Emirates launches sale

Source: Emirates. Plane in Emirates livery.

Emirates has launched special fares to over 70 destinations for those who can book their flights by 20 August 2018, for travel between 1 September 2018 and 31 March 2019.

Economy Class passengers can enjoy fares to Beirut, Lebanon starting at AED945, Mumbai, India starting at AED995, and Bangkok, Thailand from AED2,345. Business Class fares to the three destinations are AED5,245, AED2,795, and AED9,795 respectively.

Travellers can also book with Emirates Holidays and enjoy a five-star holiday experience for an additional spend starting at AED300 per person for Economy Class passengers and AED500 per person for Business Class passengers, exclusive of the airfare.

Passengers on Emirates flights can enjoy the airline’s in-flight entertainment system with up to 3,500 channels and up to 20MB complimentary on-board WiFi, as well as regionally inspired meals prepared by award-winning chefs.

Details:

Book via www.emirates.ae, travel agents or through the local Emirates sales office. Terms & conditions apply.

Emirates refreshes premium offerings in First and Business Class

Emirates has announced new luxury products in First and Business Class stemming from collaborations with BYREDO skincare, Bowers & Wilkins and Emirates’ longstanding partner Bulgari. 

Source: Emirates. The BYREDO for Emirates Wellness kit.

BYREDO for Emirates Wellness kit

The BYREDO travel wellness range of skincare is placed in Emirates First Class private suites. The allergen-free and Chamomile collections were exclusively created for Emirates. The collection by BYREDO was first introduced in Emirates’ new fully enclosed suites on the Boeing 777 last year and is now being rolled out across the fleet. 

The BYREDO for Emirates Wellness kit contains:

 
Cleansing face towelette
Facial toner 

Eye cream 
Chamomile roll-on sleep oil - this is applied on pulse points to ease into relaxation.
Chamomile pillow mist spray 

The kits are paired with a faux leather notebook and branded pen.

Bowers & Wilkins Active Noise Cancelling E1 headphones

The airline is also rolling out new Bowers & Wilkins Active Noise Cancelling E1 headphones in First Class. These headphones are created exclusively for Emirates using hybrid noise cancellation technology optimised for Emirates First Class cabins.

The headphones are lightweight and made of materials such as aluminium and sheepskin leather. Customers can use the headphones to view up to 3,500 channels of on-demand entertainment on a 32" TV screen. The entertainment selection on Emirates' ice platform across all classes includes up to 950 movies, 400 TV channels and 2,400 music and podcast channels. The headphones’ sound quality can also be tested on The Bowers & Wilkins Superior Sound playlist, a selection of tracks from ice selected for their acoustic excellence.

Bulgari amenity kits

The new kits for both First and Business Class feature Bulgari’s fragrance – Eau Parfumée Au Thé Vert (green tea) - and contain skincare essentials. 

The First Class kit bags, made from faux leather, come in eight designs with a new range of colours for men and women. Eight additional designs are available in Business Class – four for men and four for women. The amenity kits are available on long-haul overnight flights and designs are refreshed every nine months. The bags have been designed to be reused, and can easily store headphones, makeup or jewellery.

In addition to the Bulgari amenity kits, First Class customers will also be given Hydra Active moisturising sleep suits on long haul overnight flights.

Emirates’ premium onboard experience is complemented by on the ground with 42 dedicated Emirates Lounges located within major airports around the globe. First and Business Class passengers can also travel to and from the airport via Emirates’ complimentary chauffeur-driven service, available in over 70 cities.

Explore:

Fans of the First Class experience can purchase the Emirates sleep suits, First Class blanket or the Bowers & Wilkins PX headphones from the Emirates Official Stores.

Emirates and flydubai to have the same frequent flyer programme

Source: Emirates. Emirates Skywards replaces flydubai's OPEN frequent flyer programme.

Emirates Skywards has replaced flydubai’s frequent flyer programme, OPEN, officially becoming the loyalty programme of both Emirates and flydubai airlines. The alignment of the loyalty programme for both airlines builds on Emirates and flydubai’s close partnership which includes code-sharing on an extended global route network and several initiatives including commercial, network planning, and airport operations.

Emirates Skywards members can now earn Skywards miles and tier miles when travelling on both airlines. Members can also spend Skywards miles or a combination of cash and miles to book flydubai flights*, as well as to pay for optional extras such as pre-ordered meals and extra legroom seats. Former OPEN members can enrol on Emirates Skywards to continue earning miles on flydubai.

When travelling on flydubai, Emirates Skywards Silver, Gold and Platinum members will be able to get select benefits regardless of their class of travel, including extra baggage allowances and priority check-in at flydubai’s Business Class counters. New Emirates Skywards members will also receive a first flight bonus when they take their first Emirates or flydubai flight within six months of joining.

“We are pleased to announce the expansion of our loyalty programme to now include two airlines - Emirates airline and flydubai. The strategic move will bring even more benefits to our members giving them opportunities to earn and spend miles on an extended global route network, as well as select privileges on both airlines,” said Dr Nejib Ben Khedher, Senior VP, Emirates Skywards.

“We’re bringing together the customers of both airlines under one programme, rewarding their loyalty as they take advantage of the Emirates and flydubai partnership,” said Nahed Al Kheily, VP, Ancillary Revenue.

Explore:

Emirates Skywards members can use the flydubai Miles Calculator tool to check how many miles they will earn for each fare type of their chosen flight.

