IATA: five airlines successfully completed stages of the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) program

Geneva, 2015-1-15 — /Travel PR News/ — The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that five airlines have recently successfully completed stages of the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) program. IEnvA is an innovative, voluntary, two-stage evaluation process designed to drive airline environmental performance improvements through independent assessment. Finnair and South African Airways have completed the IEnvA Stage… Read the full news article

Qatar Airways Cargo will launch twice weekly Airbus 330 freighter services to Basel, Switzerland on 28 January 2015

Swiss city of Basel is Qatar Airways Cargo’s first new freighter destination for 2015 “Pharma Express” route to connect the pharmaceutical hubs of Brussels and Basel to the expanding Qatar Airways’ network DOHA, Qatar, 2015-1-15 — /Travel PR News/ — For its first new freighter service of 2015, Qatar Airways Cargo will launch twice weekly Airbus… Read the full news article

The Alaska Airlines Foundation donates $30,000 in grants to three Hawaii non-profits to benefit Hawaii’s youth and educational programs

HONOLULU, 2015-1-15 — /Travel PR News/ — The Alaska Airlines Foundation gave $30,000 in grants to three Hawaii non-profits whose efforts benefit Hawaii’s youth and educational programs and services. The grants represent the first time the Alaska Airlines Foundation has awarded funds to public charities in the state of Hawaii. Grants were made to the following… Read the full news article

Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation won GOOD DESIGN Award for its BOMBARDIER INNOVIA Monorail 300 system

GOOD DESIGN Awards recognize innovative and cutting-edge designs INNOVIA Monorail 300 system offers iconic aesthetics, mass transit capacity and fast-to-build infrastructure BERLIN, 2015-1-15 — /Travel PR News/ — Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation has won a GOOD DESIGNTM Award for its BOMBARDIER INNOVIA Monorail 300 system. This driverless transit system is designed on the principles… Read the full news article

UK Airports: A cut in Air Passenger Duty in one part of the country should be matched, immediately, by a cut everywhere

LONDON, 2015-1-14 — /Travel PR News/ — A cut in Air Passenger Duty in one part of the country should be matched, immediately, by a cut everywhere, according to the Airport Operators Association (AOA), the trade body that represents over 50 UK airports. In November the Smith Commission published proposals – which were subsequently supported… Read the full news article

InterContinental Hotels Group announced a partnership with one of Australia’s leading authorities on healthy cooking Teresa Cutter

New menus to fuel success and stimulate meeting productivity LONDON, 2015-1-14 — /Travel PR News/ — InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced a partnership with Teresa Cutter, one of Australia’s leading authorities on healthy cooking. The founder of The Healthy Chef will develop a range of fresh and healthy menu options exclusively for the MICE… Read the full news article

Global Travel Newspaper Korea named Aeroflot the best foreign airline in The Republic of Korea

Moscow, 2015-1-14 — /Travel PR News/ — According to the ranking provided by the leading South Korean travel newspaper Global Travel Newspaper Korea (GTN Korea) Aeroflot has received the maximum score in 2014. Aeroflot has overtaken such global airline leaders as Air France, KLM, British Airways, Korean Air, Emirates, Qatar Airways. Aeroflot’s leadership in GTN ranking proves the effectiveness of the Company’s Strategy,… Read the full news article

Wizz Air announced 17% passenger growth in 2014

Budapest, Hungary, 2015-1-14 — /Travel PR News/ — Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, announced today that it carried 15.8 million passengers in 2014, representing 17% passenger growth year on year. At year-end, the airline had flights on sale to 106 destinations in 37 countries on a total of 355 routes…. Read the full news article

WEILL president Geoffrey Weill is the 2014 recipient of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Winthrop W. Grice Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Public Relations

McLEAN, VA, 2015-1-14 — /Travel PR News/ — Geoffrey Weill, president of WEILL, is the 2014 recipient of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Winthrop W. Grice Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Public Relations. Weill will be honored on Feb. 23 at the HSMAI Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala at the New York… Read the full news article

National Car Rental to give its Emerald Club members additional control in 2015 with the enhancement of its “Virtual Aisle” mobile app feature

Emerald Club Members Can Choose Exact Rental Car Prior to Arrival at Rental Facility ST. LOUIS, 2015-1-14 — /Travel PR News/ — National Car Rental is giving its Emerald Club members additional control in 2015 with the enhancement of its “Virtual Aisle” mobile application feature. Now with expanded service at 19 of National’s U.S. rental facilities, the “Virtual… Read the full news article

