Author: Shawon Hannan

It has been confirmed today that a deal has been struck between the two UK-based, low-cost airlines, Flybe and easyjet, for easyjet to purchase all of Flybe’s slots at Gatwick airport. Flybe has sold its 25 arrival and departure slots at Gatwick to easyjet for £20 million. Flybe’s shareholders will need to approve the deal prior to an expected official transfer of the slots in the summer of 2014. In a statement easyjet said, ‘The slots will transfer from summer 2014 and will allow easyJet to provide additional frequencies on popular existing routes from Gatwick, as well as add new…

Travel agents with business interests in the northwest of England have called on British Airways to rethink the cancellation of its service between Manchester and Gatwick. BA cancelled the route at the end of March, and as the national flag carrier was the only airline to offer the service, the region’s travel agents are concerned that the lack of a connection will hit their sales of packages that are dependent on a Gatwick flight. These include Caribbean destinations, as well as certain other destinations in Europe and America. Clients in the northwest that sign up for these holidays will now…

Crystal Cruises, a Japan-owned cruise ship company with its headquarters in Los Angeles, USA, is to offer two new excursions this summer on its Northern European itinerary. The company is adding outings to Belfast and Berlin to the portfolio of ‘Boutique Adventures’ that it has on offer. The tours are claimed to be unique to Crystal and to include access to exclusive venues in the two cities. The excursions will comprise a maximum of 15 guests and will take place during 5 voyages on the company’s ship, Crystal Serenity, between June and August this year. The Belfast excursion will include…

A travel agency company that until now has operated from a call centre has made its first sortie onto the high street with the opening of new premises. Jetline Travel has opened its office in Barnet, North London, and while the operation will be restricted to promoting the company’s cruise business, the venture could well be expanded upon, subject to the success of the initial branch. The opportunity to open a high street store came as a result of the company gaining suitable premises for the venture as part of new offices that it recently moved in to, according to…

The UK’s national tourism agency has released figures indicating that inbound tourism experienced a boom during 2012. The tourism increase that the UK has benefited from in recent years continued into last year, as the nation’s popularity with foreign tourists showed no sign of abating. The Olympic affect was much in evidence, with London being the main beneficiary of its staging of the games. 15.5 million visitors passed through the city in a year when it also staged the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. This accounted for 50 percent of all visits to the UK, confirming London’s draw as a major global…

Cambridge airport in the UK has been boosted by the introduction of new routes to be operated by a Swiss airline. Swiss carrier Darwin is establishing Cambridge as a new base for routes to Amsterdam in the Netherlands; the French capital, Paris; Milan in Italy; and Geneva in Switzerland. Operations will commence from September 2, and will involve 50 flights per week in and out of Cambridge. Of these, 24 flights per week will be from or to Amsterdam, 12 will serve Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, 8 will operate to Milan Malpensa, and 6 will serve Geneva. The flights…

Tourist’s health issues are set to benefit from developments in the treatment of two of the biggest travel threats, yellow fever and malaria. Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease that is spread by mosquitoes and can be fatal. Its prevalence in certain parts of the world, including parts of Africa, South America, Trinidad and Tobago, has meant that until now travellers have required an initial inoculation against the disease, followed by booster injections every ten years. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that new research has indicated that a single dose of vaccination gives the recipient…

Sir Roy McNulty, the new chairman of Gatwick Airport, has criticised the Gatwick Express train service. In an interview with the London Evening Standard, the new chairman stated his concern that Gatwick Express, the high-frequency passenger rail service that operates between London Victoria station and Gatwick Airport, gives incoming passengers a bad first impression because of problems with overcrowding and old rolling stock. He even claimed that the service ‘at times veers towards Third World conditions.’ He was quoted in the newspaper, saying, ‘In the short to medium term, our main priority is improvement in the road and rail infrastructure…

Ryanair, an Ireland-based low-cost airline, has announced record pre-tax profits for the last financial year. The airline made a profit of €650.9 million in 2012/13, a 14.6 percent increase on the €568 million that it made in the previous year. An increased number of passengers and increased revenue were the primary reasons given for the record figures. The company’s revenue increased by 13 percent to €4.88 billion for the last financial year, and it carried a total of 79.3 million passengers, an increase of 5 percent on the previous year. Fuel costs, which rose by 18 percent year-on year, could…

A survey has revealed that 65 percent of British holidaymakers are planning to take a summer break in the UK this year. The survey, which was carried out by budget hotel chain, Travelodge, polled around 3,000 individuals and discovered that a greater percentage of them intended taking a UK-based holiday this year compared to last year. The UK’s poor prevailing weather conditions in recent times might have been expected to dampen holidaymaker’s enthusiasm for a domestic break, but with the credit crunch still biting, the lower costs associated with staying in Britain will also have had an influence. This year’s…