Weekly round-up

Despite the imminent departure of the year's prominent January sale period, a number of carriers have continued their price reductions this week in an effort to ride out the UK's recession.

Ignoring ongoing uncertainty surrounding the country's aviation future, a group of airlines have also unveiled a series of new routes.

Special Offers

Lufthansa offers Africa discounts

Lufthansa if offering intrepid explorers the opportunity to discover Africa from as little as £269.

East Midlands Airport station opened

East Midlands Airport has officially opened its new train station, offering passengers better transport links to the regional hub.

The transport secretary Geoff Hoon was on hand to unveil East Midlands Parkway Station, which will now serve 100 trains every day, including direct routes from London.

He said: "We want to encourage more people to use public transport to ease congestion on our roads and one of the best ways of doing this is to offer more choice."

EasyJet unveils spring sale

Book by February 3, 2009: EasyJet has unveiled its spring sale, which enables passengers to benefit from a 25 per cent reduction on select routes.

The offer, which applies to flights departing between February 4 and July 15 2009, is eligible on 16 million seats.

Families hoping to travel during half-term and the Easter holidays can also take advantage of the discounts, while couples planning to get away over Valentine's weekend have also been included.

Canada introduces flexible visas

Passengers travelling to Canada could stay for longer, thanks to a relaxation in the country's visa regulations.

The Canadian High Commission is encouraging recent graduates and students to work in the country by allowing visitors with the Open Work Authorisation Visa to take several working holidays over a 12-month period, Travel Bite has reported.

Lufthansa offers Africa discounts

Book by February 3, 2009: Lufthansa if offering intrepid explorers the opportunity to discover Africa from as little as £269.

The German carrier has unveiled its latest economy class return discounts to three locations in the underdeveloped, but geographically diverse, continent.

Heathrow debate rages on

Having narrowly survived the first parliamentary test on its decision to build a third runway at London Heathrow Airport, the government is now facing calls from a number of groups to consider other options.

MPs voted by a margin of just 19 to support the plan, in what is likely to have been the first of many debates over the proposed increase in flights to 702,000 by 2020.

This week alone has seen the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT), the 2M Group and London Mayor Boris Johnson all reveal alternative methods of supporting the country's continuing aviation expansion.

The 2M Group, which is a coalition of local authorities, has unveiled a £1.5 billion blueprint for improved rail links from Heathrow, which would ease traffic congestion, distribute services throughout the country's airports and cut the number of short-haul flights.

BA to half CO2 emissions

British Airways (BA) has pledged to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 50 per cent by 2050.

The UK's flag carrier disclosed that it will reduce its CO2 output from 2005 levels of 16 million tons to eight million by the middle of this century.

Specifically, BA outlined a number of methods it would rely on to achieve this reduction, including investment in cleaner aircraft, alternative jet fuels, efficient flight routes and increased emissions trading.

Bmibaby shuffles routes

Bmibaby has announced the introduction of a new service from Cardiff international Airport to Almeria.

The low cost airline has revealed that this new Spanish route will be operated at the expense of its schedules to Amsterdam and Glasgow from the Welsh airport from May 22, 2009.

The twice-weekly service will allow passengers to depart from Cardiff at 6.55pm on Mondays, arriving in Almeria at 10.40pm and at 7.15pm on Fridays, landing in Almeria at 11pm.

Virgin extends sale

Virgin Atlantic has extended discounts on flights to more than 30 destinations worldwide.

The British airline has given passengers up until February 17 to take advantage of these reduced outbound fares, which depart from London Heathrow Airport.

The offers are strictly subject to availability and are offered to customers on a first-come first-served basis.

Once a booking has been confirmed cancellations are not permitted; however, data changes are offered for a charge of £100.

Heathrow expansion threatens regional growth

The construction of a third runway at London Heathrow Airport will limit expansion across the UK's other airports, a new study has suggested.

The Campaign for Better Transport has concluded that targets limiting aviation emissions will prevent the planned second runway at Stansted and expansion at other airports, if Heathrow's capacity is increased.

Lufthansa launches 2 for 1 promo

Book by February 10, 2009: Lufthansa is offering cash-strapped passengers a two for one offer on flights from London Heathrow Airport to Milan.

The German flag carrier has unveiled the online offer, which applies on economy class return services to Italy's second largest city, on a route that commences on March 29, 2009.

BA Iberia deal hits turbulence

The planned merger between Iberia and British Airways is under threat as the UK's flag carrier announced a gloomy profits warning.

BA has predicted that its operating loss for 2009 up until March 31 will reach £150 million, as a fall in sterling and the official announcement of a recession impact on the aviation industry.

