Border Force strike adds to traveller problems in December
Border Force is going on strike this December. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced eight days of strikes at London Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff airports between December 23 and New Year’s Eve.
Emirates and Air Canada begin loyalty partnership programme
UAE carrier Emirates and Air Canada – Canada’s largest airline – have expanded their partnership to offer frequent flyer members joint loyalty programme benefits.
Emirates Skywards members can now earn and redeem Miles on all flights operated by Air Canada – accessing a network of more than 220 destinations worldwide.
Air Canada’s Aeroplan members will also be able to earn and redeem Points on all flights operated by Emirates – with access to more than 130 destinations across six continents, via the airline’s hub of Dubai.
Skywards members can also redeem Miles for reward tickets across Air Canada’s network. Flight rewards will start from 8,000 Miles for a one-way reward ticket in economy class and 16,000 Miles for a one-way reward ticket in business class.
IATA publishes industry standards designed to remove physical checks at airports
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has outlined new industry standards which it hopes will eventually enable travellers to arrive at airport ‘Ready to Fly’.
Part of the ‘One ID’ initiative, the catchily named ‘Recommended Practice on Digitalization of Admissibility’ aims to avoid stops at the check-in desk or boarding gate for document checks.
IATA said that programmes are already in place at many airports “enabling travellers to move through airport processes such as boarding without producing paper documentation because their boarding pass is linked to a biometric identifier”.
Travel news as a glance:
- UAE’s Etihad to reintroduce A380s into fleet
- Grand Union Trains to compete with GWR
- Emirates adds third daily A380 service to London Gatwick
- Qantas to bring sixth refurbished A380 out of storage
- Korean Air unveils A321 neo with fully flat business class
- Jetblue revamps True Blue tier statuses
- Hampton by Hilton London Old Street to open in 2023
- Qatar Airways to resume flights to Taif in Saudi Arabia
- Sustainable aviation fuel production more than triples in 2022