BA to charge a seat booking tax

In a bid to stop the rot on losses, British Airways is set to start charging passengers who want to choose their seats in advance as they book flights.

These Ryanair styled seat taxes will impact on people that desire to secure a seat next to each other on a flight, which of course is pretty much any 2 or more people travelling together! Moreover, it will affect anyone with a seat preference such as window, emergency exit or even an aisle.

Until recently BA featured no such levy for passengers that wished to reserve seats in the 24 hours window prior to departure, however as from the 7th of October this has all changed.  Would be passengers that are willing and able to pay can now secure their preferences at the point of booking.

Interestingly the official at BA commented that the move would "give customers more control over their seating options."

HOW MUCH?
Good question! For an economy class flight within the Eurozone, passengers will be asked to fork out an additional 10 GBP per person for the simple right to select a seat. The seat tax rises to 20 GBP for longhaul economy or short flights in business class and to a staggering 60 GBP in business
class on long-haul trips, about the same cost Ryanair intends to charge for future transatlantic flights. A seat in an emergency exit row will cost no less than 50 GBP and can be booked between 10 and 4 days prior to take-off.

Despite BA's assurances that quote: "Customers frequently request specific seats but in the past we've only been able to confirm them 24 hours in advance or on the day. We know people want to secure them in advance and have real control over their flying experience. This will allow them to do that." the reality is that the seat tax is yet another money spinner BA has implemented since recording a net loss of 375 million GBP in its last financial year, as the air travel industry edges towards freefall.

BA have committed to reduce subsidies on staff meals also in yet another cost control measure to save 2.7 million GBP annually. Its a fascinating situation brewing that few would have predicted 10 years ago, especially to see Low-cost rivals, easyJet, react to the seat charge via announcement stating it was the "same old BA, attempting to replicate lowcost principles but charging premium rates."

Its anyone's guess what direction this will take next and bets are on for which airline will be the next to go belly up!

Olympic Airlines to become Olympic Air with a new face change

After years of a failed aviation business strategy, which clearly impacted on operations, the Greek carrier Olympic Airlines has finally and effectively ceased to exist (as from the 29th of September 2009).

The loss-making state carrier was purchased by the Marfin Investment Group (MIG) powerhouse. A new era is born as the airline is now being relaunched with a slimmed-down network and new aircraft as it moves into the hands of private ownership operating under the name Olympic Air.

The people that be at Olympic Air wasted no time and quickly set up a new website being www.olympicair.com, although online bookings are not yet actually possible. The new carrier officially launched on the 1st of October 2009, with 20 key domestic routes in addition to the following 10 international destinations, whereby both economy and business class services will be available:

1. London
2. Paris
3. Vienna
4. Brussels
5. Amsterdam
6. Milan
7. Rome
8. Bucharest
9. Larnaca
10. Sofia

At Perpetual Traveller we are surprised not to see the Barcelona and Madrid routes not featured in addition to NO German destinations.

The new carrier suggests that it will initiate operations with a lean fleet of 24 aircraft, which is expected to rise to 32 by spring 2010, as it takes delivery of new Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, as well as new Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 planes.

Olympic Air plans to team up by means of code-share with Delta on flights to New York as from early October 09, and is finalizing code-share agreements with Air France (between Greece and France, as well as to Montreal from March 2010) in addition to Etihad (for routes between Greece and Abu Dhabi, South Africa and Australia).

A brand new frequent flyer program has also been realised and termed as the "Travelair Club". Olympic Air did specifically state that “in recognition of their loyalty, frequent passengers of the former Olympic Airlines who participated in the Icarus programme will be rewarded by Olympic Air with miles of the newly created Travelair Club”. Icarus used to offer miles for life, so we wonder if the "Travelair Club" will match this?

Whatever happens Olympic Air can do no worse than the former Publicly owned Olympic Airlines, however they will have a long way to go to match their award winning new competitor Aegean. With a leaner competitor and new airlines in the market such as Athens Airways and Hellas Jet for Charters, this has to be good news for Greek air travellers

Grant Holmes
Editor
Perpetual Traveller

British Airways launches flights from London City (LCY) to New York (JFK)

As the UK officially and tentatively climbs out of a nasty economic recession, British Airways (BA) recently launched an all-business class flight between London City Airport and New York JFK on the 29th of September 2009.

The 2 daily flights served with an Airbus (A318) aircraft (largest aircraft type presently permitted to use LCY airport) will require a 45-minute refueling stop at Shannon on the outbound journey. BA are stressing that the stop is actually an advantage as Shannon has full Customs and Border Protection facilities, meaning passengers are permitted a complete pre-clearance at the airport, meaning in reality that they will arrive in the US already as a domestic passenger, thereby avoiding the often extremely lengthy US immigration process.

At this juncture the first few flights are reported to be reasonably full, although only time will tell whether this gamble will pay-off, especially considering the delicate prevailing economic conditions. The target market is of course the "Business Traveller" and typically flights for this market are booked on demand with 2 weeks or less notice, so its too early to know whether this business model will work.

Passengers on the new BA business service will be the first to be allowed to send SMS's and emails in addition to being able to use the Internet via an in-flight mobile communications service provided via OnAir.

One fascinating detail of the launch flight is that it bears the most prestigious flight number available, being BA001, originally used by the great Concorde! There are also reports that BA claims a mere 15-minute check-in will be the norm at LCY, which is a far cry from London Heathrow’s bog standard 45 minutes.


In terms of creature comforts the new service features 32 fully-flat beds in a cabin specially designed to psychologically feel spacious and contemporary. The in-flight dining was created in partnership with Roast Restaurant (based at London’s Borough Market), to draw on their expertise of creating menus that feature the very best of British produce and regional specialties.

