Travel News

In order to develop distinctive data-driven and innovative solutions for companies throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Mastercard and ZainTech, the one-stop digital solutions hub of the Zain Group, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The collaboration will aid clients in streamlining their operations, increasing productivity and reducing costs. The regional teams at ZainTech and Zain B2B are revolutionising day-to-day operations by streamlining their digital transformation process and making it easier and more smooth than ever. The business provides cutting-edge data solutions that enable digital and data-driven decision-making to help clients accomplish their corporate objectives and spur growth. The CEO of ZainTech, Andrew Hanna, commented on the partnership with Mastercard by stating that the advantages of advanced data to productivity, safety, and cost-savings are revolutionizing company operations. Our enterprise clients will directly profit from the creation of novel data solutions that will be catalyzed by our cooperation with Mastercard. “Artificial intelligence has become an essential component of building cutting-edge solutions that use data to deliver added value to end-users,” said Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, at Mastercard. We are thrilled to help ZainTech, a prominent regional provider of digital solutions, boost its value proposition. Big data analytics are being used more frequently in the MENA region, which is changing business and industrial operations. The Middle East is anticipated to gain from about 2% of these advantages, or about US$320 billion, by 2030, according to advisory firm PwC. By that time, AI’s potential contribution to the world economy would have reached over US$16 trillion. The MENA region will adopt sophisticated analytics, AI, and machine learning more quickly thanks to ZainTech’s partnership with Mastercard. Source: traveldailymedia

The national airline of Senegal, Air Senegal, offers the ideal blend of first-rate service, a tempting schedule, and top-notch onboard amenities. As a result, Air Senegal has expanded its network to include New York and 11 other African and three European nations. To increase flight income, Air Senegal has chosen Maxamation’s Aviator. Recently, the most modern web-based Aviator system was activated along with thorough training for the revenue management team that was conducted in French. “Air Senegal is a growing airline, and we seek partners who can genuinely contribute to our success story,” says CCO Eric Gueye. Our partnership with Maxamation and their Aviator revenue management system makes us really happy. We switched to the most recent web-based Aviator this month. For our RM team, it’s a brand-new, robust revenue management system with extensive features. The in-person instruction was first-rate, and we loved that the entire programme was delivered in French. The new Aviator RM system and Marko’s extensive training have equipped our staff to increase earnings from every flight. The CEO of Maxamation, Peter Brewer, is delighted to continue working with Air Senegal. We are thrilled to provide a variety of new Aviator features to Air Senegal, each of which may be leveraged to increase income from every flight. Training materials and sessions were conducted in French to ensure that Air Senegal will benefit fully from the new Aviator system. A leading international provider of IT services to the airline sector, Maxamation offers cloud-based revenue management. Aviator gives airlines the tools they need to optimize flight income with a strong, reliable system that is simple to use and has a track record of generating cash. The headquarters of Maxamation are in Sydney, Australia, and it has support facilities and knowledgeable Revenue Management specialists throughout South Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. The business was started in 1997. With the cloud-enabled system now being implemented across all 40 of Maxamation’s current customers, Aviator has continuously improved and now provides the revenue management solution with cutting-edge technology. The Republic of Senegal’s national airline, Air Senegal, is headquartered at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal (IATA: HC, ICAO: SZN). Air Senegal connects 14 nations with Senegal using a fleet of Airbus and ATR aircraft. Source: traveldailymedia

Beginning on June 4th, 2023, Thai Vietjet will offer charter services between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The following timetable will be followed: Every Sunday, Thai Vietjet offers flights from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) to Ulaanbaatar (VZ8310) and Ulaanbaatar (VZ8311), both of which depart at 10:30 and arrive at 15:05 (local time) Source: traveldailymedia

