Loganair to operate festive flights between Belfast City and Isle of Man

Loganair has stepped in to operate selected festive flights between Belfast City and Isle of Man this Christmas, allowing passengers to reconnect with loved ones over the holiday period.

The UK’s largest regional airline will now operate four return services to allow for connectivity between the destinations over the festive break after other airlines withdrew from the route.

Loganair will operate the following services:

- Saturday 21 December and Saturday 26 December - departing Isle of Man at 15:10 and arriving at Belfast City Airport at 15:45, with the return service departing at 16:15 from Belfast City Airport and landing in Isle of Man at 16:45

- Tuesday 31 December and Thursday 2 January - departing Isle of Man at 09:55 and arriving in Belfast City Airport at 10:30, with the return service departing at 11:00 from Belfast City Airport and landing in Isle of Man at 11:30

The connection will be serviced by a 72-seater ATR-72, with fares commencing at just £64.99 one-way inclusive of luggage.

Luke Lovegrove, Chief Commercial Director, said: “It is incredibly important to us that we are able to keep passengers connected, especially over the festive period, and we’re proud that we are able to step in and reinstate a service that is relied on heavily over the holidays.

“We look forward to welcoming passengers on board as we fly them home for Christmas.”

Ellie McGimpsey, Aviation Development Manager at Belfast City Airport, said: “We are excited to see Loganair introduce its service to Isle of Man in time for the festive season, in which we facilitate the homecoming of up to 10,000 passengers a day.

“Whether they’re travelling to the Isle of Man or returning to Belfast to reunite with loved ones, our unrivalled location at the heart of the city means passengers will enjoy a fast and convenient journey.”

Geoff Pugh, Interim Airport Director Isle of Man Airport, said: “It's great to hear Loganair is providing this essential route over the Christmas season, helping to bring families and friends together for the holidays. We encourage people to take advantage of this service."

The Belfast – Isle of Man services are available to book now at loganair.co.uk or via travel agents. All Loganair flights include 15kg luggage allowance as standard, and advance booking is encouraged to benefit from the best value fares.

Frequent Loganair customers can also take advantage of the airline’s loyalty programme - Clan Loganair.

£3 million investment to significantly enhance search and security at Belfast City Airport completed

Work to significantly enhance security checks at Belfast City Airport has been completed following a £3m investment.  

The new security screening technology will enable passengers to keep liquids, gels, and pastes, including toiletries and cosmetics, up to 100ml and large electronic devices in their cabin baggage as they complete security checks at the airport.  

 

Mark Beattie, Chief Operating Officer at Belfast City Airport, said: 

 

“This is a significant change to how passengers will move through security with cabin baggage. 

 

“Passengers will no longer be required to remove electronic devices and liquids, gels and pastes under 100ml, from their cabin baggage, streamlining the process and ensuring our passengers can move through the terminal as quickly and easily as possible.

 

“At Belfast City Airport, we pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional passenger experience and the new security screening technology will further support this commitment. “

Record breaking September at London Stansted.

London Stansted welcomed a record-breaking 2.71 million passengers in September as strong demand for short breaks and late summer sun continued beyond the peak holiday season.

The record monthly total was an increase of 3.4% on the same month last year and surpassed the previous record for September set in 2018 by more than 31,000 passengers.

The most popular sunshine destinations during the month were Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Antalya, and Faro, with Dublin, Istanbul, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Rome the most in-demand short break and city destinations.

The most popular countries across the month were Spain, Italy, and Turkey.

Operational performance during the month remained strong, with 99% of passengers passing safely through security in 15 minutes or less, and with an average queue time of less than 2 minutes during the main departure peaks.

The 12-month total to the end of September stands at 29.35 million passengers, an increase of 7.2% on the previous year.

Jon Fowler, London Stansted’s Chief Operations Officer, said:  “Hot on the heels of London Stansted’s busiest ever peak summer season, we once again welcomed a record-breaking number of passengers in September as our extensive range of around 200 destinations, and reliable and efficient airport operation continued to drive strong demand from people wanting to fly from their local airport.

“The possibilities to travel affordably and flexibly from London Stansted provide people with fantastic choices, whether they are flying away for a late summer holiday or ‘weekenders’ jetting off to explore some of Europe’s most iconic cities on a short break.