India’s newest full service carrier Vistara to distribute all of its fares and offering through Travelport’s Travel Commerce Platform

New Delhi, India, 2015-1-14 — /Travel PR News/ — Travelport, a leading Travel Commerce Platform providing distribution, technology, payment and other solutions for the $7 trillion global travel and tourism industry, and Vistara, India’s newest full service carrier and a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons Limited, today jointly announce a new distribution and merchandising… Read the full news article

Marriott International named MIPTV’s 2015 Brand of the Year in recognition of its highly innovative all-screens initiative through its global Content Studio

Global Hospitality Leader Named MIPTV Brand of the Year 2015. PARIS, 2015-1-14 — /Travel PR News/ — The global hospitality leaderMarriott International, Inc., (NASDAQ: MAR) has been named MIPTV’s 2015 Brand of the Year in recognition of its highly innovative all-screens initiative through its global Content Studio. MIPTV 2015 will host the Brand of the Year… Read the full news article

Hilton Worldwide opens second Hilton property in Myanmar – Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa

Second Hilton property in Myanmar is located in the country’s popular beach destination MCLEAN, Va. and THANDWE, Myanmar, 2015-1-13 — /Travel PR News/ — Hilton Worldwide today announced the opening of Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa, its second property in Myanmar. Located on the west coast of Myanmar facing the Indian Ocean, Ngapali is one of the most… Read the full news article

The Lufthansa Group transferred 115 routes from Lufthansa to Germanwings

Cologne, Germany, 2015-1-13 — /Travel PR News/ — The Lufthansa Group has made a successful start to the new year with the transfer of the Düsseldorf–Zurich route from Lufthansa to Germanwings today (Thursday, 8 January 2015). One of the biggest structural projects ever undertaken by the company has thus been successfully completed on time. The… Read the full news article

Anantara chefs in the Maldives combined their gourmet knowledge to produce a set of 13 Maldivian recipes for a cooking class

MALDIVES, 2015-1-13 — /Travel PR News/ — Adding to the Anantara range of Spice Spoons cooking classes in Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates, the chefs at Anantara in the Maldives have combined their gourmet knowledge to produce a set of 13 Maldivian recipes for a cooking class, creating an indigenous culinary journey… Read the full news article

Maldives are excited to introduce its first female boat Captain

MALDIVES, 2015-1-13 — /Travel PR News/ — Kurumba, Maldives are excited to announce that over the past five months, have been training Miss Aishath Rizuna “Rizu”, Maldives’ first female boat Captain. Rizu started to work at Kurumba, Maldives back in November 2011 as a Kids Club Attendant. In November 2012 she was promoted as Supervisor… Read the full news article

Mercure hotels to launch worldwide digital campaign “The Six Friends Theory” on Facebook from January 20 to February 10, 2015

#6FriendsTheory PARIS, 2015-1-13 — /Travel PR News/ — Mercure has decided to check the well-known six-degrees-of-separation theory, which claims that we are all only six people away from everyone else on the planet. Mercure is introducing a worldwide digital operation, “The Six Friends Theory”, based on this principle and leading to an unprecedented human experience combining the power… Read the full news article

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe unveiled new “Welcome to Virginia” sign at Dulles International Airport

RICHMOND, 2015-1-13 — /Travel PR News/ —  On Jan. 6, Governor Terry McAuliffe unveiled a new “Welcome to Virginia” sign at Dulles International Airport (IAD), welcoming travelers to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Dulles, located 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties, is a major hub for domestic and international travel, servicing about 22… Read the full news article

San Diego International Airport will host special Opportunity Awareness event to discuss business ventures with local businesses on January 28

SAN DIEGO, 2015-1-13 — /Travel PR News/ — San Diego International Airport will host a special Opportunity Awareness event to discuss business ventures with the airport, rental car companies and the Rental Car Center’s third-party operator. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28 at the McMillin Companies Event… Read the full news article

Los Angeles International Airport ranked 3rd for the 2nd straight year among the nation’s busiest airports for offering healthy dining options

Los Angeles, California, 2015-1-13 — /Travel PR News/ — The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s 14th annual Airport Food Review ranked Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) third for the second straight year among the nation’s busiest airports for offering healthy dining options in 2014.  LAX scored 88 percent, behind Baltimore/Washington International which scored 92 percent and Seattle-Tacoma… Read the full news article

