Study abroad fair will be held Wednesday, March 31

When University of Maine students consider studying abroad, the Office of International Programs wants their decision to be well informed.The office holds a fair every semester to make students aware of the opportunities there are to study abroad, said graduate intern Andrea West. It’s also an opportunity for students to get linked to resources.

The study abroad fair will be held Wednesday, March 31, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Bangor Room of Memorial Union. The Honors College Study Away Symposium will run concurrently across the hall in the FFA Room, and starts at 12:15 p.m. The symposium will feature eight Honors College student speakers presenting their experiences abroad.They’ll talk about their personal experiences whether it be academic, cultural, dealing with language their experiences living in a community that’s foreign to them,West said of the peer-oriented presentations.West and OIP peer advisor Allison Rusk explained how students tend to have misconceptions about studying abroad.The fair is an opportunity to dispel some of these myths. The idea is that it is possible to study abroad, West said. Students tend to have concerns about cost, language proficiency and graduating on time.

Rusk, who studied in England at the University of Reading in 2008, stressed the importance of studying abroad as a form of professional development. She said the workplace is increasingly global in scope and that many employers want workers with foreign language skills and international cultural awareness.I definitely recommend going, just because I think there are study abroad options for everyone, Rusk said. Students who attend the fair can see it’s possible if you just find out what programs work for you.

The fair will include representatives from direct exchange programs where students pay normal tuition and fees to UMaine while paying room and board to the host institution and other study abroad organizations approved by UMaine.UMaine senior Clare Jaquith will speak about her year of study in Austria at the symposium.Participating in the Salzburg Austria Program was great because they are a very established program that cares so much about the students and their welfare, Jaquith wrote in an e-mail. My German ability improved tenfold after spending a year immersed in the language.West encouraged all students with an interest in studying abroad to attend the fair.It will be like ‘information central; any questions you have will be answered, West said.

Flights to Kuala Lumpur

This today’s bustling metropolis has grown from s small tin mining Chinese town and now has got a great boom and success in its economy. It offers secure and friendly environment with its population of about two million. This city is normally thrilling in the day and constantly vibrant and lively at night. For those who take flights to Kuala Lumpur, this city surely have an adequate amount of inspiring monuments, galleries, shopping malls and museums to keep its travelers active and engaged for many days.

Kuala Lumpur international airport is receiving flights to Kuala Lumpur from world wide destinations with its two terminals and offer a large number of facilities to its guests including Banks, ATM facilities, bars, café, restaurants, shopping areas, pharmacies, lounges and much more.Splendid building structures and interiors formulate this city one of the most vivacious cities in Malaysia, rather Asia. This city seems very new and stylish but doesn’t overlook its old heritage as it has pre war heritage to ultra modern Petronas twin towers which is the tallest building in the world. Shopping here is really a charm as you can shop at branded and costly golden triangle to cheap likings in china town. If you like shopping must take a cheap flight and reach this destination.This vibrant place celebrates different festivals in different seasons. Those are stated as below.

Chinese New Year and Thaipusam are celebrated in January and February. In which many parades and dances are held. Whereas Thaipusam is celebrated on Batu caves. Malaysia water festival and Malaysia Mega sale carnival is celebrated in March, April and May which has water based activities and selling options respectively. Flora festival and parade and Food and Fruit festiva Malaysia is held in July which offers a large variety of flowers and food options. National day is celebrated in August which illustrate the independence of the country. Malaysia fest is in September and a shopping carnival and Deepavali is held in October and November. Deepavali is known as festival of lights and it enlightens the victory of good over evil. Christmas and Malaysia Mega sale carnivals are enjoyed in December. Tourists from all over the world book cheap Kula Lumpur flights to attend these mega events.

Non-stop flights to Taipei-London

CNA Taiwan's largest airliner China Airlines CAL launched a Taipei-London non-stop route Sunday, turning a new page in air links between Taiwan and the United Kingdom.The inauguration of the Taipei London non-stop flight service using the Airbus A340-300 edges CAL into the top position among local airlines in terms of the number of European destinations.

CAL's three round-trip direct flights per week between London and Taipei brings its number of regular weekly flights to Europe to 21.In addition to London, the airline offers non-stop flight service to two other cities in Europe Frankfurt and Vienna.Ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and London's Heathrow Airport Sunday to mark the launch of the new service.Addressing the ceremony at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport's Terminal One, CAL Chairman Philip Wei said the opening of the Taipei London non stop flights will significantly narrow the gap between Taiwan and the U.K.

The flights will not only facilitate business and leisure travel between the two sides, but will also allow travelers from the U.K. to transit to other Asian cities using CAL's extended flight networks, he said.CAL attaches great importance to the U.K. market and will continue to strive to make Taiwan a regional air transport hub in the Asian Pacific, Wei said.The non-stop service comes in the wake of Britain's inclusion a year ago of Taiwan on its list of countries whose citizens are eligible for visa free entry for periods of up to six-months.In an effort to capitalize on the opportunities for increased travel to the United Kingdom by Taiwanese students, tourists and business people, CAL said, it will also work with major travel agencies to provide various package tours to London.

Flights to Dubai- Mumbai

Kingfisher Airlines will begin operating daily flights on the Dubai- Mumbai route as well as the Dubai-Delhi routes from Saturday April 24, said a press release from the airlines’ office in the city.
It is learnt that apart from these two new destinations, Kingfisher Airlines will also have seven other new destinations within the next 30 days. On Sunday March 28, it flagged off the new daily non-stop flight on the Delhi-London route.

The Dubai-Mumbai flight will take off from Dubai Airport at 11.15 pm local time and arrive in Mumbai at 3.45 am. The return flight from Mumbai will be at 8.30 pm local time and arrive in Dubai at 10.00 pm.The Dubai Delhi flight will take off at 10.40 pm daily and the arrival time in Delhi is 3.50 am. It will return from Delhi at 7.25 pm and arrive at Dubai at 9.25 pm.

Continental Airlines to start New York–Munich Flights

This weekend, Continental Airlines will inaugurate service between New York and Munich, Germany, with daily nonstop flights from the airline's hub at Newark Liberty International Airport.Continental will operate the nonstop daily flight with a Boeing 767-200ER aircraft, seating 25 passengers in BusinessFirst and 149 passengers in economy class. Flight CO106 will depart Newark Liberty daily at 5:30 p.m. and arrive in Munich at 7:40 a.m. the next day. The return flight, CO107, will depart Munich's Franz Josef Strauss International Airport daily at 9:20 a.m. and arrive at Newark Liberty at 12:35 p.m. the same day. The schedule of the Continental service complements that of Lufthansa's existing daily New York/Newark-Munich service, which departs Newark Liberty about three hours later and Munich about six hours later.

Munich becomes the fourth German city to be served with daily flights to New York by Continental after Frankfurt, Berlin and Hamburg; the airline also operates daily service between Frankfurt and Houston. Munich is the 30th destination in Continental's overall trans-Atlantic network.

Study Abroad Programs in Mexico

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, several U.S. universities have halted study abroad programs in some areas of Mexico after the State Department issued a travel advisory warning this month.The department has urged U.S. citizens to delay unnecessary travel to three states in northern Mexico Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango as a result of increasing drug-related violence there. The warning, issued March 14, also expresses safety concerns for a number of cities near the U.S. border, including Ciudad Juárez, Matamoros, Monterrey, Nogáles, Nuevo Laredo, and Tijuana.

Michigan State University, the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and the University of Texas at Austin have suspended some of their programs in Mexico in response to the State Department warning.The Center for Global Education at Loyola Marymount University and the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration issued a joint statement recommending that American institutions consider a number of factors when deciding whether to suspend programs, and urging them to consider creative solutions, such as the use of technology, in order to maintain international collaborations, reports the Chronicle.

Flights to Georgia

Russia has permitted the resumption of direct flights between Tbilisi and Moscow over the Orthodox Easter holiday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.Georgian Airways asked to run a series of charter flights between the two nations' capital cities during the Orthodox Easter in April and Russia granted permission in view of the obvious humanitarian importance of such flights," the foreign ministry said as quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last month that Moscow was ready to restart regular air service with Georgia.Direct flights between Tbilisi and Moscow were suspended in 2006 and resumed for a short time in 2008. But the flights were halted again after the August 2008 conflict between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia.Russia's Transportation Ministry allowed Georgian Airways to run charter flights between the two capitals in early January.

Study abroad'students interest in cooking

In January, as a sophomore at the Miami Valley School, Caitlin Pohl of Oakwood spent six months in Cordova, Argentina.I flew to Miami, Florida, and met up with 30 students from all over the United States on our way to Argentina, Pohl remembers. We attended a private school there speaking Spanish and some Portuguese in a regular high school curriculum.

Pohl lived with a family named Lopez whose daughter, Marie, was her age. They lived about three miles from the school.I was particularly interested in the food the family prepared and ate, Pohl said. They use all the parts of the cow from sausages to a kind of barbecue called asabo. It tasted good. Meat is important in their diet but we did have some apples and oranges.
Following her Argentina experience Pohl continues to be interested in food and its preparation. She has attended the American Field Service dinners when a local chef demonstrates his expertise with exotic ingredients. Yes, I’m the youngest person there, she said with a laugh.

