news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Brazilian airline Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes had net revenues of 1.041 billion Brazilian reais (US$ 499.2 million) in the first quarter of this year. The value represents an increase of 21% over the same period last year, 863 million reais (US$ 424 million at current exchange rates for comparison purposes). The company registered net profit of 117 million reais (US$ 57.6 million) in the first three months of the year.

source: ANBA

Brazil’s civil aviation authority said on Wednesday that it gave low-cost airline Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes the green light to buy rival air carrier Varig.

The National Civil Aviation Agency or ANAC said it gave Gol “advance authorization” for the deal. Gol now still requires approval from Brazil’s anti-trust agency Cade, ANAC said in an on-line statement.

source: Reuters

Brazil’s budget airline Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes has agreed to buy rival Nova Varig for $275 million.

Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes said Wednesday the deal with Varig’s owners — VarigLog, a former logistics unit of Nova Varig, and Volo, a group of investors — involves $98 million in cash and issue of some 6.1 million preferred shares. It will also assume $45 million in debentures, which will raise the value of the deal to $320 million.

source: earthtimes.org

Brazilian airline Gol on Monday announced a 186-percent rise in ticket sales on Brazil-Argentina air routes in 2006.

Gol’s sales of tickets to Argentina (and to Brazil from Argentina) amounted to 70 million U.S. dollars in 2006 from 24.4 million U.S. dollars in 2005.

The company opened the routes to and from Argentina in December 2004, its first international destination. The routes represented 4 percent of the company’s total sales in 2006.

source: people.com.cn

Brazilian airline Gol has just announced that it has expanded payment methods for tickets purchased online.  The company informs that it’s now offering over a dozen mechanisms for customers to purchase tickets online.

“Offering new payment methods and expanding financing options allows more customers access to air travel.  It is essential that Gol provide payment mechanisms that are appropriate for all income levels,” says Wilson Maciel Ramos, Gol’s Vice-President of Planning and Information Technology.

For customers that require long payment terms, Gol offers the Fly Easy (Voe Fácil) program, which allows customers to pay for airline tickets in up to 36 months.  To date, the program has enrolled approximately 700,000 customers.

source: Brazzil Mag

Brazil’s airline company Gol in January increased the number of passengers it transported by 70% when compared to January 2006. The occupation rate was 77%.

Also when compared with January 2006, domestic passenger traffic increased 61%. International passenger traffic increased 174%. The occupation rate in these flights was 68%.

The information was provided by the company’s press office, which also informed that the average ticket price went down 15% in the last year. When compared to last December, however. ticket had a 1% hike.

source: Brazzilmag.com

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, Brazil’s low-cost, low-fare airline, finished 2006 as one of the largest e-commerce companies in Brazil, effecting R$ 3.7 billion in gross ticket sales through its website, www.voegol.com.br . Internet sales accounted for 82% of the Company’s R$ 4.6 billion total gross sales during 2006. Gross operating revenues from passengers flown in 2006 were approximately R$ 3.7 billion, and total net operating revenues were approximately R$ 3.8 billion.

source: Yahoo!

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, Brazil’s low-cost, low-fare airline, marks its sixth anniversary of operations today. The Company, which took on the unprecedented responsibility of popularizing air transportation in Brazil and South America, celebrates this anniversary with some of the best numbers in the history of Brazilian aviation. Over the last six years, GOL transported 55 million passengers; including five million first time flyers. GOL’s current fleet of 65 aircraft operates over 600 daily flights to 55 destinations, including seven international routes to five countries in South America. In December 2006, GOL had domestic and international Brazilian market shares of 37.1 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively. The Company’s average load factor in 2006 was 74%, the highest in the industry, and GOL has been the most punctual airline in Brazil for over 18 months.

source: Yahoo!

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, Brazil’s low-cost, low-fare airline, has announced that beginning January 1, 2007, commissions paid to travel agents on GOL ticket sales will be reduced to 7 percent for domestic flights and 6 percent for international flights.

The decision is part of the GOL’s overall cost reduction plan which is expected to reduce operating costs. The Company also expects annual cost savings of R$95-105 million in travel agency commissions in 2007. “‘Reducing our costs will allow the Company to offer even lower airfares and continue to popularize air transportation,'” says GOL’s Vice-president of Marketing and Services, Tarcisio Gargioni.

source: Yahoo! Finance

The Company has reviewed its guidance to account for the negative impacts of the recent problems with the air traffic in Brazil. As a consequence, GOL’s net revenues are expected to be reduced due to a higher number of delayed and cancelled flights. Such scenario has inhibited passengers to fly, impacting industry demand in the short term. Also, expenses should register variations due to a reduction in the effective flight hours, as well as an increase in the travel time as a result of longer periods to take off and lower flight speed. Those factors contribute to lower dilution of fixed costs and higher fuel consumption.

source: earthtimes.org