Passengers that land into London City will be able to take advantage of complimentary Health Club access at the London Marriott (located in West India Quay) to destress and refresh before heading off for presumed business meetings or tasks.

A daily return service (minus Saturday - note that LCY is closed from 12:40 on Saturday to 11:00 on Sunday), since the 29th of September 2009 was launched, which will be increased to 2 a day from mid-October 2009.

TIMING
BA001 
Departs LCY at 1250 and arrives JFK at 1715.
BA002 
Departs JFK at 1830 and arrives at LCY at 0715 (following day).

BA003
Departs LCY at 1600 and arrives at JFK at 2025.
BA004
Departs JFK at 2150 and arrives at LCY at 1025 the following day.

Early lead fares for the new BA route are starting from approx. £1999.60 return (including taxes, fees & charges).

In summary, London to New York is always going to be a highly popular route and this is as luxurious and convenient as it gets. In balance though, it may take some convincing that the Shannon stop is really a plus, especially if one has to go through the rigmarole of getting on and off the plane and it still has to be a gamble to launch such a service in a fragile economic climate.

Grant Holmes
Editor
Perpetual Traveller

Italian Aviation in Mental Meltdown

Greetings from Rome Fiumicino FCO, where I was officially informed today by an Alitalia Customer Service Operator that, and I quote... "In this airport the minimum wait for baggage is 45 minutes". It appears the average is even more, like 1 hour and in my case 1 hour, 20 minutes, so beware when checking in luggage for a flight to Rome! 

Italian Aviation overall these days has gone beyond decline to Mental Meltdown! To start Volareweb collapsed recently and Alitalia has been on the brink of ceasing operations for years and the current National outfit is merely the bare bones of its former self. What's worse is that Air One the only viable alternative is part of the same operating group called CAI and the service is actually no better. To add insult to injury, the poor travelling Italians have to suffer a vastly reduced time-table created to further cut costs and for many its wholly inadequate. 

Ryanair and the "Budget Boys" are filling the void, but only by hand picking routes and not always calling to the principle airports on cost grounds, so one ends up in Bergamo instead of Milan for example.

Italy is full of tatty airports, worse for wear and operated with the inefficiency that gives one an unpleasant arrival (delayed baggage with often contempt for the traveller) in addition to a bitter farewell, a lasting effect that impacts negatively on Tourism.

This is a crying shame for a country that hosts some of the worlds most attractive cities, arguably the planets best cuisine and the globes most creative and fashionable design culture. Its even harder to get my head around this negative concept when I personally know so many intelligent, articulate and visionary people in Italy. After all, Rome once dominated all global power on our planet! 

Tracing the root cause of the Italian Aviation fiasco is not actually too difficult when one makes a little investigation, although as everything in Italy its a little complex, emotional and multi-faceted. Firstly, there is a problem with Politics hence direction, which has been the case for decades. It appears there are too many political parties and to gain power the formation of a dodgy coalition is necessary to run the country. Italian Politics has shown that when Media merges with Public life all that remains is a mess.

In conclusion there is no bright horizon for the Italian Aviation Industry in the current form and genuine outside investment is unlikely due to the over-regulation, over-taxing and over-control that any new prospective sane Company does not want to enter into.

I would like to close this article on a positive note however, by stressing the success of one significant player in the field of Tourism. Costa Crociere now successfully operates 14 mega cruise ships and despite the recession they are performing well in a challenging climate. Costa is part of the Carnival Group, however they are very much Italian, with Italian flagged ships, Italian Officers and an Italian Corporate structure for their worldwide operations. The organization, training, quality, reliability, value for money and consistency of the product is simply outstanding and as the only true Italian branded Cruise Line they are a shining example of what is possible in Italy, despite the evident complications of the country. Well done to Costa, if only they operated flights!

Enjoy the cruise of life!

Grant Holmes
Editor
Perpetual Traveller

SkyEurope go belly under!

Slovakian Budget airline SkyEurope is the latest carrier to go belly under, after canceling their flights from airports throughout Europe, many of which with no notice given. This reality left literally thousands of passengers (many on vacation) stranded at European airports.

Airlines in Austria however did offer to return passengers to their home country and others carriers such as easyJet and Ryanair, offered passengers cheap replacement tickets.

Already committed consumers are not likely to be offered refunds either if they paid SkyEurope direct. Passengers that purchased flights with a credit card are best advised to contact their credit card issuing bank to seek a potential refund for unused portions of SkyEurope's flights. If by chance you are reading and ordered flight tickets via a travel agency or organizer, its best to discuss the matter with them first.

AirEurope operated in key central and eastern European destinations with a hub in Vienna, Prague and Bratislava. They were experiencing continued losses, even after a management shake up 2 years ago. When the carrier reduced its fleet from 15 aircraft to merely 5 in 2008 and then made even further losses at the start of 2009, it was clear they were fast reaching the point of no return. 

SkyEurope entered a bankruptcy protection proceeding in June and at this time there was hope of a rescue by an Austrian private equity group, but unfortunately the management could not arrange a restructuring plan fast enough. 

The sad reality and state of the Airline Industry today is that SkyEurope is just the latest casualty of some 80 carriers worldwide that have gone bankrupt in 2009 alone and this regretful news comes as IATA announced recently that the world's 54 largest airlines fell into a $2 billion USD hole in the summer quarter. Such a loss is double the figure of last year as the recession sinks in. Moreover, it comes at a time when the Industry's busiest period has resulted in falling fares and the prospect of more damaging oil prices ahead. IATA estimates an annual deficit of $9 billion USD for the Airline industry, as experts from all walks of Tourism and Transport forecast that fares are destined plummet further, especially as the off-season approaches.

