Big Fat Airline Wrap
This Airline Wrap was a labour of love for us, with every word written with care. Alright, we admit it, the intern wrote this one.
New lounge for Heathrow’s Terminal 5
A new Plaza Premium Lounge opened in London Heathrow Terminal 5 last week. It is the first lounge in the terminal for Plaza Premium Group and has spectacular views across the runway.
Aimed at both business and leisure travellers, lounge access including a fully tended bar serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, fresh seasonal hot and cold food from the buffet and highspeed Wi-Fi.
Lounge users can avail themselves of shower facilities to refresh for the next stage of their journey, plenty of comfortable seats, work stations and plenty of charging outlets.
Emirates and flydubai Further Expand Partnership, Announce New Codeshare Destinations
Building on the success of the initial phase of their partnership, Emirates and flydubai today announced 16 additional destinations to which Emirates’ passengers will be able travel on a single ticket. The new, expanded network now includes sought-after destinations such as Zanzibar, Kathmandu and Kilimanjaro.
Travellers can book on Emirates.com, through Emirates’ Contact Centres, or via travel agents for travel commencing from 8 November 2017.
Emirates President, Sir Tim Clark said: “We are thrilled with the positive response from travellers. Nearly 14,000 sectors have been ticketed during the first week of operation, surpassing our expectations. We have witnessed strong demand for travel from Europe and the United States to South Asian destinations.”
Special early bird fares to Singapore, UK and Europe
British Airways launches special early bird fares on flights from Australia to the UK, Europe and Asia. These offers are available for booking from now until midnight on 30 November 2017 and are valid for travel until 31 October 2018. Round trip fares to Singapore start from $669* in World Traveller economy class and from $1,273* to the UK and Europe.
Nicole Backo, British Airways’ regional general manager, South West Pacific, said, “Now is the right time to book for travellers who would like to benefit from our special early bird fares. The long travel window means customers can plan their travel well into 2018. We have prices to suit all budgets therefore we urge travellers to book quickly as seats are limited.
“We provide customer the chance to visit the famous landmarks of London, the vibrant markets of Singapore or explore the beauty of Europe. Customers travelling with British Airways have the added advantage of transiting through two of the world’s award-winning airports, Singapore Changi Airport and London Heathrow for onward flights to the UK, Europe and beyond.
Cruz announces AUD$7.7bn investment to make a ‘British Airways for everyone’
British Airways’ chief executive Alex Cruz pledged today that the airline’s new AUD$7.7bn (£4.5bn) investment programme would improve the flying experience for all customers.
Reaffirming British Airways as a premium airline committed to customer choice, he outlined the unprecedented competitive pressure the company faced and voiced his determination to create a stronger national carrier to benefit customers and remain at the forefront of world aviation.
Speaking at the World Travel Market in London, Mr Cruz said his strategy at British Airways was designed to enable increased investment for customers and wider availability of affordable fares.
Sunshine Coast Airport named Asia-Pacific’s best airport under 10 million passengers
Sunshine Coast Airport’s tremendous success, progress and achievements over the past year has seen it named the Asia-Pacific Small Airport of the Year in the CAPA Asia Pacific Aviation Awards for Excellence announced at a ceremony held in Singapore.
Sunshine Coast Airport was recognised in the category for airports with fewer than 10 million passengers for performance and strong industry leadership during the last 12 months.
Mayor Mark Jamieson said the acknowledgement by independent international aviation industry experts was very high praise for Sunshine Coast Airport.
“This achievement further demonstrates the regard in which Sunshine Coast Airport is held throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” Mayor Jamieson said.
Latest updates from Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways is pleased to announce that it will launch flights to Thessaloniki, Greece next year. The award-winning airline will operate four weekly flights to the Greek city commencing 27 March 2018.
Qatar Airways is pleased to announce the launch of its frequent flyer programme partnership with its longstanding codeshare partner, Bangkok Airways. Qatar Airways Privilege Club members can now earn and redeem Qmiles on all flights operated by Bangkok Airways.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker was welcomed by the Chairman of Council of Ministers for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr. Denis Zvizdić during his recent visit to Sarajevo.
British Airways re-unites couple living 10,000 miles apart
British Airways has reunited couple Lisa Harris and, Brisbane local Hayley Angell, who, due to a family tragedy, live 10,000 miles apart in the UK and Australia.
Lisa wrote in to the airline’s BA Magic campaign to tell their story. She explained the couple had met in Australia in 2011 and moved together to the UK in 2012. Just before Hayley’s 30th birthday, Lisa took her to Paris and proposed. Hayley said yes, and the pair married in a beautiful ceremony in Derby surrounded by friends and family in August 2015.
