Budget airline Zoom bites the dust

LONDON - Budget airline Zoom has collapsed with its planes grounded in Scotland and Canada. Zoom is the latest airline to suffer under the pressure of high fuel costs. The line employed 600 people in the UK and Canada and all have lost their jobs. Passengers who booked direct with the airline through its website must try to get their money back from their credit card companies.
A statement from the airline posted on its website Thursday night said it deeply regretted the inconvenienced caused to passengers and employees, and blamed the rising cost of fuel for its failure.

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(source David Brown eTN)

United Airlines loses girl at Dulles Airport

Judy and Jeff Boyer, of Reston, faced a parent's worst nightmare last week.
Their 10-year-old daughter Jenna flew unaccompanied Aug. 17 to Washington Dulles International Airport from Boston, where news reports said she had been visiting her grandmother.
When her parents went to pick her up, they were told she was nowhere to be found.
"Only one parent is allowed to go to the gate with a security pass to pick up an unaccompanied minor," Judy Boyer said Aug. 21. "When I got there, they were closing the gate like everyone had been let off the plane -- and Jenna was not there." read more

Source: eturbonews.com

airfares low after Labor Day

Did rising fares and airline fees decimate your travel budget this summer? If so, you may to consider taking that canceled trip after Labor Day.
Although ticket prices remain high overall, the major airlines are deeply discounting some leisure fares for fall flights, before the holidays, as the summer travel season winds down and the industry braces for steep cuts in overall capacity, according to travel experts.
Airlines have launched several fare sales, which have been matched by competitors, on advance-purchase tickets. >>read more

Source: Star-Telegram.com

the never ending Alitalia story,,,

Italy's latest plan to rescue Alitalia includes seeking bankruptcy protection for its troubled units before resuming the hunt for a foreign partner, a political source said ahead of a crucial week for the stricken airline.

Read more >> source: airwise

Airlines Add Fees, Trim Frequent-Flier Benefits

Many airlines are tacking on new fees and reducing the benefits of formerly free award tickets.

On the back of a year of skyrocketing oil prices most airlines have made announcements that they will add a fuel surcharge or fee when booking award tickets.

Some are changing the structure of their frequent-flier programs so it is more expensive to buy certain award tickets and others are cutting the benefits associated with award tickets.

Earlier this summer, American Airlines added a $5 online booking fee and announced that it will increase the number of miles needed to buy certain award tickets as of Oct. 1. More recently, the airline announced additional fees for using miles to upgrade to first class from certain low-level fare classes.

>>>>>read more

source WSJ, Sarah Nassauer

Cheaper Airfares already offered in August

An unusual August fare sale has started. Airlines have moved their usual fall fare sale to start on Monday instead of waiting until Sept. Ticket prices have been reduced to Europe's most popular destinations, such as Stockholm, London, Paris Rome, Amsterdam, Madrid and BrusselsThe airlines are attempting to fill up empty seats, Worries about the U.S. economy, higher gas prices and unfavorable exchange rates slowed downthe bookings to Europe.

Ryanair: Spain´s Government reacts

Spain's government has demanded information from Irish airline Ryanair after travel agencies warned the firm was threatening to strand thousands of passengers who booked through online brokers.
The public works ministry is now waiting for an answer from Ryanair about its plans to cancel tickets booked through Spain's leading online bookers, eDreams, Rumbo and Atrapolo, before deciding whether to take further action, a spokeswoman said.
"After the media reports at the weekend, on Monday we acted," said a ministry spokeswoman.
However, she said the ministry would not necessarily take action against Ryanair as a result.
"The ministry only acts if we find a breach to the law on passenger rights."
Ryanair has said it is cancelling all flights booked through online travel agencies, which Ryanair calls screenscrapers, as it considers the sites are acting illegally.
In a statement, Ryanair said getting rid of agencies would speed up passenger processing times on the Ryanair web site and ensure passengers are not paying unnecessary handling charges or higher fares.
The Irish no-frills airline is already taking legal action against online bookers in Spain to stop them selling tickets, as well as against Irish booker BravoFly and German booker Vtours.
"They can't just take something off our web site to resell it," said Ryanair spokesman Daniel de Carvalho.
He said passengers would have to seek refunds from online agencies.
Spanish agencies reacted angrily to Ryanair's latest move.
Edreams said it was exploring legal action against the Irish airline for damage caused to customers for the cancellation of thousands of paid and confirmed bookings.
"Ryanair doesn't want travel agents to offer comparative prices and thereby to show that in many cases Ryanair is the most expensive option," Edreams said in a statement.
Source:Reuters

Fewer flights after Labor Day mean seat availability is tight.

