Emirates witnesses sharp increment in its online bookings

Propelled by special offers and fares, strong demand for its services
and a user-friendly website, Emirates Airlines' has claimed that its
online bookings surged in the first four months of its current financial
year ending in March next year.

The airline stated that its online bookings surged 195% in April, 230%
in May, 225% in June and 154% in July compared with the first four
months of its previous fiscal year. Absolute figures weren't disclosed.

The airline said that it has been invested significantly over the years
to make its online booking engine "dynamic, fully secure, faster and
more user-friendly." As per the information available, more than 30
countries on Emirates' network have dedicated B2C (Business-to-Consumer)
websites in the local language. The online booking site is also
available in multiple languages -French, German, Italian, Russian and
English, with Arabic set to come on board shortly.

Sharing information on key markets, the airline told media that the top
ten countries for online bookings during this period included the UAE,
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait from the GCC; Europe - UK and Germany; Asia
Pacific - Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand; as well as USA and South
Africa.

"Over the past few years, Emirates has invested significantly in its
online booking engine to make it dynamic, fully secure, faster and more
user-friendly. Coupled with e-ticketing in over 80 per cent of our
network, we were positive about the success of our online booking
feature," said Ghaith Al Ghaith, executive vice president - commercial
operations worldwide of the airline. The executive added that the travel
agents and partners still account for the bulk of our total bookings.

From www.emirates.com customers can seamlessly log onto other Emirates
Group websites such as www.emirates-holidays.com and www.skywards.com,
offering them a range of information and deals on exclusive holidays and
frequent flyer programme respectively.