Enjoy paradise without the price tag

Emirates Holidays unveils new offers to Mauritius and Seychelles DUBAI U.A.E., 14th April 2010: Anyone thinking that a luxury vacation in paradise is beyond their budget should think again. Emirates Holidays latest range of special packages to Mauritius and the Seychelles, make two of the world’s most exotic and desirable destinations, more affordable than ever before. John Felix, Senior Vice President of Emirates Holidays said, “If you asked anyone to describe paradise, it would be Mauritius or the Seychelles, with clear blue waters, palm trees and miles of sandy beaches. People tend to think that such luxury is beyond their budget but Emirates Holidays latest packages to these two incredible Indian Ocean destinations mean that everyone’s dreams can come true. Whether you are a honeymooning couple or a family looking for relaxation and fun, Mauritius and Seychelles are the ideal holiday destinations. Emirates Holidays has partnered with the National Tourism Offices (NTOs), DMCs and hotels in these two destinations to offer up to 50 per cent off the packages prices to select properties from mid-April to the end of July. Magical Mauritius Lying in the Indian Ocean, some 1,800 kilometres off the east coast of Africa, Mauritius is outstandingly beautiful and its 330-kilometre coastline of sandy beaches is almost entirely surrounded by one of the largest unbroken coral reefs in the world. It offers a range of resorts, from the luxurious to the informal and from the intimate (perfect for weddings and honeymoons) to the family-friendly. Emirates Holidays is offering packages to Mauritius from Dubai starting from: AED 6,366 per person at The Legends in a Superior Room AED 6,980 per person at the Hilton Mauritius Resort and Spa in a Deluxe Room AED 7,003 per person at the Constance Le Prince Maurice in a Junior Suite AED 8,174 per person at Le Touessrok in a Deluxe Room AED 8,481 per person at The Oberoi Mauritius in a Luxury Pavilion, and AED 8,516 per person at the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita in a Garden Pool Villa Each package includes Economy Class flights from Dubai to Mauritius with Emirates airline (valid only for EK 3705 and EK 3706), five nights accommodation on twin-sharing basis, meet and assist at Mauritius Airport, return transfers to and from the airport by private car, room tax and service charges. Airport departure taxes are excluded. Stunning Seychelles The Seychelles is a collection of 115 outstandingly beautiful granite and coral islands fringed by sparkling white sandy beaches and encircled by coral reefs. Whilst the islands resorts and hotels offer high standards of accommodation, facilities and services, conservation has been a key to development and there is a rich array of indigenous animals, birds and marine life, in addition to the exceptional natural beauty of the forests, beaches and mountains. Perfect for both honeymooners and families, the Seychelles truly is paradise on earth. Emirates Holidays is offering packages to the Seychelles from Dubai starting from: AED 5,468 per person at the Constance Ephelia Resort in a Junior Suite AED 6,601 per person at Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove in a Superior Hibiscus Room AED 7,025 per person at the Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort and Spa in an Ocean View Hillside Villa AED 9,072 per person at the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles in a Garden Villa, and AED 10,608 per person at the Banyan Tree Seychelles, in a Beachfront Spa Pool Villa Each package includes return Economy Class flights from Dubai to Seychelles with Emirates airline, four nights accommodation on twin-sharing basis, meet and assist at Seychelles International Airport, return transfers to and from the airport by private car, room tax and service charges. Airport departure taxes are excluded. Skywards members will receive up to 20 per cent bonus miles. They can also redeem their miles for Skywards Gift Vouchers, which can be used towards payment of those exclusive packages from Emirates Holidays. For more information and bookings please contact Emirates Holidays on 800 5252, emirates-holidays.com or your preferred travel agents. Terms and conditions apply.

