Top trending summer travel spots

ONE of the fastest growing online travel agents Agoda, has revealed the top trending summer travel spots, globally, for independent travelers in 2018.
The allure of Japan with its combination of unique culture, temples, mountains and beaches, proves too much to resist as Tokyo, Osaka, Okinawa and Kyoto all feature in the top ten Asia Pacific destinations this summer.

• Bali is the top Asia Pacific destination for UK travelers.
• Australians are the biggest international travelers to Bali, followed by South Koreans, Chinese, Singaporean and Malaysian travelers.
• Top summer destinations for Taiwanese independent travelers are Tokyo, Okinawa, Osaka, Kyoto and Seoul.
• American travelers' top three Asia Pacific destinations are Tokyo, Kyoto and Bangkok.
• Most popular African destinations are the Seychelles, Johannesburg (South Africa), Durban (South Africa), Mauritius and Cape Town (South Africa).
• Dubai tops Middle East travel followed by Medina and Mecca, which receive huge numbers of pilgrims for Hajj (19-24 August 2018).
• Despite being the Southern Hemisphere winter, Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast are in the top five Pacific Ocean destinations and still receive their fair share of tourists during the June to August period. Guam and Saipan also feature.

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Ishigaki: Destination on the Rise

JAPAN'S Ishigaki is today revealed as the top trending #destination in the world for 2018 in the sixth annual Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations on the Rise announced by TripAdvisor, the site that helps you find the latest reviews and lowest prices. #Ishigaki, an island in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture is home to a varied landscape including sandy beaches, rare coral, mountains and mangrove forests.

Ishigaki in Japanese, means “stone wall”. Contrary to its name, Ishigaki is an island in Okinawa and is therefore surrounded by water. Home to sandy beaches and coral reefs, the destination is a popular diving spot. Also great for food lovers, Ishigaki is known for its soba noodles - called Yaeyama soba - made of flour instead of the more traditional buckwheat.

Average annual Ishigaki hotel price, £114 per night and the most highly-rated value hotel ART Hotel Ishigaki – Low TripAdvisor pricing from £87 per night in June.

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Study reveals UK family holiday trends

THE average British family holiday involves a three-hour journey, four tantrums, and two days of rain, research by self-catering agency Beach Retreats reveals. 

The study, which compiled the experiences of 2,000 families, also found that children ask ‘Are we there yet?’ five times and parents get only two lie-ins. The average British holiday also sees 81 photos snapped.

Parents will normally get less than two-and-a-half hours to themselves on most days but will manage three quiet drinks over the holiday.

Andrew Easton, business manager for Beach Retreats said: ‘Around half of British families will be taking a staycation in 2016 and the appeal of the British beach holiday stronger than ever. Documenting your beach holiday with photos, social uploads, and selfies is now a typical part of a beach holiday, but it’s great to see that outdoor activities, discovering the beach, are still so important to families.’

Traditional British beach behaviours are still as popular as ever, with building sandcastles (69%), digging holes in the sand (61%), and exploring rock pools (58%) listed as the most popular things to do beside the seaside.

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Latest UK holiday confidence survey is 'encouraging'

ALMOST two thirds of British holidaymakers are concerned about the threat of terrorism, but the majority have not let it dissuade them from travelling. According to latest Holiday Confidence Index for spring 2016 from First Rate Exchange Services, 46% of the 5,155 Brits polled said they had not made changes to their holiday destination because of terrorist attacks.

Over half (56%) of those questioned in the online survey said they intended to holiday overseas in the coming year, while fewer have yet to make a decision. Some 52% of holidaymakers have already booked their first trip, while a third of those taking two or more trips have already arranged a second holiday. This is a significant rise on spring 2015 when only 28% had committed to a second trip overseas.

Despite the fall of sterling and concerns about the impact on prices of a Brexit vote, 66% of holidaymakers intend to travel to Europe on their first trip abroad while 62% of respondents taking two or more trips are planning Eurozone trips for their second holiday. In both cases, this represents a rise since last quarter and also year-on-year.

First Rate said the survey reveals an 'encouraging stability in consumers' appetite for overseas travel in the year ahead, despite the impact of the weaker pound on their pockets, the ongoing threat posed by terrorist attacks, and a sharp fall in confidence about the UK economy.

