Arcacian Airlines

Arcacian Airlines is the largest airline and flag carrier of Arcacia. From its hub at Providence International Airport it flies to 31 destinations on 4 continents. From its humble beginnings as a small inter-island passenger and mail service, it has grown to become one of Oceania's major carriers and one of Arcacia's most trusted brands.

History
In 1929, a petition was delivered to the Senate signed by over 2000 citizens calling for an inter-island aerial transport service. At that time, there were no bridges to the Cyrene Islands. Drivers had to endure up to 3 hours waiting time for a vehicular ferry. The crossing from Yorke to Holdfast Bay took an hour by itself. It could take someone 4 hours to travel the 32km from Yorke to Providence. The train terminated at Holdfast Bay and only ran 2 services a day on the branch line.

The Senate then put forth a referendum to start a national airline service. It passed unanimously. An envoy was then sent to the United States to find suitable aircraft. Months later, an ocean liner pulled into Sydney Harbour with the Arcacian envoy escorting the first Arcacian Airlines fleet. Two Ford Trimotors were unloaded and taken by railway to Kingsford-Smith Aerodrome. From there they were flown North to Arcacia, touching down in Providence Aerodrome, which is now the site of the modern airport's main terminal building.

One of the planes was used solely as an inter-island service, hopping between Providence, Broadalbin, Castlekeep, Yorke and Redding before heading back to Providence. A round trip took less than an hour. The service began in 1931 and was an enormous success. The other plane was used to fly passengers between Providence Aerodrome and Brisbane via Ballina. From there, passengers could get flights to Sydney and other destinations. It would also fly to Lycanthia twice a week.

15 years later, Arcacian Airlines purchased 3 Douglas DC-3s to compliment it's trusty Trimotors. After the conclusion of World War II, the skies over the Pacific once again became safe and the advances in military aircraft had spawned a successful passenger variant. Arcacian Airlines embraced the new technology which allowed direct flights to Sydney for the first time. It also meant that Saint Vincent, then an isolated territory of Arcacia, was able to be connected by air to Metropolitan Arcacia for the first time. Prior to this, the trip between Saint Vincent and Providence was a treacherous 2 week journey by sea and was only ever attempted out of need.

In 1949 the airline was looking for a suitable vehicle to expand its operations even further. They found it in the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. The most luxurious aircraft of its time, and the biggest, Arcacian Airlines began operating a single Stratocruiser in 1950, flying to New Zealand and Singapore.

In 1952 they purchased a second Stratocruiser. One was sent on a monthly jaunt, island hopping across the Pacific and the other ventured into Asia and on to Europe. It was first class all the way and only the very wealthy could afford to fly on these adventurous routes.

For a decade, these three aircraft were the mainstay of the airline. Arcacian Airlines was reluctant to join the jet age after the disasters that plagued the early jetliners. However, with the release of the de Havilland Comet 4C, Arcacian Airlines decided to take the plunge. Providence International Airport had been opened with a runway capable of handling the new-fangled jets

In 1961 Arcacian Airlines bought 4 Comets, in a turning point for the airline and for transport in Arcacia in general. They replaced the Stratocruiser, which was now seen as lumbering and slow compared with the new technology. The old paddlesteamer ferries were replaced with diesel, which enabled hourly trips between the islands. The Arcacian National Railway was also expanded. 30 years after they started service, giving birth to the airline, the Ford Trimotors were finally retired.

The Comets took over the Pacific and European routes, as well as the flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart and Saint Vincent. The DC-3 was still used for the shorter flights to Brisbane and Lycanthia for another decade. The new jets were cheaper to run, had room for more passengers and were the fastest thing any Arcacian had ever seen.

In 1971 Arcacian Airlines introduced the Boeing 737 into service. In another watershed moment, the airline bought enough 737s to replace its entire fleet. The DC-3 was the next plane to be retired, though the Comet continued in service until 1979.

From the late 1980s until 2001 Arcacian set about replacing its entire fleet with the 737-400 model which was perfect for short hops as well as trans-Tasman routes. Arcacian Airlines also began expanding it's long-haul fleet and by 2008 had 17 aircraft.

In 2011, the airline took delivery of 6 brand new Boeing 737-800s to replace the -400s. It also replaced the 767s with 787 Dreamliners and the 747s with Airbus A380s.

Services
Although Arcacian Airlines is, strictly speaking, a full service airline, it offers a nested ticket structure which allows passengers to choose anything from a no-frills A-to-B service, to full service and everything in between, except on short duration flights, where no in-flight service is offered.

