Tag Archives: travel

British Airways and Japan Airlines to start their joint venture on October 1

British Airways (London) and JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) will start their new joint venture on October 1.

British Airways issued the following statement:

British Airways and Japan Airlines (JAL) will begin a joint business agreement with the two airlines sharing revenue on applicable flights between Europe and Japan.

The joint business, which starts on October 1, 2012, will benefit customers by providing better links between Europe and Japan, greater choice of flights to more destinations, enhanced frequent flyer benefits and the potential to launch new routes.

British Airways and JAL, both members of the oneworld® alliance, have been forging ever closer ties in their evolution to the joint business. Earlier this month, JAL and British Airways began offering codeshare flights between Tokyo (Haneda and Narita) and London (Heathrow). The joint business will now see the two airlines co-operating on all non-stop flights operated by JAL or British Airways between Japan and Europe. This will not only include the 19 weekly services between the UK and Japan, but also JAL’s services to Paris and Frankfurt. This gives customers the flexibility of using a combination of JAL and British Airways flights and aligned fares on their journey to and from Japan and Europe, significantly increasing their options.

JAL and British Airways will also be improving flight transfers for customers by enhancing and expanding the codeshare network beyond their respective hub cities. JAL customers will, be able to book seats to the new codeshare destinations of Belfast, Helsinki, Frankfurt, and Gothenburg. British Airways will extend its reach to more destinations in Japan by codesharing on flights to Kansai, Okayama, Izumo, Okinawa, Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Kagoshima. Further expansion of codeshare arrangements are expected in the future. The websites of the two airlines will also be updated to enable customers to make bookings and check-in online, and access the flight information they need, irrespective of the carrier they are flying on.

Customers participating in JAL and British Airways’ loyalty programs will continue to enjoy reciprocal benefits as customers of oneworld, but top tier members of the respective loyalty schemes will now have the opportunity to earn bonus points on applicable flights on either airline.

In other news, British Airways will start nonstop London (Gatwick)-Alicante Boeing 737-400 service service on March 31, 2013 per Airline Route.

Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Boeing 767-336 ER G-BNWD (msn 24336) climbs away from the London (Heathrow) hub.

British Airways:

JAL-Japan Airlines:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Ken Petersen. Boeing 767-346 ER JA615J (msn 33850) in the special Samantha Thavasa motif lands at the Tokyo (Narita) hub.

Allegiant to start two new routes from Mesa, Arizona in December

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) will start two new routes from Mesa, Arizona (west Phoenix) in December. Twice-weekly Mesa-Oakland service will be added on December 15 followed by twice-weekly Mesa-Casper, Wyoming service on December 20 per Airline Route.

Allegiant Air:

US Airways’ flight attendants reject the new contract

US Airways‘ (Phoenix) flight attendants, represented by the the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), voted 51 percent against ratifying the proposed five-year agreement that would have amended existing contracts for the 6,800 flight attendants.

US Airways issued the following statement:

Flight attendants at US Airways, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) have voted 51 percent to 49 percent to not ratify a proposed five-year collective bargaining agreement between the carrier and AFA. US Airways and AFA reached a tentative agreement on August 7, 2012 that would have amended existing contracts for the airline’s 6,800 flight attendants who are based in its three hub cities of Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Phoenix and its Washington, D.C. focus city.

“We are disappointed that our flight attendants chose to vote against ratification of a new contract,” said Doug Parker, US Airways’ Chairman and CEO. “The tentative agreement was unanimously endorsed by AFA leaders in each domicile and by the members of the AFA negotiating committee, and we thank them for their leadership. We would also like to express our appreciation to National Mediation Board Member Linda Puchala and Mediator Jim Mackenzie and Veda Shook, AFA’s International President, for their assistance in reaching the tentative agreement. Going forward, our current collective bargaining agreements remain in place, and we will consult with the National Mediation Board (NMB) to determine the next steps.”

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Airbus A319-112 N745VJ (msn 1289) painted in the 1966 Allegheny Airlines legacy livery taxies to the runway at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport hub.

US Airways:

Thai takes delivery of its first Airbus A380 today in Toulouse

Thai Airways International (Bangkok) has taken delivery of its first A380, becoming the ninth airline to operate the world’s largest airliner. The aircraft was handed over to Captain Montree Jumrieng, Executive Vice President Technical, by Kiran Rao, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Airbus, at a special ceremony in Toulouse today.

Thai has ordered six A380s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines. The airline has specified a premium three class layout for its fleet, seating a total of 507 passengers. All classes feature new cabin designs, with 12 private suites in First Class, 60 fully flat sleeper seats in Royal Silk Class and 435 seats in Economy. All seats are equipped with the latest on-demand in-flight entertainment systems, communication outlets and individual power supply.

Thai will inaugurate commercial service with the A380 in early October on the Bangkok – Hong Kong and Bangkok – Singapore routes. As more aircraft are delivered, the airline will begin service to Frankfurt at the end of the year, followed by Tokyo and Paris early in 2013.

