news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Low-cost Canadian carrier Zoom Airlines makes its first foray into the U.S. market Thursday when it launches a daily flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to London’s Gatwick Airport.

Zoom is offering one-way fares of $199 on its 266-seat Boeing 767-300’s. Slightly larger “premium economy” seats can be had for an additional $179 each way.

“It’s a very low price for the summer,” said Bob Mann, an airline consultant with R.W. Mann & Co. in Port Washington, N.Y.

Zoom does not require passengers to buy a round-trip ticket or stay over on a Saturday night, both typical requirements for a cheaper flight on most airlines. Zoom, based in Ottawa, Canada, and at Gatwick, already operates 10 to 12 daily flights between Canada and the U.K.

source: BW

Ryanair has announced it is extending its 10 stg seat sale into the summer peak months of July, August and September in response to continuing softness in the market.

Chief executive Michael O’Leary said the sale of 3 mln seats for 10 stg including charges and taxes, which will cost the company between 25 and 45 mln stg, would stimulate late bookings and increase the airline’s yields.

”Bookings are going very strongly, loads are strong but yields are lower,” he said at a news conference in London. ”It’s good for passengers but bad for profits.”

source: Forbes

Thomsonfly has become the first budget airline to offer flights to Israel. The low-fare carrier will start services to Tel Aviv from Manchester and Luton airports on November 1, with one-way fares from £79.99. Three flights a week will be on offer to and from the Israeli city.

Thomsonfly commercial director Guy Stephenson said: “‘Our decision to launch into Tel Aviv will satisfy the huge demand for direct flights to this exciting Israeli city. The Israeli economy is strong and visitor numbers from the UK are up this year, which is a positive backdrop to the launch of new services.'”

source: Channel 4

The European Union and the United States said Monday they would cut emissions from aircraft by improving air traffic control systems.

But the agreement announced Monday does not head off a fight over the EU’s separate plan to make all airlines that fly to Europe trade carbon permits.

The European Commission and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said the plan they announced Monday would let them quickly put in place new emission-reduction technologies and methods that would reduce greenhouse gases released from aircraft.

fuente: Forbes

A top executive with Hong Kong-based Dragonair says the airline plans to expand to a number of major destinations throughout China.

Dragonair Chief Executive Officer Kenny Tang said as part of an effort by the airline to strengthen its network, the company will soon begin offering travel services to several other top Chinese destinations, Xinhua, the nation’s official news agency, reported Sunday.

“‘We are pleased to bring more flexibility and convenience for mainland travelers. The addition of these extra services gives travelers more options, while we can help attract more mainland tourists to visit Hong Kong and boost the economy,'” Tang said.

source: The Money Times

Striking security staff at Brussels south Charleroi airport Saturday decided to suspend their action, allowing flights to resume after two days of cancellations, a trade union official said.

Inward and outbound flights, cancelled since early Friday, should be able to resume from 8:00 pm Saturday (1800 GMT), Jean-Francois Magotte, spokesman for Belgium’s main CSC union told AFP.

However an airport spokesman said that Ryanair, the main airline using the airport, had cancelled its flights from the airport until Monday.

source: France 24

Air Canada will double its daily Beijing-Vancouver service and increase its Shanghai-Toronto non-stop flights in July, the carrier’s Beijing Office said on Sunday.

“‘These added flights represent an increased capacity of nearly 50 percent for the growing Chinese market, which continues to thrive due to strength in both leisure and business travel,'” said Daniel Shurz, vice president of Network Planning of Air Canada.

The added Beijing-Vancouver daily flight will operate between July 2 and October 1, using a 211-seat Boeing 767-300 plane.

Effective on July 1, The Shanghai-Toronto service will increase to daily service starting for the summer peak and continue as a three-day-a-week service for the 2007-2008-winter schedule.

source: xinhuanet.com

Britain’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says it will take action against airlines that don’t reveal full price fares.

Several low-cost airlines are still quoting fares without including extras such as taxes.

The OFT has already given carriers a warning on misleading pricing, with an edict to include all costs in their basic advertised prices.

The extra costs which concern the OFT include items such as air passenger tax and fuel surcharges, all of which can significantly change the price of a flight.

source: malaysiasun.com

All flights in and out of Ryanair’s Belgian hub at Charleroi airport were grounded on Friday after security staff walked out in a wildcat strike.

A row over the privatisation of public sector security personnel caused the disruption, which began at dawn and spread to Liege airport in the east.

An estimated 8,000 passengers have been affected by the action so far.

source: BBC

British Airways increased its fuel surcharge again on Wednesday, the ninth rise since the levy was introduced in May 2004.

Three years ago, the first surcharge was £2.50, but this week the airline’s levy on long-haul flights of less than nine hours increased from £33 to £38, or £76 return. The surcharge on flights lasting more than nine hours has risen from £38 to £43, or £86 return. BA’s short-haul fuel surcharge remains at £8 one way.

Robert Boyle, BA’s commercial director, said the change was necessary because fuel costs had risen in recent weeks.

source: telegraph.co.uk