Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is a low cost American air carrier, which has headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It is one of the major low cost carriers in America. The business models adopt by this airline has been a major inspiration for other low cost airlines that are operating these days. The airline's total market share is about 10% of the United State passenger market. There are a number of complementary on-board services offered to passengers. They include - beverages like coffee, Cocktails, beer, wine, soft drinks, juice, and snacks like packaged peanuts and pretzels.

For passengers who are looking for a cross country flight, Southwest Airlines is the best option. It is possible to get discount on the ticket booked for this airline. If you know someone who works for this airline, you can use the buy use the buddy passes. Employees get these passes as bonus, which can be used by family and friends for traveling.

For passengers of Southwest Airlines who are looking for a cross country flight have program of five levels - Silver, Gold, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Platinum. Miles accumulated by passengers through this program can be used for class upgrades, bonus tickets and several other services offered by the airline company.

Passengers can buy discounted gift certificates for eBay. These are legitimate certificates and you can use that to buy the tickets at a lower rate. Buying tickets from the web is the best way to book ticket for Southwest Airlines, no matter where you are traveling.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Bassinets and Airlines

On long haul flights most airlines will provide Bassinets providing for by infants under the age of 2 years with the condition that the infant does not way more than 10kg and under 6 months of age. If a bassinet is not available or required the infant aged 2 years or under may sit on the parent's lap or have a seat allocated to them at 10% of the adult fare. The cabin crew will install bassinets only after take-off. Parents assume sole responsibility for infants using bassinet facilities

Safety

Bassinets are available on board for infants; however it is advisable to call your airline to make the necessary reservations at least 48 hours before boarding, as your infant's height and/or weight may make bassinets unusable for them from a safety and comfort standpoint. A limited number of bassinets are provided on some of our domestic aircraft The cabin crew will provide you with a specific safety briefing to ensure you understand special requirements for young travellers. Please also note that international safety and hygiene regulations do not allow Cabin Crew to feed children, administer medication, take children to the toilet, and change nappies. For safety reasons an adult can hold only one infant and children under the age of 15 may not hold infants.

Flight

Don't forget to re-book your bassinet when changing your flight. Please remember that for safety considerations, each and every time the seat belt sign is switched 'on' during the flight you will be required to remove your infant from the bassinet as this once again is a safety requirement. Up to 2 years, free bassinets are provided on 747s, 757s or D710s (mostly international flights). For international flights, request a bassinet, which fastens to bulkhead. If you use the bassinet you will have to hold the baby during take-off, landing and any turbulence during the flight. If you wish to obtain seating with access to a bassinet, contact your Flights to determine the availability on the flight. If your ship flight is available, so book your trip early, you give your preferences crib and get your seat assignment as soon as possible.

If you are against the prospect of a long flight with a child, it is possible that with a cradle is worth its weight in gold.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

About Kingfisher Airlines

It is one of the privately owned and famed airlines in India, based in Bangalore India this airline has created a mark for itself over last few years since its commencement of operations in 2005. Kingfisher Airlines comes from the parent company "United Breweries Group" or popularly known as the "UB group". Having the main bases at Bengaluru International Airport, Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Indira Gandhi International Airport, it operates a network of around 40 destinations with more than 200 flights per day.

Though being an domestic airlines till yet, it has shown intensions to fly to USA following the lease of new Airbuses A320 and A200 in coming times with Bangalore being its major hub. Currently this airline flies with two service classes Economy and Business and has been granted a 5 star rating from Skytrax.

Kingfisher as per its expansion plans have also acquired stake in Air Deccan airlines, which is an LCC in the market and have also shown intensions to acquire further stake in the same. Due to its inflight services and operations, Kingfisher airlines have also been awarded with lot of accolades and awards like the Business leadership award by NDTV, Economic Times Avaya award, India's favorite airlines in a survey by IMB, Service excellence for a New airline by Skytrax and more.

Kingfisher airlines have also started The Kingfisher airlines Tennis Open championship which has come up as a prestigious and high profile event by tennis fans across the world. This whole thing was started in order to reinforce the winning attributes and values of the Kingfisher brand. The currently held event of IPL cricket also had Kingfisher airlines as a sponsor for the Bangalore team. Mr Vijay Mallya, being the proud owner of this airline is all set to achieve higher targets and objectives in the coming time and he is all minds for it.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

How to Get a Free Airline Upgrade on Your Flight - Fly Business Class

Everyone wants to buy a cheap economy class ticket and get bumped up and upgraded to business class or first class. Who doesn't want more comfort, more legroom, better service and the lounge access which come as standard for first and business class passengers. The current generation of flat seats in premium cabins of major carriers makes flying long-haul much more comfortable than ever before.

Every so often airlines will give out free upgrades for operational reasons. Here are a few basic tips for increasing your chances of getting that elusive upgrade and rubbing shoulder with the first class jet-set.

