Archive for the ‘Manchester airport’ Category
Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline and the UK’s number one domestic airline, has welcomed the Department for Transport’s draft Civil Aviation Bill and, in particular, the requirement that airlines publish information about the environmental impact of their operations. Flybe has long-since blazed a trail on transparency in this area, most notably in the form of its groundbreaking Ecolabel Scheme. Launched in June 2007, the ‘ecolabel’ provides Flybe passengers, at the time of booking, with a detailed but user-friendly breakdown of fuel consumption, carbon and NOx emissions as well as noise levels for the aircraft to be used on their journey. Modelled on the EU white good labelling scheme and therefore more readily recognised by the consumer, the ecolabel is not only emblazoned on the side of every single Flybe aircraft by the passenger door but also clearly displayed online and also published in the Flybe in-flight magazine. The ecolabel was subject to an assurance process by the international consultancy firm Deloitte and Touche and was welcomed by the Treasury Select Committee in February 2008. Its report into the economics of climate change suggested that IATA “… might get involved in promoting the kind of ‘eco-competition’ made possible by the Flybe scheme” and that “… airlines should adopt a system of eco-labelling, so that consumers can compare the environmental footprint of each airline when purchasing their tickets.” Commenting on the draft bill, Jim French CBE, Flybe’s Chairman and Chief Executive said: “Flybe welcomes the government’s move to insist that all airlines publish their environmental data. It will not only give passengers a very clear choice but will incentivise airlines to invest in newer, lower emitting fleet; something Flybe has done over the last 10 years to the tune of $2.5billion, giving us one of the youngest fleets in global aviation. “Flybe’s ecolabel is an off-the-shelf solution to the challenge of environmental transparency and we stand ready to work with the Civil Aviation Authority and the DfT to share our expertise and knowledge in making transparent reporting a reality.” Cable renewal on the central reservation of the M56 spur road to and from Manchester Airport Terminals 1 and 3 will mean the outer lanes will be closed for the for 7 days, from 28 November. Speed restrictions will be in place.
To help passengers avoid the queues during Wednesday’s border agency strike, some airlines are offering passengers the option of rebooking flights free of charge. Passengers should contact their airlines for further information about rebooking. Air New Zealand British Airways Virgin Qatar Airways Etihad Airways Etihad is operating Manchester flights as scheduled. Flybe Aegean Airlines
The war of words over border control strike action continues in the press and it is unknown how badly affected airport passengers are going to be by the action – reports vary from minor disruption to significant. Border control will be affected from the evening of Tuesday 29 November until midnight on Wednesday 30 November – strike action start times will depend on shift patterns. Any delays will affect passengers arriving into the UK that need to pass through passport control – outgoing flights should not be affected. Tips to help avoid delays:
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has said that it has robust arrangements in place to maintain the security of the border and that it has
Rob Whiteman, chief executive of the UK Border Agency, said: ‘Securing the border is our priority and over the last weeks and months we have considered all options to ensure we are prepared for union action. ‘We always aim to minimise any disruption caused by the decision of unions to strike, but travellers could see longer waiting times at some ports and airports.’ For up-to-date UKBA information visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/
The largest coordinated industrial action will see up to 3 million workers take strike action next Wednesday, 30 November 2011. Among strikers will be UK Border Agency staff who look after passport control and immigration at all the UK’s airports and ports. In order to alleviate chaos at the UK’s airports, the Government is to transfer civil servants from Whitehall to man the UK’s borders, checking passports of EU travellers and also man e-passport gates where passengers use their biometric passports. A UKBA spokesman told the BBC: “The security of the UK border remains our top priority and it is absolutely right we explore all options to ensure we minimise any disruption caused by planned union action.” Tips for passengers arriving in the UK on 30 November:
To celebrate Monarch airlines move from Manchester airport’s Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 and the launch of their new flights to Italy, the scheduled leisure airline welcomed customers to its new home with live music performed by ‘three tenors’ on Tuesday, 15 November. The trio performed classic Italian opera throughout the morning at Manchester airport, terminal 2 while Monarch cabin crew handed out ‘free tenners’ to passengers to use as discount coupons on new routes from Manchester to Milan, Venice, Verona as well as Dubrovnik in Croatia plus all other existing routes. Kevin George, Managing Director of Monarch said: “We are delighted to be announcing these new routes to Italy to our extensive network of leisure destinations across Europe. Following the introduction of our ‘happy hour’ flights and our fight against unjust debit and credit card fees, the £10 coupon and the live performance of ‘three tenors’ is a further example of how Monarch strives to look after its customers”.
easyJet is set to trial allocated seating on selected routes. The trial, which will be introduced in the spring of 2012, will mean each passenger will be allocated a specific seat, however, if they wish to sit in a specific seat, such as in the front row they can pay to reserve them. Carolyn McCall, easyJet CEO, said, “This is another example of easyJet trying to do all it can to make travel easy and affordable for our passengers. We look forward to seeing how our passengers respond and how the trial works. We will roll it out further only if it works operationally, from a revenue perspective and increases passenger satisfaction. If it doesn’t, we won’t.”
Jet2.com and sister company Jet2holidays are celebrating with a trio of wins at two of the top award ceremonies in the travel industry calendar. Jet2holidays led the awards haul after being voted Best Tour Operator to the Iberian Peninsula and Islands at the prestigious British Travel Awards – the largest survey of public opinion on UK travel industry performance and the most anticipated awards in the travel industry calendar. The accolade recognises the package holiday specialists’ position as the leading British tour operator to that region. Jet2holidays was also named Best Mainstream Short Haul Operator at the 19th Annual Travel Awards of the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association, where Jet2.com was declared Best Low Cost Airline and runner up in the Best European Airline category. Voted for by Scottish travel agents, the airline and package holiday specialist beat off tough competition from rival travel companies to win the coveted accolades at the biggest event in the Scottish travel calendar. Jet2 received further national praise from readers of The Telegraph newspaper in its annual travel awards. The airline was unveiled as runner up in the Favourite Short-Haul Airline category, second only to British Airways. Steve Heapy, Managing Director of Jet2holidays and Chief Commercial Officer of Jet2.com, said: “This latest flurry of awards is a reflection of our continued dedication to providing the best possible service to our customers who clearly enjoy our growing list of city, sun and ski destinations. The recognition from both customers and agents is hugely important to us and is a clear indication that we are getting it right across the board.” “Our friendly flight times from eight regional bases and generous 22kg baggage allowance as well as our ATOL protected holiday packages to suit all tastes and budgets are what set us apart from our competitors and help to keep us the airline and tour operator of choice for our loyal customers.”
Here’s a chance to see a sneak preview of the Kevin Spacey, American Airlines television ad due to be screened in the UK this weekend. United Airlines and Continental Airlines are set to launch several new international routes in the first half of 2012, as the company expands its route network as a result of the merger. In May 2012, Continental will add new daily nonstop flights between Washington/Dulles and Manchester Airport, and in June 2012, subject to government approval, the airline will launch services between Washington/Dulles and Dublin. “Since our merger last year, the new United’s unmatched global route network and U.S. hub structure have allowed us to offer our customers more flights to more places they want to go,” said Jim Compton, executive vice president and chief revenue officer. “By adding these new international routes, we continue to put the right aircraft in the right markets to serve our customers’ needs.” |