“And we also continue to welcome tens of thousands of overseas visitors who really appreciate the excellent value and convenient access we offer that makes Stansted the obvious choice when wishing to visit the great cities of London and Cambridge, and the wider Eastern region, on their holidays.

“I’m delighted that the hard work and dedication of our colleagues, and cooperation with business partners across the airport, has enabled us to deliver a very strong and reliable level of customer service for our record-breaking number of passengers, with an average security queue time of less than two minutes during the busiest departure periods, and 99% of passengers passing safely through security in under 15 minutes.

“We are now preparing for the half-term holidays, when we expect to be really busy once again, so our focus is on maintaining and delivering the simple and efficient experience we know our passengers really value when choosing to travel from London Stansted.”

New Michelin-starred menus on departure from Paris for Air France customers

This autumn, on departure from Paris, Air France will be unveiling exceptional new menus specially created for its customers, available in its airport lounges and onboard its flights. Triple Michelin-starred chef Jérôme Banctel, and Josselin Marie, passionate about responsible cuisine, are the latest chefs to join the prestigious Air France team, alongside Nina Métayer, Glenn Viel, Philippe Rigollot, Frédéric Simonin, Michel Roth and Alain Ducasse and his teams.

To create these menus showcasing French fine dining, the chefs work together with Servair, the world leader in in-flight catering, using fresh, local produce that varies according to the season. In a responsible approach, the meat, poultry, milk products and eggs on each menu are of French origin, and the fish sourced from sustainable fisheries. Vegetarian menus are also systematically available in all airport lounges and on board all the airline’s flights.

Triple Michelin-starred chef Jérôme Banctel in the long-haul Business cabin

On departure from Paris, for the first time, Air France is entrusting chef Jérôme Banctel with the dishes on the menu available in the long-haul Business cabin. Awarded three Michelin stars in 2024, the chef draws inspiration from his native Brittany in creating dishes to be enjoyed all over the world. For Air France, he uses produce evocative of his childhood, enhanced by his own special culinary signature; delicious sauces, without butter or cream. Chicken, buttermilk sauce, buckwheat risotto and parsley oil, and haddock, lightly spiced carrot sauce, carrot variations with orange and ginger feature among his ten dishes to be enjoyed over the next eight months.

“I wanted to offer travellers a glimpse of my cuisine, a blend of gourmet delicacy and unexpected flavours”, stated Jérôme Banctel.

Jérôme Banctel, three-star Michelin chef in the Air France long-haul Business cabin

easyJet’s Fearless Flyer course returns this month

easyJet’s popular Fearless Flyer course returns this month to help nervous flyers take control and overcome their fear.

With one in six people estimated to be a nervous flyer, the course is run by senior easyJet pilots and a phobia expert. Between them, they offer reassurance and winning techniques to help combat concerns around flying to enable even the most ardent aerophobe to overcome their fear.

easyJet’s courses will run from 19 October 2024 to 19 January 2025, taking place at London Gatwick, Bristol, Glasgow, London Luton, Manchester, Birmingham and Belfast, so customers can choose to book their experience flight from seven UK airports over the next three months.

Since 2012 more than 12,000 flying phobics have taken to the skies after successfully completing easyJet’s Fearless Flyer course, with the programme achieving over 95% success rate.  It continues to be one of the best-priced aerophobia courses in the UK, starting from just £89 per person.

easyJet’s Fearless Flyer course is divided into three main parts:

• A virtual ground course, where an easyJet captain explains the unfamiliar sounds and sensations customers feel onboard an aircraft during take-off, landing and during times of turbulence. In addition, Lawrence Leyton, a leading expert in the psychology of fear, teaches a unique set of mind techniques to help manage nerves.
• A pre-flight one-hour ‘Meet the Team’ online Zoom session, where participants will be walked through the airport experience and what to expect. There will also be a Q&A session with the Fearless Flyer Team including an easyJet pilot, Lawrence Leyton and Course Director Mark Wein, who shares his tips and advice on how he overcame his own fear of flying many years ago.
• And lastly, a special one-hour experience flight from the course airport, where customers put their new skills to the test whilst listening to a live commentary of the flight from the Fearless Flyer team.

