Jetsettersblog

JUMEIRAH GIVES UAE RESIDENTSREASON TO CELEBRATE

To mark the 37th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates, Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, will join in the national celebrations and acknowledge the spirit of the UAE and its residents by launching a special rate.

The rate will offer UAE citizens and residence visa holders 15% off the best available room rate. The rate will be available starting December 2nd to UAE citizens and residence visa holders in any Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts in the United Arab Emirates.

Reservations can only be made by calling the Jumeirah central reservation toll free number on 800 58634724

.This offer is valid until April 17th 2009.

Guests will be asked to present a UAE passport or passport with a valid UAE residence visa upon check in.

Key Tours is offering its 10-day Treasures of Egypt from $1,139 and its nine-day Highlights of Israel from $1,045. The 10-day Treasures of Egypt includes visits to Cairo, the Pyramids, Sphinx and Egyptian Museum of Antiquities; a cruise of the Nile with visits to Temples of Luxor and Karnak, Valley of the Kings and other ancient cities on the Nile like Edfu, Kom Ombu and Aswan. The price includes four nights in Cairo Superior First Class hotel with breakfast daily, four nights on Deluxe Nile Cruise with all meals on board, sightseeing, shore excursions and transfers are included.

The nine-day Highlights of Israel visits Tel Aviv, Masada, Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Jericho, Tiberias, Galilee, Golan Heights, Nazareth and Haifa. The price includes seven nights accommodation at First or Superior First Class hotels with breakfast daily, arrival and departure transfers, transportation by air-conditioned motorcoach, and sightseeing including entrance fees as per detailed itinerary. Book by Jan. 9, 2009, and receive $100 off per couple on the tour departures from now through March 2009. Prices are land only.

For more information, call 800-576-1784 or visit www.keytours.com

From May 2009 Austrian is planning to expand capacity on services to Tel Aviv by utilising a Boeing 767 that offers an additional 42 seats per flight as well as the Business Class comfort previously only available on long-haul routes.

Routes to the Middle East are central to Austrian’s Focus East strategy and have recently benefited from the introduction of the Premium Service Business Class. Among the most successful are flights to Tel Aviv with an average load factor of 80% and strong demand. Austrian Airlines is therefore planning to expand its seating capacity on the route by 30% from May 2009 onwards. This is made possible by the use of a Boeing 767 with 235 seats, which will become available due to the cancellation of the long-haul destination of Mumbai from March onwards. Until now, both daily services to Tel Aviv have been operated using an Airbus A321, offering a maximum of 193 seats.

For passengers, this doesn’t just mean more supply; it also means a significantly higher level of comfort. Seats on Business Class long-haul routes (sleeper seats) are 2 metres long and with legroom of up to 150 cm and are equipped with numerous practical functions. High-value materials have been used to create the seats – the use of real leather being just one example – with an impressive attention to detail. A wide range of elements makes the journey especially comfortable; from a tilting reading lamp and extra-wide television screen to a built-in massage function in the seat.

Passengers on the Tel Aviv route already enjoy the Austrian Premium Service. Austrian flight attendants serve refreshing fruit juices, drinks and warm nuts as an aperitif service, after which they are served freshly prepared gourmet menus from Do&Co featuring several courses and Oriental and Austrian specialities on the finest porcelain. Exquisite speciality teas and coffees round off the product.

Austrian Chief Commercial Officer Dr. Andreas Bierwirth made the following statement: “We have been flying to Tel Aviv for the past 45 years now, during which time we have transported more than 2 million passengers, and grown to become one of the leading airlines in the Israeli market. While we had just one flight a week and around 2,200 passengers per annum in 1964, nowadays we transport this number of passengers every 4 days. In 2008, we were able to increase our passenger volume on this route by 5.1% compared to the previous year.

Routes to Tel Aviv offer great connectivity with Austrian flights departing from Heathrow: OS458, departing London 06.05 connects with OS857 departing Vienna 10.35, arriving Tel Aviv 15.00; OS462, departs London 15.45 connecting with OS859 departing Vienna 20.25, arriving Tel Aviv 00.55 (next day), all times are local.

Trafalgar launched its 2009 Religious Tours series with the release of a new brochure, Journeys of Faith and Spirituality, detailing five new itineraries visiting the most inspirational and holy sites in Israel, Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, Spain and Poland.

