news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Aer Lingus has signed a strategic partnership with JetBlue, a low-cost American airline, that will allow passengers access to 51 routes across the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Set to launch in August, the deal is designed to give Aer Lingus passengers travelling to New York JFK and Boston the opportunity to connect with JetBlue flights to destinations across the US, to Cancun in Mexico and to the Caribbean islands of Aruba, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

The deal comes against a backdrop of increased transatlantic competition. Delta and American Airlines are all adding capacity to their Irish routes while Flyglobespan last week agreed a deal to offer services to New York from Knock airport.

source: AMT online

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics has again put Hawaii’s two biggest airlines at the top of its rankings for good service.

Aloha Airlines logged an on-time record of 93.7 percent for the December reporting period. It had the lowest complaint rate — none at all in December.

Hawaiian Airlines won the 2006 annual on-time tally, and also came in best in the nation on baggage handling. It was second for on-time arrivals in December.

source: Pacific Business News

Brazil’s airline company Gol in January increased the number of passengers it transported by 70% when compared to January 2006. The occupation rate was 77%.

Also when compared with January 2006, domestic passenger traffic increased 61%. International passenger traffic increased 174%. The occupation rate in these flights was 68%.

The information was provided by the company’s press office, which also informed that the average ticket price went down 15% in the last year. When compared to last December, however. ticket had a 1% hike.

source: Brazzilmag.com

Last year ranked among the worst for airline passengers, says a year-end report out Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

On-time arrivals in 2006 fell to their lowest levels since the pre-9-11 travel boom, and baggage handling reached its worst level in 16 years, the DOT says.

Airlines operated just over three-quarters of their flights on time, the worst since 2000, DOT figures show.

source: clarionledger.com

Ryanair announced today its 19th European base in Düsseldorf Weeze. From June 2007, Ryanair will invest €140m in two new aircraft and 10 routes. Ryanair will deliver 1 million passengers in its first full year, rising to 2 million p.a. from 2008. Europe’s largest low fares airline also today annoujnced 16 new routes across Europe.

These 2 million passengers will create 2,000 local jobs and enable passengers to fly for a fraction of the high fares charged at Düsseldorf International airport.

source: finfacts.com

Continuing demand for corporate travel without a commensurate lift in supply will push costs higher across the board in 2007, according to the American Express Global Business Travel Forecast. Air fares worldwide are expected to increase – though at a slower pace than in 2006 –while hotels rates will remain at heightened 2006 levels and surge in key business centers.

“‘Keeping executives on the road while holding budgets in check will be a challenge for organizations in 2007,’” said Mike Streit, Vice President and Global Leader for American Express Business Travel, Advisory Services. “‘For instance, as compared to 2006, the Forecast indicates an average domestic North America trip inclusive of air fare, car rental and hotel stay will increase $46 USD or 4.5 percent in 2007, and an average international trip with its air fare and hotel stay will increase $180 USD or 4.6 percent.’”

source: Traveldailynews.com

The Houston-based regional airline will fly non-stop from Los Angeles/Ontario; Sacramento; San Diego; San Antonio; Austin, Texas; and New Orleans to 24 cities beginning in April.

As part of the new service, ExpressJet will offer its 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft configured with no middle seat, as well as valet carry-on bag service and complimentary snacks, with full meal-service options available on longer flights.

source: Los Angeles Business

Reversing a decision made three weeks ago, American Airlines said Friday it would resume selling international and domestic first- and business-class tickets on Expedia.com.

The companies announced the decision in a news release but gave no explanation for the about-face.

American, the nation’s biggest airline, said Jan. 12 that it was halting the sale of the high-end seats on Expedia, although it continued to sell domestic coach tickets through the website. The companies sparred over which side had pulled out of the arrangement first.

source: USA Today

Southwest Airlines Co. on Monday said January traffic rose 8.8 percent on expanded capacity on its flights.

Traffic rose to 5.18 billion revenue passenger miles from 4.76 billion a year ago. A revenue passenger mile is equal to one paying passenger flown one mile.

Capacity during the month increased to 8.12 billion available seat miles, up 8.2 percent to 7.51 billion in the same month last year. Load factor, or occupancy, rose slightly to 63.8 percent from 63.4 percent.

source: Business Week

Ryanair posted a 30 percent jump in third-quarter net profit on Monday, confounding analyst expectations for a fall, and ramped up its full-year profit goal while predicting big fuel-cost savings for the following year.

Europe’s biggest low-cost carrier said profit after tax rose to 47.7 million euros (31.4 million pounds) in the three months to end December from 36.8 million in the same period of 2005, against analyst expectations that they would fall by over 60 percent.

source: Reuters