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Tagged With "Gulf carriers"

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Re: Belgium and Sweden see night-train link

Paul Heymont ·
I haven't found a definitive answer to that; the nearest I have come is speculation that DB is concerned about competition with existing conventional trains along the route; DB is the major carrier on the route, but they are clearly not doing much of a job of it as the schedule I've linked here shows. The minimum number of train changes is 2, with some itineraries requiring 8! And the ones with only 2 or 3 changes sell for nearly $200, compared to $70 with 8 changes. I'd think a direct...
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Re: EU Court rules baggage fees legal

PortMoresby ·
Baggage fees are often avoidable. Links from AirFareWatchdog.com's newletter this morning included this one , a SmartTravel.com piece on ways to do it. While the suggestions don't generally apply to the low-fare airlines such as Spanish carrier Vueling, the subject of DrF's news, they can certainly help us avoid domestic charges.
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Re: Frequent Flyer Strategy - Delta

Paul Heymont ·
Great tip! We're usually both on FF tickets so we haven't had this issue, but L.A. in July will be different. Not sure which carrier we'll be on, but we'll watch for it.
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Re: Is it a plane? Is it a Ship? City of St Petersburg, River Tyne.

Paul Heymont ·
I was so curious about this ship, I just had to look it up! Turns out to be a custom-built (for Nissan) roll-on/roll-off car carrier, designed to reduce fuel use by its aerodynamic shape. Here's a video about it...
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline

Paul Heymont ·
Amazing the way these calculations work out. We're going to England next spring, using American Airlines points. The flight selection offered us flights on British Airways and American. The AA flights cost the points plus government fees. The BA flights cost the points plus the government fees, plus enough surcharges to make a $1000+ difference. If I only had the BA flights, I'd certainly rather find a low-cost carrier! It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming year as Aer...
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Re: Say 'Cheese' and board your flight? Maybe

Paul Heymont ·
While JetBlue is testing 'selfie' check-in, this morning's e-mail brought a notice from GOL, the big Brazilian carrier, announcing that it has implemented facial recognition check-in, and claims to be the first airline in the world to fully do so. Smile and watch the birdie!
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Re: August 23, 2017: Wolf Creek Pass - Colorado

DrFumblefinger ·
I know it's high up, but there is still an awful lot of snow up there. What time of year did you take the photos, Samantha?
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Re: August 23, 2017: Wolf Creek Pass - Colorado

Samantha ·
Hi there DrFumblefinger, it was the middle of May! Crazy huh? lol
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Re: For those who hate Heathrow, Gatwick plans new allure

Paul Heymont ·
Gatwick, if selected, will have much better transportation than now; in fact, they are committed to building it even with one runway. Every 2.5 minutes, into Central London. DrF: Gatwick is hoping this will bring some North American flights again; US Airways was the last North American carrier into Gatwick, and they stopped in 2009, sucked into the great vacuum of Heathrow. Gatwick used to have a lot of N. America business back when restrictive legislation limited the number of their flights...
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Re: Budget airlines pushing seat squeeze on new planes

DrFumblefinger ·
I flew on Spanish budget carrier, Vueling, this past spring. It was a pleasant enough flight, but the aircraft had the tightest pitch of any airline I've ever been on. The pocket in the seat in front of you, where magazines and the air sickness bag are stored, was removed to allow for crowding of rows and even my knees were wedged in tightly to the seat back in front of me (seats couldn't be reclined, for obvious reason). I'm not sure how a seriously tall person could ever fit in.
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Re: A Price War over Trans-Atlantic? TravelGumbo interviews Norwegian Air

DrFumblefinger ·
I wish them success. And I hope they start flying into Canada. We could a new low cost carrier here. Nice piece, Rob, thanks. I found it very informative.
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Re: A Price War over Trans-Atlantic? TravelGumbo interviews Norwegian Air

Travel Rob ·
I recently saw a cheap fare from Norwegian posted on The Flight Deal website. What struck me is what they said in the post (below) and how it really demonstrates the same Skytrain price matching problem . I do think consumers have to think that if they choose the legacy carriers price match ,instead of Norwegians, there might not be these lower fares in the future that Delta or United will match. " Norwegian is a low cost carrier so they will charge you for everything – advanced seat...
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Re: More airlines join PreCheck; total is now 72

Paul Heymont ·
Room for one more! The total is now up to 73, with Brazilian low-cost carrier Azul joining the crowd.
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Re: A shout-out for Ryanair...no kidding!

