Aegean For Families - Κοντά στις οικογένειες με Νέες Υπηρεσίες - Travelling News

Η ΑΕGEAN παρουσιάζει το ΑEGEAN For Families, ένα σύνολο υπηρεσιών που σχεδιάστηκαν με στόχο το οικογενειακό ταξίδι με αεροπλάνο να αποτελεί την πιο ευχάριστη, απρόσκοπτη και διασκεδαστική εμπειρία για όλα τα μέλη της οικογένειας.

Οι νέες υπηρεσίες AEGEAN For Families δημιουργήθηκαν μετά από πολύμηνη μελέτη και έρευνα του τρόπου που η σύγχρονη ελληνική οικογένεια ταξιδεύει, και απαντούν σε όλους εκείνους τους προβληματισμούς της οικογένειας που δύνανται να περιορίσουν τη χαρά του ταξιδιού.  Οι Νέες Υπηρεσίες αφορούν σε όλα τα στάδια του ταξιδιού: από τη στιγμή που η οικογένεια σχεδιάζει και οργανώνει το ταξίδι μέχρι και την ολοκλήρωσή του και αποτελούν μια ακόμα έμπρακτη απόδειξη της δέσμευση της εταιρείας να παρέχει εξατομικευμένες προτάσεις που ικανοποιούν τις ανάγκες κάθε επιβάτη.

Το ανανεωμένο aegeanair.com φιλοξενεί όλες τις υπηρεσίες αναλυτικά καθώς και μια ειδικά σχεδιασμένη ενότητα για οικογένειες, όπου παρέχονται όλες οι απαραίτητες πληροφορίες και συμβουλές που πρέπει να γνωρίζει κανείς για την καλύτερη οργάνωση του ταξιδιού με παιδιά και βρέφη.

Η AEGEAN, αναγνωρίζοντας επίσης την ανάγκη για άνετα και οικονομικά οικογενειακά ταξίδια, διαθέτει ειδικούς ναύλους για παιδιά μέχρι 12 ετών ενώ παρέχει μια επιπλέον χειραποσκευή για τα βρέφη.

Το οικογενειακό ταξίδι διευκολύνεται όμως ακόμα περισσότερο και στο αεροδρόμιο.  Έτσι, στα αεροδρόμια της Αθήνας, Θεσσαλονίκης και Λάρνακας οι οικογένειες μπορούν να παραδίδουν τις αποσκευές τους σε ειδικά σχεδιασμένα counters.  Επίσης, δίνεται προτεραιότητα κατά την επιβίβαση των οικογενειών στο αεροσκάφος σε όλες τις πτήσεις της AEGEAN σε όλα τα αεροδρόμια.

Τέλος, τα παιδιά μπορούν πλέον να απασχολούνται με δημιουργικό και ιδιαίτερα ψυχαγωγικό τρόπο καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια της πτήσης στα ταξίδια στο εξωτερικό, με τη νέα σειρά δραστηριοτήτων Aegean Junior Pilots και να απολαμβάνουν ένα νέο γευστικό αλλά και διασκεδαστικό παιδικό μενού που έχει διαμορφωθεί ειδικά για αυτά. 

Η AEGEAN στις 4/2 λανσάρει μια ΝΕΑ μεγάλη προσφορά που θα κάνει το οικογενειακό ταξίδι ακόμα πιο προσιτό.  Έτσι, όσοι γονείς επιθυμούν να κάνουν κράτηση από 4-21/2 τους περιμένει μια ευχάριστη έκπληξη:  Τα παιδιά μέχρι 12 ετών θα ταξιδεύουν με 33% έκπτωση σε όλο το δίκτυο της AEGEAN στην Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό, ενώ τα βρέφη θα ταξιδεύουν εντελώς ΔΩΡΕΑΝ. Η προσφορά ισχύει για ταξίδια μέχρι και 15 Ιουνίου 2016. 

Μάθετε περισσότερα για το σύνολο υπηρεσιών που σχεδίασε η AEGEAN, ώστε να κάνει το οικογενειακό ταξίδι μια μοναδική εμπειρία στο aegeanair.com.