The Emirates Skywards programme has been enhanced recently with UAE partnerships including with Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) to launch the Emirates Skywards DIB credit cards and with Emaar Malls to earn Skywards miles on purchases made at The Dubai Mall.

*All flights operated and marketed by flydubai (with FZ flight number)

Emirates offers attractive packages for Dubai stopovers

Source: Emirates. Dubai skyline, with the Burj Khalifa on the right.

Attractive packages to Dubai are available by flying with Emirates. Upon booking, passengers can take advantage of exclusive rates at leading hotels, as well as entertainment at the city’s shows and attractions*.

Customers can experience Dubai starting at US$49 a night, applicable to two guests per room, at Rove Dubai Marina in the city’s waterfront district. The package also includes two complimentary tickets to visit Dubai Parks and Resorts – the largest integrated theme park destination in the region, featuring MOTIONGATE Dubai, BOLLYWOOD PARKS Dubai, LEGOLAND Dubai and LEGOLAND Water Park.

Hotels under the promotion in central Dubai include Rove Downtown, Manzil Downtown and Address Downtown. Rove Downtown has a US$99 a night package for two guests with each receiving a complimentary Virtual Reality Park ticket to Dubai’s brand new virtual reality theme park located at Dubai Mall.

The Manzil Downtown US$149 a night package for two guests per room, includes two complimentary tickets to La Perle – the city’s theatrical showcase, which delivers an interactive experience around Dubai’s past, present and future.

Packages for the Address Downtown are priced at US$199 a night for two guests, inclusive of complimentary tickets to visit At The Top, Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building.

Details:

Booking an Emirates flight online, through a travel agent or local Emirates Sales Office, and choose the preferred offer. Packages must be booked online at least 24 hours prior to arrival and passengers are requested to present their Emirates ticket at the hotel check-in.

The offer is valid for any Emirates booking made till 29 September 2018 and for hotel stays between now and 30 September, 2018.

*Local terms and conditions apply

Explore Emirates planes in 3D

Source: Emirates. Emirates pioneers VR experience on its

website.

Emirates has introduced 3D seat models on emirates.com, becoming the first airline to introduce web virtual reality (VR) technology on its digital platform.

The 3D seat model is a visualisation engine that displays a 3D 360-degree view of the interior of the Emirates A380 and the Emirates Boeing 777, giving customers a chance to explore their seats, the  cabin and the Emirates onboard product across the Economy, Business and First Class cabins, as well as the onboard lounge and shower spa on the Emirates A380.

Alex Knigge, Emirates’ Senior VP, Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand (Digital), said: “As we continually invest to provide our customers with an unmatched travel experience onboard and on the ground, we also work very hard to give our customers a world-class digital experience. We are pleased to be the world’s first airline to introduce this cutting-edge web VR technology, which offers our customers an immersive opportunity to learn more about the fantastic Emirates experience before they step on board. In our usability tests with customers, we found that they particularly appreciated the 3D seat and cabin models when selecting their seats.”

The 3D-generated graphics offer a look and feel that is close to reality, Emirates said. The immersive experience is now available for the three-class Emirates A380 but will soon include renderings of Emirates’ entire fleet including all configurations of the A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft.

The 3D 360 degree views of the cabins also feature a virtual reality element for a more immersive experience. Users can enjoy hands-free cabin navigation and seat selection by using any VR headset like Google Cardboard. The 3D seat models were created in partnership with Renacen.

Customers accessing emirates.com via their mobile devices or the Emirates app for iOS and Android will also be able to explore their seats before checking in online with the 3D seat map. The tool allows customers to navigate from one seat to another, and even allows would-be customers to book their preferred seats from within the 3D environment.

Emirates will continue to conduct frequent usability studies with customers and frequent flyers in different geographies to identify further opportunities to enhance its digital user experience.

Explore:

Try out the 3D experience

Browse new product videos that show the end-to-end travel experience across all cabins.

Emirates introduces Home Check-in service

Source: Emirates. The Home Check-in service uses a new fleet of vans and underwent extensive tests since October last year.

Emirates has introduced Home Check-in, which allows customers to check in for their flights from anywhere in Dubai, UAE. The service is available for customers across all classes travelling on Emirates flights, and is part of the Emirates’ ongoing commitment to provide world class products and services for a more convenient travel experience.

The new service enables Emirates passengers to complete the security check and check-in from the comfort of their home, hotel or office and have their luggage transported to the airport prior to their flight. An Emirates check-in agent will arrive at the preferred location to weigh and tag the bags as well as check-in the customers and issue boarding passes. Customers can then make their own way to the airport and head directly to immigration, bypassing the check-in desks at the airport.

Emirates Home Check-in is operated with a new fleet of vans. The service is available for AED350 per trip for up to seven pieces of luggage. Each additional piece of luggage will cost AED35. Customers can book the service on emirates.com up to 12 hours before flight departure time. The service seals each bag and stores them in a separate hold in the van. 

The new Home Check-in offering complements other luggage handling services already available for Emirates flights in Dubai. For a seamless travel experience, customers can pay for a concierge service to handle their luggage at the airport, enjoy preferred rates for prepaid excess baggage, and bag wraps to protect their luggage.

For passengers arriving in Dubai, there is a luggage storage facility for those who wish to leave their bags and explore the city. Emirates also offers a Home Delivery service where luggage is retrieved, cleared at customs and delivered to customers.

