http://news.skyscanner.net/ Skyscanner news from the flight and travel industry en Copyright 2008 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:31:02 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification It’s been quite a wait, but long time contracting Senior Database Developer extraordinaire, Kevin Jenkins, has just joined the good ship Skyscanner as a fully fledged member of the flight search engine company.

The temptation of free Innocent Smoothies and Jelly Belly beans eventually became too much for the Welshman, who finally signed on the dotted line as a permanent employee of Skyscanner, after 20 years as a freelance consultant.

Kevin said:

“It was a mixture of the extremely friendly, proficient team at Skyscanner, combined with the high quality of the product that made me decide to become a permanent member of their work force after 20 years as a freelance consultant. This company is forward looking and growing rapidly and I’m glad to be a part of the team and make my contribution to the growth of the company. The quality and friendliness of all the staff here is a major contribution to the success of the company.”

Kevin will be returning to his native land, Llanelli, Wales and working from his home office.

Skyscanner are delighted to have finally snagged Kevin on a permanent basis, and he was showered with messages from well wishing colleagues:

“Now the real fun begins. You bought us all pizza when you left last time, do we get anything now you have decided to stay?” – Eilidh

“Nice one! Welcome to the permie squad!” – Martin S

“Welcome onboard Kevin, really glad to have your skills in the team longer term.” – Richard G

“Thanks for your help Kevin, it’s been a pleasure to work with such a specialist like you, it’s cool that you decided to stay with Skyscanner.” – Piotr

“Welcome onboard Kevin – thank you for your dependable wisdom and consistent patience regardless of my incessant nagging!” – David W

“One of us! One of us!” – Martin B

“Welcome aboard Kevin – you make Skyscanner a better place to be. Make Itzik sweat!”  – Gareth

“Really glad you could join us for what I’m sure is going to be a very exciting ride. Looking forward to meeting your fish someday” – Bon

“Croeso to Skyscanner and pob lwc, Kevin. (That’s all my Welsh exhausted and I don’t know if it even makes sense!)”  – Lara

“Welcome to the Skyscanner team and we invite you to Poland.” – Hanna

“Tidy!” – Alex

 “Welcome onboard! I hope you will have good time” – Mikolaj

“I am so glad the SQL Jedi master has decided to join the team. It’s always a pleasure working with you, and I’m confident that you will continue to make big contributions to the company.” – Aaron

“Welcome onboard Kev, good to know we've got you permie.” – Steve

Good to have you onboard! Looking forward to crushing all the travel industry’s challenges with your SQL expertise behind us" - James

“Remember who pays you now!” – Carol, Financial Controller

If you too would like to enjoy free Jelly Belly Beans and Innocent Smoothies from our ever stocked Skyscanner fridge, not to mention a great working environment set in beautiful Leith, Edinburgh (see pictures of our office and surrounding area on the Skyscanner Facebook Page), see our Skyscanner Jobs page to browse our current vacancies.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000436-skyscanner-gets-a-perm-jelly-beans-attract-another-full-time-employee.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000436-skyscanner-gets-a-perm-jelly-beans-attract-another-full-time-employee.html Skyscanner Press Room skyscanner Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:31:02 +0000 British Airways (BA) has launched new flights to Paphos in Cyprus from Gatwick, London.

This is the first time the carrier has offered flights from the UK to the western part of the island nation.

BA expects the route to prove popular with tourists, as well as British ex-pats living in Paphos.

The inaugural flight was celebrated with a red carpet reception, and a free bottle of Cypriot wine was handed to every passenger.

Thomas Cook Airlines revealed in May that it would add flights to Cyprus from its new base at Leeds Bradford Airport. The arrival of a new Airbus A320 will see 17 new routes added at the Yorkshire airport.

In May, low-cost carrier Jet2 announced eight new routes planned for Leeds Bradford International Airport to Europe including a flight to Paphos.
]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000435-ba-launches-new-cyprus-flights.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000435-ba-launches-new-cyprus-flights.html Airline & Airport Updates ba british airways paphos Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:19:14 +0000
Stansted Airport has opened the first phase of its £50 million terminal refurbishment and extension programme.

The extension will add nearly 6,000 square metres of space for arriving passengers, including a sixth baggage reclaim belt and extra desk space for immigration control managed by the UK Border Agency.

