The latter in particular is an integral factor to the success of the airline, and their marketing icon the ‘Singapore Girl’ is instantly recognisable and gives them a great advantage over competitors.

The Singapore Airlines network covers 103 destinations in 39 different countries, which include non stop routes between Incheon and San Francisco. It also joined the Star Alliance network in the next step of its globalisation strategy, and ongoing commitment to improving both its customer service and benefits.

In 1995 Singapore Airlines introduced ‘KrisWorld’, their state of the art inflight communications and entertainment system across all 3 of its classes, and since then the number of individual options have increased to over 1000, which includes 100 of the latest films and sections including 180 television programmes.

They are also the first carriers to carry business applications within their on demand system which ensures that their passengers can still work whilst on board without a laptop as they can access their files from a flash drive with a remote control that is equipped with a full qwerty keyboard.

The gourmet cuisine provided by Singapore Airlines is second to none and their menus boast a selection of both tantalising and exclusive signature dishes. An international culinary panel that includes world famous award winning chefs works closely alongside the company wine consultants and chefs to provide a top end dining experience while in the sky.
The flagship carrier of the South Asian country also recently unveiled a new first class that provides passengers with the finest air experience in the world. There are only 8 seats in the Boeing long range 777-300ER and customers privacy is further enhanced thanks to fixed back shells that extend round the sides of the seats.

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The parent company of British Airways is the International Consolidated Airlines Group which recently purchased BMI from Lufthansa. Currently the group offer a significantly smaller amount of flights to Asia than they do to other countries worldwide and other airlines are far ahead of them in the number of flights they are offering to the region.

British Airways is based in London and they are soon going to be taking delivery of an order of 24 Boeing 787s and 12 Airbus A380s. This is going to give the company an additional capacity to take advantage of new long haul routes.

An analyst at Echelon Research is Chris Logan and he has commented about the deal, “BMI serves a less lucrative market and uses smaller planes for short haul routes. IAG already has plenty of planes doing this so it is likely they are going to cut many of the short haul flights that the company offer and start using the slots at Heathrow for serving long haul destinations in Asia. It is also likely that they will start offering some additional transatlantic flights.”

British Airways growth has been limited because it has a limited number of slots at Heathrow. A recent announcement by the government said that there will be no additional runway at the airport meaning that new slots will not become available organically. By purchasing BMI the company adds over 8% to the number of slots it is currently holding.

A spokesperson for IAG has recently commented, “We are currently working on the due diligence for the takeover of BMI and we are moving forward with the acquisition at a rapid pace.”

British Airways has never run flights to South Korea before but it is likely they will be targeting Incheon, which is the largest airport in the country. Analysts also predict that British Airways will start running flights to Kuala Lumpur again, it ceased operations there in 2001 in order to focus on other airports in the region.

John Grant is a consultant with UBM Aviation and he has commented, “Asia is a missing part of the puzzle for British Airways and with the new slots at Heathrow and their new delivery of aircraft it seems very likely that they are going to start expanding into that area. The largest airline in Europe is Air France and they are currently offering nearly 2 flights a day to Korea and British Airways are going to want to compete for some of this market.”

British Airways also offers less flights to China when compared with its leading European rivals and offers three times less than Air France. The company are going to be offering night flights which it expects will draw more customers.

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The reason for the resumption of services has been stated by the airline is that there have been good negotiations between the Nigerian government and that of the UK. The negotiations were in regard to the Bilateral Air Services Agreement and took place two weeks ago.

The agreement meant that Arik Air will be having two extra slots a week at Heathrow’s Terminal 4 so that a daily service can be offered to Abuja. Previously the airline had been operating five times a week but the service was ended in the summer of this year.

This means that currently there are 14 flights operating between the UK and Nigeria every week and this is close to the agreed target of 21. Arik Air is currently operating flights between Lagos and the UK alongside these flights from Abuja.

The airline will be flying a Boeing 737 – 800 and will have 126 economy seats and 16 business class seats. The flight will run every day and will depart Nigeria at 11:30am and arrive in London at 5:00pm, both of these are in local times. The flights will allow passengers to connect to other flights taking them to other locations in Africa. The capital of Nigeria will act as a hub for those who are travelling to other locations in this region of Africa and beyond.

The founder and executive chairman of the airline is Mr Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide who has commented, “It has always been our intention to re-open flights between the two cities and we’re delighted to be able to start offering this before the year is out. Negotiations proceeded well and both the governments worked swiftly to deal with the issue. We would like to thank the Nigerian government for its support and its continuing efforts to further the airline industry of Nigeria.

“This route will ultimately benefit Nigeria as a country and also her citizens. The Aviation Minister has done a great deal of work to help us sort out this problem and I would like to personally thank her for the solution that we have reached. We are the largest airline in Nigeria and we’re pleased to be running this route which has been typically unreserved in the past. We are even more pleased to be able to do this in a cost-effective way.”

