http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/skyscanner-press-room/ Skyscanner Press Room en Copyright 2008 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:04:28 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Skyscanner.net, Europe’s most popular flight search engine, has just launched the Skyscanner Maps Tool API , the first in a new series of free tools that allows third party websites to integrate Skyscanner flight functionality into their own sites.



The Skyscanner Maps Tool API is a Flash travel map that webmasters can easily embed on their own sites to display Skyscanner flight route information and is free to download from www.Skyscanner.net.

Barry Smith, Skyscanner Director of Business Development said:

“The Maps Tool API has been developed in response to the huge demand we’re getting from businesses who want a way to integrate Skyscanner’s search functionality into their websites.

“Much of that demand is coming from businesses in the travel sector, such as resorts and hotels, tourism organisations and airports, but the Skyscanner Maps API is a powerful marketing tool for any business that depends upon people travelling to or from them. The fact is that if you don’t make it easy for people to find out how to do that, they’ll go somewhere else.”

The tool is fully configurable, allowing webmasters to display a fixed departure point, fixed destination point, fixed departure and destination, or an 'anywhere to anywhere' open search. Webmasters can also select their preferred language from a choice of 20, including Spanish, Japanese and Russian.

The new Maps Tool API is the first in the series of new online travel tools that can be integrated into third party sites.
 
Download the Skyscanner Maps Tool API here.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/10/000647-skyscanner-launches-new-maps-tool-api.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/10/000647-skyscanner-launches-new-maps-tool-api.html Skyscanner Press Room API cheap flights tool flight map flight route map Maps Tool plug in Skyscanner widget Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:04:28 +0000 Every week, Skyscanner scours the net to find the cheapest flights to the best events and destinations in Europe. This week, we look at the best spots to get spooked out with Halloween holiday ideas.

Ghost and ghoulie lovers get ready for the season of spookyness! Halloween is just around the corner, so why not take the kids off to one of these hot Halloween destinations to get your fix of frightening fun.

Edinburgh, UK – the Scottish capital has a range of year-round spooky attractions making it an excellent place to scare yourself at Halloween. The ghost tours take visitors into the depths of the city’s ancient backstreets, where you’ll hear ghostly tales, or visit one of Scotland’s most haunted places, Mary King’s Close, an underground street beneath the Royal Mile which has been the scene of much unexplained paranormal activity.
 
Travel
Find cheap flights from London to Edinburgh, from £51 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Bristol to Edinburgh from £48 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Birmingham to Edinburgh from £40 (return, including taxes)
 
Disneyland Paris – the Halloween festival at Disneyland Paris brings all the favourite Disney characters together for a giant ceremony in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, where kids and adults alike are invited to join in the dancing along with the Pumpkin men, Pirates and Pink Witches, but watch out for Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook and Stitch the imp!

Travel
Find cheap flights from London to Paris from £48 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Edinburgh to Paris from £100 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Belfast to Paris from £48 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Birmingham to Paris from £90 (return, including taxes)

Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark – the Tivoli garden Halloween celebrations are based on the “horrific fun” principal – meaning this event is suitable for all ages, from the youngest tots to teenagers and adults. This Scandinavian event hosts an open stage, pumpkin carving workshops and a magic show featuring the witches of Tivoli and a rock ‘n’ roll dance performance.

Travel
Find cheap flights from London to Copenhagen from £66 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Edinburgh to Copenhagen from £142 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Birmingham to Copenhagen from £132 (return, including taxes)

Transylvania, Romania – nothing says spooky more than Transylvania, situated deep in the Carpathian Mountains, in the heart of rural Romania. In this spooky landscape, perched atop a rocky peak, you’ll find the notorious Bran Castle, home to the legend of Count Dracula – not to mention numerous gothic fortresses, haunted houses and fortified churches that dot the region.
 
Travel
Find cheap flights from London to Bucharest from £88 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Birmingham to Bucharest from £132 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Dublin to Bucharest from £123 (return, including taxes)

Banks of the Foyle Halloween Carnival, Londonderry, Northern Ireland – starting on Monday 25th and culminating in the free outdoor carnival of fun and fireworks on 31st of October, this Northern Irish festival is one of the biggest Halloween celebrations on the planet, as witches, zombies, ghost and ghouls take to the streets for an evening of morbid merrymaking. This is a great event for the kids with a carnival street parade, fireworks display, the haunted house at Foyleside and the Ghostbustours.

