| |
| News |
 |
OAG Announces 2009 Airline Industry Awards
OAG (www.oagcorporate.com) is proud to announce the winners of the 2009 OAG Airline Industry Awards. Known as the "Oscars of the Airline Industry," 2009 marks the 27th anniversary of the awards, which are significant and valued in the airline industry because the awards are voted for by frequent flyers around the globe. The OAG Airline Industry Awards demonstrate OAG's commitment to the airline industry by recognizing excellence in air travel.
Winners of the 2009 OAG Airline Industry Awards include:
OAG Airline of the Year 2009
Winner: Singapore Airlines
Finalists: British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic
Best Airline based in Africa
Winner: South African Airways
Finalists: Egyptair, Ethiopian Airways, Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc
Best Airline based in Asia
Winner: Singapore Airlines
Finalists: Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malaysian Airlines, Thai Airways
Best Airline based in Australasia/Pacific
Winner: Qantas
Finalists: Air New Zealand, Air Pacific, Jetstar, Virgin Blue
Best Airline based in Central/Eastern Europe
Winner: CSA Czech Airlines
Highly Commended: LOT Polish Airlines
Finalists: Aeroflot Russian Airlines,, MALEV Hungarian Airlines,TAROM Romanian Air Transport
Best Airline based in Central/South America & Caribbean
Winner: LAN Airlines
Finalists: Avianca, Copa Airlines, Mexicana, TAM Brazilian Airlines
Best Airline based in the Middle East/Indian Sub-Continent
Winner: Emirates
Finalists: EL AL, Etihad, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways
Best Airline based in North America
Winner: Continental Airlines
Finalists: Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines
Best Airline based in Western Europe
Winner: Virgin Atlantic
Finalists: Air France, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa
Best Europe to Asia/Australasia Airline
Winner: Singapore Airlines
Finalists: British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qantas
Best Transatlantic Airline
Winner: Virgin Atlantic
Finalists: British Airways, Continental Airlines, Lufthansa, United Airlines
Best Transpacific Airline
Winner: Singapore Airlines
Finalists: Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, United Airlines
Best Low Cost/No Frills Airline
Winner: Southwest Airlines
Finalists: easyJet, jetBlue, Virgin America, Virgin Blue
Best Economy/Coach Class
Winner: British Airways
Finalists: American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines
Best Executive/Business Class
Winner: Continental Airlines
Finalists: British Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
Best International First Class
Winner: Singapore Airlines
Finalists: American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates
Best Airport
Winner: Singapore Changi
Highly Commended: Heathrow
Finalists: Amsterdam Schiphol, Dubai International, Kuala Lumpur International
"We are proud to distribute the 2009 OAG Airline Industry Awards to airlines and airports who work hard every day to give travelers the best flying experience possible," said Peter von Moltke, CEO of UBM Aviation.
Winners are chosen by asking frequent flyers to consider which airlines they have flown in the past 12 months in each of the award categories and rank their top three airlines for each category. All votes were cast online. The results were calculated using a ratio of "mentions to best," taking into account how many times an airline was voted 1st, 2nd or 3rd by each traveler. All votes were analyzed by OAG to ensure that they were placed in the correct category and to guarantee that all airlines and airports, irrespective of size, competed on a level playing field.
|
Traffic Jam At Airport
A spectacular sight, Emirates Terminal 3 runway took centre-stage as Emirates aircraft lined up in preparation for their departure. In quick succession each aircraft taxied down the runway before taking off to one of the 101 destinations that Emirates now serves.
DUBAI, U.A.E. 19th November 2009 - A logistical accomplishment, Emirates successfully coordinated the departure of 16 aircraft within 16 minutes each day of the 2009 Dubai Airshow this week.
Working within a 30 minute window, due to the 2009 Dubai Airshow daily flight display, Emirates worked quickly and efficiently to ensure the on-time departure of its many passengers.
The culmination of months of planning, involving numerous departments within Emirates, ensured all flights departed safely and without delay.
Mohammed Mattar, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Airport Services noted:
“On average we have 150 Emirates flights departing through Emirates Terminal 3 each day, so coordinating 16 of these within 16 minutes required an intense level of planning. It would not have been possible without the support of Dubai Airports Company as well as the Dubai Police and Immigration departments, and we are grateful for their commitment to making this happen.”
“The fact that we have achieved this without significant disruptions to our passengers is testament to Emirates’ world leading logistical expertise. In addition we are fortunate enough to have our own dedicated terminal which affords an added level of flexibility when coordinating the movements of our passengers.”
On average 310 flights depart and land at Emirates Terminal 3 each day.
|
Airport Self-Service Check-In Now A ‘Global Trend’
The majority of the world’s leading airports (80%) aim to make passenger self-service the primary channel for check-in, according to a new global survey. More than half (52%) rated the introduction of “electronic documents” as the technology which will have the most significant impact at airports in the near future.
This will initially be driven by the adoption of bar-coded boarding passes sent directly to mobile phones – a key enabler for paperless travel.
The SITA Airport IT Trends survey, unveiled at the Airports Council International worldconference in Kuala Lumpur, also found that IT budgets for airports in 2008 were largely unaffected by the global economic downturn.
IT investments as a percentage of revenue decreased slightly from 3.5% in 2007 to 3.2% in 2008.
The world airport IT industry is estimated to be worth $3 billion and 45% of this year’s survey respondents expect an increase in budget in 2010 while only 14% expect a lower budget.
The sixth annual survey had a record 106 responses from airports and airport groups representing 172 airports from around the world including 56 from the Top 100 in terms of revenue and passengers.
SITA vice president for airports Catherine Mayer said: “This year’s survey confirms that self-service is a global trend with almost 80% of respondents planning to make it the primary means for check-in by 2010 as is already the case at 40% of the world’s top 100 airports.
