Australian Airlines

Australian Airlines has introduced eight passes offering flights that represent savings of up to 31% off regular economy fares for some itineraries through this year. The routes are the most popular by visitors to Australia. For example, flights between Cairns, Alice Springs and Sydney or vice versa are $372 one way. With a return flight to Cairns, or the starting city, the pass costs $574. Travel between Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney is $248 round-trip.

British tycoon Sir Richard Branson has made a career out of bucking conventions — opening a recording studio in a country estate, building an affordable, premium airline service with soft violet mood lighting and seat-back entertainment screens, and even launching a space tourism company. Now Branson's Virgin Group is breaking the mold in the movie business. Virgin's America, Atlantic and Australian airlines have teamed up with the company's new film and TV company to shoot a half-hour movie filmed and edited entirely aboard regularly scheduled commercial flights — believed to be a first.

More private equity firms expressed interest in joining a bid for Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd. on Thursday, the day after plans for an audacious takeover were confirmed. But political and legal hurdles facing the massive buyout -- priced by analysts at as much as 11 billion Australian dollars, ($8.5 billion) -- also emerged, as the government promised that no changes would be made to laws barring the airline's sale into foreign control.

Discount fares for round-trip flights within Australia are now being offered by Australian Airlines. The "Blue Roo" fares knock 35% to 40% off regular round-trip economy rates on such major routes as Sydney to Cairns (normally about $350, discounted to $203), Adelaide (normally $239, discounted to $145), Perth ($442, $272) or Melbourne ($175, $107); Cairns-Darwin ($303, $184), and Melbourne-Hobart ($162, $106).

Australia Reaffirms Intent to Sell Airlines: The Australian government remains committed to the sale of its two airlines--international carrier Qantas Airways and domestic carrier Australian Airlines--despite opposition from within the ruling Labor Party, government officials said.

New Buyers Sought for Airlines: The government is seeking new buyers for its national carrier Qantas and the domestic line Australian Airlines in the wake of sweeping aviation reforms announced last week. The government last week placed advertisements in major newspapers in a second attempt to attract potential foreign and domestic buyers, indicating that the airlines could be a more attractive investment because of the changes.

The governing Labor Party today approved sweeping policy changes that pave the way for competition in telecommunications and the sale of the two state airlines. The issue of privatization had threatened to split the party, which officially had opposed any efforts to sell off government-owned enterprises. The most divisive issue, particularly among unions, has been telecommunications. A number of foreign companies have expressed interest in entering the Australian communications market.

The government of Australia is about to shake up the nation's airline industry. The new prime minister, Paul Keating, is working on a restructuring plan aimed at increasing competition. Although the new plan may not be presented until the end of February, industry analysts say it might involve treating the Australian and New Zealand skies as a single market.

Australia's domestic airline pilots resigned en masse Thursday after airlines started firing them individually over a pay dispute that has shut down the nation's air services. Desperate travelers thwarted by a shutdown of domestic services were flying 1,200 miles to New Zealand and back just to hop from one Australian city to another. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots delivered the 1,600 resignations to airlines after the companies started taking legal action against individual pilots.

Australia Reaffirms Intent to Sell Airlines: The Australian government remains committed to the sale of its two airlines--international carrier Qantas Airways and domestic carrier Australian Airlines--despite opposition from within the ruling Labor Party, government officials said.

Another sympathetic story of a false and faithless Roman Catholic priest, accompanied by a showy photo? Why? Having gladly accepted and profited from years of training, Terry Sweeney then turns against the church that nourished him, turns up his libido, and wants no less than that the church accommodate him and his ilk. What appalling, nauseating chutzpah.

New Buyers Sought for Airlines: The government is seeking new buyers for its national carrier Qantas and the domestic line Australian Airlines in the wake of sweeping aviation reforms announced last week. The government last week placed advertisements in major newspapers in a second attempt to attract potential foreign and domestic buyers, indicating that the airlines could be a more attractive investment because of the changes.

The government of Australia is about to shake up the nation's airline industry. The new prime minister, Paul Keating, is working on a restructuring plan aimed at increasing competition. Although the new plan may not be presented until the end of February, industry analysts say it might involve treating the Australian and New Zealand skies as a single market.

Discount fares for round-trip flights within Australia are now being offered by Australian Airlines. The "Blue Roo" fares knock 35% to 40% off regular round-trip economy rates on such major routes as Sydney to Cairns (normally about $350, discounted to $203), Adelaide (normally $239, discounted to $145), Perth ($442, $272) or Melbourne ($175, $107); Cairns-Darwin ($303, $184), and Melbourne-Hobart ($162, $106).

The governing Labor Party today approved sweeping policy changes that pave the way for competition in telecommunications and the sale of the two state airlines. The issue of privatization had threatened to split the party, which officially had opposed any efforts to sell off government-owned enterprises. The most divisive issue, particularly among unions, has been telecommunications. A number of foreign companies have expressed interest in entering the Australian communications market.

British tycoon Sir Richard Branson has made a career out of bucking conventions — opening a recording studio in a country estate, building an affordable, premium airline service with soft violet mood lighting and seat-back entertainment screens, and even launching a space tourism company. Now Branson's Virgin Group is breaking the mold in the movie business. Virgin's America, Atlantic and Australian airlines have teamed up with the company's new film and TV company to shoot a half-hour movie filmed and edited entirely aboard regularly scheduled commercial flights — believed to be a first.

Another sympathetic story of a false and faithless Roman Catholic priest, accompanied by a showy photo? Why? Having gladly accepted and profited from years of training, Terry Sweeney then turns against the church that nourished him, turns up his libido, and wants no less than that the church accommodate him and his ilk. What appalling, nauseating chutzpah.

Australian Airlines has introduced eight passes offering flights that represent savings of up to 31% off regular economy fares for some itineraries through this year. The routes are the most popular by visitors to Australia. For example, flights between Cairns, Alice Springs and Sydney or vice versa are $372 one way. With a return flight to Cairns, or the starting city, the pass costs $574. Travel between Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney is $248 round-trip.