Qantas Airways Offers Free Flights for Stranded Tourists

Qantas Airways offers free flights to passengers who were left stranded by the fleet grounding in a desperate bid to win them back. The Australian carrier and union workers meet today for talks.

Qantas Airways, one of the world’s biggest carriers, is giving away free air tickets to apologize to travellers who were left high and dry when airline’s entire fleet was grounded for two days in October.

Australia-based airline says that passengers whose travels were disrupted by the grounding are entitled to a free return economy flight within Australia or to New Zealand over a two-year period from Dec. 14.

The offer of free flights will reportedly cost the carrier which is not exactly known for its cheap flights somewhere around A $20 million.

“This ticket offer is one of a range of initiatives we will be launching as a way of saying sorry as we move forward into this period of stability,” said Alan Joyce, Qantas Chief Executive Officer in a statement.

“Throughout the long period of industrial activity we have been acutely aware of the impact on our customers,” Alan Joyce added. He also said that this was the airline’s way of winning back customer loyalty.

It has been reported that approximately 80,000 passengers were impacted when Australia’s flag carrier grounded all of its aircraft all over the world on Oct. 29 for about 48 hours. The move was made by the airline to counter long continuing industrial action.

Fair Work Australia intervened and ordered an end to the halt. The airline and the unions, representing engineers, long-haul pilots and baggage handlers, were given 21 days to reach a new contract or face obligatory arbitration.

As per the airline, the disruption cost Qantas A$68 million ($71 million).

Customers to be Compensated

Qantas says that passengers will be compensated for all reasonable losses ensuing from the fleet grounding. Alan Joyce said that the airline regrets the inconvenience caused by the long-standing dispute and by the grounding specifically.

“Now that no more industrial action can take place and the cloud of further strike action has lifted, we are 100 percent focused on what matters to customers, getting them to their destinations, safely, on time and in comfort, and in rewarding their loyalty to Qantas,” Alan Joyce was quoted in several news sources.

The airline also said that announcements in regards to overseas customers and frequent fliers will be made soon. Cheap flights tickets and other incentives can be expected.

Qantas Resumes Talks With Union

Qantas Airways and union members met for negotiations. This was the first meeting of the parties after the Australian airline halted its entire operations late last month over the labour dispute.

Secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, Steve Purvinas said another negotiating session was scheduled for Thursday.

“By today (Monday), we’ll know whether Qantas are interested in negotiating an outcome or whether they’ll continue to stonewall – which has been the case up until now,” Purvinas was quoted as saying in news reports.

On condition of anonymity, a Qantas spokesman said, “We are committed to the negotiations … and believe that we should be able to reach an agreement within the 21-day period.”

Virgin Atlantic Airways Start New Flights Route Between Vancouver to London Heathrow

Virgin Atlantic has announced a new route between Vancouver to London Heathrow. It will start in May 2012 and will continue till the end of October. It will be four-times-a-week service. The airline also added second flight to San Francisco.

Virgin Atlantic Airways yesterday announced the launch of a new seasonal route between Vancouver and London Heathrow Airport.

The new route that is expected to serve up to 40,000 travellers will be operational from May 2012 until the end of October. Virgin Atlantic will offer the flight service four times a week throughout the summer.

With London hosting the Olympic Games 2012 as well as commemorating the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne, the airline hopes that many Canadians would want to travel to the UK capital.

Reacting to the announcement, the Honourable Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia was quoted as stating, “Today’s announcement by Virgin Atlantic, of four new weekly flights between London and Vancouver, is positive news for British Columbia’s tourism industry.”

The Premier continued, “The United Kingdom is one of our key markets and also serves as a hub for other international travellers heading to our province. Virgin Atlantic is recognized around the world as a progressive airline and we look forward to welcoming their passengers to British Columbia when their service begins next summer.”

Virgin Atlantic plans to ply Airbus A340-300s on the new London-Vancouver route. The aircraft will have a configuration of 34 Upper Class suites, 35 Premium Economy seats and 171 Economy seats. The high number of economy class seats will ensure that travellers who seek cheap flights tickets will have better chances of netting them.

Flight VS95 will depart from London Heathrow (LHR) at 1:00 p.m. and will land at the Vancouver International Airport () at 3:10 p.m. Flight VS96 will take off from YVR at 7:50 p.m. and touch down at LHR the next day at 1:45 p.m. local time.

