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Amadeus air bookings shift to ‘normal’ growth levels in Q1

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Air bookings through Amadeus’ global distribution system in the first quarter increased 2.8 per cent year over year, which the company said showed a “normalization in our booking growth evolution.”

In what Amadeus president and CEO Luis Maroto called a “solid start to 2024”, first-quarter air distribution revenue for the Madrid-based travel tech giant increased 12.6 per cent year over year to €764.4 million.

On top of the increase in bookings, revenue per booking increased 9.5 per cent year over year, which Amadeus attributed to a lower mix of local bookings and such pricing effects as inflation and adjustments from new air distribution agreements and agreement renewals.

Bookings in the Asia-Pacific region drove the air bookings growth in the quarter, up 31.2 per cent year over year, and bookings in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe were up 17.3 per cent. Other regions were flat to down, including a 9.5 per cent drop in North America and a 15.8 per cent drop in Latin America.

Western Europe and North America remain Amadeus’ largest regions for air bookings in the quarter, although North America’s share of the total dropped by more than 3 percentage points, from 28.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 to 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2024.

Amadeus said part of that stemmed from a “very large online travel agency,” which it cited in the previous quarter’s earnings report but has not been publicly identified, that has established direct connections with several large North American carriers.

Amadeus said bookings in the first quarter were also affected by the timing of Ramadan and Easter, which were largely in the first quarter this year as opposed to last year, when they were largely in the second quarter.

Excluding those effects, Amadeus estimated its air bookings growth for the quarter was 8 per cent year over year. As it’s still a far cry from the nearly 33 percent growth levels seen in the first quarter of 2023, Amadeus said the industry is moving away from the “recovery curve” following the Covid-19 pandemic to a more normal growth pattern.

The growth is in line with the International Air Transport Association’s forecast, which projects 10 per cent year-over-year growth in global air traffic this year compared with 38 per cent year-over-year growth in 2023.

Total revenue at Amadeus increased 14.1 per cent year over year during the quarter to €1.5 billion. Air IT solutions revenue increased 17 per cent to €497 million and hospitality and other solutions revenue increased 13.2 per cent to €234.9 million.

Amadeus reported a profit of €313.9 million from the quarter, up 19.6 per cent from a €262.4 million profit in the first quarter of 2023.

Ryanair passengers advised not to ‘fold clothes’ | Travel News | Travel

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Ryanair might be known for its purse-friendly flights, but there is a strict luggage allowance which can see passengers unexpectedly shelling out extra at the airport. How much luggage you have will depend on whether you’ve paid for a standard ticket, opted for Priority or paid for additional cabin or hold luggage.

Regardless of your luggage allowance, according to the Irish airline, there is one simple packing method which can help you “save space”.

Ryanair urges passengers not to “waste unused space”. They say: “Roll your clothes instead of folding. They’ll wrinkle less and you’ll have much more room in your luggage to fit in any extras you pick up while you’re away.”

Rolling is a packing method which is often recommended by travel experts.

Passengers who fly on a standard ticket with Ryanair are only permitted one small luggage item for free and this must measure no more than 40 x 20 x 25cm.

If your bag exceeds these dimensions, you could face paying a last-minute fee at the airport, so making sure all of your belongings fit perfectly within the allowance is essential.

Experts from lifestyle brand Oakley explained that the key to getting the most into your luggage has to do with how you execute the method. They said: “While the age-old advice of rolling clothes to save space is nothing new, the real game-changer lies in the technique.

“Instead of simply rolling each garment individually, consider layering items within each other before rolling. For example, place socks and underwear inside shirts or pants to create compact bundles that save both space and preserve

You can increase your luggage allowance by purchasing a Priority ticket which not only allows you to board earlier but also entitles you to a second larger cabin bag measuring 55 x 40 x 20cm and weighing up to 10kg.

When it comes to distributing weight, Ryanair also shares a handy tip for customers. They said: “Do pack your heaviest items, for example, shoes [and] jeans, in the bottom of your wheelie suitcase. You’ll find it’s much easier to roll as the weight will be more evenly distributed.”

Passengers who want to take extra luggage but also save money, on the long run, should always book and pay for any additional bags in advance of their flight. It’s always cheaper to do this online before you arrive at the airport.

What is Ryanair’s luggage allowance?

All Ryanair fares include one small personal bag which can be brought on board, such as a handbag or laptop bag, but this can only measure up to 40 x 20 x 25cm and must fit under the seat in front of you. Anything more than that and you’ll have to pay extra.

Passengers can pay for Priority which entitles them to board via the Priority boarding queue at the gate, plus take one small personal bag measuring 40 x 20 x 25cm and a 10kg bag measuring 55 x 40 x 20cm.

If you wish to check in a bag, you can add a 10kg or 20kg check-in bag to your booking which must be dropped off at the check-in desk before security. Both come at an additional cost

121 passengers reach Kochi after 10 hours

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After waiting for more than 10 hours, 121 passengers out of 179 flyers of the Air India Express IX 1132, which had an emergency landing in Bengaluru on Saturday night, reached Kochi. Authorities informed that the rest of the passengers would reach Kochi later during the day, around evening. The flight had an emergency landing following a fire scare. The passengers staged a protest in Bengaluru airport as the airline issued boarding passes arbitrarily. Earlier, Aby Antony, one of the passengers, told Manorama News that the airline did not address their issues in a timely manner.

Alternate flight arrangement triggered protest
According to Aby, around 4 am on Sunday, the airline authorities said they would arrange hotel facilities and an alternate flight for the flyers. “When we asked how we would enter the airport after exiting, they agreed to issue boarding passes in advance. We later learned that not everyone will get the passes,” Antony said. The issue was so random that only three of a four-member family got passes. Similarly, a daughter was left out while her parents got the passes. “When asked about those left out, we were told that alternate flights would be arranged later in the day, around 12.30 pm or 4 pm, for them. That’s when we decided to protest, demanding flights for all passengers, together,” he said . Antony also alleged that the airline had not arranged food after 4 pm on Saturday. “We weren’t even served a tea in the morning,” he said.

The emergency landing
The flight made the landing at Bengaluru after a fire was noticed in one of its engines, the Bangalore International Airport Ltd said on Sunday. All the passengers and crew were evacuated and no one was injured, Air India Express said in an earlier statement. According to sources, the fire was noticed minutes after the takeoff.
The crew members alerted the Air Traffic Controller and a full-scale emergency was declared. Soon after the emergency landing at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, the fire was extinguished. “On May 18, 2024, IX 1132 from Bengaluru to Kochi made an emergency landing at BLR Airport at 2312 hrs, due to a reported fire in one of the engines,” a spokesperson of the BIAL, which manages KIA, said in a statement .

“The crew completed an evacuation with no injuries to any guests. We regret the inconvenience this has caused and are working to provide alternative arrangements for our guests to reach their destination as soon as possible,” the airlines said. “A thorough investigation with the regulator shall be completed to establish the cause,” it said.
(With PTI inputs)