ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways will offer passengers Covid-19 insurance as part of Etihad Wellness, a new health and hygiene programme. Guests who are diagnosed with Covid-19 during their trip will not have to worry about medical expenses or quarantine costs when they fly. Duncan Bureau, senior vice president sales and distribution, Etihad Airways, said: “The safety, health, and wellbeing of our guests and employees is our top priority, during and beyond the flight. “The introduction of global Covid-19 insurance, in partnership with AXA, builds on stringent measures already in place as part of our Etihad Wellness programme, championed by our…
Author: holidayweekly
MADRID: The 2020 edition of World Tourism Day will celebrate the unique role that tourism plays in providing opportunities outside of big cities and preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world. Celebrated on 27 September with the theme of “Tourism and Rural Development”, this year’s international day of observation comes at a critical moment, as countries around the world look to tourism to drive recovery, including in rural communities where the sector is a leading employer and economic pillar. The 2020 edition also comes as governments look to the sector to drive recovery from the effects of the…
LONDON: A U.K. court has signed off on Virgin Atlantic’s restructuring plan, paving the way for the troubled carrier to “emerge from the Covid-19 crisis a sustainably profitable airline.” The £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) plan gives Virgin Atlantic breathing room for 18 months to restructure its operations. The carrier plans to realize £280 million in annual costs savings and to reduce its fleet capital expenditure by £880 million over the next five years. The carrier also announced today that it is cutting another 1,150 jobs and will provide the option for 600 cabin-crew employees to take voluntary separation packages. The…
KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Friday, September 4, announced that the fares for domestic flights have further been reduced. According to a PIA spokesperson, reduced fares have been introduced for flights between Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. As per the new package announced for flights between Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, the airline has fixed Rs7,400 for the one-way ticket along with 20 kilogrammes cargo weight, whereas, Rs13,500 would be charged for the two-way ticket from the passenger travelling to the aforesaid route along with 20kg cargo weight. Meanwhile, Rs8,400 will be charged for a one-way ticket along with 35kg…
LONDON: Virgin Atlantic is pleased to announce it will be launching flights to Pakistan in December 2020. [huge_it_slider id=”571″] Operating three new routes from London Heathrow to Lahore, London Heathrow to Islamabad, as well as from Manchester to Islamabad; these direct flights and new services will go on sale in September 2020 subject to applicable regulatory approvals, and will boast Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class, Premium and Economy Light, Classic and Delight offering. Pakistan has the seventh largest diaspora in the world and the new services aim to respond to the large, fast-growing demand to visit friends and relatives (VFR) from…
LONDON: Adventures Overland, an expedition company has announced the “most epic bus journey in the world”. How would you feel about becoming part of the longest bus journey in the world spanning two continents, 18 countries and covering a distance of 20,000 kilometres in 70 days? The ‘Bus to London’ will be the first-ever hop-on/hop-off bus service between India and the United Kingdom. In this one-of-a-kind road-trip, you will get to explore thousands of pagodas in Myanmar, meet rare species of Giant Pandas in Chengdu and will get to hike the Great Wall of China. Not only all this, but…
LONDON: Transport secretary Grant Shapps has hinted that the quarantine period from high risk countries could be halved. He told Sky News it was possible the government may cut the period from 14 to seven days, followed by a Covid test. The news comes as the industry deals with the fallout from the latest travel update which has seen governments across the UK draw different conclusions to medical advice, a situation described as ‘bewildering’ by the World Travel and Tourism Council. Questioned on the continuing quarantine issue and testing, Shapps suggested changes could be on the way. “You probably have…
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Wednesday, September 2, approved funds worth $142 million to address the financial challenges faced by the PIA-owned Roosevelt Hotel in New York, US. The decision to grant the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) the funds was made in a meeting chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, according to a press release issued by the finance ministry. The move came on the recommendation of a committee constituted in an earlier meeting. It is headed by the Planning Commission’s deputy chairperson and comprises the secretaries of the…
BRUSSELS and GENEVA: Facing the most difficult winter season in aviation’s history, airlines and airports have agreed to abide by a set of conditions together with slot coordinators under which an extension of the waiver of the “use-it-or-lose-it” rule could be applied for the entire 2020-2021 winter season. Continued uncertainty about a second wave of the pandemic and haphazard travel restrictions have caused passenger demand to plummet, leading to a slower recovery in European air transport and making the need for an extended slots waiver more urgent than ever. To facilitate a prompt decision by the European Commission, ACI Europe,…
ISTANBUL: Turkish Airlines has signed an IT deal with Amadeus that will help it deliver personalised offers to travellers across all platforms and devices. The Turkish flag carrier is aiming to expand its customer reach with a series of new shopping solutions from Amadeus’ Offer Suite. These flexible and modular solutions will allow the airline to connect with new market channels and develop a future-proof retail strategy, a statement said. Most significantly, Turkish Airlines will be the first airline to adopt Massive Search, a solution which will help it deliver the most relevant and bookable fares to travellers. Massive search…