Each journey to these religiously significant destinations will be escorted by a professional tour director specially chosen for their knowledge and expertise in the religious, historic and cultural aspects of the areas being visited. The new itineraries include Missionary Journey of Paul, 11 days from $2,020, visiting Athens, Mykonos, Rhodes, Kusadasi, Thessaloniki and Meteora, departures May through September 2009; Land of the Bible, nine days from $1,975, visiting Tel Aviv, Caesarea, Haifa, Acre, Tiberias, Capernaum, Kibbutz Nof Ginosar, Kursi, Jordan Park, Nazareth, Jericho and Jerusalem, departures May through October 2009; Poland and Pope John Paul II, eight days from $1,225, visiting Krakow, Wadowice, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Auschwitz, Czestochowa and Warsaw, departures May through November 2009;

Catholic Portugal, Spain and France, 12 days from $2,225, visiting Lisbon, Santarem, Fatima, Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, Lourdes and Paris, departures June through October 2009; and A Journey through Christian Italy, 10 days from $1,995, visiting Rome, Assisi, Siena, Florence, Padua and Venice, departures June through October 2009. All prices listed are land-only, per person, based on double-room occupancy.

Sightseeing highlights include visits to the birthplace of Jesus and the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth; the Church of the Nativity, Wailing Wall and Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem; Auschwitz in Poland; the Basilica and the Grotto in Lourdes; the Vatican; and the spectacular 14th century monasteries perched high atop towering rocks in Meteora, Greece.

On a Trafalgar expertly designed travel experience all the organizational hassles are taken care of, so each passenger can truly relax and delight in the journey with friendly fellow travelers. Guests enjoy accommodations in first-class, well-located hotels; the services of a Trafalgar professional tour director and driver throughout; and fascinating sightseeing with expert local guides.

The Trafalgar experience is steeped in the history, customs and culture of each exciting destination, ensuring no one misses out on any of the hidden treasures. It really is a case of “Dream. Pack. And leave…the rest to us.” Trafalgar Tours was established in 1947 and has 61 years of experience providing exceptional worldwide vacations to Europe, Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South America and China.

Trafalgar at 800-854-0103. For more information, visit www.trafalgartours.com

In 2008, more Russian tourists arrived in Israel than ever before, and in response to the dramatic increase, the Moscow Municipality-owned company Sun Dream has announced plans to open a $100-million luxury resort at Ein Bokek, on the southern shores of the Dead Sea, in mid- 2009.

The 52,500-square-foot hotel will feature 240 guest rooms and suites, two indoor swimming pools, conference rooms, two restaurants and a helipad. Sun Dream will begin construction within the next few months, increasing the number of guest rooms around the Dead Sea to approximately 4,300.

“The first nine months of this year have already seen 230,000 Russian tourists in Israel, an increase of over 100% compared to the same period last year,” says Ruhama Avraham-Balila, Israel Minister of Tourism. “With Russia being the third largest source of incoming tourists to Israel, an additional 240 hotel rooms will help accommodate the increase in visitors to the world’s most famous natural spa.”

The Israel Hotel Association reports that 763,000 tourists stayed in Israel’s hotels in September - a rise of 49% compared to the same month last year, and tourist stays between January and September amounted to 7.6 million - a rise of 25% compared to the same period in 2007. Israel expects an all-time high of 3 million tourists to arrive by the end of 2008.

El Al, Israel’s national airline, is introducing significant savings on companion and Platinum Business Class tickets on nonstop El Al flights from New York (JFK/Newark) and Los Angeles. The airline also announced a further reduction in the fuel surcharge. And with the new American Airlines code share partnership, El Al passengers from 22 additional cities across the U.S. can now easily connect to a nonstop El Al flight for a lower fare.

A round-trip companion fare of $831 per person from New York (JFK/Newark) is available for travel in economy class from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2009, when two people travel together and purchase their tickets at the same time. The round-trip companion fare on a nonstop El Al flight from Los Angeles during the same time period is $1,171 per person. For passengers purchasing one ticket, savings are offered on El Al nonstop flights when traveling before March 9, 2009. The round-trip fare for Monday departures/arrivals from JFK International Airport is $911 and the round-trip fare on a nonstop flight to/from Los Angeles every Tuesday is $1,171 per person.

For those who seek more flexible travel days through March 31, 2009, a special economy class fare of $975 per person is available on nonstop flights from New York (JFK/Newark) and $1,301 round-trip from Los Angeles on a nonstop flight (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday).

El Al travelers departing from other cities throughout the United States can also take advantage of low winter economy class airfares now available for travel through March 31, 2009. The new round-trip fares are $971 from Boston, Chicago, Miami, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.

The round-trip fare to Israel from Austin, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Montreal, Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, San Juan, St. Louis, Tampa and West Palm Beach is $1,071. And, from Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle, the round-trip fare is $1,171.

El Al Platinum Business Class passengers can now experience luxury at a huge savings for $3,331 per person on a nonstop El Al flight from New York (JFK/Newark).

