Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam is a strip of land shaped like the letter S. China borders it to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, the East Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south.Video brought to you by Travelindex Network and Travel & Tourism Foundation. Travelindex.com is the World’s largest Travel Directory. We invite you to submit your tourism, travel or destination site for publication, its free, at www.Travelindex.com Useful Links www.travelindex.com http www.bestdestination.com http www.tourismfoundation.org
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The flagship carrier of the Netherlands is KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines, hosting a main hub at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and headquartered in nearby Amstelveen. Offering both domestic and international service, KLM-Royal Dutch airlines serves over 90 destinations, and is also a member of the world’s second largest airline alliance, SkyTeam.
For the past several years, KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines has been part of Air France-KLM, while it has also maintained an operating partnership with Northwest Airlines, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the USA. The two-airline consortium operates a fleet of 607 aircraft that carry nearly 75 million passengers a year to 258 destinations. The Air France-KLM partnership recently obtained even more global reach by purchasing a 25 per cent stake in the Italian carrier Alitalia.
Founded in’19 and the world’s oldest air carrier, KLM ran its first flight, from London to Amsterdam, in May’20. During World War II it ceased operations. The company was accused of helping accused Nazi war criminals escape Germany after World War II, but it has denied the allegations.
While KLM remains the world’s oldest airline, it is no longer the world’s oldest independent airline. Air France and KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines announced merger plans in 2003, marking the end of KLM’s independent run. The merger did affect the ongoing cooperation between KLM and Northwest Airlines, however, as both companies joined SkyTeam in September 2004.
Fliers in first or business class on KLM are given souvenir porcelain reproductions of old Dutch canal houses, the Delftware miniatures filled with a Dutch liqueur. KLM’s practice of handing out the Delft porcelain miniatures began in’52, and, as 2008, the company’s eighty-eighth year in operation; there are 88 models of the houses. Each October 7 the company celebrates the anniversary of its founding with a new Delftware design.
KLM’s mileage program is Flying Blue. Members can accumulate and spend miles on flights on Air France-KLM, and also on other SkyTeam carriers and with a variety of transportation, travel, and financial companies. Flying Blue members earn four membership levels, Ivory, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, determined by their accumulated SkyTeam miles. Members can also earn miles on flights operated by Kenya Airways, which is a Flying Blue partner.
The venerable history of KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines has not shielded it from the current year’s economic turbulence. On account of declining ticket sales and lower cargo traffic, Air France-KLM announced recently that will lay off up to 2,000 workers. These job cuts represent about 3 per cent of the total workforce. The company further plans to reduce its airline capacity by about 2 per cent in the summer of 2009, hoping to compensate for the $653 million loss it posted for the fourth quarter of 2008. Company management has said it has not ruled out even more future job reductions or flight terminations as the company seeks to stabilize its finances and return to profitability.
An airline watchdog group based in Australia, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, announced in February 2009 that it is suing Air France-KLM over price fixing allegations. KLM denies the charges and will defend against the suit. British Airways and Qantas were recently fined $5 million and $20 million over similar price fixing allegations.
Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator for South Arica?s leading Flight comparison & Booking portal, which includes KLM Airlines amongst others.
Based in Dubai, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Emirates Airlines is the world’s eighth largest airline. Emirates Airlines was founded in’85, and has grown to serve 92 destinations in 55 countries around the world. Not offering domestic service, Emirates nonetheless is the premier airline of the Middle East and also is a market leader in Southeast Asia. It is one of only six airlines in the world to operate a fleet of all wide-body aircraft built by Airbus and Boeing.
Emirates Airlines is unique among air carriers in that it has been consistently profitable. The company has only had one year it marked a loss. Moreover, sales growth has never fallen below 20 per cent a year. During its first eleven years, the company doubled in size every three and one-half years, and it has continued to double in size every four years since. Its efficient, lean workforce gives it all the advantages of a low-cost carrier. The airline is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization, founded in’65 by the Arab League as a regional airline trade organization. Open to any carrier based in any member state in the Arab League, the Arab Air Carriers Organization seeks to promote safety, quality, and cooperation among the airlines of the Arab nations.
The government of the UAE both owns and operates Emirates Airlines, but it neither provides capital nor interferes with its day to day affairs. This unique arrangement allows Emirates the advantages of government affiliation without the downside, powering its unmatched growth and profitability.
