Tag: protocols (Page 1 of 2)

AirAsia Celebrates Travel Resumption to Phuket with Inaugural Flight

November 6, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

AirAsia celebrates its maiden flight from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket today under the Phuket Sandbox programme, signaling the resumption of international air travel to Thailand. The inaugural service utilising an Airbus A320 aircraft departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) at 1115 hrs today. Excited guests boarded flight AK0824, the first of two scheduled weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur.

Riad Asmat, AirAsia Malaysia CEO said, “Today marks the beginning of our renewed hope on the strong return of demand for air travel. We patiently waited and have extensively prepared to ensure all of our guests are accommodated safely, seamlessly and with peace of mind. As border restrictions are lifted, AirAsia guests are always assured of the stringent health and safety protocols enforced on all of our flights with our highly trained and fully vaccinated crew continuing to deliver the world’s best service during the pandemic.”

“We would also like to thank and congratulate the Thai government for initiating the Phuket Sandbox programme, and we look forward to mounting more flights to various destinations in Thailand soon.”

Fully vaccinated travellers from Malaysia who wish to travel under the Phuket Sandbox Program must meet the requirements set by the Thai Government and successfully receive the Certificate of Entry by applying on Thailand’s Certificate of Entry Registration System prior to purchasing their flights.

Guests can book their flights to Phuket from just RM50 one way and travel between 5 November 2021 and 30 March 2022 through the ‘Flights’ icon on the airasia Super App now. Apart from that, they can secure great value flights+hotel deals through the ‘SNAP’ icon on the Super App starting from just RM239 for travel within the same period. Those who prefer to book their hotels separately may check the ‘Hotels’ icon in the app and book hotels in Phuket provided by SHA Plus and can get an extra 10% off with the promo code AAHOTEL10.

AirAsia has spent the period of downtime in travel over the past 18 months to further improve and revamp its flight procedures and processes. In the highest interest of safety and wellbeing of all its guests and employees, only fully-vaccinated employees will operate flights and be on-duty at airport terminals. Furthermore, AirAsia assures the highest safety standards are in place as part of its robust Covid-19 mitigation plan including by accepting only fully-vaccinated guests onboard, making it mandatory to check-in via the airasia Super App, and rolled out FACES facial recognition boarding system that will make the entire journey fully digital and contactless.

Despite mostly not flying for a good part of the past 18 months, all AirAsia’s aircraft are properly maintained according to procedures set by the manufacturer. AirAsia has set up an in-house maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) unit called Asia Digital Engineering that provides services not only to AirAsia but also other airlines. Likewise, all its pilots and cabin crew are regularly trained for mandatory refresher courses and ongoing retraining so that they are always on top of their job.

For more information on AirAsia’s safety measures and travel SOPs, please read the latest travel advisory here.
Stay up to date witheverything e-commerce from the airasia super app by following @airasiasuperapp on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates on airasia super app’s e-commerce offerings!

AeroMexico Lands in Russia for the First Time

March 10, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Mexico City, March 10, 2021 – Cooperating with DHL Global Forwarding, Aeromexico managed to achieve its first flight in its history to Russia operating a cargo charter flight. The flight departed from Mexico City on March 8, with a stopover in Madrid, Spain. The flight continued on to Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia, landing on March 9. Following cargo loading, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft took off for the return flight to Mexico City, once again stopping over in the Spanish capital.

Aeromexico, in the last 12 months, has landed its Dreamliner aircraft at 20 new airports in 14 countries including: Belo Horizonte, Cabo Frio, Cali, Fortaleza, Frankfurt, Guatemala, Guayaquil, Hong Kong, Kingston, Moscow, Panama, Porto Alegre, Quito, Santo Domingo, San Jose, San Pedro Sula, San Salvador, Shenzhen, Winnipeg, and Wuhan.

Since the start of the pandemic, Aeromexico has transported more than 6,400 tons of cargo on 325 charter operations to ship medical supplies and other necessary goods to Mexico, as well as 16 countries. Aeromexico Cargo operates in more than 40 airports in Mexico, and several other destinations including the USA, Canada, Central America, South America, Asia, and Europe. The most common cargo carried includes medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, perishable goods, live animals, and high technology consumer and corporate items.

