World Travel News

Qantas-SAA reach an agreements

admin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:29:13 +0000

Their are some long-haul segments which Qantas to get off from due to their finical concerns out of these Melbourne- Johannesburg would be flown by SSA only and Qantas would be replace by virgin blue airlines, here Qantas think tank has come up with pool share agreement with SSA to avoid unhealthy competition with virgin blue but talking its stakes on.
Qantas Airways Ltd will be able to keep its code-sharing arrangements with South African Airways for a further 12 months, the International Air Services Commission (IASC) says.
The IASC had issued a draft ruling in August extending the two airlines’ code-sharing on flights between Australia and South Africa.
But the commission opted to review its decision after Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd announced that its long-haul offshoot, V Australia, would exit the Melbourne-Johannesburg route in February next year.
The IASC said in the second draft decision, released on Thursday, that both airlines would have to increase the minimum number of frequencies per week to 14, up from 12 in the first draft ruling and 10 currently.
The commission conceded the Australia-South Africa route was “likely to be less competitive than would have been the case if V Australia had continued flying”.
“This means that public benefits are likely to be reduced once V Australia ceases operations,” the IASC report said.
“However, this of itself is not a basis for denying continued code share approval.”
Qantas has had a code-sharing arrangement with South African Airways since December 2000.
The airline had sought at two-year extension.
Interested parties have until September 23 to lodge submissions in response to the second draft decision.

Etihad makes history-First women to Caption EY 17

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:10:27 +0000

Etihad Airways is celebrating the maiden commercial flight of its first female Captain, Sophie Blanchard.
Captain Blanchard, a French national, will take the controls of the left hand seat in the flight deck for the first time on Wednesday 8 September for flight EY17 from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow.
She joined Etihad in 2007 as a First Officer, after initially flying for Etihad Crystal Cargo with Air Atlanta. Since joining Etihad, Captain Blanchard has been able to complete the necessary training and pass the rigorous checks to gain her fourth stripe.
Captain Richard Hill, Etihad Airways’ Chief Operations Officer, said: “We congratulate Sophie on becoming Etihad’s first female Captain. It’s a great achievement and well deserved as she has shown tremendous dedication to achieve the rank of Captain.”
Etihad currently has 10 female pilots within its ranks and four female cadet pilots.
Captain Blanchard said: “It is a great privilege to become Etihad’s first female Captain and be the first woman to take full command of a commercial flight. The company has been very supportive in my aim to become a Captain and I look forward to my first flight to London.”
Captain Blanchard started her aviation training after graduating from high school. She gained her commercial license at 18 years old in the US and began flying cargo aircraft for a Belgium-based company.
Her work took her to Africa and around Europe before she joined Icelandic company Air Atlanta. At Air Atlanta Captain Blanchard began flying leased flights for Etihad Crystal Cargo. She has accrued more than 6,500 hours of flying time.

Brazilian importance Realized–More flights & far more destinations by AA

admin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:28:51 +0000

The bigger airlines problem is actually their over-heads.With Trade Union activities and human rights activism they can not fire staff at their will although with advent of Computors many departments require closure in airlines.The advantage these airlines have is actually their manpower, skilled & experienced. So American Airlines is using it for its expansion in discovering new routes.Brazil being the most populous country in South America and second only to US in its population in Western Hemisphere is the most obvious new destination for American Airlines.This new schedule will connect Rio & Houston ahead of FIFA world cup and 2016 OLYMPICS this American Airlines think tanks deserve appreciation.Today if they are starting flights between Dallas & Rio it is not ending here.They are planning 4 flights a week between Miami & Brasilia whereas existing flights are also being increased for the coming season.These flights if required would be reduced in frequency for April-June low season and would again gain momentum from June onwards.
Additional flights by American Airlines would give boost to tourism and business travel and we can foresee many more carriers adding Brazilian destinations on their net work in times to come.This competition in air would definitely bring competition in prices finally bringing more economy to air travel in the region and Latin American travelers who pay in thousands today will enjoy Cheap flights for Hundreds instead.
This announcement has enthrilled Dallas Mayor who says :

“We’re very excited that Rio will soon join the growing list of destination points from DFW,” said Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. “For leisure and business travelers alike, the region’s global reputation continues to grow and clearly we are pleased American Airlines is helping connect us with the world.”

