Recommend October 2017 - 12

Qatar Airways is offering
its First and Business Class
passengers luxury amenity kits.

Traveltalk

Michelle Marie Arean

AirTalk

Luxury is subjective. For some it's a lavish
penthouse suite at a high-end hotel, for others
it's an immersive cultural experience with VIP
perks, and for others it's the simple things like
extra leg room on a flight, better flight access,
or an over-the-top charter aircraft. The latter
is exemplified by Crystal Skye.
Crystal Skye has kicked things up a few
notches when it comes to luxury air travel.
Forget first class, or extra leg room, what
Crystal Skye brings to the table is: leather
seats, Skye butlers, cashmere blankets and
goose down pillows, global WiFi, spacious
spa-like restrooms playing relaxing music, and
a social lounge that compares to that of a sixstar resort.
But the perks don't end there. Guests who
charter Crystal Skye can customize their
experience to their heart's content. Think
their own chef on board to make meals during
long-haul flights, and a requested channel to
broadcast shows specific to their interests, plus
they can even bring their favorite wines on
board-although the aircraft does feature a
wine collection and its own wine cellar.
For those guests who don't want to bring in
their own chef, they won't skimp out on
the experience as South African chef
Francois Van Zyl creates Michelin-inspired
dishes that treat passengers to the flavor of
the destination.

Be sure to check out the Delta Air
Lines 2018 Travel Guide to Europe,
Africa, the Middle East & India in
Recommend's December 2017 issue.
12 october 2017

Other opulent perks that come with a
Crystal charter include an international crew
of 20 who speak about 34 languages; three
complimentary checked bags (not exceeding
70 lbs. each), plus one carry on bag and a
personal item (purse, laptop bag, etc); 88
seats; 25-inch backseat screens; handcrafted
Crystal VIP carpet throughout; meals served
either Western- or Eastern-style; dining/
lounge tables that flip to become gaming
tables; an afternoon tea buffet; and six
bathrooms. Make a note that every seat is a
window seat as they're laid out in a way that
a passenger can't block another passenger's
view out the window. And for those guests
who plan to be on a shopping spree during
their travels, they won't have to worry
about how much they can bring back with
them as it's all allowable and included.
Clients will want to know about Qatar
Airways' new premium chauffeur service for
door-to-door transfers for guests in all cabin
classes. The new service is bookable for a fee
online through qatarairways.com and on the
Qatar Airways app. Guests can choose from a
variety of high-end vehicles including Audi,
BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Cadillac. The
global chauffeur service features all-inclusive
highly competitive rates including all taxes,
tolls, fees, and gratuities. Passengers will also
receive up-to-date SMS and e-mail updates
and confirmations including the driver's
name and phone number.
The airline has also unveiled a new range
of limited edition amenity kits-from luxury
luggage brands BRIC'S Milano and Nappa
Dori for passengers flying First and Business

Class. BRIC'S Milano luxury amenity kits
come in a selection of four colors and will be
given to passengers flying long-haul flights;
each bag contains skincare products from
Italy's Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio, plus
socks, eyeshades, and earplugs; and those
in First Class will also get a BRIC'S Milano
luggage tag. Passengers flying medium-haul
routes on First and Business Class, will be
offered amenity kits from Nappa Dori that
include socks, eyeshades, and lip balm from
Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio and feature
a series of destination images printed on the
kit's canvas exterior.
First and Business Class passengers can also
now pre-select one main course option from
the a la carte onboard menu between 14 days
and 24 hours prior to departure.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced
that it's the first airline to offer its customers
the ability to book and communicate via
WhatsApp. The airline is now offering
customers around the word booking
confirmation, check-in notification, boarding
pass, flight status updates, and the ability
to ask questions in 10 languages via the
WhatsApp Business app.
Air France launched a new winter service
to Chicago starting Oct. 24, operating
five weekly flights throughout the season
connecting Chicago O'Hare International
Airport to Paris-Charles de Gaulle.
For guests heading to Ireland, Aer Lingus
added a flight between South Florida and
Dublin last month. Offering three weekly
nonstop flights between Miami International
Airport and Dublin Airport.
And, Delta Air Lines is adding its first
nonstop service between Indianapolis and
Europe next year in partnership with Air
France-KLM. The new flights to Paris launch
on May 18, 2018 operating up to five times
per week. ■
Contact Information
Air France: airfrance.com
Aer Lingus: aerlingus.com
Crystal Skye: crystalcruises.com/luxury-air
Delta Air Lines: delta.com
KLM: klm.com
Qatar Airways: qatarairways.com
recommend.com
http://www.qatarairways.com http://www.airfrance.com http://www.aerlingus.com http://www.crystalcruises.com/luxury-air http://www.delta.com http://www.klm.com http://www.qatarairways.com http://www.recommend.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend October 2017
