Tag Archives: Etihad Airways

Abu Dhabi Airports has welcomed new daily flights from Al Ain International Airport (AAN) to King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, designed to facilitate travel to Saudi Arabia for the performance of the Islamic pilgrimage, Umrah, during the holy month of Ramadan. The flights, operated by Etihad Airways, will take place during the last ten days of Ramadan, commencing on May 26 and continuing through to June 4, in line with the most popular time period for performing Umrah. Ahmed Al Shamisi, Acting Chief Operations Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “Ramadan is a blessed time of the year, and we are delighted to be able to support our customer’s performance of Umrah by adding a daily flight to Jeddah from Al Ain International Airport during the last ten days of Ramadan. We are continually working to enhance our services and offerings, and together with Etihad Airways we look forward to sharing the spirit of Ramadan with those travelling for Umrah.” Etihad Airways will operate its daily flights using its Airbus A330. Flights are scheduled to depart from Al Ain International Airport at 13:30 Local Time (LT) and arrive at King Abdulaziz International Airport at 15:20 LT. Returning flights will depart from King Abdulaziz International Airport at 16:20 LT and arrive at Al Ain International Airport at 20:05 LT.

The Ministry of Community Development and Etihad Airways have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch the Etihad Senior Emiratis Basma Programme, which offers UAE nationals over the age of 60 an exclusive programme of benefits when flying with the airline. Etihad has also signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Airports to provide Basma members with a range of added benefits from the capital’s airport. On the occasion of the launch, Her Excellency Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, emphasised the importance of signing this MoU with Etihad Airways to offer an exclusive programme of benefits and discounts for senior Emiratis. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Following in the footsteps of our country’s great leadership, Etihad Airways truly values the contribution of the UAE’s senior citizens to our society.” Users of the Etihad Senior Emiratis Basma Card will be able to instantly access Silver status with Etihad Guest, the airline’s award-winning loyalty programme. Further benefits include discounts on Etihad Airways flights, when booked through Etihad Airways retail offices. Members will also receive 25 per cent bonus Guest Miles, discounts on upgrades using miles at the airport, alongside priority check-in at Abu Dhabi International Airport. They will also be entitled to an additional baggage allowance, depending on the class of travel. Commenting on this collaboration, Bryan Thompson, Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “Abu Dhabi Airports is eager to collaborate with our key partner, Etihad Airways, on producing tailored and creative offers that will further enhance our customer experience across our services.” Guests within the programme will also be offered a 10 per cent discount at Abu Dhabi Duty Free, as well …

Etihad Airways announced it is extending its free Abu Dhabi stopover campaign to the end of the year due to the popularity of the special offer in its opening month. Travellers flying through the capital of the UAE with the airline are invited to enjoy a free two-night hotel stay to break up their journey and explore the city’s vibrant and diverse attractions. Abu Dhabi offers visitors the chance to explore cultural highlights, impressive architecture, world-class theme parks as well as striking beaches and desert landscapes. Etihad is offering two free nights of hotel accommodation in Abu Dhabi for all guests booking flights to and from all Etihad destinations via Abu Dhabi. Guests can choose from a range of hotels located across the city including the five-star Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Intercontinental Abu Dhabi and Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, as well as the Pearl Rotana, Courtyard by Marriott WTC, Crowne Plaza and Radisson Blu. The free Abu Dhabi stopover promotion is available for bookings online through etihad.com or via a travel agent made by December 1 for travel until December 31, 2019. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “We are extremely pleased that our Abu Dhabi stopover has appealed to so many of our guests and exceeded our expectations in the first month since it launched.” Etihad guests booking online should select a multi-city flight and will be directed to the stopover booking page once the booking is confirmed. Guests then have the option to choose a hotel package with one of the many hotel partners operating this promotion. With the Extraordinary Abu Dhabi Pass, visitors to Abu Dhabi can use their Etihad Airways boarding pass to …

Etihad Airways will boost its services from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow during the summer period. The additional flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, supplementing the current three daily all-Airbus A380 services between both capital cities. Four daily flights will be operated on the route between May 26 and June 22, increasing to five from June 23 to September 28, returning to four daily flights from September 29 to October 26. The extra flights are conveniently timed to provide easy connections via Abu Dhabi to and from key destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. Etihad’s two-class version of the 787-9 Dreamliner features 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats.

