Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “The travel and airline industry have complicated rulebooks for how fares, re-bookings or refunds are applied, which also differ depending on market regulation. We understand that explaining and unravelling all of that is confusing and frustrating for customers. The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented for everyone, and we’d like to thank our customers and trade partners for their patience, understanding and support as we worked through this period to ensure our policies are not only customer-friendly but also in line with regulatory requirements.

“We sincerely hope that our customers will choose to rebook and fly with us again at a later time, and that is why we’re offering up to two years validity on their current tickets, or travel vouchers which can be redeemed for any Emirates product or service. Any fees for making a change to the tickets will be waived for tickets issued till 31 May 2020 for travel up to 31 August 2020. However, if they would still like to opt for a refund, we will process that. We would just like to seek our customers’ understanding that refunds will take time as we have a significant backlog to manage.”

Emirates is offering three options to its customers affected by flight cancellations and travel restrictions:

1 – Keep your ticket: all Emirates tickets booked before 31 May for travel up to 31 August will be automatically extended for 760 days. Customers holding such tickets can be assured their tickets will be honoured, and they can rebook when they decide to travel.

Whenever they are ready to travel again, within two years from the day their ticket was originally issued, they simply need to contact Emirates or their travel agents to reschedule their flight. Their ticket will be accepted for any flight to the same Emirates destination or to another city within the same Emirates region with no fees for changes. Those who wish to rebook their ticket to travel to another region can also do so – Emirates will not charge reissuance fees, only any applicable fare difference.

2 – Request a travel voucher: Travel vouchers are valid for one year from date the voucher was issued, and can be extended for a second year. The voucher can be used for any Emirates product or service, which means customers can use it to offset charges for flights to any destination in any cabin class, or other services. No change fees apply to this voucher, so customers will have more flexibility to reschedule when they are ready to travel again.

3 – Refunds: Customers who have opted to keep their ticket or opted for a travel voucher can still apply for a refund, if they are unable to travel. There will be no refund penalties.

Emirates has also made it easy for customers to request these options online through a simple form.

For more information, or to apply for any of the above options, customers can visit emirates.com. Customers who have booked through their travel agents should contact their agents for assistance – the same waiver policies will apply.

Emirates’ flight to Penang will be a linked service with Singapore, allowing passengers to travel easily between the two cities.

Penang will become Emirates’ second destination in Malaysia after its capital, Kuala Lumpur, which the airline currently serves with three flights a day and is a route that has been operating since 1996. The flight will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration, offering eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class.

The new route enables travellers from the Northern cities of Malaysia to enjoy convenient onward connections from Dubai to destinations in Europe, North America and the Middle East. The flights will operate with timings as follows (all times are local):

Located on the North-western coast of Malaysia, the state comprises a mainland portion as well as an island, connected by Malaysia’s two longest roadbridges. Penang is the country’s second largest populated city and is known for its rich heritage and architecture, vibrant multicultural society, modern entertainment and retail options, cuisine as well as the natural beauty of its beaches and hills. The city is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a variety of tourist attractions. Besides its appeal to tourists, Penang is also considered to be an economic powerhouse in Malaysia, being an important trade and industrial city and attracting business travellers from around the globe.

“Penang is a major centre for tourism, business travel, as well as medical tourism and the increased levels of inbound travel is consistent with the growth in numbers of visitors to the country. We have been serving Malaysia through our flights to Kuala Lumpur for more than 20 years, with three-times daily service, and the introduction of flights to Penang will help us meet growing demand from leisure and business travellers, both to and from Malaysia. We are also pleased that the fifth freedom flights between Penang and Singapore will connect two sister cities and increase connectivity for passengers in South East Asia,” said Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates.

Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean said: “Since our announcement of Emirates’ planned fourth daily service to Dhaka, we’ve experienced healthy forward bookings and seen a significant uptake in demand for the service. It is a sign of the country’s strong economic growth, its allure as a trade and business partner globally, and Bangladeshi travellers’ desire to explore the world. All these factors have inspired us to bring forward our launch to 29 March 2020. The new service will benefit customers with a more varied and flexible schedule, as well as smooth and seamless connectivity to Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East.”

The new service will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER in a two-class configuration, featuring 42 Business Class and 310 Economy Class seats. This will add 280 tonnes of cargo capacity each way, every week. Emirates SkyCargo currently offers more than 800 tonnes of cargo capacity every week.

