Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd. recently announced it is planning to transform itself into a budget carrier this and would be offering cheap tickets to its customers.
 
The company which operates Hong Kong Express has indicated that it wants to compete with its rival Asian carriers and find options to significantly gain from the Asian region’s boom in low-cost flights for quite some time now.

The airline has decided to foray into Asian budget travel market following weakened demand for full-service and first class and business class flights because of the global economic slowdown.

Yang Jianhong, President of Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd., said that the plans of the airline turning into a budget carrier are likely to be announced in late May this year. The airline is aiming for a turnaround by the third quarter of this year.

From now onwards there will no more be free upgrades to business class flights, media reports quoting travel industry analysts recently indicated.

Media reports said that major airlines have now set their eyes on boosting their extra revenue online and have decided to do away with free business class upgrades making it a thing of the past.

The reports said that there has been a significant increase in customers traveling with cheap tickets taking to online upgrades options by making blind bids for unfilled business class seats. This has enabled airlines to raise extra cash.

According to reports, Austrian Airlines has become the latest carrier to begin taking bids-for-beds. The airline has followed in the footsteps of Virgin Atlantic, Etihad Airways, El Al and Air New Zealand.

Austrian Airlines said that the customers booking cheap tickets for long-haul flights via Vienna would be invited to bid for an upgrade to the business class.

Media reports recently said that Virgin America has performed well among leading U.S. carriers in the year 2012. A travel industry report outlined that Virgin America has emerged at the top among leading U.S. carriers in catering to its customers by performing the best job.

The report said that the customers booking air tickets on Virgin America expressed immense satisfaction with the airline’s performance. The report quoting passengers’ feedback said that the airline did the best job on baggage handling. The airline also reported the second-lowest rate of passengers denied seats due to overbookings. Currently headquartered in Burlingame, Virgin America has become the overall leader among the U.S. carriers.

A total of 14 largest U.S. airlines were ranked based on on-time arrivals, consumer complaints, mishandled baggage, and passengers being turned away after buying tickets because of the flights being overbooked.

Bustling Beijing is busy as usual in summer. May begins with a three-day holiday for Labor Day from 1st to the 3rd; watch the crowd and celebrations at Tiananmen Square and the flag hoisting ceremony. Immediately following this is the Youth Day on May 4th when the Government organizes various activities for youth to mark the memory of the first mass student movement in 1919. Music lovers will definitely enjoy the festival of Chamber Music held in May by the National Center of Performing Arts as well as the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival that celebrates music, dance at theater at various indoor and outdoor venues.

Other events in May include the Huangyaguan Great Wall Marathon on May 18th and the Daxing Watermelon Festival on May 28th. The International Children’s Day is another major event that celebrated on May 31st and June 1st. Carnivals, children’s events and sales happen to celebrate the joys of childhood.

The much celebrated Duan Wu Dragon Boat Festival takes place in June. On June 12, 2013, people in Beijing celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival with colorful Dragon boat races; zongzi and xionghuangjiu, rice dumplings with realgar wine are the main festival fare. Beijing looks colorful and cheerful with plenty of activities and hanging décor.

In July, Beijing turns Bavarian with the International Beer Festival; there’s plenty of good beer, German waitresses and open air concerts in Xiedao. The Tutti World Youth Music Festival is also celebrated in July.

Versatile and vibrant Asia has something going on all the time. May, though hot is no exception. Watch people climb up mountains of buns (!) at the Cheung Chau Bun Festival in Hong Kong from May 14th to 18th, get ready to dance and sing at the Rocket Festival on May 12th that invites the monsoons in Laos, admire the cherry blossoms in their final season in Japan and enjoy the colorful festivals of Aoi Matsuri on May 15th and Sanja Matsuri in the third weekend of May.

Cambodia celebrates its Royal Ploughing Ceremony on May 2nd, Philippines celebrates Pahiyas Sa Quezon on May 15th, a festival for farmers, Indonesia observes the Waisak Festival on May 17th to pay respect to the Buddha, Macau rejoices with the Feast of the Drunken Dragon and Malaysia bursts into colors with the Citrawarna, a culture-rich event to honor the King. And if this is not enough, Singapore comes out with the Great Singapore sale from May 27th to July 24th.