Nick Barton, Stansted's strategy director, said: "At peak times we can expect over 3,300 arriving passengers an hour through the terminal, so this new extension is all about us continuing to provide the best possible facilities for passengers.

"This means meeting the travel demands of today as well as planning ahead for passenger growth in the future which is forecast to see numbers rise to 35 million a year by 2015."

Later phases are scheduled to be opened by December 2008 and will include new shops, more comfortable waiting areas for friends and relatives, and new bus, coach, train or taxi facilities.

More and more airlines are choosing to fly from Stansted and recently Aegean Airlines launched twice daily flights from the airport to the Greek capital Athens, and Lithuanian Airlines fly direct from Stansted to Vilnius - the 2009 European Capital of Culture.]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000434-stansted-opens-terminal-extension.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000434-stansted-opens-terminal-extension.html Airline & Airport Updates stansted stansted airport Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:29:52 +0000 Cheap flights airline Jet2 has announced two new destinations from Belfast International Airport for next summer.

The carrier will add flights to Jersey and flights to Menorca from the Northern Ireland terminal as part of its summer schedule.

This will take the number of direct routes operated by Jet2 airline from Belfast up to 13.

John Doran, managing director at Belfast International said: "We are delighted to acknowledge Jet2.com's continued commitment to delivering greater choice for Northern Irish travellers.

"Jersey has long been a popular destination with local holidaymakers in Northern Ireland and we are delighted that this, alongside the introduction of the Menorca route, will bring the number of direct scheduled routes now available from Belfast International to 48."

Jet2 added four new flights to its winter schedule last week. The carrier announced it will offer cheap flights to Paris from Leeds Bradford, to Cork from Newcastle, to Budapest from Manchester, and to Prague from Edinburgh later this year.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000433-jet2-adds-new-summer-flights-from-belfast.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000433-jet2-adds-new-summer-flights-from-belfast.html Airline & Airport Updates belfast jersey jet2 menorca Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:53:31 +0000 British Airways (BA) is to purchase the privately-owned French carrier L'Avion for £54 million.

The deal is expected to be complete by the end of this month when BA will merge L'Avion with is new subsidiary OpenSkies.

The combined airline will operate three daily flights from Paris to New York. Flights will run from Paris Orly Airport to both Newark and JFK in New York.

OpenSkies launched last month and currently offers flights from the Paris airport to JFK as part of a codeshare agreement with L'Avion.

L'Avion became the first airline in France to offer all business-calls flights to New York from Paris Orly with its launch in January 2007. The carrier currently serves Newark twice a day, five times a week.

BA's chief executive Willie Walsh said: "L'Avion is a successful airline that has built up a premium business between Orly and New York in a relatively short period of time.

"It has many synergies with OpenSkies and buying it provides OpenSkies with a larger schedule and an established customer base in the Paris-New York market."

Christophe Bejach, co-founder and chairman of L'Avion welcomed the news and explained that as a result of the merger "customers will have access to an even better service, on a larger scale".

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000432-ba-acquires-lavion.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000432-ba-acquires-lavion.html Airline & Airport Updates ba british airways L'Avion OpenSkies Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:41:13 +0000 Exeter International Airport has revealed its Draft Master Plan for future expansion.

As part of its vision to become "the airport of choice for the south-west", the terminal plans to extend its current relationship with cheap flights airline Flybe and add several new routes over the coming years.

Flybe started services at Exeter in 2002 and currently offers low-cost flights to a number of short-haul destinations including Brussels, Nice, Paris, Dublin and Amsterdam.

Exeter Airport hopes to introduce new routes and increased frequencies with Flybe and also offer passengers greater choice for charter flights and package holidays.

Other parts of the plan include improvements to the airport's facilities including a new runway and taxiways.

Improving public transport and encouraging passengers to make use of alternatives to cars and taxis will form part of the airport's commitment to the environment and sustainability.  

The plan is currently open to a three-month public consultation, with the final version to be revealed in September.

Exeter Airport recently underwent a rebranding scheme following the sale of the airport from Devon County Council to the Regional and City Airports Group consortium – which also operates London City Airport.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000431-exeter-airport-reveals-expansion-plan.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000431-exeter-airport-reveals-expansion-plan.html Airline & Airport Updates airport expansion exeter airport flybe Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:52:02 +0000 Italian airline Air One has started new cheap flights to Greece from its base at Milan Malpensa.

