Spain Raises Airport Taxes

by Sean McLachlan on


The government of Spain has announced that it is raising airport taxes.

The amount of the increase depends on the airport, with the average being 18.9 percent. Taxes at the two busiest airports, however, will more than double. Madrid’s Barajas airport will increase from 6.95 euros to 14.44 ($8.64 to $17.94). Barcelona’s El Prat airport will go from 6.12 euros to 13.44 ($7.60 to $16.70).

Ryanair and Vueling have already passed the extra fee onto their passengers. Other airlines have yet to decide how to respond. The tax is retrospective for those who booked before July 2, 2012, and are traveling from July 1 onwards.

Spain is one of the most troubled economies of the Eurozone. It has recently been granted up to 100 billion euros ($124 billion) in bailouts for its banks and the government is planning harsh austerity measures in order to balance the books. With summer tourist season kicking into high gear, the increased tax will bring in tens of millions in much-needed funds, assuming it doesn’t turn away too many tourists.

[Photo of Madrid’s Barajas airport courtesy Andres Rueda]

Inside Air France’s New Lounge And S4 Satellite At Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport

by McLean Robbins on

We just returned from a week of international travel, and let’s just say that the international lounge is one of our favorite perks of traveling business class. Sadly, our connection in Charles de Gaulle was far too short (read: we ran from plane to plane) to catch their new S4 satellite in terminal 2E or Air France’s brand new lounge, which opened late last week.

If you’re flying with Air France or any of the SkyTeam partners through Paris, the $580 million euro new satellite offers 10,000 square meters of boarding area for international passengers and 3,000 square meters of lounge, the largest in the Air France Network.

Aéroports de Paris has paid particular attention to the needs of its passengers, offering traditional French shops and restaurants as well as 25,000 square meters dedicated to the boarding lounges – the equivalent of 128 tennis courts.

A museum will also shortly be opening at the satellite, presenting original works from famous museums in Paris.

Air France’s new $16 million euro, 620-seat business class lounge is a welcome respite for international travelers, offering numerous places to unwind and plug in as well as Wi-Fi access, digital tablets and computers. You can snag hot and cold foods (they have a risotto bar!) as well as beverages (great French wine!) and a variety of presentations focusing on French cuisine at your convenience.

Our favorite part about the facility? The on-site Clarins spa. What can we say? We’re beauty product junkies. Their business class and premium economy vanity kits already come with moisturizer but really, who wants to primp at 36,000 feet? Three dedicated treatment rooms offer body and face touch ups, and ten dedicated showers let travelers refresh as needed.

Of course, you could always just relax on one of the lounge chairs, but that wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.

Has anyone test driven the lounge yet? Is it as nice as photos suggest, or do you have another favorite? Weigh in with your comments, below.

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Foods To Avoid Before Getting On A Flight

by Jessica Festa on

One serious problem for travelers flying on airplanes is Jet Bloating. No, I did not make that term up. It’s used to refer to the burping and bloating caused by gases that expand the stomach at high altitude.

The main culprit of the ailment is certain foods that lead to water retention and indigestion. Some obvious foods and drinks to avoid include broccoli, beans, salty snacks and carbonated drinks. However, there are some less apparent fare that fliers shouldn’t be eating as well, such as bread, fois gras, peaches and fried cuisine.

Jet Bloating is no laughing matter. Along with making you the least liked person on the plane, it can also disturb the flight itself. In 2006, a US domestic airline was forced to land early after passengers complained of a weird odor in the bathroom. It turned out the smell was from a spent match, which a passenger had lit to disguise an unpleasant stomach issue.

So, what should you eat before and while flying? Green tea, bananas, berries, pineapple, onions, garlic, turmeric and potatoes all help to aid digestion. Additionally, celery can calm your nerves, while whole cereal grains and leafy greens reduce stress. Ginger is also excellent, although make sure to order a flat soda if you go the ginger ale route.

[image via spencer341b]

Airline Booking Agent Tells All In Online Q&A

by McLean Robbins on

There are entire websites and forums dedicated to maximizing your travel miles and getting the best bang for your buck when it comes to purchasing airline tickets. But rarely do we hear from those behind the reservations desk … until now.

Over on Reddit there’s an ongoing Q & A with “TravelAuthority,” a reservations agent for airlines like Delta, Air France and KLM. We’re sharing some of our favorite questions and answers from the thread. He shares that his Twitter handle is @Jackson_Dai and identifies himself there as the “world’s best Delta Skymiles booking agent.” He says he flies 200,000+ miles per year.

“Ask me anything about working for an airline, the flight benefits, using miles, earning miles, avoiding stupid airline fees, low fares, partner airlines, Skyteam vs Oneworld vs Star Alliance or anything really,” he challenged readers. So far, the thread has more than 1,300 comments.

Note, quotes are taken verbatim.

Q. Any general advice? Like the best time to shop for a fare, the best agency or website, how far in advance to book…
A. Best website: Bing.com/travel – the fare predictor is pure genius. Not even Delta agents have access to that information. A close second would be Skyscanner. In general you want to book 6 weeks to 12 weeks in advance. Any earlier and the flights won’t be on sale, any later and the others will have already snapped up all the low fares. Award tickets are another animal though.

Q. What is the fastest way to rack up miles? Credit Cards? Special promos or secret deals?
A. Credit Cards are the best. Some people run their businesses off their credit cards and rack up millions of miles pretty easily. Suntrust Bank also has a checking account with a Skymiles debit card. That account is nice because the electronic bill pay also earns miles. So you can pay your rent/mortgage via bill pay and get miles for it. And if the person or org you’re paying doesn’t accept electronic payments it mails them a check.

