Weekly news round-up

This week has been a great one for special offers, with a number of airlines offering late summer deals or discounts on autumn and winter flights.

Virgin is offering reduced rates for several of its Caribbean and Asian routes, while KLM has reduced the prices for some of its direct KLM flights to the US and British Airways is offering 15 per cent off London City flights for Eros card holders. Elsewhere, low-cost carriers EasyJet and bmibaby are discounting flights which feature in their autumn schedules.

In a week that saw a number of routes cancelled and troubled airline Zoom go into administration, only two airlines announced new routes. Ryanair has launched seven new routes from Luton, while Jet2 is now flying from Leeds Bradford to Dubrovnik.

Special Offers
EasyJet offers 20% off autumn flights
Book by Tuesday, September 2: EasyJet is offering 20 per cent off its autumn flights.

EasyJet offers 20% off autumn flights

Book by Tuesday, September 2: easyJet is offering 20 per cent off its autumn flights.

The low-cost carrier launched the sale today (August 29) and the discount is applicable to all flights on all routes.

Those interested in taking advantage of the offer should note that the period of travel runs from October 1, 2008 to December 17, 2008.

Half a million seats on sale from £18.99 with bmibaby

Book by Tuesday, September 2: bmibaby has more than 500,000 flights available from just £18.99.

The one-way flights include taxes and charges and the travel period runs until March 28, 2009.

Passengers can fly from Manchester, East Midlands, Birmingham and Cardiff airports to a range of destinations including flights to Cork, Glasgow, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow Intl and Newquay.

Virgin discounts Shanghai flights

Book by 10pm on September 23: Virgin Atlantic is offering discounted flights to Shanghai.

Seats are available in economy and premium economy ranging in price from £499 to £913. There are various travel periods between October 18, 2008 and April 10, 2009.

All fares include pre-paid passenger taxes, fees, charges and surcharges (subject to change) and are correct as of August 22. The minimum stay is one Saturday night and the maximum stay is one month.

London City Eros Card holders offered 15% off BA flights

Book by September 30: Travellers who hold a London City Airport Eros Card are being offered the chance to get up to 15 per cent off flights to various destinations with British Airways.

The offer is being made in conjunction with The Evening Standard and is exclusively available to Eros Card holders.

The discount is only valid on new bookings and passengers may be asked to show their card at check in. Flights must be purchased at least seven days in advance and the period of travel runs from now until December 15, 2008.

Barcelona, Frankfurt, Madrid, Nice, Warsaw and Zurich are the available destinations, while Amsterdam is also included but must be booked as a return trip.

Zoom collapses, passengers left stranded

Zoom Airlines went into administration yesterday (August 28), leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

The airline, based in the UK and Canada, said that it collapsed as a result of the economic slowdown and a steep rise in fuel costs.

According to the BBC, UK managing director Jonathan Hinkles revealed that the carrier's fuel bill increased by £15 million during the last year.

Zoom's demise came about after a number of its planes were grounded due to non-payment to creditors for leasing and various other fees. All flights have now been cancelled.

Problems and solutions: CAA to survey air passengers

The aviation industry has been beset by problems of late, what with rising fuel costs, falling passenger numbers and, for some airports especially, mountains of lost luggage.

It would be fair to say that a number of people are disgruntled by the service they have received from airlines and airports in recent months, and as such the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has commissioned a mammoth survey of travellers in a bid to determine what their grievances are.

A response to the request from the secretary of state for advice about how to improve the experience of air passengers at major UK airports, the survey is taking place at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports.

Questions will focus on all aspects of a plane journey, from the purchase of a ticket and passing through an airport to actually flying.

Two Ryanair routes to close at Cork

Ryanair has announced that two of its routes from Cork Airport are to be closed.

The low-cost carrier will cease operations of its East Midlands and Glasgow Prestwick routes at the end of October.

In an announcement made yesterday (August 27), Ryanair revealed that the East Midlands route will end on October 26 and the Glasgow Prestwick route will end on October 28.

These routes are being cancelled as a result of a 20 per cent increase in the charges imposed on the routes by the airport.

MAp denies purchase of Southend Airport

Macquarie Airports (MAp) has denied claims that it has purchased Southend Airport.

According to local newspaper The Echo, a spokesperson for the Australian firm has dismissed the rumours that it has bought the airport from its current owner Regional Airports.

Karen Smith made the comments in response to reports broadcast on local television. She said: "I can state definitely we have not bought Southend Airport – or if we have, then nobody has told me. I think on an issue such as this, I would have been told."

