Airline, Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

Last week, Finnair announced it was joining the growing list of airlines discontinuing their in-flight and pre-order retail sales. This includes cosmetics, gifts, and accessories. The airline cited low customer demand and the need to reduce overall take-off weight as the main reasons for its decision.According to InterLnkd – which enables travel companies to earn a new and free revenue stream from fashion, beauty and retail products – airlines should not have to compromise on ancillary revenue opportunities.
CEO Barry Klipp said: “The news from Finnair shows in-flight and pre-order ‘collect onboard’ retail is slowly becoming a relic of a bygone era, as airlines struggle to reconcile the costly and complex logistics with their drive to improve fuel efficiency and streamline their ancillary strategies.
“The reality that many airlines overlook, however, is that putting an end to traditional in-flight retail doesn’t mean saying goodbye to ancillary revenues from fashion, beauty and retail products. In fact, airlines can now capitalise on the lucrative holiday retail market at no cost – as long as they know exactly what their travellers need and want.
“The average person spends £270 on fashion, beauty and retail products for their upcoming holiday, mostly through online purchases from their favourite brands. Rather than stocking and selling a limited selection of products with on-board or airport collection, airlines should seek to earn revenue by offering customers the items they actually need and want for the holidays they have booked.
“In a world of unlimited choice and next-day delivery, choosing from a handful of brands and only getting them on departure day doesn’t sound as attractive anymore. This is why we’ve developed an ancillary revenue solution that helps airlines curate the most relevant products for a customer’s booking, from over 1000 major brands across fashion, beauty and retail – enabling them to a revenue stream from the items they would purchase anyway.ADVERTISEMENT“The key to this zero-risk approach is simple: using personalisation to stimulate demand. While traditional pre-order and in-flight retail may not have been sustainable for the likes of Finnair, offering customers the right products at the right time is much more effective in delivering the motivation to purchase.”

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The Emirates Group has renewed its agreement with Dubai Municipality for the management of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR), in its continuous commitment to preserving wildlife and protecting natural habitats.As custodian of the reserve for over 20 years, the Emirates Group is charged with its full operations and funding of its efforts to nurture the fragile ecosystem of the UAE, in addition to research and education programs.
With Dubai’s rapid pace of development and urbanisation over the past two decades, the DDCR was borne out of the Dubai Government’s commitment to preserving the emirate’s unique desert habitat and biodiversity. The reserve is the UAE’s first national park, spanning an area of 225 square kilometres which is roughly 5% of the total land area of Dubai.
Signing the agreement on behalf of Emirates Group, Ali Mubarak Al Soori, Executive Vice President – Facilities, Projects Management & Group Procurement & Supply Chain said: “At the core of Emirates’ Group strategic goals is our commitment to sustainability and protecting the precious environment that we operate in. Since the establishment of DDCR in 2002, the Emirates Group has supported this important initiative by operating the reserve and managing its vast facilities on behalf of the Government of Dubai. The UAE has declared 2023 the Year of Sustainability, and we are proud to continue playing a role in achieving the nation’s sustainability goals.”

Commenting on the renewed management agreement, Engineer Alya Abdulrahim Alharmoudi, Acting CEO – Environment, Health & Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, added: “Our collaboration with Emirates Airline to preserve and manage the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (Al Maha) demonstrates the significant role of public-private partnerships in promoting the sustainable development of natural reserves. It also reflects the Municipality’s commitment to efficiently coordinate with all its partners in order to further boost the economy. This agreement plays a vital role in preserving the diversity of environmental and natural reserves, as well as strengthening wildlife conservation, which is essential for the development of tourism and environmental sectors in the Emirate of Dubai as well as the UAE. At Dubai Municipality, we are committed to fostering sustainability in the natural and desert reserves by carrying out research operational plans and studies. This will contribute to conserving their ecological diversities in a sustainable manner and highlight their relevance as significant tourist attractions for wildlife and desert safaris.”ADVERTISEMENTThe Emirates Group has invested more than AED 28 million in the reserve since its establishment in 2002, to fund and support the conservation of the natural desert landscape and its indigenous fauna and flora. The protected inland desert habitat is currently home to over 560 different species of plants and trees, birds, mammals, reptiles and arthropods – more than double the original 150 indigenous species which thrived in the area prior to DDCR’s efforts. The reserve’s effective management strategies have helped promote the natural processes that lead to rewilding of the desert habitat and its rehabilitation.
By protecting Dubai’s valuable desert ecosystems, Emirates has also made it possible for the DDCR to provide an authentic desert experience for visitors through carefully managed and monitored tours. Funding from the Emirates Group and limited tour operations at the DDCR also enables the reserve to conduct scientific research, collect data, and develop new technologies necessary for its management, in addition to rolling out education programs designed to enrich the visitor experience.