That same low Business Class round-trip fare is also available from Boston, Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh; $3,531 from Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Orlando, Tampa, Raleigh-Durham, St. Louis, and San Juan; and $3,731 from Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle. These special fares are available on flights departing before March 31, 2009 (except Dec. 17 to 24, 2008). Travelers from any of the above connecting cities fly on a leading domestic carrier and easily connect to the nonstop El Al flight to/from Israel.

For more information, call 800-223-6700 or visit www.elal.com

El Al is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and is inviting everyone to reminisce and share their personal El Al stories by entering the airline’s 60th Diamond anniversary video contest called, “My El Al Experience.”

 Two grand prize winners will each receive a roundtrip ticket to Israel. The first runner-up will win a $600 voucher for future travel on El Al, the second runner-up will enjoy a $400 voucher and the third place runner-up will receive a voucher for $200. Sixty lucky runners-up will each be sent a fun-filled El Al goodie bag. Submitted videos should be creative, fun or serious and up to 60 seconds in length.

 The winning selection will be featured on the El Al website (www.elal.com ) and broadcast as part of the El Al in-flight entertainment programming worldwide. “My El Al Experience” videos should be submitted (with name, email address and phone number of the creator) to elal60video@gmail.com  in mpeg, other video file formats or a link. Submissions must be made by the last day of Chanukah (Dec. 29, 2008) and the talented winners will be formally announced in January 2009.

 For more information, visit www.elal.com

Journey through the lands of ancient history – from Amman’s Roman theatre and mysterious rose-coloured Nabataean Petra, regarded as one of the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’, to Wadi Rum – still resonating to the exploits of T.E. Lawrence, Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Temple Mount. Peregrine Adventures’ NEW 12-day Jordan & Israel Explorer next departs Amman 8th February 2009.

From Amman, transfer by road to Aqaba. Here, exchange wheels for camel hooves, and ride deep into Wadi Rum exploring the desert surroundings before a memorable overnight in a Bedouin encampment.

Next morning, scale one of the nearby large dunes for prime photographic opportunities before continuing to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra, where the famous rock-carved Treasury is glimpsed through a narrow, rose-coloured chasm. Next, travel the King’s Highway, dating from the time of the Old Testament, to Shobak Castle, originally built to protect the Latin Kingdom and its trade routes.

At Madaba, visit the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, home to an ancient mosaic map depicting Palestine and Lower Egypt around 550 AD. Cross into Israel via the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge and experience Jerusalem’s highlights including the Western (Wailing) Wall and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, then take a pilgrimage to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity (just don’t annoy the priests!) in Bethlehem. Journey on via Ma’aleh Adumim in the Judean Desert to Masada, fortress of King Herod and the last stronghold of the Zealots.

Next, descend to the Dead Sea - the lowest place on earth (360 metres below sea level), relaxing in Ein Gedi Spa before taking a ‘salty’ dip in the sea. Continue to the Sea of Galilee via the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes - no picnic lunch required! Pass Tiberias, en route to the baptismal site on the River Jordan, before returning to Jerusalem and the conclusion to the tour.

The tour costs £1,440 p/p including arrival transfer, transport, hotel and Bedouin camp accommodation, some meals, sightseeing and entrance fees, an expert Peregrine tour leader and local guides. International flights are not included.

Peregrine Adventures

01635 872 300

sales@peregrineadventures.co.uk

www.peregrineadventures.co.uk

 Caravan-Serai unveiled its tours of the Middle East for 2009. Once again, a tour of Yemen will start the year off, visiting the UNESCO World Heritage city of Sana’a, Shibam and Taiz. This tour has an optional excursion to Socotra Island where you can see plants and animals that can only be found there, such as the Dragon Blood Tree. Tour price starts at $2,749 per person, double occupancy, land only.

 The Socotra Excursion features a deluxe tour of Jordan and Egypt, Feb. 13 to 28, 2009. Highlights include visits to Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, Cair, Aswan, Luxor and Karnak, as well as the Valley of the Kings. Levantine Adventure Tour, March 8 to 22, 2009, includes visits to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Follow the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia, stand where Moses stood to see the Promised Land, visit the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and visit one of the largest and best preserved Roman temples around. Prices start at $3,640 per person, double occupancy. Syria & Eastern Turkey, April 13 to 30, 2009, includes the sights of Syria, the Cradle of Civilization, from Damascus to Palmyra, to Aleppo and points in between.

 Continue on to Eastern Turkey where you will explore ancient sights nestled among the spectacular mountains, lakes and rivers, and high plateaus. We start on the coast of the Black Sea and work our way up to the higher plateaus, and along the way see history from pre- and post-Roman times, the Byzantines, and the influences of the Russians and Armenians. We will fly to Istanbul to spend our last few days of the tour exploring this vibrant and amazing city. Tour prices start at $3,970 per person, double occupancy, land only.