In order to experience the romance of the Land of Ice and Fire firsthand, travelers who missed seeing the Northern Lights in the UK earlier this year may be planning a journey to see one of the seven natural wonders of the world this winter. The good news is that from today, Icelandair is providing discounted fares on Icelandair flights for tourists from the UK who want to see the breathtaking natural beauty of Iceland or even the wonders of North America. Up until June 12th, 2023, UK tourists may book return flights on Icelandair from London or Manchester to Reykjavik for as little as £140 roundtrip in economy class or £415 roundtrip in the airline’s Saga Premium cabin. Economy round-trip costs from Glasgow to Reykjavik start at £145, and Saga Premium offers start at just £399 round-trip! As part of these flight specials, Icelandair is also providing affordable rates to a number of locations in North America, including competitive rates from London: Orlando for $399 roundtrip From £399 return to Toronto from £425 return, Seattle From £449 round-trip to Portland These amazing offers are valid for travel between November 1, 2023, and March 19, 2024. Visitors to the website of Icelandair can make reservations. Source: traveldailymedia

For the Indian luxury travel agencies Explore Travels, Travel Arena, Icon Planners, AT Seasons & Vacations, and visit 4 Us, Outletcity Metzingen organized a familiarization visit to Europe’s largest outlet, situated just 30 km south of Stuttgart, two hours’ drive from Munich, Frankfurt, or Zurich. For a group of upscale travel agents attending IMEX 2023, a day trip was planned. The visit gave the travelers better insight into the thriving, cutting-edge store and introduced them to every facet of the magnificent goods. On the sidelines of the fam trip, Angela Rieger, Senior International Partnership Manager, Outletcity AG said, “We are happy to welcome the FAM trip from India to present Outletcity as a shopping paradise. The agents had a great chance to learn about and experience firsthand the possibility of luring shopaholics to Outletcity, a unique jewel that offers an immersive shopping experience. Over 150 high-end and luxury brands, including Burberry, Gucci, MCM, Michael Kors, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and the biggest BOSS outlet in the world, are available at Outletcity Metzingen. Additionally, Outletcity offers a range of delectable dishes. The connection between fashion and gastronomy works because of how they interact. Source: traveldailymedia

Theo Panagiotoulias has been chosen to take over as CEO of Star Alliance, the first and largest global airline alliance in the world. Panagiotoulias has more than 25 years of experience working internationally in the aviation and airline sectors. From Hawaiian Airlines, where he served as Senior Vice President for Global Sales and Alliances since 2014, he joins Star Alliance. Prior to joining Sabre Corporation, a supplier of travel technology, Panagiotoulias served as VP and GM (Asia Pacific). He also spent 15 years working for American Airlines, where he held several commercial, operational, and managerial responsibilities. His whole bio is included. Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines and Chairman of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board, expressed his congratulations to Theo on being chosen as the organization’s next CEO. “Theo has a solid awareness of the difficulties and possibilities facing our sector today because to his expertise in international commercial and airline operations. He is the ideal candidate, in my opinion, to steer Star Alliance into the future. “Star Alliance connects the world,” declared Panagiotoulias. “With its 26 member airlines, more than 200 million passengers fly on more than 16,000 flights every day. The transformation to provide a more seamless passenger experience has also been spearheaded by the Alliance. It is a privilege for me to head the Star Alliance team and collaborate with our 26 member airlines as we continue to innovate as the top airline alliance in the world. Panagiotoulias will succeed Charlotta Wieland, who has been acting as Star Alliance’s interim CEO since January 2023 on a secondment from SAS – Scandinavian Airlines. With the hiring of Panagiotoulias, Ms. Wieland will rejoin SAS and the Star Alliance’s Alliance Management Board as the organization’s representative. The appointment of Panagiotoulias is anticipated to become effective in the upcoming months, subject to the successful fulfillment of various formalities and permissions.I want to congratulate Charlotta for her contribution to Star Alliance as temporary CEO and welcome her back to her place on the Alliance Management Board on behalf of Star Alliance and its member carriers’, said Mr Kirby. In 2022, Skytrax recognised Star Alliance as the World’s Best Airline Alliance. In addition to providing awards and recognition for regular international passengers, it seeks to promote a seamless, high-quality traveler experience among its 26 member carriers. This includes facilitating seamless transfers over a vast global network. Source: traveldailymedia