Don't wait. Book now!
Book your fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas travel plans now, travel industry executives say.
With the airline industry announcing post-Labor Day seating capacity cuts of 8 percent to 15 percent, fall and holiday travelers will have fewer and more expensive options the longer they wait to confirm airline, hotel and rental car reservations, officials said.
"If they haven't booked by now for the Thanksgiving period, they'll find there are very few discounted fares left," said David Huff, owner of Avenues to Travel Ltd., a Broken Arrow travel agency. "Unfortunately, most people wait way too late to book holiday travel. This year it just appears to be worse with reduced (airline seating) capacity, increased fares and increased fuel costs.
"The closer we get to your travel date, the higher the prices are going to be. You'll have to be more and more flexible on your travel dates."
At American Airlines, the world's largest air carrier, executives have announced plans to ground at least 75 airplanes after Labor Day in response to a doubling of fuel prices in the last year.
"Book early, book often," said American spokesman Tim Smith. "Any period of peak demand is going to see less expensive fares book up first. Availability is reduced because of high demand and less (seating) capacity."
Southwest Airlines, on the other hand, is increasing its seating capacity 4 percent after Labor Day, said spokesman Chris Mainz.
"The best advice is to book early," Mainz said. "Passengers won't be penalized if fares drop. They can get a refund."
Southwest and other carriers will rebook passengers at the lower fare if prices drop before the travel date.

Source: Tulsa World

For Air Travel click: www.sky-tours.com
For Hotel Reservations click: www.hotelsupermarket.com
For Car Rental click: www.happy-cars.com

The future of air travel? Plastic, of course

The Seattle Times Who hasn't felt guilty handing a harried flight attendant $20 for a $5 drink, then sat there waiting as he or she runs around the cabin asking other passengers for change? Alaska Airlines' recent decision to accept credit and debit cards for drinks, movies and meals sounds like a good deal. But there's more to the story. As part of what it's calling the "cashless cabin," the Northwest's biggest airline joins some others in no longer accepting cash for onboard purchases. In other words, pack the plastic next time you fly, or be prepared to skip the margarita. What's this all about? For a clue, consider what Ryanair, the big European discount airline, sells besides airline tickets - life insurance, vacation rentals and scratch cards for gambling. "It's like the Grand Bazaar," says Jay Sorenson, president of Milwaukee-based IdeaWorks, an airline-industry consultant. "They sell everything but the kitchen sink." If air travel these days feels like a ride on a flying Greyhound bus, get ready for the next phase: shopping in the airborne equivalent of Wal-Mart. "This is the only thing they can do right now," says Sorensen. With fuel prices double what they were a year ago, fares are about as high as they can go. There's little left to squeeze by cutting costs, as US Airways proved in announcing plans to rip out in-flight entertainment systems to save on weight. That leaves what's called "ancillary revenues," money raised from things other than selling tickets - everything from credit cards tied to frequent-flier miles (banks pay the airlines for these miles) to commissions on rental cars to fees for aisle seats or checking bags. IdeaWorks last year estimated these extras generated $2.45 billion among 75 airlines worldwide, and that's before adding in new fees for checking bags. "It's been proven that people spend more when they're charging something," Sorensen notes. "They're going to be selling more, and you'll see higher-value things being added." Who benefits? Alaska isn't the first and won't be the last airline to go cashless. Southwest will stop accepting cash onboard in September, joining JetBlue, Virgin America and Frontier. Delta, Northwest, United and the other major carriers still take cash, but I predict they won't by this time next year. "Compared to when we were taking cash, we've seen 100 percent increase in revenue," says Sam Kline of JetBlue, which so far sells only alcoholic drinks and headsets. Using a hand-held device, flight attendants swipe a card through in a few seconds with no signature required. Getting rid of cash not only eliminates the hassle of making change, it makes for easier accounting and tracking of what sells and what doesn't. Insiders say theft prevention also comes into play, not a huge problem now but a potential one in the future if the airlines start selling more expensive items. "The handling of cash without a cash register is tough," says Alaska Airlines Vice President Steve Jarvis. "We have wonderful employees, but we put them in a situation where they have little ability to track and reconcile a fistful of cash and items for sale on the cart." All understandable, but eliminating cash as an option will be an inconvenience for some, and the move comes as many struggle under the weight of big credit-card balances with high interest rates. It's a good time for consumers to take a hard look at the value of airline-affiliated MasterCard, Visa and American Express cards tied to accumulating frequent-flier miles. Some of these cards carry high interest rates and annual fees that cancel out the reward benefits for those who don't pay their bills in full each month. Others have strings attached to redemption policies. With the airlines cutting back on the availability of frequent-flier seats and some charging $25-$50 to book award travel, it might just be better to use a card that offers a cash rebate on purchases and use the money to buy an airline ticket. In any case, resist the temptation to sign up for an airline credit card without reading the fine print, and check Web sites such as www.bankrate.comand, www.cardtrack.comto compare offers. If you travel out of the country, be aware that many of the cards carry a 3 percent transaction fee on foreign purchases. And what about people who don't have credit or debit cards? Many who live in Alaskan bush communities, for instance, or children and students? For now, Alaska will sell $5 vouchers at its ticket counters, but only in Alaska and just temporarily. Soft drinks are still free, but parents of kids flying alone will have to figure out something else - pack their lunch or maybe prevail on a fellow passenger willing to swap cash for a credit-card purchase. The airline hasn't ruled out selling vouchers online in the future, Jarvis said. "We're goIng to do a little crawling here before we can walk or run, but we'll get there." No doubt, plastic is here to stay. Who benefits besides the banks and the airlines is still a question.