Pohl enjoys making dinner for her mother, Susan, and dad Bob, and sister, Olivia, a senior at Miami Valley School, when she has time from her school activities like sports and tutoring. Her favorite dish is salmon which she grills.Caitlin and her sister, Olivia, spent their grade school years in Santa Barbara, Calif., where the family lived until moving to Oakwood. Neither of the girls have decided on which college or university they will attend, but as Caitlin said it’s fun to think about.

Flights from Toronto to California

The competition for airlines in Canada becomes hotter every day, and it could be good news for Toronto consumers.In the past week or so, it was announced that Virgin America hopes to start daily flights in late June from Toronto to Los Angeles and San Francisco. There’s also the possibility of a code-share with WestJet, which recently announced its new credit card and frequent flyer loyalty program.Air Canada vice-president Global Sales Claude Morin told the website that other airlines haven’t made a go of it from Toronto to California because Air Canada is so well entrenched.

The website quoted airline industry consultant and analyst Robert Kokonis as saying that the America flights will help drive down fares.Meanwhile, WestJet also could be gaining more space at LaGuardia airport in New York under a plan announced in the U.S. this week, a move that might boost access from Toronto or Montreal.WestJet stopped flying from Toronto to LaGuardia in 2005, but a new proposal in the U.S. would give it several slots at the popular airport.

Porter Airlines continues to boost its coverage out of Billy Bishop Toronto Island airport. They announced this week they’re adding service to Moncton starting June 25, with two daily round trips to Toronto and Ottawa until Sept. 7.Carnival, the world's largest cruise operator, reported this week that it has seen an 8 per cent increase in cruise bookings for the next three quarters. Prices, meanwhile, jumped 17 per cent during the last nine-week period.many cruise industry watchers say it’s a good time to lock in fares before they go up again.It will take more than a basket to gather the eggs at the Easter hunt in Boulder Junction, Wis.

Organizers will hide 12 large buckets of eggs in Boulder Junction Winter Park in a variation on geocaching, a popular outdoor activity where people use GPS coordinates to hide items and post their locations online. Egg hunters will get GPS coordinates of the stashes to program into their devices.It’s one of dozens of high tech Easter egg hunts taking place across the United States.

British Airways cancelled flights

British Airways has cancelled three further flights from Dubai ahead of another round of strikes by disgruntled cabin crew beginning tomorrow, disrupting the travel plans of hundreds of passengers.The London bound flights, BA108 on March 29, and BA106 on March 30 and 31 will be cancelled, the airline has confirmed. Each flight carries as many as 192 passengers.British Airways has been battling to get its flights airborne during the busy Easter holiday period amid a cabin crew walkout. After a three day strike last week, the cabin crew’s union, Unite, has announced further industrial action between tomorrow and March 30 as a bitter dispute over a freeze in pay and working conditions rolls on.

Some flights on March 31 have also been cancelled as the airline get their aircraft, pilots and cabin crew back into the correct positions around the world, said a BA spokeswoman.We have pro-actively contacted customers whose flights have been affected, and they have either been rebooked for future dates, rerouted, booked on other airlines or refunded, she said.Despite the walk out British Airways said it expects to operate 55 per cent of its short haul flights and 70 per cent of long haul trips from Heathrow Airport over the period. It has managed to reinstate some previously cancelled flights after more crew than expected turned up for work.

United Arab Emirates increased flights

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has increased the destinations available for passengers travelling to Australia by expanding its codeshare agreement with Qantas.An announcement here on Thursday said that as part of the agreement, the Etihad two letter EY code is now placed on flights yAPP/dne James Hogan, Ethad Airways’ chief executive said ‘the expansion of this codeshare agreement with Qantas reaffirms our commitment to passengers around the world who are flying to Australia and want to visit towns and cities outside the key gateways’.

It was pointed out that the new routes are in addition to the services that were part of the initial codeshare agreement, which commenced in March 2009 and include flights between Sydney and Brisbane, Sydney and Cairns, Sydney and Adelaide, and Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as Sydney to Auckland in New Zealand.Aside from the codeshare expansion, Etihad recently secured 14 additional weekly flight frequencies from its Abu Dhabi home base to Australia.—APP

Air pacific flights schedules change

AIR Pacific will soon announce changes to its flight schedules, including a reduction in the number of flights to Los Angeles.This as the national carrier prepares to send its two Boeing 747-400 aircraft for major maintenance at the Singapore Airlines Engineering Base next month.
Airline chief executive John Campbell confirmed the major maintenance would be between April 19 and May 29.He said changes to flight schedules would be published over the coming days, with some routes having a change in aircraft type.He said Boeing 767s would fly some of the Sydney services normally operated by the Boeing 747, while Boeing 737 aircraft would fly some New Zealand flights normally serviced by the B767.The number of flights to Los Angeles will be reduced from four a week to three during five weeks of maintenance, he said.Mr Campbell said maintenance was planned so that it would occur in the annual seasonal trough after the peak Easter and school holiday periods, so that there would be no disruption to Fiji's tourism arrivals or major flight disruptions.

He said each aircraft would complete approximately two and a half weeks of major maintenance in the five weeks, with Air Pacific's schedules adjusted to accommodate the reduced Boeing 747 fleet.He said the electrical, hydraulic and mechanical systems on the airframe and engines would also be checked and serviced.Upon completion of this work, the next scheduled major maintenance will be in approximately eighteen months time, depending upon the number of hours the aircraft fly in that period, he said.

Routine base maintenance is carried out on a weekly basis by Air Pacific's team of qualified and licensed engineers in Nadi.The planned maintenance program with its focus on engine, airframe and cabin preventative maintenance includes refreshment of the interior and deep cleaning of the aircraft.The heavy maintenance costs will run into many millions of dollars which has been provided for in the Airline's accounts and provisioned in our Expenditure Budgets.Air Pacific operates a fleet of Boeing jet aircraft and ATR42 500s to 16 cities in 11 countries.

Flight to Boston

Southwest has a new offer for travelers who are headed to New England. The airline is offering double Rapid Rewards credit for flights from Baltimore to the Boston area. Fly from BWI to Providence, Boston or Manchester and receive two credits for a one-way flight. That's four credits for the mathematically challenged for a round-trip flight. You only need 16 Rapid Reward credits to earn a free flight, so a flight to Boston this spring would take you 25 percent of the way. The offer is good from today through May 26. Also, you have to register for the promotion before booking your flight.Southwest isn't the only airline trying to tempt travelers this spring. Both AirTran and JetBlue have sales ongoing this week. AirTran has flights from BWI to Boston and Charlotte starting at $54 each way. JetBlue has a round-trip flights from BWI to Boston for $78.

BA Going to add Flights

British Airways said yesterday it would run more flights during the second wave of strike action, due to start on Saturday, because more cabin crew were volunteering for work.The airline said the number of cabin crew reporting for duty rose from 57 per cent to 62 per cent between Saturday and Monday, when the first of two scheduled strikes ended. The union disputed the claim.

BA made the pledge as it was struggling to restore services in the lull before the second walkout. The airline scrapped about 20 per cent of the schedule yesterday and warned passengers that flights throughout the week were subject to disruption. The three-day strike by 12,000 cabin crew has left some of the company's aircraft and staff in the wrong place.The publication of the flight schedule dashed any hopes of an early breakthrough to the bitter dispute over cost-cutting and jobs.

The airline said it would run a full operation at Gatwick, all flights from London City and about 70 per cent of long haul services from Heathrow during the next wave of action, planned to ground flights before the busy Easter travelling season. About 55 per cent of European services would also run, it said.BA said yesterday that our door remains open to Unite, day or night, if it wants to find a sensible settlement. But Unite said the walkout looked almost inevitable after efforts to restart talks by Brendan Barber, head of the Trades Union Congress, failed.

In a sign of the broader impact of the first three day stoppage, Guy Dubois, chief executive of Gategroup, the caterer used on long haul flights, said his group had lost revenues of £800,000 as a result of the strike. But Mr Dubois said the impact was lower than it could have been because the company had time to prepare.We knew a long time ahead that this was going to happen, he said, adding it had minimised losses by keeping employees off the roster on strike days.Kuehne+Nagel, which supplies wine and other goods for BA's in flight catering services, said the impact had been negligible, while analysts said cargo operations had been barely affected, though there could be long term reputational damage.

John Manners Bell, chief analyst at Transport Intelligence, a consultancy, said: Many shippers which rely on air cargo to provide just in time delivery capabilities will be looking at other options, especially with the strikes set to continue.BA's share price rose 2.7 per cent to 247.5p after the airline said on Monday that the strikes had cost it £21m, or £7m a day less then expected. The union claims the figure is much higher.BA has hired aircraft and crew from 11 European airlines to help it cope with the impact of the disruption and trained at least 1,000 volunteers drawn from other parts of its workforce.Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite, said: Passengers will take one look at next weekend's strike schedule and rightly ask, 'what on earth is going on?' This schedule has more holes than a Swiss cheese.Is BA really saying that it would rather hit the travel plans of tens of thousands of people for another weekend than negotiate a settlement?

