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Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
Travel agents Thomas Cook and Thomson have announced that the rising price of oil will mean additional fuel surcharges for their customers. Thomas Cook is making the levy applicable immediately and Thomson will be pushing up holiday prices as of Friday.
The decision to charge extra comes as the political situation in the Middle East remains uncertain.
Thomas Cook’s supplementary charges will add £15 to the price of a ticket on a short-haul flight of up to three hours. A journey which is more than three hours but less than seven will cost passengers an additional £25 and any journey over seven hours will be an extra £40.
As well as being a response to the current price of oil – a barrel of Brent Crude is currently about $112 – Thomas Cook is introducing a levy to cover the longer-term price increases. At the start of 2010 crude stood at around $87 per barrel. As the world’s economies started to pick up so did the value of oil. Jet fuel is now around 40 per cent more expensive than it was just over a year ago and many travel firms are being forced to pass this cost onto the consumer.
British Airways has already pushed up its fuel surcharges and other airlines are likely to follow. Willie Walsh, CEO of the recently formed International Airlines Group – a tie-up between BA and Spanish carrier Iberia – said he could not rule out further surcharge increases for the group. He added that the price of oil and the situation in the Middle East was being scrutinised closely.
Tags: BA, British Airways, fuel, Iberia, International Airlines Group, middle east, oil, thomas cook, thomson, willie walsh
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Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
Leading internet travel agent ebookers.com has recorded a massive rise in customers searching for travel deals to popular tourist destinations such as Dubai and Miami. One of the reasons for the increased interest is the recent social and political unrest in Egypt which saw thousands of holidaymakers have their plans for some winter sun ruined.
Although the Foreign Office has relaxed its warnings about visiting major cities such as Cairo and Alexandria, the tourism industry is likely to take some time to recover.
Popular resorts in the Red Sea remained open during the troubles with travel firms keen to state that it was business as usual and that the situation remained calm throughout.
However, the turmoil helped internet searches for travel to Dubai rocket by 42 per cent in January compared to a year earlier. Searches for package deals to Miami increased 32 per cent year-on-year.
Marketing chief at ebookers UK, Mario Bounas, said: “Recent political unrest in Egypt has meant travellers have had to turn to other exotic sun destinations when searching for their next holiday. These latest figures certainly show Miami and Dubai have benefited from the issues in Egypt however, now the Foreign Office have removed their advisory not to travel to the Red Sea and Luxor, there are some fantastic offers available as operators try to lure travellers back. Holidaymakers can save up to 30% on some of the deals available but they won’t be around forever, so we’d advise travellers to bite the bullet and book now!”
Tags: Dubai, ebookers.com, egypt, Foreign Office, Miami, travel agent, travel firms, winter sun
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Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
Although last year was a challenging one for many of the world’s airlines, the outlook for 2011 seems to be somewhat brighter. British Airways has reported that it has seen growth in premium traffic already, both domestically and internationally. In January, the flag-carrier announced that the number of passengers’ purchasing premium tickets had risen 7.4 per cent on the same month a year earlier.
According to the airline’s regional commercial manager for the Middle East, Paolo De Renzis, BA is keen to maintain the momentum by offering customers reduced fares on business class tickets from the Emirates to destinations in the US and Europe. He added that by doing so BA would be able to offer more comfort and a better service at a fraction of the price usually paid by customers.
The discounted premium fares can be purchased before 28 February this year and bookings can be made for travel before 30 September. Customers booking a business class seat in Club World will also be offered the opportunity to sort out their car hire and hotel requirements at the same time.
De Renzis said that the special fares were being offered to maintain growth in the UAE, currently one of the regions where airlines appear to be flourishing. He added that BA remained committed to developing and investing in improved services for its customers including the introduction of a new first class cabin on routes to and from the Middle East.
Further information on all services can be found on the BA website.
Tags: airlines, BA, British Airways, car hire, Club World, hotel
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Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
Low-cost carrier Jet2 has announced that in the face of massive demand from customers for cheap flights to and from Portugal and Spain this summer, it will be expanding the number of services to the countries from airports in England’s north and Scotland. The airline said that although it will be increasing the number of seats available, they are likely to sell out quickly and advised those wishing to get the best deals to search their flights and book them as soon as possible.
Holidaymakers choosing to fly out of Leeds Bradford Airport will now be able to choose from four services a week to Tenerife, the popular Canary Island hotspot, as the airline adds an extra Thursday service. Leeds Bradford travellers will also be offered the opportunity of taking a seat on an extra service to Murcia in Spain which will depart on Sunday mornings.
