November 3, 2021 – As a oneworld member, Alaska has implemented new partnerships with member airlines Qatar Airways and Iberia Airlines, and expanded cooperation with existing oneworld partners American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Finnair. These six oneworld airlines currently offer 16 daily international flights to Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles – enabling seamless connectivity to Alaska’s comprehensive network up and down the West Coast.
“We’re excited to deepen our partnership with British Airways,” said Nat Pieper, senior vice president of fleet, finance and alliances at Alaska Airlines. “Alaska guests have valued access to London and Europe with British Airways for years, and the additional pathways announced today will make it even more convenient.”
With oneworld and our additional airline partners, Alaska guests can fly to as many as 1,000 destinations around the world. Flyers can also earn and redeem miles with our highly-acclaimed Mileage Plan program to fly on more than 20 oneworld and partner airlines worldwide.
Alaska remains committed to Next-Level Care for its guests and employees by implementing more than 100 ways to maintain the highest standard of safety – from clean planes to clean air in the cabin with hospital-grade air filtration systems. For everyone’s safety on board, Alaska continues to enforce the federally mandated mask policy, even for those who are fully vaccinated.
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November 2, 2021 – Germany’s largest vacation airline sends clear message after successful first flights in Czech Republic: route network to be expanded
First flights from Prague successfully launched: customers can choose from 14 new destinations, such as the Canary Islands, Italy, or Southern Spain Right at the start of its new base, Eurowings announces further summer destinations from March 2022 onwards Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof: “Expanding our route network significantly once again with eight new destinations.”
Eurowings has successfully launched from its new base in Prague: already this Sunday, the Lufthansa subsidiary brought its guests on time to Bristol, Copenhagen, Milan, and the sunny Canary Island of Fuerteventura, among other destinations. These are just four of an initial 14 new Eurowings destinations from Prague in the current winter flight schedule. The first flight coming from Bristol was duly welcomed with a water fountain at Prague Airport to mark the occasion.
New Eurowings summer destinations from March 2022
Right at the start of its new base, Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof announced today at an opening event at Prague Airport already further new summer destinations that the Lufthansa Group airline will fly to in its summer schedule starting in March 2022. “We are delighted that our new Prague service has already been so well received. Prague is a highly relevant location for Eurowings, so we will once again significantly expand our route network with eight new destinations in the next summer flight schedule. This will enable us to fly even more leisure and business travelers to attractive destinations throughout Europe from March,” Bischof emphasized in Prague on Tuesday morning. “Eurowings will once again bring more low-cost flights to the Czech flight market, but above all we strongly focus on customer needs and new, creative service solutions.”
All new direct flights from Prague
From Prague to Spain
Eurowings already flies its passengers from Prague up to four times a week to four popular Spanish metropolises and vacation regions in its current winter flight schedule: to Málaga, Barcelona, Fuerteventura as well as Tenerife. New in the flight schedule from March 2022: Alicante from 39.99€ (999CZK), the popular vacation island of Palma de Mallorca from 29.99€ (764CZK) and Valencia from 49,99€ (1279CZK).
From Prague to Italy
From now on, Eurowings customers can enjoy Italian flair and take off almost daily from Prague to Milan. New and already from December 2021, there will also be flights to the Italian capital and global metropolis of Rome, which passengers can reach from Prague via a direct connection starting at 29.99€ (764CZK).
From Prague to Portugal
From spring, Faro, the popular Portuguese port city in the Algarve region, will also be enticing. Eurowings passengers can take off from Prague to Faro from as little as €39.99 (999CZK).
From Prague to Cyprus
Also new in the flight schedule from March 2022: Larnaca, the port city in the Southeast of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which is especially attractive for vacationers. Eurowings will take its customers there by direct flight from just €49.99 (1,279CZK).
From Prague to Greece
In the current Eurowings winter flight schedule, passengers already enjoy direct connections from Prague to the Greek capital Athens twice a week. In addition, starting in the summer, they will also be able to reach the Greek vacation islands of Corfu and Crete by Eurowings direct flight from €49.99 (1,279CZK) each.
From Prague to Sweden
Starting in March, Eurowings will be flying its passengers to the Swedish capital and the metropolis of Stockholm, which is popular with both vacation and business travelers. Tickets can be booked from as little as €39.99 (999CZK).
The new summer destinations can now be booked with just a few clicks via eurowings.com or the Eurowings customer app – the recently launched Czech Eurowings website also allows customers to book flights easily and conveniently in their national language. In the winter flight schedule, Eurowings is already flying its passengers to the United Kingdom (Bristol and Birmingham), Denmark (Copenhagen) and Croatia (Zagreb). All prices apply to one-way flights.
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November 2, 2021 – Czech Airlines (CSA) has resumed its Prague-Copenhagen service. The service will be operated twice a week, on Thursday and Sunday. Under the winter flight schedule, CSA will continue operating scheduled flights to Paris (daily), Stockholm (twice a week), Moscow (three times a week) and Kyiv (daily). Flights to more than 15 other destinations are available under code-share agreements with partner airlines.