Arik Air entered the market in November 2009 and December 2008 and has been working to increase the number of flights that are taking place between the two countries. The negotiations have meant that there is room for further expansion towards the target amount of 21 flights between the two countries in the near future. The airline has stated that is looking forward to improving transport links between the two countries and the benefits they will bring to the citizens of both these nations.

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Carolyn McCall is the Chief Executive of easyJet and she said, “Some flights this spring will see certain tickets allocated to higher cost paying customers, seats with more legroom as well as front row seats will cost more, we hope that this will improve the profit of the company.”

The company has also introduced other ways to raise their profits by starting to charge the checked bags and food on flights. Flexible ticketing was brought to the company a year ago and has helped to distance easyJet from rival Ryanair and more towards companies such as British Airways.

A consultant for firm Frost & Sullivan has commented, “It seems like good move for easyJet to be focusing on improving quality rather than just adding routes. This seems like a positive long-term strategy for the company as they will never be able to compete with Ryanair in terms of ultra-low-cost flying. This seems like a pretty good middle ground for the company.”

EasyJet is currently valued at £1.5 billion which is a decline of nearly 20% since the start of the year. However, easyJet remains the second-best performer in the airline market just behind Ryanair. Shares of IAG have fallen nearly 50% since its formation in January after a merger between Iberia and British Airways. It is expected that the new move by easyJet will bring business travellers with late bookings who are willing to pay more.

Chief Executive McCall continued, “Currently this is just a trial and if successful it is something we will roll out onto a larger scale. This new strategy is about customers being able to choose the seat that they want, whether this is one with extra legroom, one in the aisle or whatever they might want. We need an efficient and simple system that increases revenues and this will only happen if it is met with a positive response from our customers.”

Currently, most low-cost airlines rely entirely on their website for bookings and this move by easyJet to use an agent is a move away from this traditional position. Profits of the company between September last year and September this year were nearly £250 million. This is a significant increase on figures from the year before and is slightly above how analysts predicted the airline to perform.

This year easyJet has only increased its seating capacity by just below 5% and has blamed poor economic conditions for the lack of growth. Higher fuel prices as well as a lack of consumer confidence has meant that profits are suffering. The founder of the company, Stelios Haji Ioannou has said, “Expansion is not an option right now and I will not support the re-election of directors who propose that easyJet expands.”

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A ceremonial key to the first Dreamliner was presented to ANA’s president and CEO, Shinichiro Ito by Jim Albaugh, his counterpart at Boeing, who told Ito, “Please take good care of it, we’re so proud.”

The Dreamliner is Boeing’s response to customers’ demand for non-stop long-haul flights; it’s the first plane in the mid-size range with that capability.  Originally the first plane was expected to be flight-ready in 2008, but a lot of delays in production cost Boeing billions of dollars as some airlines retracted their orders.  ANA hung in there; Ito said that the Dreamliner will play a crucial part in the company’s plans for future expansion.

Passengers on ANA will get to check out the new amenities this month on flights from Tokyo to Hongkong.  There are bigger windows, more in-cabin storage space, and an improved air pressure and circulation system with more humidity, designed to make its passengers more comfortable so they arrive at their destinations refreshed.  An added attraction, and not least important, is Boeing’s claim that the Dreamliner will use about 20% less fuel than its competition.

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1 – Genghis Khan Airport, Ulan Bator, Mongolia

Back in 2006, Mongolia decided to change the name of the country’s main airport from Buyant Akhea Airport and  instead name it after the notoriously brutal Mongol leader, Genghis Khan. Despite controlling Central Asia and China and being responsible for the massacre of hundreds of thousands of people, the people in charge decided to welcome people to their country by reminding them of its brutal past. Seems a strange choice!

2 – Robin Hood Airport, Doncaster, United Kingdom

He may well have robbed from the rich to give to the poor but he most definitely didn’t fly in a plane, or exist! The folklore hero isn’t even from Doncaster but instead is believed to have hailed from Nottingham nearly 50 miles away.

3 – George Best Airport, Belfast, Northern Ireland

George Best was undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers of all time and the phrase ‘loveable rogue’ may well have been coined with him in mind but in my head he seems a strange choice for the name of an airport. Surely his drinking, womanising, gambling and drug taking ways would be frowned upon by the people in the know in the aviation industry. Evidently not.

4 -  Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport, Mauritius

Granted, this chap was Prime Minister of his country and was almost single-handedly responsible for helping Mauritius gain independence from the United Kingdom whilst ensuring that there was absolutely no bloodshed but his name is hardly catchy is it? Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Imagine those poor chaps working in air traffic control and having to say that every time a plane is coming into land.

5 – John Wayne Airport, Orange County, Florida

John Wayne may well be one of the coolest actors to ever don a cowboy hat and save the day but it seems a bit strange that an airport is named after someone who’s favourite method of transport was not an aeroplane but a trusty horse. Also it would maybe make sense if the airport was in Texas or Arizona or some place connected with the Wild West but I’m pretty sure that Florida is more well-known for theme parks not cowboys.