Aegean For Families - Κοντά στις οικογένειες με Νέες Υπηρεσίες - Travelling News

Boeing Completes 737 MAX 8 Test Flight | TheDesignAir

   



By Jonny Clark - The DesignAir


The Boeing 737 MAX 8 flew for the first time yesterday in Seattle as the aircraft manufacturer makes its final stretch to get the aircraft program into the skies. The 737 MAX program achieved this milestone on schedule which begins a comprehensive flight-test program leading to certification and delivery.

The aircraft is the first to utilise the latest technology from the LEAP-1B engines from CFM International and Boeing-designed Advanced Technology winglets. The first member of the efficient 737 MAX family completed a two-hour, 47-minute flight, taking off from Renton Field and landing at 12:33 p.m. at Seattle’s Boeing Field.

“Today’s first flight of the 737 MAX carries us across the threshold of a new century of innovation – one driven by the same passion and ingenuity that have made this company great for 100 years,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Ray Conner. “We are tremendously proud to begin testing an airplane that will deliver unprecedented fuel efficiency in the single-aisle market for our customers.”

The new Boeing 737 MAX family has proven popular with airlines due to it’s efficiency and reliability as well as passenger comfort.. The new 737 MAX 8 promises 20 percent lower fuel use than the first Next-Generation 737s – and 8 percent per seat lower operating costs than the A320neo. The 737 MAX 8 is the first member in Boeing’s new family of single-aisle airplanes – the 737 MAX 7, MAX 8, MAX 200 and MAX 9 – to begin flight testing.

The 737 MAX will extend the Next-Generation 737 range advantage with the capability to fly more than 3,500 nautical miles (6,510 km), an increase of 340 – 570 nmi (629-1,055 km) over the Next-Generation 737. The 737 MAX family has 3,072 orders from 62 customers worldwide.

Boeing Completes 737 MAX 8 Test Flight | TheDesignAir

Αύξηση 25% της επιβατικής κίνησης της Turkish Airlines προς τα αεροδρόμια Αθηνών και Θεσσαλονίκης

           

Η Turkish Airlines σημείωσε ετήσια αύξηση 25% στην επιβατική κίνηση προς τα διεθνή αεροδρόμια Αθηνών και Θεσσαλονίκης. Σε σχέση με το 2014, η εταιρεία κατάφερε να αυξήσει σημαντικά την επιβατική κίνηση προς τα διεθνή αεροδρόμια “Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος” και “Μακεδονία”, μεταφέροντας συνολικά περισσότερους από 500.000 επιβάτες. Το γεγονός αυτό κατατάσσει την Turkish Airlines ανάμεσα στις 5 πρώτες αεροπορικές εταιρίες με βάση τον αριθμό επιβατών.  

Πέρασαν 69 χρόνια (12 Φεβρουαρίου 1947) από την πρώτη διεθνή πτήση της Turkish Airlines προς την Αθήνα από την Άγκυρα, με ενδιάμεσο σταθμό την Κωνσταντινούπολη. Από τότε έως και σήμερα η εταιρεία συνεχίζει να μεταφέρει αδιάκοπα στην Ελλάδα, επιβάτες από κάθε σημείο του κόσμου.

Το δίκτυο της Turkish Airlines το οποίο αριθμεί 284 διεθνείς προορισμούς σε 113 χώρες του κόσμου, εξασφαλίζει ότι κάθε χρόνο ακόμα περισσότεροι θα έχουν την ευκαιρία να επισκεφθούν την Ελλάδα. 

Αύξηση 25% της επιβατικής κίνησης της Turkish Airlines προς τα αεροδρόμια Αθηνών και Θεσσαλονίκης

Swiss Receives a New Flagship: The Boeing 777-300ER

   

Andreas Spaeth - airwaysnews.com


Switzerland is a very aviation-minded country – there is no other way to explain the huge commotion at Zurich’s Kloten airport last Friday: The open air rooftop terrace was specially opened at 07:00 for an event that the outgoing Swiss CEO Harry Hohmeister describes as “a historical day for Switzerland, a symbol of our first step into the future.”

It was the arrival of the first Boeing 777-300ER for the Swiss national carrier, having emerged from the ashes of former Swissair and now firmly established as a solid money-maker within the Lufthansa Group. But still it was fascinating to watch how a simple Boeing 777-300ER, a mainstay of many of today’s long-haul fleets with over 580 in service worldwide, could mobilize thousands of spectators to flock to the airport early on an initially rainy January morning.