The attitudes of Britons towards pensions and retirement have been exposed by a recent poll. In order to better understand public opinion on retirement, pensions, and investments, investment comparison website Investing Reviews polled over 2,000 users about their views on these subjects. It’s interesting to note that, despite rising tensions in France over the decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, attitudes in the UK appear to be very similar to those in France. The present retirement age in the UK is 66. According to the study, 68.71% of participants think it should be decreased. This opinion is shared by 71.16% of respondents, who also think that retiring in the UK is more difficult than it has ever been. According to the Investing Reviews study, this appears to be easier said than done. In fact, 62.60% of respondents said they didn’t think their pension was sufficient for a comfortable retirement and that they would need to make extra investments in addition to their pension. This might be because more than half of respondents (55.82%) concur that they are unable to contribute as much to their pensions as they would like to. In terms of employer contributions, considerably over a third (42.66%) of respondents would think about switching careers or working in a completely other industry if it meant higher employer contributions. In a previous study by Investing Reviews that examined official government data from ONS, the sector with the highest percentage of employers contributing 20% or more to employees’ pensions was “public administration and defense” (including mandatory social security). The sector with the lowest percentage of employers contributing 20% or more was “wholesale and retail trade (including motor vehicles and motorcycle repair). The fact that more than a third (34.93%) of respondents said they don’t know exactly how much money is in their pension and that more than a third of respondents think they won’t be able to retire comfortably in the UK is particularly intriguing. When asked if they would choose to retire outside of the UK, 42.66% of respondents said yes, echoing the sentiment that it is difficult to retire comfortably in the UK and that they are frustrated by their inability to make as much of a contribution to their pensions as they’d like. This raises concerns about the rising rate of inflation and the cost of living, which may make it difficult for those who are looking to retire to keep up with. Source: traveldailymedia

Finnair is commemorating 35 years of serving as a link between Asia and Europe by flying to China. This significant accomplishment for the Nordic carrier coincides with its centenary as one of the industry’s original pioneers. The first Western European airline to provide non-stop service between Europe and China was Finnair, which launched its inaugural flight to China on June 2, 1988, with a new route to Beijing. Five years after Finnair introduced its ground-breaking service to Japan in 1983, an intriguing route was added. This was made feasible by technology developments that allowed their DC-10 aircraft to fly across the North Pole in order to simplify the quickest routes between Europe and Asia. Finnair was able to function as a bridge between Europe and Asia through the brief northern route because to its geographic location in Helsinki, which allowed it to continue its regional growth. Finnair was the first airline in Northern Europe and the Oneworld to operate direct flights to Shanghai when its services to Shanghai were introduced in 2003. In addition, Finnair was the first airline to provide a non-stop service between Europe and Chongqing in 2012. The following year, Finnair was the first airline in Europe to offer a direct route between Europe and Xi’An. Finnair served seven Chinese cities, including Beijing Capital Airport, Shanghai, Chongqing, Xi’An, Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Daxing International Airport in Beijing, more than any other European airline did prior to the pandemic and the closure of Russian airspace as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. The reintroduction of flights to Shanghai on July 23, 2020, which currently run twice weekly, is the first of a small number of mainland China services that Finnair has just reinstated. Additionally, Finnair has a daily service between Helsinki and Hong Kong. “Finnair is proud to be celebrating 35 years of flying to mainland China this year – and acting as a bridge connecting Europe with Asia,” said Anssi Partanen, Finnair Market Manager UK & Ireland. “Despite the recent turmoil, particularly after the closing of Russian airspace, we have continued to service China and make it possible for Finnair passengers to travel simply and conveniently from Europe to important Asian locations. We are dedicated to connecting our clients with China and look forward to flying more Finnair flights to Asia in the future, even though our strategy may have changed to respond to current political changes with greater services to North America. Customers who want to experience China’s rich culture may book round-trip tickets with Finnair from London to Shanghai starting at £693 in Economy Class, all taxes and fees included. Source: traveldailymedia