‘The latest Holiday Confidence Index underlines a trend that we have been noticing for some time: namely, that while there is growing uncertainty about the economy in general, this has not deterred those with a firm resolve to travel abroad on holiday from doing so,’ said Alistair Rennie, First Rate Exchange Services head of strategy and innovation.

‘Not only have well over half of our survey sample confirmed that they will be travelling abroad, but this group is far more confident about the economy and their own personal finances. Nor will they let the falling value of sterling or the threat of terrorism put them off. This is encouraging news for the travel industry in uncertain times.’

The survey was conducted in partnership with the Institute of Travel & Tourism, the University of Wolverhampton, and YouGov.

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Germany sees surge in interest from British travellers

THE number of overnight stays in #Germany by visitors from the UK and Ireland has seen yet another rise, with an increase of 7.4 percent in 2015 when compared to the previous year. 

Visitors from Ireland registered an impressive 13 percent rise in overnight stays and figures just received for January 2016, indicate this trend shows no sign of abating. 

In January alone, overnight stays by visitors from the UK increased by 10.2 percent, with a 10.8 percent rise for Ireland.

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Safety first for the Brits as Turkish bookings slump

INSIGHT gathered from various travel companies confirms that many Brits are booking holidays in destinations deemed ‘safe’. According to Travelzoo, UK travel companies are expecting holidays to Spain to sell out quickly, while Greece could be fully booked by March. Some agents are reporting that bookings to Turkey are down by more than 50% this year.

With the current suspension of flights to Sharm el-Sheik in Egypt, traditionally a popular winter sun destination for UK travellers, another issue has emerged for the airlines, according to Stephen Dunk, Travelzoo’s European operations director.

‘With airlines unable to fly to Sharm or Tunisia, they are re-routing to destinations such as the Canaries. As a result, we are seeing return flights priced from £69 return – the lowest in years. This sounds like great news, however the issue is that there simply aren’t enough hotel rooms in the Canaries, so we are hearing reports of half-empty planes flying in and out of the destination. A remarkable and unprecedented situation has emerged for the travel industry.’

The impact of terrorism over the last six months means a change, certainly in the short-term, to British holidaying habits.

Results of Travelzoo’s annual Travel Trends report found that two-thirds (66%) of travellers would be actively avoiding countries that have experienced terrorist attacks in the past 12 months. This follows an announcement from First Crystal Cruises that it would be re-routing its ships away from Istanbul and the beach resort of Kusadasi, citing ‘ongoing safety concerns’.

The report also highlighted the US as the most desired destination for British holidaymakers in 2016, followed by Italy, the UK, Spain, and France. Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean also made the top ten, suggesting people are prepared to travel further and spend a bit more to feel they’re holidaying in a safe destination.

Dunk commented: ‘Despite the early rush for Spain and Greece, 2016 will still turn out to be the year of the US and long haul. We’ve seen some great deals for the US recently, and have noticed record levels of interest in holidays to both the east and west coasts. Long haul destinations are rising in popularity – four made their way into the top ten for 2016.’

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Antigua & Barbuda see strong growth in tourism

THE TWIN island state of #Antigua&Barbuda in the Caribbean saw an impressive double digit visitor growth every month from March to November 2015. The highest growth months were September with a 36 percent increase and October with a 27 percent increase. 

This year, the islands will open up to the nature and hiking markets with walking specialists, Ramblers Worldwide and Exodus, introducing new tours.

To accommodate the growing visitor numbers and diversify accommodation options, building will start for new hotels to be completed in 2018.

Jean Marc Flambert, vice president sales and marketing UK & Europe for the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority, says: ‘As tourism generates about 60 percent of our islands’ GDP, we are very pleased to see our visitor figures increasing.  Last year was a big year for Antigua and Barbuda tourism with new hotels, a brand new airport, and development of the sports tourism sector.

“The key contributing factors to this incredible visitor growth can be put down to our close links with the trade and our ‘accessibility’ campaign, which ran in April. This focused on encouraging travel during the summer months, as an alternative to European holidays.’

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2015 the ‘safest’ year for aviation

THE AVIATION industry recorded its best ever year in terms of safety in 2015, with a global fatal accident rate of just one in five million flights. 

