Powered By Blogger

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Emirates Connects Top Travel Agents to Dubai and Singapore



Top ten corporate travel agents of Emirates airways in Nigeria are currently on a familiarisation trip toDubai and Singapore to  experience first-hand what the airline has to offer.


The agents will visit a number of five-star properties in Dubai, including the iconic Burj Al Arab, as well as experience a desert safari, with the Emirates Group’s destination management company, Arabian Adventures.

A highlight of the trip includes the flight from Dubai to Singapore on Emirates flagship A380 aircraft, which features and on-board lounge and shower spa. Emirates operates the largest A380 fleet in the world, with 45 currently in service and another 95 on order. The A380 flies to 25 destinations around the world, such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Sydney, Bangkok, New York and London.

The agents, who were selected based on their corporate sales performance, will also experience Singapore, including a city orientation tour, taking in the city’s famous sights and landmarks. They will also visit the famous Resorts World Sentona and go on the Singapore Flyer, the city’s giant Ferris wheel from where visitors can enjoy panoramic views.

“Not only is this trip intended to award our agents for their performance and contribution to Emirates, but it also provides them with a first-hand experience of what Dubai and Singapore has to offer. This will enable them convey to potential travellers what Emirates and these destinations has to offer based on personal experience”, said Manoj Nair, Emirates Regional Manager for West Africa.
“Both these destinations have much to offer the leisure and business traveller, and Nigeria is a very important market for Emirates. Over the last ten years we have experienced good growth in Nigeria, which is evidenced by our recent announcement to launch a new linked service to Abuja and Kano starting from 1 August this year,” he added.

The trip was arranged by Emirates Holidays and the Singapore Tourism Board.

Emirates currently operates a double daily flight from Lagos to Dubai, using its Boeing 777-300 ER. Passengers on-board the Lagos to Dubai Emirates flights can experience the airlines award-winning service by its multi-national cabin crew, ice entertainment system with 1500 channels of on-demand entertainment and gourmet cuisine. Emirates also offers passengers very generous baggage allowances of 50kg in First Class, 40kg in Business Class, and 30kg in Economy Class.

It connects people and places around the globe. Based in Dubai, it is one of the world’s most recognized airline brands through its support of premier sports and cultural events. The foremost airline has been inspiring and facilitating trade between Nigeria and the world since 2004, connecting Nigeria to over 140 destinations in 80 countries across six continents.

Emirates also connects millions of people on the ground each year through its other operations including Emirates Holidays, its destination marketing arm, and tour operator Arabian Adventures.  Seamless trade connections are supported through Emirates SkyCargo, its cargo division; a multinational and multicultural employer with over 160 nationalities working together.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific sign strategic alliance on services




Cathay Pacific Airways and Qatar Airways, members of the oneworld alliance, today announced a strategic agreement on services operated by both airlines between Hong Kong and Doha, effective 30 March 2014. Sales will commence on 25 February 2014.

The agreement between the two airlines is expected to generate a wide range of benefits for customers. Under the new agreement, Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways will each operate one flight between Hong Kong and Qatar daily, offering premium products and services to passengers travelling to and from the two cities.

Cathay Pacific makes its debut on the Doha route on 30 March, launching a daily service using Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a three-class configuration: Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class.

The new agreement will give customers of both airlines more opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer points or miles. Top-tier members from Cathay Pacifics The Marco Polo Club and Qatar AirwaysThe Privilege Club will enjoy reciprocal benefits when travelling on flights between Hong Kong and Qatar, including lounge access, extra baggage allowances, priority boarding and many other priority services.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive John Slosar said: Cathay Pacific has a strong commitment to serving the Middle East and we are pleased to enter into this agreement with oneworld partner Qatar Airways, and at the same time launch our own new service to Doha. This exciting business opportunity will help us maximise the potential of the market between Qatar and Hong Kong and enable both airlines to create synergies that will improve the overall travel experience for our customers.

Qatar Airways’ CEO Akbar Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways is delighted to extend our oneworld partnership with Cathay Pacific with this new initiative as it will offer our passengers the opportunity to enjoy an even greater range of five-star benefits. The advantages of this agreement, such as premium lounge access and extra baggage allowances, reflect our ongoing commitment to ensure that we offer the highest standard of in-flight experience.”

The combined Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways schedule for Hong Kong (HKG)-Doha (DOH) from 30 March 2014 is as follows (all times local):

Routing
Flight No.
Departure
Arrival
Day of the week
HKG-DOH
QR815 / CX 9201
0130
0540
Daily
HKG-DOH
CX645 / QR 5800
1840
2250
Daily
DOH-HKG
CX640 / QR 5801
0145
1440
Daily
DOH-HKG
QR816 / CX 9200
0740
2050
Daily
* Note: The schedule may change without prior notice.