GarryRF ·
Ireland's Ryanair has overtaken Lufthansa as Europe's biggest airline by passenger numbers. Lufthansa's 109.7 million passengers last year fell short of the 117 million passengers reported by low-cost carrier Ryanair last week, a 15% increase on the previous year, as Ryanair pulled in passengers with low prices. Any airline that gets me across Europe for $15 US (one way) can be as rude as they like. But Ryanair have always been a courteous and professional company to deal with. Delta and...
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Re: Vienna's Naschmarkt: 500 years of food

GarryRF ·
A wonderful display of fruit and vegetables Paul. No - never too many photos. I could be there myself ! Really enjoyed that excursion into epicurean delights. Not so sure about some of those prices, but they certainly looked fresh as could be. I'm just going back for another look - I'm sure I could smell the Pataks Curry ! The Stinkefrucht "Dorien" comes from Singapore as your photo says. But if you take it on public transport there - you will be pushed off the bus !. You may see it hanging...
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Re: Campaigners ask: Can the QE2 be saved?

PortMoresby ·
A sad story, but not unusual. People get attached to ships, maybe why they're called "she" instead of "it". My son was in the Navy, on the magnificent aircraft carrier USS Ranger, CV61, one of several of that name, the first in 1777, commanded by John Paul Jones. The end of his tour was also Ranger's last, after a voyage to the Persian Gulf for a goodbye battle. Retired just afterward (1993) and stored in Bremerton, WA, I read yesterday that as I write this, Ranger is sailing under tow...
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Re: How do you buy your travel?

TravelGirlJenn ·
Interesting topic and rather timely as I am in the midst of finalizing my plans for my upcoming trip. Hotels: This upcoming trip the first I've used Booking.com. I have used a variety of sources in the past (i.e. Travelocity, Expedia, etc.) and have also found that booking directly through the hotel is sometimes cheaper...sometimes. But, I love the option to be able to change or cancel my reservation, if needed. Flights: I prefer to book directly through the airline. Have never used a...
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Re: U.S. regs may delay Norwegian's Cork-Boston route

Travel Rob ·
Norwegian Air Shuttle got their EU flight license approved for their Irish subsidiary airline ,Norwegian International ,in Feb. 2014. Under the Open Skies agreement, they should be allowed to fly between EU countries and the US. How the DOT is justifying taking over two years to approve their foreign carrier permit, when it normally takes a month, I don't know.
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Re: Ryanair changes its tune: Plans for future growth tied to better customer service

GarryRF ·
He is a smart business man : "20 May 2013 - Ryanair , Europe's only ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC) today (May 20) announced (record) annual profits of €569m, up 13% on last year" Its only Americans who hate Ryanair because they take the bait every time Michael O'Leary throws a wild punch ! He's great ! Like Travel Rob, we've used the carrier many times and never been disappointed.
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Finnair Adds A350s, plans to retire A340s

Paul Heymont ·
Finnair, a OneWorld carrier, has ordered 10 more A350s from Airbus. The A350, a new plane that competes with the Boeing 787 won't be pioneering new routes for Finnair, though; they will mainly replace 4-engine A340s with the more efficient 2-engine...
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Update: Loyalty Programs and Credit Cards

Paul Heymont ·
For some of us, credit cards are more than a convenient way to pay—they are the lifeline to free travel through loyalty programs. Between points for purchases and bonuses for opening or upgrading credit card accounts, it's possible to get quite...
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Airbus A380. No new customers in 2014

