Lufthansa considering bid for Portuguese carrier TAP
If Germany’s national carrier finally has its way, then Lufthansa flights to Latin America will become a possibility. Lufthansa’s owner Deutsche Lufthansa AG has indicated that it is considering a bid for the state-owned Portuguese carrier TAP SGPS SA.
Lufthansa in a statement said that it wants to strengthen its position in South America and safeguard its partnership with a key member of the Star Alliance.
The Government of Portugal has indicated that it is ready to sell TAP this year. The Portuguese government is planning to raise funds and comply with the terms of a 78 billion Euro bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
Christoph Meier, a Lufthansa spokesman, said that the airline will always welcome those approaching it, especially it’s a Star carrier. The airline will also be definitely looking at TAP, he said.
Singapore Airlines offering audio books onboard its flights
Passengers taking Singapore Airlines flights will now be offering a wider selection of audio books on KrisWorld, the airline’s award-winning in-flight entertainment system, through a joint collaboration with the National Library Board.
Singapore Airlines in a statement said that the passengers will be able to relax and enjoy a “good read” while onboard their flights without ever worrying to take their own books or eBook readers along with them during their trips.
According to the airline, initially there will be a batch of 13 audio books, including all-time favorites such as Dracula by Bram Stoker, Wizard Of Oz by L. Frank Baum and The War Of The Worlds by HG Wells. The passengers will get an opportunity to unwind themselves while listening to the narration of these classic tales while flying.
Tan Pee Teck, Senior Vice President Product and Services at Singapore Airlines, said that though audio books have been a feature in the airline’s in-flight entertainment offering for quite some time, the new selection of titles recommended by the National Library Board has broadened the range of fiction books.
Korean Air reports increase in its passenger traffic
Korean Air flights carried more passengers in the first quarter of this year. South Korea’s national carrier recently announced its preliminary traffic results and was quite upbeat at the outcome.
The airline in a statement said that its passenger traffic results showed a remarkable increase during the first three months of 2012 as compared to the same period in 2011.
According to Korean Air, its traffic on the international route increased 12.6 percent during Q1 2012 as compared to the same period last year. Its earning also increased 5.9 percent to $2.47 million (KRW 2.880 billion).
The airline further stated that its international traffic on all routes also grew with Oceania routes witnessing a 23 percent growth in passenger numbers. While, passenger traffic on Southeast Asia and China routes increased 18 percent and 14 percent respectively for Q1 2012.
Jet Airways to add one more flight to Dubai from Mumbai
There will be more Jet Airways flights from Mumbai to Dubai now. The airline recently announced it will be adding one more flight to Dubai from Mumbai. This will take the total number of flights to Dubai from Mumbai to four flights every day.
The airline in a statement said that the flights will depart from Mumbai during the afternoon providing easy connectivity to the passengers on its return. The flights will become operational from May 18, 2012.
Jet Airways recently stopped its flights services to Johannesburg in South Africa as they were not financially viable. The airline now wants to redeploy capacity on beneficial routes for its international operations.
Currently, Jet Airways operates six flights per day to the UAE from various cities in India, including the south Indian cities of Chennai and Hyderabad. The latest Mumbai-Dubai flight is the airline’s seventh addition in its UAE network. The airline hopes that the bolstering of the UAE network will be further strengthening its Indo-Gulf presence which it has been able to gain over the past five years.
Qantas Airways to aggressively boost capacity on domestic routes
Qantas Airways is initiating moves to tackle the stiff competition being posed by its rivals Virgin Australia and Tiger Airways.
Qantas Airways flights will see a boost in their capacities on various domestic routes in Australia. The airline’s move to boost capacity in order to maintain its 65 percent share of the domestic market in Australia is threatening a price war.
Travel experts said that Virgin Australia and Tiger Airways will resort to heavy discounting, particularly in the business class.
Virgin Australia is trying to attract lucrative corporate travelers in a big way. The airline recently deployed new Airbus A330 aircrafts on key business routes, renovated airport lounges in Sydney and Melbourne, and boosted its loyalty travel scheme.
Alan Joyce, Chief Executive of Qantas Airways, has, however, made it apparent that the airline will take all required steps to strongly defend its share of the market in response to Virgin Australia and Tiger Airways raising capacity on domestic routes.