Emirates unveils new interiors for its Boeing 777 fleet

· Fully-enclosed private suites in First Class inspired by Mercedes-Benz

· Completely refreshed look across all cabins

Source: Emirates. A fully-enclosed First Class private suite with the seat in the zero gravity position.

Emirates has unveiled refreshed interiors for its Boeing 777 aircraft in a multimillion dollar upgrade that includes newly-designed seats and upgraded inflight entertainment systems in all cabins.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said at the time: “The inflight experience is the heart of our brand and service proposition. The new 777 interiors that we are unveiling today is part of Emirates’ ongoing investment to continually raise the bar and exceed our customers’ expectations. Aside from our new fully-enclosed private suites, Business Class features our latest fully-flat leather seats with personal minibars, Economy Class seats have adjustable full leather headrests, and the inflight entertainment system has been upgraded for all cabin classes.

"Throughout the aircraft, our customers will see modern and airy cabins, with painstaking attention to detail evident in design touches such as the textured wall and ceiling panels, lighting features, and more.”

The new Emirates 777 First Class cabin interior uses a new colour palette of soft greys, cream and champagne, conveying a contemporary, open and airy feel, with timeless luxury. Created in collaboration with Boeing, Rockwell Collins interior systems, Panasonic, Jacques Pierre Jean Design studio and US-based design firm Teague, the new First Class private suites have floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and offer up to 40 sq ft of personal space each. 

The Emirates collaboration with Mercedes-Benz S-Class has inspired several design details for the fully-enclosed private suites, which are laid out in a 1-1-1 configuration. These include soft leather seating, high-tech control panels, and mood lighting. There is ample storage within the suite including an overhead compartment, and a full-length cupboard for hanging clothes. 

Emirates has retained and updated the most popular features of its private suites such as: the personal mini bar for drinks and snacks within each suite, and wireless controls to adjust seating positions, as well as to navigate Emirates inflight entertainment system ice. Customers can view over 2,500 channels of on-demand entertainment on a 32-inch Full HD LCD TV screen, or project content from their own devices. The viewing experience is now enhanced with brand new Bowers & Wilkins Active Noise Cancelling E1 headphones created exclusively for Emirates. These headphones were designed by audio brand Bowers & Wilkins to ensure the sound is optimised for the First Class cabin environment. 

The soft leather seat reclines into a fully flat bed and can be placed in a “zero-gravity” position inspired by NASA technology, giving a feeling of relaxation and weightlessness. The suites also have ample space for passengers to change in the privacy of their suites even after the bed has been made.

To ensure all First Class customers have a view, Emirates is introducing the industry’s first virtual windows for suites located in the middle aisle. These virtual windows project the view from outside the aircraft using real time camera technology. In the other suites, binoculars are available for customers who want to explore the sky outside their windows.

Passengers can easily communicate with the cabin crew, or request for room service using the video call function. The suites also come with a service window where customers can be served drinks and canapes undisturbed. As with any Emirates flight, First Class customers can enjoy dine on-demand service, with cuisine prepared by gourmet chefs.

Each suite is also fitted with an inspiration kit which features a luxury Byredo skincare collection found only on Emirates, Hydra Active moisturising pyjamas, and Bulgari amenities. 

Emirates and Mercedes-Benz have extended their partnership to provide a fleet of the S-Class cars as part of its complimentary Chauffeur-drive service. Emirates First Class passengers arriving or departing in the UAE will enjoy a seamless journey from aircraft to home, and vice versa, in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class car.

Clark said: “Emirates pioneered the First Class private suite concept back in 2003, and today it’s the industry benchmark when it comes to first class travel. Over the years we have continually improved on our private suites, adding thoughtful refinements and features.

"We are very excited about our new fully-enclosed suite which is a real game-changer in terms of privacy, comfort, and thoughtful luxury. This is the first time an Emirates product has been so influenced by another luxury brand, but it is a natural fit as both Emirates and Mercedes-Benz have the same unwavering commitment to fine detail, uncompromising quality, and a drive to push the boundaries.” 

The entire Emirates 777 aircraft sports a refreshed interior with a light and modern colour scheme, classy textured panels, as well as new lighting and design accents. 

An artistic motif representing the ghaf (prosopis cineraria) tree, is used as a design highlight throughout the aircraft. An indigenous evergreen plant, the ghaf is a considered the national tree of the United Arab Emirates, and has deep cultural and ecological significance. 

The design and shape of Emirates’ Business Class seat onboard the new 777 was also inspired by the interior of a modern sports car, with a diamond stitch pattern on the full leather cover, ergonomically designed headrest, and a sleek overall look and feel.

The seat has a pitch of 72" and moves into a fully-flat sleeping position. It also has touchscreen controls for the seat and inflight entertainment system, several personal lighting options, privacy panels between seats, a shoe stowage area, footrest, and a personal minibar.

The Economy Class cabin features a colour palette of soft greys and blues. The ergonomically designed seats come with full leather headrests that have flexible side panels and can also be adjusted vertically for optimum support.

All cabin classes will be equipped with a new generation of Emirates’ ice inflight entertainment system offering improved image quality. Each in-seat screen will feature ultrawide viewing angles, a capacitive touch screen, LED backlight and full HD display.

