Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the UAE, and the Sultanate of Oman, and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc are pleased to announce their new partnership in Gulf Airå‘s FALCON Frequent Flyer Programme, which comes into effect on 1 February 2003.

Members of the FALCON Frequent Flyer Programme will be able to earn 500 miles per stay at qualifying rates in any Millennium & Copthorne hotels worldwide, including the recently opened five star Millennium hotels in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

To celebrate the launch of this new partnership, which offers more value and benefits to FALCON members, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc is also offering double FALCON Miles on stays between 1 February and 31 March 2003

“We are committed to going the extra mile for our customers, and will continue to develop and evolve our Programme and Product offering to suit the best interests of our customers and FALCON members,” said Michael Johnson, recently appointed manager of the airline’s FALCON Frequent Flyer Programme.

“In sync with Gulf Air’s vision and objectives, we put our customers first, and aim to make the travel experience as pleasant as possible by minimising the stresses and strains of frequent travel in comfortable, stylish and pleasant surroundings,” said Tony Potter, Chief Operating Officer at Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc. “With 91 hotels in 17 countries, we are a dynamic, global hotel company, which will provide excellent additional value and choice for Gulf Air’s FALCON Frequent Flyer members.”

Introduced in 1994, Gulf Air’s Frequent Flyer Programme was the first fully-fledged loyalty programme to be offered by a Middle Eastern carrier. Gulf Air’s generous programme awards one FALCON mile for every mile flown in Economy, double that for Business Class travel, and up to three times the standard award for First Class travel. Certain discounted fares are also eligible for a reduced mileage award. Bonuses and special promotions are offered regularly throughout the year and very successful family mileage scheme is also firmly established.

Redemptions provide excellent value with a round trip economy ticket between GCC cities from as little as 6,000 FALCON miles. Members can redeem FALCON miles on tickets for themselves or pre-nominated family members, who can also earn miles on behalf of the primary member on Gulf Air flights.

Gulf Air was founded in 1950. Today, it is owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain, Oman and the UAE and is the only truly pan Gulf carrier in the region. The airline’s network stretches from Europe to Asia and covers 43 cities in 32 countries. The fleet is one of the most modern in the Middle East and comprises 30 aircraft.

The airline is in its first year of a three-year strategic recovery programme, headed by President & Chief Executive, James Hogan. The airline’s aim is to further evolve by taking its renowned cultural strengths, which have been gained over more than half a century, into a global environment.

Gulf Air is also intent on ‘going the extra mile’ for its customers. It has subsequently made a concerted effort to focus on efficiency, to eliminate bureaucracy and implement processes that are required, above all, to improve customer satisfaction.   

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