CSA’s flight OK508 will depart from Prague – Vaclav Havel airport at 17:45 with arrival in Copenhagen at 19:05 local time. The return flight OK509 from Copenhagen to Prague will depart at 19:50 local time and arrive at 21:10.
Clients can purchase flight tickets on the Czech Airlines and Smartwings websites and at flight ticket vendors.
Czech Airline’s priority is to ensure maximum safety for passenger on board its airplanes and applies stringent hygienic standards. Passengers are allowed to board Czech Airlines aircraft only with a respiratory mask.
With respect to the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Czech Airlines offers its clients free rebooking by 31 December 2021. Together with their flight tickets, passengers can purchase a travel insurance policy on the CSA website, complete with coverage of the costs associated with contracting the COVID-19 disease.
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November 1, 2021 – Avianca announced the beginning of sales of the tickets for its new Toronto – Bogotá route, to fly from December 2021. Initially, the commercial offer is 3 weekly frequencies for the Toronto – Bogotá route and another 3 for the return route Bogotá – Toronto. The flights will be operated in Airbus A320 aircraft with capacity for 150 passengers, which represents an offer of about 4,000 weekly seats available to travelers.
“Connecting Canada with Colombia is a strategic point for Avianca’s proposal to have more direct flights and have the most robust network in the region. We are excited about this new route, and we know that with the product and service that we offer, the Canadian passenger will choose us for their flights to Colombia and other destinations in South America with which we offer important connectivity from the Bogota hub”, commented Rolando Damas, General Director of Avianca for Mexico, North America, the Caribbean and Asia.
The itineraries of the new route are as follows:
Route**
Flight
Departure
Arrival
Frequency
Toronto-Bogota
AV205
22:50*
05:00*
Tuesday, friday and saturday
Bogota-Toronto
AV204
15:20*
21:30*
*Local time
** Operation subject to government approval.
Tickets for this route are already available for sale on the mobile application, the website and through travel agencies.
Jorge Alfredo Díaz Bravo, Consul General of Colombia in Toronto, said that “The opening of this route is great news for the Colombian community, for our country and for national tourism.”
The opening of the Toronto-Bogotá route joins the launch and reactivation of 12 additional routes that will be part of the wide catalog of destinations offered by the airline from the next few months. Currently, Avianca offers its customers one of the most robust networks in Latin America with 99 routes, more than 2,680 flights per week and nearly 400,000 weekly seats.
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November 1, 2021 -Together with Air France-KLM and Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines today announced that it will be bringing its targets for reducing CO2 emissions in line with the UN Paris Climate Agreement. This agreement aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels in order to combat the impact of climate change. “Very recently, a number of airlines – including KLM – committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050 under the IATA umbrella. This constitutes another important aspect of the Paris Agreement. We are now taking the next, crucial step for the entire Air France-KLM Group. We are committing ourselves to the CO2 reduction path developed by SBTi specifically for the airline industry. This will bring our targets further in line with the Paris Climate Agreement,” says Pieter Elbers, CEO of KLM.
Air France-KLM, Air France and KLM have each signed a letter of intent in which the group declares its commitment to cooperating with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Based on scientifically substantiated targets to reduce CO2 emissions and working in consultation, a corresponding path will be established and validated. Pieter Elbers, CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: “The earth has clear limits as to how we use our resources and the volume of emissions we generate. In recent years, we have worked hard at a national, European and global level to cooperate, innovate and define agreements. By establishing SBTi, we can further reduce our CO2 emissions step by step in a transparent manner. Initiatives including fleet renewal, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and further operational innovation and efficiency will enable us to achieve the targets.” (see enclosed “KLM’s pathway towards the Paris climate goals”)
Fly Responsibly
In 2019, KLM introduced its Fly Responsibly sustainability initiative, directed at transforming KLM into a more sustainable airline. In addition to fleet renewal, scaling-up production and use of SAF form the cornerstone of KLM’s approach. Cooperation and supportive policies are needed to create a level playing field upon which SAF will become the standard. Elbers: “A successful, ambitious climate policy hinges on cooperating well with industry parties, knowledge institutions and governments. Together, we must reach solid agreements that truly support the energy transition.”
Despite the huge impact of Covid-19, sustainability has remained a top priority for KLM. In 2021, KLM added the first of 25 new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft to its fleet. This aircraft emits 31% less CO2 per passenger than its predecessor. KLM also took part in trials involving sustainable taxiing and operated the world’s first commercial flight powered by a fuel mixture containing synthetic kerosene.
How does SBTi work?
SBTi is a partnership between four NGOs and knowledge institutions: the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), World Resources Institute (WRI), UN Global Compact and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). SBTi helps private-sector organisations to set climate targets in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, based on what science tells them is necessary to honour the agreement, and to give short and medium-term targets concrete shape. Working with SBTi will enable KLM to gradually reduce its CO2 emissions per passenger-kilometre. Until the targets for Air France-KLM are set and validated, KLM will continue to work on its current ambitions for 2030.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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”.
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