While the year was marked by the losses of the Germanwings and Metrojet flights, commercial airlines safely operated more than 40 million flights and carried in excess of 3.5 billion passengers across the world in 2015.

There were four major accidents involving large Western-built jets operated by commercial airlines, which resulted in a total of 374 fatalities.

Commenting on the industry’s safety performance, Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines said: ‘Flying today is extraordinarily safe, and aircraft accidents are now increasingly rare events. The 2015 accident rate is the lowest ever recorded, but we can never afford to be complacent.’

While aviation safety has hit the headlines in recent years, with incidents including the two Malaysia Airlines losses and the AirAsia crash in December 2014, it is worth noting that over the last five years, the global rate of major accidents has more than halved.

‘Public perceptions of aviation safety are, understandably, still strongly influenced by reactions to particular events, rather than statistical trends. The challenge is to recognize the importance of both dimensions when reviewing the aviation industry’s safety performance,” said Mr Herdman.

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More Brits favour short breaks

BRITS are turning their backs on week-long holidays in favour of shorter breaks, according to research by Doodle, a social planning tool.

The research reveals that in 2015, more than a quarter of those surveyed (28%) went on five or more different get-aways.

According to 44% of survey respondents, shorter breaks offer them the opportunity to go on different types of holidays throughout the year, from city breaks to activity-based holidays. For almost a third (31%) of holidaymakers, organizing a three- or four-day break is easier than planning a seven- or 14-day holiday.

Michael Brecht, CEO of Doodle said: ‘Little and often appears to be the holiday mantra for 2015 and this looks to continue into 2016. Short breaks enable busy Brits to get away while keeping organizational stress to a minimum. With so many beautiful places to visit both at home and abroad, it’s no wonder Brits want to maximise their holiday allowance.’

Top reasons Brits choose to go on short breaks:

• They’re cheaper (45%) 
• Ability to go on different types of holidays (44%) 
• Less stressful to organize (31%) 
• Lets you go away with different sets of people, family, friends, and partners (20%)

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Top spots for UK holidays

HOLIDAYCOTTAGES.CO.UK has published its predictions of the most popular vacation destinations for 2016.                                                   Based on 2015 bookings made compared to 2014, the list of destinations across the UK puts Gloucestershire on top with Padstow in Cornwall is ranked last.

Destination % increase in bookings in 2015

• Gloucestershire 88%
• Cardigan, West Wales 78% 
• Gairloch, The Highlands 29% 
• Bath, Somerset 24% 
• York and the Wolds 24% 
• Loch Ness, Inverness 20% 
• Westward Ho!, North Devon 19% 
• West Bay, Dorset 18% 
• Padstow, North Cornwall 14% 

James Morris, managing director of Holidaycottages.co.uk said: ‘Our annual list of destinations attracting the most bookings from our many thousands of customers is a guide to tourism trends.

‘What’s interesting to us about this year’s list is the spread of destinations throughout the British Isles from Loch Ness to West Bay. According to this list the South West may be losing ground to destinations that a few years ago wouldn’t have had a look in.’

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Travel trends report highlights 12 destinations to watch

The 2016 travel trends report by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has flagged up the ‘12 Destinations to watch’. The report, released in association with the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) also highlights emerging and key trends in travel which will influence holiday habits in the year ahead.

It suggests that almost a quarter (23%) of the population are expecting to spend more on their holidays, up slightly from 20% last year. 

Almost one in five people (18%) say they will travel to a country they have never been to before in 2016, compared to 9% who said this last year. 

ABTA has identified its ‘12 #Destinations to watch’ for #2016; places that are expected to capture the public’s imagination. These are: 

• Abu Dhabi 
• Canada 
• China – the Silk Road 
• France 
• Hawaii 
• Iceland
• Iran 
• Naples and Apulia (Italy) 
• Peru 
• Poland 
• Queensland, Australia
• Sri Lanka

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Cuba & Cape Verde tipped as Sharm and Tunisia alternatives

ALL-INCLUSIVE #destinations such as #Cuba and #CapeVerde have been tipped as being among the 2016 alternatives to Sharm el-Sheikh and Tunisia, where flights bans exist.

The predictions come from the analysis of millions of flight searches on Skyscanner from the last three years, combined with qualitative research carried out by the company’s travel experts.

