AIRLINE & TRAVEL NEWS.

The US Dept. of Transportation reported on Oct. 6 2004 that airline ontime performance improved in Aug. 2004 compared to July despite the impact of a pair of severe hurricanes during the month, but deteriorated compared to Aug. 2003.

According to data filed with DOT, the 19 reporting carriers recorded an overall ontime arrival rate of 78.3% in Aug., improved over July's 75.9% but below Aug. 2003's 79%.

Hawaiian Airlines again posted the highest overall ontime arrival rate at 95.5%, while on the mainland SkyWest and Continental Airlines were No. 1 and No. 2. American Airlines at 73.5% posted the worst rate in Aug.; it maintains a hub in Miami and an extensive Caribbean network, both of which were impacted by the severe weather.

The carriers reported that 7.3% of delayed flights were due to aviation system delays compared to 8.1% in July, 6.3% to late-arriving aircraft compared to 7% in July and 5.2% to factors within the airline's control versus 6% in July. In addition, 1.1% were delayed by extreme weather and 0.1% for security reasons, equal to July's rates in both areas.

The airlines canceled 1.6% of their scheduled domestic flights in Aug., the same rate seen in both Aug. 2003 and July 2004. American Eagle Airlines canceled 3.5% of its flights during the month, the highest among airlines reporting, while Hawaiian posted the lowest rate at 0.4%. In spite of the fact that probably 40% of JetBlue flights touch hurricane-ravaged Florida, it still tied Continental for second place with a cancellation rate of just 0.6%.

The most frequently delayed flight was ExpressJet Airlines Flight 3431 from Washington Dulles to Newark, which was late 93.6% of the time.

In August 2004, the U.S. airlines reported a mishandled baggage rate of 4.81 per 1,000 passengers, higher than Aug. 2003's 4.61 but an improvement over July 2004's 4.99. Oct 15, 2004

According to the Air Travel Consumer Report issued on Oct. 5 2004 by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Hawaiian Airlines ranked for the 10th consecutive month, as the nation's most punctual airline in August with an incredible 95.5 percent of its flights arriving on time (see chart below).

Air Travel Consumer Report On-Time Performance -

August 2004 Rank Airline % Arr w/in 15 min

* 1 Hawaiian Airlines 95.5

* 2 SkyWest Airlines 86.2

* 3 Continental Airlines 81.3

* 4 Northwest Airlines 81.2

* 5 ATA Airlines 80.7

* 6 AirTran Airways 80.7

* 7 Atlantic Southeast Airlines 80.6

* 8 United Airlines 80.1

* 9 ExpressJet Airlines 79.3

* 10 Comair 79.2

* 11 Atlantic Coast Airlines 77.7

* 12 Southwest Airlines 77.4

* 13 Alaska Airlines 77.2

* 14 Delta Air Lines 76.2

* 15 US Airways 75.6

* 16 JetBlue Airways 75.4

* 17 America West Airlines 74.9

* 18 American Eagle Airlines 74.0

* 19 American Airlines 73.5

TOTAL AVERAGE 78.3

In addition, Hawaiian finished #1 among airlines nationwide for its handling of customers' luggage, and for recording the fewest number of flight cancellations. Hawaii's biggest and longest-serving airline also ranked highly with the fewest number of consumer complaints.

Hawaiian's industry-best punctuality was just one facet to its customer service record for August, as the company also ranked at the top in the other categories reported by DOT for mishandled baggage reports, flight cancellations, and consumer complaints. For the second straight month, Hawaiian topped all carriers nationally with its handling of customers' luggage, recording only 2.41 mishandled baggage reports per 1,000 passengers served. The company also had the nation's best record in terms of fewest flight cancellations. Out of Hawaiian's 4,469 flights in August, only 0.4 percent -- or 19 flights total -- were canceled, topping all other carriers. Hawaiian ranked as the industry's fifth-best airline in terms of consumer complaints, with the DOT receiving only two complaints, the fewest of any airline, out of the 512,770 passengers served in August, representing just 0.39 complaints for every 100,000 passengers. Dunkerley noted, "No airline anywhere is doing a better job at serving its passengers." The DOT's Air Travel Consumer Report for August is available online at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/atcr04.htm Oct 7, 2004

Ada Air will resume daily service between Tirana and Bari in Nov. 2004 using F100s. Oct 27, 2004

Air Berlin will start daily 737-800 service from Berlin Tegel to Madrid and from Palma de Mallorca to Reus Dec. 18 2004. Oct 27, 2004

Air Canada will move to double-daily services with 767s between Sydney and Vancouver as part of its international revamp following its emergence from bankruptcy. Chairman, President and CEO Robert Milton announced Monday that the increase in the existing daily service via Honolulu will be undertaken as one of AC's priorities. The carrier competes between Australia and Canada with Qantas, which serves the market through the US in conjunction with oneworld partner American Airlines. It is understood that AC will consider the introduction of nonstop Sydney-Vancouver services using A340-500s when more of the long- range aircraft become available. Oct 13, 2004

Air Canada has finally come out of bankruptcy protection and its shares are due to be traded on the Toronto Stock Market from today. It is now mainly owned by its debtors with the original shareholders getting virtually nothing. The slimmed down AC now has 33,000 staff, down from 40,000 18 months back, and around 290 aircraft, reduced from 366 at the same time. However the next few months are going to be very difficult for the airline and its Jazz regional subsidiary, the back end of the year traditionally a poor trading period. http://www.canada.ca Oct 4, 2004

Air Exel is to sever its links with KLM over the coming months. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air Exel have decided to revise their cooperative ties. The existing KLM Exel franchise will be discontinued effective 6 November 2004. From that date, Air Exel will operate ATR 72 flights between Eindhoven and Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Hamburg under its own name and XT flight numbers. Air Exel will continue to operate fly between Maastricht and Schiphol on behalf of KLM until 26 March 2005, after which KLM cityhopper will take over the flights on this route. http://www.exelaviationgroup.com Oct 18, 2004

Air France is to introduce on 1 December 2004 a three times weekly 'Dedicate' nonstop service between Paris and Riyadh, as part of its Dedicate program, a tailor-made operation aimed at corporate customers working in the energy and capital goods sectors. The new route illustrates the success of this innovative product, launched in January 2004 on flights to Malabo and Pointe Noire and since extended to other destinations: Doha, Kuwait and Tashkent. Flights will be operated by the Airbus A319ER (Extended Range) aircraft with two cabins: 28 in l'Espace Affaires and 54 in Tempo. http://www.airfrance.fr Oct 30, 2004

