Northstar

Qantas and Emirates announce global aviation partnership SYDNEY – A seamless Australian and international network, exclusive frequent flyer benefits and world-class travel experiences are just some of the enhanced perks that will come with the global aviation partnership between Qantas and Emirates. Under the agreement signed this morning by Emirates president Tim Clark and Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce, Qantas will move its hub for European flights to Dubai and enter an extensive commercial relationship with Emirates. The 10-year partnership will go beyond code sharing and includes integrated network collaboration with coordinated pricing, sales and scheduling as well as a benefit-sharing model. Neither airline will take equity in the other. Qantas will launch daily A380 services from both Sydney and Melbourne to London via Dubai. This means that together Emirates and Qantas will offer 98 weekly services between Australia and Dubai. Qantas will be the only other airline operating to Terminal 3 and the new purpose-built A380 concourse at Dubai International Airport. The partnership will give Qantas customers one-stop access to more than 70 Emirates destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. For Emirates customers it will open up Qantas’ Australian domestic network of more than 50 destinations and 5,000 flights per week. The carriers will also coordinate on their services between Australia and New Zealand and services between Australia and South East Asia. The airlines will submit an application for interim authorisation to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in order to begin commercial planning. Subject to regulatory approval, it is anticipated that the partnership will commence in April 2013. British Airways puts nervous passengers at ease SINGAPORE – When it comes to passenger service and going that extra mile to keep their valued customers at ease, British Airways certainly does it their own way, with a fun and refreshing approach. Fear of flying? Find out how you can fl y with confidence with the airline. We’ve covered Dr Sleep’s top tips in fighting jetlag and now, British Airways is coming up with a way to keep nervous passengers calm by introducing a new film as part of its in-flight entertainment. And this is no ordinary clipping. Presented by British Airways pilot, Captain Steve Allright the film is designed to dispel any myths that passengers might have, on the works of aviation. This includes how the aircraft functions, what certain noises and movements mean when they are in the air. The airline highlighted that 25 per cent of people in general, have a fear of flying while some 10 per cent have a phobia of flying. “I really hope that we can help even more people with this video – whether they’re flying for business or for their holidays. It’s extremely important to us that we make our flights as special as possible for our customers,” said Captain Allright. Liverpool FC’s Global Official Airline INDONESIA – An Asian carrier has been appointed the Global Official Airline for Liverpool Football Club, spanning three seasons, from 2012 to 2015. This will undoubtedly give the airline a bigger media exposure that it requires to increase the international brand awareness. Garuda Indonesia has been appointed the Global Official Airline for the Club which has seen an amazing track record that includes 18 League titles, seven Football Association (FA) Cups, seven League Cups, five European Cups, three UEFA Champion Cups, among many others. The partnership is part of Garuda Indonesia’s “Quantum Leap” programme to transform the airline into a “Global Company”. This means that, whenever Liverpool tours to destinations that are served by Garuda – especially in Asia and Australia – it will enlist the services of Garuda Indonesia, as its official airline. The Club plans to drop by several Asian cities, as part of its tour next year.

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