As the peak season for getaways approaches, many Gulf travellers may be missing out on internet flight bargains because they favour travel agents.
In the hunt for cheap airfares in the Middle East, the internet often yields the best deals.
At Swiss International Air Lines, 75 per cent of its tickets sold in the region are handled through travel agents, said Martin Massueger, its head of Middle East sales. Its call centre handles 10 per cent of its sales, while just 15 per cent of its customers book online.
Those numbers were echoed by travel agents, who acknowledged that despite the allure of booking directly on an airline's website, many in the region were used to booking their tickets through travel agencies. The reasons for this include the fact that many travellers do not have the credit cards needed for web bookings or they lack internet access. Others simply prefer the convenience and customer service provided by travel agencies.
"Fares are often cheaper via the internet, no doubt about it," said Zubair Musliyarakath, a Sharjah-based manager with Orient Travel. "But a lot of people travelling to countries such as Syria, Jordan or Egypt, for example, they are not IT savvy or they do not have access to computers."
Despite the declining position of travel agencies in other parts of the world brought on by increasing internet use, it would "take decades" for the dominant role of travel agencies in the UAE to wane, he said.
Travel agents say they provide more flexibility to passengers and offer discounted fares because they are able to purchase in bulk. By contrast, internet bookings often come with hefty alteration or cancellation fines.
The web-based ticket options include the airlines' websites. The budget carriers, in particular, rely the most heavily on online bookings to keep their costs low and avoid paying commissions to middlemen to fill their planes.
Another option is online travel sites, which have become increasingly popular in North America and Europe where internet penetration is high. Fare consolidators such as Travelocity and Expedia offer a range of airlines and their respective fares, giving the customer the feeling of having a wide array of options regarding flight schedules, routes and fares.
In the Middle East, these big western sites do not operate, but there are regional websites. Dnata Travel has been in operation for several years and specialises in bookings in and out of Dubai. Orient Planet is also developing a web portal for its customers, Mr Musliyarakath said.
In May, Clear Trip opened operations in the UAE as one of the first independent travel booking sites, after originally starting out in India in 2006.
For years consumers have squared up against the dynamic pricing models of airlines, which means ticket prices can go up or down almost instantaneously depending on when the booking is made, the day of the flight, and the level of demand. Although these systems are designed to sell the highest possible fare of any given day, consumers can find lower fares by knowing how they operate.
In general, the cheapest days and times to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday afternoon, when travel demand is at its lowest. Similarly, Monday to Wednesday are the best days to buy tickets because they have the lowest booking demand.
The average airline may have up to 15 categories of ticket prices in their economy classes alone, Mr Massueger said. "The development of each flight is surveyed all the time," he said. "If (demand is) lower than what the estimates first forecast, then automatically it starts opening up lower booking classes."
In the UAE, the most expensive time to travel is the summer months before Ramadan and weekends in general, travel agents say. Lesser peak periods include the two Eid holidays through the year and the Christmas and Easter holidays.
In the high season, consumers are advised to book early, but in the low season, prices could be lower if they book late, Mr Massueger said. "But there are no guarantees."
igale@thenational.ae
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'Nope'
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Company%20Profile
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E299hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E420Nm%20at%202%2C750rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E12.4L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh157%2C395%20(XLS)%3B%20Dh199%2C395%20(Limited)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Wonder
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