Air France subsidiary Regional will launch daily service from Bordeaux to Mulhouse Oct. 31 using an Embraer 135 and twice-daily Paris CDG- Ljubljana service Nov. 15 2004 with an Embraer 145. Oct 26, 2004

Air New Zealand will no longer sell First Class seats on 747-400 flights after June 10, 2005. It is refitting its cabins with three new classes - a premium class, super economy class, and refreshed economy. All cabins will have new seats, in-flight entertainment systems and new food and beverage service. Premium Class will have lie-flat seats, Super Economy seats will have 40-inch pitch and be equipped with video screens, and Economy Class will have 34-inches of pitch. Passengers already booked in First Class beyond that date, and agents will be contacted to assist in rebooking. Oct 19, 2004

Air Polonia was introduced officially as the European Low Fares Airlines Assn.'s 12th member during the group's annual general meeting held during the Routes Conference in Madrid. ELFAA also said AirAsia has expressed an interest in joining. Oct 5, 2004

AirBaltic and Scandinavian Airlines agreed to codeshare on airBaltic flights between Riga and Vilnius. Oct 27, 2004

AirTran Airways resumed its flights from Atlanta to Grand Bahama Island and intends to resume its flights from Baltimore/Washington Airport on Nov. 18. The airport was closed on Sept. 3 2004 because of damages suffered under Hurricane Frances. David Johnson, president of the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board, said, "After the devastating impact of the recent hurricanes, it will be a big boost to the islands of the Bahamas to restore service at Freeport International Airport." Oct 14, 2004

AirTran Airways said it will launch new daily nonstop service to both Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Airport from Sarasota Bradenton International Airport Dec. 17 2004 using 717s. Oct 5, 2004

Alaska Airlines applied for authority to launch twice-weekly nonstop service from Los Angeles to Loreto Feb. 17 2005. The flights will be supported by a marketing partnership with The Loreto Bay Co. Oct 25, 2004

Aloha Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between San Diego and Maui and between San Diego and Reno/Tahoe International Airport Dec. 15 2004. Both flights will be operated using 737-700s in a two-class configuration. Oct 8, 2004

American Airlines has applied to the US Department of Transportation for authority to resume daily nonstop services between Dallas/Fort Worth and Osaka from November 2005, and to launch daily nonstop services between Chicago and Nagoya next April. Osaka would become American's 33rd international destination from its Dallas/Fort Worth hub, and Nagoya will increase to 19 the number of international points American serves from its Chicago hub. Together, Osaka and Nagoya will give the airline a total of seven routes between the US and Japan and allow American to expand access to an area of Japan that is home to many major Japanese and several key US companies. Both routes would use 236-seat Boeing 777s. If you have not been there Kansai International Airport, which serves the Osaka region, was opened in 1994 on a manmade island in Osaka Bay, a sort of super London City. A major expansion that includes a second runway was begun in 1999 and is scheduled to open in 2007. http://www.aa.com Oct 24, 2004

American Airlines has started to add a fee for paper tickets purchased through a travel agent in some European countries, the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America when an electronic ticket is available. Effective immediately, tickets purchased through agents in Italy, Spain, Belgium and France will be charged 25 Euros and in the U.K., 25 Pounds. In the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mexico and Latin America, the fee will be $25 converted to local currencies starting Nov. 8 2004. Oct 19, 2004

American Airlines has increased international fare surcharges to either $15 or $25 because of rising fuel costs, it said. The change goes into effect immediately. American is simply joining some other major airlines that have been forced to do the same. Scott Nason, vice president of revenue management, said crude oil prices are now above $50 a barrel. "We estimate the full-year impact of the rise in fuel prices will cost $1.2 billion in added expense compared to last year," he said. Tickets to the Caribbean and Bahamas, Mexico, Central America and the South American nations of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela will have a $15 surcharge each way. The South American nations of Argentina, Brazil, Chile Paraguay and Uruguay, as well as all transatlantic and transpacific flights will be charged $25. Oct 15, 2004

American has discounted Business Class fares from certain U.S. cities to destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America, saying this is not a short-term sale. They are only available from AA.com. The best fares are available on a 14-day advance purchase basis, with the prices going up with only seven, three or no days of advance purchase. An example of the savings in the Dallas/Fort Worth-Caracas, Venezuela, market shows the current unrestricted fare at $1,624, the 14-day advance at $478, the seven-day at $528, the three-day at $578, and no advance at $628. In the Miami-Cancun market, the price has dropped from $675 to $478 for the 14-day advance, and in the New York-San Juan, Puerto Rico market, from $842 to $274. Oct 8, 2004

American Airlines will end its twice-daily transcon service between New York JFK and Long Beach from Nov. 1 2004 and will drop its daily JFK- Phoenix service on the same day. Aircraft used on the two routes will be reassigned to its Dallas/Fort Worth hub, where it has announced plans to add at least 70 departures by next summer. American decided to enter Long Beach after JetBlue Airways reached a deal with city officials to make the small Southern California airport a West Coast base. At the time, few airlines chose to serve Long Beach owing to local use restrictions that severely limited operations. Following JetBlue's entrance, AA threatened legal action against the city and was granted rights to serve the airport. Oct 5, 2004

American and American Eagle are offering great low fares for fall and winter travel between Chicago and select destinations within the United States and Canada. In addition, other great fares are available from Chicago to points in Mexico, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Latin America, Europe and to Tokyo. These sale fares are effective for travel from Oct. 20, 2004, through Feb. 28, 2005 (except for select dates during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holidays). Tickets must be purchased no later than Oct. 22, 2004. Other restrictions apply. For complete rules and restrictions, see the terms and conditions below, or visit American's AA.com Web site. Here are samples of American and American Eagle's low fares to or from Chicago. Fare amounts shown are round trip, available on AA.com, and are effective for travel Monday through Thursday. Slightly higher fares apply for travel other days of the week. Oct 13, 2004

American Eagle Airlines will begin four nonstop flights each weekday between New York LaGuardia and Buffalo Nov. 1 using 37-seat ERJ-135s. Oct 4, 2004

Austrian Airlines Group will increase its fuel surcharge again. Beginning Oct. 15 2004, for short- and medium-haul routes the surcharge for each sector will rise from eur6 ($7) to eur7. For long-haul flights it will jump from eur9 to eur17 and for flights to Australia from eur12 to eur22. Oct 8, 2004

