November 1, 2021 – Etihad Airways has announced the launch of flights to the holy city of Medina from 27 November 2021.
Three weekly Medina flights starting 27 November 2021
Medina will be served three times weekly from Abu Dhabi using a modern two-class Airbus A321.
Fatma Al Mehairi, Vice President Sales UAE at Etihad Airways, said: “We look forward to reconnecting Abu Dhabi with Medina, a city of enormous historic and religious significance for Muslims around the world. Our flights will support the growing demand for religious travel and strengthen the existing air links between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, a key travel market for Etihad Airways.”
The service has been timed to provide religious, leisure and business travellers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with convenient flight options as well as connect seamlessly to major cities in the Indian Subcontinent and Asia for those travelling to and from Medina through Abu Dhabi.
Located in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, Medina is a three-hour flight from Abu Dhabi. The city is home to Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque and burial site and an important holy place for Muslim pilgrims.
The country’s two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina are allowing full-capacity attendance for worshippers who are fully vaccinated following an easing of restrictions earlier in October 2021.
Medina will be Etihad’s fourth destination in Saudi Arabia after Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh. The route was established in 2014 but was temporarily suspended in 2020 as a result of travel restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guests flying to Medina are not required to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated with either two doses of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, or have received two doses of Sinopharm or Sinovac plus one dose of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna.
Travellers can fly with complete peace of mind thanks to the Etihad Wellness programme, which includes complimentary COVID-19 insurance for all passengers, valid for travel until 31 March 2022.
Flight schedule for Medina flights effective 27 November 2021. Subject to change.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
Ocotber 29, 2021 – Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s ultra-low-fare national airline, announces today a new route connecting Moscow with Abu Dhabi.
The UAE has long been a popular travel destination for those in Russia, and vice versa. The flight to Moscow will operate daily services, four times a week on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday (in December 2021 and January2022), ramping up to seven days a week in February. Tickets are on sale on wizzair.com and WIZZ mobile app with fares starting as low as 49.99 EUR *.
The Moscow route brings Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to a total of 33 announced flight destinations, since it launched operations in January 2021. The airline has been going from strength to strength after travel restrictions in and out of the UAE’s capital were eased in September 2021. This latest route addition connects Abu Dhabi International Airport to Moscow and provides affordable travel opportunities for both business and leisure travellers between the UAE and Russia. This new service allows travellers to experience each of the capitals’ rich cultures and history with a convenient WIZZ flight schedule
Speaking at the Wings of the Future conference in Moscow today, József Váradi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Wizz Air said: “Today’s announcement underlines our commitment to bringing a growing number of low-fare opportunities for Russian travellers, and importantly, Wizz Air’s long-term strategic interest in the Russian market. With this new route, we are looking forward to opening up a Middle Eastern gem to Russian travellers, while allowing them to experience our high-quality on the young and sustainable fleet of our newest national airline, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. It is with excitement and great pleasure that I welcome passengers on board this new route.”
Dmitry Saprykin, Director General of Vnukovo International Airport JSC, said “On behalf of Vnukovo International Airport, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome the broadening of our cooperation with the Wizz Air Group of Companies – one of our leading international partners. As of December 15, 2021, the Group’s scheduled passenger services to Budapest, Debrecen (operated by Wizz Air Hungary), and London (operated by Wizz Air UK), will be complemented by scheduled rotations to Abu Dhabi, to be operated by Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. Over the years of our happy and most rewarding cooperation, Wizz Air has truly become a household name in Moscow and Russia, by winning over the traveling public’s affections and trust, thanks to the dependable, high quality, yet affordable service the companies of the Group invariably offer, further enhanced by their vast destination and optimum flight schedule offering. Of particular note and inspiration is the fact that the companies of the Wizz Air Group continue to actively pursue the strategy of expanding their route networks and offering their passengers ever more convenient and affordable air travel options in these particularly trying times and circumstances. All done with the emphasis on strictest compliance with the latest air travel safety and social distancing requirements that currently apply.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
Traveling through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will be even easier for Delta customers enrolled in TSA PreCheck starting next month with the expansion of new facial recognition capabilities and the opening of the first-ever Delta-TSA PreCheck® express lobby and bag drop.
Customers with both the Fly Delta app and a TSA PreCheck membership will soon be able to visit a new dedicated bag drop lobby on the lower level of Atlanta’s Domestic South Terminal, pass through the security checkpoint, and board their plane at the gate using only their “digital identity“ (made up of a customer’s SkyMiles Member number, passport number and Known Traveler Number). Customers are free to travel from curb to gate, completely hands- and device-free.
“We want to give our customers more time to enjoy travel by unlocking simplified, seamless and efficient experiences from end to end,” said Byron Merritt, Delta’s Vice President of Brand Experience Design. “Delta has been a leader in testing and implementing facial recognition technology since 2018 as part of our vision for building airports that are effortless. The launch of Atlanta’s express lobby and bag drop is the latest step in our commitment to listening and innovating for our customers.”
Here’s how Delta’s new experience will ease transit through three airport touchpoints in Atlanta:
Delta is setting a new standard for the industry as the first and only airline to build a dedicated bag drop space for TSA PreCheck customers. In Atlanta, a sleek new facility features fully automated self-serve bag drop machines – allowing for a quick and easy drop.
After checking in on the Fly Delta app, customers can enter the dedicated lobby area, conveniently located next to the rideshare drop-off area on the lower level of Atlanta’s Domestic South Terminal. They’ll quickly verify their identity via a hands-free facial scan, print and attach a bag tag from a self-serve kiosk, and place their bag on the conveyer.
Not only does the new experience streamline steps required to check a bag, but it also saves customers an average of more than two minutes (and more during peak travel times) by allowing them to skip the lines inside the main airport lobby.
The space will open next month ahead of the holiday travel season. In Detroit, eligible customers will be able to enjoy self-serve bag tagging and a dedicated Delta bag drop queue at the Delta check-in counter later this fall.
After a short walk from bag drop to security, eligible customers will once again use a quick facial scan to pass through the domestic checkpoint in dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes – no need to show a government ID or boarding pass.
In Atlanta, customers will also have the benefit of industry-leading, more efficient security scannersthat allow travelers to keep electronics and approved liquids in carry-on bags. As always, CLEAR remains a good choice for members who prefer to use its services.
When it’s time to board, customers will swap a facial scan for a boarding pass, just as they did at bag drop and the security checkpoint. One photo, and they are ready to board.
