SAUDIA has launched a new version of Alfursan loyalty program offering multiple advantages and greater miles value for members. The upgrade is part of a complete transformation of the program which aims to increase the competitiveness of SAUDIA as it seeks to deliver world-class levels of guest experience. This reflects the national carrier’s efforts to improve guests’ travel experience and is part of an ambitious, organisation-wide, transformation the group is currently undergoing. The new edition of Alfursan includes unprecedented benefits for more than 7.5 million members, in addition to motivating more guests to join and enjoy the benefits and rewards of the program through the marketing campaign launched today. Under the slogan “Enjoy More”, Alfursan now partners with several new parties, most notably credit card providers. One of the most important new features of the program is that there is no longer a specific period to redeem miles. Members can use their miles as long as their membership remains active by earning or redeeming them at least once in 24 months regardless of the date of earning. Previously, reward miles expired three years after the date of earning. The new edition also introduces several benefits and policies aimed at increasing the chances of redeeming miles through the introduction of the “Reward” and “Reward Plus” categories. Members can issue reward tickets at a discount of up to 50% of the required miles. For example: the Jeddah-Riyadh-Jeddah flight now requires only 9,000 miles compared to 18,000 miles previously, while the (Riyadh-London-Riyadh) flight now requires 24,000 miles compared to 40,000 miles previously. The launch of the “Reward Plus” category is aimed at providing more reward seats on multiple flights to more destinations, where …

Air Arabia resumed its direct flights to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. The direct flights will connect Sharjah International Airport with Kuala Lumpur International Airport with a frequency of three weekly flights starting from March 20, 2023 which will increase to daily flights in June 2023. Schedule to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, effective March 20, 2023 (all times local): Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency  G9 802 Sharjah 14:50 Kuala Lumpur 02:00 Airbus A321 Mon/ Wed/ Fri G9 803 Kuala Lumpur 03:00 Sharjah 06:50 Airbus A321 Tue/Thu/Sat G9 800 Sharjah 21:40 Kuala Lumpur 09:10 Airbus A321 Thu/Fri/Sat G9 801 Kuala Lumpur 10:10 Sharjah 13:25 Airbus A321 Fri/Sat/Sun Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia said: “We are glad to resume our direct flights between Sharjah and Kuala Lumpur, and we consider it a significant route in terms of our expansion plans within the Asian market. We look forward to welcoming customers on our direct flights, falling in line with our commitment to provide travellers with affordable and value driven air services to various destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, which is one of the fastest growing metropolitan cities in Southeast Asia.”   Customers can now book their direct flights between the two cities by visiting Air Arabia’s website, or by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.   Air Arabia operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 neo-LR aircraft, the most modern and best-selling single aisle aircraft in the world. The cabin configuration across Air Arabia’s fleet provides added comfort with one of the most generous seat-pitch of any economy cabin.   In addition to ‘SkyTime’, the free in-flight streaming service that will allows passengers …

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts continues its growth trajectory across Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA), reaching over 550 hotels across the region through a number of important openings in the year, and a strong line-up of property launches expected in the coming months. In the Middle East, Wyndham continued to bring more accommodation options to Dubai, with the launch of Wyndham Residences on Palm Jumeirah, one of the most popular landmarks in the emirate. In the first half of 2022, the total number of guests within the overall UAE hotel industry increased 42% year-on-year to reach 12 million, driven by The Expo 2020 Dubai and sustained by football’s biggest sporting event in Qatar, where Wyndham opened the 278-key beachfront Wyndham Grand Doha West Bay Beach, as well as Ramada by Wyndham Doha Old Town. Dimitris Manikis, President EMEA, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said: “Travel continues to bounce back and our continued expansion across EMEA is testament to the strength and the resilience of our industry. Our latest expansion marks a key step in our quest to make hotel travel possible for all, which is particularly relevant in a diverse region like the EMEA, where we see strong potential to expand our foothold in both new and existing destinations.” In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Wyndham further cemented its presence with the opening of the 189-key Ramada by Wyndham Riyadh King Fahd Road, offering easy access to the capital’s businesses and commercial districts, an array of F&B outlets, a pool, an indoor sauna, a banquet facility, as well as a business centre with versatile meeting rooms. The latest opening represents the Company’s 13th hotel in KSA. In Turkey, Wyndham …

