Tag: seat (Page 4 of 6)

Wizz Air To Increase Seat Capacity at Budapest Base

September 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART AIRCRAFT AND 3 NEW ROUTES LAND IN BUDAPEST

WizzAir,the largest airline in Central and Eastern Europe and Europe’s greenest* airline has today announced the arrival another state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft at its base in Budapest in June 2020 and the launch of three new routes to European cities from the Hungarian capital. Tickets for the new routes are already on sale and can be booked from only HUF 6,490, and 7,990**, respectively, on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app.

New daily service to Brussels, four destinations in Ukraine

Brussels Charleroi has been a part of Wizz Air’s network since 2004. From next summer, the airline will also operate a daily service to Brussels Airport, the Belgian’s capital main airport – the airline’s 151 destination –, creating a more direct link with the centre of the European Union for business travellers and diplomats. With its picturesque main square and delightful brasseries, Brussels is an attractive destination for tourists as well.

Hungary’s hometown airline is also expanding towards the East with two flights per week to Lviv, Western Ukraine’s central city, and Kharkiv, the second largest city in the country. As Kyiv has been accessible from Budapest since 2011 and flights to Odessa will launch this October, today’s announcement means that Budapest will be linked by direct flights to all four Wizz Air destinations within Ukraine.

Lviv is one of Ukraine’s most scenic historic towns, with its downtown featured in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The town was one of the multicultural centres of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy under the name Lemberg and has preserved its Central European atmosphere to this day. Today, Lviv is one of the centres of Ukrainian culture with lots of theatres, museums and festivals awaiting visitors. Kharkiv is an interesting destination for admirers of Ukrainian gastronomy and Soviet-style architecture with its magnificent metro stations and the country’s first skyscraper.

16 aircraft in Hungary

With the arrival of the newest A321neo, Wizz Air’s Hungarian fleet expands to 14 aircraft allocated in Budapest, with a further 2 aircraft based in Debrecen. This means the airline’s operations support over 4,000*** indirect local jobs in the country. Apart from the new destinations, Wizz Air will increase its frequency on four of its existing routes to Eindhoven, St. Petersburg, Tel-Aviv and Edinburgh (to be launched this December). With this expansion of capacity, Wizz Air will increase its Hungarian seat capacity to 6.7 million passengers in 2020.

Wizz Air is the “greenest” airline

The new routes will be served by the state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft of the Budapest base. The airline operates one of the youngest fleets in Europe, with the average age of 4.7 years. As a result, Wizz Air was the airline with the smallest environmental footprint in Europeonce again in August 2019, with only 57.7 grams CO emissions per passenger per kilometre. The company currently has a total of 271 Airbus A321neo, Airbus A321neo and Airbus A321XLR aircraft on order. With the new aircraft, the airline will continue to drive efficiency parallel to further decreasing its environmental footprint by 1/3 for over the next decade. The Airbus A321neo, six of which are already in operation at WIZZ’s Budapest base, incorporates the latest technologies in aviation. It offers a 50 percent reduction in noise footprint, a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption, while also reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 50 percent.

Stephen Jones, Wizz Air Hungary’s managing director said: “Hungary’s hometown airline, Wizz Air remains strongly committed to its country of origin. We are continuously expanding and modernizing our fleet and network in Budapest to provide affordable and high quality travel opportunities to more and more Hungarian passengers. Adding a new, state-of-the-art aircraft to our Budapest fleet and launching three new routes underpins our dedication to Budapest and Hungary and creates more local jobs with the airline and in associated industries, as well as stimulates the local tourism and hospitality industries. The WIZZ team looks forward to welcoming customers old and new on-board our ultra-efficient fleet of Airbus aircraft very soon. And for those looking to turn their passion for travel into a career, we’d be delighted to see you at one of our Wizz Air cabin crew recruitment days, where you can find out more about joining the WIZZ team.”

Lufthansa Group Welcomes More Than 14.1 Million Passengers in August, 2019

September 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Number of passengers rises by 2.9 percent year-on-year
Capacity utilisation up by 0.8 percentage points to 87.2 percent
Strongest passenger growth at Zurich hub

In August 2019, the Lufthansa Group airlines welcomed more than 14.1 million passengers. This shows an increase of 2.9 percent compared to the previous year’s month. The available seat kilometres were up 1.8 percent over the previous year, at the same time, sales increased by 2.7 percent. In addition as compared to August 2018, the seat load factor rose by 0.8 percentage points to 87.2 percent.

Cargo capacity increased by 8.9 percent year-on-year, while cargo sales increased by 1.5 percent in revenue tonne-kilometre terms. As a result, the Cargo load factor showed a corresponding reduction, decreasing by 4.2 percentage points to 58.8 percent.

