Airline Update: One Calls it Quits, Another Adds New Seating
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Another European carrier calls it quits, an online travel agency offers inflight entertainment options up front, and a legacy line finishes an upgrade.
Malev No More
Yet another European airline ran out of money and had to stop operating—this time,
Malev
, the national Hungarian line. Several other lines—especially fully or partially state-owned operations—face similar cash crunches, and we haven't seen the last of these failures.
If you have a ticket on Malev, the website remains open and posts information (in English) about possible refunds and alternative transportation. For the longer term, if you're interested in Budapest, you won't have to wait long for replacement flights:
Ryanair
quickly announced it would establish a base there.
Plan Your Onboard Entertainment
Need a computer or movie fix while you're traveling?
CheapAir
, the big online travel agency, now lets you screen flight options for various entertainment services: It tags individual flight displays with icons indicating onboard Wi-Fi, movies on demand, and live TV broadcasts. The tags apply to most domestic flights and many overseas trips.
United Completes Economy Plus
United
announced it has completed installation of extra-legroom semi-premium economy Economy Plus seats on all international 757s, including those coming in from the former Continental fleet.