The sustainable tourism offering allows visitors from around the world to experience spectacular dune drives, desert safaris and traditional Arabian experiences while gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of the desert’s natural habitat, heritage and wildlife, and the importance of conservation. A new Desert Visitor Centre is currently being developed to further enhance the educational experience for guests of the reserve.
The DDCR operates under the supervision of the Dubai Conservation Board (DCB) which is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Since the inception of the DDCR, the reserve has been immensely successful in growing the population of sand gazelles, Arabian gazelles and the Arabian onyx, from 230 initially to over 1,300 today. A further 171 Arabian Oryx have been relocated to other protected areas in the UAE. Also amongst its other milestone achievements are the re-introduction of 2,800 Houbara, or Macqueen’s Bustard, which roam freely within the safe environment of the reserve. In excess of 31,000 native trees flourish in the vast area, which include the Ghaf tree, native to the desert and known for its ability to survive its extreme climate conditions without irrigation.

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Delta Air Lines and Salt Lake City have finalized a new lease agreement, paving the way for Delta’s continued growth and investment in one of its critical West Coast hubs. Officially announced during Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s 2023 State of the City address, the contract extends Delta’s current lease to 2044 and adds a construction phase to Delta’s SLC expansion plan. The agreement will increase Delta’s gates at the airport from 55 to 66, with completion anticipated in 2027.
“Salt Lake City is key to Delta’s continued success in bolstering its position as the leading global premium carrier for the region, and this lease agreement and subsequent expansion plan are a testament to that,” said Holden Shannon, Delta’s S.V.P. of Corporate Real Estate. “Delta’s historic SLC agreement is another important marker of our ongoing commitment to transform the travel experience on the ground and in the air.”
The agreement commits Delta to $2.8 billion in lease payments through 2044 and will create a more comfortable, seamless travel journey for customers while boosting the local and state economy through meaningful job creation. The agreement includes two five-year renewal options, allowing Delta to operate under the new lease until 2054. 
Utah continues to serve as a focal point of the airline’s hiring strategy: the state is home to roughly 5,000 Delta people, with 1,000 people hired in 2022 alone. 
“I’m thrilled to see key partners like Delta deepen their roots in our incredible capital city,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. “Our strong economy, skilled workforce, and welcoming culture make it the perfect place for Delta to thrive. We are ready for this investment. I’m grateful for our continued partnership and look forward to all the good we’ll do together over the next 21 years.” ADVERTISEMENTWith more flights out of Utah than all other carriers combined*, Delta is constantly raising the bar to further serve the needs of Salt Lake City’s travelers. During peak-summer season, Delta operates a robust roster of more than 240 daily flights to nearly 90 destinations across the globe, including Amsterdam, London and Paris.
“This historic airport agreement not only exemplifies Delta’s ongoing commitment to Salt Lake, but also affords the airport more opportunities to enhance partnerships with the airline,” said Bill Wyatt, Director of Airports for Salt Lake City. “Our passengers can look forward to more flights to more destinations in the coming years and greater connectivity worldwide. We are looking forward to the next 30 years.”
Delta also recently announced a long-term naming rights agreement and sponsorship deal with the Utah Jazz that will focus on the community engagement and returning the ‘Delta Center’ name back to Utah Jazz arena starting in July 2023.
Delta has invested $12 billion coast-to-coast in the last 10 years, doubling down on its vision for the future of travel to build airports of the future that are comfortable, easy to navigate and part of an effortlessly connected journey, capable of absorbing and supporting new innovative experiences as technology evolves.

