The Air Travel Guide
International Airlines
European Airline Begins Flying Using BioFuel
0307 days
Big news coming out of Europe, as Lufthansa has announced that they have initiated a world’s first. They are the first airline to provide passenger flights using biofuel. The flights, which are operating Hamburg and Frankfurt Germany, will be using a 50% mixture of Hydro processed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), along with regular fuel in one engine. Regular jet fuel will be used in the other. The aircraft being used will be an Airbus A321, equipped with minor changes so that the engines can process the fuel more efficiently.
This is a huge step forward in green technology, especially considering that airlines are some of the biggest polluters in the world. Lufthansa plans on keeping these flights going for about 6-months, then re-evaluate after that. Furthermore, the airline, along with Airbus will be studying the long term impact of this new fuel on overall aircraft performance.
“Lufthansa is the world’s first airline to utilise biofuel in daily flight operations. This is a further consistent step in the sustainability strategy, which Lufthansa has for years been successfully pursuing. We want to secure future sustainable mobility by conducting research and development work today,” said Christoph Franz, Lufthansa CEO.
Airbus is the first airplane manufacturer to implement biofuel with their aircraft. Both Bombardier and Boeing have also made significant advancements, however, Airbus beat them to it.
image: tcgraf.de
Canada Vs. UAE: Airline Customers Caught In The Middle
0496 days
The recent buzz about the fight over airports and military bases is going to end up hitting customers in the pocket book sooner or later. Both the Canadian government and the United Arab Emirates have been in a feud over the allowance of flights from the UAE’s premier airline to increase. Unfortunately, the lack of cooperation between the two nations has caused the UAE to increase visa fees drastically, not to mention that the Canadian military have now been evicted from various military bases within the country.
Because of this dispute, Canadians will now be charged a whopping $1,000 for a six month multiple entry visa, $500 for a three month visa, and $250 for 30 days.
With all of that said, I don’t believe that this should be the biggest worry with Canadians. What we should be concerned about; however, is the Canadian government not allowing Emirates airlines to increase service into Canada. As we already know, Air Canada has a huge monopoly when it comes to international travel. By preventing Emirates from having access to Canadian airports, the government is indirectly helping Air Canada in keeping that monopoly. Remember, that if we want lower prices, competition is key.
What I’ve found really interesting though is just how bad Emirates Airline wants access to Canadian destinations. The company has even gone out of their way by stating the following:
We have stated on many occasions that Emirates is not subsidised in any way, shape or form by the Dubai government: it never has been and never will be. Our financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the world’s largest accounting firm, confirm that there is no evidence of subsidisation whatsoever. These accounts have been made freely available to the public through Emirates’ website (www.emirates.com) and they clearly demonstrate that we do not receive any direct or indirect subsidies.
The fact is, we need more competition in Canada. Because of our small population, it becomes even harder to create internal competition. To fix this, I believe Canada needs to maintain strong relationships with airlines abroad, even if they’re in disagreement with a particular country.
Another worry I have with this dispute is the fact that the UAE may retaliate by not allowing Air Canada to land at their airports. With Dubai being a fantastic vacation getaway, a lot of Canadians will be disappointed that they won’t have access to this warm climate.
Although I realize that the Canadian government is trying to protect Canadian interests (and I sincerely think they are.), it’s important that they also realize what problems this altercation with the UAE may create for the future of international air travel from Canada.
In The Cockpit At 35 000 Feet
0503 days
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to fly one of WestJet’s 737′s or an Air Canada Jazz CRJ? Only a few years ago, the only people who really knew what happens in the cockpit of these aircraft were the pilots themselves. Sure, occasionally they may have allowed visits from passengers into the cockpit, but that usually doesn’t consist of anything other than a quick tour of the flight deck.
Because of the digital age that we’re living in, it’s become much easier to see what goes on inside the cockpit. From a flight deck view of a landing in New York to following Pilots on Twitter, there are many ways that anyone with an Internet connection can get a behind the scenes look.
Most recently I found a Flickr account created by Shawn, a WestJet pilot who takes photos during his trips around North America. Some of his photos consist of other planes flying past him, views of panels within the cockpit, along with his journey to where he is today. I strongly recommend viewing Shawn’s photo stream if you’re interested in seeing what happens behind that door in the front of the aircraft.
I’ve also seen some “In The Life Of” videos on Youtube. So if you’re interested in seeing what flight crews do during their overnight stays in different cities, definitely check that out.