Austrian Airlines Group announced a new level of interest in Slovak Airlines. The Austrian Airlines Group is already cooperating with Slovak Airlines on the basis of code-sharing. Mr. Vagn Soerensen, the CEO of the Austrian Airlines Group announced Oct. 1 2004 in Vienna, in regard to Austrian's interest in Slovak Airlines, said, "The Slovakian Ministry of Transport, Slovak Airlines and the Austrian Airlines Group have agreed to intensify Austrian's cooperation with Slovak Airlines. Therefore, we are jointly looking forward to a positive development of this cooperation. We are interested in a future shareholding stake in Slovak Airlines as our local strategic partner in order to further develop the Slovakian airline market in both the business and leisure travel categories. Our strong interest in the Slovakian market has been reinforced by the successful implementation of Austrian's daily, nonstop service from Bratislava, Slovakia, to London, Paris and Brussels, which began May 1, 2004." Oct 1, 2004

AZAL Azerbaijan Airlines launched a weekly 757-200 flight from Baku to Urumqi in China Sept. 30 2004. Oct 27, 2004

Bmi said it intends to launch services from London Heathrow to Mumbai and Bangalore following the recent agreement between the UK and Indian governments to allow extra flights between the countries. Bmi said it has confirmed its plans formally to the UK Dept. for Transport, which is expected to require the CAA to hold a hearing to allocate the 21 extra flights per week granted to British airlines. Bmi plans to begin a daily service between LHR and Mumbai and six weekly flights between LHR and Bangalore in March. Oct 7, 2004

BMI Regional has introduced a four times daily service from Leeds Bradford to London City. The airline is wet leasing an ATR42 from the Air Atlantique Group, splendidly painted to encourage Yorkshire travelers to use the parent company's new services from Manchester to the Caribbean. The new two-class flights to LCY are expected to quickly prove a fast alternative into London from the northeast, with a flight time of just over one hour. This is BMI's first foray into LCY since the demise of London City Airways/EuroCity Express in 1990. Also new is MetroConnect 737 a dedicated bus service linking Bradford Interchange, Bradford Forster Square and Shipley rail stations, Guiseley and Yeadon with Leeds Bradford International Airport. The buses, which are equipped with luggage space for airline passengers, will run every half hour Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays. http://www.flybmi.com http://www.lbia.co.uk

Oct 30, 2004

British Airways is launching a major new recruitment drive for its Executive Club, offering new members the chance to fly to Europe for free. The airline is offering new members 12,000 bonus BA Miles, enough for a return flight to Paris, Geneva, Berlin, plus other selected European destinations. The offer is open to new members who book and fly a return flight between now and November 19 from Birmingham, Manchester, Gatwick or Bristol on selected tickets. Meanwhile, BA has also launched a six-month trial of a text message service called Flight Tracker, which allows customers to receive the latest information on the status of their flight while on the move. http://www.ba.com/signmeup Oct 11, 2004

Canadian low cost airline CanJet said it will add a second weekday roundtrip between Toronto and New York LaGuardia Oct. 31. With the addition, CanJet will operate double-daily service Monday-Friday with a single roundtrip on Sundays. Oct 6, 2004

China Southern Airlines announced that it will increase its Boeing 777 service between Australia to China from four per week to daily service starting December 2, 2004. The increase coincides with the fourth anniversary of the airline's commencement of flights from Sydney to China, which began with three weekly services in December 2000. Effective November 5th, China Southern will add a fifth weekly Boeing 777-200 flight from Sydney to Guangzhou, departing every Friday at 10:50 hours (Australian Daylight Saving Time). This will increase to a daily Sydney service starting December 2 for the remainder of the northern summer schedule period, which ends March 26, 2005. The airline's Thursday and Sunday services from Australia will continue to originate in Melbourne, then via Sydney to Guangzhou, departing Melbourne at 08:20 hours (Daylight Saving Time). All China Southern flights from Australia will arrive at the new Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 17:05 hours (local time), connecting seamlessly with onward services to dozens of destinations throughout China, including Beijing and Shanghai. The new schedule would provide much-needed extra capacity between Australia and China during the peak Christmas/New Year and Chinese New Year periods and it will also help meet the growing demand for leisure and business travel between the two countries as well as provide additional 777 freight capacity. China is becoming increasingly popular with Australian tourists, with significant growth occurring in both package holiday programs and independent leisure travel. Oct 11, 2004

Cimber Air will begin a thrice-weekly ATR 42 service from Copenhagen to Lodz Nov. 3 2004. Oct 27, 2004

Delta Connection carrier Comair will start two daily nonstop flights between New York JFK and Melbourne (Fla.) Jan. 31 2004. Oct 14, 2004

Continental intends on ending interline ticketing and baggage-handling agreements it has with 20 airlines in an effort to move toward paperless travel. The termination with those carriers that are not able to offer electronic tickets will occur on Nov. 15 2004. Continental has already done so with 90 other airlines. The U.S. airline, like many other domestic carriers, have targeted Dec. 31 as the date to be paperless, which is ahead of the IATA deadline. Oct 18, 2004

Continental Airlines will launch daily nonstop flights between Newark and Hamburg June 9 2005 using 172-seat 757s. Oct 14, 2004

Continental Airlines will begin daily nonstop flights between Newark and Belfast May 26 2005 using 172-seat 757s in a two-class configuration. Oct 8, 2004

Continental Airlines will launch daily nonstop service between Laredo and Mexico City Dec. 16. Continental Express will operate the service with a 37-seat ERJ. Oct 6, 2004

Continental will begin daily nonstop service between Los Angeles and Aguascalientes, Leon-Guanajuato and Morelia Dec. 16. Continental Express will utilize 50-seat Embraer regional jets on each of the routes. Oct 5, 2004

Berlin seems to be the flavor of the month as far as American airlines are concerned. Hot on the heals of Delta announcing nonstop daily flights from Kennedy to Tegel starting 25 May 2005 Continental have come in with a similar service, which takes off 1 July, just in time for the school holiday period. Continental will be using its well-proven Boeing 757 concept, as per its UK regional routes, with 16 passengers in OAG award winning BusinessFirst and 156 in economy. Westbound flight time is nine hours but in the other direction nearly one hour is saved. Also new next year for Continental is a daily service to Stockholm, once again from Newark. The airline already serves Oslo from New York. http://www.flycontinental.com Oct 25, 2004

CSA Czech Airlines is planning to add new routes from Prague to Skopje and Tirana by spring 2005. Oct 5, 2004

