Category: Travel

Monitoring Desk

BERLIN: Security personnel at Germany’s major airports Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg will go on a strike on Tuesday, Ver.di trade union announced on Monday. 

In a statement on its webpage, Ver.di slammed the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS) for not submitting any negotiable proposals on pay rise, despite earlier warning strikes by the security staff. The union said it has decided to expand the planned warning strike at Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday to seven other airports, including Munich, Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover, Leipzig, Dresden and Erfurt.

The security personnel at Frankfurt Airport will stop performing their duties on Tuesday between 2 a.m. (0100 GMT) and 8 p.m. (1900 GMT).

In other airports, local branches of the union will decide at what time the strike will take place.

Ver.di, a major trade union representing around 23,000 security staff, is demanding a minimum wage of 20 euros (nearly $23) per hour for its members.

The next round of negotiations between the union and the employers’ association BDLS is slated for Jan. 23. (AA)

Travel Tips

Best Months to Visit

The best time to visit Hong Kong is between October and December. This period boasts comfortable temperatures and reasonable room rates. After New Years, tourism picks up significantly, despite the lower temps, and leads to higher hotel prices and more crowds. Another sweet spot for affordable travel is the short spring. And while summer remains a popular time for tourists, the weather can be stiflingly hot and humid. To protect your wallet, avoid Chinese national holidays and large conventions, when hotel prices soar. Check out the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s city calendar for updated information.

What You Need to Know

Not just a city

Hong Kong is, in fact, a territory made of numerous islands and a peninsula. You’ll spend most of your time on Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and Lantau Island.

Get out of town

While most people only picture Hong Kong as an urban destination, there are gorgeous seaside parks to explore. And with Hong Kong’s sophisticated public transit system, you can get out of the city in no time.

HKTB is your new BFF

HKTB stands for the Hong Kong Tourism Board, an invaluable resource for before and after you’ve arrived. Stop by the HKTB centers in the airport or in the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry concourse for free information and helpful tips.

How to Save Money in Hong Kong

Take the tram Public transportation is cheap, only costing HK$2.30  (less than $0.30 USD). Keep in mind, though, the trams only accept exact change and are only on Hong Kong Island.

Book your room early While Hong Kong’s attractions and transportation are affordable, the hotel room rates can be exorbitant. Book early and don’t be afraid to stay a little farther from downtown, as long as you’re near an MRT station.

Head to the food court Sit-down meals can cost you a pretty penny in tourist areas, but you can usually find inexpensive options in nearby food courts.

Culture & Customs

Since its reunification in 1997, Hong Kong maintains a complex relationship with mother China. The former British colony continues to operate under a capitalist economy (despite China’s communist ways), has its own currency (the Hong Kong Dollar), and creates its own laws. And due to Hong Kong’s multicultural population and heritage, the official languages here are Chinese and English, not Mandarin. American travelers who have visited other Chinese cities like Beijing will notice a much stronger Western influence in the urban landscape, array of food choices, social practices (like greeting with a handshake) and more English speakers.

What to Eat

If there’s one word to summarize Hong Kong’s dining scene it’s this: vast. Hong Kong boasts more than 12,000 restaurants throughout the city, making it easy to find a place to eat (and a really good one at that). Alongside foodie hubs like Paris, Tokyo and New York, Hong Kong has the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world. But if your pockets aren’t deep enough to treat yourself to a fine dining experience or two, you’ll find the city’s foodie scene caters to all kinds of budgets without skimping on quality. If you’re unsure where to begin, start with the basics.

Getting Around Hong Kong

The best way to get around Hong Kong is the Mass Transit Railway (MTR). Ideally, you’ll use a combination of the MTR and your own two feet to get places quickly and cheaply. If you take a bus or minibus, you run the risk of missing your intended destination as these two options are difficult for visitors who do not speak Cantonese, especially if you take a minibus. The ferries and the trams offer scenic routes, which you should take when you have time to absorb Hong Kong’s bustling environment.

Most visitors arrive through Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), located just off Lantau Island. While many visitors simply hop in a taxi and zoom off to downtown, you can avoid the cab fare by using the MTR’s high-speed Airport Express. This train takes only 24 minutes to reach the city, and a complimentary shuttle bus will pick up passengers at the Hong Kong and Kowloon stations and transport them to popular hotels nearby.

Check Flights to Hong Kong

Search for the best flight deals across Orbitz, Expedia, Kayak and more.

