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Tag: domestic (Page 5 of 15)

Singapore Airlines Extends PPS Club And KrisFlyer Elite Statuses For Third Year

Singapore Airlines (SES: C6L.SI) is extending PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite statuses, rolling over Elite miles, pausing the expiration of miles in 2022, and introducing new program benefits that further rewards its loyal members.

All PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite statuses that are due to expire between March 2022 and February 2023 will be automatically extended for another year. This supports our members, who have been unable to fly as before due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and follows a similar extension in 2020 and 2021.

Elite miles earned by KrisFlyer Elite members, in the 12 months prior to the latest extension, will be credited back into their accounts after the extension. Elite miles earned during the previous membership qualification cycle will also count towards their requalification in the March 2023 to February 2024 cycle.

KrisFlyer miles that expire in 2022 will be automatically extended by six months at a time, at the end of each month.

Rewards earned from the PPS Rewards and KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards that are due to expire in 2022 will be extended to 31 December 2022. This offers members greater flexibility in utilising the rewards earned from flying with SIA.

From February 2022, KrisFlyer members also enjoy additional benefits when they fly on Scoot.

PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite tier members can enjoy priority boarding, complimentary standard seat selection, an additional 5kg check-in baggage allowance with any baggage purchase, as well as 25% more KrisFlyer miles for every mile earned when travelling on Scoot flights.

In addition, KrisFlyer members can earn 2.5 Elite miles for every KrisFlyer mile earned from flying on Scoot, up from 1 Elite mile for every KrisFlyer mile. This enables members to upgrade to higher KrisFlyer membership tiers at a faster rate. 

SIA has also launched two new KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards, which can be enjoyed by members who have earned 1,000 and 2,500 Elite miles.

QANTAS and Jetstar Airlines Adjust Third Quarter Flight Capacity Settings

Qantas and Jetstar are adjusting flying levels to better match travel demand in light of the sudden growth in COVID-19 cases. The Qantas Group now expects domestic capacity for the third quarter of FY22 to be at around 70 per cent of pre-COVID levels, down from the 102 per cent that had been planned. The schedule changes are focused on reducing frequency of services and size of aircraft to minimise inconvenience for passengers as much as possible.

The Group’s total international capacity for the same period will fall from 30 per cent to around 20 per cent of pre-COVID levels. This reduction is driven by increased travel restrictions in countries like Japan, Thailand and Indonesia and is mostly impacting Jetstar’s leisure routes. Other markets – such as London, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Johannesburg and India – continue to perform well.

Customers will be contacted directly from late January if their booking is impacted by cancellations and offered alternative flights that in most cases are likely to be a difference of a few hours if travelling domestically.

Qantas and Jetstar continue to have 100 per cent of their available Australian-based crew stood up, which has helped to minimise the resourcing impacts of some needing to self-isolate during the summer peak. This 100 per cent crewing level will be maintained despite the capacity reductions announced today, giving both airlines a significant buffer to manage ongoing isolation requirements and resulting in a more reliable schedule for passengers.

An assessment on the financial impact of these changes will be given at the Group’s half year results in late February, by which time a clearer picture will have emerged on swing factors such as actual demand levels; potential loosening or tightening of travel restrictions in countries overseas; and consumer response to the reopening of Western Australia next month. No material adjustments have been made to capacity expectations for Q4 FY22.

To give customers more confidence when they book international and domestic flights, Qantas has extended Fly Flex, which enables customers to change their travel dates as often as they need, fee-free (a fare difference may apply).

Air New Zealand Receives 1,600th ATR Aircraft Delivery

Toulouse, France – In the same month as it celebrated its 40 year anniversary, ATR has reached another impressive milestone in its history, delivering its 1,600th aircraft to national flag carrier, Air New Zealand (OTC: ANZLY). This delivery highlights the enduring strength of the ATR program, providing essential connectivity to communities all over the world. It also proves the value of the ATR 72-600 at serving domestic routes in New Zealand as it is the last of 29 aircraft ordered.

While ties between the two companies initially began some 25 years ago with the delivery of first generation ATR’s, this last decade has seen the forging of closer ties, with the delivery of the 29 dash 600 aircraft and through an important collaboration that enhanced the aircraft’s approach capabilities.

