Bodies, debris retrieved from Air France crash
Brazilian search crews on Saturday retrieved the first bodies from a crashed Air France flight in the Atlantic, and investigators said faulty speed readings had been found on the same type of jets. Navy ships found the bodies of two men and debris including a blue seat with a serial number matching Air France Flight 447, a rucksack containing a vaccination card, and a briefcase with an Air France ticket inside, rescue officials said.
Investigators are considering the possibility that the speed sensors on Flight 447 may have iced up, resulting in faulty readings that caused the pilots to set the plane at a dangerous speed as it passed thunderstorms. But the head of France’s air accident agency (BEA) said in a news conference in France that it was too soon to say if problems with the pressure-based speed sensors were in any way responsible for the disaster.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5501PB20090607
Michael O’Leary states Ryanair is interested in acquiring Lufthansa, attacks British Airways
Ryanair’s O’Leary said fares were likely to fall 15-20% in the year to March 2010 — a sign that demand will also fall — but that Ryanair’s overall passenger numbers were set to hit 67 million, up from 58.5 million at the end of March. This is ahead of all other European carriers, and O’Leary said the airline’s growth could one day even enable it to buy Germany’s flagship carrier Lufthansa. “We are having a serious look at Lufthansa. We could almost buy it for cash,” Michael O’Leary told a news conference in London following Ryanair’s full-year results. “We are not planning any bids for Lufthansa in the foreseeable future, but it is the only one of the other three large airlines that we would be interested in.” A spokesman for Lufthansa decline to comment, though analysts said it would be impossible to carry out.
But O’Leary said he would not look at buying British Airways under any circumstances. The UK carrier has half the passenger numbers of Ryanair despite generating three times as much revenue. “British Airways is just a pension deficit with wings,” O’Leary said, adding that business class, which in the past has made up much of BA’s profits, was “dead”.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-06-04-ryanair-euro-wrap_N.htm
British Airways CEO: BA is fighting for survival, temporary solutions “not enough”
British Airways faces a “fight for survival”, ceo Willie Walsh told employees. Writing in the airline’s staff newspaper, Mr Walsh said: “It’s critical that we all recognise that the diagnosis for our airline is now critical.” He said the current aviation industry crisis “has never been more serious”. Airlines are suffering from a wide-spread slump in demand, a result of the economic downturn. Europe’s three largest network carriers - Air France KLM, Lufthansa and BA - have all recently reported financial losses. Last month BA reported a record loss full year of £401m, its worst result for almost 20 years. BA recently said the current trading environment made it impossible to give a financial forecast for the coming year. Shares in BA have lost 28% of their value over the last year, valuing the business at £1.79bn pounds, according to reports.
http://www.abtn.co.uk/news/0212568-ba-fight-survival
http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=16789
Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary says Ryanair serious about pay-per-pee fee and sick-bag fee
The chief executive of Europe’s largest budget carrier said the airline would also generate extra revenues by removing two out of the three toilets on its Boeing 737-800 jets and filling the space with up to six seats. O’Leary first mooted the toilet charges in February, prompting his press officer to warn that the outspoken executive “makes a lot of this stuff up as he goes along”. However, O’Leary confirmed that he will ask Boeing to look at putting credit card readers on toilet locks for new aircraft.
“We are serious about it,” said O’Leary, who has acquired the nickname Michael O’Really within aviation circles for some of his more outlandish claims. He added: “We are flying aircraft on an average flight time of one hour around Europe. What the hell do we need three toilets for?” He denied that Ryanair was considering the ploy to make a profit from toilet breaks. “It’s not because we need to generate money from the jacks. But … if you get rid of two [toilets] you can get six seats on a 737. They will all be scurrying to the toilet before the departure gate.” Asked if he would be interested in charging £5 a toilet visit in order to eliminate the need for the loo altogether, he said: “If someone wanted to pay £5 to go to the toilet I would carry them myself. I would wipe their bums for a fiver.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jun/02/ryanair-airline-oleary-toilet-charge
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/5432413/Ryanair-passengers-to-pay-for-sick-bags.html
Southwest to allow pets on flight for a fee
PR release: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=92562&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1293699&highlight=
Southwest pilots vote down a new contract 51% to 49%
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-06-03-southwest-pilos_N.htm
WestJet, Southwest put code share on hold
WestJet and Southwest Airlines are delaying indefinitely the implementation of their codeshare agreement, proposed last summer and initially slated to go into effect by the end of this year. Though the carriers did not specify a timeframe, a Southwest spokesperson said, “We don’t anticipate delivery of the codeshare happening before the second half of 2010.” In a statement issued Monday, WestJet said Southwest led the decision to postpone the agreement’s execution, noting the U.S.-based low-cost carrier “has decided to redirect a portion of its resources dedicated to the codeshare project towards other near-term revenue opportunities,” given the severe economic downturn.
