Budget Airline News

Thomsonfly Launch Winter 2008/2009 Flight Schedule

Thomsonfly’s low fare flights for winter 2008/09, which commence flying from 1st November, are on sale now. Prices start from as low as £24.99 one-way for routes to Salzburg and Geneva, to Malaga and Alicante from £29.99 and to the Canary Islands from £54.99.

Thomsonfly continues to offer the most comprehensive national coverage to the Canary Islands, Paphos and Salzburg for winter 2008/9, with an excellent range of departure airports and frequency.

A summary of flights on sale today for winter 2008 include:

Coventry – to Malaga, Alicante, Salzburg and Grenoble
Doncaster – to Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Geneva, Salzburg and Faro
Bournemouth – to Tenerife, Salzburg, Malaga, Gran Canaria, Grenoble, Funchal and Faro
Manchester – to Malaga, Alicante, Salzburg, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Paphos, Lanzarote, Marrakech and Funchal
Gatwick – to Malaga, Alicante. Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Paphos, Salzburg and Funchal
Cardiff – to Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife and Gran Canaria
East Midlands – to Alicante, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote
Newcastle – to Alicante and Tenerife
Luton – to Tenerife

Guy Stephenson, commercial director at Thomsonfly comments, “As well as offering great low fares and service options including pre-booked seating and quality, hot meals, Thomsonfly provides customers with convenience and flexibility by flying to many exciting destinations from their local airport. This is why Thomsonfly was voted ‘the consumers’ favorite leisure airline’ at the 2007 British Travel Awards.”

Monarch is re-launching services between Manchester and Gibraltar

Award winning low fares airline Monarch is re-launching services between Manchester and Gibraltar, with a three times a week service commencing in September.

The route, which was withdrawn in July 2006, will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12 September and is now back on sale via www.monarch.co.uk. Fares start from £48 one way, including all taxes and charges.

Commenting on the re-launch of flights from Manchester to Gibraltar, managing director of Monarch’s scheduled services, Liz Savage said, “We are delighted to be bringing direct services to Gibraltar back to the Northwest which will operate in addition to our ongoing services from Luton. There continues to be huge demand for flights from our customers, and this has been reflected by the number of requests that we have received from them over the past few years.

“Gibraltar provides an ideal gateway to both The Rock plus the many holiday hotspots in Southern Spain. Combined with Monarch’s low fares and high care ethic, the route will undoubtedly prove to be a welcome addition to Monarch’s destination portfolio from Manchester, where it remains the largest scheduled international carrier operating from the airport”.

Monarch operates scheduled flights to Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal and Cyprus from Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester airports and was named as Leisure Airline of the Year in recent Travel Industry Awards for the second year in succession. In addition to year-round low fares, Monarch also offers a unique range of tasty hot and cold meals onboard with prices from £3.00. Seats can be pre-booked at £5 per one-way flight to avoid the last minute free-for-all experienced on some other airlines, or from only £15, extra-legroom seats are available, which offer up to six inches of extra space. Regular travellers are rewarded too, with a range of benefits through the airline’s loyalty scheme, Vantage Club.

Passengers travelling on scheduled flights can also avoid the queues at the airport and take advantage of online check-in which is available between seven days and 4.5 hours prior to departure.

easyJet launches three NEW routes from Bristol - Biarritz, Olbia and Split

easyJet, the UK’s largest airline, launches three new routes this week from Bristol to Biarritz, Olbia and Split . The new services this morning to Biarritz will provide the region's travellers with access to some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, whilst Olbia and Split will join the network from Bristol on Saturday 26 April 2008; perfect timing for the summer sun.

Biarritz is easyJet’s 39th route from Bristol and Katie Walsh from Southampton was the lucky passenger selected at check-in to receive two free flights to both Olbia in Sardinia and Split in Croatia, giving them the opportunity to experience easyJet’s new destinations from Bristol.

The airline expects to carry 47,000 passengers on all three new routes in the next 12 months.

ROUTE	START DATE	FREQUENCY	ONE WAY FARE
Bristol -Biarritz	23 April 2008	Four weekly: Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun	£19.99
Bristol – Olbia	26 April 2008	Three weekly: Tue, Thur, Sat	£21.99
Bristol – Split	26 April 2008	Two weekly: Weds & Sat	£23.99

Destination information

Biarritz is located on the Bay of Biscay, on the southwest coast of France and is perfect for a short break, combining the elegance of a belle époque seaside resort with the distinctive sights and tastes of the Basque region.

Split is the largest city on the Adriatic coast, ideal for a relaxing city break or as a base for exploring the picturesque Croatian province of Dalmatia.

Olbia is the perfect gateway for exploring the paradise of Sardinia, with its white sands, everlasting sunshine and fascinating archaeological sites and monuments.

