SINGAPORE AIRLINES: Updated flight schedules published for September, October and November 2020

The airline, along with partner carrier SilkAir, has published its latest schedule update for flights in September, October and November 2020. Among the updates are reinstated flights to three destinations including Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Taipei, Taiwan. The airlines have said that following these resumptions, by the end of November flight capacity will have reached 11% of pre-COVID-19 levels.
Australia
Canada
New Zealand
Singapore
South Africa
United Kingdom
United States of America
Airline
Singapore Airlines
SilkAir
Business
Leisure

ETIHAD: Airline launches COVID-19 global insurance cover for all passengers

The Abu Dhabi-based airline is now offering COVID-19 insurance cover as part of their Global Wellness program; the cover is included with every Etihad ticket travelling between 7 September and 31 December, for the first 31 days of a passenger’s trip.
Australia
Canada
Middle East
New Zealand
South Africa
United Kingdom
United States of America
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Etihad Airways
Business
Leisure

NEW ZEALAND: Jetstar extends suspension of domestic flights until 16 September 2020

Low-cost carrier Jetstar has suspended all New Zealand Domestic flights until at least the end of Wednesday 16 September; this follows the New Zealand government's recent announcement of the extension of COVID-19 alert level 2 across New Zealand, and 2.5 in the city of Auckland, until 23.59 (local time) on 16 September 2020.
New Zealand
Airline
Jetstar
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QATAR AIRWAYS: Airline to resume flights to five additional destinations in September 2020

The middle-eastern airline has announced that during September it will resume flights to Houston, Kathmandu, Mogadishu, Philadelphia and Sialkot; this will mean that Qatar Airways will from mid-September offer over 650 weekly flights to 85 destinations, which it says will provide flexible travel options to more global destinations than any other airline.
Middle East
Somalia
United States of America
Airline
Qatar Airways
Business
Leisure

AIR CANADA: Airline restricts use of face masks with exhalation valves by passengers

The airline has announced that it will no longer permit passengers to wear face masks with exhalation valves on board, as it claims that they have been deemed ineffective in protecting against COVID-19. In an update published on the airline website, it states that although valves make the mask more breathable for the person wearing it, they also allow infectious respiratory droplets to spread outside the mask.
Canada
United Kingdom
United States of America
Airline
Air Canada
Business
Leisure

EMIRATES: Airline to resume flights to two additional African cities from 6 September 2020

The Dubai-based airline has announced that it will resume flights to Accra, Ghana and Abidjan, Ivory Coast from 6 September; this will bring Emirates’ total number of destinations within Africa to 11, with 81 passenger destinations worldwide. The flights from Dubai to Accra and Abidjan will be linked services, operating three times a week on an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Middle East
South Africa
Airline
Emirates
Business
Leisure

INDIGO: Indian low-cost airline commences flights between the Maldives and India from 3 September 2020

Indian low-cost airline IndiGo will from today, 3 September, commence flights between the capital of the Maldives, Male and India's Kochi under a bilateral air bubble agreement. Initially this new service will operate twice per week.
India
Maldives
Airline
Borders
Indigo
Business
Leisure

VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Airline to add five additional routes in September 2020

The airline has announced further route resumptions with five additional services being added for September; Virgin are resuming flying from London Heathrow to New Delhi, Tel Aviv, Atlanta, Mumbai and Lagos. Further routes are also set to be resumed throughout the remainder of 2020.
India
Nigeria
United Kingdom
Airline
Virgin Atlantic
Business
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AER LINGUS: Airline reportedly due to start flights from the UK to the U.S. and Canada in 2021

The Irish airline has made a request to six UK airports to offer flights to the U.S. and Canada from 2021 until at least 2024; Aer Lingus reportedly are seeking to swap capacity from Shannon, Ireland to the UK as part of this plan.
Canada
United Kingdom
United States of America
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Aer Lingus
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Leisure

WIZZ AIR: Low-cost airline to offer a total of 13 routes from the UK's Doncaster Sheffield Airport

The low-cost airline is due to offer a total of13 routes from Doncaster Sheffield Airport from 22 October; in addition to existing routes, added will be services to Alicante, Malaga, Faro, Larnaca, Lublin (Poland), Kosice (Slovakia) and Suceana (Romania).
Portugal
Spain
United Kingdom
Airline
Wizz Air
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EMIRATES: Airline reactivates partnership with carrier flydubai to offer increased connectivity

Emirates and flydubai have announced that passengers of both airlines can once again access a wider range of travel options around the world, connecting seamlessly through Dubai through their reactivated code share partnership. Emirates customers can now travel on codeshare flights to over 30 destinations on flydubai, while flydubai customers have over 70 destinations they can travel to on Emirates.
Middle East
Airline
Business

AMERICAN AIRLINES: U.S. airline announces elimination of change fees on domestic flights

The U.S. airline has joined others in announcing with immediate effect the elimination of change fees on tickets purchased for travel within the domestic U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in first class, business class, premium economy and the main cabin excluding tickets purchased on a Basic Economy rate. Starting from 1 October, all passengers will also have the ability to fly standby on earlier flights for the same destination on the same day at no charge.
United States of America
Airline
American Airlines
Business
Leisure

EMIRATES: Airline resumes flights to Bangkok from 1 September 2020

The Dubai-based airline has from today, 1 September, resumed passenger flights to Bangkok, Thailand; this resumption has expanded Emirates’ current network to 78 cities in September, offering travellers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific convenient connections via Dubai to the popular Thai destination. Flights between Dubai and Bangkok will be operated with an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offering seats in first, business and economy class.
Middle East
Thailand
Airline
Emirates
Business
Leisure

ETIHAD: Airline to offer free COVID-19 testing for some passengers transferring from XNB bus terminal in Dubai

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has said that it will now offer complimentary COVID-19 PCR testing 48 hours prior to departure for passengers originating from XNB bus terminal in Dubai, who are due to transfer to Abu Dhabi International Airport before travelling on to 46 destinations. The current operating times are from 10.00-15.00 (local time) each day, and the facility is located at Etihad's Dubai Office at Mazaya Center on Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road. Passengers must present a valid passport and a copy of their ticket.
Middle East
United Kingdom
Airline
Etihad Airways
Business

DELTA AIR LINES: U.S. airline announces elimination of change fees on domestic flights

The U.S. airline has joined others in announcing with immediate effect the elimination of change fees on tickets purchased for travel within the domestic U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands in Delta’s First Class, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin, with the exception of Basic Economy tickets. Additionally, the airline will extend its waiver on change fees for newly purchased flights, including international flights and Basic Economy fares, through to the end of the year and will extend its expiration on travel credits to December 2022 for tickets booked before April 17, 2020.
United States of America
Airline
Delta Air Lines
Business
Leisure

ALASKA AIRLINES: U.S. airline announces elimination of change fees on domestic and international flights

The U.S. airline has joined others in announcing with immediate effect the elimination of change fees on tickets purchased for travel within the domestic U.S., and has also pledged to do so for its international destinations. The new change-fee policy applies to all tickets, except for Saver fares. Previously, the airline's change fee applied to all non-Saver travel, except for passengers traveling on refundable tickets and Mileage Plan top elite status members.
United States of America
Airline
Alaska Airlines
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UNITED AIRLINES: U.S. airline announces elimination of change fees on domestic flights

The U.S. airline has joined others in announcing the elimination of change fees on all standard economy and premium cabin tickets purchased for travel within the domestic U.S. with immediate effect; starting on 1 January, any United passenger can also fly standby for free on a flight departing the day of their travel regardless of the type of ticket or class of service. The airline is also extending its waiver for new tickets issued through to 31 December, to permit unlimited changes with no fee.
United States of America
Airline
United Airlines
Business
Leisure

EMIRATES: Airline to resume flights to two additional African cities from 3 September 2020

The Dubai-based airline has announced that it will resume passenger services to Conakry in Guinea and Dakar in Senegal from 3 September, taking the total number of cities in Africa served by Emirates to eight; the total network will subsequently grow to 77 cities. Flights from Dubai to Conakry and Dakar will be linked services, operating twice weekly, utilising an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Guinea
Middle East
Senegal
Airline
Emirates
Business
Leisure

VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Airline introduces complimentary COVID-19 global cover

The airline has introduced their new COVID-19 cover policy, which provides free insurance for new and existing customers on flights booked for departures up until 31 March 2021, should they fall ill or experience difficulties due to COVID-19. As well as covering applicable medical costs incurred as a result of the virus, Virgin will also incur costs in the event that a passenger is denied boarding due to COVID-19-related reasons, or is unexpectedly quarantined upon arrival in their destination.
Australia
Canada
New Zealand
South Africa
United Kingdom
United States of America
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Virgin Atlantic
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Leisure

LUFTHANSA GROUP: Airlines to increase restrictions on face masks from 1 September 2020

The airlines of the Lufthansa Group have announced that they are restricting the exceptions from the obligation to wear a mask on board their flights from 1 September, when an exemption from the obligation to wear a mask during the flight for medical reasons will only be possible if a medical certificate is presented on a form provided by the airline. Passengers can download the document from the airlines' websites. In addition, passengers who are unable to wear a mask during the flight must present a negative COVID-19 test result, which is not older than 48 hours at the scheduled start of the journey.
Australia
Austria
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Middle East
New Zealand
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States of America
Airline
Lufthansa
Austrian Airlines
SWISS Air Lines
Brussels Airlines
Air Dolomiti
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