Delta Air Lines customers soon will have access to more destinations from the airline's Atlanta and Salt Lake City hubs, and expanded service to existing destinations in Alaska, Mexico, Latin America and the United States. From Salt Lake City, Delta will add service to: Fairbanks, Alaska, with daily seasonal service beginning May 13 and ending Sept. 11, 2005; Baltimore/Washington International Airport, with one daily nonstop flight beginning Jan. 31, 2005; Cancun, Mexico, with a nonstop Sunday flight being added to previously announced Saturday service, effective Jan. 31, 2005. Anchorage, Alaska, with a third daily seasonal nonstop flight beginning April 3 and ending Oct. 16, 2005; Customers in Salt Lake City are reaping the benefits of Delta's continued expansion in Salt Lake City. Baltimore/Washington is the most popular destination from Salt Lake City without any Delta nonstop service. Fairbanks is the gateway to Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve, the home of Mt. McKinley, the highest point in North America. Cancun, which will now be served from Salt Lake City twice a week, is one of the most popular leisure destinations in the world. In addition, Salt Lake City customers also will have access to daily, nonstop seasonal flights to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, beginning Feb. 5 and ending May 31 2004. From Atlanta, Delta will add flights to Cozumel, Mexico; with Saturday and Sunday service beginning March 5, 2005. Delta will also now offer customers daily service to Guanacaste Liberia, Costa Rica, beginning Jan. 31, 2005. The airline had previously offered service six times weekly. Oct 25, 2004

Delta Air Lines is to become the first carrier to provide nonstop services between Berlin and New York. The airline will introduce daily flights between Tegel and Kennedy on 2 May 2005 operating 204-seat two class Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. The carrier already serves Germany with six daily nonstop flights from the US. From JFK the airline offers daily service to Frankfurt, whilst from Atlanta the carrier has one daily flight to Stuttgart and Munich, and two daily flights to Frankfurt. From Cincinnati, Delta is daily to Frankfurt. http://www.delta.com Oct 18, 2004

Delta Air Lines will begin new daily nonstop service between New York JFK and Berlin Tegel May 2 2005 using 767-300ERs in a two-class configuration. Oct 11, 2004

Delta will begin daily nonstop service to Berlin from New York-Kennedy Airport on May 2 2005. It will be the only carrier offering nonstop flights from the U.S. to the German capital. The flights will be operated with 767-300ER aircraft in a two-class configuration. Delta currently operates six daily nonstop flights to Germany. From JFK it flies to Frankfurt, from Atlanta to Stuttgart, Munich and Frankfurt, and from Cincinnati, to Frankfurt. Oct 8, 2004

Delta will provide customers with a convenient link between the financial capital of the United States and the capital of Germany with new, daily nonstop service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Berlin Tegel Airport beginning May 2, 2005. With this new service, Delta will be the only carrier serving Berlin non stop from the U.S. Delta will operate its daily nonstop flight between New York-JFK and Berlin with Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, with the capacity to carry up to 204 passengers in a two-class configuration and featuring Delta's award-winning BusinessElite service. Delta already serves Germany with six daily nonstop flights from the U.S. From New York-Kennedy, Delta currently offers daily service to Frankfurt. From Atlanta, the carrier offers one daily flight to Stuttgart and Munich, and two daily flights to Frankfurt. From Cincinnati, Delta offers daily service to Frankfurt. This year Delta is celebrating its 25th anniversary of serving Germany from the U.S. Oct 8, 2004

Delta Air Lines will launch daily nonstop service between Salt Lake City and Maui May 1 2005 using a 767-400. Oct 8, 2004

Delta Air Lines will end its code share relationship Dec. 1 2004 with SNCF-French Rail on trains between Paris CDG and 12 destinations within France. The code share began in 2001. Oct 6, 2004

Delta Connection carrier Comair will launch two daily nonstop flights between Tallahassee and New York JFK Jan. 31. Delta said the new service is part of its transformation plan, which emphasizes "point-to-point flying and focus-city growth." Oct 5, 2004

Delta Connection carrier Comair will begin three daily nonstop flights from Charlotte to New York LaGuardia Dec. 1 2004 and one daily nonstop flight between New York JFK and Charlotte Jan. 31 2005. It also will begin two daily nonstop flights from Pensacola to New York JFK Jan. 31. The services will be operated using 50-seat CRJs. Oct 12, 2004

EasyJet has over the last weekend launched 16 new routes, half of them directly connecting popular cities in mainland Europe, providing greater choice for French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish and Swiss passengers. One of the most significant is Stansted to Tallinn, for the first time this new EU country linked to the UK by a budget airline. Most of these services will be operated by the 13 brand new Airbus A319s which are now being delivered to the airline. Also imminently are Luton to Basel and Warsaw and Valencia to Bristol and Stansted. http://www.easyJet.com

Oct 30, 2004

EasyJet will launch daily service between London Stansted and Grenoble Jan. 5 2005. Oct 14, 2004

Emirates has announced plans to launch a second daily service between Dubai and Perth next October operating the advanced A340-500 aircraft. The airline will also increase its nonstop Dubai-Melbourne service from six a week, to daily from December 6, 2004. This service extends onward to Christchurch in New Zealand. With the move, Emirates will operate 28 weekly flights into New Zealand - daily into Christchurch, and thrice daily into Auckland. By October 2005, the airline will offer double daily services to Sydney, Perth and Melbourne, and daily to Brisbane. Oct 18, 2004

Emirates has revealed that it will add a third Indian Ocean destination to its rapidly-expanding network in January 2005 with the start of services to the Seychelles. The Dubai-based airline will commence services on 2 January 2005, initially operating three nonstop flights per week on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays between Dubai and the Seychelles capital of Mahe. The new service, which departs from Dubai at the early hour of 0210 (arriving 0645 local), is designed to offer convenient connections with inbound flights from Emirates' five UK gateways: Birmingham, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow and Manchester. Return flights depart Mahe at 0800 arriving in Dubai 1230 enabling passengers to connect quickly to a number of onward services to the UK or to take the increasingly popular option of a twin center holiday, enjoying a break in one of Dubai's luxury hotels. The 4 hour 35 minute flights will be operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft configured with 54 business class and 183 economy class seats. http://www.emirates.com Oct 18, 2004

Emirates is offering its First Class and Business Class passengers a new Good Morning London service at both Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Passengers originating from Dubai and flying to Gatwick may shower in a changing room, eat a continental breakfast and obtain a First Class one- way rail ticket to Victoria Station. They will be using the Delta arrivals lounge in the Le Meridien Hotel. At Heathrow, there are 14 shower rooms with changing facilities, a valet to press suits, a First Class ticket to Paddington Station and continental breakfast. Passengers will use United's lounge on the balcony of the arrival hall of Terminal 3. Passengers also can opt instead to use the airline's chauffeur service, which must be booked at the time of reservation. Oct 13, 2004

