In a development that surely has the bosses at British Airways breathing a sigh of relief the cabin crew of British Airways has agreed in overwhelming numbers to the new pay contract. 76% of the cabin crew has voted in favor of an agreement on pay, sick leave, and pensions.
Archive for April, 2007
British Airways cabin crew agrees to pay contract
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007Ryanair to tap transatlantic market
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007Ryanair plans to take advantage of the relaxing of rules through the “open air†policy between America and the EU. The company wishes to start a discount airline that will fly from the existing Ryanair bases in London, Dublin, and Frankfurt. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary feels that the new airline will be functional in three to four years. Oh yes, the starting fare will be around $12. It remains to be seen how Ryanair performs in this already super competitive market, though till date it has had an excellent business record.
Travel trends of American tourists to Europe
Monday, April 9th, 2007Even a weak dollar in 2006 could not dampen the enthusiasm of American tourists to Europe. Thirteen million Americans visited Europe in 2006 and this was a 4% increase over the previous year. Short trips to Europe are becoming popular; incredibly US citizens, especially those on the East Coast are heading to Europe. Also, wanderlust driven Americans are venturing away from the main tourist destinations in a bid to discover the real Europe. This has helped to put Eastern Europe on the map for American tourists who have already been to London, Paris, and Madrid. Read more
Travel cheap in Europe
Monday, April 9th, 2007Travel in Europe through its well-networked roads and rail is a great way to discover the cities. Air travel costs are at an all-time low thanks to budget airlines. Yet you need to be careful about taxes, payment through credit cards, and the extra cost of food and drinks. Luggage restrictions also apply; for example easyJet allows you 44 pounds of luggage free of charge whereas with British Airways you can carry one piece of luggage of 51 pounds for free.
Former communist countries in Europe attracting tourists
Monday, April 9th, 2007The opening up of Eastern Europe after the fall of the iron curtain has piqued global interest in this region. There is a lot of up-to-date literature available on the best places to visit in Eastern Europe and the things you can do there. These include Frommer’s “Eastern Europe” , the DK Eyewitness Travel guides on the “Czech & Slovak Republics,” “Cracow” and a “Top 10 Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast.” Read more
Consolidation on cards in the European air industry
Monday, April 9th, 2007Spain’s biggest airline, Iberia, is up for sale and the Texas Pacific Group (TPG) is interested in it. It could be joined in its bid by Lufthansa and British Airways. The deal could herald major structural changes that will alter the landscape of European airline industry. British Midland (BMI) could be taken over by BA and Virgin Atlantic, Alitalia could go to Aeroflot and Air Berlin could acquire Condor. Read more
Americans in Europe
Saturday, April 7th, 2007America’s abiding love affair with Europe will see more than a million tourists each month visit the old continent between the months May and September. European culture and cuisine has attracted tourists from the US every year and the European Travel Commission expects 2007 to be another great year for European tourism.
Germany, France, Britain, Holland and other European countries have a host of events that are bound to capture the imagination of the visiting Americans. For example, Dickens World which will open in Kent, England in late April will allow visitors to experience Victorian England of the late 19th century. Holland is promoting 2007 as the year of “Dance and Music†and tourists to this land of tulips and chocolate can expect to enjoy vibrant music festivals. Read more
Low cost airlines changing travel norms
Saturday, April 7th, 2007The emergence of low-cost airlines in Europe has changed the way people travel for business and leisure. Factors that have contributed to the shrinking of Europe as travel becomes easier include the fall of the iron curtain and the growth of the EU with countries from East Europe joining it. An example of connectivity between Western Europe and Eastern Europe is the number of flights between Poland and England. There are 27 services between the two countries that link a dozen cities on each side. Read more.
More traffic on Air France-KLM
Saturday, April 7th, 2007The biggest airline in Europe, Air France-KLM has registered an increase in passenger traffic in March. The 7.5% increase saw 6.3 million travelers in the past month. The merger of Air France and KLM has allowed the new airline to use bases in Paris and Amsterdam for offering connecting flights to passengers. Flights to Asia and within Europe contributed to the growth in traffic. Read more
European airlines asked by EU to shape up
Saturday, April 7th, 2007Airline passengers on both sides of the Atlantic are up to their neck with inefficiencies suffered during air travel. In Europe, the increase in the number of passenger complaints has moved the EU to place an ultimatum to the airlines. They need to enforce customer protection rules to ensure that flight delays, flight cancellations, tarmac delays, misplaced luggage, etc are brought under control. In Europe, the country with the most roiled passengers is Great Britain where more than 6000 passengers filed complaints between February 2005 and September 2006. Read more