It would seem that the airline industry has once again taken a low blow and no I am not even talking about the strike that nearly put six of the UK airports in closure for a few days. This time I am talking about the closure of Travel Company Kiss Flights and this comes as news as the recession has apparently been over for a good few months now. So how has this happened and what are the people that have already booked with them going to do now?

How It Happened

it looks like the ash cloud did a lot of damage to smaller companies like this and was the biggest reason for this. Now this had a massive effect on the bigger aviation companies like Virgin and BA can you even imagine the kinds of effects it had on the smaller companies that rely on the flights they have to get by each year. Because the cloud hung around for such a long time it meant that companies like this were falling into debt very quickly indeed and it is very hard to recover from something like this if you are a small company.

What Can People Do

Besides going to something like Torquay hotels or a nice spa breaks If you have booked through this company already you should be protected through ATOL so in actual fact you might and should be able to get your money back which is always good, if you are already on holiday the travel authorities have promised to fly you back on time so do not worry about coming back early. Although it might be too late to rebook flights now it could be the perfect time to do that work on the house or because book one of those Christmas holidays in advance.

Whatever happens I hope that it all turns out okay for you!

Set in the northern part of Europe, the country of Finland is bordered by Sweden, Norway, Russia, and the Gulf of Finland.  It has an impressive 30,000 islands off its coast, and 188,000 island lakes, which makes this Nordic country renowned as one of Europe’s most striking travel destinations. Still, regardless of such beauty, Finland’s past was tumultuous.  At one time, it was caught in a tug-of-war between Sweden and Russia, and in fact, did not declare its independence until 1917.

Today, Finland’s residents enjoy a high standard of living, and Finland is a modern, progressive country.  Its capital, Helsinki, was founded in 1550, and boasts cosmopolitan comforts and a vivacious nightlife.  Whether you are into museums, a travel through the archipelago, or just want a Finnish sauna, you will want to stop in Helsinki.

One of Helsinki’s most famous travel attractions is Temppeliaukia Church.  It was built by brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, and they carved it into solid rock.  Another favorite stop is Soumenlinna, an 18th century Sea Fortress.  It was originally constructed to secure Helsinki against Russial attacks.  Built in the 1740′s, it is one of the largest in the world. 

Finland boasts more museums per capita, than any other place in the world.  Two that top the list are Ateneum Art Museum, and National Museum.  Moreover, if it’s a castle and moat you want to see, stop at Hame Castle.   It was built in the 13th century, then converted to a prison in the 1830′s.  Now, however, it has been restored to a modern-day museum. 

Constructed in 1950, Korkeasaari Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the world.  Another must-see is the Olympic Stadium.  It was built in 1940, but due to WWII, the games were cancelled.  It was not until 1952 that Finland finally hosted the Olympic Games.  

St. Olaf’s Castle, Olavinlinna, is one of Finland’s better known attractions.   This 500-year-old castle is balanced on the edge of a tiny green island lake, and looks like it came right out of a fairytale.  The King’s Road is worth seeing, as well.  Winding along the southern coastline, this road once connected Sweden and Russia, and still has many intact taverns, castles, manor houses, cottages, and stone churches.

If you want to see a medieval town, Turku is the oldest in Finland, and worth the visit.  This 750-year-old town was at one time, Finland’s capital.  It has a 13th century castle that has been restored, and it now serves as a Viking museum.  Of course, if you are in Finland, you must see the Land of the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights.  Sparsely populated, this wilderness is known for its open fells and hills, uninhabited forests, lakes as clear as crystal, babbling brooks and foaming rapids.  Be sure to try the salmon, or maybe a reindeer steak, and taste some rare golden cloudberry wine.  Lapland is, of course, the home of Santa Claus.  Definitely plan a trip to visit Santapark. It is St. Nick’s very own theme park!

It would seem that the airline industry has once again taken a low blow and no I am not even talking about the strike that nearly put six of the UK airports in closure for a few days. This time I am talking about the closure of Travel Company Kiss Flights and this comes as news as the recession has apparently been over for a good few months now. So how has this happened and what are the people that have already booked with them going to do now?

How It Happened

it looks like the ash cloud did a lot of damage to smaller companies like this and was the biggest reason for this. Now this had a massive effect on the bigger aviation companies like Virgin and BA can you even imagine the kinds of effects it had on the smaller companies that rely on the flights they have to get by each year. Because the cloud hung around for such a long time it meant that companies like this were falling into debt very quickly indeed and it is very hard to recover from something like this if you are a small company.

What Can People Do

Besides going to something like Torquay hotels or a nice spa breaks If you have booked through this company already you should be protected through ATOL so in actual fact you might and should be able to get your money back which is always good, if you are already on holiday the travel authorities have promised to fly you back on time so do not worry about coming back early. Although it might be too late to rebook flights now it could be the perfect time to do that work on the house or because book one of those Christmas holidays in advance.

Whatever happens I hope that it all turns out okay for you!

