Travel News Monkey

Spain’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

The 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.

The 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

Airline 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

Aeroflot is looking to Air France-KLM for help in its endeavor to buy Alitalia. This month could see a combined bid featuring Air France-KLM, Aeroflot, and the Italian bank UniCredit SpA. Alitalia considers Air-France-KLM to be the ideal buyer and if Aeroflot can join hands with the largest airline in Europe, it will gain an entry in the European transport market.

The “Open Skies” deal between the EU and the US has been accepted by consumer groups and travelers who feel that people will now have more choice in choosing an airline; however there are critics who feel that the deal is loaded in favor of the US and then there is the green brigade which feels that by agreeing to the open skies policy, EU is reneging on its commitment to take steps against pollution.

The landmark agreement opens up Heathrow airport for British and American airlines that can now use the airport for ferrying passengers across the pond. Currently, a whopping 40% of transatlantic flights for Europe leave from Heathrow. At present there are only 4 airlines that are allowed to fly that route; these include Virgin, British Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines. Read more.

When you think of ailments caused by flying, what do you think of? Jet Lag? Travel sickness? Deep Vein Thrombosis, or DVT, is another ailment that has received a fair bit of attention this decade, especially by those who travel by plane. While it’s not caused just by air travel, with over a billion passengers flying each year, excluding corporate flyers, it’s not surprising the focus has been on flight-induced DVT.

What Is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)?

Deep Vein Thrombosis refers to blood clots formed in the deep veins of the leg, which can occur during long period of cramped seating – such as on a bus, train or airplane. The condition has been declared relatively rare, occuring in only one or two of a thousand people. Preexisting risk factors determine the actual likelihood of getting DVT. The two veins most likely to be affected are the femoral and popliteal veins, both in the leg.
While it is still considered fairly rare, it can be a serious health risk for air travellers, especially those on regular long-haul flights. Frequent flyers are at even greater risk due to increased exposure to specific risk factors.

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Two enterprising businessmen have come up with the idea of starting an airline exclusively for deporting illegal immigrants back to their countries. The airline, Asylum Airlines will be operational in around three months’ time. The airline plans to ferry passengers from all over Europe to their homelands in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

The airline is an attractive proposition for governments that deport illegal entrants because of its cost effectiveness. Often, when deporting a failed refugee the administration has to book three seats in a plane, one for the deportee and two for policemen; plus there is always the threat of an unpleasant incident because of which commercial airlines are becoming loath to ferry refugees.

An increase in fuel prices and fears of terrorist strikes resulted in reduced profits for Aer Lingus in 2006. The Dublin based airline also had to contend with takeover bids from Ryanair. Read more.