“North Texas continues to be an economic powerhouse, and announcements like this are part of the reason why. This is wonderful news for the passengers and shippers who use DFW Airport,” said Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief. “We are confident this new service will be successful and will provide yet another link between our community and our neighbors in South America.”
Here is the new schedule effective Dec. 16 – April 4, 2011:
AA 251 from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Rio (GIG) on Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday
Departs: 7:45 p.m. Arrives: 10:25 a.m. (next day)**
AA 250 from Rio (GIG) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) on Wednesday,
Friday and Sunday
Departs: 11:15 p.m. Arrives 6:25 a.m. (next day)**
**These times are accurate at the time the service begins but may
be adjusted later due to Daylight Saving Time in both the U.S. and
Brazil.
American also offers daily nonstop service from DFW and New York’s JFK International Airport to Sao Paulo, plus multiple flights to and from Brazil through its hub at Miami International Airport, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife, and Salvador. With the addition of the new DFW to Rio service American will offer 77 weekly flights to Brazil.

RIVER’S VALLEY ON EQUATOR–Kalimantan , Indonesia

admin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:49:32 +0000

Borneo Island’s 2/3 part is made of the Indonesian territory of Kalimantan. It is a region notorious for its tropical vegetation, for its exotic flowers and animals, and or its rich natural resources. Kalimantan offers a unique universe of its own, unlikely to any other region in the world. The very first people in Kalimantan were the Dayak , Iban, Punan and Banuaq tribes, many of which were made of the forceful headhunters. Why did these people hunt heads? It certainly wasn’t for pleasure, they weren’t serial killers, for them it had a spiritual significance, mostly related to bringing them good luck and good crops throughout the year. However, plenty of religions have influenced their philosophy, so they have renounced this frightening habit. Islamic teaching, Hinduism and even Christianity have reached these people.
The rivers in Kalimantan play an important role, both for communication and for the national economy. Houses are generally built on riversides. These rivers also have another function-that of offering tourists great entertainment like rafting or simply traveling across them. They are some of the most beautiful and spectacular rivers in the world, passing through jungles and traditional villages.
In the Eastern Kalimantan there is a river called Mahakam where the freshwater dolphin lives. The Eastern Kalimantan part tends to be more and more advanced in industry. It is due to its producing of oil and timber, and also by the fact that it is Indonesia’s second largest province. The Dayaks, indigenes, also live here. Because of that, there are many cultural remnants of these people.
As for South Kalimantan, it is rich and fertile and divided in two zones by the mountains called Meratus. Thus, in the east there are mostly mountains and thick tropical forests, while the south has more plains and rivers. Because of the many forests in this area, it has become a great producer of wood for Indonesia. The amazing handicrafts made here are made entirely of raw material that is to be found there.
Central Kalimantan is made of thick jungles and represents the island’s largest province. The relief is made of mountains, swamps and plenty of rivers. The climate is tropical, the temperature rising to 26 C -30 C during the day, and 15 – 20 C in the nighttime. The humidity has an average of 70 – 90%.
West Kalimantan is also called ‘land of the equator’ because its capital Pontianak is geographically positioned exactly on the Equator line. It has many swamps, rivers and lakes.
There are many sight attractions on this island. For instance, the national parks and natural reserves. In order to protect its unique flora and fauna, Kalimantan has some nature reserves, like Kersik Luway, where we can find the extremely rare ‘Black Orchid’ (Colongenia Pandurata), in fact growing on the upper stream of the Mahakam river. Another reserve is Bontang. Then Tanjung Puting National Park in the central part of Kalimantan where the flora and fauna are conserved since incredibly old times. There are some interesting primates living in this reserve, such as Orangutans, Owa-owa, Bekantan and others. There also is here a centre for rehabilitating primates, called the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and supported by WWF (Would Wildlife Fund.)
These nature reserves are but a few reasons to visit this wonderful place on earth. Perhaps, apart from getting to know the culture of these people, and understand their lifestyle and choices, we could certainly find a lot of adventure in those tropical jungles and enjoy magnificent sceneries, gather some memories to bring back to our homelands. A thing that I find interesting is how come people who inhabited such a heavenly island got to be headhunters? Why would such a peaceful place fail to induce its peace and natural influence on people? Of course, the answer might be we are all humans, and are bound to make things that are against nature. We want to exceed nature at any cost, surpass it, control it and change it to our very own pleasure.