Scottish travellers will benefit from an increased number of flights from Glasgow Airport which will now have six departures to Majorca every week. Those wishing to fly to Alicante from Newcastle can take advantage of the airport’s additional two flights per week.
Manchester Airport has confirmed that it will be ramping up the number of services passengers can choose from to Majorca and Alicante by operating two flights per day on Fridays and on Sundays.
Manchester also said it will be making flight times to destinations in Turkey more passenger-friendly and increasing the number of budget seats available to popular summer destinations like Malaga and Ibiza.
Tags: airline, cheap flights, Glasgow Airport, jet2, Leeds Bradford airport, manchester airport, Portugal, Spain, Turkey
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Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
Car rental firm Avis is offering some top tips for travel destinations in the UK to be enjoyed in conjunction with the Royal Wedding in April. The vehicle hire leader has conducted research which shows that around a third of those intending to take a holiday this year will do so within the British Isles.
One of the most convenient ways to travel for those who do not already own a vehicle, or who are interested in trying a different driving experience, is through car hire with Avis. The firm’s rates start as low as £16 per day. Customers who sign up to the Avis Preferred service are guaranteed that their car keys will be in their hands within just three minutes of entering the Avis station, or they will be handed £20.
Avis UK’s marketing boss, Nick Mountfield, said: “Easter is always a very popular time of year to go away, but with the Royal Wedding happening this year, more people are choosing to holiday here instead. The extra bank holidays mean that by booking three days off work, Britons can actually have a whole week’s break and we’re already seeing more demand as people rush to firm up their travel plans.
“The UK has thousands of fantastic holiday destinations that are ideal for days out, weekends away and longer holidays, so we’re encouraging holidaymakers to make the most of their time off and explore the UK.”
He added that: “We’re definitely seeing a demand for booking early this Easter, so I’d urge customers to think ahead and book now in order to guarantee their vehicle of choice this April.”
Tags: Avis, Avis Preferred, car hire, car rental, Easter, Royal Wedding, travel
Posted in Car Rental News | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
As airlines look to the emerging markets to boost capacity and revenues, India is being bombarded with requests for more seat allocations. Carriers including Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qatar are all clamouring for seat entitlements both from and to the sub-continent.
However, the big internationals are set for a tussle with domestic carriers also looking to increase their seating allowance. Ministry of civil aviation officials have confirmed that airlines from countries such as Germany, Singapore, the UAE and Qatar have submitted requests for more destinations and more seats within India.
Officials added that currently Qatar Airways has an allocation of 23,000 seats each week. However, in 2009, the carrier was offered between 7,000 and 8,000 new seats, but is still to use all of them. Emirates is allowed 54,000 seats, and has already applied for more. The officials added that they were looking carefully at the requests from foreign airlines but would like to see Indian airlines being allocated a higher proportion of seats available internationally.
Domestic carriers IndiGO and Kingfisher have been granted permission to fly services to Colombo out of various airports. SpiceJet and Air India already serve the Sri Lankan hub out of Chennai. Jet Airways, which already flies daily services to Milan, has been given permission to fly between Bombay and Rome. The carrier will also fly services from Bombay to Amsterdam – the first Indian airline ever to do so.
IndiGO has also been told that it can expand operations by joining Kingfisher, Jet Airways and Air India to Singapore.
Tags: Air India, airlines, Emirates, india, IndiGO, jet airways, Kingfisher, Lufthansa, Qatar, Singapore Airlines
Posted in Finance and Business | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
UK budget carrier Jet2 has released a statement in which it says the airline will be cancelling all flights to Tunisia this summer following the recent violence. The decision has been called a knee-jerk reaction by a number of travel experts. In the statement, the airline pointed out that it was always its top priority to ensure the safety of its passengers. The carrier added that by announcing the cancellations now, customers would have enough time to reorganise their summer holiday travel plans.
Holiday firms, including Thomas Cook and Thomson, were quick to lay on extra flights from Tunisia after riots gripped the country at the end of last week. Both have said they will not be scheduling any flights to Tunisia until 23 January at the earliest.
Jet2 is not scheduled to fly any summer services to the North African country until April and is therefore being called overcautious by some in the industry. Bob Atkinson, a travel expert with online price comparator Moneysupermarket.com, condemned the decision. He said the airline should not be too quick to judge the resilience of both Tunisia and those wishing to travel to Tunisia.
