news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

British Airways has changed its longstanding policy of banning lone male travellers from sitting next to unaccompanied children on its flights.

The airline had been sued by a traveller who said the policy was discriminatory – something BA denied. The case was settled and BA agreed to a review. From now on, unaccompanied children will be seated in a special area on BA planes.

In the UK, it is up to individual airlines to decide on how to treat unaccompanied minors.

source: BBC News

American Airlines is offering travelers a chance to sit in the front few rows of the coach section and the ability to board early.

But, like so many things in the airline industry today, it’ll cost you.

American Airlines announced that its “Express Seats” option will let passengers pick any remaining seats in the first few rows of the coach section. It also lets them get on the airplane in the first boarding group along with elite frequent fliers, people sitting in first- or business class and full-fare customers.

source: dallasnews.com

Leading Latin American airlines LAN of Chile and Tam of Brazil have announced merger plans in a bold bid to position themselves for future growth a fast-consolidating global industry.

“As the world industry consolidates we cannot stand still,” said Enrique Cueto, the chief executive of LAN who will also be chief executive of the new parent company, to be called Latam Airline Group.

The new group says it expects to achieve “real and achievable” annual synergies of $400m through alignment of passenger networks, growth in cargo operations in Brazil and internationally and cost savings.

The two airlines carried a combined 45m passengers and 832,000 tons of cargo in 2009. Merged, they will operate 115 destinations to 23 cities, with a fleet of 220 planes and 40,000 employees.

source: FT.com

Debt-ridden airline Mexicana de Aviacion needs a cash injection of at least $100 million to keep flying, the company’s chief executive said on Tuesday.

Time is ticking for troubled Mexicana, which has ceased flying more than a dozen international routes and stopped selling tickets after requesting creditor protection last week under Mexico’s insolvency law, or concurso mercantil. The company has yet to be declared bankrupt.

Mexico’s air industry was hit hard in 2009 by a severe economic downturn in Mexico and an outbreak of the H1N1 flu that deterred travelers for months.

source: Reuters

Turkish Airlines has told 28 flight attendants that they must shape up or ship out.

The employees — 15 men and 13 women — have been given six months to lose weight. In the meantime, they’ve been placed on unpaid leave.

If the crew members fail to lose sufficient weight, they will be taken off flights and assigned to ground positions.

“Weight and height are important factors at all airlines. These criteria are important both in terms of appearance and the ability to move about,” Turkish Airlines said in a statement.

source: Orlando Sentinel.com

Pressure from Twitter users has made Air Canada fix a terminally ill boy’s wheelchair after it was damaged during a flight, his family has said.

Appeals for help from the aunt of 10-year-old Tanner Bawn went viral on the micro-blogging website.

Air Canada spokesman said the airline had acted as soon as they had heard about the problem. The airline contacted an overnight repair centre after hearing about the boy’s problems from other Twitter users and had the specialised chair returned to Tanner a day later.

source: BBC News

Ten years to the day after Concorde plunged from the skies near Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, victims of the tragedy have been remembered.

Families of the 113 people killed gathered at Gonesse just outside the French capital where the supersonic jet crashed onto a hotel after take-off.

The Concorde programme itself never recovered. The mythical aircraft was finally retired in 2003.

Controversy still surrounds what went wrong. The verdict in a manslaughter case is due in December.

source: EuroNews

American Airlines and British Airways  won final approval on Tuesday to expand a trans-Atlantic alliance on flights between the United States and Europe.

The two carriers were cleared to jointly set prices, sell tickets and schedule international flights through their Oneworld alliance, exempt from antitrust rules, the United States Transportation Department said in a statement.

“The transaction will not substantially reduce or eliminate competition,” Susan Kurland, assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs, wrote in an order. The deal “will not be adverse to the public interest.”

The Transportation Department had given tentative approval to the alliance on Feb. 13, and the European Union granted approval on July 13.

source: nytimes.com

Airlines that lose people’s bags shouldn’t be charging them for the service, says an angry passenger suing American Airlines. Danielle Covarrubias has launched a $5 million class action suit against the airline, complaining that after it lost her bag containing $800 in possessions managers refused to refund her $25 baggage fee.

“American Airlines is just another example of how companies have forgotten about customer service,” said Covarrubias. “When American charges a fee for a baggage service it should deliver your bag, unharmed, or give you a refund.” A spokesman for the airline said the company is reviewing the lawsuit, the first of its kind since American introduced baggage fees.

source: newser.com

Emirates announced an order for 30 Boeing Co. 777-300ER aircraft valued at $9.1 billion, as the largest Arab airline expands its fleet of long-range jets.

The airline disclosed the order today during the Farnborough Air Show in the U.K. Of the 30 planes, 18 had already been ordered and were listed in Boeing’s backlog as coming from an undisclosed customer.

The order “affirms Emirates’ strategy to become a world leading carrier and to further establish Dubai as a central gateway to worldwide air travel,” Emirates Chairman Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum said in an e-mailed statement. “Our latest deal signals Emirates’ confidence in the growth of the thriving aviation sector.”

source: Business Week