Qatar Airways 2012 expansion plans announced
Qatar Airways recently announced it will be expanding its international network and begin new flights to the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The airline is also increasing capacity on a number of long-haul flights on international route from Doha.
Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, recently unveiled the airline’s 2012 expansion plans which will cover scores of markets across its global network.
Qatar Airways flights to Iraq are scheduled to begin in May and June this year. The airline will begin flights to Erbil in the north from May 23, 2012. Two weeks later, passengers would be able to buy Qatar Airways flights tickets for flights to Baghdad to be launched from June 7, 2012. The flights will be operated four-times every week nonstop from Doha on each route.
The airline also disclosed that it will be launching flights to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania from July 25, 2012. The daily flights to Kilimanjaro will be operated via Nairobi. Flights to Mombasa in Kenya are scheduled to be launched from August 15, 2012.
Qatar Airways will also be resuming its flights to Myanmar after a four-year absence. The flights between Doha and Yangon will start operating from October 3, 2012.
Philippine Airlines planning to buy 100 aircrafts after San Miguel deal
Philippine Airlines wants to reinvent itself after San Miguel Corp. acquired a stake in the company. The airline recently announced it is planning to buy at least 100 new aircrafts to bolster U.S. services and resume Philippine Airlines flights to Europe.
Ramon Ang and San Miguel Corp., the main owners of the airline, will jointly provide $1 billion to buy the new aircrafts.
Philippine Airlines in a statement said that it wants to join a global airline alliance in order to expand its reach on international routes and to compete with Singapore Airlines and Emirates Airline on long-haul routes.
The airline is planning to immediately resume flights to Europe once it buys the aircrafts. The possible destinations of the airline where it wants to begin new flights include Paris, London, Spain, New York, Chicago and Florida. In the U.S., Philippine Airlines flights are currently being operated out of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Vancouver.
US Airways launching flights from Austin and San Antonio to Philadelphia Sept 5
US Airways will be putting up on sale air tickets and offer attractive flight deals for flights on its new routes to be launched in September this year.
The airline recently announced it will be launching new, daily nonstop flights services from Austin and San Antonio to Philadelphia starting from September 5, 2012. The new flights will be offering customers in two of the largest cities in Texas – Austin and San Antonio – seamless access to destinations throughout the East Coast, Canada, Europe and the Middle East.
Apart from this, US Airways is also scheduled to start a sixth daily flight between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Philadelphia. A fourth and fifth daily flight between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Charlotte will also be launched. The new frequencies are also due to be operational from September 5 this year.
The airline will be deploying 99-seat, dual-class Embraer 190 aircrafts to operate new flights services from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and San Antonio International Airport to Philadelphia International Airport.
Oman Air wins Best Business Class Airline Middle East award for 2012
Sultanate of Oman’s flag carrier Oman Air recently announced it has won the ‘Best Business Class Airline, Middle East’ award for 2012. The airline was given the award at the prestigious Business Destinations Travel Awards 2012 ceremony held in London recently.
The readers of Business Destinations magazine, which is published in the UK every month, participated in the voting for the Business Destinations Travel Awards. The magazine is distributed in premium aircraft cabins, airport lounges and sold through retail outlets. It has a worldwide readership of more than 100,000.
Wayne Pearce, CEO of Oman Air, said that it is a matter of great delight that Oman Air has won the ‘Best Business Class Airline, Middle East’ in the Business Destinations Travel Awards. Last year, the airline had won the ‘Best Luxury Airline, Middle East’ category. He said that Oman Air’s quality premium service has been recognized for the second consecutive year.
Oman Air has introduced a brand new fleet of Airbus A330s on long-haul routes over the last two years. The airline is also offering onboard mobile phone and Wi-Fi connectivity on its First and Business Class flights.
Book American Airlines Miami-Barcelona flights and earn up to 20,000 bonus miles
American Airlines has incredible offer for those planning to book nonstop flights between Miami and Barcelona.
This is a great opportunity to get hold of cheap flights being offered between these two destinations and earn up to 20,000 AAdvantage bonus miles for every eligible round-trip (or half the bonus for one-way travel). This offer is valid for travel up till May 31, 2012.
Passengers taking Miami-Barcelona flights are being offered a choice of two classes of service on Boeing 767 aircraft – Business Class and Economy Class – by the airline.
