Etihad Introduces Ground Service Enhancements

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has introduced a series of new service enhancements for guests at its base in Abu Dhabi International Airport.

 

Airport Nanny Service for Young Premium Guests

Premium guests departing from or transiting at Abu Dhabi International Airport can now enjoy an adult-only lounge experience, with the new Airport Nanny service for children.

 

Specially-trained nannies will meet and greet the children at the entrance of the lounge, before bringing them to the family room where they can play, read and be entertained under supervision. The service allows guests time to unwind in the first and business class lounges with the knowledge that their children are cared for by the nannies.

 

For premium guests not travelling with young children, the service creates an adult-only lounge environment, where they can enjoy the services and facilities available to them, such as all-day fine dining and treatments from the world-renowned Six Senses Spa.

 

Family-only Check-In Desks

Etihad will also shortly open family-only check-in facilities at its base in Abu Dhabi International Airport Terminal 3. Timed to coincide with the Middle East’s peak summer travel season, the new facilities will help improve the check-in experience for travelling families.

 

For more information, visit www.etihadairways.com.

China’s First Wyndham Hotel Opens In Xiamen

Wyndham Hotel Group has launched its Wyndham Hotels and Resorts brand in China with the opening of the new Wyndham Xiamen Hotel. Located at the heart of Xiamen’s business and entertainment districts, the new 26-floor property is 20 minutes from Gaoqi International Airport, 10 minutes from the railway station and a 5 minute walk from the ferry terminal.

 

460 energy-efficient light bulbs adorn the Wyndham Xiamen’s front facade, creating a kaleidoscope of colours and designs at night. The distinctive hotel boasts several architectural and design features, including a 20-meter high waterfall and a 7-meter tall lobby chandelier with 882 large crystal drops. Both are complemented by the Goddess of Heping statue, an interpretation of Mazu, protector of East Asian fishermen and sailors.

 

588 spacious sea-view rooms are available to guests, ranging from 14 square meters to 120 square meters. The top 5 floors comprise the Wyndham Club and its 90 executive rooms, library and split level lounge. Each room is furnished with a luxury bed, bathroom with separate bathtub and shower, 32-inch LCD television, direct-dial telephone and high-speed internet access. Other amenities include a spacious work desk, in-room safe large enough to accomodate a laptop, minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities.

 

The Wyndham Xiamen Hotel offers guests 5 gourmet dining venues. Le Rivage Cafe Restaurant serves international cuisine throughout the day. For casual dining, the Cafe Terrace is open for dinner while the spacious and modern Lobby Bar is ideal for drinks and light snacks accompanied by live entertainment every night. Xinnan Xuan Chinese Restaurant offers Cantonese and regional specialties for lunch and dinner. JuJuAn Japanese Restaurant serves guests the finest sushi and teppanyaki dishes for a taste of Okinawa.

 

For business travellers, the hotel offers state-of-the-art conference and business facilities. A 1,260-square meter pillarless Grand Ballroom accomodates up to 1,000 guests and is complemented by 11 additional meeting rooms for small- to mid-sized groups. Supporting the event space is a modern business center fully-equipped with workstations, printers and other facilities.

 

Guests can relax after a day of business in the hotel’s fitness center, featuring an exercise room with weight-lifting equipment and a heated indoor swimming pool. There is also a personal trainer available to assist and instruct guests.

 

The Wyndham Xiamen Hotel joins Wyndham Hotels and Resorts’ upscale accomodation portfolio across the globe, with properties throughout Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico and the USA.

 

For more information, visit www.wyndham.com.

Kingfisher Arrives In Dubai

India’s Kingfisher Airlines has launched daily direct flights between Bangalore and Dubai. The inaugural flight took place on 25 June 2009 and marks the airline’s entry to the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is Kingfisher’s fourth international destination after London, Colombo and Dhaka. 

 

Flight IT 045 departs Bangalore at 1815 hrs and arrives in Dubai International Airport terminal 1 at 2055 hrs. The return flight, IT 046, takes off from Dubai at 2210 hrs to land back in Bangalore at 0345 hrs the next morning.

 

The schedules allow passengers convenient onward connections to Kingfisher’s domestic network in India from Bangalore to destinations such as Belgaum, Bhubaneswar, Goa, Guwahati, Hubli, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mangalore, Nagpur, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram. Passengers can also connect to Kingfisher’s international flights to Colombo and Dhaka. 

 

Kingfisher will operate an Airbus A320 aircraft on the route, configured with the airline’s premium economy Kingfisher class seats. Each seat features a seat pitch of 34 inches and a 10.6-inch personal screen from which passengers can enjoy the latest movies, English and Hindi programming and Kingfisher Radio. The onboard service is accompanied by a selection of meals and beverage options, as well as other amenities.

