Flightandroom Blog

OpenSkies celebrates first anniversary

2009-06-30T10:12:00.004-04:00

OpenSkies, the all-business-class airline, operating nonstop flights between New York (JFK) and Amsterdam (Schiphol) and between New York (JFK and Newark) and Paris (Orly), celebrates the first anniversary of its inaugural launch.

Since OpenSkies first took flight last year, it has carried more than 92,000 passengers on both routes. Through the airline’s two business class options (BIZ BED and BIZ SEAT), combined with accessibility from major airports and unbeatable pricing in business class, OpenSkies has quickly established itself as a unique, innovative travel experience for customers flying between New York and Amsterdam or Paris.

A subsidiary of British Airways, OpenSkies is the first transatlantic airline created as a result of the Open Skies agreement allowing airlines to fly between any U.S. and E.U. destination.

For more information: flyopenskies.com

China's empty nest

2009-06-30T03:01:00.002-04:00

Alaska Airlines to preserve Austin-San Jose nerd bird flight

2009-06-23T08:09:00.002-04:00

Just days after American Airlines said it would cease its Austin-San Jose nonstop daily service, Alaska Airlines announced Monday it will launch daily flights between the high-tech hubs starting Sept. 2.

The Austin-San Jose flights, which American offered since 1992, have become known as the "nerd bird" by virtue of the link between the tech centers of Austin and the Silicon Valley.

The new flight will leave Austin, Tex. at 3 p.m. and arrive in San Jose, Calif., at 4:40 p.m. The return flight will depart at 8:55 a.m. and arrive in Austin at 2:15p.m.

Alaska Airlines will operate the route with Boeing 737-800s, accommodating 141 passengers in the main cabin and 16 in first class.

Ultimate travel companion launched for iPhone and iPod touch

2009-06-22T12:04:00.011-04:00

Are you struggling to let the Russian waiter know you have a nut allergy? Perhaps you need to iron a shirt in your Chinese hotel? Or maybe you want a fun way to learn key words and phrases in German?

Point Don’t Shout is a new picture dictionary travel application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It’s fun and functional, giving you word translations alongside images so you can point even if you don’t speak the language at all.

Just pull out your iPhone or iPod Touch and type the first few letters of the word you need to translate, then pick it from the list - or you can browse by category.

Point Don’t Shout includes hundreds of common words and phrases, and has a quiz mode that is an addictive way to learn a bit of a new language. Currently supporting nine languages (English UK, English US, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Finnish and Chinese), more are due for release during summer 2009.

Learn more at http://www.pointdontshout.com

Porter Airlines announces Toronto-Boston service

2009-06-19T05:38:00.004-04:00

Canadian carrier Porter Airlines is adding Boston to its list of U.S. destinations beginning this fall, the company said this week.

Starting September 14, Porter will offer three daily, nonstop roundtrip flights to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) from Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ).

The Toronto-based airline will be the only carrier offering service between these two airports.

Boston Logan is the airline’s third U.S. destination, besides New York (Newark) and Chicago (Midway). The new route will also offer connecting flights to other Porter destinations, including Ottawa, Montreal, Thunder Bay, Ont., and Quebec City.

Emirates adds two new A380 routes

2009-06-03T10:58:00.006-04:00

Emirates Airline started the world’s first A380 commercial services to Bangkok and Toronto on June 1. The launch of Emirates’ A380 operations – daily flights from Dubai to Bangkok and thrice weekly flights to Toronto – signals a new era of luxury air travel to Thailand and Canada, and represents yet another milestone in the airline’s A380 programme.

The Airbus A380 “superjumbo” is the world’s only twin-deck airliner that has 35 per cent more seats than its closest rival. It is the most environmentally-advanced commercial aircraft in the sky today, offering better fuel economy than most hybrid passenger cars. The A380 is also quieter - both inside and outside of the cabin - generating less than half the noise of other aircraft on take off.

Emirates has orders for 58 Airbus A380-800 aircraft and was the second airline to receive the aircraft, after Singapore Airlines. The airline currently uses their A380 fleet on flights to Auckland, Sydney, and London Heathrow.

VivaAerobus shuts down Austin flights

2009-05-21T10:15:00.006-04:00

VivaAerobus, the low-cost Mexican airline that began service out of Austin in 2008, is grounding its local flights citing a decline in revenue and passengers that followed the swine flu scare.

After only a year in operation, the airline will stop its flights from Austin to Cancun and Puerto Vallarta on May 31.

During the month of May alone, half of the airline's booked passengers asked to cancel their flights and the number of passenger "no shows" went as high as 30 percent, officials said.

VivaAerobus operated exclusively out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's South Terminal. With the airline terminating its flights, the low-cost dedicated terminal will also shut down at the end of the month.

Those who have bought tickets on VivaAerobus flights scheduled after May 31 will receive an immediate full refund, the airline said.

