In an attempt to stop the Government from further increasing the Air Passenger Duty (APD) this November, ABTA is calling on travellers to write to their MPs.

APD, which currently raises £2 billion for the Government, was introduced in 1994 and has seen several increases since.

Prior to 1 November 2009, 

fees were set at Reduced Rates (economy seats)
£10 for European destinations and £40 for all other destinations. Standard Rates (premium seats, including business class only airlines)
 were £20 for European destinations and
 £80 for all other destinations. On 1 November 2009, four geographical bands were introduced based on the distance from London.

The 2009 APD duty applicable for a single flight was levied at:

• Band A – flights to Europe £11
• Band B – flights of up to 4,000 miles £45
• Band C – flights to the Caribbean £50
• Band D – flights to Australia and New Zealand £60
• For Premium seats the charges are double.

A further increase is set to be introduced this November with the fees increasing to:

• Band A – flights to Europe £12
• Band B – flights of up to 4,000 miles £60
• Band C – flights to the Caribbean £75
• Band D – flights to Australia and New Zealand £85

For Premium seats the charges are double at:

• Band A – flights to Europe £24
• Band B – flights of up to 4,000 miles £120
• Band C – flights to the Caribbean £150
• Band D – flights to Australia and New Zealand £170

In 2009 the Telegraph launched a campaign to get the APD scrapped. To find out more, and to add your name to their petition click here.

Jet2.com has announced significant new investment in Edinburgh airport with the launch of a new route to Budapest and additional flights to the popular holiday resort of Majorca.

Flights to Budapest will begin on 21 April 2011 and will operate three times per week during the peak season.

In addition to the new destination, Jet2.com has increased its flights to Majorca from two per week to five per week during the 2011 summer season.

The announcements come hot on the heels of the launch of Jet2.com’s new Edinburgh routes to Salzburg and Geneva for the 2010/2011 winter sports season and the addition of a fourth aircraft – a B737 – based at the airport.

Jet2.com now serves 15 destinations from Edinburgh. The new launches will grow capacity by 40 per cent in 2010 with 300,000 seats available across the year.

To book Edinburgh airport parking and Edinburgh airport hotels click on the links.

In a statement on its website, BALPA (the British Airline Pilot’s Association) has confirmed that it has asked to meet the management of Virgin Atlantic today, 24 August, for ‘last ditch’ talks to avoid confrontation between the airline and its pilots.

On its website BALPA states “the dispute is over the way the company is denying pilots their entitlement to a minimum number of rostered days off which are allowed for in an agreement the pilots have with the airline. These 120 rostered days off per year are the equivalent of an office worker’s weekends and bank holidays but without the same predictability.”

Jim McAuslan, General Secretary of BALPA, said: ‘BALPA always does what it can to assist airlines through downturns, as many airlines will testify, and we did this with Virgin during these past difficult years. To now find that the company is breaching an agreement and denying many pilots their entitlement to the equivalent of a weekend off is a real slap in the face and one which we cannot accept.

‘We call on the company to pick up our offer of talks and to find a way through’

Jet2.com is expanding it services from Edinburgh airport with the launch of a new ski route to Geneva for the 2010/2011 winter season.

Edinburgh flights to Geneva will launch on 20 February 2011 and operate until 27 March.

Philip Meeson, boss of Jet2.com, said: “Our winter ski flights are extremely popular, with the UK’s ski and snow board enthusiasts unable to resist their annual fix of Europe’s snow-capped mountains. With this growing demand we have increased our services from the north for this season, giving people in the region an even greater choice of winter holiday destination.”

To book Edinburgh airport parking and Edinburgh airport hotels click on the links.

Ryanair has announced its peak-season baggage charges are to return to €15 per bag and €25 for heavy bags for travel from 1 September, however, passengers travelling on international routes to and from the Canary Islands will still have to pay the peak-season charges – €20 per bag and €30 heavy bag – these higher charges will apply all year round.

The airline introduced higher baggage charges for flights during July and August this year with the ’sweetner’ of allowing passengers to check in two bags, subject to charges, of course.

The CAA is once again highlighting the need for passengers to be aware of items that are banned from being carried on a plane after a man was convicted of attempting to take dangerous chemicals on to an aircraft at Manchester Airport last year.