The top five hot spots for 2016, based on the percentage increase in searches from the UK over the last three years, are:

Ponta Delgada, the Azores
With more airlines flying to the Azores, including Ryanair’s new weekly flight from Stansted to Ponta Delgada, this autonomous region of Portugal is opening up as a viable budget travel destination. 

Havana, Cuba
Cuba is back on the world stage as the US restored diplomatic relations in July and continues to loosen restrictions on trade. There might be flights from the US and US hotel chains opening in Cuba in 2016 if more restrictions are lifted. Many people are booking to travel to Cuba to experience the country before it changes –or starts to resemble Miami – and before prices rise as a result.

Tokyo, Japan

Tourism has boomed under the current administration. The national tourist board is actively targeting niche UK markets by focusing on ski, honeymoon, and adventure tourism offerings. Thanks to the excellent value Japan Rail Passes and Airbnb-type accommodation, Tokyo is now 50% cheaper for UK travellers than in 2013, according to the Post Office’s long haul report.

Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen is a popular choice for culture vultures and foodies. Home to the five-month long Tivoli Festival (May to September), classical music fans can expect a star-studded line-up at the Tivoli Gardens. The Copenhagen cooking festival takes place in February showcasing increasingly popular Nordic cuisine, whilst fashionistas have Copenhagen’s Fashion Week, the largest of its kind in Northern Europe.



Sal, Cape Verde
With unspoilt beaches, the island of Sal is only just emerging as a tourist destination. Thomson Airways is adding a new route from Bristol in summer 2016. Sal is also a base for exploring the rest of the archipelago, from the canyons, gorges, and valleys of Santo Antao to the Sahara-like dunes of Boa Vista.


Skyscanner travel editor, Cat McGloin, said: ‘With 50 million searches to the site every month from all over the world, our search data gives us some really robust insight in to these trends. It’s interesting to see how people’s travel interests are changing and what these destinations are offering to become even more appealing.’

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Holidaymakers cut travel budgets

UK HOLIDAYMAKERS show no signs of increasing spending, with the First Rate Holiday Confidence Index reporting ‘clear evidence that consumers are tightening their belts’.

The Winter 2015 Confidence Index reports year-on-year falls across three holiday-spending measures – the cost of booking, the amount of money consumers plan to take abroad, and their spending in destination, with two point declines in each.

First Rate suggests this confirms ‘holidaymakers are restricting their budgets’, although two of the three indices are one point higher than in the summer.

More than half of those planning to travel overseas plan to spend no more on booking than in the past year, while 60% said they would not spend more in destination.

The results are disappointing in the light of recent figures showing average wages rising, while UK inflation was flat in September.

The report on the index also identifies ‘lingering doubts’ about the extent of the recovery in the UK economy and household finances, with a four-point fall to 29% in adults confident of further improvement in the economy. It reports a one-point drop to 23% in those expecting their personal finances to improve.

Alistair Rennie, head of strategy and innovation at First Rate Exchange Services, said: ‘Travel firms would obviously like to see the amount spent on bookings moving upwards. Disappointingly, there is nothing to suggest this is happening. Commitment-free 25 to 34-year-olds are the exception.’

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European tourism - growth, but no grounds for complacency

LONG-HAUL travel to #Europe enjoyed an encouraging summer this year, and the upward trend in arrivals is expected to continue, according to a study by ForwardKeys, which monitors future travel patterns by analysing 14 million reservation transactions daily.

Total international long-haul arrivals from January to September were up 5.1% on the previous year, and forward bookings are up 4.8% for the rest of the year.

Sebastien Cron, global sales director at ForwardKeys, said: ‘While it’s widely recognized that Europe is losing its competitiveness, it’s good to see from our data that long-haul travel to Europe has been growing well recently, pushed up by a strong summer season, particularly in July.’

But the European Tourism Association’s CEO Tom Jenkins urged the industry not to be lulled into a false state of security over figures showing growth. ‘Travel and #tourism in other parts of the world is increasing faster than in Europe. Although the statistics show we are continuing to grow at an average annual growth rate of 3.6% since 2007, the rest of world is growing at a rate of 5.7% over the same period.’

