|
Following the successful tests with SpaceShipOne, Virgin Atlantic Airways has ordered five, 5-passenger spaceliners over the next 3-years.
For a mere US$200,000, passengers will get about 7-minutes of weightlessness and
a spectacular view.
Amex Business travel will continue to rebound in 2005, according to the latest
American Express Global Business Travel Forecast.
Amex forecasts that in 2005 global economy/short-haul fares will rise by between
0 per cent and 3 per cent and international business fares by 2 per cent to 5
per cent.
Hotel room rates for both mid-range and upper-range properties will increase by
1 to 3 per cent.
In Australia specifically economy fares are expected to rise between 2 per cent
and 3 per cent, while business class fares are expected to go up between 3 per
cent and 4 per cent.
American Airlines will be charging it AAdvantage program members a fee of
$250 - in addition to the normal number of points - to upgrade from discount
economy on some of their international routes.
The reasoning is that as discount fares being so low, the disparity between
discount and premium class fares is too great to be offset by points
alone. We wonder if Qantas will follow their oneWorld partner on this
one?
A Freedom Air Boeing 737 got stuck in asphalt as it prepared to depart from
Melbourne for New Zealand.
Freedom Air General Manager, Michael Young, said the incident is being
investigated.
"The key thing for us is to understand what went on and to learn from that to
prevent it from happening again in the future," he said. "It's an embarrassing
thing for us and it's something that we don't want to have to deal with."
Late last month, ATA Airlines became the first major low-fare airline to seek
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, setting off a bidding war for the company and
its assets.
According to a New York Times report, the airline said it would continue to operate normally, that all tickets would be honoured, and that it would maintain a complete schedule of flights.
Rumour has it that Delta, which has warned it could seek Chapter 11 protection
if pilots do not agree to cost cutting proposals, may make a filing similar to
that of ATA in the very near future.
|
