Tag Archives: Etihad Airways

Building on the success of its current daily service between the capitals of the UAE and Russia, Etihad Airways announced a new second daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, which will operate seasonally between October 27 and May 10, 2020. The additional flight, operated by an Airbus A320, will provide more convenient travel options between the two capital cities as passengers can now choose between a daytime and evening departure from both Abu Dhabi and Moscow. Together with the existing service, operated by an Airbus A321, travellers will also benefit from improved connectivity through Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub to Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. Robin Kamark,  Aviation Group Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad, said, “Since launching our first scheduled flights to Moscow in 2008, the route has proved very popular, enjoying strong point-to-point business and leisure demand. The addition of the second flight underscores the importance we place on the Russian market, by providing our customers greater flexibility, convenience and easy transit through Abu Dhabi to key points across Asia and Australia.” Russia is the second largest source market for inbound tourism to the UAE with 820,000 Russian tourists visiting the country in 2018. The trade exchange between the UAE and Russia reached US$ 3 billion last year. Etihad Airways, together with its partners, continues to promote the increase of tourism, and trade and investment opportunities between both countries. Etihad’s Airbus A321 and A320 two-class aircraft feature modern Business and Economy cabins and the airline’s award-winning service and hospitality. Abu Dhabi – Moscow (effective October 27, 2019 –  May 10, 2020) – From Abu Dhabi at 02:40 to Moscow (DME) 07:20 …

Revolutionising the aviation sector once again, Etihad Airways unveiled a major Economy transformation programme starting with the cabin upgrade and refurbishment of 23 narrow-body Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. The retrofit programme, which includes new personalised wireless streaming entertainment to smartphone and tablet devices, is scheduled for completion in August this year. The airline is also introducing a new and improved Economy dining concept on all its flights as part of a wider programme of enhancements to its inflight catering. Etihad introduced the new developments at Arabian Travel Market, together with a new advertising campaign, ‘Go Your Own Way’, using Fleetwood Mac’s anthemic classic as its soundtrack. As part of the airline’s overall ‘Choose Well’ brand platform, the campaign will drive greater awareness of Etihad’s commitment to providing its guests with greater control, choice and value by personalising their travel experiences. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Etihad has always been a challenger brand, shaping the future of travel as the market constantly changes. We are bringing the leadership and innovation to Economy travel which we have long established in our award-winning Business, First and The Residence cabins. As part of our ‘Choose Well’ promise, we are empowering our guests with more control of their travel experiences, through onboard digital transformation, improved choice and redesigned cabins and products.” Etihad is progressively upgrading the Economy cabins of its narrow-body fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. These are used mainly on short-haul regional services, and further afield to 38 Etihad gateways within five hours of flight from Abu Dhabi. The airline is installing modern and refreshed cabins featuring ergonomic Extra-spatial Design seats by UK based Acro, a …

Etihad Airways and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi are taking Jeddah residents on an immersive tour of Abu Dhabi across VOX Cinemas using 3D projection mapping. This is the first time this technology is being utilised to promote a destination in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the wider Middle East region.  This month, projection mapping will turn VOX cinemas into a theatrical stage to provide viewers with a simulated first person experience of what it’s like flying with Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi. Tim Burnell, Vice President Marketing, Etihad Airways, said, “Abu Dhabi is a dynamic capital with a wealth of exciting opportunities to offer to every type of traveller. We are delighted that today’s technology can showcase what our airline and capital has to offer, by bringing the experience to them, making them feel like they are actually here.” Viewers will board an Etihad aircraft and walk around the Business Cabin before being transported to world-famous leisure attractions including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld and to Warner Bros. At World Abu Dhabi, famous cartoon and comic characters such as Bugs Bunny and Batman will interact with the audience. The journey continues to a mangrove forest, followed by miles of beautiful white sand beaches and a live cooking demonstration, before closing on Abu Dhabi’s rich skyline.