There was quite a bit of pushing and shoving when the aircraft finally appeared in the skies over runway 16/34 shortly after 9am local time, escorted by two F/A-18 fighter jets of the Swiss Air Force. “Our pilots flying the delivery flight from Everett’s Paine Field to Zurich are themselves former air force pilots, and the fighter pilots are friends of theirs, so it was a natural gesture for them to escort the new flagship and do some aerial photography with their reconnaissance cameras during a flyby of the famous Matterhorn peak in the Swiss Alps,” Captain Ola Hansson, the Swiss Fleet Chief for the Boeing 777, told AirwaysNews. Finally at 9:14 local time, after an estimated flight time of nine hours and 55 minutes, but with all the extra loops amounted to a total time of 10 hours and 21 minutes, the new “flagship of Switzerland”, as it was referred to, touched down at its new home base.









This first aircraft, a Boeing 777-3DE(ER), (MSN: 44582 / LN: 1363), is registered HB-JNA. Decals of hundreds of Swiss employees in different sizes were applied to the fuselage before the aircraft was due to embark on pilot training flights early this week.



From February 8th there will be two weeks of commercial crew training flights on scheduled short haul services around Europe, “we need our pilots to accumulate landings”, says Ola Hansson. These flights are bookable on Swiss.com.  The most densely flown route will be Zurich to Frankfurt, on some days several times daily. The easiest way to spot them on the booking page is the indication “Operated by Swiss Global Air Lines”, which now operates the 777s as well as the Avros and soon the Bombardier CSeries from this summer under its own AOC. The other AOC is “Swiss International Air Lines”, operating the Airbus fleet. Swiss Global operates with lower labor costs, although Swiss won’t reveal by how much cheaper it produces.





Swiss will receive five more Boeing 777s of an initial order of nine by the end of August, replacing the outdated Airbus A340-300s, of which Swiss operates 15 to date. The main reason for buying the 777s, that were only ordered in early 2013, was “that we got them relatively cheaply and relatively quickly”, discloses Hansson. “The Boeing 787 is too small for us and the Airbus A350 would have only been available in 2019, but we needed new aircraft now.” Two more 777s will join the Swiss fleet in 2017 and one in 2018. “I hope it will be more 777s”, says Harry Hohmeister, who after 11 years at the helm of Swiss now returns to Lufthansa’s headquarters top ranks in Frankfurt. Lufthansa itself is the launch customer for the 777-9, with the first of 34 firm orders expected to join the fleet by 2020.



The cabin of the Swiss-777 seats a total of 340 passengers and is a leap forward in comparison to the interiors of the Airbus A340-300s it is replacing. The eight individual cabins in First Class boast the largest video screens in the industry measuring 32 inches and electro-mechanical window shades, serving all three windows per seat at once.









The 62 seats in Business Class are configured either 1-2-2 or 2-2-1, creating a total of 12 single “throne seats” with extra storage space and armrests-cum-tables on both sides of the seat. The current Swiss Business offering has been refined and enhanced, with more storage space and better privacy, also for the first time introducing three-point seat belts instead of an airbag in the lap belt. The 270 Economy Class seats boast more recline, bigger 11-inch touchscreens and USB and audio ports for every passenger.

The biggest novelty of the aircraft, however, is the Panasonic eX connect IFE system, with Swiss as the first major European carrier now allowing voice calls on its 777 fleet. “This function will be disabled after the inflight service on night flights”, says Frank Maier, Head of Product and Services at Swiss. “We will test it for one year but expect to keep it on with not too many people using it, but it is something you have to offer as an airline these days.” Online access will be offered in three different data packages, 20MB costing 9 Swiss Francs (ca. US$ 8.82), 50MB going for 19 Francs and 120MB costing 39 Francs, a model much more expensive for the passenger usually than flat-fee models like Lufthansa utilizes.

Swiss will deploy its first Boeing 777 on regular long haul flights from Zurich to New York JFK from February 21 four times weekly, then it will switch to daily Montréal services on March 27. For this route, the aircraft is actually too big for commercial reasons, “but we are forced to do it because of the required ETOPS training”, reveals Ola Hansson. In mid-April, the 777s will be finally starting to take over Hong Kong services, a route well suited for the aircraft, followed by Los Angeles (June), Bangkok (July) and then San Francisco and Sao Paulo. But it will probably never again create such a stir as during its premiere on this damp Friday morning in January in Zurich.

