United Kingdom & European Air Travel News & Leading Offers including information on new routes and special holiday offers and cheap flights
Ryanair Flight Crew Save 168 Passengers As Cabin Pressure Fails At 30,000 ft.
Spanair Plane Crash Occured After Warning Stat Was Turned Off
Advice For People Going To Visit Georgia see euromost travel warnings & euromost news extra ______________________________________________
BAA Forced To Sell Gatwick & Stansted
The United Kingdom's Competition Commission has provisionally recommended that BAA (the British Airports Authority) should sell three of its seven UK airports because its dominance was having 'adverse consequences for passengers and airlines''. Full
Gatwick & Stansted Check in & Baggage Handlers To Strike On Bank Holiday Mon
Baggage handlers and check-in staff will strike on Bank Holiday Monday & Friday 20 th at Gatwick and Stansted airports. Further strikes at other airports may be annouced in the coming week. Full ______________________________________________
American Airlines British Airways And Iberia To Fly in Formation
American Airlines British Airways and Iberia have announced that they have agreed term for a revenue sharing deal on routes across the Atlantic. Full Article _______________________________________________
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Gatwick & Stansted Check in Strikes Called Off
The planned atrikes on Bank Holiday Monday & Friday 29th at Gatwick and Stansted airports. have been called off.
Spanair Plane Crashes On Take Off At Madrid After Warning Stat Was Turned Off
The Spanair passenger plane that crashed at on Tuesday during take-off at Madrid Barajas International airport. had 'left the runway' when a fire in its left engine occured. The plane which was due to fly to Las Palmas in the Gran Canariahad had 164 passengers on aboard and six crew fell to the ground and toppled over and burst into flames.The flight was Spanair Flight JK 5022. Helpline For Friends & Next of Kin : (34) 800 400 200
At 153 people are confirmed to have been killed when he plane hit ground or burnt to death in the inferno that followed. Many of the dead are so badly burned that DNA tests are being carried out to identify them. The death toll incded two babies and and 19 children. Three children under 10 were amongst the nineteen survivors most of whom were thrown out of plane as it broke apart when it hit the ground.
Speculation about the sequence of events leading to the crash increased on Thursday when Spanair spokesman Javier Mendoza said that the first attempt to take off an hour befpre the crash was aborted when an air intake gauge under the cockpit had detected overheating while the jetliner was taxiing, causing the plane to turn back. Technicians corrected the warning by turning the gauge off.
Mendoza said the device is not on a equipment checklist that has to be functional before for a plane can depart and the action of the technicians is an accepted procedure. The technicians, cleared the plane for it second attempt at takeoff. Spanair did not know whether the problem with the guage was connected with the cause of the accident. Some aviation experts interviewed by The Associated Press doubted whether an apparently minor problem could bring down a modern plane.
'Unprecedented Last Minute Demand For Bank Holiday Sunshine Flights
Brits are making a last minute dash to find the summer sun with demands for flights to Spain particularly strong. Sales to both countries over the upcoming Bank Holiday are 10% up on last year as desperate bedraggled Brits determine to escape to enjoy some fun in some summer sun.
The airline, gearing up for one of its busiest ever Bank Holiday weekends, has already reported early record demand for regional UK travel with traditional holiday routes, such as those to and from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Scotland, amongst its most popular routes. As a result, Flybe's forecasts an overall 11% increase in passenger numbers for this summer over 2007, boosted by the additional 10% increase in sales this year over last for the four-days over the Bank Holiday period alone.
Jet2holidays Stateside For Calzaghe Fight
The North's only direct service to New York just the ticket for boxing buffs Boxing fans booked on the first holiday to New York, direct from Leeds Bradford airport, on 6 November can now be ringside in time for one of the year's most anticipated fights. The inaugural Jet2holidays.com trip coincides with the re-arranged super fight between British boxer Joe Calzaghe - current WBO and WBA world super middleweight champion - and Roy Jones Jr at the city's Madison Square Garden two days later on 8 November. Offering the only direct service to New York from the North of England, the tour operator is giving the region's boxing fanatics an affordable and convenient way to catch the action - with its deals offering accommodation at a time when demand will be high.
