Airline News

**harrybarracuda** · 23-07-2011, 08:50 PM

With the amount of aircraft he's purchased, expect Jakarta Airport to expand significantly. In fact I wonder if an upgrade/expansion was part of the conditions?

**Tom Sawyer** · 23-07-2011, 10:06 PM

No - it's just that Jakarta's Blok M beats the Hard Rock Cafe in KL (or Planet Hollywood or whatever).

**terry57** · 23-07-2011, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by thehighlander959

(Tony Fernandez).
He is not known in the world for letting the grass grow under his feet, although I am told by others that he is utterly ruthless in his business dealings.

I've been flying AA from the get go and always thought it would be a major success story.

knew I should of bought shares in it.

**terry57** · 23-07-2011, 10:29 PM

[quote=harrybarracuda;1824798]

Mis read it. Carry on

**thehighlander959** · 24-07-2011, 10:17 AM

^
I have noticed that Terry you have mentioned them a few times on here I also believe shared would have been a good idea

**BobR** · 27-07-2011, 06:20 AM

For anyone planning a trip to the USA, you cannot beat the Chinese Airlines on price. China Eastern, China Southern and Air China are all partially or fully owned by the Chinese Government.
Anyway through Orbitz, I just booked a 2 week trip to the USA INCLUDING a 2 week rental car from Avis for $1219 usd on China Southern. It would have been $940 without the car, and both prices include all taxes and fees. Last year I went on China Eastern, it was not nearly as good as Eva or JAL, but they were not bad. My experience on China Eastern was good, but they do have some horror stories about service on the internet. China Southern is rated as a 4 star airline.

I believe China Eastern also flies to Britain, not sure about the others or the prices to GB.

**robuzo** · 27-07-2011, 09:34 AM

Bob- " USA INCLUDING a 2 week rental car from Avis for $1219"; is there a "special deals" section on Orbitz, or if you search for flights does that sort of thing pop up automatically? I definitely need a car when I go back. Actually, what I find is that the car rental is usually very cheap, it's the damned insurance and taxes that double the price (or worse).

**BobR** · 27-07-2011, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by robuzo

Bob- " USA INCLUDING a 2 week rental car from Avis for $1219"; is there a "special deals" section on Orbitz, or if you search for flights does that sort of thing pop up automatically? I definitely need a car when I go back. Actually, what I find is that the car rental is usually very cheap, it's the damned insurance and taxes that double the price (or worse).

No special section, and this price was offered on several other days along with an identical package for $1241. This quote is for BKK-LAX and I booked it for 10-24 of October.

On the Orbitz home screen, "check flight and car" and make sure you change the number of pax from 2 to 1. (it defaults to 2)
I've booked many trips through Orbitz and never had a problem. The car rental is Avis too, not one of those micky mouse small outfits.

**FailSafe** · 27-07-2011, 10:35 AM

I just booked a flight from Bangkok to JFK on Emirates- not cheap at ~$2,000, but they fly the fastest route (through Dubai) and I'll get there in ~21 hours each way (I REALLY miss the Thai Airways BKK-JFK non-stop).

**robuzo** · 27-07-2011, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by BobR

Originally Posted by robuzo

Bob- " USA INCLUDING a 2 week rental car from Avis for $1219"; is there a "special deals" section on Orbitz, or if you search for flights does that sort of thing pop up automatically? I definitely need a car when I go back. Actually, what I find is that the car rental is usually very cheap, it's the damned insurance and taxes that double the price (or worse).

No special section, and this price was offered on several other days along with an identical package for $1241. This quote is for BKK-LAX and I booked it for 10-24 of October.

On the Orbitz home screen, "check flight and car" and make sure you change the number of pax from 2 to 1. (it defaults to 2)
I've booked many trips through Orbitz and never had a problem. The car rental is Avis too, not one of those micky mouse small outfits.

Thanks, Bob.

