Aloft Arrives In The Middle East

Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Aloft brand makes its debut in the Middle East, with the opening of the new Aloft Abu Dhabi today. Located within the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), the 408-room hotel is minutes away from the airport, downtown Abu Dhabi and Yas Island, which hosts the emirate’s inaugural Formula One grand prix next weekend.

 

One of Abu Dhabi’s largest hotels, the property incorporates several environmental sustainability features in its design and construction. Guests are greeted by park-like landscaping upon arrival and natural materials such as cork and sustainable wood veneers can be found throughout the hotel. 560 solar panels, covering a total area of 2,300 square meters, will supply 90% of the hotel’s hot water and saving an estimated 870 mega watt hours of electricity every year.

 

Each room and suite at Aloft Abu Dhabi features the brand’s signature platform bed, spacious bathrooms with oversized showerheads and amenities from Tried and Blue by Bliss, extra-large windows, minibar and complimentary coffee/tea. Entertainment and connectivity facilities include a 42-inch LCD television, plug & play connectivity station, telephones and high-speed internet access.

 

A selection of innovative dining options is available at the hotel. The 24-7 re:fuel by Aloft self-serve gourmet eatery offers sweet, savoury and healthy treats, while Dine serves international cuisine from its open kitchen. The w xyz bar lets guests meet and mingle in its lively and abuzz surroundings. On the rooftop, relax@12 and Maï Cafe provide locations to relax and chill-out over snacks, drinks and shisha.

 

Aloft Abu Dhabi offers facilities catering to both business and leisure travellers. A 24 hour business center is available in the hotel, as well as 2 tactic rooms totalling 54 square meters of meeting space that can be easily configured to suit individual needs and equipped with a full suite of multimedia tools. Larger conventions can be catered for at ADNEC’s 55,000 square meters of multi-function exhibition space. After a day of meetings, guests can unwind at the re:mix lounge where they can watch television, play a game of pool, or lounge over their favorite book. Guests who prefer to workout can utilize the re:charge gymnasium and splash outdoor pool on the rooftop. Younger guests at the hotel can join camp Aloft, a program designed to ensure fun for them and peace-of-mind for parents as they proceed for meetings or personal time.

 

A vision of W Hotels, Aloft combines urban-inspired design with accessible technology, style and a social atmosphere. Aloft Abu Dhabi joins 38 other Aloft properties around the world in locations such as Beijing, Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, Montreal and New York.

 

For more information, visit www.alofthotels.com.

Etihad To Return To Colombo In 2010

The national carrier of the UAE, Etihad Airways, has announced it will resume flights from its Abu Dhabi base to Colombo. Beginning January 2010, the airline will operate a 2-class Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 20 Pearl Business and 120 Coral Economy class seats 4 times weekly between both cities.

 

Flight EY 266 will depart Abu Dhabi International Airport at 2155 hrs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport at 0345 hrs the next day. The return flight, EY 267, takes off from Colombo at 0445 hrs and lands back in Abu Dhabi at 0800 hrs.

 

The airline has timed the flights to allow passengers convenient connections with key destinations in its network, including Moscow, New York and Toronto. Etihad is targeting increased tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka following the end of the civil conflict, as well as the large expatriate Sri Lankan community in the UAE and the Middle East.

 

Etihad stopped flying to Colombo in September 2007, but maintained service with codeshare partner Sri Lankan Airlines. With the resumption of flights, Sri Lankan Airlines will place its ‘UL’ code on the Etihad-operated services.

 

For more information, visit www.etihadairways.com.

Increased Baggage Allowances From Gulf Air

Gulf Air has announced it will increase checked baggage allowance across all travel classes. The 10 kilogram increase will give passengers one of the most generous allowances for checked luggage in the world and brings Gulf Air in line with its Middle Eastern rival Emirates, which has been offering the same allowances since May 2009.

 

From 1 October 2009, passengers will enjoy 30 kilograms, 40 kilograms and 50 kilograms of checked baggage allowance when travelling in Economy, Business and First Class. Gold members of Gulf Air’s frequent flyer program will be entitled to an additional 20 kilograms of allowance, while Silver members will be allowed 15 kilograms more free of charge.

 

The new allowances apply to flights operated by Gulf Air. On codeshare flights, passengers will be subjected to the checked bag policy of the airline operating the flight. Additionally, flights to the USA and Canada by the airline’s partner American Airlines will follow a piece concept.