According to the airline, the AAdvantage bonus mile offer is also valid for travel on codeshare flights by British Airways or Iberia and operated by American Airlines. This offer is applicable only for AAdvantage members who purchase and fly on published fare tickets. Bonus miles will be awarded based on the booking class purchased and do not count toward elite status qualification or Million Miler status.
Iberia suffers huge quarterly losses this year
Iberia flights have suffered huge losses in the first quarter of 2012. International Airlines Group (IAG), the owner of British Airways and Iberia, said that the company had to suffer big quarterly losses because of growing fuel costs and the impact of Spain’s economic crisis.
The company said that it was also hit by strike by its pilots at Iberia. The company reported losses of $335.08 million (263 million Euros) for the three months to March 31, against a deficit of $59.88 million (47 million Euros) a year earlier.
The company said that Iberia’s operating loss of $216.59 million (170 million Euros) clearly reflects the worsening performance of the airline from its Madrid hub and pilots’ strike.
Spirit Airlines announces traffic results for April 2012
Spirit Airlines recently announced its preliminary traffic results for April 2012. The airline was quite upbeat at the outcome.
The airline in a statement said that its traffic (revenue passenger miles) in April 2012 increased 15.2 percent as compared to the same month in 2011 on a capacity (available seat miles) increase of 16.2 percent. Its load factor for April 2012 was 84.0 percent, a decrease of 0.8 points as compared to the same month last year.
The ultra low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines currently operates more than 190 daily flights to over 50 destinations within the U.S., Latin America and Caribbean.
JetBlue Airways signs interline agreement with Turkish Airlines
JetBlue Airways flights will now be available to Istanbul from New York and Washington D.C. JetBlue Airways recently announced it has signed an interline agreement with Turkish Airlines aimed at connecting its networks at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.
The new interline partnership will allow customers of both the carriers to seamlessly connect and fly on a single ticket. Apart from this, they will also be able to enjoy facilities like check-in, hassle-free baggage transfer and scores of other benefits on both the carriers.
Turkish Airlines said that it is planning to strengthen its already robust schedule from New York by offering three daily nonstop flights to Istanbul this summer.
JetBlue Airways currently offers connections to a number of cities throughout the U.S., including Boston, Massachusetts; Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Hawaiian Airlines to begin Sapporo-Honolulu flights in November
Hawaiian Airlines flights will now begin to its fourth gateway in Japan. The airline recently announced it will be expanding its network in Japan further and will be starting flights between the northern city of Sapporo and Honolulu.
The airline in a statement said that it will begin service between Honolulu International Airport and New Chitose Airport on the island of Hokkaido thrice every week in November 2012, pending Japan government approval.
Hawaiian Airlines stated that Sapporo is the fourth Japanese destination introduced to its network in Japan. Earlier, the airline had launched flights to Tokyo in November 2010, Osaka in July 2011 and Fukuoka in April 2012. Hawaiian Airline's Sapporo flights will add nearly 41,000 new air seats annually to Hawaii from Japan.
Frontier Airlines to drop nonstop Tucson-Denver flights this summer
Frontier Airlines recently announced it will be dropping its nonstop flights to Denver from Tucson this summer. However, Frontier Airlines flights between these two destinations are expected to be resumed with seasonal fall and winter service.
The airline’s last flight to the Mile High City until fall will depart on May 16, 2012. The airline had been offering service to Denver from Tucson since 2002. Earlier, the airline was operating two daily flights, but later on dropped one flight in mid-April.
Though Frontier Airlines has dropped Tucson-Denver flights, the travelers from Tucson still have 6 daily nonstop flights to Denver to choose from. United Airlines is offering four flights, while Southwest Airlines is offering two flights here.
Frontier Airlines’ spokeswoman Lindsey Carpenter said that the airline is switching the Tucson flights to seasonal service because the flights weren’t sustainably profitable over the summer months, but have performed well in the other months.
Icelandair special flight deals from Boston, Washington D.C. and Seattle starting at $565
Icelandair is offering special flight deals for travel to various cities in Iceland as well as around the world. Icelandair flights bookings to various worldwide destinations are available starting from $565* round-trip.
Take the best advantage of this offer by booking your flights latest by May 17, 2012. The travel period starts from November 8 through December 13, 2012. The fares are available for travel from Boston, Washington D.C. and Seattle.
