Virgin Atlantic Airways announced that it is increasing its twice-weekly services between London Heathrow and South Africa´s Cape Town to five per week for the winter season.
The current scheduled twice-a-week service will increase to three services per week between December 7, 2005 and January 25, 2006 and will then increase to a five-weekly service from January 29, 2006 until the end of the peak winter season on March 25, 2006.
Air Jamaica will reduce the free baggage allowance for economy passengers from 70 pounds to 50 pounds per bag, beginning on October 6.
Passengers can check two bags, weighing up to 50 pounds a piece with a total dimension of 62 inches, free of charge. Bags between 50 and 70 pounds will be charged $25 per piece. Luggage over 70 pounds will not be accepted as checked baggage and will have to be shipped as cargo.
Caribbean Sun Airlines will be commencing eight weekly flights between Puerto Rico and St. Eustatius (Statia) beginning on November 15, 2005. The inaugural flight is scheduled to arrive on the eve of the National Statia Day celebrations carrying representatives of Government, Caribbean Sun Airlines and regional media representatives.
Statia residents are expected to turn out in large numbers to welcome Caribbean Sun Airlines to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Airport. St. Eustatius will become the tenth Caribbean Sun destination to be serviced from the San Juan gateway.
America West and US Airways, the fifth largest airline in the U.S. in domestic capacity, finalized their merger and begin operating as a single carrier.
Customers should continue to book directly with US Airways or America West as they did before the merger. The airlines´ Web sites will operate separately in the short term, as will the two airlines´ reservations systems. The new US Airways, which begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the LCC symbol, represents the nation´s largest full-service, low-cost, low-fare airline.
EasyJet has just launched two new routes from London Gatwick airport with daily flights to Murcia followed by the launch of flights from London Gatwick to Berlin´s Schoenefeld.
The daily flights to Murcia start from £22.99 single (£40.98 return including tax) and the twice daily flight to Berlin Schoenefeld starts from £17.99 single (£30.98 return including tax).
A new technology, expected to be rolled out by late next year, will soon allow European air passengers to use their cell phones. This announcement was made early this week by Geneva-based technology firm OnAir.
British carrier bmi (formerly British Midlands Airways) and Portugal´s state-owned TAP Air Portugal are to try OnAir voice and text service for cell phones in separate three-month trials, according to OnAir chief executive George Cooper.