 

Kingfisher Airlines flies to 69 cities in India with a fleet of 74 aircraft. Together with its low cost affiliate Kingfisher Red, the airline covers all segments of air travel from low cost to premium service and operates over 400 flights daily across India.

 

For more information, visit www.flykingfisher.com.

Seabourn Odyssey Debuts In Venice

The Yachts of Seabourn have debuted its newest vessel, the 32,000-GRT Seabourn Odyssey, in Venice last Wednesday. Built in Italy, the vessel accomodates 450 guests in 225 luxury suites with highly personalized service onboard.

 

Guests can choose from 8 different accomodation options, ranging from the 27.5-square meter Seabourn Suite to the 156-square meter Grand Signature Suite, with 90% of the suites featuring private verandas. Each suite is furnished with a separate living area, luxury bedding and a spacious granite bathroom with separate bathtub and shower. Entertainment and communications is provided by the interactive flatscreen television, audiobooks, CDs and DVDs, direct-dial telephone, a writing desk and a fully-stocked bar replenished daily.

 

Dining onboard the Seabourn Odyssey is offered from its 4 food and beverage outlets. The Restaurant is an open-seating gourmet dining venue featuring menus from celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer, while guests can dine on individually created dishes prepared in tasting portions at Restaurant 2. For casual dining, guests can choose between the indoor/outdoor restaurant, The Colonnade, or the Patio Grill by the pool.

 

With an intimate yacht-like atmosphere, a selection of activities are available to guests, including 2 outdoor swimming pools, 6 outdoor whirlpools, watersports from the ship’s own marina, miniature golf and a private diamond showroom. In selected ports, the Seabourn Odyssey hosts lavish beach parties with fresh grilled seafood and signature Caviar in the Surf service. After sunset, the Observation Lounge provides an ideal location for stargazing, while live entertainment is available every night at the lounge. Guests can also head to the casino to play a hand of blackjack.

 

At 1,059 square meters, The Spa at Seabourn is the largest luxury spa at sea on any luxury vessel and offers innovative therapies, a state-of-the-art fitness center and full service salon. Guests can enjoy a variety of treatments and facilities, including Finnish saunas, thalassotherapy pools, Kinesis wall and the expansive Spa Villas.

 

Seabourn Odyssey will sail the Mediterranean in her inaugural summer and early fall sailing seasons, before exploring the Caribbean. The ship will embark on her first world cruise on 5 January 2010 from Fort Lauderdale to Piraeus in Greece, calling at 42 ports in 26 countries, including Australia, Brunei, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Egypt, French Polynesia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kiribati, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Oman, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, UAE and the USA.

 

For more information, visit www.seabourn.com.

theWit Now Open In Chicago

Located in downtown Chicago’s theatre district, theWit is a new 27-storey boutique hotel from Hilton’s Doubletree brand. Promising guests access to the vitality and pulse of the city, the hotel is 200 meters south of the beautiful Chicago River and within walking distance to the Ford Center, the Art Institute, the Chicago Cultural Center and other entertainment venues.

 

theWit boasts 283 guestrooms and 60 luxury suites for guests, with the signature Sweet Dreams by Doubletree bedding. Featuring either a King-sized bed or 2 Queen-sized beds, the Classic rooms are equipped with spa-inspired bathrooms accompanied by custom bath amenities, 42-inch high definition television, a workspace designed for business travellers, high speed internet access, multiport connectors for personal devices, touchscreen telephone, iPod dock, a refreshment bar and a Wolfgang Puck coffee-maker. Other room types available include the Luxury, Spa, Riverview Spa and Lakeview rooms which feature floor-to-ceiling windows and full-size sofa-sleepers.

 

4 suite types – Luxury Spa, Riverview Spa, Lakeview Spa and Paramount Spa – are offered. In addition to amenities found in theWit’s guestrooms,each suite boasts a separate kitchen fully-equipped with a refrigerator, toaster, convection/microwave oven and servingware for guests dining at the ensuite dining table. All suites are also fitted with soundproof floor-to-ceiling windows providing guests spectacular views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan.

 

3 food and beverage outlets satisfy the hungry palates of guests at theWit. Scheduled to open in late summer 2009, Cibo Matto is an Italian restaurant combining contemporary decor with an innovative menu of ingredient-driven dishes. Named after the famous intersection, State and Lake features American cuisine and is open to diners for breakfast, lunch and dinner while Roof, the rooftop lounge on the 27th floor promising live music, signature cocktails and unparalleled ambience.