Virgin extends Sydney offer

Book by February 5, 2009: Virgin Atlantic has extended an offer on flights from London Heathrow Airport to Sydney.

The UK carrier has decided to extend its discounts on services to the Australian city, which can see passengers benefit from one-way fares from as little as £701, including taxes, fees and surcharges.

BA announces on-board internet

British Airways has announced that its business class travellers will soon be able to benefit from in-flight internet and text messaging.

The UK's flag carrier has revealed that the service will be available to passengers on its London City Airport to New York JFK Airport route.

Bmi unveils regional sale

Book by April 1, 2009: Bmi is offering passengers in the UK special discounts on domestic and European flights from a number of airports.

The popular regional airline has unveiled the limited availability return fares, from Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport, East Midlands Airport and Manchester Airport.

Once booked, passengers can not change the name on the ticket, but can alter the date of their departure for a charge of £30, plus any difference in original fare paid.

Boris unveils Thames airport

Boris Johnson has unveiled detailed plans for a £40 billion airport on the Thames Estuary that would limit the need for expansion at London Heathrow Airport.

The London mayor has released findings made by Doug Oakervee, the engineer who built Hong Kong's island airport, which suggest that it would be "technically feasible" to build an airport on the estuary.

Edinburgh regains Copenhagen link

Edinburgh Airport has regained its Copenhagen service, after Cimber Sterling announced that it would be begin operating the route from March.

The Danish airline, which has recently bought parts of its former rival Sterling, will operate a twice weekly service to Copenhagen, which will increase to three times a week during the summer season.

Swiss offers international reductions

Book by January 31, 2009: Swiss International Airlines has discounted a number of its services to destinations across the globe.

Switzerland's national airline is offering passengers the opportunity to depart from Manchester Airport, London Heathrow Airport, London City Airport or Birmingham International Airport to a number of international cities from as little as £279.

Strictly subject to availability, the return flights include all taxes, fees and surcharges for travel to the exotic destinations before the end of 2009.

Iran Air increases Tehran flights

Iran Air has announced that it will add a fourth weekly flight to its London Heathrow Airport to Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport service.

Acting as a temporary summer measure, the additional service will commence from March 29 and will continue to operate until October 24, 2009 increasing the airline's schedule to four times a week. Flights will depart Heathrow's Terminal three on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 4.00pm and arrive in Tehran at 1.20am the next day.

Flybe extends Guernsey service

Flybe has announced that it will begin operating an additional sixth service on its London Gatwick Airport to Guernsey Airport schedule.

The British regional airline has disclosed that from June 9, passengers will be able to take advantage of an afternoon flight to the island in the English Channel, which departs London's second busiest airport at 3.30pm and arrives in Guernsey at 4.30pm.

Ryanair unveils four new routes

Ryanair has announced that it will be introducing four new routes from London Luton Airport and Bournemouth Airport.

The budget airline has revealed that it will now be offering passengers services from Bournemouth to the Portuguese city of Faro and Reus in Barcelona from March 31, 2009.

In addition, Ryanair disclosed that flights from both Bournemouth Airport and Luton Airport to the French city of Limoges will commence from April 2 and May 3 respectively.

Lufthansa discounts North America fares

 

Book by January 27, 2009: Lufthansa has urged passengers to take advantage of its North American flight sale before the offer ends.

The German flag carrier has discounted a number of its economy class services to the US, which depart the UK from Manchester Airport, Birmingham International Airport, Bristol Airport, Edinburgh Airport or London Heathrow Airport.

Strictly subject to availability, the fares include all taxes, fees and airport charges for travel between February 2 and September 30, 2009.

Budapest terminal reopens

Budapest Ferihegy International Airport's main terminal reopened last night (January 25) after six days of closure due to a union strike.

Employees of Hungary's main international airport went on strike last Monday (January 19) over pay disagreements, which led to the closure of terminal one and passengers facing severe delays arriving and departing the airport.

Weekly round-up

The UK economy officially went into recession this week, but this did not stop many brave airlines from further discounting prices and expanding their services.

New Routes

Sun-Air launches London City flight

Sun-Air has revealed that it has begun operating flights between London City Airport and Billund in Denmark.

Bmi increases Riyadh service

Bmi has doubled the number of services it operates between London Heathrow Airport and Riyadh.

Flybe unveils Gatwick to Newquay sale

Book by tonight: Flybe has urged consumers to take advantage of an extension in its "Just Pay Taxes and Charges" promotion.

The British regional carrier has disclosed that passengers travelling on its route from London Gatwick Airport to Newquay Airport between February 15 and March 31, 2009 can still purchase fares that only include tax and airport charges.

Lufthansa offers Bristol deals

Book by January 31, 2009: Lufthansa is offering passengers departing from Bristol International Airport the opportunity to explore Europe from as little as £149.

