Japan Airlines (JAL) to Slash Routes and Aricrafts in Hope of Profit
Japan Airlines Corp, an air flight company whose business path has been quite troubled in recent years and has been bailed out by the government in January, has released its plan to turn the economic tides in its favor and seek profit: JAL will retire two-fifths of their aricrafts, cut one in eight overseas flights and slash a quarter of its home routes. As they have identified a stringent need to compete with, JAL is also planning to create its own low-cost division.
The team developing this turnaround plan is backed by the state and they have submitted their pledge to the Tokyo District court today. The pledge states 10 international flights will be halted, along with 39 domestic routes. The plan will lead JAL to an operating profit margin of 9.2 percent by March 2013. Read more…
Stay.com and SeatGuru included in Time’s 50 Best websites of 2010 List
Two travel sites have been included in Time magazine’s exclusive list of 50 best websites of 2010, a yearly selection of the best the Internet has to offer, “from the helpful to the distracting, the big hitters to the unknown”.
Time’s yearly list, described by the magazine as an attempt to create a road map of the top resources on the Internet, including the top players that entertain, help or inform web surfers, selects 5 top websites in ten different categories: Music and Video, Sports, News and Info, Financial & Productivity, Shopping and Travel, Health and Fitness, Social Media, Games, Education, Family and Kids. Read more…
SkyScanner: 59% of Travellers Want Family-Only Section on Flights
A recent poll carried out by Skyscanner, a cheap flights comparison site, has revealed that 59% of travellers would like a ‘families only’ section onboard flights. Non-parent war particularly taken with the idea, 68% of them voting in favor, yet less than a third of parents agreed with it. The survey was inspired by a recent event when a woman claimed a baby’s screaming made her ears bleed during a Qantas Airlines flight.
More than 2,000 people took part in the Skyscanner poll and here are some of the findings: Read more…
Rise in US Travel Demand Leads to Higher Peak-day Surcharges
The recent rise in US travel demand takes it toll on peak-day surcharges as travelers might pay 60 dollars more to fly in the US by the end of 2010. The reason? Carriers such as Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are increasing their use of surcharges as the rising summer and holiday demand supports their decision.
The trend is obvious: after finally being able to report quarterly profits for the first time in over two years, the US airlines are seeking to squeeze the momentary high demand in air travel and boost their earnings. As surcharges are seen by most passengers as part of the total fare, the higher price might go unnoticed. Read more…