Travel
Find cheap flights from London to Belfast from £20 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Edinburgh to Belfast from £42 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Manchester to Belfast from £38 (return, including taxes)

Prices correct at the time of writing. To view the most up to date flight prices as well as other flight routes visit: Skyscanner Flight Search.

To Editors
Permission is granted for this release to be reproduced in full or in part on the condition that www.Skyscanner.net is credited. All prices correct at time of writing. 


]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/10/000643-trick-or-treat-skyscanners-halloween-holiday-ideas.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/10/000643-trick-or-treat-skyscanners-halloween-holiday-ideas.html Skyscanner Press Room flight specials halloween holiday ideas skyscanner Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:31:09 +0000 Every week, Skyscanner scours the net to find the cheapest flights to the best events and destinations in Europe. This week, we look at the best spots in Europe to see the autumn colours changing.

Tree lovers and foliage fans rejoice – autumn is here which means the leaves are turning, bringing fiery reds, golden browns and bright yellow blazes of colour to the mountains, hillsides and parks of Europe. Skyscanner introduces five of the best places to sample the trees in all their fall glory, not to mention the pleasures of autumn's lower prices and lack of crowds.

Samedan, Switzerland – autumn in the Swiss Alps is an excellent time to visit; the summer crowds have gone home, the winter crowds are yet to arrive and the mountains are blessed with cool, crisp weather and fantastic foliage.  As the larch forests begin to change, an impressive rainbow of colour is seen in the hills above the town, which offers hikers an ample choice of trails from short rambles to multiday treks.

Travel:
Find cheap flights from London to Geneva, prices start from £39 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Edinburgh to Geneva, prices start from £69 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Birmingham to Geneva, prices start from £46 (return, including taxes)
 
Lot Valley, France – criss-crossed with walking, cycling and riding paths, the valley’s orchards and vineyards glow with golden leaves come autumn, making it an ideal spot for long walks through the wooded hills. Wildlife including several species of birds of prey is in abundance in this unspoilt region which is perfect for a quiet retreat.

Travel:
Find cheap flights from London to Toulouse, prices start from £53 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Bristol to Toulouse, prices start from £48 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Leeds-Bradford to Toulouse, prices start from £96 (return, including taxes)

High Tatras, Poland – these eastern mountains are known for their skiing, but before the snow arrives, they descend into a world of colour as the birch, larch and oak trees put on their autumn garb. Zakopane, a pleasant mountain town makes the perfect base for excursions into the mountains, where visitors can enjoy glacial lakes, local fauna and a good range of hiking trails.

Travel:
Find cheap flights from London to Krakow, prices start from £44 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Edinburgh to Krakow, prices start from £113 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from East Midlands to Krakow, prices start from £48 (return, including taxes)

Lake Bled, Slovenia – as if a crystal clear lake surrounded by wooded mountains, blessed with a solitary island upon which a fairly tale church stands wasn’t quite picturesque enough, if you visit Lake Bled in the autumn you’ll also find the glacial waters reflecting the fiery blaze of the turning trees that surround it. Hire a rowing boat and take your lover for a tour – it doesn’t get much more scenic that this.

Travel:
Find cheap flights from London to Ljubljana, prices start from £49 (return, including taxes)

Bruges, Belgium – it’s not just trees that are good for autumn viewing; Bruges’ vine covered buildings create an impressive display of the rich tones of fall in the heart of one of Europe’s most attractive cities. Stroll along the canals or hop on a boat to see the best of Bruges, and don’t forget to sample the beer whilst your there.

Travel:
Find cheap flights from London to Brussels, prices start from £64 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Glasgow to Brussels, prices start from £40 (return, including taxes)
Find cheap flights from Manchester to Brussels, prices start from £36 (return, including taxes)

To view the most up to date flight prices as well as other flight routes visit: Skyscanner Flight Search.

About Skyscanner
Skyscanner is the most powerful and flexible flight search engine in Europe, which provides instant online comparison on prices for over 300,000 flights on over 600 airlines. With Skyscanner, users can browse without having to enter specific dates or airports, so you can go looking for the best bargains or just for travel inspiration.

To Editors
Permission is granted for this release to be reproduced in full or in part on the condition that www.Skyscanner.net is credited. All prices correct at time of writing. 

