Tuesday 26 August 2008

Business travellers boost Virgin

Business travellers boost Virgin

Virgin Atlantic boss Steve Ridgway

Record numbers of business travellers have boosted profits at Virgin Atlantic despite sky-high fuel prices.

The airline, 51% owned by Sir Richard Branson, saw pre-tax profits hit £34.8m ($64m) in the 2007/2008 financial year, up from £6m the year before.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7581576.stm

Friday 22 August 2008

Penguin targets lonely bookworms

Interesting strategic alliance and synergies development

Penguin targets lonely bookworms
Penguin has launched an online dating website with Match.com to bring lovelorn literature fans together.

Members will be asked to list their favourite books in their profile and will be able to search for suitors with similar literary tastes.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7577132.stm

Halifax to close 53 estate agents

Strategic options and concentration on the core business

Halifax to close 53 estate agents
The Halifax has said it is to close 53 of its estate agency branches in a move that will lead to the loss of 100 jobs.

The firm said the closures followed the "significant decline" in the number of house sales over the past year.

Following the changes, the Halifax said it would focus on its core markets in the Midlands and North where it would operate 151 branches.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7576610.stm

BAA 'should sell three airports'

BAA 'should sell three airports'
BAA may have to sell three of its seven UK airports because of concerns about its market dominance, the Competition Commission has said.

The watchdog is recommending that the airport operator should have to sell two of its three airports in the South East - Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7571613.stm

Thursday 14 August 2008

BA seals alliance with American

BA seals alliance with American
British Airways says it has sealed an alliance with American Airlines that will allow the two carriers to fix fares, routes and schedules together.

The move will also include Spain's Iberia, which is merging with BA.

With aviation fuel prices near record levels and spending on air travel slowing, airlines are looking at ways to cut costs.

To read more:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7560790.stm

Never trust an economic forecast

An interesting article on forecasting and environmental scanning.


Never trust an economic forecast
By Tim Harford
Published: August 9 2008 01:20

When people discover that I am an economist, they rarely ask me for my views on subjects that economists know a bit about – such as how to respond to climate change or pay less at a supermarket. Instead they ask me what will happen to the economy

Read the whole article at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/867c0148-6353-11dd-9fd0-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1