Emirates’ flagship A380 made a landmark touchdown at Auckland Airport. This is first time the Emirates double-decker has landed in Auckland since February 2020, demonstrating increasing travel demand in and out of New Zealand. The special non-stop daily service from Dubai to Auckland was greeted at Auckland Airport ahead of the country’s first fully open summer since the pandemic. Emirates flight EK448 takes off from Dubai International Airport at 10:05 am and lands in Auckland at 11:05 am local time. The flight has reclaimed the title of Emirates’ longest route on its network, clocking in 14,200 km, with an estimated flight time of just under 16 hours from Dubai to New Zealand and 17 hours, 15 minutes in the other direction. This makes it one of the world’s longest non-stop scheduled commercial flights. Emirates has been flying to New Zealand for 19 years, a sign of its ongoing commitment to the market. Throughout the pandemic, Emirates continued to serve the country, both through connecting New Zealand and the world with daily flights, as well as its SkyCargo services bringing essential goods in and out of the nation. The latest update to its services will offer customers greater levels of flexibility and choice when making travel plans and provide seamless connectivity and reduced transit time when travelling to other destinations in its global network, including destinations in Europe and the Middle East. The Emirates A380 experience remains highly sought after by travellers offering 14 First Class suites and 76 lie-flat seats in Business Class. Customers travelling to and from Auckland can look forward to enjoying its spacious and comfortable cabins, signature products that offer travellers the best experiences in the sky …

VistaJet, the first and only global business aviation company, continues to push forward with its plan for more sustainable aviation solutions and announces an agreement with AEG Fuels to purchase Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) produced by OMV at Vienna International Airport. Leading the industry by integrating a series of environmental initiatives throughout its operations, the agreement accelerates VistaJet’s journey to carbon neutrality by 2025. VistaJet’s commitment to replace over 200,000 USG of conventional jet fuel consumption with a blended SAF is expected to generate over 165,000 kg of CO2 reduction — an 80% emissions improvement over the lifecycle of the fuel compared to conventional jet fuel. This SAF is produced in compliance with the EU Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED). Thomas Flohr, Founder and Chairman, VistaJet said: “Together as an industry we can reshape the way we conduct business. At VistaJet, we are very proud of the progress we have made and we hope that others will adopt our recommendations. Businesses are rightfully being held accountable for their environmental impact and our agreement with AEG Fuels not only helps in reducing GHG emissions, but goes hand in hand with our ongoing efforts to practice higher sustainability to protect the local communities in the countries we operate, spanning 96% of the world.” Stephen J. Leonard, Vice President of Global Supply, AEG Fuels said: “Business and corporate jet operators are going to be key stakeholders in aviation’s decarbonization plans as we work to achieve net-zero. We’re very excited to support VistaJet’s efforts to push our industry forward and provide a framework for future SAF agreements. Their individual efforts are supporting critical investments in sustainable solutions for producers and consumers in the space.” …

Hilton announced the highly anticipated opening of Conrad Rabat Arzana, marking the first brand entry into Morocco for Conrad Hotels & Resorts. With its modern architecture and pioneering design, the luxurious 120-guest room hotel will provide guests with a new sense of modern hospitality, premier dining experiences and personalised service for a memorable stay. Located north of Harhouara, 15 minutes from the corniche and 35 minutes from Rabat Salé Airport, the property’s prime location close to the city’s cultural centre provides convenient access to historic tourist attractions such as Mausoleum Med V, Old Medina, Moorish Gardens and The Zoo of Rabat. “The entry of our iconic Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand, named after our founder, Conrad Hilton, into Rabat marks a significant milestone in the growth of our portfolio in the Middle East & Africa – underscoring our strategy to bring Hilton’s luxury brands to new destinations across the region,” said Jochem-Jan Sleiffer, president, Middle East, Africa and Türkiye, Hilton. “Conrad Rabat Arzana is our sixth property in Morocco, and we believe this incredible addition will redefine luxury and enhance the hospitality offering in Rabat for business and leisure travellers alike. We look forward to welcoming guests to this extraordinary property.” With its fascinating history, inspiring ancient vestiges, old ramparts and outstanding Atlantic coastline, Rabat offers a fine selection of monuments, shops, and museums. The city is a popular destination for city breaks and celebrates with a myriad of year-long events and music festivals. Deeply rooted in arts and culture, Rabat is also home to beautiful imperial gardens, minarets, domes, wide avenues, and the Grand Theatre of Rabat, one of Africa’s largest theatres. The theatre hosts many Moroccan troupes, with …