This summer, Etihad Airways will introduce the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its scheduled services from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg, effective August 1, Lagos, effective August 2, and Milan, effective  September 1, replacing the Airbus A330s currently operating the routes. All three destinations will feature Etihad Airways’ next-generation Business and Economy cabins, configured with 299 seats — 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats. Etihad Airways extensive global network to and from Abu Dhabi will see more 787 Dreamliners introduced on key destinations as the airline takes delivery of more of the type. Boeing 787 schedule to Johannesburg, effective August 1, 2019 will leave Abu Dhabi at 10:05 and reach Johannesburg by 16:30 daily and return from Johannesburg at 20:05 to Abu Dhabi at 06:00 daily (Next day arrival). For Lagos, effective August 2, 2019 from Abu Dhabi at 02:35 to Lagos and 07:10 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Return from Lagos at 08:30 to Abu Dhabi at 19:10 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. To Milan, effective September 1, 2019 from Abu Dhabi at 02:20 to Milan at 06:50 daily and return from Milan at 10:40 to  Abu Dhabi at 18:55 daily.

Etihad will be the first airline to trial Panasonic’s new wellness solution, the Jet Lag Adviser, which was developed in collaboration with Detalytics. The solution will be integrated into the airline’s passenger app. One of the biggest challenges air passengers face when travelling across multiple time zones is jet lag. To help passengers combat this, the Jet Lag Adviser takes a range of passenger inputs including chronotype, circadian rhythms, height, weight, the nature of travel, and travel information such as flight times, routes and zones and uses its artificial intelligence engine to produce personalised jet lag plans for passengers with tailored advisories to help them reduce jet lag. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “With the Jet Lag Advisor, we can now leverage artificial intelligence to improve the travel experience.” Passengers will receive a combination of generic route-based and personalised ‘jet lag impact scores’ which gives them a summary of how severe jet lag may be on that route in general and their own travel specifically, while the personalised jet lag plan incorporates the pre-flight, flight and post-flight phases, and provides a schedule of different recommendations and tips for specific times in each phase on what to do to reduce jet lag, such as sleeping, exposure to light, exercise, hydration, and the type of food to consume. Throughout each phase of the travel experience, the Jet Lag Adviser will send reminders with recommended actions to passengers via the app. Hideo Nakano, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics, said, “We are delighted to be working with Etihad Airways to introduce technology that can help their passengers reduce jet lag, and so enhance their travel experience.”  

Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, and the Saudi-headquartered Arab National Bank (ANB) have partnered to launch an ANB Etihad Guest Signature Visa card in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ANB Etihad Guest Signature Visa card holders will receive an annual fee waiver for the first year and additional benefits including a welcome bonus of 17,000 Etihad Guest Miles. Members will earn two Etihad Guest Miles for every SAR 15 spent on domestic purchases and four Guest Miles for every SAR 20 spent on international purchases. Successful applicants will receive fast track entry to Etihad Guest Silver Membership and receive free Wi-Fi vouchers to take advantage of the Wi-Fi service available on-board Etihad Airways flights. With a strong commitment to creating a personalised travel experience for Arab-speaking Etihad Guest members, Etihad Guest launched an Arabic website. This new platform will deliver an improved experience for ANB customers, further cementing the partnership and the airline’s commitment to guests in the Saudi market. Yasser Al Yousuf, Vice President Commercial Partnerships, Etihad Airways, said, “At Etihad Guest, we make every effort to cooperate with prestigious companies to offer a pioneering travel experience.‎ Our clients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are now able to get rewards, privileges and exclusive offers using the ANB Etihad Guest Signature card.” Asad Alsada, Head of Consumer Banking services at ANB, said, “The new card is the result of joint efforts and close cooperation with our partners with the aim of offering an innovative credit card that has various advantages.” Ali Bayloun, Visa’s General Manager in Saudi Arabia, said, “The card has a design that aims to enrich the travel experiences of clients through special rewards …

Etihad Airways and Gulf Air have signed a codeshare partnership for travel commencing with the summer schedule. The announcement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two carriers at the Bahrain International Airshow in November last year and will further strengthen the strong ties between the two countries and carriers. The agreement will see Etihad place its ‘EY’ code on Gulf Air flights from Bahrain to and from Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Casablanca, Dhaka, Faisalabad, Larnaca, Malaga, Multan, Najaf, Peshawar, Sailkot and Tbilisi. Gulf Air will place its ‘GF’ code on Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to and from Bahrain, Brisbane, Chicago O’Hare, Jakarta, Lagos, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York JFK, Sydney and Washington. The announcement was made at a signing ceremony held at Etihad Airways Headquarters in Abu Dhabi, attended by Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group, and Krešimir Kučko, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air. Douglas said, “We are thrilled to be signing this codeshare agreement today with our long-time partner, Gulf Air. The signing today is a great example of how two flag carriers can enhance the experience of our guests by providing a greater choice of destinations and world-leading inflight service and Arabian hospitality.” Kučko added, “This is a remarkable event for both Gulf Air and Etihad Airways and we take pride in elevating this relationship further with the signing of this codeshare agreement.”