AirTran to offer Wi-Fi on all flights

2009-05-13T04:30:00.005-04:00

AirTran Airways announced plans Tuesday to equip all of its planes with Wi-Fi access this summer. The airline hopes to become the first in the nation to offer the service on all its flights.

The airline will have full inflight Internet service across its entire fleet of Boeing 737 and 717 aircraft, which will be available to passengers for a fee based on the length of the flight. The cost for access is $9.95 for flights under three hours, $12.95 for flights longer than that and $7.95 for Blackberry/iPhone access.

The company deliberately kept the launch quiet until it was confident in its ability to meet the proposed mid-summer deadline, AirTran Senior Vice President Kevin P. Healy said.

Orlando Fla. based-carrier, which offers low-cost flights within the United States, currently serves 58 destinations nationwide.

Should you travel?

2009-05-03T10:27:00.001-04:00

American to launch direct flight to Madrid

2009-04-30T04:01:00.003-04:00

American Airlines will launch its inaugural direct flight from Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport to Madrid, Spain.

On Friday, the carrier’s first flight to Madrid will transport Texas First Lady Anita Perry and a Texas trade delegation to Madrid on a flight that leaves at 5:35 p.m. Friday and arrives in Madrid about 10 hours and 35 minutes later. The first flight from Madrid to DFW will occur on Saturday.

American said it will operate the route with its 225-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The airline is offering one daily nonstop flight to Madrid.

Virgin America introduces new health-focused, gourmet menus

2009-04-17T02:55:00.004-04:00

Award-winning airline Virgin America has announced the introduction of new menus that offer passengers a selection of healthy and wholesome meal and snack options for the spring travel season.

The new menus include an on-demand selection for guests in the Main Cabin and a new seasonal First Class menu designed by world-renowned Chef, Luke Mangan. Both menus are crafted using an assortment of nutritious ingredients, including fresh fruits and vegetables, premium meats and artisan breads and are designed to give travelers more healthy and satisfying options to choose from for their in-flight meals and snacks.

Some of the selections featured on the new First Class menu include:

BBQ Lamb Cutlets

Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Pie

Braised Beef with Peas, Feta and Pine Nuts

Eggplant and Ricotta Cannelloni

Maple Roasted Chicken with Spiced Pumpkin and Broccolin

Green Curry Vegetables with Braised Basmati Rice

Virgin America currently operates low-cost flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston and starting April 29 – Orange County. The airline is one of the fastest growing of all time, with a new 28-aircraft Airbus A320-family fleet.

Holland America expands Alaska cruise options

2009-04-15T14:52:00.003-04:00

Holland America Line is introducing a new 14-day Alaskan Adventurer cruise itinerary in 2010 to complement its selection of seven-day itineraries and departures.

The Alaskan Adventurer increases the choice of Holland America itineraries to a total of four, joining the popular Alaskan Explorer, Glacier Discovery and Glacier Bay Inside Passage itineraries.

The Alaskan Adventurer cruises will sail from Seattle on 1,380-passenger MS Amsterdam calling at Anchorage, Homer and Kodiak for the first time.

The Amsterdam will be the first cruise ship of a major cruise line to call in Anchorage, providing passengers with a full day and evening in Alaska's major city.

The cruise line offers more than 250 optional shore excursions in conjunction with its Alaska cruises.

Find cheap Alaska cruises at flightandroom.com

Queen Elizabeth first voyage sold out in 29 minutes

2009-04-02T03:00:00.004-04:00

The maiden sailing for Cunard’s new ocean liner Queen Elizabeth, which was placed on worldwide sale this week, sold out in a record 29 minutes – easily making this the fastest selling voyage in the line’s 170-year history.

It sold out quicker than QE2’s final voyage, when it set a previous sell-out record of 36 minutes in June 2007.

Queen Elizabeth’s maiden 2010 season will consist of six voyages, calling on 32 distinct ports in 18 countries. Her Maiden Voyage, now sold out, will depart from Cunard’s homeport of Southampton on October 12, 2010, en route to the Atlantic Isles.

The ship will then embark on five celebratory inaugural voyages, for which space is still available but selling fast.

Weekend getaways: Maine

2009-04-01T07:13:00.003-04:00

Book cheap domestic flights in USA with flightandroom.com

AirTran adds Milwaukee-D.C. flights

2009-03-24T14:34:00.002-04:00

Low-fare airline AirTran Airways has announced that it will add two nonstop flights from Milwaukee to Washington, D.C., beginning June 11.

The new flights will boost AirTran's schedule at General Mitchell international Airport in Milwaukee to 33 daily departures to 19 nonstop destinations.

Introductory fares for the flights to Reagan Washington National Airport start at $69 one-way if purchased by April 16 for travel completed by June 25. Lowest walk-up fares will be $170 and the lowest business-class fares are $299.

