Air France-KLM's Q2 profit rises, helped by premium sales
Europe's major airlines have been watching for a possible dip in transatlantic travel as European travellers have shied away from booking trips to the United States this year.
But Air France-KLM highlighted its strategy focused on a new first-class cabin and strong sales for its premium economy cabin, particularly for KLM.
"We are advancing premiumization, pushing the boundaries of aspirational travel with enhanced products and services," Chief Executive Ben Smith said in a statement.
Second-quarter operating profit rose to 736 million euros ($845 million) from 513 million euros for the same quarter last year. That was broadly in line with the 760 million euros expected in an analyst poll compiled by LSEG.
The summer travel season is a key test of how well pricing power and booking trends are holding up for carriers like Air France-KLM heading into the second half of the year.
Air France-KLM previously said it had cut some economy fares to remain competitive. Still, it confirmed its outlook for the full-year.
($1 = 0.8713 euros)
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Telegraph
18 minutes ago
- Telegraph
An insider's guide to DAF, by owners of the quirky Dutch cars
While DAF Trucks have been a market leader for decades, the Dutch company's venture into the car industry was disappointingly brief – only 15 years, to be exact. During that time, about 750,000 cars rolled off the production line in Eindhoven, beginning with the DAF 600 that made its debut at the 1958 Amsterdam motor show. Several incarnations followed, including the most popular 33, 55 and 66 models. Some critics joked that DAFs were driven mainly by elderly ladies and were inconsequential, however such blinkered views failed to acknowledge that, in some respects, the cars were ahead of their time, most notably in their automatic transmission. The company's founders, the Van Doorne Brothers, strived to produce a car accessible to all but with some luxuries associated with more expensive vehicles, such as a self-shifting gearbox. Unheard of in small cars, DAF broke new ground by creating the Variomatic transmission – inspired by a belt-driven lathe in the factory – utilising a pulley/belt system to achieve a stepless, automatic gearchange and deliver optimal engine speed for any driving situation. Ironically, the system's popularity increased after DAF stopped producing cars when Ford and Fiat, among others, fitted a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to their smaller models. DAF's short flirtation with the car industry ended in 1973 when Volvo bought the brand. Several factors contributed to the company quitting the car market, including failure to expand sufficiently to compete with rivals and the founders' conservatism restricting the cars' performance potential. This side of the North Sea, DAF only started making headway in the small vehicle market during its final years; before then, import tariffs had been prohibitive until they were lifted when the UK joined the Common Market in 1973. Today, it's estimated that only about 120 DAFs remain on UK roads. We caught up with three devoted owners to understand the enduring appeal of the quirky Dutch cars. I have a long affinity with DAFs because not only did my mother drive one, but I grew up just down the road from the factory in the Netherlands. Often, I'd cycle to school past the plant and see the works rally cars leave for a competition – they drove them to events back then. I bought my 55 in 1997 for £800 after having my eye on it for ages. When it won our concours, I asked the owner for first refusal if he sold it. Luckily, he did. DAFs rarely come up for sale in the UK, but typically I'd expect a 55 Coupé to sell for around £3,500 to £5,500. However, mine is modified and rally-prepared. Similar modified cars have been offered in Holland for about €20,000 (£17,320). For years they were regarded as 'uncool', yet in recent times people have started to seek them out, precisely for that reason. I increased the power of my 55 by, among other things, upgrading the engine to a 1,397cc Renault engine from a Volvo 340. Power has increased from about 50bhp to an estimated 85bhp, although it's getting tired now. I have completed track days, hillclimbs and taken part in classic tours but nothing competitive these days. Now, I just take it out every fortnight – it's certainly a fun car to drive. While the Variomatic transmission makes them unusual to drive, they have a decent chassis, are cheap to run and enjoy fine handling