Q. I’m 6’6″. I’m flying back from Shanghai to DTW in a few weeks. Can you help me figure out the best way to get a seat with legroom? In general I arrive at the gate early to see if I can find my way into a better seat. Is there anything else I could do?
A. Go with Economy Comfort or Exit Row. That may cost you a bit though. Also take a look on Seatguru.com to determine witch seats have the most legroom. Unethically, you could call the reservations agents and say you have a medical disability that requires a bulkhead seat (you don’t have to state exactly what it is and Delta agents are forbidden to ask).

Q. … any tips on how to get any freebies/upgrades/benefits?
A. Yes, after your flight you should call or email (preferably the later) and let them know about every single thing you didn’t enjoy about your flight (food, movie selection, rude flight attendant, tray table didn’t work, Wi-Fi didn’t work etc.). The airlines have a specific department to deal with complaints and they’ll give you tens of thousands of miles, free business lounge passes, travel vouchers, drink tickets, etc.Q. … any special “tips” for international flights and getting the lowest fare? Does it even help if you book super far in advance? (+6 months)
A. Unless you’re booking business/first class, booking super far in advance is always a bad move. Airlines charge higher fares for those reservations. It’s just like in the tech world where the early adopters pay more. What kind of “tips”? Ethical or Unethical? I have lots of both. There are lots of unethical ones like booking child fares for adults to get 10-20% off or using bereavement/medical exemptions to get cheaper last minute fares or to get agents to waive change fees. Delta/AirFrance/KLM require a bit of info such as a hospital name, address, and phone number for a medical fare but they NEVER call to check up on it so I’m surprised more people don’t just lie about it.

Q. What qualifications do you need to be a reservation agent?
A. They prefer 2 years of sales or call center experience. Nothing other than that. Well, you do have to pass an incredibly thorough FBI background check but that’s all.

Q. Would this be a viable career for someone with a family?
A. Yes, definitely. The average age of the reservations agents and flight attendants in pre-merger Northwest cities (Minneapolis, Detroit, Seattle etc.) is probably 45 or higher so most of them have families. The hours are super flexible, the health benefits are decent, the pay is solid, and your spouse, parents, and kids fly free.

Q. Wow, everyone flies free? That is such a great deal. I need to look in to this. What airline is the best employer?
A. If you’re in the US it’s Southwest Airlines. No Question. Highest pay, best benefits, best management. Delta or United/Continental will offer better flight benefits because of their larger network but that’s about it.

Q. Is it possible to work for Star Alliance in general and then get flights all over their network? Is that what happens when you work with United or continental?
A. Flights on other airlines are heavily discounted (75-90%+) but not free. Actually, most airlines extend those heavily discounted travel tickets to employees of competing airlines too. For instance, Delta employees get 90% off tickets on United, British Airlines, Finnair, JetBlue, US Air, Alaska, Hawaiian, Japan Airlines, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Korean Airlines etc.

Q. I have a United Mileage plus rewards program. How would you rate it?
A. United’s program is really good for award redemption, much better than Delta actually. Delta’s program is better for complimentary upgrades and accruing miles.
Q. Another question, about how to send in complaints.

A. Did you use the comment/complaint form on Delta.com? Or did you mail in a letter? If you send in an email it should have the words “Platinum” or “Diamond” in the text somewhere (e.g. “I’m not yet a Diamond Medallion but…”). The system will flag your email and give it higher priority because it tries to pick out the complaints from “high value” customers and move them to the front of the queue. It’s unethical but it helps. If you call again make sure you talk to a supervisor. Updated: Better yet. Call the customer care dept. 404-773-0305 At the first prompt use option 1 if you have a Skymiles account and option 2 if you don’t. At the second prompt use option #7 to get to an agent.

[Flickr via simon_sees]

Run Your Own Airline With Pocket Planes For iPhone/iPad

by Kraig Becker on

Pocket Planes, a new game from app developer NimbleBit, allows players to do something that I’m sure many of us at Gadling have always dreamed of – run our own airline. The app, which was released a few days ago, runs on both the iPhone and iPad and features deceptively simple, yet highly addictive game play.

Players begin by first selecting a region of the world they want to launch their new airline in and pick cities for their first routes. In the early stages of the game they’ll only have access to a few small planes, which can be used to shuttle passengers and cargo between a limited number of airports. As they gain experience and cash, however, they’ll be able to unlock busier airports, larger and more sophisticated planes and a host of other options.

Don’t let the game’s cartoony graphics fool you; there is a lot of depth and strategy to be found in Pocket Planes. You’ll have to learn to use your limited resources wisely if you want to turn your fledgling airline into an international powerhouse. Managing your budget can be key and learning to have your planes in the right spot at the right time can help the bottom line too. World events will play into your strategy as well and unexpected bad weather, which can close airports and leave planes grounded. There is even a social element to the game that lets you join forces with others online to acquire more wealth and build an even bigger empire.

The game starts a bit slow but as you add more planes to your fleet and pick up new routes you’ll soon find that you have plenty to do. That’s when the addiction will start to set in as you manage your resources and work to optimize the flights to be more efficient. It all sounds rather droll, but I assure you it is a lot of fun.

Don’t believe me? Why don’t you try the game for yourself? It is absolutely free and available for download in the App Store.