Cathay Pacific To Offer Extra-legroom Seats For A Fee

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has become the latest airline to offer seats with additional legroom to passengers for a fee. From 1 December 2009, Economy Class passengers will be able to secure the seats by paying an additional charge. The Extra-legroom Seats were previously available only to Marco Polo Club members of a certain level and passengers in the highest booking classes.

 

Passengers who fulfill the safety requirements will be able to secure one of these seats by paying USD 100 or 20,000 Asia Miles per sector on long-haul flights. The option will also be extended to Cathay’s China and regional flights from 1 January 2010, where passengers can pay USD 25 or 5,000 Asia Miles per sector to secure an Extra-legroom Seat. Members of the Marco Polo Club loyalty program, who have obtained Silver tier or above, will be able to continue reserving the seats free-of-charge.

 

Located near the emergency exit doors, most flights offer between 2 and 4 Extra-legroom Seats, which provide significantly more legroom than other seats in Cathay Pacific’s Economy Class cabin. All Extra-legroom Seats will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with reservations initially available through the airline’s reservations hotline or at check-in. Passengers will be able to secure the seats through the Cathay Pacific website (www.cathaypacific.com) from next year.

 

For more information, visit www.cathaypacific.com.

Singapore Airlines To Start Singapore – Tokyo (Haneda) Flights In 2010

Air travellers flying between Singapore and Tokyo will enjoy greater convenience next year. Singapore Airlines has announced that it will begin services to Tokyo (Haneda) from October 2010, in addition to its existing operations at Tokyo (Narita).

 

The airline will operate twice daily between Singapore Changi International Airport and Haneda Airport, but has yet to reveal flight timings or capacity on the route. Singapore Airlines expects the new flights to cater for growth in demand and boost business and leisure travel between Singapore and Japan.

 

Located 30 minutes south of downtown Tokyo, Haneda Airport enjoys easy access by rail and road to the city, making it highly attractive to time conscious travellers compared to a 2-hour transfer to Narita. The new flights add a sixth international destination served from the airport, in addition to Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Ulan Bator. Passengers will also enjoy increased accessibility to other Japanese cities, connecting seamlessly to domestic flights which make up the bulk of the airport’s traffic.

 

Japan is opening up Haneda Airport to more international traffic in a bid to alleviate capacity restrictions at Narita Airport. A fourth runway is due to open in 2010, increasing the airport’s handling capacity and allowing for the opening of flights to new destinations and greater frequencies on existing routes.

 

Singapore Airlines currently flies twice daily to Tokyo (Narita), as well as services to Fukuoka, Nagoya and Osaka. For more information, visit www.singaporeair.com.

Mexicana Joins Oneworld As Its 11th Full Member

Mexican airline Mexicana has joined Oneworld as its eleventh full member, with its subsidiaries MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink becoming affiliate members of the alliance. The 3 airlines bring forth an extensive Central American network to Oneworld, extending the alliance’s reach to almost 700 destinations in nearly 150 countries.

 

As part of Oneworld, members of the MexicanaGo frequent flyer program can now earn and redeem mileage awards on any of its partner airlines, with Conquer, Discover and Explore cardholders being accorded Oneworld Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby status respectively. The 100 million members enrolled in the frequent flyer programs of the other Oneworld member airlines will also be able to earn and redeem awards, as well as receive benefits on Mexicana and its subsidiaries.

 

To commemorate the joining, Mexicana has unveiled 2 aircraft, an Airbus A320 and a Boeing 717, in a special Oneworld livery at its hub at Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport as part of a rebranding and marketing campaign. The airline will also have its logo added to the alliance and its member airlines’ marketing platforms, while featuring the Oneworld emblem on its aircraft, advertising, publications and stationery.

 

Together with its affiliates, Mexicana serves 67 destinations in 14 countries using a combined fleet of 105 Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Fokker aircraft from its hubs in Mexico City, Cancun and Guadalajara. The airline joins American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian in Oneworld, which was recently voted the World’s Leading Airline Alliance at the 2009 World Travel Awards for the seventh year running.

 

For more information, visit www.mexicana.com and www.oneworld.com.

Flydubai Touches Down In Sudan

Low cost carrier Flydubai has added its eighth route since its inaugural flight in June 2009. The airline commenced services from its base in Dubai to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan on Sunday, 8 November 2009. Onboard the inaugural flight was Flydubai’s CEO, Ghaith al Ghaith, who was welcomed by a Sudanese delegation on arrival.

