Travel Industry Journal

GREECE: AEROPLANE BROKEN DOWN, PRESIDENT STUCK IN VIETNAM

Pro Travel — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:10:41 +0000

Athens, 17 October - A mishap for the president of Greece, Karolos Papoulias: he is stuck together with his staff in Vietnam, where he had been making an official visit lasting four days, as his official Airbus has broken down. This was reported by the national flagship airline, Olympic Airlines, which provides the presidential aeroplanes. What happened was that, due to a short circuit, the fire detection sensor in one of the four engines failed, reporting inexistent flames just as the Hellenic delegation was about to depart. At the site, no other aeroplanes could be found which were available to hire and so the Greek carrier had to send a Boeing 737 from Athens to Hanoi with technicians and spare parts. The length of the ‘rescue’ journey and the time necessary to carry out the repairs forced Papoulias to prolong his stay in the Asian country, experiencing unfortunately the inconvenience which usually only happens to mere mortals, and certainly not to heads of state.

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USAirways European Special Fares

Pro Travel — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:10:00 +0000

Each Way From To

New York, NY (LGA) London, United Kingdom (LHR) $200
Washington, DC (DCA) London, United Kingdom (LHR) $200
Philadelphia, PA London, United Kingdom (LHR) $225
Charlotte, NC London, United Kingdom (LHR) $255
San Francisco, CA London, United Kingdom (LHR) $275
Philadelphia, PA Milan, Italy $240
Chicago, IL (ORD) Milan, Italy $250
Boston, MA Milan, Italy $250
Seattle, WA Milan, Italy $290
Los Angeles, CA (LAX) Milan, Italy $300

More International USAir e-savers…

globemerchant.com

IcelandAir Europe Sale Fares

Pro Travel — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:10:58 +0000

From $408* per person r/t
Winter Airfare Special

With the dramatic increase in the value of the US Dollar against the Icelandic Krona, Iceland is now a top bargain destination, giving consumers nearly twice the spending power compared to last year.

In August 2008, USA today picked Iceland as on of 5 top destinations for Fall ‘08 travel. Since then the Dollar has become even stronger against the Krona, increasing in value by at least 25%.

Take advantage of the great exchange rate in Iceland and travel with our Winter Airfare Special:

Choose from:

Economy Class:
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Fuel charges drop on Europe flights

Pro Travel — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:10:43 +0000

San Francisco Chronicle

As oil prices fall, both U.S. and foreign airlines are cutting fuel surcharges on most flights to Europe, a move that will save fliers $50 on flights to Paris, Rome and Madrid, and more than $60 on flights to London.
Images

Getting to Florence will be a bit cheaper as airlines cut…
Tom Parsons, chief executive of the discount travel site Bestfares.com, has been tracking the surcharges since October 2007. He says the fuel fee from San Francisco and other West Coast cities to the majority of European cities has dropped from $330 round trip to $280 round trip, about 18 percent. London fuel surcharges that were at $428 round trip from the West Coast have dropped to $366 round trip, about 17 percent.

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Transport strike brings Greece to a halt

Pro Travel — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:10:42 +0000

ATHENS, Greece (CNN) — Greece’s air, rail and urban transport came to a grinding halt Wednesday as the country’s biggest labor union staged a 24-hour nationwide strike in protest of the government’s plan to sell off the state’s ailing carrier Olympic Airlines.
People queue at an Olympic Airlines desk at Athens International Airport.

At least 50 domestic and international flights were canceled by the troubled state airline, operating only one flight per destination and leaving hundreds of travelers stranded at Greece’s main international airport in Athens.

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Greece: Protesters block Athens airport runways

Pro Travel — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:10:14 +0000

International Herald Tribune

ATHENS, Greece: Protesting workers at Greek carrier Olympic Airlines have blocked both runways at Athens International Airport, briefly disrupting flights.

Airport officials say the demonstration lasted about 10 minutes, forcing planes to circle the airport. Police are reporting no arrests.

Olympic’s employee unions oppose government plans to sell the loss-making airline under a plan that would see most workers transferred to other public sector jobs.

The protest took place Tuesday.

globemerchant.com

Strike brings capital to a halt as workers oppose sell-off plans

Pro Travel — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:10:45 +0000

Ekathimerini

THANASSIS DIMOPOULOS/EUROKINISSI

Employees of the state air-carrier Olympic Airlines joined a large-scale workers’ strike yesterday to protest the government’s plans for its privatization. OA canceled more than 50 flights. Other flights were affected too, as air-traffic controllers joined the action. The city center clogged up as citizens relied on their cars due to a public transport strike.

Traffic ground to a halt in the city center and flights were canceled at Athens International Airport yesterday as tens of thousands of workers joined a strike to protest the government’s privatization plans and the rising cost of living.

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US Airways International Sale Fares

Pro Travel — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:10:15 +0000

Each Way From To

Washington DC (DCA) Nassau, Bahamas $95
Chicago, IL (ORD) Nassau, Bahamas $95
Charlotte, NC Nassau, Bahamas $100
Los Angeles, CA (LAX) Nassau, Bahamas $125
Philadelphia, PA Nassau, Bahamas $130
New York, NY (LGA) Freeport, Bahamas $90
Baltimore, MD Freeport, Bahamas $100
Boston, MA Freeport, Bahamas $100
Charlotte, NC Freeport, Bahamas $140
Pittsburgh, PA Freeport, Bahamas $150

More International USAir e-savers…..

globemerchant.com

American Airlines International Sale Fares

Pro Travel — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:10:09 +0000

nternational Weekend Getaway Fares

Travel Dates & Times for Weekend Getaway Fares

Anguilla, Anguilla (AXA) - San Juan, PR (SJU) $184
Boston, MA (BOS) - London Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR) $500
Chicago O’Hare, IL (ORD) - Dublin, Ireland (DUB) $588
Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) - Los Cabos, Mexico (SJD) $443
Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) - Monterrey, Mexico (MTY) $390
Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) - Panama City, Panama (PTY) $498
Freeport, Bahamas (FPO) - Miami, FL (MIA) $128
Los Angeles, CA (LAX) - San Salvador, El Salvador (SAL) $511
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Interview with novelist Jennifer Cody Epstein

Pro Travel — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:09:25 +0000

�
New York based writer Jennifer Cody Epstein has just published her first novel “A Painter from Shanghai” based on the life of Chinese painter Pan Yuliang. The book traces Pan Yuliang’s tumultuous life and her relentless pursuit of artistic fulfillment against the backdrop of seismic political and social change in the China of the early 20th century. Jennifer’s novel has been called “luminous” by the New York Times and Publishers Weekly says it “captivates to the last line”. She recently “sat” down for an online interview with Shortcut to discuss her new book, her transition from journalist to writer, and what drew her to write about a woman a century and a continent removed from her.

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