If you were in Sydney this morning, running through the rain like an umbrella-less idiot like we did, please enjoy scanning this airline wrap for cheap flight deals to somewhere warmer.

Emirates announces start of scheduled A380 service into Hamburg

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has announced that it will introduce the first scheduled commercial Airbus A380 service to Hamburg.

The deployment of the iconic double decker aircraft will provide travellers from around Australia with daily connections to the German city, which is famed for its portside appeal and rich culture. As Hamburg’s only A380 service, the addition will represent a capacity increase of over 22 per cent on the route.

With a total of 6,090 weekly seats in each direction, Emirates will offer business and leisure travellers from the North of Germany an even greater choice of travel options to Dubai and to over 150 destinations beyond, highlighting Hamburg’s importance as part of the airline’s global network. With its existing multiple daily A380 services to Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf, Emirates will be operating all German gateways with its A380 flagship aircraft.

The deployment of the iconic double decker aircraft will represent a capacity increase of over 22% on the route. With a total of 6,090 weekly seats in each direction, Emirates will offer business and leisure travellers from the North of Germany an even greater choice of travel options to Dubai and to over 150 destinations beyond, highlighting Hamburg’s importance as part of the airline’s global network. With its existing multiple daily A380 services to Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf, Emirates will be operating all German gateways with its A380 flagship aircraft.

A new star in the Airport Lounge scene: The United Polaris Lounge opens at Newark Liberty International Airport

Beginning June 4, customers traveling in United Polaris, the airline’s international premium cabin travel experience, will be able to relax and dine before their travels in the new United Polaris lounge at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Building on the airline’s concept to be uniquely United while embracing the energy of the Newark/New York metropolitan area and the exciting destinations served from it, this United Polaris lounge exhibits distinct local flair throughout. When visitors first enter, they will be greeted with a vibrant lighting fixture created by Brooklyn-based art and design laboratory Richard Clarkson Studio that is meant to mimic the constellations of the 12 zodiac signs.

In a nod to the city’s recognition for preeminence in the world for craft cocktails, the bar is the stand-out gem of this United Polaris lounge, both in terms of size and the array of cocktails offered. The thoughtful cocktail list includes the United Polaris Old Fashioned, a fresh take on the classic, complete with J. Rieger & Co. Kansas City Whiskey, a house simple syrup, Dale DeGroff bitters with a muddled orange wheel and Luxardo cherry, just like the legend himself — Dale DeGroff— makes it.

A custom-designed a la carte dining menu blends international comfort foods, such as Moroccan-spiced braised lamb, with staples like the United Polaris Burger, which will be on the menu at all United Polaris lounges.

Vietnam Airlines, the fastest growing flag carrier in Southeast Asia, expands partnership with Sabre

Vietnam Airlines and Sabre Corporation are delighted to announce an expanded agreement which reaffirms their long-term partnership. The carrier will leverage the breadth of SabreSonic, Sabre’s passenger service system (PSS) that Vietnam Airlines is now operating on, to improve its retailing, distribution and fulfilment capabilities.

With the use of Sabre’s innovative technology solutions, customers will be provided with a seamless experience, from flight search, online booking, check-in, purchasing ancillaries on websites, and after-sales service. This differentiated experience will be powered by Sabre’s powerful passenger service system, with enhanced functionalities that will provide increased revenue opportunities by tailoring offers and experiences to meet the needs of every traveller.

Committed to supporting the airline in meeting the International Air Transport Association (IATA) standards for distribution technology, Sabre will also provide Vietnam Airlines with advanced technology that will enhance the development of mobile applications.

Emirates Engineering executes first complete landing gear change for Emirates A380 aircraft

Emirates Engineering has successfully accomplished the first complete replacement of landing gear on A6-EDF, the first Emirates Airbus A380 aircraft to have its entire landing gear system replaced at one time.

Comprising five sets of landing gear – two under the wings, two under the body, and one nose landing gear, the work was planned and executed in-house, at the Emirates Engineering hangars in Dubai.

Every Emirates Airbus A380 aircraft has a landing gear system with a total of 22 landing wheels. In addition to the wheels, the landing gear mechanism of the aircraft includes the gear extension and retraction systems, braking and steering controls, and other monitoring systems. The landing gear of the world’s largest commercial aircraft can support a weight of close to 570 tonnes on take-off and over 390 tonnes on landing.

The process of changing all the landing gears was completed in 14 days with the Emirates Engineering team clocking thousands of man hours during this period. For the duration of the work, the entire aircraft was lifted on jacks to support the body of the aircraft.

Air Astana enhances International Network and expands fleet

Air Astana, the Skytrax award-winning carrier from Kazakhstan, is launching new flights from Astana to two destinations in Russia – Tyumen and Kazan. The new Astana – Tyumen route commenced on 2nd June 2018 and will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The flight will be served by an Embraer E190, with nine Business Class and 88 Economy Class seats.

Lead in fares start at US$205 for a round trip in Economy Class and US$475 for return flight in Business Class (prices may vary due to currency fluctuations). Tickets can be purchased at www.airastana.com , from the airline’s ticketing offices or Air Astana’s accredited ticketing agencies.

Air Astana offers convenient connections for international passengers travelling from Frankfurt, London, Paris, Kiev, Istanbul, Tbilisi, Delhi, Tashkent, Bishkek, Baku and Beijing flying to Tyumen via Astana. For longer connections passengers are offered Air Astana’s Stopover Holidays programme that includes hotel accommodation for one night with breakfast and airport transfers included for US$1. For more information on Air Astana Stopover Holidays please visit: https://airastana.com/global/en-us/Plan/Stopover-Holidays.

Emirates to launch A380 services to Osaka, Japan

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, will introduce regular scheduled commercial Airbus A380 services to Osaka (KIX) in Japan on 28 October 2018*. The deployment of the double-decker aircraft represents a capacity increase of 38 per cent, and means that travellers will enjoy the comfort of an A380 to and from two Japanese gateways, as the flagship aircraft already operates daily from Narita International Airport. The A380 will replace the 777-300ER aircraft currently operating on the EK316/EK317 service to and from Osaka.

The Emirates’ Airbus A380 aircraft serving the Dubai-Osaka route will offer a total of 489 seats in a three-class configuration, with 399 spacious seats in Economy Class, 76 fully flat-bed seats in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites. Emirates flights to and from Japan cater to the needs of Japanese travellers with Japanese-speaking cabin crew on board.

Emirates award-winning entertainment system, ice, offers up to 3,500 channels of audio and visual entertainment, including live TV and more than 100 channels of Japanese content, movies, TV shows and music. Emirates customers can enjoy a generous baggage allowance, with 50kg for First Class, 40kg for Business Class and up to 35kg for Economy Class passengers.

First Class customers on Emirates flights to and from Japan can experience traditional Kaiseki (multi-course meal) cuisine and Business Class customers have the option of a traditional bento box. Emirates is the first Middle Eastern airline to serve Kaiseki-inspired meals on board. The Emirates A380 is also renowned for its First Class Shower Spas as well as the Onboard Lounge for First and Business Class passengers, the most popular social spot at 40,000 feet.