Private air carrier, Jet Airways, will offer a special 10 per cent discount to its women passengers on base fares from March 1-8 across all flights as a part of its 'Celebrating Womanhood' initiative to mark International Women's Day on March 8.
Apart from the discount, the airline flights would also offer other special packages to women customers like a 50 per cent discount in room rate and spa treatment across select overseas hotels it has tied-up with.
"These exciting new offers, exclusive to JetPrivilege members, is Jet Airways' way of thanking its lady travellers," Jet Airways' Chief Commercial Officer Sudheer Raghavan told reporters here today.
In addition, the airline would offer its JetPrivilege members three special packages at the Mandarin Oriental Hotels at Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and London.
Source:economictimes.indiatimes.com
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Kashmir beckons tourists from the Gulf
Kashmir is hoping to revive its sagging tourist trade by targeting travellers from the Gulf, Central Asia and the Far East.
Sixty years after the fabled Silk Road was closed to trade after the violent partition of the Indian subcontinent, the government of Kashmir is trying to re-create it, but in the air.
“Yes, our effort is, hopefully, going to give a big boost to foreign traffic to one of the most spectacular locations in the world from these short-haul [flight] markets,” said Naeem Akhtar, the outgoing secretary of tourism. “The arrivals from the Gulf will make a fundamental change in the tourism scenario in Kashmir.”
They also said the quiet season in the valley coincides with the July-August holiday season in the Gulf.
Air India Express, which offers flights to 10 major international destinations, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, within four hours from nine Indian cities, is also considering a Dubai-Jeddah connection in the future. Only chartered flights operate to and from Srinagar airport during the Haj season.
Indian government officials have said they hope Asian tourists will replace westerners who have rejected Kashmir as a destination for fear of being caught in the region’s long-simmering insurgency.
Nawang Rigzin Jora, the minister for tourism and culture, said with the start of the first flight from Srinagar to Dubai a gateway would be opened to many more destinations. “Jeddah, Muscat, Kuwait, Doha and Bahrain are all almost equidistant from Kashmir,” he said.
He also said the flights would be able to carry cargo from Kashmir, including handicrafts such as carpets and scarves, fruit, vegetables, flowers and possibly fish. Kashmir tourism officials hope that after the flights to the Gulf have started, other areas such as South East Asia and Central Asia, with which Kashmir has traditional trade links, could be explored.
While it may not be easy to revive the old land-based caravan route, the opening of an “Aerial Silk Route” could be possible. “If we are able to connect Srinagar with some of the Central Asian capitals through direct flights, Kashmir will get a tremendous boost both in tourism and trade,” said Muhammad Ashraf, the former director general of tourism.
“It would also help us to revive the broken cultural links and will greatly help in removing the alienation which Kashmiris feel with outsiders especially from the southern part of the subcontinent.”
Following the bloody break-up of the subcontinent after independence from Britain in 1947, Kashmir has been a flashpoint for violence.
Despite the tensions, it remained a popular tourist destination, with more than 800,000 visiting in 1988. The arrivals were expected to touch an all-time high of one million the following season. But with the Kashmiri separatist campaign exploding into violence towards the end of 1989, tourism, once the second major source of income for locals, was reduced to the trickle of a mere thousand.
Ironically, most of those listed as tourists in the records of the tourism department were in fact journalists from across India and abroad who came to Kashmir to cover the uprising. With the drop in travellers, many of those employed in the tourist trade shifted to other jobs. But those who could not find any alternative source of living were left jobless for years and many were forced to sell their houseboats and guesthouses.
Several buildings, mainly around Dal Lake in Srinagar, were requisitioned as temporary barracks by the security forces – brought in large numbers to combat the militancy – and their owners were paid nominal rents.
But now the government and the tour operators are trying to lure foreign tourists back. Included in their plans are international roadshows promoting the region. The Srinagar-based Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), along with India’s federal ministry of commerce, is hosting a month-long trade festival in London.
“The festival is part of the multi- pronged strategy to market Kashmir,” said Mubeen Shah, president of the KCCI. Other similar festivals have been held in Dubai, Melbourne, Moscow and Singapore.
Mr Shah said tourism benefits all sectors of society. “In spite of Kashmir passing through worst times of its history during the past two decades, a traditional [handicraft] infrastructure which is very much vibrant and intact for the last six centuries plays a vital role in its economy,” he said.