Bmi to end early Jersey to Heathrow flight

The early morning flight from Jersey to London Heathrow run by bmi is scheduled to end on October 26 this year.

Despite the cut, there will still be two flights a day from Jersey to Heathrow. The first flight of the day will depart at 12.55pm, while the second will leave the island at 7.15 pm.

According to the BBC, the carrier said: "bmi, in common with most other airlines, is planning to reduce capacity generally in its network over the winter period in the light of expected weaker demand and high fuel prices."

Direct KLM flights to US on sale now

KLM is offering discounted direct KLM flights from Heathrow Airport to some top destinations in the US.

Non-stop flights are available from £418 including taxes and surcharges.

Passengers can book flights to Seattle, Detroit and Minneapolis.

Changes are not allowed to any flights once booked and tickets are non-refundable. The maximum stay for each flight is one month.

Save up to £20 on return flights with Monarch

Book by midnight on Thursday, August 28: Monarch Airlines is offering a £20 discount on all return flights to three top holiday destinations.

This saving is applicable for seats on flights to Cyprus, Spain, and Portugal and refers to a £10 web discount each way.

It applies to scheduled flights booked online only and is not valid on charter flights.

Ryanair launches seven new routes from Luton

Ryanair has announced the launch of seven new routes from London Luton Airport.

The carrier will begin flying to new destinations in France, Poland, Italy and Lithuania from October 27 this year.

Seats for all destinations are on sale now, with the additions to the airline's network bringing the total number of Ryanair routes from Luton up to 20.

XL to end all Caribbean routes from Gatwick

XL Airways has announced plans to scrap the Caribbean routes it operates out of Gatwick Airport.

The carrier has revealed that operations of all six routes will cease by November 3, 2008.

It cited the rising cost of fuel and the slowdown in the UK economy as the reasons behind its decision to put an end to the services.

Currently, XL operates flights out of Gatwick to St Lucia, Barbados, Tobago, St Kitts, Antigua and Grenada.

News Leeds - Dubrovnik route from Jet2

Jet2 has added another new route to its summer 2009 schedule.

The low-cost carrier has started selling seats from Leeds Bradford Airport to the Croatian city of Dubrovnik.

One way flights to the increasingly popular destination start at just £56.99, which includes taxes. The route will operate once a week on Sundays and the period of travel is from May 3, 2009 to October 4, 2009.

Outbound flights depart Leeds Bradford at 7am and arrive at 11:15am, while inbound flights leave Dubrovnik at 11.55am and arrive at 2.15pm (all times listed are local).

Manchester Airport considers Gatwick bid

The possibility of purchasing Gatwick is being considered by the owners of Manchester Airport.

Jonathan Bailey, external affairs director for the Manchester Airport Group (MAG), has revealed that the group is involved in discussions about the possibility of buying either Gatwick or Glasgow airports. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Bailey explained that he is leading a team as MAG assesses the airports most likely to come up for sale following the recent negative report on BAA from the Competition Commission.

Aer Lingus offers 20% off all seats

Book by midnight today, Tuesday, August 26: Aer Lingus is offering a 20 per cent off sale on all of its seats.

The Irish carrier has made the discount available on "every seat, every day and every direct flight" during the travel period of September 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008.

The discount applies to the seat cost of all economy tickets on direct Aer Lingus flights originating from Ireland, the UK and Europe.

Ryanair gives EC 'evidence' for banning bookings on 3rd party sites

Ryanair has presented the European Commission with what it has called "documentary evidence" for why bookings made via third party websites should be banned.

According to the low cost carrier, it can show how these "screenscrapers" inflate its prices by as much as 300 per cent, violate its copyrights and breach its terms and conditions.

Ryanair has asserted that these sites are hidden from the customer and billed to them "as if this was the Ryanair ticket price".

Caribbean sale from Virgin Atlantic

Book by 10pm on Sunday, August 31: Virgin Atlantic is offering discounted seats to various destinations in the Caribbean.

Passengers can fly either economy or premium economy from London to locations such as Antigua, St Lucia, Tobago and Havana.

In addition, flights are also available to Barbados and St Lucia from Manchester.

For the majority of the seats, departure must be made by August 31.

Team GB flies back home with BA

Team GB has flown home from the 2008 Olympics with British Airways.

The athletes, who collected 47 medals between them, arrived at Heathrow Airport yesterday in a BA Boeing 747 after a ten-hour flight from Beijing.

Emblazoned with the words "Proud to bring our British heroes home", the plane also had a specially painted gold nose in honour of the 19 gold medals the team won during the Games.