Network Airlines with around 10.2 million passengers

The Network Airlines including Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS and Austrian Airlines carried around 10.2 million passengers in August – 3.3 percent more than in the prior-year period. Compared to the previous year, the available seat kilometres increased by 3.1 percent in August. The sales volume was up by 4.0 percent over the same period, with an increasing seat load factor by 0.7 percentage points to 87.3 percent.

Strongest passenger growth at Zurich hub

In August, the strongest passenger growth of the network airlines was recorded at the Zurich hub with 7.0 percent. The number of passengers increased by 4.7 percent in Vienna and by 4.5 percent in Munich. In Frankfurt the number of passengers on the contrary decreased by 0.9 percent. The underlying offer also changed to varying degrees: In Munich the offer increased by 12.1 percent, in Zurich by 2.6 percent and in Frankfurt by 0.3 percent. In Vienna the offer decreased by 1.0 percent.

Lufthansa German Airlines transported more than 6.6 million passengers in August, a 1.8 percent increase compared to the same month last year. A 4.0 percent increase in seat kilometres corresponds to a 4.8 percent increase in sales. The seat load factor rose by 0.7 percentage points to 86.8 percent.

Eurowings increases supply and sales on short-haul routes

Eurowings (including Brussels Airlines) carried around 3.9 million passengers in August. Among this total, around 3.6 million passengers were on short-haul flights and 309,000 flew on long-haul flights. This corresponds to an increase of 1.8 percent compared with the previous year, resulting from an increase of 2.8 per cent on short-haul flights and a reduction of 8.1 per cent on long-haul flights. A 3.5 percent decrease in capacity was offset by a 2.3 percent decrease in sales, resulting in an increase of seat load factor by 1.0 percentage points to 87.0 percent.

In August, the number of seat-kilometres offered on short-haul routes was increased by 1.5 per cent, while the number of seat-kilometres sold increased by 3.5 per cent over the same period. This results in a seat load factor of 87.1 per cent, which is 1.7 percentage points higher on these flights. On long-haul flights, the seat load factor decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 86.6 per cent over the same period. The 13.4 per cent decrease in capacity was offset by a 13.8 per cent decrease in sales.

Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Fleet Surpasses 20,000 Flight Hours

August 30, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Fort Worth, TX (28 August 2019) – Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X has surpassed more than 20,000 flight hours. Bell has delivered 200 aircraft to customers operating the aircraft spanning six continents.

Since the first delivery in 2017, the global fleet has logged more than 20,000 hours, marking one of Bell’s fastest growing accumulation of flight hours of any current commercial platform.

“Our Bell 505 operators rely on the aircraft to perform from the beginning of each day to when their mission is complete,” said LaShan Bonaparte, program director, Bell 505 and Bell 429. “Logging more than 20,000 flight hours is very impressive for an aircraft in service less than three years. This achievement is a testament to the Bell 505’s performance and our customer’s confidence in the aircraft.”

With a speed of 125 knots (232 km/h) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (680 kg), the Bell 505 is Bell’s new five-seat aircraft designed for safety, efficiency and reliability using advanced avionics technology. It incorporates proven dynamic components, advanced aerodynamic design, a dual channel FADEC Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine and best-in-class value.

For more information, visit the Bell website.

Delta, Virgin Atlantic to Boost Summer Flying in 2020

August 18, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Delta introduces its first daylight trans-Atlantic flight, and airlines join forces at London’s Gatwick Airport for first time.

Three new flights will see Delta increase capacity between the U.S. and U.K. by 15 percent
New 767-400 and A350 aircraft flying on key JFK, Boston and Los Angeles routes

Delta is boosting its transatlantic schedule between London-Heathrow and its coastal hubs in Boston and New York-JFK next summer, adding 15 percent capacity compared to 2019. Alongside joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic, the two airlines will increase capacity across the Atlantic by nearly 10,000 seats per week compared to this year, offering customers unrivalled customer experience and more choice than ever before.

“Delta and its partners offer an unmatched global network that’s capable of taking Boston and New York customers to more worldwide destinations than ever before,” said Joe Esposito, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Network Planning. “Our investment at these airports and in these communities continues to deepen as we grow our flight offerings and live up to our commitment to connect the world better than any other airline.”

More flights to Heathrow

Beginning March 28, 2020, Delta will increase its JFK-Heathrow services to three daily year-round frequencies, with Virgin Atlantic operating five, maintaining a convenient eight-flights-daily schedule. The new Delta frequency will mark the airline’s first-ever daylight trans-Atlantic flight and will complement the existing daylight service offered by Virgin Atlantic.