Flight EK588 will depart Dubai at 10:30pm and arrive in Dhaka at 5:20am next day. The return flight EK589 will depart Dhaka at 8am and arrive in Dubai at 11am. The service has been carefully timed to create convenient connections to several popular cities, including London, Rome, Frankfurt, Porto, New York, Washington, D.C., Mexico City, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Emirates is renowned for its outstanding inflight services. Customers are regaled with more than 4,500 channels on the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system – ice – that includes the latest Bangladeshi movies, TV programmes, music, live TV, podcast, audio books and games. Children are entertained with kids’ movies, cartoons, games, complimentary toys, and served kids’ meals. Families can take advantage of priority boarding, and use strollers for free at Dubai International airport.

Customers can look forward to the award-winning hospitality from Emirates’ cabin crew, while enjoying both regionally inspired and international cuisine, as well as complimentary beverages. Emirates has a generous baggage allowance of up to 35kgs in Economy Class and 40kgs in Business Class. The airline also offers 20MB complimentary Wi-Fi in all cabin classes.

Emirates has gradually grown its services to Dhaka over the years – from two weekly services in 1986 to three daily services in 2013 to keep up with customer demand. During the last 33 years, the airline has flown over 9.9 million passengers between Dubai and Dhaka.

With a single ticket, Emirates’ passengers can now seamlessly connect via Mexico City onto Interjet flights to Leon/Guanajuato, Culiacan, Cancun, Chihuahua, Guadalajara, Merida, Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta, Tampico, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Tijuana and Villahermosa. Similarly, Interjet’s customers will be able to travel with great ease to Emirates’ destinations within the Middle East, Spain, South East Asia, the Far East and North Africa.

Emirates’ partnership with Interjet started in April 2019 with a one-way Interline agreement, allowing passengers from Emirates’ 12 US gateways to travel to Mexico City on Interjet flights. With the expanded partnership agreement, Emirates’ passengers can now tap into Interjet’s strong domestic presence in Mexico and access 12 destinations beyond Mexico City. The enhanced agreement with Interjet Airlines also provides Emirates’ customers choice of over 15 regional international destinations beyond Mexico City.

“Since our initial interline agreement in April 2019, Interjet’s relationship with Emirates has truly been a success,” said Julio Gamero, Interjet’s Chief Commercial Officer. “This enhanced agreement provides travellers from both airlines access to a broader network not only with more flight choices, but for Emirates customers, access to more of Mexico with our many domestic connections from Mexico City. When you combine this with seamless reservations, one-stop check-in with baggage checked to the final destination, more legroom between seats and Interjet’s outstanding onboard service, it’s easy to see why this agreement is a win-win for both airlines,” he added.

Starting 9 December 2019, Emirates will launch its new daily service from Dubai (DXB) to Mexico City International Airport (MEX), via the Spanish city of Barcelona (BCN). Interjet customers can start booking their trips through Emirates’ website, Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) or travel agents, benefiting from the convenience of holding a single ticket with a single baggage policy.

However, the ban by the Dubai-based carriers goes even further than some airlines by banning the laptops from being carried onboard entirely unless their batteries have been replaced.

Apple previously issued a recall of 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops that were sold between September 2015 and February 2017 over concerns the batteries could overheat and start a fire.

According to Apple, the laptops are perfectly safe once the batteries are replaced with new ones – which the company has said it will do for free.

In an announcement posted to its website, Dubai-based Emirates said it has banned the recalled MacBooks entirely unless it can be proven their defective batteries have been replaced with new, safer ones.

“Therefore, as a safety precaution, travellers will not be permitted to carry these MacBook Pro models as checked or carry-on baggage on Emirates flights unless the battery has been replaced,” reads the notice in part.

A similar notice was posted by flydubai on September 8. Like Emirates, the carrier has forbidden recalled MacBook Pros from being taken on planes unless the battery has been replaced.

Emirates and flydubai’s decision follows numerous other airlines restricting or banning the laptops. Abu-Dhabi based Etihad Airways and Oman Air have banned the MacBooks from coming aboard flights as checked luggage. However, the MacBook Pros may still be brought on-board as carry-on luggage provided they remain off for the duration of the flight.

