Cheap Flights to Iceland this SummerJuly 25 2006
Icelandair usually has great fares in the winter to Iceland, but they’ve just introduced a great sale for the end of the summer. Flights start at $412 round trip beginning in mid-August. That’s about half what it cost to fly there in July. You have to sign up for their frequent flyer club to see these fares listed under "Lucky Fares."
United Posts First Profit in Six YearsJuly 25 2006
In a day many thought would never come, United Airlines will post its first profit in six years when it releases its earnings on July 31. Oh the turmoil! Oh the bankruptcy! Oh the layoffs! I don’t usually bother talking about finanical news here, but you gotta give credit where it’s due. The company will have a $119 million profit for the 2nd quarter, compared to a $1.43 billion loss for the same quarter last year. Sure, it wasn’t pretty, what with the layoffs and pensions issues and whatnot. But a profit is a profit. Well done.
What To Do with 31 Million Frequent Flyer MilesJuly 24 2006
What would you do with 31 million SkyMiles points? While you probably don’t have to answer that question, Jim Noble does. Jim has 31 million Delta SkyMiles, the most of anyone, according to this article. Supposedly he’s married, but I have no idea how, given how often he’s on the road. Incredibly, some other guy has nearly 31 million miles. Worth a read…
Varig Sold for $24 MillionJuly 24 2006
Varig, once Brazil’s largest airline, was sold for $24 million last week in a move that will keep it from liquidation. The buyers, a Brazilian investment fund, will get 13 airplanes (down from 60 a few months ago) and the airline’s frequent flyer program. It also promises to invest $485 million. In addition, the airline will only fly Rio to Sao Paulo until they can figure out a strategy that will actually make money.
Vacation for Varig…and MeJuly 19 2006
The OTR offices will be closed the rest of the week, so there won’t be any new posts until Monday. But until then, keep your eyes open for the sad but inevitable liquidation of Brazil’s Varig, which could happen any day.
Etihad Airways to Fly from Abu Dhabi to New YorkJuly 18 2006
There’s a quiet revolution in the airline industry taking place in the Middle East, and it’s just now starting to hit the US. Etihad Airways (which, if you live in the US and don’t care about this stuff you’ve probably never heard of) will launch nonstop service from New York to Abu Dhabi starting in October. Three Middle East-based airlines are growing by leaps and bounds and putting a ton of pressure on the established European and Asian carriers.
Etihad has come out of nowhere to build a formidable route network out of Abu Dhabi. It serves 40 cities since launching in late 2003, and will have 70 cities by 2010. Impressive, yes? The Emirates story has been told a bunch of times, but they’re profitable (possibly with the help of government aid…but who knows?) And Qatar Airways, once a regional player, continues to expand at a rapid pace, including an order for 20 Boeing 777s they placed this week.
Lots of stories have been written about the boon in Indian airlines, but the story out of the Middle East is even more impressive, with these 3 airlines changing the face of aviation. Someone less lazy than me will write it some day…
Reporter Takes on MAXjetJuly 17 2006
Uh, don’t piss off a reporter from the Times of London. A reporter from the paper found her MAXjet flight delayed by 2 1/2 hours and then proceded to write a vicious article attacking the airline and telling people not to fly the airline. Now, I don’t really care whether you fly MAXjet or not, but let’s be real: flights are delayed all the time. She was especially angry that she felt lied to by ground staff and then the airline’s CEO. A 2 1/2 hour delay is not uncommon (though I’ve also heard that MAXjet has suffered its share of mechanical issues), but a 1000 word attack on the airline is probably not warranted. And her editors should’ve known better. That said, it’s a good read.
American Adding New Business Class SeatsJuly 17 2006
Good news if you fly trans-Atlantic on American Airlines: The carrier has completed installation of new business class seats on one of its aircraft and will overhaul the seats on all of its 767-300s and 777s by next year. The new seats are 20 inches wide, recline to a 9 degree angle and have video-on-demand. A spokesman says that these new seats can’t be matched by other carriers. Which is true, except that it’s not. A whole bunch of international carriers (and Eos) have fully lie-flat seats, as well as video on demand, and some have wider seats (Virgin) and longer seats (Virgin and others). So while any improvement is good, this won’t match much of the existing business class trans-Atlantic seating that’s out there now.
Great Deals on Thanksgiving VacationsJuly 14 2006
Do you hate your family? Perfect! Gate 1 Travel has some great deals for travel over Thanksgiving. You want Turkey? Sure! 4 nights including air to Istanbul starts at $729. Prices start at $499 for hotel and air for a trip to Paris. There’s a bunch of good deals for travel to Europe, Asia and Latin America.
A Frequent Flyer LoopholeJuly 13 2006
If you’ve tried to book a ticket using miles lately, you’ve probably been pretty frustrated by the lack of seats available. At least I have, and that’s all that matters to me. It’s always about me. Anyway, this article shows a handy little trick to get around some of the restrictions on seat availability. It works like this: Say you want to go from New York to Houston using miles. Reward seats aren’t available on the days you want to go, so you book any dates. You show up at the airport on the day you want to fly and you stand by on the flight you want. Assuming there are any seats available (not just reward seats), they’ll put you on it for a small fee (usually about $50). Voila, you get on the flight you want using miles and $50. Not too shabby. The drawback? If it’s a busy time and there are no seats available, you’re out o’ luck. But if it’s not a busy travel time, it’s a great deal.
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