Click the link for the full story! https://news.delta.com/delta-virgin-atlantic-boost-summer-flying-between-us-and-uk-2020

2020 LEXUS LC 500 PAIRS COLOR PALETTE WITH CUTTING EDGE DESIGN

August 15, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Exclusive Nori Green exterior color
Two-tone interior in Bespoke Saddle Tan/Black Amber
Aniline leather-trimmed seats with Alcantara^® door inserts

PLANO, Texas (August 14, 2019) – A style icon since its introduction three years ago, the Lexus LC 500 adds another layer of sophistication this year with the introduction of the limited-edition 2020 Inspiration Series.

Blending the sensational lines of the LC 500 with a classic color palette, this new limited-production LC aims to evoke a more refined, mature coupe without giving up any of the modern performance, technology and style that makes it so desirable.

The transformation starts with its distinctive Nori Green Pearl paint, an exclusive Inspiration Series color for the LC. Subtle in its depth of color, yet eye catching at a glance, the distinctive shade of green complements every angle of the LC’s stunning design. A set of 21 -inch, two-tone wheels complete the look that elevates the LC’s style profile to another level.

The interior of the LC Inspiration Series is equally striking thanks to a two-tone color scheme that highlights the exceptional design and craftsmanship found in every LC. The 10-way power adjustable seats are trimmed in aniline leather, the softest, highest-grade leather available in the Lexus lineup. The rich Bespoke Saddle Tan color is unique to the Inspiration Series and is complemented by a slightly darker shade of Alcantara^® trim on the door panels that adds a soft, inviting feel to the cabin.

In contrast with the tan seats, dark Black Amber leather trim is used on the steering wheel, dashboard, center console and doors. Brown stitching ties the darker leather trim together with the seats in addition to highlighting the fanatical precision of each stitch.

The finishing touch for each 2020 LC 500 Inspiration Series is a custom sill plate that marks the limited-edition nature of each car. Drawing from the geometric shapes found in the rear brake lights, the laser cut plates function as a subtle reminder of this car’s rarity every time you open the door.

There are no mechanical changes to this LC 500, so its naturally aspirated, 5.0-liter V8 delivers the same 471 horsepower as every LC that has come before it. The 10-speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels through a standard limited slip differential that allows for a 0-to-60mph time of just 4.4 seconds.

Limited to just 100 units in the U.S., the 2020 LC 500 Inspiration Series goes on sale this fall. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

British Airways Sale, a Pair of Club World Seats From £2019

August 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Today British Airways has launched a sale offering a pair of Club World (business class) seats from just £2019 return.

There are a range of destinations available for £2019 return for two, including top US destinations such as New York, Miami, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas. Further afield the £2019 fare for two will take travellers to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Other destinations are available for marginally more including Beijing, Hong Kong and Bangkok for £2998, Mumbai, Chennai, Lagos and Abuja for £2999, Antigua for £2305, Barbados for £2332 return and Toronto for £2399.

BA Holidays deals are also available, including:

Dubai: Club World flights plus three nights at a 4* hotel from £1069 per person
New York: Club World flights plus three nights at a 4* hotel from £1199 per person
Las Vegas: Club World flights plus three nights at a 4* hotel from £1149 per person
Dominican Republic: Club World flights plus seven nights all-inclusive at a 4* hotel from just £1359 per person

And there are deals to be had in other cabins too with two First class seats to New York and Miami respectively available from £3019.

Members of the airline’s Executive Club will benefit by saving with Avios part payment, securing the same £2019 deal for two people travelling together in Club World by paying just £619 return and 261,000 Avios.

Travel is for selected dates between August 13 and September 30, 2019 and customers need to book by August 19.

To book please visit ba.com/luxury-offers.

Ends August 12, 2019

Notes to editors:

Full terms and conditions can be found at ba.com/luxury-offers.
The sale runs between 12pm today, August 12, 2019 and 11.59pm on August 19, 2019.
Flights and holidays are subject to availability.

AirAsia Received its First Airbus A330neo

August 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

AirAsia has taken delivery of its first A330neo aircraft, to be operated by its long-haul affiliate AirAsia X Thailand. The aircraft was delivered via lessor Avolon and is the first of two A330neos set to join the airline’s fleet by the end of the year.

With its enhanced economics, the A330neo will bring a step-change in fuel efficiency for AirAsia’s long-haul operations. The new-generation A330neo will be based at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport in Thailand, supporting the airline’s growth and network expansion plans to key markets such as Australia, Japan and South Korea.

