East Coast reveals surge in passengers

East Coast is welcoming latest statistics which show how its trains are winning the battle for custom against the airlines on its key Edinburgh and Newcastle to London routes. Figures published today by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) show that in the last five years, East Coast’s market share on the routes linking Edinburgh and Newcastle with London, has risen significantly.

East Coast’s market share on the Edinburgh to London route grew from 21% in 2008 to 27% last year; while its share on the Newcastle to London route grew from 59% in 2008 to 64% last year.

Over the last 18 months, East Coast’s market share on both the Edinburgh and Newcastle to London routes has seen a growing surge, as challenging economic conditions led to increasingnumbers of passengers taking advantage of its value for money advance purchase tickets.

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United reinstates fee for last-minute award tickets

United Airlines announced on Thursday that it will reinstate a fee for frequent-flier tickets booked at the last minute. Beginning June 15, the carrier will charge $75 to customers without elite frequent-flier status when they book an award ticket within 21 days of their departure date. Premier-level frequent fliers will be charged $50 while Premier Executive members will face a $25 fee. United's top-level Global Services and 1K members will still be able to book last-minute award tickets at no charge.

United currently does not charge a fee for close-in award-ticket bookings, though the new fee structure mirrors what merger partner Continental currently charges."As we continue the changes under way at United Airlines and Continental Airlines, we're revising certain Mileage Plus and OnePass award fees to make them consistent across both programs," United said in an e-mail to its frequent-flier members on Thursday.

Elsewhere, United says that "for General members, most award fees are going down or staying the same."For example, the fee will drop to $75 from $150 for non-elite fliers changing their origin or destination cities on award tickets that are issued before June 15. The same change applies to non-elite customers who add, change or remove a connecting city from an award ticket issued prior to June 15. Global Services and 1K members will not be charged.

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Sendai: Airport's remarkable reopening aided by U.S. military

A Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo Haneda landed at Japan's once-battered Sendai Airport on Wednesday, marking the return of commercial passenger flights there for the first time since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.While passenger airline schedules remain limited at Sendai, the service resumption is a striking turnaround for an airport that was seen on video being swallowed up by a tsunami wave just over 30 days ago.

"I didn't think we would be able to restart operations so soon," Shinichiro Ito, All Nippon's CEO, is quoted by Bloomberg News as saying at the airport's reopening ceremony on Wednesday. "The airport was a mountain of debris." Still, Air Transport World writes that Sendai Airport "President Katsuhiko Ito cautioned that the airport isn't likely to fully re-open for at least a year, noting that some facilities are still mud-covered and more debris needs to be cleared."

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Air France A380 Collides On JFK Taxiway

US investigators have impounded an Air France A380 which collided with a smaller jet at New York's John F. Kennedy airport on Monday but the airline says transatlantic A380 flights will be unaffected. The Airbus superjumbo, the world's largest airliner with a wingspan of almost 80 metres (yards), hit the tail section of a Bombardier CRJ regional jet which spun in a quarter turn on the taxiway, according to amateur video. A CNN correspondent on the Air France flight to Paris reported that he felt a "slight rumble akin to hitting a patch of rough pavement" as the plane with over 500 people on board was moving on the ground at about 8.15pm local time on Tuesday.

The correspondent said about a foot of the Air France superjumbo's left wing appeared to be damaged. Air France confirmed the incident and said both aircraft had been "immobilised" pending an investigation. A spokeswoman declined to estimate the time and cost of repairs to the wing. Air France, which flies five times a day to New York including one flight using the Airbus double-decker, will operate its daily A380 flight on Tuesday as normal, she said.

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United Airlines Offers Bonus Award Miles When Booking Cruise Travel

United Airlines is giving customers many reasons to book cruises through the airline's new United Cruises service. Depending on the length of thehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifir stay, customers can earn up to 10,000 miles. When customers book a room using their Mileage Plus Visa Card before April 30, 2011, United Cruises will double the amount of miles earned. Mileage Plus members can also earn up to 20,000 total Mileage Plus award miles when they book a balcony or suite stateroom before the same date, and can earn up to 40,000 award miles if they book a balcony or suite stateroom with their Mileage Plus Visa card for a stay of at least 13 nights.

United launched United Cruises on Jan. 20, 2011, offering customers a convenient way to book travel on 19 different cruise lines to destinations worldwide, including the Caribbean, Bahamas, Alaska, Europe, Mexico and Bermuda. Cruise lines available through United Cruises include name brands like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Celebrity and Disney. Customers receive a 110 percent best price guarantee and savings of up to 75 percent off of the brochure rate on sailings when booking on United Cruises.

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Airlines raise fares, offer some deals

Airlines again are seeking to boost round-trip ticket prices $10 on many domestic routes, while quietly offering huge limited-time discounts between other U.S cities. US Airways on Thursday raised most of its domestic round-trip fares by $10, and three competing airlines — Delta, American and Continental — matched the increase Thursday and Friday. It was the 10th attempted rise in fares this year by airlines, which have been raising prices to meet escalating jet-fuel prices says Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com. On March 1, American Airlines successfully raised most domestic round-trip fares $10 — the sixth successful attempt to raise fares $4 to $10 this year, Seaney says. If the current increase sticks, it would be the seventh since Jan 1.

American, United Airlines and Continental Airlines made three subsequent attempts in March to raise fares $10, but the increases didn’t stick, because other airlines didn’t match the prices, he says. While fares on many routes went up $10 last week, there were huge price reductions on others. Some price drops lasted less than a day, and the number of tickets sold at bargain prices was limited.

Emirates boosts South American services

Emirates Airlines is set to boost its service to South America with the launch of a new service to Rio de Janeiro and extension to Buenos Aires. Launching early next year, the iconic cities will now offer a faster link to Dubai and over 100 destinations worldwide. Last year Emirates Airlines was recognised by the World Travel Awards Middle East’s Leading Airline Website. His highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman Emirates Airline, said: “Both Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro are rightly renowned as world-class leisure destinations as well as important business and trading centres.

“Our research has shown that there is a high demand for these cities from across our network.”The Dubai-Rio de Janeiro-Buenos Aires service will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offering eight First Class Private Suites, 42 lie-flat seats in Business and 304 seats in Economy. “Brazil has been part of the Emirates network since 2007 when we began flights from Dubai to Sao Paulo,” added Sheikh Ahmed. “With the country playing host to both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics, Brazil will be further catapulted into the world’s spotlight, and we will be in a prime position to transport sports enthusiasts to these renowned events.