DrFumblefinger ·
Apparently the massive two level Airbus A380, capable of passenger loads in excess of 600 passengers, failed to generate a single new customer in 2014, according to this story by Bloomberg Businessweek.   The only buyer so far this year was a...
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$240 NY-London, LA $320: Norwegian Air

Paul Heymont ·
Norwegian Air Shuttle, a low-cost carrier that has begun flying trans-Atlantic from Oslo now plans to offer service by this summer to NYC and LA from London Gatwick. The announced fares are $240 each way to NY and $320 to LA--less than half the cost...
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Allegiant Rapidly Expanding Routes in the Northeast

Travel Rob ·
Allegiant Air is rapidly adding routes in the Northeast. Such as this route from Burlington ,Vermont to Orlando just announced today. http://www.burlingtonfreepress...05/NEWS07/311050019/ In fact ,it now serves more cities than any other low cost US...
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Wow! Iceland Express successor adds U.S. flights

Paul Heymont ·
The headline's not a pun; Wow Air is the company that bought budget carrier Iceland Express in 2012. The carrier will now re-enter the U.S. market with roundtrip Boston-Reykjavik-London Gatwick flights, connecting in Reykjavik with its other European...
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$399.00 RT Per Person -New York to Milan

Travel Rob ·
This is a good sale on Emirates ,a high rated airline. You must buy two tickets for this price.  I saw this-Feb 8 to Feb 16 $399.00 per person total when you buy two tickets. Read More:...
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Aer Lingus may become part of British Air/Iberia group

Paul Heymont ·
International Air Group, the parent of British Air and Iberia, has made an offer to buy Aer Lingus, now owned 30% by RyanAir and 25% by the Irish government, and unlike two previous offers, the board of the Irish flag carrier has agreed to consider...
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Airlines Cancelling Again, Waiving Fees: Check your carrier

Paul Heymont ·
Ahead of the new northeast storm expected to begin Sunday night, airlines are cancelling flights, over 2500 as of Sunday morning, to avoid stranding travelers, crews and planes. In general, they are waiving change fees for travelers who rebook from...
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Frontier's raising bag fees; will the other "low-costs" follow?

Paul Heymont ·
Frontier Airlines, which last year joined Spirit and Allegiant in the ULCC (ultra-low-cost-carrier) class that seems to mean ULC (ultra lots of charges) for most folks, is raising its fees for checked bags. The only checked bags that will not go up by...
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Emirates adds Orlando; more fuel on Open Skies fire?

Paul Heymont ·
Emirates, the largest of the Gulf carriers, has announced it will start a daily flight between Dubai and Orlando, starting September 1, using a B777.   The expansion comes at a time U.S. carriers are lobbying hard for limits on expansion into the...
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Mexico low-cost carrier adds U.S. flights

Paul Heymont ·
Volaris, a Guadalajara-based Ultra Low-Cost Carrier (ULCC) that has an extensive network in Mexico and also serves cities in the southwestern U.S. is pushing to increase its U.S. business by adding flights to further destinations, especially ones with...
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Delta makes its 20-minute bag guarantee permanent

Paul Heymont ·
Delta's guarantee that your bags will hit the conveyor belt in the terminal within 20 minutes of landing, announced as a test a few months ago, is now permanent. Delta passengers whose bags don't appear in time are eligible to fill out an online form...
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Europe Takes Issue with Gulf Carriers, too

Travel Rob ·
First, the American legacy carriers (American, Delta and United) had a  press conference on  March 5, stating   Emirates, Qatar and Etihad are violating the fair-play terms of their nations' "Open Skies" agreements with the U.S. by...
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Delta/Alaska Battle for Seattle heats up

Paul Heymont ·
If you thought the boxing match in Las Vegas the other day was the "battle of the century," you haven't been watching Delta and Alaska Airlines fight it out over passenger traffic in Seattle. The two airlines have been codeshare partners for a long...
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Air Europa buys 22 new 787s

