Globe Merchant Travel Blog

Athens – The Greek government on Tuesday was waiting for the green light by the European Commission to replace its debt-ridden state airline, Olympic Airlines, with a new carrier under the name Pantheon Airways.

Under the consolidation plan submitted by Greece, Olympic Airlines will be replaced by Pantheon Airways, which will take part in an international privatization tender.

According to state television NET, the new company will keep running all domestic flights, but will drastically reduce its international routes.

The European Commission on Wednesday had asked the European Union’s highest court to impose daily fines on Greece for failing to recover illegal state aid given to Olympic Airways.

The decision refers to at least 161 million euros (202 million dollars) restructuring aid to Greek’s ailing national airline between 1998 and 2002.

In December 2002, the commission ruled that the aid was illegal and demanded Athens get it back.

The EU executive has also taken Greece to court for failing to recover some 540 million euros of state aid given to Olympic and its successor, Olympic Airlines, from 2002 to 2004.

According to news reports, the new airline, Pantheon, is expected to receive an operating permit in the next few weeks and will open negotiations with Olympic Airlines personnel.

The more than 4,500 employees of Olympic will have to choose between becoming voluntarily redundant, securing bonuses and full pension rights, or be transferred to public posts or to work for the new company.

‘Olympic Airlines services to islands will not stop, the employees will be secure and the transition to the new company will be as quick as possible,’ the Transport Ministry said in a statement.

Travel Dates & Times for Weekend Getaway Fares

Depart anytime between Tuesday, September 23, 2008, and Friday, September 26, 2008.
Return anytime between Monday, September 29, 2008, and Wednesday, October 1, 2008.
Tickets must be purchased by this Sunday, September 21, 2008, 11:59 p.m. (CT).
Fares displayed are for round-trip coach class travel.

Round Trip Fare

Aguascalientes, Mexico (AGU) – Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) $405
Chicago O’Hare, IL (ORD) – London Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR) $514
Chihuahua, Mexico (CUU) – Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) $447
Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) – Aguascalientes, Mexico (AGU) $455
Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) – Chihuahua, Mexico (CUU) $447
Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) – San Luis Potosi, Mexico (SLP) $415
Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) – Torreon, Mexico (TRC) $410
Freeport, Bahamas (FPO) – Miami, FL (MIA) $128
George Town, Bahamas (GGT) – Miami, FL (MIA) $178
Los Angeles, CA (LAX) – London Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR) $718
Los Cabos, Mexico (SJD) – Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) $585
Miami, FL (MIA) – Bogota, Colombia (BOG) $218
Miami, FL (MIA) – Freeport, Bahamas (FPO) $128
Miami, FL (MIA) – George Town, Bahamas (GGT) $178
Miami, FL (MIA) – Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA) $158
Miami, FL (MIA) – Managua, Nicaragua (MGA) $158
Miami, FL (MIA) – Nassau, Bahamas (NAS) $108
Miami, FL (MIA) – Panama City, Panama (PTY) $158
Miami, FL (MIA) – San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) $158
Miami, FL (MIA) – San Pedro Sula, Honduras (SAP) $158
Nassau, Bahamas (NAS) – Miami, FL (MIA) $108
Raleigh / Durham, NC (RDU) – London Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR) $692
San Juan, PR (SJU) – Dominica, Dominica (DOM) $365
San Juan, PR (SJU) – La Romana, Dominican Republic (LRM) $305
San Juan, PR (SJU) – Nevis, Nevis (NEV) $319
San Juan, PR (SJU) – Tortola, British Virgin Islands (EIS) $280
San Luis Potosi, Mexico (SLP) – Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) $415

*Taxes, fees and conditions apply.

Additional Fees and
Restrictions May Apply

Visit www.aa.com/netsaaver for additional fare offers for this weekend and other travel dates.

Holiday Extras

The Airbus A380 superjumbo will become an even more familiar sight at Heathrow airport as Singapore Airlines announces more flights to Singapore using the new plane.

Singapore Airlines will take delivery of its sixth A380 from Airbus later this month and will use the new plane on flights between Heathrow and Singapore.

The airline has been operating its second daily service between Heathrow and Singapore using an A380 on four days a week, and a Boeing 747-400 on the other days. But from September 20th it will also be able to use the superjumbo on flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. A third daily flight between Heathrow and Singapore will still be operated by the Boeing 747-400.

The A380 originally used on the second daily service was relocated to Beijing for 10 days in the run up to the Olympic Games to cater for increased demand for flights to the Chinese city.

Singapore was the first airline to take delivery of the double decker A380 and the first to introduce the plane on flights from Heathrow. But Emirates Airline also started flights from Heathrow using the A380 in July, this time for flights to Dubai. Emirates has 58 superjumbos on order and also now uses the plane on flights between Dubai and New York, and Dubai and Sydney-Auckland.

And in June Australian airline Qantas said it would operate flights from Heathrow to Sydney and Heathrow to Singapore on the A380 from next January. Qantas is now operating two return services each week to Los Angeles – one from Sydney and one from Melbourne. It will run two return Melbourne to LA flights and three return Sydney to LA flights when it takes delivery of its second A380 in November.

