news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

For the second consecutive year, SkyTeam was named the 2006 Best Airline Alliance by ‘Global Traveler Magazine’. Selected by the magazine’s readers in an annual reader’s survey, ‘Global Traveler’ cited the addition of Aeroflot and pending addition of China Southern Airlines to the alliance as key factors for receiving this recognition. SkyTeam was recognized at a luncheon in New York on Tuesday. Accepting the award on behalf of the alliance was Nathaniel Pieper, SkyTeam Steering Committee vice chairman and vice president-alliances, Northwest Airlines.

As BA announces more cabin crew strikes and flight cancellations next week, low cost customer friendly airline Thomsonfly is offering flights at taxes only on BA affected routes to Prague and Salzburg.

Thomsonfly wants to ensure no one misses out on their travel plans, so has dug deep and released first-come first-served tickets to fly with them instead, paying just taxes and charges. This applies to selected flights from London Gatwick, London Luton and Bournemouth airports.

source: Easier

There have been few reports of stranded travelers following implementation of a new rule requiring U.S. airline passengers to show a passport upon their return from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean.

Most travelers who forgot about the new requirement were allowed to enter after receiving a warning and a passport application. But their names were entered into the agency’s computer system, and they will be scrutinized if it happens again.

“‘Nobody’s being turned away,'” said Roxanne Hercules, an agency spokesman in Northern California. “‘These are mostly U.S. citizens coming home from traveling. We just are trying to inform them of the new rules.'”

source: phillyBurbs.com

Data released by the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington revealed airline delays hit record highs in 2006 due to weather concerns.

U.S. flights were delayed by 22.1 million minutes last year, exceeding the high totals for 1999 and 2000, when thunderstorm-related delays prompted threats against airlines from irate passengers and Congress, USA Today reported Friday.

The high number of 2006 delays meant 22 percent of flights on major airlines from the start of the year until November were delayed for at least 15 minutes. The majority of late flights were at New York’s three airports, the FAA records show.

British Airways was today forced to cancel virtually all of its flights out of London next Tuesday and Wednesday because of a strike by more than 11,000 cabin crew.

In a dramatic move, the airline scrapped all of its 550 flights from Heathrow and a further 170 from Gatwick.

Only six long-haul flights will still go ahead, from Gatwick. It means more than 150,000 passengers booked to fly with BA during the two strike days have been left with their winter holidays and business trips in ruins.

source: ThisIsLondon.co.uk

leeds-based low cost airline Jet2 is claiming an industry first by rolling out hand-held entertainment systems for passengers across its network.

The airline has piloted the service on a number of routes from Leeds-Bradford Airport ahead of today’s announcement.
The digital devices, available to hire from £5, offer a choice of more than 50 TV programmes, 50 music videos and 100 CD albums.

source: Leedstoday

A hijacker seized a Sudanese passenger plane carrying 103 people on Wednesday and forced the pilot at gunpoint to fly to the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, where he surrendered, officials said.

Saif Omer, Air West airline’s managing director, said the man walked out of the Boeing 737 after it landed in Chad and said he wanted asylum in Britain. No one was injured, Omer said.

source: kotv.com

Already preparing to launch flights to four new cities this year, Spirit Airlines’ CEO says the carrier could add at least that number or more in 2007 as it continues its push into Latin America and the Caribbean.

Spirit plans to start service from Fort Lauderdale to St. Maarten, Port-au-Prince and Caracas, Venezuela, in April. Flights to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, start in March. CEO Ben Baldanza told The DAILY he is in final discussions on more destinations, which he will unveil in the coming weeks.

The carrier’s focus on international spots from its Fort Lauderdale base to Latin and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, should move the carrier’s international capacity from 25% at the end of last year to 50% in 2007, Baldanza said. The airline is taking delivery of six Airbus aircraft in 2007 and three in 2008. Aircraft arriving in the next two years are part of a previous Airbus order. Earlier this week, Spirit tapped Airbus for 30 more A319s for delivery in 2009 through 2013.

source: Aviationweek.com

British Airways said that it has been advised by the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU) that the union has called off the first 24 hours of a planned 72 hours stoppage by cabin crew, due to begin on Jan 29.

The airline intends to announce a flying programme tomorrow for Jan 30 and Jan 31. Strikes are still scheduled to take place on those dates, followed by 72-hour walkouts on Feb 5 and Feb 12.

In the wake of the decision, British Airways said in a separate statement that the TGWU ”should act immediately” to call off its planned strikes completely.

source: Forbes

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!