Emirates plans to add a further five weekly services between Paris CDG and Dubai next summer, bringing its frequencies to and from the city to 12 each week. The flights became available under a new bilateral agreement reached between France and the UAE. Oct 1, 2004

FlyBe is to introduce 150 seat Boeing 737-300s for next summer out of Birmingham. New services are to be introduced to Alicante, Almeria, Faro, Geneva, Malaga, Murcia and Palma. The 737 will be the largest aircraft to ever operate for the Exeter-based carrier which started life in Blackpool as Spacegrand. FlyBe will have on offer nearly 2m seats from Birmingham next year. On the left of our photograph is Peter Vella, Birmingham International Airport's Business Development Director with Mike Rutter, Sales and Marketing Director, flybe http://www.flybe.com

Oct 30, 2004

GB Airways, a British Airways franchise carrier, will open a new base at Manchester and launch flights to Spain and the Canary Islands, Madeira, Cyprus and Malta. The airline also extended its franchise agreement with BA until March 2010. "GB Airways has a long established partnership with BA and this new base will not only extend the BA network from Manchester but also create around 140 new jobs with GB Airways," MD John Patterson said. From May 16 2005, GB will offer daily flights to Malaga, three weekly flights to Malta, two weekly flights to Paphos and weekly flights to both Funchal and Tenerife, all of which will operate as BA services. GB already serves all of these destinations from London Gatwick. Initially it will base one A320 at Manchester but it plans to place two more aircraft there over the following two years. Oct 1, 2004

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes will launch two daily nonstop flights between Guarulhos and Buenos Aires Dec. 22 2004. Oct 25, 2004

Helvetic Airways will start daily F100 service from Zurich to Pristina Oct 31 2004. Oct 27, 2004

Horizon Air will offer nonstop jet service from Santa Barbara to Portland starting Oct. 31, 2004. Currently, Horizon operates two nonstops to Seattle. Under the new service, one of those flights will now fly nonstop to Portland and then continue to Seattle. Horizon Air is the first and only airline to offer nonstop service from Santa Barbara to Portland and Seattle. From Horizon's Seattle and Portland hubs, passengers can make easy connections to Horizon and sister carrier Alaska Airlines' nonstop flights to cities in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia and Alberta. Horizon operates 70-seat Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft from Santa Barbara. The CRJ-700 is among the quietest commercially operated jet aircraft, with far less noise and fuel emissions than the limits enforced by even the most environmentally sensitive airports. Horizon is currently offering sale fares to Portland and Seattle as low as $218 roundtrip (plus additional government-imposed taxes and fees of $20.20) for tickets purchased by Oct. 28 and travel completed by Feb. 16. Some holiday travel periods are excluded. Tickets are available on the Web at www.horizonair.com, by calling Horizon Air at 1-800-547-9308, or through travel agents. Oct 22, 2004

Horizon Air has simplified its entire fare structure and eliminated the weekend-stay rule, on all fares to all cities the airline serves. Now all of Horizon's fares, including its lowest regular prices, sale fares and Web-only specials, have only a one-night minimum stay or none at all. Gone, too, are maximum-stay restrictions and fuel surcharges. Horizon's latest and final wave of fare simplification has also resulted in many new, lower fares between cities Horizon serves in the Northwest. The simplified fare structure also applies to cities Horizon serves in partnership with Alaska Airlines. While everyone can benefit from the simplified fare structure, banishment of the weekend-stay rule will be especially appealing to business travelers. That's because they can qualify for a lower fare without having to stay past a Friday or Saturday before returning. "Now, whenever and wherever you fly Horizon or Alaska, you can have a low fare without having to give up part of your weekend to get it," said Patrick Zachwieja, Horizon's vice president of marketing and planning. Reservations and tickets are available at www.horizonair.com, by calling 1-800-547-9308, or through any travel agent. Horizon now guarantees that travelers will always find the lowest fare on www.horizonair.com. If a traveler finds a fare online that's more than US$5 lower for the same Horizon itinerary than through www.horizonair.com, the company will refund the difference. Travelers that purchase their tickets at www.horizonair.com also earn 1,000 Bonus Miles and avoid the booking fees that most major travel sites charge. Oct 14, 2004

Icelandair is pleased to announce the opening of its sixth North American gateway in San Francisco, California. This will be the airline's first direct service from the west coast, with current gateways in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Boston, New York-JFK, Baltimore/Washington-BWI and Orlando. San Francisco operations will be launched on May 18 and continue through October 15, 2005, with two weekly flights May 18 &endash; June 1 and September 1 &endash; October 15 (Wednesdays and Saturdays), increasing to four from June through August (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). Flights are scheduled to arrive from Iceland at 6:30pm and depart from San Francisco at 11:30pm. Oct 1, 2004

Independence Air is proud to announce its "Falling Fares Sale," offering customers the chance to fly at special fares to every one of its current and announced future destinations for travel booked by November 8, 2004 and completed by February 15, 2005. Sale fares for nonstop flights to and from Washington Dulles International Airport are priced at $34, $44, $54, $64 and $74 one-way, depending on the destination. Connecting fares through Washington Dulles are priced at $59, $74 and $84 one-way. All sale fares require a 7-day advance Internet purchase at FLYi.com, are limited and may not be available on all flights or all days. Fare sale details and restrictions are seen below. Oct 25, 2004

Independence Air began two daily nonstop flights each from Knoxville and Columbia to Orlando. Oct 14, 2004

Independence Air celebrated its first major customer milestone earlier today by welcoming customer number 1,000,000 aboard flight 1535 from Dayton to Washington Dulles. The one millionth customer to fly with Independence Air was Kettering, OH resident Nick Coorough, Executive Director of the Riverside Research Institute who was on his way to Washington to attend a business meeting with potential new customers. Following his flight he said, "This is my second experience with Independence Air, and I really love flying with you, your aircraft and service are excellent and your employees are the greatest." He added, "I typically fly once or twice a week, and used to pay over $800 to get to Washington, but now I can fly Independence Air for under $150 roundtrip. My organization has 230 employees, including 80 in Dayton, and I've told all of them to fly Independence Air whenever they can. You'll definitely be seeing a lot more of us in the future." Oct 4, 2004

Independence Air launched eight daily nonstop flights between Charlotte and Washington Dulles and six daily nonstop flights between Huntsville and Dulles. Oct 4, 2004