Richard Bodin, Managing Director at Jet2holidays.com, said: "Madison Square Garden is the ultimate boxing venue and one that many sports fans dream of visiting. The Calzaghe fight is sure to generate a massive amount of interest with the fight tickets selling out fast. "We want to ensure that anyone travelling to watch the fight from the North can secure flights and accommodation early to avoid the frustration of finding everywhere fully booked nearer the time." The 12-round light-heavyweight fight is expected to see both the unbeaten Calzaghe and eight-times world champion Jones bring the curtain down on their illustrious careers. Jet2holidays.com is currently offering four-day breaks direct from Leeds Bradford to Newark airport from just £699pp, including three nights' hotel accommodation and all taxes and charges. Jet2.com also have New York return flights to the big apple from only £359.98 plus taxes. More details.
Germanwings Offers
Germanwings have have a very limited number of 19€ all in offers to Germany Hungary & Croatia. These are for flights between August 16th and December 31st and they can be booked up until midnight C.E.T Sunday.
Jet2holidays.com is currently offering four-day Christmas shopping breaks direct from Leeds Bradford to Newark airport from just £699pp, including three nights' hotel accommodation and all taxes and charges.
The package includes a 'savings card' offering 11% off most purchases at Macy's department store * A free (normally $10) Woodbury Common discount book offering savings of more than $1,000, with individual discounts of 70%. For complete convenience, this will be handed to passengers onboard the outbound flight Jet2plusUSA passengers additionally receive a VIP Platinum Passport with even greater savings at select stores, as well as a complimentary gift.
Outbound flights take off on from Leeds Bradford on Thursday 6th November, Thursday 13th November, Thursday 4th December and Thursday 11th December. More details.
BA 'Economy' Passengers Realise Its Not True
British Airways passenger traffic fell by , 3.5% in July. The figures showed that though business class travellers were slightly higher year on year - economy passengers had fallen significantly. BA who have twice increase their fuel surcharges this year and recently increased basic ticket prices said that the present trading conditions were the worst ever A BA spokesperson said "Market conditions for the industry remain very difficult on the back of high oil prices and a weak economic environment ... non-premium bookings remain most sensitive to price changes ." .
Some analysts cite the Terminal 5 debacle early in the spring as having deterred customers from flying with the airline - particularly during the peak holiday seasom and a series of sustained sales by Ryanair who's 'final ticket prices have been below the cost of the BA fuel surcharge alone.
Summer sizzles for Flybe
Bank Holiday bookings already up over 2007 Flybe, Europe's largest and most successful regional airline reports that, on the back of an 11% increase in passenger numbers forecast for this summer over 2007, advance bookings for the 2008 August Bank Holiday weekend are already up on last year. With almost two weeks still to go, the airline looks set to increase sales by close to 10% over the four-day period.Virgin Voted Best For Business Class
For the second year running, Virgin Atlantic has won the Best Business Class Lounge Award in the SkyTrax World Airline Awards 2008, for its flagship Clubhouse at Heathrow Airport. The World Airline Awards are based on the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax and are recognised around the world. The awards are renowned for being the only truly global independent passenger survey of airline standards. Virgin Atlantic beat off BA’s new T5 lounge, Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong Business Class lounge and Qatar Airways’ Business Class lounge to win the award.
Gatwick No 1 For Short Security Queues
New data reveal that Gatwick Airport has the shortest security amongst European Airports The quarterly survey from the Airports Council International which identifies passenger comments pn various services at the ten busiest airports in Europe. Waiting times experienced by passenger ar Gatwick's security check points were shorter than those at major airports - Heathrow London, Frankfurt Germany, Charles de Gaulle Paris, & Schipol Holland.
