Singapore Airlines (SIA) is strengthening its links with Dubai, a growing commercial and tourist centre in the Gulf, in more ways than one.

With effect from 19 June 2002, SIA will mount three additional weekly return flights to Dubai, bringing the total to ten B777 services weekly. In a separate development, SIA and Dubai’s flag carrier, Emirates, have entered into cross participation in their frequent flyer programmes.

Three weekly B777 services, departing Singapore every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, are being added to meet growing demand on the Singapore-Dubai route. This growth is due partly to an increasing number of tourists travelling from Dubai to Singapore and beyond. With the peak season for leisure travel from the United Arab Emirates approaching, the additional capacity is timely.
Traffic from Singapore to Dubai is also increasing. Dubai has established itself as a leading venue in the Gulf for meetings, incentive programmes, and exhibitions, and is building a reputation as a vibrant international centre for cultural and sporting events. It has gained popularity with both business and leisure travellers.

Mr Michael Tan, SIA’s Senior Executive Vice-President (Commercial), is optimistic that demand on the Singapore-Dubai route will continue to grow. “The government of Dubai is committed to liberal market policies and the creation of a business environment conducive to expanding commercial activity. Dubai is also becoming a popular tourist destination in the Gulf region. Passenger traffic between the UAE and Singapore has grown by more than ten percent per annum in the last two years, and we foresee this upward trend continuing,” he said.

The three new B777 services will supplement SIA’s existing daily service to Dubai and raise the total number of passenger flights to the Middle East to 13 a week.

Meanwhile, KrisFlyer and Skywards, the frequent flyer programmes of SIA and Emirates, respectively, have entered into a commercial partnership, allowing members of their programmes to earn air miles when travelling on either airline’s services.

KrisFlyer members travelling on Emirates’ services can earn KrisFlyer miles by quoting their membership number when making reservations or at the check-in counter. They can earn points at the same rate as they do on SIA services, meaning 150% of actual miles flown for customers in First Class, 125% for those in Business (Raffles) Class, and 100% for those in Economy Class.

With the addition of Emirates, KrisFlyer members can now earn and redeem air miles on 19 airlines serving over 800 destinations. They can earn even more miles by using the services of a large number of affiliates, including major hotel chains, credit card companies, and car rental agencies.

Apart from Emirates, KrisFlyer’s airline partners are Star Alliance carriers Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, bmi British Midland, Lauda Air, Lufthansa German Airlines, Mexicana, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International, Tyrolean Airways, United Airlines and Varig, as well as four airlines that are not part of Star: Asiana Airlines, Delta Air Lines, SilkAir, and Virgin Atlantic.

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