A limited number of spaces on the courses are available at www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com  

Captain Maria Pernia-Digings, easyJet Lead Fearless Flyer Pilot Presenter, said:  “We’re delighted to be relaunching our renowned Fearless Flyer course with autumn and winter courses still available to book across the UK. The courses have been running for many years with a success rate of over 95%. As one of the Captains presenting the course, I have seen first-hand how so many nervous flyers conquer their worries and fears about flying, and they are now enjoying traveling to all parts of the world for business, for holidays and visiting relatives. If you have a fear of flying, please come and join us and let us help you to spread your wings and change your life.” 

U.S. Department of Justice requests information from Saab North America, Inc. regarding Brazil’s acquisition of Gripen fighters in 2014

Saab North America, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Saab, has received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice. The DoJ has requested information about the Brazilian Government’s acquisition of 36 Gripen E/F fighter aircraft for its air force. The contract was signed in 2014.

Brazil’s fighter procurement (the FX-2 programme) took place between 2008 and 2014 and Saab was awarded the contract. Saab intends to comply with the request to supply information and to cooperate with the DoJ in this matter.

Both Brazilian and Swedish authorities have previously investigated parts of the Brazilian fighter procurement process. These investigations were closed without indicating any wrongdoings by Saab.

Due to secrecy obligations, Saab is not able to communicate further regarding this.  

Boeing blames workers for its poor financial performance

The Boeing Company has again blamed its striking workforce for the rather disappointing latest figures the aerospace firm has recently released. It says it will recognize impacts to its financial results related to charges for certain programs across the Commercial Airplanes and Defense, Space & Security segments and the IAM work stoppage when it reports third-quarter results on October 23. The company expects to report third-quarter revenue of $17.8 billion, GAAP loss per share of ($9.97), and operating cash flow of ($1.3) billion. Cash and investments in marketable securities totalled $10.5 billion at the end of the quarter.

"While our business is facing near-term challenges, we are making important strategic decisions for our future and have a clear view on the work we must do to restore our company," said Kelly Ortberg, Boeing president and chief executive officer. "These decisive actions, along with key structural changes to our business, are necessary to remain competitive over the long term. We are also focusing on areas that are critical to our future and will ensure we have the balance sheet necessary to invest, support our people and deliver for our customers."

Lufthansa Group awarded “Best Airline App 2024” worldwide

The Lufthansa Group has been awarded the prize for the world's best airline app 2024 at the World Aviation Festival (WAF).
The Lufthansa Group app was previously evaluated by customers and nominated for the final round. A jury of experts compared the four nominees in a competition, the “Battle of the Airline Apps”, and rated the Lufthansa Group app as the best among the biggest players in the industry. The Lufthansa product came out on top against the apps from Emirates, Qatar Airways and Air India.
​Dieter Vranckx, Member of the Executive Board Lufthansa Group, Global Markets & Commercial Airlines Hubs said:  “The Lufthansa Group App puts our customers at the centre and provides them with user-friendly services, transparent information and support throughout their journey. I am proud of the entire team for the great progress we have made in recent years. The award for the Lufthansa Group app encourages us to continue developing our digital services for Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SWISS and Brussels Airlines.”

Oliver Schmitt, Head of Digital Customer Solutions and Managing Director Digital Hangar GmbH said: “The digital travel experience of our guests is increasingly determined by their mobile devices. The app is playing a growing role as a travel companion. In recent years, we have worked specifically on service offerings, especially in the event of irregularities, on simplifications and better information for our guests, and created numerous benefits for frequent flyers.”​
The World Aviation Festival is a leading global conference for the international aviation industry, focusing on technology, passenger experience, digitalization and sustainability in aviation.

SWISS extends pre-select option to Business Class meals on short-haul flights

SWISS Business Class passengers on short-haul flights will also enjoy the option to select from additional main courses before their flight. The new offer is free and includes hot or cold dishes, depending on destination, which will be changed every three months. This option is available on the majority of short and medium-haul flights departing after 10 am.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is now offering Business Class passengers on most short and medium-haul flights the option of choosing from additional main courses before boarding. Known as “Pre-Select”, this free option was successfully launched on long-haul flights around two and a half years ago. It allows passengers to choose from a wider range of meals to suit their personal tastes during the flight.

On short-haul flights of over one hour from and to Zurich, passengers may now choose from a total of six cold dishes which are served with cheese and a dessert. On longer flights, there is a total choice of seven hot main courses depending on destination – including one dish from the “SWISS Taste of Switzerland” menu, which is otherwise only offered on long-haul services. The hot main courses are served with cheese and a dessert, plus a salad. The dishes are changed every three months to ensure variety. The current choice may be viewed online at any time.

