Chip fat to fuel our planes? January 23, 2012
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel, Travel technology, Travel tips & trends.Tags: airlines, aviation, biofuel, green travel, Qantas, Travel, Virgin Atlantic
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If there’s something we can expect to see a lot of this year, it is airlines talking up their green credentials. From chicken fat to algae, carriers are busy looking for new ways to fuel their planes and reduce their emissions.
Several airlines have already claimed “world-first” initiatives such as the first commercial biofuel flight, the first scheduled biofuel flight and the longest distance biofuel flight, and Qantas has announced its intention to operate Australia’s first biofuel flight early this year.
IATA has declared work on biofuels to be a major priority for the industry in the year ahead, with the association’s chief executive, Tony Tyler, saying it is “one of aviation’s great challenges” to reduce its carbon emissions. ”Sustainability is our licence to grow,” Tyler says.
The problem with biofuels and other green initiatives is that they… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
World’s busiest airports September 12, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel, Travel tips & trends, UK & Europe.Tags: airports, aviation, Dubai, Heathrow, Travel
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Think busy airport and you probably think London Heathrow, which can be right up there on the enjoyment scale with having teeth pulled. But Heathrow is sliding down the airport rankings, while other airports are gearing up to handle vast numbers of passengers in coming years.
Heathrow dropped from the second busiest airport in the world to the fourth busiest last year, overtaken by Beijing and Chicago, according to Airports Council International‘s World Airport Traffic Report. Total passenger numbers at Heathrow actually dropped compared with the previous year, although at 65 million-plus passengers a year, it certainly still qualifies as busy.
Heathrow does remain the busiest airport in terms of international passengers but, it seems, it won’t be for long. Dubai (currently the fourth busiest airport for international passengers) has announced a massive $US7.8 billion ($7.4 billion) expansion to boost its capacity from 60 million passengers a year to more than 90 million by 2018. The project figures are astounding, with one stage of the expansion alone adding twice the footprint of Heathrow’s colossal Terminal 5.
The chief executive of Dubai Airport, Paul Griffiths, says the expansion plans and growth trends set Dubai “firmly on course to become the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic by 2015″. This is backed by analysis by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, which predicts Dubai will move into second place for international traffic before the year is out.
In terms of total passenger numbers, the busiest airport in the world last year was… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
Is Tiger Airways here to stay? August 22, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Australia, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: airlines, aviation, budget travel, cheap travel, flying, Tiger Airways, Travel
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The low-cost carrier has convinced authorities its planes are safe to return to the skies but there is work to be done to repair its service reputation.
Not only will the safety question float in travellers’ minds for some time; the airline has an awful lot of work to do on its service reputation if it wants to convince us it is here to stay. I can place my trust in the Civil Aviation Safety Authority when it comes to the safety aspects but I would still take a lot of convincing to book a ticket.
I took my first flight with Tiger just before it was grounded and experienced, like so many others before me, the blunt end of the airline’s “customer service”.
I booked an overnight trip between Sydney and the Sunshine Coast and it was certainly cheap, with fares of $39.95 each way, although the total bill came to $104.90 by the time I had paid $5 each way to choose my own seat and another $15 “convenience fee” because I didn’t have an “Australian-issued MasterCard debit card” (I wonder how many people do?).
Still, at about $50 a flight, we’re definitely talking cheap. And this is, of course, Tiger’s main selling point, as it has been keen to remind consumers.
But then came the catch… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
Stepping aboard the Dreamliner July 11, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: 787, aircraft, airlines, ANA, aviation, Boeing, Dreamliner, flying, Travel
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Will the long-overdue Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft really “change the way we fly”? It certainly gets points for trying.
If you sat down and made a list of the things you hate about flying – from jet lag to not being able to find any space in the overhead bins – you would find Boeing is a step ahead of you on most of them. The manufacturer has addressed many common gripes in the design of its long-awaited Dreamliner, which is finally ready to take off after numerous production delays.
The first 787 has been delivered to its launch customer, the Japanese airline ANA, for final testing and Boeing claims it will represent the start of a new era of flying. The environment will certainly benefit from significant reductions in fuel use and emissions. But there will also be noticeable changes for passengers, in a concerted bid to bring back the enjoyment of flying.
