Strong Demand for Self Service Systems @ Abu Dhabi Airport

Passengers at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) have the highest demand for Self Service options of all six major airport hubs included in this year?s SITA/Air Transport World Passenger Self Service Survey, which also found high rates of smartphone adoption among premium travelers. It is the first time that AUH has featured in the survey.
The demand for Self Service is partly fuelled by smartphone adoption rates of 78% for frequent flyers (over ten trips per year) and 35% among business/first class travelers. The survey reveals a clear opportunity for airlines to increase the use of mobile check-in, which had only been used by 12% of survey respondents compared to 38% who had used online check-in.
In AUH, 33% of the passengers surveyed had a smartphone and a further 50% had ordinary mobile phones. The Blackberry was the most popular with 41% of smartphone holders having one, followed by 26% having an iPhone. Globally, 35% of respondents preferred the iPhone compared to 28% who used the Blackberry.
The rising influence of the smartphone globally is a key finding from the 6th annual SITA/Air Transport World Passenger Self Service Survey carried out with a representative sample of the 283.5 million passengers who pass through six of the world?s leading airport hubs: Abu Dhabi International Airport, Beijing International Airport; Frankfurt International Airport; Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta; Mumbai International; and Sao Paulo Guarulhos.
Interest in mobile applications is high at AUH where 30% of respondents would be willing to pay for information updates sent directly to their mobile phones. Interest is highest in flight-related information such as gate changes, flight delays, and boarding status, which 80% of survey respondents would use if available. This is followed by wait time at security, 50%; time to reach departure gate, 42%; information on airport parking, 35%; and location of closest lounge, 33%.
And 73% of AUH smartphone users would access a free Wi-Fi network compared to 66% globally. At AUH 15% would be willing to pay for Wi-Fi access compared to 10% globally.
AUH passenger interest in Self Service is underlined by the fact that it has the highest success rate in the survey when it comes to encouraging passengers to use remote bag-drop facilities, which was an option used by 13% of passengers with a bag to check-in compared with a rate of just 1% in the survey overall.
On the other hand, only 4% reported using a bag-drop counter compared to a global rate of 42%. A higher proportion of passengers had a bag to check-in than at any other airport in the survey, 81% compared to an overall survey rate of 67%.
The appetite for Self Service options is high at AUH. Self-bag tag (81%), Self Service bag drop (76%), and self-boarding (74%) were the three most popular Self Service options sought by AUH survey respondents, followed by tracking of bag location from a mobile device (67%), transfer kiosks (63%), and reporting missing bag from kiosks (63%).
Retail travel agencies are still more popular with AUH travelers than elsewhere with 44% of respondents using them for bookings compared to 17% overall but, interestingly, the overwhelming majority, a massive 99% of those who choose to book their flights online did so through an airline website compared to the global survey figure of 52%.
There is a clear opportunity here for airlines to target AUH passengers with improved non-air offers on their websites as actual usage rates for modifying reservations on-line and purchasing other services are 32% or lower.
Hani El Assaad, SITA Regional Vice-President, Middle East and North Africa, said, ?It is exciting to see Abu Dhabi International Airport feature in the Passenger Self Service Survey for the first time and to be able to provide the airport and airlines with this unprecedented insight into the behaviors and attitudes of their customers. The survey reveals many opportunities to provide services to passengers which will generate revenue, increase efficiency and improve passenger satisfaction.?

Munich Airport Partners Beijing Int. Airport

The airports in Munich and Beijing are forging closer ties. At an official signing ceremony last week, the heads of the two air transportation hubs, Dr. Dong Zhiyi, the president and CEO of Capital Airports Holding Company, and Dr. Michael Kerkloh, the president and CEO of FMG, the Munich Airport operating company, finalized a new cooperation agreement.

 The objective of the partnership is a systematic knowledge transfer for employees and managers of the two airports. Among the arrangements for achieving this goal, the contract provides for a management exchange program, in which visiting managers will gain detailed insights into the operations and processes of the partner airport.

Beijing International Airport is China?s biggest airport, and handles nearly 80 million passengers per year. When the new Beijing Daxing International Airport opens in the Chinese capital in 2015, it will handle about 370,000 passengers per day, making it the world?s busiest aviation hub. Beijing joins Denver, Nagoya, Bangkok and Singapore as Munich?s fifth sister airport.