 

Bahrain-based Gulf Air flies to over 45 destinations across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

 

For more information, visit www.gulfair.com.

Disney Cruise Line Unveils Itineraries For 2011

Disney Cruise Line has announced the itineraries for its ships in 2011, with cruises in the Mexican Riviera, Europe and Alaskan cruises for the first time. The Disney Wonder will sail 18 voyages during its 4-month deployment to Alaska, while sister ship Disney Magic will spend the summer in Europe cruising the Mediterranean.

 

Disney Wonder To Sail Alaska, Mexican Riviera

from 3 May 2011 to 30 August 2011, the 83,000-GRT Disney Wonder will be homeported in Vancouver and offer 7-night cruises to Alaska, marking Disney Cruise Line’s debut in the largest state of the USA. 

 

The new itinerary takes guests to experience the breathtaking vistas of majestic glaciers and fjords in Juneau, catching a glimpse of brown bears, bald eagles and other abundant wildlife. In Ketchikan, guests can also learn more about the rich history and customs of Alaska’s native culture through hand-carved totem poles and fish for some of the largest wild salmon in the world, while Skagway offers the opportunity to pan for gold like the miners from the famous Klondike gold rush.

 

Prior to repositioning to Alaska, Disney Wonder will sail 7-night voyages out of Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera, including a special 10-night cruise with a stop at Manzanillo. The ship will resume cruising voyages from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera after its Alaskan deployment, calling at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.

 

Disney Magic Returns To The Mediterranean

Departing out of Barcelona, Disney Magic will sail 10- and 11-night Mediterranean cruises for the 2011 summer season, taking guests to popular ports in France, Italy and Spain to explore the cultures of Europe.

 

Beginning 28 September 2011, the vessel offer 10 cruises calling at Civitavecchia, La Spezia, Naples and Villafranche, with 2 or 3 days at sea. Disney Magic will also visit Ajaccio in Corsica, the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as the island nation of Malta and explore the Arab influences of Tunis in North Africa.

 

For the majority of 2011, Disney Magic will sail out of Port Canaveral on alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, with both itineraries calling at Disney’s private island Castaway Cay. The vessel will also sail 2 repositioning 14-night transatlantic voyages.

 

For more information, visit disneycruise.disney.go.com.

Etihad Airways Arrives In The Windy City

Etihad Airways has inaugurated flights from its base at Abu Dhabi to Chicago, its second destination in the USA. Flight EY 151 departed Abu Dhabi International Airport at 1103 hrs yesterday. The inaugural flight was operated by Etihad’s Formula One-liveried Airbus A340-600 aircraft, registered A6-EHJ, which was welcomed upon arrival at O’Hare International Airport at 1605 hrs with the traditional water arch before docking at Terminal 5.

 

Operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, flight EY 151 departs Abu Dhabi at 1020 hrs, arriving in Chicago at 1640 hrs. The return flight, EY 150, takes off from O’Hare International Airport at 2030 hrs in the evening, landing back in Abu Dhabi at 1955 hrs the next day. Etihad will operate a 3-class A340-600 aircraft on the 15-hour route, configured with 12 Diamond First class, 30 Pearl Business class and 244 Coral Economy class seats.

 

With the addition of Chicago, Etihad Airways now flies to 55 destinations around the world. The airline’s North American network includes New York and Toronto, which is served daily and 3 times weekly respectively from Abu Dhabi.

 

For more information, visit www.etihadairways.com.

New Airport Hotel For Montreal

Travellers to Montreal now have an additional accomodation option near the city’s Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has opened the 486-room Wyndham Montreal Aeroport hotel in the vicinity of the airport.

 

Formerly the Hilton Montreal Aeroport, the circular-shaped hotel is being renovated to improve guest rooms, public spaces and the exterior. The Wyndham Montreal Aeroport features 2 acres of landscaped gardens and combines the convenience of an airport hotel with the facilities and amenities of a conference hotel.

 

Each of the 486 guestrooms and suites is furnished with a comfortable bed, private bathroom with bath amenities, cable television, high-speed internet access, direct dial telephone with voicemail feature, spacious workdesk, minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities. The hotel also has 4 rooms which are equipped to cater for physically disabled guests.