^FailSafe- I miss that JFK Thai Air flight too. Emirates has amazing service, at least.

**StrontiumDog** · 27-07-2011, 12:16 PM

Thai Airlines flight probed for flying too low - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Thai Airlines flight probed for flying too low

Updated July 27, 2011 14:58:07

Map: Tullamarine 3043

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating an incident in which a Thai Airlines plane flew below the minimum altitude while approaching Melbourne Airport.

The ATSB says the Boeing 777 descended below the minimum required height when it was 11 kilometres from the airport at 8:00pm (AEST) on Sunday in what the safety board is calling a "serious incident."

Earlier this month, the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA) grounded Tiger Airlines flights after two similar incidents.

**FailSafe** · 27-07-2011, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by robuzo

FailSafe- I miss that JFK Thai Air flight too. Emirates has amazing service, at least.

That's good to hear- I've never flown them before- unfortunately they're not in Star Alliance (I don't think they're in any alliance) so the miles won't do me much good...

**robuzo** · 27-07-2011, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by FailSafe

Originally Posted by robuzo

FailSafe- I miss that JFK Thai Air flight too. Emirates has amazing service, at least.

That's good to hear- I've never flown them before- unfortunately they're not in Star Alliance (I don't think they're in any alliance) so the miles won't do me much good...

They dropped out of Star Alliance as of May 1 this year, I think. I flew them in April and am still trying to extract the miles out the bastards (UA MP says the miles are due me and they made a request). You might as well join their program, kill time by filling out a form during the flight.

**harrybarracuda** · 27-07-2011, 02:13 PM

I'm not surprised you're having problems getting Star Alliance miles out of Emirates. They've never actually been in it.

**FailSafe** · 27-07-2011, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by robuzo

You might as well join their program, kill time by filling out a form during the flight.

I definitely will- I'll probably end up tossing it on the pile of other usless mileage that I've accrued, but if I like their service (and Thai Airways doesn't bring back the BKK-JFK flight- I have read that they might) Emirates might be my new airline to the States if I have a good experience with them.

**robuzo** · 27-07-2011, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I'm not surprised you're having problems getting Star Alliance miles out of Emirates. They've never actually been in it.

They were in a partnership with United- I didn't realize UA partnered outside of Star Alliance, but apparently they do; e-mail from UA:

"Our partnership with Emirates ended on May 28, 2011. Flights completed on or before this date are still eligible for mileage credit."

These are Emirates partners now:
Japan Airlines
Jet Airways
Kingfisher Airlines
Korean Air
South African Airways

**SteveCM** · 27-07-2011, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Asia Sentinel

Asia Sentinel - AirAsia Moves Corporate HQ from KL to Jakarta Saturday, 23 July 2011 Last Call for Jakarta

Asia Sentinel - AirAsia to Stay in Kuala Lumpur

Written by Our Correspondent Wednesday, 27 July 2011

We're not going anywhere

If they ever planned to move, they certainly say they aren’t going to now

AirAsia, the fast-growing Malaysia-based low-cost airline, has put on an intensive damage control campaign to back away from a statement by the airline’s boss that implied that its regional headquarters would be based in Jakarta.

Tony Fernandes, the airline’s boss, told the Jakarta Globe in Tokyo on July 22 that the headquarters would be in Jakarta as part of an effort to be regarded as a regional Southeast Asian airline rather than as a Malaysian one. Fernandes was in effect confirming a story that had appeared in the Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysian Insider on May 19.

Asia Sentinel, quoting the Globe story, said the airline was to open its base in the Equity Building in South Jakarta in October. Fernandes told the newspaper he had already bought a home in Jakarta within walking distance of the headquarters and that “Asean is based in Jakarta, and Indonesia will be the largest economy in Asean in times to come … And I like it there.”

The story kicked off a storm in Malaysia. In a prepared statement, AirAsia said “there are absolutely no plans, nor the inclination, to move the headquarters of this Malaysian-incorporated company out of the country. And our Malaysian-registered fleet of aircraft will continue to operate from the LCCT,” the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang.