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000610-fall-fun-skyscanners-guide-to-the-best-autumn-colour-spots.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000610-fall-fun-skyscanners-guide-to-the-best-autumn-colour-spots.html Skyscanner Press Room autumn fall flight specials foliage leaves Skyscanner trees Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:20:56 +0000 Skyscanner.net, the flight search engine that allows users to find the cheapest flight for their trip by comparing air fares across hundreds of different routes, has reported a 35% rise in visitor numbers over the last 12 months, despite the recent turbulence in the airline industry and the global financial downturn.

The past year has been a tough time for the airline industry with over 20 airlines ceasing to trade or going into administration, including Silverjet, Zoom and XL Airlines, which cited high oil prices and drops in consumer spending as the main reasons for their downfall.

Barry Smith, Skyscanner co-founder and Chief of Business Development commented on the rise in popularity of the flight search engine site:

“Skyscanner is seeing a definite increase in the number of people searching for flights, even though the aviation and travel industry as a whole are facing difficult trading conditions. All the evidence we have shows that people are still flying but due to the financial pinch, it seems both individuals and businesses are being more careful with their spending, so are using Skyscanner to ensure that they always find the cheapest air fares for their journey.”

Skyscanner has also previously reported traffic spikes following the cancellation of a route or the collapse of an airline.

“We saw a 269% rise in Skyscanner traffic on XL Airline routes in the hours following their demise, and a similar rise after Zoom went down. It seems that Skyscanner is the first place people turn to when they need to find a cheap flight quickly” added Smith.

Over one million flights are searched for daily using Skyscanner’s flexible search system. The website compares flight prices for both traditional and budget airlines, and users then book their flights directly with the official airline ensuring they get the lowest possible price with no added commission.

To search for cheap flights visit: www.Skyscanner.net

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000602-skyscanner-sees-35-traffic-growth-despite-travel-industry-downturn.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000602-skyscanner-sees-35-traffic-growth-despite-travel-industry-downturn.html Skyscanner Press Room skyscanner traffic growth Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:54:51 +0000 Two new interactive information terminals have been installed at Edinburgh Airport to help passengers plan their journeys.

The new Cityspace pods can be found at both domestic and international arrival halls, providing direct access to Traveline Scotland and BBC travel news.

Officials are keen that the new terminals are used by tourists eager to explore the historical capital.

Lois Proctor, planning and development executive at BAA Edinburgh, said: "Increasing the uptake of public transport is key to our growth plans and is central to the Airport Surface Access Strategy over the next five years."

Barry Smith, Co-founder and Business Development Director for Edinburgh based flight search engine, Skyscanner.net, commented on the new Cityspace Pods:

"Many of our staff and business partners use Edinburgh Airport on a daily basis, so it's great to see these new technologies being introduced which will improve the customer experience and enable passengers to find out more about the beautiful city of Edinburgh".

Meanwhile, authorities at Edinburgh Airport have recently urged customers to be wary about what they decide to wear on flights, after a number of passengers have been found wearing replica weaponry jewelry.

"The last thing I want my officers to do is charge someone for being in possession of an offensive weapon," Inspector Gary Dickson of Lothian and Borders Police told the BBC.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000601-edinburgh-airports-installs-travel-info-pods.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000601-edinburgh-airports-installs-travel-info-pods.html Skyscanner Press Room edinburgh airport Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:27:14 +0000 Team Skyscanner helped raise money for Leukaemia Research this weekend by completing a 55 mile cycle ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh, held on the Sunday 14th.

The five strong Skyscanner team, which included Chief Executive and co-founder, Gareth Williams, took part in the ride along with around 5000 other cyclists, all of ages and abilities.

Gareth Williams commented:

“It was a great effort from Team Skyscanner and everybody involved in the ride. It was good to be able to do something to help Leukaemia Research, and of course it’s also great to get on the saddle and do some exercise, even though my posterior is feeling it today”.

The route took the cyclists from Scotland’s largest city to the capital via a network of quiet roads and cycle paths, with regular rest and refreshment stops along the way.
 
Local children lined the route where it passed through towns and villages to add their support, even offering riders 'high-fives' and encouragement in the form of Pringles potato chips, strawberry laces and cola bottle sweets, presumably from their own private supplies.

The annual bike ride is organised by Pedal for Scotland, and was first established in 1999 when just 400 cyclists took part. Now the ride has grown into Scotland’s biggest charity cycle ride, which has raised over £800,000 for charities such as Leukaemia Research.