Etihad Airways and Elenium, a leading provider of automation technology solutions, will together demonstrate how a newly developed voice activated self-service kiosk, bag drop and boarding gate facility will revolutionise the travel experience by taking facial recognition technology to new heights. The demonstration will take place at Passenger Terminal Expo (PTE) in London between March 26 – 28. Using cloud technology, artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision and natural human interfacing, Etihad Airways and Elenium will demonstrate how they will change the way consumers travel by showcasing the airport experience of the future. Jorg Oppermann, VP Hub and Midfield Operations, Etihad Airways, said, “With biometric installations increasing across airports globally, Etihad is recognising the growing demand to streamline not just the passenger verification process but to also decrease passenger queues and to increase operational efficiency.” A key area of cooperation involves the use of technologies from Elenium, Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing subsidiary of Amazon Inc, and Etihad Airways. Together at PTE, the three entities will demonstrate a test concept for a seamless travel experience across the entire customer journey from booking to arrival at the final destination. Mike Papamichael, VP Technology and Innovation, Etihad Airways said, “The technological vision and strategy is to make the guest journey a frictionless and digitally enabled experience across all channels and touch points at the airport. Etihad’s relationship with Elenium builds on this vision and along with our micro services strategy, allows us to co-create and develop innovative self-service and biometric solutions for greater flexibility and a seamless guest experience.”

Etihad Airways and Elenium, an automation technology solutions provider, will together demonstrate how a newly developed voice activated self-service kiosk, bag drop and boarding gate facility will revolutionise the travel experience by taking facial recognition technology to new heights. The demonstration will take place at Passenger Terminal EXPO (PTE) in London between March 26-28. Using cloud technology, artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision and natural human interfacing, Etihad Airways and Elenium will demonstrate how they will change the way consumers travel by showcasing the airport experience of the future. Jorg Oppermann, VP HUB and Midfield Operations, Etihad Airways said, “With biometric installations increasing across airports globally, Etihad is recognising the growing demand to streamline not just the passenger verification process but also decrease passenger queues and increase operational efficiency. “As a leading global airline, Etihad’s unique collaboration with Elenium will allow us to use their advanced technologies and expertise to cultivate new ideas for the aviation industry and foster the vision of future travel.” A key area of cooperation involves the use of technologies from Elenium, Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing subsidiary of Amazon and Etihad Airways. Together at PTE, the three entities will demonstrate a test concept for a seamless travel experience across the entire customer journey from booking to arrival at the final destination. Passengers check-in to their flight and register their biometric data on their mobile device before arriving at the airport, reducing queues at the airport. Using AI, new baggage-drop terminals scan and memorise each suitcase placed on the belt and assign it to the guest reservation, removing the need for tagged luggage. Using biometrics, passengers are identified and offered a personalised duty-free shopping experience …

Avis Budget Group has announced a global partnership with Etihad Aviation Group to become the exclusive car rental provider for Etihad Airways, Etihad Holidays and Etihad Guest. The partnership will see the Avis, Budget and Maggiore brands offered across the various Etihad booking channels worldwide. Etihad Guest members will benefit from the Avis Preferred programme and an improved earning proposition. Julia Kemp, Director of International Sales & Partnerships, Avis Budget Group said, “We are delighted that we have extended our partnership with Etihad to be the exclusive global mobility provider. Whilst offering deals on Avis Budget Group car rentals, we will be looking at tri-party campaigns with hotels, tourist boards and credit cards.” Yasser Al Yousuf , Vice President of Commercial Partnerships, Etihad Airways said, “This partnership gives our guests a seamless travel experience door-to-door. We chose Avis Budget Group as an exclusive partner for their wide-ranging fleet of cars and their global reach which suits the needs of our guests and plays a big part of our ‘Choose Well’ campaign empowering customers to make their own choices.” To celebrate the new partnership, Etihad Guest and Avis Budget are offering Etihad Guest members the chance to win flights for two, with Etihad Airways anywhere across the Etihad network – plus 7 days car rental. To be eligible, members need to book a car rental before April 30, 2019.