WestJet said it remains on track to launch its new SabreSonic reservations platform by the end of the year, which the carrier calls the key to enabling codesharing capabilities. With the Southwest deal delayed, WestJet said it “will transition resources to begin interline revenue generation with Air France and KLM.” Those carriers in February signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a codeshare agreement later this year or early 2010.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/westjet-deal-with-southwest-put-on-hold/article1152384/
http://www.btnonline.com/businesstravelnews/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003976532
Air Canada starts paying Canadian agencies 4% for all Tango fares
Effective June 4, Air Canada is paying 4% commission to travel agents in Canada who sell Tango fares on all domestic flights operated by Air Canada, Jazz and its commercial partners.
http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid195566.aspx
Air France-KLM to gradually phase out the VLM brand
http://www.abtn.co.uk/news/0212566-vlm-be-phased-out
SITA and Syrian Arab Airlines enter into 7-year hybrid network services agreement
http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/31288-Syrian-Arab-Airlines-selects-SITA-for-global-hybrid-network-services
Priceline-owned, Agoda signs distribution agreement with Mariott International hotels
Agoda.com, an online travel company specializing in discounted hotel bookings in Asia, announced a partnership with Marriott International Inc., the internationally renowned hotel and resort company with 3,100 properties worldwide. The partnership allows distribution of Marriott’s branded, world-class hotels via Agoda’s websites.
http://www.eyefortravel.com/news/asia/agoda-com-signs-agreement-marriott-international
http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/31286-Agodacom-signs-distribution-agreement-with-Marriott-International-Hotels
Sabre-owned, Abacus to partner with Visa in launching revenue assurance program
Abacus International, Asia’s leading travel facilitator, is working with Visa, the world’s largest retail electronic payments network, to enable Abacus-connected travel agents to develop new corporate client relationships and a more efficient method of managing their cash flow. Through a centrally-billed ‘virtual account’ called Visa Central Travel Account, companies enjoy greater billing flexibility, and spend visibility through Visa reports that feature enhanced data which is provided by Abacus-connected travel agencies. The Visa Central Travel Account will give Abacus-connected travel agencies better prospects of being nominated as a designated corporate travel agency by companies that use the Visa Central Travel Account.
http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/31152-Abacus-works-with-Visa-to-launch-revenue-assurance-programme-for-travel-agents
TUI to establish direct connect to Galileo’s car content
Travel group TUI Travel PLC has signed a multi-year agreement with Travelport GDS to distribute its extensive car content to users of its Galileo GDS. The content, which will be available through a direct connect to TUI’s car hire platform, will be available later in the summer. Travelport, a leading provider of travel technology, said the agreement “marks the start of a broader working relationship between the two companies”. Galileo users will be able to make, cancel and amend bookings for car hire through their normal GDS booking processes, while offering their customers local car hire content not previously available.
http://www.abtn.co.uk/news/0412582-news-brief-june-5-2009
Virgin Atlantic and ANA to start code-share program
http://www.abtn.co.uk/news/0412582-news-brief-june-5-2009
JetAmerica – a new, US domestic low-cost carrier
A new low-cost airline will begin serving mid-sized U.S. cities that it thinks larger carriers have left behind. Clearwater, Fla.-based JetAmerica said 34 nonstop passenger flights a week will start July 13 at Toledo, Ohio; South Bend, Ind.; Melbourne, Fla.; Newark, N.J.; Minneapolis and Lansing, Mich. Twenty-eight flights start or end at Newark Liberty International Airport. The carrier will add six more flights — from Toledo to Minneapolis — starting Aug. 14.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/New-lowcost-airline-targets-apf-15348934.html?.v=5