To see pictures of Team Skyscanner pedalling to victory, visit the Skyscanner Facebook Page.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000597-team-skyscanner-in-pedal-for-scotland-2008-cycle-ride.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000597-team-skyscanner-in-pedal-for-scotland-2008-cycle-ride.html Skyscanner Press Room Charity Event Pedal for Scotland Skyscanner Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:01:14 +0000 Following the news today that holiday firm XL has gone into administration stranding tens of thousands of Britons abroad, Skyscanner has offered a ray of hope to those searching for replacement flights.

XL airlines, which flies to 50 destinations, most of which are Mediterranean sun spots, has cancelled all of its flights and grounded all of its aircraft.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), 85,000 passengers could be stranded abroad and 200,000 more have made advance bookings which have now been cancelled.

The CAA has announced that it is making arrangements to assist passengers who have been stranded by XL’s demise, and are planning to bring in substitute aircraft to fly the people back to the UK. XL has blamed the collapse on high fuel costs and the economic downturn.

Skyscanner, a flight search engine website that searches hundreds of airlines and thousands of flight routes, has announced a 269% increase on flight searches for XL routes since the news of the collapse broke this morning, and expects to see a sharp upswing as news spreads.

Barry Smith, co-founder and business director for Skyscanner, commented:
 
“The collapse of XL is a big knock to the airline and travel industry. We advise those who had planned to fly with XL airline, to use Skyscanner to search the flight market and find alternative airlines or nearby routes so that they can still travel”.

Skyscanner has proved a vital resource to thousands of travellers who have been affected by airline collapse and cancellation in the last month. Only two weeks ago, following the collapse of Zoom, Skyscanner search traffic for UK-North America routes spiked, and yesterday’s announcement that Ryanair cancelled a slew of Edinburgh flights also led to a vast increase in search traffic on Skyscanner for Edinburgh Routes.

Barry Smith is available for press comment, please contact: sam@skyscanner.net.

Have you been affecrred by XL airline's collapse?

Search Skyscanner for alternative routes:

• Cheap flights to Corfu
• Cheap flights to Burgas
• Cheap flights to Malalga
• Cheap flights to Malta
• Cheap flights to Paphos

For more cheap flights on other destinations visit: Skyscanner.net

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000592-skyscanner-offers-alternative-flights-in-wake-of-xl-collapse.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000592-skyscanner-offers-alternative-flights-in-wake-of-xl-collapse.html Airline & Airport Updates Skyscanner Press Room administration collapse Skyscanner XL airline Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:11:32 +0000 Passengers stranded by Ryanair’s Edinburgh flight cancellations are searching Skyscanner for alternatives. Search volumes for flights to and from Edinburgh have jumped since the budget airline announced that eleven routes from its new base at Edinburgh airport will be cancelled.

Ryanair has blamed the cancellations on Boeing’s inability to deliver two 737 planes due to strikes at the aircraft manufacturer’s plant, where approximately 27,000 machinists have stopped work.

The cancelled routes include flights to Malaga, Bournemouth, Palma and Krakow.

Passengers who have made advance bookings on Ryanair’s Edinburgh routes have now been forced to try and make alternative travel plans.
 
Barry Smith, business development director for Skyscanner, which has its head office in Edinburgh, advised passengers to search for alternatives by using Skyscanner.net.

“Edinburgh airport is a vital hub for Skyscanner, as many of our staff, business partners and clients use it on a daily basis to fly to and from the European mainland and parts of the UK.
 
We’ve seen a jump in searches for Edinburgh routes since the Ryanair announcement. We often see a surge in search traffic on Skyscanner following the news of flight cancellation or airline collapse. Last month we saw a similar rise for searches on UK/Canada routes following the liquidation of low-cost transatlantic carrier, Zoom.” added Smith.

Skyscanner, which recently underwent a facelift to make it more user friendly and aesthetically pleasing, compares flight prices of hundreds of different airlines and thousands of different routes, allowing users to find the cheapest flight for their journey, before being directed to the official airline’s website to make their booking directly with the airline.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000589-skyscanner-search-traffic-jumps-following-cancelled-edinburgh-ryanair-flights.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000589-skyscanner-search-traffic-jumps-following-cancelled-edinburgh-ryanair-flights.html Skyscanner Press Room Ryanair Skyscanner Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:32:40 +0000
Every week, Skyscanner scours the net to find the cheapest flights to the best events and destinations in Europe. This week, we look at shoulder season deals.