Scholarship to study abroad

Thanks to a new scholarship program, many UT students will receive financial aid to study abroad.The Center for International Education announced last week that 171 students each received a $500 scholarship to study abroad during Spring Break, mini-term or either academic session during the summer.The scholarship began as an SGA bill in fall 2008. Drew Webb, now a senior in political science, introduced the bill as an SGA senator. With inspiration from 2007-2008 SGA Vice President Anna York, Webb created a bill that would allow for $10 from the Student Activities Fee to go into a CIE scholarship pot.

We had a passion for studying abroad because of what life changing experiences our trips were and we wanted more UT students to have the opportunity to participate in international travel while enrolled at UT, Webb said. It is so exciting to hear that the scholarship has been so successful. Every UT student deserves the opportunity to study abroad, and hopefully this makes it a little bit more feasible for students to do so.Anne Hulse, Center of International Education coordinator, explained that the scholarship has drastically increased the number of students that apply for study abroad programs. On average, the office tries to award the scholarship to about half of the applicants.

This year, the 171 students come from 63 cities in nine states. The scholarship is seen by many in the UT administration as a prime example of the Ready for the World Initiative instituted by past Chancellor Loren Crabtree. It also falls right in line with Chancellor Jimmy Cheek’s goals for the future of the university.It broadens students’ worldview, directly exposes them to different countries and cultures and helps them become more independent and self-reliant in the process, Noah Rost, a programs abroad coordinator in the Center for International Education, said in a press release.Rost explained that any study abroad experience benefits a student’s application to any graduate school, professional program or future job.

Haley Davidson, junior in nursing, received the scholarship for two trips that she plans to take this summer. Davidson plans to travel to Mexico and Spain throughout the summer in order to improve her Spanish education.I am so excited about my trips, Davidson said. “I feel like they are going to be life-changing experiences, and it is so nice to have financial help in order to get me on my way.Students are highly encouraged to find a study abroad experience that they find appealing and apply for the CIE Scholarship. According to a press release, UT offers programs in 54 countries on six continents that range in length from three weeks to an academic year.Hulse is excited about the future of the scholarships and the students that receive them.I am glad that these students decided to apply for the scholarship and study abroad; they will soon realize the benefits, she said.

Cheap flights to London from Vienna

Additional cheap flights to London from Vienna will be launched in an agreement with bmi, with the current 28 weekly services being extended to 35.The carrier is planning to increase flights to Brussels from the Austrian capital. Currently operating 32 weekly flights, Austrian Airlines will soon manage 46 flights a week to the Belgian capital.

Elsewhere, the airline will also launch additional flights to Zurich and Prague from Vienna. This means that, during the summer, Austrian Airlines will operate a total of 1,513 flights a week, an increase from last year's figure of 1,499.Andreas Bierworth and Peter Malanik, both members of Austrian Airline's executive board, said the carrier is committed to improving its services where it is relevant to the clients.It is all about providing clients with concrete arguments as to why they should be flying with Austrian, they commented.Last month, the carrier announced the launch of a codeshare agreement with Star Alliance partner Brussels Airlines.

Flights to Chicago-Pensacola

American Eagle Airlines, the regional feeder for American Airlines, said on Monday it will begin weekend nonstop flights between Chicago and Pensacola, Fla., on June 12.American Eagle plans one round-trip each Saturday and Sunday between the two cities on 50-seat jets.American Eagle also has daily flights between Dallas and Pensacola, and plans new flights to Pensacola from Miami starting April 6.Shares of AMR Corp., the parent of both American Eagle and American Airlines, rose 14 cents to $9.15 in afternoon trading.

Flights to New York

he Greenbrier Valley Airport will soon offer direct flights to New York and Atlanta. An agreement between the Greenbrier Resort and Delta will open up daily flights to Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International Airport and New York' LaGuardia. Greenbrier Valley Airport manager Jerry O'Sullivan said he expects the flights to be year round. The new service will begin on June 10. That's just in time for a variety of changes that are coming to the Greenbrier Resort in the spring and summer of 2010.

We're just thrilled, said O'Sullivan, and we've been anticipating this for some time as Mr. Justice' plan comes together for the Greenbrier.The airport is currently undergoing several million dollars worth of renovations. They are expanding the parking and working on the runway to help accommodate the increased traffic. Even though the flights won't begin for a couple months, they can be booked immediately.

Flights to Mangalore-Delhi

For the first time in the six-decade old history of Bajpe airport, there will be a direct flight to the national capital starting March 28.Alliance Air will operate this flight in a circular route, Delhi Mangalore Calicut Delhi. The first flight from Delhi will land here on March 28 at 8.10 am and depart to Calicut after half an hour stopover. It'll operate on six days, with Saturday off.

Air India manager Chellam Prasad told TOI that the 72-seater Bombadier Jet will operate on alternate days between Mangalore and Calicut. On the days the jet travels to Calicut first, it will arrive at Mangalore at 9.35 am and reach Delhi at 12.55 pm. During the flight's direct arrival to Mangalore, it will reach at 8.10 am and reach Calicut at 9.35 am.

The fare starts at Rs 4,800, whether circular or direct, with all seats being in the economy class.
The transformation of the table-top Bajpe airport from a single Indian Airlines flight between Bangalore and Mumbai in the '80s to a plethora of flights between these two destinations in the late '90s, has been amazing.It is said that Prime Minister Jawaharlal Lal Nehru had arrived by the maiden flight to Bajpe in 1951.The transformation started when the second runway of 8,045 feet, with the first being 5,330 feet, was commissioned in 2006. This also saw the landing of the first international aircraft from Dubai in October 2006.

Study Abroad Scholarships Awarded

The College of Charleston has awarded more than 100 scholarships for students to study abroad during the summer of 2010. This is the largest number of students to ever receive scholarships for a study abroad experience.Recipients are determined by need and merit and get between $500 and $2,000 toward their study abroad experience. In some cases, this financial help makes studying abroad less expensive than taking classes on campus.

“One of the goals of the College’s new strategic plan is to provide students with the global and interdisciplinary perspectives they’ll need in the 21st century, says Andrew Sobiesuo, assistant provost for international education. It is one reason the College dedicates nearly $200,000 to support students as they study abroad and gain valuable global experience.The number of applicants increased more than 30-percent from summer 2009. Overall, nearly 200 students received scholarships to study abroad during the 2009-2010 academic year.Applications for the 2010 fall study abroad scholarships are due by April 16, 2010.

Flights to Manila

On 29 March 2010, Air China will launch its first non stop flight between Beijing and Manila. Round-trip tickets will be available to PhoenixMiles members for only RMB 1,666. In addition, up tp 31 May 2010 PhoenixMiles members will be able to redeem flights to Manila for half the regular frequent flyer miles.Flights to Manila will depart from Beijing Capital Airport at 20:00 on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and arrive at 00:55 the next day. Flights to Beijing from Manila will depart at 06:30 local time on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and arrive at Beijing at 11:10. A Boeing 738 will be deployed for all flights on the Beijing Manila route.

The Philippine Tourism Authority already has a Beijing office, and they believe that there is great potential for more Filipinos to visit China. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are currently the most popular destinations for Filipino tourists, who are interested in Chinese history and culture, as well as Chinese cuisine.Air China passengers flying from the Americas and Europe can use Beijing as a hub for their flights on to the Philippines.Air China, a Star Alliance member, has a fleet of 256 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Air China’s 250 routes serve 32 countries and regions.

Delta to add 22 daily flights

Delta Air Lines plans to launch in June almost hourly service between New York and Chicago, already one of the most heavily served routes in the USA.With 11 new flights a day each way between New York's LaGuardia Airport and Chicago's O'Hare airport, Delta seeks to increase its market strength in the New York travel market. It already offers shuttle service from LaGuardia to Washington and Boston. It has dozens of international flights a day from New York's JFK.

Delta, the world's biggest airline, also is picking a fight with its two closest rivals. No. 2 American and No. 3 United operate large hubs at O'Hare and have significant operations at LaGuardia.
Delta will operate its New York Chicago shuttle with Embraer E-175 regional jets equipped with 12 first-class and 64 coach seats. American operates 16 flights a day on that route, using larger planes. United has 15 flights a day on that route, 10 on Airbus A319 and A320 jets and five aboard E-175s configured like those Delta will use.

Indirectly, Delta also will be taking on No. 4 Continental, which serves the New York Chicago market nine times a day from Newark Airport across the Hudson River from Manhattan. United flies 10 times a day between Newark and O'Hare.Even discount king Southwest Airlines, which last year began serving New York City for the first time, competes in the market. It flies five times daily between LaGuardia and Chicago's Midway airport.

Delta's use of regional jets against bigger jets is going to be a tough sell, says Bob Harrell, a New York-based business travel price analyst and consultant. But Delta will attract some frequent fliers here who want to pick up their Delta mileage points when flying to Chicago.A flight of two-plus hours between Chicago and New York is long enough to make the comfort issue of a regional jet an important one, said Aaron Gellman, who teaches in the Transportation Center at Chicago's Northwestern University.

Last week, the average price paid by business travelers going between LaGuardia and O'Hare for a refundable fare was $282 each way, Harrell says. The lowest fare on the route last week was $84 each way, but included many restrictions, was non refundable and not available on many seats. Between Newark and O'Hare, the comparable fares were $482 and $86 each way.

