Air Southwest aims to boost Jersey popularity

Air Southwest is planning to use a new campaign to improve the popularity of Jersey as a tourist destination.

Working in conjunction with Jersey Tourism, the airline will use "high-profile advertising" to promote the island during autumn and winter.

The promotion will take place from now until the start of November, the carrier has revealed.

'Boris Island' gets support from Emirates

Plans for a new airport in the Thames estuary have received the support of Emirates.

Tim Clark, president of the airline, told The Times that the new airport would help prevent Britain from being overshadowed by international rivals.

Officials of the London mayor Boris Johnson have drawn up plans for a new airport on an artificial island in the Thames estuary.

Flyglobespan denies rumours of impending collapse

Low-cost Scottish carrier Flyglobespan has rebuked claims that it is on the verge of collapse.

Responding to suggestions that it will likely be the next airline to go under, Flyglobespan has said that it is on course to see a return to profit in 2009.

In 2007, various issues caused the airline to report losses of £13 million.

Eastern launches Aberdeen to Oslo route

Eastern Airways (website: www.easternairways.com) has announced a new route to Oslo from Aberdeen Airport.

The carrier will begin flying to the Norwegian capital, its first service to the city, from January 12, 2009.

Flights will be operated six days a week from Sunday to Friday by a 50-seat Saab 2000 aircraft.

The departure time from Aberdeen will be 10.20am, arriving in Oslo at 1.05pm local time. Return flights will leave Oslo at 1.45pm and land in Aberdeen at 2.30pm local time.

New Düsseldorf route from Jet2.com

Jet2.com has announced the launch of a new route to Düsseldorf.

The low-cost carrier will begin flying to the German city as part of its Summer 2009 schedule.

Due to commence on March 29, flights will depart from Edinburgh and will operate four times a week on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

One-way fares available from £24.99 including taxes are on sale now.

bmibaby offers autumn flights from £18.99

Book by midnight, September 30: bmibaby (website: www.bmibaby.com) is offering seats on its autumn flights from just £18.99.

One-way flights to a host of destinations are available as part of the offer and prices include taxes and charges.

Passengers can fly from a choice of airports, such as Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff.

Bookings made with a debit or credit card are subject to a processing fee of £2.50 and £3.50 respectively.

AIG plans sale of London City stake

American International Group (AIG) is planning to sell part of its minority interest in London City Airport.

The troubled US insurer is going to sell a 25 per cent stake to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), The Sunday Telegraph reported.

Shareholders in GIP are US conglomerate General Electric and the banking group Credit Suisse.

Blue Islands to launch new ski routes

Blue Islands (website: www.blueislands.com) has announced plans to launch new ski routes from Southampton Airport.

The Channel Islands-based carrier will begin flying to Zurich and Geneva as of October 26.

Both of the flights will operate six days a week, Sunday to Friday, and will be serviced by a 31-seat Dornier 328.

Derek Coates, chairman of Blue Islands, explained that the new routes will connect to Switzerland via Jersey.

Tories would choose rail link over third Heathrow runway

A new rail link would be more beneficial to Heathrow Airport than a third runway, it has been suggested.

According to the Conservative Party, a high-speed link from the London hub to various UK cities would help to cut more than 66,000 flights a year.

At a proposed cost of £20 billion, the new line would run between London St Pancras, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, with trains operating at speeds of up to 180mph.

AirAsia X voted world's best new airline

AirAsia X (website: www.airasia.com) has been voted best newcomer at the 2008 Budgies World Low Cost Airline Awards.

The low-cost, long-haul affiliate of AirAsia picked up its award at the London Queen Elizabeth II Centre last week.

Other airlines nominated in the category included Jin Air, K-Rabi and Open Skies, the subsidiary airline of British Airways.