Austrian Airlines Seek New 'Local' Shareholders
The Austrian Government who have a 43% stake in Austrian Airlines will sell their stake in the airline if another domestic investor buys a core shareholding, limiting the stake available to foreign airlines. These core shareholdings must total at 25% of the shares giving the national investors the power of a 'veto' on key issues.
Airport Information For Scandinavia Eastern The Baltic States, Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe Russia & China
Each euromost city guide includes an Airport Guide with details of the airlines and airports or airports serving the city. Where possible low cost airlines flying to the airport are listed seperately in the guide pleaseMatrix. Alternatively if the city is not featured amongst the Euromost City Guides see the European Airports page. For information on UK Airports see the UK Airport page.
Euromost Airports Principal Information
Airport Flight Arrivals & Flight Departures Board: Euromost offers direct live & updated flight arrivals and flight departures information boards from the major airports in Central, Eastern Europe and the Baltic States. This information includes details on internal national flights from each airport and information on European & International short haul and long haul flights from these East European airports and cities.
Airport Website: In addition to the arrival and departures board links links there is at the top of each airport guide a link to the airport website. This can be used for general information on the respective airport including: access by road, public transport - serving rail bus and coach services, airport location, airport parking and airport hotels, airport shopping, duty free, facilities and services, airline and tour operators, Please note all plus all relevant airport telephone numbers can be found by through the Airport Home page link.
Airport Code: The airport id (identification) code is given as many airlines and companies use this on their itinary and booking forms as well as for identifying receipted baggage. Airport Facilities: In each city airport guide we have noted the important facts about the airports facilities. Where a service is known to be especially good we will say so. Conversely where there are issues of concern such as the attitude of Ljubljana airport to blind people and those with special needs we will highlight them.
Airport Telephone Number: We have also published the main airport telephone number for visitors wanting information that is not available or unclear on the website. In an emergency this number would be your first option.Local Airport Guide & Travel From The Airport: Each city guide is supported by a guide to its local airport with details of the airlines that fly there with the emphasis on low cost airlines offering cheap flights to the city. This local airport information includes links to the airport website, including the live flight arrivals and flight departures pages boards. We have detailed how to travel from the airport to the centre of the city on public transport. the distance and average journey time this involves. This information should be read by visitors flying to the airport as public transport connection to the city centre may be non existend, sparse or difficult. see Tirana. Equally some airlines will offer flights which suggest that another city is close by. For example Bratislava in Slovenia for Vienna. This is a 50 klm jouney with no direct transport available unless you are on a Ryanair flight. A potential nightmare in the late evening or during bad weather.It also has iInformation on services not to use ie the taxis at St Petersburg.
United Kingdom City & Local Airports Information
Departures, Arrivals & Websites Parking Hotels
The UK Airport flight information includes direct links to the current flight arrivals and flight departures for each airport and the airport home page. It also includes airport parking offers & airport hotel deals from compamies & news from the airport. Link
3: European Airports Flight Arrivals & Flight Departures Information
This section features over 60 airports across western Europe & Scandinavia. The guide features all major european airports in Western Europe and Scandinavia. Included is every airport which serves a European capital city. It also includes other airports in other cities in the same country. For example Dusseldorf Hambrg and Munich in Germany.
Additionally there are many smaller regional airports which often serve several towns or holiday resorts for example Brest, Bordeaux Almeria and Malaga. These include airports on the Spanish island such as Ibiza Lanzarote and Majorca. This guide includes live information on flight arrivals and flight departures, the airport location, its airport code, telephone number and basic public transport connections. All these airports can be found in the European Airports Guide.
low cost flights from: 
Ryanair Flight Crew Save 168 Passengers As Cabin Pressure Fails
Quick thinking flight crew on a Ryanair flight from Bristol to Barcelona Girona on Monday night ensured the safety of 168 passengers when the cabin pressure failed due to a technical fault at around 30,000ft above France.
