Ryanair boss considers increasing staff bonus to tackle excess baggage ‘scourge'
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Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Telegraph
The 747 has disappeared from Europe, with the exception of one airline
It was easy to spot the aviation geeks walking past gate B32 at Frankfurt Airport. Each slowed from their purposeful stride, or stopped entirely, transfixed. For parked on the apron in the near darkness, with twinkling navigation lights suggesting imminent distant adventures, was a Boeing 747-8. Huge, majestic – and very rare. There are 25,000 blue whales, an animal to which the jumbo jet is frequently compared, navigating the planet, but now only around 50 747s in active passenger service, the vast majority of top-tier carriers having retired them in favour of newer models. Their decline has been long and drawn out, but was hastened by the Covid pandemic, which saw hundreds sold to cargo airlines or simply scrapped. It seems this four-engine behemoth, first flown commercially in 1970, is no longer financially viable in an era of increasingly-efficient twin-engined jets. The final passenger-configured jumbo was delivered eight years ago, and Boeing has no plans to restart the production line. But one European airline hasn't turned its back on the 747 just yet. Germany's Lufthansa, perceived by many to be aviation's kings of efficiency, still operates 27 jumbo jets – 19 of the newer 747-8s, and eight older, slightly smaller 747-400s – and is even upgrading some jumbo jet interiors with swanky new Allegris seats at a cost of $2bn. Why the lingering attachment? Part of the reason is simple and unromantic economics. According to aviation analysts, operations out of its Frankfurt and Munich hubs are each at take-off slot capacity. So, with flight numbers capped, Lufthansa really needs its biggest aircraft, and the 364-seat 747s-8s drop neatly between the Airbus A350 (293 seats) and A380 (455 seats). Furthermore, jumbos, despite their age, have a cracking range of up to 8,000 miles and remain among the fastest passenger jets in the sky (reaching speeds of up to 706mph). 'It's a very good aircraft for very long range, and with a load of 35 tonnes of cargo it makes the 747-8 very economic for us, especially for long-range flights to cities like Buenos Aires and Tokyo, and 'hot and high' airports like Mexico City and Johannesburg [heat adversely affects take-off and landing performance],' said Captain Sebastian Stockhoff, a chief pilot who flies 747s and 787s for Lufthansa. 'That's especially so because [the 747] has eight first-class seats, 80 business-class seats and 32 premium economy [plus 244 economy]. So on routes like New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo, the aircraft is not just very reliable, it's for us very economical because of the higher-class products we have in big volume. 'For flights of around 13 or 14 hours… especially now with the political issues, where you cannot fly across Russia and with rerouting around some Middle Eastern areas, [the 747 means] you can still fly non-stop with some cargo loads [...] it's the perfect aircraft.' But there's another, less tangible factor. Lufthansa recognises that the public, from aviation geeks to ordinary travellers, have plenty of love for the 'Queen of the Skies'. Indeed, affection for the 747 is clearly evident amongst passengers, according to Stockhoff. At Newark Airport, he said, the Lufthansa 747 parks with its nose close to the window, right beside the boarding gate. 'It's quite funny; it takes a while until the passengers are on board the aircraft because they all want to take a photo of the 747,' he explained. Surprisingly agile, very fast Pilots also love the jumbo jet, said Stockhoff, whose first 747 flight was into Orlando in 2015. 'It's very logical [to operate]. There are not so many computers, so you feel more connected to the aircraft.' Cabin crew, he added, love its huge galleys. Bruce Dickinson, lead singer with rock band Iron Maiden, is a former airline pilot, and flew the band's 747-400 tour plane 'Ed Force One', named after the band's mascot, 'Ed', back in 2013-2014. In 2023, he told Flight Global: 'On the ground it's quite stately. In the air it's surprisingly agile, and very fast.' Plane-spotting king Jerry Dyer of Big Jet TV is equally admiring: 'Her design and profile mean she's more majestic in flight than any other aircraft, particularly during a bank. Plus, she has history.' My first 747 flight, in the early 1980s, was on a Lufthansa jet. The plane hadn't been visible from the boarding gate, so entering the cabin was a bit of a Tardis moment. When you're used to narrow-bodied planes, it is surreal stepping inside. My last was on a Virgin Atlantic flight to Mexico. Nine hours in, the 747 ticked up to 41,500 feet – it felt like an effortless demonstration that she still had it. That the landing was, as fans say, a real 'greaser', followed by a cruise-liner-like docking at the terminal, confirmed its majesty.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Two European airlines to start charging for hand luggage with new ‘no-frills' fares