Yesterday Singapore Airlines reduced the fuel surcharge on tickets for travel on short and medium haul flights following the recent decrease in jet fuel prices. The fuel surcharge on flights between Singapore and South East Asia has been reduced from $40 to $36.

The fuel surcharge on long haul flights remains the same. On flights between Singapore and cities in Europe and South Africa the surcharge stays at $110. And on flights between Singapore and cities in the USA and Canada it remains at $180.

Written by: Nick Purdom

Each Way From To

Chicago, IL (ORD) Freeport, Bahamas $90
Baltimore, MD Freeport, Bahamas $100
Charlotte, NC Freeport, Bahamas $145
Pittsburgh, PA Freeport, Bahamas $155
Philadelphia, PA Freeport, Bahamas $155
Boston, MA Bermuda $100
New York, NY (LGA) Bermuda $100
Washington, DC (DCA) Bermuda $115
Philadelphia, PA Bermuda $160
Los Angeles, CA (LAX) Bermuda $175

More International USAir e-savers……

By Andrea Rothman. Bloomberg

Sept. 8 (Bloomberg) — Air France-KLM Group, Europe’s biggest airline, said passenger traffic rose 2.8 percent last month, led by travel to the Americas.

The load factor, or proportion of seats filled, declined 1.6 percentage points to 83.7 percent, as capacity rose 4.7 percent, Paris-based Air France-KLM said in a statement today. The number of passengers rose 1 percent to 6.8 million. Traffic growth accelerated from July, when the increase was 1.8 percent.

Unlike SkyTeam partner Delta Air Lines Inc. or British Airways Plc, both of which are reducing capacity, Air France is adding seats, though by less than planned. It will restrict capacity increases in the October-to-April winter schedule and next summer to 2 percent. Delta intends a 13 percent cut and British Airways will trim seats by as much as 5 percent.

Traffic, or the number of passengers multiplied by the distance flown, rose 6.6 percent on routes to North and South America, while the airline boosted capacity 6.5 percent. The load factor was unchanged at 87.2 percent.

Asian traffic increased 2.4 percent, while the carrier added 7.1 percent to capacity, causing the load factor to drop 4 points to 85.8 percent.

African and Middle Eastern traffic increased 0.9 percent, with capacity rising 1.9 percent. That led to a decline in load factor of 0.8 percentage point to 86.7 percent.

Traffic in Europe rose 0.9 percent while the airline increased capacity by 1.8 percent. The load factor fell 0.7 point to 75 percent.

Cargo traffic in August fell 4 percent while the carrier added 0.6 percent capacity. The decline was primarily related to Asia, in particular the effects of the Olympic Games in China, Air France said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andrea Rothman in Toulouse, France, at aerothman@bloomberg.net.

Sep 9 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal
Kevin Keegan with his image on the side of a Flybe plane

THE level of unrest following Kevin Keegan’s resignation reached sky high yesterday as an airline revealed plans to protest over the turmoil at Newcastle United.

When low-cost airline Flybe named one of its fleet after Kevin Keegan in the summer, it was a token of respect for the man who was expected to take Newcastle United soaring back to the dizzy heights of the Premier League summit.

However, as Newcastle United nose-dived into turmoil with Keegan’s resignation last week, the airline has been looking into ways of using the plane – registration KKEV – as a vehicle for protest.

Chief commercial officer Mike Rutter, born in Dunston and a Newcastle United supporter, said the company was considering ways to show its disapproval at the recent goings-on at St James’s Park.

“We are looking at ways to protest by either painting a black armband on the plane or giving it a black nose cone.

“We honoured Kevin because he is a legendary footballer and a legend in Newcastle. He has taken a principled stance and we will continue to honour him.”

Mr Rutter said the idea for the black nose cone was inspired by British Airways which gave a gold nose cone to the plane which transported the British Olympic team home from Beijing.

‘The Kevin Keegan’, which also features a picture of Keegan from his playing days at St James’s Park, was financed by a firm based in Hamburg where he enjoys legendary status from his time in Germany.

International Weekend Getaway Fares

Travel Dates & Times for Weekend Getaway Fares

Depart anytime between Tuesday, September 16, 2008, and Friday, September 19, 2008.
Return anytime between Monday, September 22, 2008, and Wednesday, September 24, 2008.
Tickets must be purchased by this Sunday, September 14, 2008, 11:59 p.m. (CT).
Fares displayed are for round-trip coach class travel.

Round Trip Fare

Cozumel, Mexico (CZM) – Miami, FL (MIA) $410
Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) – Panama City, Panama (PTY) $498
Miami, FL (MIA) – Belize City, Belize (BZE) – $548
Miami, FL (MIA) – Cali, Colombia (CLO) $538
Miami, FL (MIA) – Cozumel, Mexico (CZM) $410
Miami, FL (MIA) – Medellin, Colombia (MDE) $538
Miami, FL (MIA) – San Salvador, El Salvador (SAL) $488
Miami, FL (MIA) – Tegucigalpa, Honduras (TGU) $468
Torreon, Mexico (TRC) – Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) $405

*Taxes, fees and conditions apply.

Additional Fees and
Restrictions May Apply

Visit www.aa.com/netsaaver for additional fare offers for this weekend and other travel dates.