When the failure occurred oxygen masks were automatically discharged to passengers and the crew, whilst using masks themselves began an emergency descent to 9,000 ft - a level where all those on board could an breath un-aided. When the plane reached this level the crew were given clearance by Limoges Air Traffic Control to make an emergency landing.
Loss of cabin presure in an aircraft can have a fatal outcome with passengers and crew first becoming dis- orientated within 12 seconds followed by loss of consciousness if they do not use the oxgyen masks. In 2005 a Helios airliner crashed into a mountain in northern Greece killing 121 people after the cabin pressure failed and the crew became unconcious.
Duing the on monday night noone one was injured though 16 people with earache were taken to hospital as a precaution. Ryanair who grounded the aircraft when it landed at Limoges sent another aircraft early Tuesday morning to fly passengers on to Girona. Those that did not want to fly were taken by coach.
Ryanair CEO Micheal O' Leary responsed to one passenger Pen Hadow, who critised the flight crew for not not informing passengers of what was happenning during said that in such a situation safety had to be the crews first proirity. He said "We have to require that the pilots and the cabin crew deploy their oxygen masks and they can't be making PA announcements while they have their oxygen masks on. He added "As other passengers have confirmed the pilot did make an announcement once he got down to 8,000ft, when it's safe to take oxygen masks off."
Other passengers praised the crew for the the way the dealt with the emergency. Ryanair are contacting all passengers to apolgise for any 'distress' they experienced during the descent.
Editorial Note: The professionalism of the flight crew on flight FR9336 cannot be doubted - especially as the loss of cabin pressure can indicate that that the aircraft may have a more serious problem such as hole or split in its body - as was highlighted by the Quantas incident recently.
The flight crew therefore must first give absolute priority to descending to a safe level followed by finding an airport to make an emergency landing. Only when these pre-requisites have been served can passengers be advised of what is going on. At that point the traditional niceties of flying ( details of the temperature at the airport where the emergency landing is to happen) can be reinstated.
Most passengers would settle for two minutes of fear rather than death unless of course like some explorers and mountainers danger is your thing. Fortunately such incidents are rare but never the less terrifying for all concerned but it is reassuring to know that low cost carriers have first class crew.
BAA Will Be Forced To Sell Gatwick & Stansted Airports
The United Kingdom's Competition Commission has provisionally recommended that BAA (the British Airports Authority) should sell three of its seven UK airports because its dominance was having 'adverse consequences for passengers and airlines''.
After an 18 months study the Commisions provisional report is that in south east England BAA should sell Gatwick and Stansted Airports and retain ownership of Heathrow only. In Scotland it recommends the sale of either Glasgow or Edinburgh. BAA also own Aberdeen and Southampton.
In recent years BAA has been repeatedly criticised for being understaffed, poor customer service and repeatedly delays at the airports its owns airports, especially Heathrow.
It has also been critised by the Airlines who operate from its airports ( especially low cost carriers based at Stansted ) for universally hiking up it landing charges knowing its market domination prevents the airlines from going elsewhere.
In London BAA operated airports account for 90% of the traffic in the south east and in Scotland their airports account for 85% of the country's traffic.
Christopher Clarke, who has been in charge of the commision inquiry states that "BAA has argued that there is no scope for competition to develop so long as there are capacity constraints ''. He added "We take the opposite view. Unless the market is opened up to competition, there is a serious risk that the current capacity constraints will persist." Jim Callaghan, Head of Regulatory Affairs at Ryanair said that the proposals would end extravagant expenditure on runways and terminals which were used as justification for increasing landing charges. He cited Stansted as an example where this type of expenditure at £4bn was eight times higher than was necesscary. He said BAA's monopoly control over the London airports has been highly detrimental to competition and consumers.