The German airline, which operates services to 81 international destinations, has unveiled special economy class fares to a number of European cities.

The offer, which includes all taxes, fees and surcharges, is available to passengers departing the south-west-based airport between January 27 and June 30, 2009.

Cathay Pacific launches mobile check-in

Cathay Pacific has become the latest airline to introduce a mobile service that allows its passengers to check-in from remote locations.

The Hong Kong-based airline has introduced the Mobile Check-in service, which will enable customers to select their preferred seats and will send users a barcode that can later be used at self check-in kiosks at participating airports.

Ryanair has Aer Lingus bid rejected

The Irish government has rejected Ryanair's latest bid for its domestic rival Aer Lingus.

Citing concerns that the £701 million deal would reduce competition in the Irish aviation market, Ireland's transport minister, Noel Dempsey, also claimed that the offer "greatly undervalued" the airline.

The Irish government is a shareholder in Aer Lingus and currently owns 25 per cent of the international carrier.

BA cuts Tokyo service

British Airways has announced that it will reduce the number of flights on its London Heathrow Airport to Tokyo's Narita International Airport route.

That is according to businesstravelworld.com, which reported that the UK's flag carrier is planning to cut the number of services it operates to Tokyo from two to one a day.

Bristol Airport expansion divides opinion

Bristol International Airport has unveiled development plans for its proposed expansion, dividing public opinion in the region.

The expansion, as reported by Cheapflights.co.uk in November last year, will enable the regional airport to increase the number of passengers it handles annually to ten million by 2016.

Specifically, the airport's operator South West Airports Limited wants to improve services for visitors by increasing car parking allocation, extending the terminal building and building additional aircraft stands.

Robert Sinclair, chief executive at Bristol International Airport, suggests that these developments are essential to meet "growing demand for air travel" in the south west.

Air Malta and bmi sign agreement

A codeshare agreement signed by Air Malta and bmi is expected to improve connectivity between the Mediterranean country of Malta and the UK.

The partnership will allow the low-cost carrier to use its own flight codes on services operated by Malta's national airline to the UK, and in turn, will see Air Malta use its codes on bmi flights.

Sun-Air launches London City flight

Sun-Air has revealed that it has begun operating flights between London City Airport and Billund in Denmark.

The Scandinavian airline, which is a franchise partner of British Airways, disclosed that it has now started scheduling two flights from the docklands airport on weekdays, with one service departing from the UK's capital on Sundays.

Monarch criticises Heathrow plans

Monarch Airlines has "denounced" the government's verdict to allow the construction of a third runway at London Heathrow Airport.

The British regional airline suggested that the expansion, which would increase flights at the airport by at least 125,000 annually, will have significant environmental impacts and a "detrimental impact" on citizens of west London, The Telegraph has reported.

Nearly half million Brits sign up to new US ESTA online visitor registration scheme

January 20 2009, London: Cheapflights.co.uk understands that the new US Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) online registration which came into force on January 12 has had 450,000 successful applications processed as at that date. Currently about 30,000 UK citizens are signing up per day according to the US Embassy sources.

All nationals and citizens of the 35 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries – including the UK – are now required by law to get travel authorization prior to boarding the airplane. It’s strongly recommended – but not required – that travellers apply for ESTA approval at least 72 hours before departure. The U.S. Government does not charge a fee for ESTA. There are media reports that airlines are allowing passengers to board for the US without an ESTA and supplying the old I-94W Immigration Forms to passengers. Travellers should not count on this and should ensure they have the new ESTA BEFORE they travel.

BAA denies Heathrow night flights

The operator of London Heathrow Airport has denied claims that it plans to allow an additional 7,500 flights to depart or arrive at night once the third runway is built.

BAA, which also runs six other UK-based airports, has refuted allegations made in The Sunday Times, which suggest that night flights would increase from 27,300 annually to 35,000 when Heathrow's expansion is complete.

Ryanair issues hand luggage warning

Ryanair has informed its passengers that its cabin baggage allowance of 10kg will be enforced across its entire network.

The budget airline made the announcement in response to a growing number of customers carrying more than one piece of hand baggage onboard Ryanair services.

FlyLAL cancels operations

The Lithuanian Airline flyLAL has been forced to stop all of its services, after its proposed purchase by an investment fund faltered.

The eastern European carrier ceased its operations on Saturday (January 17), after Swiss Capital Holdings failed to transfer the proposed £700,000 fee that it had agreed to purchase the airline with.

Airport expansion not 'silver bullet'

Birmingham International Airport's runway extension will not provide a "silver bullet" for the UK's second largest city.

