class="alignright size-full wp-image-29935" title="BA and AA flying high" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ba-aa-iberia.jpg" alt="BA and AA flying high" width="254" height="189" />The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has finally given its blessing to closer cooperation between href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/British-Airways/">British Airways and href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/American-Airlines/">American Airlines on their transatlantic route networks.

With American regulators no longer blocking the joint venture, BA stands to benefit from synergies of up £230 million each year by coordinating its pricing and flight schedules with AA.

The flag carrier successfully argued that those savings will be passed on to passengers in the form the lower fares, prompting the DoT to overturn its 14-year-old objection to a partnership.

href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/Virgin-Atlantic/">Virgin Atlantic boss Richard Branson immediately called the tie-up a “monster monopoly” which will stifle competition at href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Heathrow/">London Heathrow Airport and drive up ticket prices.

But few in the industry agree with his assessment, particularly in light of the 2008 Open Skies treaty which liberalised air travel across the Atlantic. Prior to that agreement access to Heathrow had been heavily restricted, with just four airlines running transatlantic flights from the hub.

Under Open Skies any airline is now free to purchase take-off and landing slots from Heathrow, though the DoT has recommended that BA and AA cede four pairs of slots as part of the deal.

It said: “We have concluded that the joint venture, as well as the overall alliance, is, on balance, pro-competitive and that it is likely to generate substantial public benefits to the travelling … public.”

Just last week BA also won EU backing for its merger with href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/Iberia/">Iberia, which is expected to save the flag carrier a further £330 million each year from 2015 onwards. Fellow oneworld members Finnair and Royal Jordanian Airlines also stand to benefit from closer cooperation with their alliance partners.

Proponents of BA’s consolidation drive have long complained that oneworld has been denied the anti-trust immunity enjoyed by rival alliances SkyTeam and the Star alliance.

BA boss Willie Walsh welcomed today’s news, saying: “This final approval is fantastic news for all three airlines and the oneworld alliance. We’ve waited 14 years to bring the benefits of the transatlantic joint business to our customers and level the playing field with the other two global alliances.”

© Cheapflights Ltd (Picture credit: href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garyjd/3466274649/" target="_blank">StartAgain)

class="alignright size-full wp-image-29836" title="Flights to Orlando feature in the BA sale among other destinations" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/orlando-florida.jpg" alt="Flights to Orlando feature in the BA sale among other destinations" width="252" height="169" />Book by midnight tonight (20 July 2010)

Anyone wishing to take advantage of British Airways’ worldwide sale has just hours left to place a booking.

A raft of cheap flights offered by the airline will be withdrawn from sale at midnight tonight, with featured Economy Class destinations spanning the globe.

Within Europe, title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Jersey/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Jersey/" target="_self">flights to Jersey from London Gatwick are available from £49 one-way, as are flights to Ibiza and Salzburg. Flights to Germany from the London airport also feature, with Frankfurt flights from £51 and flights to Munich from £52. title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Budapest/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Budapest/" target="_self">Flights to Budapest are also available, with prices starting at £69.

In North America, return flights to New York JFK and Newark airports from London Heathrow begin at £344, and title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Orlando/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Orlando/" target="_self">flights to Orlando Florida from Gatwick are offered for as little as £409. Los Angeles flights from Heathrow, starting at £439, may also be purchased.

Return fares to Asia from Heathrow are also current on offer, with title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Bangkok/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Bangkok/" target="_self">flights to Bangkok available for as little as £619, plus title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/Australia/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/Australia/" target="_self">flights to Australia starting at £938.

All fares quoted here include fees, taxes and charges, although an additional charge of £30 will be added for travel on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays for North American, Caribbean, Central and South American routes.

Long haul bookings have a minimum stay of one Saturday night and a maximum of 355 days.  Travel periods covered by the sale vary, so for further information visit title="http://www.britishairways.com" href="http://www.britishairways.com" target="_blank">BA.com.

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class="alignright size-full wp-image-29608" title="EU approves BA, Iberia merger" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/iberia.jpg" alt="EU approves BA, Iberia merger" width="247" height="149" />Europe’s competition watchdog has given its approval to a merger between href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/British-Airways/">British Airways and Spanish flag carrier href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/Iberia/">Iberia, in effect creating Europe’s third-largest carrier.

The move clears the way for the two airlines to sell tickets on each other’s networks, which will collectively operate 419 aircraft flying to more than 200 destinations around the world.