In Atlanta, T1-T8 gates will be the first to offer a facial recognition option for domestic boarding. Gates A10 and A12 will offer the same digital identity-enabled boarding in Detroit.
“This element of the customer journey is possible thanks to our strong partnerships with TSA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and airport leadership, which were built over years of testing and perfecting facial recognition options for international customers,” said Greg Forbes, Delta’s Managing Director – Airport Experience. “Delta is writing the playbook for the industry as the first and only carrier to test this experience with TSA and TSA PreCheck.”
“We are glad to support self-service technologies that enhance security and reduce physical contact for passengers and TSA employees,” said Atlanta’s TSA Federal Security Director Robert Spinden. “This is one of many such pilots at domestic airports, and we look forward to continuing to test new initiatives with airline and interagency partners.”
Customers with an active Delta SkyMiles membership, Known Traveler Number and passport details saved to their profile can opt in when checking in for their flight using the Fly Delta app. If a customer does not want to participate in this option, they can choose not to opt in and proceed through the airport as preferred – participation is voluntary. Delta does not save or store any biometric data, nor does it plan to.
Delta teams are working to expand the airline’s facial recognition-enabled offerings both in scale and scope so more customers can experience a hands-free journey in the future.
With ongoing enhancements to the customer experience both in the air and on the ground – and even more destinations on the map in 2021-2022 – Delta is giving customers more to look forward to as they continue returning to the skies.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
Qantas Airways Ltd said on Friday it would speed up plans to restart flights to many destinations and use some bigger planes amid “massive demand” for international flying as quarantine restrictions ease for Australian citizens.
All 11,000 of the airline’s staff idled without pay, around half its workforce, will return to work by early December as domestic and international flying returns to more normal levels, the airline said.
Qantas will bring back two of its flagship Airbus SE A380 super-jumbos in April – three months earlier than planned – and is in talks with Boeing Co about the delivery of three new 787-9s in storage to accelerate its international flight plans.
Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said that for four of the last five weeks, the airline’s international sales were stronger than domestic sales for the first time since the pandemic began.
“There is massive demand for Australians wanting to see their family and relatives,” he told reporters. “There is massive demand for loved ones wanting to get together for Christmas. There is demand for people wanting to take that holiday that they have been looking forward to for nearly two years.”
The state of New South Wales, home to Sydney, last week said it would allow the entry of fully vaccinated travellers from overseas from Nov. 1 without the need for quarantine, although the easing of strict entry controls will initially benefit only citizens and permanent residents.
Qantas said it would launch a new route from Sydney to New Delhi on Dec. 6 and bring forward plans for flights to Singapore, Fiji, Johannesburg, Bangkok and Phuket due to the New South Wales rule change.
Neighbouring Victoria state, home to Australia’s second-largest city Melbourne, on Friday announced a similar policy from Nov. 1.
Qantas said it would bring forward the start of flights from Melbourne to London by six weeks to Nov. 6 and to Singapore by three weeks to Nov. 22. It will look at bringing forward other destinations if possible.
Joyce said Qantas was also hopeful Indonesia would relax quarantine rules for Australians, allowing its low-cost arm Jetstar to begin flights to Bali by Christmas.
“It will be in the early new year at the latest, I think, and we’ve got aircraft ready to go,” he said.
For the airline to make a full recovery in its loss-making international business, Australian rules will need to be eased further to allow international students, business travellers and tourists to enter the country.
Hong Kong and mainland China have also maintained tight quarantine rules that have stopped Qantas from resuming flights.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
Business air travel is recovering faster than expected and should remain solid through the winter, the chief executive of Germany’s Lufthansa said in remarks published on Monday.
Meanwhile private travel is seeing an “extension of the summer season” as people catch up on flights they were not able to take immediately after the onset of the pandemic, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr told Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung.
“In addition, we are seeing a positive trend in business travel, which was still at a low level in the third quarter and is now picking up strongly,” Spohr said in an interview.
Global air travel was brought to a standstill by the coronavirus pandemic, forcing Lufthansa into a multi-billion dollar bailout by the German government.
Lufthansa expects the level of business travel in the medium term to be around 90% or more of what it was before COVID-19.
“There will … be no sudden drop in demand in winter this year,” he said of the outlook for business travel as demand tends to fade less in that segment in winter and the “good development” in bookings is expected to last until December.
“Business travel has returned faster and more strongly than expected,” Spohr said, adding that it was being felt in particular in the German, Swiss, Austrian, Belgian and northern Italian markets, where more flights have been added.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
October 27, 2021 – American Airlines is redesigning its award-winning AAdvantage® loyalty program, ridding it of complicated elite qualifying metrics for an easy-to-understand point system that provides multiple ways to earn status. In 2022, AAdvantage members can earn status by flying, using an AAdvantage credit card for purchases or spending with an AAdvantage partner.
“Loyalty should be simple, and we have reimagined our AAdvantage program to a single point system that provides a clear path to earning status for our members,” said Chief Customer Officer Alison Taylor. “For our loyal members, the message is simple: Earn AAdvantage miles, earn status — whether that’s by flying on American or by spending on everyday activities. We thank our members for their continued loyalty and look forward to this renewed relationship as we enter 2022.”
Achieving AAdvantage status
For every qualifying AAdvantage mile earned, members will earn one Loyalty Point. Here’s how to earn points:
Members can earn Loyalty Points by flying on American or one of its eligible partner airlines.
Don’t fly often, no problem. Join fellow AAdvantage members who will earn Loyalty Points every year just by shopping online or dining out.
AAdvantage 2022 status requirements
Status
Loyalty Points
Gold
30,000
Platinum
75,000
Platinum Pro
125,000
Executive Platinum
200,000
Extending status and a chance to double dip
To thank our members for their continued loyalty, American is extending all current members AAdvantage status through March 31, 2022.
And members can also double dip as any qualifying activity earned in January and February will count towards both 2022 and 2023 AAdvantage status. This gives members an extra two months to earn elite status for both years.
In the future, members will qualify for status from March through February, with status valid through March 31 of the following year.
Unlock Loyalty Choice Rewards
Next year, AAdvantage members can unlock Loyalty Choice Rewards, formerly called elite choice rewards. Loyalty Choice Rewards is a menu of rewards awarded to members that earn Platinum Pro status or higher and fly at least 30 flights on American or qualifying partner airlines.