Emirates Airlines also runs a cargo carrier, Emirates SkyCargo. Also based at Dubai International Airport, Emirates SkyCargo functions like a passenger airline. It operates nine aircraft, and also uses the cargo capacity of the passenger fleet.
Emirates was among the first airlines to use the Airbus A380, accepting delivery in July 2008. They fly the Airbus A380 on routes between Dubai and JFK in New York, between Dubai and Heathrow in London, and on the runs to Sydney and Auckland.
While Emirates sole hub is Dubai, it serves over 100 destinations in 56 countries. It maintains agreements with Singapore and Australia that allow it offer connections from their countries to even more destinations throughout the world.
Emirates passengers enjoy the perks of Skywards, allowing them to accumulate or spend frequent flier miles on Emirates or any of its Skywards partners, including Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Virgin Blue, South African Airways, Continental, Kingfisher, and United.
Emirates also maintains a stake in Dnata, the leading travel service provider in the Middle East. Dnata’ 6,500 employees provide technical, ramp, cargo, and passenger services at Dubai International Airport.
Dnata, Emirates SkyCargo, and Emirates Airlines are all subsidiaries of The Emirates Group, an international public holding company also with headquarters in Dubai. The airline currently employs about 35,000 staff.
Ko Ching is Thailand’s second largest island and the biggest island in Ko Chang National Park. It is 330 kilometers from Bangkok, in Trat Province. Ko Chang has seen a rapid increase in tourism in recent years.
Bangkok Airways flies twice a day from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to Trat. You can get to Bangkok inexpensively thanks to healthy competition for this route. All flights to Bangkok from the UK are out of London Heathrow. British Airways and Quantas offer flights to Bangkok, as well as Singapore and Hong Kong, as one of its stopping points on the “kangaroo route” to Australia. Also try Thai Airways and Taiwanese carrier, Eva Airways.
Direct door-to-door mimibus transfers will get you from Trat to Ko Chang and fares include the ferry crossing. Ko Chang has three seasons including the cool season from November to February, the hot season from March to May and the rainy season from June to October. In general the climate is hot and humid with lots of rainfall, 4,000 mm per year.
Getting around Ko Chang is simple using the songthaew, public taxis, hired small motorcycles or cars. The atmosphere is laid back so many visitors pick a beach and walk wherever they want to go.
It has become a favorite for Bangkok families on holiday. The island is home to a variety of wildlife including birds, snakes, deer and elephants and offers ideal spots for snorkeling, diving and jungle hiking.Ko Chang’s recent growth as a tourist destination is due in large part to its proximity to Bangkok, just 5 hours away.
The best known of the 47 islands of the Mu Ko Chang National Park is Ko Chang. If you’re an adventurer, you can take part in an 8 hour tour of the Than Mayom Waterfall and the Khlong-Plu Waterfall. If that isn’t enough, you can plan an overnight camping excursion in the jungle. If you’re looking for luxury, you can enjoy Thai villas at the Aiyapura Resort and Spa. You will be sure to enjoy the surrounding tropical gardens and breathtaking ocean views.
The best beaches are located on the west coast and they offer the finest accommodations as well as night life, Sai Khao and the White Sand Beach is the most popular on Ko Chang. There are beach bars, jazz clubs and night club that offer entertainment. You can stay in the thatched huts or wooden bungalows for a natural experience. You also have the option of luxury suits that offer air conditioning, televisions and pools.
Klong Prao Beach has a steeper, sandy beach with a beautiful rocky landscape in its northernmost area.Kai Bae Beach is similar to Klong Prao. You can hire canoes and kayaks, and there are plenty of dive shops. Bang Bao Beach is a fishing village built on stilts. Hire a boat and fish or snorkel to view the rich coral life.
On Khlong Prao, Chang Chutman offer half-hour and hour-long elephant safaris into the interior. You can also go on foot, preferably with a local guide. Start at the southern end of the island.
The Monkey Training Center in Ko Chang demonstrates the abilities of its monkeys, mainly coconut gathering.
Tom Martens is the content coordinator for bestukflights.co.uk the UK’s premier flight and travel comparison portal which includes a detailed section on Travel to Thailand and Flights to Ko Chang
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