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Ski Vacation Gear Guide

Plan a ski vacation  You are here: About > Sports > Skiing Sports Skiing Essentials Ski Resort A to Z Snow Reports Plan a Ski Trip Ski Equipment Learn to Ski Articles & Resources Beginning Skier Downhill Skier Cross Country Skier Snow Reports/Weather Ski Resorts Ski Vacation Gear Guide Picks FAQ's Ski Fitness Mountain Cams and Pictures Competitive skiing Latest News Specialized Skiing Expert Skiing Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Skiing newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Skiing Plan a ski vacation Skiing Blog « Mammoth Mountain California on Christmas Day | Main | Top Ski Schools » From Apply Now , Your Guide to Skiing . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! December 27, 2004 Plan a ski vacation When its time to make a few turns you're going to need all the information to plan a good trip. Start planning today . Think about a few days in Whistler, a weekend in Taos or a month at Vail. I'm getting lightheaded just thinking about it. Email to a Friend Display Latest Headlines | | | Read Archives powered by Movable Type Advertisement Most Popular Ski clothing Ski tips Ski schools Ski pants Ski Resort Index What's Hot Winterplace Mt. Holly Las Vegas Ski Area Ski Windham Paoli Peaks Related Topics Snowboarding Adventure Travel Surfing / Bodyboarding Sports Medicine Weather        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Winterplace Mt. Holly Las Vegas Ski Area Ski Windham Paoli Peaks Headlines Killington Resort to Re-Open Saturday for the 2005-06 Ski and Snowboard Season The Killington Resort in Vermont will Open this Saturday... Free Ski Deals - Discount Ski Deals Find the best free ski deals and best discount... Breckenridge in Colorado - Ski Season Opened Nov 11 Strap on your skis, brush off your board and dig... Top 10 Ski Schools Take lessons from the top instructors at the top...

Air Travel

Airport timetables of Greece." CaptainChris Greek Air Travel News Airline News Greek Airlines Air Travel News Travel Tips Traveller's Tales Travel surveys Photo section Thessaloniki Airport timetable CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE COMMERCIAL WEB SITE OF CaptainChris C.2000 VirageNet A CaptainChris creation GREEK AIRLINE NEWS Philoxenia2000 Tourist Trade Fair November 2 to 5 in Thessaloniki, Greece at the Helexpo centre. In 10000sq meters, 530 stands from 16 countries with Turkey taking part for the first time. Aegean Airlines and Cronus Airlines had very good representation at the fair with good looking and informative stands. Cronus had several tickets that could be won in a simple competition. Olympic Airways had for the second year the best stand, they had a competition to, with several domestic tickets to be won, but the big attraction was a flight simulator on which you could try to take-off and land at Osaka's Kansai airport, with a choice of All Nippon 737, 767, 777 or 747 aircraft's. Axon Airlines, Galaxy Airways, Alitalia, Crossair and CSA Czech Airlines had a stand of their own, while several airlines were represented by their general sales agents or the tourist bureaus of their countries. Virgin Atlantic was present for the first time in Philoxenia, the airline was placed in a small part of the Aegean Airlines stand. Cyprus Airways, also present with their own stand every year, had a competition for a 4-day holiday in Cyprus for three pairs. Axon Airlines Axon Airlines has ordered four 50 seat Embraer ERJ145s. Deliveries are to take place during 2001. Axon is to return to Rome with a twice daily ERJ145 service next spring, while launching two new destinations to be operated with the new regional jets. Lyon and Strasbourg in France. Olympic Airways Group Olympic Airways has increased the number of domestic operated in Greece with the addition of one daily return from Athens to Thessaloniki, Chania, Kavala and Kerkyra, while at the same time upgraded ATR72 flights to 737-200 four times a week to Lemnos and once daily to Ioannina. On its international network the carrier added two flights per week from Athens to Istanbul now totalling at nine per week. Flights to Milan have been reduced to two, down from three, for the winter months. The airline discontinues flights to Riyadh, while increasing frequencies to the other remaining Saudi Arabia destination, Jeddah from two to five per week. A weekly service to Brussels has been added now totalling 11 flights a week. Olympic Aviation, the regional subsidiary of Olympic has upgraded the twice weekly service between Thessaloniki and Istanbul, Turkey from ATR72 to Boeing 717 aircraft, the regional carrier also launched a once weekly service between Heraklio and Larnaca, Cyprus. 