Passenger traffic at Munich Airport increased 10% in the first three quarters of 2011. From January through the end of September 2011, more travelers used Munich Airport than ever before in the first three quarters of a calendar year. The approximately 28.6 million arriving and departing passengers represented a 10% increase as compared with the same period a year earlier. Moreover, the last day of this traffic period ? 30 September 2011 ? produced yet another all-time high of just under 140,000 passengers, some 10,000 more than the record set last year. The number of aircraft movements increased by more than 6% in the first three quarters to 310,730.

See other recent news regarding: Airlines, Airports, Awards, Flights, Codeshare, FFP, Inflight, Lounges, First Class, Business Class, MICE, GDS, Rewards, Miles, Hotels, Apartments, Promotions, Spas, Yoga, Retreat, New Hotels, Traffic, Visitor Arrivals, Cruises, Free Deals, Interviews, Videos, Munich, Beijing, Munich Airport

View the original article here

Cathay Pacific Reduces Flights to Bangkok

Cathay Pacific has confirmed that one of its five daily scheduled flights between Hong Kong and Bangkok (CX701/CX702) will be cancelled on 28 October, 30 October, 1 November and 2 November due to weaker demand on the route.

Despite the cancellation Cathay Pacific still operates four flights per day between the two cities.

The airline has also issued special ticketing guidelines for flights with confirmed bookings involving Bangkok.

With immediate effect, rebooking charges will be waived for all tickets issued worldwide on/before 25 October with confirmed bookings involving Bangkok between 25 October and 2 November. Such requests must be made on/before 2 November and the revised travel date must be on/before 30 November 2011. There is no waiver on cancellation, refund or rerouting charges.

Cathay Pacific also advises passengers who have booked flights to and from Bangkok to check the latest flight information on Cathay Pacific?s website before departing for the airport. 

See other recent news regarding: Airlines, Airports, Awards, Flights, Codeshare, FFP, Inflight, Lounges, First Class, Business Class, MICE, GDS, Rewards, Miles, Hotels, Apartments, Promotions, Spas, Yoga, Retreat, New Hotels, Traffic, Visitor Arrivals, Cruises, Free Deals, Interviews, Videos, Cathay Pacific, Floods, Hong Kong, Bangkok

 

What Makes London Such A Great City To Visit?

London is a massive city, it is at the forefront of modern culture. It leads the way in fashion, art and entertainment. The city also has charming traditional elements from double deck red buses to old, beautifully designed buildings. It is a city for everyone: children marvel at their favorite pop stars in Madam Tussauds. Young adults enjoy the bright lights and cutting edge nightlife of Picadilly Circus and the West End. More mature visitors love to take in the rich culture by visiting the likes of Buckingham Palace.

You can get around the city in one of the iconic black cabs which provide a very spacious and comfortable ride, or take a city tour on a double deck bus. The London Underground subway system is a very convenient mode of transport too, there are day passes which make long tours very inexpensive. The weather is milder than much of the UK, so it is often pleasant enough for a stroll around the streets too. The charming architecture of the old buildings combines with lively street performers in Covent Gardens for a perfect afternoon stroll.

Although a busy city, London has an excellent tourist infrastructure. A fantastic way to start the day is by riding on the London Eye. Located just south of the river Thames, it gives an amazing view of the whole city. It is centrally located and close to many more tourist attractions, in the summer why not continue by taking a walk over London Bridge towards the Houses Of Parliament. In winter you could take refuge in a traditional English pub.

A trip to London wouldn't be complete without a visit to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards. Nearby Hyde Park is an excellent place for a stroll and an escape from the crowds elsewhere. There are literally hundreds of attractions which make London one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

Air Astana to Increase Asian Services; Launch HK and HCM Flights

Kazakhstan?s Air Astana is planning to boost frequencies on existing long haul scheduled services from Almaty to Bangkok, Dehli and Kuala Lumpur from December, as well as launch a new scheduled service to Hong Kong in early 2012 and initiate a winter season only service to Ho Chi Minch city, Vietnam in late 2012.

All long-haul services will be operated by Boeing 757 / 767 aircraft, with the Business class cabin featuring lie-flat beds and KCTV personal inflight entertainment system.

Services from Almaty to Bangkok will increase to five frequencies a week, Almaty to Dehli will increase to four times a week and Almaty to Kuala Lumpur will increase to three times a week.