The carrier will run two daily direct flights to Athens from Milan, with one flight to Thessaloniki running from the Italian capital.

The new flights are part of continued expansion at Milan Malpensa by Air One, with the schedule times to allow passengers from Greece to connect easily with flights to other destinations in the airline's network.

Flights to Greece mean that Air One now serves 18 different European destinations, with 140 flights a week due to operate once the full expansion programme is complete by the end of the year.

As well as now being able to access flights to Greece, travellers flying from Milan Malpensa will soon be able to reach Stockholm.

Low-cost Scandinavian carrier Sterling announced it will add flights from Milan to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in October and cheap flights airline easyJet will launch its first flights to the Swedish destination from its Italian base in the same month.]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000430-air-one-adds-new-flights-to-greece.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000430-air-one-adds-new-flights-to-greece.html Airline & Airport Updates air one athens greece milan malpensa Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:53:41 +0000 Following bilateral talks between the UK and Saudi Arabian government, bmi has announced plans to increase the number of flights it offers to the Middle Eastern country.

The carrier currently offers flights from London to Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman, but will look to increase its presence on these routes in the coming months.

This follows an agreement between the two countries to increase the number of weekly flights permitted to fly from the UK to Saudi Arabia.

Nigel Turner, chief executive of bmi, said: "We congratulate the UK and Saudi Arabian governments in creating a more open market between the two countries and we are well placed and eager to take full advantage of the agreement."

Explaining that the airline has a "major presence" in the Middle East since launching flights to Riyadh in 2005, he added: "We expect to be able to make an announcement shortly about the improvements we will now be able to make to our schedules to Saudi Arabia from Heathrow."

The carrier will add a new flight from Edinburgh to Copenhagen later this month, taking the number of weekly bmi flights between the two cities up to 13.

]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000429-more-saudi-flights-planned-by-bmi.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000429-more-saudi-flights-planned-by-bmi.html Airline & Airport Updates bmi saudi arabia uk Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:41:05 +0000 Spanish cheap flights airline clickair has launched new flights to Vigo in northern Spain from London Gatwick.

This will be the first direct link between London and the Spanish destination, with flights due to run three times a week.

Clickair expects the flights to prove popular, with estimates that 60,000 travellers a year will fly on the new route.

As well as opening up the Pontevedra province of Spain to UK holidaymakers, the new flights to Vigo will make it easier for passengers to access Portugal.

The airline currently offers flights to 45 destinations in Spain with flights to Valencia, Bilbao and La Coruna already operating from London.

Clickair recently announced a cross-selling agreement with fellow cheap flights airline Germanwings.

As part of the initiative, passengers will be able to book flights online to destinations in both Germanwings' and clickair's networks using either of the airlines' websites.
 
The move is intended to increase the number of cheap flights between Germany and Spain that customers can access online.
]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000428-clickairs-vigo-flights-takeoff.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000428-clickairs-vigo-flights-takeoff.html Airline & Airport Updates clickair london gatwick vigo Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:25:47 +0000 Virgin Atlantic has announced plans to encourage more passengers to use its online check-in facilities.

The carrier will offer passengers a £10 discount on onboard purchases if checking in online for flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.

Passengers flying from the two London airports will also receive vouchers to spend at duty free stores in Terminal 3 at Heathrow and the South Terminal at Gatwick.

"We hope that this promotion will encourage passengers to check-in online before their trip as it means that on arrival at the airport, they simply hand over their luggage at the 'Bag Drop' desk and go straight through security, making the whole process much quicker and stress free for them," said Paul Dickinson, sales and marketing director at Virgin.

This follows a similar initiative launched earlier this year. Over the course of April and March, Virgin offered £6 vouchers for onboard purchases over £30 for passengers who took advantage of the online check-in facility.

Passengers flying with Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow will soon be able to take advantage of new flights from the airline.

New flights to Hong Kong will operate three times a week from October, with frequencies increasing to daily in December.]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000427-virgin-atlantic-promotes-online-checkin.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000427-virgin-atlantic-promotes-online-checkin.html Airline & Airport Updates online check-in virgin atlantic Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:12:50 +0000
What kind of passenger are you?

Those arbiters of good taste and refinement, the Debrett’s people, have recently published ideas on how one should conduct oneself on social networking sites.  I think a more pressing problem though, is how people should conduct themselves when they’re in the air.

