news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

In 2016, San Sebastian will join Wroclaw (Poland) as the ‘European Culture Capital’. San Sebastian was picked out of six other Spanish cities.

The “‘peace and co-existence’” slogan which caught the jury’s attention aims to “‘overcome violence and to have culture serve peace and cohabitation’”.  The whole Basque region is delighted with the decision.

The other European Culture Capitals are Guimarães and Maribor (2012), Marseille and Kosice (2013), Riga and Umeå (2014), Mons and Plzen (2015).

source: artmediaagency.com

Continental Airlines‘ ‘OnePass ‘loyalty program will be phased out and moved into United’s ‘Mileage Plus’ plan later this year, United Continental Holdings Inc. said Wednesday.

Continental’s ‘OnePass’ loyalty program will end on Dec. 31. United will automatically enroll OnePass members in ‘Mileage Plus ‘and deposit their miles into Mileage Plus accounts.

‘OnePass’ member activity this year will be fully recognized in ‘Mileage Plus’ next year. ‘OnePass’-branded credit cards will continue to earn miles and benefits in the ‘Mileage Plus’ program.

source: boston.com

A recent survey indicates that mobile phones are set to become a significant sales channel for airlines. According to transport communications and IT solution provider SITA’s airline IT trends survey released last week, almost nine out of 10 airlines are selling or planning to sell tickets through the mobile phone netwrok by 2014.

The survey says airlines plan to extend mobile distribution services to include ticket modification/upgrades and sales of onboard services. Airlines are also looking to add new sales channels. Kiosks and social network sites are the most recent additions to a growing channel mix. The study revealed that 69 per cent of airlines also sell or plan to sell tickets via social media networks by 2014.

source: business-standard.com

Europe’s biggest airlines, including British Airways, Lufthansa and KLM have announced a major biofuels drive despite UN calls to limit biofuel growth.

A glitzy gathering of the elite of Europe’s airline industry in Paris this week saw the launch of a major PR offensive to highlight the move towards replacing fossil fuels with biofuels- liquid fuels made from crops plants such as oil palm and jatropha.

The EU has set targets for 10 per cent of transport fuels to come from renewable sources – as part of that it is now pushing for the aviation sector to use two million tonnes of biofuel, mostly oil palm, each year by 2020.

source: theecologist.org

Easyjet staff in France are planning to stage their first-ever strike, potentially affecting flights over two days in July.

Cabin crew union Unac is calling for a 48-hour walkout on July 12 and 13 to protest about pay and social security cover.

The strike could affect flights to and from Lyon and Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports.

It coincides with the start of the long bank holiday weekend for the July 14 fête nationale, when many people will be travelling.

source: connexionfrance.com

A passenger jet crashed in heavy fog Monday on a highway in northwestern Russia, killing 44 people, officials said. Eight people survived the crash.

The Tu-134 plane, belonging to the RusAir airline, was en route from Moscow to the city of Petrozavodsk, Emergencies Ministry spokeswoman Olga Semyonova said.

Semyonova said the plane went down on its final approach to the airport in Petrozavodsk, making a crash landing about a mile short of the runway.

source: sfgate.com

The European Union’s plans to include international airlines in its emissions trading scheme (ETS) could spark a trade war, it emerged from an airline industry AGM yesterday.

China has made it clear at the IATA meeting in Singapore that it is unhappy about having to be subject to the ETS and has intimated that it could impose high taxes on European carriers or stop access to certain routes in retaliation.

But the EU refuses to back down, maintaining that all airlines should be subject to the scheme which will require any airlines flying into, out of or within Europe to pay for any emissions that go over a set cap.

source: travelmole.com

Stiff winds blew ash from a Chilean volcano Tuesday in a widening arc across Argentina to the capital, grounding most air travel to and from the country for much of the day.

Since airborne ash can severely damage jet engines, Aerolineas Argentinas and Austral, the country’s state-owned international and domestic airlines, canceled all flights within Argentina as well as to and from other countries. At least six international carriers also suspended flights between Buenos Aires and cities in the United States, Europe and South America, and flights from Chile over Argentine territory also were suspended.

source: msnbc.com

The world’s largest airlines collected an estimated $21.46 billion in passenger fees and other extra revenue last year, about double the amount collected in 2008, according to a new study.

For some airlines, revenue generated from extra fees, the sale of frequent flier points, and commissions for booking passengers into hotel rooms and rental cars now represents 15 percent to 30 percent of all airline revenue, according to the report by IdeaWorks Co., a Wisconsin consultant on airline fees, and Amadeus Corp., a Madrid technology company for the travel industry.

The annual report released Tuesday said 47 airlines worldwide reported some type of ancillary revenue last year, compared with only 23 airlines in 2007.

United Airlines and Continental Airlines, which have merged but operate as two airlines, reported a combined $5 billion in ancillary revenue in 2010, the most for any airline, followed by Delta Air Lines with $3.7 billion and American Airlines with $1.9 billion, according to the report.

source: vancouversun.com

Alaska Airlines is dumping paper flight manuals for its pilots in favor of electronic documents stored on company-issued iPads.

The Seattle-based carrier will be the first major U.S. airline to make the switch from paper to iPad when all its pilots receive a tablet by mid-June. Alaska is making the switch “as part of an ongoing effort to use technology to enhance flight safety, improve efficiency and protect the environment,” according to a statement from the airline.

Apparently the iPad was the first device to impress Alaska higher-ups enough to consider going digital.

source: PC World