The Airline Industry is in Survival mode

All in all it was a depressing affair at the recent IATA Annual General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani of IATA read out the shockingly bad statistics of the Industry and backed them up with a list reasons to quantify a $10.4 billion USD loss in 2008. Skyrocketing oil prices dominating the first half of 2008, followed by an equally dramatic global recession in the second half, being the prime causes for the quoted losses.

In 2009 IATA expect to see massive shifts in costs as the fuel bill will likely fall by $59 USD billion, although recent rises may affect that. Anyhow rising oil prices anticipating recovery is a too greater risk to contemplate. The calculated total revenue that will disappear with falling demand, collapsing yields, broken consumer confidence and pandemic fears is in the tune of $80 billion USD. Moreover, IATA forecasts that Airlines will lose $9 billion US in 2009. To make matters worse, as the debris settles at the bottom of the Atlantic, consumers will now question the safety aspect, which is a further turn off to air travel.

We echo Mr. Bisignani and ask how long can airlines survive in the wake of global recession? Surely its only a matter of time before another carrier goes down! Most experts agree that there is no modern precedent for the economic meltdown that the Industry and Global economy is currently witnessing. IATA site Cargo as a perfect indicator, as its 23% freefall in December 08 was a clear sign that the global economy fell into collapse. It has however been stable at the same level now for 5 months.

The IATA address went on to suggest that this may be the bottom of the economic cycle, however even if is, recovery is a different matter entirely. Main reason being is that the Banks are still not able to finance business. An estimated $1 trillion USD is still needed to re-capitalize the Airline Industry. Airline customers simply do not have confidence. In essence everyone needs to reduce debt at this juncture and that means less cash to spend. Business habits are reported to be changing too with corporate travel budgets being cut significantly. To make matters worse, video conferencing is now a considered a viable and active new competitor to Airlines.

Some optimists believe that there will growth by the end of the year, but realists view this as a fantasy and expect a more L-shaped recovery. In essence the Airline industry is in survival mode and regardless of the length of the current crisis, the world is ever-changing and evolving. A key message from the Director General of IATA was “Even if we try to look beyond the crisis we must recognize that it will not be business as usual. Change is critical. We must use this crisis as an opportunity for governments, partners and airlines to build a stronger industry’.

Positive news

There was some positive news at the IATA AGM however under the banner of Hope & Survival”. To fidn the positive news they had to go back to the last decade, whereby the Industry has seen a…

· 71% increase in labor productivity.

· 20% gain in fuel efficiency.

· 7-point improvement in load factors.

Despite these achievements, the Industry is still clearly in survival mode today and it needs to be re-shaped in order to manage change. Just how this can be achieved, we will feature in another Perpetual Traveller supporting article and lets trust that the consumer will be in the forefront of changes. 

Grant Holmes
Editor
Perpetual Traveller

Air France, Air Safety and what happened?

The cold reality is frightening to say the least for flight AF447 with 228 people presumed dead somewhere in the Atlantic, no black box likely to be found and no official human communication to go on. For days the authorities were dealing with a missing plane, but now at the time of writing 5 bodies have been found off the shores in North East Brazil, sensitive personal items are floating around and debris (even with the Air France Logo on) are being discovered all the time. The torment goes on for the families and the loved ones of those that met their fate, as no clear reason of fault has yet been identified.

The mass media has come up with all manner of reasons from electrical faults, to lightening, storms and the like, but nothing is certain at this stage. French and Brazilian authorities stated that there is no evidence of terrorism being involved in the incident, however they do not have any actual hard evidence with which the back this claim. There is a growing consensus amongst aviation experts however, that believe the Airbus was flying at a low speed as it entered violent storms in a known torrid area over the Atlantic that most likely brought the plane down.

For the Perpetual Travellers amongst us, especially those that have frequented this route on previous occasions, this situation is most alarming. A number of concerning Air accidents have occurred on a worldwide scale in the last year or so and it has come to the point when one needs to check the safety record of an airline before committing to fly with them. So on the topic, what of the Air France’s safety record?

Well in Air France's 70 year-long history, a total of 13 reported accidents involved actual loss of life. Here below is a selection of the chronological order of the major incidents:

 1940's

 On the 27th of October 1949, the Boxer Marcel Cerdan, the Violinist Ginette Neveu, members of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and the Walt Disney Studios chief merchandiser Kay Kamen all died when an Air France flight crashed into a mountain after two attempts to land at the São Miguel Island airport in the Azores.

1950's

On the respective nights of the 12th and 14th of June in 1950, 2 Douglas DC-4s of Air France crashed into the sea off Bahrain, as they were landing. A combined total loss of 86 lives was recorded. The first accident claimed the lives of 40 of the 53 passengers and the second 46 out of 52. Both of the aircraft operated the Karachi, Pakistan, to Bahrain portion of Air France's Saigon, Vietnam - Paris sector. Accident investigators later concluded that the pilot in command did not maintain his correct altitude until the runway lights became visible during the approach to Bahrain in the first accident. In the second accident the pilot in command did not keep an accurate check of his altitude and rate of descent during the approach procedure.

On the 3rd of February in 1951, a Douglas DC-4 operating the Douala, Cameroon, to Niamey, Niger sector of Air France, hit a 13,000+ foot high Cameroon Mountain near Bouea, West of Douala, at a height of 8,500 feet (2,600 m). The aircraft was totally destroyed, killing all 29 occupants. It is understood that the mountain was most likely only partially visible from the actual flight deck, due to the mist that was surrounding it. Although the pilot immediately turned to the left, the plane hit the steeply rising terrain with its left wing. The accident investigators concluded that the crew followed an inaccurate procedure and relied on imprecise navigation. Later the investigators also determined that the crew did not check the draft. Moreover, they cited the crew's error of judgement and over-confidence when flying over the mountain mass as additional contributory factors.