Japan Airlines is operating special flights between Tokyo and Niigata on a temporary basis while ground transportation links between Niigata Prefecture and the Tokyo region remain disrupted following a series of earthquakes on Oct. 23. From Oct. 25 the airline is operating two daily flights between Tokyo Haneda and Niigata using 298 seat A300s. The situation will be reviewed Oct. 31 2004. Oct 26, 2004

JetBlue Airways last week launched the three daily nonstop flights between Boston and Ft. Myers. Oct 11, 2004

JetBlue Airways launched new daily service between New York JFK and Phoenix, the 29th destination the carrier serves. Oct 4, 2004

Jetstar Asia is the name of a new low-cost airlines launched by Qantas in Singapore last week. The carrier is an international regional extension of Jetstar, the low-cost carrier launched by Qantas in the Australian domestic market in May and is a partnership between Qantas, Singaporean businessmen Tony Chew and FF Wong and Temasek Holdings. Officials say Jetstar Asia will start service to popular tourist and business destinations within five hours of Singapore by the end of the year. The fleet of brand new Airbus A320 aircraft, which seat 180, is scheduled to start arriving in Singapore from next month. The airline plans to have four A320s by January, building to more than 20 over the next three years. http://www.jetstarasia.com Oct 11, 2004

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will increase its fuel surcharge by eur7 ($8.60) per segment on its long-haul flights effective Oct. 11 2004. The airline said the eur13 surcharge per segment for its European network remains unchanged and will apply for all markets. Oct 8, 2004

KLM and Air Exel will revise their cooperative ties. Effective Nov. 6 2004, KLM Excel will be discontinued. From that date, Air Exel will begin operating flights between Eindhoven and London Heathrow, Paris CDG and Hamburg under its own name and flight numbers. Air Exel will continue to operate flights between Maastricht and Schiphol on behalf of KLM until March 26, after which KLM cityhopper will take over service on this route. Oct 8, 2004

Korean Air launched two weekly A330 flights from Seoul to both Bali and Phuket. Oct 27, 2004

Korean Air and Malaysia Airlines will expand their existing codeshare operations into a "free sale dynamic codeshare" that will cover two additional routes, Seoul-Kota Kinabalu and Seoul-Penang. Oct 25, 2004

Korean Air started two weekly nonstop flights between Seoul Incheon and Phuket. Oct 1, 2004

Peru bound travelers should be wary if they are intending to fly to the South American state. Lan Peru, part of Oneworld airline Lan Chile, was grounded for some hours following a court ruling that it contravened foreign ownership rules. The government then stepped in to allow flights. Controversy seems to be the name of the game regarding services out of Lima. Fierce competitor Nuevo Continente was also grounded in July. With an aggressive expansion program the Chilean owned airline has overtaken Nuevo Continente as Peru's largest airline. http://www.nuevocontinente.com.pe http://www.lanperu.com Oct 18, 2004

Lithuanian Airlines and Aeroflot will begin code share flights between Vilnius and Moscow Oct. 31 2004. Six of the 10 weekly flights will be operated with 737s and four with Saab 2000s. All service will be operated by Lithuanian Airlines. Oct 14, 2004

LTU International Airways will operate a weekly charter flight from Dublin to Cape Town until early April 2005 using A330-200s. Oct 14, 2004

LTU signed a code share agreement with Air Mauritius for flights to Dusseldorf, Munich and Frankfurt starting in May 2005. Oct 8, 2004

Lufthansa is planning to add Nanjing and Xian as its next destinations in China. Oct 14, 2004

Maersk Air will add a fuel-related ticket surcharge of eur7 ($9) per leg from Oct. 15 2004. Oct 13, 2004

Midwest Airlines is offering reduced fares for travel October 31, 2004 through February 28, 2005. Fares are available Sunday, October 24 through midnight Central time Thursday, October 28, 2004, and must be purchased at least 7 days in advance of departure. Included in the fare sale is travel on Midwest Airlines and Midwest Connect. Midwest Airlines Signature Service features seating altered from standard coach to a roomier two-by-two configuration. Midwest Airlines Saver Service provides low-fare flights between Milwaukee and popular leisure destinations. Midwest Connect provides connections throughout the Midwest Airlines and Midwest Connect route system, and point-to-point service between select markets. Travel is not permitted November 24, 27, 28; December 22, 23, 24, 26, 2004; and January 1 and 2, 2005. Fares for Signature and Midwest Connect routes require a Friday- or Saturday-night stay. Travelers who book roundtrip flights on Midwest Airlines Web site will save an additional 3% off advertised sale fares when they use promo code OCT03. For reservations or more information, visit http://www.midwestairlines.com Oct 23, 2004

Northwest Airlines will launch two daily nonstop flights between Detroit and Wichita Jan. 12 2005. The service will be operated with Northwest Airlink partner Pinnacle Airlines' 50-seat CRJs. Oct 12, 2004

Northwest Airlines announced new nonstop jet service between its hub at Detroit and Wichita, Kan. Two daily flights will be offered beginning Jan. 12, 2005. With these new flights Wichita will now enjoy service to all three Northwest domestic hubs. The airline currently offers three existing daily flights to Minneapolis/St. Paul and three to Memphis, Tenn. The new service will be operated with Northwest Airlink partner Pinnacle Airlines Corp.'s Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ), which seats up to 50 passengers. Oct 11, 2004

Northwest Airlines has launched its first flight between San Francisco and its Tokyo hub using its new Airbus A330-200. The long-range 243- passenger aircraft are equipped with 32 of Northwest's new World Business Class lie-flat seats, 211 redesigned seats in coach class, and a new entertainment system in both cabins. The aircraft also features Airbus enhanced interior design and according to Airbus, the quietest long-haul cabin in the air. http://www.nwa.com Oct 11, 2004

Northwest Airlines began daily nonstop A330-200 service between Tokyo and San Francisco. Oct 4, 2004

Philippine Airlines and Air Macau have begun a thrice-weekly code-share service between Manila and Macau, with Air Macau as the operating carrier. PAL is now able to offer seats on Air Macau flights between the two cities, giving the Philippine flag carrier a commercial presence for the first time in the former Portuguese territory on China's southwestern coast. The service will enjoy dual designation, with both PAL and Air Macau codes appended to the flight numbers. All flights are by Air Macau Airbus A321 aircraft. http://www.philippineair.com and http://www.airmacau.com.mo/en Oct 11, 2004

Qatar Airways will launch daily flights between London Gatwick and Doha Nov. 26 2004 using A330-200s. Oct 14, 2004