AirAsia is listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. Its headquarters are in Petaling Jaya, a Kuala Lumpur suburb.

“Tony never said, or implied, that we’re moving away from Kuala Lumpur,” said Azman Osman-rani, the chief executive of AirAsia X, the airline’s long-haul carrier, in an email to Asia Sentinel. “Irrespective of however he described the Asean office to be set up in Jakarta, he very clearly never gave any impression that we are packing our bags and closing shop in KL.”

Asia Sentinel did seek to imply that the airline was leaving Malaysia behind, pulling out its planes and equipment.

However, the story that the airline intended to open a regional office in Jakarta was confirmed independently with sources in Kuala Lumpur, who described it as a business decision to rebrand the airline as one with a wider footprint than just Malaysia, and to seek to take advantage of Indonesia’s vastly larger population and economy. Senior executives had been recruited to staff the Jakarta office, the source said, calling it a regional office.

But, Azran said, the office’s primary mission is to deal with Asean. “We have built a relationship with the Asean Secretary-General and want to have a team based there to work on Asean-issues. (An executive who moved to Jakarta) never even had core airline responsibility (Operations or Commercial). He was in charge of communications. To equate (his) move, some execs being hired in Jakarta and space (it’s a small space!) as a move of headquarters is just grasping for straws.”

AirAsia executives in Kuala Lumpur say they have always planned to move the regional headquarters instead to the long-delayed Kuala Lumpur International Airport terminal 2, which is due to be built at Sepang , 50 km. south of Kuala Lumpur.

Some of the reaction could have more to do with outrage in the Malaysian government, which has backed the airline heavily. It is arguably the country’s biggest success story and losing it would be a public relations disaster for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who has been trying intensively to lure foreign investment.

“If they do that, they are going to lose government support,” said an aide to a top UMNO politician. “Because AirAsia is backed by the gomen (government). Let’s see. My feeling is, yeah, you can make billions and then tell Malaysia f… off. But wait what happens next. They’d better get their planes out of here quick.”

AirAsia sources say relations with the Malaysian government have never been a problem.

The airline has succeeded through a combination of joint ventures in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, where it remains a minority partner with a 49 percent stake in each country. It will own 35 percent of its new joint venture in the Philippines, which is due to go into operation soon. Last Friday Fernandes announced a joint venture with ANA Group, Japan’s largest carrier, to launch AirAsia Japan.

Malaysia still delivers the bulk of the airline’s business, with 5.1 million revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) in the first quarter of 2011, followed by Thailand with 1.9 million RPK and Indonesia with 1.4 million. However, the Malaysia figures appear to include Air Asia X, the long-haul arm now serving the UK, Australia, France and Korea, which is partly owned by Richard Branson, the UK-based owner of Virgin Airlines, and by Air Canada.

The growth potential, however, is clearly outside Malaysia and in long haul – though acquiring long-haul traffic rights could be difficult. All Air Asia X flights are from Kuala Lumpur currently, however, so KLIA will remain the hub at least till they can get long haul rights elsewhere.

**Mr Lick** · 28-07-2011, 09:49 AM

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**StrontiumDog** · 28-07-2011, 01:38 PM

Australia's Jetstar denies exploiting Thai staff - Yahoo!7

Australia's Jetstar denies exploiting Thai staff

AFP
July 28, 2011, 3:55 pm

SYDNEY, July 28, 2011 (AFP) - - Budget Australian carrier Jetstar strongly denied claims Thursday that it was exploiting foreign cabin crew and overworking its staff following reports of 20-hour shifts.

The airline said it took fatigue "extremely seriously" and denied "it forces cabin crew to operate when fatigued" after former and current staff and pilots told ABC television flight attendants were overburdened.

Foreign crews based in Bangkok were especially vulnerable, according to the ABC report, with open-ended employment contracts stating the maximum 20-hour shift could be extended and punitive exit clauses.

