Cape Air

Cape Air

Hyannis Air Service, Inc., operating as Cape Air, is an airline headquartered at Barnstable Municipal Airport in Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. It operates scheduled passenger services in the Northeast, Florida, the Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic States, Midwest, and Micronesia.

Most flights are by small 9 seater aircraft, while Micronesia flights are operated as Continental Connection flights through a code share partnership with Continental Airlines on larger aircraft. Flights between Hyannis and Nantucket, Massachusetts, are operated under the Nantucket Airlines brand, also operated by Hyannis Air Service.

Many of the services are operated as an ‘essential air service’ basis, which means they receive a government subsidy to operate them.

The service is good, the small nature of the aircraft and relative short distances ensure easy and rapid check in and boarding. The pilots are friendly and will sometimes guide you through what they are doing, if you’re interested.  Non peak flights can often see just two or three passengers, great for those with a passion for flying.  Obviously it should be noted that there is limited space on the aircraft, so baggage should be kept to a minimum.

Our Rating 4 stars 

History

A Cape Air ATR 42 in Guam, wearing codeshare colours.The airline was co-founded in 1988 by company pilots Craig Stewart and Dan Wolf, and investor Grant Wilson. Initially, Cape Air flew between Provincetown and Boston in Massachusetts, but throughout the early 1990s new routes were added to destinations across south-eastern New England. Services in Florida and the Caribbean were added in the late 1990s, and service in Micronesia commenced in 2004. In 1994, Cape Air and Nantucket Airlines merged and now offer hourly flights between Nantucket and Hyannis.

In late 2007, the airline began a new round of expansion in the Northeast and Midwest. On November 1, 2007, the airline began service between Boston and Rutland, Vermont, with three daily round trips. The route is subsidized by the U.S. government under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program.

With the help of a government grant, Cape Air expanded into Indiana on November 13, 2007, offering flights from Indianapolis to Evansville and South Bend. The airline did not get the passengers numbers needed to be financially successful once subsidies would come to an end. The last Cape Air flight in Indiana was on August 31, 2008.

The airline expanded into upstate New York in early 2008, following the sudden demise of Delta Connection carrier Big Sky Airlines. Cape Air began flying three daily round-trips on Essential Air Service routes from Boston to the Adirondack cities of Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake on February 12, 2008.

The airline continued its expansion into New York when they started to fly the EAS routes out of Albany to Watertown, Ogdensburg, and Massena. Cape Air commenced service from Rockland, Maine, and Lebanon, New Hampshire, to Boston on November 1, 2008. Cape Air also flies to/from Westchester County Airport to/from Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, initially for seasonal summer flights, which has since become year round. The company recently purchased four additional Cessna 402's to assist with the recent growth.

Cape Air was also looking to offer service on the west coast. Cape Air submitted bids to offer service between Newport and Portland in the state of Oregon. The airline was hoping to be selected by the Newport city council to receive a financial grant to jump-start the service. Ultimately they lost out to SeaPort Airlines, which was able to get the service going sooner than the 2010 date that Cape Air had submitted.

The airline has also broken into the mid-Atlantic region. Cape Air provides regularly scheduled flights from both the Hagerstown Regional Airport and the Lancaster Airport to the Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

Cape Air operates EAS Service from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to Cape Girardeau, MO, Kirksville, MO, Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, Marion, IL and Quincy, IL. This brings much needed travel options to a hard hit region of the US.

Cape Air has held discussions with airport officials to offer service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and Erie International Airport in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Cape Air is the largest independent regional airline in the United States and carried more than 680,000 passengers in 2009, with new routes driving steady increases over time. Cape Air offers up to 550 daily flights system wide.

Fleet   As of November 2010, Cape Air's fleet consists of the following aircraft:

2 x ATR 42-320  seating  46 passengers – operated in the Micronesia.

62 x Cessna 402 62     seating  9 passengers

In November 2010, Cape Air announced that it was considering new aircraft types to replace the Cessna 402. On April 18 2011.

Accidents and incidents

On January 30, 2001, a Cape Air pilot and his only passenger were injured when a Cessna 402C crashed just short of the Martha's Vineyard Airport on a flight from T. F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island.

In June 2007, Cape Air CEO Daniel Wolf announced the grounding of all of Cape Air's 49 Cessna 402C aircraft nationwide, after three in-flight engine failures. The problem was blamed on premature wear on the crankshaft counterweight. All 402 services were cancelled for two days while the counterweights were inspected and replaced as necessary. Normal service resumed about four days after the initial fleet grounding. The FAA stated that they were monitoring repairs, but that all action taken by Cape Air was voluntary and not ordered by the FAA. "They elected to do the right thing for safety."

On September 26, 2008, a repositioning flight with no passengers on board departed Martha’s Vineyard at 8:05 pm en route to Boston. Shortly after take-off from runway 33, the plane went down about two and a half miles from the airport, killing the pilot who was the sole occupant. Prior to this date, Cape Air had maintained a fatality-free record over its 18-year history.

JetBlue

 

JetBlue, a high frequency, low cost airline is considered a bit of a success story in the world of American aviation. It was one of the very very few airlines that managed to turn a profit after the horrendous acts on 9/11. It’s continued to grow at a steady pace, delighting the public and aviation writers equally.

There have been a few disastrous issues, such as passengers being stuck on an aircraft for nine hours and a cabin crew member shouting at passengers before deploying the emergency slide and running off with a couple of beers. However, it still retains a good reputation, offers competitive fares, good flight times and comfortable flights. On time record is fair as around 70 per cent of flights depart on time, however if there is going to be a delay, it’s usually in excess of 90 minutes.

Our Rating 4.5 stars.

The service both on the ground and on the aircraft is really friendly (mostly) the normal seat pitch is 34 inches, however rows of extra leg room seats have been fitted that have 38 inches, available for selection on the website at additional cost. An interesting feature of the JetBlue fleet is the DIRECTV free entertainment package of some 36 mainstream US TV channels – including live TV news. If you want audio entertainment, they have a live service by SirusFM which is first class. There is no traditional airline meal service, however they do offer complimentary brand name drinks and nibbles on flights over 2 hours 15 mins. Alcoholic drinks can be purchased at around $6 each. They also sell a limited number of snack boxes, again priced at $6 each, which offer a tasty little treat. We loved the ‘shape up’ box.

