Etihad offers free transit visas to India passengers

Etihad Airways, which started operations to two airports in Kerala this month, is offering free transit visas to passengers from Qatar to India.
The airline started its Kerala operations with three flights a week from Abu Dhabi to Thiruvananthapuram and four weekly services to Kochi.
Under the current schedule, passengers from Qatar have a long wait in the UAE capital before being connected to the onward flight. The airline was therefore facilitating a “short holiday” for passengers, said Raza Khan, its Qatar manager.
Free transit visas would be arranged through Etihad Holidays for “one or two days” for passengers going to any Indian destination, he said. However, free accommodation was offered only to passengers on the “long haul” services of six hours or more, like those to Europe, Australia or the US.
Asked why free accommodation was not offered to all passengers as stipulated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Khan said such provisions applied only when the airline charged the higher IATA fares.
The current market fares were considerably lower than IATA’s “published” fares, he pointed out.
05/06/07 Arvind Nair/Gulf Times

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Categories: Foreign Jun 2007, New Jun 2007