11 Boeing 737-200 and 3 Airbus A300-605R have been fully refurbished, and now work starts on 13 Boeing 737-400s which should be completed by March of 2001. The refurbishment consists of changing the colours and materials used on carpeting, wallpaper, the plastic and foam rubber on passenger seats, seatbelts, wall coverings and flight attendants seats. All entranceways and other surfaces of the cabin have been upgraded. Cutting edge technology materials have been used with special aesthetic specifications. Part of the refurbishment is the installation of new Business Class seats in the Boeing 737 -200, -300 and -400 aircraft family. Convertible Leather seats that convert from a 3-3 layout to a more comfortable 2-3 layout and 35inches of seat pitch giving increased personal space. A spacious drinks table now separates two seats from each other. The seats also have footrests, adjustable headrests and backs that recline at a greater angle than before. Olympic Aviation is to add a third Boeing 717 aircraft this January. This aircraft is to based in Thessaloniki, where two more 717s are based and operated to Munich, Stuttgart, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Paris and Larnaca. The third aircraft is to be used for the launch of new services to Rome and Tel Aviv. The carrier is also evaluating the possibility to re-launch services from Thessaloniki to Belgrade, Yugoslavia and launching new routes to Skopje, Macedonia and Sofia, Bulgaria. Higher costs because of the strong US Dollar and the continuing rise in fuel prices forced the carrier to rise its fares for the second time in one year by 10% on domestic routes only. Galaxy Airways Galaxy Airways is operating this winter with a single Boeing 737-500, while the carriers 737-400 is being returned to its lessor. The airline plans to lease two Boeing 737-400s at the beginning of next year and to add frequencies on existing routes. Galaxy discontinues flights from Preveza for the current winter season. Aegean Airlines Aegean Airlines is to add two ATR72-500s next spring to allow for the increasing of frequencies on some routes and to launch new destinations. Mykonos, Kos and Zakinthos are under consideration. The airline is to replace its three ATR72-100 with a similar number of upgraded ATR72-500 when the leases of these aircraft expire in two years time. The carrier is in talks with both SkyTeam and the Star Alliance with a possibility in joining either one of these alliances. Higher costs because of the strong US Dollar and the continuing rise in fuel prices forced the carrier to increased its fares by 12%. Cronus Airlines Cronus Airlines announced that by the summer of 2001 the company will add two more Boeing 737 aircrafts, one -300 and one -700, to its fleet of 6. 4 737-300 and 2 737-400s. The constantly expanding flight schedule of Cronus Airlines includes as from November 20 a new domestic destination, Mytilene which is to be served twice daily from Athens. New routes from Kavala are also launched and include a daily service to Athens, a second weekly flight to Stuttgart and a service to Cologne. Within the context of the continuous efforts made for the improvement of the services provided by the carrier, Cronus Club, a new business class has been launched. Passengers enjoy more space, priority on reservations, priority check-in and luggage collection, special transport service to the airport, weight allowance of 30Kgs, exquisite food served in flight! Soon special Airport lounges will be offered to Cronus Club passengers waiting for their flight in Athens, Heraklio, Thessaloniki and all international destinations. The airline is refurbishing the cabins of all its aircrafts and by March of 2001 all will have comfortable leather seats with leg room increased to 32 inches in Economy and 34 in Cronus Club, where the new seats will convert from 3-3 to 2-3 giving more elbow space to passengers. Cyprus Airways Cyprus Airways has announced that from next March it will add a fourth daily service between Larnaca and Athens and upgrade its three weekly flights to Thessaloniki to a daily operation. The carrier