Cathay Pacific Airways and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group partner over crafting unique inflight menus for the airline over the coming 12 months

HONG KONG, 2015-1-12 — /Travel PR News/ — Cathay Pacific Airways and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group today announced their first-ever international partnership for crafting unique inflight menus for the airline over the coming 12 months. Top chefs from various renowned Mandarin Oriental properties in Hong Kong, London, Paris, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo and Boston… Read the full news article

US preclearance operation for all Etihad Airways flights to US to start at Abu Dhabi Airport from 15 January, 2015

ABU DHABI, 2015-1-12 — /Travel PR News/ — Air travellers on all Etihad Airways flights to the United States from this week will be able to experience the benefits of arriving in the US having precleared US Customs and Border Protection at Abu Dhabi Airport. From Thursday 15 January US preclearance will open for the early… Read the full news article

Emirates to donate AED 5 million to the Tarahamu campaign for necessary supplies for over 1 million people affected by the snowstorm Huda

DUBAI, U.A.E, 2015-1-12 — /Travel PR News/ — Emirates airline has announced that it will be donating AED 5 million the Tarahamu (Show Compassion) campaign. This is in response to widespread appeals to the public and private sectors initiated by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and further endorsed by His Highness Sheikh… Read the full news article

Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou’s general manager Bahram Sepahi became the General Manager of the Year at The Hotelier Awards China in Shanghai

Guangzhou, China, 2015-1-12 — /Travel PR News/ — The Hotelier Awards China was held on December 11, 2014 where Bahram Sepahi of Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou was among the 16 hoteliers to take home one of the accolades. The ceremony, which honours the dedicated professionals of the hotel industry, took place in Shanghai. More than… Read the full news article

Flightstats: Iberia Group the most punctual in the world in December 2014 with 91.38% of its 13.676 flights departing on time

With 91,38% of its flights departing on time, the Iberia Group led again Flightstats punctuality rank in December for the 4th time in 2014. Both Iberia and Iberia Express were the most punctual in their respective markets. MADRID, 2015-1-12 — /Travel PR News/ — Iberia Group airlines were the most punctual in the world in… Read the full news article

Liverpool John Lennon Airport: Flybe announced January seat sale and discounts of up to 25% on 173 of its most popular European and UK routes

LIVERPOOL, UK, 2015-1-12 — /Travel PR News/ — Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, has today announced its January seat sale and discounts of up to 25% on 173 of its most popular European and UK routes with substantial savings on flights from 28 UK airports. Bookings, effective for travel between 4th February and 15th July,… Read the full news article

Dubai-based flydubai started the first direct link between Nejran and Dubai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2015-1-12 — /Travel PR News/ — Dubai-based flydubai’s inaugural flight to Nejran landed yesterday, and was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute. The flight marks the start of the first direct link between the region and Dubai. Receiving the aircraft were senior officials from the Nejran Governor’s office, the General Authority for… Read the full news article

Kenya Airways opened ultramodern retail shop at the populous Nairobi’s downtown Tearoom

Nairobi, 2015-1-12 — /Travel PR News/ — National carrier Kenya Airways, today opened an ultramodern retail shop at the populous Nairobi’s downtown Tearoom in a bid to deepen its sales catchment base. The new Shop is expected to ease access on Sales & Ticketing services, address customer inquiries and sales of KQ Holiday packages to the thousands… Read the full news article

Kenya Airways flown 170 health volunteers in two chartered flights to Freetown, Sierra Leone and Monrovia, Liberia

Nairobi, 2015-1-12 — /Travel PR News/ — Kenya Airways has today flown 170 health volunteers in two chartered flights to Freetown, Sierra Leone and Monrovia, Liberia. The two flights chartered by the African Union will fly via Accra, Ghana. Speaking after a visit to State House, Nairobi, with the health officials, Kenya Airways’ Group Managing Director and… Read the full news article

Port Authority of NY & NJ Deputy Executive Director Deborah Gramiccioni to leave the bistate agency effective February 1

Top official from bistate agency to become Executive Director of NYU’s Center on the Administration of Criminal Law New York, 2015-1-9 — /Travel PR News/ — Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Deborah Gramiccioni today announced that she has accepted a position as Executive Director of New York University Law School’s Center on the Administration of… Read the full news article