Flyglobespan collapse leaves thousands stranded

In the latest blow for holidaymakers already reeling from the prospect of a British Airways strike, Scottish low-cost carrier Flyglobespan has gone into administration.

The collapse of Scotland’s largest airline leaves 4,500 holidaymakers stranded in destinations across Europe and beyond, mostly in Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Egypt.

It also means that more than 100,000 Flyglobespan customers will now have to hastily re-arrange their future travel plans, with many not expected to receive a refund.

British Airways strike Q&A: Advice for passengers

Today's news that British Airways staff will go on strike at the height of the Christmas rush leaves up to one million not-so-festive travellers facing gridlock at UK airports.

Both sides in the dispute say they still want to reach an amicable solution, but with nine out of ten staff voting for industrial action it seems likely the strikes will go ahead as planned – spelling misery for anyone due to fly with British Airways between December 22 and January 2.

Cheapflights Ltd has produced the following Q&A for people who are concerned that their travel plans may be affected by the 12-day strike – the first of its kind since 1997.

British Airways staff vote for Christmas strike

British Airways staff have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in a move that will create misery for thousands of passengers during the Christmas period.

Cabin crew working for British Airways went to the ballot box over industrial action following a long-running dispute about pay freezes, job cuts and changes to working practices.

British Airways had emphasised the "urgent need to reduce costs," warning that Christmas strikes will only worsen the airline's financial situation and lead to deeper cuts.

Flybe adds 16 routes to summer 2010 timetable

Flybe has announced details of 16 new routes it plans to operate next summer.

The low-cost carrier will expand its route network at several UK bases, including Birmingham, Exeter, Gatwick, Guernsey, Jersey, Manchester and Southampton airports.

Among the new additions featured in Flybe's summer 2010 timetable are flights to Verona in northern Italy and flights to the popular French port city of Bordeaux.

Ryanair surcharges 'add 30% to advertised fares'

Ryanair routinely adds up to 30 per cent to its advertised fares by charging extra for credit card bookings and check-in luggage, research by Which? Holiday shows.

The consumer watchdog compared the luggage and payment fees of four airlines – bmibaby, easyJet, Jet2.com and Ryanair – on flights to Paris, Malaga, Rome and Faro.

It found that Ryanair was the worst offender for adding extra fees, charging £50 for services on each of the flights researchers looked at – an increase of up to 29 per cent.

Govt unveils new watchdog for air passengers

Air passengers have a new champion to fight their corner now that Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis has announced the creation of an industry watchdog.

Passenger Focus, an independent public body originally set up to safeguard the rights of national rail customers, will have its remit extended to cover the flying public.

The shake-up comes alongside newly unveiled plans to dramatically expand the ATOL scheme that protects passengers from the threat of airline bankruptcies.

BA says City-NY business route already profitable

British Airways has revealed that its much-vaunted new premium-only service from London City Airport to New York is already profitable after just ten weeks.

The flag carrier launched the service amid significant fanfare in September, even christening it with the prestigious BA001 flight number previously used by Concorde.

Despite initially predicting the route would only become profitable "within its first year," BA now says it has already made it into the black in terms of overall seat occupancy.

EasyJet adds Robin Hood Airport to new schedule

EasyJet's band of merry men will be marching on Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster next spring following a major shake-up of the airline's route network.

The outlook for the gateway had been grim after owner Peel Holdings moved to sell off assets and Ryanair pulled its popular Dublin connection from the base.

But airport bosses confirmed a reversal of fortunes yesterday (December 10), announcing the addition of 21 new flights to Europe from April 19 onwards.

AirAsia scoops Brand of the Year award

Low-cost carrier AirAsia has been crowned Brand of the Year at the Media's Agency of the Year Awards in Singapore – the airline's second media coup this week.

Asia's most successful low-cost carrier scooped the accolade just two days after becoming the airline with the largest number of followers on social networking giant Facebook.

The company has embarked on several marketing campaigns over the past 12 months, undeterred by difficult conditions in the airline industry and the wider global economy.