The Stansted Airline Consultative Committee (ACC) welcomed the Competition Commission's confirmation that the BAA monopoly is bad for consumers and bad for Britain. The Competition Commission confirmed what airport users have been saying for over four years; that BAA is an over-charging, poor service monopoly. David O'Brien, Chairman of the Stansted ACC commented this morning: "The liberation of Stansted Airport from the dead hand of the BAA monopoly will be a great first step in the recovery of UK aviation, which for far too long has suffered gross inefficiencies, long queues and high costs. It is essential that competition within and between London airports is promoted, along with effective regulation, to the benefit of passengers, tourism and the economy.
Paul Charles speaking for Virgin Atlantic welcomed the reports finding. He pointed out that whilsts BAA charges were increasing costs at JFK in New York had fallen three times in eight years because independent operators managed each terminal. Mr Charles said that BAA's investment at Gatwick had not been sufficient as the company had concentrated its resources at Heathrow. The final decision on the company's is expected next April.
BAA Response To Report
Colin Matthews, BAA’s chief executive, said: “The Competition Commission's findings should be assessed in the light of the urgent need for new airport capacity and a modern regulatory framework, as well as the need – which we recognise – for improved service from the airport operator.
“By calling not just for a fundamental restructure of BAA but also for a review of the Government’s Air Transport White Paper, the Commission risks delaying that delivery of new runways and making better customer service less, not more, likely.
“We will be seeking urgent clarification from the Government of how it believes this report’s findings can be reconciled with the air transport policy it established in 2003 and its current review of economic regulation.
“We note however that this is not the end of the Competition Commission process and we will continue to point out to the Commission the many areas where we believe its analysis is flawed and its remedies would be disproportionate and counter-productive.
“Just as the Government is about to make the decisions that could lead to the first full-length runways being built in the South East since the second world war, the Commission risks creating uncertainty, delay and confusion at exactly the wrong time.
“In Scotland, the Commission has apparently ignored the evidence presented by BAA, and supported by numerous respected third party organisations, that clearly demonstrates that serve separate markets and therefore do not and would not compete, regardless of ownership.”
American Airlines BA & Iberia To Fly in Formation
American Airlines British Airways and Iberia have announced that they have agreed term for a revenue sharing deal on routes across the Atlantic. The agreement would mean that each company would share the capacity of their aircraft with the other two companies and be able to set ticket prices together.The agreement which has to be approved by European regulatory authorities will also have to be approved bt the United States 'antitrust' authorities who in 2002 refused to approve a more intergrated merger between American Airlines and British Airways. The grounds for that refusual were that the proposal would allow the company to have a monoply on trans-atlantic services and dictate ticket prices.
Virgin Atlantic's CEO Richard Branson is strongly opposed to the AA BA iBERIA agreement. In a statement he said "Make no mistake, if this monster monopoly is approved it will be third time unlucky for consumers - It will still be bad for passengers, bad for competition, and bad for the U.K. and U.S. aviation industry."Branson's comments were dismissed by BA CEO Willie Walsh who said the new agreement would help the three airlines to cut costs in the current difficult economic conditions. He said "I believe this is also good news for the industry," he said. "It's another small step towards consolidation." He was certain that customers would benefit from improved connections, flight schedules and frequent flyer programs