As such, Skyscanner brings you the “What kind of passenger are you?” quiz.  Consider the scenarios below and decide which response best fits your behaviour (for accuracy’s sake, exaggeration has obviously been kept to a minimum):

1. Arriving at your seat on a busy plane, you wish to stow your luggage in the overhead lockers.  Do you:

A) offer to help the elderly and those of a shorter persuasion with their luggage before finally putting yours away.
B) carefully pack your own things whilst being mindful of the property of others.
C) remove other people’s bags to make room for your oversized suitcase of 4000 duty-free B&H as you wonder where you can get another Stella from.

2. The plane has taken off and you want to recline your seat.  Do you:

A) turn round with a smile and in a friendly tone ask the person behind if they would mind you putting your seat back a touch.
B) recline the seat gently, being careful to raise it before meals and drinks are served.
C) smash the seat back, shattering the kneecaps of the passenger behind you, whip off your yellow trainers, unzip your matching tracksuit and sleep for the remainder of the flight whilst breathing Stella fumes on your neighbour.

3. You are being served by an attractive, young flight attendant.  Do you:

A) act, as always, in a courteous and pleasant manner with no noticeable change in your behaviour.
B) attempt to be charming whilst maintaining a respectful, social distance.
C) make offensive, sexist and obscene remarks, periodically lunging at their posterior whilst shouting, “This should be part of the service!” before being temporarily placated with another can of Stella.

4. The drinks trolley comes round.  Do you:

A) order an orange juice and a bottle of water to remain hydrated during your flight.
B) have a glass of white wine which you will drink with dinner.
C) ask for three Bacardi and Cokes for the children (how else will toddlers sleep?) and eight Stellas for you – with vodka chasers.  It’s free – take advantage.

5. Are you the type of person who:

A) has never pressed the Flight Attendant button.
B) has pressed it on occasion but only when really necessary.
C) presses it more or less constantly throughout all flights because it’s the only time in your life when your desperate cravings for attention are temporarily satisfied.

6. It’s time for some lunch.  Do you:

A) wait for the person next to you to finish first so they have a bit more space.
B) tuck your elbows in and keep food containers in a tidy, manageable pile for cabin crew.
C) constantly bump the person next to you as you wrestle with the unfamiliar concept of cutlery, discover vegetables for the first time, drop food down your front and wish you had had a kebab instead of this foreign muck (you don’t do irony).

7. Entertaining yourself on a long flight is important.  Do you:

A) read Crime and Punishment in the original Russian before casting an eye over Le Monde and the Berliner Zeitung.
B) peruse the latest Tom Clancy novel and then watch the in-flight entertainment system.
C) books are for nerds so you watch Saw XVI instead on an ultra bright laptop you bought from a bloke down the pub.  Without headphones.

8. A fellow passenger stumbles with a drink and he spills a glass of water over you.  Do you:

A) ask if he is okay, quietly deal with the situation and assure him it is entirely understandable.
B) remain polite and courteous but with a discernible hint of justified irritation.
C) leap to your feet and punch him repeatedly in the face, shouting that you’ve killed people for less.  You’re used to metal handcuffs so the plastic ones make a nice change.

How did you do?

Mostly A: you are model passenger (possibly a tall, well-educated nun) and you are a joy and delight to be around.  
Mostly B: you are like most of us – a very reasonable individual who causes no trouble whatsoever.
Mostly C: you should not be allowed outside unless accompanied by the police let alone on public transport.  Aren’t you due in court during the first week of your holiday?

You may also like to read:

Air Rage – Fight or Flight – Passengers behaving badly

Sitting Comfortably? finding the right airline seat

Leg Room – how much will you get?




]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000426-inflight-etiquette-quiz-passengers-behaving-nicely.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000426-inflight-etiquette-quiz-passengers-behaving-nicely.html Nick's Travel Bytes flight etiquette nicks travel bytes quiz Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:43:00 +0000
With the agility of mountain goats, Team Skyscanner bounded over rock and earth to reach the summit of Meall nan Tarmachan, a Munro of 1044m situated in the southern Scottish Highlands, in an expedition last week. The multinational climbing team was made up of Scots, English, Polish and New Zealanders, who took around three hours to reach the top of the mountain.
 
