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In-Flight Dining / Etihad Airways / UAE / First Class Travel / Middle East Travel / Airplane Food / In-Flight Meals / Food Travel / → All Tags

First Class Food from a Five-Star, Onboard Chef? It's Coming to Etihad.

This is some next level stuff. First Class in-flight meals on Etihad—the Abu Dhabi-based airline—are now being prepared by a qualified chef. No, really; one person is dedicated to cooking, preparing and plating the meals served in the front of the plane. Yes, you read correctly: cook!

Etihad announced the hiring of 110 restaurant-caliber chefs to fly back and forth from Abu Dhabi to a handful of cities while preparing the menu for the Diamond Class cabin. The chefs will also be responsible for contributing to the evolution of the menu and meal choices both in-flight and on the ground in the each of the airline's lounges. Each chef will need at least 6 years experience in a 5-star restaurant to be welcomed aboard, and there are even some Michelin-starred restaurants that have lost their chef to the airline.

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Architecture Travel / Airports / Kuwait Travel / Middle East Travel / Airport News / → All Tags

This is the Future: Kuwait Airport's Super Slick New Terminal Designs

Have you ever gone to the airport just to check it out? Not to take a flight, but to plane-spot, dine at a restaurant before security or just appreciate the architecture? You know we have, and do, but no matter your answer there's a huge chance you'll be champing at the bit to get to Kuwait International Airport in the next few years as they build a whopper of a new airport, with some seriously chic design by Foster + Partners.

Just look at it above, and the rest of the photo gallery of renderings below. That is some slick stuff. First thing we thought of, though? The Eero Saarinen TWA Flight Center, probably because we were just in there admiring the clean, white curves on Sunday and mostly because it actually looks derivative of the design. Do you agree?

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In-Flight Amenity Kits / Fashion Travel / Etihad / Airline News / Middle East Travel / First Class Travel / → All Tags

To Abu Dhabi with Bling: Etihad Introduces Swarovski First Class Kits

Be very jealous of Australian Business Traveler, as they were lucky enough to play with Etihad's new Swarovski amenity kits, the first and only Swarovski kits on an airline, given to First Class passengers flying primo routes on this Abu Dhabi-based airline.

The cases are gender-specific, and of course they've added a little crystal bling to the ladies' one, along with a nice miniature product lineup inside:

- for women, a fashionable black cosmetic purse detailed with exclusive crystals by Swarovski and products from luxury brand La Prairie such as moisturiser, hand cream and lip balm; and
- for men, an exclusive black leather cufflink box with quality amenities, such as a shaving kit with Schick Xtreme 3 razor and shaving cream.

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Museum Travel / Qatar Travel / Middle East Travel / Art Travel / Events / → All Tags

Qatar Museum of Arab Modern Art to Open with a Human Camera Exhibit

Qatar is likely reveling in winning its bid to host the 2022 World Cup. But there's a more immediate reason to be pumped: The Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art will open in Doha on December 30.

Mathaf—pronounced "Mat-haff," which is "museum" in Arabic—will showcase more than 6,000 works of modern Arab art from the 1840s to the present.

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Airline News / Emirates / JetBlue / Middle East Travel / LCCs / → All Tags

Middle East A Go-Go: JetBlue and Emirates Buddy Up for Seamless Travel

"Pittsburgh to Pakistan!
Syracuse to Sana'a!
Raleigh to Riyadh!
Tampa to Thiruvananthapuram!"

This morning, JetBlue announces that they are now totally tight with Dubai-based airline Emirates, via an interline agreement. What this means is, starting today, flyers will be able to purchase seamless flight itineraries that begin on JetBlue or Emirates and end on the other, making trips like the above ("Raleigh to Riyadh") possible, complete with one-stop check-in and baggage transfer between the airlines. Currently the bookings can be made by calling Emirates reservations, with a roll-out to Emirates.com soon.

For aviation geeks, this is particularly awesome, as you can start your trip by flying on a JetBlue A320 and grab the JFK-Dubai direct Emirates flight on the superjumbo A380 (no, Emirates is not having the engine problems with these that Qantas is). There are two non-stop Emirates to Dubai flights per day, with one on the A380 and the other on a 777, so just keep that in mind when you book your Denver to Dubai getaway.

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Middle East Travel / Travel News / UNESCO / World Heritage Sites / → All Tags

Could Syria Become The Next Travel Hot Spot?

If you’ve already started to plan an around the world trip, you can now add Syria to the list of potential destinations. The United States recently lifted its travel advisory on the country, so you might feel a little more comfortable investigating what the place has to offer now. Syria isn’t totally cool with Washington DC just yet, as the US still considers them a country that supports terrorism. So just take it easy if you do decide to visit.

Nonetheless, the situation for travelers is getting better. The US has decided to bring back an ambassador to the country, as there hasn’t been one in like five years. Although the Syrian government is obviously happy about having the advisory lifted, they probably aren't about to start a tourism campaign quite yet.

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Middle East Travel / Beirut Travel / Lebanon Travel / Dangerous Travel / → All Tags

Is Beirut The New Dubai Or The New East Timor?

Everyone wants to be on the edge of a comeback these days. The city of Beirut isn't releasing a new single or belatedly confiding in Diane Sawyer, but that hasn't stopped the Guardian from proclaiming that Lebanon's capital is "back... and it's beautiful." We'd feel guilty reading this objectifying headline in a different context, but we guess it's okay to do to a city.

Writer Carole Cadwalladr has a bit of history with the old lady, having written a guidebook to the country with her friend back in 1995. Now she declares it "the Elizabeth Taylor of the Mediterranean... if you replaced the words 'alcohol' with 'Israel' and 'a string of unsuitable marriages' with '15 years of civil war.'" That's a comeback? Oh wait, and it has two new hotels and the seal of approval of the New York Times, which is where the metaphor begins to fall apart.