Flights to Orlando, Toronto

Virgin America is going to Disney World. The airline today announced new daily nonstop flights to Orlando from Los Angeles and San Francisco beginning in August. One way fares will start at $149 and $199 respectively.The three year old airline also announced plans for its first international destination, with direct flights to Toronto from Los Angeles and San Francisco, pending a decision by the Department of Transportation. Three more destinations are also in the works for 2010.

The new routes come on the heels of Virgin America’s announced plans to expand its fleet of aircraft by as much as one-third by 2011. The airline’s low fares and in flight amenities like Wi-Fi at no extra charge and power outlets have helped build its brand and strengthen customer loyalty, according to Abby Lunardini, a spokesperson for the airline.Being based in San Francisco, we have a lot of very tech savvy flyers, she said. And our proposed expansion to Toronto in particular will link two of North America’s largest high tech centers so we foresee that this will be a strong market for us as well.

Flights to Los Angeles

Delta Air Lines says it will restore direct service from Bradley International Airport to Los Angeles starting in June.The airline said Thursday the Connecticut Los Angeles flight will be available Sundays through Fridays beginning June 10.

Delta halted the service on Sept. 30, 2008, ending Connecticut's only nonstop connection to the West Coast.Southwest Airlines started daily nonstop service this month to Denver from Bradley.
Gov M. Jodi Rell called the announcement welcome news for Bradley Airport and the region's economy.

Flights to Tokyo

Denver International Airport officials announced a plan for nonstop flights between Denver and Tokyo to start by 2012.Aviation manager Kim Day says they have been meeting with officials at the Tokyo airport and All Nippon Airways to make DIA a little more international.

Day also announced details about plans for a hotel adjacent to the airport Thursday as she delivered the annual State of the DIA address in Denver.The 500-room hotel will be south of the Jeppeson Terminal and on top of a new rail station, taking passengers to Union Station in 30 minutes. The train will arrive in 2015.Current international destinations from DIA include London and Frankfurt, as well as a number of locations in Mexico and Canada.

Flights to Kuala Lumpur to Taipei

From 15 April 2010, AirAsia will add two flights to its Kuala Lumpur to Taipei schedule, increasing its frequency to nine flights per week. The low cost carrier has seen an increasing demand from travellers seeking flights to and from Taipei. Recent figures have shown an 80 per cent load factor since the launch of this route on 1 July 2009.

To cater to this overwhelming response, the airline has also introduced direct daily flights to Taipei from Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia and Thailand’s capital, Bangkok. These new routes bring AirAsia’s total number of weekly flights to and from Taipei to 23, making it even easier for British travellers to tour some of Asia’s most popular destinations.

Josephine Huang, marketing manager of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau Europe, commented: We are delighted that AirAsia’s new flights offer the opportunity to introduce even more British travellers to our island. The airline’s new services from Malaysia and Thailand make it possible for visitors to travel to some of Asia’s most impressive destinations at a very reasonable cost. We look forward to welcoming even more tourists to Taiwan in 2010 and beyond.

Study abroad in Japan.

Sasha Masters Jones knew her freshman year she wanted to study abroad in Japan.The interdisciplinary humanities and professional writing senior is one of 293 MSU students who made an Asian country her destination for study abroad in the 2008-09 school year.I’ve had a fascination of Japan for many years, she said.I really wanted to do something that took me to Japan.But Masters-Jones said most of her peers had their sights set on London or other European countries. Of the thousands of MSU students who studied abroad in the last year, about 11 percent made Asian countries their destination, said Cheryl Benner, communications manager for the university’s Office of Study Abroad.

This percentage puts MSU on par with other universities nationwide that see lower numbers of students choosing Asia as their study abroad destination. Eleven percent of American college students who go abroad pick Asia as their destination, while more than half of students choose European countries, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.At MSU, a similar trend has been seen, Benner said.Students tend to flock to Europe and Australia where there isn’t a language barrier, she said. We’d like to see development in programs where it’s a little out of students’ comfort zone.

The language barrier coupled with the cultural differences and distance from home are potential reasons for the small numbers, Benner said. At the same time, Europe was the prime destination for American study abroad students for decades, International Studies and Programs Dean Jeffrey Riedinger said.MSU has been trying to expand its role in Asian countries by increasing the number of study abroad programs offered and matching programs offered to the faculty members researching in Asian countries, Riedinger said. Expanding the university’s presence in Asia is becoming increasingly important as Asia’s impact in America’s politics and economies continues to grow, he said.

Even for students who expect that their career is going to be working and living in Michigan, there are more and more reasons why they should have experience in Asia know the people, know the culture, know how to do business there, Riedinger said.In the last five years, the number of MSU students who studied in an Asian country increased by about 51 percent, from 194 in the 2004-05 school year to 293 in the 2008-09 school year. In the 2008-09 school year, 48 programs were offered in Asian countries, with the highest number of students traveling to Japan, followed by China.

Masters-Jones, who spent 10 days in Japan and 21 days in China, called her study abroad experience awesome but said she could understand why students might choose a European country.If they are more afraid to go out of the country and they want to do something at least a little more in their comfort zone, I could definitely see why they would avoid Asia, she said.Riedinger said there is knowledge to be gained from each part of the world.We’re giving a lot of emphasis on the nontraditional, non Western European destination even though the majority of our students are still going to the United Kingdom and Western Europe, he said. There’s important and good things to be learned there, but it’s important that part of our student body also knows the other parts of the world.

Southwest Airlines to start new flights

Southwest Airlines on Tuesday launched a 72 hour fare sale for flights to and from Philadelphia, a step in its plan to grab customers from major Philly competitor US Airways.The airline said the fares are available for select markets nationwide, including Raleigh/Durham, N.C., starting at $30 each way, Chicago for $60 each way and Denver for $90 each way.

Tickets must be purchased by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. PDT for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays between April 6 and May 26.Southwest is aggressively courting business fliers currently using US Airways, which has a hub in Philadelphia. Some passengers currently pay walkup fares exceeding $1,000.

Flights to capital city Bangkok of Thailand

he state-owned Lao airlines said that it will continue flights to capital city Bangkok of Thailand as normal despite the ongoing political instability, reports China's Xinhua news agency cited the Lao newspaper Vientiane Times on Tuesday.The aviation company's marketing director, Sitthideth Douangsiththy said that the ongoing instability in Thailand will not have impacts on its business operations as passenger numbers on Lao Airlines' Vientiane Bangkok flights have not reduced since the demonstrators began in Bangkok last Friday.

Soulasak Souvannasy, Lao airlines deputy marketing director said the airline expects passenger numbers to increase this year without suffering any disturbance caused by political instability in Thailand.In the past two years, the airline has suffered a sharp decrease in passenger numbers due to suspension of flights caused by anti-government protest movements in Thailand and the global economic downturn, said the newspaper.Lao airlines, with operation of eight propeller aircraft, saw a year-on-year increase of 16 percent in passenger number to 47,000 passengers in January this year, said Soulasak Souvannasy.

Flights to Shanghai

Domestic airlines yesterday urged the Chinese government to increase the number of cross strait flights to Shanghai and other large cities in China.They also urged civil aviation authorities in Taiwan and China to resolve outstanding issues on airworthiness certification for cross-strait flights.Because Taiwan has yet to acknowledge the validity of airworthiness certifications issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China CAAC, and vice versa, Taiwanese airlines have to fly their own staff to China to certify the airworthiness of each airplane.

If any of our aircraft have to be repaired in China, officials at Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration CAA have to approve the qualifications of the company and the maintenance workers’ aptitude before granting a certificate, said Tony Su, chairman of the Taipei Airlines Association.The airlines made the suggestions at a cross strait aviation forum yesterday.

China Airlines chairman Philip Wei, EVA Air chairman Solomon Lin and the heads of three other domestic carriers, attended the meeting.Civil Aviation Administration of China Deputy Director Xia Xing-hua the forum in his capacity as the senior consultant of the China Air Transportation Association.While Taiwanese airlines requested an increase in the number of flights to first tier cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, Xia said that the airlines should strive to expand the number of flights to second tier cities.

Xia said Chinese airlines brought about 1.2 million passengers to Taiwan last year, while Taiwanese carriers delivered 1.75 million passengers to China.He said the Taiwanese airlines focused mainly on flights to the first-tier cities among the 31 Chinese cities open to cross-strait flights.Air traffic to second-tier cities, such as Chengdu, Tianjin, Kunming and Nanjing, was increasing as well, he said.Asked if China would increase the number of flights to Shanghai in May because of the Shanghai Expo, Xia said: will consider all the possible scenarios and might increase flights.

Su said the Taiwanese airlines would evaluate the demand for flights to second-tier cities, but he noted that although Taitung and Hualien are open to cross strait flights, no Chinese airlines have applied to service those airports.Regarding increasing the number of direct flights between Taipei Songshan International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Xia said the airport in Taipei was in the process of expanding its facilities and was not currently able to accommodate larger aircraft.

