Tag Archives: Rajesh Menon

Cathay Dragon has recently celebrated 10 years of passenger flight operations between Bengaluru and Hong Kong. Since the launch of these flights in 2008, more than 800,000 passengers have travelled from Bengaluru and approximately 32,000 tons of cargo have been carried. In celebration of the 10th anniversary, the airline’s check-in counters wore a festive look and passengers travelling from Bengaluru were given commemorative gifts. The airline has also launched a special offer – 10 per cent discount on fares from Bengaluru to destinations such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, Seoul, Narita, Taipei and Hong Kong. This discount is applicable on tickets booked on the airline’s website for travel right until the end of the year. Rajesh Menon, Regional Sales and Marketing Manager – South Asia, Cathay Pacific says,” We have always been very confident of the potential that Bengaluru holds, which is why we launched services in 2008 with daily flights. Karnataka’s GDP growth at 7 per cent is in line with the national average. From South India, the highest traffic to countries like North America, Japan and Australia comes from Bengaluru. At Cathay Dragon we are perfectly positioned to cater to this traffic with excellent connections to these key destinations with our differentiated product and service”.

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.’

Cathay Pacific Group has partnered with HDFC Bank India for a limited period discount offer. Cathay Pacific customers making flight bookings through the Cathay Pacific or Cathay Dragon website can also enjoy up to five per cent discount on transactions made through all HDFC credit or debit cards. This discount is applicable on select Business and Economy classes. This offer is applicable exclusively for Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon flights to Hong Kong as per the booking period Feb 16 to March 15, 2017 and travel period of March 1 – August 31, 2017. Rajesh Menon, Regional Sales and Marketing Manager – South Asia at Cathay Pacific Airways, said, “HDFC being the largest credit card issuer India, this partnership brings to us the opportunity to reach out to our shared pool of high net worth individuals. Our synergies meet at the junction of our quality and premium customer service, thereby amplifying the level of ease experienced in making transactions. With upcoming holidays and events lined up, Hong Kong is a great choice for a getaway.”

Dragonair has introduced the A320 Business and Economy class seats with new on-demand inflight entertainment system, StudioKA, from September 2, 2016. A comprehensive inflight entertainment system will be made available on Dragonair’s A320 fleet for the very first time in India, where each passenger can access their own choice of entertainment via the wireless IFE. The Business class passengers will be provided with tablets for IFE, whereas the Economy class passengers will be able to download the StudioKA app on their personal devices via the inflight Wi-Fi service. Moreover, Dragonair has also upped the comfort offered in-flight with the vision to truly enhance their passengers’ travel experience. Rajesh Menon, Regional Sales & Marketing Manager-South Asia, said, “We constantly strive to introduce services that can elevate the travel experience for our customers and make for a ‘Life Well Travelled’ experience. The east India market has seen a significant growth in the last few years. The new product suite onboard the A320 fleet, on all our flights from Kolkata is a great boost to this trend. The introduction of our new interactive Inflight Entertainment system, enhanced seats will usher in a combination of top notch entertainment, comfort and practicality. We are sure that our new enhancements will provide our valued customers with another reason to fly Dragonair.”