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Bali, also known as the Island of the Gods, has so many charms like no other. For a long time, the mystique of Bali has captured the attention of foreign tourists and even become an iconic destination of Indonesia in the eyes of the world.
In fact, according to the data from the Central Statistics Agency of Bali Province, during the January-November 2022, there were more than 1.7 million tourist arrivals directly in Bali. This number skyrocketed to more than 3.4 million percent in the same period in 2021.
Commenting on this great opportunity, Head of Marketing airasia Super App Indonesia Boni Andika said, “As a travel super app, we are very optimistic on the tourism potential of Bali, where it has been an iconic destination of Indonesia for foreign tourists worldwide, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. In this early 2023, airasia Super App launches #AyokemBALI campaign with a series of appealing programs, such as airasia ride promos for e-hailing transportation in Bali, airasia hotels reservations and many more. Through these programs, we aim to present a more rewarding and seamless experience from an integrated travel super app to all users.”
Already feel the excitement? Here’s the summary of hidden gems travel recommendations that you can find in Bali:
Self-healing with Melukat Lots of people visit Bali to have a self-healing experience. For the past few months, Melukat ritual has become more popular amongst locals and foreigners. Melukat is a Balinese soul purification ritual which involves water. One of the best Melukat locations that you can try is Beji Griya Waterfall Park in the Badung area. Under the earthy sounds of falling water, you will feel a spiritual experience by releasing all negative emotions to gain calm and happiness energy inwardly. This hidden gem destination is surely worth trying for those who often feel emotionally tired because of work or routines.ADVERTISEMENT1. Experience the ‘Green Yoga’ in Ubud
For those seeking lasting peace of mind, yoga is definitely one of the best alternatives! No need to worry to find the right yoga spot, you can stay at the Sankara Resort & Spa and participate in their yoga class. Located in the serene Ubud area, you may experience a calm yoga meditation within the natural scenery, surrounded by lush green trees. Besides yoga, the Sankara Resort & Spa also provides a variety of other activities, such as spa, Balinese dance class and cooking class. For more affordable hotel booking, you can make a reservation through airasia hotels on the airasia Super App with promo code BESTPRICE to get a discount up to 15%.
2. Adrenaline Rush Experience by Cliff-Jumping from a Waterfall
A contrast from the previous two relaxing destinations, we now turn to a thrilling activity by visiting the Aling-Aling Waterfall. Located in the Buleleng area, it has a height of about 35 meters with a natural charm that soothes the eyes. No doubt, the beauty of its natural scenery attracts both locals and foreign tourists. This place also offers tour packages for cliff jumping from a height of 5-10 meters. It is highly recommended for you to be accompanied by a local tour guide. Do you dare to try?
3. A bit Sporty, Why not try Canoe?
If you are looking for more challenging activities, you can try canoeing at Gunung Payung Beach. Just an hour from I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport, Gunung Payung Beach is a real hidden gem that is known to only a few. It is blessed with fine white sand, as well as the beautiful hidden spots behind the cliffs. To enjoy the canoeing experience, you can rent it on the spot at an affordable price.
For a seamless travel experience, you can pre-book your airasia ride with the “Schedule Booking” feature. For those of you who are on vacation with family, airasia ride also provides vehicle options based on the number of passengers.
As a special treat, enjoy various exciting promos from airasia ride. Use promo code BARURIDE to get a 50% Discount for your first trip, or promo code SUPERRIDE with a Discount of IDR 15 thousand for your next bookings. Members will earn airasia points for all their purchases on the airasia Super App. Use them like cash to redeem for airasia food, flights, hotels, travelmall, gifts, SNAP and more.
Stay up to date with everything from the airasia Super App by following @airasiasuperapp.id on Instagram. For a seamless and enhanced experience, download your airasia Super App from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

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From 15 February, Aeroflot will begin operating flights to new Beijing Daxing International Airport. The frequency of regular services to China’s capital will increase to three per week.Flights on the Moscow – Beijing – Moscow route will be operated on Boeing 777 widebody aircraft. Flights from Sheremetyevo Terminal C will be operated on the following schedule*:

Beijing Daxing International Airport opened in autumn 2019, and is set to become China’s biggest air hub with an annual capacity of up to 100 million passengers. The airport is well-connected with Beijing city center through high-speed railway, a metro line and an extensive bus network.
The up-to-date schedule is available on Aeroflot’s website.
To book tickets, please,  go to Aeroflot’s website,  mobile application, contact the airline’s 24-hour call centre: +74952235555, 8-800-444-5555 (free call in Russia), *555 (for mobile phones), or visit one of the airline’s sales offices , or ticket sales agents.ADVERTISEMENT

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Jetstar Asia CEO, Barathan Pasupathi has met with the new Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Mr Roberto Cecilio Lim, and the General Manager of Manila Airports, Mr Cesar Chiong in Manila this week. Mr. Pasupathi took the opportunity to showcase Jetstar Asia and the Singapore-based airline’s commitment to supporting the Philippines’ aviation and tourism industry as air travel continues to recover.
Statement attributed to Jetstar Asia CEO, Barathan Pasupathi
“Since the Philippines relaxed travel restrictions for vaccinated tourists in April 2022, Jetstar Asia has steadily increased services to the Philippines, responding to the pent-up demand for these services.
“We’ve been focused on ramping up flying to Manila and Clark, which saw us restore our capacity to 50 per cent of our pre-COVID levels in 2022, and we’re now operating up to 32 weekly services to these two popular destinations.
“In addition, Jetstar Japan recently relaunched its first international service in nearly three years, recommencing its popular service between Manila and Narita, Tokyo. ADVERTISEMENT“As we welcome the Year of the Rabbit, we’re excited to grow our fleet, capacity and network further, as consumer confidence grows. Direct services connecting Singapore and Manila have always been a critical link and we are committed to seeing it grow to pre-COVID- levels and beyond.
“We also remain focused on improving the customer journey by enhancing our systems to support a more seamless check-in and boarding process across our network, including our Philippine ports, ensuring a better customer experience.
“We also look forward to expanding gateway opportunities that the new Manila International Airport will bring to the Jetstar Group while working closely with the Philippines Government and the Department of Transportation to help our customers reconnect with family and friends as well as travel for business and leisure.”
Statement attributed to the General Manager for MIAA Mr Cesar Chiong:
“The strong rebound in international travel that we have seen during the holiday season is very encouraging and we are gearing up with new measures to provide better travel experience to everyone this 2023”.

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In an industry first, from today members of Qatar Airways Privilege Club (QRPC) will be able to collect and spend Avios at almost 200 outlets at Hamad International Airport (HIA) in partnership with Qatar Duty Free (QDF). In another innovation, passengers at all departure points will be rewarded with Avios points upon check in which will be credited up to 120 minutes before flights departure.
This will allow members of Qatar Airways Privilege Club to then collect and spend Avios at the World’s Best Airport as part of their journey. Avios can be used in an expansive list of luxury fashion outlets and world-class dining options at the HIA, which has recently launched a major expansion which features a luxury shopping hub “ORCHARD” set in a tropical garden which includes one-of-a-kind brand offerings.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, stated: “We have enhanced and upgraded our redemption options for our loyalty members and we are enabling access to a truly unique airport shopping and dining experience. A first in the world initiative, this demonstrates our commitment for going the extra mile when enhancing the quality of our offerings by providing members with a seamless experience. We encourage everyone travelling through HIA to avail themselves of this experience and opportunity as there has never been an easier way to collect and spend Avios.”
Avios is the reward currency of Qatar Airways Privilege Club and preferred currency of the Airline offering its most regular flyers extraordinary payment products. Avios can be used in conjunction with cash offering a part payment option. Avios are collected when members or their nominated family members fly with Qatar Airways, oneworld airlines, plus QR’s airline partners. Avios can also be collected with more than 100 global partners and co-branded payment cards. Avios can be spent in multiple ways and the most recent enhancement is shopping and dinning at Qatar Duty Free.