Sixth test Dreamliner in final assembly

2009-03-20T04:18:00.002-04:00

The sixth and final Boeing 787 Dreamliner designated for flight test is now undergoing final assembly in Everett, WA. The airplane, designated ZA006, will be powered with General Electric GEnx engines.

Progress continues on the fleet. The first flight test airplane, ZA001, is getting its paint touched up this week before finishing factory testing. Power was brought onto the second airplane, ZA002, in late February and build verification tests are progressing well. Production work continues on ZA003, ZA004 and ZA005. In all, assemblies for 31 Dreamliners are currently in production throughout the supply chain.

The 787 Dreamliner has orders for 878 airplanes from 57 customers.

NCL unveils Norwegian Epic

2009-03-04T14:42:00.010-05:00

Norwegian Cruise Line has released the first images of its new 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic, the company's largest and most innovative ship to date. Currently under construction at a French shipyard, the 19-deck vessel will be 1,068 feet long, 133 feet wide when completed in May 2010.

Fat Tuesday in the Big Easy

2009-02-26T04:08:00.000-05:00

American will no longer accept cash

2009-02-11T04:33:00.002-05:00

American Airlines will begin transition to cashless cabins onboard flights within the United States and to and from Canada. By summer, the Fort Worth-based carrier will only accept debit and major credit cards for onboard purchases such as drinks, snacks, headsets or other items during these flights.

Flight attendants will be equipped with hand-held sales recorder to charge credit and debit cards, eliminating the need to search for small bills or change. Receipts will be provided to passengers upon request.

American joins the ranks of major airlines that have introduced cashless cabins, including Southwest, Frontier, JetBlue, AirTran, Midwest, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines.

Etihad to fly to Chicago

2009-02-10T12:00:00.004-05:00

The national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, has officially confirmed that it will be launching new daily nonstop flights to Chicago-ORD from its Abu Dhabi hub effective September 2.

Etihad will fly the route using a state-of-the-art Airbus A340-500 carrying up to 240 passengers. Initially, the route will be flown 3 times a week but then will be increased to daily flights from October 1 onwards.

The new service will be the airline’s second route to the United States, which already flies to New York-JFK from the UAE capital.

Alaska Airlines to add Austin-Seattle flights

2009-02-03T15:12:00.005-05:00

Alaska Airlines has announced plans to start flying nonstop flights from Austin to Seattle beginning August 3.

The new service is filling in a gap in the carrier’s route map, as the Seattle-based airline does not currently operate any flights out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

The flight to Seattle will depart Austin at 4:40 p.m. Central time and arrive at 6:45 p.m. Pacific time. The return flight will leave Seattle at 9:45 a.m. Pacific time and arrive in Austin at 3:40 Central time.

Body massage before taking off

2009-02-02T16:11:00.007-05:00

Customers of Emirates Airline will now take to the skies relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated with the opening of Emirates Hotels & Resorts' signature Timeless Spa, located at the new Emirates Terminal 3 (T3) at Dubai Airport. The T3 facilities offer spa procedures and tailor-made travel treatments to reduce stress and ease tiredness.

Emirates' First Class passengers can enjoy15-minute treatments on a complimentary basis, while Business Class passengers can avail 25-minute treatments for a nominal charge.

The spa facilities are available in Emirates airline's First and Business Class lounges, as well as at the Airport Hotel, which has full spa facilities.

Here, weary travellers can enjoy full back and body massages, and a range of deep cleansing, therapeutic facials, including the signature Timeless Traditions Signature Body Treatment.

All spa facilities are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Appointments are made on a walk-in basis and guests should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to their treatment.

Image: Emirates.com

Spa holiday in a mountain oasis

2009-01-26T04:46:00.009-05:00

A kingdom for the senses between heaven and earth. This is the Tschuggen Bergoase (“Mountain oasis”) – a unique spa complex, part of the renowned Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa, Switzerland.

The roof, with its opulent sails in glass and steel, blends harmoniously with the setting. By day, the sails allow plenty of light into the rooms below; at night, they bathe the idyllic mountain village of Arosa in a warm light.

This wellness oasis, designed by architect Mario Botta, features in- and outdoor relaxation pools; 2 private Spa suites, 12 individually furnished treatment rooms for massage, baths and beauty; mountain sauna with snow terrace; and a chill-out zone with fireplace.

Images: tschuggen.ch

United to offer inflight Internet service

2009-01-20T14:54:00.006-05:00

United Airlines will begin offering inflight Internet service to customers onboard its transcontinental flights between New York and California starting in the second half of this year. Aircell’s Gogo Inflight Internet service will allow United customers to surf the Web, check e-mail, instant message, and access corporate VPNs on their Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

Gogo will initially be deployed on the 13 Boeing 757 aircraft that fly between John F. Kennedy International Airport and California’s two largest airports - Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. The service will be available for passengers in all classes for a flat fee.

For cheap plane tickets to California, visit FlightandRoom.com

Budget travel tips 2009

2009-01-10T03:50:00.002-05:00