David Osborne, easyJet UK General Manager, said:

“easyJet has seen a huge increase in flights to summer sun destinations in 2007-2008 from Bristol International airport, with the arrival of Ibiza, Bordeaux, Milan, Lisbon, Warsaw and Funchal last year. The new routes to Biarritz, Olbia and Split reinforce our position as the UK’s largest airline.”

Shaun Browne, Head of Route Development at Bristol International, said:

“The three new easyJet routes provide more exciting options for the South West’s travellers, whether they are looking for a short break or a longer summer holiday. Visitors from the region will be ideally placed to appreciate the attractions of all three destinations. Bristolians will see similarities with Split’s buzzing cultural scene, Olbia’s Roman remains provide an obvious parallel with Bath, while Biarritz, with its fabulous beaches and great surf, will make those from Devon and Cornwall feel at home.”

New Route from Glasgow to Faro with easyJet

easyJet, Scotland’s largest low-fares airline, will welcome passengers onboard its inaugural flight from Glasgow to Faro in Portugal today, giving the region’s travellers an even greater choice of destinations from their local airport.

The twice weekly (Tuesday and Saturday) service, which increases to a three weekly service during the busy summer period 26 June to 28 August, has fares from £23.99 one way. The airline expects to carry 16,000 passengers on the route in the next 12 months.

Faro is the capital of the Algarve. As well as being a gateway to the popular Portuguese holiday and golfing resorts, the city is a thriving commercial centre with a historic old town, still surrounded by its Roman walls. If you prefer to relax by the sea, the beach is only 7km from the city. If you're a golfer - well, you're spoilt for choice, with many top quality courses within easy reach of the city. Faro is a very popular holiday destination for families, as well as a golfer's paradise, so it's no wonder Glaswegians are taking advantage of easyJet's famously low-fares to the Algarve.

David Osborne, UK General Manager Commercial said:

“Another popular destination on the easyJet network has landed in Scotland. This direct route to Faro has already proven a popular choice and will offer all Scots the opportunity to experience the glorious Algarve from their local airport. Forward bookings for the route have been very strong which further proves the demand for direct low-cost flights from Glasgow to the Sun."

Flybe calls for break up of BAA after publication of competition commission report

Flybe.com, Europe’s largest low-cost regional airline, this morning repeated its call for the break-up of airport operator BAA.

In its ‘emerging thinking' report into its 'BAA AIRPORTS MARKET INVESTIGATION', the Competition Commission were withering in their criticism of the Ferrovial-owned airport operator, stating that ‘common ownership adversely affect competition’.
 
Responding to the report, Mike Rutter, Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer said:

“We have been saying for years that the BAA monopoly of airports in South East England and the Scottish lowlands is bad for the consumer and at last, the Competition Commission has come to the same conclusion. Rather than wait for the inevitable forced sell-off, we are today calling for Ferrovial to read the writing on the wall and start to divest itself of at least three airports in order to improve customer focus, allow for investment and bring real competition to aviation in the UK.”

Rutter continued: “Over the last year, Flybe have flown more than 75,000 flights from BAA/Ferrovial owned airports, so we are in a very good position to be able to comment on their lack of performance. It’s high time the sell-off began and in a spirit of cooperation, can we suggest they begin by disposing of Southampton, London Gatwick and Glasgow”

New Summer Routes from Stansted - Beziers and Rimini

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline today (23^rd April) announced two new summer routes from London Stansted to Beziers (France) and Rimini (Italy). The flights go on sale today on www.ryanair.com and will operate in June, July and August, delivering £4m of savings for 40,000 passengers, compared to British Airways’ high fares and fuel surcharges.

Beziers is a beautiful hill top town set amid vineyards at the mouth of the canal du midi and just 10 minutes from the Mediterranean while Rimini is a lively resort flanking the Adriatic’s long sandy beaches. Ryanair’s guaranteed lowest fares to get there go on sale today, with flights to Rimini and Beziers starting from £15 and £26 respectively.

Welcoming the new routes, Ryanair’s Head of Sales & Marketing, Sinead Finn said,

“The best way to make guaranteed summer savings this year is to snap up an early Ryanair bargain. Ryanair is the only airline to guarantee passengers that they won’t find cheaper anywhere else. That’s guaranteed. For the guaranteed lowest fares and best punctuality to any of our hundreds of summer destinations, book today on www.ryanair.com”.

Jet2.com - now flying from Newcastle to the Greek islands of Corfu & Rhodes

Jet2.com is on the ‘Rhodes’ again with 2 brand new routes from Newcastle this summer! The good people of the North East can now add the Greek islands of Corfu and Rhodes to the fabulous list of destinations from their local airport!

These hotspots are ideal for all - from the party animal to the beach bum, families and couples wanting to relax, rewind and soak up the sun and Mediterranean atmosphere: There is an abundance of activities on offer, including water sports, sight-seeing and of course enjoying good Greek cuisine!