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FlyDubai / Low Cost Carriers / LCCs / Middle East Travel / → All Tags

FlyDubai Takes Off, Wants to Reach Out to Africa and Eastern Europe Next

While we're not really so sure that fading Dubai needs another airline flying in, LCC FlyDubai has gone ahead and launched itself anyway. A few months back the new government-owned airline was promising a June 1 start, and they've surprisingly delivered right on time with flights to Beirut and Amman.

Special offers on the FlyDubai website at the moment include Dubai to Alexandria flights for 350 AED ($95) and Dubai to Damascus for a bit less than that even. And while the website is pleasant enough, we're not sure about the company slogan we found there: "How will you flydubai?" Yes, how will we? Isn't the answer to that an anticlimactic "on flydubai?"

FlyDubai is just two planes-strong at the moment, but they've got grand plans. With 52 more planes on order, it'll be interesting to see which additional destinations they pick up along the way—assuming they actually create a market for themselves. They're talking about "India and beyond", which apparently includes eastern Europe and northern Africa, and boy, what we'd give to see these materialize. Our next trip around Eastern Europe could include a weekend in Dubai; what a nice dream.

Related Stories:
· FlyDubai [Official Site]
· Dubai's First Low Cost Carrier Lands in Amman [Zawya]
· FlyDubai Is Finally Ready To Go Starting June 1 [Jaunted]

[Photo: Drewski2112]

Middle East Travel / Dubai Travel / Emirates / → All Tags

Emirates' Air Pass Gets Us Thinking About Arabian Nights

There's something enticing about the Arabian Air Pass that Emirates has just launched. We've always considered Dubai little more than a convenient hub for long-haul flights, but the exotic-sounding Arabian Air Pass is giving us some new ideas.

Obviously not pleased with Dubai's stepping-stone status, Emirates wants everyone to vacation in the Middle East and not continue on to Europe or Asia. The air pass deal means you can get cheap flights from Dubai to a dozen different cities in the region, including Cairo, Doha, Muscat and Damascus. Some flights are just $50 one-way (Doha or Muscat, for example) and longer flights are $150 each way (think Cairo or Damascus).

There are few strings attached, of course: you have to return to Dubai after your Middle Eastern jaunt and you can only get your air pass fares this cheap if you've paid more than $500 for a return ticket to Dubai from wherever you're starting. You need to buy all your tickets at once and there's a limit of six one-ways per person.

Related Stories:
· Arabian Air Pass [Official Site]
· Emirates Offers Low-Cost Air Pass [NY Times]
· Emirates Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: cgsheldon]

Smoking / Airlines / Crazy Passengers / Middle East Travel / Saudi Arabian Airlines / → All Tags

Saudi Arabian Airlines Really Mean No Smoking

We all know the drill: no smoking on the aircraft, there are smoke detectors in the toilets, blah, blah, blah. What we didn't know is the kind of punishment you might get for lighting up a cigarette if you happen to be flying Saudi Arabian Airlines at the time.

A guy flying from Qurayyat in northern Saudi Arabia up to Jeddah last week got caught smoking--police arrested him when they landed and he ended up in court. And he was sentenced to receive 30 lashes.

The passenger apologized and told the court he was going to a clinic to get help with quitting, but that didn't dissuade them from the 30-lash thing. So in case you needed it, that's one more reason to pack your cigarettes in your checked baggage.

Related Stories:
· Man Gets 30 Lashes for Smoking on Plane [The Age]
· Saudi Arabia Travel Guide [Jaunted]
· Smokin' Szele Plans to Cop a Plea [Jaunted]

[Photo: RoyChung1993]

Spas / Middle East Travel / Wellness Travel / → All Tags

New Spa in Jordan Has Therapeutic Benefits Plus Ice Cream

Think you deserve a bit of pampering? The Evason Ma’In Hot Springs have just opened an hour out of Amman in Jordan and look like a pretty decadent place to hang out next time you're passing through the Middle East.

These hot springs are pretty special--for one, they're found nearly 900 feet below sea level in a dramatic-looking ravine. The set-up includes natural hot waterfalls that Herod the Great bathed in, or so they say.

While the whole therapeutic spring water stuff should be the focus here, we’ve been distracted by a few of the side benefits. For example, they’ve got a fine dining Arabic restaurant looking over the waterfalls, a herbal tea bar, and (our favorite part) a snack bar serving 40 different kinds of homemade ice cream. Spa treatment or ice cream? We might just take the latter.

Related Stories:
· Evason Ma’In Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa [Official Site]
· Jordan Travel Guide [Jaunted]

Low Cost Carriers / Air Arabia / LCCs / Middle East Travel / → All Tags

Air Arabia Expands Service, Sounds Dirty

Economic meltdown? What economic meltdown? asks Air Arabia, the low cost carrier that thinks it can expand in times when everyone else is doing the opposite.

The carrier just ordered ten new planes and is about to open another hub in Morocco. Experts say the Middle East budget airline market is still "under-penetrated" and that Air Arabia's plans are smart.

And they must be doing something right because they just won "Best Low Cost Carrier in the Middle East and North Africa" at an awards night in Dubai. Whether it's their South Park character advertising or the chocolate candy marketing we don't know, but they must be clutching their new award with glee.

Related Stories:
· Air Arabia [Official Site]
· Air Arabia Best LCC in Middle East [Peanuts]
· Air Arabia to Buy 10 More Airbus A320s [IHT]
· Air Arabia coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: vm2827]