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4 nights The Algarve from £112 per person more
7 nights in Malta from £149 per person more
Monarch Latest Deals more
7 nights in Cyprus from £187 per person more
Top 10 Offers From Jet2 & Wizzair more
Extra Summer Flights To Spain & Portugal
Despite recent industry reports regarding airlines reducing capacity, low fares airline Monarch is bucking the trend by adding even more flights to European sunshine destinations from Gatwick this summer. Responding to continued customer demand, the additional flights will operate between 30 August and 02 September 2008. Increased services will operate as follows: - From Gatwick to Faro on 30 August - From Gatwick to Malaga on 31 August - From Gatwick to Faro on 01 September - From Gatwick to Malaga on 02 September . Book
Latest Package Offers:
4 nights in The Algarve from £112 per person Staying at the 2 star Apartments Do Lago/Parque Mourabel in Vilamoura, London Gatwick - 2nd November Flexible Trips website 0870 160 9192 quote 5255875
7 nights in Malta from £149 per person Staying at the 3 star Canifor Court Apartments in Qwara Malta on self catering, Manchester - 9th December Flexible Trips website 0870 160 9192 quote 5255629
7 nights in Cyprus from £187 per person Staying at the 4 star Jasmine Hotel and Apartments in Limassol, London Gatwick - 6th December Flexible Trips website 0870 160 9192 quote 5255921
4 nights in Jersey from £199 per person [SAVE £30] Staying at the 2 star Mountview Hotel in Jersey on bed and breakfast, London Gatwick - 01st/31st October Thomas Cook website 08450 70 25 30
7 nights in Turkey from £272 per person Staying at the 3 star Club Excelsior in Marmaris on self catering, London Gatwick - 8th September Airtours website 0844 871 6636
7 nights in Turkey from £292 per person Staying at the 3 star Club Atrium Apartments in Marmaris on self catering, London Gatwick - 8th September Thomas Cook website 08450 70 25 30
7 nights in Ibiza from £304 per person Staying at the 3 star Monremar Apartments in Cala Llonga on self catering, London Gatwick - 7th September Panorama Holidays website 0871 664 7931
7 nights in Fuerteventura from £337 per person Staying at the 3 star Puerto Caleta in Costa Caleta on self catering, London Gatwick - 10th September Thomas Cook website 08450 70 25 30
7 nights in Greece from £339 per person Staying at the 3 star Emerald Rooms in Malia on bed and breakfast, London Gatwick - 9th September Airtours website 0871 664 7625
7 nights in Alicante from £342 per person Staying at the 3 star Albir Gardens in Albir on self catering, London Gatwick - 9th September Airtours website 0844 871 6636
7 nights in Majorca from £354 per person Staying at the 3 star Cristine Apartments in Cala Millor on self catering, London Gatwick - 9th September Thomas Cook website 08450 70 25 30
7 nights in Kos from £368 per person Staying at the 2 star Pantheon Apartments in Kefalos on self catering, London Gatwick - 3rd September Manos website 0871 664 7891
7 nights in Tenerife from £385 per person Staying at the 3 star Green Golf Apartments in Playa Americas on self catering, London Gatwick - 9th September Thomas Cook website 08450 70 25 30
3 nights in Dubai from £521 per person Staying at the 4 star Metropolitan Hotel in Dubai on bed and breakfast, London Gatwick - 9th September TC Signature website 0870 443 4447
7 nights in Cuba from £744 per person Staying at the 3 star Caribe Club Cojimar in Cayo Guillermo on all inclusive, London Gatwick - 10th September Airtours website 0844 871 6636
7 nights in Mexico from £774 per person Staying at the 3 star Blue Bay Club in Cancun on all inclusive, London Gatwick - 9th September Thomas Cook website 08450 70 25 30
7 nights in Barbados from £771 per person Staying at the 3 star Allamanda Beach Resort in St. Lawrence on room only, Manchester - 29th September TC Signature website 0870 443 4447
All holidays ABOVE based on 2 adults sharing unless stated otherwise.
Airline Gives Free Flights For Low Grade 'A' Level Results !
New York Flight Only £349
Flight to New York including taxes to from £349 per person Flying with Virgin Atlantic to New York, departing from London Heathrow, Valid for travel from the 1st November to 14th December, booked be booked by 20th August 2008 08450 70 25 30, website.