Cheapflights listed for fifth consecutive year in Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100

London & Boston, 29 September 2008: Cheapflights Ltd., a pioneer and international leader in independent flights price comparison is pleased to announce that it has been included in The 2008 Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league table for a fifth consecutive year. The full findings were published in a special 8-page colour broadsheet supplement in the business section of The Sunday Times on 28 September and on www.fasttrack.co.uk. The 2008 Tech Track 100 ranked Britain's fastest-growing private technology companies based on sales growth over the latest three year period from 2004/5 to 2007/8.

Ranked in 38th place, up from 64th place last year, Cheapflights is the fastest growing in the table of only three companies in this year's 100 league table to have featured in it for the past five consecutive years. Cheapflights is also the fastest growing travel search company to be included in the table. While the award is based on revenue growth, Cheapflights has also consistently grown profits each year since its launch 12 years ago.

Weekly news roundup

It's been a relatively quiet week on the 'new route' front, though some airlines have added services and two special offers are also running.

Monarch is offering up to 35 per cent off all of its return flights in October and November, while easyJet has unveiled its Search for the Sun promotion on routes across Europe.

Rival low-cost carrier Jet2.com has also been busy, adding new services to Ibiza, Menorca and Venice from Edinburgh Airport. Finally, easyJet is taking over a number of routes from failed carrier XL Airways, restoring links to Spain and Turkey.

Special offers
Monarch offers up to 35% off return flights
Book by September 29: Monarch is offering up to 35 per cent off all return flights to late summer hotspots.

EasyJet in Search for the Sun promotion
Book by September 30: EasyJet has put thousands of seats to destinations across Europe on sale.

CAA throws weight behind airport sell-offs

The Civil Aviation Authority (website: CAA) has added its voice to the chorus demanding that BAA sell off three of its airports.

Several airlines had already backed the Competition Commission's preliminary report, which concluded that the Spanish-owned regulator has a monopoly on airports in the south-east of England.

As a consequence BAA recently said it is looking for a buyer for Gatwick Airport, but calls to sell off another London airport along with one in Scotland have so far gone unheeded.

EasyJet in Search for the Sun promotion

Book by September 30: EasyJet (website: www.easyjet.com) has put thousands of seats to destinations across Europe on sale.

The low-cost carrier is discounting airfares on some of its most popular routes from October 15 to November 19, with prices starting from just £19.99.

It is urging holidaymakers to take advantage of one last opportunity to enjoy the sun before winter temperatures take hold.

Air Traffic Control glitch sparks travel chaos

A major computer fault at the UK's main air traffic control centre led to massive disruption across Britain yesterday (September 25).

Air traffic control company Nats was forced to restrict the number of planes entering UK airspace when a fault occurred at its Swanwick control centre in Hampshire shortly before 4pm.

Though only sectors run from the London area were affected, the disruption had knock-on effects at airports across the breadth of the country, causing travel chaos for thousands.

Monarch offers up to 35% off return flights

Book by September 29: Monarch (website: www.monarch.co.uk) is offering up to 35 per cent off all return flights to late summer hotspots.

The low-cost carrier has placed the largest discounts on flights in October and November, meaning it's not too let to soak up some sun before the winter cold starts biting.

All of its summer 2009 flights are also now on sale, providing holidaymakers with a further way to save money by booking early.

Carriers look to next-generation aviation fuel

Several airlines have teamed up with aircraft manufacturer Boeing in a renewed bid to spur on the development of greener jet fuel.

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group has the backing of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and its members collectively account for more than 15 per cent of all jet fuel use.

Participating carriers include Air France, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Cargolux, Continental Airlines, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, KLM, SAS and Virgin Atlantic.

The group has the stated goal of minimising the environmental impact of harmful emissions from airliners by boosting dependence on renewable fuel sources.

Yves Rossy competes Channel crossing

Cheapflights extends its warmest congratulations to "Fusionman" Yves Rossy who today successfully recreated Louis Bleriot's epic Calais to Dover flight of nearly 100 years ago. The dare-devil birdman crossed the Channel, not in a plane, but literally wearing his own-design carbon-fibre wing strapped to his back. Only 30 litres of fuel powering four mini jet engines saw "Fusionman" traverse the Straits of Dover in just under 15 minutes compared to Louis Bleriot's equally hazardous 37 minute flight in 1909.