Fare Details:
- Boston to Trondheim – From $913*
- Boston to Reykjavik – From $565*
- Boston to London – From $776*
- Boston to Glasgow – From $754*
- Boston to Manchester – From $757*
- Boston to Amsterdam – From $854*
- Boston to Bergen – From $854*
- Boston to Copenhagen – From $854*
- Boston to Helsinki – From $814*
- Boston to Munchen – From $954*
- Boston to Oslo – From $854*
- Boston to Paris – From $857*
- Boston to Stavanger – From $900*
- Boston to Stockholm – From $854*
- Seattle to Reykjavik – From $625*
- Seattle to Amsterdam – From $984*
- Seattle to Paris – From $986*
- Seattle to Trondheim – From $925*
- Seattle to Frankfurt – From $1041*
- Seattle to Bergen – From $867*
- Seattle to Glasgow – From $890*
- Seattle to Helsinki – From $864*
- Seattle to London – From $879*
- Seattle to Oslo – From $867*
- Seattle to Stavanger – From $867*
- Seattle to Stockholm – From $904*
- Washington D.C. to Paris – From $955*
- Washington D.C. to Reykjavik – From $565*
- Washington D.C. to Amsterdam – From $954*
- Washington D.C. to Frankfurt – From $984*
- Washington D.C. to Bergen – From $767*
- Washington D.C. to Copenhagen – From $804*
- Washington D.C. to Glasgow – From $771*
- Washington D.C. to London – From $784*
- Washington D.C. to Oslo – From $767*
- Washington D.C. to Stavanger – From $767*
- Washington D.C. to Stockholm – From $766*
- Washington D.C. to Trondheim – From $837*
Terms & Conditions:
- Minimum Saturday night stay
- Valid for travel any day of the week
- Valid on Icelandair operated flights only
*The fares are round-trip including all government taxes and fuel surcharges. Additional baggage and optional service fees may apply.
Emirates Airlines to sponsor 15th Dubai Summer Surprises Festival
Emirates Airlines recently announced it will again be the main sponsor of this year’s 15th Dubai Summer Surprises Festival. According to the airline, the festival will coincide with the return of the Middle East region’s highly-popular Modhesh World, a family edutainment facility. This year’s festival slogan is “Dubai. Summer Fun and More”. The airline has been sponsoring the festival ever since its inception in 1998.
Ibrahim Saleh, Dubai Summer Surprises Festival co-ordinator general and deputy chief executive officer of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), said that every year the popularity of the festival is growing. More than 122,000 people from Qatar visited Dubai during the festival period in 2011. Khalid al-Serkal, Country Manager of Emirates Airlines, was also present along with Ibrahim Saleh during the media briefing.
The 15th Dubai Summer Surprises Festival will start from June 14 and will continue up to July 14, 2012. However, the activities at Modhesh World, the largest indoor edutainment of its kind in the region, will continue until the end of Eid al-Fitr, which is expected to be around August 22.
More than 20 daily Emirates Airlines flights will operate between Doha and Dubai to ease the high visitor traffic expected this year. Emirates Airlines currently operates five daily flights between Doha and Dubai, which will be increased to 6 in August this year.
Barbados – What’s legal and what’s not!
Imagine a strong British flavor minus the stuffiness of culture; what you get is Barbados. A British island nestled in the Caribbean; Barbados is one of the best places to immerse yourself in, if you want to experience the best elements of the British culture while pruning out the unwanted traits. Unabashedly casual at times, Barbados is the perfect place for a holiday but before you book the best airline tickets for flights to Barbados, here’s a list of what to do, what not to do including the best travel tips for Barbados.
Weather Woes?
Barbados climate is usually warm and sunny all throughout the year, though the nights tend to get cooler. The rains make their presence felt during the summer season, and extend from January to June. The sky never really remains overcast here and after a good spell of rain you can see clear blue sky. You don’t even need to bother with the occurrence of Hurricanes as the last one to hit the island was way back in 1955. Hence, all in all, you can book your flight tickets for anytime you w ant to and can be sure to find a pleasant weather here.
What to Pack?
Since it’s the Caribbean, you will do well to pack loose fitting, flowing garments, light summer dresses, smart casuals etc. the winter season as well as some summer evenings can bring a chill to the air, so a light wrap or jacket will do just fine. Sunglasses, sunscreen lotion are few other island essentials.
Island Logistics
The best way to move around and about the island is visa the public transport. Taxis as well as buses can prove to be useful, though you can easily hire a car. As you come out of the airport and before you step into any of the non-metered taxis make sure you reach an understanding with the cab driver on the rate he is going to charge you and also what currency does he expect – US dollars or Barbadian Dollars.
