealand are getting super popular and flights to New Zealand are the ones that are enquired most about?

This year’s Rugby World Cup will be off the hook with 20 countries vying for the top prize. A total of 48 matches are to be played at several venues all over the beautiful country of New Zealand. Auckland, Wellington, Nelson and Dunedin are few of the many cities that are hosting the world cup matches. Christchurch is not hosting any match but this city has always been a popular tourist destination among holiday makers, making tickets on flights to New Zealand so sought after. So a detour to Christchurch must not be ruled out for everyone who has booked cheap flights to New Zealand and does not want to miss out on anything. For information on all other venues, one can check out the official Rugby World Cup 2011 website.

Fans and keen vacationers who want a slice of the action that will take place in New Zealand must book tickets now as airfares’ are set to rise.

Icelandic Volcano Ash: What Awaits Travellers of Cancelled Flights

2011-05-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

We all know history repeats itself, but this surely wasn’t this expected so soon! This is what that is going on in the minds of travellers whose holiday plans have been shattered by the latest ash cloud crisis that has been sparked by the eruption of Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano. And in the process reminding people of the similar kind of situation that took place in 2010!

A number of airlines have cancelled their flights and thus devastating travel plans of thousands of holiday makers. The worst-affected are the ones who were actually able to get their hands at cheap flight tickets. But there is a silver lining among clouds of ash!

Budget airlines, such as Ryanair and easyJet that are renowned to offer tickets on cheap flights, are of the belief that this time the flight disruptions shall not be as massive as last year.

Whatever may be the case; there are heaps of travellers who have had their flights cancelled. This following information is just for them.

Flights Cancelled?

If your flights get cancelled, the airlines are obliged to provide you either a full refund of your unused ticket or an alternative flight. EU-based carriers are liable to offer you accommodation, meals and transport between the airport and accommodation.

What about Travel Insurance Coverage?

Travel insurers should refund your premium if you took single trip travel insurance and did not make the journey. If you arrange for a flight at some later date, the travel insurer should be able to alter your policy to cover this.

Book Flights to Brisbane and Enjoy Fun-Filled Vacations

2011-05-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

Brisbane, Australia’s incredible city, charms every being who sets a foot in it! The city blends the modern infrastructure with fantastic natural beauty to churn out one of the most pulsating, cosmopolitan cities in the world. From world class hotels to wonderful beaches and from enchanting shopping options to remarkable attractions, there is a lot to experience and enjoy in Brisbane.

The city has a lot to offer to everyone who gets tickets on flights to Brisbane. Be it solo backpackers, families, a group of friends or honeymooners - Brisbane sweeps each and every one of their feet! The city is the place where one should head to if they want a real fun and exciting vacation. With such comprehensive array of tourist charms, it really is no surprise that cheap flights to Brisbane are as sacred as cows in India!

A little information never hurts, especially when the information is on the attractions of the city that you intent to travel to. Take a look at some of the most popular Brisbane attractions.

Southbank Parklands

Southbank Parklands remains one of the greatest attractions in Brisbane. Wheel of Brisbane, Streets Beach and South Bank Arbour are few of the charms that people can enjoy at the Southbank Parklands.

Brisbane City Botanic Gardens

One of the Brisbane’s oldest parks, Brisbane Botanic Gardens is a wonderful place to spend some quiet moments in. This is where people head to when all they seek is calmness and serenity in Mother Nature’s lap!

A Few Tid Bits on Visas for India

2011-05-24T03:35:00.000-07:00

The beaches of Goa, the historic sights of Delhi, the hills of Kashmir, the nightlife of Bangalore and Mumbai – reasons are endless for buying tickets to India. For a few fast facts on Indian visa related information, spare a couple of minutes for reading the rest.

Visa Application

Your first step is not to book flights to India. Rather, it is to visit the website http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/ for filling up the online visa application form. With the exception of Emergency and Diplomatic/Official visas, this website has the official authorisation to accept requests for all visas.

Visa Fee Policy

Anyone in two minds about spending money on airfares on flights to India, should be aware of the fact that visa fee is non refundable and can change without notice. Even if the requested service is denied or altered, the fee may not be refunded.

Visa Violation Penalty

Saving money on cheap flights to India may go down the drain if you are caught overstaying your visa. Besides getting fined, one may also be legally prosecuted, detained and finally deported.

Visa Types

Similarly, before you book your cheap flights to India, make sure that you have the right visa as there are numerous different visas for different types of visit. These include

Tourist Visa

Business Visa

Employment Visa

Student Visa

Entry Visa

Long Term Entry Visa

Conference Visa

Journalist Visa

Research Visa

Transit Visa

Medical Visa

Medical Escort Visa

Transfer of Visa

Registration at Foreigners Regional Registration Office

Foreigners arriving in India on long term multiple entry visas have to get registered at a Foreigners Regional Registration Office nearest to their location. This formality should be completed within 14 days of arrival.

Book Flights to Johannesburg & Check Out Incredible Attractions

2011-05-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

Johannesburg is one of the most interesting and intriguing chapters of the book called South Africa! Millions travel to this glorious city every year to sample its truly majestic attractions and charms.

Johannesburg is most known for its exquisite natural splendour that is perhaps the finest in the world. Travellers book flights to Johannesburg to get acquainted with nature’s most glistening gems - be it spectacular beaches, magnificent forests or enchanting mountain ranges! The city is not short of contemporary tourist delights too, with all its glitzy bars, hotels and casinos.

Popular Johannesburg Attractions

Ask anyone who is waiting impatiently for tickets on cheap flights to Johannesburg, and he will tell you about the myriad of attractions waiting for you. Or you can read below and provide yourself some useful information on the city’s major tourist delights.

Johannesburg Zoo

Johannesburg Zoo is enchanting to the last degree! This zoo is a true testament of the region’s unparallel wildlife that is incredibly varied and mesmerizingly wonderful! Johannesburg Zoo houses more than 2000 and also encourages animal enrichment and husbandry.

Museums

Johannesburg has a very rich history and the plethora of museums here offers a peek into that. The city is flooded with museums which showcase an array of relics and artefacts that reflect different fields and eras. One of the city’s prominent museums includes the Mandela Museum.

Lesedi Cultural Village

Lesedi Cultural Village is tailor-made for visitors who are smitten by the region’s colourful and vibrant culture. The village allows travellers to know a diverse range of cultures, languages, rituals and cuisines.