Emirates Expands Regionally – Boosts Flights to Doha and Kuwait

Emirates has announced boosting its Middle East operations by increasing its daily flights to Kuwait and Doha from August. The additional flights come in the wake of higher demand from customers on these extremely viable routes for the airline.

Emirates is expanding its Middle East operations by boosting the frequency of its flights to Kuwait and Doha in the month of August. This move will elevate the total capacity to almost 29 percent across the two routes.

Emirates will operate six flights to Doha and five flights to Kuwait per day. With the boost in the frequency of service to Doha, the city now receives the maximum number of daily flights in the Middle East region, followed by Kuwait.

Both Qatar and Kuwait are top business hubs for corporations all over the world and this flight frequency enhancement is sure to benefit business travellers. There is a total weekly capacity of 46,430 seats and the decision to add flights comes just in time to support the accelerating growth of trade and tourism in these two destinations.

While taking about the new service, Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Iran was quoted as saying: “These additional frequencies have been added to accommodate increasing demand from our customers. Both Doha and Kuwait are extremely viable markets for Emirates and there is a clear indication that they will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years.”

He further added, “The Middle East is one of the most active aviation markets in the world and these additional daily frequencies, to two of the region’s key destinations, will provide even more convenient connections to onward travel through our international hub of Dubai.”

The daily additional flights to Doha will be operated by an Airbus A340-300 in a three-class configuration, whereas for operating daily flights to Kuwait, Emirates will use Boeing 777-300ER in a similar configuration. A three class seat configuration clearly hints on the airlines intention to appease travellers of all tastes and budget – right from those looking for cheap flight tickets in economy class to those who prefer first or business class tickets.

The Dubai Airport based Emirates has been operating flights to Doha since 1994. Whereas, Kuwait has been an important part of the Emirates’ network since 1989.

The airline remains in news for announcing lucrative deals and packages as well as for its world class hospitality - both in air and on ground. It offers award winning in-flight services for all its customers - be it extravagant travellers with premium class tickets or budget holiday makers with cheap flight tickets of the economy class.

The airline proclaims in its news release that “the customers travelling with Emirates will enjoy meals prepared by gourmet chefs, award-winning service from the airline’s international cabin crew, as well as the airline’s industry leading in-flight entertainment system, ice, which offers more than 600 channels of on-demand entertainment including 50 new movie releases, more than 20 movie classics and 20 children’s films."

Emirates Launches Dubai-Dublin Flights

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.

Kingfisher Airlines to Become a Part of Oneworld

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

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

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.

Qatar Airways to Expand Wings Around the World

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

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

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.

Lufthansa Adds Gatwick and Aberdeen Routes

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!

Qantas Flights Back to Normal After Chaos

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.

ANA's 787 Dreamliner Completes First Commercial Flight

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

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.

Two More Aircraft Grounded By Qantas

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.

Qantas Expands DFW – Sydney Flight Services

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

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

Emirates Launches Dubai-Dublin Operations

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.

New Airline Passenger Rights Implemented

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Emirates Connects Dubai with Geneva

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.