Greater choice and improved sustainability

With “Pre-Select”, guests enjoy a wider choice of meals while also facilitating optimised planning, which in turn supports the sustainable use of food. A more targeted loading process makes it possible to further reduce the unnecessary disposal of food and decrease waste. SWISS passengers can order their preferred dish online, any time from six weeks up to 24 hours before departure. This option is available on short-haul flights departing after 10 am. On flights departing before 10 am, the usual catering service will be available.

Airline campaigning group hits out at online travel agents

Airlines for Europe (A4E) the campaigning airline association based in Brussels has commissioned a new study, at the forceful urging of budget airline Ryanair, into online travel agents and intermediaries.

Ryanair is already at war with Online Travel Agents (OTAs) including a massive legal battle with dreams-ODIGEO.  The report, conducted by economics consultancy Syntesia, outlines how ticket distribution for airlines is shifting as traditional Global Distribution Systems (GDS) lose market share to Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and Meta Search Engines. 

This comes after the European Commission designated Booking.com, a leading OTA, as a gatekeeper under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA aims to ensure “more choice and freedom for end users, and fair access for business users to gatekeeper services.”

According to A4E, key findings from the study include:

OTA prices for identical itineraries were, on average, nearly 25% higher than booking directly with airlines

Consumers face hidden mark-ups and charges, often falsely attributed to airlines

Services offered for free by airlines, such as SMS updates, are sold by OTAs at a cost

Two OTAs control 50% of the European market for OTAs

Three companies dominate 95% of the GDS market, with one controlling 60–65% in Western Europe

A4E says the scope of the study covers several types of online intermediaries, with the main priority being OTAs. To achieve sufficient depth, the study analysed a sample of OTAs, which were selected with a view to their high market share (together covering the vast majority of the EU market). This was done by a mystery shopper process in which staff of completed the booking process. It is unclear exactly how many mystery shopping bookings were completed on either the airlines concerned or the OTA. A4E advises that the report was done with the support of Air France-KLM, easyJet, IAG, Lufthansa Group, Ryanair and Volotea – and conducted in spring 2024.

VMFA-533 becomes first operational F-35 squadron aboard MCAS Beaufort to receive aircraft

U.S.  Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 533, Marine Aircraft Group 31, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), received its first F-35B Lightning II jet today aboard Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, South Carolina.

VMFA-533 is the Marine Corps’ second East Coast operational F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron and the first aboard MCAS Beaufort. Prior to today, the only F-35 aircraft stationed aboard MCAS Beaufort were assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, who is tasked with conducting core introduction fighter/attack training for prospective F-35 pilots. The arrival of the aircraft marks the beginning of F-35 deliveries to MCAS Beaufort’s operational squadrons, defined as units whose primary purpose is supporting Marine Corps and Department of Defense operations. Today’s arrival continues 2nd MAW’s operational transition from legacy fixed-wing tactical aircraft to the F-35.

The F-35 is a fifth-generation fighter jet with advanced stealth, agility and manoeuvrability, sensor and information fusion, and provides the pilot with real-time access to battlespace information. It is designed to meet an advanced threat while improving lethality, survivability, and supportability. The F-35B Lightning II is the short-takeoff and vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35 variant. This capability allows the aircraft to operate from amphibious assault ships and expeditionary airstrips less than 2,000 feet long.

Manchester Airport hits 30 million passengers for the first time in its history

6.3m passengers travelled through a MAG airport in September

Manchester Airport celebrated reaching 30 million passengers served across a 12 month period, for the first time in its history

Strong operational performance across the board cemented a strong summer period marked by record-breaking passenger numbers

Positive performance comes as CEO calls for aviation to be included in new Industrial Strategy

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) had a record-breaking summer season, highlighting strong passenger demand for air travel.

Across September 6.3m passengers travelled through a MAG airport, which was 5.7% higher than in the same month in 2023.

Rolling 12-month traffic figures show the Group – which owns Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports – served 63.7m passengers in the year to September 2024, surpassing the previous record of 63.4m set in August. This means that more than 1 in 5 people from the UK have travelled through a MAG airport in the last 12 months.

Manchester Airport reached a significant milestone this month, when its rolling 12-month passenger total reached 30 million for the first time in its history, up 10.5% from September 2023. This sees Manchester Airport rub shoulders with some of the best-known airports in the world, including La Guardia, in New York and Melbourne Airport, in Australia.  

