Still in the midst of its Open Skies Agreement battle with U.S.-based American, Delta and United airlines, Etihad Airways is about to further fan the flames.
It’s all based on a survey of U.S. residents.
Dubbed the “Experience The World” sale, Etihad is offering up to 50 percent off selected routes until Sept. 5, as well as a prize draw to win one of 100 experiences at their chosen destination.
Economy- and business-class tickets were literally slashed in half – a trip from Los Angeles to Manila, for instance, is just $727 roundtrip, and New York to Perth is $1,178. There are 45 destinations in total.
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“We have continued to expand our global network this year and add further aircraft to the fleet, ensuring we have a high-quality product throughout our aircraft available to the millions of guests who choose to fly with us each year,” Daniel Barranger, Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Etihad Airways, said in a statement. “By including our partner airlines in our new offer, we are providing access to a larger list of destinations and a combined fleet of over 700 aircraft, ensuring we can meet every guest’s personal requirements.”
In part, the sale was based on a survey of 1,400 U.S adults through YouGov to ask what they would spend their money on when travelling. The research has shown that just under two thirds (65 percent) of the people sampled said they prefer to explore their destination in ventures beyond their accommodation whilst abroad, and almost half (49 percent) said they would spend a competition windfall on cultural tours or dining out.
That the sale is U.S.-based is clearly a poke at the Big Three U.S. airlines, which has waged a two-year battle now to have the Obama Administration review the Open Skies Agreements with the United Arab Emirates, where Etihad is based, and Qatar.
The U.S. met with those respective governments in July, but no decision has been made nor has the administration moved to freeze routes being offered by the Gulf airlines.
Orginally Published on Travel Pulse.