Airlines
WestJet boasts strong fourth quarter
WestJet has announced December traffic results with a load factor of 81.7%. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 7.2% year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 7.4% over the same period. The airline flew 18.5 million guests in the full-year 2013, a year-over-year increase of 6.1% or approximately 1.1 million additional guests. “We are very pleased to finish the year with our second-highest fourth quarter and full-year load factors, as well as setting a new single-day record as we flew 60,566 guests on Dec. 20,” said WestJet...
Malaysia Airlines adds YVR to network
Malaysia Airlines and Japan Airlines have established a new codeshare agreement giving Malaysia access to and from Vancouver via Tokyo. The new codeshare will see Japan Airlines services from Narita to Vancouver and vice versa carrying the Malaysia Airlines flight code. MH9770 will depart Narita at 6:05p.m. daily and arrive at Vancouver at 10 a.m. local time the same day. Meanwhile, MH9769 will depart Vancouver at 1 p.m. daily, arriving at Narita at 4:30 p.m. the next day. The Japan Airlines code for this service is JL018 and JL017 respectively. Guests from Malaysia can connect to...
Star Alliance, Air India restart integration process
At a recent board meeting held in Vienna, the chief executives of the Star Alliance member airlines decided unanimously to recommence the integration process with Air India. “Star Alliance has long held the opinion that India is such an important aviation market that it should be fully represented in the Alliance,” said Mark Schwab, Star Alliance CEO. “However the level of change in the domestic market in recent years did not make it easy for an airline to become an alliance member.” He added, “The market in India is now showing signs of stabilization. Today we see an Air India...
Etihad adds Dallas to network
Etihad Airways will launch direct flights to Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, in 2014, the United Arab Emirates’ national airline’s fifth destination in the United States. The addition of the new ultra-long haul three flights a week service, which will start on Dec. 3, 2014, follows Etihad’s pledge to continue to expand its US flight network to cater for growing demand from business and leisure travellers. Dallas is also the largest and most important hub for American Airlines, Etihad Airways’ US codeshare partner, and the new service will strengthen Etihad Airways’ reach and depth...
WestJet, iTravel2000 team up
WestJet reports that iTravel2000 has signed a letter of intent to use the WestJet Direct API connection provided by Farelogix to book and ticket air travel. In addition, itravel2000 will become a WestJet- certified conforming channel by the spring of 2014, ensuring access to WestJet’s best fares and ancillary products. WestJet is excited to see travel-trade partners like itravel2000 working to provide guests with the best available content we have to offer, including our newly introduced fare options and ensuing availability of choice for travellers,” said Bob Cummings, WestJet’s...
Star Alliance maintains presence in Brazil
The chief executive board of Star Alliance has agreed to extend Avianca’s membership of the Alliance to include its partner Avianca Brazil. The unanimous decision marks the first step in Star Alliance’s strategy to secure its position in the Brazilian market following current member airline TAM’s decision to leave the Alliance as a consequence of its merger with LAN. “I am pleased that we have been able to secure Avianca Brazil as an addition to our network in Latin America's largest country, biggest economy and most important aviation market,” said Mark Schwab, CEO Star...
LOT updates summer flight schedule
LOT Polish Airlines has updated its flight schedule for the 2014 summer season in its booking systems. Changes in the system will be introduced gradually. The summer schedule will be effective beginning March 31, 2014. Daily flights from Toronto, Chicago and New York will operate throughout the season in a fixed evening schedule. Further evening flights will be launched in the months with the greatest passengers demand (May - September). Beginning April 22 through May 3, LOT will provide five Dreamliner flights between Warsaw and Rome for John Paul II canonization. Tickets are already...
WestJet plans for busy day
In light of winter storm advisories just issued for parts of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, WestJet is advising guests travelling over the next few days to take steps to make their travel experience more comfortable. The advisories also come as the airline prepares to carry more than 60,000 guests today (Dec. 20), setting a new single-day record. The following tips will go a long way toward getting guests safely across the WestJet network: !!! Check westjet.com regularly for flight status and travel advisories. The web site is the quickest and best source for...