Details:

The latest Emirates 777 aircraft with the new features will enter commercial service on 1 December, 2017 in Europe.

Emirates boarding pass to open doors in Dubai

Emirates’ customers can explore more of Dubai this summer (roughly Q2 to Q3) enjoying exclusive offers and discounts across the city with My Emirates Pass, which turns the Emirates boarding pass into an exclusive membership card.

Those flying to or through Dubai till 31 August 2017 can take advantage of a range of offers at some of Dubai's best-known hot spots by simply showing their Emirates boarding pass* and a valid form of identification.

My Emirates Pass gives customers special discounts at over 120 world class restaurants and hotel dining outlets in Dubai. Exclusive offers are also available on a range of leisure activities including visits to championship golf courses, theme parks or luxury spas across the city.

My Emirates Pass can be used to enjoy some Dubai attractions such as Dubai Parks and Resorts which features three theme parks: Bollywood Parks Dubai, MOTIONGATE™Dubai, as well as the region’s first LEGOLAND Park and LEGOLAND Water Park.

*Local terms and conditions apply

posted from Bloggeroid

Emirates to launch third daily Brisbane service

Source: Emirates. Plane in Emirates livery.

Emirates will introduce a daily service to Brisbane, Australia from 1 December 2017, complementing Emirates’ two existing  daily services.

The direct service, to be operated on a B777-200LR aircraft with eight seats in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 216 in Economy Class, will increase capacity on the route by 3,724 seats a week, inbound and outbound, between Brisbane and Emirates’ hub Dubai.

The inbound service EK430 will depart Dubai at 10pm, arriving in Brisbane at 6.15pm the following day. The outbound flight EK431 will depart Brisbane at 10:25pm, arriving in Dubai at 7am the following day.

The service will operate alongside flights EK434 and EK435, which operate nonstop between Dubai and Brisbane and onwards to Auckland, New Zealand, while flights EK432 and EK433 operate between Dubai and Brisbane via Singapore. Additionally, with codeshare partner Qantas, Emirates offers services to Singapore twice daily from Brisbane.

The news comes as Emirates announced it would be upgrading its third daily service to Melbourne from a B777-300ER to an A380 operation from 25 March 2018, allowing passengers to travel aboard Emirates’ A380 on all three daily flights between Melbourne and Dubai.

Australia is a popular destination for international travellers with its diverse cities and coastal lifestyle. Brisbane is renowned for its thriving culture and is the major international gateway to the Gold Coast, a tourist hot spot and host of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

From a cargo perspective, the 777-200LR offers 14 tonnes of cargo capacity in the bellyhold. Popular goods expected to be transported on these services include fresh meat and vegetables, as well as pharmaceuticals.

Passengers can enjoy more than 2,500 channels of Emirates' inflight entertainment system ice. Onboard connectivity is available with an inflight Wi-Fi system.

Emirates offers baggage allowances of up to 35kg in Economy Class, 40kg in Business Class and 50kg in First Class. Emirates currently operates 77 flights a week to Australia from Dubai, with flights to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney. The addition of this service will bring this number, including Qantas operated flights, to 98 flights per week to Australia from Dubai.

posted from Bloggeroid

Emirates offers LinkedIn Learning courses inflight

Source: Emirates. Emirates will offer LinkedIn courses inflight.

Emirates has partnered with LinkedIn to provide select LinkedIn Learning courses on ice, its inflight entertainment (IFE) system. Emirates is the first international airline to make these courses available on board.

The new offering on ice is available from November and is part of Emirates’ continued commitment to providing new and diverse IFE content. The free expert-led LinkedIn Learning courses range from 20 minutes to over two hours long and cover topics such as leadership, general management, marketing, and creative lifestyle.

The courses feature high-quality, easily digestible information to cater to varying interests and profiles of customers on board. Among the featured content are courses such as Managing Stress and Learning from Failure by Todd Dewett, a TEDx speaker, writer and coach in the leadership and life skills space. Other courses available include lectures on productivity at the workplace by David Allen, the creator of GTD, the Getting Things Done methodology and Gretchen Rubin, author of Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, and Happier at Home. The LinkedIn Learning courses will be regularly updated to include new topics.

The courses complement the current IFE offering of up to 2,600 on-demand entertainment channels including the latest blockbuster movies, award-winning television series, dedicated children’s entertainment, a music library and seatback games.

Currently, 85% of Emirates’ fleet are also equipped with free Wi-Fi on board, including all A380 aircraft. In addition, 108 aircraft are equipped with live TV, which has up to nine channels of live news and sport.


Interested?

Courses available on ice include:

• Learning from Failure by Todd Dewett
• Creating Your Personal Brand by Lida Citroën
• Powerless to Powerful: Taking Control by Fred Kofman
• J.T. O'Donnell on Making Recruiters Come to You by J.T. O'Donnell
• Creating Great Workplace Habits by Gretchen Rubin
• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• Managing Stress by Todd Dewett
• Learning to Be Assertive by Chris Croft

Emirates Skywards offers members Careem services

Source: Careem website. Emirates Skywards partners with Careem to benefit members.

Emirates Skywards, Emirates' frequent flyer programme, has signed on Careem as its latest partner. Emirates Skywards is the only frequent flyer programme to offer both accrual and redemption opportunities with the region’s leading car booking app.

Careem is one of the fastest growing companies in the region and is currently available in nine countries. Members can accrue or redeem Skywards Miles when using Careem services in the UAE, Qatar, KSA, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Kuwait and Morocco.