Food and Beverages
Arcacian Airlines offers a range of menu choices, with options ranging from quick and easy ready meals through to haute cuisine. First and Business Class passengers are offered a wide variety of chef-prepared meals, cheeses and wines, whilst Economy Class passengers are offered a selection of freshly prepared catered meals ranging from a light snack through to hearty dinners. Passengers who have purchased an Easy Saver fare are able to purchase food and drinks on board.

In Flight Entertainment
Available on all aircraft except the Embraers, the airline has an on-demand entertainment service. Each aircraft carries a large database of movies, TV shows, music, games and even e-books. Passengers are able to access any content they choose at any time. Passengers are even able to play games against each other, regardless of where they are on the plane. Passengers who have purchased an Easy Saver fare are able to purchase access to the system on board.

Reservation and Check-In
Passengers have the option of a totally automated reservation and check-in. Reservations can be made online and automatic check-in kiosks are available at Providence, Saint Vincent, and Lycanthia airports. Passengers who have purchased an Easy Saver fare and wish to purchase a checked baggage allowance can do so at the check-in desk, or by credit card at an automated check-in kiosk.

Blue Streak Rewards
Blue Streak Rewards is Arcacian Airlines' frequent flyer programme. In 2007, the airline partnered with the Bank of Arcacia to offer a companion credit card. In 2009, a companion debit MasterCard was also offered for those not wishing to open a credit account. Points accrue at the same rate on either card.

The way points are earned is somewhat unique to the programme. Points are awarded by cost of fare for flights under 2000NM. Longer flights earn points under the mile-for-mile scheme. The programme has 3 status levels: Blue, Silver and Gold, with the range of benefits increasing with each level. Members with a companion credit or debit card receive double points if they pay there airfare using their card. Blue members earn 5 points per dollar, Silver members earn at 6 points, and Gold members earn 7. At all status levels, points earned under the mile-for-mile scheme nets 1 point for every nautical mile of the flight.

Arcacian offers "any seat, any time" reward flight availability. The amount of points required to redeem an award seat directly corresponds to the current fare of that seat, allowing any seat currently available to be redeemed.

Club Arcacian
Club Arcacian, primarily aimed at Business and First Class passengers, is an all-inclusive waiting lounge available on a membership fee, or a casual fee basis. Services provided include buffet food and refreshments, newspapers, showers, computers and WiFi internet access.

Club Access
Members are permitted to enter the lounge when flying on Arcacian Airlines, SouthAir, Air Lycanth, Australian Airlines or East-West Airlines on the day of travel, along with one guest who need not be travelling. Single passes are available to non-members. Complimentary access is provided for Blue Streak Gold members and Premium Economy passengers.

Locations

 * Providence - First floor, after the security checkpoint, between Aeroquays 1 and 2.
 * Saint Vincent - Ground floor, after security checkpoint, near gate 1.
 * Lycanthia - First floor, after security checkpoint, northern end of terminal.

Australia Lounge
 * Sydney - Terminal 2, To the right of security or via escalator from the food court on the concourse level.
 * Melbourne - Terminal 3, Down check-in escalators to the left of security check point.

Destinations

 * Main article: Arcacian Airlines Destinations

Arcacian Airlines flies to 31 cities on 4 continents.

Codeshare Agreements
Besides other Dove Alliance members, Arcacian Airlines has a codeshare agreement with Lufthansa between Frankfurt and New York in order to provide round-the-world travel.

Arcacian Airlines Shuttle
Arcacian Airlines Shuttle is an air shuttle service between Providence International Airport and Aéroport Lycanth. It operates six return flights every day using a single dedicated Embraer E-170. A flight typically takes less than 20 minutes and so only Easy Saver fares are offered. There is no on-board food service or entertainment, although cabin crew are on board and do offer tea, coffee and biscuits and water to passengers. The Shuttle is an extremely important link between Arcacia and Lycanthia, which, along with the four flights operated by Air Lycanth, are almost constantly full. The Shuttle is predominantly used by the business community but is increasingly popular with regular travellers due to the low cost and ease of use.

Fleet

 * Main article: Arcacian Airlines Fleet

Arcacian Airlines operates 17 passenger aircraft. Currently, only the Airbus A380 and 787 are fitted with 3 classes of service (First, Business and Economy), whilst the Boeing 737 is fitted with First and Economy classes. The remainder of the fleet is single-class Economy. The Airbus A380 also includes 6 Gold Class suites and 40 Premium Class seats and berths. Premium Class passengers sit in seats with extra legroom on the lower deck and have access to berths on the upper deck.