The AirAsia X Thailand A330-900 features 377 seats in a two-class configuration, comprising 12 Premium Flatbeds and 365 economy class seats.

AirAsia’s long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X currently operates 36 A330-300 aircraft and is the largest customer for the A330neo with 66 on firm order.

The A330neo is the true new-generation aircraft building on the most popular wide-body A330’s features and leveraging on A350 XWB technology. Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the A330neo provides an unprecedented level of efficiency – with 25% lower fuel burn per seat than previous generation competitors. Equipped with the Airbus Airspace cabin, the A330neo offers a unique passenger experience with more personal space and the latest generation in-flight entertainment system and connectivity.

American Airlines Makes First Entrance Into Africa

August 11, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Airline expands global network with flights to Casablanca, Tel Aviv and Krakow beginning next summer

FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines has the cure for the end-of-summer blues: new routes for next summer. Today, American unveiled its summer 2020 international schedule, which includes the following new service:

Philadelphia (PHL) to Casablanca, Morocco (CMN) begins June 4
Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) begins Sept. 9
Chicago (ORD) to Krakow, Poland (KRK) begins May 7
ORD to Budapest, Hungary (BUD) begins May 7
ORD to Prague, Czech Republic (PRG) begins May 8

Furthering frontiers: Africa

When American begins service to Morocco next year, it will be the airline’s first entrance into the African continent. American will be the only U.S. carrier with nonstop service to Casablanca, which will be operated three times per week on a Boeing 757.

“Our customers and team members have been asking when we’re going to start service to Africa, and I couldn’t be more pleased to make this announcement for service beginning in 2020,” said Vasu Raja, American’s Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning. “We look forward to working with Royal Air Maroc when they join oneworld^® in 2020, which will allow for even more connections further into Africa to places like Marrakech, Lagos and Accra. This is only the beginning.”

Returning to Tel Aviv

As demand continues to grow between the U.S. and TLV, American is adding three weekly flights from DFW, its largest hub. These flights will serve customers throughout the U.S. and allow many customers to make only one stop, rather than the previous two stops that were available, to TLV. And as the tech industry continues to grow in the market, American will provide the most efficient routing to U.S. tech cities like Austin, Texas, and San Jose, California, in addition to one-stop service to 33 new cities in the U.S.

Expansion in Eastern Europe

American’s Midwest hub, ORD, has seen significant growth and now offers more domestic and international seats today than it has in more than a decade. Next summer, the growth continues with three new destinations in Eastern Europe, including American’s first flight to KRK and new service to PRG and BUD, which American began flying to seasonally from PHL in 2018. American will offer the most premium seats to Eastern Europe of all U.S. carriers next summer, as all of the new flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-8, featuring 20 Flagship Business seats and 28 Premium Economy seats.

“There’s strong local demand to Eastern Europe in Chicago, and it’s important that we provide more service for our customers to visit family and friends or explore a new part of the world,” said Raja. “Chicago has been a great example of trying new things with our network, like seasonal service to Athens that launched earlier this year, and when customers take advantage, it allows us the opportunity to keep growing.”

American will be the only U.S. carrier providing service to KRK, BUD and PRG from ORD.

New flights will be available for purchase Aug. 12, with the exception of TLV, which will be available for purchase Oct. 10.

All routes subject to government approval.

Delta to Become Largest U.S. Carrier Serving Tokyo-Haneda

August 11, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Delta to become largest U.S. carrier serving Haneda in 2020, with full transfer of U.S.-Tokyo services from Narita airport to Haneda
Airline will offer industry leading product, with unparalleled operational reliability and service on seven daily flights to Haneda from cities throughout the U.S.
Additional changes to intra-Asia flying include new Delta-operated Seoul-Manila service

Under a final decision announced by the U.S. Department of Transporation today, Delta will become the largest U.S. carrier serving Haneda, with seven daily flights between Haneda and Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Honolulu, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore. With this change, Delta will transfer its full operation of U.S.-Tokyo services from Narita to Haneda, the city’s closest and most convenient airport, beginning in March 2020.

“We have proudly served Japan for more than 70 years and our commitment to our Tokyo legacy remains strong,” said Steve Sear, President – International and Executive Vice President – Global Sales. “This new service is a game-changer for Delta’s ability to offer competitive and comprehensive access to the city, which is one of the world’s most important business markets. It’s a win for our customers, giving them much quicker access to the city center, and it complements our overall strategy of growth across the Pacific.”

