Russia approves Air France, Lufthansa routes avoiding Belarus
According to Christian Hartmann from Reuters, 2 of the biggest European airlines: Air France and Lufthansa have received approval from Russia for flight routes to the country that avoid Belarusian airspace, the airlines said on Saturday.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has advised domestic and foreign airlines to avoid Belarusian air space following the May 23 forced landing in Minsk of a Ryanair jet en route to Lithuania from Greece, and the arrest of a dissident journalist on board.
Air France said its new flight path to Moscow started on Saturday and had been authorised for this weekend. The airline, which is part of the Air France-KLM group, operates one or two flights a day between Paris and Moscow.
A spokeswoman for Lufthansa, Germany’s biggest airline, said it had been given approval for the new routes on its flights from Frankfurt to Moscow and St Petersburg for the foreseeable future. The German national carrier currently operates seven return flights from Frankfurt to Moscow and three return flights from Frankfurt to St Petersburg per week.
For further details, please click here and continue reading on Reuters.
Alaska Airlines expands in Central America with new service
According to the official press release from Alaska Airlines, the airline is expanding its horizons to the breathtaking beaches, idyllic islands and ancient culture of Belize beginning this fall.
Seasonal service will operate four times a week between Los Angeles and Belize City (BZE), and twice weekly between Seattle and Belize City, beginning Nov. 19 – just in time for the holiday season. Fares between Los Angeles and Belize City start at $199, and $249 between Seattle and Belize City. Tickets are available for purchase now on alaskaair.com.
“Our guests are eager for more eco-friendly leisure destinations, especially as they get vaccinated, and we’re ready to offer them terrific options,” said Brett Catlin, vice president of network and alliances for Alaska Airlines. “Belize offers an unbeatable mix of sensational beaches, iconic cayes and rich heritage.”
For further details, please click here and continue reading on Alaska Airlines
Wizz Air decided to Close Down Norway Domestic Routes
According to ifeinnorway.net, the Hungarian based carrier Wizz Air will no longer operate domestic flights in Norway. Some international routes will remain. Just last year they announced to open the domestic routes in Norway, therefore this decision is a surprise.
From June 14, all domestic flights in Norway flown by Wizz Air will cease. The airline confirmed the decision to Norwegian business news website e24 following speculation in the media.
“The decision is based on financial and commercial assessments. The company is moving capacity to other markets,” said communications director Andras Rado to e24.
However international flights are remaining in place. For those currently no changes are expected, however… for the rest of the article, please click here and continue reading in English on ifeinnorway.net
American airlines Won’t Offer Alcohol in Main Cabin Until September
According to Rich Thomaselli from Travel Pulse, American Airlines on Saturday told its flight attendants not to serve alcohol to customers in the main cabin until at least September. The statement came just after Southwest Airlines earlier this week announced a similar policy.
Both US. carriers cited the rising number of physical incidents among passengers and often attacking the crew too. The situation has grown increasingly more violent, including an incident last week incident in which a Southwest Airlines flight attendant lost two teeth after allegedly being assaulted by a passenger. Situation like those never occured such often before.
American made the decision and relayed it in an internal memo to flight attendants Saturday, saying economy passengers will have to wait until at least Sept. 13 before they can order a mid-flight drink, according to USA Today.
“Over the past week we’ve seen some….for the rest of the article, please click here and continue reading on Travel Pulse.
Thailand Proposes $1 Per Night Deal to motivate Tourists to come Back to Phuket
According to Laurie Barrati from Travel Pulse, Thailand’s popular resort island of Phuket is prepared to welcome fully vaccinated international visitors quarantine-free starting July 1, three months earlier than the rest of the country.
To motivate tourists coming back to the island, the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has proposed a new ‘One Night, One Dollar’ campaign, which would see participating hoteliers offering room rates of US$1 per night to foreign guests for accommodations that would typically run somewhere between 1,000 baht (US$32) and 3,000 baht (US$96) per night.
TCT president Chamnan Srisawat said he expects that, with a total of 70,000 rooms available on the island, nearly one million room nights would be offered up for booking at a dollar apiece, which should generate around 40 billion baht in July to support hotels and other tourism services.
Srisawat told TTG Asia that cost discrepancies would be subsidized by the Thai government if the plan is green-lit. “TCT also discussed the idea with major wholesalers and online travel agents to prepare for the reopening of Phuket. And they are ready to help,” he said. The scheme has been submitted to both the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and will be put forth for consideration by the cabinet in June.
If the ‘One Night, One Dollar’ promotion yields…for the rest of the article, please click here and continue reading on Travel Pulse.
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