POLITICAL DECISIONS GOVERN THE SKY COMMERCE MONROVIA GET’S FLIGHTS AHEAD OF OBAMA’S NAIROBI

admin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:22:25 +0000

In today’s world every action is questioned within minutes for the reasons and consequences there of.USTSA (US Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) in its recent most action denied permission to Delta Airlines flying to Nairobi which is the most important city in Eastern Africa and recently is becoming hub to Airline business and is enjoying most peaceful atmosphere through out Africa.Instead go ahead was given for flights to war ridden Monrovea the Liberian Capital.It shows American Administeration’s intereasts in Western Africa.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Monday hailed the launch of a Delta Airlines flight linking Liberia to the United States as a boost for business and tourism in the west African nation.
On Sunday, Delta Airlines became the first American carrier to fly to Liberia in twenty years.
“Delta Airline’s inaugural direct flight from Monrovia to the United States opens the sky over Liberia for business, for commerce, for tourism, for travel,” Sirleaf said in a statement from the presidency issued Monday.
The service will operate weekly between Monrovia and Delta?s hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with a stop in Accra, Ghana.
Liberia, founded by freed American slaves in 1822, is Africa’s oldest independent state and Sirleaf said maintaining a link with the United States was an “economic necessity”.
Pan-American airlines used to fly between the United States and Monrovia until they pulled out in 1990, a year after the outbreak of a civil war which would last until 2003, leaving the country in ruins.

Peak season enthrills Kenya Airways to increase Bangkok flights

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:56:47 +0000

Kenya Airways after creating pool with KLM and Air France is touching new dimensions.Its quality of in-cabin service and interior decoration combined with Kenya’s geographic location which makes it and important connecting point between Asia and Europe and Asia and Africa is attracting travellers from whole of Africa as well as Europe. Kenya is Ideally located to connect whole of Africa and Europe with Asian destination its a gateway at both ends . passengers avoiding long hall flights from Europe and southern African countries would enjoy stop over at Nairobi’s Jomo kenyatta International airport and after relaxing at worlds most beautiful city would fly to far eastern countries .Presently these additional flights to Bangkok are announced for the peak season starting from mid October and ending by mid December but the recent success that Kenya airways has achieved that the operation may stay for years to come.

Visit Land of White & Blue Nile with our Cheap flights offers

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:16:05 +0000

Land of White & Blue Nile–Sudan
Situated in northeast Africa, the Sudan is the largest country on the continent. It is bordered with Egypt to the north, Ethiopia and Eritrea to the southeast, Kenya, Uganda and Zaire to the south, the Central Africa Republic and Chad to the west and Libya to the northwest.
The greatest part of Sudan is vast plain traversed by the northward flowing Nile River and its tributaries. Widely separated mountain chains and many hilly areas reach a maximum altitude of 7,000ft. The northern area is mainly desert, with rock at or near the surface covered by thin soils of low fertility. The western undulating sandy wastes merge into the Red Sea Hills to the east.
The dominating geographical feature of Sudan is the Nile River, formed near Khartoum by the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile Rivers. There are natural harbours at Port Sudan and Sawakin on the Red Sea. The highest elevations are in the Marra Mountains, the main mountain range. Highest Point being Kinyeti at 3,187m whereas Lowest Point is where it meets Red Sea at 0m altitude.
Unrest in Sudan’s Darfur area erupted in recent past is attracting attention of west especially America whose eyes are closed on Palestine where millions of homeless people are subject to Israel atrocities for more then half a century, Unicef and even the journalists from democratic west do not have access to Kashmir but India being an important market and more important important weapon aof west against sole nuclear power from Islamic world Pakistan the western eyes can not see any genocide , where Americans have killed hundreds of thousands Iraqis on a false report which has proved to be false and no American has been blamed for this Crusade yet and point to remember is that even UN who is very generous to US & West didn’t allow attacks on Iraq,world powers are standing with America and killing Afghans in their homeland on just the presumption that attacks would be made by militants from Afghanistan, Millions of Afghanis are still living in neighboring countries since 1979 the Russian attack who have been bailed out. But the American Secretary of state talks of Genocide in Sudan.
Beyond troubled Darfur lies an extraordinary country, and a culture of kindness to strangers. Discover the archaeological riches of Kush and Nubia, scuba dive in the Red Sea, or relax on a Nile cruise through colorful Khartoum
A member of the United Nations, Sudan also maintains membership with the AU, LAS, OIC and NAM, as well as serving as an observer in WTO.Its capital is Khartoum, which serves as the political, cultural and commercial centre of the nation, while Omdurman remains the largest city. Among Sudan’s population of 42 million people, Sunni Islam is the official and largest religion, while Arabic and English are the official languages.
Sudan was seized in a bloodless coup d’état by colonel Omar al-Bashirin 1989, who thereafter proclaimed himself President of Sudan.Sudan then achieved great economic growth by implementing macroeconomic reforms and finally ended the civil war by adopting a new constitution in 2005 with rebel groups in the south, granting them limited autonomy to be followed by a referendum about independence in 2011.Rich in natural resources such as petroleum and crude oil, Sudan’s economy is currently amongst the fastest growing in the world.The People’s Republic of China and Japan are the main export partners of Sudan.
Although the south does have troubles but north, west and East are the most peaceful areas and Sudan geographically is not a tiny state its area the largest in Africa and is placed at no 10 in the world. Area wise none except Russia is bigger in Europe and Africa than Sudan.The other important thing is its cheap flights from Europe are comparatively cheap then other destinations in East mainly thanks to Afriqiyah Airways and Turkish Airlines. KLM, Lufthansa, Kenya Airways, Royal Jordanian Airlines , Air France , Egypt Air ,Qatar Airways , Gulf Air , British Midlands , Emirates , Bahrain Air, Fly Dubai , Yemeniyah are some of the other airlines competing to bring passengers to Khartoum at cheaper rates.