Within Europe, the picture is mixed. Germany and the Netherlands have been the stand-out performers since 2007, displaying total tourism growth of 37% and 33% respectively for the period, a 4.6% and 4.2% annual average, whereas the UK and France have grown just 13% and 10% for the period, an average of just 1.7% and 1.4% per annum.

Top European destinations for arrivals, between January and September, were London, Paris, Istanbul, and Rome, though growth in London and Paris was anaemic, with London 0.3% down and Paris just 1.6% up. For the rest of year, Barcelona and Milan, top the list for the fastest growing destinations, are up 20.3% and 25.6% respectively, owing to the Milan Expo and improved connectivity to Barcelona, particularly via Dubai.

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Northerners target the Canary Isles

DECEMBER holiday bookings to the #CanaryIslands have risen sharply, with the biggest volume of travellers by far coming from the north of England, UK travel retailer Holiday Hypermarket reports. 

In an analysis of booking data, the company discovered that 73% of travellers to the winter sun destination were from England’s northern counties. For the Midlands it held a little less appeal, with only 21% deciding to go on holiday to the region before the New Year. This is still more than the south, though, with just 17% choosing to travel during the month. Overall, bookings were up 72% year-on-year.

Commenting on the findings Holiday Hypermarket representative Ian Crawford said: ‘We expected a lot of activity around Spain this year as many people are choosing to stay closer to home for their holidays. The Canaries has always been one of our most popular destinations, but it’s quite surprising how many bookings there have been already this year for the winter, especially from the north.

‘Aside from London, which accounts for about 20%, our customers are usually spread pretty evenly over England. It’s definitely unusual to see such a big regional difference.’

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Japan aims to build on UK visitor growth

UK VISITOR numbers to #Japan from January to August 2015 are up 20.7% year-on-year, and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) hopes to build on this growth in the run up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Olympics.

‘With two major events one after the other, now is the time for us to find greater potential in Europe,’ says Mamoru Kobori, the JNTO’s executive vice president.

‘Until recently, for the Japanese travel industry, the US market was dominant. There was much less awareness of, and effort and budget dedicated to, the UK and Europe. But although those in-bound markets are not big in comparison with the US or Asian markets, European markets are high quality and we want to take better care of them. We would target another 10-20% increase in UK visitors next year. Currently just 0.04% of UK overseas travellers visit Japan, so although the market is small there is great potential for growth.’

Japan has seen in-bound tourism boom in the last two to three years, with much of the growth down to China. Chinese visitor numbers are expected to rise to five million this year, up from 2.4 million last year. In comparison, the UK market is still very small, at fewer than 25,000.

The JNTO hopes to target niche markets in the UK, including honeymooners, #adventure tourists, and skiers, and has already seen the benefit of #ski and snow promotions it has undertaken in the past few years, with a rise in UK, Australian, and Singaporean skiers coming to Niseko.

But the mass UK market remains middle aged to older travellers who plan to visit Japan just once and focus on the major sights of Tokyo and Kyoto. The JNTO intends to focus on broadening the scope of travel for these visitors by introducing them to lesser-known, off-the-beaten-track sights, and by promoting traditional experiences including hot spring resorts and culinary tours.

Mr Kobori attributes the UK growth in part to the high value Japan currently offers. Historically known as an expensive destination, this is no longer the case, with the 2015 Post Office Long Haul Report showing Tokyo is now 50% cheaper for UK tourists than it was in 2013. 

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Families prefer all-inclusive holidays, finds poll

MORE than three quarters of UK families had a package holiday this year, with all-inclusives being the most popular type of break.

Almost a third of people polled by Holiday Hypermarket said all-inclusive holidays were their preferred choice of trip. Self-catering breaks came next (26.8%), followed by half board at 16.40%.

Marketing manager at Holiday Hypermarket, Ian Crawford, said: ‘Travelling with children can be complicated enough, so having someone take care of important details such as transfers is reassuring.’

The popularity of the package is backed up by the Office for National Statistics, which has reported that the number of Britons taking package holidays abroad is on the increase – from 15.3 million in 2013 to 15.9 million last year.