Members can select the Loyalty Choice Reward they value the most, including an Admirals Club day pass, systemwide upgrades or bonus AAdvantage miles. Additional Loyalty Choice Rewards are available to unlock as members accrue more Loyalty Points.
About American Airlines Group American’s purpose is to care for people on life’s journey. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL and the company’s stock is included in the S&P 500. Learn more about what’s happening at American by visiting news.aa.com and connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
Alexandrina Denysenko, a senior flight attendant with seven years of experience, says she sometimes does not get a spare minute to sit down during a flight and dreams of resting her swollen legs after spending hours wearing heels.
SkyUp Airlines, the privately-owned Ukrainian carrier that employs Denysenko, decided to put an end to heels and pencil skirts after collecting feedback from flight attendants about their uniform. The new SkyUp uniform for women now includes white Nike sneakers and a loose orange suit with trousers and a silk scarf, both made by Ukrainian brands. White T-shirts will replace blouses.
“Shoes on heels look beautiful, I do not argue with that, but feet suffer and swell by the end of the flight. Sneakers are absolutely cool,” Denysenko told Reuters.
“God forbid, but if a crew has to do a landing in water and an evacuation, heels can damage the ladder and it won’t be very comfortable to swim in a skirt,” she said.
The company said they researched the history of cabin crew uniforms and decided to ditch what they called “conservative” elements of a flight attendant’s look. Braids will now replace a tight-bun or pony-tail hairstyle.
“We found out that despite the fact that the image of a female flight attendant is very romanticized, their job demands a lot of physical training,” the head of the SkyUp Airlines marketing department, Marianna Grygorash, said.
The new uniform will be officially launched on October 22.
Grygorash said the company also plans to launch a new uniform for male crew. A light suit instead of a vest, and a T-shirt instead of a shirt will be combined with black Nike sneakers.
“If the whole world and all fashionistas wear sneakers, why not to bring it to aviation?” flight attendant Zoryana said.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
October 26, 2021 – British Airways has announced that following the successful trial of mobile health pass, VeriFLY by Daon, and its subsequent rollout across its network, it has signed a long-term agreement with Daon.
British Airways and American Airlines were the first airlines to trial mobile digital health pass, VeriFLY by Daon
Over 500,000 customers have successfully used the pass to make sure they have the right documentation ahead of their flights
British Airways has extended its relationship with VeriFLY following the rollout of the technology across its network, with particular focus on the US ahead of its opening to UK and European citizens from November 8
The airline is on track to ensure that the whole of its route network is covered by a functionality that allows customers to have their documents checked before travel by the end of the year
British Airways is working with VeriFLY to ensure that customers connecting with other carriers, can use the platform to certify their documentation
The airline has worked closely with Daon to make travel as frictionless and smooth as possible for its customers. Travellers can upload any Covid-19 related documentation required for their destination, including vaccination records, negative Covid-19 results and government documents, straight into the VeriFLY mobile app so that they are verified before travel. This will let customers know if they have met the appropriate Covid-19 entry requirements for their destination before leaving for the airport, avoiding any uncertainty.
As well as ensuring a customer has the correct documentation for their journey, British Airways has further developed the technology to allow customers using VeriFLY to check in online on BA.com. Boarding passes can be downloaded ahead of arriving at the airport and customers travelling with hand luggage can head straight through security without the need to visit a desk once they arrive at the airport, further increasing the capability for contactless travel.
The airline initially started trialling VeriFLY in February 2021 on selected routes and has seen over 500,000 customers successfully verified before travel. VeriFLY is now available on all flights to North, South and Central America the Caribbean, Middle East, South Africa, Cayman Islands, Egypt and European destinations including Bulgaria, France, Croatia, Ireland and Switzerland, as well as on the majority of flights into the UK.
British Airways is working closely with Daon to make the customer experience even easier. Most recently it has extended the capability to read QR codes that appear on documentation such as a vaccination certificate or the UK passenger locator form, making document submission simple.
Anthony Allcock, British Airways’ Chief Information and Digital Officer, said: “We started working with Daon at the beginning of this year with one simple objective – to make it as simple as possible for our customers to understand and conform with different country entry requirements when they fly with us. Since then, we have worked with Daon to make it even easier, allowing customers to unlock online check in and automate approvals for digital documentation such as vaccination certificates or the Government’s passenger locator form, helping reduce complexity.
“We know our customers rely on us to help them through their journey and we will continue to ensure our travel verification processes are the most advanced, reliable and easy to use as we help get the world moving again, especially as we prepare for US borders to reopen on November 8.”
Tom Grissen, Daon CEO, said: “British Airways and American Airlines were the first global airlines to truly understand what their customers would need to successfully navigate the ever-changing government travel requirements related to COVID-19. By making VeriFLY available early on, British Airways travellers have had the advantage of a seamless and confident travel experience. We are delighted to see our partnership with British Airways grow stronger. Other organisations and airlines have followed their lead.”
For multiple customers travelling on one booking reference, they can use one smart phone to upload all documentation. The airline is also working closely with other airlines on the role that VeriFLY plays in multi sector journeys.
All data uploaded to VeriFLY or through www.ba.com is not retained by either organisation and is purged post travel, unless a government requires specific information to be temporary kept for attestation or contact tracing, in which case it will be safeguarded for a limited time strictly in line with GDPR laws.
For all other countries that British Airways flies to, customers can verify their COVID-19 documents through ‘Manage My Booking’ on ba.com and once verified they will be able to check-in online. Destinations include Hong Kong, Nigeria, Ghana, Singapore, India, Maldives and Pakistan, as well as a handful of European destinations
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
The airline’s capacity increase also restores nonstops to the top 40 U.S. markets from JFK and LGA. With domestic consumer travel back to 2019 levels, Delta is focused on restoring capacity safely and reliably as business travel picks up with volumes not seen since the pandemic began.
The airline’s capacity increase also restores nonstops to the top 40 U.S. markets from JFK and LGA.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
World Travel Awards – the leading authority that recognises and rewards excellence in travel and tourism – has revealed its Europe 2021 winners.
Greece, with its resurgent travel and tourism economy, was voted ‘Europe’s Leading Destination’, Portugal’s Algarve was named ‘Europe’s Leading Beach Destination’, and the Azores took ‘Europe’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination’.
The imperial splendour of Moscow was acknowledged with the award for ‘Europe’s Leading City Destination’.
The fascinating city of Batumi, Georgia was declared ‘Europe’s Leading Emerging Tourism Destination’.