On the 3rd of March in 1952, a SNCASE Languedoc operating a passenger flight from Nice Le Var Airport to Paris Le Bourget Airport crashed shortly after take-off with the loss of all 38 lives on board. Soon after take-off from Le Var Airport, the aircraft began banking to the left. This increased progressively until the aircraft flipped over on its back and crashed. Later the accident investigators attributed the accident to the aircraft's blocked ailerons to the left, as a result of a mechanical design fault.

On the 29th of April in 1952, a Douglas C-54A operating a German internal service from Frankfurt Rhein-Main Airport to Berlin Tempelhof Airport came under attack from 2 Soviet MiG 15 fighters as they were passing through one of the Allied air corridors over East Germany. Although the attack had severely damaged the plane, necessitating the shutdown of engines 3 and 4, the pilot landed safely at West Berlin's Tempelhof Airport. Following an inspection of the aircraft at Tempelhof it revealed that 89 shots hit the plane executed from the Soviet MiGs during the air attack. There were no fatalities amongst the 17 occupants (6 crew, 11 passengers). The Soviet military authorities defended this attack on a civilian aircraft by claiming the Air France plane was outside the safe air corridor at the time of attack.

On the 1st of September in 1953, a Lockheed L-749A Constellation operating the Paris-Nice portion of a passenger flight to Hong Kong crashed into Mount Cemet, France, with the loss of all 42 lives on board. The accident occurred as the flight deck crew were preparing to land at Nice's Côte d'Azur airport, being the aircraft's first scheduled stop. Later the accident investigation team established "controlled flight into terrain (CFIT)" as the cause.

On the 8th of April in 1957, a Douglas C-47B operating an Algerian passenger flight from Biskra lost height after take-off and crashed around a mile over the airport's runway, causing the loss of all 34 lives on board.

On the 31st of May in 1958, a Douglas C-47A operating a non-scheduled Algerian passenger flight from Algiers to Colomb-Béchard crashed near Molière with the loss of all 15 lives on board.

1960's

On the 29th of August 1960, a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation operating flight AF343 from Paris to Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), via Dakar, Senegal, crashed into the sea with the loss of all 63 lives on board while the aircraft's flight deck crew made a second attempt to land at Dakar's Yoff Airport.

On the 10th of May 1961, a Lockheed L-1649A Starliner operating the Fort Lamy (now called N'Djamena), Chad, to Marseille Marignane portion of Air France's Brazzaville, Congo - Paris sector as flight AF406 crashed in the Sahara desert near Edjele, Algeria, with the loss of all 78 lives on board. The aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 m) when its empennage failed. This caused it to break up in flight and crash in the Sahara desert. The accident investigators believed that the empennage separated from the rest of the aircraft as a result of the detonation of a nitrocellulose explosive device.

On 12 September in 1961, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III operating the Paris Orly-Rabat-Casablanca sector as flight AF2005 crashed near Rabat's Sale Airport with the loss of all 77 lives on board. At the time of the accident meteorological conditions in the local area were thick, low fog. The poor weather conditions reduced horizontal visibility and ceiling. The pilot informed ATC that he wanted to attempt a break-through over the NDB. The aircraft was destroyed by fire as it hit the ground, instantly killing everyone on board. The accident investigators cited the commander's error in reading his instruments as the most likely cause.

On the 3rd of June in 1962, a chartered Boeing 707-328 (registration F-BHSM), Chateau de Sully, flying from Orly Airport, Paris, France, to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Atlanta, USA, crashed at Orly during takeoff. 130 out of 132 people on board were killed. Two flight attendants sitting in the rear section of the aircraft were saved. The investigation found a faulty servo-motor, which led to an improper (also non-adjustable) elevator trim. Amazingly brake marks measuring 1,500 feet (457 m) were found on the runway, indicating that the flight deck crew tried to abort takeoff. The aircraft rolled right while only 7 feet (2 m) from the ground, causing its right wing to hit the ground. It crashed 50 yards (45 m) from the runway and exploded. Of the passengers 106 were Atlanta art patrons who had finished a tour of European capitals. Ann Uhry Abrams, the author of Explosion at Orly: The True Account of the Disaster that Transformed Atlanta, described the incident as "Atlanta’s version of Sept. 11 in that the impact on the city in 1962 was comparable to New York of Sept. 11." This was the deadliest crash in Air France history until the recent crash of Air France Flight 447.

On the 22 of June in 1962, Air France flight 117, operated with a Boeing 707-328, crashed into a forest on a hill at an altitude of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) during bad weather, as they were attempting to land at Point-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, West Indies, killing all 113 on board. The aircraft was attempting a non-precision NDB approach. A malfunctioning VOR station and poor NDB reception due to thunderstorms were blamed for the accident. Notably, the airframe had accumulated only 985 hours of flying at the time of the accident.

On the 6th of March in 1968, a Boeing 707-328C operating the Caracas-Point-à-Pitre sector of Air France flight 212 hit the southern slope of La Soufrière Mountain at an altitude of 3,937 feet, 27.5 km SSW of Le Raizet Airport with the loss of all 63 lives on board. When ATC cleared the flight deck crew for a visual approach to Le Raizet's runway 11, the crew reported the airfield was in sight. Flight 212 started to descend from FL90 and passed Saint Claude at an altitude of about 4,400 feet (1,300 m). Later accident investigators cited the probable cause as a visual approach procedure at night in whereby the descent begun from an incorrectly identified point. Charlie Juliet flew for just 33 hours since coming off the Boeing production line and was on her second revenue service (note that her maiden passenger flight was the previous day's outbound journey from Paris).

