Tag Archives: Cathay Dragon

Cathay Pacific has introduced Business Plus in India – a new corporate sales programme to meet the needs of the Indian business traveller. Business Plus simplifies the business travel management process and rewards those who fly with Cathay Pacific or Cathay Dragon with a range of privileges and benefits. By flying with Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon, companies earn and accrue Business Plus points, thereby enabling them to move up through the airline’s 5-tier system – unlocking rewards and privileges along the way. These include cabin upgrades, Marco Polo Club membership, lounge passes and more. Rajesh Menon, Regional Sales & Marketing Manager – South Asia, Cathay Pacific, said, “In view of the significant growth opportunities from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we have launched this programme to cater to their travel needs, which can be managed thought our website or via their travel agent. Recognising the vital role of SMEs in India’s economic development, Cathay Pacific selected India as one of its first markets for Business Plus launch. We will be rolling out the programme in other key markets during the course of 2018.”

Cathay Dragon has become the first international airline to introduce self-printing web generated boarding cards at Kolkata Airport. The online check-in feature allows passengers to check-in and print their boarding cards forty-eight hours to one hour prior to their flight. Passengers eligible for lounge access will be able to view their invitations on the boarding card. Any International passenger, with a web generated boarding card will be required to report to the Cathay Dragon counters for check-in of baggage and verification of travel documents only. They can visit the Cathay Pacific website for further details. Rajesh Menon, Regional Sales & Marketing Manager, South Asia, Cathay Pacific Airways, said, “We are confident our passengers will benefit with the introduction of self-printing web generated boarding cards. It will help reduce check-in time and they will experience shorter queues making the entire process swift.” He further added, “At every step, we are striving to provide a seamless experience to our customers. With the introduction of new retrofits on Cathay Dragon aircraft last year, passengers from Kolkata can not only travel at ease but also have a comfortable experience during check-in.”

In a latest development regarding agency commission, Cathay Pacific and its subsidiary Cathay Dragon has withdrawn its IATA commission to travel agents applicable for any/all tickets issued in India. It will go from five per cent to zero commission with effect from May 1, 2017. In a letter signed by Rajesh Menon, Regional Sales and Marketing Manager, South Asia, Cathay Pacific Airways and Cathay Dragon, to all its trade partners, reasons, ‘Market dynamics for the aviation industry have changed in the recent times and has resulted in making the operating environment for our airline very challenging. The projections for the aviation industry and for our airlines remain to be volatile in the future.’ All tickets issued prior to May 1, 2017 will be eligible for a five per cent IATA commission. It adds, ‘We request you to kindly make a note of the change in commission structure and the effective date as this change might require a change in your business model too.’

The Cathay Dragon website will soon be merged into the Cathay Pacific website. The merger, which will be in effect from March 29, 2017, means that customers will enjoy the convenience of being able to book flights from all departure points across the airlines’ combined network through a single website. Other functions – including booking management and online check-in services – in addition to a wealth of travel-related information, including flight timetables, flight status, baggage information and inflight entertainment options for both airlines will also be available through the enhanced website. Furthermore, four new country sites for Cathay Dragon customers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal will be made available through cathaypacific.com. The website merger is the latest development in Cathay Dragon’s rebranding process, which officially commenced in November 2016 in order to bring the airline closer to Cathay Pacific.

The Cathay Pacific Group has announced that its’ wholly owned sister airline Dragonair is to be rebranded as Cathay Dragon. The two will remain as separate airlines, operating under their own licences. The rebranding will see a new livery created for Cathay Dragon that features a Cathay-style brushwing logo. This livery will appear for the first time on one of Cathay Dragon’s Airbus A330-300 aircraft in April and will be progressively introduced to the rest of the airline’s fleet. By more closely aligning the two brands, this rebranding will capitalise on Cathay Pacific’s high international brand recognition and leverage on Cathay Dragon’s unique connectivity into Mainland China – one of the world’s fastest-growing business and leisure travel markets. The Cathay Pacific Group will launch a major international advertising and marketing campaign later this year to promote recognition of Cathay Dragon and the benefits this rebranding will bring to passengers. Ivan Chu, Chief Executive, Cathay Pacific, said, “We are very proud of what we have achieved together. Cathay Dragon is a brand that will be recognisably part of the Cathay Pacific Group for our customers from different parts of the world. The rebranding will enable us to capture the fast-growing passenger flows across the two carriers by creating a more seamless travel experience. We are building on what is a true Hong Kong success story that has made our city a leading international aviation hub and gateway to and from Mainland China markets. This rebranding will sharpen our competitive edge by offering an attractive Cathay-led brand package that carries the assurance of a consistently high-quality customer experience,” Algernon Yau, Chief Executive Officer, Cathay Dragon, said, “We can assure our customers that Cathay Dragon will …