Amtrak Expands Carry-On Pet Program to Weekday Acela Trains

March 3, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON – Amtrak announced today the expansion of its pet program allowing customers to travel with their dogs and cats up to 20 pounds onboard weekday Acela trains for only $26 or 800 Amtrak Guest Rewards points. Previously available for only weekend trips, there will be eight pet spaces for sale per departure (one per customer) and are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.

Pets will be allowed in all cars, except for First Class or Café cars. Pets must remain in a carrier at all times and carriers should remain under their seat. Amtrak continues to welcome service animals on board at no charge. To confirm pet eligibility, all customers must read and sign a Pet Release and Indemnification Agreement for each travel segment.

This new amenity is part of several recent upgrades on the Acela, including the expansion of the Reserved Seating offering for Acela Business Class customers, which allows travelers to view and select their seats before traveling, including those available in the Quiet Car, and provide a snapshot of the overall of the train’s capacity. In addition, Amtrak has continues its enhanced cleaning protocols at stations and on trains and new measures to deliver a New Standard of Travel, including:

Requiring face coverings: Per federal law and Amtrak policy, all customers and employees must wear a face mask or covering that fully covers the entire mouth and nose, fits snugly against the side of the face, and secures under the chin at all times while onboard and in stations.
Air Quality: All of our trains are equipped with onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every 4-5 minutes.
Physical distancing: Signage has been displayed at our busiest stations to indicate safe distances in high traffic areas. In addition, protective plastic barriers have been installed at customer counters at our busiest stations.

More than 174,300 pets and their human companions have traveled around the country since the program launched on the Northeast Corridor in October 2015. The program has also generated more than $4.338 million in revenue since its inception. For more information visit Amtrak’s Pet policy

Buy One Get One Free with the Amtrak Loves You Sale

February 11, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON – At Amtrak, we want to show customers how much we love them by offering a Valentine’s Day Buy One Get One Free Sale. Thursday, February 11, through Tuesday, February 16, customers can purchase one ticket and bring a companion along for free for nationwide travel between February 22 and August 27, Customers can receive discounted tickets by using the code C214 at checkout or at amtrak.com/vdaysale.

Customers can skip the flowers and chocolates this year and take advantage of the Amtrak Loves You, limited-time offer to buy one ticket and get another one free for a future getaway, through August. Travel is available on select trains nationwide including the Auto Train, Northeast Regional, Acela, Southwest Chief, Empire Builder, California Zephyr and many other popular routes throughout the country. Two customers can make it a date and travel together for as low as:

Route	Fare	Cities	Fare
Chicago – Milwaukee	$25	New York – Chicago	$112
Oklahoma City – Fort Worth	$31	Lorton – Sanford	$115*
Albany – New York	$45	Los Angeles – Seattle	$126
New York – Philadelphia	Coach: $46 Acela: $81	Charlotte – New York	$126
Philadelphia – Washington, DC	Coach: $46 Acela: $92	Washington, DC – Atlanta	$132
New York – Providence	Coach: $50 Acela: $94	Philadelphia – Savannah	$140
Boston – New York	Coach: $58 Acela: $98	Washington, DC – New York	Coach: $74 Acela: $128
Fares will vary by train
*Plus the cost of your vehicle

Before traveling on Amtrak, customers should review state-specific travel advisories and restrictions that may be in place for various destinations. Once onboard, Amtrak customers can enjoy the freedom to use their phones and electronic devices (no “airplane mode”), large spacious seats with ample leg room, no middle seat and one of the most generous baggage policies in the travel industry.

Amtrak is leading the way by setting a new standard of travel with enhanced safety and cleaning measures. In an effort to simplify and safeguard the travel experience, several cleaning, contact-free and convenience measures have been implemented into every part of the customer journey, including:

Face Coverings: Per federal law and Amtrak policy, all customers and employees must wear a face mask or covering that fully covers the entire mouth and nose, fits snugly against the side of the face, and secures under the chin at all times while onboard and in stations. Neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas, face shields, and masks containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind do not qualify as acceptable face coverings. Face masks can be removed briefly while actively eating, drinking or taking medication. Children under 2 years old are not required to wear a face covering. Refusing to wear a mask is a violation of federal law; passengers may be subject to penalties under federal law, denied boarding, removed from the train and banned from future travel in the event of noncompliance.
Enhanced cleaning: Amtrak has enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols at stations and onboard our trains.
Air Quality: All trains are equipped with onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every 4-5 minutes.
Physical distancing: Signage has been displayed at our busiest stations to indicate safe distances in high traffic areas. In addition, protective plastic barriers have been installed at customer counters at our busiest stations.