For most of the UK, this summer has been yet another wet, dull and fairly miserable one. Flooding seems to be annual event; rain our national emblem. But as we move into the post-summer shoulder season, we have the chance to find fewer crowds, cheaper flights and bargain accommodation, plus there’s still plenty of sun going around if you know where to look.

Autumn Romance

Ljubljana, Slovenia – still pleasantly warm well into autumn, grab a coffee and watch the green Ljubljanica river drift past in this most beautiful of central European cities. The atmosphere is one of style and sophistication and this city is thankfully yet to be invaded by UK stag groups. With its medieval castles, leafy streets and cafe cultured locals, there’s a strong air of romance in Ljubljana which still feels like a secret city.

Travel:
•  get cheap flights from London to Ljubljana, prices start from £46 (return, including taxes)

Autumn Relaxation

Budapest, Hungary – as the nights draw in and the temperatures fall, why not get yourself into hot water in one of Budapest’s thermal bath pools? Famed for having the world’s finest Turkish baths (the Turks may disagree), you can relax in the hot H2O of decadent bathing houses, enjoy all manner of medical spa treatments and get beaten up by expert masseurs.  

Travel:
•    get cheap flights from London to Budapest, prices start from £63 (return, including taxes)
•    get cheap flights from Manchester to Budapest, prices start from £49 (return, including taxes)
•    get cheap flights from Bristol to Budapest, prices start from £53 (return, including taxes)

Autumn Activity

Austrian Alps – Austria’s Tyrol region offers spiky mountain landscapes, culinary specialities and great hiking and biking. The lovely city of Innsbruck is the gateway to the Tyrol region and worthy of a visit in itself, but it’s the surrounding mountains that most come to see. With mountains over 3700m tall, be sure to pack your warm clothes, as snow can come early in Alps.

Travel:
•    get cheap flights from London to Innsbruck, prices start from £53 (return, including taxes)
•    get cheap flights from Glasgow to Innsbruck, prices start from £108 (return, including taxes)

Autumn Night Life

Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany – the beach bars of the Med may be emptying, but there’s always a party going on somewhere. Munich’s Oktoberfest, which actually starts on the 20th of September, is a great place to enjoy beer, bratwurst and Bavaria’s beautiful barmaids. See Skyscanner’s guide to Oktoberfest for more tips.

Travel:
•    get cheap flights from London to Munich, prices start from £80 (return, including taxes)
•    get cheap flights from Edinburgh to Munich, prices start from £49 (return, including taxes)
•    get cheap flights from Belfast to Munich, prices start from £64 (return, including taxes)

Autumn Beach Boys (and girls)

Hvar, Croatia – get all the sun and sand, without having to fight for beach space. Many of Europe’s beaches are still hot and dry in autumn and they’re much quieter too. Croatia’s Hvar Island is one of the most beautiful and lively beaches on the Adriatic, with several types of seafront including azure waters, white sands, rocky cliffs and even a nudist zone; don’t forget to wax.

Travel:
•    get cheap flights from London to Split, prices start from £57 (return, including taxes)
•    get cheap flights from Glasgow to Split, prices start from £131 (return, including taxes)
•    get cheap flights from Birmingham to Split, prices start from £242 (return, including taxes)

To view the most up to date flight prices as well as other flight routes visit: Skyscanner Flight Search.

About Skyscanner
Skyscanner is the most powerful and flexible flight search engine in Europe, which provides instant online comparison on prices for over 5000 flights on 180 airlines. With Skyscanner, users can browse without having to enter specific dates or airports, so you can go looking for the best bargains or just for travel inspiration.

To Editors
Full permission is granted for this release to be reproduced in full or in part on the condition that Skyscanner.net is credited. All prices correct at time of writing.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000582-autumn-holiday-ideas-skyscanners-guide-to-offseason-trips.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000582-autumn-holiday-ideas-skyscanners-guide-to-offseason-trips.html Skyscanner Press Room autumn holidays flight specials skyscanner Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:53:21 +0000 Don your lederhosen, grab your stein and join 6 million other party goers in Munich for the world’s greatest beer drinking extravaganza, with Skyscanner’s top tips to Oktoberfest, which takes place from the 20th September until the 5th of October 2008.

