IN THE AIR
BMI announces two-card trick
MBNA has launched two credit cards with UK
carrier BMI, offering reward points for flights.
The BMI American Express card offers 1.5
destination miles for every €1.35 spent, plus
new members spending €340 earn enough
bonus miles for a return flight to Europe.
The BMI Plus American Express card offers
two destinations miles for every €1.35 spent,
plus new card members earn 24,000 bonus
miles when they spend €340. Bookings
made through flybmi.com will earn double
destinations miles. The airline, which already
operates to more than 50 destinations, will
from this month fly to Cologne and Tel Aviv.
A year ago it began a twice-daily daily service
to Moscow which, witheconomy fares from
€260 return and business class from €2,470,
has become one of its most popular routes.
www.flybmi.com
British Airways plans to launch its new US-EU subsidiary airline OpenSkies, with daily flights
across the Atlantic. The airline will launch in June with one Boeing 757 aircraft that will operate
from New York to either Brussels or Paris Charles de Gaulle airports. A second aircraft will be
added to the fleet later this year to fly to the other EU destination. The plan is to operate six
757s by the end of 2009, all of which will be sourced from the current British Airways fleet. The
aircraft will carry up to 82 passengers in three onboard cabins: business, premium economy
and economy. The airline has been named OpenSkies to celebrate the first major step in 60
years towards a liberalised US-EU aviation market which means flights can operate between
any US and EU destinations. OpenSkies’ business class cabin has 24 seats that convert into
full-length flat beds. There will be 28 premium economy seats with a 132cm seat pitch and
30 economy seats. The 757s will have winglets retro-fitted on the aircraft to improve fuel
efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions.
Qatar Airways will increase its presence in the UK and Europe
this summer and will also become the first Gulf carrier to serve
Guangzhou, gateway to southern China. From 30 March, there will
also be a fourth daily flight from Heathrow to Doha. Qatar Airways
will boost its European network withextra services out of major cities
including Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Paris, Berlin and Milan. Flights
to Guangzhou commence 31 March. Services will be operated five
times a week by two-class A330s. Outside of Asia, there are only a
limited number of international flights serving Guangzhou. In the
case of Europe, services are limited to Air France, China Southern and
Lufthansa. There are no direct flights from the UK.






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