Other tours include Iran: Passage Through Persia, May 7 to 21, 2009, with prices starting at $3,185 per person, double occupancy, land only; Jordan and Syria, May 18 to June 2, 2009, with prices starting at $3,998 per person, double occupancy, land only; Jordan and Israel, Sept. 22 to Oct. 5, 2009, with prices starting at $3,680 per person, double occupancy, land only; and Iran: Susa Tour, Oct. 17 to Nov. 1, 2009, with prices starting at $3,845 per person, double occupancy, land only.

Caravan-Serai posts a blog at caravan-serai.blogspot.com about past tours, happenings, observations and feedback.

 For information, call 800-451-8097, email info@caravan-serai.com or visit www.caravan-serai.com

Abu Dhabi, UAE,: Operators of larger bodied, longer range jets in the Middle Eastern private aviation charter market will be better able to ride out the worldwide economic downturn, says Shane O’Hare, President and CEO of Royal Jet – the Abu Dhabi-headquartered international luxury executive flight services company, chaired by H.E. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.

Talking to delegates at the Middle East Business Aviation event at Dubai Airport (November 16-18), O’Hare said that whilst airlines around the world were looking to cut back during this period of economic uncertainty, Royal Jet was about to embark on a period of significant growth.

“The very fact that the amount of exhibitors at MEBA has grown this year by 175 per cent to 244 from 30 countries, whilst 2,700 visitors have pre-registered to attend the show, demonstrates that there is still strong interest overall in the Middle Eastern market. We intend to take advantage of our proven track record by forging ahead with our plans to open more bases in the Middle East, and at the same time increase our portfolio of managed aircraft” he said.

“This will be done through a mix of our own investment and strategic partnerships and I would certainly not rule out markets further afield figuring in these plans.

I will be announcing details in the weeks ahead and am certain that these developments will further enhance Royal Jet’s position as the leading private jet operator in the Middle East.

“At Royal Jet we have in the main been unaffected by the current conditions, as our strategy has been one of diversification into a number of different service offerings which has protected us from the worst of the economic turbulence” he told them. “Royal Jet is still on target to meet all its business milestones.

 “We have always concentrated on higher net worth individuals who in the main require VIP and super mid-sized aircraft such as Boeing Business Jets and the higher end Gulfstreams, for which we continue to see constant demand.

“Indeed, brokers are telling us that there remains a shortage of aircraft available for charter that are capable of flying more than 20 people, and that we - with our fleet of five Boeing Business Jets, which is the largest such fleet in the world - are ideally suited to picking up much more business,” he added.

“At the same time, it is clear that the largest demand from the Middle East for VIP charters is from the GCC and at Royal Jet we are therefore ideally placed to service this growing market. We are growing our operations in these markets with a bigger local presence to ensure we are regarded as a highly localised operator.

“The market for smaller jets is still substantial.” O’Hare told his audience. “However the economic downturn across the globe that we have recently been witnessing means that many corporates are rethinking their expenditure in a number of different areas. This is part and parcel of any cyclical market where overheating is then followed by a period of correction. The market for private aviation services is no different and so this could affect the amount of corporate charter jet business available in the future.

The delegates were told that Royal Jet’s acquisition strategy was on target to operate around 20 aircraft by 2012 and 50 aircraft by the year 2020, with a preponderance of VIP and super-midsize aircraft in its fleet.

“We have one of the healthiest balance sheets in the industry and we have strong liquidity as a company; and our global experience in this industry is now second to none. We have shown steady profits ever since our second year of operations. Our strength as a business is due to the decision we made a long time ago to diversify our service offerings, and this strategy is paying dividends now, during these difficult economic times,” O’Hare continued.

“For instance, we have one of the most efficient and successful medical evacuation services in the Middle East which makes an important contribution to our bottom line. We also run a highly successful Aircraft Management and Acquisition Consultancy, and I have been greatly encouraged even over the last few weeks by the number of fresh enquiries we have had from owners wishing to partner with us in the management of their aircraft. We also have a maintenance and repair (MRO) facility and one of the world’s top Fixed Base Operations (FBO) facilities, located at Abu Dhabi International Airport and which was recently voted Best in the Middle East.

“We will soon be enhancing our capabilities in Abu Dhabi and greatly welcome the new private aviation facility to be opened at Al Bateen – the new City Airport of Abu Dhabi. All of these facilities will help us maintain price competitiveness across the Gulf as well as allowing us to have full control of the guest experience from airport arrival to embarkation to ensure our high service levels are maintained,” O’Hare said.

“What this all goes to show is that Royal Jet’s business is based on a sound footing and that our initial strategy is proving its worth in being able to see us successfully through leaner times,” Shane O’Hare concluded.