Additionally, Virgin Atlantic announced the launch of a second service between London and San Francisco. This service will be initiated from March 2012 and will run until October 2012. It will be a three times a week service (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).

Virgin Atlantic’s Flight VS41 will leave LHR at 1:00 p.m. and arrive at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) at 4:50 p.m. local time. Flight VS42 will take off SFO at 6:50 p.m. and land at LHR the subsequent day at 1:45 p.m.

Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Executive said, “The North American market has always been at the core of our business. Our success here has been due to our investment in product innovation and our willingness to respond to customer demand.”

“With almost 20,000 people flying from the UK to Canada each month in the peak season, the UK is the largest overseas market for passengers to British Columbia,” adds Ridgway.”

He hoped that more competition will mean better services and perhaps cheap flight tickets for the passengers.

“Greater competition to both Vancouver and San Francisco will benefit passengers through improved choice and better value for money,” he was further quoted in news reports.

As per the airline estimates, the increased flight frequency to San Francisco and Vancouver will create up to 430 jobs in aviation and tourism sectors in both cities.

Republic Airways Flight Service Pilots Threatened Strike

Republic Airways airline based in Indianapolis, is the parent airline that has a Chautauqua Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Republic Airlines and Shuttle America. Reportedly, Republic Airways airline service is threatened by strike pilots, because the pilot labor contract has expired.

Pilots who work for Indianapolis-based Republic Airways could go on strike soon, grounding thousands of flights.

The pilots union told 6News on Wednesday that there are three major issues in negotiations over a contract that ended four years ago.

Pilots said they want to protect their jobs from outsourcing, secure competitive pay and annual raises and get a change in scheduling.

Currently, pilots are only paid for the time they’re flying, not the hours they could be on a layover awaiting their next flight.

“I don’t want to see us go on strike. We understand if we do that we won’t receive a paycheck, and we have families to support as well and we also don’t want to hurt the company,” said Patrick Gannon, of the pilot’s union. “We want the company to be successful. We understand the more successful the company is, the more successful we are as a whole. We understand that. All we’re asking for is a fair contract.”

There is no set time for when pilots might strike. It depends on a federal mediator giving the OK, which could happen as early as next month.

Peter Kowalchuk, director of corporate communications for Republic, said Thursday that progress is being made in labor negotiations and that any potential strike wouldn’t affect holiday travel.

“Regardless of the strike vote, there’s a 30-day cooling off period, and even if they vote to strike, that wouldn’t happen until after the holidays,” Kowalchuk said.

Republic pilots fly a lot of connector flights for the major airlines, including those from Delta and United.

Most U.S. Airlines Raised Airfares to $10 per round trip

Most U.S. airlines raise airfares to $10 per round trip, as the airline attempts to increase revenue in the current year. These efforts have been made by the airline two weeks ago, but this attempt failed and eventually canceled.

United and Continental raised the minimum prices they’ll charge on sales and certain other fares, a spokesman said Thursday. The US Airways increase appeared to target business travelers.

The moves are the latest attempt by airlines to boost revenue during a normally slow time of year for travel. They succeeded in raising prices two weeks ago, but another fare hike last week fizzled and was eventually canceled.

US Airways Group Inc. confirmed Thursday that overnight it had raised fares by $4 to $10 per round trip. American said it was considering whether to match the increase. Southwest and JetBlue said they had not matched the increases.

Jamie Baker, an analyst for J.P. Morgan, said the US Airways price increases were on tickets favored by business travelers, including first-class and economy fares eligible for instant upgrade.

Airline officials have said that demand among corporate travelers has been holding up better than leisure travel because vacationers are more sensitive to small increases in price.

Airlines have been able to boost prices partly by limiting the number of flights and available seats. U.S. airlines have tried about 20 fare hikes this year, with half of them sticking. The others were rolled back, usually because some airlines – typically a low-cost carrier such as Southwest or JetBlue – declined to go along.

Efforts made by some airlines raise airline ticket can help increase revenue in the third quarter. Delta and United Continental Holdings Inc. earned more than $ 500 million respectively in the third quarter, while American Airlines parent AMR Corp. and Southwest Airlines Co. lost money.

Qatar Airways to Launch New International Flight From Doha to Benghazi

Qatar Airways announced new international flight to Benghazi, the newest route will take the number of destination launches by the airline to 15 during 2011, the airline said in a statement.

It said Benghazi was a destination which is underserved and will benefit from new international flights.

Benghazi, Libya’s north eastern Mediterranean port city and major economic centre, is a key destination for trade and exports.

