UAE: Gulf Air to Paris and Beyond

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an airline renowned for its time long spirit of innovation – reflected in its constantly evolving product offering and efforts taken to develop innovative new elements to win customers. It has always recognized the importance of seamless connectivity, convenient flight schedules and excellent products and services to enhance the customer flight experience and ensure greater customer satisfaction.

For the fourth consecutive year, Gulf Air has taken travel to another level, encompassing both air and rail travel in one of Europe’s most beautiful countries, France. Travellers can enjoy the scenery as they cruise through the plains of 20 different destinations through the airline’s alliance with France’s national railway network SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français). Vacationers have the option to not only explore Paris and walk the Champs-Élysées, but visit Marseille, the 2013 European Capital of Culture or study the intricate structure of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame in Strasbourg among the many attractions the country offers.

With five flights a week through its efficient hub in Bahrain, Gulf Air operates its new A320-Extended Range (ER) aircraft to the French capital, Paris. The premium class- Falcon Gold seat converts into a fully-flat bed measuring 1.90 meters in length guaranteeing a comfortable night’s sleep; complete with Audio-Video on Demand (AVOD) features, an individual 15-inch touch screen in every seat and high quality noise cancelling headphones.

The Economy Class seats offer passengers the very latest in comfort and technology. Featuring a 4-inch recline, an 18-inch seat-width and an adjustable head and foot rest allowing greater passenger comfort, the seats are fitted with 9-inch seat back TV monitors that are ideal for enjoying the extensive in-flight entertainment options.

In the last three years, Gulf Air has embarked on an aggressive and proactive re-fleeting and product enhancement strategy. Today the airline’s fleet is one of the youngest in the region with an average age of 1.01 years, with pioneering services such as the award winning Sky Nanny and Sky Chef on-board. In addition, the airline’s fully renovated Falcon Gold lounges at Bahrain International Airport and Dubai International Airport offer a wide range of facilities and amenities for passengers to relax or conduct their business.
Recognized among top ten airlines in the world for its on time flight punctuality, Gulf Air continues to excel in offering customers the best of its products and services.

France: Shopping, Art & More

France as a destination has appealed to all visitors alike. There is so much more to the destination beyond Paris. Several cities within France have in the past years tapped into the Middle East potential. Destinations such as Lyon recently showcased their key offering looking to build on the new Emirates connection. For visitors, travelling on the well-connected Gulf Air flights, there is much to look forward to in the coming months.

The Marvellous Island Festival in Paris is a five-day festival on music. The event is open to all electronics music lovers. The event will witness participation from over 130 artists, producers, and live performers. For ski-enthusiast, one can explore the ski resort Megeve which is located in the Rhône-Alpes region. The ski-resort is a perfect fairytale setting with wooden and stone buildings with gabled slate roofs, gardens and balconies covered in flowers in summer or a billowy snow cloak in winter, hiking trails in the forest, and bell towers.

Megève, like few other high-mountain destinations, offers an array of activities that are best enjoyed from the air. In addition to flying over glaciers in a small plane, it is also possible to hire personalized helicopter excursions. The next destination being highlighted for 2013 is the Marseille-Provence. During the whole year, the region will host over 400 cultural events, bringing together the top artists in Europe and the Mediterranean. Events will include exhibitions, spectacles, concerts, parades, festivals, food tastings and more will be hosted to represent culture in all its different forms. Overall, the aim is to highlight young talented artists from Europe and the Mediterranean.

Moving on from culture to art, tourist visiting the country will be enthralled with the new Louvre, called the Louvre-Lens. The new Louvre located in northern France offers free admission to public for a year. The museum consists of five buildings, including four rectangular buildings with one large square building in the center, mirroring the design of the Paris Louvre with its two outstretched wings.

Located in the heart of Lens, a former coal mining center in the most northern area of France called the Nord-Pas de Calais, the museum is just an hour and ten minutes from Paris by high-speed train, right between the cities of Lille and Arras. The Louvre-Lens boasts three main galleries: the Galerie du Temps, le Pavillon de Verre and La Galerie d’Exposition Temporaire. This museum is also unique in that it gives a behind-the-scenes view of the inner-workings of the museum by allowing the public to see into its storerooms and restoration rooms. With the kind of investments into the project, the museum hopes to attract an average of 500,000 visitors per year.