The good news doesn’t stop there! Flights are on sale from just £69.99 one way inc. taxes at www.jet2.com, with the first flight to Rhodes commencing 4 June and Corfu on the 30 June 2008.

If you’re after a package holiday deal, Jet2holidays do the whole package for less! Prices start from as little as £239 per person for a 7 day break.

So with summer just around the corner and the stunningly beautiful islands only 3 hours away, the summer can truly begin! Get booking with Jet2.com!

Sing In The Sun With Jet2.com

With ticket prices rising and the recent weather promising to turn Glastonbury into a mud pit as usual; why not head abroad this year for your annual dose of music and sleeping under the stars.

European festivals are fast becoming more popular as music fans look further a field to get their music coupled with some sunshine. There are loads of great festivals happening this year including the Sziget Festival in Budapest, Benicassim Festival in Spain, Montreux Jazz Festival in Geneva and the Prague Spring International Music Festival.

And with such low fares, Jet2.com could get you to your favourite European Festivals from just £9.99 one way including taxes, so throw away the wellies and make sure you pack your flip flops!

Ryanair Welcomes High Court Rejection of Aviation Regulator's Flawed T2 Decision

Ryanair, Ireland’s national airline, today (Fri, 11^th April) welcomes the High Court’s decision to order the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) to review and clarify its previous T2 decision, which allowed the DAA monopoly to waste €800m on an oversized, badly designed second terminal in Dublin Airport. Having confirmed that the DAA’s gold plated T2 Taj Mahal is at least 50% too large, the CAR still allowed the DAA to recover over 90% of this waste, which, even this regulator admits, will lead to a doubling of prices for consumers at Dublin Airport. The High Court’s decision highlights this regulators obligation to “protect the reasonable interests of users” and identifies the failures of the CAR’s previous decision to meet this duty.

Ryanair also announced earlier this week that it is again challenging this aviation regulator, this time over rubber stamping a further 50% increase in check-in desk charges (up 200% in the past three years) in what Ryanair believes is a blatant example of collusion between the regulator and the DAA monopoly. Both the DAA and the regulator have refused to explain or justify the reasons for this abusive price increase to airport users.

Commenting on the High Court’s decision today, Ryanair’s Peter Sherrard said:

“Ryanair welcomes the High Court’s decision to order the regulator to review this unlawful T2 determination, which rewarded the DAA monopoly for its profligate waste and inefficiency. At a time when competitive airports around Europe are developing low cost facilities and lowering their charges, this incompetent regulator has allowed the DAA monopoly to repeatedly raise airport charges, as well as  build expensive facilities which users don’t want. 

"This regulator has been an abject failure and has consistently breached his statutory obligations to protect the reasonable interests of users and the travelling public. In the past 5 years, Cathal Guiomard, has rubber stamped a litany of inflation busting price increases, which can only be explained by the fact that he is a government appointed regulator, regulating a government owned monopoly and has no interest in actually protecting the reasonable interests of users or consumers. These abusive increases include:

·                a 31% increase in airport charges;

·                a 58% increase in car rental levy;

·               a 100% increase in car parking charges; and

·               a 200% increase in check in desk charges

"He has also confirmed that the already high passenger charges at Dublin Airport will double in future to pay for this €800m on Terminal 2, when it should be built for less than €200m.   

“Ryanair will continue to highlight the repeated breaches by this aviation regulator of his statutory duties and again calls on the Minister for Transport to dismiss this failed,(and in our view) incompetent and unlawful regulator and to introduce real competition and competing terminals at Dublin Airport.”

Michael O’Leary Sacks 40 Telesales Staff In Dublin

Ryanair has announced that it plans to close its Dublin Telesales Operation (Ryanair Direct) at the end of May, which may lead to up to 40 redundancies as part of its cost reduction programme to combat record high ($100 p. bl.) oil prices, while continuing to guarantee the lowest fares and no fuel surcharges for passengers.

Speaking today, Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said; “The decision to close our Dublin Telesales activity is a painful one. Sadly, the operation is no longer viable or cost competitive against a backdrop of dwindling demand for phone bookings (now less than 1% of sales) while Internet bookings now account for over 99% of ticket sales. Our existing Romanian and German call centres will continue to provide telesales services at 60% lower costs than Ryanair Direct. These kind of cost savings must made if Ryanair is to remain Europe’s lowest cost airline in these difficult recessionary markets.

“Whilst we will be encouraging these telesales people to apply for other vacancies in Ryanair, should they not apply or be successful, then they will be made redundant at the end of May. While record high oil prices and falling fares continue, it is sensible and prudent that we streamline our business and reduce costs in order to remain the only airline in Europe to guarantee the lowest fares and guarantee no fuel surcharges ever”