Ordering Cheap Flights for Holidays Season to Egypt
Consumers who want to get the most out of their holiday money this year could benefit from booking cheap flights to Egypt.
According to the Post Office, holidaymakers are increasingly considering exchange rates when they are booking their trips abroad.
This has allowed them to head to countries with favourable rates that enable their money to go further.
Egypt was highlighted as one such destination, as UK travellers can now get almost 12 per cent more Egyptian pounds than in January last year.
Taking Enough Currency on Holiday This Year
Sarah Munro, head of travel services at the Post Office, commented: “Last year proved that consumers were increasingly canny in their choices, watching market movements, checking exchange rates and playing a waiting game for bargains.”
However, she told the Scotsman that if people do head to countries where they can get more for their money, they still need to ensure they take enough currency.
Ms Munro warned that the cost of changing money abroad or using credit and debit cards could “pack an unpleasant punch” when a tourist returns home.
Cheap Flight Promotion : Airlines Match Southwest Airlines $30 fare sale
Southwest Airlines launched its latest fare sale, one better than its usual weekly discounts. Now, it appears that other airlines have matched.
The sale, good for travel on Dec. 1-15 and Jan. 4-Feb. 16, has one-way fares as cheap as $30 before fees and taxes on trips of 450 miles or less, $60 up to 1,000 miles, $90 up to 1,500 miles and $120 over 1,500 miles.
Other carriers are putting similarly priced fares out for sale.
To see if this was real, checked for Dec. 7 to New Orleans from Dallas, with a Dec. 14 return. Southwest had its $30 fare available on every flight in each direction, or $81.40 round trip with other fees and charges.
It’s interesting that in the breakdown of costs for that ticket, Southwest says it gets $55.82 and government taxes and fees take up $25.58.
Northwest Airlines grounds 27 planes to comply with Federal Aviation Administration directive
Northwest Airlines grounded 27 planes Friday after a company audit showed noncompliance with a directive related to landing gear.
Flights on the Boeing 757s were canceled, with about 2,600 passengers affected.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s directive focused on a linchpin in the aircrafts’ landing gear. But Northwest says passengers were never in danger.
Northwest spokeswoman Tammy Lee Stanoch says the problem was fixed on the planes Friday evening. By 10:40 p.m., the FAA had cleared Northwest to begin using the planes again.
Besides putting up some of the affected passengers in hotel rooms, Northwest worked with its new parent company, Delta Air Lines, to find other aircraft to accommodate passengers.
British Airways Cancels Short-haul Flights Into and Out Britain on Sunday
British Airways said on Saturday it had cancelled all its short-haul flights into and out of Britain on Sunday.
A spokeswoman for the airline said the cancellation covered all flights to and from European destinations as well as domestic services. A decision on long-haul flights would be made later.
Aviation authorities have closed British airspace until at least 2400 GMT on Saturday because of the danger posed by clouds of volcanic ash from Iceland.
Crew Alitalia Airlines Company protests cause delays to flights
Protests by pilots and cabin crew at Italy’s ailing airline Alitalia against new labour contracts proposed by the Italian investor group set to take over the carrier caused flight delays Monday.
Around 20 Alitalia flights were delayed by a general assembly between 0800 GMT and 1000 GMT, according to Italian airport news agency Telenews. The average delay was one hour, with some passengers delayed for up to twice as long.
Meanwhile, around 100 of the striking Alitalia staff, working outside the unions, later formed a “Fighting Committee” calling for a 24-hour unscheduled strike to start Monday at 1700 GMT, Telenews agency said.
Their action saw Italy’s Transport Minister Altero Matteoli begin proceedings to conscript the workers, according to a statement, which added that the strikers risked “criminal charges.”
According to Telenews about 95 flights taking off from or landing in Rome’s Fiumicino airport have been or will be cancelled from 2200 GMT. A further 37 flights at Milan’s two airports at Linate and Malpensa were being called off.
Meanwhile, five unions representing most of Alitalia’s pilots and cabin staff have refused to sign the labour contracts offered by CAI, the group of businessmen who have made a bid to take over the airline.
The rebel unions, also known as the “no front,” have called a strike for November 25 and have threatened several more walkouts.
Other main union organisations have signed CAI’s contract.
Under the takeover deal, pilots and flight attendants may be rehired on an individual basis instead of according to procedures agreed with each group. Many of Alitalia’s long-term employees have rejected the scheme.
The Italian government has warned that pilots refusing to work for CAI will lose the right to benefits.
“CAI can’t give up our pilots. It wants to make people believe it can run the company without pilots, flight assistants and ground staff, but it can’t,” said Fabio Berti, head of Anpac, the main union for pilots.
CAI says it will hire pilots from budget airline Ryanair to make up numbers if Alitalia pilots resign.
The Italian group has offered to pay 375 million euros (480 million dollars) for the bankrupt carrier’s assets and take on debt worth over 625 million euros.
Alitalia is losing about three million euros a day and has debts totalling some 1.2 billion euros.