Planes, trains and astronauts - Emirates tells Amsterdam: We have lift off from 1st May

23rd March 2010: If youre hoping to deliver an out of this world event, it always helps if an astronaut turns up. Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers joined hundreds of guests including football stars, media celebrities, politicians and key travel industry figures to mark Emirates impending arrival in Amsterdam. The venue for the high-profile Gala event was the Beurs van Berlage, a former commodity exchange and indicative of the trade Emirates will help support when passenger flights start on 1st May. Dutch TV presenter Anouk Smulders was MC and saxophonist Candy Dulfer, who has worked with Prince and the Eurythmics, headed up a musical feast where foot-tapping was compulsory. This, after an aerial act in which a giant globe was lowered above the audience - before opening to reveal a singer. Only a week earlier, the airline won an award at ITB in Berlin for its eye-catching and modified Emirates Globe stand. Amongst the senior Emirates representatives at the 17th March Gala event were Richard Vaughan, Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Worldwide; Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President, Europe & Russian Federation and Jean-Luc Grillet, Manager France & Benelux. The UAE Ambassador to the Netherlands, His Excellency Ali Thani Alsuwaidi, joined the Gala gathering, which served as an introduction to Emirates and Dubai. Mr Vaughan said: This tremendous event is a sure sign that the launch of our daily flight between Dubai and Amsterdam is edging closer. There is a long history of trade between The Netherlands and the Arab region. The Netherlands has become an important trading partner for the UAE with business now running into billions of Euros a year. Emirates will provide a significant boost to commercial and tourism activity. In the presence of Dutch football stars like Patrick Kluivert and Pierre van Hooijdonk, the audience was reminded that Emirates is an official FIFA World Cup Partner, offering the three South African gateways of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Some of Emirates 80-plus Dutch staff also travelled to Amsterdam for the Gala activities, such as Pilot Jan Cocheret, cabin crew member Ellis Ofenhammer and Joost Heymeijer, General Manager of the Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in Australia. A big hit on the night was an Emirates First Class Private Suite, which had been shipped in especially for the event and was quickly overrun by fascinated experimenters. Earlier in the day at Sofitel The Grand Amsterdam, Emirates held a press conference to explain the latest on preparations for the first flight - now just five weeks away. Ivo van der Vlis appeared on behalf of Amsterdams Schiphol Airport. Both venues were dressed with tulips, the much loved symbol of the Netherlands. Mr Vaughan said: Our daily service aboard our modern Boeing 777 aircraft will bring a truly exceptional product to the Netherlands. Emirates will be the only carrier offering a First Class cabin on this route and via Dubai, passengers can easily reach popular destinations such as South Africa, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Maldives. Boasting a fleet of 145 aircraft, including eight A380 superjumbos and a network spanning more than 100 destinations, the carrier will launch Amsterdam as its 23rd point in Europe. The flight timings from 1st May will see EK flight 145 leave Dubai daily at 0825hrs and arrive in Amsterdam at 1330hrs. From Amsterdam, EK 146 departs at 1530hrs, arriving in Dubai at 2359hrs. Emirates SkyCargo has been serving Amsterdam with freighters for 15 years. The airline has announced four other new passenger routes so far this year: Tokyo from 28th March, Prague on 1st July, Madrid as of 1st August and Dakar from 1st September.