Oktoberfest starts in September – that's right, despite the title, the beer guzzling actually commences in September. So why the name? Well, the first ever Oktoberfest was held on October 12th 1810. Since then, the event has been extended by kicking off the drinking in late September to take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days.

Boozing in the beer tents – all the ale action takes place under 14 giant canvas canopies. Inside, you’ll see tables and chairs laid out as far as the eye can see.  Each tent has a different theme and caters to a different crowd; choose from the hip Hippodrom, the traditional Schottenhamel, the Scuotzen-Festzelt famous for its suckling pig severed in beer sauce, or if beer’s not your bag – check out the Weinzelt – the wine tent.

Goodbye pints, hello litres – don’t be expecting to get a pint of Bavaria’s finest at Oktoberfest (pints are for lightweights), instead you’ll be served frosty beverages in litre-sized steins, costing between 7.70 and 8.00 Euros (about 50c higher than last year). Oktoberfest beer is darker and stronger than normal brews, containing up to 6% alcohol and only six Munich brewers are permitted the honour of selling their lagers.

No seat, no beer – unlike your typical British boozer, where it’s ten deep at the bar and you’ll spend thirty minutes waving a twenty at the barman trying to get served, at Oktoberfest, you’ll be waited upon by buxom Bavarian barmaids, dressed in traditional Dirndl attire. However, you’ll need to be seated in order to get served – so either reserve a table beforehand or get there early.

Best of the wurst – Oktoberfest is not all about the beer. Ensure you sample some of Germany’s finest fodder; try the Bavarian wursts such as Bierwurst, a coarse-textured sliced sausage flavoured with juniper berries and cardamom; Bockwurst, a large frankfurter style sausage made with veal, chives and parsley, or Knackwurst, a short, plump sausage containing lean pork, beef, spices and garlic. Potato salad, pretzels, strudel and sauerkraut are also in plentiful supply.

Oktoberfest events – alongside all the beer and bratwurst, you can also enjoy fairground rides, music ranging from German folk to pop and disco, a flea circus, game booths and a traditional procession featuring riflemen, marching bands and thoroughbred horses which takes place on the first Sunday of the festival.
 
Avoid the Oktoberfest hangover – with all that booze going down the hatch, you’re bound to pay the price of indulgence the morning after. To best avoid the hangover, apply the standard wisdom to your drinking sessions: eat plenty of food before you commence the beering, drink plenty of water before going to sleep, and of course – drink in moderation. Failing that, you can always stumble back out to the beer tents at sunrise, to administer the hair of the dog cure.

How to get to Oktoberfest: the event takes place in Munich, Germany, which has an international airport easily reached from the UK, or most other large cities. Return flights from London airports start at £105 (including taxes). To view the cheapest air fares during the festival see Skyscanner’s cheap flights to Munich.

For more information on Oktoberfest visit: www.oktoberfest.de/en/

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000568-oktoberfest-skyscanners-guide-to-the-worlds-best-beer-fest.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/09/000568-oktoberfest-skyscanners-guide-to-the-worlds-best-beer-fest.html Skyscanner Press Room beer Munich Oktoberfest Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:04:13 +0000 Yesterday, the transatlantic ‘low fare, full service’ airline, Zoom, grounded all flights following the suspension of all future operations.
 
Founders of Zoom, Hugh and John Boyle commented: “We deeply regret the fact that we have been forced to suspend all Zoom operations. It is a tragic day for our passengers and more than 600 staff.

They went on to say that they “are desperately sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment that this will cause passengers and those who have booked flights.”

Zoom have blamed their downfall on "the result of the exceptionally difficult trading conditions which have affected all airlines over the last 12 months. The increase in the price of oil has added around $50 million to our annual operating costs and we could not recover that from passengers who had already booked their flights.”

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have suggested that they will be offering special fares to customers who have been the victims of Zoom's suspended operations.

For passengers affected by Zoom’s collapse and looking for replacement airlines or routes, here is a list of alternative options found using Skyscanner.

Note: these links will take to you to Skyscanner’s ‘year view’ for the given route. Select your month and then day to get flight prices.