During COP15 in Montreal, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (the Alliance) announced a new collaboration which will bring together the public and private sectors in a shared vision to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The vision sees the global Travel & Tourism sector supporting and inspiring governments, businesses, and society to implement the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and help to transform our relationship with the natural world. Signatories to the vision have committed to adopt a nature positive approach to tourism through integrating biodiversity safeguards by reducing carbon emissions, the impact of pollution, the unsustainable use of resources, and by protecting and restoring nature and its wildlife. This collaboration follows the release of WTTC’s ‘Nature Positive Travel & Tourism’ report, which was created jointly with ANIMONDIAL, and focuses on halting and reversing damage to nature so the living world can recover from its current depleted state. This involves minimising ongoing harm and taking positive action to restore nature to produce an overall benefit to biodiversity and help achieve Net Zero. Almost 150 organisations have signed up to the vision so far including international hotel groups, tour operators, travel agents, destinations, and international wildlife charities. Complementing the power of the private sector, UNWTO, as the voice of tourism at the global governance level, will work to bring governments and international organisations on board and announce the shared vision of tourism as a pillar of wildlife conservation and habitat protection. Progress will also be guided by UNWTO’s trusted data and analysis, including groundbreaking Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) initiative and its growing International Network of Sustainable …

‎Qatar Airways announced that it will resume services to Taif starting 3 January 2023 with three weekly flights. This is the airlines’ sixth destination in Saudi Arabia. The resumption of services will enable passengers flying from and to Taif to benefit from the airline’s extensive international network to across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas via the World’s Best Airport, Hamad International Airport. Qatar Airways flight QR1206, will depart from Hamad International Airport at 07:40, arriving at 10:10 at Taif International Airport. Qatar Airways flight QR1207, will depart from Taif International Airport at 11:10, and arrive at Hamad International Airport at 13:20. Qatar Airways is currently operating two daily flights from Riyadh, four daily flights from Jeddah, two daily flights from Medina, five daily flights from Dammam, and a daily flight from Qassim. Qatar Airways recently announced that Privilege Club has officially adopted Avios as its reward currency, opening up a world of new opportunities for members travelling across the airline’s extensive network. This partnership offers a combination of benefits, including a wide range of greater guaranteed award seats and competitive prices on Qatar Airways flights, in addition to experiencing the World’s Best Airline and enjoying the World’s Best Airport, Hamad International Airport (HIA). Hamad International Airport (HIA) ranked “Best Airport in the World” for the second year in a row by SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2022, is preparing to welcome 58 million passengers annually. A stunning expansion was recently unveiled featuring a 10,000-sqm, lush, tropical indoor garden named “The Orchard.” Drenched in natural light and featuring sustainably sourced plants and shrubs, it offers a show-stopping, luxury shopping experience to passengers with many first-of-a-kind retail outlets. A multiple award-winning airline, …

Visionize Technology, is helping pave the way for hotels and resorts around the region to reach new heights with the implementation of a state-of-the-art automation technology which facilitates internal staff operations, enhances the guest experience using in-room apps, lower overall business costs and generate more revenue within the F&B sector. The properties have estimated a staggering increase in the average spent per guest after the implementation of Visionize, mainly due to built-in smart marketing and upselling features, along with fantastic visual experience and a seamless multilingual interface. Visionize Technology Founder & CEO Mazen Chedid stated, “With the future of hospitality gearing towards a more seamless and data-driven experience, the implementation of our systems across numerous hotels around the region seems to be opening new doors to achieving higher revenue, faster operations and an improved guest experience.” Moreover, as the system’s artificial intelligence entirely tracks and analyzes F&B operations including the staff, kitchen and clearances, hotels have witnessed a significant decrease in human error and delivery time.

After its Dubai launch in 2019, Vistara held the first press conference post covid, with the presence of its CEO Vinod Kannan addressing media on the importance of the Gulf region. Kannan reiterated that there has been a consistent rise in passenger volumes and demand from the Gulf countries, paving way for the airline to bolster its presence in the region. It was a special day for the airline that they launched its daily, non-stop flights between Mumbai (India) and Muscat (Oman), its fourth destination in the Gulf region, as part of expanding its footprint in the Middle East. Muscat is the third Gulf city (Abu Dhabi and Jeddah being the other two) that Vistara has added to its network in the last four months. Vistara also operates daily flights to Dubai to/from Mumbai. In the context of the increase in demand for travel between India and the Gulf region, Vistara’s Middle Eastern routes have been performing remarkably well. The inaugural flight will depart from Mumbai at 2000 Hours (IST) and arrive in Muscat at 2135 Hours (GST). With this, Vistara becomes the only carrier to offer the choice of Premium Economy class on the route, in addition to Business and Economy class. Mr. Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, “The launch of operations to Muscat is in line with our goal to steadily enhance our footprint in the Middle East. The firm bilateral relationship and robust cultural and economic ties between India and states in the Gulf region have given great impetus to our growth plans, and our successful business on the other Middle Eastern routes is a testament to that. We are excited to bring India’s finest …