 

From now until 16 December 2009, flight FZ 631 departs Dubai daily at 1845 hrs, arriving in Khartoum at 2150 hrs. The return flight, FZ 632, will depart Khartoum International Airport at 2235 hrs and land back at Dubai International Airport at 0340 hrs the next morning.

 

The outbound flight will be retimed to take off at 2045 hrs from Dubai for a 2350 hrs arrival into Sudan from 17 December 2009, with the return leg departing Khartoum at 0035 hrs and arriving back in Dubai at 0540 hrs. All flights will be operated with Flydubai’s 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

 

Khartoum is Flydubai’s third destination in Africa, after Alexandria and Djibouti. The airline is on an aggressive expansion and is set to launch flights to Baku, Azerbaijan later this month.

 

For more information, visit www.flydubai.com.

United Adds New Destinations For 2010

United Airlines has announced it will begin flights from the USA to new destinations in Africa, Europe and the Middle East in 2010. The Chicago-based airline will inaugurate a daily, same-plane service to Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria, as well as flights to Brussels and Bahrain.

 

Washington DC – Accra – Lagos

From 2 May 2010, United will fly non-stop from Washington DC to Accra, connecting the capital cities of the USA and Ghana. The service is United’s first-ever non-stop flight to Africa and continues to Lagos, Nigeria.

 

Flight UA 990 departs Washington Dulles International Airport at 2210 hrs, arriving in Accra at 1240 hrs the next day, before continuing to Lagos at 1420 hrs where it lands at Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 1625 hrs. The return flight, UA 991, takes off from Lagos at 2115 hrs for Accra, where it arrives at Kotoka International Airport at 2120 hrs, before departing at 2300 hrs back to Washington DC, where it arrives at 0625 hrs the next morning.

 

United will operate on the route daily with a 4-class Boeing 767-300ER aircraft configured with 6 First, 26 Business, 71 Economy Plus and 80 Economy Class seats. 

 

Chicago – Brussels

United Airlines will also expand its operations at Brussels with a new flight connecting the Belgian capital to Chicago. The new service, which begins on 28 March 2010, adds a second US city to the airline’s flights from Brussels, in addition to its existing Washington DC-Brussels service.

 

Flight UA 972 departs Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 1800 hrs and arrives in Brussels Airport at 0920 hrs the next morning. The aircraft returns to Chicago as flight UA 973 at 1100 hrs, landing back at O’Hare International Airport at 1315 hrs.

 

Flight timings have been scheduled to allow for connections at O’Hare International Airport to cities in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Across the atlantic, the new route allows passengers to enjoy convenient connections to onward destinations on Brussels Airlines, which joins the Star Alliance next month. United will fly a 4-class Boeing 767 aircraft on the route daily.

 

Washington DC – Kuwait – Bahrain

Beginning 18 April 2010, United will extend its existing Washington DC-Kuwait service to Bahrain. United Airlines will become the first and only US carrier to serve Bahrain and the flight will be the only same-plane service between Bahrain and the North America.

 

Flight UA 982 departs Washington Dulles International Airport at 1812 hrs, arriving in Kuwait at 1335 hrs the next day, before taking off again at 1450 hrs for Bahrain, where it arrives at 1555 hrs. The return flight, UA 981, takes off from Bahrain International Airport at 2125 hrs, landing in Kuwait at 2230 hrs. The flight continues to Washington DC at 2345 hrs for a 0647 hrs arrival the next morning.

 

Operated by a Boeing 777-200 fitted with 348 seats in a 3-class configuration, passengers can look forward to a product enhancement as the airline outfits its aircraft with the new United First and Business Class cabin product in 2010 and 2011.

 

For more information, visit www.united.com.

Air Astana Begins Almaty – Kuala Lumpur, Tiger Airways Resumes Singapore – Hat Yai

Air travellers in Southeast Asia now have greater options when flying beyond and within the region. Kazakh national carrier Air Astana has commenced flights from Almaty to Kuala Lumpur, while low cost carrier Tiger Airways returns to the southern Thai city of Hat Yai.

 

Air Astana Links Malaysia With Kazakhstan

Travellers now have a direct link when flying between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty. Air Astana has launched a weekly, nonstop service using a 2-class Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with 30 Business and 190 Economy Class seats.