Qantas has stated the recalled MacBooks must be carried in the cabin and remain off, while Virgin Australia has banned Apple laptops from checked-in luggage entirely. Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways have also banned the recalled laptops from being taken aboard.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) previously said in a statement that it was “aware of the recalled batteries that are used in some Apple MacBook Pro laptops,” adding that major US airlines had been alerted.

In Europe, the EU Aviation Safety Agency has also warned airlines about flying with the same MacBook Pro models on board.

Source: GulfBusiness.com

Economy Class passengers can enjoy fares starting from AED 4,895 and Business Class passengers can enjoy fares starting from AED 19,995. The offer is valid for bookings made starting today until 8 December for travel between 9 December until 31^st August 2020.

Mexico City is the airline’s fifth destination in Central and South America and a popular route for leisure and business travellers alike. The city is known for its culture, history and exquisite culinary scene. Its famous historic centre – Zocalo – is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-see landmark. Mexico City is also an important trade and industrial city – focusing on automotive, medical supplies and pharmaceutical industries.

The new daily service will be operated by a two-class Emirates Boeing 777-200LR. Emirates flight EK 255 will depart Dubai at 03:30 local time, arriving in Barcelona at 08:00 before departing again at 09:55 and arriving into Mexico City at 16:15 on the same day. The return flight EK256 will depart Mexico City at 19:40 local time, arriving in Barcelona the next day at 13:25. EK256 will depart once again from Barcelona at 15:10 bound for Dubai where it will arrive at 00:45 the following day.

Travellers can also book with Emirates Holidays and enjoy a fantastic holiday experience including a 5-night hotel stay with breakfast starting at AED 6,899 per person, including airfare.*

Customers who book their Emirates flight to Mexico City can earn double Skyward Miles or use Cash+Miles to fly for less and save from AED 75 on their trip. The Skywards offer is valid on tickets booked from 1^st August until 8^th December 2019 for travel between 9 December 2019 and 31 March 2020.

Emirates passengers across all cabins will enjoy over 4,500 channels of movies, TV shows and programmes on ice – the airline’s award-winning in-flight entertainment system, regionally inspired meals, and up to 20 MB of complimentary Wi-Fi to stay connected with friends and family during the flight. Customers on-board will also enjoy complimentary beverages.

For more information, including how to book flights and a complete list of terms and conditions, visit www.emirates.ae, travel agent or through the local Emirates Sales Office. Terms & conditions apply.

“The past 10 years have been both rewarding and fulfilling – we have seen our Durban route steadily grow both in passenger and cargo figures and contribute to our overall success in South Africa. We have worked hard to deliver a world-class product while celebrating the many cultures we connect; and Durbanites can look forward to local favourites included in our menu, a film from the city on ice, or meeting someone from ‘home’ amongst our diverse cabin crew. I feel proud to be part of a team that has brought these memorable travel experiences to life, not only for Durban locals but for all South Africans,” said Fouad Caunhye, Regional Manager of Emirates Southern Africa.

From its busy port facilitating global trade to its vibrant culture and distinctive landscape, the city has become a hub for trade and tourism over the past decade. The diverse KwaZulu-Natal city has also seen a growing demand for travel in and out of its borders. Year on year, travellers using King Shaka International Airport have steadily increased, particularly international travellers. The top destinations for travel into Durban across Emirates’ network include UAE, UK, USA, India and Germany.

Emirates staff have seen the airline grow over the past decade. “Emirates is very close to my heart. I am proud to be part of our phenomenal journey, from that very first flight to where we are now and the affection we enjoy in Durban,” said Jeenesha Baichan, Emirates Airport Services Manager, Durban.

“Being part of the Durban start-up operation and watching it grow from infancy to the successful daily operation it is today, has definitely been a career highlight for me. It is an incredible feeling and the result of the hard work and dedication of our team,” said Robyn Stander, Emirates Sales Manager, Durban.

According to KwaZulu-Natal Province’s Leader of Government Business, and MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs – Nomusa Dube-Ncube, over the years Emirates has been a reliable partner.

“We will continue to work with the airline to position this province as a destination for tourists and for those who want to do business. We are looking forward to another ten years of increase in the number of visitors to KZN.”

Earlier this year, Emirates introduced its award-winning First Class travel experience to the coastal city during a seasonal increase of four additional flights a week between 14 June and 04 August 2019, allowing travellers to enjoy the luxury product offering that the airline is known for. The airline also introduced chef-prepared, Indian-inspired meals, such as the Durban classic Lamb Bunny Chow and Tandoori Prawns with spiced pineapple and curry mayonnaise, bringing local flavours onboard.

