Europe’s airlines cancel flights ahead of French air traffic control strikes June 23, 2014 European air passengers will be hit with widespread delays and cancellations today and during the rest of the week as the French air traffic controllers hold their fourth strike in the space of a year. France’s aviation authority has asked airlines to cancel a fifth of flights passing through most major French airports. The body [...]
The week in brief – UK agencies win big at the Cannes Lions June 23, 2014 UK agencies and creative shops were well-represented among the winners at last week’s Cannes Lions festival. Adam & Eve/DDB won big for its Harvey Nichols “sorry, I spent it on myself” Christmas work, as did OgilvyOne for its “magic of flying” campaign for British Airways. PHD won two golds for its work with Lego, and [...]
Focus On… Peckham: Only fools wouldn’t invest in SE15 June 20, 2014 PECKHAM has come a long way since Del Boy and Rodney. The Nag’s Head might still be there, but these days you’re more likely to bump into artists making things than cockney geezers on the make. And it isn’t just artists. Parts of Peckham are actually quite posh now. Bellenden village, with its smart pubs, [...]
Florence’s four best boutique hotels June 13, 2014 Frequent flyers, particularly those travelling on business, see a lot of forgettable hotel rooms. Even if the corporate purse stretches to a five star offering, it’s normally a last-minute, practical booking in the centre of town. The global hotel franchises that cater to the busy and perpetually tired are experts at creating welcoming yet efficient [...]
Brand Index: BA’s heritage helps it bounce back June 10, 2014 TODAY I’m returning to an issue that comes around like a baggage carousel every summer: the ongoing battle for the hearts and minds of British air travellers. I never tire of looking at this as it has so many angles – crisis recovery and the strength of a loved brand such as British Airways, the [...]
Virgin’s Little Red struggles to take off with most seats empty June 9, 2014 VIRGIN Atlantic’s domestic airline Little Red has been flying planes with mostly empty seats in its first year since launch, official figures show. The UK carrier was introduced last March, connecting airports in the north of England and Scotland to London’s Heathrow airport. Data from the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, shows that just 37.6 [...]
Dip in profit at telecom firm KCom June 6, 2014 Telecoms company KCom Group reported a marginal fall in full-year pretax profit and said it expected to see a continued decline in some traditional carrier revenue.KCom Group, which provides communications services for customers such as British Airways and Virgin Group, said pretax profit fell to £49.9m for the year ended 31 March, from £50m a [...]
Inmarsat plans Wi-Fi in the sky across Europe June 5, 2014 SATELLITE operator Inmarsat aims to offer airline Wi-Fi in the skies across Europe by 2016 with its new broadband network. British Airways is in advanced talks to become Inmarsat’s first client on the in-flight internet service, initially on domestic routes. The price for passengers will be set by the airlines, Inmarsat said. Inmarsat has ordered [...]
EasyJet is the latest airline to report rising traffic during May June 5, 2014 EASYJET carried 7.9 per cent more passengers in May, the low-cost airline announced yesterday. The carrier follows budget rival Ryanair and British Airways parent firm IAG in posting strong growth for the last month, which contained two bank holiday weekends. EasyJet said its load factor, a measure of how full each plane is, rose 1.3 [...]
Wi-Fi in planes set to land in Europe after Inmarsat reveals in-flight plans June 5, 2014 Mobile satellite services operator Inmarsat, has announced plans for an integrated telecommunications network to raise air passenger connectivity services across the EU. European passengers, in the near future, will be able to enjoy an unbroken onboard Wi-Fi service, such as those that have gained popularity in the US. The London-based company confirmed that it was in advanced discussion with British [...]