Jetstar chief Bruce Buchanan said a lot of the claims were "completely false and we completely deny them."

"The claims about slave labour and the claims that we pay these people a pittance -- our salaries in Thailand for instance, we are paying these people Aus$20,000-$30,000 a year in Thailand. That ranks in the top few percent of salaries in that country," Buchanan told ABC television.

Contracts obtained by the ABC for Jetstar's Thai staff set a shift limit of 20 hours but stipulates that the "planned limit and operational extensions may be extended by the employer".

They get paid just Aus$258 ($285) per month and $7 for every hour they fly, plus allowances, ABC said, with penalties of up to 4.5 months of their base wage if they quit early or are sacked.

Australia's minimum wage is Aus$590 per week.

Buchanan said Jetstar was "competing in Asia" and in line with local conditions, with two-thirds of its 3,000 flights per week to 17 countries in and around Asia and one-third of its staff from the region.

ABC said there had been almost 40 fatigue complaints from staff on Jetstar's long-haul domestic routes in Australia, with some expressing concern that they would be ill-equipped to handle an emergency after lengthy shifts.

One former Australian crewman told ABC he "felt like a slave" on the round trip from Sydney to the Indonesian island of Bali, with a 15-hour overnight shift, which could easily become 20 hours with delays.

Though Jetstar did not roster anyone for 15-hour stretches Buchanan said there "were situations where people do extend" and fatigue management was a joint responsibility of the company and the individual.

"Look at the hard facts -- our cabin crew work an average of 24 hours a week and you can't do too many 20 hour shifts (in a 24-hour week)," he said.

**harrybarracuda** · 28-07-2011, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Australia's Jetstar denies exploiting Thai staff - Yahoo!7

Australia's Jetstar denies exploiting Thai staff

I'm surprised this is coming up again now - this story has been circulating since March, and surfaced again at the beginning of June.

All day, every day low wages at Jetstar, flight crews claim | thetelegraph.com.au

Slow News day?

**drawp** · 28-07-2011, 03:59 PM

I took a friend to the airport here in Macau today and I was shocked to see that Orient Thai was already operating their flight to Chiang Rai. There's been little to no fanfare here, and heck you can't even find anything on Orient Thai's website to book. Based off of their safety record I know I won't be flying them.

The good news is that AirAsia will be opening a Chiang Mai <-> Macau route later this year.

**jandajoy** · 30-07-2011, 11:50 AM

I wish someone would start a Chiang Rai - Darwin run

**Tom Sawyer** · 31-07-2011, 09:26 PM

I was trying to book a BKK - Darwin flight a few momths back and I couldn't find an airline that flew that route. Are there no direct flight to Darwin from Thailand? I couldn't find one from Singapore either..everything went through Sydney

**Rural Surin** · 31-07-2011, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

I was trying to book a BKK - Darwin flight a few momths back and I couldn't find an airline that flew that route. Are there no direct flight to Darwin from Thailand? I couldn't find one from Singapore either..everything went through Sydney

I find that hard to believe that one can't locate a connection from BKK to Darwin [from a major Asian port].

BTW Tom, I hate to come across pedantic - but within the industry, the term direct refers to a stopover/connecting locale. A point-to-point flight is refered to as non-stop. Often confusing to us laymen.

**OhOh** · 01-08-2011, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by Rural Surin

Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

I was trying to book a BKK - Darwin flight a few momths back and I couldn't find an airline that flew that route. Are there no direct flight to Darwin from Thailand? I couldn't find one from Singapore either..everything went through Sydney

I find that hard to believe that one can't locate a connection from BKK to Darwin [from a major Asian port].

BTW Tom, I hate to come across pedantic - but within the industry, the term direct refers to a stopover/connecting locale. A point-to-point flight is refered to as non-stop. Often confusing to us laymen.

Jetstar do a flight BKK - Singapore - Darwin

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