Entry & Exit Requirements

Unlike other areas of China, Hong Kong does not require visitors to obtain a tourist visa. You will, however, need a passport that is valid for at least one month beyond your intended return date, sufficient proof of a later departure (a return airline ticket will do) and adequate funds to support your visit. These requirements are noticeably less strict than those at other Chinese points of entry. If you venture into one of China’s more restricted areas without the proper visa or the prescribed passport expiration date, you will be in violation of Chinese immigration laws. Check the U.S. Department of State’s website before leaving for Hong Kong.

Courtesy: (travel.usnews.com)

JAKARTA: An airline is bringing music to the skies by staging a series of live acoustic concerts at 35,000 feet.

Indonesian national flag carrier Garuda will organise the shows on certain domestic flights in a scheme aimed at wooing millennials.

And the airline hopes it will attract passengers ‘who want a different flight experience.’

Musicians performing aboard a Garuda Indonesia flight from Jakarta to Bali, a new entertainment service introduced by the airline

The carrier held its first in-flight concert on Wednesday, when two musicians performed aboard a flight between the capital, Jakarta, and the holiday island of Bali.

Garuda said sets would last 10 to 15 minutes on select flights, and there would be a focus on promoting upcoming talent.

While it may prove an unforgettable flying experience for some, it may not be everyone’s idea of a good time.

In 2017, US airline Southwest introduced live shows on some flights to a mixed reaction from passengers.

Some travellers said they preferred minimum human interaction while flying and said music would distract them from sleeping or reading.

Indonesia is one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets.

Garuda said sets would last 10 to 15 minutes on select flights, and there would be a focus on promoting upcoming talent

But it has come under fresh scrutiny since a fatal Lion Air crash in October last year that killed all 189 people on board.

Garuda said it had embarked on extensive consultation to ensure the concerts posed no threat to safety or security.

‘If there is the potential of turbulence, the singer will be directed back to sit in his chair,’ a spokesman said. Courtesy: (Dailymail)

DUBAI (Khaleejtimes): Emirates airline has implemented a new rule for passengers using its loyal programme Skywards Miles to upgrade their seats to Business Class and First Class.

The Dubai-based carrier, rated one of the world’s safest airlines for 2019 by airlineratings.com, on Monday confirmed that passengers upgrading their tickets to First and Business Class through Skywards Miles will not able to avail complimentary chauffer drive service from the middle of this month.

The airline said this decision has been taken after a careful review of customer feedback and operational considerations. The world’s largest carrier by international passengers numbers was hit hard by high fuel cost and unfavorableeg currency movements during the first-half 2018-19 with profits nose diving 86 per cent to Dh226 million.

“After a careful review of customer take-up and operational considerations, Emirates First and Business Class Classic Reward tickets and Economy to Business Class Upgrade Rewards will no longer be eligible for complimentary chauffeur drive services. This change is effective from March 1, 2019, when new chauffeur drive service reservations will no longer be available in conjunction with these tickets,” an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times.

“Chauffeur-drive reservations completed prior to 1 March 2019 will be not be impacted. Emirates Skywards members traveling on a redemption ticket will continue to enjoy lounge access, and our generous free baggage allowance based on their class of travel and tier status,” reads the statement.

In July 2018, budget carrier flydubai had announced that Emirates Skywards will become the loyalty programme for both the airlines.

Later in October, Emirates launched an on-demand ground transportation booking app called Emirates Skywards Cabforce which is a mobile travel companion that will offer its loyalty members an affordable transportation service in 27 countries and 117 cities across the world.

DUBAI (GulfNews): An Emirates plane has recently braved maddening winds while attempting to land at an airport in the United Kingdom.

The Airbus A380 was coming to land at the Birmingham airport on Sunday morning amid strong winds that had forced other passenger aircraft to divert to other airports. The winds were moving in the direction of inbound flights.

A video of the incident, posted on Youtube, shows the world’s largest commercial passenger plane being buffeted by crosswinds.

But unlike the other planes that had earlier aborted the landing attempt, Emirates’ pilots managed to touch down safely on a heavily drenched runway.

“This was a day when the wind grew stronger as it moved towards crosswind direction, finally erupting as shown [in the video],” a description of the video reads.

“The avalanche of reverse thrust spray capped the Emirates giant’s performance.”

The clip, shared by aviation website flugsnug, also shows two other planes– UK regional airline Flybe’s Embraer and Easyjet’s A320 — aborting attempts to land at the same airfield due to severe weather.