Restricted or Prohibited Items
Barbados is very much concerned about what you bring into its territory. To preserve its lush surroundings all visitors and their baggage will be checked for items including fruits, vegetables, seeds etc. Some items may require you to bring an import permit as well as a phytosanitary certificate. Besides this if illegal drugs or pornography is found on you or in your baggage, you may face prosecution.
What can you take out?
Britishers, Canadians and Americans all have different duty-free allowances for them. Check before hand to know how much of alcohol – beers and wine included perfumes and gift items you can take out and for what you will have to pay taxes.
Skinny Dipping?
If you though you could worship the sun in all your glory, then you will have to keep that instinct inn check as Barbados has illegalized nude bathing. There are no nude beaches in the country and you will do well to wear suitable attire while on a beach.
Book your cheap tickets to Barbados through Fare Buzz and at most affordable costs. Book cheap flights to Barbados online or call our travel agents at 888-808-4123 to save up to 60% on air fares!
Thai Airways launched nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Seoul
Thai Airways (THAI) recently announced the launch of its flights services between the United States and South Korea.
The airline in a statement said that it has started offering nonstop flights between Los Angeles and South Korea capital Seoul. The flights will be operated four days every week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The passengers taking Los Angeles-Seoul flights are being offered air tickets starting at $1,075.
The airline is also offering a special promotional fare of $100 per stopover as a bonus for passengers traveling between Los Angeles and Bangkok, who want to extend their destination to Seoul, Hong Kong, Taipei or Phuket.
Thai Airways said that it will deploy a new Boeing 777-200ER aircraft on Los Angeles-Seoul route. The new aircraft will be configured with 30 Royal Silk Business Class and 262 Economy Class seats.
The airline also stated that it will be offering at least one Korean meal onboard Los Angeles-Seoul flight. Apart from this, a Korean-speaking flight attendant will also provide assistance to passengers to overcome any language barriers.
A Guide to the Ins and Outs of Bahamas
The Bahamas have always exerted an indescribable pull for all and sundry. After all who hasn’t dreamt of a beautiful vacation spent in the dazzling environs of the many Bahamas islands? An island nation that definitely warrants at least one visit, if you have booked your flight deals or are considering buying airline tickets on cheap flights to Bahamas, then read onto know the most important travel tips, you can hope to know as a tourist. The fact is that the more you know about the country and its rules and customs, the better your holiday experience is likely to be!
Entry Requirements
If you are a US visitor who plans to board here for duration up to eight months, you would need to show your already booked return ticket along with a passport or official birth certificate. For naturalized citizens, Green Card holders and Canadian visitors, you need to show your passport along with a green card (not for Canadian visitors). If you are from any other country in the world, a visa along with the passport may be asked for.
Customs Regulations & Taxes
As you land in Bahamas, it is required for you to fill up the form on immigration and keep a segment of this with you at all hours during your stay here. For those of you who are wondering about what can be brought in and taken out then here is the list. Every adult has the right to bring with him/her one pound of tobacco or two hundred cigarettes, a quarter of spirits, fifty cigars and a host of items that include a bicycle, headsets, still cameras (maximum two) etc. Besides this, you can purchase anything you want up to $ 100, on arrival.
Once done with your vacation, as you prepare to leave the country, you will have to pay a departure tax, which is levied on all above the age of six. Passengers headed to the US can take along with them duty-free material worth $ 600. After that every thousand dollars worth of merchandise is going to be taxed at 10%. Out of spirits and cigarettes, one liter of alcohol is allowed to go as duty-free as well as five cartons of cigarettes.
When to go and what to pack
Bahamas have a temperate climate. The best time to book your cheap tickets to Bahamas for is from September to May as the weather is gorgeous and remains the most pleasant then. The clothing items you can pack into your suitcases include light, casual summer dresses and beachwear. If going to some chic restaurant or casino, keep in mind to carry a jacket. Avoid wearing bikinis and shorts once away from the beach areas, as it is not really favored that much.
During the months of December, January and February, you will do good to wear something warm as the evenings tend to get slightly cold. Book your flights to Bahamas through Fare Buzz and at most affordable costs. Book online or call our travel agents at 888-808-4123 to save up to 60% on air fares!
