Qantas

Australian investigators are exploring the possibility that an oxygen cylinder could have exploded mid-flight on the Qantas jumbo jet that made a harrowing emergency landing in the Philippines with a large hole in its fuselage. The Boeing 747-400 was cruising at 29,000 feet Friday with 346 passengers aboard when it was shaken by what passengers described as an explosion. Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling as the plane descended rapidly and debris flew through the cabin from a hole that appeared in the floor.

Qantas Airways is having a flash sale that takes 40% off economy seats on flights from Los Angeles to Australia , the airline says. The online sale lasts until Monday for travel Down Under in fall or spring. The deal: Escape to Australia sale prices from Los Angeles to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane start at $1,298 for economy airfare on selected dates. (Airfares start at $1,498 per person from Dallas/Fort Worth and New York.) The sale also offers a premium economy round-trip fare of $2,414 from L.A. to Australia.

If you've been hankering to hug a koala, you can now redeem American Airlines Aadvantage miles on Qantas. In April, American Airlines gave frequent fliers the option of booking award flights on British Airways and Hawaiian Airlines as well as Alaska and American using AA.com .  It was so well received that American negotiated with Qantas to let customers redeem AAdvantage miles for Qantas flights on American's website too. AAdvantage MileSAAver...

If you've been hankering to hug a koala, you can now redeem American Airlines Aadvantage miles on Qantas. In April, American Airlines gave frequent fliers the option of booking award flights on British Airways and Hawaiian Airlines as well as Alaska and American using AA.com .  It was so well received that American negotiated with Qantas to let customers redeem AAdvantage miles for Qantas flights on American's website too. AAdvantage MileSAAver...

Thanks for your timely comments on redeeming frequent-flier points ("Frequent-Flier Deals Not Always the Wisest Choice," Travel Insider, May 23). As a consultant to the travel and tourism industry, this is an issue that comes up frequently. In many cases, it's just not worth the time, trouble and cost to use those points. That can lead to a challenge to travelers when code-share partners are involved. Code-share partners often have far greater restrictions, as those points are an out-of-pocket cost to them.

Airplane aficionados, you’re clear to land. At the LAX Observation Deck, that is. On Sunday, LAX is holding its first “Sunday Morning Coffee” for aviation enthusiasts and the general public, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. atop the Observation Deck at the airport’s  landmark Theme Building.  Admission, coffee, cookies – all free. But not the parking, which will be at the usual rates. Scanners will allow visitors to listen in on transmissions between pilots and air controllers, and free telescopes will allow close-up peeks at three aircraft that will be arriving that morning -- a sort of a celebrity lineup of arriving flights:  -- Air New Zealand "All Blacks" A320 : Estimated arrival time 9:25 a.m.; departure time 11 a.m. -- Qantas A380:   ETA 9:45 a.m. (for evening departure)

A 54-year-old man died Monday after being pulled from a machine in a facility leased by Qantas at Los Angeles International Airport, city fire officials said. Paramedics tried to revive the man, whose name was not released, after finding him upside down at the bottom of a large conveyance machine used to store and move baggage trailers. He was not breathing, his chin pressed to his chest. It was unclear how he had been injured.

Virgin Australia , JetStar and Qantas airlines Tuesday canceled hundreds of flights in and out of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra due to the volcanic ash cloud from Chile, which has circled the globe and swirled into airspace in southeastern Australia. Thousands of passengers were stranded. But airlines planned to resume service Wednesday as the plume appears to be heading toward the Tasman Sea and away from Australian air space. Carriers were shooting for 2 p.m. Wednesday for resuming domestic and international flights in and out of Sydney.

The ninth annual “Tour de Tahoe - Bike Big Blue”  (a fun ride, not a race) might be America's most scenic fundraising event . Click here  for details of the Sept. 11 ride, with options for expert and recreational cyclists . . . . San Diego's new “Christmas Tabernacle,” a family friendly event with food, concerts, a living nativity scene and a fun zone with real snow , will be held Dec. 16-18. Daily admission $12 - $18 . . . . The Hofsas House in Carmel-by-the-Sea offers a $200 beach fire and smores package for up to 10 guests - in addition to a room, that is  . . . . Qantas is downplaying talk of a takeover bid , though execs admit that private equity firms are circling the airline . . . . FYI, a special TSA program has bred more than 500 puppies to be trained in explosives detection . . . . San Francisco's EPIC Roasthouse is holding its third annual High on the Hog pig roast and Pinot Noir tasting Sept.

