Can low fares airlines compete in long distance flights?

Can low fares airlines compete in long distance flights? In the history low fares airlines have been succesful in short and medium term flights. If you take a look at routes from/to popular european tourist cities you can find many low fares airlines competing and many of them are still making profit but there is very limited supply of low fares long distance flights. The main reason is that long distance airlines get most cost savings in fast and efficient use of airplanes and personnel. In short and medium term flights it really makes difference wheather the plane and crew are at the airport 30 or 50 minutes between two 1 hour flights. When we are talking about flights over 8 hours this difference becomes less important and cost advantage is less important.

Norwegian low fares airline Norwegian Air Shuttle AS believes that they can get cost advantage using new Boeing 787 Dreamliners that need less fuel than older planes. Unfortunately the story of Boeing 787 Dreamliner is full of technical challenges and it's not yet certain that Norwegians can start their long distance cheap flights in May 2013 as they have planned. Norwegians seem to believe that Boeing can solve battery problems of Dreamliner and they are selling their Stockholm-New York, Oslo-New York, Stockholm-Bangkok and Oslo-Bangkok flights at norwegian.com. It's interesting to see if also long distance flights become playground of carries like Ryanair and EasyJet. When can we see first London Stansted-US flights with GBP 99/one way.

Norwegian opens new routes from London Gatwick - Norwegian competing against EasyJet

Norwegian Air Shuttle is starting interesting expansion to the UK cheap flights market. For Nordic fliers Norwegian is very familiar low cost carrier from Nordic countries to the central and southern Europe. Norwegian Air Shuttle is operating with business model very close to EasyJet. They focus on normal airports and avoid smaller low cost airports like Milan Bergamo or Frankfurt Hahn. In London Norwegian operates at Gatwick airport.

In April 2013 Norwegian Air Shuttle opens nine new cheap flights from London Gatwick:

• London Gatwick - Algarve-Faro cheap flights starting from 29,90 GBP
• London Gatwick - Alicante cheap flights starting from 34,90 GBP
• London Gatwick - Barcelona cheap flights starting from 29,90 GBP
• London Gatwick - Dubrovnik cheap flights starting from 29,90 GBP
• London Gatwick - Gran Canaria cheap flights starting from 39,90 GBP
• London Gatwick - Malaga cheap flighst starting from 29,90 GBP
• London Gatwick - Nice cheap flighst starting from 29,90 GBP
• London Gatwick - Split cheap flights starting from 29,90 GBP
• London Gatwick - Tromssa cheap flights starting from 80 GBP

At the moment Norwegian Air Shuttle is offering very competitive prices from London. If you are looking for cheap summer flights from London it's really worth checking this new competitor to EasyJet and Ryanair in London.

Swedavia website under pressure - Stockholm Arlanda and Bromma airports closed this morning - Skavsta airport open

Swedish airport company Swedavia website isn't working correctly under heavy pressure caused by traffic problems at Stockholm Arlanda and Bromma airports. Currently Swedavia.se is showing only a short notice: "There is limited air traffic to and from Stockholm Arlanda Airport and Bromma Stockholm Airport. We are currently experiencing heavy traffic on our website and you are placed in queue. We apologise for the inconvenience and are working hard so that you will have normal access to the website again soon."

At the moment Stockholm Arlanda Airport is closed for all traffic and Stockholm Bromma Airport traffic is very limited due to the heavy snowing in Stockholm area. Stockholm Skavsta airport that Ryanair and Wizzair use is open but there seems to be many delays.

Stockholm Skavsta Airport - Cheap flights from/to Sweden Stockholm

Stockholm Skavsta Airport is smaller airport outside Stockholm. Most of the traditional airlines prefer Stockholm Arlanda airport and also Nordic low fares airline Norwegian Air Shuttle flies to Arlanda. However the lowest flights from/to Stockholm you will find if you look at the flights departing and arriving to Stockholm Skavsta airport that is used for Ryanair and Wizzair flights. Here are some examples where you can find cheap flights from Stockholm Skavsta at lowest prices.

Cheap flights from Stockholm Skavsta to Warsaw Modlin
The cheapest air connection from to Sweden is most likely between Stockholm Skavsta and Warsaw Modlin. There are very many days when you can find flights that cost only 8€/one way flight. Both Ryanair and Wizzair operate this cheap flight route between Stockholm Skavsta and Warsaw Modlin.

Cheap flights from Stockholm Skavsta to other cities in Poland (Gdansk, Poznan, Katowize and Krakow)
There are flights that cost less than 20€/one way to all of these Polish cities Gdansk, Poznan, Katowize and Krakow.