He argued that the country heavily relied on tourism as part of its economy and that it would be damaging to local businesses if airlines decided to keep their passengers away.
Atkinson went on to predict a boom for the country when the Foreign Office revised its advice, and that many operators were likely to offer cut price deals to encourage tourists to go back.
Tags: airline, Budget, Foreign Office, jet2, passengers, thomas cook, thomson, tunisia
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
The Discovery Channel will be working with Singapore Airlines over the next twelve months to promote the unique services the airline provides after recently signing a sponsorship deal. A new travel microsite has been set up which is co-branded and will feature write ups on the airline’s specialist features, products and guides to a number of destinations around the globe. The Discovery Channel will also put out short programmes about the carrier’s fleet of superjumbo A380s: the largest airliner in the world.
A campaign has been developed to promote Singapore Airlines’ exclusive offerings such as its entertainment system, gourmet menus and luxury cabins. A major feature of the tie-up will be the chance for Discovery Channel viewers to take part in quarterly competitions to win a luxury trip courtesy of the airline.
Discovery Network’s Brand Solutions Manager, Jane Reynolds, said the new partnership would add value to what the Discovery Channel could offer to the consumer. She added that she believed the channel and the airline were a natural fit for one another and was pleased to announce the first ever partnership of its kind with the network.
Singapore Airlines sales and marketing chief for the UK and Ireland, Tony Lusk, said the carrier was extremely proud to be part of the new venture. He added that because of both shared an interest in using new technologies to enhance the experience of their customers the airline and the channel were a perfect fit.
He went on to say that he hoped customers would continue to enjoy exploring the planet whether via their televisions or with Singapore Airlines.
Tags: A380, airline, Discovery Channel, Discovery Network, luxury, Singapore Airlines, superjumbo
Posted in UK News | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011
As the airline business in Asia becomes increasingly competitive, Singapore Airlines may look at selling off its share in Virgin Atlantic in order to concentrate its efforts in the region. The stake in Sir Richard Branson’s carrier was purchased in 2000 for £600 million when Singapore was looking to expand. However, former chief executive officer, Chew Choon Seng, said the stake had failed to perform and that a sell-off was definitely an option.
Singapore Airlines now has a new CEO. Goh Choon Phong took over the top position on 1 January and is likely to look seriously at divesting the airline’s share in Virgin Atlantic. Over the past decade, Singapore has found itself contending with the rise of the budget carrier such as AirAsia and Jetstar.
Other airlines, including Korean and Cathay Pacific, have also renewed their efforts to attract those flying in business class. A further threat to Singapore’s market share comes from the Middle East where carriers including Etihad, Emirates and Qatar are rapidly growing their fleets to contend on routes linking their hubs to Europe and the Asia Pacific.
Virgin Atlantic has also said that it was looking into offers of and alliance with a number of carriers. However, it is unlikely that a tie-up will be attractive if Singapore holds onto its share or if Sir Richard does not sell off at least part of his controlling 51 per cent stake in the airline.
Singapore is in no hurry to sell, until the right offer is made, as it is not short of funds.
Tags: airasia, cathay pacific, Emirates, etihad, jetstar, Qatar, Richard Branson, Singapore Airlines, virgin atlantic
Posted in Finance and Business | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
Britain’s motorists should prepare themselves for a 3.5 pence per litre price hike at the petrol pumps in the new year, warns the AA. Just before Christmas, the price of a litre of fuel hit a record high of 123 pence as the price of a barrel of oil crept over the $90 mark. On 1 January, the government will increase fuel duty by 0.76 pence per litre and on 4 January VAT will go up by 2.5 per cent to 20 per cent.
A spokesman for the AA said that motorists should be aware that uncertainty in the oil markets and further expected tax rises could push the price of filling their cars with fuel even higher. He added that unless the pound gains on the dollar or unless the oil industry settles down, 2011 is going to be very pricey for the country’s car owners.
The AA has not shied away from blaming oil companies and distributors from profiteering. However, industry experts have hit back at suggestions that speculators are also to blame.
PFG Best Trading analyst, Phil Flynn, said those choosing to blame speculators for rising oil prices do not understand the facts. He explained that a recent US stimulus package has weakened the dollar and pushed the price of commodities up and strengthened demand.
He added that similar spikes in the price of a barrel of oil were experienced during the bailout of Greece by the EU and after the financial crisis in Dubai. None of this can be blamed on the speculators, he said.
Tags: AA, fuel, fuel duty, motorists, oil prices, VAT
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