You would think that the powers that be would stick to simple place names for airports in order to avoid any confusion, especially for the poor pilots but it just doesn’t seem to be the case. I wonder what the future will hold…maybe Heathrow will be scrapped and renamed after Lady Gaga!

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Thankfully the flight is not one-off with Vietnam Airlines providing four per week from Gatwick to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It is always worth checking Gatwick airport parking before the long flight so you can relax while on your flight knowing your vehicle will be awaiting you upon your return. BOOKFHR.com has a myriad of deals on airport parking to save you money and make long-haul flying a more pleasant experience.

Vietnam is neighbors with other popular tourist destinations like Laos and Cambodia but is much more than a transfer point. The over 90,000 holidaymakers that visit Vietnam annually is enough proof that there is great popularity in this beautiful country.

About Vietnam

So what should the intrepid traveller expect when they set foot in this beautiful country? Well, in terms of size, Vietnam is slightly larger than the UK and Ireland. It also has an extremely thin waistline – it’s only 40km wide in the centre.

Things to see in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam; it was known as Saigon until 1976.

The place has a rich and fascinating history reflected in the number of museums it boasts. No visit to Ho Chi is complete without a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels; a 75-mile network of connecting tunnels which were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots while they resisted the American forces’ military presence.

The tunnels were a well-kept secret during the Vietnam War but not anymore – tourists are invited to crawl around the safer parts of the tunnels, reassured by the knowledge that booby traps have been clearly marked! The tunnels’ conference rooms – once used to draw up war strategies – have been restored and many of the tunnels have been enlarged to accommodate the larger size of Western tourists.

Perhaps, these tourists have been eating too many delicious Vietnamese delicacies such as sticky rice, dumplings and fermented fish hot pots.

Things to see in Hanoi

Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital and is the country’s second-largest city – it had its 1,000th birthday last year. The place is often referred to as the “city of lakes” – many of which have small boats for hire and floating restaurants. Hanoi could just as easily be called “city of temples and pagodas” – it has over 600. Booking a visit to the Temple of Literature should be put on every Vietnam visitor’s itinerary – any landmark which features on the back of Vietnamese banknotes has to be an important one!

Hanoi Citadel is another important and beautiful landmark; in 2010 it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Constructed by the Ly dynasty in 1010, some structures, such as the Flag Tower and Princess’s Palace, still remain.

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The busiest airport was Edinburgh, nearing 100,000 people as recorded in June, which was over 7.5% more than the same time in 2010. Aberdeen is the fastest growing with an increase in traffic of almost 300,000 people with an over 10 percent increase from the previous year. Glasgow also had over 2.5%  more travellers come through, with more than 700,000 guests.

The Scots are offering more leisure options and a wider variety of travel destinations which is prompting more people to come explore the options, and may be a contributor of increased traffic in all 3 airports, according to the BAA.

The Scottish Government is pleased with the economic stimulation during this increase in air travel, as it is good for business all round with the extra funds being injected into the local economies from tourists.

It has always been lucrative to be a successful provider of tourist opportunities, and the Scottish government can see that their 3 major airports are a key ticket in stimulating this type of gain into their local and national economy.

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GWP’s membership is local authorities like Cardiff, Bristol and Newport along the Great Western Main Line (GWML) and are saying because of no direct connection from the western part of the UK to an airport that is one of the world’s busiest hurts economic development.

The GWP says investment is needed to ensure that before 2020 there is a Heathrow to Reading electrified spur from the GWML. They said that the connectivity of this line between Reading and Heathrow will remain a key concern of South West England and South Wales.

It also wants to see consideration for a four track rail from Didcot Parkway to Wootton Bassett. They say this would help to avoid a bottle neck at the Swindon-Didcot Parkway section and would enhance capacity for inner-city operations that feature limited stop express services.

The reason asked for four tracking is in case of train breakdowns or engineering works. The reason GWP was originally established was to campaign for HSR or high speed rail service between South Wales and London.  A first step in the process is the electrification of the GWML.

The UK coalition government at present has only said they will electrify the line up Cardiff from London. Phil Hammond, Transport Secretary said electrifying all the way to Swansea and the Valley lines is under review. Cheryl Gillan, Secretary of State for Wales, last week described as unfinished business the electrification of lines between Swansea and Cardiff.

She also said it may be possible to part finance further electrification in Wales by a drawn down of European Union funding. Rodney Berman Cardiff’s council leader said electrification to London is good news but it is not enough by itself to boost the economy growth that is needed in South West England and South Wales.

Fast and easy access to a major airport in the UK is strong business that ensures there is a direct link between this area and the destination big business travels to. Linking directly to Heathrow along with the services our local airport provides can only enhance the business opportunities.

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