DrFumblefinger ·
Air Europa, a private Spanish air carrier, has submitted a purchase order to Boeing for a total of 22 of its popular 787 aircraft, replacements for its aging Airbus 330 fleet.  The rollout of the aircraft will occur over the next several...
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Hop on the Bus, Gus...or maybe a train

Paul Heymont ·
Wanderu, a startup travel aggregator (think Kayak) is now offering schedule and fare information for the major U.S. bus lines (Greyhound, Megabus and Boltbus) and has just signed a distribution agreement with Amtrak that will allow them to include...
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British Air adds year-round Iceland flights

Paul Heymont ·
British Airways will be flying Heathrow-Rekyjavik three times a week, starting October 25, becoming the first mainline trans-Atlantic carrier to offer year-round service. BA and others have operated summer services, but the winter has been largely...
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Update: Did complaints force out Frontier CEO?

Paul Heymont ·
Dave Siegel, CEO of Frontier Airlines is out; the airline says his resignation was for "personal reasons," but Frontier Barry Biffle told the Denver Post that the changes at the top are meant to help fix the carrier's operational issues.  ...
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Luxury Centurion Airport Lounge to Open in Miami - June, 2015

Travel Rob ·
          Photo from Centurion Lounge Dallas /Fort Worth American Express is set to open their latest Centurion Airport Lounge in Miami in June. It will be a ring shaped 8,000-square-foot space with tarmac...
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Oh, no! Next winter storm aims at South

Paul Heymont ·
In the wake of recent heavy storms that have buried Boston and other cities as well as shattering travel plans, another winter storm is causing cancellations, and this time the target cities are in the southern part of the country, including...
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A Price War over Trans-Atlantic? TravelGumbo interviews Norwegian Air

Travel Rob ·
                                                                  ...
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AirBerlin's new fares: JustFly, pretty cheap

Paul Heymont ·
Returning a bit to its roots as a discount carrier, AirBerlin is introducing a number of new fares starting May 5 (with some previews already for lucky travelers). The key one for bargain hunters is called JustFly; it comes with a seat and that's it....
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Another "not a good day" for travel

Paul Heymont ·
After days of stress on the U.S. air transporation system due to weather, a new wave of flight cancellations is hitting Monday travelers for February 23rd. By noon Sunday, nearly a thousand Monday flights had been cancelled, with more expected by...
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Another "ultra low-fare" carrier ups its game

Paul Heymont ·
Frontier Airlines, which has been transforming itself into an ultra low-fare carrier like Allegiant and Spirit, is also expanding its route system, and seems to be targeting Delta by opening new routes from Atlanta to cities Delta serves from...
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Roses are red, violets are blue...and UPS will deliver 110 million of them

Paul Heymont ·
Valentine's Day is this Saturday—only Mothers' Day rivals it in the flower business—and UPS expects to be handling 110 million flowers for the occasion.   You may think of UPS as the brown truck that brings your Amazon package, but...
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Another storm alert: Check with your carrier no matter where!

Paul Heymont ·
Thousands of flights, mostly to and from Northeast destinations have been cancelled because of the Sunday, Feb. 15 storm that will heavily affect already-affected airports including Boston, the 3 NYC airports and more.   But that's not the end of...
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Valentine's in Northeast: Forget Hearts, Expect Snowballs

Paul Heymont ·
Sadly, the goddesses of love and weather are not in synch, and the Northeast, including snow-swamped Boston, can expect another round of storm to interfere with Valentine's travel and celebration plans.   Check with your carrier if flights are in...
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Ryanair on Alitalia: 'we want it and want it whole'

Paul Heymont ·
Ryanair moves toward a binding bid on the bankrupt carrier that would keep it flying whole and under its own name.
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And Speaking of Airlines...Ryanair

PortMoresby ·
Is canceling 2000 of it's flights a logical path to acquiring another airline? Ryanair appears to think so.
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Britain's Monarch Airlines folds, stranding thousands

Paul Heymont ·
A large British package-tour carrier is bankrupt, leaving 110,000 travelers to be brought home by government-chartered flights.
 
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