This sale is valid for one free companion rail fare traveling on the same reservation as one full adult fare. Adults must travel together and be booked in the same reservation. Upgrades to Acela First Class, and non-Acela Business Class are valid upon payment of full accommodation charge. Upgrades to sleepers are not permitted. This offer is not combinable with any other discount offer. All prices will be automatically discounted from the standard fare when accessing this promotion at amtrak.com/vdaysale or by using the discount code (C214) when booking their trip. Other terms and conditions apply.

Air New Zealand Aircrew to Overnight in Honolulu, Hawaii

January 4, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

As part of ongoing efforts to reduce the COVID-19 risk to aircrew, Air New Zealand will re-route its North America flights to allow aircrew to overnight in Honolulu rather than Los Angeles or San Francisco.

From Monday 11 January, aircrew on all cargo flights between New Zealand and the United States will overnight in Honolulu. North America passenger services will be routed via Honolulu from 2 February.

The changes mean flights from New Zealand will make a brief stop in Honolulu to change crew before continuing onto Los Angeles or San Francisco. Aircrew operating into those ports will then remain airside and operate the return flight to Honolulu where there will be a further crew change to operate back to New Zealand.

Re-routing North American flights through Honolulu means aircrew can overnight in a lower risk destination while still maintaining vital connections into North America.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says operating in a pandemic means the airline is constantly assessing the risks to its people and operation.

“While it’s important to keep trade routes open and passenger services operating for our customers, looking after our people is our first priority.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has helped us to move so quickly in re-routing our flights, from officials in New Zealand and the United States, to our ground partners and our teams who have worked through the holiday break to make this happen.”

Air New Zealand has worked closely with the unions representing aircrew to progress these operational changes rapidly for the safety and wellbeing of those aircrew operating into high risk destinations.

The airline also continues to work closely with the Government and Ministry of Health officials on safe travel protocols to protect employees, customers and the community.

Air New Zealand currently operates eight cargo and two passenger and cargo services per week between New Zealand and Los Angeles in addition to four cargo services between New Zealand and San Francisco and one cargo service from Australia to North America. Customers will not be able to end their journey in Honolulu. The airline will be contacting cargo customers and passengers affected by the changes in flights directly.

Emirates to Operate A380 Flight to Bahrain for 49th National Day

December 13, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Emirates will operate a special one-off A380 service to Bahrain on 15 December, one day ahead of the country’s 49th National Day celebrations. The deployment is in response to high passenger demand during the National Day holidays in the Kingdom.

On 15 December, the Emirates A380 service will operate as EK 839 and EK 840, departing Dubai at 1605 and arriving in Bahrain at 1625hrs. The flight will then depart Bahrain at 1745hrs arriving in Dubai at 2000hrs.

Emirates customers arriving from Bahrain have the option to take a complimentary COVID-19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai, or do their COVID-19 PCR test 96 hours prior to departure, making it even more convenient for those planning their holidays.

Passengers coming from Bahrain, along with three other GCC countries do not need to take a COVID-19 PCR test prior to departure.

Emirates celebrated its 20^th anniversary to Bahrain this year, and since its first flight to the Kingdom has carried more than 6 million passengers between Bahrain and Dubai. The airline currently operates double daily flights to the Kingdom, connecting travellers to 99 global destinations, with safe and convenient onwards travel via Dubai to the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific.

Emirates has deployed the A380 on one-off missions to the Kingdom six times, including during busy Eid travel periods, on Bahrain’s National Day in 2017, and has also displayed the double-decker twice during the Bahrain airshow.

The airline recently reinstated its signature A380 experiences, including the Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa, introducing additional health and safety measures. In early November, Emirates also restored its signature dining service across all classes while observing strict hygiene protocols. Customers can now enjoy multi-course meals and choose from a complimentary selection of beverages. Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment, ice, continues to add new content every month, and currently boasts over 4,500 channels.

