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THE REVIEW<br />
I N T H E A I R<br />
Average airfares to<br />
rise as NDC beds in<br />
BA SHOWS OFF LONG-AWAITED<br />
NEW BUSINESS CLASS CLUB SUITE<br />
BRITISH Airways has unveiled its<br />
long-awaited new business class<br />
seats which will feature on the first<br />
of its A350 aircraft launching in July.<br />
<strong>The</strong> seats, which convert to<br />
flatbeds and have been rebranded<br />
as Club Suites, all have direct aisle<br />
access and a sliding door for<br />
greater privacy, and will be set out<br />
in a 1-2-1 configuration. <strong>The</strong>y have<br />
40% more storage and 18.5-inch<br />
IFE screens. <strong>The</strong> new product will<br />
also be installed on B777 aircraft<br />
and on other long-haul aircraft and<br />
deployed across the network from<br />
early 2020.<br />
WIDER NDC adoption is<br />
likely to force a 'continued<br />
upward trend' in airfares this<br />
year, despite a short-term<br />
dip this March.<br />
Global average ticket prices<br />
(ATP) for air bookings are<br />
expected to fall 4% in <strong>April</strong><br />
– to US$673 – as fares<br />
readjust after a sharp<br />
increase in the first two<br />
months of the year.<br />
However, in its latest Air<br />
Trends Report, the CWT<br />
Solutions Group says it<br />
expects generally rising fares<br />
for the rest of the year as<br />
NDC solutions gain traction.<br />
“We foresee a continued<br />
upward trend in the average<br />
ticket price through <strong>2019</strong>,”<br />
says Christophe Renard, VP<br />
of CWT Solutions Group.<br />
“One of the reasons is that<br />
more airlines are looking to<br />
adopt IATA’s NDC standard<br />
as a means to generate<br />
greater ancillary revenues<br />
such as seat selection and<br />
baggage fees.”<br />
Renard advises corporates<br />
to adopt post-booking price<br />
tracking tools to optimise<br />
spend of flights.<br />
BRUSSELS AIRLINES HAS NEW CABIN<br />
FEVER ON LONG-HAUL OPERATIONS<br />
BRUSSELS Airlines has launched completely new<br />
business class, premium economy and economy class<br />
products for its long-haul fleet.<br />
<strong>The</strong> airline is spending €10million per aircraft installing<br />
the products, with new-look A330s operational from<br />
<strong>April</strong>. Dubbed a ‘boutique hotel in the air’, the airline<br />
says it will offer typical Belgian hospitality and ‘make<br />
the journey as important as the destination’.<br />
No.1<br />
Oman Air ups the ante<br />
Oman Air has secured<br />
first place in London<br />
Heathrow's latest 'Fly<br />
Quiet & Green' league<br />
table, with new aircraft<br />
(B787s) and new flying<br />
techniques propelling it<br />
to the top of the chart.<br />
British Airways' shorthaul<br />
operation was<br />
second, with SAS third,<br />
LOT fourth and Air<br />
India in fifth place<br />
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4/3/19 03:25 PM
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