While travel has been on the back-burner for the best part of a year for most people, there's hope that 2021 will be different.
As authorities around the world roll out Covid-19 vaccination programmes, many people are optimistic that they may be able to travel again this year.
In keeping with that hope, Emirates and Etihad have launched January flight sales. The Dubai and Abu Dhabi airlines are offering promotional fares on flights to various destinations across the world, available in both Economy and Business classes.
Emirates January Sale: Cairo, Karachi and Moscow
Dubai's Emirates is encouraging travellers to "reconnect with the world in 2021" with flights on sale from now until Tuesday, February 2.
Bargain fares include tickets from Dubai to Karachi starting from Dh1,055, to Istanbul from Dh1,605 and to Cairo from Dh1,695 in Economy class. For travellers planning to fly to the US, tickets to Los Angeles start from Dh4,995.
There are also bargains to be had on Business class fares with tickets from Dubai to London from Dh5,160 and to Moscow from Dh9,995.
Travellers looking to secure promotional tickets need to be travelling on or before Tuesday, June 15.
Emirates said it was launching the sale so that "customers can make up for lost time in 2021". All travellers will receive flexible booking options and multi-risk travel insurance that includes Covid-19 cover.
Etihad's seasonal offers: Maldives, Manila and Beirut
The national airline of the UAE kick-started 2021 with a flash one-hour sale on New Year's Eve, offering fares on select flights for only Dh10. It followed this up with a two-for-one offer which ran until January 13.
While both of those promotions have ended, if you're quick you can still get seasonal fares to select destinations.
Among the places on sale are Cairo, with Economy fares from Dh1,078, Manila from Dh2,428 and Beirut from Dh1,778. If you want to fly Business class with Etihad, you can book a promotional flight from Abu Dhabi to the Maldives with fares from Dh9,141.
Book by Thursday, January 21 to access these fares, which are valid on flights until November 24, except Cairo's Economy fare which is only valid on travel before Wednesday, March 31.
Travellers flying with Etihad have flexible booking policies, and travel insurance that covers treatment for Covid-19. As the first airline to require that 100 per cent of travellers are tested for the coronavirus before flying, Etihad also offers passengers a free Covid-19 test for all flights departing Abu Dhabi.
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Inside Emirates' A380 Premium Economy cabin
Specs
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
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MO
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
TEAMS
US Team
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth
Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger
Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler
Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed
Matt Kuchar, Kevin Chappell
Charley Hoffman*, Phil Mickelson*
International Team
Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel
Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim
Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Hadwin
Emiliano Grillo*, Anirban Lahiri*
* denotes captain's picks
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
