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Marketing airfare cheap London"AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON"
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"AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON" 2/16/2005 Feb. 16--It's not often that Baltimore Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller is flat on his back in front of spectators at a stadium -- and smiling about it. But Boller seemed pleased yesterday to help British Airways demonstrate its fully reclining business-class seats, a feature new to this market, during at a press conference at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON British Airways, which introduced the unique seats in 1996, phased them into all of its 100 wide-body planes recently, including all those used for the nightly flight from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to London. They're on sale for $1,998 round trip through March 20, which is 76 percent off the normal $8,250 ticket price. The cheapest coach fare, by comparison, is about $310. Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON The business traveler has long been key to profitability for airlines because they typically pay for last-minute, higher fares that are also in the more expensive cabins. Business air travel, both nationally and internationally, dipped significantly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and has been slow to recover. Airline analysts suspect the big-spending ways may never return because passengers can now use the Internet to easily shop for cheaper fares. Many also face limits from their companies on what they can spend. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON At the Camden Club at Oriole Park yesterday, Boller joined former Orioles third baseman and Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson in stretching out in the six-foot-long seats -- more than twice the leg room found in coach. At 6-foot-3-inches, Boller nearly fit, with his size 14 shoes just flopping over the edge. At 6-foot-1-inch, Robinson just about made it. A shorter bunch of airport and airline officials, business executives and a throng of journalists, who came to see the celebrities as well the seats, had an easier time fully laying out. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON "When I first started playing ball, we'd ride the bus," recalled Robinson, who played for the Orioles from 1955 to 1977. "When I got to the majors, we'd take the train, get in at 5 or 6 in the morning and try and go to sleep. When you're in your 20s you don't mind, but when you get a little older you want comfort." At a time when many in the distressed airline industry are cutting back on food and other general luxuries, British Airways is banking on the seats to bring in more of Robinson and Boller's set, or those who will pay more for five or six hours of sleep without the sore neck. Business travelers and high-end leisure travelers make up just a fraction of the total passengers aboard a Boeing 767 or 777 widebody airplane but bring in the most revenue. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON The British Airways flights from BWI will have 24 or 40 of the new business class seats, depending on the Boeing airplane, in addition to some first class seat-beds that are a bit longer and more private. The airline also added another section with seats several inches roomier than those in the back of the plane. The most seats, 122 or 141, will remain in the economy class. British Airways spent more than $376 million developing what the airline calls "Club World" business class, which includes the seats, enhanced entertainment and Internet and phone access aboard the planes and other amenities in the airport terminals. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON The London-based airline is making money, unlike many of its major counterparts, but officials yesterday acknowledged the risk in spending so much on new seats that forced the elimination of a couple of rows in coach. The airline reported profit of about $137 million in its last quarterly earnings for the three months that ended Dec. 31, down about 40 percent from the comparable span a year earlier. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON "Time and time again we've asked business travelers what they want most on overseas flights and they say 'sleep,'" said Derrick Surratt, a regional director of sales for British Airways. "We've made quite an investment at a time when profit is being devoured by fuel costs. It's a tough scenario for the airline." Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
British Airways officials said the number of business travelers has been on the upswing, and they believe a good night's rest will mean increased productivity of the businesses' work force -- possibly making up for some of what they spend on tickets for the seats. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON The Travel Industry Association reported earlier this month that business travel is indeed recovering to 2000 levels after several years of decline. A association survey showed, however, than the bulk of increasingly cost-conscious business travelers now book their own flights by phone or Web site or use a service that searches for the best fare. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON Gregory H. Barnhill, partner and board member of Brown Advisory Securities LLC, said his Baltimore-based financial services firm sends people to London once or twice a month and thinks British Airways is onto something. "In today's economy, all companies are concerned about budgets and expenses, but when you have to get off a plane and go directly to a meeting being able to sleep on the plane means a lot," said Barnhill, who came to see the seats himself yesterday. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON Officials at BWI said they, too, having something riding on the seats. The airport's international terminal has struggled to live up to its billing since opening in 1997 and has had some setbacks during the past year, with Air Ghana and Aer Lingus canceling service. That left about a half dozen, mostly small airlines offering about 12 international flights a day. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON Paul J. Wiedefeld, executive director of the Maryland Aviation Administration, which oversees the airport, said he has been in discussions with other airlines to begin or expand overseas service from the airport. But BWI has seen most of its growth come from the other end of the service spectrum, in domestic competition. Low-cost giant Southwest Airlines, which will open its own terminal in the spring. AIRFARE CHEAP LONDON Wiedefeld said the new British Airways seats will allow the airport to offer something more to the higher-end traveler. "These seats are just the type of difference British Airways can provide in the marketplace," he said...... Compare airfare cheap London here /cheap airfares home |