Lowest Tickets Deal

London, Aug 23 2010 (ANI): Looking to go for a holiday and wondering when's the right time to book your tickets to get the best deal?

You may now take a breather as a Japanese economist has come up with a formula that can get you the cheapest flight.

Experts have suggested that you are likely to get the best deal on your airline tickets if you book eight weeks in advance, reports the Daily Mail.

They have devised a mindboggling mathematical formula -A =gUG + min(k - g, (1 - g)(1 - r))- that can make your holiday cheaper.

But although the formula from Makoto Watanabe and Marc Moller will be invaluable to holidaymakers, it's not an ultimate answer to our uncertainty.

The formula has been published in the latest edition of The Economic Journal. (ANI)

World's Most Dangerous Airport
The name of the airport is Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A large cargo-type plane crashed in Alaska on Sunday and burst into a deadly fireball that sparked a forest fire at Denali National Park, officials said.

Park spokeswoman Kris Fister said there are fatalities, but it's unclear how many because "the plane pretty much disintegrated."

The fire was challenging responders, who did not immediately know who owns the multiengine aircraft. The plane went down near the park's eastern edge at 3:15 p.m., about 100 yards of the only major road in the park.

No missing planes were immediately reported and military officials have said none of their planes were involved.

Clint Johnson with the National Transportation Safety Board said there are a number of large transport planes operating in Alaska. The NTSB was expected to arrive on scene Monday morning.

George Clare, of Las Vegas, said he saw the plane flying very low and slowly while he was walking toward the visitor's center near the park entrance. He thought the plane was going to land on a local airstrip, so he proceeded to the visitor's center. Within minutes, people came running in and saying a plane had crashed.

He said the crash caused a column of smoke a few miles west of the visitor's center.

Clare said the aircraft looked like a military plane to him.

"It was a military khaki green kind of color," he said. "It was propellor-driven. It was a fixed wing aircraft and it had kind of a flat underbelly."

Doug Stockdale with the Alaska Fire Service said the fire was initially estimated at two square acres but could have grown larger. Smokejumper fire crews were flown to the scene, he said.

The crash happened just four days after a military cargo plane crashed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, killing four people onboard.

The victims were Maj. Michael Freyholtz, 34, of Hines, Minn.; Maj. Aaron Malone, 36, of Anchorage; Capt. Jeffrey Hill, 31, of York, Pa., and Master Sgt. Thomas Cicardo, 47, of Anchorage. Cicardo was posthumously promoted to senior master sergeant Friday.

The four airmen were on a training mission Wednesday evening for a weekend air show at the Air Force base, which wrapped up Sunday. The C-17 crashed about a minute after taking off.

Following a massive economic downturn from late 2008 to 2010, an ash cloud that crippled air travel across Europe and a generally depressed travel market, airlines around the world are finally getting some good news, the IATA expects they’ll make a profit this year.

The International Air Transport Association said Friday it was expecting global airlines to report a $2.5 billion profit for 2010, which is a huge improvement over a few months ago when it said the world’s airlines were likely to see a $2.5 billion loss.

U.S. officials say an Aero Mexico flight from Paris to Mexico City was diverted to Montreal when the U.S. denied the flight access to its airspace after a person named in an outstanding warrant was reported aboard.

The person, whom officials did not identify, was removed from the plane by authorities on Sunday and arrested at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

A spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration in Washington, Lauren Gaches, says other passengers on Aero Mexico Flight 006 from Charles De Gaulle Airport to Mexico City International Airport were re-screened and allowed to reboard the flight.

As a matter of policy, the TSA does not confirm or deny whether an individual appears on a government watch list.


Source: Washingtonpost.com

5 May: The Irish Aviation Authority has said that Shannon Airport will close at 5.30pm today as the Icelandic volcano causes fresh travel misery.

Dublin Airport will remain closed until at least 4am tomorrow morning, with restrictions also still in place at Waterford, Knock and Donegal until 6am while Galway airport will be closed until 9am tomorrow morning.

Cork and Kerry airports are still open to limited air traffic - mostly flights being diverted from other airports - until midnight, when restrictions will apply.

The IAA anticipates, subject to confirmation at 8.30pm tonight, lifting restrictions on Irish airports at the following times tomorrow Thursday 6th May 2010:

Cork airport - 11 AM

Shannon airport - 1 PM

Kerry airport - 3 Pm.

The CAA and NATS have confirmed the closure of Belfast, Derry, Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick until at least midnight.

Overflights of Irish airspace between North America and Europe will continue as normal.

Airline passengers should continue to contact their airline websites to establish the up-to-date position on flight schedules.

