Airlines Lift US-to-Europe Fares by Paring Seats
Businessweek
U.S. carriers led by United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL) (UAL) are shielding their lucrative trans- Atlantic business from the worst of Europe’s economic slump, after shrinking the supply of seats to support higher fares.
Summer ticket prices to western Europe have risen an average of 3 percent from 2011, according to Travelocity.com. Demand for U.S.-to-Europe trips also is holding up, with ticket sales climbing 5.9 percent to 1.31 million for the peak travel months, according to data compiled by Airlines Reporting Corp.
China aims to boost tourism to Tibet with £40m ‘model villages’
Daily Mail
The Chinese government plans to boost tourism to Tibet by building 22 model villages in the region at a cost of £40 million.
Plans are afoot to start construction on the villages in Nyingchi County, 200 miles southeast of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Nyingchi County is known for its stunning countryside, which features forests, valleys and snow-covered mountains.
Will the easyJet model work in Africa?
USA Today
Would the easyJet low-cost model work in Africa? We may be about to find out.
CNN writes:
A new budget airline backed by easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou will soon take to the African skies, promising to bring low-cost flights to millions of people in the continent.
Dubbed Fastjet, the no-frills carrier is expected to launch in three to four months, aiming to cash in on Africa’s robust economic growth and a growing appetite for travel by its burgeoning middle class.
To get the Fastjet effort off the ground, Haji-Ioannou’s easyGroup has partnered with British investment firm Rubicon in a deal that will give easyGroup a 5% stake in Rubicon. That comes after Rubicon on Wednesday acquired African conglomerate Lonhro, which counts the airline Fly540 among its holdings.
Washington to discuss air passenger rights
eTurboNews
The initial Advisory Committee meeting on Aviation Consumer Protections (ACACP) will be held in Washington, DC, Thursday, June 28. The Advisory Committee, overseen by the US Department of Transportation (DOT), will reportedly “examine some of the recent dramatic changes in aviation consumer protections as a result of bankruptcies, low-fare start-ups, burgeoning airline fees, confusing codeshares, and questionable international airline alliance antitrust immunity.”
Some are calling tomorrow’s meeting called historic, as it marks the first time since the airline industry was deregulated in 1978 that an Advisory Committee mandated by Congress is conducting hearings on the state of aviation consumer protections.
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