 

Business travellers will appreciate the hotel’s convention facilities on levels 3 and 4. Up to 650 square meters of space is available, including a 234-square meter dividable ballroom and conference rooms. For recreation, the hotel’s digital high-definition multimedia theatre, SCREEN, can accomodate up to 40 guests in its luxurious recliners, cozy couches and club chairs. Guests seeking a more sensual experience can retreat to the Spa@theWit, where professional therapists offer a selection of treatments and massages, combined with a workout at the hotel’s health club.

 

theWit is the 10th Doubletree-branded hotel to open in the greater Chicagoland area and its 10th city center hotel opening in the past year.

 

For more information, visit www.thewithotel.com and doubletree.hilton.com.

Flydubai To Add Aleppo To Network

Dubai-based low cost carrier Flydubai is to add its fifth destination, the Syrian city of Aleppo, next month. From 13 July 2009, the airline will operate the Dubai-Aleppo route daily using its third Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

 

Flight FZ 223 departs Dubai at 0800 hrs and arrives in Aleppo at 1030 hrs. The return flight, FZ 224, takes off from Aleppo at 1115 hrs, landing back in Dubai International Airport at 1535 hrs.

 

Aleppo is Syria’s second-largest city and one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Following the peak summer travel season, Flydubai will reduce flight frequency on the route to 4 times a week, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

 

For more information, visit www.flydubai.com.

Refurbished Club Med II To Sail Mediterranean, Caribbean

Club Med, the French vacation resort operator, has announced the new facilities and itineraries of its cruise ship, the 14,983-GRT Club Med II. Refurbished earlier this year, the 5-masted sailing ship offers renovated  facilities and unique ports of call.

 

New Interior 

Under the direction of designer Sophie Jacqmin, the new interior reflects the warm and personal atmosphere onboard. 186 ocean-view cabins, ranging from the 17-square meter Club Rooms to the 39-square meter Shipowners Suite, offer a high level of comfort for guests. All cabins come with luxury bedding, attached bathrooms, flat-screen televisions and telephone, while the Deluxe Rooms and Suites featuring a sitting area with armchairs and sofas.

 

The ship’s restaurants have been awarded Table Coup de Couer status, an accolade reserved for Club Med’s finest restaurants and immerse guests in a seafaring atmosphere. At Le Méditerranée, guests dine on a variety of original dishes in the surroundings of old maps, navigation devices and deck gear. Le Magellan serves a host of French, exotic and rare dishes to diners as they trace the sea routes of great navigators on the large gold, coral and black world map.

 

4 onboard bars serve light snacks and a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, with complimentary champagne offered in the evenings. New design elements include a wooden sperm whale’s tail at the Moby Dick bar and an English club atmosphere at Le Pacifique, which hosts the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail weekly. Le Venise and The Albatros are located by the poolside and are ideal for refreshments between activities.

 

Onboard the Club Med II, guests can participate in a wide selection of sports and wellness activities including luxury spa treatments at the new Spa Club Med 2 by Carita. Featuring 5 treatment rooms, guests can indulge in beauty, anti-aging and massage packages by the Carita-trained therapists.

 

Itineraries

During summer, the Club Med II sails the Mediterranean, offering over 28 distinct itineraries. The vessel will visit 70 regular ports in Croatia, Greece, Italy, Libya and Turkey, as well as offer 12 unique destinations with natural wonders and historical sites, such as Alexandria in Egypt.

 

In spring, the ship will also sail 1 transatlantic crossing to reposition in the Caribbean. Ports of call for this cruise include the Azores, Bermuda, Cuba and Portugal.

 

For the winter season, Club Med II cruises the Caribbean, calling at 46 tropical destinations such as the Antilles, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Venezuela.

 

For more information, visit www.clubmed.com.

Vision Of The Seas To Spend Summer 2010 In Scandinavia

Royal Caribbean International has announced the return of the Vision of the Seas to Scandinavia for the 2010 summer sailing season. Between April and September 2010, the 78,491-GRT ship will offer 24 voyages from 14 distinct itineraries and visit 34 ports in 14 countries.

 

Amongst the highlights is a new 11-night Arctic Circle departing from Copenhagen on 12 August 2010. The cruise features a day of cruising in the Arctic Circle and calls at the Norwegian ports of Alesund, Honningsvag, Tromso, Geiranger, Olden and Bergen. A 9-night British Isles and Normandy cruise departing on 6 May and 20 May 2009 will call at Cherbourg and Le Havre in France, Inverness and Edinburgh in Scotland and Dublin in Ireland before returning to Oslo.

 

Vision of the Seas will cruise the Baltic on a series of cruises to St. Petersburg, Russia. The 7-night sailings from Copenhagen takes guests to Helsinki, Stockholm and Talinn en route, while the 6-night voyages from Stockholm will call at Gdansk and Visby. The vessel will also offer short 4-/5-night cruises in the region.