FIFA World Cup mascot enjoys fun-filled tour of Dubai with Emirates

26th May 2010: Zakumi, the Official Mascot of the 2010 FIFA World Cup enjoyed an action-packed holiday in Dubai as he counts down the last few days to the kick-off of the biggest event on the world sporting calendar. He flew in with Emirates and was welcomed to the airline’s home base by cabin crew representing each of the 32 nations taking part in the soccer spectacle in South Africa. The fun-loving leopard was in no mood to take a break from football, though, and quickly rounded up some of the crew for a kick-about at Dubai International Airport. He was then given the VIP treatment from South African cabin crew members Cindy Speirs and Gillian Scott who were in no doubt that he would have a ball in Dubai. “Like Zakumi, all the football fans travelling with Emirates are going to get a great welcome, said Cindy, from outside Durban, who believes Emirates multicultural crew will help make the journey to her homeland extra special. Emirates an Official Partner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup rolled out the red carpet for Zakumi and whisked him on a whistle-stop tour of all Dubai’s top spots before giving him a bird’s-eye view of the emirate from the helipad of the iconic Burj Al Arab. Gillian was delighted the mascot had the chance to see all the highlights of Dubai. “It is great to have Zakumi here and I am sure he is having an incredible time, said Gillian, also from the Durban area. Zakumi also got a taste of the local culture as he took an abra ride on Dubai Creek before heading off on a desert safari, which saw him bouncing around the slopes in a 4x4, surfing the dunes and getting a belly dancing lesson. He got his adrenaline fix with trips to the Wild Wadi water park and showed that a leopard can change his spots when he jumped on the snow and sped down the piste at Ski Dubai, one of the world’s largest indoor ski centres. However, no trip to Dubai would be complete without indulging in a little luxury. Every leopard needs his rest and Zakumi got to put his feet up before setting off for the festival of football when he visited Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa. He had a great time at Emirates conversation-based destination, catching up with some friends the Arabian Oryx and some falcons and camels before indulging in a Timeless Spa treatment during an afternoon spent lazing by the pool. However, Zakumi quickly pounced back into action when he found out he was going to be following in the footsteps of Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Andre Agassi by getting to play on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab the world’s most luxurious hotel. Three-hundred-and-twenty metres above the stunning Dubai coastline, Zakumi enjoyed a kick-about at the Burj Al Arab a Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts property - before casting his eye towards home, where the greatest show on earth is set to get under way. Zakumi will be just one of many thousands of football fans to travel with Emirates this summer and captain Cliff Chetcuti is looking forward to taking them to the party. He said: “We fly into three host cities - Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban and, as an Official Tour Operator of the 2010 FIFA World Cup fans will be able to experience our award-winning service as part of seamless travel packages which also include match tickets, accommodation and ground transportation. Click here to see the video.

Sinotrans to set up logistics center in Chengdu

Chinas leading logistics and transportation company Sinotrans signed an agreement on Wednesday with the government of Longquanyi District in eastern Chengdu to start its logistics center in the district. The center is intended to provide international level service for the growing demand from the emerging auto manufacturing zone in the district. Investment for the logistics center is expected to be RMB300 million.

First Jiuzhaigou Icefall Festival

On December 1st, Sichuan will hold the First Jiuzhaigou Icefall Festival and attract visitors from all over the world to enjoy wonderful snow sights including lofty snow peaks, grand icefalls and beautiful tarns at Jiuzhaigou this winter. Meanwhile, the Fourth South China Ice-Snow Festival of Sichuan will also raise its curtain.

peach blossom viewing: Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region|china travel

Spring has a reputation for brevity in China. Flowers of various species reserve themselves for a short prime blooming time from late February and early April. So there's no time to spare in planning a flower tour across China.

The best place for peach blossom viewing: Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The best time to go: February to March

Peach blossoms are not the only thing that has made Guilin a popular tourist destination. But if you happen to be in Guilin during this time of year, the peach blossom scenery is something you might not want to miss.

Every year the city holds a peach blossom festival at Dalingshan Peach Blossom Park. The best way to take in the scenery is to take a walk along the 10-mile path in the park bordered by peach trees bearing pink flowers.

The best place for cole flower viewing: Luoping, Yunnan province

The best time to go: February to April

The annual cole flower festival is underway in Luoping, a city with more than four tracts of 10,000 hectares of land each covered by the flowers. With the cole blooms drawing numerous tourists every year, the flowers are beneficial for locals not only for their agricultural worth but also their tourism value.

The best place for magnolia flower viewing: Beijing

The best time to go: March

Magnolias are a messenger of spring in the eyes of Beijing locals. The many temples around the capital are the best places to see magnolia flowers. Their pure white, heavy petals are a symbol of elegance and regality. Emperor Qianlong planted a magnolia tree at the Summer Palace during the Qing Dynasty 200 years ago. The oldest magnolia tree is said to be the 350-year-old one at Dajue Temple in suburban Beijing.

