OpenSkies Announces Post Election Fare Deals

by Josh Lew on

British Airways-backed upscale carrier currently flies two trans-Atlantic routes, JFK to Amsterdam and JFK to Paris Orly. A one-way BIZ class ticket on the Amsterdam route will cost $1050 if it is booked by November 21st. Fares to Orly will start at $1100 if booked by the same date. PREM+ (premium economy class) tickets start at $550 one-way.

Is this a good deal? It depends on how much you value your comfort. The PREM+ class seats are akin to business class seats on other carriers. They recline 140 degrees and offer 52 inches of leg room. Seats in the BIZ class recline a full 180 degrees. OpenSkies also offers full service including a concierge, food and drink, and in-flight entertainment.

Fliers who put more of a premium on price than comfort should be happy with the recent announcement that low-cost carrier Ryanair will be charging as little as 8£ once its trans-Atlantic service gets off the ground. Still, for what you get, you have to admit the the OpenSkies deal is a good value.

The Most Expensive and Least Expensive Airports in the US

by Josh Lew on

According to the US Department of Transportation, airfares are now at an all time high. The average fare for the 2nd quarter of 2008 was $352. That’s up nearly 8% from a year ago. Travelers are definitely feeling the surge in prices. However, the averages for individual airports vary wildly. Cincinnati has it worst. With fares averaging $595, it is the most expensive airport to fly out of in the country. Like many similar-sized cities, Cinci has an airport with fewer carriers and fewer direct routes than big city airports. Lack of options almost always means higher prices.

On the other end of the spectrum, Love Field in Dallas has a fare average of $221. Though it is smaller and older than Dallas/Ft. Worth International, Love Field’s West terminal is dominated by Southwest Airlines, which is known for its cheaper fares. American Eagle and Continental Express offer flights to Houston and Chicago O’Hare from the airport’s other terminal. LA’s Burbank Airport, second fiddle to LAX, also has a low fare average ($252).It looks like having a second airport in your city is never a bad thing.

Why are these the world’s best airports?



Click the image to find out!

Which Airlines Will Cut Flights for Thanksgiving? (And Which Won’t?)

by Josh Lew on

If you’ve ever tried to fly on or around Thanksgiving, you would be inclined to agree that it is among the busiest travel times of the year. Unfortunately, this holiday season will kick off with most airlines cutting the number of flights they offer. This will lead to fuller planes, fewer options and, of course, higher fares. According to USAToday, the combined cuts will lead to an 11% overall drop from last years flights. That’s 2.5 million fewer seats than last year’s Thanksgiving season (between the 20th and 30th of November).

The biggest cutbacks come from USAirways, which will drop its service by 40% compared to last year. Delta will cut 26% of its flights. The only two major names bucking the trend are JetBlue and Southwest. JetBlue is upping its ante by 3% by the end of the month, while Southwest is planning 15 new flights for the same period. Still, these increases are quite modest when compared to the substantial cuts in the industry. The bottom line: Thanksgiving season travelers who haven’t booked their flight yet are in for higher prices and fewer options.

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Cut Fuel Surcharges

by Josh Lew on

With prices at the pump down so much over the past few weeks, people are starting to wonder why the savings have not been passed on to airline passengers. Well, British Airways finally responded to the halving of crude prices by dropping their fuel surcharge £10 to £68 on domestic flights and £109 to £96 on overseas routes. Virgin Atlantic will also institute similar price cuts. The cuts come on the heels of a price fixing controversy involving BA and VA execs. The two airlines were fined over £120 million after admitting to fixing prices on fuel surcharges.

Gadling’s favorite airline CEO (because he’s always saying something outrageous), Michael O’Leary, tried to irk BA last week by criticizing them for not dropping their fuel surcharge after they dropped a similar charge for freight. “BA is using these high and unjustified fuel surcharges as a scam to rip off its passengers.” Surely, O’Leary’s comments didn’t cause BA to drop the surcharges, but with the price fixing scandal still in the rear-view mirror, England’s big two had to do something to get back on the good side of their customers.

[Via Sky News]

Airlines Touting Brazil as New Hotspot

by Josh Lew on

South America’s destinations are hard to travel to. For people with samba fever outside of a few major hub cities (like Miami), a trip to Brazil means at least one connecting flight in the US. Anyone who plans to spend time outside of the major cities of Sao Paulo or Rio will have to catch another flight once they arrive in the metropolises. These extra flights can add up.

Soon, it will be easier (and cheaper) to get to Brazil’s cities from the US. And just in time for the Southern Hemisphere’s summer. American Airlines is offering flights to the northeastern city of Salvador beginning in November. AA is also planning on providing service to the nearby coastal town of Recife. Delta is taking it a step further, offering flights to the Amazonian city of Manaus from Atlanta beginning at the end of the year. American is offering introductory rates for people traveling from major east coast cities like Boston and New York. Prices average $425 one-way if purchased before December 2nd.

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