For more information to book a journey on this special one-off A380, travellers can visit www.emirates.com/bh , travel agents or contact the local Emirates Sales Office.

Emirates Re-Opening Worldwide Lounges Beginning With Cairo

November 28, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

**Throughout the day, lounge staff will sanitise each seat and table after customers leave. In addition, the lounge will be sanitised and fumigated regularly.**

Emirates is re-opening its lounges around the world, beginning with the Emirates lounge in Cairo International Airport. In the coming weeks, Emirates’ customers can look forward to once again enjoying Emirates lounge services in other destinations including New York’s JFK International and Manchester Airport.

The airline has redesigned its lounge offering and introduced additional health and safety measures. The new protocols will be rolled out in each lounge.

The buffet offering will be changed to an a la carte service with contactless menus activated by QR code. Throughout the day, lounge staff will sanitise each seat and table after customers leave. In addition, the lounge will be sanitised and fumigated regularly.

All employees working in the lounge will be wearing masks and social distancing protocols are in place throughout the lounge. Seating capacity will be halved as every other sofa seat is left unoccupied. To ensure food safety, catering staff will be wearing masks, gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE). Newspaper, magazines and other reading materials will not be available to minimise the risk of infection by touch.

The Emirates lounge in concourse B in Dubai International airport is also open with a redesigned service and designated First Class area. In the recent months, Emirates has been introducing services aimed at providing customers with a safe and seamless airport experience. The integrated biometric path at Dubai International airport is the latest in a host of initiatives by Emirates, allowing customers to go from check-in to boarding purely by facial recognition.

Emirates continues to gradually reinstate its signature services after rigorous review and careful redesign to ensure the health and safety of customers and employees.

On board, the celebrated A380 Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa have resumed operations, while Emirates’ onboard dining experience has returned to its signature service while observing strict hygiene protocols.

Emirates customers can travel with peace of mind with the airline’s flexible booking options and multi-risk travel insurance, including COVID-19 coverage on every flight. Emirates has also implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees.

Emirates is re-opening its lounges around the world beginning with the Emirates lounge in Cairo International Airport. The airline has redesigned its lounge offering and introduced additional health and safety measures. The new protocols will be rolled out in each lounge.

Emirates to Resume Flights to Stockholm on 1st of August

July 20, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Emirates will resume passenger services to Stockholm with weekly flights from 1 August, expanding its network in Europe to 22 cities, and connecting customers from Europe to the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa.

The restart of Stockholm flights means that all Emirates gateways in Scandinavia will have resumed services by August, with flights to Oslo resuming from 4 August and services to Copenhagen being in operation since June.

This will take the airline’s passenger network to 63 destinations in August, offering customers around the world more convenient connections to Dubai, and via Dubai.

Flights between Stockholm and Dubai will operate once a week on Saturdays. Emirates flight EK157 will depart Dubai at 08:40 and arrives in Stockholm at 13:10. The return flight EK 158 leaves Stockholm Arlanda Airport at 15:05 and arrives into Dubai International Airport at 23:20. All times are local.

The flights will be operated with the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents.

Dubai is open: Customers from across Emirates’ network can now to travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for business and leisure visitors with new air travel protocols that safeguard the health and safety of visitors and communities. For more information on entry requirements for international visitors to Dubai, visit: www.emirates.com/flytoDubai

Flexibility and assurance: With the gradual re-opening of borders over the summer, Emirates has revised its booking policies to offer customers more flexibility and confidence to plan their travel. Customers whose travel plans are disrupted by COVID-19 related flight or travel restrictions, can simply hold on to their ticket which will be valid for 24 months and rebook to fly at a later time; request travel vouchers to offset against future Emirates purchases, or request refunds via an online form on Emirates’ website or via their travel booking agent.

Health and safety first: Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes to all customers. For more information on these measures and the services available on each flight, visit: www.emirates.com/yoursafety

Travel restrictions: Customers are reminded that travel restrictions remain in place, and travellers will only be accepted on flights if they comply with the eligibility and entry criteria requirements of their destination countries. Visit: www.emirates.com/travelrestrictions

Dubai residents can check the latest travel requirements at: www.emirates.com/returntoDubai

Qantas to Give Final 747 Jumbo Jet a Farewell Fit for a Queen

July 9, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Qantas has announced a program of events to farewell its last remaining Boeing 747 and provide Australians the opportunity to say goodbye to the much loved “Queen of the Skies” ahead of its retirement from the national carrier’s fleet.