I find that for people who find flying to be scary, seeing how calm the flight crews are when they fly is a great way to take that worry away. Seeing these videos, blogs, and photos can be a great way to calm your anxiety and allow you to fly without worry.
Photo: Sergio Aguilera
European Weather Effecting Canadian Holiday Travel
0518 days
Those who’re expecting a flight from London (among other European cities today) shouldn’t get too excited. Bad winter weather has caused many delays among numerous cancellations all around Northern Europe. This includes flights that are being expected at Canadian airports from airlines such as Air Canada and British Airways.
Among those cancelled flights includes a British Airways flight that was expected to arrive in Vancouver this afternoon. YVR officials have suggested that anyone who is flying with British Airways or any other airline flying out of London-Heathrow to contact their airline. Airlines apparently have been very good when it comes to allowing passengers to rebook their flights and communicating any delays that passengers may face.
London-Heathrow airport has posted this notice on their website as of 10:00PM UK time:
Due to the continuing bad weather, further flight delays and cancellations are likely over the coming days and beyond. We are operating a reduced schedule until 06:00 on Wednesday, 22 December.
For more information on delayed or cancelled flights. It’s recommended that you contact your airline or local airport.
Flying To Mexico? Stay Far Away From Mexicana Airlines
1631 days
Image Credit: Axel J
We are now approaching the season where Canadians flock to Mexico to enjoy a nice winter vacation. There are a wide variety of airlines that fly down south, one of which was Mexicana Airlines. Mexicana was the largest airline in Mexico, but as of today, they have seized all operations. This may affect thousands of Canadians, as Mexicana served at least 4 Canadian destinations, including Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.
Unfortunately, if you’ve already purchased a ticket for Mexicana you’re going to have to do some work. Grupo Mexicana is your best bet for getting more information and a refund. However, as what happened with JetsGo a few years ago, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get your money back. That’s why it’s best to take quick action and not wait until all the money is gone. Furthermore, Mexicana is restructuring their company, with money being tossed in all different directions. Although they hope to continue operations later on, history tells us that the chances of that are minimal, especially in such a cut-throat industry.
Another note that should be added to this is the that booking systems are still accepting payments for Mexicana tickets, even though you won’t actually be able to use it. This also includes Mexicana’s website, however; I’ve seen reports suggesting that the site wont allow you to search for flights. In any case, it’s best to stay away from Mexicana all together, even if you’re going through a third party service.
The failure of Mexicana was becoming increasingly imminent the last couple of years. In 2009 they made a stringent attempt to gain market share back (which was surprisingly successful), re-branding themselves and their logo. Their new livery was one of the most recognizable in the world, with purple covering the nose and the tail of the plane. During 2009 they managed to carry 6.6 million passengers domestically and 4.5 million internationally — a majority of this was from the United States.
As for other Mexican airlines like Aeromexico, they seem to be handling themselves quite well. And considering the fact that their sales are expected to increase due to the collapse of their competition, you can expect that they’ll be your most stable method of travelling into Mexico. With that said though, you still have options in North America; WestJet, Alaska Airlines, and United being your best bet.
It’s pretty sad to see that a once successful and historic airline has failed. Founded in 1921, this airline has been flying Mexicans on about 68 aircraft and serving close 50 destinations. They were, at one time, the most modern airline in the world. In fact, they planned on replacing their two Boeing 767s with A330s to keep their (mostly Airbus) fleet consistent. Looks like because of Mexicana’s Bankruptcy, Airbus will be out of yet another customer.
There has been no information regarding the potential of Mexicana starting back up, but it’s unlikely. The company has filed for Bankruptcy in both Mexico and the United States. Also, after the previous couple of weeks of failed negotiations with potential buyers, it’s unlikely anyone will take on the burden of supporting a failed airline.
Alaska Airlines To Provide British Columbians With Service To Honolulu
0655 days
If you’ve lived in the Lower Mainland of BC, you’ll know that many people choose to use the Bellingham airport over Vancouver International because of the price discounts you get when you travel from the US. Also, most of us are familiar that WestJet has been dominating the Honolulu route from Vancouver. Well this may not be the case in the next few months, as Alaska Airlines has announced that they’ll be providing non-stop service from Bellingham to Honolulu daily.
All though it may note appear noticeable immediately, this new route poses a direct threat to Canadian airlines servicing Hawaii destinations. Flights are cheaper in the United States and Bellingham is extremely close to the Canadian border. There’s no doubt that hundreds, if not thousands of Canadian airline passengers cross the American border to take advantage of these amazing deals. I have no doubt that they’ll be taking advantage of this route to.
