India’s leading travel services companies, Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel have announced the launch of exclusive charter flights to Paro, Bhutan from Bengaluru, commencing in April 2024. The strategic initiative comes in response to the burgeoning demand for Bhutan, which has seen a remarkable growth of 25 per cent compared to the previous year.
Responding to the travel needs of Southern India, the charter flights from Bengaluru will serve as a gateway, offering direct and exclusive access to Bhutan. With the southern region already contributing over 45 per cent to the companies’ business in Bhutan, this initiative aims to bridge the gap created by the lack of direct air connectivity.
All charter flights to Bhutan will be accompanied by expert tour managers from Bengaluru. This personalised touch aims to enhance the overall travel experience for each passenger.
Blue Ocean Strategy Unveiled
By strategically choosing Bengaluru as the departure point, the companies implement a Blue Ocean Strategy, addressing the cost and convenience challenges faced by travellers due to the absence of direct flights. The move aligns with the companies’ vision to enhance accessibility and cater to the growing demand for unique travel experiences.
Crafted to cater to a diverse audience, including multigenerational families, groups of friends, couples, honeymooners, and young travellers, the exclusive charter flights offer an array of group tours (GIT), individual travel (FIT), and ad-hoc group options.
SpiceJet has announced a special flight operation from Delhi to Ayodhya on January 21, 2024, exclusively for passengers attending the historic ‘Pran Pratishta’ ceremony, while IndiGo has launched a new route to Ayodhya from Ahmedabad starting January 11. In a seprate development, the newly inaugurated Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham (MVIAA) has already received more than 40 requests for landing of chartered flights for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ event on January 22.
Bhutan, renowned for its happiness quotient and distinction as the world’s first carbon-negative nation, will be unveiled to travellers through unique experiences. From visits to iconic monasteries like Taktsang Palphug to the thrill of archery lessons, hot stone therapy, and beer tasting with local snacks, the charter package promises an immersive and culturally rich exploration.For adventure enthusiasts, the charter offers an adrenaline-packed itinerary, including white-water rafting, kayaking, trekking to the iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery, and bird watching.
Sharing his thoughts, Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India), “Innovation is in our DNA, and the launch of our exclusive charters from Bengaluru is a smart strategy to leverage the growing interest towards the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.”
Daniel D’souza, President & Country Head – Holidays, SOTC Travel, mentioned, “Our newly launched charter departures to Bhutan with Bengaluru as the gateway offer our travellers from South India the benefits of ease and convenience.”
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Air France-KLM Group and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, have announced a fresh collaboration between their loyalty programs following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two airline groups in September 2023.
As a result of this collaboration, customers of Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways would gain access to over 60 new routes spanning global destinations, allowing them to earn and redeem miles across this extended network.
This partnership officially started on November 27, 2023, building upon Air France‘s commencement of operations from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Abu Dhabi International Airport last October.
Further, this partnership enables members of Flying Blue, the loyalty program for Air France and KLM, and members of Etihad Guest, the loyalty program for Etihad Airways, to now earn and use Miles in either loyalty program while traveling on Air France, KLM, or Etihad flights. Additional reciprocal benefits for elite members will be disclosed shortly, the airline shared.
“This 11-year collaboration is now expanding even further, as we aim to explore opportunities in loyalty, in addition to enhancing our route network for the benefit of our customers from all around the world. The attractiveness of Abu Dhabi as a destination and a hub, powered by Etihad’s large footprint spanning South and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia, brings significant richness to this partnership,” said Angus Clarke, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Air France-KLM.
Currently, Air India already operates a robust network of 26 flights to Bangkok per week, including daily non-stop flights from Delhi and Mumbai, along with six weekly flights from Kolkata. Additionally, passengers flying with Air India can avail connections via Bangkok to and from 10 prominent destinations in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, leveraging the interline partnership with Bangkok Airways.
Flying Blue Miles offer a spectrum of benefits, including redeemable options for flights, global hotel accommodations, car rentals, and products available at the Flying Blue Store. Similarly, Etihad Guest Miles can be utilised for flights, global hotel stays, vacation packages, and products featured in the Etihad Guest Reward Shop.“Our 9 million Etihad Guest Members will now have access to earn and redeem Etihad Guest Miles when flying with Air France-KLM giving even greater opportunities to enjoy the benefits of the programme. We look forward to welcoming Flying Blue members on to the expanding Etihad network to earn Flying Blue Miles as they choose to fly with Etihad,” said Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer at Etihad.
“This moment marks our shared commitment to providing seamless, premium, customer-centric travel experiences to our shared global customer base and our 20 million loyal Flying Blue members,” added Clarke.
Presently, Air France operates daily flights connecting Paris – Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi International Airport, while Etihad offers daily flights to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol from Abu Dhabi International Airport.
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