Scoot has launched flights to Athens, the budget airline's first long-haul flight between Asia Pacific and Europe. According to a press release on Tuesday (Aug 16), the flights to the Greek capital will start from Jun 20, 2017. The journey is also the longest flight operated by a low-cost carrier, with a flight distance exceeding 10,000km. Scoot said the commencement of the service to Europe is part of the Singapore Airlines Group’s strategic move to “stimulate passenger traffic between Asia Pacific and Europe, as well as to boost connectivity through the Singapore hub”. The airline added that the airfares will be “pocket-friendly”. “Guests have requested us to fly to Europe for a while, and Scoot is excited to finally oblige,” said Lee Lik Hsin, CEO of Budget Airlines Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SIA Group.<br/>
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US News and World Report Tuesday released results for its annual survey of airline (and hotel) rewards programmes and, for a second year in a row, the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan got top honors. JetBlue’s TrueBlue programme was ranked No. 2. “By rewarding points based on the number of miles flown rather than dollars spent, [Alaska Airlines] makes it easier for budget-conscious travellers to earn free flights on its vast partner network,” US News and World Report said, adding that JetBlue’s programme gains high marks “because of its multiple ways to earn points, high airline quality performance and elite member perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding and expedited security.” The survey ranks 10 airline rewards programmes using six weighted categories: ease of earning a free round-trip flight, added benefits, network coverage, flight volume, award flight availability and airline quality ratings.<br/>
Thai AirAsia (TAA) parent Asia Aviation became the sole airline listed on the Stock Exhange of Thailand (SET) to declare a profit in Q2. AAV, which owns 55% of TAA, Thailand's biggest low-cost carrier, posted a 106% year-on-year jump in net profit to 766m baht for the April-June period. Reflecting its parent's performance, TAA made 768m baht in net profit, up 105% year-on-year, according to an AAV filing with the SET. TAA outshone three other SET-listed airlines, which reported negative results in the quarter. <br/>