Thai Airways International:

Island Air takes delivery of its first ATR 72 and introduces a new look

Island Air (Hawaii) (Honolulu) has taken delivery of its first ATR 72-200. The pictured former American Eagle Airlines (Executive Airlines) ATR 72-212 registered as N348AE (msn 349) arrived at the pictured Honolulu base on September 23. N348AE will become N941WP with Island Air. The new type also introduces this new livery.

Route Map:

Please click on the map for the full view.

Swiss to serve Singapore again

Swiss International Air Lines (Zurich) is adding Singapore again to its route network on May 12, 2013 with daily nonstop service from the Zurich hub. The route will be served with 219-seat Airbus A340-300s.

The new flights mark a return to the city-state for Swiss. Swiss served Singapore from its foundation until spring 2009, though this previous service was routed via Bangkok.

Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl. When Swiss added the new route to San Francisco it created this special “San Francisco” color scheme on Airbus A340-313X HB-JMJ (msn 150). HB-JMJ is pictured departing from the Zurich hub.

Swiss International Air Lines:

Ryanair to start new service to Lublin, Poland

Ryanair (Dublin) has announced it will open a new route between London (Stansted) and Lublin – its 11^th Polish airport on December 17, bringing its Stansted winter schedule to 95 routes, including new winter routes to Budapest and Warsaw (Modlin), as well as ski routes to Grenoble, Salzburg and Turin.

The ultra low fare carrier also announced it open a new route between Dublin and Lublin – its 11^th Polish airport on December 18, bringing its Dublin winter schedule to 54 routes, including new winter routes to Budapest and Warsaw (Modlin), as well as ski routes to Grenoble, Salzburg and Turin.

Ryanair:

Virgin America to offer nonstop New York-Palm Springs weekly flights

Virgin America (San Francisco) has announced new flights to Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) from both San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The airline is expanding its footprint at PSP, with a new 2012-2013 seasonal flight schedule that will include a new weekly Saturday nonstop flight from JFK to PSP – the only nonstop flight offered from the New York City area to Palm Springs. The new nonstop flight will add to Virgin America’s seasonal daily connecting flight schedule from JFK to PSP and its seasonal daily nonstop schedule from SFO to PSP.

Virgin America’s 2012-2013 nonstop PSP flight schedule is as follows:

San Francisco (SFO) – Palm Springs (PSP)				Palm Springs (PSP) – San Francisco (SFO)

Dep	Arr	Freq	Start date	Dep	Arr	Freq	Start date
4:40 PM	6:10 PM	Daily	18-Oct-12	6:55 PM	8:30 PM	Daily	18-Oct-12
9:30 AM	10:50 AM	Sat only	12-Jan-13	6:55 PM	8:30 PM	Daily except Sat	12-Jan-13
				11:35 AM	1:00 PM	Sat only	12-Jan-13
				9:35 AM	10:59 AM	Sun only	13-Jan-13

New York (JFK) – Palm Springs (PSP)				Palm Springs (PSP) – New York (JFK)

Dep	Arr	Freq	Start date	Dep	Arr	Freq	Start date
10:55 AM	2:00 PM	Sat only	22-Dec-12	2:55 PM	10:45 PM	Sat only	22-Dec-12

Connecting flights are also available from PSP to Virgin America’s New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), Philadelphia (PHL), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Washington D.C. (IAD) cities.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Named “Virgin and Tonic”, Airbus A319-112 N525VA (msn 3324) approaches Los Angeles for landing.

Virgin America:

Spirit Airlines launches new routes from Houston

Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) on September 20 launched its ultra low fare service between Houston (Bush Intercontinental) and Dallas/Fort Worth. Spirit now offers twice daily nonstop flights between Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with connections available to 12 destinations throughout the Americas, including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Oakland/San Francisco, Phoenix/Mesa, Portland (Oregon), Tampa, and Toluca/Mexico City.

Spirit is also introducing daily nonstop service from Houston to Chicago O’Hare and Las Vegas on October 4, 2012.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Airbus A319-132 N534NK (msn 3395) prepares to land at Los Angeles International Airport.

Spirit Airlines:

Qatar Airways to drop Stuttgart on October 28

Qatar Airways (Doha) is reportedly planning to drop Stuttgart, Germany on October 28. The three roundtrips are operated from Doha to Stuttgart via a stop in Zurich. Zurich will continue to be served.

In other news, the airline will add a new destination in Saudi Arabia. Gassim will become Qatar Airways’ fifth destination in the country, where it already serves Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina.

The airline will operate four-flights-a-week to the central Saudi city of Gassim, offering travellers a greater choice of travel options to more than 100 destinations around the world served by the airline via its Doha hub. The Gassim route will be operated with an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in First Class and 132 in Economy.

Situated 400 kilometers northwest of Riyadh, Gassim is Saudi Arabia’s seventh most populated province with a rich agricultural industry.

Read the full report from Business Traveller: CLICK HERE

Qatar Airways: