Month: June 2019

 Seabourn, the world’s finest ultra-luxury travel experience, has a new offering that is sure to reel in guests hungry for adventure and the freshest, wildest Alaska seafood imaginable. It’s Enjoy Your Catch, an exclusive culinary experience offering a memorable opportunity for guests to not only hook but also savor their own personal catch of the day in the midst of an ‘Ultimate Alaska’ voyage exploring the majestic wilderness of Alaska & British Columbia aboard Seabourn Sojourn over the summer season ahead.

Enjoy Your Catch is available now in conjunction with select shore excursions in Alaska - with distinctive guide-led adventures - and the potential for tasty seafood is waiting at each destination. Upon returning to Seabourn Sojourn, guests will have the option to enjoy their fresh catch deliciously prepared for dinner by the onboard culinary team at either The Restaurant or The Colonnade.

“People fish all over the world, but few opportunities measure up to those we’ve created for guests with the Enjoy Your Catch experience surrounded by the beauty of Alaska this summer,” said Gerald Mosslinger, vice president of hotel operations for Seabourn. “With skilled guides who know their way to the best waters, fishing for anglers of all skill levels, and preparation for evening enjoyment by Seabourn’s culinary talent, Enjoy Your Catch is an experience every guest will want to be a part of.”

As with any fishing experience, a catch is the goal but not guaranteed. Where will guests be able to experience their own personal “Big Fish” story in Alaska this summer? Destinations with excursions that enable Enjoy Your Catch include:

• Halibut Fishing at Icy Straight Point – Board a modern cabin cruiser and embark on the ultimate fishing excursion in one of the hottest fishing spots known only to locals. The waters of Icy Strait are teeming with halibut, and an abundance of marine life and brilliant photo opportunities will be waiting.
• Salmon Fishing at Ketchikan – Board a modern fishing boat and head to a nearby salmon fishing locale in the sheltered waters of Clover Passage, while keeping an eye – and a camera – out for eagles, whales, seals, sea lions and other wildlife along the way.
• Salmon Fishing at Sitka – The waters of Sitka Sound are swimming with an abundance of king, silver, chum and pink salmon, and sport fishing in the region is one of the best-kept secrets in Southeast Alaska. Combined with dramatic views, marine wildlife, and excitement as running as deep as the waters, this half-day salmon fishing adventure is not to be missed.
• Fishing the Inside Passage at Wrangell – Engage in world-class Pacific Ocean fishing along the Inside Passage amid a backdrop of spectacular scenery, with calm waters harboring a multitude of sought-after species including salmon and halibut. Leave it to the captain to choose the best chance of catch based on seasonality and word of the day.

The 2019 season in Alaska and British Columbia runs from June to October offering a selection of 11-, 12- and 14-day ‘Ultimate Alaska’ cruises with itineraries including wilderness destinations such as Harriman Fjord and College Fjord; marquee ports from Ketchikan and Juneau; and rarely visited gems such as the First Nation villages of Alert Bay and Klemtu, a town of fewer than 500 belonging to the Kitasoo Native Band where guests will enjoy the breathtaking Inside Passage of British Columbia.

Every cruise will include complimentary Seabourn all-weather jackets; inspiring onboard guest speakers from the Seabourn Conversations program; opportunities for frequent wildlife sightings from the ship and shore; and a delectable "Caviar on the Ice" deck party and other special deck events.

Adventure seekers are encouraged to lock in a spot on one of the Ventures by Seabourn tours to discover select destinations via hike, kayak, Zodiac and catamaran. Each optional excursion offers up-close exploration of natural and/or cultural wonders, with guidance, insight and lectures from the line’s skilled expedition team staffed by accomplished naturalists, marine biologists, wildlife researchers, photographers, videographers, guides and more. Among notable Ventures by Seabourn Tours scheduled through the season: Inian Islands Zodiac Exploration; Kayak Exploration of Misty Fjords; and Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm Via Kayak.

For travelers who want to delve deeper into the beauty and history of the region, Seabourn is also offering exclusive Seabourn Journeys for in-depth exploration before or after their cruise. One by plane, the other by rail, and both magnificent, they include the Denali Experience and UNESCO Banff National Park & the Rocky Mountaineer.

Source: www.seabourn.com

A proud promotional partner of the upcoming Columbia Pictures release Spider-Man: Far From Home, in association with Marvel Studios, United Airlines decided to infuse our new safety video with a little movie magic airing on select aircraft now.

“Spider-Man keeps the city safe, and flight attendants are all about keeping the aircraft safe, so it wasn’t a total stretch,” jokes Los Angeles-based Flight Attendant Natalie Atkins, who performs the seatbelt demo.

Aside from the web slinger himself, Atkins shares the screen with several of her colleagues, as well as a few guest stars whom fans of the SpiderMan movies will recognize. Hemky Madera reprises his role as Mr. Delmar. You’ll also spot Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds and Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson, who appear in a scene with United CEO Oscar Munoz.

Source: hub.united.com

South African Airways (SAA) has claimed the Skytrax award for Best Airline Staff Service in Africa for the seventh time, reaffirming its vision as the leading airline on the African continent.

SAA is an award-winning airline and is proud of the number of awards it wins annually.

In addition to the award as Best Airline Staff in Africa 2019, SAA also won awards for Best Cabin Crew in Africa 2019; Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness in Africa 2019, and Best Business Class Lounge in Africa 2019.

Ms Zuks Ramasia, SAA Acting CEO received the prestigious award at the 2019 World Airline Awards held at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France.

“We are immensely proud to win – for the seventh time - the Best Airline Staff Service in Africa award at the annual World Airline Awards hosted by Skytrax, known as the Oscars of the aviation industry. This award is dedicated to all our diligent and passionate employees, especially our front-line staff, who make a tremendous difference to the travel experience of our customers,” said Ramasia.

The Best Airline Staff Service award recognises service excellence across the entire spectrum of front-line customer service touch points. The award covers South African Airways’ staff service for both airport and on-board experience. Customer satisfaction scoring evaluates all aspects of staff service efficiency, friendliness and service hospitality, staff language skills and overall quality consistency for the airline's staff.

Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said; “This is a major recognition for the thousands of South African Airways front-line staff who are responsible for serving customers, both in the airport and on-board environment. Achieving this top ranked consistency is not an easy task in the airline business, and it is a great accolade for South African Airways to have achieved this major recognition from customers.”

Star Alliance, an international airline network alliance of which SAA is a member airline, also claimed the Best Airline Alliance title at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, for the fourth year running. The Alliance’s prestigious Los Angeles Lounge retained the Best Airline Alliance Lounge Award for the fifth year in a row.

SAA is a 4-Star airline, and has maintained this ranking, in both Business and Economy Class for 17 consecutive years. Given that the highest rating that can be achieved is 5 Stars, this accolade demonstrates that the airline is maintaining its efforts to deliver excellent customer service and products.

The past weekend SAA was also named the Coolest Domestic Airline at the Sunday Times Gen Next Awards, which is the leading barometer of youth sentiment in South Africa. The airline’s in-flight magazine, Sawubona, in early June won the award for Africa’s Leading In-Flight Magazine at the World Travel Awards™ (WTA) for the fifth year in a row. 

Source: www.flysaa.com

Aeroflot has again scooped the title of Best Airline in Eastern Europe at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, held today at Air and Space Museum during the 53rd Paris International Air Show at Le Bourget.

Known as the Oscars of the aviation world, the World Airline Awards are handed out annually by Skytrax, the leading global authority on airline and airport service quality. Ratings are based on the world’s largest passenger satisfaction survey, which took place from September 2018 to May 2019 with online voting in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Russian. This year passengers from over 100 countries voted on 300 airlines from around the globe.

Vitaly Saveliev, CEO of Aeroflot said: “Being named Best Airline in Eastern Europe for the eighth time is a great honour and recognition of our efforts on a global level. We thank all passengers who voted for Aeroflot. Their votes encourage us to further enhance our premium service and achieve the ambitious goals set out in our Strategy 2023”.

Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax said: "Aeroflot remains a true customer favourite and winning this top global award is a fabulous recognition of the high quality service being delivered by all the front-line staff at Aeroflot. We congratulate them on such a great achievement."

Source: Aeroflot news

Land+Sea Journeys Offer Most Comprehensive Alaska Adventure

Holland America Line’s Land+Sea Journeys combine a three-, four- or seven-day Inside Passage or Glacier Discovery cruise with in-depth overland tours to the Yukon and Alaska’s interior.

Holland America Line is the only cruise company to combine must-see sites such as Denali National Park and Preserve — the centerpiece of every Land+Sea Journey — with rare ones such as Dawson City, in the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush Country. Offering up to three days at Denali for wildlife viewing and spectacular scenery, Land+Sea Journeys are designed to highlight the best of Alaska’s wilderness, wildlife, native culture and history.