Saint Petersburg won ‘Europe’s Leading City Break Destination.’
In the hospitality sector, Çırağan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul was voted ‘Europe’s Leading Hotel’, Sardinia’s Forte Village Resort lifted ‘Europe’s Leading Resort’.
Italy also featured in the newcomer section, with the cutting-edge medical retreat Palazzo Fiuggi named ‘Europe’s Leading New Hotel’.
One&Only Portonovi, nestling on the shores of Montenegro’s sparkling Adriatic coast, was recognised as ‘Europe’s Leading New Resort’.
Sani Resort, Greece claimed ‘Europe’s Leading Family Resort’.
The results follow a year-long search for the world’s top travel, tourism and hospitality brands.
Votes were cast by travel industry professionals and the public, with the nominee gaining the most votes in a category named as the winner.
Graham Cooke, founder, World Travel Awards, said: “Our winners represent the very best of the Europe’s travel and tourism sector and my congratulations to each of them.
“They are all playing starring roles in leading the travel and tourism recovery.”
In the aviation sector, British Airways picked up ‘Europe’s Leading Airline’ as well as ‘Europe’s Leading Airline – First Class’, Air France was voted ‘Europe’s Leading Airline – Business Class’, with Lufthansa named ‘Europe’s Leading Airline – Economy Class’.
Zurich Airport scooped ‘Europe’s Leading Airport’.
Other winners include Europcar (‘Europe’s Leading Car Rental Company’); InterContinental Hotels & Resorts (‘Europe’s Leading Hotel Brand’); Turismo de Portugal (‘Europe’s Leading Tourist Board’); Madrid (‘Europe’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination’); the Convention Centre, Ireland (‘Europe’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre’); Cannes (‘Europe’s Leading Festival & Event Destination’); and Dark Sky Alqueva, Portugal & Spain (‘Europe’s Responsible Tourism Award).
More Information
World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.
Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.
Each year, World Travel Awards covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognize and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
Fancy a business-class flight for your next vacation? La Compagnie has you covered. The airline, a World’s Best Awards winner since 2019, flies business class-only aircraft — and while they returned to the friendly skies in June, La Compagnie has just ramped up its fall schedule.
First, the airline is upgrading its route between Newark International Airport (which services the New York City metro area) and Paris Orly Airport to daily service beginning next month, just as the United States re-opens its borders to international travelers on November 8.
Next, on December 4, La Compagnie will debut its newest route — a twice-weekly flight between Newark and Tel Aviv, which stops briefly in Paris. Though that route was announced this summer, pandemic-related delays have pushed back its launch. But since international travel is resuming in both the United States and Israel in the upcoming months, it’s finally time for the new route to take off.
“The recent announcement from the U.S. government gives us better visibility on the resumption of activity,” La Compagnie president Christian Vernet said in a statement released to Travel + Leisure. “The entire team at La Compagnie is prepared and ready to fully tackle this rich program that we have been keen to put in place for the past few months.” Come spring 2022, the airline will add two additional routes. It will fly direct from Newark to Milan four times a week starting April 13, 2022, and add a seasonal route from Newark to Nice three times a week from May 7, 2022, and September 27, 2022.
La Compagnie flies Airbus A321neo planes configured to include just 76 lie-flat seats in a two-two configuration. Passengers are treated to a seasonal French menu by chef Christophe Langrée. On red-eyes from New York to Europe, travelers are served a light snack and a full breakfast, including a croissant by Maison Kayser made specifically for the airline, while on the Europe to New York routes, guests enjoy a four-course lunch. The flights from Tel Aviv to Paris include a full breakfast. There’s a house Champagne, of course, as well as a selection of wines — and free Wi-Fi (and two checked bags) for all.
Promotional prices for both the Paris and Tel Aviv fall routes will start at $2,000 round-trip, and you can book your tickets here.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
October 22, 2021 – As demand for travel increases, SAS continues to open up new destinations and more frequent flights. SAS will fly more than 150 routes to 90 destinations during winter 2021-2022.
SAS is also increasing the number of flights between the Scandinavian capitals and to other important destinations in its network to further improve connectivity as travel increases. This includes more flights to the UK from the three Scandinavian capitals – to London, where SAS flies three daily round trips from each capital, and to Manchester.
To meet the growing demand for business and leisure trips, SAS is also increasing the number of flights to other major European cities such as Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Helsinki, Munich and Paris.
The SAS winter program offers skiers attractive timetables to a total of nine winter destinations – Sälen/Trysil and Östersund in Sweden, Salzburg and Innsbruck in Austria, Milan and Venice in Italy, Munich in Germany and Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland.
This winter, SAS will resume several routes from Denmark and Copenhagen to eastern and central Europe to cities such as Stuttgart, Tallinn, Poznan, and Wroclaw.
In Norway, the demand for domestic travel is rising and SAS is therefore increasing the number of flights to Bergen, Stavanger, Bardufoss and Haugesund, as well in Western Norway. SAS is also resuming direct flights between Trondheim and Tromsø and between Oslo and Manchester.
SAS is introducing new routes from Sweden for its winter program. The new routes that are now opening are Stockholm-Kyiv, Stockholm-Tenerife, and Gothenburg-Gran Canaria. The route from Stockholm to Madeira is also resuming.
Full list of SAS destinations for winter 2021-2022:
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
October 22, 2021 – British Airways’ customers will be able to fly to more destinations across Africa, thanks to a new codeshare agreement with Kenya Airways.
Customers flying to Nairobi with British Airways will be able to seamlessly connect onto 20 destinations across East and Central Africa, including Douala, Zanzibar, Lusaka, Mombasa, Addis Ababa and Entebbe, as well as offering customers more options to get to popular holiday hotspot, Mauritius and Seychelles.
In the reciprocal agreement, customers flying with Kenya Airways to London, will now be able to connect onto 26 destinations across the UK and Europe that British Airways operates to, including Glasgow, Madrid, Milan, Amsterdam and Frankfurt.
British Airways currently offers four flights a week from London Heathrow to Nairobi, operated by a four class Boeing 777 aircraft, which offers cabins from World Traveller (economy) right up to First (First class)
Christopher Fordyce, British Airways’ Head of Alliances, said: “After a difficult 20 months with global travel restrictions, it’s fantastic to see travel between the UK and Africa resuming. We are really pleased to be able to offer our customers access to even more destinations across the region thanks to our new codeshare agreement with Kenya Airways, making that bucket list trip even easier to plan.”
Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at Kenya Airways said: “We are delighted to secure this strategic codeshare agreement with British Airways to provide our travellers with a seamless journey to and from Europe and Africa. The agreement will increase choices for thousands of passengers and will allow for smooth connectivity to a significant number of new destinations – particularly throughout Africa and Europe. By harnessing our complementary strengths, this agreement will also provide benefits to aid the recovery of international travel and meet the increasing demand.”
British Airways’ Executive Club members will be able to earn Avios and tier points when flying on eligible codeshare routes operated by Kenya Airways.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
October 22, 2021 – Wizz Air, the fastest growing airline in Europe, announces today that it will offer a new exciting route from Poland to the Canary Islands. Starting 22nd December, WIZZ will offer weekly flights from Wroclaw to Lanzarote. Seats for the new route are already available on wizzair.com or on the airline’s app for fares as low as PLN 159/34.99 EUR*
Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean. The island offers amazingly diverse sceneries. The heritage of the volcanic eruptions is a spectacular scene of form and beauty. Next to unexpected landscapes made of volcanic caves, lakes of lava and crates, you can find beaches of golden sand and clear water. In 2015 Lanzarote become the first destination in the world to receive Biosphere Responsible Tourism certificate. The mild climate makes Lanzarote perfect destination for all year round holidays.
Wizz Air has introduced a new era of sanitized travel across its network, with enhanced hygiene measures to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew. Click here to view Wizz Air’s new health and safety video.
To help passengers and crew travel safely and worry-free, Wizz Air has implemented additional hygiene measures to support physical distancing during boarding and enhanced cleanliness on board. As part of the measures to protect the health of customers and crew, customers should check-in and make any purchases online, such as paying for additional bags, to reduce non-essential interaction at the airport. In an attempt to contain the spread of possible infection, passengers are kindly asked to adhere to the new physical distancing rules both during boarding and disembarkation.
By adding WIZZ Flex to a booking, passengers can rest assured that if circumstances change, or they simply wish to travel on a different date, or to a different destination, they can rebook on any WIZZ flight of their choice. Providing that extra layer of protection for passenger bookings, is a peace of mind during these uncertain times.
Wizz Air is continuously recruiting Polish speaker crew members to its bases where the airline is offering growing number of jobs. Those interested can apply on Wizz Air’s career site.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
World Travel Awards – the leading authority that recognises and rewards excellence in travel and tourism – has unveiled its Africa and Indian Ocean 2021 winners.
In the Africa categories, Kenya enjoyed a strong showing, with its thriving capital Nairobi named ‘Africa’s Leading Business Travel Destination’, Kenyatta International Convention Centre collecting ‘Africa’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre’ and Kenya Tourist Board winning ‘Africa’s Leading Tourist Board’.
Cape Town was recognised as ‘Africa’s Leading City Destination’ and its majestic Table Mountain won ‘Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction’ for the third year in succession.
Tanzania – with its national parks, wildlife and palm-fringed beaches – was voted ‘Africa’s Leading Destination’.
In the Indian Ocean, Maldives cemented its reputation as the definitive secluded sanctuary to win ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination’, ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Destination’ and ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Dive Destination’.
Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation was named ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Tourist Board’.
Meanwhile the lush forests and palm-fringed beaches of Seychelles helped the islands scoop ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination’.
Mystical Madagascar was named ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Green Destination’, while Reunion Island was heralded ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Nature Destination’.
In the hospitality sector, Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club took ‘Africa’s Leading Hotel’, while Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa, South Africa picked up ‘Africa’s Leading Boutique Hotel’.
In a fiercely-contested category, Vakkaru Maldives was named ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Resort’, while Velaa Private Island, Maldives won ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Private Island Resort’.
In the newcomer categories, Radisson Hotel & Convention Centre, Johannesburg was voted ‘Africa’s Leading New Hotel’ with ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading New Resort’ going to ‘Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas’.
In the aviation sector, Kenya Airways won both ‘Africa’s Leading Airline’ and ‘Africa’s Leading Airline – Business Class’, Cape Town International Airport took ‘Africa’s Leading Airport’, while Air Seychelles collected ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline’.
The results follow a year-long search for the world’s top travel, tourism and hospitality brands.
Votes were cast by travel industry professionals and the public, with the nominee gaining the most votes in a category named as the winner.
Graham Cooke, founder, World Travel Awards, said: “Our winners represent the very best of travel and hospitality in Africa and the Indian Ocean and my congratulations to each of them.
“They are all playing starring roles in spearheading the travel and tourism recovery.”
Country-level winners include Sandfontein Lodge & Nature Reserve (Namibia’s Leading Safari Lodge’); Xigera Safari Lodge (‘Botswana’s Leading Luxury Safari Lodge’); and Morukuru Beach Lodge (‘South Africa’s Leading Beach Hotel’).
More Information
World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.
Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.
Each year, World Travel Awards covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognize and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
When guests enter Golden Door, the San Marcos, California spa resort known worldwide for its “life-changing” wellness programming, the first scene they’ll encounter is a long wooden bridge under a canopy of leaves that runs straight and then makes a sharp left turn.
Guests are told that when they turn that corner, they’re leaving the stressors of the outside world behind.
Now, Singapore Airlines is working with Golden Door’s experts in mental and physical health to give travelers that same feeling as they board a plane and turn down the aisle to settle in for a long-haul flight.
The new Singapore Airlines partnership with Golden Door, announced Tuesday morning, includes new menus, in-flight exercises, and sleep education, and will launch on Los Angeles-to-Singapore (SQ37) flights in January before expanding to nonstop flights to Singapore from San Francisco, New York JFK, and Seattle.
But how do you take the magic cultivated across 600 acres of Southern California avocado and citrus groves, hiking trails, Japanese-inspired gardens, and biodynamic farmland, and translate it to a 50-square-foot first class suite 36,000 feet in the air?
The answer is multifaceted and requires experimentation between chefs, nutritionists, and personal trainers — but at the end of the day, it comes down to one simple concept: teaching passengers how to pause.
“You have the right to pause,” Kathy Van Ness, general manager and COO of Golden Door, said. “And that right will help you live longer.” Guests at Golden Door are there to take time out of their busy lives to care for their bodies and minds. And on a 17-hour-plus flight, travelers are afforded a similar opportunity to use a time out in their favor.
“We build our programs around the world’s longest flights… to have that time to dig into the content that Golden Door is creating,” Betty Wong, SIA’s divisional vice president of in-flight services and design, said.
