Customers travelling to the USA are encouraged to apply online for their ESTA authority before charges of US$14.00 come in to effect next week. All passengers travelling under the Visa Waiver Program must have a valid ESTA to gain entry to the USA.
ABTA is urging air travellers to write to their MPs in protest over the Government hiking Air Passenger Duty for a second time from November 1. The association’s call coincided with the Notting Hill Carnival in London at the weekend which attracts many travellers from the Caribbean – a key region which will be hit by the rise in APD.
Aer Arann, the Irish commuter airline has been granted an interim examinership by the High Court to try to restructure its operations and attract external investment. ?The airline will operate as normal in order to preserve as many of the 320 jobs in the company as possible and the hundreds of associated jobs in airports and aviation support services. Examinership has been available to ailing but potentially viable companies in Ireland as a means of recovery since 1990 and provides protection from creditors for a period if granted by the Irish High Court.
British Airways and union Unite are likely to meet again this week in a bid to end potential strikes that would cause further travel disruption. Unite general secretary Tony Woodley was forced to reassure BA staff the union is committed to ending the dispute without another damaging strike after talks broke down last week. The two sides are in a dispute over cabin crew pay and conditions, which has resulted in 22 days of strikes so far this year. A key sticking point in resolving the dispute, which originally centred around cuts to pay and staffing levels, has been BA’s decision to remove travel perks from cabin crew who took part in the strikes.
Pilots union reps have said they will hold new talks with Virgin Atlantic in a bid to avert industrial action at the firm. The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) said a meeting with the company's management would be held on September 6 to try to resolve a row over working hours.
Talks to avoid confrontation were adjourned last week without agreement.
Mexicana has suspended all flights three weeks after filing for bankruptcy protection and has now ceased to operate. Low-cost affiliate carriers, Link and Click, have also ceased operations.
American Airlines is facing a record fine of US$24.2 million for failing to comply with safety requirements that grounded their some of their fleet in April 2008. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fine is more than double the largest previously imposed penalty.$ The US Transportation Secretary, said that they put regulations in place to keep the public safe, and no compromises to these rules were acceptable.
Delta Airlines is seeking permission from both the European Commission and US Department of Transportation to run twice-daily flights from Heathrow to Boston and Miami. The US carrier's move follows the regulators' decision to allow British Airways and American Airlines to operate a joint business across the Atlantic.
Boeing has again delayed delivery of the its 787 Dreamliner aircraft to with the first scheduled passenger flights not likely to begin commercial flying before late spring or early summer nest year. The aircraft has been beset by production difficulties and is now more than two years behind schedule. Thomson Airways will be the first UK airline to fly the 787, with delivery of the first now due in 2012. British Airways is also due to take delivery of its first Dreamliner in 2012, with Monarch Airlines operating the aircraft from 2013.
The UK passport has been redesigned to include iconic images from across Britain - but it is more than just a pretty picture.
Officials say the new 10-year passport will be harder to forge as enhanced security features are embedded in the pages, which include pictures of the White Cliffs of Dover, the Gower Peninsular, Ben Nevis and the Giant's Causeway. A spokeswoman from the Home Office said the passports, available from October, will give UK citizens greater protection from identity theft and fraud. The personal details page of the passport has been moved forward to the second page in the booklet, in common with other passports in Europe, to help speed travel across borders.
The new passport will cost the same as current passports, that's £77.50 for adults and £49 for children, more if required at short notice.
The Business Traveller magazine has compiled a comprehensive online guide to Heathrow, which can be downloaded from and is an excellent reference to Europe's busiest hub. The guide includes extensive information on:
* Who flies from where
* Hotels in and around Heathrow
* Parking options
* Executive lounges at the airport
* Meeting options
* Dining and shopping
* Future developments
The guide also includes maps of the terminals, car parks, and nearby hotels. The guide can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.
http://www.businesstraveller.com/files/BT-heathrow-4.pdf
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