Ryanair mulls move into transatlantic market

Ryanair has reiterated its intention to begin operating in the lucrative transatlantic market, The Telegraph reports.

Executives at the no-frills carrier originally floated the idea a year ago, but only now - following a spate of worrying developments in the industry - have the plans begun to seem viable.

A previously-blocked takeover of Aer Lingus could be viewed more favourably by regulators in light of the trend towards airline consolidation, giving Ryanair access to several long-haul jets.

Cheap flights and more: handpicked deals

Cheap flights around the UK and to Ireland and Germany are on sale this week. Ocean Florida also has cut-price flights and flights-and-accommodation deals for passengers affected by the demise of Travel City and the Excel Group. There are also Auto Europe car rental offers for visitors to Spain and France.

Ocean Florida is rebooking Travel City customers
Ocean Florida is offering flights from £299, flights and hotels from £369 and flights and villas from £399 including all taxes. >>>>

Germanwings’ low-cost flights - Visit Germany’s Christmas markets
Crisp, winter days and the smell of Glühwein wafting through picturesque streets - Germanwings has the deals for Christmas Market Season. Fly from Stansted to Stuttgart or Cologne-Bonn in December from £28 return including taxes. >>>>

Consolidation 'good news' for low-cost carriers

Efforts by a number of European airlines to consolidate their operations will bring new market opportunities for low-cost carriers, it has been claimed.

Mike Rutter, chief commercial office for Flybe, said that stronger cooperation between standard-fare carriers should not be seen as a threat but rather a "land of opportunity".

His comments come in the wake of recent moves by several major carriers to form ties with one another, notably including a proposed merger between BA and American Airlines.

British Airways in social networking first

British Airways has taken the novel step of launching a social media platform linking two of its main hubs, London and New York.

The national carrier this week unveiled MetroTwin.com (website: www.metrotwin.com), an online community that aims to bridge the gap between people who frequent the two dynamic metropolises.

Drawing from the idea of 'town twinning', content on the website is generated by two communities of bloggers who are experts in their respective city's attractions.

Bmi gives website business-facing revamp

Bmi has re-designed its website in a further indication that Britain's third-largest carrier is beginning to focus on business travellers.

The airline has already launched part of the new-look website and additional features are due to be rolled out gradually in the run-up to its winter timetable, which begins on October 26.

Among the new business-leaning upgrades are an improved registration process; streamlined access to bookings; and an enhanced frequent flyer member area.

Aito seeks to claw back XL passengers' APD

The Association of Independent Tour Operators (website: Aito) has urged Whitehall to make sure people who booked flights with failed airline XL get at least some of their money back.

Thousands of the carrier's customers stand to lose out as a consequence of the failure, with those who booked via the airline's website using a debit card being most at risk.

But Aito has now stepped up calls to ensure XL passengers at least receive a rebate on Air Passenger Duty payments (APD), which collectively amount to about £1 million for axed flights.

Labour hits back over Thames Estuary airport

Boris Johnson has been accused of feigning enthusiasm for a proposed Thames Estuary Airport in a bid to divert attention away from Heathrow expansion, The Financial Times reports.

Responding to the London mayor's plan to build a £40 billion replacement for Heathrow, Labour insists he is seeking to draw the public's gaze away from Tory divisions over Heathrow.

Conservative leader David Cameron has gone on record numerous times as opposing a third runway at the hub, but influential pro-business groups within the party reportedly back the plan.

Inverness to Jersey flights return for summer

Holiday flights between Inverness and Jersey are to be offered for summer 2009, after a successful first year of operation.

Airways Holidays (website: www.airwaysholidays.com) is now offering early booking for its 2009 programme of flights, which are set to operate weekly each saturday from June 27 with the final return flight from Jersey operating on August 29.