Source:thenational.ae
Sixty years after the fabled Silk Road was closed to trade after the violent partition of the Indian subcontinent, the government of Kashmir is trying to re-create it, but in the air.
“Yes, our effort is, hopefully, going to give a big boost to foreign traffic to one of the most spectacular locations in the world from these short-haul [flight] markets,” said Naeem Akhtar, the outgoing secretary of tourism. “The arrivals from the Gulf will make a fundamental change in the tourism scenario in Kashmir.”
Tourism officials hope the region’s climate, Islamic cultural attractions and spectacular scenery will appeal to travellers, both Arab and western, who are living in the Gulf.
The move follows the modernisation of Srinagar airport, the only civilian airport in the Vale of Kashmir nestling in the lap of the snow-capped Himalayas. Air India Express started weekly direct flights to Srinagar from Dubai yesterday and other Gulf cities are expected to be included at a later date.
Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of India’s ruling alliance, said when inaugurating the airport: “Peace is returning to Kashmir and with Srinagar finding a place on the international aviation map the region’s economy is destined to thrive.”
They also said the quiet season in the valley coincides with the July-August holiday season in the Gulf.
Air India Express, which offers flights to 10 major international destinations, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, within four hours from nine Indian cities, is also considering a Dubai-Jeddah connection in the future. Only chartered flights operate to and from Srinagar airport during the Haj season.
Indian government officials have said they hope Asian tourists will replace westerners who have rejected Kashmir as a destination for fear of being caught in the region’s long-simmering insurgency.
Nawang Rigzin Jora, the minister for tourism and culture, said with the start of the first flight from Srinagar to Dubai a gateway would be opened to many more destinations. “Jeddah, Muscat, Kuwait, Doha and Bahrain are all almost equidistant from Kashmir,” he said.
He also said the flights would be able to carry cargo from Kashmir, including handicrafts such as carpets and scarves, fruit, vegetables, flowers and possibly fish. Kashmir tourism officials hope that after the flights to the Gulf have started, other areas such as South East Asia and Central Asia, with which Kashmir has traditional trade links, could be explored.
While it may not be easy to revive the old land-based caravan route, the opening of an “Aerial Silk Route” could be possible. “If we are able to connect Srinagar with some of the Central Asian capitals through direct flights, Kashmir will get a tremendous boost both in tourism and trade,” said Muhammad Ashraf, the former director general of tourism.
“It would also help us to revive the broken cultural links and will greatly help in removing the alienation which Kashmiris feel with outsiders especially from the southern part of the subcontinent.”
Following the bloody break-up of the subcontinent after independence from Britain in 1947, Kashmir has been a flashpoint for violence.
Despite the tensions, it remained a popular tourist destination, with more than 800,000 visiting in 1988. The arrivals were expected to touch an all-time high of one million the following season. But with the Kashmiri separatist campaign exploding into violence towards the end of 1989, tourism, once the second major source of income for locals, was reduced to the trickle of a mere thousand.
Ironically, most of those listed as tourists in the records of the tourism department were in fact journalists from across India and abroad who came to Kashmir to cover the uprising. With the drop in travellers, many of those employed in the tourist trade shifted to other jobs. But those who could not find any alternative source of living were left jobless for years and many were forced to sell their houseboats and guesthouses.
Several buildings, mainly around Dal Lake in Srinagar, were requisitioned as temporary barracks by the security forces – brought in large numbers to combat the militancy – and their owners were paid nominal rents.
But now the government and the tour operators are trying to lure foreign tourists back. Included in their plans are international roadshows promoting the region. The Srinagar-based Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), along with India’s federal ministry of commerce, is hosting a month-long trade festival in London.
“The festival is part of the multi- pronged strategy to market Kashmir,” said Mubeen Shah, president of the KCCI. Other similar festivals have been held in Dubai, Melbourne, Moscow and Singapore.
Mr Shah said tourism benefits all sectors of society. “In spite of Kashmir passing through worst times of its history during the past two decades, a traditional [handicraft] infrastructure which is very much vibrant and intact for the last six centuries plays a vital role in its economy,” he said.
