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Airline News

United Airlines plans to launch daily flights between San Francisco and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City in December 2004, becoming the first US carrier to resume direct air links since the end of the Vietnam War.

Singapore will build Asia's first dedicated low-cost terminal for SGD$45 million (USD$26.4 million) by 2006 to cater to growing numbers of budget airlines.  There has been a huge increase in the number of budget airlines across Southeast Asia following the success of no-frills carriers such as Malaysia's AirAsia, challenging the dominance of carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.

Tiger Airways, the budget unit of Singapore Airlines, plans to launch services in September, three months ahead of schedule.  Tiger, a venture between Singapore Air and the founder of Irish discount airline Ryanair, will be the second budget carrier to fly from Singapore's ChangiAirport after Singapore's ValuAir.

Continental Airlines said it is imposing new fees on tickets bought at US airport counters and reservation centres, as it aims to encourage online bookings and cut costs.  The Houston-based carrier said it will charge a USD$5 fee for tickets bought through its US call centres and a USD$10 fee for tickets bought at US airport ticket counters, effective immediately.

Continental wants more travellers to book tickets online, saving on personnel costs.

US Airways imposed similar fees on Tuesday, and Northwest Airlines has also implemented them.

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Sex Toy Scare Down Under

A vibrating sex toy in a rubbish bin sparked a security scare and closed a Mackay airport in Queensland, Australia for almost an hour.  An emergency was declared at the airport after airport staff heard a strange noise coming from the bin. “It was rather disconcerting when the rubbish bin started humming furiously,” cafeteria manager Lynne Bryant said.  Police evacuated the terminal and were about to call in bomb experts when an unidentified passenger came forward to identify the contents of a package left in the bin.  Police later said the package was identified as an “adult novelty device”.

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Travel Jokes

And from the Pilot during his welcome message: “Delta Airlines is pleased to have some of the best Flight Attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!”.

Heard on Southwest Airlines just after a very hard landing in Salt Lake City: The Flight Attendant came on the intercom and said, “That was quite a bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the Airline's fault, it wasn't the Pilot's fault, it wasn't the Flight Attendant's fault. It was the asphalt.”.

Overheard on an American Airlines flight into Amarillo, Texas, on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain was really having to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Amarillo. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!”.

Another Flight Attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing. “We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal.”

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Companions2Travel.co.uk

Companions2Travel matches up like-minded single people looking to travel.

Companions2Travel.co.uk is a unique UK website allowing single people to combine their travel plans by simply going online and filling in a form. The site can match a couple or a group of people with similar interests and preferred destinations. You can join for free as a trial member, just to see if you like it or not!

Whatever your status, Companions2Travel.co.uk will match you with people that are looking for the same as you. The site also offers a safe place to download your holiday snaps, a message board and chat rooms, up-to-the-minute travel news, tips for safe travel, practical travel links and special offers.

www.companions2travel.co.uk

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Mt St Helens Risk

Scientists have warned that Mount St Helens volcano in Washington state is likely to erupt again very soon.  Federal authorities are evacuating everyone from a five-mile radius around the mountain.  In 1980, 57 people were killed in an eruption.

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Fancy a Trip into Space?

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson has signed a £14m agreement which will allow passengers to travel into space.  Branson has commissioned five “spaceliners” built in the US by the team behind the SpaceShipOne vehicle.  The rocket plane will became the first privately developed carrier to go above 100km in June 2005.  It will cost around £100,000 to go on a “Virgin Galactic” spaceliner, and the first flights should begin in about three years' time.

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Electronic Ticketing

Paperless and ticketless bookings made more attractive by incentives, discounts and offers of air miles are fast becoming the way to travel.  Airlines are planning to stop issuing paper tickets in the next three years, a move that could save the industry up to $3 billion a year in running costs, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).  Some carriers are already ahead of the game: In the past year, more than 18 million customers have used e-ticketing services on Continental Airlines.  The move isn’t limited to airlines, hotel chains such as the Hilton, InterContinental, Sheraton, and Hyatt, are starting to automate processes too.  In Malaysia, you can make air ticket enquiries by SMS to a travel agent and in the case of budget carrier AirAsia you can book tickets by SMS.

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French Card Fraud

France has been ranked as the place where British holidaymakers are most likely to become victims of credit card fraud.  Barclaycard’s annual world fraud index shows that France is the top credit card fraud hotspot, accounting for 43% of spending on stolen cards.  Second is the USA, 3rd Spain, 4th Ireland and 5th Germany.

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New Iran Island Resort

Iran is to build a 1.7 billion euro ($2.0 billion) luxury tourism project on the Gulf island of Kish designed to rival nearby tourism hotspot Dubai.  Kish is a small island with relaxed rules on women's dress and mingling of the sexes although women are still required to wear headscarves and cover their bodies when swimming, and alcohol consumption is banned.

The “Flower of the East” project , Iran’s largest tourism project since the 1979 Islamic revolution is aimed at attracting foreign money and diversifying its economy away from oil.  A German company has won the bid to develop a tourism, recreational and residential complex in KishIsland which lies some 125 miles (200 km) away from Dubai to the south. 

The complex will include a 7-star hotel to rival Dubai's 7-star Burj al-Arab, a marina, 27-hole golf course, sports clubs, shopping malls and 4,700 luxury apartments.  The project is largely aimed at Iranian expatriates seeking a holiday home in their native land, will be completed by the end of 2009.

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