Flights from London Gatwick
 
London Gatwick to Toronto
London Gatwick to Vancouver
London Gatwick to Calgary
London Gatwick to Montreal
London Gatwick to Ottawa
London Gatwick to Halifax
London Gatwick to Winnipeg
London Gatwick to Bermuda
London Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale
London Gatwick to San Diego

Flights from Glasgow

Glasgow to Ottawa
Glasgow to Halifax
Glasgow to Calgary
Glasgow to Vancouver
Glasgow to Toronto
 
Flights from Manchester
 
Manchester to Vancouver
Manchester to Toronto

Flights from Belfast
 
Belfast to Toronto
Belfast to Vancouver

Flights from Cardiff

Cardiff to Toronto 
Cardiff to Vancouver

Flights from Montreal

Montreal to Paris
Montreal to Rome

Flights from Toronto

Toronto to Paris
Toronto to Rome

Flights from Calgary

Calgary to Paris

Flights from Vancouver

Vancouver to Paris


]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/08/000557-zoom-airline-folds-skyscanner-shows-alternative-routes-airlines.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/08/000557-zoom-airline-folds-skyscanner-shows-alternative-routes-airlines.html Skyscanner Press Room alternatives bust collapse fold Skyscanner zoom airlines Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:43:05 +0000 Ryanair has published on their website a letter written to the European Commission regarding their recent announcement about “screenscraper” and “ticket-tout websites”.

Skyscanner, along with dozens of other travel sites are listed in the appendix as websites who have been issued with “legally binding cease and desist declarations”.

To clarify the situation: this refers to a cease and desist order that was issued to Skyscanner several months ago. Ryanair has since informed Skyscanner that its flight details could be displayed on the site.

This decision is based on the fact that Skyscanner is different to the vast majority of other sites listed, in that Skyscanner cut out the middleman, offering users a direct link to the airline’s official website to book their flights.

Ryanair spokesman, Stephen McNamara, also publicly stated that Skyscanner is okay to use, and said Ryanair does not have a problem with the site.

The letter from Ryanair to the European Commission highlights the issues that Ryanair has with “ticket-tout” websites, specifically citing examples of websites that overcharge customers up to 370% for Ryanair flights.
 
The letter stated that Ryanair wishes to “put an end to the illegal practices of these unauthorised screescraper/ticket-tout websites who are inserting themselves into the transaction between the consumer and the airline, without the permission of the airline, and who are routinely overcharging these consumers by up to three times the face value of the Ryanair ticket.”

Skyscanner again would like to remind users that we are not a travel agent, do not act as middlemen and do not charge our users commission for any of the flights that we feature on our site, therefore all Ryanair flights found through Skyscanner will not be affected by Ryanair’s comparison site cancellations and Skyscanner have been given the all clear by Ryanair to continue to show their flight information.

See also: Ryanair Comparison Site Cancellations: No effect on Skyscanner users and Skyscanner Myths Debunked: the truth behind Europe’s favourite flight search engine.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/08/000550-skyscanner-and-ryanair-the-cease-and-desist-situation-clarified.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/08/000550-skyscanner-and-ryanair-the-cease-and-desist-situation-clarified.html Skyscanner Press Room Ryanair skyscanner Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:45:02 +0000  
The BETA site offers Skyscanner fans a preview of what is to come with lots of new features including:

• improved month and day views
• the ability to filter by time, airline, price and route on day views
• plus the inclusion of scheduled indirect flights

We have also made significant changes to the look and feel of the site making Skyscanner even easier to use and adding a sleeker style to our overall design, whilst maintaining the Skyscanner core principles: simplicity and speed.

The BETA launch is one of several exciting developments planned for Skyscanner this year, so stay tuned; there’s plenty more to come.

We welcome any feedback or questions you may have regarding the new BETA site – please use our contact form to get in touch.
 
To explore the Skyscanner of the future, visit Skyscanner BETA or click on the link from the Skyscanner homepage.
 
Skyscanner fans can also join the Skyscanner Facebook Page to receive news about forthcoming updates and also view pictures of Skyscanner HQ and the team.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/08/000539-skyscanner-launch-beta-version-of-new-site-release.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/08/000539-skyscanner-launch-beta-version-of-new-site-release.html Skyscanner Press Room BETA skyscanner Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:49:11 +0000 Updated 12 August 2008

Following Ryanair’s announcement that they are to start cancelling flight bookings which have been made on so called “screen scraper” sites, Skyscanner would like to clarify that this will NOT affect any Ryanair flight bookings that have been found through Skyscanner.