Renamed Pride after the team's mascot, the plane landed at 3pm and the athletes were greeted by waiting photographers and camera crews before speaking to the media and then being greeted by their families.

Weekly news round-up

The past seven days have seen two attractive special deals being unveiled, in addition to a number of new route launches.

Low-cost carrier Sterling is discounting its Scandinavian fares by as much as 50 per cent, and Aer Lingus is slashing the cost of all flights to Ireland by 20 per cent.

Among the new services being announced this week, Flyglobespan confirmed it will begin operating flights to Dalaman and Hurghada, while Jet2.com added Larnaca, Sardinia and Ibiza to its summer 2009 schedule.

Several airlines have also announced increased capacities. BA is upping its flights to Buenos Aires, and both Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific are boosting their Hong Kong connections.

Special Offers
Save up to 50% on Sterling flights
Book by Monday, August 25: Sterling is offering savings of up to 50 per cent on more than 900,000 seats to Scandinavia.

BAA hits back over 'flawed' watchdog report

BAA (website: www.baa.com) has formally responded to a report by the Competition Commission that ordered it to sell three of its UK airports.

The regulator was told this week that it must find new owners for two of its three London gateways, as well as one of its Scottish bases, due to concerns over market dominance.

That ruling immediately raised the spectre of a bidding war between buyers, but with months before the edict receives government sanction BAA has issued a scathing rebuttal.

Three additional new routes from Jet2.com

Jet2.com has added three new routes to its summer 2009 schedule.

On top of its recently unveiled Leeds Bradford to Rhodes service, the no-frills airline will now also fly from the regional airport to Larnaca.

A further connection from Newcastle to Ibiza has been announced, and the carrier is also to begin operating a Manchester to Sardinia route.

Flybe reduces Gatwick to Guernsey capacity

Flybe is to reduce the number of seats it offers on flights between London Gatwick Airport and Guernsey.

The low-cost carrier is scaling back its service to the channel island in response to flagging seasonal demand, The Guernsey Press reports.

It will withdraw its BAe 146 jet from the route at the end of October, replacing it with a Dash Q400.

Air Asia X confirms Kuala Lumpur connection

Air Asia X (website: www.airasia.com) has confirmed that it plans to launch a new service connecting Britain to Kuala Lumpur.

The Malaysian no-frills airline said London Stansted Airport was its preferred choice for a UK base, with a tentative launch date slated for March 2009.

It had planned to begin flights as soon as this December, but was forced to postpone the move due to difficulties in securing a leased airplane.

Aer Lingus discounts all fares by 20%

Book by August 22: Aer Lingus (website: www.aerlingus.com) is offering a 20 per cent discount on all flights to Ireland.

The low-cost carrier is running the promotional offer from its UK bases in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey, Manchester, Newcastle, London Gatwick and London Heathrow.

Each seat on every Ireland-bound direct service between September 1 and December 31 is eligible for the special deal.

British Airways adds more Buenos Aires flights

British Airways has confirmed that it is boosting the frequency of its service from London Heathrow Airport to Buenos Aires.

From October 26, the UK's flag carrier will add three flights per week to the South American route, turning it into a daily service. All flights will require a stop-over at Sao Paulo.

Further expanding its winter schedule, BA also plans to introduce a new three-times weekly direct service to Rio de Janeiro.

Holiday strikes called off at 3 UK airports

Airport workers have called off a series of strikes that would have caused travel misery for thousands of holidaymakers.

The walk-outs were due to affect Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports, being timed to coincide with the late summer rush before the end of the school holidays.

But it emerged this morning (August 21) that talks mediated by conciliation service Acas have resulted in Unite and GMB calling off the planned industrial action.

Flyglobespan 'to stay at Durham Tees Valley'

Flyglobespan has denied reports that it plans to pull out of Durham Tees Valley Airport, The Northern Echo reports.

Local media reports had suggested the carrier was considering a move to the larger Newcastle Airport, which analysts said would have offered a more profitable customer base.

But an airline spokesman categorically denied those rumours, stating: "Flyglobespan is not planning a move to Newcastle."

New Bangalore connection from Kingfisher

Kingfisher Airlines (website: www.flykingfisher.com) is to launch a new daily service between London Heathrow Airport and the city of Bangalore, ABTN reports.

There had been doubts about whether it would be granted the runway slot due to Indian rules that airlines must have been flying for five years before gaining an international licence.