MONEY BAGS Two European airlines to start charging for hand luggage with new 'no-frills' fares Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TWO EUROPEAN airlines are set to introduce a new 'no frills' fare, cutting free luggage. KLM and Air France will be testing a new 'basic' ticket on select European routes with travellers only allowed to bring a small personal item on board. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Two airlines are trialing a new 'basic' fare Credit: Getty The maximum measurements for this bag will be 40x30x15cm and will be free of charge. Standard cabin baggage will now have to be purchased for an extra fee. The new basic fare will initially be rolled out on 10 medium haul routes, for non-stop flights starting September 9, 2025. The routes being included in the trial are Helsinki, Finland; Tunis-Carthage, Tunisia; Athens, Greece; Vienna, Austria; Dublin, Ireland; Stockholm Arlanda, Sweden; Munich, Germany; Turin, Italy; Florence, Italy and Prague, Czech Republic. No changes will be made to long-haul fares. The new fare will be implemented alongside existing 'light', 'standard' and 'flex' fare offers. If passengers wish to add hand luggage, they will still be able to for an additional fee up to four hours before departure. The cost for this will start from €15 (£13.10) per leg. Many airlines use a similar model to this, such as Ryanair. The model allows airlines to offer cheaper fares whilst giving passengers the option to pay for additional luggage if needed. The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot shares her expert packing tips Recently, Ryanair announced that they would be changing the size of hand luggage allowance from 40x20x25cm to 40x30x20cm - an increase of 5cm. The new size means that Ryanair's free hand luggage capacity has risen from 20 litres to 24 litres. The new rules are expected to be introduced later this month, which means airports will need to update their baggage sizers. These are five cabin bags under £20 that fit Ryanair's new hand luggage rules including Amazon buy that fits 11 days worth of clothes. Plus, UK may ban airlines from charging for hand luggage – but it could hike your flight price, experts warn. Hand luggage rules for UK airlines We've rounded up how much hand luggage you can take on UK airlines when booking their most basic fare. Ryanair One personal bag measuring no more than 40cm x 20cm x 25cm EasyJet One personal bag measuring no larger than 45cm x 36cm x 20cm Jet2 One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm weighing up to 10kg TUI One personal item that its underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm weighing up to 10kg British Airways One personal bag no larger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm 25cm weighing up to 23kg Virgin Atlantic One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 36cm x 23cm weighing up to 10kg
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Two European airlines to start charging for hand luggage with new ‘no-frills' fares
TWO EUROPEAN airlines are set to introduce a new 'no frills' fare, cutting free luggage. KLM and Air France will be testing a new 'basic' ticket on select European routes with travellers only allowed to bring a small personal item on board. The maximum measurements for this bag will be 40x30x15cm and will be free of charge. Standard cabin baggage will now have to be purchased for an extra fee. The new basic fare will initially be rolled out on 10 medium haul routes, for non-stop flights starting September 9, 2025. The routes being included in the trial are Helsinki, Finland; Tunis-Carthage, Tunisia; Athens, Greece; Vienna, Austria; Dublin, Ireland; Stockholm Arlanda, Sweden; Munich, Germany; Turin, Italy; Florence, Italy and Prague, Czech Republic. No changes will be made to long-haul fares. The new fare will be implemented alongside existing 'light', 'standard' and 'flex' fare offers. If passengers wish to add hand luggage, they will still be able to for an additional fee up to four hours before departure. The cost for this will start from €15 (£13.10) per leg. Many airlines use a similar model to this, such as Ryanair. The model allows airlines to offer cheaper fares whilst giving passengers the option to pay for additional luggage if needed. The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot shares her expert packing tips Recently, Ryanair announced that they would be changing the size of hand luggage allowance from 40x20x25cm to 40x30x20cm - an increase of 5cm. The new size means that Ryanair's free hand luggage capacity has risen from 20 litres to 24 litres. The new rules are expected to be introduced later this month, which means airports will need to update their baggage sizers. These are five cabin bags under £20 that fit Ryanair's new hand luggage rules including Amazon buy that fits 11 days worth of clothes. Plus, UK may ban airlines from charging for hand luggage – but it could hike your flight price, experts warn. 2
