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AirAsia X – the premium flight experience

premium flights — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:03:43 +0000

AirAsia X is now offering premium flight experience at competitive rates. The offer started in July 19 and will end on August the 1st, 2010. Flights booked during these dates are for travel from August the 2nd, 2010 to November 15th, 2010. This would be the lowest premium fare offered by the airline.

Flights from Kuala Lumpur to China, Taiwan, Australia, London and India will enjoy premium accommodation with highly competitive rates.

But even with the lowest price possible in premium rates, the accommodation will almost be the same compared to business class in AirAsia X. Seats will be wider (20 inches) and they can stretch into full bed position (77 inches).

Aside from comfortable seating with improved leg space, those who book during these dates will also enjoy additional perks during boarding and during the flight. Passengers on premium fare will enjoy priority boarding so they don’t have to go through longer lines and 20kgs of baggage allowance per passenger. During flights, passengers will be provided with pillows and blankets and options for meals and drinks (non-alcoholic).

AirAsia X was established in 2007 as a low-cost with long haul capability airline. It is part of AirAsia and it’s marketed as a low cost option for the airline company. AirAsia X currently offers flights to 11 destinations worldwide. The airline company’s headquarters is in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia while its main hub is in Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Decreasing luxury air travel demand

premium flights — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:25:27 +0000

The luxury air travel that some of us used to enjoy before is now a thing of the past. The recession greatly affected us in so many ways and that includes the air travel. British Airways had already admitted that they don’t see the possibility that there would be a demand for luxury air travel the way they used to before.

Premium seats’ demand had dropped to 14.9% in June and the drop would have dropped even further if not because of the offer by British Airways for a buy 1 take 1 or two for 1 offer on Business class tickets.

People travelling on premium seats are paying less now and with the lesser passengers purchasing premium tickets, it’s still not good for the airline. British Airways has over £401 million losses for the month of June and it keeps on rising and one of the primary cause of this loss is with the lack of premium seats sold to passengers.

People are saving up their money during this time of recession and it is very evident with the airline tickets being sold. People still need to travel but they sacrifice the comfort and convenience to save on their money. This is practical and expected but still leaves a big scar on the airline industry and it continues to hurt the market as the recession continues to affect everyone.

British Airways cuts the canapes

premium flights — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:25:40 +0000

British Airways is now cost cutting which is expected would save them up to £22m by removing canapés and chocolates from their long flights and budget travellers for short-haul journeys will be making do with pretzels and a paper cup drink instead of having a sandwich and bottled water. British Airways passengers with flights less than 2.5 hours will not receive any meal at all after the 10 am flight. Morning flights would still enjoy a free breakfast.

British Airways needed to do some cost cutting after they had £401 million losses last year and is expected to have some more losses this year. They are now planning to raise £680 million to help the airline survive this crisis that we are all facing and had caused such pain in the aviation industry.

For short-haul flights under the business class would still continue to have their lunch and dinner foods as usual while premium travellers for the long haul flights would get second meals but in smaller servings as compared before and without the canapés and chocolates.

British Airways said in a statement that their foods are still in top class but with minor adjustments to avoid waste and so they could save money. After all, these meals are offered free but they just need to adjust it in order to survive the crisis.

British Airways and Iberia Merger Agreement

premium flights — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:44:55 +0000

BA is willing to accept a 50-50 deal with Iberia according to El Economista, in exchange for the Spanish Airline to shoulder BA’s pension fund shortage. The new group would then have their headquarters in Madrid.

The share holder of Iberia Caja Madrid bank and Iberia itself had refused to make a comment as to whether or not there is a better offer from British Airways. It’s been noted that the two companies had been in the talks for a merger for over a year now but the deal for ownership split had been a problem as both could not agree on each other’s proposal.

British Airways has a pension deficit problem too and this also adds as a blockage to their deal with Iberia.

