Marriott International has updated its cancellation policy as it seeks to encourage travellers into booking hotel rooms once the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is past. For guests with existing reservations for any future arrival date, the company will allow full changes or cancellation without a charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival. Any change or cancellation must be made by June 30th. The policy also includes reservations with pre-paid rates that are typically more restrictive. For guests making new reservations for any future arrival date, Marriott will allow the reservation to be changed or cancelled at no charge…
Author: holidayweekly
BEIJING: With the economy gradually reopening in China as the coronavirus crisis subsides, Chinese travelers are beginning to take tentative steps out of their homes for vacations nearby, if the recent Qingming festival was any indication. But travel business players in China are only too aware that a return to pre-crisis norm is not yet on the horizon, as people’s movement across the country still comes under significant restrictions. Within China, it is not uncommon for tourist sites and attractions to reopen for business, only to close a couple of days later out of fear of another wave of infections.…
GENEVA: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced the postponement of the 76th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit, which had been scheduled to take place on June 22-23 in Amsterdam. The 76th IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit will be held when it is both safe and practicable to do so. IATA anticipates that will be in the late third or early fourth quarter of 2020. An announcement will be made when a date is confirmed. “Our members are in the deepest crisis the air transport industry has ever faced. With much of the…
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has extended the deadline for receiving requests from Saudi citizens wishing to return from abroad to the Kingdom through the approved online platform until 5pm local time on April 14, a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) report said. Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that this extension comes within the framework of the leadership’s concern for the citizens abroad. He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all parties involved in implementing the program for the return of citizens abroad continue to work around the clock to make the return of citizens safe and…
KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which has partially resumed its international flight operations, decided on Thursday to operate more flights to repatriate hundreds of Pakistanis stranded in Malaysia, Thailand and France. A PIA spokesman said that the national flag carrier had decided to extend its international relief flight operations to bring back Pakistanis stranded in different countries. A special flight will be operated to Denmark from Islamabad on April 10. Likewise, another PIA flight will be operated for Baku city of Azerbaijan to repatriate 125 stranded Pakistanis. On April 11, a PIA flight will be operated to Kuala Lumpur…
PARIS: Airbus is revising its aircraft production rates downwards to adapt to a new market environment caused by the coronavirus pandemic.Going forward, Airbus will produce 40 A320s a month, as well as two A330s and six A350s. This represents a reduction of the pre-coronavirus average rates of roughly one third.With these new rates, Airbus preserves its ability to meet customer demand while protecting its ability to further adapt as the global market evolves. In quarter one, Airbus booked 290 net commercial aircraft orders and delivered 122 aircraft. A further 60 aircraft were produced during the quarter, however, they remain undelivered…
ISLAMABAD: Serena Hotels and HBL join hands to provides 30,000 meal-boxes over a period of one month, in seven cities with Serena Hotel presence, to medical professionals battling at the frontline of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Serena Hotels will provide the meal-boxes with the support of HBL. The collaboration, “Jazba-e-Khidmat”, is a joint initiative of HBL and Serena Hotels and aims to provide specially prepared meal-boxes to the medical teams at the COVID-19 designated hospitals and health camps in the seven cities: Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Swat, Quetta, Gilgit and Khaplu. The “Jazba-e-Khidmat” meal-boxes will be provided twice a day…
WRITTEN BY CH. FAISAL MAHMOOD Tourism industry all over the world from one end to another has entered into an unprecedented, unparallel and matchless crisis since the World War 2. The horrifying thing is that the duration and devastating impact of the killer virus is still unknown, apparently limitless. Truly, we never witnessed tourism industry of the world in such big trouble before. As we mentioned that the Tourism industry of whole world, from Artic region to Thailand is feeling the impact. Those places on the beautiful planet of Allah, where every good tourism destination was hasty busty with tourists…
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Asean Travel Associations (FATA) has urged the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to resolve refund issues resulting from flight cancellations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. FATA president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said airlines have to prioritize making refunds instead of issuing vouchers which might have little or no value should they be liquidated. “The travel agencies are cognizant of the financial difficulties of the airline industry during these times. However, we also expect it would be equally respectful of the rights of the travel agencies. “More so, to our mutual clients who have entrusted their…
KARACHI: As you are aware that due to the ongoing crisis of COVID19, travel Industry in the world was the first business victim of the virus as abrupt travel restrictions caused closure of almost all Airports and cancellation of millions air tickets, umrah pilgrimage, tours, corporate and other traveling across the globe. Travel/ Tourism sector facing colossal financial losses and are at much higher risk of closure/ bankruptcy where hundreds of thousands of jobs are in danger because of predatory, unilateral and unfair policies adopted by IATA and Airlines, wherein the travel agencies on one hand are under acute pressure…