 

Featuring a rock climbing wall, 6 whirlpools, themed bars, a Casino Royale, luxury accomodation and other facilities across 11 decks, Vision of the Seas can carry up to 2,435 guests as she cruises Scandinavia. A range of activities and performances keeps guests entertained onboard whilst sailing between ports.

 

For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.

Qantas To Increase A380 Flights To London And Los Angeles, Expand European And North American Networks

Sydney-based Qantas has announced it will increase the number of flights on the Sydney-Singapore-London and Sydney-Los Angeles routes operated by its Airbus A380s. The airline will also expand its network in Europe and North America through codeshares with Oneworld partners Iberia and American Airlines.

 

More A380 Flights

The Australian airline is scheduled to take delivery of 3 more aircraft by the end of this year, allowing it to operate more services with the aircraft. From 6 August 2009, Qantas will fly the double-decker aircraft 5 times a week between Sydney and London, via Singapore.

 

Operating flight QF 031, the A380 will depart Kingsford Smith International Airport at 1625 hrs every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, landing at Singapore Changi International Airport at 2230 hrs before taking off again at 2359 hrs for London, where it arrives at Heathrow Airport at 0640 hrs the next morning.

 

The return flight, QF 032, departs London at 1215 hrs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, arriving in Singapore at 0810 hrs the next morning. The flight continues to Sydney at 0940 hrs, where it arrives at Kingsford Smith International Airport at 1905 hrs.

 

The Qantas A380 will also fly between Sydney and Los Angeles 4 times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with effect from 6 August 2009. Flight QF 011 departs Sydney at 1305 hrs, arriving in Los Angeles at 0945 hrs. The return flight, QF 012, takes off from Los Angeles at 2230 hrs and arrives back in Sydney at 0615 hrs 2 days later.

 

By November 2009, Qantas will offer daily A380 flights to London and Los Angeles and will increase its Melbourne-Los Angeles A380 service to 3 times weekly. Since its introduction in October 2008, more than 200,000 Qantas passengers have flown onboard the giant aircraft, equipped with 14 First Class, 72 Business Class, 32 Premium Economy and 332 Economy Class seats.

 

Codeshares With Iberia And American Airlines

From 15 July 2009, Qantas will codeshare with Spain’s Iberia on its flights to Madrid from Frankfurt and London, offering passengers greater convenience when flying between Spain and Australia. The Spanish airline will in turn, place its own code for the first time on Qantas-operated services from Frankfurt and London to Sydney.

 

The new Iberia-operated services complement the Australian airline’s existing codeshares to Spain with Oneworld partner British Airways from London and offers an alternative routing via Germany. Qantas currently operate 35 services between Australia and Europe, connecting with 23 codeshare destinations.

 

In North America, Qantas will expand its existing codeshare agreement with American Airlines. Beginning 17 June 2009, the “QF” code will be placed on selected American Airlines-operated flights to Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detriot, Indianapolis, Memphis, Minneapolis, New Orleans and Tampa from its hubs at Chicago and Dallas.

 

Passengers flying to/from Australia can connect with the new flights via existing codeshare services with American Airlines from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Chicago and Dallas. With the new destinations, Qantas’ North American network now comprises of 36 cities in the USA and 6 Canadian destinations.

 

For more information, visit www.qantas.com.

Thai Airways Arrives In Oslo, Norway

Thai Airways has completed its inaugural flight from Bangkok to Oslo. Flight TG 954 departed Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 0045 hrs and arrived in Oslo Airport at 0653 hrs in the morning.

 

The flight is the first and only non-stop service between Oslo and Southeast Asia, and will make it more convenient to travel between Norway and Southeast Asia, where passengers previously had to connect flights in other Scandinavian or European cities. The flight timings allow for easy connections in Bangkok to Thai Airways’ flights to and from destinations in Asia.

 

Flight TG 954 departs Bangkok every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 0035 hrs, arriving in Oslo at 0700 hrs. The return flight, TG 955, takes off from the Norwegian capital at 1445 hrs and arrives back in Bangkok at 0610 hrs the next morning.

 

Oslo is Thai Airways’ 59th destination in 34 countries and its third in Scandinavia, where it currently flies to Copenhagen and Stockholm. The airline will operate a 3-class Airbus A340-500 aircraft, equipped with 60 Royal Silk Class, 42 Premium Economy and 113 Economy Class seats, on the 5 times weekly route.

 

Bangkok-based Thai Airways is the national carrier of Thailand and operates a fleet of 89 modern aircraft from its hub at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

 

For more information, visit www.thaiairways.com.