Here are some of the latest low fare flights with Monarch
Here are some of the latest low fare flights with Monarch (all fares quoted are one way and include all taxes): £40 - £49.99 London Luton - Faro on 25 or 27 August from just £41.50 London Luton - Malaga on 24, 25, 26, 27 or 28 August from just £41.50 London Luton - Palma on 27 or 28 August from just £41.50 Birmingham - Alicante on 24, 26, 27 or 30 August from just £42.99 Birmingham - Ibiza on 24 or 25 August from just £42.99 London Gatwick - Alicante on 28 August from just £43.50 London Gatwick - Ibiza on 26 August from just £43.50 London Gatwick - Malaga on 24, 25, 26, 27 or 28 August from just £43.50 London Luton - Alicante on 28 or 29 August from just £46.50 London Luton - Almeria on 24, 26 or 28 August from just £46.50 Birmingham - Faro on 25, 26 or 27 August from just £47.99 Birmingham - Malaga on 25, 26, 27, 28 or 29 August from just £47.99 Birmingham - Menorca on 28 August from just £47.99 Birmingham - Palma de Mallorca on 25, 26 or 27 August from just £47.99 London Gatwick - Menorca on 26 or 30 August from just £48.50 Manchester - Alicante on 25, 26, 27 or 28 August from just £49.50 Manchester - Barcelona on 25, 26, or 27 August from just £49.50 Manchester - Faro on 24, 25, 26, 27 or 28 August from just £49.50 Manchester - Ibiza on 18 August from just £49.50 Book
Jet2 Rhodes Specials For '09
UK Low Cost Carriers Will Benefit From New EU Laws On Clearer Ticket Prices
From January 2009 airlines that at present advertise cheap fares for the seat available and do not express the other charges applying to the sale will be breaking new legislation agreed by the European Parliament.. Under the new law all taxes, fees and surcharges must be included in the advertised cost of the seat. The legislation is designed to make it easier for consumers to compare final ticket prices between airlines.
Currently some airlines - often low cost carriers - advertise tickets from 1p/1€ but when the additional charges and surcharges .are added the actual ticket price could be anything. The new rule will requrie all airlines to express the final ticket price on the initial advertising. The legislation has to be approved the transport ministers of the EU
Airlines like British Airways and Air Berlin who are not straight forward about their fuel charges will not fare well under the new legislation. Ryanair and easyJet who are both committed not introducing fuel surcharges and currently have a clearer policy of the stating the additional charges are likely to be the biggest winners when consumers their prices with other airlines. The legislation first proposed in 2007 by Lithuanian MEP Arunas Degutis, will also give passengers a breakdown on the components of the extra charges ie the cost of any admin charge or onboard security provision
where ever you are - wherever you are going - euromost.info will help
Jet2 Top 10 Offers |
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| (Offers Include all charges) | from |
| Leeds Bradford -- Amsterdam | £4.99 |
| Leeds Bradford - Prague | £14.99 |
| Manchester - Budapest | £19.99 |
| Leeds Bradford -Dusseldorf | £9.99 |
| Leeds - Bradford -Hamburg | £9.99 |
| Manchester - Geneva | £9.99 |
| Leeds Bradford - Madrid | £14.99 |
| Leeds Bradford - Paris | £4.99 |
Manchester - Alicante |
£19.99 |
| Manchester - Algarve | £19.99 |
Book Now Fuel Surcharge Apply |
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euromost |
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Wizzair Top 10 Offers |
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(Offers Include all charges) |
from |
| Bournemouth -Cracow | £24 |
| London Luton Cracow | £28 |
| Glasgow Prestwick Warsaw | £28 |
| Liverpool - Gdansk | £33 |
| London Luton - Gdansk | £24 |
| Glasgow Prestwick Gdansk | £38 |
| London Luton - Bucharest | €26.99 |
| Belfast - Cracow | £33.99 |
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BA: The Fuel Surcharge & The Blind Pilot |
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Crude cost per barrel |
BA Longhaul Fuel Surcharge
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| May 04 | $34 |
£2.50 |
| Aug 04 | $43 |
£6.00 |
| Oct 04 | $50 |
£10.00 |
| Mar 05 | $53 |
£18.00 |
| Jun 05 | $55 |
£24.00 |
| Sep 05 | $62 |
£30.00 |
| Apr 06 | $74 |
£35.00 |
| Apr 07 | $66 |
£38.00 |
| June07 | $70 |
£43.00 |
| Nov 07 | $93 |
£58.00 |
| Feb 08 | $98 |
£64.00 |
| April 08 | $120 |
£79.00 |
The British Airways fuel surcharge to long haul flights rose in Febuary 2008 to £64. Thisis the leventh increase in three and three quarter a years and means that the surcharge is over 25 times higher than when first applied even though the crude cost of oil is less than three times higher. Short haul flight have had similiar pro rata increases applied
Few passengers would protest at a nominal increase in the airport charge if it was ring-fenced was for security purposes. BA's excessive fuel surcharge cannot be ring fenced to cover what is in relative terms to the fuel surcharge is a small increase in fuel costs. If their accountants feel that the extra $59 fuel cost is warranted why is it not include like other costs in the ticket price. Why is the airline run on 2004 costings?