Members can pre-book or request a car instantly via the Careem mobile app. To earn Skywards Miles, members must add their Emirates Skywards membership number to their Careem account, using the same name as their Emirates Skywards account. One mile will be earned for every US$2 spent on Careem.

Interested?

Sign up for Careem services (link for Dubai)

Emirates Skywards members can use miles to pay at Dubai Duty Free

Source: Emirates. Dubai Duty Free focal display.

Emirates Skywards, the frequent flyer programme of Emirates, has partnered with Dubai Duty Free, the airport retailer, for instant Miles redemption at participating stores. Emirates Skywards members can spend their Miles at Dubai Duty Free stores at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International at Dubai South.

Emirates customers travelling from its hub at Dubai International Airport or passing through on transit or direct connections to over 150 destinations in its global network can enjoy 34,000 sq m of shopping at Dubai Duty Free. Emirates Skywards members will enjoy a new payment method using Miles to redeem for over 35,000 products from international and luxury brands including fashion accessories, perfumes, electronics and more. Customers simply need to present their Emirates Skywards membership card or provide their membership number, along with their passport and boarding pass at the check-out counters.

Redemptions start from 4,500 Miles which is equivalent to AED100. Each additional dirham is equivalent to 45 Skywards Miles, and there is no limit to the number of Miles one can spend. Members can pay for products using a combination of Skywards Miles and cash or credit card.

Emirates Skywards is in its 16th year and has over 16 million members. In addition to special offers with partner airlines, hotels and retail brands, members also enjoy special access to global sporting, arts and cultural events.

Emirates has a new Japanese menu for first, business class customers

Source: Emirates. A sample dish from the new Japanese menu.

Emirates has unveiled a new Japanese menu for first and business class customers on flights between Dubai and Haneda, Narita, and Kansai airports in Japan. Emirates’ catering team in Dubai created the new dishes in collaboration with a local caterer in Japan, utilising the freshest ingredients possible.

Complementing its gourmet international menu, first class customers on Emirates flights to and from Japan can now experience traditional kaiseki (懐石, a multi-course meal) cuisine while business class customers have the option of a bento box, a full course meal placed in a partitioned box. Emirates is the first Middle Eastern Airline to serve kaiseki-inspired meals on board.

Emirates collaborated with Gate Gourmet Japan to develop and produce the new menu items. Gate Gourmet Japan, which is located in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture, offers a farm-to-table experience. It has established a system to source freshly-picked vegetables from local farms, such as the Hokuso Vegetable Farm, that are all within a 1 km radius from their facility for absolute freshness.

The first class kaiseki cuisine features five courses, including cold appetisers, a hot dish, flavoured rice, pickled vegetables, miso soup, and is finished with a serving of wagashi (和菓子), traditional Japanese sweets typically enjoyed with a cup of green tea. Wagashi sweets are prepared using a variety of ingredients and methods and come in different shapes, sizes and textures.

Emirates explains that kaiseki is traditional Japanese multi-course haute cuisine. Its origins date back centuries ago in the simple meals served at tea ceremonies. Today, kaiseki is enjoyed on special and celebratory occasions and served in specialised restaurants and at ryokans (旅館, Japanese-style inns).

The ingredients are natural, of high quality and change seasonally. Each course is served soon after it is prepared so as to maintain the freshness of the ingredients. The food design and serving style is a reflection of shapes found in nature including forests, mountains, islands, flowers or leaves. The balance between the colour, texture, flavour, consistency, and shape of the food and the aesthetics of the tableware is also carefully considered.

Business class offers a specially-arranged bento box in a high-end Japanese catering style, perfect for eating on board. Bento is the art of arranging one’s lunch in Japan, and has a history of over a thousand years. Although commonly known to be a take-out meal today, bento boxes for celebrations are elaborately prepared. Attention to detail and care is given to taste and presentation. The aesthetics of the box and the texture of the food in each section of the box, demonstrate the kodawari (こだわり) or dedication of the maker and the skill in preparation and artistic presentation.

To create a truly authentic Japanese dining experience on board, Emirates also collaborated with Japanese tableware maker Noritake to develop exclusive tableware designs for the new menus based on the concept of miyabi (雅), meaning elegance or refinement.

Noritake experts worked closely with the Emirates product and catering teams on the tableware designs, paying attention to the finest details to ensure that the tableware complements the food and enhances its presentation. With tableware that reflects Japanese traditional design, Emirates seeks to further enrich the customer on board experience. Japanese customers will feel at home when they are served the food trays, while non-Japanese customers are able to enjoy an authentic Japanese meal experience.

Emirates flights to and from Japan cater to the needs of Japanese travellers with Japanese-speaking cabin crew on board. The Emirates entertainment system, ice, offers up to 2,500 channels of audio and visual entertainment, including Japanese movies such as If Cats Disappeared From The World, as well as Hollywood blockbusters dubbed in Japanese such as Zootropolis. There are also hundreds of channels of music, audio books and games.

Emirates passengers can enjoy a generous baggage allowance, with 50kg for first class, 40kg for business class and up to 35kg for economy class passengers.

Interested?