Wuhan Port Group

Wuhan Port Group
Add: No. 91, Riverside Avenue, Hankou, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430014
Tel: 0086-027-82824776
E-mail: jtb@wuhanport.com

Wuhan Port Transportation Head Corporation was established in August 1950. It is subordinated to Wuhan Communications National Holding Group Co., Ltd and a multi-aspect, multifunctional and triphibious port-transportation enterprise with port transportation, industry, trade, real estate and double 2-grade business qualifications for passenger transportation and cargo transportation on national highways.

The head company has two hundred and three million yuan for total assets, among which the net value for goods transportation occupies 64,540,000.00 yuan, and the current working staff 4013, professional technical personnel 218 and 89 persons with senior or middle qualification. In addition, the head corporation possesses 25 production lines at port area, which equipped with the advanced high-tower crane volume 40 tons and various professional port charging vehicles amount 1015, 331 sets of machinery equipment, two 2-grade goods-transportation fields and a automobile repair factory; besides the above, it can finish 4,089,000 tons of goods-transportation volume and 89,399,000 tons?km of turnover volume for goods-transportation annually, its annual business income for goods-transportation reaches 67,050,000 yuan, and the head corporation owns 200,000m2 housing area by itself and 100,000m2 has been developed.

Alaska Airlines 2010 Permanent Fund Dividend Savings

Alaska Airlines (IATA CODE AS) launched its Permanent Fund Dividend sale, featuring air fares as low as $89 for travel between Anchorage and Fairbanks and $199 between Anchorage and Seattle, as well as discounts on freight shipping and Alaska Airlines Vacation packages. The special rates are on select routes between Alaska and the Lower 48 states, Canada, Hawaii and Mexico for travel purchased by Oct. 23, 2010.

"This sale features some very attractive fares so that residents receiving their checks next month can plan ahead to purchase discounted travel to most all the destinations we fly, including Hawaii and Mexico," said Bill MacKay, the airline's senior vice president for the state of Alaska.

Sample one-way fares:

City Pair One-way fare: Anchorage-Fairbanks $89 Anchorage-Seattle $199 Anchorage-Honolulu $219 Anchorage-Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, San Jose Del Cabo $299
The fares are one-way, valid for travel through Aug. 18, 2011, and require a 14-day advance purchase, except for travel to Mexico and Hawaii, which does not require an advance purchase. Additional restrictions, taxes and fees apply.*

In addition, this year Alaska Airlines is offering a "Fly Now, Save Later" discount. Alaska residents, who are members of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, and register and fly qualifying segments to/from or within the state of Alaska between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, 2010, qualify for additional discounts of up to 50 percent off for travel between Jan. 7 and Feb. 26, 2011. Visit www.alaskaair.com to register and review the terms and conditions of this promotion.

Fares are available for purchase at at alaskaair.com/pfd or by calling 1-800-ALASKAAIR (1-800-252-7522 or TTY/TDD line 1-800-392-0228). Reservations may also be made through travel agents.

Alaska Airlines Vacations is offering $100 off on any vacation package, including packages to Mexico, Hawaii, Las Vegas and Southern California. Vacation packages include air transportation, hotel accommodations, optional ground transportation and tours. Vacations must be booked by Oct. 23, 2010, and travel must be complete by Aug. 18, 2011. Restrictions apply. Visit alaskaair.com/vacations for details or call 1-800-468-2248.

Alaskans can also save 25 percent on general cargo tariff rates for packages shipped on Alaska Air Cargo within the state of Alaska through Nov. 19, 2010, by mentioning the PFD sale. Restrictions apply. Visit alaskacargo.com for more information.