is soon to decide on a replacement aircraft for its four Airbus A310s. The A330-200 and the new Boeing 767-400 are more favourable. Cyprus Airways is also to add two or three 50-70 seat regional jets to its fleet in the near future to operate short haul routes to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Damascus, Cairo and Rhodes. CSA-Czech Airlines CSA Czech Airlines which is the latest member of the SkyTeam Alliance announced that from next spring will operate a daily schedule from Prague to Athens, while its, until now, seasonal twice weekly flights to Thessaloniki will be operated year-round from next year. The carrier is also to replace its two Airbus A310s in the near future with the Boeing 767-400 being favoured as a convenient replacement. Crossair/Sabena Swissair subsidiary Crossair, is to double its frequencies between Zurich and Thessaloniki next spring with the addition of a mid day departure from Zurich and an afternoon departure from Thessaloniki. The carrier expressed the need for a more frequent schedule after experiencing very high load factors this last summer season. The current early morning departure from Thessaloniki connects in Zurich with Swissair's European and Intercontinental network and many passengers use this convenient service. Swissair's other subsidiary Sabena is to add a third daily service between Brussels and Athens. This new flight will depart Brussels in the evening and Athens early in the morning allowing easy connections to be made in Brussels to several destinations in America. Alitalia Alitalia, is continuing its second daily service from Thessaloniki to Milan citing increased demand especially for passengers wishing to transfer in Milan to Alitalia's European and International network. The airline previously used to operate this second daily flight only during the high summer season. In other Alitalia news, the airline has cut back on many flights citing low load factors and increased costs from strong US Dollar and increasing fuel prices. Flights to Bangkok, Sydney, Addis Ababa and Nairobi have been withdrawn, while cut-backs have been made to its short haul network also. Continental Airlines Continental Airlines announced that it is hoping to launch a daily service between New York Newark and Athens next Spring with brand new Boeing 767-400 equipment. The service will be operated with a smaller 767-200 in the winter months. British Airways British Airways Manager for Greece and Cyprus Mr. Vassilis Dallaris said that the airline plans to discontinue its daily service from London Gatwick to Athens currently operated by Boeing 737-400 aircraft and instead add a third daily 767 service from London Heathrow. This flight will depart Heathrow early in the morning and from Athens in the afternoon. These changes are to be made to satisfying increased demand for travel between Athens and London. While the competition is high with five airlines operating on the route, (British Airways, Olympic Airways, Cronus Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and EasyJet) and recent increased flights from Olympic Airways, the British carrier has managed to maintain its position on the market. In a question if British Airways plans to re-launch flights to Thessaloniki Mr. Dallaris said that he has proposed to the London Headquarters a daily nonstop flight which should depart from London in the evening staying overnight in Thessaloniki and depart in the morning for London allowing transit passengers from Greece to the USA and Canada to connect in either Heathrow or Gatwick. A decision is to be made soon. JAT-Yugoslav Airlines JAT-Yugoslav Airlines has ordered 8 Airbus A319 aircraft and is considering ordering a similar number of Airbus A320 aircrafts to replace its current fleet of 6 Boeing 727-200 and 7 Boeing 737-300s. The airline is also to decide on a replacement for its McDonnell Douglas DC10-30 long-haul aircraft now used only for a twice weekly service between Belgrade and Beijing. The Airbus A330-200 or -300 is favoured by the carrier and a need for two or three examples is being discussed. The airline wants to upgrade its flights to both Athens and Thessaloniki to a daily service, currently operated twice weekly with a 737-300 aircraft on a BEG-ATH-SKG-BEG routing. Iberia Iberia Airlines of Spain, plan to add a second daily service between Madrid and Athens from next Spring. This will be in addition to its daily Madrid-Barcelona-Athens