Airlines slammed for inflexible fuel surcharges

Several airlines have been criticised for failing to reduce fuel surcharges despite a sharp drop in oil prices, The Telegraph reports.

Many carriers were forced to increase the levies over the summer period in response to sky-high oil prices, which surged to a July high of $147 per barrel.

By last week that figure had plummeted to around $90, but the newspaper noted that few airlines have reduced their surcharges in step.

Thomsonfly axe Durham Tees Valley route

Thomsonfly (website: www.thomsonfly.com) is to stop flying from Durham Tees Valley Airport to the Spanish resort of Alicante, The Northern Echo reports.

The airline - which will soon be re-branded Thomson Airways after merging with First Choice Airways - said it will axe the regular service next summer.

The cancellation comes on the heels of a move by Hungarian carrier Wizz Air to pull its Warsaw-bound flights from the regional base.

Union calls off strike at Stansted Airport

Two proposed strikes by luggage scanning staff at Stansted Airport will no longer go ahead, the GMB has confirmed.

Members of the union had threatened to carry out two four-hour strikes on Monday (September 29) and Thursday (October 2) due to a protracted dispute over pay.

Although no resolution was reached, GMB organiser Gary Pearce said that the union had called off the industrial action to "demonstrate good will".

EasyJet moves in on defunct XL routes

EasyJet has added three flights to Spain and Turkey in a bid to fill the void created by the collapse of XL Airways.

The low-cost carrier is running extra services from Gatwick airport to Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Dalaman in Turkey - all on top if its standard links to those destinations.

On October 2, a flight to Arrecife in Tenerife will depart from Gatwick at 7.15am, arriving at 11.25am. The return service leaves at 12.20pm and will touch down in Gatwick at 4.20pm.

New Edinburgh connections from Jet2.com

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

From May 21, the flights will transport holidaymakers from the Scottish capital to Ibiza, Menorca and Venice.

The routes follow the announcements of several other connections from various regional airports, in addition to a new Edinburgh link to Sardinia.

Govt committed to third runway at Heathrow

The government is committed to building a third runway at Heathrow irrespective of the findings of an ongoing consultation, The Times has claimed.

While the Department for Transport continues to sift through feedback from some 70,000 individuals and lobbyists, the newspaper claims that Whitehall has already made its mind up.

It has said transport secretary Ruth Kelly is fully behind the proposal and will make an announcement as early as November, overruling any environmental objections.

Highland Airways 'shielded' from industry downturn

Inverness-based carrier Highland Airways (website: www.highlandairways.co.uk) has claimed that its unique business model leaves it far better placed than other airlines to weather difficulties in the sector.

Commercial director Basil O'Fee said that Highland's focus on niche markets means that demand is likely to remain stable despite the downturn currently affecting the industry.

He rejected comparisons with XL Airways and Zoom Airlines, both of which went into administration after struggling to cope with rising fuel costs and low passenger numbers.

Study to explore feasibility of 'Boris Island'

Boris Johnson is seeking to leave his mark on London's future by building a major international airport on the Thames Estuary.

The London mayor has said he is absolutely committed to pressing ahead with a feasibility study which will determine whether 'Boris Island' could solve the capital's transport problems.

"If we can build St Paul's, the Gherkin, the Channel tunnel and all the rest of it, we can do this," insisted Kit Malthouse, one of Boris' deputies, who is overseeing the airport project.

The ambitious project would cost up to £70 billion and according to Boris would address residents' concerns about noise pollution while also allowing the UK to expand its capacity.

Edinburgh Airport bans 'threatening' bling

Edinburgh Airport has taken the unusual move of banning passengers from wearing jewellery that resembles offensive weapons.

The new guidelines mean that anyone sporting fashion accessories shaped like knuckledusters, buckle-knives or replica guns will be forced to relinquish them at security gates.