Building on the success of its current daily service between the capitals of the UAE and Russia, Etihad Airways announced a new second daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, which will operate seasonally between October 27 and May 10, 2020. The additional flight, operated by an Airbus A320, will provide more convenient travel options between the two capital cities as passengers can now choose between a daytime and evening departure from both Abu Dhabi and Moscow. Together with the existing service, operated by an Airbus A321, travellers will also benefit from improved connectivity through Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub to Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. Robin Kamark,  Aviation Group Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad, said, “Since launching our first scheduled flights to Moscow in 2008, the route has proved very popular, enjoying strong point-to-point business and leisure demand. The addition of the second flight underscores the importance we place on the Russian market, by providing our customers greater flexibility, convenience and easy transit through Abu Dhabi to key points across Asia and Australia.” Russia is the second largest source market for inbound tourism to the UAE with 820,000 Russian tourists visiting the country in 2018. The trade exchange between the UAE and Russia reached US$ 3 billion last year. Etihad Airways, together with its partners, continues to promote the increase of tourism, and trade and investment opportunities between both countries. Etihad’s Airbus A321 and A320 two-class aircraft feature modern Business and Economy cabins and the airline’s award-winning service and hospitality. Abu Dhabi – Moscow (effective October 27, 2019 –  May 10, 2020) – From Abu Dhabi at 02:40 to Moscow (DME) 07:20 …

Revolutionising the aviation sector once again, Etihad Airways unveiled a major Economy transformation programme starting with the cabin upgrade and refurbishment of 23 narrow-body Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. The retrofit programme, which includes new personalised wireless streaming entertainment to smartphone and tablet devices, is scheduled for completion in August this year. The airline is also introducing a new and improved Economy dining concept on all its flights as part of a wider programme of enhancements to its inflight catering. Etihad introduced the new developments at Arabian Travel Market, together with a new advertising campaign, ‘Go Your Own Way’, using Fleetwood Mac’s anthemic classic as its soundtrack. As part of the airline’s overall ‘Choose Well’ brand platform, the campaign will drive greater awareness of Etihad’s commitment to providing its guests with greater control, choice and value by personalising their travel experiences. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Etihad has always been a challenger brand, shaping the future of travel as the market constantly changes. We are bringing the leadership and innovation to Economy travel which we have long established in our award-winning Business, First and The Residence cabins. As part of our ‘Choose Well’ promise, we are empowering our guests with more control of their travel experiences, through onboard digital transformation, improved choice and redesigned cabins and products.” Etihad is progressively upgrading the Economy cabins of its narrow-body fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. These are used mainly on short-haul regional services, and further afield to 38 Etihad gateways within five hours of flight from Abu Dhabi. The airline is installing modern and refreshed cabins featuring ergonomic Extra-spatial Design seats by UK based Acro, a …

Etihad Airways and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi are taking Jeddah residents on an immersive tour of Abu Dhabi across VOX Cinemas using 3D projection mapping. This is the first time this technology is being utilised to promote a destination in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the wider Middle East region.  This month, projection mapping will turn VOX cinemas into a theatrical stage to provide viewers with a simulated first person experience of what it’s like flying with Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi. Tim Burnell, Vice President Marketing, Etihad Airways, said, “Abu Dhabi is a dynamic capital with a wealth of exciting opportunities to offer to every type of traveller. We are delighted that today’s technology can showcase what our airline and capital has to offer, by bringing the experience to them, making them feel like they are actually here.” Viewers will board an Etihad aircraft and walk around the Business Cabin before being transported to world-famous leisure attractions including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld and to Warner Bros. At World Abu Dhabi, famous cartoon and comic characters such as Bugs Bunny and Batman will interact with the audience. The journey continues to a mangrove forest, followed by miles of beautiful white sand beaches and a live cooking demonstration, before closing on Abu Dhabi’s rich skyline.