Iberia had recently had a change of leadership as their chairman had already stepped down and the position had been filled by Antonio Vasquez who is proven to be a very good dealmaker and some believe that his appointment would act as a boost for the possibility of the merger to push through.

No news yet as to whether or not the agreement would push through and if Iberia would accept the 50-5o ownership deal proposal by British Airways.

American Airlines test fuel saving techniques

premium flights — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:27:50 +0000

American Airlines will start using new fuel saving techniques for the first time. These techniques will not be implemented for the first time in small flights where the effects of fuel efficiency could be low but on a trans-Atlantic flight. American Airlines will test their new fuel efficiency techniques on June 11 with a flight from Paris to Miami.

Although there are numerous fuel-saving techniques that will be implemented on the said flight, two practices will be highlighted. First is the use of the GPS (Global Positioning System) which will guide the airline to the proper route which basically could be the shortest route possible. Instead of the usual jet liner routes, the GPS system will guide the pilots to use different routes for more fuel efficiency. The second technique that will be implemented on the flight is the slow descent and ascend of the plane. This technique is believed to slow down fuel burning.

If these fuel saving measures will be fully implemented in each flight, the amount of fuel saved could be massive. American Airlines is already reporting of saving no less than 110 million of gallons in 2008. The said figure is expected to rise this year when each flight would follow the fuel saving measures.

The American Airlines flight is also being closely monitored by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). If the fuel efficiency could be properly established, these practices will be enforced on other airline companies as well. Hopefully, their savings will only mean affordable fares which could increase travel around the world.

Middle East Airlines to defy recession

premium flights — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:09:19 +0000

Recession may have affected the airline industry in different continents but the Middle East is braving the tough economy – even displaying considerable profits in the recent months. As a location targeted by many skilled individuals for jobs, travel to the Middle East is only growing for the past few months.

In fact, an airline solely based in Middle East became the symbol of such growth. Wataniya Airlines may be a small airline company, but it is currently one of the fastest growing airline companies in the Middle East. The airline’s business model is even considered very risky during recession as the airline offers premium business class seating only but with competitive pricing. Airline tickets from Wataniya Airlines are a little bit more expensive compared to economy class but not as much as business class.

But even though they are offering a little bit more expensive seats, Wataniya Airlines experienced a demand that they opted to expand their operations to more destinations. The airline used to be to Kuwait destinations only but they are already expanding to Amman in coming months. Wataniya Airlines currently has flights to Dubai, Cairo, Bahrain and Beirut coming from Kuwait and Vice Versa.

The appeal of Wataniya Airlines is also based on the fact that they offer limited seating. First class and business class accommodation is only 122 seats which mean more legroom for passengers with lesser price. Their business model is actually very smart as it appeals not just for wealthy businessmen but to passengers who can spend a little bit more but not too much on an airline ticket.

BA to offer premium flights only

premium flights — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:44:41 +0000

British Airways is having some trouble keeping the losses down much like most airline industries around the world. Because of the decrease in demand for airline travel, airlines are having a hard time posting profits. BA has even cancelled a few routes in recent months because the demand to travel has decreased to a halt in some areas.

But even with the decrease in demand for travel, BA still started something “daring” in the industry.

The company recently announced a business-class only flight that will cater to travelers from London City Airport to New York. Although the flight is generally targeted for business travelers, it’s basically offered for anyone who could afford the airfare. BA believes that by offering something unique with optimal services, this type of service will attract travelers who can spend. It’s basically a risky business plan.

However, if you take a closer look at the BA’s planned service, you can be easily swayed to use their services. The company will be using A318 aircrafts for the flight. In regular setting, the aircraft could have as much as 110 passengers. But BA will be extending the legroom that the chair could even be converted into flatbeds. Because of the extended legroom, each flight could only accommodate 32 passengers. Expected amenities from other premium flights should be available as well.