On the 11th of September in 1968, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III operating the Ajaccio, Corsica - Nice sector as flight AF1611 crashed into the sea near Cap d'Antibes off Nice with the loss of all 95 lives on board. The accident occurred while the flight deck crew attempted an emergency landing at Côte d'Azur Airport, following the detection of a fire in the aircraft's rear cabin 21 minutes after take-off from Ajaccio. Later accident investigators came to the conclusion that the fire started in the right lavatory and galley area.

On the 4th of December in 1969, a Boeing 707-328B operating the Caracas-Point-à-Pitre (again) sector of Air France flight 212 crashed into the sea shortly after take-off from Simon Bolivar International Airport with the loss of all 62 on board.

1970's

On the 12th of June in 1975, a Boeing 747-128 operating the sector between Bombay (now called Mumbai), India, and Tel Aviv, Israel, of flight AF193 to Paris-CDG Airport was destroyed by fire on the ground at Bombay's Santa Cruz Airport, following an aborted take-off. The aircraft's tyre on its right-hand main undercarriage failed as the flight deck crew were executing a 180 degree turn at the beginning of Santa Cruz Airport's runway 27. When the flight deck crew began its take-off run, another tyre failed. At that point the plane's wheels and braking assembly came into contact with the runway, starting a fire. The crew aborted take-off. The ensuing delay in shutting down the engines, as well as the improper deployment of the airport's fire service, caused the fire to spread, leading to the plane's complete destruction. There were however no fatalities among the 394 occupants (18 crew and 376 passengers).

Operation Entebbe: On the 27th of June in 1976, an Airbus A300 operating flight AF139 from Tel Aviv to Paris via Athens was hijacked shortly after departing Athens. After refuelling in Benghazi, Libya, the hijackers demanded it be flown to Entebbe, Uganda. One hostage was freed in Benghazi and in Uganda another 155 non-Israeli and/or non-Jewish hostages were released. The flight crew remained with the hostages after Captain Bacos insisted he was responsible for them. After several days of negotiating and diplomatic interventions, Israel launched a commando raid into Entebbe to free them. During the assault all six of the hijackers were killed as were 3 hostages. The leader of the assault was also killed. One hostage was unaccounted for.

1980's

On the 18th of January in 1984, an explosion in the cargo hold of a Boeing 747 en route from Karachi, Pakistan, to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, shortly after departing Karachi blew a hole in the right rear cargo hold. The resulting loss of cabin pressure necessitated an immediate descent to 5,000 feet (1,500 m). The aircraft returned to Karachi without any fatalities among the 261 people on board (15 crew and 246 passengers).

On the 26th of June 1988, Air France flight 296, Airbus A320-111 crashed near the airfield of Mulhouse Habsheim, in the Franco-German border region of Alsace. The accident occurred during an air-show as the flight deck crew were performing a flypast at low height and speed. The aircraft overflew the airfield in good weather. Seconds later the aircraft struck treetops behind the runway and crashed into a forest, as a result of flying too low and too slow. Three passengers died and about 50 were injured.

1990's

On the 24th of December in 1994, Air France flight 8969, an Airbus A300B2-1C was hijacked in Houari Boumedienne Airport in Algiers, Algeria, by 4 terrorists that belonged to the Armed Islamic Group. It was reported that the terrorists intended to crash the plane over the Eiffel Tower on Boxing Day! After a failed attempt to leave Marseille following a confrontational fire-fight between the terrorists and the GIGN French Special Forces, the result was the death of all 4 terrorists. (Snipers on the terminal front's roof shot dead two of the terrorists). 3 hostages including a Vietnamese diplomat were executed, 229 hostages survived, many of them were wounded by shrapnel. The almost 15-year-old aircraft was subsequently written off.

On the 5th of September in 1996, turbulence caused injuries to 3 unsuspecting passengers on a Boeing 747 in mid-air near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. One died later on from the injuries received from an in-flight film projection screen.

On the 20th of April in 1998, the Air France flight from Bogotá's El Dorado Airport, Colombia, to Quito, Ecuador, using an aircraft leased from TAME and flown by Ecuadorian crew, crashed into a mountain near Bogotá. All 43 passengers and 10 crew died.

On the 5th of March in 1999, an ex-UTA Boeing 747-2B3F (SCD) freighter carrying a revenue load of 66 tons of cargo on flight AF6745 from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Madras Meenambakkam, India, via Karachi, Pakistan and Bangalore HAL Airport, India, crash-landed, caught fire and completely burned out. Meenambakkam ATC had cleared the aircraft for an ILS approach to the airport's runway 07. The crew abandoned the approach due to technical difficulties. The aircraft circled to attempt a second approach. At the end of the second approach, the aircraft's nose struck the runway as it touched down because its nose gear was either not down or not locked. The plane skidded and came to rest 7,000 feet (2,100 m) down the 13,050 ft. runway. After it came to a standstill, the crew noticed smoke on the flight deck and began to extinguish the flames. Soon after, flames erupted in the aircraft's front section. One crew member managed to escape from the flight deck via a rope ladder. The remaining 4 crew members were rescued by the airport’s fire service from the rear, before the flames engulfed the entire aircraft. The fire service was unable to extinguish the fire and the aircraft burned out.

2000's

We all remember this one; on the 25th of July 2000, Air France Flight 4590, a supersonic Concorde charter departing from De Gaulle airport in Paris bound for New York's JFK Airport crashed in to a hotel just after take off in Gonesse, France. All 109 people on board died, along with 4 people on the ground. According to the accident investigation report, the probable cause was the destruction of one of the aircraft's main wheel tires, as a result of passing at high speed over a part lost by a pre-departing DC-10 during the take-off run. The piercing of one of the fuel tanks by a piece of the exploding tire ignited the leaking jet fuel and caused a loss of thrust in engine number 1 and 2 in quick succession. That marked the beginning of the end of Concorde as we knew it!

