news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Air France has filed a law suit against the Irish low-cost airline with the Bobigny court of first instance in France, and is seeking compensation for damages.

”Ryanair has broadly advertised to the press that it is launching proceedings with the European Commission denouncing the alleged collusion between Air France and two other European airlines,” Air France said.

”It is basing its complaint on the mere fact that Air France and the two airlines concerned increased their fares on the same day, a few hours apart, following implementation of a fuel surcharge,” it added.

Air France said it considers the facts ”slanderous accusations” not only because they are ”pure fabrication” but also because ”Ryanair deliberately leaked the accusations to the media.”

source: Forbes

Iberia said on Thursday it had a new takeover approach from Gala Capital with a value of up to 3.7 billion euros ($5.4 billion), rivalling a long-awaited bid led by private equity group TPG.

In a statement, the Spanish airline said Basque savings bank BBK and the chairman of Air Europa were part of the bidding consortium, which would offer 3.6-3.9 euros a share.

Iberia shares jumped on the news and at 11:16 GMT were up 4 percent at 3.63 euros. They were then suspended from trade.

source: Reuters

The European Commission said it intends to simplify computerised reservations systems (CRS) in the airline ticket distribution market to boost competition.

The commission said it adopted a proposal for simplification which will reduce booking fees charged by the reservation systems and enable airlines to offer more travel options through CRSs.

The proposal will also bring pricing freedom into the CRS market, the commission said.

”More competition in this market means lower distribution costs and airlines offering more travel options via the CRSs,” commission vice-president Jacques Barrot said in a statement.

source: Forbes

Greek Tourism Development Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos on Tuesday met in London with Ryanair’s deputy CEO for talks on ways to lure the pioneering low-cost airline to the Greek market.

Speaking to reporters in the British capital on the sidelines of the World Travel Market trade fair, the Greek minister said negotiations were currently underway to attract low-cost airline carriers to Greece, while he underlined the importance of high-quality services in the tourism sector.

source: Ana.gr

Budget airline Flybe would consider a flotation late next year or early in 2009, its chief executive said on Monday.

Jim French told reporters the carrier would first want to complete the integration of BA Connect, which it bought from British Airways a year ago, as well as its substitution programme of replacing the BA Connect fleet with new planes.

source: Reuters

Aer Lingus Group PLC faced a new strike threat Monday after Ireland’s largest labor union demanded that the airline abandon its new contracts for temporary employees.

The Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union said its members at Aer Lingus would walk off the job Nov. 20 and Nov. 23 if the airline didn’t restore the temporary workers’ previous pay and employment conditions.

source: IHT

At least 200 European airline websites are misleading the consumer, a study by the European Commission has found.

Websites are failing to show taxes and charges, and refusing to advertise the lowest fare prominently, according to the report.

The Commission has refused to name any airlines involved in order to give them time to improve their service.

Last month, a Spanish watchdog said it had found misleading information on seven websites, including Ryanair.

source: BBC News

AirAsia X of Malaysia is taking a gamble on a barely tested business model by buying 25 brand new wide-bodied airplanes worth US$3.5 billion.

The carrier placed the bet on Nov 2 when it took off for its maiden flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Gold Coast, Australia, that marked the beginning of Southeast Asia’s first long-distance budget carrier service.

AirAsia X took to the skies just 15 months after the idea of setting a long-haul no-frills service was first floated.

Industry critics are now watching to see whether long-haul no-frills flights will succeed in the market, as perceived by AirAsia X’s investors, including Virgin Group and AirAsia, the region’s largest low-cost carrier (LCC). Senior executives of AirAsia acknowledge that AirAsia X is indeed a gamble, albeit a calculated one with potential to win.

source: bangkokpost.com

Travel agents have hit back after Ryanair referred to them as the “‘greatest deadwood'” and “‘the costliest parasites in the travel industry'”.

The low-cost airline spoke out over the news that easyJet had signed deals with global distribution systems Amadeus and Galileo in a bid to target more corporate customers.

Ryanair head of communications Peter Sherrard said: “‘EasyJet has signed a deal ­[allowing] travel agents, the costliest parasites in the travel industry, [to book its flights].'”

source: travelweekly.co.uk

EasyJet has put flights from summer 2008 on sale from Belfast, Liverpool and Newcastle.

These include new routes from Belfast to Barcelona, Gdansk, Prague and Venice and Liverpool-Lisbon, as well as increased frequencies on others.

source: travelmole.com