Reservation

USA 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583

Another thing worth noting is the baggage policy,  unlike most airlines of it’s type, JetBlue allow the first checked bag for free,  with charges for additional bags. One cabin bag is allowed along with a personal item, like a laptop, extra charges are payable for extra bags. 

JetBlue was incorporated in Delaware in August 1998. David Neeleman founded the company in February 1999, under the name "NewAir." Several of JetBlue's executives, including Neeleman, are former Southwest Airlines employees. JetBlue started by following Southwest's approach of offering low-cost travel, but sought to distinguish itself by its amenities, such as in-flight entertainment, TV on every seat and Satellite radio. In Neeleman's words, JetBlue looks "to bring humanity back to air travel."

In September 1999 the airline was awarded 75 initial take off/landing slots at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and received formal U.S. authorization in February 2000. It started operations on February 11, 2000, with service to Buffalo and Ft. Lauderdale.

JetBlue's founders had set out to call the airline "Taxi" and paint all the aircraft yellow, like a NYC cab, but luckily they changed their minds and JetBlue it became, eventually .

Fleet

As of April 2011, the JetBlue Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 6 years:

JetBlue Airways fleet
Aircraft	Total	Orders	Seats	Blended winglets
Airbus A320-200	117	55	150	No (Wingtip Fences)
Embraer 190	46	56	100	Yes
Total	163

JetBlue Embraer 190 N190JB ("Luiz F. Kahl")

Nearly every plane in JetBlue's fleet is named with a designation containing some form of the word "blue." Examples include "Absolute Blue," "Big Blue Bus," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Canyon Blue," "Hopelessly devoted to Blue," "Mi Corazon Azul," "Rhapsody in Blue," "Sacre Bleu!," "The name is Blue, JetBlue," and "Whole Lotta Blue." However as of November 2006^[update], there are two exceptions: tail number N190JB is "Luiz F. Kahl," named for the former Chairman of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, and tail number N533JB is "Usto Schulz," named for JetBlue's former VP of Safety. Every year employees submit suggestions for the names of the new planes. Past winners have received trips to Toulouse, France, to tour the Airbus hangar and fly home aboard the plane that bears their name suggestion.

The only plane that has not been named by a JetBlue employee is tail number N655JB, "Blue 100," which was named by the company in celebration for JetBlue's 100th Airbus A320. Also, the plane has its own original tail fin, unlike the rest of fleet which shares one of the 9 tail fin designs, entitled Stripes, Harlequin, Window Pane, Bubbles, Plaid, Dots, Mosaic, Barcode and Blueberries. Also, tail number N658JB was named " Whoo-Hoo JetBlue! The Official Airline of Springfield " in celebration of the release of The Simpsons Movie. The plane also features Homer Simpson giving a thumbs up.

Incidents and accidents

JetBlue has had several incidents involving its planes, although none have resulted in any hull losses or fatalities.

JetBlue Flight 292, an Airbus A320 (N536JB), makes an emergency landing at Los Angeles International AirportNotable incidents:

On September 21, 2005, Flight 292 (N536JB "Canyon Blue") performed an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport following a failure of the front landing gear during retraction when it turned 90 degrees. The plane landed after holding for three hours to burn fuel and lighten the aircraft. The aircraft came to a stop without incident on runway 25L, the third-longest runway at LAX. The only apparent damage to the plane upon landing was the destruction of the front wheels, which were ground down to almost semicircles, and the tires; the front landing strut held.

On February 14, 2007, a JetBlue flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Cancún, Mexico was delayed on the ramp in a snowstorm, keeping passengers on the plane for nearly nine hours. Throughout that day, at least nine other JetBlue aircraft were also stranded on the tarmac, keeping the passengers on board. Four days later, JetBlue was still not operating normally, canceling nearly all flights using Embraer 190 aircraft. On February 19, JetBlue's then-CEO, David Neeleman, issued a public apology for the cancellations and for his company's mismanagement of the situation. Neeleman said he was "humiliated and mortified" by the system failures and he promised that JetBlue would soon introduce a "Customer Bill of Rights" offering compensation for such events in the future. JetBlue predicted that the cancellations and passenger compensations would total between 20 and 30 million dollars.

On August 9, 2010, as Flight 1052 from Pittsburgh International Airport prepared to disembark its passengers at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Steven Slater, a JetBlue flight attendant, claimed to have been in a confrontation with a passenger who refused to remain seated during the safety instruction. Slater claims he was struck on the head by her luggage as it was being removed from the overhead storage bin. Several passengers have disputed his account. He cursed at the passengers over the aircraft's public address system, after which he activated the emergency chute, grabbed two beers, exited via the now-inflated evacuation slide, ran to his parked car, and drove home where he was later arrested.

On August 26, 2010, JetBlue Flight 262 (N590JB "Liberty Blue") from Long Beach Airport encountered problems upon landing at Sacramento International Airport. Four of the Airbus A320's tires blew out, and both the blown-out tires and the aircraft's brakes caught on fire. Fifteen of the flight's 86 passengers sustained minor injuries while evacuating the aircraft on the runway. The fire was quickly extinguished by emergency responders, but runway 16R/34L remained closed for over 24 hours, forcing all aircraft operations to use runway 16L/34R. There was no disruption to any other flights.

On September 9, 2010, JetBlue Flight 522 from Orlando, Florida to Newark, was experiencing turbulence mid-flight, when 21-year-old Playboy playmate Tiffany Livingston bolted from her seat and grabbed the handle on the exit door. She was tackled and subdued by nearby passengers, and the plane landed safely. Then, she was subsequently detained by Federal officials, and released hours later. Investigators determined that she was trying to stabilize and brace herself during a high anxiety attack brought on by the turbulence, rather than attempting to open the door in mid-flight.

On April 19, 2011, JetBlue Flight 464 from Southwest Florida International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport landed safely, then had its left wing clipped by a truck being escorted by an airline employee on a ramp, forcing the aircraft out of service.

Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe, North America and northern Africa. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair. The airline's head office is located on the grounds of Dublin Airport.


Once a great airline, it’s now a secondary carrier, it’s on-board service for European and short haul flights is basic, snacks and drinks available for purchase, costs are pretty average. Long Haul flights offer a nice meal service and complimentary drinks .


Telephone reservations are to be avoided, the fares offered are on average 25% more than those available online, remember also that the first fare you see is not including tax, therefore add another 20 to 40 per cent. 78 per cent of flights departed on time and the airline has a reasonably good safety record.
Our Rating 3 stars.

• Reservations
• UK 0871 718 5000
• Ireland 0818 365000
• USA 1-516 622 4222

Best deals online

Formed in 1936, Aer Lingus is a former member of the Oneworld airline alliance, which it left on 31 March 2007. While it is not part of alliance, the airline has codeshares with Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam members, as well as interline agreements with Aer Arann and JetBlue Airways. The company employs 4,000 people and in 2010 had revenues of €1.2 billion. Aer Lingus flew 9.3 million passengers in 2010. It has a mixed business model, operating a low fare service on its European and North African routes and full service, two-class flights on transatlantic routes.
Aer Lingus is 29.4% owned by its rival, Ryanair, and 25.4% owned by the Government of Ireland. The airline was floated on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges on 2 October 2006, following prior government approval (the government previously owned 85% of the airline). The principal group companies include Aer Lingus Limited, Aer Lingus Beachey Limited, Aer Lingus (Ireland) Limited and Dirnan Insurance Company Limited, all of which are wholly owned.
Aer Lingus is celebrating it's 75th anniversary in 2011. On 26 March, the company presented her latest aircraft which has been painted in the 1960s livery and the crew was wearing a selection of the historical uniforms.
History
Early years
A DH.84 Dragon, repainted in the livery of Aer Lingus' original aircraft "Iolar" at Manchester Airport, England (1988)Aer Lingus was founded on 15 April 1936, with a capital of £100,000. Its first chairman was Seán Ó hUadhaigh. Pending legislation for Government investment through a parent company, Aer Lingus was associated with Blackpool and West Coast Air Services which advanced the money for the first aircraft, and operated with Aer Lingus under the common title "Irish Sea Airways". Aer Lingus Teoranta was registered as an airline on 22 May 1936. The name Aer Lingus is an anglicisation of the Irish form Aer Loingeas, which means Air Fleet. The name was proposed by Richard F O'Connor, who was County Cork Surveyor, as well as an aviation enthusiast. Aer Lingus was originally pronounced 'air ling-us' (as the Irish Aer Loingeas is pronounced) and only later did the pronunciation change to the 'air ling-gus' used now.
On 27 May 1936, five days after being registered as an airline, its first service began between Baldonnel Airfield in Dublin and Whitchurch in Bristol, England, using a six-seater De Havilland 84 Dragon (registration EI-ABI) biplane, named Iolar (Eagle).
The original aircraft acquired by Aer Lingus (DH.84 Dragon MK2) was later sold to an English company in 1938 as the airline expanded. The original aircraft is believed to have been shot down and lost in 1941 near the scilly isles during WW2.
Later that year, the airline acquired its second aircraft, a four-engined biplane De Havilland 86 Express named "Éire", with a capacity of 14 passengers.[7] This aircraft provided the first air link between Dublin and London by extending the Bristol service to Croydon. At the same time, the DH84 Dragon was used to inaugurate an Aer Lingus service on the Dublin-Liverpool route.
The airline was established as the national carrier under the Air Navigation and Transport Act (1936). In 1937, the Irish government created Aer Rianta (now called Dublin Airport Authority), a company to assume financial responsibility for the new airline and the entire country's civil aviation infrastructure. In April 1937, Aer Lingus became wholly owned by the Irish government via Aer Rianta.
The airline's first General Manager was Dr JF (Jeremiah known as 'Jerry') Dempsey, a chartered accountant, who joined the company on secondment from Kennedy Crowley & Co (predecessor to KPMG) as Company Secretary in 1936 (aged 30) and was appointed to the role of General Manager in 1937. He retired 30 years later in 1967 at the age of 60.
In 1938, Iolar was replaced by a de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide, and a second DH86B was also purchased. Two Lockheed 14s arrived in 1939, Aer Lingus' first all-metal aircraft.
Douglas DC-3 at Manchester Airport, England (1948) wearing the first postwar liveryIn January 1940, a new airport was completed in the Dublin suburb of Collinstown and Aer Lingus moved their operations there. A new DC-3 was bought and new services to Liverpool and an internal service to Shannon were inaugurated. The airline's services were curtailed during World War II with the sole route being to Liverpool or Barton Aerodrome Manchester depending on the fluctuating security situation.
Post-war expansion on 9 November 1945, regular services were resumed with an inaugural flight to London. From this point Aer Lingus planes, initially mostly Douglas DC-3s, were painted in a silver and green livery. The airline's first flight attendants were introduced.