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Turkey specialists appeal after Exclusive Escapes collapse; media coverage blamed for ‘unfair’ negative image

THE failure of holiday firm Exclusive Escapes has prompted calls for agents to inform holidaymakers about the country’s geography and to avoid being swayed by ‘sensationalist reporting’. The plea came as statistics revealed the extent to which the destination is suffering in the current market.

According to industry analyst GfK, year-on-year bookings to #Turkey for the year to August 22 were 9% down, while the general market was up 1%. Summer 2016 bookings to Turkey to August 22 were 24% down, compared with a 10% increase for the overall market.

Upmarket Turkey specialist Exclusive Escapes, which traded as HiddenTurkey, collapsed last week, affecting 2,000 holidaymakers. Managing director Andrew Lee cited ‘two challenging years’ for the destination. He said: ‘It’s no secret that 2015 has been one of the toughest years for tourism in Turkey, largely due to the country’s geo-political situation.’ He cited Turkey’s recent military action against ISIS as having an impact, adding that it had fuelled the perception of the country as unsafe.

Akin Koc, managing director of rival Anatolian Sky, said his firm was re-booking hundreds of Exclusive Escapes’ clients. He blamed the bookings slump on negative perceptions following media reports that Turkey was on an ISIS hit list.

‘This year, media coverage has created huge problems for Turkey,’ said Mr Koc. ‘Unfortunately, agents, and the general public have no idea about the size of Turkey and its geography. The Syrian border is 745-930 miles from resorts. As an industry, we have to educate the public to understand there is no more risk in [western] Turkey than in Greece, Spain, or Egypt. The perception problem is frustrating, unfair, and upsetting. Some agents seem to see Turkey as difficult to sell and not offer it, but there is potential risk everywhere.’

His company is increasing capacity in Turkey next year, but reducing the amount of committed properties from 50% to 30%-40% to reduce operational risk.

Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) chairman Noel Josephides had suggestions as to how bookings for Turkey could be improved. ‘First, agents need to resist falling prey to sensationalist reporting and understand how journalists work – that disasters sell newspapers – and follow more closely what ABTA and the Civil Aviation Authority are saying. The message to #destinations is to be a lot more robust in their re-actions, with factual information from the tourist offices and to have policies in place.’

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End of the British two-week holiday?

THE NUMBER of people taking a two-week holiday has decreased by 46% over the last five years, according to a study by Travelodge, which surveyed 3,000 British adults about their holiday plans for 2015.

It found that UK holidaymakers are opting for one week away, with four shorter breaks spread out throughout the year. This year, 70% of Britons are planning a domestic break, with less than one in five (19%) taking a two-week holiday.

But the traditional #seasideholiday is back in vogue as more than half (56%) of Britons are heading to the coast this summer, with top destinations including Cornwall, Devon, Blackpool, Brighton, and Bournemouth.

The next most popular type of holiday is the #ruralescape, with 35% exploring the UK countryside in places such as the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Scottish Highlands, Norfolk Broads, and Cotswolds.

The number taking #citybreaks has fallen this year to 25%, from 37% last year. Top city break destinations for 2015 include London, Edinburgh, York, Bristol, and Liverpool. 

A Travelodge spokeswoman said: ‘Our 2015 holiday index has revealed an interesting trend, with Britons taking more multiple breaks throughout the year, which suggests the end of the traditional two-week break.’

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easyJet … or squeezyJet

EASYJET’S cabins are about to get more crowded, reports The Daily Telegraph. 

Each of the airline’s Airbus A320s has room for 180 passengers, but all new A320s delivered after May next year – easyJet has 162 orders outstanding – will be fitted with 186 seats. It will also retro-fit its existing A320s with the higher seat count, with the changes likely to be completed by summer 2018

While the changes mean more passengers sharing the same cabin space, manufacturers say the new arrangements do not compromise on comfort. ‘We are supporting the higher seat count with intelligent means to give living space to passengers,’ said Airbus. ‘They retain the Airbus standard of 18-inch wide seats in economy.’

easyJet also insists that ‘seat pitch’ – the space between your seat and the same point on the chair in front – won't be affected.

‘Through clever design and the use of modern materials, Airbus has been able to use previously unused space,’ it said. ‘Our minimum and average seat pitch will remain the same.’

The airline’s move follows a trend among manufacturers and airlines to cram extra fliers on board their aircraft in a bid to maximize efficiency and profits.

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