and precise steering. They allow fast progress, particularly in hilly terrain with lots of curves, and always seem to be in the right gear, allowing me to keep up with more powerful cars. Although lightweight, DAFs are strong where it matters, as in the admittedly rather quirky belt-drive CVT transmission; you can tell it was designed by a truck manufacturer. Earlier variants don't have a differential, the difference in rear-wheel speed around bends being taken up by belt slip. That also gives the effect of a limited-slip differential, making them useful rally cars. The only disadvantages with DAFs are that they rust and parts usually have to be sought in the Netherlands, where the Dutch owners' club has several warehouses full of old stock and newly made parts. I paid £2,500 for my DAF in 2016. When I collected it from Yorkshire, the guy asked where my trailer was, explaining that the car hadn't done more than about 25 miles per year so assumed I would trailer it back to Hertfordshire. So, with no AA membership or radio in the car and only a mobile phone for company, I headed off. The DAF performed perfectly, returning 40-plus mpg on the run home – it never missed a beat. I rebuilt the engine recently and now drive the car almost daily. While we also have a Subaru, which is superbly comfortable and quick, its economy around town is frighteningly low, whereas the DAF returns up to 47mpg. In addition, it's exempt from Ulez (ultra-low emission zone) charges in the capital and, being so small, can squeeze into parking bays that would defeat the Subaru. It has a huge boot, too, so a supermarket trip is no problem either. But wherever we go, we frequently receive hoots from the drivers of DAF trucks. They are the easiest car in the world to drive. You start it in gear, which sounds odd but you get used to it, put your foot down and off you go! One pedal to go, one to stop. The engine revs bear no resemblance to the car's speed and the sensation of the car going progressively quicker, but the engine revs remaining constant, takes some getting used to. Unlike 'normal' [torque converter] automatics, DAFs don't creep forwards on tickover, so you simply bring it to a stop using the footbrake. Although it only has a 750cc engine, the way the transmission works means the car is always in the right gear. Being air-cooled, the engine is a little noisy when driven hard, although on reaching a cruising speed the transmission adjusts and the engine becomes quieter. Drum brakes, meanwhile, are fitted all round on the 33 and need a good shove to make an emergency stop; you have to read the road more than in a modern car. People ask why I drive a DAF and it's quite simple: I came from a DAF family. My late father had a penchant for unusual vehicles and, in the late 1960s, bought a 33 van for his electrical business. So impressed was he with the van that he bought a DAF 66 as our family car, while my grandfather opted for a 55. When I passed my driving test, I asked a dealer to look out for a second-hand 33, which he did, so I drove that for several years, before moving to 'sensible' cars. Fast forward to 2016 and partial retirement from work. Wanting something to tinker with, I found this DAF 33 and the circle is complete. I paid £400 for my 1,108cc aubergine-coloured 66 in 2000. It has 18,000 miles on the clock and, to be honest, I don't drive it enough, although it has made two trips to Holland for major DAF events and been back to its birthplace in Eindhoven. DAFs have good road manners plus excellent suspension similar to the Morris Minor: torsion bars in the front, elliptical leaf springs at the rear. When I bought the car, the Variomatic transmission needed work so I demounted it to replace the vacuum diaphragms, which was a heavy but fairly easy job. Also, I replaced parts of the braking system and gained an MOT less than 24 hours before heading to catch the ferry for a week in Holland. In the days when I taxed the car at the Post Office, I was often asked where I stored my truck; few people recall that DAF also made cars. 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Times
18 minutes ago
- Times
The Med ‘Isle of Beauty' where a week costs under £500 this summer
