Low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle on Thursday said it has ordered 42 Boeing 737-800 jets worth some 3.1 billion dollars.
The carrier said it had an option with US maker Boeing for a further 42 jets that can seat 189 passengers.
Deliveries were slated between 2009 and 2014.
source: Monsters and Critics
Orlando’s AirTran Holdings Inc. has signed a three-year contract extension with the Coca-Cola Co. to continue serving the beverage giant’s soft drinks onboard AirTran Airways flights.
The two companies have been in business together since 1993. Coke is based in Atlanta, home to AirTran’s hub and where the low-cost carrier routes more than two-thirds of its flights.
source: Orlando Sentinel
Southwest also announced new service between San Francisco and Los Angeles (LAX) starting on November 4.
In the years since Southwest left SFO, it has built up service at nearby Bay Area airports Oakland International and San Jose International. So while the return to SFO means more choice and convenience, it’s not a new market and so we probably won’t be seeing the “‘Southwest effect'” of suddenly cheaper fares across airlines serving a destination.
Airlines are offering an increasing number of ways for advertisers to reach travelers while they’re in the air. US Airways and AirTran both recently began selling ads on napkins and on stickers that can be found on open tray tables. European low-fare carrier Ryanair sells ads on the covers of the overhead baggage compartments and on the backs of closed tray tables, according to the International Herald Tribune.
The Ryanair tray table ads are sold by InviseoMedia, which also sells space on another low-cost airline, Germanwings. Advertisers such as Microsoft, DaimlerChrysler, HP and German travel website HRS have advertised on them. The ads on the overhead bins are sold by Fourth Edition, and have seen such advertisers as ING, Red Bull and Meteor Mobile.
source: mediabuyerplanner.com
Paper airline tickets will be consigned to history from next June, according to Iata, the trade body which conducts settlements between 60,000 travel agents and the airlines.
The organisation, which has used etickets for three years, yesterday said it had placed its last order for paper tickets. The move to etickets will reduce the processing cost to airlines from £4.50 a ticket to 50p, saving the industry £3bn. Three years ago 16% of ticketing was paper-free; the figure is now 84%. Iata said that airlines lost more than $40bn between 2001 and 2006, but are expected to turn a profit this year.
source: Guardian Unlimited
Lufthansa is the first European airline to introduce native Chinese flight attendants on board its flights from and to China. For over six years, Lufthansa has employed about 200 native Chinese flight attendants, providing Chinese-speaking passengers with in-flight services that are in their own language and sensitive to their cultural background.
fuente: China.org.cn
The airport security union representing workers at Brussels South Charleroi Airport signed an agreement with the Wallonian regional government which guarantees a minimum level of service in the event of future strikes.
The agreement guarantees that, in the event of a grievance, all other avenues of dialogue will be exploited before a strike is called.
The agreement comes following reports last week that Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair was to suspend flights from the airport from November following a series of ‘wildcat’ strikes.
source: Reuters
From November 5th 2007 holidaymakers will be able to fly to Hamburg, Germany’s second city, from London Luton airport. The service will be daily, with return fares starting from £33.98 including taxes.
Also new are flights from East Midlands airport to Palma, the capital of the Spanish Balearics on the island of Mallorca.
The route will start from February 7th 2008 and will operate three times per week, increasing to a daily service for the summer season. Fares will start from £35.98 return.
source: travelbite.co.uk
Ryanair passengers will be charged £2 to check in at airport desks from next month as part of the airline’s latest ruse for slashing costs.
Europe’s largest low-cost airline denied that it was gouging passengers with its latest levy. Starting on September 20, passengers who want to check in at the airport must pay a further £2 alongside a charge of £5 to put bags in the hold.
source: Guardian.co.uk
City of Austin (USA) has approved the lease between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and General Electric Commercial Aviation Services LLC for the construction, operation and maintenance of a low-cost airport terminal.
The new terminal will serve “‘ultra-low-cost'” airlines including a new Mexican airline vivaAeroBus, which has agreed to fly between Austin and five Mexican destinations. The airlines fares range as low as $5 to $30. The airline is aiming to operate flights by Thanksgiving.
source: BizJournals
