Economy Class & Beyond

Ryanair makes a profit… and then the ODM bitches.

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Well, it makes a difference to talk about someone than BA who are on Day 3 of their third (or is it forth... I loose track)Lets talk about everyone's "favourite" Low Cost Carrier - Ryanair, who has reported a nifty pre-tax profit of €341m, recovering from a loss last year, thanks in no small part to the reduced price of fuel. The airline reported revenue was up 2%, and … [Read more...]

So day 2 of the BA Strike round 3….

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... and what's new? Well, ACAS are trying to rally the two together, and Unite is on the verge of going back to the staff within the next two weeks to ballot.Oh wonderful. But it's still he said/she said territory, with neither side seeming want a resolution. Which isn't pretty if you're a traveller. Nothing new really. … [Read more...]

Air Southwest… Selling up or last gasps?

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Now I've dealt with the annoyance that is the BA Strike, it's time to look at the problems at Air SouthwestNo. Not Southwest Airlines of USA fame, but a small little carrier in the South west of the United Kingdom. But little Air Southwest is to be sold after operating profits drops by £600,00 in 2009.In turn, this now brings the question the pull of Newquay Airport which … [Read more...]

Afriqiyah Airways Flight 711 – Not a Technical or Terror fault.

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News today comes from Tripoli with the announcement of the preliminary enquiry of the crash of Flight 711 from Johannesburg to Tripoli. According to the enquiry, there was not mechanical fault, there was enough fuel onboard, and there was no request for help. Neji Dhaou, head of the Libyan commission investigating the crash, said the causes remained unknown and indicated it … [Read more...]

So BA are back on Strike. Again.

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There's not much more to say other than that is there?It's another 5 day strike, which started on Sunday and will finish on Thursday.....Before they walk out again on the Sunday after.BA and Unite are of course pushing at each other, but is there a case of oversimplifying the issues at stake - least of all the re-instatement of travel rights - for the public.And striking on a … [Read more...]

Little Britain stars to do an Airport Comdey…

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Well, as if things aren't as bad enough in Television land, David Walliams and Matt Lucas (of Little Britain fame) are writing and staring in a new comedy called "Come Fly With Me", which allegedly is going to be based in an airport. Six parts of comedy... or six parts of way too close to the home? Guess we'll find out after the six episodes which are due later this year. So … [Read more...]

BA and Unite talks set to reconvine at a secret location… as long as no one tweets it.

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So once again, the odd couple head back to the negotiating table to try and reach a settlement. Again Willie Walsh will meet Unite's joint leaders Tony Woodley and Derek SimpsonThanks to the Socialist Workers entering the negotiating centre last time, the talks have been moved to a secret locationOf course, if BA and Unite can't knock their heads together, we've got two … [Read more...]

IATA Numbers are out… and they make bad reading…

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... and guess what's to blame? Of course, it's our old friend, Eyjafjallajökull the Icelandic Volcano.Traffic is down 2.4% in April on international traffic, whilst European traffic is down 11.7% (From a 6.2% increase).IATA's director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani knocked out these quotes:"The ash crisis knocked back the global recovery - impacting carriers in all … [Read more...]