Nicknamed the Isle of Beauty, Corsica's dramatic cliffs, hilltop villages and more than 600 miles of coastline attract well-heeled French families, luxury-loving couples and glamorous yachties. Yet this French island southeast of the Côte d'Azur is relatively overlooked by British visitors who, deterred by sky-high summer prices, miss out on the island's turquoise coves, historic citadels and mountains crisscrossed by hiking trails. However, go at the very end of August and those with late-start school terms can grab a great deal on a family holiday. Seven nights' room only at Le Bella Vista, Hôtel Suites & Maisons costs £478pp for four with Thomas Cook, including Gatwick flights with easyJet departing on August 28 — that's less than half the price of the same package leaving four days earlier. Allowance for a small under-seat bag is included, or check in a 15kg case for an additional £98 return. Breakfast for the week can be added for £60pp. The hotel is a two-hour drive north of Figari airport, though taxis are expensive, so you're better off renting a car for the week for about £288 ( The three-star hotel is a short drive from the seafront resort of Porticcio, on the west coast of the island, overlooking the Bay of Ajaccio. The simply decorated duplex apartments sleeping four have sea views, all-white kitchens, a sofa bed for the kids, a mezzanine level with a double bed, and whitewashed exposed beams. There is a seasonal outdoor pool with a café, a bistro serving French-Asian fusion dishes and a fine-dining restaurant, Le Charlie, which earned a Michelin star this year, six months after opening (five courses for £82; Porticcio beach, a ten-minute walk away, is sandy and has ice-cream parlours, cafés and plenty of water sports, including guided kayaking tours of the Corsican coastline (£38; Jet Sensations offers jet ski rental (£43 for 15 minutes) or quad bikes for exploring inland (£82 for an hour; From the beach it's easy to jump on one of the regular 20-minute ferries to Ajaccio, the island capital (£7 return; The city is best known for being the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte and has a museum in his former family home (£6; After visiting it wander Ajaccio's smart, pastel-coloured waterfront, upmarket boutiques and picturesque old town with its lavish 16th-century cathedral, where Napoleon was baptised. For a more active day out try Mare e Monti Sud, a 50-mile hiking trail with panoramic sea views that begins near the hotel. Continue south to visit the red-roofed hilltop town of Sartène, which was attacked by pirates in the 16th century and is home to the Corsican Archaeology Museum, tracing the island's history to the Bronze Age (£3; Call in at the Domaine Fiumicicoli estate on the way back to stock up on fruity AOC-designated red wine made with nielluccio and sciaccarello grapes ( • 26 of the best things to do in Corsica • Return Gatwick-Figari flights, departing on August 28• Under-seat baggage allowance• Seven nights' room only at Bella Vista, Hôtel Suites & Maisons ( This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue Feeling flush? If you're inspired to visit Corsica and have more to spend, try one of these… The three-star Golfe Hôtel is on the outskirts of Porto-Vecchio, a historic town on the southeastern coast of Corsica with a 16th-century citadel, trendy marina and beautiful beaches. The quiet hotel is in a Mediterranean villa with a palm-tree-lined outdoor pool, a small fitness room with infrared sauna and a library stocked with board games. A café serves simple dishes and ice cream. Comfortable rooms are decorated in shades of chocolate brown, caramel and pops of ocean blue, and all have sleek wooden floors, contemporary furniture and views of the city or gardens. Details Seven nights' B&B from £1,113pp, including flights and private transfers, departing on August 28 ( • 14 of the best hotels in Corsica The four-star Corsican bolt hole L'A Cheda is tucked away in organic gardens and has 18 rooms in traditional stone buildings. Each is decorated using natural wood and traditional limestone plaster, and has a wooden deck overlooking the greenery. There is a heated outdoor pool with a Finnish sauna, a wellness centre for massages and a bar serving cocktails made with local ingredients. The hotel's acclaimed glass-walled restaurant serves fine-dining Corsican cuisine and hosts jazz brunches, tapas and music evenings and cooking classes. A free shuttle bus runs twice daily to nearby Bonifacio, with its walled citadel, restaurants and lively Seven nights' B&B from £1,965pp, including flights and car hire, departing on August 28 (
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Photos show costumed participants steer stand-up paddle boards at a festival in Russia
Thousands of people attend an annual festival where participants wear costumes and steer stand-up paddle boards down picturesque waterways in St. Petersburg, Russia.