In 1946, a new Anglo-Irish agreement gave Aer Lingus exclusive UK traffic rights from Ireland in exchange for a 40% holding by BOAC and British European Airways (BEA). Because of Aer Lingus' growth the airline bought seven new Vickers Viking planes in 1947, however, these proved to be uneconomical and were soon sold.
Aer Lingus Bristol 170 Freighter at Manchester Airport (1953) In 1947, Aerlínte Éireann came into existence with the purpose of operating transatlantic flights to New York from Ireland. Five new Lockheed Constellations were ordered but a change of government and a financial crisis prevented the service from starting. John A Costello, the incoming Fine Gael Taoiseach (Prime Minister), was not a keen supporter of air travel and thought that flying the Atlantic was too grandiose a scheme for a small airline from a small country like Ireland.[citation needed] The Constellations were then sold to BOAC.
Vickers Viscount 808 in "green top" livery at Manchester Airport, England (1963)During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Aer Lingus introduced routes to Brussels, Amsterdam and Rome. Because of the expanding route structure the airline became one of the first to order Vickers Viscount 700s in 1951, which were placed in service in April 1954. In 1952 the airline expanded its all-freight services and acquired a small fleet of Bristol 170 Freighters, which remained in service until 1957.
In 1954, Prof. Patrick Lynch was appointed chairman of Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta at the young age of 38, taking on the task of turning the £60,000 deficit of the companies into a profit. He was Chairman for 21 years to 1975, and retired from that position at his own request to the government of the day. Even with changes of government, they retained him in this position.[citation needed] In 1956, Aer Lingus introduced a new, green-top livery with a white lighting flash down the windows and the Irish flag displayed on the fin.
First transatlantic service
Boeing 720 in Aer Lingus-Irish International livery. (1965)On 28 April 1958, Aerlínte Éireann operated their first transatlantic service from Shannon to New York. Three Lockheed Super Constellations were used for the twice-weekly service. The aircraft were leased from the American airline Seaboard and Western while Irish cabin crews were used. This arrangement continued until 1 January 1960 when Aerlínte Éireann was renamed Aer Lingus – Irish International Airlines.
Aer Lingus bought seven Fokker F27 Friendships, which were delivered between November 1958 and May 1959. These were used in short-haul services to the UK, gradually replacing the Dakotas, until Aer Lingus disposed of them during 1966 in favour of second-hand Viscount 800s.
The airline entered the jet age on 14 December 1960 when three Boeing 720s were delivered for use on the New York route and the newest Aer Lingus destination Boston.
In 1963, Aer Lingus added Carvairs to the fleet. With this aircraft, five cars could be transported by loading them into the fuselage through the nose of the aircraft. The Carvair proved to be uneconomic for the airline partly due to the rise of car ferry services by sea, and the aircraft were then used for freight services until disposed of.
The Boeing 720s proved to be a success for the airline on the transatlantic routes. To supplement these, Aer Lingus took delivery of their first larger Boeing 707 in 1964, and the type continued to serve the airline until 1986.
Jet aircraft
Fokker F27 Friendship at Manchester Airport, England, the F27 was used on short-haul services between 1958 and 1966. (1965)Conversion of the European fleet to jet equipment began in 1965 when the BAC One-Eleven started services from Dublin and Cork to Paris and via Manchester to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt. A new livery was adopted in the same year, with a large green shamrock on the fin and titles of Aer Lingus-Irish International just above the plane's windows. In 1966, the remainder of the company's shares held by Aer Rianta were transferred to the Minister for Finance.
Aviation Traders Carvair that was used as a vehicle freighter is seen loading a car at Bristol Airport, England. (1964)In 1966, the route from Shannon to Montreal and onward to Chicago was inaugurated. Also, in 1968, flights from Belfast, in Northern Ireland, to New York were started. The service was soon suspended, due to the beginning of the Troubles in the area. 1969 saw the introduction of Boeing 737s to the Aer Lingus fleet, to cope with the high demand for flights between the cities of Dublin and London. Later, Aer Lingus extended the 737 flights to all of their European network.
In 1967, after 30 years of service, General Manager Dr J F Dempsey signed the contract for the airline's first two Boeing 747 aircraft (Jumbo Jets) before he retired that year.
1970s to present
BAC One-Eleven in the old livery at Zürich Airport, Switzerland. (1975)In 1970, Aer Lingus took delivery of two Boeing 747s for use on the transatlantic routes. A third was later added to the fleet but one was leased out because it was not profitable at first for the company to fly 747s across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1974, a new livery was unveiled and the word International disappeared from the fuselage titles. The livery included two colours of blue and one green, plus the white shamrock on the fin.
In 1977, Aer Lingus recruited its first female pilot, Gráinne Cronin – the airline was the second in Europe (after SAS) to introduce female pilots.[9]
In September 1979, Aer Lingus became the first airline other than Alitalia to be used by Pope John Paul II, when he flew aboard a specially modified Boeing 747 (EI-ASI or St. Patrick) from Rome to Dublin and later from Shannon to Boston. In the early 1980s the 707s were phased out.
Aer Lingus Commuter Saab 340 at Dublin Airport in 1993.In 1984, a fully-owned subsidiary, Aer Lingus Commuter, was formed so that Aer Lingus could fly to larger cities in Ireland and Britain whose flying time from Dublin did not require jet planes. These services were operated primarily by five of the Belfast-built Short 360 after conducting a trial with the Short 330. Around this time Aer Lingus purchased a majority share hold in the cargo airline Aer Turas, owner of some DC-8 freighter jets.
Between 1987 and 1989, new Boeing 737s arrived to replace the older ones, and six Fokker 50s were added to the Commuter fleet. During 1990, after the passage of the deregulation act for the airline industry in Ireland, Aer Lingus had to reconsider its operational policies. The BAC One-Elevens were retired and five new 737s arrived. In 1991, four Saab 340Bs arrived at the commuter division to replace the Short 360 planes. By 1992 Aer Lingus's entire original 737-200 fleet had been replaced and was now the first operator in the world of all three versions of the second generation 737. These were the −300, −400 and −500 series, although the −300 did not stay long in Aer Lingus service.
Airbus operations
Airbus A321 landing at London Heathrow Airport (2007)In 1994, Aer Lingus started direct services between Dublin and the United States using the Airbus A330 and in May of that year Aer Lingus operated the first A330-300 ETOPS service over the North Atlantic. This led to the phasing out of the Boeing 747 and the briefly operated Boeing 767-300ER. On 2 October 1995, the Boeing 747 service ceased operations after twenty-five years of service. By that time, over eight million people had travelled across the Atlantic in Aer Lingus Boeing 747s. The late 1990s saw Aer Lingus return to Belfast with a service to New York via Shannon. Newark Liberty International Airport was also added as a destination, but these flights stopped in 2001.
The first Airbus short-haul aircraft arrived in 1998 in the form of the A321, initially to mainly operate the Dublin-Heathrow route. Six were delivered in 1998 and 1999 and continue in service today. The first A320 was delivered in 2000, with three more added to the fleet by 2001.
On 1 February 2001, Aer Lingus Commuter was merged back into the mainline operation. Business was severely affected by the 11 September attacks. Staff numbers were cut, destinations were dropped and the fleet was reduced. The airline has since weathered the storm and is back in profit. This has largely been achieved through a strategy of lowering the airline's cost base, updating the fleet with modern Airbus equipment and developing new routes to mainland European destinations. Aer Lingus had previously largely neglected mainland Europe in favour of US and British destinations. They are positioning themselves as competition to the European no-frills airlines while offering intercontinental flights as well. Business class travel for short haul flights has been phased out. Cargo services remain on a small number of routes.
A large order for A320 aircraft saw deliveries commencing in 2004 and continuing to the present. The delivery of these aircraft allowed the withdrawal of the Boeing 737 to begin and on 29 October 2005, Aer Lingus withdrew its last two 737 aircraft from service, one of which was used on the Dublin to Nice route. This marked the end of the use of Boeing aircraft at Aer Lingus and made the fleet all Airbus.
On 27 October 2005, Aer Lingus announced their first scheduled service to Asia from March 2006 as Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, where Chief Executive Dermot Mannion was based when at Emirates Airline. Despite the Aer Lingus press release describing it as the first long haul service outside the United States, there had in fact been a previous service to Montreal from 1966–1979. The great circle distance of 5,926 kilometres (3,682 mi) is comparable to the service to Chicago. At the same time Mr. Mannion linked the funding of new long haul aircraft to replace the A330 fleet with the privatisation of the airline. The Dubai service ceased in March 2008 as the airline sought to increase its market share in the newly liberalised transatlantic market.
On 6 June 2007, Aer Lingus strengthened its relationship with the European manufacturer by ordering six of the new A350 XWB as well as six A330-300E aircraft. These will be used to expand long haul operations as well as replacement aircraft for three older models. Deliveries of the A330E began in February 2009 and the A350 XWB is expected to begin in 2014.
Fleet.
As of March 2011, the Aer Lingus fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 5.9 years:

Aer Lingus fleet
Aircraft	Total	Orders	Passengers	Notes
C	Y	Total
Airbus A320-200	33	1	—	174 150	174 150
Airbus A321-200	3	—	—	212	212
Airbus A330-200	3	—	24	248 255	272 279	One to be sold in 2011
Airbus A330-300	4	—	20	298	318
Airbus A350-900	—	9	TBA	Deliveries: Four in 2015, two in 2016, three in 2018
Total	43	10

Memorial at the site of the January 1952 crash. Aer Lingus has suffered ten incidents, including seven accidents which left aircraft written-off (of which three were fatal) and one hijacking. The last incident was a non-fatal crash in 1986, when a Short 360 hit high-tension power lines after the pilots lost control of the aircraft due to airframe icing.
On 10 January 1952, a Douglas DC-3 (actually a civilianised ex-military Dakota) registered EI-AFL and named "St. Kevin" was en route from Northolt to Dublin. It flew into a mountain wave triggered by Snowdon and an area of extreme turbulence, then crashed in a peat bog near Llyn Gwynant in Snowdonia, killing all 20 passengers and 3 crew. It was the company's first fatal accident.
On 22 June 1967, a Vickers Viscount registered EI-AOF on a pilot-training flight stalled and spun into the ground near Ashbourne, killing all three crew.
On 21 September 1967, Vickers Viscount EI-AKK flying from Dublin to Bristol scraped its wing on the runway and crashed on landing at the destination airport. All of the passengers and crew survived. The aircraft was later written off.
In 1968, a Viscount EI-AOM "St. Phelim" en route from Cork to London crashed near Tuskar Rock in the waters off the southeast coast of Ireland. All 57 passengers and four crew perished. The crash is generally known as the Tuskar Rock Air Disaster in Ireland. The aircraft's elevator trim tab was found some distance from the rest of the wreckage, suggesting that it had become detached at an earlier stage. However, the accident report reached no definitive conclusion about the cause of the crash, but did not exclude the possibility that another aircraft or airborne object was involved. Following persistent rumours that the aircraft's demise was linked with nearby British military exercises, a review of the case files by the Air Accident Investigation Unit took place in 1998. This review identified a number of maintenance and record-keeping failures and concluded that the original report failed to adequately examine alternative hypotheses not involving other aircraft. A subsequent investigation concluded that the accident happened following a structural failure of the port tailplane, and ruled out the possibility that another aircraft was involved.
In 1981, an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to London was hijacked and diverted to Le Touquet - Côte d'Opale Airport in France. While authorities negotiated with the hijacker by radio in the cockpit, French special forces entered the rear of the aircraft and overpowered him. None of the passengers or crew were injured during the hijacking. The official record shows the reason as One hijacker demanded to be taken to Iran. Plane stormed/hijacker arrested. Duration of the hijacking: less than 1 day. while various media reports indicated that the man, Laurence Downey (a former Trappist monk), demanded that the Pope release the third secret of Fátima.
On 31 January 1986, Aer Lingus Flight 328 a Short 360 registration EI-BEM on a flight from Dublin to East Midlands Airport struck power lines and crashed short of the runway. None of the 36 passengers and crew died but two passengers were injured in the accident.

United Airlines

United Airlines, a global force and an American giant,  even before the merger with Continental Airlines.

Over 350 aircraft and 48,000 employees,  the airline is evolving at the moment after the merger, including the amalgamated logo.  

The service from both airlines is evolving, both on the ground and in the air,  the final service that will be uniformly adopted is still unclear, however current service is vastly improved from what it was just a few years ago. 

On-time record is slightly above average, around 76 per cent departed on time in the first three months of 2011. 

Reservations

UK 0845 8444 777

USA 1800 864 8331

or book online with Opodo for the best fares

Our Rating 4 Stars.

The service on board

United's pre-merger livery, introduced in 2004, on a Boeing 777–200

First Class Suite Seats on a United Airlines Boeing 747-400 in 2005.

United offers in-flight entertainment on all mainline aircraft, the only mainline legacy carrier to do so. Audio programming is provided by Zune. The entire fleet features "From the Flight deck" on channel 9. This program allows passengers to listen to live radio communications between the cockpit and Air Traffic Control. "From the Flight deck" can be disabled at the pilot's discretion. United also has partnerships with various television networks who provide programming for video-equipped aircraft. The most prominent of these programming partners was NBC, which provided branded "NBC on United" programming. This long-standing partnership ended in early 2009, when NBC signed a two-year deal with American Airlines.[119] Despite the loss of this partnership, United's television entertainment continues to include several prime time NBC programs.

