Travel News June 2014
New air route to heart of London
Flybe, Europe's largest regional airline, has signed a five-year agreement with London City Airport which will see the introduction of a new direct service from George Best Belfast City Airport into the heart of London.
A
From Monday, October 27, 2014, Flybe will offer three times daily services between the two city centre airports. This brings the total number of direct destinations offered by Flybe from Northern Ireland to 14 making it the largest airline operating at George Best Belfast City Airport.
Flybe expects that the new route will appeal to both business and leisure passengers in Northern Ireland and those based in the City of London and Canary Wharf whose travel plans are time-critical and who will appreciate the reduced transfer times compared to flying from/to Heathrow, Gatwick or Luton. London City airport is conveniently located in the heart of the financial capital with connections offered every 10 minutes by Docklands Light Railway, meaning that passengers can be in Canary Wharf in 12 minutes - and, via the London Underground, in Westminster in just 24!
Flybe is also aiming to Europe's most punctual airline. It recently launched a new world-first 60:60 guarantee that promises its customers if a flight arrives more than 60 minutes' late at its destination due to a delay within Flybe's control, they will qualify for a £60 voucher towards their next flight as long as they book within 60 days.
Saad Hammad, Flybe's Chief Executive Officer, said: "We're delighted to announce this
NEW air route will, it is claimed, provide a fast and easy direct service to the heart of London.
new service between Belfast and London City Airport. This news is a significant landmark in the re-birth of Flybe. The decision to re-enter the London market at its most convenient airport follows a rigorous profitability analysis utilising our strict 'Route Assessment Model’. "Flybe is today already connecting over 7 million passengers a year throughout the UK and Europe. With this new major London connection from Belfast City, we are not only cementing our position as Europe's largest regional airline but also upholding our customer promise to be 'The Fastest Way from A to Flybe."
Welcoming the announcement, Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment said: "This is excellent news for the Northern Ireland business community who have been seeking this service to London City for some time. It will provide access to the heart of London as well as offering passengers a greater choice in terms of price and flight times. I welcome Flybe's continued commitment to Northern Ireland."
Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive of George Best Belfast City Airport added: "For over 30 years Flybe has worked alongside Belfast City to offer passengers a UK wide route network. I have no doubt that London City will prove a popular service especially with business passengers. Flybe's distinctive brand refresh and new service to London City signals a new era for our business partner and we wish the airline every success."
As well as flights to Belfast City, Flybe also announced services from London City to Dublin, Edinburgh, Exeter and Inverness. One way fares including taxes and charges start from £39.99 and are now on sale .
New destination from Belfast City - London City Airport Lower fares forecast as profits fall
RYANAIR has announced a drop in annual profit. The airline, which posted its full year results recently, announced net profit of 523 million euros (£426 million) which was down eight per cent on 2013. It said: "While disappointing that profits fell eight per cent to €523m due mainly to a four per cent decline in fares, weaker sterling, and higher fuel costs, we reacted quickly to this weaker environment last September by lowering fares and improving our customer experience which caused H2 traffic to grow four per cent as
load factors rose one per cent.” Ryanair warned of weak fares this winter as the delivery of new planes means more capacity to sell. The airline said it was committed to six per cent capacity growth which could cause fares to fall by as much as six to eight per cent However it predicts strong summer bookings and higher charges for extras like carry-on baggage and on-board refreshments will lift profit by between 10 and 20 per cent in the year to March 2015.
The airline has been working on
customer service initiatives over the last six months. Its new family product, which will launch in June, allows children to receive discounts on allocated seats and bags, while families who travel frequently with Ryanair can qualify for
discounts.As part of its plan to court business travel agents and travellers, it is planning a business service from the Autumn which will include same day flight changes, bigger bag allowances, premium seat allocation, mobile boarding pass, and fast-track through security.
UPDA 3TE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44