 

The inaugural flight on 31 October 2009 was welcomed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, YB Dato’ Sri Ong Tee Keat, and officials of Malaysia Airports. Onboard the flight was the Deputy Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Committee for Civil Aviation, Talgat Lastaev, accompanied by Ibrahim Canliel, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales at Air Astana and members of the media from Kazakhstan. 

 

Flight KC 935 departs Almaty International Airport every Saturday at 0055 hrs, arriving in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 1055 hrs. The return flight, KC 936, takes off from Kuala Lumpur at 2335 hrs, landing back in Almaty at 0625 hrs the next morning.

 

Kuala Lumpur is Air Astana’s 7th international destination in Asia and the Middle East, joining Bangkok, Beijing, Delhi, Dubai, Seoul and Urumqi. From its hubs in Almaty, Astana and Atyrau, the airline flies to 44 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of Airbus A319, A320, Boeing B757, B767 and Fokker 50 aircraft.

 

For more information, visit www.airastana.com.

 

Tiger Airways Returns To Hat Yai

Singapore-based Tiger Airways has resumed flights to Hat Yai in southern Thailand. The low cost carrier will operate 3 flights a week every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

 

Flight TR 132 departs Singapore at 1325 hrs, arriving in Hat Yai at 1350 hrs. The return flight, TR 133, takes off from Hat Yai International Airport at 1420 hrs, landing back in Changi International Airport at 1645 hrs. Tiger Airways will operate a 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft on the route.

 

The resumption of flights to Hat Yai increases the number of Thai destinations in Tiger Airways’ network to 4, including Bangkok (served triple daily), Phuket (served double daily) and Krabi (served 4 times weekly), which was also recently restarted in October 2009.

 

For more information, visit www.tigerairways.com.

New Business Lounge For Qantas Passengers In Hong Kong

Australia’s Qantas Airways has opened a new International Business Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. The new facility replaces the original lounge opened in 1998 and is the latest in a series of lounge upgrades for the airline, following Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Perth, Tokyo (Narita), Los Angeles and Honolulu.

 

To provide greater comfort and personal space for passengers, Qantas has rearranged the seating layout and furnished the lounge with a new furniture range. Plush armchairs, dining chairs and bar stools combining wood, leather and fabrics are paired with chocolate brown carpets, as well as designer elements such as Moooi lighting and an Akira Isogawa rug.

 

The food and beverage offering has been expanded to include a greater selection of hot and cold foods, beverages and snacks, while 11 bathroom and shower suites with Molten Brown bath amenities let passengers relax and freshen up before their flight. Complimentary internet access, power and data ports, as well as 14 individual workstations equipped with PCs support the needs of business travellers who need to catch up with work.

 

The Qantas International Business Lounge is open to all Business Class, Chairman’s Lounge, Platinum and Gold Frequent Flyers, Qantas Club members and eligible passengers travelling on Oneworld marketed or operated flights. Qantas is also upgrading and expanding its First Lounge in Hong Kong, due to reopen in early December 2009.

 

From Hong Kong, Qantas operates flights to Brisbane, London (Heathrow), Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.  For more information, visit www.qantas.com.au.

Cathay Pacific Introduces Soup Noodles On Flights

First and Business Class passengers flying Cathay Pacific now have a greater choice for their meals onboard. From now until 31 January 2010, the airline will serve its Signature Noodle Soups on medium- and long-haul flights, giving passengers a taste of Hong Kong’s culinary culture and contributing to its aim of offering them the best Chinese food when flying. 

 

14 different types of noodle soups will be available. The selection includes shrimp wonton noodles, braised pork and preserved vegetable with rice noodles, barbecue duck with lai fun noodles, spiced pork noodles and beef curry with ho fun noodles. These dishes can be commonly found in Hong Kong and form a part of the local diet.

 

Most of the ingredients are prepared fresh at the flight kitchen, including soup bases, wontons, dumplings, braised beef and tendons. Cathay Pacific has also procured other ingredients, such as the noodles, fish balls and barbecue meats from renowned suppliers in Hong Kong. To ensure the quality and taste of the noodles, the airline’s catering team has worked closely with Cathay Pacific Catering Services, as well as various restaurants and culinary personalities to develop preparation processes on the ground and in-flight.

 

Cathay Pacific is renowned for introducing unique and innovative culinary concepts onboard its flights, promoting the cuisine of its home city Hong Kong. The airline offers one of the most extensive selection of Chinese food in the air, often partnering renowned restaurants such as Yung Kee to serve Poon Choy onboard its flights.

