news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Angry passengers have hit out after budget airline Flybe axed a number of popular routes and blamed the controversial terminal tax for killing off routes.

Since the much-vaunted arrival of the low-cost airline in the city in January 2005, the number of scheduled flights to a range of UK and European destinations has more than doubled.

Passenger numbers have boomed with holidaymakers joining business people on flights out of the city to a number of destinations including Amsterdam, Paris, Belfast, Edinburgh, Malaga and Alicante.

But the introduction of a controversial £3-a-flight terminal tax for passengers in April has led to the withdrawal of some flights this winter including Alicante/ Malaga.

source: eveningnews24.co.uk

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, the parent company of Brazil’s low-cost airlines GOL Transportes Aereos S.A. and VRG Linhas Aereas S.A., has entered into an interline agreement with Aerolineas Argentinas.

Passengers traveling on Aerolineas Argentinas will be able to purchase tickets through the airline or participating travel agencies for all 58 destinations served by GOL in Brazil and South America.

This is the third interline agreement GOL has entered into international carriers in 2007. North American-based Continental and Delta airlines all currently sell GOL tickets through their reservation systems. GOL does not sell tickets for partner airlines’ flights. In addition to these interlines, GOL maintains a code-share agreement with Panamanian-based Copa Airlines since August 2005.

source: PR Newswire

Air France KLM said it is looking at the possibility of a tie-up with Spanish airline Iberia, which is already a takeover target.

Air France KLM could team up with private equity company Apax in a consortium that was ready to bid 3.8 billion euros ($5.24 billion) for Iberia.

Air France KLM, the world’s biggest airline in terms of revenue, repeated it intended to play an active role in the consolidation of the airline industry.
source: Reuters

Vueling said the number of passengers it transported in June increased 78.7 pct to 529,537 from 296,309 a year earlier, while its load factor fell to 69.1 pct from 73.7 pct in June 2006.

In a statement, the low cost airline said that the outlook for the load factor in the third quarter is ”favourable”.

During the first half, the number of passengers transported rose to 2.5 mln, also up 78.7 pct from the year-earlier period, while the load factor increased to 69.5 pct from 67.0 pct, it noted.

source: ABC Money

France’s top administrative court has told easyJet and Ryanair Plc to apply French labour laws for staff operating out of the country, dismissing a bid by the airlines to bypass local working norms.

The two low-cost carriers had appealed against a decree introduced last year that obliged foreign airlines to apply French labour laws for crews of aircraft based here.

Irish-based Ryanair said the decree contravened European laws on the free movement of labour and services.

source: Reuters

Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, today announces an exclusive deal with Wines4business.

The partnership signals the launch of Flybewines.com which, through a dedicated website, features exclusive content from the renowned wine expert and Sunday Express columnist, Jamie Goode. It will enable Flybe passengers to join an exclusive wine club that offers an extensive range of great value wines to suit everyone’s palate and pocket.

The Flybe Wine club sees the airline continuing to provide customers with an innovative and quality product range that adds value to its existing customer service offering thereby setting Flybe apart from other low cost carriers. The deal will bolster Flybe’s ancillary revenues which have over recent months seen new developments such as FlybeCruises.

source: Easier

Family pets still have time to collect Air Canada air miles, at least on international flights.

The Canadian Transportation Agency suspended an application filed by Air Canada looking to bar pets from its baggage compartments Wednesday afternoon, effectively delaying the controversial application on international flights for the time being.

The suspension affects flights between Canada and the U.S. as well as other international flights to and from Canada. Pets will still not be allowed on Air Canada domestic flights starting July 15 since the Canadian Transportation Agency does not have jurisdiction to take similar action with regards to domestic routes. Pets will have to travel through its cargo division.

source: TheStar.com

The Flyglobespan airline has admitted letting its customers down, following the recent severe delay in bringing passengers back from New York to Ireland West Airport Knock.

In a detailed statement, the airline has apologised to all those caught up in the delay of six days in having its flight leave from New York, and say they have every right to criticise the airline.

They say it’s clear the performance of their ground handlers fell well below the standards expected by its passengers, and many of the instructions issued by the company to alleviate the situation seem to have been ignored.

source: Ocean fm

Flybe has come under fire after it emerged it has cancelled more than 170 flights from Birmingham International Airport in the last three months.

The number of flights cancelled by the budget operator is more than triple the number of British Airways cancellations when it operated the same routes in 2006.

Flybe’s German routes – the carrier flies to Stuttgart, Hannover, Hamburg and Dusseldorf – have been particularly badly hit.

Aer Lingus, the Irish low-cost, low-fares airline today announced that it will commence scheduled services between Dublin and London Gatwick from the end of October 2007.

The London Gatwick service will operate four times daily at times scheduled to suit both business and leisure travellers. This schedule, which will include the first morning departure of any carrier from Dublin to London Gatwick, will complement Aer Lingus’ highly successful Dublin to London Heathrow service.

source: Easier