June starts with glittering lights of the Muju Firefly Festival on June 1st at South Korea. This is also the month when the fierce Dragon boat races take place in the Hunan Province in China and in Hong Kong. Jakarta celebrates the Jalan Jaksa Street festival with plenty of parades, music and great food on June 15th and Sarawak in Malaysia parties with the Gawai Dayak festival when families get together and feasts and music make people merry. This is also a great time to visit Indonesia; witness the delightful Bali Arts Festival and get carried away by the call of culture.

Spirit Airlines introduced new nonstop flights between Dallas/Fort Worth and Cancun, Mexico. With this addition spirit now operates to flights to Mexico from Dallas/Fort Worth. The airline also introduced two more nonstop services to Oakland and Lon Angeles from Dallas/Fort Worth. Now Spirit flies nonstop to 24 destinations from DFW.

CEO for the airline, Jeff Fegan said that with the launch of 3 new nonstop flights, we are happy to offer travelers with more cheap flights options from DFW. Launched at the onset of the peak summer travel season, we will be extending excellent service to our passengers flying in and out of DFW Airport. Passengers have always shown positive response to our ultra low fares and basis which, we are yet again confident about the success of these three routes.

Apart from introducing new services, the airline has also resumed some of its seasonal services from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Now passengers can make use of low cost fares are book their tickets for Myrtle Beach, Boston, Oregon and Portland from DFW.

American Airlines newly ordered Boeing 777-300ER come with upgraded features in its business class section. These new additions incorporated by Boeing, have been done keeping in mind the needs and comforts of business class passengers.

American Airlines had placed an order of 22 new jets with Boeing. Out of which it has already received seven jets and will be receiving the remaining by 2015. Boeing 777-300ER designed primarily for long-distance routes will be offering 300 seats classified under First Class, Business Class, Main Cabin Extra and Main Cabin.

Some of the major highlights that AA will be offering its passengers flying on business class seats include full reclining seats, full touch video screens fitted behind all seats and modern designed overhead cabins providing more head-space and baggage space.

United Airlines announced the launch of a new nonstop service from Paris to San Francisco. With this service the airline will be able to offers direct flights to passengers living in the Bay area to the City of Love, Paris. Boeing 767-300 aircraft will be operating this route and will be offering air tickets under three categories.

United's CEO Joe D'Allesandro said people of San Francisco love traveling to France. And hence over the period France has turned into an extremely important destination in terms of opportunities for us. Even the French love coming to California. And with the start of the new nonstop flight passengers from both ends will now be able to fly with utmost ease.

United will be offering a total of 214 seats on this route out of which 135 seats will be offered in United Economy, 49 seats in United Economy Plus and 30 seats in United BusinessFirst. 767-300 aircraft will leave from Paris at 1005 hours and reach San Francisco at 1300 hours. Return flight will leave from San Francisco at 1445 hours and reach Paris in 1045 hours next day.

JetBlue Airlines announced today that it will be flying to Peru, Lima from Fort Lauderdale. The low cost airline post federal approval plans to operate this route from November 21, 2013.

With this new service, Lima passengers will not only be able to enjoy nonstop cheap flights to South Florida, but will also be able to fly further ahead by taking connecting flight from Fort Lauderdale. This will be 81th route on JetBlue’s route map.

Vice President for JetBlue's network planning, Scott Laurence said that their preset Latin American routes have been proved profitable, and they are sure about the success on this fourth South American pit stop. He further said that they will be flying to Lima for the first time. And they are confident of their decision as Lima has lots to offers travelers. Cultures, food, and beautiful locales are just few of the many wonderful offering, enough to lure passengers to fly here.

Singapore Airlines is revamping its business class section on its Singapore - Johannesburg route. B777-200ER aircraft operating this route will not be fitted with the world's widest business class seats.

Post revamp passengers flying on Singapore - Johannesburg route will be able to enjoy more leg room, direct aisle access, a gourmet restaurant during their flight, fully flat seats, entrainment multiplex and a vast variety of leading-edge innovations. Apart from this business class flight will also offer an office space. This office space comes loaded will all the latest facilities and conveniences that one can anticipate in an office.

Apart from revamping business class seats, Singapore Airlines is also improving it Economy class section. New color scheme, spacious seats and nine inches television seats being every seat back. Economy passengers on this route will also be able to enjoy a wide range of in-flight entertainment services.