Qatar Airways will launch three nonstop flights per week between Doha and Beijing Nov. 25 2004 using an A330-200 in a two-class configuration. Oct 1, 2004

Republic Airways subsidiary Chautauqua Airlines launched scheduled service with two Embraer 170s in the United Express system. The aircraft are being used on flights between Washington Dulles and both Houston and Indianapolis and between Chicago and Indianapolis. Republic said it plans to operate a total of 23 Embraer 170s on behalf of United Express. Oct 27, 2004

Ryanair has reluctantly agree to repay $5.4 / [pounds sterling]2.8m in what is now considered unlawful state subsidies paid by the local government at Charleroi airport, subject to an appeal. Earlier this year the European Commission ruled that discounts on landing fees and ground services at the publicly owned airport south of Brussels were illegal under EU antitrust rules. http://www.ryanair.com Oct 30, 2004

GetThere, the corporate travel arm of Sabre, has signed an agreement with French rail company SNCF to offer travelers rail bookings. GetThere currently offers online bookings on Amtrak and on British rail company Trainline. Online bookers in Europe or the U.S. also can now select the language they would like to use while booking. Bev Heinritz, general manager of GetThere, said, "With the increased buzz around online travel options for corporations, many people are neglecting to look at how well these services serve the needs of international offices and companies abroad." Oct 18, 2004

SAS Scandinavian Airlines is mulling swapping the last four A321-200s from its current order for A319s, with the first aircraft of the type to be delivered in Feb. The carrier also will wet-lease a 767-300ER from United Airlines from Oct. 30 2004 through the end of March 2005 to operate the Copenhagen-Washington Dulles route and provide extra capacity. "During the winter, many of our aircraft are in maintenance. This extra 767 helps us to serve both Stockholm and Copenhagen from New York also in the winter and we are able to increase our frequencies from Copenhagen to Shanghai from three to six flights a week," a spokesperson said. SAS also is evaluating launching Copenhagen-San Francisco service this spring. Oct 14, 2004

Singapore Airlines launched three weekly nonstop 777 flights between Singapore and Amritsar. Oct 4, 2004

SkyEurope has halted operations on the Budapest-Zurich route. Oct 14, 2004

SN Brussels Airlines signed a codeshare agreement with Bulgaria Air for services between Brussels and Sofia. From Oct. 31 2004, the Brussels- based airline will add its code to the four weekly flights between the cities operated by Bulgaria Air with 737s in a two-class configuration. Oct 25, 2004

SN Brussels Airlines signed a new code share agreement with Iberia for a thrice-weekly service to Seville from Madrid beginning Oct. 31 2004. SN operates four direct flights a week to Seville with an Avro RJ. Oct 4, 2004

Swiss International said it will continue to serve 70 destinations in the winter timetable that begins Oct. 31. It added flights to Alicante in Sept., bringing to 43 the number of destinations it serves in Europe. On the intercontinental front, it will serve 23 destinations after flights to Karachi are discontinued Oct. 31 2004. Oct 14, 2004

Swiss International Air Lines will continue to serve 70 destinations worldwide under the new winter timetable, which takes effect on October 31 2004. Alicante was added to the route network in September, bringing to 43 the number of destinations Swiss International serves in Europe. On the intercontinental front Swiss International serves 27 destinations, with flights to Karachi being discontinued. Swiss International Air Lines is improving its product by offering more attractive departure times, optimized connections and more frequencies. In Europe, a total of 43 destinations in 22 countries are served, while intercontinental services comprise 27 cities in 19 countries. The total number of destinations in the route work remains unchanged from the summer timetable, with one more destination in Europe and one less on the intercontinental front. In addition, 13 more destinations are served with code share flights operated by Swiss International Air Lines partner airlines. These flights carrying an LX flight number. Oct 13, 2004

Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport last week introduced a brand new rail link between the shortly to be opened new Terminal 3 and Tel Aviv's main station and the Israeli over-ground train network. For the time being a bus connects to T1 & T2, timed to meet each arrival. During the first week or so 1,500 people have on average used the service each day and this is expected to rise to 4,000 once T3 is open and passengers experience the convenience. http://www.israrail.org.il Oct 30, 2004

Thomas Cook Airlines have come up with an interesting cabin service idea that might just catch on with the charter airlines and budget operators. Normally when Thomas Cook passengers book their holiday they are asked if they would like in-flight meals on the outbound and inbound flights. If they do require meals for both flights the charge is [pounds sterling]10 for adults and [pounds sterling]5 for children. A new service allows clients who have not pre- booked their food to order for the return leg of their journey as they check in. The price is half that for the two flights. There is a choice of gluten-free, high-fibre, diabetic, dairy-free, low salt, vegan, vegetarian, Asian vegetarian, fruit-based or low calorie/low fat meals. Nicely presented too. http://www.thomascook.info Oct 24, 2004

Travelocity has added car rental capability to its dynamic packaging program, TotalTrip. When users click on Flight + Hotel from the homepage or the vacations tab, they are then given the option to book a car by selecting a company. Anyone who books a car through Oct. 31 2004 as part of a TotalTrip package will be entered to win a seven-night Caribbean cruise for two on Royal Caribbean. The winner will be announced in November for a January or February cruise. Oct 13, 2004

United Airlines announced a plan to cut available seat miles for domestic trips by 12% while increasing capacity on international flights by 14%. United expects to need 68 fewer planes for the revised schedule, cutting its fleet to 455 aircraft. The strategy is designed to "follow the money," said John Tague, United's executive vice president of marketing, sales, and revenue, quoted in an interview with Reuters. How's that? Well, United books more high-margin revenue from international flights. That's because it's not uncommon for executives taking long-haul trips to, say, Asia to fly business class. A check at United's Web site this morning shows a business class ticket from Los Angeles to Tokyo leaving a week from today and returning the following week is priced at more than $6,000. Not only is the strategy good for margins but also it plays to United's strength. The carrier has arguably the best international route network of any domestic airline. Oct 8, 2004

United Airlines, increasingly squeezed by discount carriers in the U.S. market, is cutting back its domestic flight schedule and expanding its international presence in the push to become profitable again. The change in focus announced Wednesday means the world's second-largest carrier will be offering slightly fewer departures per market in the United States and flying more regional jets as it reduces its domestic capacity 12 percent by March 2005. International capacity will be boosted by 14 percent as United looks to its more lucrative overseas routes, particularly those to China, Japan and Vietnam, to help it return to profitability after four straight years of losses. Intent on slashing costs further to try to end its 22-month stay in bankruptcy, United said the moves will reduce overall capacity by 3 percent and shrink its fleet to 455 aircraft by next March, down from 523 in August and nearly 20 percent since 2002. Oct 6, 2004