Throughout the past couple of years, WestJet has been dominating this route out of YVR. Currently, they have two flights heading to Honolulu daily, however, the cost is extremely expensive compared to leaving out of Bellingham via Alaska Airlines. In fact, the average price for a round trip ticket to Honolulu through WestJet is around $930. Compare this to an Alaska Airlines flight out of Bellingham costing just under $452 if you find the right date. Now admittedly, Alaska’s price depends on when you book your flight, however, this easily beats any offer that WestJet is offering.
I find it quite interesting just how easy it is to find a cheap flight if you leave from Bellingham airport. For example, Allegiant Airlines has direct flights to Phoenix, Arizona for much less than it would if you depart from YVR. What’s even more amazing is the fact that no Canadian airline seems to be making any attempt at providing competition to flights leaving out of Bellingham (ie: WestJet lowering their costs to Honolulu from Vancouver.)
Yet again, it seems that Canadians are going to have to commute to the US to get a good deal on flights.
Alaska Airlines Improves Their Fleet With Two Next-Generation Boeing 737s
0664 days
Alaska Airlines announced today that they would exercise their option to purchase two more Next Generation 737-800s from Boeing. Costing the company at around $153 million, these planes were offered as an exercise option if Alaska needed more air planes. These planes will be added to the now 13 Next-Generation 737s that will be delivered to Alaska over the next several years. Alaska airlines has approximately 116 737s in total.
“Alaska Airlines continues to execute a successful and strategic vision based on its expansive fleet of efficient and reliable Next-Generation 737s,” said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Alaska celebrated its transition to a single fleet in 2008 and with these additional orders, is truly reaping the benefits represented by its slogan, ‘Proudly all-Boeing.’
The President of Alaska Airlines said that expanding Alaska’s fleet with these new planes will allow the company to both fly more efficiently and provide more routes for customers. Furthermore, he believes that it will please investors.
FAA Orders Inspection of Boeing 767s For Cracks
0670 days
Credit: TVL 1970 on Flickr
The FAA ordered airlines who use Boeing 786s to check their aircraft for cracks more often. The reasons behind this is because the FAA believes that these cracks could cause the engines to dislocate from the wings and fall off.
These cracks are most commonly found in the pylons, which attach the engines to the wings. The reasoning behind this order, according to the FAA, is because cracks on American Airline’s Boeing 767s were found. This order, will affect the 138 planes that are registered within the United States, from Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, FedEx, United Airlines, US Airways, UPS, and ABX. With that said, there are 314 planes world wide that may be affected, however, they are not under US jurisdiction.
There has been no word from Air Canada, who operates 30 Boeing 767s in Canada. Furthermore, the Canadian government has not announced any new regulation regarding this issue.
Boeing Delivers Their 800th Airplane to China
0670 days
Boeing delivered its 800th airplane to China today. The Boeing plane, a 737-800, was given to Air China.
“Boeing and China have had a long-standing and productive partnership since 1972,” said Wang Changshun, deputy administrator of CAAC. “CAAC and Boeing have broad cooperation in safety, flight standards, airworthiness and new technologies, etc. We hope we will continue to further strengthen this win-win partnership.”
The first plane to a Chinese airline was delivered in 1872, when CACC ordered 10 Boeing 707 aircraft, making China a valid competitor in the world air travel market. Furthermore, a recent statistic says that more than 50 percent of all airline jets are made by Boeing.
This all isn’t to say though that all the money that Boeing makes will stay in the United States. This is because Boeing has purchased over $1.5 billion in parts and services from Chinese manufacturers since the 1980s, which are installed in approximately 5,700 Boeing aircraft.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner a Hot Sell In Farnborough
0671 days
More sales came for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which has yet to be released. Today the aircraft manufacturer sold three more of the aircraft to Royal Jordanian Airlines, costing around $500 million. The Jordanian airline has now ordered a total of 11 787′s, dating back as early as 2007.
Royal Jordanian was one of the first airlines to pick up the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and they will be running the first planes they get to their North American destinations.
“The superior economics and range capability of the 787 will allow us to competitively serve North America and other destinations in our network from Amman,” said Hussein Dabbas, president and CEO of Royal Jordanian. “The unique passenger appeal of the 787 will enable us to provide a competitive advantage in the markets we serve.”
This all comes after Boeing announced a delay for the shipment of the first Boeing 787s to early next year. The Dreamliner is expected to be one of the most economically friendly aircraft ever created, with some of the most innovative technology installed.
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