Many industries including oil refining, food processing, cement production and tuna fishing, reside in the surrounding region of Cyrenaica, of which Benghazi is the capital, the carrier said.

Qatar Airways initially operated services to the capital Tripoli eight years ago. Flights are currently suspended due to the political situation, but are expected to resume soon, it added.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said: “Almost a year ago in Nice, I spoke about the possibility of expanding our Libyan operations, and I am delighted that we are now, within this short of a period, set to start flights to Benghazi, another key city in the country.

“We identified Benghazi as an underserved, primarily business destination, and now have the opportunity to bring this city into our fold.”

Benghazi will be the airline’s 13th route of the year, and precedes two other new route launches – Entebbe and Chongqing – starting on November 2 and November 28, respectively.

Etihad Airways announced last week that it would soon begin flights to Tripoli once it has been given security clearance.

The Libyan capital will become the fifth North African destination for the carrier, the Abu Dhabi carrier said in a statement.

James Hogan, CEO, said the airline was planning three flights a week to Tripoli as soon as the NATO no-fly zone is lifted and the airport is declared safe.

Air France Displace 1000 Flight Schedule Due as Cabin Crew Strike

Air France aims to operate at least 90 percent of flights today after support for a five-day cabin crew strike was hurt by labor deals that left the action backed by only four of the seven unions representing the 15,000 crew.

The CFTC and CFDT labor groups reached an agreement with Air France yesterday, when the carrier scrapped fewer than 10 percent of its more than 1,000 scheduled flights, joining the largest flight-attendant union, UNAC, in spurning the walkout.

Cabin crew aiming to overturn cuts to staffing levels on single-aisle jets are in the fourth day of an action spanning the All Saints Day holiday that’s one of France’s busiest. Air France is seeking to reduce costs after an earnings slump forced the exit of Pierre-Henri Gourgeon as chief executive officer.

“It’s extremely important for the carrier to get to grips with headwinds coming from the unions,” said Frank Skodzik, an analyst at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt with a “hold” rating on Air France-KLM stock. “Obviously, it has come at a very bad time with the public holiday, but in the longer term the damage to the brand and the share price is usually quite limited.”

Air France has tried to restrict terminations to high-frequency European routes where it’s easier to rebook seats. Today’s long-haul cancellations are confined to Paris flights to Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Montreal and New York John F. Kennedy.

U.S. services have been halted because passengers can usually be accommodated with partner Delta Air Lines Ltd.

Shares Extend Fall

Air France-KLM Group, Europe’s biggest carrier, fell as much as 4.6 percent to 52.69 euros in Paris, where it is based, and was trading at that price as of 10 a.m. local time, valuing the business at 1.58 billion euros ($2.17 billion).

The stock declined 6.9 percent yesterday and has tumbled 60 percent this year, the worst performance on the six-member Bloomberg EMEA Airlines Index, which is down 35 percent.

The Paris airports of Orly and Charles de Gaulle, Europe’s second busiest, and the terminal in Marseille are among those affected by the strike, which was prompted by Air France’s plans to cut a flight attendant from each of its Airbus SAS A319 jets, leaving three. The carrier says it has agreed to keep the number at four for trips over three hours and has also given ground on an issue regarding performance assessment.

Air France-KLM reported operating losses in two of the past three fiscal years following 11 years of profitability and is targeting nothing more than breakeven for 2011. Its reputation also took a hit after safety experts said pilot training was a factor in a 2009 crash that killed 228 people, a factor that spurred the reinstatement of Jean-Cyril Spinetta as CEO.

International Air Transport Association figures published yesterday show that global passenger traffic grew 5.6 percent last month, accelerating from a 4.6 percent gain in August, in what CEO Tony Tyler said was “a pleasant surprise.”

IATA said it’s still expecting a “general weakening” in coming months, with a continuing slump in freight traffic, which deepened to 2.7 percent in September from 2.4 percent in August, indicating the likely future trend for the passenger sector.

Norwegian Air Shuttle Provides Cheap Flights to Scandinavia with Boeing 787 Aircraft

You might not have heard of Norwegian Air Shuttle—they usually just do their flying under the Norwegian name—but you might want to add them to your airline “to-do” list. Right now the carrier kind of does mostly domestic routes here and there around Norway along with some international options to spots like Stockholm and Copenhagen. However, it’s the future we’re most interested in, because it sounds like as soon as they get some 787s, they’ll be headed to New York City.