A twice weekly service from Almaty to Hong Kong will be launched in February 2012 and a winter season only service from Almaty to Ho Chi Minh city will commence in October 2012.

?Expanding political, business and tourism links between Kazakhstan and Asia continue to drive strong traffic growth on services to the region, with increased feed from Central Asia into the expanding Almaty hub also making a significant contribution,? said Peter Foster, President of Air Astana. ?Immediate frequency increases on existing services and the launch of new services to Hong Kong Kong and Ho Chi Minh city in 2012, reflect the fact that Asia is playing an increasingly important part in the strategic long-term development of Air Astana.?

Air Astana currently operates a fleet of 25 aircraft comprising two Boeing 767-300, four Boeing 757-200, ten Airbus A321/A320/A319, three Embraer E190 and six Fokker 50. A fifth Boeing 757 will join the fleet in December 2011. The airline serves 23 domestic and 31 international destinations.

Save on Airfare Secrets

Are you a recreational traveler? Or traveling with kids?

Expenses add up. There can also be a ton of hassle because families don't know the tricks to reduce the overall cost of travel. I found this ebook to be helpful in giving numerous ways to save, no matter what your situation or type of vacation.

Trying to solve... There are so many websites, travel agents, and airline companies all vying for your business and it's tough to determine which is going to actually give you the best deal. Even if you can be flexible or have to be rigid with your schedule, investing a few extra minutes into creatively researching and asking a few extra questions can save boat loads of money. This ebook assists with not only airfare but also car rental, hotels, and cruises. There are several resources I had never heard before that I won't book travel without using again. Also, I learned out to get more out of the websites I had already been using (like Priceline and Expedia).

If so, Save on Airfare Secrets could be helpful in solving those problems, and many more.

Here are just some of the highlights of Save on Airfare Secrets:

* This website reference was the gem of this ebook in my opinion. It tells you how to get the same discounts that travel agents receive, and even get free gifts!. You'll find this on page 64.

* I had heard so many different theories on the 'best day to book travel' but this was clear and gave specific reasons and tactics to buy airplane tickets during a certain time of the week to get the lowest price.. You'll find this on page 25.

* This tip about American Airlines was one of many ways to squeeze a little bit more discount directly out of the airlines. It seems that most travelers never contact the airlines, but these tips show when, why, and what to say to them to shave a bit more off your price or to get a free upgrade.. You'll find this on page 28.

Of course, Save on Airfare Secrets isn't for everybody.

* A link was given to a website on page 55 that directed the reader to a different website. Maybe the website the link was for is old or no longer in service.
* The ebook described a way to get discounts on eBay which I didn't see on the eBay website. The eBay sellers would be trying to sell things under the radar, so perhaps I didn't look hard enough or read between the lines. Or, maybe eBay has cracked down on the sellers since it is against policy to sell certain things on eBay.

But if you're dealing with any of the problems mentioned above, I think Save on Airfare Secrets can probably save you a lot of time and hassles. View the original article here

The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide Review

With The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide, you are about to learn all that you need to know in order to cut the cost of your trip in half and actually save some money on vacation. All of these tricks are going to show you how to save on everything including, hotel, food, shows and even your flight. This information is all inclusive and leaves nothing out that you need to know so that you can have the best summer vacation that is possible. You are looking at the guide that you have been hoping for in order to provide that dream vacation.

1. Saving Hundreds.

You may be thinking that this guide is only going to be able to save you a small amount of money. But after you start to put the plan into effect, you will see that you are going to be able to knock off hundreds and maybe even thousands from the expense of your trip. This means that everything is going to be more affordable and you are not going to be worried about every little penny that you spend. As soon as you start to put The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide into effect, you are going to be able to see this will be the best vacation that you have ever taken. Just imagine feeling carefree and not tight fisted with every little cent that you want to spend.

2. Plan Ahead.

With this guide, you will be able to plan in advance which is just one of the ways that you are going to be able to save money. By being able to pay for your vacation in cash, you will avoid all of the interest fees that you would have to pay if you were to put the trip on your credit card. Just imagine an interest free trip with The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide your imagination may just spring to life. So go see the sky light up and watch your kids meet Mickey and Minnie. It will be the best time you have ever had without the high price tag.

View the original article here