Virgin and British Airways cut fuel surcharges

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are reducing fuel surcharges paid by their customers from midnight on October 15th.

In response to falling oil prices Virgin Atlantic yesterday announced the cut in fuel surcharge for its economy and premium economy passengers. Depending on class and a route the flight tickets are going to be cheaper by up to £26.

According to British Airways, its move to cut the fuel surcharges for up to £13 has nothing to do with the price of oil – as British Airways, hedges the cost of fuel to avoid unpredictable price changes.

Refunds from BA and Virgin

This week British Airways and Virgin Atlantic start the ‘refund advertising campaign’. Both airlines were ordered to do so by US court who found them guilty of fix surcharges.

Passengers who travelled long-haul flights with BA or Virgin Atlantic between August 11, 2004, and March 23, 2006, might be able to claim between £4 and £20 for a return trip for a ticket purchased in the UK and between $7 and $34 for the US.

British Airways plane turned around back to Belgrade

Panic set on a British Airways flight Belgrade and London when passengers smelled foul odour. Fearing a terrorist attack, the captain turned plane around back to Belgrade, where aircraft was evacuated.

After last of the screaming passengers left the plane, the investigators started their examination expecting a leakage of some sort of acidic chemicals. Thankfully, upon further investigation, the source of suspicious odour was narrowed down to a package of curry.

What a curry on!

British Airways increases fares by up to £60

More grim news on flights prices. From 3rd of June, British Airways will increase their surcharges due to soaring fuel prices.

The surcharges on long-haul flights over nine hours will increase by £30 each way and on long-haul flights under nine hours will rise by £15 each way. The short-haul surcharge will rise by £3 per each way.

Terminal 5 shambles continue

The chaos at London Heathrow Terminal 5 seems to carry on today.

British Airways cancelled a fifth of its flights from Heathrow's Terminal 5 this morning as it admitted the £4.3billion facility was not ready to be opened.

The airline continues to offer apologies. It has set up an information line for passengers: 0800 727 800 and service updates are available at www.ba.com.

I think today’s Metro summed this national embarrassment very well with a question; ‘Why can’t BA and BAA get you from A to B without A BA**S-UP?’

Picture: Daily Mail

UK domestic flights passengers to be fingerprinted on Heathrow’s Terminal 5

From next month all passengers boarding flights from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 will be fingerprinted.

Heathrow’s Terminal 5 will accommodate yearly for 4 million domestic passengers. To make sure the same person who checked in boards the airplane, all passengers will our fingerprints taken, as well as being photographed, when they check in and then the procedure will be repeated while boarding.

BAA, the Heathrow’s owner, sees biometric security check as a way to prevent criminals, terrorists and illegal immigrants trying to bypass border controls and assures all biometric data will be destroyed after 24 hours and will not be passed on to the police.

If biometric is to be used to prevent immigrants, how come it is to be implemented on domestic flights terminal? Even security mad U.S. does not fingerprint their domestic passengers.

Ban on holidays to Kenya lifted

The Foreign Office has changed its advice on travel to Kenya. Instead of a blanket travel ban, the Foreign Office is advising against all but essential travel to specific areas of Kenya: particularly the Western and Nyanza provinces, Rift Valley province between Narok and Kitale, parts of Nairobi, Uhuru Park and Mombasa town.

In response, the Kenya Tourism Federation issued a statement describing the situation in beach resorts north and south of Mombasa, including Msambweni, Galu, Diani, Bamburi, Nyali, Shanzu, Kikambala, Kilifi and on to Watamu, Malindi and Lamu as calm with open and secure linking highways.

According to a Kenya Tourism Federation announcement; “Tourists have been staying at the beach resorts throughout the last fortnight without any problems and all have travelled between the airports and their beach hotels without any incidents being reported.”

British Airways operates daily scheduled flights to Nairobi from London Heathrow. Virgin Atlantic, Kenya Airways, KLM revised their timetables. All travelers are recommended to contact their airline before leaving for the airport.

The Foreign Office is recommending that tourists visiting Kenya should avoid all public gatherings and large public meetings, any rallies, even if advertised as peaceful. Extreme caution should be exercised at all times.

Further suspension of flights to Kenya

All UK charter flights to Kenya remain suspended until and including Monday, 21st January.

Scheduled flights with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways continue to operate.

Heathrow delays to be expected.

A British Airways aircraft, a Boeing 777 flight BA38 from Beijing met difficulties while landing at Heathrow Airport. Passengers are reported to acquire only minor injuries.

The traffic at Heathrow is ongoing, however delays are to be expected.

British Airways has set up a helpline for concerned relatives: 0800 389 4193

British Airways new longhaul route to Hyderabad

British Airways is to start flights from Heathrow to the Indian city of Hyderabad from October 27, 2008.

Hyderabad becomes the airline's sixth Indian destination joining Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai on its route network. There will be five flights each week on a Boeing 777 aircraft.

Robert Boyle, British Airways' commercial director, said: "India is our largest market outside North America and, with the Hyderabad route, we will fly there 48 times each week. This is up from 19 flights per week when the UK/India aviation market was liberalised in October 2005.

"Hyderabad has a fast growing economy based on IT, business process outsourcing and biotech industries and we believe that there will be a strong business demand for our flights which will be the only direct services between the city and the UK."

British Airways hand baggage limit lifted

British Airways customers flying through and out of Heathrow will be able to take two pieces of free hand baggage on board from January 7, 2008 following the government's decision to lift the restrictions.

But the one bag limit is still in place at Gatwick.

Robert Boyle, British Airways' commercial director, said, "This is great news for our customers at Heathrow and it's something we've been lobbying for over the last year.

"It was a serious inconvenience for passengers and didn't make sense because the UK was the only country to impose the restrictions.

"Now we want to see the restrictions lifted at Gatwick in line with other major UK airports as quickly as possible. We are working closely with the BAA and the DfT towards lifting the one-bag restriction as soon as possibly."