Irish Ferries has said that there is plenty of space still available on its 8.55pm sailing from Dublin to Holyhead this evening and on its 8.05am and 8.45am sailings from Dublin to Holyhead tomorrow morning and on all returning sailings from Holyhead to Dublin.

Plenty of space is also available on all of their outward and inward bound sailings between Rosslare and Pembroke and on their service between Ireland and France.

Source: breakingnews.ie

An airfare ticket to Saudi Arabia was given to a subject in the Orang Yang Dibawah Pengawasan (OYPD) or Persons Under Surveillance programme of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), to perform the Umrah, at a presentation ceremony yesterday morning.

A travel agency, Titian Travel and Tours, sponsored the airfare ticket for Safri Hj Abd Kahar, the candidate selected from the OYDP.

Asked if this was a one-off contribution, Mohd Jaffari Hj Mahadi, Assistant Director and Head of Supervision Division at Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), told The Brunei Times that “there is no indication if it is a one-off contribution, but the NCB is hoping that it will continue”.

Occasionally we ask the private sector for their help in any form of aid for the NCB to fight against drug use, he added.

He said: “This contribution shows that the private sector is ready to assist the government in its efforts to curb drug abuse in the country.”

Safri was chosen from five short-listed candidates, among several nominees from all four districts.

The NCB statement said there was a selection committee to evaluate candidates. The initial requirement is a sound recovery in the drug rehabilitation programme, provided by the NCB.

From the five candidates short-listed, inspections and judgements were made, including visits to their homes, and family feedback. Due to certain requirements not being met, two candidates fell short of the mark.

The selection committee then conducted personal interviews to choose one from the three remaining candidates.

Among the prevailing conditions in Phase one (the first 8-12 months) of the programme — which focuses on spirituality — an individual must display a positive attitude; a consciousness of responsibility to self, family and the community at large; discipline and a good conduct throughout the programme; and to have goals in life with the confidence that their recovery will be permanent. “I would like to extend my appreciation to Titian Travel and Tours for their offer to help a person under the OYDP,” Mohd Jaffari told The Brunei Times.

Mohd Jaffari said: “The NCB is looking for private companies to employ persons under the OYDP to help their re-integration into society”.

The NCB appreciated Titian Travel and Tours as “the first private company to provide a very valuable contribution to one of our subjects under the OYDP, as an incentive to help ensure the success of our drug rehabilitation programmes”.

Source: www.bt.com.bn

would soon be entitled for cash and care in case their flights are cancelled, delayed or they are denied boarding even when they are holding a confirmed ticket.

The aviation industry regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has come out with the draft guidelines on obligations of airlines towards passengers if they are inconvenienced.

Once finalised, the obligations on airlines would be incorporated in the existing civil aviation requirements (CAR), the aviation industry rule book for operation. DGCA head Nasim Zaidi said the economic regulation is within the purview of the government and the regulator is developing a system for compensation.

As per the draft rules, air carriers would have to pay up to Rs 4,000 to passengers if they are denied boarding despite confirmed booking. The airlines would have to offer either alternative flight or refund of air ticket in case flight is cancelled. The passengers would be entitled for meals, refreshment and accommodation in case a flight is delayed.

“Had these rules been implemented, the Air India episode, a report last week claimed that aviation minister Praful Patel’s daughter forced national carrier to convert a scheduled flight into charter flight inconveniencing passengers, may not have happened,” a DGCA official said on condition of anonymity.

While most of the European countries have empowered passengers by implementing compensation rules broadly stated under the Montreal Convention, India is yet to implement it. The private airlines are not happy with the proposal.

“Almost all the airlines have appropriate reservation and cancellation rules in place. There are already sufficient rules,” a private airline official said on condition of anonymity.

The proposed guidelines would be applicable for both scheduled and non-scheduled airlines. The new rules will require airlines to inform passengers as much in advance as possible about change of aircraft during journey, stops en route and transfer between the airports during the journey. All the information would be required to be provided in the form of a computer print-out.

Source: Economictimes.indiatimes.com

The employer of the 31 stranded Bangladeshi seamen in ships offshore Benin yesterday offered assistance for only one crewman's return home, leaving the rest in uncertainty.

“The company's Managing Director Harris called me today [Monday] and asked me to be prepared to return home tonight,” said Ashraful Alam, chief officer of MT Paloma.

Alam said the other crewmen got panicked as only he was offered an air ticket for home.

He said a few other Bangladeshis, who came back home from Benin, were threatened with dire consequences when they wanted payment of their four months' arrears. They had to return home empty-handed.

The seamen assume that nothing could stop the company from doing whatever it wants, if Alam, the only high-raking official among them, is sent back home.

Alam said he was confused about what to do next.

The ships are around 10 nautical miles off the port of Cotonou in the West African country. They used to carry oil from Nigeria to Europe.

