The low-cost Indian carrier IndiGo is getting ready to begin a second service to the United Arab Emirates later this year. IndiGo currently flies more than 1,400 flights every day across a total of 21 international and 58 domestic destinations, but it is planning to add new routes to Sharjah by the close of 2019. As of 1stOctober this year, a route from the city of Amritsar in the Punjab region of India to Sharjah…
Flydubai has joined several other airlines in the United Arab Emirates to stop MacBook Pro laptops from being allowed as checked-in luggage on flights. The announcement, made on the website of the low-cost airline, said that after a limited number of 15-inch older-generation MacBook Pro models, which were generally sold in the period between September 2015 and February 2017, were recalled, the airline has made the decision to disallow the acceptance of such devices in either…
Business trips used to be easy enough to arrange, but business travellers may soon have to deal with a wide array of add-ons and different types of fares due to low-cost airlines’ desire for ancillary revenue. Ancillary revenue comes on top of the fee for the original booking, with travellers reeled in by low headline prices and then tempted by extra-cost items, including baggage, frequent flyer miles, meals and seat selection. Now, even full-service airlines…
The World Economic Forum releases an annual report that ranks countries based upon the particular features that make them appealing to tourists. The top Arab nation in the list, coming in at 23rd place overall, was the United Arab Emirates. This year, the UAE has also been named as the “happiest” and “least corrupt” nation in the Arab world, with the Emirati city of Dubai also earning the title of the Arab World’s most liveable…
Leva Hotels & Resorts, which has only just been launched, is offering property owners the chance to acquire franchises of its hospitality brand while it plans for expansion. The company, which is based in the United Arab Emirates, says that the Third Party Management option has been rolled out in order to offer an alternative to the standard direct management structure or resource or asset-heavy owner-operator. The scheme will allow property owners to take over…
Mastercard has released a new report confirming that Dubai is one of the most visited cities in the world, while Abu Dhabi is the number one fastest-growing destination for visitors. Dubai held its position as the world’s fourth most visited city for the fifth year in a row, with the last 12 months seeing as many as 15.93 million international visitors landing in the city and staying at least overnight, while Abu Dhabi has increased…
The launch of ‘Yas Expert’, a new destination training and certification programme aimed at travel agents, has been announced by Experience Hub, the trade and promotion body of Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Within just three weeks of the programme being launched, over 1,000 travel agents have already signed up to take part in it. The programme will take place online and includes modules on the island’s award-winning attractions, itinerary planning and leisure experiences, with further…
In a bid to satisfy the appetite of everyone on their flights, Cebu Pacific have whipped up several brand new simply prepared meals and familiar-tasting foods for travellers from the United Arab Emirates to give their flights an extra “homey” feel. As of 1stOctober this year, Emiratis who get on board a Cebu Pacific plane will be able to sample new, hot meals containing flavours to remind them of home. The new food menu is halal-certified while…
Hotel operators in Dubai are adapting to try to cope with a huge increase in the number of tourists from China coming over to stay in the emirate, according to the Kempinski Mall of the Emirates’ general manager Slim Zaiane. Dubai Tourism’s official statistics show that the numbers of people from China visiting the UAE increased by 12% last year to reach a peak of 875,000, and just over half a million have already made the…
Emirates has been named as one of the most reliable carriers in the world, with almost 85% of all its flights arriving at its destinations without any delays, a new report has revealed. Get Going travel insurance has undertaken research, the results of which show that the Dubai-based airline came in sixth place in a ranking of carriers all over the world, while also gaining top marks in regard to safety. Just 15.17% of all Emirates…