United First

United First is offered on all flights. United First passengers check in at separate counters and can use priority security screening where available. On board, passengers receive a pre-flight beverage service, table linens (on mainline flights) and (on international flight segments only) a five course meal. Passengers are also given priority when boarding, priority baggage handling and access to the International First Class Lounge (on international and p.s. flights only).

• (Old) United First Suites are offered on internationally configured Boeing 777-200/200ER aircraft and feature 78 inch-pitch flat-bed seats which recline to 180 degrees. Each seat has a personal video screen with a collection of compact videocassettes. Passengers have access to personal satellite phones, laptop power ports, noise-cancelling headsets, pillows and blankets.

• (New) United First Suites are offered on all Boeing 747-400, all internationally configured Boeing 767-300ER, and nine Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. United has begun retrofitting this new seat on its entire international fleet. The new First Suite is 6 feet-6 inches long and has 180 degrees of recline, creating a fully flat bed. All seats are equipped with a personal 15.4-inch screen personal LCD television with Audio-Video-on-Demand (AVOD), an adjustable headrest, lumbar support, a USB power port, an Apple iPod adapter (to play audio or video through), XM Satellite Radio, a US-style 120V/60 Hz power outlet, a reading light, noise-cancelling headphones and a large tray table. The 767–300 international continues to use the original (smaller) overhead bins.

• United First (Domestic) is offered on all domestically configured United aircraft. Domestic United First includes a cradle seat similar to the old international United Business seat, but without the personal reading lamps, leg rests, or personal entertainment units. The seats have a 38 inch pitch, and passengers receive priority boarding and baggage handling, pre-departure beverages, free meals and separate check-in desks. United is in the process of upgrading these seats with leather seat covers. Occasionally, 3 class wide bodies will fly between hubs and Domestic First Class will feature the Suites (old and new).

• United First (p.s.) is offered on all flights from JFK to SFO and LAX and features twelve slanted-flat, leather-trimmed seats, with a 68-inch pitch, along with individual portable digital media players offering a wide selection of movies, TV shows, music and games through noise-reducing headsets. Passengers receive full meals, chocolates and signature champagne cocktails, as well as an invitation to the United International First Class Lounge (on a domestic flight). Seats include personal reading lights, privacy screens and laptop power ports.

United Business

Business Class Seats on the Upper Deck of a United Airlines Boeing 747-400 in 2005.

United Business is offered on all internationally configured aircraft and on a few select domestic flights. United Business passengers check in at separate counters and can use priority security screening where available. In-flight service includes pre-departure beverages, table linens and (on international flight segments only) three course meals designed by chef Charlie Trotter. Passengers are also given priority when boarding, priority baggage handling and access to the United Red Carpet Club (on international and p.s. flights only).

• (Old) United Business Seats are offered on internationally configured Boeing 777-200/200ER aircraft and feature recliner-type seats with a pitch of 55 inches and 150 degree recline. The seat also features laptop power ports which require EmPower adapters. Each seat includes an individual entertainment system offering nine channels of video (seven films and two short-subjects) and noise-reducing headsets.

• (New) United Business Suites are offered on all Boeing 747-400, all internationally configured Boeing 767-300ER, and nine Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. United has begun retrofitting this new seat on its entire international fleet. The seats alternate between front-facing and rear-facing.[121] All seats are 6 feet-4 inches long and have 180 degrees of recline, creating a fully flat bed. United Business Suite was the first flat-bed business seat to be offered by a U.S. airline. All seats are equipped with a personal 15-inch screen personal LCD television with Audio-Video-on-Demand (AVOD), an adjustable headrest, lumbar support, a USB power port, an Apple iPod adapter (through which to play audio or video), XM Satellite Radio, a US-style 120V/60 Hz power outlet, a reading light, noise-cancelling headphones and a large tray table.

• United Business (p.s.) is offered on all flights from JFK to SFO and LAX and features twenty-six leather recliner seats with 54 inch pitch, individual portable digital media players offering a wide selection of movies, TV shows, music and games through noise-reducing headsets. Passengers receive full meals, chocolates and signature cocktails as well as an invitation to the United Red Carpet Club. Seats include personal reading lights and laptop power ports.

• United Business (Domestic) is offered on select domestic flights between hubs when 3 class international wide bodies are being repositioned between international flights. There is never any guarantee of which routes these planes will appear on as schedules will change according to United's international needs. Aside from the superior International Business Class seats, service is similar to Domestic First Class. Note that Rows 13 and 14 on the 767s receive Business Class service despite being sold as economy seats as they are physically located within the Business cabin.

United Economy

A United Airlines Boeing 767-300ER in the old livery taxiing at San Francisco International Airport, California. (2009)

Passengers in flight in the Economy Section (International) of a United Airlines Boeing 747-400 in 2006.

• United Economy (International) is available on all internationally configured aircraft in United's fleet. Seats range from 17 to 18 inches wide, and have 31 inches of pitch. All United Economy seats on Boeing 767-300ER and 777-200/200ER aircraft feature an adjustable headrest and a 5 inch personal television at the back of each seat. United Economy's in-flight entertainment system on these aircraft features nine channels of entertainment (Seven films and two short-subjects.) The B777-200/200ER's will be updated in the future to Audio-Video-on-Demand (AVOD) with a 7 inch Panasonic eFX touch screen LCD. United serves free meals on international flights between the US, South America, Europe, the South Pacific and Asia. Shortly after take-off, passengers are served cocktail snacks and free non-alcoholic drinks. On flights with meals, the main meal consists of a salad, an appetizer, a choice of hot entrées and dessert. On longer flights, United also offers a light pre-arrival meal.

• United Economy (Domestic) is available on all domestically configured aircraft in United's fleet. Seats range from 17 to 18 inches wide, and have between 31 and 32 inches of pitch. Economy seats on all A319-100, A320-200, 757–200, and domestic-configured 767-300ER and 777-200/200ER aircraft feature adjustable headrests. United offers a buy on board program. On United flights between three and five hours in duration, snackboxes are available for a fee. On United flights of five or more hours, fresh sandwiches, salads and snackbox options are also available for a fee. Water, soft drinks, and coffee are complimentary on all flights. Alcoholic beverages are available for a fee on most flights.[122] All aircraft feature overhead television screens. Short subject television program is shown on flights between 1.5 and 2.5 hours and feature-length films are shown on flights over three hours.