On the 2nd of August in 2005, Air France Flight 358, an Airbus A340-300 overshot the runway at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport during a thunderstorm. The plane continued for 300 metres before coming to rest at the bottom of a ravine at the end of the runway adjacent to Highway 401. All 297 passengers and 12 crew survived but the plane was completely destroyed by fire. The investigation predominately blamed pilot error in the face of severe weather conditions. We understand that class action lawsuits over the incident are still ongoing.

That brings us to the latest incident in Air France’s history, whereby on the 1st of June 2009, Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330-203 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris with 228 people onboard lost contact with air traffic control while over the Atlantic Ocean, 300km (186 miles) north-east of the Brazilian city of Natal.

Naturally one needs to balance the accident rate with the volume of traffic involved, when considering risk. Either way it does not provide much comfort for Fly Blue passengers to see such a long line of incidents and accidents. It is important however for you to come to your own conclusions and make your own judgments when considering your chosen airline and route.

Have a safe flight!

Grant Holmes
Editor
Perpetual Traveller 

Increased rights for EU passengers

Undoubtedly the EU is taking a Global lead in protecting Air Passenger rights, which at Perpetual Traveller we whole heartily approve of. Its only a shame that IATA (the air transport association) and IAPA (internationa air passengers association) do not do more to support such measures on a global scale. 

Thanks to EU intervention, a technical fault with the engine on a plane is no longer considered to be an exceptional circumstance, according to a ruling from the European Court of Justice. 

As a direct result, airlines are now obliged to compensate passengers if a flight is cancelled due to that old addage "a technical problem". 

The only exceptional circumstances, that are now considered according to the European Court of Justice, are the following... 

- Acts of terror 
- Sabotage 
- Manufacturing faults on the plane 

Subsequently, technical delays could now give you a financial boost for the hassle! 

Grant Holmes 
Editor 
Perpetual Traveller

Airlines gearing up for heavy losses

Mark my words, the situation in the Airline Industry is nothing short of a financial disaster! 

To illustrate, IATA (International Air Transport Association) is reported to state that it expects losses to the tune of 5 billion USD worldwide in 2009. 

The head of IATA Giovanni Bisignani said "The Industry is curreny facing its worst conditions for 50 years". 

It sewems that although the price of oil recenty dropped notably, the sector is suffering from a massive decline in passenger numbers, both business and private. 

The airlines in best position to survive this downturn are the stronger Budget Airlines such as Easyjet. 

Let's hope that the Industry takes a long introspective look at itself and starts to increase the quality of services again, with more options balanced with price. 

Grant Holmes 
Editor 
Perpetual Traveller

How far can Ryanair go?

The Budget air travel market has grown significantly over the past decade across the globe and one of the leading airlines fuelling this rise in popularity is Ireland’s Ryanair, an airline that truly pioneered new destinations in regional airports all over Europe, avoiding the major hub expensive airports to support people in different locations, bring down the cost and to inadvertently promote trade, Tourism and travel between unlikely towns and cities. For this we respect Ryanair and no-one can dispute that their low cost formula does not work. 

Part of the concept was to offer people more choice, by de-bundling the classic flight package and allowing people to choose whether they eat and drink in flight or reserve a set seat at check-in. Under the veil of individual choice, millions of people chose to fly with Ryanair and the concept has been duplicated all over the world now, from Spice Jet in India to Air Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

However, recent newly invented revenue tactics and new measures are slowly beginning to alienate Ryanair passengers and in this time of recession one wonders how they will maintain past passenger volume levels, after antagonizing so many people that travelled with them before.
 
Firstly that great argument of Ryanair “the element of Choice” is now something that is being slowly eroded, in favour of concealed aggressive revenue tactics. Firstly, Ryanair has confirmed that it will close all its airport check-in desks in October 2009. During the phasing out period passengers in the UK for example will be charged up to 20 pounds per person per flight to check in at the airport.

To counter, the carrier has extended its FREE web check in facilities to non EU/EEA citizens, people with checked luggage and passengers with reduced mobility. At first the cost to check-in at the airport was 10 GBP, however on May 1st this fee was increased to the staggering price of 20 GBP per person per flight (more than the cost of some flight), although this fee will not apply to promotional fares.

As Ryanair will close all of its check-in desks from October 1st, they will require all passengers to check in online. Not a lot of choice there! Moreover, a 5 GBP charge will be levied to even online check-ins, again taking away the element of choice and adding 10 GBP to the cost of a return flight.

CEO Michael O’Leary is becoming a little like the Les Miserables character “Master of the House” charging for every little thing he can force on his customers. Booking flights online features the following mirage of add-on sales, some of which are automatically checked, so one needs to be very careful to uncheck them (many Budget carriers are following similar tactics and with Air Asia, the insurance is often impossible to uncheck)…
• Charge to check-in luggage
• Priority Boarding
• Insurance
• Sports and musical equipment
• Special assistance
• Credit card fees

Then of course there is the “Additional Income Streams” as follows…
• Hotels / Hostals / Villas
• Car Hire
• Gift Vouchers
• Airport Parking
• Transfers from the airport miles away
• Mobile Phones in Flight
• Duty Free or sale of goods in flight

Most people are happy and to see Hotels, Car Hire and additional services, however Ryanair are not content with this, as more annoying nickel and dime revenue ideas are on the horizon. First they allowed phone calls in flight, which by all consumer reports to date is judged as most annoying. Now they are considering to charge people to use the toilet in-flight. Ever heard of “I need to spend a Penny”, well CEO Michael O’Leary recently hinted that Ryanair has considered installing coin slots on its cabin toilets. The plan is to charge 1 pound (not just a Penny any more) to use them. Such an idea defies belief and begs many questions like; Will he charge extra for a number 2? What would the Flight Attendants do if passengers held the door open for each other? Is this morally correct, especially if someone has medical issues that requires them to use the WC frequently?

