2007 Articles

Self-service options 'becoming more popular'

Self-service options 'becoming more popular'

Self-service facilities that make travellers' airport experiences more straightforward are becoming increasingly popular, according to research.

Technology company Sita surveyed 100 airlines and found that over half now enable their customers to check in online and 89 per cent expect to offer the facility in the next two years.

Over a fifth of the passengers using the carriers in the poll made use of internet check-in options and this ratio is predicted to rise to over a third by the end of 2008.
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Transatlantic agreement brings new flights to Heathrow

More transatlantic flights will be coming to Heathrow Airport next year following a joint venture agreement between Air France and US carrier Delta Air Lines.

The deal between the two companies will involve the sharing of revenues and costs on transatlantic routes with the ultimate aim of boosting competition and offering more travel choices to customers.

As a direct result of the agreement, Delta announced that its passengers would see non-stop access from the US to Heathrow Airport as well as two hubs in France next year.
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Record number of trips abroad in past year

The number of trips abroad by British travellers increased again in the year to August 2007 to reach another record high, the Office for National Statistics has revealed.

Latest figures show that British people made some 69.6 million trips abroad in the 12 months up to August, a 1.5 per cent increase on the 68.6 million made in the preceding year.

During this time visits to North America increased by one per cent to reach 4.8 million.
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Bristol airport 'makes US accessible for south-west'

A spokesman for Bristol Airport has underlined the importance of the hub, saying that it has expanded travel options for people from the south-west, making destinations such as New York easily accessible.

Tony Hallwood, aviation development director at the airport, said that the addition of services from carriers such as Continental Airlines has had a significant effect on the status of the hub.

"Continental's daily service has made New York a convenient and affordable destination for business and leisure travellers across the south-west," he said.
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More flights from Cardiff for rugby final

Flybe has made a number of extra tickets available on flights to Paris this weekend for rugby fans hoping to get to the World Cup final, with Cardiff Airport among the hubs offering extra seats.

The airline boosted its capacity by almost 1,000 seats from a number of its regional hubs across the UK, with Birmingham Airport and Belfast International Airport also among those offering extra space.

An additional 136 seats were made available on a flight leaving Cardiff on Saturday morning and returning from Charles de Gaulle airport on Sunday.
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Milestone reached in Stansted expansion

Airports operator BAA has announced a "significant milestone" in the development of Stansted Airport, with the first of several roof domes successfully lifted into place.

The £40 million terminal expansion project will see 22 roof domes, or diagrids, placed onto the extension's steel structure, each of which weighs 30 tonnes and measures 18 square metres.

Paul Chatten of BAA Stansted, who is managing the development, said: "The project has already made excellent progress since getting underway in April of this year.
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UK airports to offer more Austrian services

New flights to Innsbruck in Austria will be launched from Liverpool Airport, Bristol Airport, Manchester and Gatwick this winter.

British Airways and easyJet will be the carriers offering the new services, which will be available for the first time from Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester.

The low-fares airline will launch its routes from Gatwick and Bristol on December 14th, while the link between Liverpool and Innsbruck will be opened on January 8th.
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New York 'still number one Xmas shopping spot'

Travellers jetting off for Christmas shopping trips in foreign countries are more likely to visit New York than any other city, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).

Spokesperson Sean Tipton said that the Big Apple will retain its crown as the number one shopping destination this year, despite the rise in popularity of certain European spots.

"In terms of Christmas shopping New York is still the most popular," he said. "What is getting more popular, and has been for a few years, is people travelling around Germany, and eastern Europe to a lesser extent, going to Christmas markets.
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ACA 'intent' on retaining Heathrow-Shannon link

The Atlantic Connectivity Alliance (ACA) has said that it is "absolutely intent" on maintaining services between London Heathrow Airport and Shannon when the existing Aer Lingus link comes to an end in January 2008.

Formed in August when Aer Lingus announced that it would be suspending operations between the London hub and western Ireland, the ACA has now made an application for take-off and landing slots at Heathrow to serve Shannon.

The submission was made through Astraeus Airlines and, if successful, will see services fit in with the existing schedule between the airports.
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Dubai 'a destination for the future'

Dubai is a destination to which increasing numbers of people will travel in the future, an investment expert has claimed.

According to Nick Marr, chief executive of Marr International, owner of investment company Homesgofast, the United Arab Emirates will define the future of modern travel and emigration.

"Dubai is the future," he claimed. "I think it is going to be one of the most popular places in the world."
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Iata sets standard for mobile check-in

Iata sets standard for mobile check-in

The airport experience could be changed drastically over the coming years following the announcement by the International Air Transport Association (Iata) of a global standard for mobile phone check-in.

According to Iata the establishment of a system for distributing two-dimensional barcodes to be used as boarding passes "paves the way" for mobile check-in.

The procedure will see airlines sending unique barcodes to passengers, which will then be shown at airport check-in desks, removing the need for printed tickets.
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