Of course, conquering Scotland’s highest peaks is not without its perils; the team battled midsummer hail storms, horrendously strong gales, vertigo, vertical rain, lacerated hands and damaged knees during the 5 hour trip.

In true Scottish Highland fashion, the weather presented four seasons in one day, varying from warm sun and gentle breezes, to vicious downpours – which at times were so violent, one member of the team had his rain jacket reduced to ribbons by the wind.

The climb was rounded off with a welcome meal, drink and bed for the night at the very hospitable Ben More Lodge, where the Skyscanner team took on the locals at pool, ping pong and chess, after enjoying an evening of entertainment from a Billy Connolly look alike.

If you would like to climb a Munro with Team Skyscanner next year, first you'll have to come and work for us. Visit the Skyscanner Jobs page to see our vacancies, and to view pictures of the climb, visit the Skyscanner Facebook page.
]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000425-team-skyscanner-battles-blizzards-in-munro-mountain-climb.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/07/000425-team-skyscanner-battles-blizzards-in-munro-mountain-climb.html Skyscanner Press Room munro climb skyscanner Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:19:17 +0000 Low-cost airline Ryanair has announced a new cheap flight to Malta from the Italian city of Bari which will replace the current service to the island from Bremen, Germany.

The new flight will start in October, chief operating officer Michael Cawley revealed.

He told a press conference in Malta that the flights to Malta from Italy have been introduced amid expectations of tourism growth.

This follows suggestions from the cheap flights airline that it would look to cut the number of services it operates to Malta due to increased fuel costs and airport charges.

Mr Cawley told the Times of Malta: "We never threatened to pull any routes.

"Essentially, in winter our fares fall and certain routes consume a lot more fuel. What we did was offer to swap shorter routes for longer routes. Bari is part of that - we will deliver more passengers from here than Bremen."

The Ryanair representative said that if the new route is well received the airline will "think of establishing a base in Malta".

Ryanair currently offers flights to Malta from Dublin, London, Girona, Valencia, Stockholm and Venice, as well as Bremen.
]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/06/000424-ryanair-switches-bremen-for-bari.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/06/000424-ryanair-switches-bremen-for-bari.html Airline & Airport Updates bari malta ryanair Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:10:48 +0000 Extra flights to Guernsey from Southampton Airport will be launched by carrier Blue Islands next month.

The Channel Islands-based airline will add six return flights a week between the two destinations, following increased demand from passengers.

The new flights will operate in the morning, giving passengers an alternative to the existing schedule of evening services.

Derek Coates, chairman of the Blue Islands airline told UK Airport News that demand for flights from Southampton to Guernsey has risen by 23 per cent so far this year.

"This is a clear indication that competition benefits both local residents travelling to the UK and visitors coming to the island," he added.

"Our model of offering affordable flexibility, allowing passengers to change booking dates or names at no extra cost, has forced Flybe to lower its fares to compete."

Blue Islands introduced daily flights to Zurich and Geneva from Guernsey in March.

The launch of these flights coincided with a new pricing initiative from the airline which includes free inter-island fares for passengers travelling between the two Channel Islands on flights to either Zurich or Geneva.]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/06/000423-blue-islands-adds-new-guernsey-flights.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/06/000423-blue-islands-adds-new-guernsey-flights.html Airline & Airport Updates blue islands guernesy southampton Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:05:15 +0000 Italian cheap flights airline Air One has started flights to Boston from Milan Malpensa Airport.

The low-cost carrier announced in May that it would launch its first intercontinental flights to Boston and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport this summer.

Flights to Chicago began on Thursday (June 26th) with Air One landing at Boston Logan Airport on Friday (June 27th).

The carrier was welcomed to Boston by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) which said Air One will be able to reach several destinations in the US from the New England terminal.

Edward C Freni, director of aviation at Massport, commented: "I'm happy to welcome Air One to Boston Logan and pleased that they have designated Boston as a gateway airport for their service."

When Air One first announced its US services, the airline revealed that it would use the two routes into America to provide flights to other cities via codeshare agreements.

Giorgio De Roni, head of marketing at Air One said flights to Miami, Washington and California will be possible avenues for expansion in the US.]]> http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/06/000422-air-one-starts-boston-flights.html http://news.skyscanner.net/articles/2008/06/000422-air-one-starts-boston-flights.html Airline & Airport Updates air one boston milan malpensa Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:52:14 +0000