Low-cost airlines information center
By Budget Airline News
Air Transat, the Canadian low-cost holiday airline, has cancelled two routes on its summer 2013 schedule.
The cancelled routes are from Toronto to Munich and Frankfurt.
Travelers holding tickets for the canceled routes will be contacted with the options for obtaining a refund.
Correction: AirTransat’s Ottawa – London (Gatwick) route has not been cancelled. Online reservations are now available.
By Budget Airline News
US low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines will be revising its fees for carry-on luggage with effect from November 6, 2012.
During online booking, the fee for a checked bag will be $35 USD. At the airport check-in counter, the fee will be $50 USD. At the gate, the fee further increases to $100 USD.
Carry-on luggage fees are the same for domestic and international flights.
The maximum dimensions for carry-on luggage are 22 x 18 x10 inches (56 x 46 x 25 cm).
A Spirit Airlines spokesperson said: “Spirit offers customers multiple opportunities to avoid this unnecessary fee and save money,” he said. “By planning ahead and paying for bags before getting to the boarding gate, our customers are saving time at the airport and speeding up the boarding process. When our customers choose these time-saving, self-service options, our costs go down, and we can pass those savings along to our customers.”
By Budget Airline News
Air Canada has solidified its plans to launch a low-cost carrier in June 2013. The new airline is expected to fly to holiday destinations in Europe and the Caribbean.
In a statement, Air Canada said their new low-cost wing will launch with 4 planes, eventually expanding to as many as 50 aircraft.
The low-cost wing will be combined with Air Canada Vacations, the airline’s tour company, to form a new “integrated leisure group.”
By Budget Airline News
Virgin America will offer direct flights from New York JFK to Palm Springs, California for the winter season.
This new route will commence December 22, 2012, with one round-trip flight every Saturday during the winter season.
In a statement, Virgin America VP of Planning and Sales John MacLeod said: “Since entering these Palm Springs markets, we’ve seen strong demand for our unique flight service. We’re pleased to be expanding in the market and offering a new nonstop option for travelers coming from New York to the desert this winter.”
By Budget Airline News
US low-cost Fronter Airlines has announced it will terminate four routes from Denver with effect from January 7, 2013. The affected routes are Denver – Akron/Canton, Denver – Louisville, Denver – Philadelphia, and Denver – Sacramento.
In an interview with the Denver Post, Frontier spokeswoman Lindsey Carpenter said the decision “is based on the business model and the performance metrics of the route itself.”
The routes cancelled by Frontier will continue to be served by competing low-cost airline Southwest.
By Budget Airline News
US low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has announced it will offer daily flights between San Diego and Portland. This new domestic route will commence on on November 8, 2012.
The outbound flight will depart Portland at 6:15am, arriving in San Diego at 8:45am. The return flight will depart San Diego at 8:50pm, arriving in Portland at 11:20pm.
Spirit Airlines also offers flights from San Diego to Las Vegas and Dallas-Fort Worth.
By Budget Airline News
Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet has announced the addition of four new tropical destinations for the 2012/2013 winter schedule.
From the Toronto Pearson Airport, WestJet will offer flights to Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, and Costa Rica. It will also fly to Manzanillo, Mexico, via the Calgary International Airport.
The 2012/2013 winter schedule will also see the expansion of several routes including non-stop service from Toronto to Kingston, Jamaica increasing from seasonal to year-round service and non-stop service from Toronto to Aruba increasing to 2 flights per week.
“The addition of these new sun destinations as part of our 2012-2013 winter schedule demonstrates our ongoing strategic focus on expanding our offerings within the popular sun destination market,” said John MacLeod, WestJet Vice-President, Alliances, Strategy and Chief Network Officer. “With some two dozen Caribbean hotspots and seven destinations in Mexico, Canadians looking for the sun this winter will have no shortage of choices for their getaway vacations.”
By Budget Airline News
WestJet, the Canadian low-cost airline, has launched direct flights from Toronto to New York, USA. The initial schedule will be 7 roundtrip flights per day to LaGuardia Airport, increasing to 8 per day on July 12.
In a statement, WestJet Vice-President of Network Management and Alliances John MacLeod said: “This is another significant milestone for WestJet. Toronto to New York is the largest transborder market from Canada, and this new non-stop service, offered on our Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, will offer business and leisure travelers alike the convenience, comfort and affordability they’ve been looking for.
Round-trip fares between Toronto and New York start from $300 CAD including taxes and airline surcharges.
By Budget Airline News
Virgin America will be offering direct flights between San Francisco and Washington Reagen starting August 14, 2012. The initial schedule will be one round-trip flight each day between SFO and DCA airports.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to bring our unique brand of service to this underserved route – and to better connect one of the world’s leading economies to our nation’s capital,” said David Cush, President and CEO of Virgin America. “Until this year, San Francisco has been the largest travel market in the nation previously without nonstop flights to DCA, and local travelers and businesses deserved better. Thanks to the outpouring of community support for our application from Bay Area elected officials, civic groups and business organizations and the DOT’s decision today, we will finally be able to provide local flyers and businesses with more choice and meaningful low fare competition.”
Tickets are now available online through http://www.virginamerica.com/.
Virgin America will be offering direct flights between San Francisco and Washington Reagen starting August 14, 2012. The initial schedule will be one round-trip flight each day between SFO and DCA.
By Budget Airline News
JetBlue has announced it will offer direct daily flights from Washington to San Juan, Puerto Rico, starting on August 23, 2012. This is the first direct service between these two capital cities.
The outbound flight will depart Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at 08:50am daily and arrive in San Juan at 12:34pm. The return flight will depart San Juan daily at 5:55pm and arrive in Washington at 9:44pm.
In a statement, Puerto Rico governor Luis G. Fortuño said: “Directly linking Puerto Rico’s capital city with our nation’s capital city will create new economic opportunities, drive successful tourism growth and increase essential business links that are key to the long-term economic growth of the Island. We look forward to the start of JetBlue’s new San Juan-to-D.C. direct service which will kick off new, low-cost options that benefit both residents of and travelers to Puerto Rico.”
In celebration of the new route, JetBlue is offering one-way fares for as little as $109 USD.