Cheap Flights to Sharm el Sheikh

Visitors on cheap flights to Sharm el Sheikh could soon be enjoying a more environmentally friendly experience in the Egyptian resort after the announcement of a $238million £158million project.Sharm el Sheikh has established itself as one of the leading destinations for cheap flights as throngs of tourists flock to the sun drenched resort to relax on the soft sand beaches, dive with the exotic marine life or visit the deserts.

To ensure that this paradise in the Sinai Peninsula is preserved and enjoyed for many years to come, the Egyptian Government have made a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2020.
Discover Beautiful Marine Life from Cheap Flights to Sharm el Sheikh.The ambitious plans are centred on the preservation of the rich marine life that surrounds the secluded resort. Cheap flights to Sharm el Sheikh have become a must for aspiring scuba diving and snorkelling enthusiasts.

The areas around Ras Mohammed and Tiran are considered amongst the best diving spots in the world and the high levels of plankton in the Red Sea means you are guaranteed to spot all kinds of marine life, including sharks!Cheap flights to Sharm el Sheikh also unlock a wealth of diving schools for beginners and professionals alike. For additional adventure on the surface there is a glut of watersports available for the adrenaline junkies.

Bethel Study Abroad Program

Bethel University was ranked 12th nationally for the 2007-2008 school year in the category of Institutions by Undergraduate Participation in Study Abroad, according to a recent Open Doors Report by the Institute of International Education. Under the category of “Institutions by Total Number of Study Abroad Students: Top 40 Master’s Institutions, Bethel ranked 36th in the nation.

Bethel’s rankings are based on the percentage of students who participate in comparison to percentages at other master’s level intuitions. The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of study abroad students by the number of graduates of that year. Bethel had 402 study abroad participants and 776 graduates, resulting in 51.8 percent of students studying abroad. These numbers do not include students who participated in domestic programs, so the number of students who participated in off-campus learning opportunities is much higher. Bethel’s has moved up in the rankings from 16th and 37th for the 2006-2007 academic year. During the 2006-2007 academic year Bethel’s percentage of students studying abroad was 44 percent.

Bethel has seen an increase in participation in both interim and semester study abroad programs. More students are coming to Bethel already having done things overseas, said Melanie Eslinger, assistant director of international studies. A lot of students chose Bethel, because they know we have a strong study abroad program.Bethel’s study abroad programs primarily collaborate with partners around the world that value higher education and emphasize commitment to Christian living. We want our students to become global citizens, world-changers, with commitment to Christian faith, said Vincent Peters, associate dean for off-campus programs. For that to be successful, we work diligently in finding curricula and study opportunities that are compatible with the academic integrity and standards of Bethel.

Even though regular tuition covers most study abroad options at Bethel, the Office of Off-Campus Programs International Studies assists students in obtaining substantial financial assistance from external sources. There are also scholarships available through various organizations that help students afford the costs of studying abroad. Bethel is one of only a few universities that allow its students to take their institutional gift aid for one semester while studying off campus without any restrictions. This is in addition to the federal, state, and other scholarships available to students.

Bethel students can travel to virtually any country in the world. Unless there is a travel warning in effect, Bethel will arrange for students to spend an interim or semester earning academic credit in a destination of their choice. Some of the countries available for study abroad include Spain, Egypt, Lithuania, Australia, Thailand, Great Britain, and Uganda.

Cheap flights to Jersey

Round up the troops for a group getaway to Jersey this summer and the leader goes for free! Flying from Belfast from just £29.99 per person, one way including taxes, you and your friends could soon be chilling out on the pristine beaches of Jersey.What’s more you can get extra legroom on your cheap flights to Jersey from £6.99 so you can kick back and relax before you even touch down!The charming cities and towns complementing soft sand beaches offer a continental flair but a British twist provided by traditional pubs and of course the pound, gives you a taste of home.

Exploring this cosmopolitan nugget in the British Channel is best done with friends. The beaches and picturesque terrain will keep you entertained by day and then as night rolls in, a hospitable atmosphere pours out on to the streets from the pubs. There is also a wealth of events to get involved in throughout the year.To claim the free flights for your group’s leader just quote Jersey 10 in your group name when booking the flights.

Air Canada to increases flights

Air Canada has reported that it will increase its service from Toronto to the Kingston, Jamaica by doubling the number of weekly flights to the Jamaican capital and deploying larger aircraft on certain days of the week, effective May 2010.Air Canada currently operates twice a week to Kingston, Jamaica from Toronto using a 120-seat Airbus A319. In summer 2010, frequencies will increase to four times a week beginning in May 2010 with service provided on certain days using a Boeing 767 with up to 243 seats.

Starting May 3, 2010, the airlines will operate flights every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and, beginning June 20, 2010, Sunday. In the fall 2010, flights will operate Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Air Canada will also continue to operate its regular service to Montego Bay.Marcel Forget, vice president of network planning at Air Canada, said: Air Canada has been serving Jamaica for 62 years. Over that time, Canada and Jamaica have built close ties due to business connections, by having families living in both countries and through a vibrant tourism market.

Air transport plays a vital role in maintaining these relationships and, with recent changes in the Jamaican airline industry, Air Canada wants to ensure that there is sufficient capacity linking Canada and Jamaica to meet the demand. As a result, we will be increasing our flights to up to five times a week this summer, more than doubling our current level of service.

Flights to Kuala Lumpur celebrate anniversary

AirAsia X has celebrated the first anniversary of its launch of cheap flights to Kuala Lumpur from Stansted Airport.More than 221,000 passengers travelled on the route to the Malaysian capital from the UK's third busiest airport during its first year of operation.Nick Barton, Stansted's commercial and development director, congratulated Air Asia X on a fantastic first year.As we anticipated, the Stansted-Kuala Lumpur service has proved to be extremely popular with passengers both in the UK and across Asia, he commented.

They have helped revolutionise long-haul travel and we are very proud to have them with us here at Stansted.Mr Barton went on to say that he was looking forward to the Asian low-cost airline further developing its services from London's third airport.AirAsia X also said that cheap flights to Bangkok are particularly popular among Brits in addition to routes to Bali, Phuket, Hong Kong and Singapore.Meanwhile, easyJet is introducing cheap flights to Bodrum and Dalaman in Turkey and Dubrovnik and Split in Croatia from Stansted this spring.

Flights in Australia

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has increased the destinations available for passengers travelling to Australia by expanding its codeshare agreement with Qantas. As part of the agreement, the Etihad two letter EY code is now placed on flights from Sydney to Ayers Rock Uluru, Alice Springs, Canberra, Hobart and Melbourne and flights from Brisbane to Cairns.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: The expansion of this codeshare agreement with Qantas reaffirms our commitment to passengers around the world who are flying to Australia and want to visit towns and cities outside the key gateways.The new routes are in addition to the services that were part of the initial codeshare agreement, which commenced in March 2009 and include flights between Sydney and Brisbane, Sydney and Cairns, Sydney and Adelaide, and Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as Sydney to Auckland in New Zealand.

Aside from the codeshare expansion, Etihad recently secured 14 additional weekly flight frequencies from its Abu Dhabi home-base to Australia.Within the new flight allocation, which is available from March 2011, seven flights can be operated to any gateway in Australia. This includes Etihad’s current destinations of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. A further seven weekly flights were granted on the condition that the operation also flies via or onto a regional airport.

Gilman International Scholarships for study abroad

Michigan Tech students Kara Oikarinen and Nicole VanBelle have been named winners of prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships for study abroad. They were among 900 undergraduates selected for the competitive scholarships from more than 3,000 applicants nationwide.

VanBelle, a chemical engineering major from Kentwood, Mich., is one of the first Gilman STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Pilot Scholarship recipients. She is one of 125 students across the country who received the Gilman STEM scholarship for 2010. She will receive $3,000 to study with the Japan Center for Michigan Universities in Hikone, Japan, during the summer of 2010.Studying abroad is not always advocated for engineers, she observed. I hope to show all of my fellow engineers at Michigan Tech that studying abroad can be just as positive as an internship or co-op. She plans to give presentations about her experiences in Japan to Tech classes and at the Portage Lake District Library.

Oikarinen, a senior majoring in social sciences and education, received $5,000 for study this semester at the University of Ghana at Legon. She plans to bring Ghana back into the classrooms where she will teach, improving young students' knowledge of little-known parts of the world. As a teacher, I will be learning about a part of the world that is typically neglected in history and geography classes, she explained. I will use as many materials from my experience in West Africa as possible to create the most potentially stimulating lessons.Oikarinen is from Calumet, Mich., where she graduated from Calumet High School in 2006. She is the daughter of Rick and Lorri Oikarinen.VanBelle is a graduate of East Kentwood High School in Kentwood, Mich. She is the daughter of Jane and Dave VanBelle.

The Gilman International Scholarship Program provides grants to undergraduates of limited means who are US citizens, to enable them to study abroad. Since the program's inception in 2001, more than 4,200 students have received Gilman Scholarships. The Gilman Scholarships are funded by Congress, sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education.

TransAsia Airways to start Xiamen-Kaohsiung flights

Starting April, 9, 2010, there will be direct air flights flying from Xiamen to Taiwan’s Kaohisung. The new route will be launched by Taiwan TransAsia Airways.It will be the first regular direct flight from Xiamen to the southern part of Taiwan. By then, the number of flights from Xiamen to Taiwan will be increased to 31 on a weekly basis, including Taipei’s Songshan, Taoyuan, and Taichung and Kaohsiung.

