Xtraordinay Adventures proposes budget space flights for rich folk

I would not believe that someone who had $100k to drop on a suborbital space flight would quibble much about an extra few grand or even an extra hundred grand. The folks with the disposable income to take a joy ride into space possibly don’t think twice about that kind of money.

A company called Xtraordinary Adventures has stated that it is pre-booking suborbital space flights on its reusable Lynx spacecraft for $95,000. The company points out that its cost is $7000 less than Space Adventures and $100,000 less than Virgin Galactic’s price.

To book your trips, which begin to launch in 2012, you require coughing up a $20,000 deposit. The flight will strike speeds up to mach 3.5 and your $95k gets you a four-day training session and a two-day brief before the flight.

Lufthansa Sees increase in 2010 Profit after Strong Quarter

German flagship airline Lufthansa said it predicts to post 2010 operating profit in line with market expectations as demand for air travel and cargo services picked up in the first half of the year.

The company had previously said it sees its 2010 operating profit beyond last year's 130 million euros (USD 169 million) as global economic recovery assists offset the negative impact of a volcanic ash cloud that swept across Europe in April.

On average, analysts anticipate Lufthansa to post 2010 operating profit of 399 million euros, according to a Reuters poll.

Lufthansa said late on Wednesday is still expects its full-year revenues to boost from 2009's 22.28 billion euros.

The carrier's optimism echoes European peers' latest statements.

Rival Air France-KLM on Tuesday revealed a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss as the fallout from April's ash crisis dropped into second place behind renewed evidence of an upswing in the economy.

Lufthansa's operating profit in the April-June period tripled to 159 million euros, exceeding the 123 million euro average approximation in a Reuters poll.

Etihad succeeds security approval for US flights from T3

Etihad Airways has been handed security approval to begin US flights from the new terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Passengers flying to Chicago and New York will currently check-in and board from Terminal 3 after the airline won the green light to operate flights to US destinations from the new terminal.

Premium customers flying to the US can at present access Etihad's First and Business class check-in and lounges in Terminal 3, news agency WAM reported. It is predictable that passenger numbers will reach this level in 2011.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways' chief commercial officer, said: "We are delighted to now be able to offer our US-bound customers the convenience and luxury of Terminal 3."