Cheaper air fares to U.K. with Laker

Press, 7 August 1978, Page 1

Cheaper air fares to U.K. with Laker

NZPA London The cost of travelling between New Zealand and Europe will drop once again following the introduction of Laker “Skyflights between London and los; Angeles. The cheap “Skytrain” service, which virtually revolutionised air travel between Britain and the eastern coast of the United States last year, will be permitted now to fly between London’s Gatwick Airport and Los Angeles by the British Government.

A spokesman for Laker Airways said that if United States Government approval came through as expected, flights to Los Angeles would probably start late next month. The Laker fare of 8NZ154 from London to Los Angeles will make the cheapest possible Auckland-to-Europe fare 8NZ477 when coupled with the existing Air New

Zealand Auckland-to-Los Angeles. budget fare of $NZ323—a saving of almost a third on the existing Auckland-to-London excursion fare of SNZ697. However, Christchurch and Wellington passengers have to add their domestic fares to Auckland to the fare.

Air New Zealand flies to London under a special arrangement with British Airways, where a British Airways crew takes over the New Zealand DC 10 on the United States-to-Britain section of the New Zeaiand-to-London route.

But a spokesman for Air New Zealand's London office gave a guarded welcome to the prospect of cheap Laker flights entering the route. The new fares could stimulate travel to the west coast of the United States, with possibly some overflow taking advantage of the lower fares to go on to New Zealand and the South Pacific.