news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

While embattled private carrier, and rival, Kingfisher Airlines has decided to dump low cost services in a bid to increase revenue yields, financially beleaguered state-owned carrier, Air India, has opted for the reverse route and is considering adding more economy seats on its domestic flights to increase yields.

Air India management has constituted a committee to look at ways to increase per flight yields in accordance with occupancy ratios, and one of the options under consideration is cabin restructuring by adding more economy seats.

source: domain-b.com

Deutsche Lufthansa has decided to freeze all non-essential investment for the next six months due to the weak global economic environment.

Lufthansa currently has 202 aircraft worth 19 billion euros ($25.37 billion) at list prices on order for delivery through 2018. Like peers, it is banking on newer, more fuel-efficient planes to help it keep costs under control.

Soaring fuel costs and the euro zone debt crisis have taken a toll on European airlines this year, with Lufthansa cutting its 2011 outlook two months ago and industry body IATA forecasting a weak end to the year for the sector.

source: Reuters.com

Irish airline Ryanair said it will pursue Aer Lingus directors for a breach of company law if the former state carrier refuses again to hold an extraordinary general meeting.

Ryanair, Aer Lingus’s largest shareholder with a near 30 percent stake, said on Thursday it had the right to request a meeting at which it wanted to discuss Aer Lingus’s 400 million euros ($534 million) pension deficit and a tax settlement.

While Ireland is considering selling its 25 percent stake in Aer Lingus as part of a wider sale of state assets under an EU-IMF bailout, the airline’s pension deficit, larger than its 380 million euros market value, is a major stumbling block.

source: Reuters

Two major storms in the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest are complicating matters on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have issued a joint intelligence bulletin saying terrorists could choose to strike during the holidays and everyone should stay vigilant.

Flight delays were spreading Wednesday afternoon, with Newark International, LaGuardia, San Francisco International and Boston’s Logan International airports reporting problems.

The busiest air travel days for the Thanksgiving holiday period are expected to be Sunday and Monday, the Air Transport Association of America said.

source: CNN

US Airways has revealed plans to offer in-flight Wi-Fi across its entire domestic fleet “‘within the next couple of years'”, and said it is likely to announce its choice of provider – either Gogo or Row 44 – before the end of 2011.

For about a year-and-a-half the carrier has offered Gogo’s domestic air-to-ground (ATG)-supported connectivity service on its 51-strong Airbus A321 fleet. It recently confirmed its intent to fit new-delivery Airbus narrowbodies with Gogo.

source: flightglobal.com

Flight-information provider Travelport says a federal judge tossed out most of American Airlines‘ antitrust lawsuit against the company and online travel agent Orbitz.

Travelport Ltd. said that the judge dismissed American’s claims that Travelport monopolizes distribution of airline fare and flight information to travel agents.

American Airlines officials did not immediately comment.

source: businessweek.com

Astraeus Airlines, which is based in Crawley, Sussex, announced it had ceased operations.

The company, which leased aeroplanes to other carriers, had singer Bruce Dickinson on its books as a pilot and marketing director.

Chief executive Hugh Parry blamed “‘lower than expected'” business during the summer for the decision.

source: BBC.co.uk

Southwest Airlines is giving its most loyal customers a double whammy of deals starting this week through its newly launched Rapid Rewards Shopping program with Cartera Commerce Inc. that rewards its frequent fliers for online shopping. This marks the first time that Southwest, one of the biggest airlines in the US, is offering rewards for shopping at online retailers.

Similar to its competitors, Southwest now has a sort of online mall where shoppers can sign in with their Southwest Rapid Rewards login information and shop with around 700 online retailers. Consumers will receive discounts off products and also be rewarded with loyalty points they can use toward the purchase of airline tickets.

source: internetretailer.com

Spirit Airlines‘s agreement to buy 75 single-aisle jets from Airbus SAS, with list prices totaling $6.7 billion, would triple the carrier’s existing fleet within the next decade.

The non-binding memorandum of understanding includes 45 upgraded A320neos with new, more fuel-efficient engines and 30 of the existing model.

Spirit focuses on leisure travelers who fly to beach destinations, and offers low base fares with higher add-on fees, such as $35 to bring a piece of luggage aboard a plane.

source: businessweek.com

Four airlines from the UK and Irish Republic are calling for the UK government to scrap ‘Air Passenger Duty (APD)’.

The tax, which is applied to almost every ticket on a flight originating in the UK, has risen sharply since it was introduced in 1994.

When APD was introduced, passengers whose journey originated in the UK paid between £5 and £40 per ticket. They now have to pay from £24 to £170.

It is opposed by Easyjet, Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways.

The airlines say it penalises British holidaymakers and makes the UK a less attractive destination.

source: BBC.co.uk