On March 12, TransAsia Airways announced in Fuzhou that it will open two cross Strait direct air routes: Fuzhou-Kaohsiung and Xiamen-Kaohsiung.The flights will take off from Fuzhou to Kaohsiung every Thursday and from Xiamen to Kaohsiung every Friday. By then, the number of the cross-Strait flights for TransAsia Airways will reach 9.It is reported that Xiamen Airlines had once opened direct charter flights between Xiamen and Kaohsiung for Spring Festival but were cancelled after the holiday.TransAsia Airways is an airline based in Taipei, Taiwan. It mainly serves the domestic market but also has limited scheduled international services to Macau and South Korea and charter services to some holiday destinations.

Flights to Wellington

Ninety nine passengers stranded in Auckland after their Sydney to Wellington flight was diverted because of possible defects are being booked on flights to Wellington on Sunday.Emergency services went on standby on Saturday night as the Air New Zealand plane was diverted north.

The Fire Service says it received a message that the Airbus A320 had a hydraulic defect and a steering nose wheel problem.It says seven trucks, including a specialist airport appliance, were ready by the runway as the plane landed.It says the plane landed safely without problems about 11pm.Air New Zealand says a warning light came on mid flight and the decision was made to land in Auckland.

Air Canada to increase flights

Jamaica's tourism industry has received another boost with the announcement that Air Canada is to double its weekly flights to Kingston.The airline says by the end of summer it will fly five times weekly from Toronto to the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

Air Canada says the move is in response to increased business, tourism and personal travel between the destinations.The airline already flies more than a dozen times weekly to Montego Bay, St. JamesCanada's Number Two airline and Air Canada's stiffest competition, WestJet, says it flew more passengers to Jamaica last month and its focus on Caribbean vacations has paid off.The Calgary-based airline first announced its southern expansion last fall.Air Canada's fleet is fixed until the second half of 2013 and in the meantime the company is expected to turn its attention toward debt repayment.

Flights are Cancelled

If you find yourself stuck on board a delayed Continental Airlines flight, there's a chance you may never take off.Starting next month, the U.S Transportation Department can fine airlines up to $27,500 per passenger if planes are on the tarmac for three hours and passengers can't get off. This morning, Continental's CEO said his airline plans to cancel flights rather than risk getting slapped with a huge fine. A domestic Continental flight could easily be carrying 160 people. $27,500 multiplied by 160 passengers makes it a $4.4 million fine. James Brennan is visiting Sacramento from Austin.He says, That's a bit outrageous. Our economy, the way it's going, that doesn't even seem feasible. Air traveler Stephanie Marquez explains, I would almost rather have them cancel the flight and then you can take another flight instead of having been delayed that long because then you can make other arrangements.Making other arrangements isn't always easy, though. It might be hard to get on another flight. You could also get stuck in the airport overnight or need to get a hotel room. So whether you're on the runway for hours or waiting around to board, it can be a hassle and inconvenience either way.

AirTran launches sale for flights

AirTran Airways announced a sale Tuesday with fares as low as $44 one way, plus taxes and fees, for travel from March 19 through Nov. 16.Several airlines matched AirTran on routes where they compete, said Tom Parsons, CEO of travel site BestFares.com.HGe said the sale doesn't include Fridays and Sundays, and there are 28 blackout dates. Parsons added that it was unusual for an airline to cut prices in March for travel over the next eight months.It shows you that the advance bookings aren't there, he said.

AirTran listed sample fares on its Web site, including $188 roundtrip between Boston and Los Angeles; $158 roundtrip between Orlando, Fla., and Chicago or Dallas; and $138 roundtrip between Detroit and Atlanta. Those figures don't include taxes and fees.The sale runs through Thursday and the airline didn't say how many seats were available at the cheap prices.

Flights from Sydney to Uluru

Virgin Blue has announced plans to launch daily direct flights from Sydney to Uluru, formerly known as Ayres Rock, on August 2.Flights will operate on an EMBRAER E-190 aircraft to carry 104 guests to and from the iconic attraction. Flights to Uluru will depart at 10:10 a.m. and will arrive at 1:20 p.m. Flights back will leave at 2 p.m. and arrive at 5:30 p.m. Connecting flights will also be available from a number of other Australian destinations including Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth.

The airline has reportedly worked closely with the Ayers Rock airport authority to ensure the airport infrastructure will be ready in August for Virgin Blue flights to commence. The airport will upgrade existing check-in counters as well as build additional baggage belt facilities. Premium Economy will also be available on the new route.Virgin Blue will launch a special online Rock Across to Ayers Rock fare of $149 one-way, on sale from now until midnight March 21 for travel between August 3 September 23 and October 12 - December 16. Regular fares will start from $199 one-way.

Flights to Sydney, London

Singapore Airlines plans to deploy its Airbus A380 aircraft on the Singapore-Zurich route and daily flights will start in two weeks' time, Richard Lee, Singapore Airlines General Manager Gulf, told Gulf News yesterday on the sidelines of a news conference here.Lee said Singapore Airlines currently has 10 Airbus A380s in its fleet, which fly to Sydney, London, Melbourne, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Paris daily from Singapore. London flights are twice daily. The airline was the first to start Airbus A380 flights in the world.

Asked if Singapore Airlines has plans to deploy its Airbus A380 on the Singapore Dubai route, Lee said: We have no such plans, as of now. He also said in the foreseeable future Singapore Airlines has no plans to deploy its Airbus A380 aircraft on any of the routes that the airline serves in the Middle East.Singapore Airlines will introduce daily Airbus A330-300 aircraft from Abu Dhabi to Singapore starting March 29, featuring the airline's latest product and service offerings, the company announced at the news conference. "From March 28/29, the airline will also commence A330-300 services from Singapore to Jeddah and Kuwait both via Abu Dhabias well as to Male. From April 28, A330-300s will be deployed to Fukuoka and Taipei, and from May 1 the aircraft will serve Colombo.

The services will replace the airline's Boeing 777 operations on these routes, Singapore Airlines said.The introduction of this new aircraft on this route provides us the opportunity to enhance our product offerings for customers from the region. This also reaffirms our commitment to constant innovation to offer the finest products and services to our customers, said Lee.The Singapore Airlines A330-300 is configured in a two-class layout with 30 business class and 255 economy class seats.Lee said although the number of flights on the Abu Dhabi-Singapore route remains the same, there would be an overall capacity reduction of about 6 per cent with the introduction of the new aircraft.Lee said the Middle East market for airline companies is improving nicely and will grow in the coming months.

Study abroad consultancy needed

these are the number of educational consultancies one will encounter in Putalisadak. With more and more students wanting to go abroad for further studies, educational consultancies, which claim to provide students with technical support for further studies abroad, are booming up in almost every corner of the capital. Now, there are almost 1600 registered educational consultancies in the country and with each day a new consultancy being registered, it may seem that it has now become difficult to find a name for the consultancy!


USA, India, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and now even Korea and Japan are some of the countries these educational consultancies send students for further studies. Usually the consultancies, guide the student from the application process to the VISA attaining process. Bhuwan Prasai, Counselor Immigration at NIEC says, We have seen a sharp increase in the students willing to go abroad compared to a few years ago. And we, like other consultancies like ours are committed to providing technical information to students and guide them with the application process, who otherwise may not be able to pursue their studies abroad.

However, Gokul Pokhrael, a 20 year old student, who is now selected in one of the top colleges in the US with full scholarship tuition, lodging and food says, I feel that the process of applying to colleges is really easy and can be learnt in few hours. There is loads of information available in the internet and if someone spends enough time researching, a person can know the process for applying to colleges easily and hence will require no consultancies for guidance. I would say ‘no to consultancies’ and it is better if you apply yourself. By doing so you will learn more.
Sunrose Shrestha, a 19 year old and former student of Budhalinkantha School says, I never went to any consultancies. I heard many stories of my cousins who went abroad for studies through consultancies and are now suffering a lot. Hence, I thought it would be better if I applied own my own. My guidance counselor at the school and the wealth of information available at USEF came to my rescue. And if this was not enough, I could always visit the official website of the colleges and contact them. Who requires mediators?!

United States Educational Foundation Nepal USEF-Nepal houses ‘EducationUSA’, an advising centre which provides accurate, reliable, unbiased, and free information on higher educational opportunities in the USA, cites USEF-Nepal.The advising centre provides weekly info session where information regarding higher education for USA is provided. It also houses one of the most equipped libraries for further education in USA in the country.Consultancies may provide technical information to the students and guide them, however, there are many instances where students have been mislead. With a little more hard work from the students, the student can get more accurate and reliable information from the official college’s website in the internet and various organizations like USEF.

flights to Paris

The new flights will depart from Kuala Lumpur at 11.35pm and arrive in Paris at 6.40am the following day.MAS senior general manager network revenue management Dr Amin Khan said yesterday that the daily non-stop flights to Paris would be suitable for both business and leisure.
Passengers will arrive early in the morning, which gives them lots of time to make the most of their stay in Paris.Alternatively, they can catch a flight to other parts of France, Europe and Britain.At the end of the day, passengers will have more flexibility in their travel plans, said Amin in a press statement.