Source: Salt Lake Tribune Carol Pucci

Imprisonment offered for incorrectly booked travel arrangements.

Dear Sirs,

I find myself needing to advise you about a Travel Agent in Singapore,
Mustaffa Travel.

What happened was I booked return travel from Singapore to Indonesia, making
sure that they understood I did not wish to over stay the visa requirement
of only 30 days, no extensions allowed.

After a few visits, the lady booked me out on the 30th June and return on
the 30th July, I questioned this at the time, I did know June only had 30
days but I still wished to make sure this was OK, should I change the return
date and come back on the 29th. The lady very firmly and strongly advised
me that what I was saying was incorrect, she and her system were absolutely
correct and she was extremely offended that I should even ask, this was made
very clear in both her manner and tone, at least twice.

When returning from Indonesia the officials advised me that I had overstayed
by 1 day and I had to pay a fine, I disputed this as I had made a big thing
about this with the agent at the time of booking, he advised me that if I
did not pay the fine they would just take me of to jail, I think for 5
days. I paid the fine, which was only 200,000.00 RP, about $25.00 AUD,
this was not a large sum but the threat of being imprisoned in Indonesia was
a big deal for me.

When in Singapore I went back to the Travel Agent and they made me come back
a total of 3 times during the day from the morning till 8:30pm that night.
Finally I was allowed to speak with a Supervisor who said the same as the
others but in an even firmer manner that I should have made sure about the
arrangements, when I brought up that I had disputed this and was advised
that I should have insisted as it was not their responsibility. Although
their system is absolutely correct and if Indonesia decides to change the
rules that is up to them it has nothing to do with them, so it is not their
responsibility to make sure peoples visas and travel arrangements are
correct it is up to the traveler, they have had this attitude all along,
even now they are still adamant that their system is correct and Indonesia
is wrong, or at least doing things differently, not their problem.

When I advised them that I would be taking this matter to the Singapore
Tourism Board he just waved me on, saying he did not care what I did as it
had nothing to do with them.

If I had not had the money at the time and been imprisoned, losing my return
ticket to Singapore along with other travel arrangements, my return ticket
to Australia, obtaining a record which would affect future international
travel, and deported back to Australia along with other things I have no
wish to imagine, I would have been looking for more than the replacement of
the $25.00, but what was of utmost concern to me was that they had no
concern for what had happened and felt no accountability, nor did they
advise me that they would change their system to take into consideration the
different way of counting the days in Indonesia. Their system was right and
Indonesia was wrong if Indonesia wished to do things differently that was
their problem not theirs and it had nothing to do with them, they had done
the booking correctly so if anybody was responsible it was me, I should have
insisted that the booking be changed, so Goodbye.

As explained to me by the Indonesian official, the first day was the first
day on arrival, not the day after arrival, he agreed that some count the
second day as they view it as having been their for 1 day, Indonesia does
not, when counting nights for accommodation this is quite correct but not
when counting days, this is not how they count days of travel on tours
either, but as Mustafa so correctly pointted out to me it is the correct way
for an airline ticket.

I would appreciate it if you could forward me a reply or rather a notice
that you have even received this as I need to leave Singapore today I have
over extended myself by 4 days, with my desire to have this matter
corrected, I am waiting on a response from the Singapore Tourism Board.


If you think that I should contact some other particular agencies I would be
very appreciative of any advise. I have worked in the travel industry for
seven years and also obtained my Associate Diploma in Travel and Tourism, so
I do have a smattering of an understanding of the Industry, but I have never
encountered such outright disrespect for the rules and regulations as this
company has displayed to me.

Thank you for your time and an assistance rendered.

Robert Day

This was a letter sent to the Singapore Tourism Board and a few other likely
interestted parties but I find that I need help as Mustafa is Stonewalling
me, and changing the facts and supplying information in a misleading
manner.

A New Booking Site for Senior Citizen

Sky-tours.com has launched a new booking site for Senior Citizen
(Men 65+ Women 60+).

Go to the site http://www.senior-fares.com/ and have a look for yourself.

You find the best fares for Seniors for travel within the USA, within Europe and as well intercontinental.

If the engine does not find a special Senior Fare or if this fare should be higher, you automatically see the cheapest available.

A very good tool