Hainan Airlines operating non-stop flight from Beijing to Toronto

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:45:14 +0000

Hainan Airlines Co Ltd plans to start its first airline service linking China and Canada by operating non-stop flight from Beijing to Toronto on Nov. 27.
The new route will have three flights per week, which comprises Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, departing from Beijing at 13:00 local time and arriving in Toronto at 13:40 local time, and the travel time will be around 13 hours.
On Aug. 29, the airline service provider opened Dalian-Singapore route via one stop in Hefei, Anhui Province twice a week.
Reportedly, Hainan Airlines currently has more than 500 inbound and outbound flights, covering about 90 cities in Asia, Europe, America and Africa, and the firm’s total assets have reached RMB 140 billion.

United Airlines will offer nonstop flights between Aspen to Houston

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:41:26 +0000

United’s new nonstop service – flight UA 6203 – will depart Houston at 9:18 a.m. and land in Aspen/Snowmass at 11:08 a.m. Return flight UA 7037 will depart Aspen at 2:35 p.m. and touch down in Houston at 6:05 p.m.
“We greatly appreciate United Airlines stepping up once again with even more new flights into Aspen/Snowmass and believe this new service from Texas will be mutually beneficial,” said David Perry, Senior Vice President – Mountain Division for Aspen Skiing Company.
“The addition of Houston as a destination will open numerous connections for locals and visitors alike that have been challenging in the past,” said Aspen/Pitkin County Airport Director, Jim Elwood.
“In addition to making it easier than ever to fly between Houston and Aspen/Snowmass, this new route is also going to offer superb connections from Florida and across Latin America.” said Bill Tomcich, President of Stay Aspen/Snowmass. “Travelers flying the global route network of the Star Alliance will now have more connecting options into Aspen/Snowmass than ever before,” Tomcich added.
As an added bonus for skiers and snowboarders, United Airlines travelers will be treated to some amazing ski content in the upcoming October issue of United’s in-flight magazine, “Hemispheres.” The new issue will highlight some of the most exciting ski destinations that United travelers can access under the numerous routes the airline offers for ski and snowboard fans alike.
United Airlines has really embraced the winter sports community in recent years by consistently adding new flights to ski resorts nationwide. Last year, United added several more daily flights to Aspen with more trips out of Chicago and San Francisco, which effectively doubled capacity.
This year, United had again upped their capacity and is scheduled to operate four daily non-stops from Chicago, three from Los Angeles, two from San Francisco, and 11 daily trips between Aspen and Denver, for a total of 21 flights daily into and out of Aspen/Snowmass for this upcoming winter season.
All flights into Aspen/Snowmass will be operated by SkyWest Airlines with CRJ700 aircraft, featuring a United First cabin and United Economy Plus seating, which offers customers up to five inches of additional legroom. These new flights will be available for sale on www.united.com this Saturday, September 4.
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is located only three miles from Aspen and seven miles from Snowmass Village, the closest airport to any ski resort in North America.

QANTAS faces new Crisis–Travel Agents win in court

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:41:25 +0000

Sydney-QANTAS has lost a High Court challenge to a ruling that it owes millions of dollars to travel agents underpaid commission for more than six years.
The Federal Court ruled in May that the carrier short-changed travel agents when it failed to pay commission on fuel surcharges on international flights.
The High Court loss means the case now goes back to Federal Court for a decision on how much the airline has to shell out.
Qantas said in 2007 that the cost at that time was estimated at $26 million, but lawyers for the travel agents say the figure has increased considerably since then.
Slater & Gordon lawyer Steven Lewis, who brought a class action against a number of airlines on behalf of travel agents, said it was time for Qantas to sit down with the agents and resolve the issue.“Qantas has had its day in court and its excuses for not paying the commission have been rejected by the court,” Mr Lewis said.
“The mum and dad travel agents, which make up the bulk of our clients, now need to be paid what they are owed and allowed to get on with their businesses.”