As the UK’s global gateway in the North, Manchester Airport boasts the most extensive route network outside of London with more than 200 destinations on offer. 3.1m passengers flew through in the ‘shoulder season’, up by 8% in 2023, with Mallorca and Turkey proving particularly popular.

At London Stansted Airport, another record-breaking month was celebrated with 2.7m passengers travelling through its terminal across September, a 3.4% increase on  2023. The busiest-ever September saw passengers jetting off to sun-seeking destinations including Alicante and Faro.

East Midlands Airport l welcomed nearly 500,000 passengers in September, up 4.9% on the same month in 2023. Across the month, more than 34,000 tonnes of cargo came through the hub which was an increase of 9% from 2023.

Operational performance across the Group remained strong this month, with more than 99% of passengers at East Midlands Airport and London Stansted passing through security in 15 minutes or less. At Manchester Airport, it was 98%.

Passenger numbers continue to climb at EMA

Nearly 500,000 people travelled through East Midlands Airport (EMA) in September – a five percent increase on last year which contributed to another successful summer for the airport.

The airport’s 2024 peak season has so far seen 135,500 more passengers than last year choosing to fly from the most effortless and central airport in the country.

The latest passenger figures come after EMA was ranked second in the UK for overall experience in the internationally-recognised Airport Service Quality rankings and reached the finals for Airport of the Year in two national awards. Throughout the summer, EMA has kept waiting times for security to 15 minutes or less for more than 99% of its customers. It also introduced a wide range of customer improvements in the terminal.

The airport’s peak season officially runs until the end of this month, including the October half term when many families get away to more than 70 European and North African destinations within easy reach of EMA.

Up to 30 flights a day continue to depart from EMA this month, taking people to popular Spanish destinations such as Lanzarote, Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Fuerteventura, Tenerife and Reus; Greek options including Corfu, Crete, Kos and Rhodes; and Turkish resorts such as Antalya, Dalaman and Bodrum.

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Destinations in Italy, Portugal, Egypt, Tunisia, Poland, Ireland and Jersey also remain on the flight schedules.

As usual, the number of flights will reduce over the winter months – although plenty of city breaks will be on offer including popular destinations for Christmas markets and routes to ski resorts in the Alps and Bulgaria. Then EMA will be gearing up for what’s expected to be an even busier summer in 2025.

EMA’s Managing Director Steve Griffiths said: “The growth in the number of people choosing to fly from East Midlands Airport is testament to our brilliant team delivering on our promise of effortless travel from the heart of the country.

“We’re welcoming more people from further afield who prefer the stress-free start to their holidays that we offer. And we’re continually in conversation with our airlines and are very confident of our ongoing growth for the summer 2025 season. In the meantime, while it’s a quieter time of the year, there are plenty of holiday options from EMA over the winter months too.”

Viking takes delivery of newest Egypt ship

Viking has taken delivery of the company’s newest ship for the Nile River, the Viking Sobek. 

The delivery ceremony took place when the new ship was presented at Massara shipyard in Cairo, Egypt. The 82-guest Viking Sobek joins the company’s growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships for the Nile River and will sail Viking’s popular 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.

“We are proud to welcome the Viking Sobek to our award-winning fleet. In our view, these identical sister ships are by far the most elegant vessels on the Nile,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “Egypt has always been a destination of great interest among our guests, and demand for these voyages continues to be strong. With the arrival of the Viking Sobek, we look forward to introducing even more curious travellers to the country’s rich history and fascinating cultural treasures.”

The Viking Sobek & Viking’s Growing Egypt Fleet

Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new Viking Sobek is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known. An identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris, the Viking Aton and the Viking Hathor, the Viking Sobek features several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. Other ships in the Egypt fleet include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares. Viking plans to welcome four additional ships in the next two years—the Viking Amun and the Viking Thoth in 2025 and the Viking Sekhmet and the Viking Ptah in 2026—which would bring Viking’s fleet to 10 vessels on the Nile River.

Viking’s Pharaohs & Pyramids Itinerary

During the 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, guests begin with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where they can visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, or the Grand Egyptian Museum. Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River, featuring visits to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, and excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan, and a visit to a colorful Nubian village, where guests can experience a traditional elementary school. Finally, the journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the ancient city.

