news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Skybus Airlines Inc. is set on Monday to add nonstop service to the New York and Los Angeles areas from its North Carolina hub.

The Columbus-based discount airline said its hub at Greensboro, N.C.’s Piedmont Triad International Airport on Feb. 25 will begin two daily nonstop flights to Stewart International Airport, 55 miles north of New York, and one flight to Burbank’s Bob Hope International Airport.

Skybus began service to New York from Port Columbus International Airport in January, when it also cut one of its two daily flights to Burbank from Columbus.

source: bizjournals.com

EasyJet’s decision to open two more French bases at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Lyon is the latest sign that low-cost carriers are ready and willing to make a serious push into an airline market that offers significant potential, but has traditionally erected high barriers to entry.

The UK budget operator launched its CDG base earlier this month and will open its base at Lyon Saint-Exupery airport in April. This is in addition to the base it already has at Paris Orly, where the carrier has stationed six aircraft.

source: Flight Global

One hundred and thirty-three airline passengers are safe tonight after their American Airlines plane made an emergency landing at the Miami Airport.Flight 862 was headed from West Palm Beach to Chicago — but had to be diverted because of nose gear problems.

source: Kauz.com

Travellers planning to book a trip with budget airline Ryanair this weekend will have to hold off for a few days after the company announced that its booking system will be off limits from Friday evening until Monday evening.

The company said on its website that its internet and call centre booking system would be down from 10pm on February 22nd to 11pm on February 25th “‘because of the changeover to a new flight booking system.'”

Customers will not be able to make new bookings, flight changes or review existing bookings through the Ryanair website or call centre during this period.

source: The Local

Spanish low-cost airline Clickair has scrapped plans to introduce a regular Sofia-Barcelona flight as part of its cost-cutting push, daily El Pais reported on February 4.

Clickair, partially owned by Spanish national flag carrier Iberia, has dropped a total of eight routes to trim down its flight schedule, choosing to concentrate on its more profitable flights.

source: Sofia Echo

OpenSkies, the new airline launched by British Airways to operate direct services from Europe to the US, intends to launch its first services on the route between Paris and New York JFK.

The airline has this week applied to the US authorities for approval for the services and says it intends to launch the new flights in June.

In documents filed with the US Department of Transportation, the airline says it intends to expand its services to connect Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Milan with New York as well as other US points.

source: Times On Line

Some 146 flights at Milan’s airports were cancelled on Tuesday when ground staff went on strike to protest against Alitalia’s plans to scale back its presence in northern Italy.

Airport sources said 102 flights were cancelled at Malpensa airport, one of Alitalia’s two hubs, and 44 at Linate, Milan’s smaller airport, during the four-hour stoppage.

source: Reuters

SkyTeam and BAA have outlined their plans to make London Heathrow Terminal 4 a dedicated terminal for the 10 SkyTeam alliance members.

A £100 million expansion and renovation of T4 will be completed in spring 2009.

SkyTeam’s move to T4 will take effect over the next 12 months.

source: Travelmole

BA’s performance deteriorated in 2007, with a larger proportion of bags failing to reach destinations with their owners.

BA mislaid 26.5 bags for every 1,000 passengers it carried last year, compared to 23 in 2006, the Association of European Airlines. (AEA) reports.

fuente: Telegraph.co.uk

Iberia, Spain’s flagship airline, plans to bid for Spanair, an ailing unit of Scandinavia’s SAS AB, the Spanish carrier said in a statement Thursday.

Iberia said in a regulatory filing that it planed to launch the bid in partnership with local Spanish transport company Gestair. Market analysts estimated Spanair’s worth could be around €800 million (US$1.17 billion).

If successful, a takeover of the country’s second-largest carrier would give Iberia a tighter grip on domestic flights, currently under siege from local and international low-cost airlines.

source: International Herald Tribune