Critics have labelled the 'ban on bling' a sensationalist, knee-jerk reaction to valid security concerns, but airport authorities insist the measure will indeed heighten aircraft safety.

Lidana latest operator to collapse after XL

Yet another specialist operator has collapsed following the unexpected demise of XL Leisure and its subsidiary XL Airways, leaving 200 holidaymakers stranded.

Gay operator Lidana - which traded as Respect Holidays and Wildwind Holidays - was forced to declare bankruptcy over the weekend after Atol called in a bond of more then £108,000.

Its failure comes on the heels of XL's unexpected collapse two weeks ago, which left some 80,000 travellers stuck abroad and has heightened concerns over the state of the industry.

Consultation into Heathrow expansion underway

A consultation into the viability of expanding runway capacity at London Heathrow Airport (website: www.heathrowairport.com) has got underway.

The Department for Transport (DfT) will consider the effect on residents living under proposed new flightpaths that have been drawn up as part of the expansion plans.

Dubbing its report the Equalities Impact Assessment, the government body will assess different groups in terms of race, disability, age and social deprivation.

Bmi and bmibaby both reduce capacity

Bmi and its low-cost subsidiary bmibaby have both announced reduced capacities for the forthcoming winter season.

Britain's third largest airline is downgrading the size of the aircraft it deploys on its Durham Tees Valley to Heathrow connection, which operates 20 times a week.

Alongside that move, no-frills offshoot bmibaby is axing all its Cardiff to Barcelona flights from October 4.

Cheapflights.co.uk calls on Chancellor to axe the air passenger duty tax

XL and other failures make immediate action imperative


London, 22 September 2008: Cheapflights.co.uk, the UK's leading price comparison site online for flight deals, today called on Chancellor Alistair Darling immediately to axe Air Passenger Duty.

The collapse of XL, the UK's third largest tour operator, has added urgency to the need to get rid of this tax that was originally imposed at a modest level in 1994 and at the beginning of a sustained economic boom when the average price of crude oil was $15.66 per barrel. The Department for Transport concluded in the December 2003 White Paper, The Future of Air Transport, that any action taken to tackle the environmental impacts of aviation must take into account the effects on competitiveness of UK aviation and the impact on consumers. Clearly this is doubly relevant at this time.

Weekly news roundup

Several carriers have announced new routes this week, while SkyEurope is also running a time-limited special offer.

The continental low-cost carrier has put all of its European airfares on sale, with winter flights ranging in price from £7 to £77.

Among this week's new routes, Dutch airline Transavia has opened up a new connection between Luton Airport and Rotterdam, while Thomsonfly has launches two new routes from Robin Hood Airport.

German national carrier Lufthansa is also adding a direct service from London Heathrow to Milan next summer, and brand new carrier Bilga Air is due to start flying to Amritsar next month.

Special offers
SkyEurope running Lucky 7 special offer
Book by September 22: SkyEurope is running a special promotion dubbed Lucky 7 in which it is offering airfares from just £7.

New routes and increased frequency from BA

British Airways is to start two new routes to the Alps and increase the frequency of other services it offers from London City Airport.

From December 15, passengers will be able to take advantage of new winter snow destinations to both Geneva and Lyon, direct from the Docklands airport.

Before then, in October, British Airways will increase its daily frequency to Glasgow from four to five flights a day, with a new departure from London City leaving at 6.50am and a return service heading out of Glasgow at 8.10pm.

Airline bankruptcies: How to protect yourself

With the recent collapse of XL Airways (website: www.xl.com), people will be forgiven for harbouring anxieties about the prospect of further bankruptcies leaving them stranded and potentially out of pocket.

Some 80,000 customers of XL were stuck abroad following the grounding of the airline's fleet, while a further 200,000 had their bookings cancelled and two smaller travel operators collapsed in the wake of the failure.

Though more than 150 hastily-arranged emergency flights have now ferried most passengers back home, as many as 10,000 can expect no refund following the bankruptcy.