Highclere Castle, Egypt & Viking

For years Viking has offered a variety of ways for its guests to experience life at Highclere Castle, which is the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and the historic estate best known as the filming location of Downton Abbey. George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, is also the godfather of the Viking Osiris. His great-grandfather, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was the benefactor and co-explorer of Howard Carter, the world’s most famous Egyptologist; together they discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen on November 4, 1922. Among many talents, the 5th Earl was an avid amateur photographer with an artistic eye for composition. His photographs are at Highclere Castle currently, stored in photo albums in The Library, and show the process of discovering and excavating the tomb of Tutankhamen, as well as scenes of daily life in Egypt of the period. With kind permission, the Carnarvons have allowed Viking to share this private collection for guests sailing on board the Viking Osiris and her sister ships.

For guests looking to extend their journey in Egypt, Viking also offers Pre and Post Extensions that provide Privileged Access to archives and exhibits. Guests on the five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension will begin the journey in London, where they will meet their Viking Tour Director, an expert Egyptologist, and experience Privileged Access to two museums: first, a private, early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum before it opens to the general public – and then a visit to the home and personal museum of world-renowned architect, Sir John Soane, where the tour will be illuminated by candlelight, a re-enactment of how Soane entertained guests and showcased his exquisite collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus. Guests will also visit London’s Petrie Museum, which houses more than 80,000 artefacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan. In Oxford, guests will visit the Ashmolean Museum, one of the oldest in the world, and home to a varied collection of Egyptian mummies and art—and go behind the scenes at Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, where they will enjoy a Privileged Access visit to see Howard Carter’s archives, which detail the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb. Lastly, guests will have further Privileged Access with an exclusive visit to Highclere Castle to view the Earl of Carnarvon’s magnificent private collection of Egyptian artefacts, as well as archives and exhibits not normally accessible to the public.

Viking was rated #1 for Rivers, as well as #1 for Oceans and #1 for Expeditions, by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards for the second consecutive year. This achievement marked the first time a travel company won these three categories in back-to-back years. Viking’s Egypt ships have also been included in Condé Nast Traveler’s “Hot List” for the last two years. Viking was also named a “Best Luxury River Cruise of 2024” in Forbes’ “Best Luxury Cruises” list. Additionally, TIME magazine featured both Giza and Saqqara on its “World’s Greatest Places” 2023 list, mentioning sailing the Nile River with Viking. TIME notes that Viking is among the very few who stop in both Giza and the village of Sakkara, where excavation sites, like the megatombs of animal and human mummies, are active.

  Viking.TV | Explore the World from the Comfort of Home | 
Highclere Castle 

STARLUX Airlines launches codeshare deal with Alaska Airlines

Taiwan-based luxury carrier STARLUX Airlines recently announced the launch of its codeshare partnership with Alaska Airlines, enhancing its network in North America. The codeshare is STARLUX’s first, and provides a seamless travel experience and flexibility for passengers of both carriers. 

The codeshare flights initially cover eight domestic routes including Salt Lake City, San Diego, Phoenix, Portland, Las Vegas, Dallas, Denver, and Austin--all to Seattle, operated by Alaska Airlines. Customers are now able to book from the eight cities and the connecting flights from Seattle to Taipei operated by STARLUX on a single ticket, making check-in and luggage transfer faster and easier.

“We are thrilled to unveil our inaugural codeshare flights in collaboration with Alaska Airlines, marking a pivotal expansion of our North American network,” said Glenn Chai, CEO of STARLUX Airlines. “This codeshare makes it easier for passengers to book connecting flights and travel seamlessly between these destinations using both airlines. STARLUX will continue to forge strategic partnerships with airlines to further expand our passenger networks, fostering mutual growth and success for all involved.”

"We're proud to be STARLUX's first airline partner and excited about this next chapter in our ongoing cooperation," said Brett Catlin, vice president of loyalty, alliances and sales at Alaska Airlines. "We look forward to inviting guests on board and delighting them with the premium experience and care that Alaska is known for across the industry."

STARLUX Airlines operates a total of 31 routes, covering a comprehensive network across Asia, as well as three major cities on the U.S. West Coast: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. The Los Angeles route is set to increase from daily service to 10 flights per week starting December 22, while the Seattle route will expand from three weekly to daily flights from March 1 next year.

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