 

Dining at the Wyndham Montreal Aeroport is available at its 3 restaurants and bars. Au Coin du Feu, one of Montreal’s finest dining venues, overlooks the hotel’s 2 acre garden and provides a setting from which to enjoy premium steaks and seafood. Guests who wish to dine in a casual environment can visit Atmosphere, offering delicious menus and buffets. Rounding up the trio is Eclipse, the hotel’s bar serving up a variety of wines and spirits.

 

The hotel’s convention facilities can accomodate groups of up to 600 people, supported by a team of meeting professionals. There are 2 ballrooms, an executive boardroom and 20 function rooms that can be configured to cater for events of different sizes, from intimate gatherings to mid-sized meetings. For recreation, there is a 23-meter indoor/outdoor pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, as well as a gymnasium equipped with a selection of training equipment.

 

The Wyndham Montreal Aeroport joins 455 other Wyndham Hotel Group properties in Canada, including the Wyndham Cap Tremblant Mountain Resort, nestled in Quebec’s Laurentian mountains.

 

For more information, visit www.wyndham.com.

A380 Regular Service For Melbourne, Special Flight For Birmingham

Beginning September 2009, Singapore Airlines passengers will be able to fly the Airbus A380 between Singapore and Melbourne, while Emirates has announced a special 1-day only flight between its Dubai base and Birmingham.

 

Singapore – Melbourne 

Singapore Airlines will replace the Boeing 747-400 with the A380 on flights between Singapore and Melbourne from 29 September 2009 onwards. The move marks a seamless A380 experience for passengers flying from London to a second Australian city.

 

Flight SQ 227 will depart Singapore at 2100 hrs, arriving in Melbourne the next morning at 0610 hrs (0710 hrs after 4 October). The return flight, SQ 228, takes off from Melbourne at 1550 hrs (1650 hrs after 4 October) and lands back at Singapore Changi International Airport at 2140 hrs.

 

Melbourne follows Sydney, London, Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong in receiving Singapore Airlines A380 service. The aircraft is configured with 12 Singapore Airlines Suites, 60 Business Class seats and 399 Economy Class seats.

 

For more information, visit www.singaporeair.com.

 

Dubai – Birmingham

On 9 September 2009, Emirates will operate a special A380 roundtrip from Dubai to Birmingham in the UK. The aircraft will be a highlight of the airport’s 70th anniversary and marks its first A380 scheduled service.

 

The airline’s 3-class A380 will replace the regular 2-class Boeing 777-300 on flight EK 039, departing Dubai at 0805 hrs and arriving in Birmingham at 1235 hrs. The jet will operate the return EK 040 at 1415 hrs, landing back in Dubai International Airport at 0015 hrs the next day.

 

Passengers will enjoy the amenities of the Emirates A380 onboard, including the unique showers available in First Class. With the aircraft deployed to Birmingham, its regular Dubai-London-Dubai EK 001/002 flights will be operated by a 3-class Boeing 777-300ER on that day.

 

The Emirates A380 was first deployed on the Dubai-New York route in August 2008. The aircraft currently operates flights between Dubai and Auckland, Bangkok, London, Sydney and Toronto, with services to Melbourne, Paris, Rome, Seoul and Singapore announced.

 

For more information, visit www.emirates.com.

Turkish Airlines Commences Istanbul-Toronto Flights

Turkish Airlines has completed its inaugural flight from Istanbul to Toronto, its 117th international destination. Flight TK 017 departed Ataturk International Airport at 1146 hrs for the 11-hour flight to Pearson International Airport, where it arrived at 1537 hrs.

 

Onboard the inaugural flight was Turkey’s Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, Turkish Airlines’ Director General Temel Kotil, businessmen, media and paying passengers. The Airbus A340-300 aircraft was welcomed in Canada by a special ceremony to mark the occasion, the result of a bilateral air transport agreement.

 

Turkish Airlines will fly between Istanbul and Toronto 3 times a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Flight TK 017 will depart Istanbul at 1130 hrs and arrive in Toronto at 1540 hrs, before returning as flight TK 018 at 2350 hrs for a 1730 hrs arrival back in Turkey. Flights will be operated by a combination of Airbus A330-200 and A340-300 aircraft configured in a 2-class layout.

 

For more information, visit www.thy.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.

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.