Find out what is being served on your Emirates flight

Emirates begins new service from Dubai to Yinchuan and Zhengzhou

Emirates has underscored its commitment to China with the launch of a new service from Dubai to Yinchuan and Zhengzhou, two of the fastest growing cities in Midwest China. This service expands Emirates’ destination offering on the mainland to five, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

Source; Emirates. Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum was on board the inaugural flight with a number of senior executives of the airline. They were joined by a VIP delegation that included prominent business leaders in the UAE. The flight was operated by a crew of 14, which included Chinese cabin crew. The aircraft was greeted in Yinchuan and Zhengzhou with a traditional water cannon salute upon arrival. Water cannon are often used to welcome inaugural flights.

Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: “This new route will provide citizens in and near both cities with convenient and fast connections to destinations in the Middle East, Africa and Europe via Dubai. We are confident the new air transport links will also help boost trade and tourism flows to the growing central and western parts of China where these cities are located. We would like to thank the government and airport authorities for their warm welcome and support in the launch of our flights, and we look forward to serving our customers on the route.”

As China looks to connect with the Western world through the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, Dubai is well-positioned to support China in achieving the mutual benefits that will come from this initiative, including deeper levels of cooperation and exchange. Located at the crossroads of east and west, Dubai is the largest import-export hub in the Middle East, connecting the world through its strong governance, extensive trade networks and global connectivity links.

Emirates has been a large part of this development, being the first airline to establish non-stop connectivity between the Middle East and mainland China, first with freighter operations to Shanghai in 2002, followed by passenger services in 2004. Currently serving 54 cities in 30 out of the 65 countries identified as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Emirates is uniquely positioned to support China in advancing its trade and investment links with these countries.

Using a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft and offering more choice, flexibility, convenience and greater connectivity to and from China, Emirates will provide the highest level of service. The airline’s Private Suites for First Class travellers on the Yinchuan and Zhengzhou route will be the first of its kind in these two markets.

Emirates’ flights to and from China also cater to the needs of the Chinese market with Mandarin-speaking cabin crew on board, and inflight gourmet cuisine options including popular Chinese dishes. As with all Emirates flights, passengers in all cabin classes can enjoy the ice Digital Widescreen with more than 2,500 channels of on-demand entertainment to choose from including movies, TV shows, music and games, as well as Mandarin language movies and music. Wi-Fi is also available with 10MB of free data or 500MB for US$1. Passengers will also enjoy the Emirates baggage allowance of 30kg in Economy Class, 40 kg in Business Class and 50kg in First Class.

From a cargo perspective, the 777-200LR offers 14 tonnes of cargo capacity in the bellyhold. Popular commodities expected to be transported on these services include electronics, such as mobile phones from Zhengzhou, and agricultural products such as goji berries and cashmere from Yinchuan.

Interested?

Emirates flights to Yinchuan and Zhengzhou will depart on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from Dubai as EK326 at 2:50am, arriving at Yinchuan Hedong International Airport at 1:35pm. The service will then depart from Yinchuan at 3:35pm and arrive at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport at 5:15pm. The return flight, EK327, will depart Zhengzhou at 9:15pm, arriving at Yinchuan at 11pm. It will then depart Yinchuan at 12:40am, arriving in Dubai at 4:30am local time the next day.

Interested?

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about Emirates' western China ambitions

Emirates flies the A380 into Taipei

Emirates has expanded the network of destinations served by its flagship A380 aircraft with the launch of new scheduled A380 services to Taipei, becoming the first and only airline to operate an A380 into the city.

Source: Emirates. The first Emirates A380 flight into Taipei was greeted with a water cannon salute on arrival. The A380 service from Dubai to Taipei landed at 16:50 local time on 1 May.

Emirates has seen growing demand for its services on the route and together with the increasing popularity of the Emirates A380 experience among customers, made the logical decision to deploy one of 77 A380 aircraft to Taipei. The Taipei route was introduced as a daily Boeing 777 service on 10 February 2014 and Emirates has since transported nearly 450,000 passengers between Taipei and Emirates’ Dubai home.

“Taiwan is a significant market for Emirates and we have witnessed a strong and steady growth in demand since our start of services in 2014. We are committed to cultivating the market through continuous investment and we are confident that the launch of our new A380 service will open up further opportunities in business and tourism between Taiwan and other countries,” said Thierry Antinori, Emirates Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.

Interested?

For Taiwanese travellers, flights EK366 and EK367 will be served by the new two-class configuration offering a total of 615 seats: 58 in Business Class and 557 in Economy Class.

Emirates plans additional daily service between Dubai and Colombo, Sri Lanka

Source: Emirates.

Emirates has introduced an additional daily service between Dubai and Colombo, Sri Lanka. Effective 1 August 2016, the airline will operate five daily flights between Dubai and Colombo every day except Wednesdays, when it will operate four flights. The new flight will add another 2,520 seats and up to 161 tonnes in cargo capacity per week in each direction, and brings the weekly services on the route to 34.

“The increased frequency provides our customers with greater flexibility in their travel plans, allowing them to explore this exciting destination and connect seamlessly to other flights on Emirates’ extensive global network,” said Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations- West Asia and Indian Ocean.

From 1st August, Flight EK648, operated by a modern Boeing 777-300 ER, will depart Dubai at 1355 hours daily and arrive in Colombo at 1955 hours, all times local. The return flight EK649 leaves Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) at 2210 hours and arrives in Dubai at 0100 hours the following day.