Cheap flights from Stockholm Skavsta to Brussels Charleroi
At the moment the cheapest Stockholm Skavsta Brussels Charleroi flights cost 14€/one way flight. These are Ryanair cheap flights. This cheapest fare is for example on Janyary 23rd 2013.

Cheap flights from Stockholm Skavsta to Riga Latvia
Cheapest flights from Stockholm Skavsta to the capital of Latvia Riga cost only 15€/one way flight. This cheapest fare is available for example January 16th 2013.

Cheap flighst from Stockholm Skavsta to Germany (Bremen, Berlin and Frankfurt Hahn)
Ryanair flies also very cheap flights between Stockholm Skavsta and Bremen, Berling and Frankfurt Hahn. There are also flights to Memmingen and Karlsruhe but they cost slightly more.

Cheap flights from Stockholm Skavsta to Edinburgh
If you want to fly from Edinburght to Stockholm or vice versa you can find Ryanair flights that cost less than 20€/one way flight.

Cheap flights from Stockholm Skavsta to Eindhoven
Stockholm Skavsta - Eindhoven flights of Ryanair are very reasonably priced and cheapest flights cost only 14€/one way flight.

Cheapest flights from Frankfurt Hahn (HHN) airport - Where to continue from Frankfurt Hahn?

Frankfurt Hahn (HHN) airport is one of the key airports for Ryanair cheap flights and also Wizzair offers cheap fligths there. Ryanair collects passangers from many cities to Frankfurt Hahn with their extremely low fares. If you can find cheap flights from you home to Frankfurt Hahn, here are some ideas where to continue from Frankfurt Hahn.

From Frankfurt Hahn to Poland
At the moment the cheapest flights from Frankfurt Hahn are Wizzair 9€/one way flights to Katowice in Poland. For example in January 2013 you can find Wizzair flights that are only 0,99€+8€ booking fee totalling to 8,99€. Flights to Warsaw are not expensive either. You can find Ryanair cheap flights starting from 18€/one way flight.

From Frankfurt Hahn to Budapest Hungary
The cheapest Wizzair one way flights from Frankfurt Hahn to Budapest cost only 11€. If you are willing to pay slightly more 13-29€ you will find flights on many days. There are both Wizzair and Ryanair flights.

From Frankfurt Hahn to Sofia Bulgary
Wizzair flies direct flights from Frankfurt Hahn to Sofia starting from 18€/one way flight.

From Frankfurt Hahn to Gerona (Barcelona) Spain
Ryanair flies from Frankfurt Hahn to Gerona (Costa Brava Airport) near Barcelona. From Gerona airport there is good bus connection to the Barcelona city center (appr. 1 hour). Cheapest Frankfurt Hahn Gerona flights cost only 18€.

From Frankfurt Hahn to Italy
There are excellent connections from Frankfurt Hahn to Italy. There are 18€ flights available to Alghero Sardinia, Bologna, Milan Bergamo, Pescara, Pisa and Venice. To Rome you can fly with 25€.

From Frankfurt Hahn to Montpellier
Montpellier is a small city on southern coast of France near Catalonia. Montpellier is not as crowded by tourists as Nice, Cannes and Corte d'Azur area in general. To Montpellier you can find cheap flights starting from 18€.

The above mentioned countries and cities are places where you can today book flights from Frankfurt Hahn with less than 20€/one way flight. If you pay 20-30€ you can find several other options sucs as Ireland, Lithuania, Sweden, United Kingdom, Finland, Latvia and Portugal.

Vueling starts cheap flights between Barcelona and Helsinki

Spanish low fares airline Vueling starts cheap flights between Barcelona International Airport and Helsinki next spring. The first direct Vueling cheap flights will fly on Friday May 17th 2013 and there will be flights on mondays, wednesdays and fridays. Vueling has to compete on this route against Norwegian Air Shuttle that has strong market position in Finland. Last summer Ryanair tried Finland-Barcelona connection from Turku to Barcelona Girona airport but they withdraw from this route after only few months.

The first Helsinki-Barcelona and Barcelona-Helsinki flights are already on sale at Vueling.com.

SAS and Blue1 survived financial crisis - at least for a while

Sweden based airline company SAS that owns lower fares subsidiary Blue1 seems to survive the financial crisis that almost lead to bankruptcy. SAS was ablo to negotiate cost savings with labour unions. These cost savings were condition of financing banks for further financing loss making SAS. Now thanks to cost savings agreements SAS is able to raise next loans needed for keeping operations running.