news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Australia’s Qantas Airways has been fined over fare advertising, the Commerce Commission said today, relating to similar charges that Air New Zealand faced earlier this year.

Air NZ was charged over advertising, mostly between 2001 and 2003, which did not include certain surcharges such as for fuel.

The airline has since moved to using all inclusive prices in its ads.

The penalty was one of the highest ever imposed under the Fair Trading Act for misleading advertising.

source: smh.com.au

Gol Airlines has contacted families of 154 victims of Brazil’s deadliest air crash to discuss compensation for the tragedy.

“Gol deeply respects the mourning families, but cannot avoid its duty,” said the company, which put itself at the disposition of the families to open talks on indemnity immediately or when those involved see fit.

“The company must clarify the matter of indemnifications,” the airline said in a statement.

Gol “sought out families of those killed in the accident that downed flight 1907 to bring them up to date with certain actions that will be adopted in coming days,” the airline said.

source: DNA

The staff shareholding group at Aer Lingus and several third parties are preparing to block Ryanair’s â?¬1.4 billion takeover bid for the airline.

The body which holds the shares on behalf of staff, the Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT), has discussed various mechanisms to finance an additional purchase of shares. Putting its existing shares up as security for a loan has been discussed by trustees of the ESOT.

source: Irish Times Article

Low-cost carrier AirAsiaâ??s chief executive officer has ruled out plans of establishing a budget long-haul airline.

AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes scotched a report that the carrierâ??s management team was behind the new airline and would submit a business plan to the Government.

source: mtravel

Most U.S. airlines are expected to post handsome profits when they report third-quarter earnings this month, marking a long-awaited pullout from five years of painful restructuring and $40 billion in losses since 2000. The turnaround is the result of widespread layoffs and ruthless cost-cutting, not to mention half a dozen major bankruptcies. But U.S. carriers have also been the surprise beneficiaries of soaring overseas demand for modern jets, which has allowed troubled carriers to shed unneeded airplanes and tackle one of the industry’s chronic problems: too many seats.

source: US News

The United States and the European Union worked out a tentative deal Friday that will allow anti-terrorist officials in the United States to collect personal data on travelers flying to the United States from Europe while simultaneously ensuring the data-sharing would not violate EU rules on privacy.

The new deal succeeds a 2004 pact that was overturned by an EU court in May and was agreed to after a nine-hour videoconference Thursday. Both the U.S. and EU governments need to formally approve the deal, expected to occur as early as next week.

Major U.S. carrier Northwest Airlines has placed a firm order for 36 Embraer 175 planes, with options for many more.The aircraft will be configured for 76 seats in dual-class configuration, 12 first-class seats and 64 coach class.

Northwest also acquired options for another 36 aircraft of the same type and as many as 100 ‘rolling purchase rights.’

The new jets will be operated by Northwest`s regional subsidiary Compass Airlines and will fly under the Northwest Airlink brand name.

fuente: monstersandcritics.com

Low-cost airline Ryanair has unveiled an offer worth £1 billion to buy the Irish carrier Aer Lingus.

Chief executive Michael O’Leary said the move represented a “unique opportunity” to form a strong airline for Ireland with more than 50 million passengers annually.

Ryanair has already acquired a 16% stake in Aer Lingus – which was listed on the stock market last month – and will make an offer for the rest in a move valuing the carrier at £1 billion.

source: SouthLondon.co.uk

Malaysia Airlines said Wednesday it was disappointed with further delays in the delivery of Airbus A380 superjumbos and would assess all available alternatives.The airline has ordered six jets. Airbus said Tuesday it would push back the delivery date for the first A380 jet for the third time until the second half of 2007 due to wiring complications. The plane is now two years behind its original schedule.

source: chron.com

The state council, Italy’s top administrative court, said the government must start organising another auction of the Italian low-cost airline Volare within 60 days, according to the documents of a court ruling made on September 29.

In March, the troubled state-controlled airline Alitalia SpA had won the first auction for Volare by offering 38M euros. But the acquisition was suspended by the state council after the Italian airline Air One appealed against a lower court clearing the operation.

source: Forbes