Flights to Accra from London

Virgin Atlantic will launch flights to the Ghanaian capital Accra from London Heathrow this summer.The long haul specialist will operate three flights a week from Heathrow to Accra, starting on May 24. Promotional fares for flights between May 24 and June 30 will be available between now and March 16. Return economy tickets are on offer from £451 including all taxes and charges. Premium economy tickets start from £852 return.There are currently only two other airlines operating flights to Ghana from the UK, British Airways offer daily flights from Heathrow and Ghana International run four flights a week to Accra from Gatwick.

Flights to Spain

The airline is re-launching its year round flights to Barcelona, with this previously summer only service resuming at the end of March 2010 and continuing through the summer and winter.In addition, an extra Saturday morning service will be introduced in May, bringing the total number of flights to seven per week.

British Airways is also launching new services to Majorca and Ibiza in May and currently operates flights to Madrid, Spain's capital.Luke Hayhoe, commercial manager for BA CityFlyer, the wholly owned British Airways subsidiary who will operate the service, said: The Spanish destinations are proving extremely popular from London City Airport. Barcelona has traditionally operated as a summer only destination but there is a big demand from both business and leisure passengers for us to continue through the winter.

The British Airways flights include complimentary food and drinks on board, free on line check-in and seat selection 24-hours before departure and free baggage allowance.British Airways offer a number of holidays in Spain, including city breaks to Barcelona or Madrid, outdoor holidays in hotspots like Costa Brava and Costa del Sol or foodie holidays in Andalusia, Galicia or Madrid. Customers can choose from hotels like the recently opened prestigious Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona offering amazing views of the city’s skyline from a sun bed lined rooftop terrace to the Tirol in Madrid for the budget conscious.Avis car rental is available with British Airways.

Helps with study abroad

An internet based service informing students how best to live and study abroad has released a '10 Step Guide' of advice, which universities could offer their foreign scholars. The founders of Boston based Abroad101 were inspired by the study abroad experience of childhood friends who realised the benefits of travelling and learning abroad while completing their university degree.

Adam Miller and Mike Stone developed the online service in 2007 as a database of information providing students, parents and universities with an all-inclusive port to evaluate, recommend and search for information on the various study abroad programmes offered by universities worldwide.Their 10-point guide now being promoted by their online blog has practical steps that would-be overseas students can take. These are broken into logical sections such as the need to check their motivation for overseas studies; list requirements and restrictions; research courses based on their preferences; deal with immigration issues; secure funding; and so on.

Miller developed his skills as a website designer while studying at MIT in Boston in Massachusetts along with Stone who studied at Harvard. They began developing the concept of a study abroad database by conducting focus groups with students, parents as well as university administrators.What they discovered was a serious discrepancy of available information: There was a lack of ability to assess the quality of student study abroad programmes, said Miller in an interview with University World News.

The higher education community in the US as it relates to study abroad is not flushed with cash.So Abroad101.com has two distinct functions: it allows universities to use the website as an evaluation tool for their own foreign study programmes while offering students a forum to discuss and read reviews of these services.We recognise that study abroad is such a meaningful experience for many people but only 6% of college students in the United States study abroad," said Miller. We realised there wasn't enough information available to students and families to make well-researched and meaningful decisions about study abroad programmes.

Flight to Tokyo

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Delta Air Lines' gateway to Asia, could soon enjoy the benefits of a coveted new flight to a key destination in Japan. Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport.But it can happen only if elected and community leaders, as well as Michigan travelers, help Delta Airlines land the rights to the new nonstop flight from Detroit Metro.

Haneda Airport has been restricted to Japan only flights since 1978. U.S. airlines currently operate at Narita Airport, which is located outside of the city. The trip from that airport into downtown Tokyo can take an hour or longer.A proposed new Open Skies agreement between the U.S. and Japan will allow trans Pacific flights into Haneda Airport, with its convenient location, for the first time in three decades. So, if your destination is downtown Tokyo, a new nonstop flight from Detroit would bring you there without a long trip into the city.

In an era when airlines are pulling down flights and reducing international service, any new flight to Asia would be great news for the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan. But Delta's proposed Haneda service would carry additional benefits, including Bolstering Michigan's trade and business ties to Japan. There are more than 500 Japanese companies located in Michigan, and the state exports more than $1.5 billion annually to Japan, according to Dunn & Bradstreet.

Enhancing Detroit's status as Delta's gateway to Asia. In addition to its Haneda proposal, Delta is also adding new service to Hong Kong, Seoul-Incheon and Shanghai this summer.Bringing more passengers, and revenue, into Detroit Metro by providing a convenient connecting point to Haneda for customers in more than 100 U.S. cities.Creating direct and immediate economic benefits and jobs.The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that up to $150 million in annual recurring economic benefits are generated for communities with new trans Pacific routes.

Flights to Brisbane

Queensland surf bunnies can become ski bunnies in one easy flight this winter.Virgin Blue sister airline Pacific Blue will be flying Queensland skiers straight to the slopes of New Zealand's Queenstown this winter with two direct flights a week from Brisbane from the end of June.

The seasonal flights on Fridays and Sundays will double Pacific Blue’s international services into the winter resort, which are currently two flights a week from Sydney operated on Tuesdays and Saturdays.To celebrate the new services snow bunnies are invited to hop aboard early with internet sale fares for the non stop flights from just $249 one way, available until midnight March 11 or sold out.

Virgin Blue CEO Brett Godfrey said Queenstown was an iconic ski destination for Australians and he was sure the new low fares to fly direct from Brisbane would be welcomed.We know that many Queensland skiers currently fly via Christchurch to get to Queenstown so we’re sure they’ll be delighted to be able to get across the ditch in a single hop.Since we began our Sydney and Auckland services to Queenstown in September last year we’ve seen very good loads and we expect these to be even stronger during the ski season, especially if New Zealand experiences the fantastic snow conditions it had in 2009.The seasonal Brisbane Queenstown flights will begin on June 25 and the last seasonal service will be on September, 12 providing a total of 22 return ski flights and adding over 3000 seats to the Queenstown market from Australia.

Students submit photos for Study Abroad contest

The Study Abroad office will announce the winners of its annual photo contest in the Campus Center Living Room on March 29.This is another activity that brings Study Abroad groups together and allows them a chance to come back and interact with each other, said Rachel Brown, Study Abroad coordinator.The Study Abroad Photo Contest is a yearly competition for any students who have participated in an ACU Study Abroad program. It functions as a chance for students to show off their photography skills and relive the experience while providing the Study Abroad Office with free promotional material.

The awards night will start at 8 p.m. and will include dessert refreshments, Brown said. Contest winners will be announced and receive prizes throughout the evening. In previous years, prizes have been gift cards to places such as Rosa’s Cafe, Peet’s Coffee and Box Office Video, although this year’s prizes have not yet been selected.Page Prather, senior international studies major from Lamesa, said the event is a fun time to hang out with other people who have studied abroad.

It gives students a chance to show off their pictures, Prather said.Pictures are judged in four different categories. The first is On Site, which must capture scenes from one of the ACU Study Abroad host cities: Montevideo, Leipzig or Oxford. The second is Cross Cultural, which portrays experiences outside the host city. Landscape is the third and includes only scenery, excluding people as point-earners. The last is Just for Fun, which may include pretty much anything, according to a Study Abroad Office e-mail detailing contest rules and requirements.Off-site judges will select first, second and third place winners from each category, including a Best of Show category. The winning photos then will be displayed in the Study Abroad Office and also may be featured in ACU publications.

Students had the option to submit up to three photos for the four categories, with no more than one picture per category, according to the Study Abroad Office e-mail.Prather said the contest allows students to share study abroad stories with those who have yet to experience international travel.This is an awesome way to share that excitement with other people who know how you feel and also gives students a chance to show off the fun places that they went to and the fun things that they have done, Prather said.

Flights to Bologna

Turkish Airlines launched new flights between Istanbul Ataturk and Bologna, Italy. The daily service started on Monday March 1st, 2010.With the start of Bologna flights Turkish Airlines, a Star Alliance member, offers a network of over 157 destinations and the airline flies to more than 120 international destinations worldwide.

Cheap Flights to Malaysia

Malaysia is the top exporter of oil and gas and has also profited from higher world energy prices. Malaysia is developing quickly and at the end of 20th century, it experienced economic boom. International trade is also integral to its economy as it is doing international Malaysia is the country of Southeast Asia with a total land area of about 329,845 square kilometers. Its total population is about 28 million. And urban population is 70% of total population till 2008. It has thirteen states and three federal territories. The capital city of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur. It is 43rd most populated country and the 66th biggest country by total land area in the world.

Malaysia always welcomes visitors to enjoy the beautiful weather here. Traveling is possible here around the whole year. So tourists can reserve their cheap flights to Malaysia anytime around the year. Whole year there is Rain fall on even basis. The weather here is Tropical without extremely high temperatures. From November to February rain fall is a bit heavier especially in east Malaysia. But these rain falls are different on the east and west coasts. Here normally days are hot but nights are very cool. The Malaysian hospitality is very famous which u can experience by booking discounted flights to Malaysia.Malaysia has thousands of beautiful beaches which are remarkably different from other part of the world. Malaysia’s famous hill resorts are Genting highlands, Fraser’s hill, cameron highlands, Bukit Larut.

