Air Mauritius will be expanding its flights from Cape Town to Mauritius. Flights to Mauritius, starting in November, will be increased from two to three times a week. Flights from Cape Town to Joburg will also be increased, but flights from Durban will be halted on October 26th. Unfortunately, Emirates will become the sole provider of overseas flights from Durban. Those who live in Durban will be inconvenienced, with flights typically having to change planes in Joburg.
Tax Effect
The people of Durban had high hopes that there would be more flights without plane changes. Comair was planning to offer a route between Durban and London. This plan would be abandoned after British Airways conducted research and found that it would not be a feasible venture. This was most likely caused by the 8 percent rise in taxes that passengers pay when entering or leaving the United Kingdom. The raise in taxes accompanied by the European Union carbon tax for airlines, would make It unrealistic to do business between Durban and London.
The London Olympics and the queen's celebrations will likely mask the loss that will come from these taxes. Undoubtedly, Britain will find that its tourism will drop the following year, after the boost from these two, tourist attracting, activities. The airline industry is hoping that this drop will force the government into reducing these taxes, making it more appealing and cost friendly for people to travel to Britian.
Tourism Advice
The British Civil Aviation Authority has been kind enough to give tips to travelers who are coming or going to Britain. These tips include:
Check-in times: It is vital to be aware of check-in times for each particular flight. The times vary from airline to airline, which makes it essential to contact the airline and find out the appropriate check-in time in advance. A missed check-in time can result in a missed flight, which can be very inconvenient for the passenger.
Code share agreements: Many people do not realize that airlines have code-share agreements. This means that if you book with one airline, another might actually be the ones operating the flight. Knowing this ahead of time will ensure that a delay or cancellation will not hinder your flight.
Know where you are parked: Although this may seem like a very obvious tip, knowing where your car is parked will save a lot of frustration coming back from a flight. Take time to jot down exactly where the vehicle is parked to avoid the stress and frustration of finding a vehicle in the after flight crowd.
Voyager Miles
The Portuguese National Airline Tap and the SAA have agreed to extend their code-share agreements, which is a big perk for those booking a flight with their airlines. Flights from Joburn to Lisbon can now earn voyager miles for TAP flights going from Lisbon and Funchal, among other Portugal destinations.
This year's Airports Council International award will be awarded to Cape Town International Airport. This prestigious award is given to the best-performing airport in all of Africa. The award, given on May 24th in Singapore, will make the destination more appealing for airlines to add to their routes. This, along with increased flights to Mauritius, will certainly make it a more appealing destination for travelers.