The carrier has only been operating flights since August 23, 2005, but its majority stake in Deccan has apparently convinced regulators that it is worthy of the connection.

Edinburgh Airport to launch car rental centre

Edinburgh Airport has unveiled plans to develop a new car rental centre connected to its main terminal building.

The facility will be linked to the gateway by a 500-metre covered walkway and will make Edinburgh the first British airport to offer an on-site, all-in-one centre for rented cars.

Back-up valet services as well as facilities for re-fuelling and washing will be incorporated into the centre, which is expected to be completed by next spring.

SMS flight tracking proves a hit for Ryanair

More than 10,000 customers have made use of Ryanair's newly-launched SMS flight tracking service, it has been confirmed.

The no-frills carrier introduced its mobile phone facility in June, enabling air travellers to call or text their flight number in order track any Ryanair flight operating out the British Isles.

People using the service pay a flat fee of £1.50 or €2, which a Ryanair spokesman noted is significantly less than the cost of a 30-minute stay in most airport car parks.

Watchdog: BAA should sell three airports

The Competition Commission has called on airport regulator BAA (website: BAA) to sell three of its seven UK airports in order to appease concerns about market dominance.

Publishing the preliminary findings of its inquiry into airport competition in Scotland and the south-east of England, the watchdog said BAA's dominance is having "adverse consequences" for passengers and airlines.

Pundits had expected it to call for just one airport to be sold off - and BAA has immediately hit back with a warning that the proposal will hurt passengers by stifling plans to expand runway capacities.

Manchester Airport next in line for strikes

Manchester Airport has become the latest victim of proposed industrial action by baggage handlers and check-in staff.

With talks continuing over a series of stoppages at Gatwick and Stansted airports, it was confirmed yesterday (August 19) that two 24-hour strikes will now also hit Manchester.

The walk-outs - by staff of ground services company Swissport - have been scheduled for Wednesday August 27 and Monday September 1.

UK airports to install face-scanning technology

Travellers passing through two of Britain's main airports are to have their faces scanned as part of a pilot scheme.

Thousands of passengers using Manchester Airport have already been involved in the security trial, which is also intended to cut congestion delays by expediting progress through terminals.

The average customs official takes about 20 seconds to screen a passenger, whereas the new machines require just 13 to 15 seconds to fulfil the same task.

Flyglobespan launches new routes from Glasgow

Flyglobespan has announced the launch of two new routes from its base at Glasgow Airport.

As of next summer, the Scottish no-frills airline will operate a weekly service to the popular Turkish holiday resort of Dalaman on the Mediterranean coast. One-way fares start at £100.

The route announcement comes alongside a brand new connection from Glasgow to the Egyptian resort of Hurghada, with one-way fares starting from £120.

Airlines boost Heathrow capacity to Hong Kong

Two major international airlines are expanding capacity on their Hong Kong-bound services from London Heathrow Airport.

Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific are significantly increasing the number of seats they sell on the lucrative route in response to the collapse of no-frills carrier Oasis Hong Kong Airlines.

Following its demise in April, the number of weekly flights operated between the two cities fell from 80 to 70 - something the Hong Kong Tourism Board says has impacted on tourism.

Handpicked deals: cheap flights and more

Our expert deal picker rounds up the best bargains - from cheap flights to holidays - for Cheapflights' Handpicked Deals section. Below are this week's top five deals, a bite-sized digest for the blog.

SkyEurope’s low-cost flights – book ahead and save
In time to think about autumn city breaks, SkyEurope is selling flights to good value Central European cities such as Prague and Bratislava. Fly from Luton, Manchester, Birmingham or Cork airports in September, October and November from £19 one-way including taxes. >>>

Flybe's bumper 6.5 million European seat sale
The regional airline has released 6.5 million seats to the most popular European cities such as Paris and Faro. Fly from Gatwick to Jersey from £31.99 one-way; Edinburgh to Belfast from £35.99; Cardiff to Paris from £34.99 or Southampton to Faro from £39.99. All fares include taxes. >>>

Poll results: Departure Nightmares

Walsh: No chance of BA relinquishing slots

British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh has vowed that the airline will not give up any of its valuable runway slots at Heathrow in order to secure a deal with American Airlines (website: AA).

The British flag carrier announced last week that it had finalised an agreement with AA to strengthen cooperation on fares and schedules, creating a massive transatlantic partnership.

But the deal hinges on approval from US anti-trust regulators, who in 2001 scuppered such an alliance by demanding BA relinquish a massive 224 weekly take-off and landing slots.