That is according to the chief executive of the National Exhibition Centre, Paul Thandi, who told a Birmingham city council committee that, though he supported expansion, it would be the "beginning of a long journey", The Birmingham Post reported.

Virgin wins customer award

Virgin Atlantic has been voted as the aviation industry's leading practitioner of customer service.

The British airline, which is owned by Richard Branson, was awarded the honour by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS), beating British Airways to the title with a score of 79 out of 100.

The ICS conducted a survey of 24,000 consumers that asked respondents to rate companies on professionalism, complaint handling, as well as the friendliness, competence and quality of staff.

Budapest delays expected

Passengers flying to Budapest's Ferihegy International Airport in the next couple of days have been warned to expect delays by its operator.

Hochtief, which is rumoured to have submitted a bid for London Gatwick Airport, has revealed that employees of Hungary's main airport have gone on strike.

One of three terminals at the airport has been closed since 4pm yesterday (January 19), which has led the operator to inform travellers to anticipate delays, but as yet no cancellations.

Swiss unveils European discounts

Swiss International Airlines is offering customers the opportunity to fly from a selection of UK airports to European destinations from as little as £69.

The principal airline of Switzerland, which operates services to 70 destinations worldwide, has unveiled its European sale for scheduled flights departing from Birmingham International Airport, London City Airport, London Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport.

Subject to availability, these economy-class return offers are valid for flights throughout 2009 and include all taxes, fees and airport charges.

Eastern launches Oslo route

Eastern Airways has begun operating services from Aberdeen Airport to the Norwegian capital Oslo.

The UK regional airline, which is based at Humberside Airport, has launched daily flights to the destination, with week-day services departing Aberdeen at 10.20am and arriving in Oslo at 1.05pm local time and Sunday services leaving at 12.20am and landing at 3.05pm.

Bmi increases Riyadh service

Bmi has doubled the number of services it operates between London Heathrow Airport and Riyadh.

The British airline, which is headquartered in Castle Donington, will now offer passengers the opportunity to travel to the capital city of Saudi Arabia on one of six weekly flights.

Flights departing on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday will continue to the port province of Dammam, while on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday services will fly onwards to the coastal city of Jeddah.

BAA receives six Gatwick bids

The owner of London Gatwick Airport has received six initial offers for the UK's second busiest aviation hub.

BAA is understood to have been offered up to £2 billion before yesterday's deadline, after putting Gatwick up for sale last year in anticipation of a ruling from the Competition Commission over its monopoly of London-based airports.

New aircraft for SAS Copenhagen route

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has begun servicing its Birmingham to Copenhagen route with a new aircraft.

Passengers flying from Birmingham to the Danish capital will now be carried on one of Bombardier's NextGen CRJ900s.

Flights serviced by the new plane will depart Birmingham at 10.30am and 6.50pm, arriving in Copenhagen at 1.35pm and 9.50pm respectively.

'Late getaway deals' from easyJet

Book by midnight on Tuesday, January 20: easyJet is offering discounted flights to some top destinations in Europe and North Africa.

The low-cost carrier has cheap fares to popular skiing spots like Geneva, as well as romantic holiday locations such as Paris and Milan.

Economy class sale from Emirates

Book by January 31: Emirates is offering reduced economy fares to various destinations.

Passengers can choose from locations such as Beijing, Bangkok, Melbourne and Hong Kong, with fares starting from £399 return.

Prices vary depending on the destination and the period of travel. The minimum stay is three days and the maximum stay is one year.

KLM offers low-fares to Canada

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has announced a series of low air fares from Cardiff International Airport to Canada.

The carrier is offering flights to four top destinations from as low as £354 return, including taxes, as part of its 'Mighty Mounty' deal.

 

Discounted African flights from Virgin Atlantic

Book by 10pm on January 27: Virgin Atlantic is offering discounted flights to a number of African destinations. The airline has reduced return fares to three top locations; Cape Town, Johannesburg and Nairobi.

Seats in economy and premium economy are available in the offer, with flights varying in price depending on departure dates.

There will be limited availability during certain peak periods such as school holidays and weekends. For each fare the minimum stay is one Saturday night and the maximum stay is 12 months.

Date changes can be made for £100 after a booking has been confirmed. However, cancellations are not permitted and no refunds will be made available.

A selection of routes included in the offer is listed below.

Weekly round-up

Amid continuing consternations over London Heathrow Airport's third runway, this week has also witnessed a number of major airlines continue their January sales and expand their 2009 schedules.

Special Offers

Virgin offers Sydney discount

Virgin Atlantic is offering passengers the opportunity to travel to the Australian city of Sydney from as little as £702.

Qantas offers Far East specials

Qantas has unveiled discounts on three of its most popular Far East destinations.