That has prompted a flurry of advice-mongering from industry groups, with operators keen to stress that taking a few simple precautions will guarantee holidaymakers complete protection.

Alitalia facing 'abyss', but still taking bookings

An eleventh-hour attempt to save loss-making airline Alitalia (website: www.alitalia.com) has collapsed, with the only viable group of investors withdrawing their bailout offer following union objections.

Italian Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said that the airline is "facing the abyss" as a consequence of the failed deal, which the Italian Air Company described as a "catastrophe for Italian society".

And yet in spite of the looming crisis, Alitalia continues to take bookings, with the national carrier's website running a promotional deal targeted specifically at UK customers.

Passengers back tighter airport security

Airline passengers are largely in favour of stringent security measures at major airports in the UK, the Air Transport Users Council (AUC) has claimed.

In 2006, the government ushered in a wave of tightened security measures governing the carrying of liquids on board aircraft after police said they had broken up a transatlantic bomb plot.

While the resulting trial failed to conclusively prove that airplanes had been the intended target, the AUC has affirmed that most travellers appreciate the severity of the risk.

Another tour operator crumbles in wake of XL

A specialist tour operator has been forced to declare bankruptcy following the collapse of XL Leisure (website: www.xl.com).

Gay firm Throb Holidays had used XL Airways as its main flight operator, relying on the low-cost carrier's fleet to ferry its customers to such destinations as Gran Canaria and Ibiza.

But with the airline ceasing operations late last week the tour operator has been unable to secure a replacement airline, leaving it with no choice but to call in the administrators.

Open Skies leads to lower transatlantic fares

Transatlantic business class fares have fallen as a consequence of the introduction of the EU-US Open Skies treaty, a new survey by American Express shows.

The credit card firm said that average premium fares on the staple London to New York Newark route have fallen by 25 per cent in the second quarter of this year.

A similar fall has been witnessed on London to New York JFK flights, while connections to Los Angeles and Seattle are down by an average of nine per cent.

New Indian airline to open Birmingham base

A new airline will launch flights between Birmingham Airport and the northern Indian city of Amritsar this autumn.

Bilga Air is set to take to the skies on October 9, filling the void created by Air India's withdrawal of an identical service.

Twice weekly flights to India will depart on Monday and Sunday evening, with 90 per cent of services operating on a non-stop basis.

EasyJet predicts winter air travel will fall

© easyJet

EasyJet is predicting that airlines will see a fall in demand of between two and four per cent this winter.

The low-cost carrier said it expects its annual pre-tax profit to fall by ten per cent to £110 million as a consequence of the gloomy outlook.

Strong growth in total revenue per seat that had been witnessed over the summer will reportedly tail off due to the economic downturn.

Cheapflights.co.uk uncovers the naked truth

London 18 September, 2008: Research reveals a trend towards nudity as increasing numbers of holiday makers prefer to strip off on the beach.

According to recent figures, participation in nudism is growing by 20 percent annually*. A recent poll from Cheapflights.co.uk also shows that ten percent of its viewers would choose to leave their clothes behind on holiday.

If you’re among those anti-clothing travellers and would like to be fully stripped of your inhibitions by getting your kit off on holiday; follow Cheapflights.co.uk’s latest guide to the world’s best Nude Beaches.

Cheap flights and more: handpicked deals

This week's top five handpicked deals take in flights and hotel offers for travellers affected by Travel City's and Excel Group's collapse and there are super deals for city breaks in cultural capitals as well as seaside sun spots.

Ocean Florida is rebooking Travel City customers
Ocean Florida is trying to get passengers affected by the demise of Travel City and the Excel Group rebooked on similar - or cheaper - deals. There are flights from £299, flights and hotels from £369 and flights and villas from £399 including all taxes. >>>>

Save money with special fares from Flybe
The regional airline has flights to a slew of city-break favourites - Belfast, Paris and Jersey for example - and guaranteed sun cities such as Faro. Fly from £29.99 one-way including taxes and charges. >>>>