THE BEST WAY TO AUCKLAND From LAX, Air New Zealand and Qantas offer nonstop service. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $1,538. TELEPHONES To call these numbers from the U.S., dial 011 (international dialing code) 64 (New Zealand's country code), the regional code (9) and the local number. WHERE TO STAY Boat Shed, P.O. Box 560, Oneroa, Waiheke Island; 372-3242, www.boatshed. Chic, nautically themed, luxury boutique hotel is centrally located to explore the wineries of Waiheke Island.

Qantas Airways flights from Los Angeles were scheduled to resume Sunday night after the airline had shut down operations worldwide over the weekend because of conflicts with employee unions. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) reported on Facebook and Twitter that flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, would be departing the airport. The airline usually operates 34 departures a week from LAX. The airline posted an announcement for L.A. passengers on its website: "If you are booked on a flight that is scheduled to depart from Los Angeles on Sunday 30th or Monday 31 October (local time)

Qantas, which shut down domestic and international operations Saturday because of a labor dispute, will refund airline tickets and pay the difference for a new ticket on another carrier for the tens of thousands of passengers who had no warning of the airline's action. "Qantas regrets that this action has become necessary and apologizes sincerely to all affected passengers," the airline said on its website.   According to the website , passengers may: -- receive a refund for flights that are canceled or rebook their ticket; -- receive the difference in the cost of a new ticket in the same class on another airline; and -- receive the cost of hotels, meals and transfers for those who are stranded and away from home.

Australia-based Qantas Airways grounded aircraft around the globe Saturday in an intensifying labor dispute that has disrupted travel for tens of thousands of international passengers, including those scrambling for new flights at LAX. The company's domestic and international departures were canceled after Qantas announced that it had locked out workers represented by three of its employee unions, including those that represent pilots and baggage...

The ninth annual “Tour de Tahoe - Bike Big Blue”  (a fun ride, not a race) might be America's most scenic fundraising event . Click here  for details of the Sept. 11 ride, with options for expert and recreational cyclists . . . . San Diego's new “Christmas Tabernacle,” a family friendly event with food, concerts, a living nativity scene and a fun zone with real snow , will be held Dec. 16-18. Daily admission $12 - $18 . . . . The Hofsas House in Carmel-by-the-Sea offers a $200 beach fire and smores package for up to 10 guests - in addition to a room, that is  . . . . Qantas is downplaying talk of a takeover bid , though execs admit that private equity firms are circling the airline . . . . FYI, a special TSA program has bred more than 500 puppies to be trained in explosives detection . . . . San Francisco's EPIC Roasthouse is holding its third annual High on the Hog pig roast and Pinot Noir tasting Sept.

Virgin Australia , JetStar and Qantas airlines Tuesday canceled hundreds of flights in and out of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra due to the volcanic ash cloud from Chile, which has circled the globe and swirled into airspace in southeastern Australia. Thousands of passengers were stranded. But airlines planned to resume service Wednesday as the plume appears to be heading toward the Tasman Sea and away from Australian air space. Carriers were shooting for 2 p.m. Wednesday for resuming domestic and international flights in and out of Sydney.

Airplane aficionados, you’re clear to land. At the LAX Observation Deck, that is. On Sunday, LAX is holding its first “Sunday Morning Coffee” for aviation enthusiasts and the general public, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. atop the Observation Deck at the airport’s  landmark Theme Building.  Admission, coffee, cookies – all free. But not the parking, which will be at the usual rates. Scanners will allow visitors to listen in on transmissions between pilots and air controllers, and free telescopes will allow close-up peeks at three aircraft that will be arriving that morning -- a sort of a celebrity lineup of arriving flights:  -- Air New Zealand "All Blacks" A320 : Estimated arrival time 9:25 a.m.; departure time 11 a.m. -- Qantas A380:   ETA 9:45 a.m. (for evening departure)

I've been writing full time about the Olympic movement for almost two years now, but this was my first Olympic Games and I suppose it was to be expected that I simply wouldn't understand. But what in the world is with the pin-trading thing? It's like trafficking in Russian rubles. So what if you can get 10,000 of them? They're worth nothing. Last I looked, one pin and $3.50 gets you a latte at Starbucks.

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Qantas passengers continued to be stranded Friday in Los Angeles and elsewhere as the Australian airline scrambled to rebook customers scheduled to fly on its Airbus A380 fleet, which was grounded after an engine exploded on one of the giant aircraft. The carrier said it was contacting affected fliers. On its website, Qantas Airways said it was investigating the incident, which forced one of its A380s to make an emergency landing Thursday in Singapore, and "we will not resume flying until we are completely confident that it is safe to do so. " Customers can check the  carrier's Flight Status page for updates on their flights, it added.