 

For more information, visit www.cathaypacific.com.

Air France Takes Delivery Of First A380

French carrier Air France has taken delivery of its first Airbus A380, becoming the first European airline to operate the double-decker jet. The aircraft, registered F-HPJA, landed at Charles de Gaulle International Airport at 1627 hrs following its delivery flight from Hamburg.

 

Configured in a 3-class layout, Air France promises greater space and comfort for the 538 passengers onboard. In the La Première cabin located at the front of the main deck, passengers are guaranteed high levels of privacy and exclusivity with only 9 seats available. The seats have also been improved with seat covers made from “Climatex” fabric and a new innovative handset. La Première passengers will also have their own private changing cabin with a dressing table opposite 2 built-in shelves containing beauty products from Clarins and a wardrobe where they can place their belongings. An exclusive bar with magazines and a buffet selection will also be available for passengers to mingle and relax.

 

Located on the upper deck, the Affaires business class cabin accomodates 80 passengers in a 2-2-2 configuration. With the larger cabin of the A380, Air France has fitted an improved version of its Affaires seat onboard. The 2-meter long seat has a more comfortable seat recline for takeoff and landing, with an in-seat power supply and 15-inch personal screen, the largest in business class across the Air France fleet. In a world first, Air France has dedicated the area in the front of the upper deck as a gallery for its premium passengers. The open-plan space incorporates 38-centimeter screens showcasing artwork from major museums and artistic institutions worldwide, with the famous Louvre museum offering the theme of “Titan, Tintoretto, Veronese…Rivals in Renaissance Venice” in November 2009.

 

449 Voyageur economy class seats are located on the main and upper decks. Fitted in a 3-4-3 configuration, passengers will enjoy greater space with the enhanced seats featuring armrests that are 30% wider and better legroom. A large 8.4-inch personal screen delivers inflight entertainment, while passengers can charge their laptops at sockets located around the cabin. Air France has also fitted 3 self-service bars (2 on main deck and 1 on upper deck), which are stocked with refreshments throughout flights.

 

The Air France A380’s inaugural flight from Paris to New York will take place on 20 November 2009, with the airline donating the proceeds from an auction of its seats to charity. The aircraft will then enter scheduled service on the route daily from 23 November 2009, with Johannesburg being introduced in early 2010. Air France is the 4th airline to operate the A380, after Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qantas.

 

For more information, visit www.airfrance.com.

Continental Airlines Now A Star Aliiance Member

Houston-based Continental Airlines has joined Star Alliance as its 25th member airline, completing its switch from rival alliance Skyteam. The entry of Continental Airlines is expected to enhance the alliance’s customer benefits of global reach, worldwide recognition and seamless travel.

 

Passengers can now have access to 19,500 daily flights serving nearly 1,701 airports in 171 countries, with network enhancements in North and South America, transpacific and across the North Atlantic, including the prestigious London (Heathrow)-New York route. Continental adds its 3 hubs in Cleveland, Houston and Newark, offering greater connectivity and access to its extensive Caribbean and South American network. Across the Pacific, the airline adds flight options to mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan, while affiliate Continental Micronesia offers services from Guam.

 

Apart from network enhancements, travellers will also benefit from Continental’s operational integration with other Star Alliance member airlines. Effective immediately, through check-in will be available for any itinerary involving a Continental flight with another Star Alliance flight at the originating airport, eliminating the need to repeat the process at connecting airports. The airline will also physically move airport operations to co-locate with other member airlines at locations such as Bangkok, Chicago, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Munich and Tokyo (Narita). In case of flight irregularities, Star Alliance Connection Centres will also include Continental-operated flights, looking after passengers and baggage transfers.

 

Continental’s entry also integrates its frequent flyer program with Star Alliance. OnePass Members can now accumulate and redeem miles on all Star Alliance member airlines, with Gold and Platinum Elite members automatically accorded Star Alliance Gold status and benefits while Silver Elite members will enjoy automatic Star Alliance Silver status. Members of the frequent flyer programs of the other 24 member airlines will also be able to earn miles when travelling on Continental Airlines.

 

Continental Airlines is the 3rd US member in Star Alliance, joining United Airlines and US Airways. For more information, visit www.continental.com and www.staralliance.com.