AVIATION

Emirates Holidays unveils special packages to Switzerland

A rare and exciting opportunity to enjoy a memorable holiday in Switzerland, the panoramic heartland of the majestic snow-capped Alpine glaciers, has been presented by Emirates Holidays with the unveiling of special packages that offer substantial savings.

These packages offered by the tour operating division of Emirates, the award-winning international airline, enable holiday makers to spend four nights for the price of three or three nights for the price of two, at several luxurious Emirates Holidays' partner hotels in Zurich, Lucerne or Interlaken up to December 2012. Available from Rs 59,551 per person on a twin-sharing basis for three nights and Rs 93,628 per person twin-sharing for four nights, these packages are valid for accommodation at a range of premium hotels such as the Eden Au Lac and Sheraton Neues Schloss in Zurich, the Palace Luzern and NH Hotel Luzern in Lucerne and Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa at Interlaken.

The launch of these special packages coincides with the build up to the centenary anniversary celebrations of one of Europe's biggest tourist attractions, the 'Jungfrau Railway,' 'the pioneering masterpiece of the Alps,' which takes sightseers on a spectacular journey across the 'Top of Europe.'

A series of exciting activities spanning the latter part of 2011 and which will run throughout 2012 have been organised for this anniversary, further enhancing Switzerland's rich culture, aesthetic and gastronomic offering, which includes castles, museums and galleries, huge expanses of lakes and mountains and the country's legendry chocolates and cheese.

"Sri Lankan families often travel for leisure to destinations in Asia due to cost considerations, largely associated with accommodation," Emirates Sales Manager in Sri Lanka Devika Ellepola said. "These packages from Emirates Holidays however, enable holiday-makers to save up to a third or a quarter of the cost of accommodation and therefore provide a great opportunity for a holiday in Switzerland at a time when the country is pulling out all stops to entertain visitors," she said.

She added that the commencement of Emirates flights between Geneva and Dubai in June this year, which further strengthened Emirates' connectivity with Switzerland, also makes the introduction of these special packages timely.

Under these special packages holiday makers are entitled to four nights for the price of three on a booked meal plan at the Hotel Eden Au Lac and four nights for the price of three including breakfast at the Palace Luzern up to December 31.

Emirates operates 13 flights a week from Dubai to Zurich with two flights a day on all days except Friday, and a daily flight from Dubai to Geneva.

Emirates Holidays, the largest wholesale tour operator in the Gulf and Middle East, offers the region's most comprehensive programme of inclusive vacations. With ground arrangements and transfers included, the company meets the needs of today's discerning travellers by offering them a choice of arrangements that travel agents find easy to sell.

From Colombo, Emirates operates 21 flights a week to Dubai offering easy connection to flights to Switzerland.

Vijay Mallya fights to keep Kingfisher flying

Cigar-puffing billionaire brewer Vijay Mallya, who lives up to his tag of India's "King of Good Times", is battling to keep Kingfisher Airlines afloat in the fiercely competitive aviation market.

India's second-largest carrier, which flies one in five domestic passengers and also has international routes, has scrapped scores of flights to cut costs, stranding passengers in the middle of the Indian religious and wedding season.

The Bangalore-based airline, which has debts of $1.2 billion, is also losing staff as it struggles to pay salaries and is having difficulty meeting its fuel bills.

Kingfisher and other Indian airlines, which are also awash in red ink, have grown too fast, experts say, adding expensive planes to their fleets too quickly and pricing tickets at below cost to grab market share.

Kingfisher, which is named after Mallya's popular beer brand - his flagship United Breweries is India's biggest brewer - "does not see any risk to its future", airline Chief Executive Sanjay Agarwal insisted last week.

But Kingfisher, which promises passengers "royal treatment", has had a turbulent flight path since it was founded in 2005.

It boasts cabin crew so glamorous they are called "flying models", who are instructed by Mallya to treat passengers "like guests in my own home". The airline offers meals even on short hops and valets to haul passengers' bags.

But despite its five-star service that has won many "King Club" fans, Kingfisher has never turned a profit and now its shares are at lifetime lows. Just one of India's five main carriers is in profit - no-frills airline Indigo. AFP