Travel Updates (July 7)

By KS RAMKUMAR

• Safir International Hotel Management wins award •Atlantis, The Palm joins Emirates’ Skyward program •Lufthansa to operate five flights weekly to Pointe Noire •Jet Airways, Jet Lite record exceptional performance in May •British Airways bites back in the Middle East

Safir International Hotel Management wins award

JEDDAH: Kuwaiti owned Safir International Hotel Management has recently won two Middle East World Travel Awards at the prestigious 17th Annual World Travel Awards held at The Address Dubai Marina. The properties Safir Hoda Wali Hotel-Iraq and Safir Al-Sayedah Zeinab Hotel-Syria won the coveted titles of Leading Hotel 2010. Safir Al Sayedah Zeinab Hotel is located in Damascus, Syria and features 157 rooms, ranging from standard rooms, junior suites, presidential suite and executive apartment. Safir Hoda Wali, located in Kerbala, Iraq boasts 340 rooms and has a multipurpose meeting room and conference venue that is fully equipped with the latest technology. Safir Hotel & Resorts is a 100 percent Arabic Company that manages hotels in Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria and Oman.

 

Atlantis, The Palm joins Emirates’ Skyward program

DUBAI: Atlantis, The Palm has joined Emirates’ Skywards program. Guests of Atlantis will thus earn Skywards miles throughout the resort, and depending on the level of the membership, guests and visitors will be able to enjoy additional benefits throughout Atlantis, described as the first truly integrated entertainment destination resort in the Middle East. A Skywards Member staying at Atlantis, The Palm will receive one Skywards mile for each $1 spent when booking via the Atlantis website or by calling Atlantis reservations direct. To celebrate the partnership, members who stay at Atlantis between now and Aug. 31 will earn triple Skywards miles. In addition, members staying at the resort can earn miles on all dining experiences, from contemporary gastronomic cuisine by three star Michelin Chef Santi Santamaria, and cutting edge sushi by world-class Chef Nobu Matsuhisa to family-style authentic Italian in Ronda Locatelli by Chef Giorgio Locatelli and French flavors by Parisian Chef Michel Rostang. Resort guests can also earn miles when enjoying the Atlantis Spa. Resort guests can also earn miles on retail purchases, telephone calls and laundry charges when charged to the member’s guestroom.

 

Lufthansa to operate five flights weekly to Pointe Noire

JEDDAH: At the start of the winter flight schedules, Lufthansa is to begin serving a new destination in Africa. From Nov. 3, the airline is laying on five flights weekly to Pointe Noire, the principal port in the Republic of the Congo, pending regulatory approval. The route will be flown by a Boeing 737-800 from PrivatAir. The flights to the Congolese port include a stopover in Libreville in Gabon. In future, Libreville will thus be served non-stop and not, as previously, with a stopover in Accra, Ghana. Lufthansa currently serves West Africa with a total of 33 weekly connections to Abuja, Accra, Lagos, Libreville, Luanda, Malabo and Port Harcourt. 

 

Jet Airways, Jet Lite record exceptional performance in May

JEDDAH: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, and Jet Lite, a wholly owned subsidiary, have achieved the “best on time performance” in May, as per the figures released by the Director General of Civil Aviation. The two airlines topped all other domestic airlines operating in India in respect of on-time performance (OTP). May, which is the peak summer season, has seen a sharp turnaround following the unwavering dedication and commitment displayed by the staff of Jet Airways and Jet Lite on the network which has played a decisive role in enhancing Jet Airways and Jet Lite OTP. During May, Jet Airways recorded its OTP to 88.9 percent. Jet Lite has outperformed all the airlines with 89.9 percent during the month. Jet Airways carried 869,000 revenue passengers registering a sharp 41.2 percent growth as compared to the same period last year with a seat factor of 82.5 percent. Likewise, Jet Lite also posted seat factor of 85.3 percent during the same period carrying over 402,000 passengers, Sudheer Raghavan, chief commercial officer, Jet Airways, said.

 

British Airways bites back in the Middle East

JEDDDAH: Following its well-documented challenges, global premium airline British Airways (BA) has acknowledged the need to regain the faith of its customers, launching an unparalleled sale on fares from the Middle East to Europe and North America. The sale has been extended to its Club World business class cabin as well as World Traveller Plus premium economy and World Traveller economy. Despite Middle Eastern routes remaining fairly stable during the volcanic ash incident and recent industrial action, the airline is determined to reward the loyalty of its passengers. The discount fares will be available until July 5 and are valid for travel up until Dec. 31. With return trips to Europe — including all taxes, fees and surcharges — available for as little as SR2,060, and to the USA for SR3,392, British Airways is confident the sale will be a winner with customers who are due to travel over the summer.

 

 

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