The introduction of the RNP AR 0.3/0.3 feature, part of ATR’s latest Standard 3 avionics suite, helped the airline and its pilots with the accuracy of the approach into Queenstown airport and providing reliable connectivity to the local community, who benefit greatly from ski tourism in the mountainous region.

Sustainability is also a key concern for both airline and manufacturer, with Air New Zealand having chosen the ATR 72-600 for its fleet as it burns 40% less fuel and emits 40% less CO2 than a similarly sized regional jet. This shared commitment to further enhancing eco-efficiency led to an agreement to work together to explore the future of the regional aviation ecosystem, including hybrid aircraft in 2018.

Denver Airport to Offer More European Flights in 2022 Than Pre Pandemic

Story by Alicia Cohn from the Denver Business Journal

Flights between Denver and Europe in summer 2022 will increase by 23% compared to the pre-pandemic summer of 2019, according to Denver International Airport. With new flights beginning or resuming in 2022, DIA “is scheduled for more transatlantic capacity than at any other time in the airport’s history,” the airport said in a press release.

DIA offers more than 20 international destinations, and will expand its European offerings in 2022.

Click the link below to read the full story!

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2021/12/27/denver-airport-european-flights-2022.html?ana=yahoo

Air New Zealand Outlines Requirements for Low Emissions Turboprop Aircraft

By Jamie Freed – Reuters news…

(Reuters) – Air New Zealand Ltd said on Tuesday it had outlined requirements to suppliers as part of plans to replace its fleet of De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q300 turboprops with lower-emissions technology by around 2030.

“The ideal candidate aircraft will be a drop in replacement for the Q300 for seamless integration into the existing Air New Zealand turboprop network, which may include retrofit of the existing aircraft,” the airline said.

Click the link below to read the full story!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/air-zealand-outlineshttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/air-zealand-outlines-requirements-low-221729362.html

Virgin Australia Restarts International Flights

Thursday 16 December 2021 – Virgin Australia has restarted international flights, today operating the first of the airline’s daily Fiji services since being relaunched 12 months ago. The inaugural flight, departing Sydney International Airport, was sent off in spectacular style, with Virgin Australia CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka marking the occasion with a departure gate launch party to remember.

Passengers were treated to branded coconuts, free beach tote bags by Australian resort-wear brand Double Rainbouu, tropical Boost juices, and a performance by Fijian-Australian and 2022 Eurovision contestant, Paulini Curuenavuli, who sang a rendition of Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’ before a traditional Fijian song.

For the final departing gift, CEO Jayne Hrdlicka announced that all passengers would each receive a free Economy return flight anywhere on the Virgin Australia domestic network, as a thank you for their support and loyalty.

o celebrate the return of Virgin Australia international flights, Virgin Australia has dropped a 48-hour snap Fiji sale with return Economy fares available from as low as $369* between Melbourne and Fiji. Sale fares are now available to book at virginaustralia.com until midnight this Friday 17 December 2021, or until sold out.

Delta, New York Break Ground on Latest JFK Transformation Phase for Terminal 4

Work at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport officially got underway Wednesday as Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) CEO Ed Bastian, and other officials ceremoniously broke ground on a $1.5 billion expansion and transformation of Terminal 4. The expansion will consolidate all of Delta’s operations into Terminal 4 at JFK – which currently operates out of Terminals 2 and 4 – enabling a more enjoyable and convenient travel experience for customers. The project will include the following enhancements:

  • A new Delta Sky Club in Terminal 4’s Concourse A.
  • Expanded seating areas and concessions.
  • Modern wayfinding.
  • New and upgraded restrooms designed with travelers in mind.
  • New check-in counters that will improve capacity and efficiency with state-of-the-art technology.
  • Installation of new self-service kiosks and self-bag check locations.
  • Updated baggage claim and arrivals areas.
  • New retail finishes.
  • Public art.

Delta continues to grow at JFK and in New York City at large, where it offers the most flights and seats of any carrier at JFK and LaGuardia Airport, with 400 total daily departures to 95 domestic and international destinations. The airline operates more than 160 average daily flights to 68 destinations worldwide from JFK alone. Since 2010, Delta has invested more than $3.5 billion in airport expansion and redevelopment in New York, including earlier projects at JFK and LGA. The airline is also undertaking a $3.9 billion project to consolidate Terminals C and D at LGA, with a state-of-the-art arrivals and departures hall set to open next spring.