“Airports are also recognising that passengers bypassing check-in counters may be faced with new bottlenecks and queues at baggage drop-off and security screening areas.
“As a result, airports are turning to various automation tools to track wait times at different checkpoints such as security and immigration.
“Of the respondents who said they will monitor wait times in the future, 60% will use video analytics, 43% will use RFID and 27% plan to use Bluetooth technology.”
The high priorities for airport IT investments are:
*Passenger Processing & Services” (61%);
*Passenger Security (56%); and
*Airport Operations” (51%).
Baggage processing and management also remain among the highest ranked investment areas for the Top 100 airports (51%) but is a lower priority for less congested, smaller airports.
Fifty two per cent of airports rated the use of “electronic documents” as the technology with the most significant impact on IT & telecom systems at an airport.
Initially this will be driven by the introduction of initiatives such as paperless travel and bar-coded boarding passes (BCBP), but is likely to affect other areas such as aircraft maintenance too.
Half of all airports believe providing solutions on mobile devices for passengers or staff at airports will have the highest impact on their IT infrastructure.
More than 60% of airports already have check-in kiosks which will further increase to 90% by 2012.
When asked about their strategy for kiosk usage, most airports plan to increase the number of kiosks further, whether for check-in (44%) or for new functionality (9%) such as passport scanning (from 32% today to 58% by 2012) and bag-tag printing (from 17% today to 51% by 2012).
New usage areas receiving the highest interest are:
*Common bag-drop locations - 12% today to 48% by 2012;
*Automated boarding gates - 8 % today to 42% by 2012;
*Self-service kiosk for passenger transfer services, - 11% today to 39 % by 2012;
*Self service kiosk to report lost baggage - 5% today to 36% by 2012.
|
Aloft Hotel Abu Dhabi Now Open
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and its new destination sensation brand, Aloft Hotels, recently announced the opening of Aloft Abu Dhabi, the first Aloft to open in the Middle East and the second Aloft to open outside of North America.
Ten years after Starwood Hotels & Resorts shook up the hotel industry with the launch of W Hotels, the innovative hotel giant has again reinvented hotel design with the debut of its newest brand, Aloft Hotels. Featuring loft-like guest rooms, a buzzing bar scene in the open lobby, an urban-inspired grab-and go cafe and industrial design elements throughout, Aloft delivers urban-influenced, modern and vibrant design and an energetic guest experience at an affordable price point.
The debut of Aloft Abu Dhabi highlights the strategic international expansion of the Aloft brand. After opening its first hotel in June 2008 in Canada, Aloft has since grown to nearly 40 hotels strong in three countries – the United States, China and Canada – with the United Arab Emirates marking its fourth. And looking ahead to 2010, Aloft will continue its global growth with slated debut openings in Belgium, India and Thailand. Aloft Abu Dhabi is also the first of two Aloft hotels coming to the Middle East in the next two years, with the Aloft Riyadh scheduled for a 2011 opening.
Aloft Abu Dhabi introduces style at a steal to the region with 408 spacious, loft-like rooms, accessible technology and a vibrant, social atmosphere. A Vision of W Hotels, Aloft’s loft-inspired design, accessible technology and a stylish urban attitude arrives on the scene in the Middle East. Aloft offers atmospheric public spaces where guests can mix and mingle, read the paper, work on laptops, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends at the re:mixSM communal lobby area and w xyzSM bar. The re:chargeSM fitness center and splash pool give travelers options to de-stress and re-energize, or enjoy a meal at Dine, the hotel’s main restaurant with live-cooked international-style cuisine. Feel the buzz of our open kitchen and boost your energy at Dine. re:fuel by Aloft is a one-stop, 24-hour grab & go food and beverage area, offering sweet, savory and healthy food, snacks and beverages. Or visit relax@12, an indoor/outdoor lounge where guests can find oriental bites, yummy tapas and a sassy sushi selection. The re:charge fitness centre and splash, the outdoor pool, give guests options to de-stress and re-energize. Mai Cafe, the ultimate chill-out spot on the fifth floor, offers exciting international flavours, oversized beach chairs and unique custom cocktails, complimented by our eclectic mix of laid-back tunes and sunny grooves.
“We are thrilled to introduce Aloft to Abu Dhabi, a fitting choice for the brand’s debut in the Middle East,” said Brian McGuinness, Starwood’s Senior Vice President and Global Brand Leader, Specialty Select Brands. “The hotel’s strategic location in the hub of the capital city makes a bold statement about how the brand is taking its innovative, fresh perspective on hotels to the most desirable locations around the world.”
First time visitors to Aloft will immediately understand that Aloft is different from any other hotel experience. Guests are greeted by special features and visually distinctive iconic structures on the exterior, including a colorful, sloping signature carport cover and building roof-line, and colorful glowing linear light sources on the building facade inspired by the notion of travel and motion.
Aloft guest rooms feature the brand’s signature ceilings of nearly three meters high, oversized windows and an ultra-comfortable bed, as well as roomy walk-in showers and bath amenities created by Bliss Spa. Each Aloft room is equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access and a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry all linked to a 42” flat-panel, HDTV-ready television making it a combination high-tech office and entertainment center in one.
The new hotel is linked directly to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition, Centre (ADNEC), the Gulf’s largest exhibition centre which is at the heart of the Capital Centre district, a micro-city consisting of premium office towers, luxury hotels and residences, restaurants, shopping and a marina. The hotel will even provide guests direct access to the soon-to-open Re:lax@12 rooftop bar, Mai Restaurant & Bar and Dine Restaurant – all located on site. Ideally positioned right next to the Capital Centre district, Aloft Abu Dhabi is close to numerous embassies and corporate offices, 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi and 15 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport.
|
|
|
 
|
|