• Economy Plus is available on all aircraft in the domestic and international fleet. Economy Plus seats are located in the front 6–12 rows of the economy cabin and feature up to 6 inches of additional legroom. Economy Plus is available for free to all Mileage Plus Elite members. It can also be purchased at check-in depending upon availability. All seats in economy on the p.s. flights from JFK to LAX and SFO are configured into Economy Plus. United announced that it will keep the "Economy Plus" seating for the combined carrier.

Incidents and accidents (outgoing links to wikipedia pages)

1930s
NC13304
Flight 6
NC13317^[124]
NC13323^[125]
NC13355^[126]
1940s
Flight 14
Flight 28
Flight 404
Flight 521
Flight 608
Flight 624
1950s
Flight 129
Flight 610
Flight 615
Flight 7030
Flight 16
Flight 409
Flight 629
Flight 718
Flight 736
1960s
Flight 826
Flight 859
Flight 297
Flight 823
Flight 389
Flight 227
Flight 266
1970s
Flight 553
Flight 2860
Flight 173
Flight 611
1980s
Flight 811
Flight 232
1990s
Flight 585
Flight 863
2000s
Flight 175
Flight 93
Flight 955
2010s
Flight 663
Flight 497
 
Fleet images
View photos of our current and past planes.

Current fleet


A319
A320
B737
B747
B757
B767
B777
CRJ200
CRJ700
DASH 8
EMB170
ERJ145
SAAB340




Past planes


B40A
B80A
B247
B377
B720-022
B727
B727-22
B737-200
B737-222
B747-100
B747-200
B767-200
Beechcraft 1900
Convair 340
DC3
DC6
DC7
DC8
DC-10
Dornier 328
Ford Tri Motor 5-AT-D
Jetstream 41
L1011
SUD Caravelle
Swallow
Vickers Viscount
United's evolving brand
Our new logo is more than just a visual change — it is a sign of many exciting things to come. The combination of United’s name and Continental’s globe logo symbolizes bringing together the best of each carrier to create the world’s leading airline. You can expect to start seeing this new logo on our aircraft, on our websites, at the airport and elsewhere.
Until we are fully integrated as a single airline, you may still see the Continental name and logo associated with Continental Airlines operations. In the meantime, we are working on several ways to streamline your travel experience. We are already in the process of making improvements to united.com and continental.com, and while you will start to notice some signs of integration on our websites, for now you can continue to use both sites as usual.

Air Canada

Air Canada.
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada, an airline founded in 1936, it provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's ninth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, an alliance of 26 member airlines formed in 1997. It’s main hub is Toronto Pearson International Airport, which it dominates.


Our Rating  3 stars.


See below of details of the new cabin interiors, which do offer great comfort and easy to fly in style.    We like Air Canada in flight,  the service is friend, efficient and enjoyable.  However, the service on the ground is appalling, from over-crowded departure gates, shoddy and rude customer service staff, late departures and the rudest reservation staff (based in India) of any airline we’ve ever encountered.   We also strongly advise that you NEVER book the last flight of the day,  these are often cancelled.  Overbooking on most international flights is usually around 50 seats.


In the air great, on the ground terrible.


Reservations

• USA & Canada 1-888-247-2262
• UK  0871 220 1111
• Australia 1300 655 767
  
  
  Or book online at Opodo for the lowest fares

History
Trans-Canada Airlines
Lockheed Model 10A Electra "CF-TCC" in Trans-Canada Air Lines livery at the Western Canada Aviation MuseumAir Canada's predecessor, Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA), was created by legislation of the federal government as a subsidiary of Canadian National Railway (CNR) on 11 April 1936. The newly created Department of Transport under Minister C. D. Howe desired an airline, under government control, to link cities on the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast. Using $5 million in government seed money, two Lockheed Model 10 Electras and one Boeing Stearman biplane were purchased from Canadian Airways. Experienced airline executives from United Airlines and American Airlines were brought in.
Passenger operations began on 1 September 1937, with an Electra carrying two passengers and mail from Vancouver to Seattle, a $14.20 round trip. On 1 July 1938, TCA hired its first flight attendants. Transcontinental routes from Montreal to Vancouver began on 1 April 1939, using 12 Lockheed Model 14 Super Electras and six Lockheed Model 18 Lodestars. By January 1940 the airline had grown to about 500 employees.


Trans-Canada Air Lines Lockheed 14H2 in 1938In 1942, Canadian Pacific Airlines suggested merging with TCA. Prime Minister Mackenzie King rejected the proposal and introduced legislation regulating TCA as the only airline in Canada allowed to provide transcontinental flights. With the increase in air travel after World War II, CP Air was granted one coast-to-coast flight, and a few international routes.


Originally headquartered in Winnipeg, which was also the site of the national maintenance base, the federal government moved the headquarters to Montreal in 1949; the maintenance base later also moved east. With the development of the ReserVec in 1953, TCA became the first airline in the world to use a computer reservation system with remote terminals.
By 1964, TCA had grown to become Canada's national airline, and in 1964 Jean Chrétien submitted a private member's bill to change the name of the airline from Trans-Canada Airlines to Air Canada. This bill failed, but it was later resubmitted and passed, with the name change taking effect on 1 January 1965.
1970s


1 Place Ville-Marie, which previously housed Air Canada's headquarters During the 1970s, Air Canada operated with government regulations ensuring its dominance over domestic regional carriers and rival CP Air. Short-haul carriers were restricted to one of five regions where they could operate, and could not compete directly with Air Canada and CP Air. CP Air itself was subject to capacity limits on intercontinental flights, and restricted from domestic operations. Air Canada's fares were also subject to regulation by the government.