BA is also offering something special: because of fuel restrictions in London City Airport, the flight will have a brief stop in Ireland. Passengers will go through US Immigration in Ireland instead of waiting in hectic line when they arrive in New York Airport.

Lufthansa cancels flights

premium flights — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:43:59 +0000

As the demand for travel slows down, airlines are now feeling the pinch of recession and Lufthansa is no exception. As the airline has experienced a downward trend in terms of the number of their passengers, Lufthansa has cancelled flights in Frankfurt as well as Bristol. Since May 1, the airline is no longer servicing the said routes even though adjustments have been made to save the route. This is a big disappointment for the airline company since Bristol is one of their new routes they did hope to improve.

To deal with the dwindling demand of the route, the company started to cut the number of flights in this route. Instead of the usual 21 weekly flights, the airline reduced the route to 14 only. But even with this change, Lufthansa still experienced a disappointing 12% decrease of travellers.

But the decision to cut the said route is not permanent. As soon as the number of travellers increase and recession over, the route will be revived. This is only seen as a temporary setback and adjustment so that the company would be able to adjust financially during recession.

This adjustment is helping the company reach their goal of reaching €150 million in investments by year 2013. This amount includes renovations as well as introduction of new routes to compete with some of the industry’s best companies. The company hopes that in September, they would start offering flights from Frankfurt to Dammam. With the challenging economy, Lufthansa is gracefully adjusting even with a few disappointments along the way.

Money matters and premium flights

premium flights — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:06:48 +0000

Using a credit card to purchase plane tickets is not a unique transaction. In fact, online reservations for flights are only possible if airline ticket is paid with credit cards. Without credit cards, travelling would be very difficult and inconvenient as you’ll have to bring cash everywhere you go.

But the use of credit cards in airline transactions is not only for airfare anymore. Credit cards could be used to improve your experience in the airline. With a few additional dollars or with the right credit card, you could upgrade to premium flights.

There are airlines that offer premium flight upgrades for their customers who are subscribed to mileage programs. If they reach a certain airline mileage they would be able to upgrade for free. If you’re a few miles short in reaching the free upgrade, you can purchase those miles in order to gain that upgrade.

You’ll even have a better chance of gaining premium flights if you use a credit card issued by an airline company. As store credit cards provide you discount when you purchase products from the same store, you’ll also earn rewards every time your purchase airline tickets with the same credit card they issued. The rewards are not only limited to free upgrades – when you reach a certain mileage, you can be qualified for a free flight or even hotel accommodation.

If you’re a frequent flyer, select a credit card that has tie-ups with an airline that you usually fly with. Aside from ease of transaction, you’ll gain rewards aside from premium seats.

Virgin Atlantic celebrates its birthday

premium flights — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:35:06 +0000

Just because it’s a birthday for Virgin Atlantic does not mean that you do not get to benefit as well. In fact, Virgin Atlantic is going to celebrate its birthday by offering you great flights from Boston to London. These great flights start at prices as low as $181 each way. This does not include the fees or the taxes that go with the flights.

There are also deals on Virgin Atlantic that offer round trip tickets for $222, but a fuel surcharge is added on. This goes for premium economy too, which costs $264 round trip. These great deals will not last forever so you have to book now. In order to qualify for these great deals, you do have to book with Virgin Atlantic online. These bookings must be done soon, and the trip most include at least one Saturday night stay.

There are other great deals on the Virgin Atlantic website as well. They always have great deals going on to try and help people who want to start flying again. If you are looking for great deals on trips, now is the perfect time to start buying tickets. Although we just got done talking about Virgin Atlantic, this goes for all flights and airlines. Everyone wants you to start traveling again, and you can now afford to do so with all the great deals. Most deals do come with some kind of in-flight entertainment, so that is a plus.

All fights are subject to change without notice. Flights and fees normally do not include taxes and other charges; it depends on the airline. Be sure to read all fine print before booking a flight. Most flights are nonrefundable and can only be changed with an extra fee.