“We as human beings are fascinated by flight but we don’t like to fly today,” says the regional director of passenger satisfaction for Boeing, Kent Craver. “The big, big goal of this [Dreamliner design] philosophy is really to reconnect people to the magic of flight.”
The most noticeable change for passengers stepping into the Dreamliner will be… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
Buckle up for cheap flights to Paris February 22, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Asia, Travel, Travel tips & trends, UK & Europe.Tags: AirAsia, airlines, aviation, cheap flights, flying, Paris, Travel, travel deals
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When AirAsia recently promoted a “world domination sale”, it was as much a statement of intent as a catchy marketing line. From relative obscurity a few years ago, the no-frills carrier has become a significant player in the Australian market and plans to challenge the leisure business of leading airlines.
In a clever marketing ploy, AirAsia began flights to the “city of love”, Paris, on Valentine’s Day, allowing Australians willing to forgo a few niceties to fly to France at bargain prices. Australian travellers who booked during the launch sale were able to secure flights for well under $1000 return and, while these were special fares, ongoing pricing remains very low.
AirAsia says it sold more than 30,000 seats in less than 72 hours after it opened its Paris bookings, indicating huge demand for cheap access to Europe. “There’s never been a low-cost option between Australia and France before,” says the head of commercial for AirAsia X, Darren Wright. AirAsia X is a local offshoot of the Malaysian-based airline.
AirAsia is yet to secure rights to fly to Sydney; it claims it is being blocked by the Malaysian government’s protection of the national carrier, Malaysia Airlines. Even so, anecdotal evidence suggests some NSW travellers are heading to Melbourne or the Gold Coast to pick up cheap overseas fares.
Wright says 25 per cent of AirAsia X’s traffic from Australia is… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
What’s hot in travel for 2011? January 17, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Adventure travel, Africa, Airlines, Asia, Australia, Events, Hotels, North America, NZ & Pacific Islands, South America, Travel, Travel tips & trends, UK & Europe.Tags: aviation, top 10, top ten, tourism, Travel, travel tips, travel trends
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Spare a thought for Australian tourism operators as you jump on a plane for that overseas holiday this year. The exodus to overseas destinations is almost certain to continue as the Aussie dollar remains high and airfares remain low, leaving domestic travel the poor cousin for another year. A resurgence in business travel is expected to put paid to some of the bargain basement pricing we have seen in 2010, but the balance of power remains with travellers for the foreseeable future.
A survey conducted by the World Travel Market late last year found the economic downturn will continue to impact the global travel industry for at least five years. A separate survey by the Tourism and Transport Forum and MasterCard pointed to a bleak outlook for domestic tourism, with 71 per cent of Australian tourism operators saying the strong Aussie dollar was affecting their business.
Currency specialist HiFX says the Australian dollar appreciated 20 per cent in the second half of 2010, peaking above parity with the US dollar. HiFX spokesman Brian Clarke says it is possible our dollar has already peaked, having fallen back from its early November high, but it has still been in the strong 0.95 – 0.97 cent range.
Flight Centre executive general manager Colin Bowman expects continued demand for overseas travel, after strong bookings in 2010. When favourable exchange rates combine with cheap airfares, travellers can stretch their budgets to new destinations, Bowman says.
Give us adventure
Adventurous destinations feature strongly in predictions for 2011 hotspots.
Flight Centre includes Reunion, Africa, in its top ten destinations for this year, saying it is an underrated stopover option for travellers to France. Active volcanoes and mountainous landscapes make it ideal for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, while luxury resorts provide for indulgence. Zambia also makes the list, with Flight Centre saying it is says is a good option for those interested in luxury tented camping, or a new option of tracking animals by micro-flight.
Lonely Planet puts Brazil in its top ten, saying its winning bids for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games have led to a flurry of spending on tourism infrastructure, while low cost carriers have made travel across the vast continent more affordable. Tanzania also makes Lonely Planet’s top ten, thanks to its wide range of wildlife experiences, from tree-climbing lions at Lake Manyara to chimpanzee sanctuaries in Gombe and Mahale. Also on the list is (more…)