Furthermore If the surcharge is only a temporary measure which will be adjusted if the oil price falls why has the surcharge not been reduced when this happened in April 07? Synics would argue (on balance probably correctly) that these fuel charges are a seemingly legitimate way of justifying extorting money out of passengers. However there is a outside chance that there is, in the British Airways mindset, a commercial reason for continuing this debacle.
One doubts whether the amount of compensation they have paid out to customers in the last two years for poor service was provided for in the company's costings. The hotel costs alone would probably frighten even blue chip companies. Even more disturbing must be the cost of this years lost luggage fiasco - flying lost luggage to Italy from London to sort it out and send it back to the UK is neither the finest example of operational competence or cost effectiveness.
Perhaps BA in their apathy budgeted for this folly but perhaps these indiscretions have been covered by the fuel surcharge. If the latter is true it is not a fuel surcharge and should be shown as an incompetence levy.
The Blind Pilot
Eiher way the fuel surcharges along with these and other periphal issues (see also BA Coimpany Profile linksed below) beg the question is there a pilot leading the company and if there is he blind to what is happenning below.
The last three summers have, from many customers perspective, been a complete and unmitagated disaster in service terms. Long haul flights without food, flights cancelled, holidays cut short, weekend breaks spent on mattresses in tents outside airports and lost luggage ruining peoples holidays.
Basil Fawlty would have been put to shame. These well publised incidents are public relation disasters and to continue screw passengers with ever increasing and unwarranted fuel surcharges compounds the widespread low regard the company is held in even further.
Put bluntly if the Pilot and the first officers are not blind, they must address the issues, stop fire-fighting and include the increase fuels costs in their ticket prices like their competitors/ The public want a level playing field. Not to have one will show them the arrogance and contempt which BA has for them and incase BA have not noticed we do have other options
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BA Statistically Are Proven To Be Britains Worst Airline
The figures show that flight delays experienced by BA passengers on short and medium haul flights rose 29% in the first quarter of 2008 compared with 2007. The figures are inspite of the fact that the airline operated around 12,000 fewer such flight this year than last year. BA's delays are up from 29 per cent during the same period last year, making BA the worst-performing of the 29 European carriers that submit results to the AEA. On other flag carriers the delays were below 20%. .The AEA figures cited BA as the worst performing airline when it came to loosing luggage with one in 36 passengers arriving at the destination airport without their luggage. BA operated 12,000 fewer short- and medium-haul flights this year.
Wheelchairs Welcomed From July 27th 2008
The new rules will make it illegal to for an airline to refuse booking or boarding to anyone disabled. One aspect of the legislation which will have to ratified by the European Council of Ministers before becoming law is that any assistance rendered cannot be charged to the person it is given and the assistance has to be available at both the airport of departure & airport of arrival.