Emirates Airlines is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  The eighth largest airline in the world, Emirates was founded in 1985 and has its main hub at Dubai International Airport.  Emirates Airlines serves 92 destinations in 55 countries and is the largest airline travel in the Middle East.  Emirates Airlines does not offer domestic service and has a strong presence in Southeast Asia.  Emirates is one of only six airlines to operate an all wide-body aircraft fleet, consisting of Boeing and Airbus planes.

The Dubai government is the founder and sole owner of Emirates Airlines, which has recorded a profit every year except for one since its travel founding.  Emirates Airlines’ growth has never fallen below 20 percent a year. In its first 11 years, it doubled in size every 3.5 years, and has every four years since.  The airline’s lean workforce puts it on the equivalent with a low cost carrier.  Emirates Airlines is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization, a regional airline trade organization of Arab airlines established in 1965 by the Arab League.  Its mission is to promote cooperation, quality and safety standards among the Arab airlines. Any carrier based in one of the states that belong to the Arab League may join the organization.

Emirates Airlines is owned and operated by the Dubai government, but the government does not invest money into the airline, nor does the government meddle in airline affairs, allowing the airline to function as an independent company. This arrangement seems to work well for both the airline and the government, as the airline is consistently profitable and continues to grow.

Emirates Airlines also operates Emirates SkyCargo.  This airline is a cargo carrier.  It is based at Dubai International Airport and functions like a passenger airline. The SkyCargo division operates nine aircraft, and Emirates SkyCargo also utilizes the cargo capacity of the passenger fleet.

Emirates was the second carrier to place the Airbus A380 into service, accepting delivery in July 2008. Emirates Airlines flies the A380 between Dubai and JFK (New York) and Heathrow (London), and also on its flights to Australia and New Zealand.

Emirates flies to over 100 destinations in 56 countries on six continents from its primary hub in Dubai.  While Emirates does not maintain sizable hubs elsewhere, it has taken advantage of agreements between Dubai and Australia, and with Singapore, to offer more onward connections from Sydney and Dubai.

Emirates operate a frequent flyer program called Skywards that offers rewards for miles flown on Emirates or any of its partner airlines.  Partner airlines are Japan Airlines, Korean Air, United Airlines, South African Airways, Jet Airways, Continental Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines and Virgin Blue.

Emirates also maintains a stake in Dnata, the leading travel service provider in the Middle East. Dnata’ 6,500 employees provide technical, ramp, cargo, and passenger services at Dubai International Airport.

Emirates Airlines, Emirates SkyCargo, and Dnata all belong to the Emirates Group, an international holding company with headquarters in Dubai. The airline alone employs about 35,000 workers.

KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines is the national airline of the Netherlands with headquarters in Amstelveen and a main hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, serving over 90 destinations.  KLM-Royal Dutch offers both domestic and international flights and is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, the second largest airline alliance in the world.

KLM-Royal Dutch is part of Air France-KLM and also has an operating partnership with Northwest Airlines of the United States. The entire KLM group carries almost 75 million passengers annually, operates a fleet in operation of 607 aircraft, and serves 258 destinations worldwide.  Air France-KLM recently purchased a 25 percent stake in the Italian airline Alitalia.

KLM-Royal Dutch is the world’s oldest airline and was founded in 1919.  KLM-Royal Dutch operated its first flight in May 1920 from London to Amsterdam.  The airline stopped operating during World War II.  KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines has been accused of helping Nazi war criminals flee Germany after World War II, a charge the company denies.

Air France and KLM announced their plans to merge in 2003, marking the end of the oldest independent airline in the world. However, the merger did not impact KLM’s long time partnership with United States based Northwest Airlines, as both companies joined the SkyTeam alliance in September 2004.

Fliers in first or business class on KLM are given souvenir porcelain reproductions of old Dutch canal houses, the Delftware miniatures filled with a Dutch liqueur. KLM’s practice of handing out the Delft porcelain miniatures began in 1952, and, as 2008, the company’s eighty-eighth year in operation; there are 88 models of the houses. Each October 7 the company celebrates the anniversary of its founding with a new Delftware design.

KLM’s frequent flyer program is called Flying Blue.  Flying Blue members can earn and spend mileage points on flights and services of Air France-KLM, other companies of the SkyTeam airline alliance and assorted other financial, travel, and transportation companies.  Flying Blue contains four membership levels – Ivory, Silver, Gold and Platinum.  Level miles are gained by taking any flights with an AF or KL code or flights operated by one of SkyTeam’s airline companies under the code of any other SkyTeam airline, or flights operated by Kenya Airways, which is a Flying Blue partner.

KLM’s past success isn’t protecting the airline from a bumpy future.  The airline recently announced it will cut up to 2,000 jobs due to lower ticket sales and lower cargo volumes.  The cuts represent three percent of the KLM workforce.  KLM also plans to reduce its airline capacity by two percent in summer 2009.  KLM lost $653 million dollars in the quarter ending December 31, 2008.  Airline officials say they haven’t ruled out future cuts or reductions as they look to stabilize their business and return the airline to profitability.

An airline watchdog group based in Australia, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, announced in February 2009 that it is suing Air France-KLM over price fixing allegations. KLM denies the charges and will defend against the suit. British Airways and Qantas were recently fined $5 million and $20 million over similar price fixing allegations.