news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Easyjet is set to become the UK’s first commercial airline to apply nano-paint to its aircraft.

The super-micro technology, which is 100 times thinner than the average human hair, will allow the plane to slide more efficiently through the air, cutting costly fuel bills and giving airline bosses more leeway to cut fares.

The new technology will add 4oz to the weight of the plane but will prevent dust and debris build up.

source: manufacturingdigital.com

Spain and Portugal are seeing a resurgence as customers seek an alternative to Egypt, where political violence continued into a third week.

Leisure carrier Jet2.com pulled its summer programme to Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada this week as protesters stepped up their efforts to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak.

‘Foreign and Commonwealth Office‘ advice remained unchanged, with guidance against all but essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez.

Fears are growing that the political violence will have a long-term impact on tourism to Egypt.

source: travelweekly.co.uk

Starting today, seven major airlines are giving away the social network on their Wi-Fi networks all month, just as they would soft drinks and peanuts. It’s part of a promotion with Gogo Inflight Internet.

The free Facebook service will be available on North American flights for Virgin America, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, AirTran, US Airways and Alaska Airlines. Those who wish to use services other than Facebook must pay extra.

Facebook is the most-visited site via Gogo, which serves 1,100 commercial aircraft (or about 3,800 flights a day) and 5,000 private planes.

source: US Today

Asia Pacific budget carrier Jetstar is aiming to grow its Asian business by at least 30 per cent this year and is looking to open routes to Europe and North America when it takes delivery of the long-delayed Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2012.

The move would put the Melbourne-based Qantas affiliate, which has an Asian hub in Singapore, in competition with Malaysia’s Air Asia X and potentially with some established long-haul full service carriers such as Singapore Airlines.

Jetstar group CEO Bruce Buchanan said that the company will also join Oneworld alliance, which will put it in the same team as Qantas, Cathay Pacific, British Airways and Japan Airlines.

source: stuff.co.nz

The deal enables customers booking with a travel agent or at a Lufthansa sales office to purchase, for example, an outward flight with Lufthansa and a return flight with Germanwings.

Passengers benefit from a greater selection of flight connections and attractive price combinations; while, Germanwings will benefit from having a stronger presence in the central reservation systems, thereby considerably expanding its international sales.

The expanded cooperation is the second step in an intensive sales  collaboration which began in September 2010 between Lufthansa and its  low-cost subsidiary.

source: traveldailynews.com

Ryanair has threatened to turn away passengers arriving at check in without their pre-printed boarding pass unless a ruling from a Spanish court is overturned.

Currently the airline charges £40 for a boarding pass for those who have not printed out their own.

A judge in Barcelona has ruled that the charge is illegal.

The airline said it might stop issuing boarding passes, hence passengers would not be allowed on the aircraft.

source: BBC

The spam has hit the fan and cost Virgin Blue $110,000 after Australia’s communications watchdog found the airline breached the law over its email marketing.

The ‘Australian Communications and Media Authority’ launched an investigation into the airline after complaints that the company continued to send email offers despite recipients’ multiple attempts to unsubscribe from its mailing list, in contravention of the Spam Act.

The’ Spam Act’ gives companies five days to stop sending people commercial offers after receiving their request to unsubscribe, said authority chairman, Chris Chapman.

source: smh.com.au

German flag-carrier Lufthansa has joined Virgin Atlantic in pressing BAA to compensate airlines hit by disruption at London Heathrow Airport over the festive season.

Planes were grounded for up to four days before Christmas, as facilities at Europe’s busiest airport ground to a halt.

Last week Virgin Atlantic confirmed it would withhold payments due to BAA – believed to total approximately £10 million – until the airport operator completes an internal review into the incident.

source: breakingtravelnews.com

The no-frills airline had promoted anger among passengers for the charge, when they were introduced.

However the 40 euro (£34) charge was challenged in Barcelona. In Britain the charge is £40.

Judge Barbara Maria Cordoba Ardao, sitting at Commercial Court Number One in Barcelona, ruled the company was breaking international law by imposing the levy.

She ruled that responsibility for printing the boarding pass had always rested with the airline.

source: Telegraph.co.uk

A JetBlue pilot lost his government-issued handgun after a passenger mistakenly picked up his carry-on luggage, authorities said Friday.

The pilot was waiting for his New York-to-Pittsburgh flight at Kennedy Airport on Thursday morning when a passenger who was traveling with children mistakenly picked up his backpack along with her family’s bags.

TSA is still investigating, noting that pilots are “‘required to follow strict protocols for securing their TSA-issued firearm.'”

source: msnbc.com