As with all Emirates flights, passengers on the new flight will benefit from a baggage allowance of 30kg in Economy Class, 40kg in Business Class and 50kg in First Class. Passengers travelling in premium cabins will also enjoy lounge access in Colombo as well as Emirates’ Chauffeur-drive service in Dubai.

Travel with Emirates also earns passengers Skywards Miles on the airline’s award-winning frequent flyer programme. Accrued Skywards Miles can be redeemed for free tickets, travel upgrades or other benefits.

The airline currently operates four flights a day between Dubai and Colombo all days of the week except Wednesdays, when it operates three flights. One of these daily services to Dubai is via Malé, the capital of the Maldives. Emirates also operates a daily service between Colombo and Singapore, offering convenient connections to Australia.

Emirates expands A380 networks with new daily service between Dubai and Perth

Source: Emirates.

Emirates will commence a second daily A380 service from Dubai to Perth on 1 August this year, replacing the current 777-300ER aircraft operating on the EK424/EK425 routes.

The second daily A380 service to Perth follows Emirates’ recent announcement that its flagship A380 aircraft will serve more destinations in 2016. For east-bound destinations, this includes a new two-class A380 service to Kuala Lumpur which launched on 1 January, and a two-class A380 service on the Taipei route starting 1 May 2016. Other A380 destinations on the airline’s Far East and Australasia network are: Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney and Brisbane.

“Introducing our flagship A380 aircraft onto a second daily Perth service reaffirms our long standing commitment to Australia. It means more of our customers flying from or into Australia, can now enjoy their entire journey on Emirates’ award-winning A380 aircraft – not only to our Dubai hub, but also with great connections to popular Emirates A380 destinations such as London, Frankfurt and Copenhagen. Perth is one of the 39 A380 destinations on the Emirates network globally, including 13 east-bound destinations. With more A380s on order, we look forward to continue utilising this highly popular aircraft to serve customer and capacity demand on key routes,” said Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates.

Emirates was the first airline to begin A380 services to the West Australian capital in May last year with the aircraft introduced on the EK420/EK421 routes. With the up-gauge of the second service to an A380, Emirates will be able to transport over 14,000 passengers inbound and outbound between Dubai and Perth per week.

Australia is the third largest A380 destination for Emirates globally, and from August, seven of the airline’s 11 daily flights between Dubai and Australia will be serviced by an A380. This includes an additional daily A380 service from Melbourne starting in March 2016, when the EK404/405 service begins using the aircraft. Emirates currently offers a double daily A380 service from Sydney, as well as daily A380 services from Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

Through its partnership with Qantas, Emirates passengers are also able to travel to an additional 55 Australian destinations and above 4,000 flights per week. Frequent flyers with both airlines are able to earn and redeem points/miles on both Emirates’ and Qantas’ flights and take advantage of the expanded network. Qantas and Emirates fly 13 times a day from Dubai to Australia, and provide 'one-stop' access to Australia from destinations across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

On board the Emirates A380, passengers in all three cabins can enjoy more than 2,000 channels of the latest movies, TV shows and music from around the world alongside a range of games on the ice inflight entertainment system. Passengers can stay connected throughout the flight with Wi-Fi access and mobile phone and data services.

Emirates' First and Business Class experience on the A380 takes luxury to another level. First Class customers can freshen up in the two onboard Shower Spas, while both First and Business Class travellers can socialise at 40,000 feet in the Onboard Lounge while enjoying premium beverages, hors d'oeuvres and delicacies prepared by gourmet chefs.

The Emirates' A380 operating as EK424/EK425 is a wide-bodied double decker aircraft with a capacity of 519 passengers including 14 First Class Private Suites, 76 lie-flat beds in Business Class and 429 seats in Economy Class.

EK424 departs Dubai 10.10am, arriving in Perth at 12.50am the next day. EK425 departs Perth at 6am, arriving in Dubai at 1pm same day.

Emirates Islamic opens forex counter at Al Maktoum International Airport

Source: Emirates Islamic. Emirates Islamic’s Foreign Exchange Counter at Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.

Emirates Islamic today announced the opening of a foreign exchange (FX) counter at Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central. The new FX counter, located at the airport’s departure lounge, will enable travellers and tourists to exchange up to 19 currencies at highly competitive rates.

In addition to Al Maktoum International Airport, the bank operates a FX counter at Port Rashid Cruise Terminal. Foreign exchange and remittance services are an important aspect of Emirates Islamic’s retail product suite, with the bank offering regular seasonal promotions and competitive rates on the currencies available.

Faisal Aqil, Deputy CEO - Consumer Wealth Management, Emirates Islamic, said: “Al Maktoum International Airport is becoming an increasingly busy destination and is expected to handle over 26 million passengers by 2017. We are extremely pleased to open an Emirates Islamic counter to serve the needs of travellers using the airport. As part of our strategy to expand our foreign exchange offerings, we plan to open more counters at high-traffic locations such as malls and airports, as well as continue offering the best offers and rates to our customers.”

Emirates adds flights to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport

Emirates has launched daily flights to Istanbul with new flights to a second Istanbul gateway, Sabiha Gökçen Airport, for a total of 18 flights per week. Emirates’ new daily service to Sabiha Gökçen will also offer up to 12 tonnes of cargo per day in each direction.