Passengers in premium cabins will have access to an e-library filled with simple exercises to increase circulation and flexibility, and expert learnings on experience-based sleep techniques before, during, and after their flights.
Of course, what all of this means to travelers will vary. Some will nosh on orange-braised baby beet salad, stretch and meditate along to the fitness videos, and pore over articles on secrets to better sleep. Others will turn on a rom-com and order their fill of Champagne. Many will fall somewhere in between. “It’s flexibility and options,” Wong said. “Everyone is different and their needs are different.” As someone who experienced Singapore’s previous wellness program with Canyon Ranch on the inaugural world’s longest flight in 2018 and followed the itinerary to its fullest potential (with a side of Champagne; I’m only human), I know firsthand the benefits of turning a long flight into a mini-wellness retreat. About 19 hours after leaving Newark, I had the energy to look a 12-hour time difference square in the eye and take myself straight to a business dinner at a buzzing hawker centre, followed by an early morning of exploring the city.
And as someone who already had a chance to try the upcoming menu from Golden Door executive chef Greg Frey and Singapore Airlines director of food and beverage Anthony McNeil, I also know that whatever each individual’s in-flight MO may be, they’re at the very least going to enjoy the food.
The menu, which includes many of the same dishes Frey serves his guests at Golden Door, has been adapted by McNeil to ensure every dish can be properly stored and pleasantly presented on an airplane. After months of video calls from across the world, the pair was able to team up in person inside the Golden Door kitchen in late September, along with the catering chefs who will bring the meals to life once the program launches.
McNeil said coming to California helped him “to understand the philosophy, see the surroundings, and to really be able to curate a more accurate picture of what the Golden Door experience is.”
While Frey grows his own ingredients in his fragrant on-site gardens, Singapore Airlines’ innovative use of aeroponic farming should leave little to be desired in the vegetable department. Using detoxifying combinations and anti-inflammatory ingredients such as turmeric, verbena, mint, and olive oil, the new wellness dishes are designed to satisfy but also pack in nutrients, helping ease the body into a long journey and new time zone.
Sample dishes include citrus grilled shrimp salad with honey-glazed mushrooms, blackberries, sourdough croutons, and balsamic ginger dressing as an appetizer; portobello meatballs and risotto with heirloom tomato sauce and wilted greens (a personal favorite) as a main course; oatmeal with goji berries, blueberries, quinoa, almonds, and honey drizzle for breakfast; and vegan coconut ice cream with mango for dessert.
At Golden Door, dinner is the main event that gets all 40 guests — mothers and daughters, CEOs and city dwellers, often times movie stars and media moguls — to gather together each day. On flights to Singapore, especially amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the social scene won’t be the same. Van Ness and her team are hopeful, however, that the feeling of rejuvenation upon departure will be.
“Our goal,” she said, “is to affect every single person inside that plane in a positive way.”
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
October 20, 2021 – Air Canada to offer Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) to its corporate customers; carbon offsets also available for purchase
Deloitte Canada is the first participant to join program
Airline acting on its long-term goal to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050
MONTREAL, Oct. 19, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada announced today that Deloitte Canada will be the first corporate customer to participate in its new LEAVE LESS Travel Program, which offers corporate customers effective options to offset or reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to business travel and reduce their carbon footprint.
Corporate customers can now purchase Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), carbon offsets or a combination of both. The LEAVE LESS Travel Programis one of the many comprehensive initiatives being implemented as part of Air Canada’s Climate Action Plan and an additional step towards achieving the airline’s long-term goal of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.
“Building a long-term sustainable aviation industry requires a collective effort and companies will play a key role in building greener and more sustainable air travel. We are pleased to see that customers, such as Deloitte, are taking concrete actions by supporting and contributing to innovative solutions,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer at Air Canada.
“Air Canada has made sustainability a core component of its business decisions. This initiative allows our corporate customers to offset or reduce the GHG emissions associated with their business travel and empowers their employees to make sustainable choices. With this, companies work towards their sustainability goals while they partner with us to advance decarbonization in the airline industry. Our new, industry-leading LEAVE LESS Travel Program shows our strong and ongoing commitment to transition to low carbon alternatives. It represents a meaningful step forward into reaching our ambitions to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.”
“Deloitte is steadfast in its commitments to address climate change by driving environmentally responsible choices within our organisation and beyond,” said Anthony Viel, CEO at Deloitte Canada. “Our people and our clients know that stakeholders, customers, investors and shareholders desire more sustainable business strategies and we recognise the important role Canadian businesses collectively play in leading the commitment to transition to a low-carbon economy. We are thrilled to be the first company to jump on board this corporate program to accelerate adoption of a fuel source that can dramatically reduce emissions from aviation. By collaborating with Air Canada to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuel, we hope that we can inspire and help others contribute to a thriving Canada and a greener world.”
A Simplified, Sustainable Journey
The LEAVE LESS Travel Program allows corporate customers to choose the offering they want through a customized approach using SAF, carbon offsets, or a combination of both, through four core actions:
Calculate: Air Canada tracks and calculates the GHG emissions associated with customers’ business travel.
Select: Customers can choose how they want to mitigate their GHG emissions associated with their business travel: SAF and/or carbon offsets.
Purchase:
SAF Air Canada purchases the required SAF volumes and to ensure the customer can claim the benefits of its investment, Air Canada will implement a SAF certification system in-line with industry-leading best practices.
Carbon Offset: Air Canada facilitates the purchase of carbon offsets
Reduce: Customer contributes to its sustainability goals
The LEAVE LESS Travel Program, supports the airline’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably goal 13: Climate Action. Through its Climate Action Plan, the airline has committed to investing $50 Million in SAF, and carbon reductions and removals.
The Air Canada LEAVE LESS Travel Program will source SAF from Neste, a leading producer of renewable fuels. In neat form and over the life cycle, Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ reduces GHG emissions from aircraft by up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuel.
Air Canada Climate Action Plan
Air Canada has set ambitious climate targets to realize a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) throughout its global operations by 2050. To reach this, Air Canada has set absolute midterm GHG net reduction targets by 2030 in its air and ground operations compared to its 2019 baseline and has committed to investing $50 Million in SAF, and carbon reductions and removals.