Aer Lingus mulls new base in Scotland

Aer Lingus could expand its Glasgow or Edinburgh operations in the near future, The Scotsman reports.

The Irish national carrier only opened its first base outside of Dublin last year, but it is now said to be looking to establish a major presence at three more airports across the UK.

Airline spokesman Enda Corneille confirmed the plans, but declined to give a timetable for any expansion, saying progress will depend on the acquisition of a new fleet of short-haul aircraft.

Flying public 'wants children-only cabins'

The vast majority of the flying public would prefer for children and mothers travelling with babies to have their own section on planes, away from other passengers.

That is according to a new study by AirfareWatchdog.com (website: www.airfarewatchdog.com), a US-based consumer group, which found that frustration about active children and crying infants is widespread among travellers.

When asked if airlines should reserve a section of the plane for younger travellers, 58 per cent of the 10,170 respondents said "Yes, they should have done this long ago," while 27 per cent answered "Yes, but they never will and it'll never work".

Virgin discounts economy fares to US

Book by 10pm on Wednesday, August 20: Virgin Atlantic (website: www.virgin-atlantic.com) is offering discounted economy class seats to numerous destinations in the US.

The carrier has reduced fares to a variety of top holiday spots, including Orlando, Miami, New York and Chicago, to as little as £349.

Period of travel runs from August 23 to December 14 inclusive and all fares include pre-paid passenger taxes, fees, charges and surcharges (although these are subject to change).

Gatwick second runway rumours mounting

Rumours surrounding the creation of a second runway at Gatwick airport are growing amid speculation that a breakup of BAA is on the horizon.

The Competition Commission is due to publish a report to the airport operator later this week and is expected to suggest a breakup of the firm in order to remove its relative monopoly of UK airports.

According to The Observer, the commission will make a criticism of the government for favouring the expansion of Heathrow and Stansted over Gatwick.

Save up to 50% on Sterling flights

Book by Monday, August 25:Sterling Airlines flights (website: www.sterling.dk) is offering savings of up to 50 per cent on more than 900,000 seats to Scandinavia.

Launched today (August 18), the deal includes flights from the UK to destinations in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

The period of travel runs from August 18, 2008 until March 28, 2009. However, Norwegian routes are only available until October 25.

Winter flights on sale from bmibaby

bmibaby (website: www.bmibaby.com) has started selling tickets for flights to a number of its winter destinations.

The low-cost carrier if offering seats to various popular holiday spots, such as Murcia and Alicante, for as little as £18.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Passengers can travel from a number of UK airports, including Manchester, Birmingham and East Midlands.

The period of travel runs from October 26, 2008 until March 28, 2009.

BAA expects breakup recommendation

It is highly likely that the Competition Commission will suggest a breakup of the British Airports Authority (website: BAA).

That is according to the chairman of the airport operator, who has predicted that it may be forced to sell one or more of its seven UK airports.

Speaking to the BBC, Sir Nigel Rudd said that BAA's Spanish owner Ferrovial has already had interest from potential buyers of Gatwick and Stansted.

Aberdeen Airport begins £10m revamp

Aberdeen Airport has begun work on a new £10 million construction project intended to attract more international routes.

Refurbishment work will see the installation of a segregated walkway for passengers, as well significant enhancements to the international arrivals hall and improvements to jet parking stands.

The first phase of the work will be completed early next year, with all upgrades conforming to UK Border agency requirements.

EasyJet crowned best low-cost carrier

EasyJet has been named the Best Low-Cost Airline in the world at the Skytrax World Airlines Awards.

The annual industry event draws from the feedback of more than 15 million passengers who have taken part in an 11-month-long survey. Virgin Blue came in second place, followed by Jetstar Airways.

Underscoring the significance of its achievement, easyJet was the only UK-based no-frills airline to make it into the top ten.

Weekly news round-up

This week has seen a flurry of new route announcements, in addition to a pair of enticing special offers.

Continental low-cost carrier SkyEurope is giving British holidaymakers the chance to travel on any of its routes for just £59 one-way, while Lufthansa has put several Indian airfares on sale.

Three popular no-frills airlines have also announced new services, with Monarch opening up a Birmingham connection to Larnaca; Jet2.com linking Edinburgh to Sardinia; and Flyglobespan launching a direct service from Aberdeen to Ibiza.

Finally, Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines has published details of its entire winter schedule from London Stansted Airport.

Special Offers
SkyEurope offers £59 airfares on all routes
Book by 9am, August 18: SkyEurope is offering a flat-rate fare for selected seats on all of its European routes.