The move by Ryanair targets booking sites that act as middlemen, charging customers a commission to buy flights from them, and bypassing the official Ryanair website.

The Skyscanner site is different because it cuts out the middleman, offering users a direct link to the official airline’s website to book their flights.

Therefore, any Ryanair flights which have been found via Skyscanner will not be affected by Ryanair’s announcement – as all these flights have been booked directly with the airline.

Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara has confirmed that Skyscanner is okay to use, and said Ryanair does not have a problem with it.

On a related note, Ryanair recently announced they will be reducing their capacity from Dublin and London Stansted. This is likely to affect some passengers, however since users finding flights through the Skyscanner always book directly with the airline, Ryanair can notify you of any changes in your flights. All enquiries regarding this matter must be addressed directly to Ryanair.

As ever, we remind Skyscanner users that we do not take flight bookings. We simply allow users to compare the prices of flights and then refer them to the airline’s site to make their booking directly.

See also:  Skyscanner Myths Debunked: the truth behind Europe’s favourite flight search engine

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/08/000516-ryanair-comparison-site-cancellations-no-effect-on-skyscanner-users.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/08/000516-ryanair-comparison-site-cancellations-no-effect-on-skyscanner-users.html Skyscanner Press Room ryanair skyscanner Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:43:38 +0000 Every week, Skyscanner scours the net to find the cheapest flights to the best destinations in Europe. Last week it was Family Holiday Summer Specials. This week it’s last minute beach breaks.

What better way to unwind than spending a long weekend, listening to sound of waves lapping the shores of a white sandy beach, sipping on a Pina Colada and soaking up some UV? Take advantage of Skyscanner’s list of top flight bargains and jet off to one of Europe's best beaches this summer.

ALGARVE
Located on the extreme tip of Portugal, facing the Atlantic Ocean, the Algarve boasts a wonderful climate with over 300 days of sunshine. With over 100 sandy beaches spread over the coastline, holidays in the Algarve offer a choice of beach resorts to suit everyone from party hungry hedonists to the romanic couple. If you fancy a little time away from the sand, try the marine aquarium in Albufeira, go Go Karting at Almancil or take a jeep safari through Carvoeiro.

Travel: Get cheap flights to Faro from £183.70 (return, inclusive of tax)

FRENCH RIVIERA
The towns on the Côte d'Azur, or French Riviera, are generally accepted as some of the most beautiful resort spots in the world. Nice, Cannes and St Tropez among others play host to huge crowds in summer but offer golden beaches all year round. If you want to be seen, head over to the more fashionable club beaches such as Moorea and Club 55 or take a stroll down by the marinas and gaze at the St-Tropez and Cannes waterfronts and luxury moored cruisers.

Travel: Get cheap flights to Nice from £104 (return, inclusive of tax)

MAJORCA
Majorca has nearly 250 miles of coastline to explore and enjoy. If you fancy a family orientated resort, with wonderful beaches and an excellent mix of attractions and activities then why not try Alcudia. Meanwhile Cala D'or is a stylish and relaxing resort, home to beautiful beaches, chic cafes and a tranquil atmosphere. Majorca’s eclectic selection of beaches means the island is truly a beach holiday heaven. If you are looking to enjoy water sports, then your beach of choice may be Cala Tuent – great for snorkelling or Platja de Su Coma where you can indulge in a spot of windsurfing, sailing and water skiing.

Travel: Get cheap flights to Palma from £121 (return, inclusive of tax)

CRETE
With a great range of beaches, from hidden coves to sandy bays and an excess of water sports and places to dine, Crete is perfect for a relaxed seaside holiday. If you are looking for something less developed, head to the south coast for the wildly beautiful Paleochora and Plakias that provide vast sandy beaches and dramatic mountainous backdrops. Or why not get up close and personal with the local marine life with diving lessons and snorkelling available at Agia Pelagia, Amoudara (Heraklion) and Malia.

Travel: Get cheap flights to Crete from £338 (return, inclusive of tax)

All flight prices were correct at the time of publishing. Click here to find the best and latest cheap flights for summer holidays.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/08/000512-skyscanner-beach-patrol-last-minute-flights-for-seaside-holidays.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/08/000512-skyscanner-beach-patrol-last-minute-flights-for-seaside-holidays.html Skyscanner Press Room beach holiday skyscanner Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:51:48 +0000