First Qantas A380 to Land Back in Australia Today

A familiar and hard-to-miss sight will return to Australian skies today with one of the Qantas (OTC: QABSY) iconic A380 aircraft set off to land back in Sydney, 593 days after it departed Australian shores.

Hudson Fysh, named after one of Qantas’ founders, is expected to touch down at Sydney Airport around 3.00pm more than 19 hours after it departed Dresden, Germany. The aircraft recently underwent scheduled maintenance for a new landing gear, after spending the best part of two years in storage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its early return comes as the airline gears up for the first two of the superjumbos to return to service in April 2022, following strong demand for international travel, particularly on key routes to Los Angeles and London.

Qantas has taken close to half a million domestic bookings in the past two weeks, compared with around 20,000 in a two-week period in August.

Jetstar’s recent international sale saw 75,000 seats sold in 72 hours.

Demand for seats on Qantas’ London to Sydney service has been extremely strong, with Aussies reuniting with family and friends in time for Christmas and more flights added as a result.

Originally expected to remain in long term storage in the Californian desert until the end of 2023, Qantas has since announced that five A380s with upgraded cabins would return ahead of schedule with two to operate flights to Los Angeles from April 2022 and three to operate flights to London from November 2022.

The airline is now working to further accelerate the return of the A380s, with superjumbo flights to London brought forward to July 2022. In addition, a sixth aircraft will arrive before the end of calendar year 2022, with the remaining four A380s expected to return to service by early 2024.

Hudson Fysh will undergo additional maintenance checks in Australia before taking to the skies again in coming weeks as part of crew training.

Vietjet Selects Rolls-Royce TotalCare to Support Trent 700 Powered A330 Aircraft

Vietnamese airline Vietjet Aviation will operate Rolls-Royce (OTC: RYCEY) Trent 700 engine-powered Airbus A330 aircraft in its fleet. As part of the airline’s strategic fleet decision, these will be the first widebody aircraft to join its operations as it expands its network into long-haul operations. The selection is supported by a TotalCare long-term aftermarket engine maintenance agreement. The first aircraft is expected to enter into service in November 2021. 

The Trent 700 is the only engine specifically designed for the A330 and is widely recognised for its outstanding efficiency and reliability. Since its launch in 1995, the Trent 700 has dominated the A330 fleet with more than 60 per cent market share and has logged more than 60 million hours in service to date.

Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine

Vietjet, which is Vietnam’s largest airline in terms of the total number of passengers transported domestically and the country’s second largest airline in terms of fleet size, currently has a fleet of 90 narrow-body aircraft. The airline’s ability to stay agile and financially resilient in 2020 has allowed Vietjet to navigate successfully through the market headwinds due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Supporting Vietjet’s business ambitions with the addition of its fleet for long-haul widebody operations, the Trent 700 delivers the best balance of attributes to achieve the maximum capability and efficiency on the A330. With a wide fuselage, well-established technology and sound economics, the airline aims to invest in additional A330 widebody aircraft in the next few years as part of its strategic fleet expansion plan.

All Rex Airlines Frontline Staff Now Vaccinated

Rex today announced all frontline staff on duty have now been fully vaccinated against COVID- 19, the first airline in Australia to reach this milestone. The several hundred vaccinated staff include pilots, flight attendants, customer service officers at airports and all other workers across the Rex domestic and regional networks who may need to interact with passengers face-to-face.

Company-wide, 93 percent of all Rex staff have either been double vaccinated or received their first dose.

Rex reopens its domestic network on November 15 with the resumption of flights from Melbourne to Sydney and Canberra. Melbourne – Adelaide flights restart on November 26, while flights to the Gold Coast from Sydney and Melbourne begin on December 17.

The airline’s unique Refund Guarantee Policy also protects the financial health of passengers from any COVID-related disruptions.

Rex is Australia’s largest independent regional and domestic airline operating a fleet of 60 Saab 340 and six Boeing 737-800NG aircraft to 61 destinations throughout all states in Australia. In addition to the airline Rex, the Rex Group comprises wholly owned subsidiaries Pel-Air Aviation (air freight, aeromedical and charter operator) and the two pilot academies, Australian Airline Pilot Academy in Wagga Wagga and Ballarat.

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