As part of its two-year green operations plan, dnata, a worldwide supplier of aviation and travel services, keeps working to achieve its goal of cutting its carbon footprint and waste to landfill by 20% by 2024. The company’s most recent major projects include process improvement, sustained large investment in infrastructure, and green ground support options. To further improve its worldwide environmental efficiency, dnata stated in June 2022 that it will invest US$100 million in green operations over the course of two years. “We are proud to have made significant progress on improving our environmental performance since the announcement of our strategic objectives,” stated Steve Allen, CEO of dnata Group. I want to congratulate everyone on our team for their efforts and contributions to our green programmes, which enable us to have an impact on all of our operations throughout the world.Along with our partners, we will keep making investments and making an attempt to lessen our environmental impact. Putting money into green energy Dnata has persisted in making large investments in renewable energy as part of its attempts to further increase global resource efficiency. This entails setting up rooftop solar power systems at all of its current facilities. At its operations facilities in Singapore and at its SnapFresh plant in Australia, dnata has solar panels installed. These provide more than 4,300 MWh of renewable power each year, preventing the release of almost 1.85 million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide. Pakistan also started phase 1 of a solar PV panel installation that would produce 244,000 kWh annually. Additionally, all power purchased in the UK and Ireland comes from municipal systems that use renewable energy sources. Using less water In addition to solar energy, dnata is spending money on systems to collect and reuse rainwater and condensate from air conditioners at both its old and new sites. These programmes optimise water use and related expenses. The 20,000m2 freight facility in Iraq owned by dnata will include a rooftop rainwater harvesting system among other eco-friendly components when it opens in 2024. By 2025, this will gather, clean, and store rainwater in subterranean tanks for use in irrigation systems within the building and for drinkable purposes. This will result in a 50% reduction in water expenses. Using the same technology, the system has also been set up in the Philippines to collect and recycle rainwater for drinking and washing. Additionally, this technology will soon be used at the dnata facilities in Singapore. A reverse osmosis plant has been developed by dnata to reuse condensate water from the cooling systems in its cargo facilities in Dubai due to the arid environment of the UAE. This has led to the daily reuse of 5,000 litres of water for cleaning and washing. At its Corporate Headquarters, dnata Travel Centre, and Alpha catering facilities, dnata also introduced a bottle-free drinking water system that will cut plastic usage and save more than 95,000 litres of bottled water annually. Source: traveldailymedia

Leading low-cost airline Jazeera Airways offers direct flights from Kuwait to Egypt’s Sphinx International Airport. From the city center, the airport is about one hour away, while from Cairo International Airport, it is two hours. The airport provides travelers with an easy way to travel to other areas of Egypt, including historic locations like the Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, and even the soon-to-open Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. Additionally, it has connections to well-known Red Sea destinations like Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. “We are happy to fly to our seventh destination in Egypt,” said Rohit Ramachandran, chief executive officer of Jazeera Airways. “Jazeera Airways is the only GCC carrier to operate direct to Sphinx International Airport. With four weekly flights to this wonderful vacation spot, we also provide residents and tourists with a practical and cost-effective travel choice. I want to use this occasion to express my personal gratitude to the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority for their persistent efforts to increase connection to this stunning nation. The airport’s two terminals have a combined capacity of 1.2 million passengers annually and can accommodate up to 900 passengers per hour. As a result, incoming and leaving travelers may move through the airport more quickly. The airport also aids in easing traffic in the city as well as congestion at the Cairo Airport. By choosing to fly through this airport, travelers may really avoid the rush hour gridlock and save up to two hours. In total, 66 locations in the Middle East, Africa, Central & South Asia, and Europe are presently served by Jazeera Airways. Booking flights is simple using the airline’s website (www.jazeeraairways.com) or the Jazeera App. Source: traveldailymedia