As part of its long-term Asia-Pacific network strategy, Delta will also adjust its network of flights beyond Narita. Effective March 2020, the carrier will suspend its NRT-MNL service and launch new daily ICN-MNL service operated by Delta. Serving Manila through Seoul will offer our customers superior connectivity via our industry-leading trans-Pacific hub in Seoul with our JV partner Korean Air.

While Delta will suspend Narita-Singapore service beginning Sept. 22, 2019, Delta customers can continue to reach Singapore – and more than 80 other destinations throughout Asia – through Seoul-Incheon via the airline’s partnership with Korean Air.

These moves are contingent upon securing viable operational slots.

Featuring state-of-the-art widebody aircraft and award-winning reliability, product and service, delivered by Delta people

All Delta aircraft between the U.S. and Tokyo feature the carrier’s premium Delta One experience, which includes a dedicated in-cabin flight attendant; a 180-degree flat-bed seat with direct-aisle access; extra-wide inflight entertainment screens; and seasonally rotating, chef-designed Delta One menus with the option to pre-select first choice of entrée, paired with wines hand-selected by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson.

Aircraft on flights between Haneda and Seattle, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Los Angeles and Atlanta also feature Delta Premium Select, Delta’s newest cabin experience that brings the “premium” back to premium economy with more space including a wider seat with additional recline and leg rest; elevated service including pre-departure beverage service; and distinguished amenities including a wider in-flight entertainment screen.

In addition to Delta’s award-winning operational reliability and service, all cabins of service on flights between the Haneda and the U.S. will include complimentary meals, snacks and beverages, including meals for all customers created in partnership with Michelin consulting chef Norio Ueno. This November, Delta is launching a first-of-its-kind bistro-style international Main Cabin experience featuring welcome cocktails, hot-towel service and mix-and-match options for premium appetizers and larger entrees.

All seats on all flights from the U.S. to Tokyo-Haneda will offer personal entertainment systems with free entertainment, free mobile messaging, high-capacity overhead bins, Wi-Fi, upgraded amenity kits and more. More international onboard enhancements are coming soon, like refreshed ear buds and headsets, to further demonstrate the airline’s commitment to creating a best-in-class experience all customers can look forward to.

Delta to Launch New York to Houston Nonstop service between on state-of-the-art A220 aircraft

July 9, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Delta is launching its state-of-the-art Airbus A220 aircraft on new flights between New York’s JFK International Airport and Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport this October, with customers enjoying best-in-class service on two daily flights connecting two of the largest business markets in the U.S.

“Our new twice-daily flight to Houston on the finest narrowbody experience in the skies today marks another step in Delta’s ongoing investment to provide New York customers with the broadest network, most comfortable experience, and best products available,” said Chuck Imhof, V.P. — New York and Sales-East.

For Houston customers connecting through JFK, the new service will provide one-stop access to international destinations such as Lagos, Nigeria; Dakar, Senegal; Accra, Ghana; and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Service will begin on Oct. 27, 2019, and will operate on the following schedule:

IAH

Departs IAH at 11:58 a.m. and arrives JFK at 4:22 p.m.
Departs IAH at 6:22 p.m. and arrives JFK at 10:45 p.m.

JFK

Departs JFK at 8:00 a.m. and arrives IAH at 11:19 a.m.
Departs JFK at 2:55 p.m. and arrives IAH at 6:14 p.m.

Delta has grown its presence in New York City by over 65 percent in the last 10 years and today operates more than 520 peak-day departures from its hubs at LaGuardia and JFK. The airline is JFK’s No. 1 carrier, offering more than 240 peak daily departures to nearly 100 worldwide destinations. The airline first unveiled its $1.4 billion, state-of-the-art international gateway at JFK’s Terminal 4 in 2013. Delta also continues to make significant investments to provide more consistency, comfort and convenience in the travel experience throughout all cabins of service on its flights to and from New York.

Service to Houston from JFK complements the five daily flights Delta currently offers between Houston and Delta’s other New York hub at LaGuardia. Those flights also are operated on the A220, which features a modern and spacious interior, and an elevated, customer-friendly onboard experience including:

Thoughtful innovations like high-capacity overhead bins, extra-large windows and full-spectrum LED ambient lighting.
The widest Main Cabin seats in Delta’s entire fleet in a two-by-three layout, with personal power ports and complimentary premium entertainment on individual seat-back screens.
A new First Class seat design in a two-by-two layout, featuring the largest IFE screens of any Delta domestic First Class seat.

Delta’s A220 debuted in February to rave reviews; Business Insider called the A220 “an absolute triumph.” The airline plans to add a total of 95 A220s to its aircraft fleet over the next four years.

Furthering frontiers: Africa

Returning to Tel Aviv

Expansion in Eastern Europe

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