The man was found guilty of ‘recklessly acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft’ after he pleaded guilty to attempting to take corrosive and flammable chemicals on to a plane.

Geoff Leach, Manager of the CAA’s Dangerous Goods Office, said: “Unlike items restricted for reasons of security (eg knives and scissors) which may be carried safely in checked (hold) baggage, “dangerous goods” such as the chemicals involved in this instance can pose the same danger to the aircraft and its occupants wherever they are carried and consequently must not be carried by passengers at all.

“It is vital that passengers check the list of permitted items well in advance of travel to determine whether any unusual items they wish to carry are allowed. Unfortunately, incidents like this cause delays and disruption to the travelling public as well as endangering the safety of passengers and staff at UK airports throughout the year. “

Dangerous goods that must NOT be taken on board an aircraft are:

• explosives, such as fireworks, flares, toy gun caps;
• gases, such as culinary blowtorches, camping or compressed gas cylinders, tear gas, mace or CS gas devices;
• flammable materials such as petrol, lighter fuel, paint, thinners, non-safety matches, firelighters;
• poisons, such as weed killers, insecticides; and · corrosives, such as filled car batteries.

Passengers requiring further information about what they can and can’t transport on aircraft can contact the CAA’s Dangerous Goods Office on 01293 573900.

Vueling, the new-generation Spanish low-fare airline, is gearing up for its first flights connecting Scotland and Spain with the start of its new direct route between Edinburgh and Barcelona on 24 June 2010.

The three times weekly flights (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) will operate from 24 June until 12 September 2010 and will complement the airline’s existing UK operations from London Heathrow to Bilbao, La Coruna and Seville.

Onward connections through Barcelona will be available from July 5th – passengers travelling from Edinburgh to Barcelona will be able to book onward flights from Edinburgh (with the convenience of through checking their bags to their ultimate destination) to Alicante, Asturias, Bilbao, Grenada, Ibiza, Malaga, Mallorca, Menorca, Santiago and Seville.

About Vueling:
Vueling launched on 1 July 2004 and completed its merger with clickair on 15 July 2009.

To book Edinburgh airport parking and Edinburgh airport hotels click on the links.

Ryanair has announced it is to offer passengers the option of increased baggage allowances this summer.

The new allowances mean passengers can each check in up to two bags per trip and also have the option of paying for an increased weight allowance on their first checked-in bag – from 15kg to 20kg.

As with any Ryanair ‘extra’ you’ll have to pay for the privilege, and prices depend on time of travel – see below for online prices:

1st bag
standard 15kg allowance: €15/£15, or €20/£20 during peak season of July and August
increased 20kg allowance: €25/£25, or €30/£30 during July and August

2nd bag
15kg maximum allowance for the second bag: €35/£35, or €40/£40 during July and August

Ryanair has announced it now has a dedicated Volcanic Ash Disruption team set up to handle refunds and claims from passengers in connection with the disruption caused by the ash cloud.

For more information go to www.ryanair.com/en/notices/gops/100518-ASH_REIMBURSE_INFO-GB

Flybe has confirmed it is the first airline in the UK to be able to fly within the new Time Limited Zone.

Under the new regulations the airline will be able to fly through denser volcanic ash than previously approved – 0.004 grams per cubic metre compared with 0.002 grams per cubic metre.

Commenting on the news Flybe’s Chief Executive, Jim French said: “The CAA called upon the industry to bring forward thoroughly researched proposals to safely improve the ability to fly in the vicinity of low level volcanic ash concentrations.

Flybe worked closely with the Met Office, Bombardier and Pratt & Whitney Canada to develop the proposals which have today been endorsed by the CAA. Flybe’s overriding concern is always safety, and these new rules arise from a proven process of safety management within the company and the industry which helps make air travel the safest form of public transport.

The application of these new rules in the last 48 hours would have reduced our levels of cancellation from 380 flights to 21, or put another way, only 3% of our programme would have been affected. This level of cancellation would be more akin to a weather event and therefore much more bearable for customers and the industry.”

For Manchester airport hotels or to compare and book Manchester airport parking using an online instant airport parking price checker click on the link.