Fare rules: Tickets must be purchased by Oct. 23, 2010, for travel between Oct. 7, 2010, and
Aug. 18, 2011. A 14-day advance purchase is required, except for travel to and from Hawaii and Mexico. Blackout dates for travel from Alaska are: Nov. 18-21, Nov. 24, Dec. 14-24, 2010, and March 2-7, 2011. Blackout dates for travel to Alaska are: Nov. 28-Dec. 2, Dec. 26, 2010-
Jan. 5, 2011, and March 10-15, 2011. Blackout dates for travel to King Salmon and Dillingham are: June 1-24, 2011, and from King Salmon and Dillingham are: July 10-30, 2011. Travel is valid Monday through Thursday only, except for travel to and from Hawaii and Mexico, which is valid daily or when flights operate. Travel to Chicago must be nonstop. Travel to Honolulu is valid Oct. 7-Dec. 15, 2010, and March 16-June 9, 2011, via the nonstop flight. Travel to Maui is valid Nov. 8 Dec. 15, 2010, and March 16-April 2, 2011, via the nonstop flight. Travel on Alaska Airlines flights 4800-4999 operated by Era Aviation and on Alaska Airlines flights
3200-3274 operated by PenAir are not permitted. Travel to Prudhoe Bay is not allowed. Some markets offer seasonal travel only. Other service exceptions apply. See alaskaair.com or check with your travel agent for details and further restrictions.

*Travelers are responsible for the following taxes and fees, as applicable: Airport Passenger Facility charges of up to $9 (amount depends on itinerary), Federal Segment Tax of $3.70 per segment (takeoff and landing) and September 11 Security Fee of $2.50 per enplanement. Additional fees apply to travel to Mexico: U.S. Immigration User Fee of $7, U.S. Aphis Fee of
$5, U.S. International Transportation Tax of $16.10, Mexico International Departure Tax of up to $33, Mexico Tourism Tax of up to $24, and Mexico Transportation Tax of 4 percent of the fare. Additional U.S. taxes may apply to itineraries involving a U.S. stopover of more than 12 hours duration. Fees may fluctuate with dollar-peso exchange rates. Additional fees apply to travel to Canada: U.S. Immigration User Fee of $7, U.S. Aphis Fee of $5, Canadian Airport Improvement Fee of up to $22 (varies by airport), Canadian Security Fee of $9 (fluctuates with exchange rate) and Canadian Goods and Services Tax (GST) of less than $3. All taxes and fees shown are based on one-way travel and may be doubled if traveling roundtrip. Tickets purchased at Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air airport locations or through Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air reservation call centers will cost $15 more per person than the advertised fare. Tickets are nonrefundable but can be changed. Changes made at alaskaair.com or horizonair.com will incur a $75 (USD) per person change fee and any difference in fare. Ticket changes made through Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air reservation call centers or airport ticket counters incur a $100 (USD) per person change fee or a $125 (USD) per person change fee if originally booked through a travel agent and changed through Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air reservation call centers or ticket counters, and any difference in fare. Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or all days. Some flights may not operate daily service. All fares, taxes and fees are in U.S. dollars and are subject to change without notice, and other restrictions apply. A $20 baggage fee will apply for each of the first three checked bags. Additional fees apply to more than three bags or oversize or overweight items. If travel is solely within the state of Alaska, passengers can check up to three bags free of charge. See checked baggage policy at alaskaair.com for more details.

Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008, 2009 and 2010 North America Airline Satisfaction Studies SM. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom .

Passengers from around the world cross new Dubai-Prague bridge

2nd July 2010: Emirates lived up to its name as the international airline of the UAE after passengers from more than 20 countries joined its first flight to Prague. Travellers from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Singapore, China, South Korea - and as far a field as Australia - were amongst those on board yesterdays inaugural. The airline is providing the only daily, non-stop passenger service to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic and site of the famous Charles Bridge, straddling the Vltava River. Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, who headed the Emirates delegation on the first flight, said: Prague is our second European route launch this year after Amsterdam on 1st May and our 103rd destination globally. The Czech Republic is a popular tourist destination and an exciting emerging market. The route is off to a good start with passengers joining the inaugural flight to Prague from more than 20 countries across the world, underscoring the hub role of Dubai and the boost this new link will provide to the Czech tourism industry. Mr Clark added: With a fleet of 149 aircraft including 11 A380s, we continue to drive forward with our expansion plans and more new routes are on the way. Madrid starts up 1st August and Dakar in Senegal begins a month after that. Also representing Emirates for the first flight were Richard Vaughan, Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Worldwide; Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation; Boutros Boutros, Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Ram Menen, Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo. They were joined by Brigadier Obaid Mehayer Bin Suroor, Deputy Director of Dubai Naturalisation & Residency department and members of the UAE media. After arriving at Ruzyne International Airport in Prague, the Emirates aircraft received a water cannon welcome, while a traditional Rosenka dance group performed on the tarmac. Amongst those welcoming the flight were Jaroslav Ludva, the Czech Ambassador to the UAE and Miroslav Dvorak, CEO of Prague Airport. Mr Dvorak said: The Emirates flight is the first scheduled all-year-round non-stop service to Dubai. It will enable Czechs to travel directly to the Middle East for the first time, whilst also linking passengers to a range of destinations in the Eastern hemisphere. Thanks to this network of connections, we are expecting a great deal of interest in flights to Dubai. Last night, more than 300 guests were invited to a special gala dinner at Pragues Municipal House where Michael Bolton headed up the entertainment. Guests also enjoyed New Yorks String Angels and the Czech National Symphonic Orchestra. EK 139 leaves Dubai daily at 1030hrs and arrives in Prague at 1450hrs. EK 140 departs from Prague at 1620hrs and gets into Dubai at 0010hrs the following day. An Airbus A330-200 aircraft is being deployed for the service, offering up to 278 seats across Business and Economy. Trade between the Czech Republic and the UAE has leapt from under USD 26 million (AED 95 million) in 1993 to USD 678 million (AED 2.4 billion) in 2008, according to the Czech Foreign Ministry. Nearly 30% of exports to the UAE are glass products including Czech-made Bohemian glass. Aside from glass, Czech exports include electrical equipment, jewellery, beverages, data processing devices, machine tools, cars and car parts. Emirates SkyCargo has served Prague until now by moving goods by road via Vienna. The new non-stop service provides extra capacity in the belly hold of the passenger flights, bringing more flexibility over the movement of goods. Speaking about the Czech Republic as a destination, John Felix, Senior Vice President, Emirates Holidays, said: As Emirates Airlines tour operating arm, the introduction of new routes helps us consolidate and continue to grow the variety of holidays we offer our customers. Europe is a key market for us and Prague is a stunning addition, popular amongst a wide range of tourists, and a gateway to the rest of central Europe. It’s therefore an exciting opportunity for our business and our customers in the Middle East.

British Airways offers great value with UAE to UK flights

Dubai, UAE. 4 May, 2011: British Airways has launched its most competitive summer fares on selected flights from the UAE to the UK, with other great fares to Europe, the USA and Canada. One of the world’s largest airlines, British Airways is providing an attractive incentive for Middle Eastern travellers looking to take an early summer break.

Available on bookings made to London before 15 May 2011 for travel until 30 September 2011, customers can book return flights in Club World (business class) from just AED11,565, World Traveller Plus (premium economy) from AED4565 and World Traveller (economy class) from AED2575 all inclusive return to London Heathrow.

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With some of the best prices going at the moment, British Airways customers will experience the airline’s world-class products and services, all at great value for money.

In addition to great rates on flights, customers who book online can also take advantage of some great offers on hotel and car rental. With Avis, British Airways is offering customers 7 days car rental for the price of 5 in the UK when they book the special offer at ba.com.

“Offering premium products and services at such great prices is our way of offering our valued customers the opportunity to visit destinations which otherwise would not be considered. Summer time is the best period for our customers to beat the heat and plan their holidays well in advance,” said Paolo De Renzis, British Airways’ Regional Commercial Manager, Middle East.

“Just an example of the value customers get for the competitive price they pay is in our World Traveller Plus cabin. Our premium economy product offers a wider, ergonomically designed seat, with 7 inches of extra leg room in a dedicated private cabin. And they get 2 free checked bags at 23kg each,” added DeRenzis.

A full timetable of British Airways’ GCC – London services is available online at ba.com – where the lowest fares are guaranteed – and customers can book, pay and check-in online for their flights.