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Aer Lingus Ends Manchester Transatlantic Flights
Aer Lingus has confirmed that its Manchester Airport base will close on 31st March, with the New York route ending earlier on 23rd February. This comes less than three weeks after transatlantic flights from Manchester were pulled from sale from the end of March.
This will affect direct flights from Manchester to New York, Orlando and Barbados, but short-haul flights to Dublin and Belfast will continue.
You’ll still be able to start your journey in Manchester, but you’ll need to transfer in Dublin, where you can also clear US immigration and arrive as a domestic passenger. A seasonal Dublin-Barbados route is expected to run in April and May to re-accommodate some affected customers.
If you already have a flight booked, Aer Lingus will offer you a refund or a change to an alternative flight.
New Flying Blue Choice Benefits for Platinum Status Holders
Following the popularity of the Flying Blue status match and a surge in alliance switching, many readers now hold Flying Blue Platinum Status. Once you have requalified, the programme currently offers little incentive to continue crediting flights beyond the 300 XP rollover allowance.
No announcement has been made, but some new Choice Benefits were briefly visible to some members when logged in to their Flying Blue account dashboards and have since disappeared. They are likely intended for Platinum Status holders and would continue to reward loyalty beyond requalification.
The tiers shown were as follows:
Tier 1:
- 1x Flying Blue Silver
- 15,000 miles
- 20 UXP/XP
- 20,000 miles overdraft
Tier 2:
- 1x Flying Blue Gold
- 20,000 miles
- 30 UXP/XP
- 30,000 miles overdraft
Tier 3:
- 1x Flying Blue Platinum
- 30,000 miles
- 1x Upgrade Voucher
- 40,000 miles overdraft
If launched, they will be a great improvement to the Flying Blue loyalty programme. 900 UXP for Ultimate are hard to earn, especially given the requirement to fly on Air France- or KLM-marketed flights.
KLM Moves to Free Wi-Fi on Short-Haul Europe Network
KLM has begun rolling out free in-flight Wi-Fi on European flights, becoming one of the first European airlines to offer free internet across its short-haul network. You’ll now be able to stay online during your flight, stream videos and music, send messages and even play games.
It’s worth noting that KLM’s short-haul aircraft do not have in-seat screens. You can use your own device once you’re signed in as a Flying Blue member (or register during the flight).
The change was made in response to passenger demand and will be rolled out in phases. As of now, around half of KLM’s European fleet is already fitted, with further expansion planned over the coming years. Free Wi-Fi will ultimately be available across all Airbus A321neo aircraft, Embraer 195-E2s, and a portion of the Boeing 737-800 fleet used on European routes.
KLM has recently taken steps to improve the onboard experience, following the introduction of the new A321neo aircraft dedicated to European routes, which feature modern cabins.
Wi-Fi is becoming a baseline standard across many airlines, rather than a paid or status-dependent extra. The previous Wi-Fi arrangement offered free messaging and a variety of Surf and Stream packages.