Air Canada has built a solid foundation in energy sustainability through numerous comprehensive initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint. Since 2016, over 115 fuel-efficiency projects have been achieved and contributed to more than 145,000 tCO2e saved. Since 2016, the airline reduced more than 145,000 tCO2e from its air operations through fuel efficiency initiatives, including participating in eight biofuel flights with ongoing, active support for the development of SAF in Canada including working with the Government of Canada on policy development to support a Canadian-based sustainable aviation fuel industry.
In 2020 and 2019, Air Canada was recognized by Vancouver Airport Authority as the YVR Green Excellence winner for green initiatives on Sea Island including water and energy conservation, waste minimization and the Richmond Ocean Shoreline Cleanup.
Air Canada’s ESG initiatives are further detailed in the airline’s Corporate Sustainability Report, Citizens of the World.
CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These statements may involve, but are not limited to, comments relating to guidance, strategies, expectations, planned operations or future actions. Forward-looking statements are identified using terms and phrases such as “preliminary”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “plan”, “predict”, “project”, “will”, “would”, and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are based on assumptions, including those described herein and are subject to important risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements cannot be relied upon due to, amongst other things, changing external events and general uncertainties of the business. Actual results may differ materially from results indicated in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including the factors identified herein and in Air Canada’s public disclosure file available atwww.sedar.com including those factors identified in section 17 “Risk Factors” of Air Canada’s 2020 MD&A. The forward-looking statements contained or incorporated by reference in this news release represent Air Canada’s expectations as of the date of this news release (or as of the date they are otherwise stated to be made) and are subject to change after such date. However, Air Canada disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations.
About Air Canada Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline and, in 2019, was among the top 20 largest airlines in the world. It is Canada’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax. In 2020, Air Canada was named Global Traveler’s Best Airline in North America for the second straight year. In January 2021, Air Canada received APEX’s Diamond Status Certification for the Air Canada CleanCare+ biosafety program for managing COVID-19, the only airline in Canada to attain the highest APEX ranking. Air Canada has also committed to a net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow Air Canada on Twitter and LinkedIn, and join Air Canada on Facebook.
About Deloitte Canada Deloitte provides audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and related services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. Deloitte serves four out of five Fortune Global 500® companies through a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries and territories bringing world-class capabilities, insights, and service to address clients’ most complex business challenges. Deloitte LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership, is the Canadian member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms.
Our global Purpose is making an impact that matters. At Deloitte Canada, that translates into building a better future by accelerating and expanding access to knowledge. We believe we can achieve this Purpose by living our shared values to lead the way, serve with integrity, take care of each other, foster inclusion, and collaborate for measurable impact.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
October 20, 2021 -Millions of seats available across international and domestic routes to be booked with points
Flexibility to book with confidence, with free changes and cancellations
Almost two billion points redeemed on international flights since 1 October
Even more value when booking hotels and holiday packages – 25% off when you use points
To celebrate the reopening of Australia’s borders next month, Qantas is today making the largest single release of additional Classic Flight Reward seats in the airline’s history across its international and domestic network.
The additional seats will make it easier for frequent flyers to book a holiday in 2022 to popular destinations like London, Los Angeles, Fiji, Byron Bay and Cairns.
Qantas Frequent Flyers will have access to up to 50 per cent more reward seat availability on Qantas international, trans-Tasman and popular domestic routes until the end of 2022. Additional reward seats will be made available to book on qantas.com from 7.00am (AEDT) this morning.
Frequent flyers can use their points to book one of millions of reward seats across Qantas, Jetstar and more than 45 international partner airlines including Emirates and American Airlines.
Qantas is also getting set to launch more Points Planes – where every seat in every cabin on a flight is available to book as a reward seat – as more states and territories ease domestic and international travel restrictions
Thousands of frequent flyers snapped up seats between Sydney and London and Los Angeles after these flights were brought forward to 14 November 2021, with members already redeeming almost 2 billion points on international flights in the first two weeks of going on sale, showing just how excited they are to get back into the air.
Flights to Tokyo, Fiji, Canada and Singapore are scheduled to resume from 18 December 2021 with other destinations such as San Francisco, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Dallas expected to resume by April next year. Flights between Australia and New Zealand are scheduled to resume from mid-December 2021.
Domestic flights are expected to gradually open in the coming weeks as states and territories reach vaccination targets.
Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said, “Throughout the pandemic, many Qantas Frequent Flyers have been stockpiling points they have earned on the ground so they can use them to travel once travel restrictions are lifted.
“With members keen to travel internationally and domestically we have released more reward seats to make it easier for our frequent flyers to use their points to go on holidays and be reunited with family and friends in 2022.
“There’s no doubt we will appreciate travel in 2022 like never before and Qantas is excited to help Australians rediscover the joy of flying and making travel memories with their loved ones,” Ms Wirth said.
“We’ll also be announcing more domestic and international Points Planes. It’s our way of thanking our frequent flyers for their ongoing loyalty.”
Qantas Frequent Flyers can book their flights with confidence, with no fees to change or cancel an international Classic Flight Reward seat booking for travel until 31 December 2022 (on bookings made by 28 February 2022).
Reward seats are available at the same great value, with Classic Flight Rewards starting from 6,400 points on Jetstar and 8,000 points on Qantas excluding taxes, fees and carrier charges (TFCC). Qantas Points required to fly to some popular destinations include:
Route
Economy
TFCC
Business Class
TFCC
Sydney – Melbourne
8,000 points
$38.17*
18,400 points
$38.17*
Brisbane – Melbourne
12,000 points
$37.48*
27,600 points
$37.48*
Melbourne – Auckland
18,000 points
$181.80*
41,500 points
$181.80*
Sydney – Fiji (Nadi)
18,000 points
$129.60*
41,500 points
$129.60*
Brisbane – Los Angeles
41,900 points
$225.72*
108,400 points
$350.72*
Melbourne – London
55,200 points
$252.10*
144,600 points
$462.10*
*One-way fares. TFCC correct as at 11/10, for travel in February 2022
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
October 20, 2021 – KLM’s new winter schedule goes into effect on 31 October and is valid until 26 March 2022. As more and more travel restrictions are eased, KLM will be able to increase capacity again this winter and, as a result, plans to operate direct flights from Amsterdam to 162 different destinations, 72 intercontinental and 90 within Europe.
Intercontinental: More flights to the US, Caribbean
KLM has resumed operating services to almost its entire pre-Covid network (one destination excepted). Intercontinental flights will be operating at around 75% of capacity this winter compared to winter 2019.