United Airlines now offers United Express customers a more spacious onboard experience with the introduction of the new 70-seat Embraer 170 aircraft to the United Express fleet, complementing the United Express fleet of 70-seat Canadair 700 regional jets already in service. With the most spacious regional jet cabin in the sky, the Embraer 170 aircraft offers the widest aisles and seats of any aircraft in its category and is the first regional jet in the industry with both United First(r) and United Economy Plus(SM) seating. A number of United Express Canadair 700s currently offer First Class cabins, and Economy Plus sections will be added next year. Like the Canadair 700, the Embraer 170 cabin design guarantees customers either an aisle or window seat. The Embraer 170 also provides large overhead bins that accommodate roll-on bags. Oct 26, 2004

US Airways continues to think positive in spite of its serious financial problems and is now planning for 2005. Philadelphia, which is a primary gateway to Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America is to gain 7% more flights to 495 each business day, 32% more than the same time last year. Out goes the traditional arrival and departure banks to be replaced by a steady flow of flights throughout the day. According to the airline this is expected to relieve airfield delays and increase operational efficiency. However the system is retained at Charlotte, US Airways largest hub, where flights will grow to 564 daily weekday departures from the current 495. http://www.usairways.com Oct 24, 2004

US Airways will be making changes in key markets that will allow it to operate 230 more daily flights through better fleet utilization. The main changes include considerable increases from its Philadelphia hub to European, Caribbean and Latin American destinations, as well as other cities in the Northeast. It is replacing arrival and departure banks with "a steady flow of flights throughout the day." It also intends to significantly grow capacity at Charlotte, N.C., by adding 100 daily flights over last February's schedule. It also will beef up service from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean and Latin America. It says it is turning Washington-Reagan into one that focuses on important business destinations, such as four daily flights to Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago, and three daily flights to Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. Pittsburgh will continue to be an important element in its system, as will the US Airways Shuttle. Transatlantic service will remain the same. Oct 18, 2004

US Airways will launch daily nonstop service between Reagan Washington National Airport and Atlanta Feb. 6 2005. US Airways division MidAtlantic Airways will operate the service using 72-seat Embraer 170s. Oct 8, 2004

US Airways expanded its new fare structure, Go Fares, to flights from 13 cities in Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, to seven West Coast destinations. Oct 6, 2004

US Airways and bmi will begin code sharing Oct. 27 2004. Initially, US Airways will place its code on bmi's flights to Edinburgh and Glasgow from Manchester. US Airways operates its own seasonal nonstops from Philadelphia to Glasgow. Both airlines are members of the Star Alliance. Dividend Miles members can earn actual miles or the minimum 500-mile credit when flying on qualifying bmi flights. In addition, a 50 percent Class-of-Service bonus will be given when flying in business class. All miles count toward achieving preferred status. Oct 19, 2004

Virgin Atlantic now offers Upper Class passengers double suites. The airline has fitted four pairs of these seats onto two of its Boeing 747- 400 aircraft, giving couples a unique facility. "It's an innovation", says boss-man Richard Branson. The double suites are located in the center of Zone B on the lower deck where the seats in the center of the cabin are arranged in a herringbone configuration. Passengers can reserve a double bed at check-in. These suites can remain separate until the passengers wish to go to sleep, when cabin crew unclip the middle partition transferring the space into a double. Alternatively the partition can be removed at the beginning of the flight when the suite is in seat mode for passengers who wish to socialize during the entire flight. The airline has also announced that the first of its Gatwick aircraft is operating with the all new Upper Class Suite less than a year after it was launched on the Heathrow fleet. The first Gatwick 747- 400 aircraft with the Upper Class Suite operated on Sunday 24 October to Orlando. The Upper Class Suite is now operating on every flight to JFK, San Francisco, Tokyo and Hong Kong, the airline planning to complete the installation on all the 747s by the beginning of March. http://www.virgin-atlantic.com Oct 30, 2004

Virgin Atlantic has been very active in Australia promoting its new Hong Kong/London route due to commence on Dec. 8 2004. Some Oz wag wanted to know if the "Atlantic" tag was going to be dropped, which did set some minds thinking. After all the Atlantic Ocean is hardly known down under. Flight details include a daily 1615 departure from Sydney, 90 minutes on the ground at Hong Kong arriving at 0450 the next day (The other way it is Heathrow 2130 with the final arrival at Kingsford Smith two days later at 0710). Virgin is keen to highlight the benefits of Upper Class over its competitors and is offering chauffeur driven journeys at each end. Airbus A340s will be used on the route with 45 Upper Class suites, 28 Premium Economy and 233 economy. http://www.virginatlantic.com Oct 18, 2004

Virgin Atlantic introduced double suites for passengers traveling in its Upper Class Suite. It has fitted four pairs of double suites onto two of its 747-400s, giving passengers traveling together 2 sq. m. of space. The double suites are located in the center of Zone B on the lower deck of the aircraft and are arranged in a herringbone configuration. They can remain separate until the passengers wish to sleep, at which time cabin crew can unclip the middle partition. Alternatively, the partition can be removed at the beginning of the flight. Oct 5, 2004

Virgin Atlantic announced that it has teamed up with Fiona Harrold Consultancy to offer its Upper Class passengers a complimentary 30-min. Life Coaching session with an experienced life coach while they wait for their flights in its Heathrow Clubhouse during Oct. 2004. Oct 5, 2004

Virgin Express will launch a twice-weekly Brussels-Valencia service Dec. 15 2004, bringing to seven the number of destinations served by the Belgian low-fare carrier on the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearics. Frequency will be increased gradually from Jan. to become daily during the next summer schedule. Oct 27, 2004

Virgin Nigeria has been formally announced, with Nigerian institutions taking 51% and Virgin Atlantic the balance. With a startup date yet to be announced, but thought to be early next year, the new airline will initially concentrate on domestic and regional routes. Clearly there will be a feed from Virgin Atlantic's Lagos and Port Harcourt services from London. The importance of the new operation was highlighted by the personal appearance at the announcement of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. The Virgin involvement will bring back credibility to the Nigerian airline system, severely dented by the failure of Nigeria Airways last year. http://www.virgin.com Oct 4, 2004

Wizz Air carried nearly 37,000 passengers on flights to and from Budapest in Aug. 2004, making it the No. 1 low cost carrier in Hungary and the third-largest airline at Budapest International Airport, the carrier claimed. Oct 5, 2004