In a parallel ruling the EU regulator also gave its approval to close cooperation between BA and href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/American-Airlines/">American Airlines, though that partnership still requires the backing of US authorities.

A statement read: “The Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it.”

It dismissed objections that the merger will drive up prices on key routes such as London to Madrid, insisting: “Passengers will have adequate alternatives to fly on these routes after the merger.”

Under the deal both BA and Iberia will retain their brands, though they will be subsumed by a new holding company called International Airlines Group (IAG). The merged business will have its headquarters in Madrid, with incumbent BA boss Willie Walsh taking over as chief executive officer.

Speaking at an industry event last week, Mr Walsh affirmed IAG’s commitment to rapid expansion by announcing plans to acquire at least one other airline within a year of its creation.

The airline industry has seen a wave of consolidation in recent times as carriers seek to reduce costs by sharing their route networks and coordinating prices and schedules. US carriers href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/Delta-Air-Lines/">Delta Air Lines and href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/Northwest-Airlines/">Northwest completed one such merger in January, creating the world’s largest airline.

While the Iberia deal is now all but certain BA must still wait for US approval of its tie-up with AA, which critics say would give the airlines a virtual-monopoly on some transatlantic routes.

© Cheapflights Ltd (Picture credit: href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33465428@N02/4406863537/sizes/m/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Deanster1983)

class="alignright size-full wp-image-29543" title="British Airways takes delivery of 777-300ER jet" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/British-Airways-tailfin.jpg" alt="British Airways takes delivery of 777-300ER jet" width="241" height="180" />

Flag-carrier title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/British-Airways/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/British-Airways/" target="_self">British Airways made the landmark announcement today that it is the first UK-based airline to take delivery of a Boeing 777-300ER, the world’s largest twin-jet aircraft.

The 777-300ER has a seating capacity of 300 passengers and some models have a range of almost 17,400 kilometres.

The new airliner is mooted as being more fuel efficient – and so more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective – than comparable aircraft, as well as producing less noise pollution.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh emphasised the environmental benefits of the new 777s, commenting: “All these new aircraft generate significantly less CO2 emissions per seat than their predecessors and reinforce British Airways’ commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.”

The 777-300ER will also be the first BA jet to be fitted with its new interior design, which includes updated World Traveller and World Traveller Plus cabins as well as enhanced in-flight entertainment systems featuring twice the number of music and television programmes previously available.

Affirming that further expansion of the BA fleet with the new jets is planned, Mr Walsh pledged: “We will add two more B777-300s by the end of this year, and three more by early 2012.”

© Cheapflights Ltd (Picture credit: title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garyjd/3466274649/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garyjd/3466274649/" target="_blank">StartAgain)

class="alignright size-full wp-image-29468" title="T5 welcomes its 50 millionth customer" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/T5-50-millionth-customer.jpg" alt="T5 welcomes its 50 millionth customer" width="211" height="157" />Flag carrier title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/British-Airways/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/British-Airways/" target="_self">British Airways has announced the arrival of its 50 millionth customer at title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Heathrow/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Heathrow/" target="_self">London Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

In construction since 2002 and opened in 2008, the terminal is a global hub used exclusively by the airline.

Despite initial difficulties with IT, staff training, and parking facilities  when it was first launched, the terminal has gone on to reach record levels of punctuality according to BA, with an average of 80 per cent of departures on-time.

The airline also claimed that thanks to the terminal’s design and operations, BA’s baggage performance is the best of “any major European hub based carrier” and that bags are often already on the carousels when customers are still passing through passport control.

Commenting on the landmark event, British Airways’ director of operations Andy Lord said: “We are delighted to have welcomed our 50 millionth customer into Terminal 5. Although we know how much our customers really love the calm atmosphere and great customer service in the terminal, we are aiming to make even more improvements in the year ahead.”

On the subject of further development of the terminal, Mr Lord added: “Terminal 5 ‘C’ will make a real difference when it is fully operational next summer.”

‘T5 C’ will be the third section of the complex to open after main terminal building ‘5 A’ and satellite building ‘5 B’ . Costing £300 million, the new development will include several additional passenger walkways allowing travellers to board their flights without requiring a shuttle service.

© Cheapflights Ltd (Picture credit: title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescridland/2374321483/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescridland/2374321483/" target="_blank">jamescridland)