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easyJet, Europe’s leading airline, has announced it will be adding eleven new routes to its UK network for summer 2023, Packages from easyJet holidays are also available on all the new routes.From nine airports across the UK, more than 200,000 extra seats are on sale today across flights on new routes to some of Europe’s most popular holiday destinations including the popular Greek islands Santorini and Chania, Corsica and Lisbon, as well as Antalya and Izmir in Turkey.  Convenient city connections are also launching to Amsterdam from Southend, from Glasgow to Lisbon, and from Birmingham to Naples for the first time this summer, while a new service from Manchester to Paris Orly which will operate year-round.
The airline will also once again offer flights from London Gatwick to Ancona in Italy, with a twice weekly service operating on Mondays and Fridays, providing an even greater range of options for passengers travelling from the south of England, wishing to explore more of Italy’s charming Adriatic coast.
The announcement comes following the confirmation in November of nine new routes from the UK.
The new routes also mean brand new easyJet holidays packages are now on sale, which include 23kg luggage per person, flights and hotel accommodation, as well as transfers on all beach holidays. From adults-only luxury to family-friendly fun, the package holiday provider has something for everyone. And, in a number of destinations available on today’s new routes, the tour operator has added brand new hotels to its portfolio for summer 2023, offering customers even more brilliant holidays at unbeatable prices. These include the 5* Delphin Imperial also in Lara, a family-hotel with ten restaurants and six bars, and the 5* Ramada Hotel and Suites by Wyndham Kusadasi in Izmir, a great value option with three outdoor pools and water slides.
Flights are on sale from today on easyJet.com or via the app and customers can book early to take advantage of great value fares now available from just £22.99*. Package holidays are available from £209 per person, through easyJet holidays.ADVERTISEMENTAli Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager said:
“We are delighted to be launching even more new routes from the UK and to be operating to new destinations for the very first time this summer, so that we can provide our customers with an even wider range of fantastic beach and city routes across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East to explore and enjoy. We remain committed to strengthening our unrivalled short-haul network and providing affordable and convenient connections for our customers across the UK, all with great value fares and the warm welcome that our crew are famous for.”
New easyJet routes now on sale:
London Gatwick to Ancona flights will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays from 26 June with fares from £28.99*London Gatwick to Calvi flights will operate twice a week on, Wednesdays and Sundays from 28 June with fares from £42.89*London Luton to Izmir flights will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Saturdays from 3 April with fares from £41.99*Southend to Amsterdam flights will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Saturdays from 24 May with fares from £22.99*Bristol to Chania flights will operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 27 June with fares from £32.99*Birmingham to Naples flights will operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1 April with fares from £26.99*Manchester to Paris Orly flights will operate Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 27 March with fares from £22.99*Edinburgh to Antalya flights will operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 3 June fares from £39.99*Edinburgh to Santorini flights will operate on Tuesdays from 6 June fares from £39.99*Glasgow to Lisbon flights will operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 2 June with fares from £39.99* Belfast to Antalya flights will operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Sundays from 26 March with fares from £37.99*Book with easyJet holidays (www.easyjet.com/en/holidays tel: 0330 365 5005):
easyJet holidays offers seven nights at 5* Ramada Hotel and Suites by Wyndam Kusadasi in Izmir on an All Inclusive basis for £332 per person including 23kg of luggage per person, transfers and flights from Luton on 17 April 2023.easyJet holidays offers seven nights at 4* Paralia Diamond in Santorini on a Bed & Breakfast basis for £450 per person including 23kg of luggage per person, transfers and flights from Edinburgh on 7 June 2023.easyJet holidays offers seven nights at 4* Atlantica Caldera Bay in Chania on a Bed & Breakfast basis for £505 per person including 23kg of luggage per person, transfers and flights from Bristol on 4 July 2023.easyJet holidays offers three nights at 5* Grand Hotel Parker’s in Naples on a Bed & Breakfast basis for £330 per person including 23kg of luggage per person and flights from Birmingham on 2 August 2023.easyJet holidays offers three nights at 5* Dom Pedro Lisboa in Lisbon on a Room Only basis for £326 per person including 23kg of luggage per person and flights from Glasgow on 10 June 2023. easyJet serves 19 UK airports, offering over 476 routes to over 133 destinations from the UK to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. To discover more about easyJet’s UK network and to book, visit easyJet.com.

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