ETIHAD LAUNCHES HO CHI MINH CITY FLIGHTS
(Posted 02nd October 2013)
Etihad, Abu Dhabi’s national airline, has announced the launch of flights from Abu Dhabi to Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. Daily flights on Airbus A320 aircraft connect Nairobi with Abu Dhabi, in addition of which Kenya Airways, flying in code share with Etihad, also operates three flights a week at present. Travelers on KQ can already fly with Vietnam Airlines between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City under a codeshare arrangement between these two airlines but the added option to travel via Abu Dhabi will certainly open up that market even further.
Notably does Etihad also enjoy a ‘special relationship’ with Vietnam Airlines, in line with their corporate strategy to grow globally through select investments in airlines, MoU’s and codeshares with others in order to widen their destination network and offer their clients better connectivity outside the conventional airline alliances.
In a related development has Etihad also launched a special Facebook competition in which fans can upload photos of their favourite Vietnamese food for the chance to win a pair of Coral Economy Class flights to Ho Chi Minh City from any point on the airline’s network. Whether it is a home-cooked meal, a dish from a favourite restaurant or fresh produce, fans will be encouraged to get snapping and upload their best Vietnamese cuisine-inspired image.
Participants in the competition can upload and vote for their favourite foodie photos via the ‘Vietnam Eats’ Facebook application throughout October. At the end of the month, a panel of judges will choose a winner from the 10 most popular photos as voted by Etihad Airways’ Facebook followers. The foodie-focused competition celebrates the new Vietnamese-themed menu on Ho Chi Minh City flights which has been designed in partnership with Luke Nguyen, the celebrity chef who is a host on the TV series Masterchef Vietnam. At the same time, fans can tag photos and videos of Ho Chi Minh City or travel with Etihad Airways to the city with the hashtag #HCMCPEARLS.
User-generated photos and videos will be pulled together to create a Vietnam-themed social hub on Etihad Airways’ Facebook page. Here people can find fan-generated recommendations on what to do, where to go, and what to eat in Ho Chi Minh City. For more information and to view the full terms and conditions for the competition visit www.facebook.com/etihad.airways. Watch this space for breaking and regular news from the Eastern African aviation scene.
