AirlinesAir Canada frequent-flier online community thriving after launchThe Air Canada Altitude Community online platform launched last month has won participation from 8% of Air Canada's frequent flier members. Online members share destination and activity info and have created 300 lists so far for travelers.
LinkHawaiian CEO predicts rosy outlook for 2015Mark Dunkerley, the president and CEO of Hawaiian Air, said the outlook for 2015 is bright as fuel prices continue to trend downward. Recent improvements and "other things which we have done should lead us to higher margins in the coming year," he said.
LinkHawaiian adds seats on Boeing 717sHawaiian Airlines plans to add seats to planes that it uses to hop around the island chain, joining the flock of airlines seeking to squeeze more passengers on to flights. And the airline's CEO says that lower jet fuel prices won't mean lower fares for passengers. Leaders of other airlines have made similar comments recently. Hawaiian executives said Wednesday that they will put up to 10 more seats in its Boeing 717 jets by using seats that take up less space because of thinner padding. Capacity will increase to 128 seats from 118 or 123 on the 18 jets, said Peter Ingram, the airline's chief commercial officer.
LinkQatar fixes date for first A350 deliveryQatar Airways is to take delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 in Toulouse on 13 December, about a month before it enters service on the Doha-Frankfurt route. The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered aircraft is the first of 43 of the type ordered by the Middle Eastern carrier. Qatar Airways also has 37 A350-1000s on order.
LinkRyanair Raises Profit Forecast AgainRyanair has raised its profit forecast for the second time in a month after passenger numbers jumped 22 percent in November, a rise which it said was due in part to the improvements it has made to its customer service. Since a pledge last year by chief executive Michael O'Leary to stop "unnecessarily pissing people off," Ryanair has cut penalty charge, tripled its marketing budget and launched business class fares. It attributed the stronger than expected initial winter performance to the new focus on customer service, a stronger forward booking strategy and substantial fare and unit cost advantages over other European airlines.
LinkSouthwest Airlines, 2 work groups reach contract agreementSouthwest Airlines announced that its customer service agents and customer representatives voted in favor of a new four-year contract. The two workgroups, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, will be covered by an agreement that calls for pay increases as well as performance-based bonuses.
LinkThai Air To Seek Approval For RestructuringThai Airways plans to seek government approval in January for its restructuring, its newly appointed president said. The restructuring plan would help improve the carrier's earnings next year, President Charamporn Jotikasthira told reporters in Bangkok. Thailand's military government has singled out the troubled national carrier as the first state enterprise to undergo reform after seizing power in May from a government accused of corruption. Under the restructuring plan, costs will be cut to help return the airline to profit as the carrier fights off competition from the region's low-cost carriers.
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