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PointsHound launches mobile bookings & offers 1,000 miles bonus

PointsHound, the hotel booking website which awards you miles to book via their service, has just launched a mobile website, and they are offering 1,000 bonus miles for making your first booking via the mobile website on a cellphone/tablet by December 2, 2013.   As per PointsHound, travellers will have access to all of the online-booking features traditionally found on PointsHound.com, including international currency choices and Big Earnings and Double Up rates, in addition to exclusive mobile-enabled services. They are also launching a premium Concierge Service to expedite the arrival experience on all reservations booked on the site at more than 150,000 properties around the globe. Users can check in, check out, request preferred rooms, receive last-minute upgrade offers and even receive status…

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Jet Airways gets a new CEO: Gary Kenneth Toomey

Jet Airways, which is in the midst of setting up a strategic alliance with Etihad Airways at the moment, has gone ahead and appointed Gary Kenneth Toomey as their new CEO. Just last week, their CEO for five years, Nikos Kardassis had resigned and it was being reported for a while that Gary was the frontrunner for this position for a while. Gary, who has been a CEO at Air New Zealand, and before that the deputy CEO & CFO at Qantas, has a track record in domestic and international airline management, and I hope he’ll be able to work on the integration of Etihad and Jet Airways well, and lead its international expansion going forward. For me as a…

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Jet Airways to sell 24% stake to Etihad Airways as well as JetPrivilege

This afternoon in India, Jet Airways’ Board of Directors put their agreement to receive a fresh induction of $380 million by Etihad Airways, who in turn will get 24% of the expanded equity capital of Jet Airways, thus making Jet Airways a part of the Equity alliance of Etihad Airways, where Etihad is sewing up partnerships with various airlines by picking up equity stakes in them. I first wrote about this possibility back in September and while the deal was close to being struck then, it took quite some back and forth in the few months ahead to come to a consensus. Etihad confirmed later in the day that they were taking the 24% stake for $379 million dollars, and…

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Taj offers promotional redemptions at the new Vivanta at Gurgaon

The Indian Hotels company (Taj Group) recently launched their 100th hotel, under the Vivanta brand at Gurgaon. The 208-key hotel has the added, in their own words, the iconic Thai Pavilion restaurant as well, apart from the Jiva Spa which offers ancient Indian and new-age rejuvenation. To encourage more people to try out the property, Taj is offering its Inner Circle loyalty program members a few lucrative promotions till May 31, 2013. You get to earn 100 Bonus Points, per night, for all eligible stays between now and 31 May 2013. For redemption stays, TIC is offering redemptions at 1500 Taj InnerCircle Points instead of the regular 2000 Points, or Points + Cash at 1000 Points + INR 5000 with…

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Etihad offering double miles on economy travel [targeted]

Etihad is sending out targeted mailers to members of its Etihad Guest program, which offers double miles for those flying on Etihad flights before 30th May 2013 in their Coral Economy Class. This promotion, for those who receive it, is valid for tickets booked online, via the call center or via a travel agent as well. The promotion terms & conditions do mention that: This offer is exclusive to a select segment of Etihad Guests, and is available by invitation only. Bonus Miles Promotion is valid for bookings made between 21 April and 26 May 2013 for travel between 22 April and 30 May 2013. Promotion is valid only for travel in Coral Economy Class. The bonus miles earned will…

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Jet Airways’ gourmet food festival in the air till Nov 8!

Jet Airways is trying to get back into classy mode it seems. In the past, they’ve tied up with restaurants in Hong Kong to provide dining services to their premium cabin passengers on the Hong Kong – Mumbai flights. Now, there is a new fine dining experience being rolled out from November 1 through 8 on selected Mumbai – Delhi and Delhi – Mumbai flights, being called “Restaurants in the Sky.” Jet Airways has tied up with some fantastic restaurants from the Oberoi Group (which is one of India’s leading luxury hotel chain) to present meals to their Premiere (business class) customers on specific flights in this coming week. Here are the 5-star restaurants they’ve tied up with: Ziya (The…

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Right now is a good time to fly Jet Airways First Class!

On award redemptions, obviously! Jet Airways F suites, fitted on their Boeing 777-300 ERs only, are consistently rated as one of the finest travel product in the air, high up there with Lufthansa, Emirates and the others. In fact, Turkish and Thai Airways, who were using 9W planes on a lease built some quality soft-product around Jet’s hard product.Have a look at the promotional picture from their website below. You can check out the website here, a trip report here, and more pictures here! Pity, when I flew them Mumbai to London a few years back, I did not save the pictures else I’d have shared some of my own pictures with you as well. But I can tell you,…

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Holidaying in India? Taj offers Early Bird rates [Book by 15-Apr, stay by 30-Sep]

The Taj group of hotels, owners of some of the most iconic hotels such as the Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai and Taj Falaknuma Palace Hyderabad, has brought out a new vacation promo at some of their properties at tourist hotspots in Kerala and Rajasthan. Wrapped under the Taj Holidays brand, it offers a package for stays and meals at some of their off-beat properties. The promo, available for a single- or a double-occupancy stay offers 2 nights of stay, breakfast + 1 day meal and a 20% discount on F&B across the properties participating in the offer (taxes inclusive). You can extend the stay on a pro-rata basis and the weekday/weekend rates offered are the same. None of the palace…

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Kingfisher Airlines networth eroded! IT systems responsible for oneworld delays

Kingfisher Airlines finally came around to accepting that their networth has been eroded when it announced its results on 15th February 2012, in a quietly posted investor relations presentation on its website at midnight. This was a statement made by the auditors of the airlines quite a while back in September 2011, but Kingfisher Airlines always disputed this statement. The amusing statement tucked away in the notes to the financial statements say: The Company has incurred substantial losses and its networth has been eroded. However, having regard to capital raising plans, group support, the request made by the Company to its bankers for further credit facilities, planned reconfiguration of aircrafts and other factors, these interim financial statements have been prepared…

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