Unfortunately the airline is a little ways down on the Boeing 787 delivery list, but once they do arrive there are already plans in place to link both Stockholm and Oslo with New York-JFK as early as two years from now. Scandinavia is perpetually on the travel to-do list, so maybe we’ll be checking that off over and over come 2013.

Not only will the new routes be served thanks to some assistance from Boeing’s newest birds, but these flights aboard Norwegian Air Shuttle will also be quite affordable—which is good news since stuff on the ground isn’t too cheap in Sweden and Norway. Assuming oil prices remain steady along with a bunch of other airline math, we could be looking at roundtrip flights as low as $350 or so. Flights could even go on sale as early as 2012 in advance of the following year, so get those credit cards ready.

Of course there’s plenty of uncertainly, and a lot of it depends on when Boeing actually delivers these plans to Norwegian—they’re actually leasing them through another company just in case you cared. Anyway, there’s even the possibility that Oslo and Stockholm could also be linked directly with nonstop flights to Bangkok rather than the Big Apple. Even if these proposed fares double in price it will still be quite a deal—especially on a 787—so we’ll definitely be following this over the next few months.

Aer Lingus Adds Extra Flights between Dublin and London Gatwick Airport

Aer Lingus will now run extra flights to and from Dublin to London Gatwick Airport. This means that Aer Lingus has more flights on this particular route than any other airline, as a result of increasing its capacity for passengers on this service by 56 percent. The new winter schedule for Aer Lingus will now include 6 flights per day between Dublin and London Gatwick, an increase from the 4 flights per day last year. The first flight will leave Dublin at 6:40 a.m., two hours earlier than last year, and it will be the first departure to London Gatwick by any airline. The first flight to leave London Gatwick for Dublin will be at 6:50 a.m.

There will also be a new 5:50 p.m. departure from London Gatwick, complementing the 6:50 p.m. departure, which will provide travelers an alternative option when flying at peak times. The new 7:50 p.m. departure from Dublin will go along with the 8:50 p.m. departure and also provide an alternative for those searching for UK flight deals. In addition, there will be a 12:55 p.m. departure from London Gatwick that fills in the gap between the existing 10:50 a.m. and 2:50 p.m. flights. Aer Lingus has a grand total of 27 flights in each direction from the Republic of Ireland to London, which means it has the highest frequency of flights between Ireland and London, more so than any other airline.

The Irish Government founded Aer Lingus in April 1936. Its low-cost, low fares mode is centered on maintaining effective fleet utilization and developing the Aer Lingus brand. The airline also provides a cargo transportation service, including services to the United States and Europe, as well as mail transportation services between Ireland and the United Kingdom.

American Airlines Provides Curbside Check-in Service at 28 International Airports

American Airlines said recently customers traveling internationally can now take advantage of curbside check-in at 28 airports that currently offer the service for domestic travelers.

Among the top markets offering the expanded curbside check-in service are Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago O’Hare and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, American said in a release.

The service is also available to travelers departing Fort Lauderdale, according to the airline’s website.

With curbside check-in customers can check-in for their flights at home online and then drop their bags curbside with a skycap before moving on to the security check-point to their gate in a seamless manner.

“Offering Curbside Check-in for travel to international destinations is another way American is expanding its products and services to better meet the needs and desires of customers traveling abroad,” said Tom Del Valle, American’s Senior Vice President – Airport Services, in a statement.

Another 31 U.S. markets are slated to offer the international curbside check-in service starting in November.

An American Airlines spokesperson said given the fairly extensive nature of the curbside check-in program, it took longer to expand the offering to international travelers.

The airline also had to balance offering this program with other priority services it has implemented to enhance the customer experience from curbside to baggage claim.

U.S. Airlines Plans to Increase Flights to Cuba

More airlines are preparing to fly to Cuba, according to the Wall Street Journal.

With restrictions on travel to the Communist-ruled island loosened earlier this year, four large U.S. airlines – American Airlines, JetBlue, United Continental and Delta Air Lines – will operate about 25 weekly flights to Cuba for charter companies by the end of the year, the report says.

Charter companies estimate about 400,000 Americans will fly to Cuba this year vs. 250,000 last year, the report says. In January, President Obama liberalized travel rules to Cuba for students and religious and cultural groups.

American has been flying to Cuba for two decades. JetBlue arrived last month. United Continental and Delta are resuming weekly service to Cuba after a seven-year hiatus, the report says.

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