Budget Airline Blog

From Travel Weekly….

Ryanair reported annual passenger traffic of more than 70 million for the first time today. However, its figures were inflated by close to 1.5 million passengers who did not fly because their flights were cancelled during the ash crisis.

The no-frills giant reported a 13% rise year on year in passengers in July to 7.61 million – the most it has ever carried in a month.

This took its total for the past 12 months to 70.1 million. But the figures are for passengers booked, not carried.

Ryanair revealed 1.45 million were booked on flights that were cancelled “due to the unnecessary closures of parts of European airspace”.

Any trip overseas should be accommpanied by good travel insurance seniors in case you fall ill.

Ryanair, the low class Irish airline, will seemingly stop at nothing to extract every last Euro out of their poor travellers who end up in the unfortunate position of being on their planes!

It’s hard to know what fees Ryanair will introduce next but I wouldn’t put it past them charging passengers for getting to their destination alive, says the Daily Mirrir in the UK!

Paying for a Ryanair flight ticket is merely a passport to spend more money.

Priority boarding, luggage fees, scratchcards, sandwiches that taste like scratchcards, you name it Ryanair charge for it. They plan to charge even if you don’t name it.

They’ve threatened for ages to impose a toilet tax so can you imagine what they’ll spread on their sandwiches if that goes ahead? Probably exactly what they spread on them now.

A toilet tax is the 6-4 favourite in the Hills market asking what Ryanair will introduce next. But there’s heavy support – from 10-1 to 8-1 – for a pounds-for-pounds charge, where the heavier you are the more you pay.

If you are travelling around  europe then ensure you have travel insurance for the over 70s to cover you.

They will probably start charging for oxygen next!

At last! Egypt have finally got off their backside and have joined the budget airline revolution, driven by rich middle east backers!

Egypt’s first budget airline, Air Arabia Egypt, took to the air Tuesday, with its first international flight leaving the northern city of Alexandria for the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

The company, a joint venture between the UAE-based Air Arabia and Egypt’s Travco Group, said it plans to launch other services to Kuwait, Amman and Beirut.

Air Arabia’s 2010 first quarter profits decreased by around 51 percent to 50 million UAE dirhams (around $13.6 million), compared to same period in 2009, due to higher fuel prices and pressure on yield margins.

Cheap as chips carrier AirAsia is giving away 1 million free seats in a costly gamble to boost future traffic demand.

The World’s largest budget airline group hopes to offset the free fares, estimated to cost at least 2 billion baht, with earnings from optional services such as in-flight food and beverages and priority boarding.

Thai AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld yesterday said the offer was primarily aimed at creating “excitement” in the Thai and regional tourism markets.

If you are travelling to asia ensure you take out travel insurance over 80 to all destinations, particularly if you are a senior.

The free seats will raise the carrier’s load factor from Jan 3 to May 8, 2011, when travel under the promotion is permitted, said an industry source.

CONTINENTAL Airlines, which are basically a no frills airline dressed up as full service,  yesterday unveiled plans to save around $35m (£23.3m) a year by axing its free in-flight meal service on shorter economy flights in the US.

Continental was the last among its major competitors to hang on to the free meal concept in economy class, after the pressures of the economic downturn forced many to withdraw the service.

The carrier will continue to offer snacks such as pretzels and non-alcoholic drinks for free, but will charge for meals on domestic flights under six hours long. Longer-haul passengers and those in first or business class will still be offered free food.

Ryanair announced last week that it will only exempt one payment card from its transaction fees – the MasterCard Prepaid. Any other card attracts the £5 or €5 fee per flight, regardless of whether it is credit or debit.

So, passengers must now jump through another hoop to avoid Ryanair’s heinous extra charges, but it isn’t the only baddie of the airline world. There are plenty of ther carriers charging pounds for a transaction that costs a few pence, particularly in the case of debit card transactions.

Jetstar, the Australian and Asian based very budget, cheap and uncheerful airline, marked the International Day of Disabled Persons by refusing to let a blind passenger board a domestic flight with her guide dog.

Glen Bracegirdle and Kathryn Beaton, a blind couple, were attempting to board a flight out of Melbourne, when Jetstar staff told Ms Beaton that she was not allowed to board her guide dog – even though the airline’s own policy permits “seeing dogs” to fly.

When the couple approached the Jetstar check-in counter with Prince, Ms Beaton’s four-year-old black labrador guide dog, the clerk on duty shouted at them: “No dogs, no dogs, no dogs.”

Nice on Jetstar!

Great news if you are flying between Central Europe and Morocco!

Air Arabia (Maroc), Morocco’s new low cost carrier (LCC) announced that it will start services to Mulhouse, France beginning October 25, 2009.

Basel is a tri-national metropolitan City bordered by Switzerland, France and Germany.

Roundtrip flights will operate two times per week between Air Arabia’s hub in Mohamed V International Airport, Casablanca and Basel-Mulhouse ?Airport in France.

The LCC will fly to Basel on Fridays and Sundays departing …

Travco are launching a new budget airline for Egypt to be called Air Arabia Egypt.

Existing Air Arabia, is convinced their success will be by partnering with the right company. Travco Group brings travel power to the table. Travco Group employs over 24,000 people, operates several hundred hotels and resorts, and owns cruise ships.

Their facilities and cruises are available in Europe, Egypt and the Middle East. Travco Group posted consolidated revenues exceeding $800 Million, and over one million customers used their services. Travco plans to offer consolidated travel packages to customers through the newly launched budget airline.