Meanwhile, Lutfar Rahman, Bangladesh's charge d' affaires in Morocco, is expected to leave for Benin tonight to find a way for repatriation of the stranded seamen.

The seamen went to Benin in December last year but they did not receive any payment from the Greece-based company since then.

The old ships were kept anchored there as the company was reportedly having some problems with the Nigerian authorities, they said.

They often faced problems of food, water and fuel in the ships. However, three days back they were given some food, but did not get fresh water or fuel.

In MT Paloma, the crewmen found some coal that they now use for cooking.

In another ship, MT Merrie, two crewmembers fell ill and were unable to eat.

"I throw up often for the last two weeks. I cannot eat tinned fish," said Fazlul Haque, one of the two seamen, over the phone.

Selim, the other crewmember, had serious waist pain.

If it rains, they store water for cooking, he said.

"Please help us come back home," Fazlul appealed.

South African antitrust authority continues to keep carefully watch on competition afraid of air carrier could join a trust with the purpose to increase ticket price on the occasion of "2010 World Soccer Cup" will be disputed in South Africa from next 11th of June to 11th of July. Yesterday a "Blitz" was disposed in AASA's (Association Southern Africa Air Company) low-cost Mango's and South African's (SAA) offices and electronic data.

In an antitrust press release it can read: "These verifications are part of authority's inquiry about a suspected air companies' aim against World Soccer Cup. We suspect both Mango or Saa had hidden some elements useful to inquiry".

The authority started the investigations last January to research on possible illegal aim by air companies British Airways, Comair, Saa and their partners, by low-cost 1Time and Mango, damaging all the sportsmen who will use aircraft to follow near their soccer teams. It's to underline that already in last December South African offered to co-operate, but with condition not to be persecute in this operation.

Source: www.avionews.com

The continued slashes in the prices of air tickets by some domestic carriers have triggered mixed reactions among passengers and industry professionals.

This is coming after last week’s announcement of a new airfare of N3,000 to be booked online by travellers across all domestic routes covered by Aero Contractors - one of the oldest carriers in the country involved in domestic and regional transport business.

With an average of N16,000 for an hour one-way flight in the country, the recent introduction of promo airfares by domestic carriers like Dana Air, Nigerian Eagle Airlines and Aero have no doubt increased the number of air travellers, but the situation has also led to series of complaints from passengers who claim that some of the airlines fail to provide enough seats for travellers with lowest tickets.

“After booking online for N6,000, I almost missed the flight because the flight was overbooked with preference given to people that paid the regular amount; so talking about N3,000 is practically impossible,” said Yemi Samuel, an Abuja bound passenger at the Murtala Mohammed Airport 2 (MMA2), Lagos.

Mrs. Samuel argued that for any scheduled flight, the airline involved should ensure that it get the accurate number of passengers who booked online and those that purchased tickets from either agents or ticketing and reservation officers, so as not to cause confusion and “unnecessary delays” to travellers.

Expressing his doubts as pertaining low cost tickets, another traveller, Nwabueze Godswil, who admitted to have benefitted “once” from reduced air tickets in the past, disclosed that his second experience trying to travel with a low cost ticket was “regretful.”

“I got to the airport as usual but was told that I can’t fly because the aircraft is filled, while I saw some passengers boarding,” he said. “Tell me if such can happen to someone who paid N5,000, what then is the fate of a person who books the N3,000 advertised ticket.”

Mr. Godswill, however, called for safety of lives and properties, adding that though the reduced rates are to attract customers, the airlines should not compromise on their services in a bid to woo clients.

It would be recalled that Aero last year introduced reduced fares of N8,000 for an hour one-way flight, and later in the same year dropped the rate to N5,000, while Nigerian Eagle Airlines, formerly Virgin Nigeria, announced mid last month its low cost ticket of N4,999 on all its domestic routes when purchased at any of Silverbird cinemas nationwide.

Not long enough after Virgin’s promo airfares, Aero came up with its N3,000 ticket, a development which travellers described as an act aimed at retaining its customers.

Civil Aviation Authority position

Commenting on the development, Sam Adurogboye, the media head for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) disclosed that the authority does not regulate whatever amount is decided by an airline to sell its tickets.

“Airfares have been deregulated so they (airlines) are free to advertise,” he said. “Why not wait and see if the fares are feasible or not.?”

Mr. Adurogboye, however, assured passengers that the authority will not compromise on the stipulated standards when it comes to safety and security of lives, adding that any defaulting carrier will not be spared.

“The NCAA in line with the 2001 Civil Aviation Policy is required to check predatory practices by airlines,” he said. “Anyone found wanting will definitely face the consequences.”

Source: 234next.com