Asian carriers are beginning to compete in earnest for the Houston market. On May 2, Korean Air, the Asian airline with the widest network of U.S. gateways, will begin nonstop service between Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Incheon International Airport in Seoul. Air China (to Beijing) and Singapore Airlines have also increased Houston service recently. "Houston's dynamic economy and diverse population continue to strengthen its position on the world stage," said Houston Mayor Annise Parker. "This new nonstop flight to Seoul is an excellent example of Houston's enhanced status as a gateway city and key player in the global marketplace."
Korean Air will employ a B777-200 aircraft on the route. The nonstop service will depart at 10:40 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and arrive at Seoul/Incheon at 3:30 p.m. the next day. "Houston is the fifth largest metro area in the U.S. with a very strong travel market to Asia,” said John Jackson, the airline's vice president of marketing for North and South America.
Korean Air will also add a second A380 flight from JFK in May, making it the only airline serving both coasts with double daily A380 flights to Asia. Korean Air currently offers double daily A380 flights from Los Angeles and daily A380 flights from New York and Atlanta. The airline also flies out of nine other U.S. cities. Korean Air's A380 offers a total of 407 seats and an upper level dedicated solely to the business class traveler with 90 full flat sleeper suites.
"When you combine our A380's comforts with our schedule and service, we offer a strong value proposition, and travelers are responding very well. We have the easiest and fastest connections to SE Asia through the world-renowned Incheon International Airport. Take for example, Houston, our newest market. Our flights to Singapore will be three hours shorter than our closest competitor. And our service to Vietnam will be anywhere from four to 15 hours quicker," said Jackson.
According to Jackson, the airline will be adding still more capacity in other gateways. Houston will be Korean Air’s 14th North American gateway along with Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington, D. C.
Next winter Finnair will begin operating nonstop scheduled flights between Helsinki and Miami and it will also add frequency to its Helsinki/Bangkok service. The new seasonal Miami flight, operating from Dec. 16 until March 21, will feature Airbus A340 aircraft in a two-class Business and Economy cabin configuration. AY7 will leave Helsinki (HEL) on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:55 a.m. for arrival in Miami (MIA) at 2:05 p.m. AY8 departs Miami at 4 p.m. for arrival in Helsinki at 8:50 a.m. the next day.
The flight lasts approximately 11 hours outbound (HEL-MIA) while the return journey takes less than 10 hours (MIA-HEL). Starting from Jan. 3, 2015, the service moves to three times weekly with an additional frequency on Saturdays. The timetable allows for an easy connection for passengers transferring from other cities in Finland, Estonia and Sweden.
The route between Helsinki and Miami International Airport will be included in the joint business on transatlantic traffic with oneworld alliance partners American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia. This gives customers the possibility to mix and match flights on the different carriers for the best pricing and scheduling options. For example, an itinerary could include a nonstop flight to Miami in one direction, but a connecting flight through New York, Madrid or London in the other, if the timing is more convenient.
The extra Bangkok flight will operate from Dec. 30 to March 27 and will supplement Finnair’s double-daily winter service to Bangkok with three additional frequencies per week. The extra flights bring the number of Finnair’s peak-season weekly Bangkok services to 17, the most frequencies of any European carrier.
Finnair offers up to 28 frequencies per week to three cities in Japan and 28 frequencies per week to five cities in China. Delhi, Hanoi, Seoul and Singapore round out Finnair’s other Asian destinations that seamlessly connect via Helsinki to a network of more than 50 destinations in Europe.
Air New Zealand is doing its bit to contribute to its country’s reputation as being way out in front on environmental issues. As one of the gateways to Antarctica, New Zealand is playing a role in studying climate change from the pole. Last year it sought out a young environmentalist to accompany veteran National Geographic photographer Jason Edwards. Edwards’ assignment is to photograph the life in Antarctica and the impact climate change is having there.
Air New Zealand has been a leader in making their fleet more fuel efficient and greener. They were early on in experimenting with such options as using biofuel, losing weight from the aircraft and in keeping their fleet young.