Interestingly the UK Business Traveller Magazine recently carried out a survey on the topic of extra charges, with the lead question as follows…

WHICH CHARGES SHOULD RYANAIR GET RID OF?

The results shown below are interesting to say the least…

Credit cards fees 35.8%
Luggage Charges 21.8%
Airport Check-In 21.5%
Premium –Rate phone lines 14%
Food and Beverage 4.6%
Priority Boarding 2.3%

Whatever next I hear you say? Well here are some other things Ryanair may want to consider to charge…

• For the pleasure of being Security checked
• For a life vest
• Oxygen if needed in an emergency in Flight
• For a reclinable seat
• To look out the window
• For an Isle or Window confirmed seat

The above are tongue and cheek, but in reality it seems that charging for everything is on the agenda!

At Perpetual Traveller we will watch the fortunes of Ryanair and see if they take that bridge too far by introducing too many additional forced charges that annoy people, thus potentially eroding their market share, by alienating their prime source of income “passengers”. We will keep on eye on the other Budget airlines too, so that you can follow the trends.

Happy travels and don’t worry this article was free!

Grant Holmes
Editor
Perpetual Traveller 

Desperate Times for Desperate Measures in the Airline Industry

Desperate times call for desperate measures; that’s the phrase in the air within the Airline Industry today, especially so in Europe and North America. It seems that an enjoyable in flight experience has practically all but left our skies and what fragments remain of a quality service are slowly being eradicated by the global recession. We have reached an incredible situation whereby many of the flying consumers actually prefer to fly with a Budget airline whereby expectations and prices are perceived to lower; rather than rough it with some of the rude and service cutting national carrier giants out there. The real story is a little more complicated however and this article was designed to give you the traveller a little clarity and more direction.

Let’s start by asking “where are we?” Well the current status of the looming recession is starting to bite and Airlines are now busy analyzing or literally weighing up all the options to balance a loss of air traffic and a lower share price. Subsequently, apart from cutting routes and making them more efficient, Airlines are looking at a number of ways to streamline flight costs and create new innovative income streams to wring out some more cash from the existing in-flight passengers. This trend seems to be particularly true with the Budget carriers, however traditional scheduled airlines are dong much the same, although the approach is slightly different.

BAGGAGE COST
The first attack targets baggage. As travellers many of us thought it was unfair when airlines started charging for overweight baggage and then by moving the goalposts downwards by charging just to check-in luggage. At the time almost unanimously, airlines claimed rising fuel prices and the weight and fuel cost ratio as the necessary reason. However since fuel prices plummeted, there is little sign of a reduction in baggage costs and in fact some are adjusting ever upwards. In the case of Budget airlines, most major carriers charge for every single bag checked in, which can be executed online. For example Ryan Air (max 15kg per bag for 15 euro online check-in), Air Asia (around 15 euro for 20kg online check-in) and Easy Jet ( 9 euro for 20kg online check-in). Here Ryan Air are certainly the tightest with the cost and offer the worst value. Scheduled Airlines typically allow 20kg free of charge and then sting you for every 1kg over. Here UK airports tend to be the most aggressive in applying the rules with US, German and Northern European airports close behind. Despite all these additional charges for luggage handling in the face of lower fuel prices, what makes matters more concerning is that the trend of delaying luggage or even losing baggage is clearly skyrocketing. For example on average there are now claims amounting to 10,000 bags lost every day in the US alone. In 2006 more than 240,000 bags worldwide never found their owners. From May to July 2007, more than one million pieces of luggage were lost, damaged, delayed or pilfered by U.S. airlines according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The saga for London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 must have put the statistics up for 2008 also!

INNOVATIVE INCOME STREAMS
Most Budget airlines now add insurance to the cost of your flight automatically within the online booking process, which is most annoying and nasty a cheap trick. If you want to cancel the insurance you have to uncheck the appropriate box, which does not always feature in the viewable screen, hence sometimes one has to scroll. For those who are not Internet savvy or used to cheap tricks, its becoming easy to get caught out. I tried to book an Air Asia flight 15 times and found it literally impossible to uncheck the insurance box. I needed the flight so I had to pay. Claiming the money back from Air Asia is as complicated as getting tax back from a Red tape Government. 

Another income stream, which is less dark, although there is a misconception, is the Hotel Bookings available from Airline websites. They are all at it and the illusion created or justification given, is that if it’s a Budget Airline, the Hotel must be at a Budget cost too, right? Wrong, the reality is that Airlines manage Airplanes and not Hotels. Subsequently, they subcontract to leading Hotel Internet engines such as Expedia, Hotelopia and Travelocity. The airline then marks up the NET prices aggressively, so one usually end up paying more or at best pay the same. It’s hard to find an example of when the airline Hotel Booking area was cheaper than going to the Hotel Engine direct. After studying many of the Hotel Booking Engines, I suggest you try the below Hotel dedicated specialist for best results, as they feature the site in 21 languages, they contract over 60,000 Hotels worldwide with excellent market prices, quality information is provided, reviews displayed, conditions of cancellation and the ability to reserve by credit card but not actually pay until check-out is the norm, so your money stay with you.