Swiss Receives a New Flagship: The Boeing 777-300ER

Dubai International holds international airport top spot | Breaking Travel News

Dubai International retained its position as the world’s number one hub for international passengers by registering annual traffic of just over 78 million in 2015, according to a traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports.

Boosted by the growth of some 100 airlines that connect Dubai International to more than 240 destinations around the world, most notably Emirates and flydubai, annual passenger traffic at DXB surged 10.7 per cent to reach a record 78,014,838 passengers in 2015 compared to 70,473,893 recorded during 2014.

Passenger numbers in December 2015 totalled 7,053,243, an increase of 8.5 per cent compared to 6,498,573 recorded during the same month in 2014, taking the average monthly traffic for the year to a record high of 6.5 million.

It was the second time in the year after August when monthly traffic exceeded the seven million mark.

Aircraft movements in 2015 reached 403,517, up 14.1 per cent compared to 353,507 movements recorded during 2014.

Monthly aircraft movements in December totalled 35,575 compared to 33,595 movements during the same month in 2014, an increase of 5.9 per cent.

During the year DXB welcomed new airlines including Air Canada from Toronto, Eurowings from Amsterdam and China Southern from Wuhan, among others.

A total of 12 new passenger destinations were also added thanks to the on-going network expansion of Dubai-based airlines flydubai and Emirates.

Despite the transfer of all pure cargo operators from DXB to Dubai World Central, cargo volumes remained relatively steady with 2,506,092 tonnes of air freight passing through the airport during the year, up 3.4 per cent compared to 2,423,677 tonnes recorded during 2014.

Monthly freight volumes in December totalled 218,408 up five per cent compared to 207,618 recorded during the same month in 2014.

Paul Griffiths, chief executive, Dubai Airports said: “It’s another banner year for Dubai International where we broke records, engaged and entertained our customers in new ways, and retained our position as the world’s number one international hub.

“But we have no time to rest on our laurels as we are already busy testing the readiness our newest facility, the $1.2 billion Concourse D, which when it opens for our 70 plus airlines this quarter, will play a crucial role in helping us welcome millions of passengers in comfort and style.”

Dubai International holds international airport top spot | News | Breaking Travel News

Jet Airways plans in-flight Wi-Fi roll-out | Breaking Travel News

Jet Airways has announced the introduction of an in-flight entertainment streaming service.

The service enables wireless streaming of movies, TV programmes, a wide genre of music and interactive games directly onto guests’ Wi-Fi enabled personal devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops on Jet Airways flights. 

Jet Airways has developed the new system in collaboration with Global Eagle Entertainment, a global leader in media content, technology and connectivity solutions to the travel industry.

The streaming service will be introduced on the Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft in the Jet Airways fleet starting from the second quarter of 2016.

The airline further plans to upgrade from a streaming service to a full broadband satellite connectivity in the future, (subject to regulatory approvals), allowing guests to enjoy services such as internet surfing, e-mail, social media, connecting flight information, instant messaging, real time travel services and destination deals.

Jet Airways will offer the unique features in phases with a user-friendly, interactive interface, enabling guests to stream their selection from the wide range of multilingual content available on board. 

Gaurang Shetty, senior vice president. commercial, Jet Airways, said: “Jet Airways has constantly innovated to adopt new age technologies to enhance the guest experience.

“This best-in-class, customer-focused initiative will provide superior entertainment and communication options to guests and we are confident it will set new benchmarks by delivering high quality, global entertainment content to guests’ personal devices.”

Jet Airways plans in-flight Wi-Fi roll-out | News | Breaking Travel News

Garuda to link UK to Indonesia with new Heathrow route | Breaking Travel News

Garuda Indonesia is to begin services from London to Jakarta, operating from their new UK base at Terminal 3 of London’s Heathrow Airport. 

The new service will be the first and only non-stop flight to connect the UK and Indonesia, beginning Thursday March 31st, 2016.

It is expected that seats will be on sale from the third week of February.

As part of the move, the Indonesian flag carrier will increase its service frequency to five times per week, departing every day except Mondays and Fridays.