Source:thenational.ae
Monday, February 9, 2009
Daily AI flight to Dubai from Tiruchi
Air India Express is all set to increase the frequency of its flights on the Chennai-Tiruchi-Dubai sector to make it a daily service.
The Tiruchi Airport authorities have cleared the operation of the additional frequencies, it is reliably learnt. AI Express has already been operating three flights a week on the sector.
The airline is planning to position an aircraft at Tiruchi and introduce thrice-a-week services on the Chennai-Tiruchi-Kuala Lumpur sector in due course. The additional frequencies to Dubai are likely to be introduced from the middle of this month in the same schedule of the existing flights.
The clearance from the airport authorities have come notwithstanding the shortage of manpower in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has recently made a representation to the Airports Authority of India and other government agencies expressing concern over the manpower shortage at the airport which has been cited as an impediment to introduction of additional flights.
Meanwhile, there have been some encouraging indications that the strength of the CISF unit would be increased soon. A senior officer from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security recently visited the airport to conduct a fresh survey on the CISF manpower requirements, especially for the new terminal building which is expected to be opened soon.
The CISF strength is expected to be increased to about 275 men from the existing 113.
A couple of additional men have also been posted to the Air Traffic Control so that the airport was able to handle the increasing workload, sources said.
Source:hindu.com
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Emirates Offers Special Fares for New Year
Emirates announced special fares to Dubai, Middle East, Far East, India, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand valid until 31 March 2009.
Round-trip flights by Emirates to Dubai, Muscat, Doha, and Bahrain are starting from €299 for economy class and €949 for business class. Moreover, airlines offer economy class €224 and €777 for business class on EK 124 flights to Dubai on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Award winning airline; Emirates flies to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Bombay, Delhi, Seychelles fares starting from €399, to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore €499 for economy class passengers. Passengers can fly to Far East at business class with fares starting from €1599, and to Seychelles from €1499.
Round-trip flights by Emirates to Dubai, Muscat, Doha, and Bahrain are starting from €299 for economy class and €949 for business class. Moreover, airlines offer economy class €224 and €777 for business class on EK 124 flights to Dubai on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Award winning airline; Emirates flies to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Bombay, Delhi, Seychelles fares starting from €399, to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore €499 for economy class passengers. Passengers can fly to Far East at business class with fares starting from €1599, and to Seychelles from €1499.
Emirates flies to Cape Town and Johannesburg with special fares starting from €449 for economy class and €1699 for business class.
Emirates flies to Indian destinations fares starting from €499 or economy class and €1599 for business class.
Round-trip Economy class fares start from €599 to Osaka, Nagoya, Seoul, Mauritius, and flights to Maldives start from €649. Business Class passengers can fly to Maldives and Mauritius starting from €1599.
New Zealand and Australia flights (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane) start from €899 for round trip economy class, flights to Auckland and Christchurch start from €949. Business class passengers can pay round-trip fares starting from €2799.
Source:ftnnews
Flying gets affordable once again as airlines cut fares
If you had given up flying after the surge in air fares, it’s time you had a rethink. A Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai flight now costs almost half of what it did a few months ago. And the good news is that the fare cuts are not restricted to the main routes.
Over the last few weeks, airlines have quietly cut their fares. This has been attributed to the sharp drop in the price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF). ATF accounts for as much as 45% of an airline’s costs, and its price has declined by about 60% since last September to Rs 31,176 per kilolitre. Today, the price of ATF is down to what it was in July 2005.
The fare cuts could make a big difference for passengers. If you are looking to fly from Mumbai to Delhi this Friday and get back on Monday morning, you would pay just over Rs 4,500 for the ticket as against at least Rs 8,000 not too long ago - a fall that’s over 40%.
Source:indiatimes.com
Over the last few weeks, airlines have quietly cut their fares. This has been attributed to the sharp drop in the price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF). ATF accounts for as much as 45% of an airline’s costs, and its price has declined by about 60% since last September to Rs 31,176 per kilolitre. Today, the price of ATF is down to what it was in July 2005.
The fare cuts could make a big difference for passengers. If you are looking to fly from Mumbai to Delhi this Friday and get back on Monday morning, you would pay just over Rs 4,500 for the ticket as against at least Rs 8,000 not too long ago - a fall that’s over 40%.
Source:indiatimes.com
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