The only people that couldn’t be there were Hayley’s family in Australia – her mother, Debbie and her father, Steve. Steve was recovering from Stage 4 tongue cancer and Debbie has the degenerative condition, Muscular Dystrophy, so the journey was just too much. They were there thanks to Facetime technology though, with Steve delivering a very proud father-of-the-bride speech.
The happy couple moved to Glasgow, where Lisa started her dream job as a police officer in one of the city’s most deprived areas, while Hayley pursued her passion, establishing herself as a blogger and vlogger of all things vintage.
Island Air to take its last flight after 37 years of service to Hawaii
Hawaii Island Air, Inc. (Island Air) announced today it will be closing operations as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 11, 2017.
As a result of this announcement, all Island Air passengers must make alternative arrangements for interisland transportation, effective this Saturday, November 11, 2017.
Earlier this month, Island Air was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an effort to continue operations following threats of legal action by the Lessors of Island Air’s aircraft to ground and repossess the company’s fleet.
Island Air was unable to locate a new investor or lender to provide funding to support airline flight operations and a successful reorganization.
Qatar Airways doubles weight allowance for transporting domestic pets as baggage
Qatar Airways has responded to demand from passengers seeking to transport their pets around the world by reducing the price to the lowest rates ever into and out of Doha. As the only airline that will carry pets as excess baggage to and from Qatar, the airline has gone beyond expectations and reduced the cost of travelling with a pet.
While it used to cost pet owners and animal refuges approximately USD400 to transport a large dog to Europe or the Americas on another carrier, the same journey will now cost just USD300 on Qatar Airways out of Doha. This significant cost reduction means that it will now be easier than ever for passengers to travel with their beloved pets.
The airline has also more than doubled the weight allowance for domestic pets to travel on the same flight as their owners as checked-in baggage, by increasing the weight limit for pets and their containers from 32kgs to a generous 75kgs.
The move is set to position Qatar Airways as the airline of choice for people seeking to transport their pets around the world. It follows an increase in demand from passengers wanting to travel on the same flight as their domestic pets, or from animal refuges relocating stray animals to new homes overseas.
Pan Pacific Singapore Launches New Pacific Hospitality Lounge
Pan Pacific Singapore is pleased to launch the Pacific Hospitality Lounge on its lifestyle floor on Level 4, catered to hotel guests who require a resting area due to early arrivals or for those with late night departures.
The lifestyle floor also houses the gym, swimming pool and St Gregory spa. The 93 sqm Pacific Hospitality Lounge, in warm earthy tones with stylish accents of brown, black and silver, offers comfortable sofa seating, a work area with a computer, an OSIM massage chair, the latest news on TV via Channel News Asia as well as complimentary Wifi.
Complimentary refillable coffee, tea and water and a selection of international and local newspapers and magazines are also made available for the guests.
Island Air focuses on assisting employees
While Island Air today focused on completing its scheduled flights and serving its passengers, the airline has been working to connect its team members with prospective employers as the company prepares to cease operations at midnight tonight.
Island Air officials have been in communication with businesses around the state that have expressed interest in assisting the employees. In addition, Island Air is working with these and other prospective employers to schedule a job fair for the employees in the near future.
Etihad Airways marks opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi with A380 fly-by
Hundreds of visitors from around the world, attending yesterday’s official public opening celebrations of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, were treated to a low-level fly-by of the Jean Nouvel designed museum by one of Etihad Airways’ flagship Airbus A380 aircraft.
Sporting the airline’s ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ livery, the aircraft chosen for the display now also features Louvre Abu Dhabi’s official logo on each of its four engines, to promote the opening of the institution.
Etihad Airways also took the opportunity to capture a series of spectacular images from the fly-by, and commissioned a short video directed by up-and-coming Emirati director, Ahmed Abdulqader, shot from the flight deck of the aircraft and from within Louvre Abu Dhabi, to celebrate the historic occasion. Two specially equipped helicopters were also positioned above the capital to capture air-to-air filming of the aircraft as it flew over the museum, located in the UAE capital’s Saadiyat Cultural District.
SAA announces great value economy and business class sale to Africa
South African Airways has launched some great value economy and business class flight specials from Australia to South Africa for sale from now until November 16, 2017.
SAA’s Country Manager for Australasia Tim Clyde-Smith said the limited-time only fares offer Australian travellers some of the lowest available fares to the African continent.
“We’re offering all-inclusive economy class flights from Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to Johannesburg from $1077, while business class fares start at $3897,” Tim said.
These fares offer great value for Aussies wanting to tick Africa off their bucket list, but only for a limited time,” he said.