In the late 1970s, with reorganization at CNR, Air Canada became an independent Crown corporation. Passage of the Air Canada Act of 1978 ensured that the carrier would compete on a more equal footing with rival regional airlines and CP Air, and ended the government's direct regulatory control over Air Canada's routings, fares, and services. The act also transferred ownership of the carrier from Canadian National Railway to a subsidiary of the national government. Deregulation of the Canadian airline market, under the new National Transportation Act, 1987 officially opened the airline market in Canada to equal competition. The carrier's fleet expansion saw the acquisition of Boeing 727, Boeing 747, and Lockheed Tri-Star jetliners.
Air Canada Boeing 747-200 in 1964-1990s livery With new fleet expenditures outpacing earnings, Air Canada officials indicated that the carrier would need additional sources of capital to fund its modernisation. By 1985, the Canadian government was indicating a willingness to privatise both Canadian National Railways and Air Canada. In 1988 Air Canada was privatised, and 43% of its shares are sold on the public market, with the initial public offering completed in October of that year. By this time, its long-haul rival CP Air had become Canadian Airlines International following its acquisition by Pacific Western Airlines.


On 7 December 1987, Air Canada became the first airline in the world to have a fleet-wide non-smoking policy, and in 1989 became completely privatised. The successful privatisation effort was aided by a public relations effort led by company president Claude I. Taylor and chief executive officer Pierre J. Jeanniot.
1990s: strategic changes


1994-2004 livery on a Boeing 767-300ERIn the early 1990s, Air Canada encountered financial difficulties as the airline industry slumped in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War. In response the airline restructured its management, hiring former Delta Air Lines executive Hollis L. Harris as its CEO. Harris restructured the airline's operations, reduced management positions, moved the corporate headquarters to Dorval Airport, and sold the enRoute card business to Diners Club in 1992. By 1994, Air Canada had returned to profitability. The same year also saw the carrier winning route access to fly from Canada to the new Kansai Airport in Osaka, Japan.


In 1995, taking advantage of a new U.S.-Canada open skies agreement, Air Canada added 30 new transborder routes. In May 1997, Air Canada became a founding member of the Star Alliance, with the airline launching code-shares with several of the alliance's members. The second half of the 1990s saw the airline earn consistent profits, totalling $1 billion for the 1997 to 1999 period.
On 2 September 1998 pilots for Air Canada launched the company's first pilots' strike, demanding higher wages. At the end of 1999 the Canadian government relaxed some of the aviation regulations, aimed at creating a consolidation of the Canadian airline industry. That year, American Airlines launched a takeover bid of ailing rival Canadian Airlines, spurring Air Canada to submit a competing offer for its largest rival.
Boeing 777-300ER C-FIVS "Olympic Mural" lands at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport 2000s: merger and reorganization. In January 2001 Air Canada acquired Canada's second largest air carrier, Canadian Airlines, merging the latter's operations into its own. As a result, Air Canada became the world's twelfth-largest commercial airline in the first decade of the 21st century.[8] However, as Air Canada gained access to its former rival's financial statements, officials learned that the carrier was in worse financial shape than previously thought. An expedited merger strategy was pursued, but in summer 2000 the integration efforts led to flight delays, luggage problems, and other frustrations. However, service improved following Air Canada officials pledge to do so by January 2001. Following the difficult merger, the airline was confronted by the global aviation market downturn, and the challenge of increased competition, posting back-to-back losses in 2001 and 2002.

Air Canada Fleet as of Dec2010
Aircraft	Total	Orders	Passengers	Notes
J	Y	Total
Airbus A319	35	—	14	106	120	C-FZUH painted in Trans-Canada Air Lines livery
2	0	132	132	Non-XM'd cabins
Airbus A320-200	41	—	14	132	146
Airbus A321-200	10	—	20	154	174
Airbus A330-300	8	—	37	228	265	C-GHLM painted in Star Alliance livery
Boeing 767-300ER	27	—	25 24	166 187	191 211	C-FMWY painted in Star Alliance livery
3	24	223	247	Non-XM'd Cabins
Boeing 777-200LR	6	—	42	228	270
Boeing 777-300ER	12	—	307	349
Boeing 787-8	—	37	TBA	23 options; Entry into service: Q1 2014
Embraer 175	15	—	9	64	73
Embraer 190	45	—	85	94
Total	204	37	23 options

 
 
Air Canada offers newly refurbished cabin interiors, with new seats, personal seat back entertainment at every seat with hundreds of hours of movies, TV programs and music available on demand, as well as standard 110V electrical outlets at arm's reach for all customers. Air Canada has also introduced the first fully flat beds of any North American carrier in business class across its international fleet*.
Discover our latest improvements in the class of service best suited to your travel needs.
Executive First Service (International travel)*

 Executive First Service features luxurious amenities and priority services to enhance your international travel experience.
Available on most** European, Asian and South American itineraries, our Executive First Suites (shown) provide the ultimate in comfort and convenience with fully flat beds, guaranteed aisle access and many deluxe amenities

*Does not include North America and the Caribbean. See Executive Class section below.
**Executive First Suite (shown above) is not available on select international flights. See Executive First Service for details.
Executive Class (North American and Caribbean destinations)

Experience personalized service, enhanced comfort and seat back entertainment at every seat.

Economy Class (International destinations)

Relax in the comfort of our enhanced economy seats*, and enjoy hours of entertainment with your personal touch screen TV.

Economy Class (North American and Caribbean destinations)

Relax in comfort and enjoy hours of entertainment with your personal touch screen TV.

New routes and seasonal destinations

We're constantly adding new routes and increasing service to all your favourite destinations around the world. Take a minute to view our:

• Seasonal destinations (summer and winter)
• New routes and schedules

 
Air Canada's fleet consists of 325 aircraft, including the Jazz fleet of 123 aircraft.

New cabin interior	Number of aircraft
	777-300 (77W) 777-200 (77L)
	Airbus A330-300 (333)
	Boeing 767-300 (763) 767-300 (763)
	Airbus A321-200 (321)
	Airbus A320-200 (320)
	Airbus A319-100 (319) A319-100 (319)
	Embraer 190 (E90)
	Embraer 175 (E75)
	202

	Canadair CRJ 705 (CRA)
	Canadair CRJ 100/200 (CRJ)