Ryanair surcharges 'not about boosting revenue'

Michael O'Leary, the charismatic chief executive of Ryanair, has insisted his airline's headline-catching ancillary charges have nothing to do with making money.

In an unusually complaisant interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mr O'Leary said that Ryanair imposes the charges in order to boost efficiency, rather than raise revenue.

The airline boss even revealed that he has an altruistic side, saying he would happily donate any money raised from on-board toilet fees to an incontinence charity.

Third Heathrow runway 'within emissions targets'

A third runway at Heathrow Airport would not jeopardise the government's ability to deliver on ambitious pledges to cut CO2 emissions, climate experts have said.

Whitehall recently set a target of reducing aviation emissions to below 2005 levels by 2050, even as the airline industry is forecast to grow exponentially over the coming decades.

Though many believe Heathrow expansion is incompatible with that goal, the Committee on Climate Change has now officially come out in support of the third runway.

Leeds Bradford Airport sets sights on New York

Leeds Bradford Airport bosses have embarked on a new campaign geared towards enticing an American airline to the Yorkshire gateway.

Dubbed Project America, the initiative has the explicit aim of attracting a US carrier that will launch direct flights to New York from the regional base.

Coventry Airport to be closed immediately

Coventry Airport has confirmed that it is closing with immediate effect following a failed bid to shore up support for the beleaguered regional gateway.

Aviation and business leaders from across the Midlands had sought to keep the airport afloat after it lost its only passenger airline, Thomsonfly, in November 2008.

Though the gateway continued to operate freight and business flights, the looming threat of a High Court liquidation order has now prompted bosses to call it a day.

Flybe adds Newcastle connection to Hannover

Flybe will add a new three times weekly service from Newcastle Airport to Hannover next year, it has been confirmed.

Europe's largest regional carrier will operate the route every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between March 31 and October 29.

The no-frills airline is accepting bookings via Flybe.com now, with one-way fares starting from £39.99 including all charges.

Christmas Seat Sale at Monarch: 35% off all fares

Book by midnight on Tuesday, December 8: Monarch is running a Christmas Seat Sale with 35 per cent off all return flights for travel until February 8, 2010.

Anyone booking through the low-cost carrier's website will automatically benefit from the discount provided that they purchase their seats before midnight on Tuesday.

Campaign to extend ATOL protection gathers steam

The government may soon have to expand ATOL protection to all airline passengers after an influential group of MPs endorsed an overhaul of the scheme.

The Commons Transport Committee today issued guidance to Whitehall saying that ATOL protection should be rolled out to 100 per cent of air passengers.

Its recommendation follows a year-long investigation into the programme and, if adopted, could see the introduction of a new levy to fund the broadening of ATOL.

And the best airport toilets in the country are...

Passengers caught short at Manchester Airport can rest easy in the knowledge that its washroom facilities have been voted the best in the country.

The northern base won the Best Airport Toilets accolade at the annual Loo of the Year Awards Ceremony following secret visits by loo-checking judges.

Copenhagen climate summit: Airlines fear new tax

With the Copenhagen climate change summit finally getting underway today, the UK's biggest airlines have begun voicing their fears about yet another tax on aviation.

Global leaders will spend the next two weeks attempting to hammer out a successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, and aviation is widely expected to be at the forefront of the agenda.

But in a rare show of unity, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have both issued stark warnings about the damage that any rush to taxation would do to the global economy.

Unlimited free ski flights in Jet2.com giveaway

Jet2.com is the Willie Wonka of the airline industry this Christmas, giving away ten Golden Tickets for unlimited ski flights between January and March.

To be in with a chance of winning one of the Golden Tickets all you have to do is head over to jet2.com/goldentickets and enter your details into the draw.

Do geese hold the secret to greener flights?

Airlines could cut their CO2 emissions dramatically by mimicking the flying patterns of birds, The Economist reports.

Researchers from Stanford University in California put forward the theory after conducting detailed studies on the aeronautical benefits of flying en masse in a V-formation.

They based their intriguing conclusion on the well-known scientific principal of 'upwash', which dictates that airflow curls upwards behind the wingtips of flying objects.