service. The airline also intents to add Thessaloniki to its network with a daily service from Madrid. Maersk Air Maersk Air of Denmark, which has experienced high load factors this summer season with its daily Copenhagen-Athens 737-500 service, has launched a four weekly service to Cairo, Egypt and a trice weekly service to Istanbul, Turkey with Boeing 737-500 equipment. The airline is to change to a larger capacity 737-700 aircraft for its Athens schedule next spring and is evaluating the possibility of launching a service to Larnaca, Cyprus. Athens Airport Charges Many airlines have expressed their concern about the fact that landing and handling fees at the new Athens Airport E. Venizelos, which is to open next March, will be higher 100-200% compared with the current fees charged at Hellinikon Ariport. The airport company says that service levels at the new site will be better and the fees charged will be compatible with other airports in the region. The Greek Transport Minister Mr. Christos Verelis said that Greek tax payers have invested a lot of money into the project and they should get back their moneys as soon as possible. Istanbul Airport in Turkey, which has just opened a new state-of-the-art terminal is charging 10% lower than the current Athens Airport and authorities are more efficient with traffic rights. Istanbul has no plans to increase its tariffs. Larnaca Airport which is also expanding and upgrading its facilities charges the same as the current Athens Airport and has no plans to increase rates. It seems that the new Athens airport will have double or triple the fees charged by neighbouring airport hubs. Vernicos Aviation Vernicos Yachts Shipping SA announced the full takeover of KAL Aviation SA, a Greek airline company, for 2.1 billion drachmas, signalling its expansion into the airline industry. The new company, to be named Vernicos Aviation (VER-AVIA), is expected to present a turnover of 1.25 billion drachmas and net profits of 100 million drachmas this year, with a forecast for a turnover of 1.65 billion and net profit of 300 million drachmas in 2001. KAL Aviation is the largest private light cargo airline in Greece, servicing the country's islands and has recently acquired a self-handling licence for the the new Athens airport at Spata. A Vernicos Yachts statement said the takeover was in the framework of a strategic plan of the company to transform into a holding company, covering sea tourism, air transport and shipping activities. The company plans to expand its aviation activities in the Middle East and the Balkans. The new company employs 60 people and has a fleet of four airplanes servicing 13 domestic destinations daily (including Larnaca, Cyprus). It has acquired traffic rights for flights to Tirana, Albania, and Belgrade, Serbia. Professor Christos Papageorgiou, a former Olympic Airways' chairman, was appointed president of Vernicos Aviation. Cretan Airways Konstantinos Badouvas, former Air Greece founder and chairman, announced that the new airline will finally launch operations December 1st with two 70 seat ATR72 aircraft's. The airline awaits its certificate and operations licence from the Greek CAA which has been delayed two times until now, Mr. Badouvas said to the "Patris" newspaper. The airline has started requiting personnel that is been trained to the highest standards. The two aircraft's have been painted and delivered to the airline's hub in Heraklio. First routes served by Cretan Airways will be Heraklio-Athens, Heraklio-Thessaloniki, Heraklio-Rhodes and Chania-Athens.

Central America Travel |

Central America - Travel Stories from Around the World - BootsnAll.com Home | Ask an Insider | Members Forum Plane Tickets | Youth Hostels | RTW Guide About Us | Advertising | Search | RSS | Staff First Time Visitor? Travel Stories Africa - Travel Stories from Africa Asia - Travel Stories from Asia Middle East - Travel Stories from the Middle East Europe - Travel Stories from Europe North America - Travel Stories from North America Central America - Travel Stories from Central America South America - Travel Stories from South America Pacific - Travel Stories from the Pacific and Australasia Travelogues - Travelogues from around the world Central American Travel Stories Below you will find stories written by travellers on their experiences in Central America. If you would like to submit your own stories for this region, click here . Belize | Costa Rica | Dominican Republic | El Salvador | Guatemala | Honduras | Jamaica | Nicaragua | Panama | Puerto Rico Belize Relax, Mon Matt Scott quickly adapts to the easy-going pace of Caye Caulker - both above and below the water. Diving Adventure in Belize Seasickness, wild waves and an overflowing toilet weren't going to keep Kristin Piljay from diving in Belize's blue waters. PepperOni, Island Style A Washington state man sells off three pizza joints and stateside life to open shop in a bamboo-covered trailer in Belize. Belize & Tikal, Guatemala Justin Bryant tackles wildlife, forests, scary restaurants and rickety bars, but why worry, man? It's Belize. Dreadlocks & Voodoo Jack Simpson, Jr honeymoons in Belize where he experiences dark caves and voodoo rituals. No tigers though. Living the Life of Raleigh Recounting horror stories from the foreign bush is just part of the Raleigh International experience. Costa Rica Pura Vida en Costa Rica Whatever your taste, you can find it in Costa Rica. Lee Abbamonte promises that you will want to return time and again. The Legend of La Mona Did a half-woman half-monkey, with a hysterical laugh, prey on Andrew Black's sanity? Costa Rican Beach Bum Buddha People can touch your life, even if you know them only for a short while. Shawn Cooley reflects on the people that touch the life of a traveler. Seven Days in Costa Rica Traversing through the rainforests next to an active volcano, David Alan Robinson makes the most of his seven days in Costa Rica. Don't Miss the Boat Costa Rica is considered one of the most ecologically abundant areas in the hemisphere, writes Judy Wolf. It has distractions and attractions galore - beaches, surfing, nesting sea turtles, cloud forests, active volcanoes, rivers and more. La Catarata Rebecca Bowe and her friends put their clothes back on and made their way back up the path feeling exhausted and full of wonder. Touch the Wire After 2 years of highs and lows Brandon Dane's hand got pried off the high-voltage line of life. He can't wait to clutch on again. La Fortuna Fiesta A spring break with a difference, Catharine Wells traveled to Costa Rica to see Volcan Arenal. Instead she arrived in time for a local festival. Tico's Rampage (or, The Shortcut) The story of Craig Guillot's right leg dashes on a mad horse through Costa Rica. Los Chiles , Costa Rica Many different ways to travel on this river, in varying degrees of comfort. Puntarenas , Costa Rica Taking the bus from Puntarenas to Nicaragua and back. Dominican Republic The Missing Piece of the Puzzle The hidden mountain village of Los Quemados is poor, but those who come to know it see the beauty of the countryside and its people. El Salvador Biting the Bullet William Koplitz went to El Salvador to go surfing and was shot by thieves after being in the country for 24 hours. La Union , El Salvador Boat problems lead to a refreshing break on the island of Conchaquita. Guatemala Don't Worry, It's Straight Ahead, and Other Guatemalan Fibs NEW! Children run from her shrieking, she has to catch a ride on a dump drunk and Claire MacDonell still has another week in the mountains of Guatemala. I Will Survive: Early Morning in the Guatemalan Jungle with a Drag Queen The temples of Tikal are cause for awe and wonder. But Diana Reed found herself wondering about one of her fellow visitors to the ancient ruins. The Idiot's Guide to Good Transport in Guatemala Diana Espirito Santo navigates the scary, but rewarding, world of Guatemalan transportation. The Complete Rules of the Road for Driving in Guatemala Ken McCormick provides a basic set of rules for surviving (or not) Guatemala's notorious highways. Deconstructing Travels To Tikal Amongst the huge stone temples at Tikal, Shawn Cooley waxes philosophical. Fear (but no loathing) in Guatemala Explosions ripped Shannan Murphy out of an exhausted sleep. But she learned she had nothing to fear, but fear itself. Avoid being Ripped-off in Guatemala Maury Englander follows up his story of being robbed in Guatemala City with some tips to help you avoid the same fate. A Guatemalan (Sad) Story Maury Englander was distracted for just a second, but that's all it took for thieves to end his holiday in Guatemala. The First Great Maya City: El Mirador Don Parkinson's 20 mile hike through the jungle was rewarded the view from El Mirador, the largest of the ancient Mayan cities. ER in Guatemala The nightly turtle races were