Here’s our weekly roundup of new air routes and other aviation news.
China Airlines connects Taipei to Cebu
China Airlines will be launching a service from Taipei Taoyuan to Cebu starting March 29, 2020, with six flights each week.
Cebu will be the second destination in the Philippines after Manila to receive regular scheduled services as part of China Airlines’ long-term push to expand its network in South-east Asia.
Using a B737-800 aircraft, the Taipei (Taoyuan)-Cebu service will be operated every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Flights will depart Taipei (Taoyuan) at 07.40 and arrive in Cebu at 10.35, while the return flight will take off from Cebu at 11.35 and arrive in Taipei (Taoyuan) at 14.30.
flydubai lands in Yangon
Dubai-based airline flydubai celebrated its inaugural flight to Yangon on Wednesday, expanding its network to include South-east Asia.
The new daily Dubai-Yangon service is codeshared with Emirates and will operate from Terminal 3 at Dubai International starting December 10.
For bookings under the codeshare, Emirates passengers will receive complimentary meals and the Emirates checked baggage allowance on flights operated by flydubai in business and economy class.
Vietjet links Vietnam to Bali, Seoul and Taipei
To meet the rising travel demand in the year-end festive season, Vietjet will launch four more direct international services linking Dalat in southern Vietnam’s central highlands and Can Tho in south-western Vietnam to Seoul, Can Tho to Taipei, and Hanoi to Bali.
The Dalat–Seoul (Incheon) service will be operated four times per week, starting January 15, 2020. The flight departs Dalat at 17.10 and arrives in Seoul (Incheon) at 23.55, while the return flight takes off from Seoul (Incheon) at 02.30 and lands in Da Lat at 05.50.
The Can Tho–Seoul (Incheon) route will operate three times weekly, starting January 16, 2020. The flight departs Can Tho at 16.50 and arrives in Seoul (Incheon) at 23.55, while the return flight takes off from Seoul (Incheon) at 02.30 and lands in Can Tho at 06.20.
The Can Tho–Taipei route will operate four times weekly, starting January 10, 2020. The flight departs Can Tho at 12.40 and arrives in Taipei at 17.10, while the return flight takes off from Taipei at 18.10 and lands in Can Tho at 20.55.
The Hanoi–Bali route will operate daily, starting January 26, 2020. The flight departs Hanoi at 10.00 and arrives in Bali at 16.25, while the return flight takes off from Bali at 17.30 and lands in Hanoi at 21.55.
Qantas partners Air France-KLM to unlock frequent flyer benefits
Qantas has formed a new frequent flyer partnership with Air France-KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
Qantas frequent flyers can now access reward seats, earn Qantas Points, and receive tier benefits across the entire Air France-KLM network.
They will also be able to fly to over 60 new destinations across Europe and Africa, including Biarritz, France; Dresden, Germany; Calvi, Corsica, France; and Bristol, the UK.
The partnership allows members to access reward seats and earn points on all fares across all Air France- and KLM-marketed flights globally. Frequent flyers with Gold status or higher will also be able to access tier benefits, including priority boarding, priority check-in and extra baggage allowance on any flights operated by Air France and KLM.
The agreement between Qantas Frequent Flyer and Flying Blue, the loyalty programme of Air France and KLM, means members will be able to earn points when they travel on eligible flights across each airline. They will also be able to redeem Qantas’ Classic Flight Reward seats across Air France and KLM’s economy and business cabins.
To earn Qantas Points with Air France or KLM, members simply need to enter their Qantas Frequent Flyer number when booking their next flight. Members can redeem available reward seats when they log in and select to “use points” when searching for flights on the Qantas website.
Qantas Points can be earned on all eligible booking classes, except on Air France and KLM’s codeshare flights operated by an airline other than Air France, KLM or Qantas, said the airline in a statement.