1. Become a member of your airline's frequent flyer program. If you can reach 'elite status' then you will greatly improve your likelihood of getting upgraded if there is any availability on the day you fly. Airlines will give upgrade priority to their top-tier members.

2. Avoid flying from your carrier's main hub if it is a large airport. You will be competing against masses of frequent flyer members so your chance of a free upgrade is minimal. For example it is difficult to get upgraded with British Airways if flying out of London Heathrow - you will be up against many top-tier BA 'Gold' members and possibly a few above-status 'Premier' VIPs as well.

3. Consider choosing one of the smaller frequent flyer programs with fewer members to reduce competition. The biggest programs in Europe are those of Lufthansa, AirFrance-KLM and British Airways with literally millions of members. US programs are massive - the top 3, United, American and Delta probably have well over 100 million members between them! A good option is to join a quality Asian based carrier like Thai Airlines or Cathay Pacific or smaller programs like Alaska Mileage Plan or bmi Diamond Club.

4. Book a flight that is likely to have a full economy section. Try to fly on wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777 with plenty of available first class and business class seats. A few days before your flight, check the availability of business and first class seats by doing a pretend booking on your airline's website or use one of the class availability tools on the web.

5. Pay for a full fare economy or premium economy ticket on your flight which will also give you upgrade priority from the airline.

6. There is no harm in dressing well in 'smart casual' or business attire on the off-chance you are pre-upgraded and the airline is happy you will blend into its premium cabin. Note however, this is not a serious upgrade strategy today - it may have worked in the 1970s!

7. If you really are serious about flying in business class on a budget then you should invest in the Ultimate Airfares & Upgrades Guide. This shows you how to find great worldwide business class and first class airfare deals, how to get lounge access for less, how to accelerate your way to elite status and much, much more.

Friday, December 10, 2010

The Process Airlines Use For Hiring Flight Attendants

Before you submit an application for a position as a flight attendant with an airline, you should be aware of the process that airlines usually go through when hiring flight attendants. You need to thoroughly read the job posting to determine the preferred method of submitting the application. Most airlines now want the applications submitted electronically, but you may still be able to send your resume in the mail. This is easy enough to do by logging onto the airline website and using the appropriate link for sending email.

Once you have all your documentation in place and you write the cover letter and your resume, then you submit and wait anxiously for a call for an interview. This interview may be conducted over the telephone if you do not live in the vicinity of the head offices of the airline or you may have to go to the nearest airport to meet with the human resources personnel. More often than not, the airlines hold an open house interview in which all applicants where you meet with the recruiters and pass in your resume and application at the same time. This will give the recruiters an opportunity of how well you conduct yourself when speaking to a group of people because you will have to give a short description of your work experience and qualifications to the group.

After this open house interview, the recruiters will select the applicants they want to interview one-on-one and will announce the names of those that they would like to stay or come back later for a second interview. You may have to return home and wait for a call for the second interview or receive notification by mail. In this second interview, you will be questioned by a panel and you may have a scenario in which you have to demonstrate your skills at handling problems that could arise onboard the aircraft.

How often an airline does hire flight attendants depends on their needs. Since airlines have their own training facilities, they may wait until they have openings for a few jobs or several airlines may work together to hire enough flight attendants to fill a class. Once you do submit your application and have gone through the first stage of the interviewing process, you should never call the airlines to check on your hiring status. Don't narrow your possibilities by applying to only one airline ?apply to several and hope to get hired by one of them.

Even when you pass the interviewing step, you still have to pass the training required by the airline to be officially hired for the position. This training could be from 4 to 7 weeks in duration depending on the size of the airline and the number of flights it has.

There could be between 30 and 100 trainees in the class, which starts at about 8 in the morning and runs until about 4:30 or 5 in the evening. In this training you learn emergency evacuation procedures, how to deal with safety and security issues, how to handle difficult or nervous passengers as well as flight regulations and procedures and the company policies. You do need to pass this training with a mark of at least 90%.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Tips While You Travel Through Southwest Airlines

If you reside in the south west or you have to travel to the southwest, most of the times you travel through Southwest Airlines. You can take help of the south west airline guide to know all the available flights and the arrival and departure time as well the fares and all the necessary information related to your travel. But to save some bucks and make your travel easier, you need to follow some tips.

1. You should seek for the best fares available for a travel program and because these are very time limited you need to decide fast that which one will be good for you. You can plan in advance for your travel visit and check out the website of the airlines or help guide so as to save many bucks of yours.

2. You can also join the Southwest Frequent Traveler Program whereby if you have to make frequent visits with southwest you can buy tickets for your short trips and use the free tickets that you will earn for your longer and expensive trips.