all the excitement the village of Monterrico was supposed to offer. Laurie Magree found a bit more than that after helping to save two locals attacked by a machete-wielding drunk. Volcano Pacaya Hiking a live volcano should be adventure enough, but throw in a few bandits and it's downright scary. Antigua: Home Sweet Home Semana Santa is one week when Antigua gets even more international visitors than usual. Through the Looking Glass... How I was rescued from the jungle by a Belizian fisherman, his son, and a dog named Red. Indigenous Markets in Guatemala Experience the fun of a local market, but don't forget to arrive early! Ascent to Pacaya Hike to the top of a live volcano in Guatemala. "Mundo Olmeca"...in Guatemala?! Guatemala is famous for being the heart of "Mundo Maya". So what's this about "Mundo Olmeca"? I am not as young as I used to be... Local Guat buses can take you to beautiful places, but you've gotta have the stomach for it. Rio Dulce , Guatemala The Hotel Backpackers is a great way to meet other travellers in Rio Dulce. Honduras Roatan: a Caribbean Island in Transition NEW! David Alan Robinson snoops around Roatan and witnesses another Caribbean island that is poised for development. A Bridge in The Bay Islands The Great Barrier Reef and the Red Sea pale in comparison to the quality of the Bay Islands of Roatan. Time may be running out, writes Lee Abbamonte, to see this unspoiled area. Don't wait. Bloody Football Today's football heroes are worshipped, but in an ancient time, they worshipped the gods with human sacrifice. Escape from Roatan Leaving Roatan, Honduras felt more like an escape than a departure for Diana Espirito Santo. Island Time Island Time - undetermined quantity of time just long enough to infuriate, confuse and befuddle a sick-stomached mainlander, writes Thomas Jones. Like a Fish to Air Roatan is reknown for diving, but it also forces Kristina Johnson to confront her fears. Utila - Hangover in Paradise A tequila hangover doesn't stop Malcolm Blakey from spending 2 weeks diving and eating on the island of Utila. Dead Pirates and Frozen Fish Battling a fever in Honduras, Christine Michaud uses the only thing at her disposal to cool down: a frozen fish. Jamaica Jammin' in Jamaica Shirley Camia witnessed both the beauty and tragedy of Jamaica's tourism and its people. Broken Space & Time in Jamaica It was just before turning back that the strangest series of events unfolded for Ajay Nityananda and his friend. Nicaragua Hippocrates Laughs Shawna Kenney goes to Central America to cure her friend's loneliness and finds another world in the process. Panama Counting the Hours on Contadora NEW! Troy White visited the only nude beach in Central America, called 'Swedish Girls Beach.' The problem was: there were no Swedish girls, just he and his friends. Casco Viejo NEW! Mike Heavers is awed by resilient, sensual, enticing Casco Vieja - epitomized by the daily struggle against poverty by its people. La Casa Grande What Chris Lele's search from the website blurb on Casa Grande led him to expect and what he found was different, even shocking. Puerto Rico A Tropical Independence Day: Giant Ferns, Aliens and City Folks Regardless of the fact that it sits on one of the Bermuda Trangle's corners, Elda P. Acevedo found El Yunque to be an extremely beautiful and possibly enchanted place. 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Air Travel May Double

Bloomberg.com: Latin America Updated: New York: Dec 28 17:46 London: Dec 28 22:46 Tokyo: Dec 29 07:46 US AU BZ FP GR HK IM JP LN SM IND : Regions Top Worldwide Regions Asia Australia & New Zealand Canada Europe Germany Japan Latin America U.K. U.S. Markets Economy/Politics Commentary Sports Culture Bloomberg RSS RESOURCES: Bloomberg TV Bloomberg Radio Markets Latin America E-Mail This Story Printer-Friendly Format Venezuelan Economy Grew 9.4 Percent in 2005, Fueled by Government Spending Codelco Union Workers Delay Strike at Chile Copper Mines for Wage Talks Brazilian Central Bank Expects 4 Percent Growth in 2006, Faster Inflation Mexican Air Travel May Double in 3 Years on Discounts (Update2) Dec. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico is preparing for domestic airtravel to double in as few as three years, predicting newdiscount airlines such as Interjet will pull 20 millionpassengers off the bus, the country's aviation chief said. Interjet, the first low-cost carrier to begin service fromthe Mexico City area, introduced fares this month that beatpremium bus travel. Almost 40 million people annually travel 400kilometers or more on buses equipped with televisions, airconditioning, and washrooms between cities served by airports,said Gilberto Lopez Meyer, Mexico's civil aviation director. ``We can double the number of domestic air passengers ifhalf these people begin flying,'' Lopez Meyer said in aninterview in Mexico City on Dec. 20. The first discount fares introduced in Mexico areencouraging, he said. Mexico City-based Interjet, one of fivestartup projects, began flying four routes on Dec. 5 with pricesthat are as little as a quarter of those charged by the nation'slargest airlines, Mexicana and Aeromexico. They can be cheaper than the bus, too. Traveling to thebeach resort of Cancun from Mexico City on a luxury bus run byAutobuses ADO costs 1,284 pesos ($120) and takes up to 23.5hours. Interjet's fares to Cancun from the Toluca airport, 69kilometers from downtown Mexico City, start at 1,205 pesos,including taxes. The flight is two hours long. A round-trip ticket to Guadalaraja from Toluca can be ascheap as 1,144 pesos on Interjet, compared with 5,145 pesoscharged by Mexicana or Aeromexico. ``I hope these prices are here to stay,'' Lopez Meyer said.``If the discount fares are on average 50 percent cheaper thanthe legacy carriers, we'll have achieved our goal.'' Temporary Subsidies Avolar Lineas Aereas SA began flying from the northern cityof Tijuana to four towns in September. Another two carriersprobably will start operations by June, Lopez Meyer said. One issponsored by Mexican billionaires Carlos Slim and EmilioAzcarraga and the other is backed by Brazil's Gol Lineas AereasInteligentes SA. Mexico is Latin America's second-largest aviation marketafter Brazil, with 20 million passengers a year. To help lower fares, the Mexican government is expandingairport capacity and giving the startup carriers temporarysubsidies on services such as fuel delivery that reduceoperating costs by about 10 percent, Lopez Meyer said.Passengers get 50 percent off on airport tax when flying fromsecondary airports. Competitor Reaction Interjet, owned by the son and grandson of former MexicanPresident Miguel Aleman, can break even in a year by maintainingthe current fare structure so long as the planes fly 65 percentfull, Chief Executive Officer Jose Luis Garza said in aninterview in Mexico City. The carrier has a five-class faresystem with a 50-peso difference between them, he said. The Alemans spent $230 million to buy seven Airbus SAS'sA320 from insolvent Italian airline Volare Group SpA and putdown $60 million in equity capital to start Interjet, Garzasaid. Interjet placed firm orders for 10 new Airbus planes andhas options to buy another 10, which would demand investments of$1.2 billion, he said. Interjet has no debt. Reacting to increasing competition, Mexicana and Aeromexicointroduced promotional fares and expanded service to Toluca.Government-owned Aeromexico began flying to the industrial cityof Monterrey from Toluca on Dec. 14 for as little as 822 pesos.At Interjet, fares to Monterrey start at 745 pesos. ``I can make money at this price, but they can't,'' saidGarza, who served as chief financial officer of Aeromexicobetween 1988 and 1990. Airline Sale Discount airlines reduce investor interest in theprivatization auction for Mexicana and Aeromexico last month.The government sold just Mexicana and rejected bids forAeromexico, saying they were too low. Grupo Posadas SA, Mexico'slargest hotel chain, bought Mexicana for $165.5 million plusassumption of $1.27 billion in debt. Shares of Cintra SA, the holding company for Mexicana andAeromexico, tumbled 20 percent the day after the bids wereplaced Nov. 21 and another 18 percent in the three daysfollowing the auction results were announced Nov. 30. Thegovernment plans to put Aeromexico on the block again in early2006. ``We couldn't artificially halt the entry of the low-costairlines because of the sale of Cintra,'' Lopez Meyer said. ``Ifthere's interest in new carriers and all the requirements aremet, we have to issue a license by law.'' To contact the reporter on this story:Adriana Arai at aarai1@bloomberg.net Last Updated: December 23, 2005 13:57 EST ©2005 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved. Terms of Service Privacy Policy Trademarks Site Map Help Feedback About Bloomberg Log In/Register Advertising ??????