Global first: Green dry ice a win for airlines and the environment
Airline catering company, Gate Gourmet has partnered with synthetic dry ice provider, EcoSlice to test a more environmentally friendly dry ice on board commercial aircraft. The pilot trial is the first of its kind for global commercial aviation.
Gate Gourmet and EcoSlice’s green dry ice project received the prestigious Innovation Award in the recent 2017 NSW Green Globe Awards. Presented by The Office of Environment and Heritage in a ceremony at the Art Gallery of NSW, the Green Globe Awards are the NSW Government’s awards for leadership, commitment and innovation in sustainability.
Gate Gourmet’s Head of Compliance, Mark Naylor said the airline caterer has completed real-time aircraft trials with great success.
“Reducing our environmental impact is a guiding principle not only for Gate Gourmet but for aviation and food manufacturing in general – it’s part of our responsibility to our airline customers, their airline passengers and the aviation industry,” Naylor said.
Qatar Airways Supports Inaugural Autism Awareness Gala Fundraiser
As part of its ongoing commitment to social responsibility, Qatar Airways continued its long-standing support of autism awareness at the inaugural Autism Awareness Fundraising Gala hosted by The Embassy of the State of Qatar and Autism Speaks in Washington D.C. on 8 November, 2017.
Established in 2005, Autism Speaks is an organisation dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. This is achieved through advocacy and support, increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism, and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is proud to lend its support to the inaugural Autism Awareness Gala Fundraiser and to join the Embassy of the State of Qatar in continuing efforts to expand autism awareness and create communities that are more inclusive – both on the ground and in the air. We are deeply committed to accommodating all of our passengers on every leg of their journey, which is why we actively educate our staff and crew on how to most effectively offer support to those with autism and their families.”
Double Avios offer on all British Airways routes and cabins
British Airways Executive Club Members can earn double the number of Avios than usual when booking flights across the airline’s network between now and December 31, 2017 for travel within the same period.
The offer applies to all routes and across all cabins, including First, Club World business class, World Traveller Plus premium economy and World Traveller economy class on long-haul services, and Club Europe business class and Euro Traveller economy class on short-haul and domestic flights.
Nicole Backo, British Airways’ regional general manager, South West Pacific, said: “We know our Executive Club members love to have a range of ways to collect and spend Avios so we think this offer will prove really popular. Travel is available across all our routes and cabins and even covers the festive period.”
Emirates unveils brand new cabins for its Boeing 777 fleet
Emirates has unveiled completely refreshed interiors for its Boeing 777 aircraft, including its highly anticipated new First Class private suites.
With floor to ceiling sliding doors and sleek design features inspired by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Emirates’ new suites takes luxury and privacy to the next level. Offering up to 40 square feet of personal space each, these spacious, fully-enclosed private suites are laid out in a 1-1-1 configuration.
From First Class through to the Business and Economy Class cabins, all along the walkways, in the washrooms and galleys, the latest Emirates 777 aircraft boasts a multi-million dollar upgrade that includes newly-designed seats and upgraded inflight entertainment systems in all cabins.
Emirates places US$15.1 billion order for 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners at 2017 Dubai Airshow
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, today announced a US$ 15.1 billion (AED 55.4 billion) commitment for 40 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners.
In the presence of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group signed the agreement with Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister on the opening day of the 2017 Dubai Airshow.
Sheikh Ahmed said: “Emirates’ orders today will be delivered from 2022, taking the airline well into the 2030s. Some of these will be replacements so that we maintain a young and efficient fleet, and others will power our future network growth. We see the 787 as a great complement to our 777 and A380 fleet, providing us with more flexibility to serve a range of destinations as we develop our global route network.”
Hawaiian Airlines Commemorates 88 Years of Service
Hawaiian Airlines, one of the nation’s longest-serving carriers, today celebrated its 88th anniversary at a dedication ceremony for the new Charles I. Elliott Maintenance and Cargo Facility, named in honor of the man who piloted the company’s maiden flight from Honolulu to Hilo on this day in 1929.
The 21-acre site includes a 95,800 square-foot aircraft hangar that can accommodate up to five Boeing 717 aircraft at the same time, indoor maintenance and cargo operations, a two-level office building and 143-stall parking lot.
Hawaiian’s previous open-air maintenance hangar and cargo facilities have been in use since 1962, when what is now Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) was first built. Following more than half a century of operations in the now outgrown and outdated facilities, the next chapter of the airline’s history began this week as employees started moving in to the new building.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
abu dhabi aircraft airline british airways emirates hawaiian Island Air qantas qatar virginLatest News
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