DUBAI // Families planning trips abroad over the spring school holiday will pay higher air fares. Emirates airline raised ticket prices yesterday and other airlines are likely to follow suit.
The increase comes weeks before the 10-day holiday at the end of March. The airline did not specify the amount, but travel agents said it was about five to seven per cent.
Passengers will now pay from Dh3,000 to Dh3,500 for a typical Emirates return flight from Dubai to London Heathrow.
"Ticket prices tend to rise every year for the start of the peak travel season between April and June," said Premjit Bangara, the travel manager at Sharaf Travel in Dubai.
Summer holiday plans are unlikely to be affected, Mr Bangara said. "It's an annoyance for most people but it won't stop them wanting to fly out to escape the summer heat."
Mr Bangara said he expected other airlines to make decisions on prices by the middle of this month.
Ashrita Moraes, operations manager at One World Travel and Tourism, said Emirates flights from Dubai to London and Delhi were among those with higher prices.
“It just depends on the routes that you book,” she said. She did not expect the higher prices to have a negative effect on ticket sales.
Emirates said: “Like every commercially orientated business, Emirates regularly reviews its fares to reflect market dynamics including demand and rising fuel prices.”
The company said it was impossible to absorb the soaring cost of oil without price increases, despite a fuel risk-management programme.
Three weeks ago British Airways raised its fuel surcharge, adding Dh143 to the cost of return flights in economy and Dh203 in first and club class.
“We constantly review prices and we did have a recent increase,” a spokeswoman said. She said the airline had no plans for further increases.
Etihad Airways said fuel prices accounted for 40 per cent of its operating costs, but no decision on fare increases had been taken yet.
The airline said it protected itself from short-term fluctuations with an “aggressive” fuel hedging policy that allows it to buy fuel at a capped rate for the year.
“This helps to mitigate some of the risks associated with fluctuating, and in this case increasing, oil prices,” it said.
Flydubai said its tickets include a fluctuating charge for fuel depending on the oil price. It would not be drawn on likely future increases.
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Libya's Gold
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8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
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Where to donate in the UAE
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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The specs
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- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
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- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
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Paltan
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Rating: 2/5