news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A., the parent company of Brazil’s low-cost airlines GOL Transportes Aereos S.A. and VRG Linhas Aereas S.A., announces that GOL has begun daily operations to Presidente Prudente, located in western Sao Paulo state.

The route will connect Presidente Prudente to both Sao Paulo’s capital and Cuiaba, in Mato Grosso. Presidente Prudente has one of Brazil’s leading cattle ranching industries and is known as a center for the quarter horse and the Nelore Mocho cattle. The Animal Exposition held during the first two weeks of September is one of the largest events in Brazil, attracting thousands of business and leisure travelers. The city is also recognized as home to a number of important universities and other educational institutions.

source: Fox Business

Premier domestic airline Kingfisher and low-cost carrier Air Deccan will merge soon and operate as a single entity from April 1, 2008.

At a joint press conference later, Gopinath and Mallya told reporters the merger would be based on the recommendations of Accenture, the global consulting firm, which was commissioned to prepare a comprehensive report on the pros and cons of such an exercise.

source: andhracafe.com

While low-cost carriers (LCC), also known as no-frills airlines, have since long been successfully operating throughout the U.S., Europe, and southern Asia, Japan has so far seen very little of the low-price action.

The concept behind the LCC is as simple as it has been proved successful – bring prices down by keeping services to a minimum and cutting corners wherever possible.

One of the reasons Japan has seen so few low-cost airlines is that one of the basic concepts is to operate only on shorter stretches to keep expenses at a minimum. Ideal travel time is less than 5-6 hours. For LCCs operating out of Thailand or Singapore, Japan is simply too far away. It is also questionable whether spending more time than that on a no-frills airplane would be a very enjoyable experience.

Japanese travelers should however expect this situation to change in the near future because of a recent surge of interest in the Japanese market from foreign airlines. A big leap forward is expected in 2010 when Tokyo’s Haneda Airport’s fourth runway is expected to stand completed, allowing the airport to open up for more international airlines.

source: Japan News Review

Spanish low cost airline Vueling Airlines, announced yesterday it is to run a Madrid/Malta flight from 31 March, adding to the growing ranks of low cost carriers plying the Malta route since the government opened up the airline travel sector.

In a statement, Vueling said tickets for the new route would run at an all-inclusive e40, at a frequency rate of three flights per week – from Madrid on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from Malta on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

source: The Malta Independent

Zoom Airlines has announced two new routes for 2008. The new routes will operate from London Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale in Florida and San Diego in Southern California. The first of Zoom’s new routes will be launched in May 2008 from London Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale in Florida. Zoom will be the first scheduled airline in 10 years to offer flights from any European airport to this sunshine resort.

source: Travel Daily News

Low-cost airline easyJet has upgraded and introduced its Speedy Boarding Plus facility across Europe.

The upgraded procedure combines Speedy Boarding, which allows passengers to pay to be amongst the first to be called to board a flight, with a dedicated check-in service.

source: Hemscott

Ryanair is to launch 50 new routes in 2008 departing from seven airports across the UK to destinations in France, Spain, Germany and Italy.

Flights to Girona airport, a little over 60 miles from Barcelona, will be available from Birmingham, Manchester and Newquay airports. Alicante is another Spanish route set to launch in the new year from Durham Tees, Edinburgh and Newquay airports, as well as another route to Malaga (from Liverpool).

Also new for 2008 are flights to the Italian city of Pisa from Edinburgh and Birmingham, to Milan from Manchester, and to the Portuguese city of Faro, in the Algarve, from London Stansted.

Germany will also be served by the budget airline – with flights from Edinburgh to Frankfurt and Bremen, and Manchester to Frankfurt.

Holidaymakers looking for cheap flights to France will have the option of travelling to the southern French city of Marseille from Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester, and to Angouleme, close to Bordeaux, from London Stansted. Liverpool to Nantes flights are also set to start next year.

source: Travelbite.co.uk

Scandinavian airline SAS will put off a decision about the future of three of its business units until late January because of the threat of a strike by unions, daily Dagens Industri wrote on Sunday.

SAS said earlier this year it would review the future of its Ground Services, Technical Services and part of its cargo unit as it looks to focus on core activities to boost profit.

source: Reuters

European airline traffic rose by 4.9 pct in October from a year earlier, the Association of European Airlines (AEA) said, adding that passenger traffic looks set to rise by 5 pct, or slightly more, for the full year.

Cross-border European traffic remained strong at 7.5 pct, AEA noted, and the North Atlantic was uncharacteristically buoyant with a 5.9 pct increase.

In the Far East, growth slipped below recent levels at 1.3 pct, but headed for a 3 pct rise for the full year, and a 7.3 pct increase in the South Atlantic for October will not deflect progress towards a year-end growth ”well into double figures”, AEA said.

source: Forbes

Budget airline easyJet is to begin flights from Manchester as part of a massive expansion of its services in the north west.

Planes carrying the airline’s famous orange and white logo are set to lift off for foreign destinations from the airport for the first time late March.

Bosses at easyJet say the move, which is subject to approval by regulators, will make it the north west’s biggest operator.

source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk