The Breakaway Travel Blog
Airlines unleash a slew of fare discounts...
Airfares are typically cheap this time of year, which is traditionally the slowest period for travel. What’s news is the number of carriers slashing prices on tickets for flights in the spring and even early summer.
We saw
this article in the Star-Telegram noting that many international destinations are on sale even for flights departing in June. If you are planning on travel to Europe, move quickly! Once sales are advertised only about 20 percent of the seats on any particular flight will be discounted.
Labels: air travel, discounts, Europe
Air France Makes the Skies More Friendly
Don’t put away that cell phone just yet on your next flight over France. You may soon be able to talk with friends and family or whomever you desire while flying the friendly skies. AirFrance, with partner OnAir, are launching a trial of inflight voice calls in what is the first full mobile phone service onboard a commercial aircraft.
The trial started several months ago, allowing passengers to send and receive unlimited SMS text messages and emails, including attachments. The company recently added to that the ability to make and receive up to six simultaneous calls. The service is activated above 3000 metres and is charged according to your phone company’s agreement.
Air France, founded in 1933, operates 1,700 daily flights with a fleet of 393 aircraft, including 134 regional aircraft operated by its subsidiaries Britair, CityJet and Régional.
Labels: air travel, France
British Airways’ Heathrow Fiasco
No doubt you’ve heard about the mess created by British Airways at their new highly-touted terminal at Heathrow in London. Starting with the first flight out of the terminal, the luggage system did not function properly, causing thousands of lost bags and an equal number of frustrated travelers, one irate Naomi Campbell included (later arrested for her tirade).
Sure, one never expects international travel to be fun (the good stuff starts when you arrive at your destination), but it should never be this unpleasant. We here at Breakaway Adventures are very disappointed with British Airways and the handling of this fiasco.
Were you affected? What do you think of how they managed the mess? Let us know!
Labels: air travel, British Airways
Say Goodbye to Leg Cramps on Long Flights
Tired of cramped seats on long overseas flights? Finally, an airline has come up with a reasonable option to give squished flyers a little more space.
JetBlue, already known for its legroom, announced recently that’s it has reconfigured its A320 fleet so that there are six rows with even more legroom! So, for a fee as low as $10 extra bucks you can get a full 38 inches (their regular seats have 34 inches, still above the standard) of legroom.
"Lots of Legroom, free TVs, generous snacks and friendly service are all part of the core JetBlue Experience, and these in-flight perks will always be provided at no extra cost to the customer," says Dave Barger, CEO of JetBlue Airways. "Our new value-added legroom product gives customers the option to make their flight even more comfortable and enjoyable with Even More Legroom, but not at the expense of other customers."
Hooray!
Labels: air travel, jet blue
Gold Performance by Silverjet
In an era where airlines continue to do things wrong, it seems one at least is doing some things right.
Silverjet, a British airline offering a private plane experience for significantly less cost, recently released some impressive statistics for February, showing 87% of their departures were on time and that they had filled 10% more seats than the previous month.
“We are delighted to report that Silverjet is the most punctual airline on both our London to New York and London to Dubai services,” says Lawrence Hunt, chief executive of Silverjet.
“Official data published by the Civil Aviation Authority this week confirms that Silverjet, for the third consecutive month in a row, is the top on time performer on the London to New York route and the top performer on London to Dubai for the second month in a row, which is extremely gratifying after only two months of operation. For the year as a whole, Silverjet was the top UK carrier flying from London to New York. We are very proud of this excellent performance which demonstrates our focus on service delivery. We look forward to maintaining our pole position throughout 2008."
Labels: air travel, Great Britain
Are You Ready for Spring Break?
Let the festivities begin! Spring break is almost here and that means college students and families will be heading out on trips across the world. If a spring break adventure abroad is part of your plans this year, make sure you have all the documents you need to travel in time for your departure date.
According to the
US Department of State:
- As of January of last year, everyone traveling into and out of the US by air must have a passport. If you don’t have one, apply as soon as possible!
- As of this January, US residents 19 and older traveling to Western Hemisphere countries by land or ferry must show proof of citizenship. This includes a birth certificate or naturalization certificate, and a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or a passport.
So get all your documents in order and have a safe journey.
Labels: air travel
Share Your Thoughts With the TSA
Got something to say – good or bad – about the Transportation Security Administration? Check out their blog at
www.tsa.gov/blog, which started Jan. 30, and let them know your thoughts.
According to a New York Times
article, Kip Hawley, TSA director, started the blog titled Evolution of Security, “to harness the amount of energy that’s out there, and our need to get the passenger and us on the same side.”
And it’s not a bunch of promotional talk, either. They allow real back and forth, including plenty of complaints, between Hawley and his readers. On the blog, you’ll also find the latest news and updates about the TSA and its procedures, as well as links to other independent bloggers, personal blogs by five TSA employees and news reports.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll even encourage change. Says the New York Times: “Last week, readers scored a point after some complained about a security procedure. At some airports, screeners had been ordering passengers to remove all electronics from their bags, rather than just laptops. There is no such rule. ‘We learned that this exercise was set up by local T.S.A. officers,’ the agency reported back on the blog. By Monday afternoon, the word had gone out to T.S.A. screeners nationally: BlackBerrys, iPods and other electronics stay in bags.”
Labels: air travel
Continental Goes High Tech
If it’s entertainment you’re looking for on your next flight, then you should consider booking with Continental. The Houston-based airlines just announced that beginning in January 2009, it will offer in-flight satellite television and Wi-Fi Internet access through an agreement with LiveTV LLC, a unit of JetBlue Airways Corp.
The new features will be available on US flights at every seat on next generation aircraft. Satellite television will be free in first-class, and will be available for $6 to economy-class customers. They are also working with LiveTV, testing Wi-Fi connectivity services that will allow access to e-mail and instant messaging while onboard. Imagine the work you could get done!
Click
here for more details.
Labels: air travel
And Another Aviation Update…
If you’re a frequent flyer like us, limits on the number of flights to an airport makes us cringe a little. So when we heard about new caps on flights to New York City, we were concerned. Although congestion is problem in the skies around New York City and we are all for improvements to air travel, all of our international trips require travelers to fly to major hubs, including New York City. As scheduling flights can be tricky, we hoped this wouldn’t negatively impact our client’s schedules.
Then we saw this
article in the Wall Street Journal about British Airways planning to fly new routes between continental Europe and New York City—whew! To do this, the airline said it will create OpenSkies, a subsidiary that will start flying a Boeing 757 jetliner in June from New York to either Brussels or Charles de Gaulle in Paris. So if you’re making travel plans for this summer, keep British Airways in mind!
Labels: air travel, British Airways, Europe, New York City
Watch out for your batteries…
Concerns that batteries on board planes could overheat and catch fire resulted in new regulations that took effect Jan. 1 for travelers who carry batteries on flights. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, travelers are no longer allowed to pack loose lithium batteries in their checked luggage. Instead, passengers can pack spare batteries in plastic bags or original retail packaging in their checked luggage.
Now if you’re wondering about your laptop, camera, cell phone, etc…don’t panic. The new rules allow travelers to bring these devices on board or in their checked luggage if lithium batteries are installed on the item.
For detailed information about these new regulations, please visit
http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html.
Labels: air travel, batteries, U.S. Department of Transportation
Cell Phone Boarding Passes
Have you ever lost your boarding pass? Those days may be a thing of the past. According to an article on
TravelMole.com Continental Airlines is experimenting with sending boarding passes to your cell phone. Then, when you arrive to check in, you simply present the boarding pass on the screen of your phone and board the plane – no paper needed! One less thing to worry about forgetting during travel...
All of our trips are overseas, requiring air travel, so we welcome any new technology that makes flying easier—bravo Continental! We just hope we remember to charge our cell phone!
Labels: air travel, tips
