news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Travel to Latin America has been on the upswing as countries there look to tourism for economic growth, and tour operators in the United States and Canada offer exotic vacations to the south. But until recently, getting around within Latin America ” even in popular countries like Mexico ” was a hassle often involving multiple plane changes or long bus rides over rough roads.

Now, thanks to an increase in low-cost airlines in Brazil and Mexico, which account for 60 percent of the Latin America’s air traffic, it’s getting easier to jet around.

In the last two years, at least five new low-cost carriers, including Click Mexicana, InterJet and Volaris, have started service in Mexico, according to ALTA, the Latin American Air Transport Association. And the low-cost airlines GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, BRA and WebJet now account for more than 40 percent of Brazil’s domestic market.

Even some budget carriers from the United States have begun expanding to Latin America. Spirit Airlines started service to San Jose, Costa Rica, on April 5 and plans to serve Guatemala City from Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles starting May 10 and 11 respectively. It also has filed for service to Caracas, Venezuela, and to Lima and Chiclayo in Peru.

source: The New York Times

Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, has launched its first ever flights from Cardiff direct to the French capital city of Paris.

With fares from £34.99 one way including taxes and charges, travellers from Wales have been snapping up seats, bagging a bargain break to the city.

Flybe has the direct service to Paris following the recent acquisition of BA Connect earlier this year, adding the Welsh capital to its list of UK bases and providing the people of Wales, especially from its South West region, with a low cost and convenient travel alternative.
source: newswales.co.uk

Air France–KLM said yesterday it would raise its fuel surcharge on long-haul flights due to the rise in oil prices.

The airline said Air France would increase its fuel surcharge by five euros. The rise would not apply to short-haul and medium-haul flights.

“‘Valid on tickets issued in France as from May 3, 2007, this increase will be withdrawn as soon as the price of the barrel drops below $65 for 30 consecutive days,”‘ the airline said in a statement.

Delta Airlines is set to emerge from 19 months of bankruptcy protection in another sign that one of the bleakest chapters for the US airline industry may be coming to an end.

The third-largest US carrier could exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy as early as Monday after a judge approved the final details of reorganization, leaving Delta with some 2.5 billion dollars in financing.

Delta and Northwest Airlines filed for creditor protection on the same day in September 2005, which at the time left four of the top six carriers in bankruptcy.

source: France24

TAM and TAP Portugal, a Star Alliance member, are executing yesterday a Memorandum of Agreement establishing a comprehensive alliance that comprises several areas, taking advantage of the synergies arising from their respective networks, products and services in the routes connecting Brazil and Portugal.

By next July, the companies will implement a code share, which will translate into a significant increase of flight options for passengers, as well as into the linkage of the companies` mileage programs, TAM`s Fidelidade and TAP`s Victoria.

source: Mercopress

Spanair is continuing its international expansion with this new route which has been offering daily flights both ways between the cities of Munich and Bilbao since April 15. The carrier has strengthened its presence on the German market by offering more direct flights between Germany and Spain. Spanair is also offering daily flights both ways between the Bavarian capital and Barcelona.

source: Easier

A three-day strike by Danish cabin crew members that forced Scandinavian air carrier SAS to cancel nearly 700 flights from its main hub in Copenhagen ended late Thursday, the airline said.

SAS said it aimed to resume services as soon as possible but estimated that at least 30 to 40 flights would be delayed or possibly cancelled on Friday. Late Thursday, the cabin crew union announced they would be returning for work Friday morning.

Passengers were advised to check company websites or the Copenhagen airport’s website for information on their respective flight.

source: bangkokpost.com

Wizz Air, one of eastern Europe’s biggest budget airlines, plans to float on the London Stock Exchange, in a listing which could value it at up to 500 million pounds ($1 billion), the Daily Telegraph said on Wednesday.

A Wizz Air spokeswoman at the Budapest-based airline declined to comment on the report.

The float is planned before the end of the year and will include fundraising of up to 200 million pounds to finance the airline’s expansion, the newspaper said.

source: Reuters

Ryanair said Thursday it was expanding its route network for its newest hub in Bremen, northwest Germany.

Europe’s largest no-frills airline said it planned to open seven new routes in mid-September, taking the total number of routes to 18, just weeks after opening services in Bremen.

New twice-weekly services would link Bremen with Alghero in Sardinia and Trapani in Sicily; three-times weekly with the Slovak capital of Bratislava, Malta and Stockholm; four-times weekly with Italy’s financial capital, Milan; and daily with Paris.

source: Forbes

Emirates is “‘thinking a bit'” about starting a budget airline in the coming few years, its vice chairman said today as the state-owned firm announced a 20.2% increase in second-half profits.

“‘We are thinking a bit about [a low-cost carrier],'” Maurice Flanagan told the Reuters news agency. “‘It’s something for the next few years. The [Airbus] A380 could be a very good aircraft for that,'” he said without elaboration.

source: arabianbusiness.com