Emirates SkyCargo also remains a key enabler in facilitating global trade and export in South Africa by carrying over 38,000 tons of cargo to and from Durban over the last five years, with the majority being automotive and shipping components and perishables. Top Emirates destinations that Durban locals travel to include London, Mumbai, Delhi, Phuket, Bangkok, China and Amsterdam.

Emirates was recently awarded Best International Airline in the Business category and came in second place as the Overall Favourite Brand in the business category, a Grand Prix award, at the 2019 Sunday Times Top Brands Awards.

The Emirates A380 service will operate as EK 927 and EK 928, departing Dubai at 08:15hrs and arriving in Cairo at 10:00hrs. The flight will depart Cairo at 13:15hrs arriving in Dubai at 18:45hrs on the same day. All timings are local.

The Emirates A380 operating to Cairo is set in a three-class configuration, and will have 426 seats in Economy Class on the lower deck, 76 flat-bed Business Class seats and 14 luxurious First Class Suites. First Class passengers can relax and revitalise in one of the two A380 Shower Spas, and First and Business Class passengers are welcome in the Onboard Lounge to enjoy an extensive range of beverages and delicacies.

Passengers in all classes can enjoy complimentary meals and beverages, Wi-Fi, hospitality and service from multi-national cabin crew and Emirates’ award winning ‘ice’ with up to 4,500 channels of movies, TV programs, music and podcasts. Premium customers, and Platinum and Gold Skywards members can additionally enjoy the dedicated Emirates Lounge in Cairo airport which opened in 2018. Popular destinations on the Emirates network for Egyptian travellers include cities in the Asia, the Americas and Australia such as Beijing, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Sydney, Shanghai, New Delhi, Mumbai, New York and Washington DC.

Emirates started operations to Cairo in April 1986 with three flights a week and since then, has carried more than 7.3 million passengers to and from Cairo. Operations have steadily grown with increases in both frequency and capacity between Cairo and Dubai to match customer demand. Today, Emirates operates 21 weekly flights between Cairo and Dubai. Earlier this year, Emirates announced it will increase the frequency of flights between Dubai and Cairo, adding four additional flights a week to its existing thrice-daily service, starting 28 October 2019, taking the total number of weekly Emirates flights serving Cairo to 25. Globally, the airline employs more than 2,000 Egyptian nationals in a variety of roles across the Emirates Group, including over 1,000 cabin crew.

The Emirates A380 has become one of the most recognised and admired aircraft in the world, and more than 115 million passengers have experienced the airline’s flagship since 2008. Emirates currently has 112 A380s in service and 11 pending delivery, and is set to receive 6 A380s this financial year.

Emirates is joining up with Emaar and enhancing its presence at The Dubai Mall to connect to a broad local and international audience through interactive brand experiences like the Emirates A380 Simulator and KidZania, and new Emirates Official Store retail experiences across different visitor touchpoints and shopping environments. Ultimately, the larger goal is to excite visitors across all ages by delivering a memorable, tangible piece of Emirates and tell the brand story through unique experiences and innovative travel products.

The Emirates A380 Experience, the region’s only public A380 flight simulator has now been relocated to the second floor of The Dubai Mall, adjacent to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. Aviation enthusiasts, amateurs testing their flying abilities and those curious about the full experience of flying an A380, can take command of the cockpit for take-off, cruising and landing at thousands of international airports, including every airport in Emirates’ global network. Aspiring aviators can also select their preferred weather and environment conditions as they take flight. More experienced aviators looking for trickier descents can choose from airports ranked for being situated on rugged terrain and unusual altitudes like Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport, St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport, Innsbruck Airport in Austria and Madeira International Airport Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal.

A qualified instructor will be on hand to guide customers through the full experience. A variety of packages are available, starting from 15 minute sessions all the way to 45 minute experiences. The simulator’s large, open cockpit allows family and friends to be involved in the full experience with a clear view of flight deck activities through the high definition screens. Tickets can be purchased online at Emirates A380 Experience and Skywards members can benefit from further discounts.