BEST IN CLASS: Hotel Bookings

Other new income streams include Speed Boarding or fast tracking, which is a potentially useful service and despite the over-hype it matters to some travellers. Also In-flight sales are becoming more aggressive and besides the expected Duty Free Plug, Budget Airlines are selling Train / coach tickets, scratch cards, phone cards and all manner of gadgets. Its becoming a little heavy handed with constant announcements to push these add-on sale items with a revenue aggressive approach.

SHOCKING 
Now for the SHOCK; think about this. How would you feel if you were to be personally weighed at check-in? Controversial it may seem to some, but it could come sooner than we think if Airlines start charging people according to their body weight? The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance has already taken on airlines over discrimination against overweight people, in order to stop, what to many seems as a highly possible trend. The level of obesity in the US is now of major concern, but also in the UK, National Audit Office figures show one in five people are clinically obese. Vale of Glamorgan MP John Smith fought a campaign against cramped economy class conditions, following a series of deaths from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which have been linked to long haul flights. 

Ryan Air takes the biscuit though as Michael O'Leary now threatens to charge people to use the toilet in flight. It is not a joke! It’s a matter of choice Mr. O’learly claims, however we need to explain to him that Human Beings were designed with a natural wastage systems, which we are all forced to use and depending upon people’s age or their digestive efficiency to react to what was consumed, the frequency of such natural waste is sometimes unpredictable!

There is more, Ryan Air also allows Mobile calls in flight as does Air France. If the announcements are not annoying enough, they will ensure your flight is torture by allowing the person sitting next to you to call someone or receive a call. Flying used to be a sanctuary for me, as it was one place where BlackBerry did not work and I was not even allowed to use it, so I rested.


So in summary what advice can we give you? In short, cross reference all your flight bookings as often the scheduled airline is cheaper all things considered. Use Budget Airlines for short easy flights, especially where you do not intend to carry much luggage. Be careful for automatic add-ons when booking online with a Budget Airline and always check that the price quoted includes Taxes. Remember that flying with a scheduled Airline within Europe or the US, is likely to feature a poor service and often the Carb-rich food served is simply not edible. Book Hotels from a dedicated Hotel Booking website and try this:  Hotel Bookings

We leave you on a high, by stating that the service level for airlines in the Middle East and Asia are generally still excellent by comparison; so if you want to experience a luxury flight service, you know where to go! This service is generally replicated in the Hotels too!

Enjoy your travels

Grant Holmes  
Editor

AIRLINE WEIGHT WATCHERS

Desperate times call for desperate measures; that’s the phrase in the air within the Airline Industry today. The reality of escalating fuel prices means that Airlines are busy analyzing and literally weighing up all the options to balance costs. Airlines are looking at a number of ways to streamline flight costs thereby reducing onboard weight, considering the weight and fuel cost ratio. Everything and everyone is being brought into question.

As travellers we thought it was unfair when airlines stated charging for overweight baggage and then by moving the goalposts downwards. Ryan Air was likely the worst offender when it came to baggage control charges, however at least they kept their promise with low cost passenger tickets. This can’t be said for the Big Boys (National Airline carriers) who jumped on the bandwagon by not only charging high ticket prices, but also nailing unsuspecting passengers for elevated excess luggage too!

Now for the SHOCK; think about this. How would you feel if you were to be personally weighed at check-in? Controversial it may seem to some, but it could come sooner than we think if airlines start charging people according to their body weight?

If cost is not enough; what about the comfort and legal issues of overweight flyers? Virgin Atlantic recently paid a female passenger £13,000 (US$20,289) compensation, after she was squashed by an obese person who sat next to her on a transatlantic flight. Barbara Hewson, from Swansea, south Wales, suffered injuries including a blood clot in her chest, torn leg muscles and acute sciatica and remains in pain two years on.

The obese passenger was only been able to fit into her seat by raising the arm rest, which meant her remaining excess body parts weighed down on poor Mrs Hewson. The injured woman had to be admitted to hospital in Los Angeles when the flight touched down and was sadly bedridden for a month.

Two years later, and after pressure on the airline to take her complaint seriously, Virgin agreed to pay her compensation. Before taking off, the freelance writer had complained in the first instance to the cabin crew about sitting next to the overweight woman, who actually booked two seats on her outward bound flight to London, but failed to do so on the return leg.

Attendants instructed Mrs Hewson that the flight was full, with not a single remaining seat available. She commented that her experience of the 11-hour flight in economy class was simply “horrific”. Mrs Hewson added that she was now forced to walk with a stick and still suffered resulting pain.

It is reported Virgin officials initially offered “a small basket of goods” worth £15 as compensation, but Mrs Hewson took forward her complaint. Then after 18 months of pursuing her claim and undergoing struct medical examinations by Virgin’s own doctors to prove the extent of her injuries, the airline agreed to a proper settlement.

A statement by Virgin said Mrs Hewson’s injuries arose from “an unprecedented set of extremely unfortunate circumstances”. “We have apologized to Mrs Hewson and have offered her compensation, which she has accepted, and we are pleased that this has now reached a conclusion.”

For your interest in the United States, budget US carrier Southwest Airlines now charge larger passengers for two seats, so is this the start of the trend?

Fat concern

But the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance has taken on airlines over discrimination against overweight people.

The level of obesity in the US is now of major concern, but also in the UK, National Audit Office figures show one in five people are clinically obese. Vale of Glamorgan MP John Smith fought a campaign against cramped economy class conditions, following a series of deaths from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which have been linked to long haul flights. Source BBC News

For now most airlines are looking once again at re-packaging meals, using lighter trolleys, eliminating “In flight Magazines” (Digital copy will be available), Duty free booklets and the list goes on …..

So can we expect to see people standing on weighing scales at airports in the future instead? Its certainly a possibility and most embarrassing!