This summer, Etihad Airways will introduce the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its scheduled services from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg, effective August 1, Lagos, effective August 2, and Milan, effective  September 1, replacing the Airbus A330s currently operating the routes. All three destinations will feature Etihad Airways’ next-generation Business and Economy cabins, configured with 299 seats — 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats. Etihad Airways extensive global network to and from Abu Dhabi will see more 787 Dreamliners introduced on key destinations as the airline takes delivery of more of the type. Boeing 787 schedule to Johannesburg, effective August 1, 2019 will leave Abu Dhabi at 10:05 and reach Johannesburg by 16:30 daily and return from Johannesburg at 20:05 to Abu Dhabi at 06:00 daily (Next day arrival). For Lagos, effective August 2, 2019 from Abu Dhabi at 02:35 to Lagos and 07:10 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Return from Lagos at 08:30 to Abu Dhabi at 19:10 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. To Milan, effective September 1, 2019 from Abu Dhabi at 02:20 to Milan at 06:50 daily and return from Milan at 10:40 to  Abu Dhabi at 18:55 daily.

Etihad will be the first airline to trial Panasonic’s new wellness solution, the Jet Lag Adviser, which was developed in collaboration with Detalytics. The solution will be integrated into the airline’s passenger app. One of the biggest challenges air passengers face when travelling across multiple time zones is jet lag. To help passengers combat this, the Jet Lag Adviser takes a range of passenger inputs including chronotype, circadian rhythms, height, weight, the nature of travel, and travel information such as flight times, routes and zones and uses its artificial intelligence engine to produce personalised jet lag plans for passengers with tailored advisories to help them reduce jet lag. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “With the Jet Lag Advisor, we can now leverage artificial intelligence to improve the travel experience.” Passengers will receive a combination of generic route-based and personalised ‘jet lag impact scores’ which gives them a summary of how severe jet lag may be on that route in general and their own travel specifically, while the personalised jet lag plan incorporates the pre-flight, flight and post-flight phases, and provides a schedule of different recommendations and tips for specific times in each phase on what to do to reduce jet lag, such as sleeping, exposure to light, exercise, hydration, and the type of food to consume. Throughout each phase of the travel experience, the Jet Lag Adviser will send reminders with recommended actions to passengers via the app. Hideo Nakano, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics, said, “We are delighted to be working with Etihad Airways to introduce technology that can help their passengers reduce jet lag, and so enhance their travel experience.”  

Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, and the Saudi-headquartered Arab National Bank (ANB) have partnered to launch an ANB Etihad Guest Signature Visa card in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ANB Etihad Guest Signature Visa card holders will receive an annual fee waiver for the first year and additional benefits including a welcome bonus of 17,000 Etihad Guest Miles. Members will earn two Etihad Guest Miles for every SAR 15 spent on domestic purchases and four Guest Miles for every SAR 20 spent on international purchases. Successful applicants will receive fast track entry to Etihad Guest Silver Membership and receive free Wi-Fi vouchers to take advantage of the Wi-Fi service available on-board Etihad Airways flights. With a strong commitment to creating a personalised travel experience for Arab-speaking Etihad Guest members, Etihad Guest launched an Arabic website. This new platform will deliver an improved experience for ANB customers, further cementing the partnership and the airline’s commitment to guests in the Saudi market. Yasser Al Yousuf, Vice President Commercial Partnerships, Etihad Airways, said, “At Etihad Guest, we make every effort to cooperate with prestigious companies to offer a pioneering travel experience.‎ Our clients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are now able to get rewards, privileges and exclusive offers using the ANB Etihad Guest Signature card.” Asad Alsada, Head of Consumer Banking services at ANB, said, “The new card is the result of joint efforts and close cooperation with our partners with the aim of offering an innovative credit card that has various advantages.” Ali Bayloun, Visa’s General Manager in Saudi Arabia, said, “The card has a design that aims to enrich the travel experiences of clients through special rewards …