Malaysia is also an attraction for those who likes natural world due to its primal forests, ranging from shoreline mangrove to mountaintop oak. Here natural trees and forests wrap area of almost three quarters of the land which is almost an area equal to whole United Kingdom. So reserving cheap flights to Malaysia to enjoy seeing a few places of interest, meeting its natives, and eating good food, is more than enough to make your trip memorable.Malaysia has people of many religions like Muslim 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 2.6%. Here official language is English; moreover Chinese, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi and Thai are also spoken here.shipping crossroads by its borders. It is also getting benefit from its agriculture as it is a bigger exporter of natural rubber and palm oil, cocoa, pepper, pineapple and tobacco. This is the reason quite a number of businessmen and industrialists are putting their attention towards it and booking their flights to Malaysia often.Many Airlines are monitoring cheap flights to Malaysia at its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

AirTran Airways start Flights to Orlando

AirTran Airways began its nonstop service between Des Moines and Orlando, Fla., on Saturday.
The airline kicked off the inaugural flight with a celebration with local leaders.Since announcing weekend service in November, AirTran said the response has been so strong that it will add a third Orlando flight to the schedule starting May 4.

Traveler Scott Clingan of Ankeny said he was happy to see AirTran back.Usually when I do fly, it's out of here, Kansas City or Chicago, he said. If I can do it here, it's much more convenient for me, so I don't have to drive down there to get the flight, be tired after being done and land and have to drive back two hours.Having AirTran return to Des Moines is fantastic, said Des Moines International Airport Board Chairman Jim Erickson. We can already see the effect their presence is having on fares.

Students applying to study abroad this year

A significant increase in applications and a university-wide hiring freeze has meant long lines and frustration for students applying to study abroad this semester.The study abroad office currently employs only three full-time staffers, four part time peer advisers and supplemental help from the academic advising center to manage more than 500 study abroad applications per year.

It’s been very challenging,Director of Study Abroad Mark Beirn said. We have a very small office considering that we run a number of programs in-house and we have 15 to 20 exchange programs.The Study Abroad Office has only three full time staff members: Beirn, who runs the office, monitors students currently studying abroad and works with study abroad sites and two advisers who handle the majority of applications.Beirn said that though this semester has been difficult, the fall semester was even more trying. Approximately 200 students applied to study abroad, but both full-time adviser positions were vacant and could not be filled because of a university wide hiring freeze. Beirn brought in part-time help from the academic advising center, but the situation was untenable.

We were in a huge bind in the fall, said James MacLaren, Dean of Newcomb Tulane College. But we were able to persuade President Scott Cowen that there was just no way to meet with students if there wasn’t any staff.With Cowen’s permission Beirn hired two full-time advisers at the end of last year. The office has also adjusted by continuing to bring in academic advisers and by heavily using peer advisers.My peer adviser was really awesome,sophomore Sally Burroughs said. Whenever I e-mailed her she always answered my questions. She was the one who really guided me through the process.Burroughs said her interactions with full-time advisers were less positive. She said it was miser ablegetting answers about her public-health program in South Africa, even though she began the application process last October.

I didn’t have issues having to wait for things,Burroughs said. But I think they could have been more straight-forward with answering questions.Senior Allison Staub said that the office was well versed in more popular programs in Europe and South America, but less familiar with programs in Asia and Africa that only attracted a handful of students.The application process was very stressful, she said. I felt like I was completely on my own. They didn’t have any answers and I really felt like I was left hanging.She also said that if was very difficult to contact the department via e-mail.

I’m sure they get an enormous volume of e-mail, she said. They really could have used a person who was always on top of the office’s e-mail.Beirn said that the office will not be able to hire another staff member until the the hiring freeze ends. And the two new advisers are still learning the subtleties of Tulane-specific policies and procedures.It takes an entire academic cycle, a full year, to be completely familiar with all the programs, Berin said.The hiring freeze also has long term implications for the office. Beirn had been working on a small pilot program that sent seven freshman and sophomores abroad and was looking to open new programs in Germany and France, but said he is now concerned about the office’s workload.

We have to be careful that our office is not stretched too thin,Beirn said. We will have to be more selective and judicious in looking at new programs.The continued hiring freeze means that the office will continue to be overworked in the future while applications are expected to increase again next year. Both Beirn and MacLaren advised students to apply early to study abroad, especially if they have significant questions or concerns and to talk with the Dean’s Office or the study abroad office if they are having issues.If a student waits until the deadline, he or she can expect to wait in line,MacLaren said. But if students are very frustrated, we need to hear about it.

Flights to India

Anyone who is looking for flights to India may well be considering travelling with Qatar Airways and now the carrier has revealed that its fleet has doubled in size over the past five years.In addition to adding new routes to destinations such as Bangalore, Amritsar and Goa since October last year, the company has also increased the number of aircrafts it operates.

Chief executive officer at Qatar Airways Akbar Al Baker said that the fleet expansion is good news for passengers.As our fleet increases, we are able to raise capacity on existing services and introduce new routes, which is continuing as planned despite the industry facing challenges amid the current global economic climate, he stated.Flights to Bangalore were the first of the airline's new services to be launched in 2010, with destinations such as Copenhagen, Barcelona and Tokyo all set to be added to its network later in the year.

Flights from California to Hawaii

Continental Airlines Inc. said on Thursday it would add new flights to Hawaii beginning on Sunday.
Continental plans a daily flight from Los Angeles International to Maui, and another that will run four times a week from Orange County. It said it would increase that flight to daily during the summer.The airline also plans a new daily flight from Orange County to Honolulu.

Ryanair increases flights to Faro from City of Derry

Ryanair has announced it is increasing its flights from City of Derry to Faro due to what the airline described as phenomenal demand.The Portuguese port’s popularity as a destination has also resulted in the Irish airline increasing its ‘summer sun’ flights from Bournemouth, East Midlands, Edinburgh and London Stansted to Faro.

An additional weekly flight from the airports to Faro during July and August will now be added to the schedule.The new flights went on sale yesterday as Ryanair celebrated its increased summer schedule. The airline announced the twice weekly route from Derry to Faro in December, with this now set to increase to three flights over July and August.

Study abroad advantage

IU South Bend offers many study abroad programs that give students the opportunity to experience the world from a different perspective and develop an arsenal of employable skills and attributes for success in the competitive job market and the school of daily life.Gaining confidence, self-reliance, getting along with people and appreciating diversity are some of the many personal advantages of studying abroad, said Dr. Scott Sernau, professor of sociology and director of International Programs.

Dr. Sernau hosted an overseas annual study celebration called Global Celebration in Northside 245 on February 24. Students from past trips gave presentations and shared their experiences through interesting stories and photos.One thing that was really helpful about the study abroad program is that it set me apart on my applications for MBA programs, said Roy Saenz.Saenz is a sociology major and a Latin American studies minor and has been on many overseas trips with the IUSB study abroad program. Saenz has been on the Language, Culture, and Society trip to Cuernavaca Mexico and twice to Costa Rica for the Sustainable Development trip.

The second time I went to Costa Rica I did an extension with a sister school in Nicaragua, said Saenz. It was awesome and completely different than Costa Rica even though it was only 60 miles away from where I stayed in the colonial city of Grenada.Saenz has acquired the knowledge, skill and experience to strengthen his résumé and graduate school applications, which, so far, have led to a provisional offer from the University of Arizona as well as an independent study in Argentina.It gave me the knowledge to develop my own independent study abroad program in Argentina, said Saenz. I was responsible for planning the trip myself in conjunction with the language schools.

The development of knowledge, independence and confidence in overseas studies always starts with the strong and accommodating guidance of IUSB faculty. Professor John Davis, resident director of the Mexico trip and senior lecturer of Spanish, has led the trip to Cuernavaca four times and is preparing for his fifth in July 2010.The Resident Director is there to assist the students with the transition into the culture and to resolve any issues that may occur, said professor Davis. “I have taken a number of students who have never been out of the country or on an airplane and they have had overwhelmingly positive experiences adapting to the culture.
Students not only gain the experience of studying abroad, but they also receive credits at the university. The Cuernavaca Mexico trip is a six credit, four week program during the Summer II session.

The students study in language schools where the class sizes are no larger than five students and the instructor, said Professor Davis. There is more opportunity for individual attention.Student who have been on the study abroad programs learn a lot in their area of study and a lot in the school of daily life. These students return home with a greater perspective and a worldliness that inspires a new vision of life on Earth.Your level of fluency in Spanish dramatically increases, you gain a lot of friends and you get to learn about some of the economic and social issues that may plague different parts of the world, said Daniel Chmielewski. This gives us a perspective of what recourses we have as citizens of the U.S. and inspires us to promote responsible development that benefits the places we have been.

Chmielewski went on the Cuernavaca trip in the summer of 2007 and to Lima, Perú in spring 2009.This year’s study abroad programs include Sustainable Development in Costa Rica spring break, Marine Biology in Belize May and Language, Culture, and Society in Mexico July.