WHAT’s NEW
Middle East Airlines: will add an extra four flights a week between Heathrow and Beirut, starting on May 16. The extra frequencies will give MEA nine flights a week between the UK and the Lebanon during the summer.
Gulf Air: is upgrading its inflight service on its Heathrow-Abu Dhabi flights from July 1 when it will introduce new Airbus A330 aircraft on the route. This will increase its capacity by 15%-20%. Improvements include seat-back videos in all three classes, additional business facilities onboard, and upgraded interiors.
Emirates: launches a third daily flight from Heathrow to Dubai on July 1. This follows the introduction last March of new A330 aircraft on flights from Manchester to Dubai.
British Mediterranean Airways: British Airways franchise, has added an eighth weekly flight between Heathrow and Beirut. Meanwhile, British Airways has applied to the CAA for permission to operate three times a week from London to Libya following the UN’s decision to lift its ban on flights to the destination.
Qatar Airways
Air France
Gulf Air
MEA
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways
Gulf Air
Emirates
Qatar Airways
Lufthansa
Heathrow-Abu Dhabi
Heathrow-Abu Dhabi
Heathrow-Abu Dhabi
Heathrow-Beirut
Heathrow-Doha
Heathrow-Jedah
Heathrow-Kuwait
Heathrow-Muscat
Heathrow-Dubai
Heathrow-Dubai
Heathrow-Dubai (or London City via Frankfurt)
from £215 until June 30 via Doha
from £240 until mid July via Paris
from £280
from £270 until May 31
from £265 unt
DEMAND for flights to the Middle East is on the increase due to renewed interest in the region and a plethora of low airfares.
All carriers to the Middle East are being forced to discount seats due to a hike in capacity and some very competitive fares available from European carriers.
British Airways franchise British Mediterranean Airways, Middle East Airlines, Gulf Air and Emirates are all increasing capacity to the region this summer – and have also been forced to cut fares.
George MacCarty, commercial manager for Middle East Airlines, which is increasing its frequency from London to Beirut this summer, said: “Our fares are lower than in previous years because there is a lot of capacity going into Beirut from mainland Europe where the fares are very competitive.”
He said this had resulted in an increase in the amount of leisure traffic the airline was picking up.
“We have seen an increase in the number of people going on holiday to Beirut since last year,” he added.
Gulf Air, which operates services from Heathrow to Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha and Muscat, agreed holiday traffic to the Middle East is on the rise.
“There is a lot of potential for growth in this market because there is so much to see and to do in the Gulf,” said Gulf Air marketing co-ordinator for the UK and Ireland, Douglas Johnson.
“There are a lot of activities for leisure travellers – from skiing to trekking – and a great deal of interesting history.
“The level of service there is high and the standard of hotels is very good.”
To try to raise awareness of the Middle East as a short-break destination, carriers are putting together packages of between three and five nights, including flights and hotel accommodation.
For example, Emirates is offering five-night breaks at the new five-star Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai from £499 including flights, while Gulf Air has three-night packages in Bahrain from under £300 through Travel 2.
“These special offers make a long weekend to the Middle East very achievable,” explained Travel 2 air product director David Gibbs.
“People go to New York for a short-break so there is no reason why, at these prices, they shouldn’t go to the Middle East instead.”
British Mediterranean Airways – which operates flights from Heathrow to Beirut, Oman, Damascus and Alexandria – said the whole region is showing increased traffic because of the growing investment in the Lebanon.
“There is a lot of leisure traffic to destinations such as Jordan and Beirut and Syria is picking up more holiday traffic now,” said a spokesman.
Meanwhile, Israel’s national carrier, El Al, is attempting to boost business with a range of promotional fares, which start at £120 return.
“This is a very competitive market and bookings are coming in later and later so we are trying to pull this business forward with special advance purchase fares,” said a spokesman.
For its 50th anniversary the airline has a range of special offers to Tel Aviv, such as two-for-one deals and companion fares from £50.
It has also discounted business-class fares which start from £775 return.
PAPERLESS travel is set to become reality for UK passengers flying on any of the airlines in the Qualiflyer group.
The alliance is trialing electronic ticketing in mainland Europe and if tests prove successful the technology will be rolled out in the UK towards the end of the summer.
The four-month trial involving travel between the hub airports of Swissair, Austrian Airlines, Sabena and TAP Air Portugal began last month.
Test routes include Zurich-Vienna, Lisbon-Brussels and Geneva-Porto. Selected frequent flyer passengers and staff are currently carrying out the tests before all customers can take advantage of the system.
Passengers will book tickets in the normal way but will not be given a ticket. Instead they will identify themselves at the check-in with a passport or credit card to receive a boarding pass.
The group – the first alliance to test a joint e-ticket product – wanted to allow passengers to collect boarding passes at the gate before boarding the aircraft, as happens in the US, but tighter European security has prevented this.
Swissair general manager UK and Ireland Kirk Albrow said: “There is a cost-cutting element to e-ticket, but it mainly makes the check-in process much quicker.”
Agents will be paid the normal 9% commission for e-ticket sales, but some airlines have tried to boost yields by offering incentives for retailers willing to push the paperless travel option.
Technology is also being developed for the Qualiflyer airlines’ Internet sites to allow joint booking and links to each other’s on-line schedules.
Other airlines in Qualiflyer are Lauda Air, Turkish Airlines, Crossair, Air Littoral France’s AOM and Austria’s Tyrolean Airlines.
All the other airline alliances – Star Alliance, Oneworld and Wings – are also considering extending their individual carriers’ e-ticket system to include all members.
Star Alliance’s United Airlines and Oneworld’s American Airlines are even talking to each other about offering the technology across all the alliances on an interline basis, as currently happens with conventional tickets.
However, this move has been put on hold while the airlines wrestle with the threat of any millennium bug problem.
how it works
n Customer asks for ticket in the usual way from agents or direct from any of the Qualiflyer partners.
n Pays in usual way and receives receipt but not a traditional paper ticket.
n Client arrives at airport and identifies themselves at check-in desks with passport, Qualiflyer card, credit card, driver’s licence or other agreed form of ID.
n Receives boarding card when details are found on computer system and seating and cabin class are confirmed.
n Takes seat on aircraft in usual way.
benefits
Agent: easier booking procedures; cost-saving on not having to produce paper ticket; still receives 9% commission.
Passenger: no need for paper ticket; no risk of losing ticket or having it stolen; faster check-in at airports.
Qualiflyer: cuts cost of producing paper ticket; easier to find passenger details; quicker staff check-in process at airports.