Now that vaccinated European travellers will again be welcome in the United States starting 8 November, KLM will expand capacity to various US destinations. The number of flights to Atlanta, for example, will almost double to 12 a week, and there will be 11 weekly flights to New York JFK this winter. KLM will also serve Las Vegas and Miami this winter, both three times a week. Service to Minneapolis, which resumed in the summer, will also continue this winter with three weekly flights.
KLM began noticing a sharp rise in demand for travel to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands this summer. That is why the airline is also expanding capacity to the Caribbean and will double the number of flights to Curaçao to 14 a week. It will also boost daily capacity on the route to Aruba and Bonaire by deploying a Boeing 777-300ER, its largest passenger aircraft. To meet anticipated demand during the Christmas holiday season, KLM is planning three additional weekly flights to these islands, bringing the total number of weekly flights to Aruba and Bonaire to ten by the end of the year.
The KLM network is also showing signs of recovery in South America, with four flights a week to San José and Liberia in Costa Rica (up from two last winter) and daily service to Panama City. Capacity on the route to Paramaribo will also increase considerably this winter, with four weekly flights (compared to one last winter due to strict travel restrictions). KLM’s longest scheduled service, non-stop from Amsterdam to Santiago de Chile, will continue this winter with three weekly flights.
This winter will see the introduction of four entirely new destinations: Mombasa, Cancún, Port of Spain and Bridgetown. The first flight to Cancún in Mexico will take off on 2 November, with five weekly flights during the Christmas holiday season. This will bring the total number of weekly KLM flights to Mexico to 12. The first (combined) flight to Port of Spain in Trinidad & Tobago and Bridgetown in Barbados took off on 16 October and will eventually operate three times a week. Scheduled service to Mombasa in Kenya is expected to commence in early December; KLM is currently in the process of obtaining the necessary flight permits from the Kenyan authorities.
KLM’s Asian network is still hampered by travel restrictions. As a result, demand for these flights lags behind those for other regions. The demand for cargo transport to and from Asia remains high, however, allowing KLM to continue serving many of its destinations this winter season.
Europe
In Europe, KLM is meeting the sharp rise in demand for both holiday and business travel. New destinations such as Zagreb and Poznan proved popular soon after their introduction this summer and KLM plans to continue operating these services this winter. With their addition, the number of European destinations served by KLM will in fact exceed that of winter 2019.
In many cases, the number of flights to European destinations is still slightly down on pre-Covid-19 figures. KLM is operating at about 84% of its European network capacity. Even so, the airline is once again serving Europe’s major cities, including Berlin, London, Munich and Paris, at least five times a day. This makes KLM’s winter schedule, with more flights than in the summer, attractive for the growing number of European business travellers. By increasing the number of flights in Europe, KLM will once again be able to connect many European locations through Amsterdam Schiphol, boosting the airport’s status as a global hub.
“
“After more than 18 months, more and more borders are reopening and we are well on the road to recovery. KLM is delighted that we can once again offer passengers so many destinations. We look forward to doing what we do best: bringing people together. Travel is all about personal connections, and that’s what KLM stands for!”
Pieter Elbers, KLM President and CEO
Where can I fly tool
KLM appreciates how difficult it can be to plan a trip during the Covid-19 pandemic. Travel rules and restrictions are changing constantly and vary from country to country, making it more important than ever for travellers to have the most up-to-date information when planning a journey. That is why KLM is offering an interactive “Where can I fly to?” map showing current travel requirements for every country in KLM’s network. The map displays travel requirements based on travellers’ country of departure and vaccination status, so they can choose their next destination at a glance.
In addition to this service, KLM advises Dutch travellers to consult www.wijsopreis.nl for up-to-date travel advisories issued by the Dutch government.
KLM: Outstanding hygiene standards, flexible bookings and five stars from passengers
KLM sets the highest possible standards for hygiene before, during and after flights. It has been awarded the APEX Health Safety Diamond Award and the Skytrax COVID-19 Airline Excellence Award, recognition of its industry leadership in hygiene and health safety.
KLM also offers customers maximum flexibility when it comes to booking, changing or cancelling trips. Yet another feather in KLM’s cap is that it has retained its five-star APEX product and service rating, based on evaluations by passengers worldwide.
At the moment, the destinations, flights and capacities described above are valid for the months of November and December. Given the many travel restrictions that remain and their unpredictability, changes may be necessary from January onwards.
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
October 20, 2021 – Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (19th Oct) announced a new route – Edinburgh to Marrakesh, operating twice weekly from 18th December. As travel recovers to pre-Covid levels, Ryanair’s growth continues to lead traffic and tourism recovery across Europe.
To celebrate, Ryanair has launched a £19.99 seat sale for travel until the end of March ‘22, which must be booked by midnight Thursday, 21st October 2021 on www.Ryanair.com – the perfect excuse for a well-deserved getaway with family or friends.
Ryanair’s Director of Commercial, Jason Mc Guinness, said:
“As Europe’s No.1 airline,Ryanair remains committed to re-building Europe’s aviation and tourism industry by restoring connectivity and growing its network of passengers to over 225 million by 2026. As Ryanair takes delivery of 55 additional Boeing 737-8200 ‘Gamechanger’ aircraft this winter, we are delighted to add this new route from Edinburgh to Marrakesh.
We are launching a seat sale to celebrate this new route to Marrakesh, with fares available for just £19.99 for travel until the end of March ’22, which must be booked by midnight Thursday, 21st October 2021 on the Ryanair.com website.
As consumer confidence in air travel steadily restores, Ryanair is once again calling on the UK Government to scrap or suspend APD (Air Passenger Duty) to allow airlines quickly recover connectivity, jobs and tourism in the aftermath of the pandemic. APD makes UK airports very uncompetitive compared to those in Europe, while Ryanair continues to add capacity having opened several new bases in recent months, including Agadir, Billund, Riga, Stockholm, Turin and Zagreb. While Ryanair is committed to the UK and to Edinburgh airport, the lack of Government support continues to create barriers to boosting traffic and growth.”
Travel platform to expand your travel knowledge, follow the latest destination news and participate in daily questions, like “Travel Trivia”, “Where in the World” and “Amazing Travel Facts”.
Follow the travel news – Traveltalksplatform is the number 1 news site to stay updated on amazing travel facts, the latest news, events, incentive ideas, MICE news, job opportunities and shows.
Specially composed for the travel industry, you will find the latest travel facts at your fingertips.
We assume no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. The information contained in this site is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness.