Cutting out the previous stopover at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, the service will cater to business travellers travelling to Jakarta and leisure travellers stopping over on their way to the country’s many paradisiacal locations, including Bali.

Return flights to the UK will be direct via Singapore.

The move to Heathrow is part of Garuda Indonesia’s strategy to strengthen its presence in Europe and meet its commitment as the national flag carrier, to connect Indonesia to the world.

Enveloping all five senses, the unique Garuda Indonesia experience on-board, including the smell of aromatic flowers and traditional Indonesian food, ensures that passengers will be immersed in all that Indonesia has to offer.

Once in Jakarta passengers will be able to take advantage of Garuda Indonesia’s onward routes to Australia, various South East Asian destinations and 58 domestic locations.

Jubi Prasetyo, general manager UK & Ireland said: “Making the move to Heathrow Airport has been an ambition of ours since joining SkyTeam in March 2014.

“Heathrow’s pivotal role in servicing the alliance’s 1,052 destinations makes it an ideal departure airport for our passengers.

“Flying non-stop direct to Jakarta means we will truly be the most efficient way to reach Indonesia from the UK.”

The non-stop route from Heathrow will continue to utilise the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration.

Garuda to link UK to Indonesia with new Heathrow route | News | Breaking Travel News

Air Transat Pilots Vote Overwhelmingly to Authorize Strike

   

Air Transat pilots, speaking clearly, loudly, and with a unified voice, overwhelmingly authorized a legal strike pursuant to Canada Labour Law on Monday.

96 percent of the 524 eligible pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) took part in the ballot, with 97 percent voting in support of a withdrawal of services, if required. "These results serve as a notice to the Company that our pilots are united and stand firm behind our goal of achieving a fair and equitable contract," said Capt. Patrice Roy, chairman of Air Transat's ALPA Master Executive Council. The authorization comes after a year of negotiations for a new pilot contract and follows the expiration of the current collective agreement on April 30, 2015.

Last year, discussions with Air Transat management led the Association to determine that the pilot group's concerns were not being taken seriously. In December, distance between the parties on many of the demands led the pilots to seek intervention from Canada'sMinister of Labour, saying that management's proposal would keep Air Transat's pilots below the industry standard for the term of the agreement.  

"Our pilots are seeking a contract that recognizes their contribution to the success of an airline that they have not only helped to build but also played a key role in ensuring its continuing longevity when the airline experienced financial difficulties a few years ago," said Capt. Roy. He further cautions that a strike mandate does not necessarily constitute a decision but levels the balance of power at the bargaining table and protects Canada's pilots under the law.

"It is with our help that Air Transat has remained profitable through the tough times the company faced," said Capt. Roy, "It's time for management to now invest in pilots the same way they've invested in other Air Transat employees and executives. This can easily be accomplished by bringing the company's pilots to parity within the industry and at levels comparable to our direct competitors."

Once the Minister of Labour received the pilots' official request for conciliation, a conciliation officer was appointed, and a 60-day conciliation period commenced. The February 7, 2016, deadline for an agreement is fast approaching, and the pilots have seen little progress.

"We want to negotiate," Capt. Roy continued. "We're 100 percent ready to do everything the law allows to bring parity for our roles within the industry. A strike is never the ideal path to reaching agreement, but our pilots have demonstrated that they realize it may be necessary."

The conciliation period ends on February 7, 2016, and cannot be extended without the consent of both ALPA and Air Transat A.T. Once conciliation ends, a 21-day cooling-off period begins, at which point both parties will gain the right to strike or lockout. "By taking this action, Air Transat pilots are signaling that their management must stop stalling and finalize a contract that addresses their legitimate needs," said Capt. Roy.

Pilots at Air Transat joined ALPA in 1999. The group's 520 members operate the fleet's A310-300s and A330-200s and -300s, plus B-737-700s and -800s from bases in Montreal, P.Q.; Toronto, Ont.; and Vancouver, B.C.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents over 52,000 pilots at 30 U.S. and Canadian airlines, including more than 2,600 Canadian flightcrew members who fly for Air Transat, Bearskin, Calm Air, Canadian North, First Air, Jazz Aviation, Kelowna Flightcraft, and Wasaya.

Air Transat Pilots Vote Overwhelmingly to Authorize Strike -- MONTREAL, Feb. 1, 2016