The new daily flight is operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration offering 12 seats in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class, and 183 seats in Economy Class. Emirates flight EK119 will depart Dubai at 17:15 and arrive in at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport Istanbul at 20:15 daily. The return flight EK120 will leave Sabiha Gökçen International Airport Istanbul at 22:05, arriving in Dubai at 04:20 the next day. As with all Emirates flights, passengers enjoy baggage allowances of 50kg in first class, 40kg in business class and with 30 kg in economy class.

Istanbul is Emirates’ third international city to benefit from a dual airport operation, following London and Tokyo. In addition to the daily flight to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport Emirates also operates 11 weekly flights to Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

Located on the Asian side of the bi-continental city of Istanbul, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport offers travellers convenient access to the city’s cultural and historical sites. Passengers heading to the European side of Istanbul can take advantage of regular coaches that operate between Sabiha Gokcen and Taksim Square every half hour, taking approximately 45 minutes.

“We have been operating flights to Istanbul for more than 28 years and in that time have seen demand for our services grow exponentially. We are confident that both the passenger and cargo demand (are) strong enough to warrant Emirates operating to both of Istanbul’s airports,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning, Revenue Optimisation and Aeropolitical Affairs.

“As well as providing our passengers with greater flexibility in their travel plans to and from Turkey this new flight also signifies the introduction of First Class to our flights to Istanbul. There is high demand for this route and we are already seeing strong booking levels across all cabin classes from across our network.”

Gökhan Buğday, the CEO of Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport said, “With the launch of Emirates new daily flight we now have 51 airlines operating from our rapidly growing airport. This year we expect 28 million passengers to fly through Sabiha Gökçen and Emirates’ launch signifies yet another important and exciting milestone for us.”

The UAE and Turkey enjoy a strong trade relationship that is estimated to reach US$15 billion this year. There are currently more than 500 Turkish companies operating out of the UAE, including a number of Turkish construction companies who have played a key role in the construction of many of the buildings that make up Dubai’s skyline.

Emirates looks to west and central China in expansion of network

Source: Emirates. Left: The routes will be served by a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft; centre: Erqi Square District, Zhengzhou; right: Jade Emperor Pavilion, Yinchuan.

Emirates will expand its services in mainland China with four weekly flights to Yinchuan (INC) and Zhengzhou (CGO), utilising a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, from 3 May 2016. These services will offer new international connectivity for two of China’s fastest growing cities, and expand Emirates’ destination offering on the mainland to five, the other cities being Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia, lies to the west of the Yellow River and to the east of Helan Mountain. With a large Muslim population, it serves as a gateway connecting China to Arab countries, and is positioned as a hub for economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchange between China and the Middle East.

Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province and a major transportation interchange for central China, is an educational, technological and economic centre. The second largest city in central China, Zhengzhou’s strategic location has enabled the city to become one of the largest economic hubs in China.

“With the opening of these new strategic routes, Emirates looks forward to contributing to the enhancement of China’s trade links with the rest of the world, in particular with the UAE and Arab world. We believe the new international air links that we are launching will help create tourism and trade opportunities for Chinese business and leisure travellers that may not otherwise exist,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group.

“With our established network across Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Emirates is a ready-made connector of people and trade, and we look forward to further developing aviation links with China in a mutually beneficial way.”

Emirates has been a large part of the China growth story, being the first airline to establish non-stop connectivity between the Middle East and mainland China, first with freighter operations to Shanghai starting in 2002, followed by passenger services in 2004. Emirates’ new services will connect Yinchuan and Zhengzhou with new destinations via a connection in Dubai, and help boost trade and tourism flows to the growing central and western parts of China where these cities are located.

Emirates flights to Yinchuan and Zhengzhou will depart on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from Dubai as EK326 at 02:45 arriving at Yinchuan Hedong International Airport at 13:35. The service will then depart from Yinchuan at 15:20 and arrive at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport at 17:00. The return flight, EK327, will depart Zhengzhou at 21:10, arriving at Yinchuan at 22:55. It will then depart Yinchuan at 00:40, arriving in Dubai at 04:30 the next day*. Timings of the new service have been scheduled to allow for seamless connections to many Middle East, European and African destinations.

Passengers travelling on Emirates’ Boeing 777-200LR will be able to enjoy the airline’s entertainment system with up to 2,000 channels of on-demand content, including Mandarin language movies and music. Emirates flights to and from China feature Mandarin-speaking cabin crew on board, and inflight cuisine options with popular Chinese dishes. 

The services will be operated by a three class configured Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, offering 266 seats and 14 tonnes of cargo capacity in the belly hold. As with all Emirates flights, passengers travelling on the Yinchuan and Zhengzhou services will enjoy the Emirates baggage allowance of 30kg in economy class, 40 kg in business class and 50 kg in first class. 

Popular commodities expected to be transported on these services include electronics, such as mobile phones from Zhengzhou, and agricultural products such as goji berries and cashmere from Yinchuan.

“As China's regions continue to open up to the global economy, Emirates remains keen to support this with the further expansion of air services in mainland China. In particular we’re interested in exploring the opportunity of daily services to Hangzhou and Chongqing, and a second daily service to Guangzhou,” added HH Sheikh Ahmed.

Ties between Dubai and China continue to grow stronger. A growing number of Chinese banks and businesses are establishing branches within Dubai’s business and financial districts and the city is now home to over 3,000 Chinese companies and 200,000 Chinese residents. Growth in visitor numbers to Dubai from China grew by 25% in 2014.

*Flight times are as per summer schedule