3. Since Southwest finds that boarding is better and takes less time when they board the travelers in groups, they do not assign seats. You have groups namely A, B and C where A is the best group that gives you a chance to board first. You can also make more seating selection and can also assure a bin for your carry on luggage when you get the A-status. You would get a C- status that will end up you in a middle seat or you have to check your carry on luggage.

4. The pilot of the airlines stands below the Jet way before the incoming flight arrives and you need to queue up before some time the flight arrives. If you stand half an hour before the arriving flight, you should find your place next to a seat in the boarding area but this works when your place in the queue or line happens to be next to a seat.

5. Sometimes you will need to wait to get your pass. You can obtain a pass by paying a small fee to some companies that assist you in reserving your pass in advance.

6. Before the general boarding, children of the age group in between five to eleven who are not accompanied by elders, adults traveling with any child below the age of five and people with physical disabilities are allowed to board first. As such, when you make your reservation and check in you should provide your personal or special status.

7. Previously you had to print your boarding pass at home even if it was midnight before you travel but now they have a 24 hour window that provides you with printed boarding passes.

8. You need to weigh your luggage prior you proceed to board in the flight and since there are certain luggage policies you are allowed to carry small personal size briefcase or purse with you and you need to place large items in the overhead bins. In case you had a C status and all the bins are filled up you will have to check your carry on luggage.

9. You should try to reach on time and while you board go directly to your chosen row, set your luggage and sit down instead of chatting with your friends. When the plane fills up, you can head to back and never backtrack. Don't carry heavy luggage that you can't lift up to the overhead bin because at that moment you yourself are responsible for settling down your luggage.

10. You can avail gifts and discounts while you are on the board as you get some discount coupons and can get rapid rewards and credits that you can use in your later travel.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Kenya Flights - All Scheduled - Kenya Airlines & Kenya Charter Flights

Unless you are traveling overland from southern Africa or Egypt, flying is by far the most convenient way to get to Kenya. Nairobi is a major African airline hub and flights between Kenya and the rest of Africa are common and relatively cheap. It's important to note that flight into Kenya availability and prices are highly seasonal.

Conveniently for Europeans, the cheapest fares usually coincide with the European summer holidays, from June to September. An economy return flight ticket from London can be about UKP400, but during December and January flight prices soar and availability plummets.

It's also worth checking out cheap charter flights to Mombasa from Europe, although these will probably be part of a package deal to a hotel resort on the coast. Prices are often absurdly cheap and there's no obligation to stay at the resort you are booked into.

A few adventurous and resourceful souls with their own vehicles still travel overland to Kenya from Europe, but most routes pass through several war zones and should only be considered after some serious planning and preparing.

Entering Kenya

Entering into Kenya is generally pleasingly straight forward, particularly at the international airports, which are no different from most western terminals. Visas are typically available on arrival for most nationalities (passport photos required), but you should contact your nearest Kenyan diplomatic offices to get the most up-to-date information. Currency Exchange offices or moneychangers are always present and visa fees can be paid in local currency or dollar.

Airlines in Kenya
Including the a national carrier, Kenya Airways, four Kenya domestic flight operators of varying sizes now run scheduled flights within Kenya. All appear to have a virtually clean slate safety-wise. Destinations served are predominantly around the coast and the popular southern national parks, where the highest density of tourist activity takes place.

With all these Kenyan airlines, be sure to book well in advance (this is essential during the high season). You should also remember to reconfirm your return safari flights 72-hours before departure, especially those that connect with an international flight. Otherwise, you may find that your seat has been reallocated.

The following airlines fly domestically in Kenya

· Air Kenya: Flying scheduled flights to Amboseli, Kiwayu, Lamu, Lewa downs, Maasai Mara, Malindi, Meru, Nanyuki, Samburu

· Kenya Airways Flying scheduled flights to Kisumu, Lamu, Malindi, Mombasa

· Mombasa Air safari Flying scheduled flights to Amboseli, Ukunda, Lamu, Masai MARA, Malindi, Tsavo

· Safari Link Flying scheduled flights to Chyulu hills, Kiwayu, Lewa Downs, Masai Mara, Naivasha, Nanyuki, Samburu, Tsavo West

Charter Airlines

Chartering a small aircraft saves you time and it's the only realistic way to get to some parts of Kenya, but it's an expensive business. It may be worth considering if you can get a group together. For a three-day trip from Nairobi to Sibiloi National park on the west of Lake Turkana, you can expect to pay US$ 350 to US$ 400 each, if five people are sharing.

There are dozens of Kenyan air charter companies operating from Nairobi's Wilson airport. For example

· Excel aviation air charters

· Z-Boskovic Air charters

· Blue Bird Aviation Air charters

A couple of small charter-type airlines run occasional scheduled flights from Diani Beach, Lamu, Mombasa and Eldoret.