The airline will operate three one-hour “farewell jumbo joy flights” departing from Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane, in response to requests from employees and customers for one final chance to fly on the aircraft.

Qantas 747 Fleet Captain Owen Weaver said the 747 has a special place in the hearts of many Australians.

“The 747 has been a magnificent aircraft and it’s fitting that we celebrate the end of five decades of history-making moments for the national carrier and aviation in Australia,” Captain Weaver said.

“Since the first 747 joined the Qantas fleet in 1971, these aircraft have operated numerous rescue flights to bring Australians home during times of crisis and provided a safe passage for many travellers taking their first international flight to or from Australia.

“These three flights will offer the final opportunity to fly on the Qantas 747 before it leaves, with some of our frequent flyers and aviation enthusiasts as fond of the aircraft as we are, having spent thousands of hours onboard over the years.

“There is an enormous amount of nostalgia and affection associated with our 747 and for those who miss out on a seat on the flight, they will at least be able to catch a glimpse of the aircraft as it takes to Australian skies for the last time.”

The flights will go on sale at midday on Wednesday 8 July on Qantas.com and will operate on Monday 13 July (Sydney), Wednesday 15 July (Brisbane) and Friday 17 July (Canberra). Economy fares cost $400 and a small number of Business Class tickets will be available for $747 with additional extras included.

Seats will be limited to maximise passenger comfort (in line with other previously operated joy flights).

The flights will be operated on a cost-recovery basis and profits will be donated to the HARS Aviation Museum at Albion Park (Wollongong) and the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach to support their efforts to preserve and promote the 747 legacy for future generations. Both museums have a Qantas 747 on public display.

The final 747-400 in the fleet will depart Sydney at approximately 2pm on 22 July 2020 as flight QF7474.

Prior to its final departure on the 22nd July, Qantas will host a hangar farewell event for employees.

Note: The farewell jumbo jet joy flights will operate with Fly Well protocols in place.

Amtrak Downeaster, Boston, MA, BON, Amtrak Conductor The Downeaster is a 145-mile regional passenger train service, managed by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, and operated by Amtrak.

Amtrak Downeaster Resumes Limited Service June 15

June 13, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

PORTLAND, MAINE – The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) announced yesterday that the Amtrak Downeaster will begin Phase 1 of Service Restoration beginning June 15, 2020. Service will resume with one round trip on weekdays only between Brunswick, ME and Boston, MA: southbound Train 680 and northbound Train 685. Downeaster service has been suspended since April 13, 2020.

A number of protocols and procedures have been implemented to protect the health and safety of passengers and crews.

Highlights of Phase 1 Service Restoration Plan:

Amtrak has implemented new cleaning and disinfecting protocols nationwide, and train equipment used in Downeaster service will undergo enhanced cleaning before and after each trip.
Crews and passengers will be required to wear face covering while boarding and moving about the train
The number of passengers per train will be limited to no more than 50% of available seating capacity so riders are able to adhere to physical distancing guidelines.
Advance reservations are required and cash sales will not be accepted.
Station facilities will not be open; passengers should go directly to the outdoor platform to wait for their train.
Café service will not be available, however complimentary water will be available upon request.
Stations are being updated with signage and other enhancements to promote public health and physical distancing.

While NNEPRA expects Downeaster increase service throughout the summer months, no date has been set for subsequent phases. The NNEPRA Board of Directors plans to meet later this month to evaluate the potential for adding more daily trips.

Pan Am Railways has expedited a series of track improvement and maintenance projects along the Downeaster corridor to take place this spring to avoid construction-related service interruptions later in the year. The schedule for Train 680 has been modified slightly to adjust for construction-related delays. Passengers on travelling on Train 685 to stations north of Haverhill should expect delays of approximately 15 minutes.

Complete information about the steps Amtrak is taking to protect the health and safety of their passengers and crews is available at Amtrak.com

For additional Amtrak Downeaster information visit: AmtrakDowneaster.com

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