Emirates will again sponsor KidZania to bring more educational role-play opportunities in aviation for children. Customers entering the kids’ edutainment venue over the coming months can expect to ‘check-in’ at the main Emirates branded counters, receive their boarding passes, enter an aircraft fuselage, and role play as pilots, cabin crew and aircraft engineers while inside.

Shoppers at The Dubai Mall will soon also be able to find Emirates Official Store products at multiple locations popular with visitors looking to discover the Mall’s iconic attractions. Families coming to KidZania will be able to shop Emirates Official Store products at the venue’s entrance, with a range of kids and toddlers Arsenal and Real Madrid kits, cabin crew uniforms and wooden airport sets. Visitors making their way to Burj Khalifa’s observatory deck will also be able to soon shop a large assortment of Emirates Official Store’s most popular products at the lower ground level’s ‘At the Top’ retail outlet. Emirates scratch maps, polo shirts, caps, mementos like keychains and magnets as well as the Urban Travellers travel product range are just some of the unique products on offer. Additionally, Emirates’ best-selling A380 aircraft model in the Expo Dubai 2020 livery will also be available for purchase.

The store at the Dubai Mall Aquarium & Underwater Zoo will also feature a bespoke collection of Emirates Official Store children’s products such as pilot and cabin crew rag dolls, airport themed jigsaw puzzles and wooden airport toy sets.

Emirates branding will also be featured across all Reel Cinemas lobbies in Dubai, in addition to cinema screen advertising.

Emirates’ Mexico City flight will be a linked service with Barcelona, meaning that customers can now travel between the two cities.  Citizens from Mexico, Spain and the UAE only need their passports to enjoy visa-free travel to each respective country.  

The new route will be operated with a two-class Emirates Boeing 777-200LR which offers 38 Business Class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration and 264 seats in Economy Class. The new 777 flight will also offer up to 14 tonnes of cargo, opening up access to more global markets for Mexican exports such as avocados, berries, mangoes, automotive parts and medical supplies.  Emirates SkyCargo has been flying freighters to/from Mexico City since 2014 already and in the last year carried over 22,500 tons of cargo on the route.

Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline said: “We are excited to be able to introduce new air connectivity between Dubai and Mexico. The availability of high-quality, daily international air services is essential for the development of tourism, business and cultural ties. Trade, especially in high-value and time-sensitive products, will be facilitated by the ample cargo capacity on Emirates’ Boeing 777 aircraft. We also expect tourism to receive a major boost from the daily flights on our newly-refurbished Boeing 777-200LR.”

Sir Tim added: “Due to the high altitude of Mexico City airport, it is not possible to operate a non-stop flight from Dubai, and Barcelona was a natural choice for a stopover. We are pleased to offer a direct connection on the route between the Spanish city and Mexico City that has long been neglected by other airlines and remains underserved despite the strong customer demand. We would like to thank the authorities and our partners in both Spain and Mexico for their support of the new route and look forward to provide our unique product and award-winning service to travellers.”

“Mexico supports the launch of the long-awaited flight Dubai-Barcelona-Mexico City, which responds to Mexico’s Government tourism policy towards opening new markets and strengthening connectivity between the Middle East and Mexico. We are eager to receive tourists from this part of the

Passengers flying with Emirates can book a Dubai Stopover package which will allow them to stay in Dubai for a few days on their way to/from one of over 140 destinations. Dubai offers everything from desert outings to beaches to family-friendly hotels, and even ski slopes at the Mall of the Emirates. Having become the fourth-most-visited city in the world, Dubai is known for its eclectic mix of offerings, from futuristic architecture to vibrant traditional culture and diversity. Passengers on the route can also decide to stop over in Barcelona on their way to/from Mexico or Dubai.

Emirates flight EK 255 will depart Dubai at 03:30 local time, arriving in Barcelona at 08:00 before departing again at 09:55 and arriving into Mexico City at 16:15 on the same day. The return flight EK256 will depart Mexico City at 19:40 local time, arriving in Barcelona the next day at 13:25. EK256 will depart once again from Barcelona at 15:10 bound for Dubai where it will arrive at 00:45 the following day, facilitating convenient onward connections to numerous destinations in India, South East Asia and the Middle East.

Passengers in all cabin classes can enjoy the friendly service from Emirates’ international cabin crew, meals prepared by gourmet chefs, and over 4,000 channels of movies, TV programs, music and podcasts, including channels in Spanish, on its award-winning ice entertainment system.