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By Nishang Narayan
Published on July 16, 2024
Seabourn, the leader in ultra-luxury cruising and expedition travel, has introduced a selection of new pre-, mid-, and post-cruise "Seabourn Journeys" available to guests on the 2024 Grand Africa Voyage. These journeys offer in-depth, land-based cruise extensions that go beyond single-day excursions, providing guests with opportunities to immerse themselves in Africa's extraordinary destinations.
The luxurious pre-, post-, and mid-cruise Seabourn Journeys during the Grand Africa Voyage allow guests to further explore Africa's premier destinations. For those interested in joining a safari to see Africa's "Big Five," several mid-cruise Journeys options are available, providing opportunities for guests to stay in unique properties and national parks in Botswana, Namibia, and more. They may also explore sites such as the Kariega Game Reserve (Settlers Drift), Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, and Onguma The Fort. Guests seeking exclusive wine experiences can enjoy gourmet dining and wine tastings at La Residence Wine Estate in Franschhoek during four-day pre- and post-cruise stays.
"Seabourn Journeys allow our guests to create deeper, more immersive experiences of the destinations by extending their travel beyond the first and final ports of calls," said Natalya Leahy, president of Seabourn. "I am very proud of this bespoke collection of offerings and believe our guests will be delighted with these experiences. Whether spotting the 'Big Five' on thrilling game drives, or relaxing in luxurious accommodations, or savoring award-winning wines, every moment is crafted to enhance the voyage and create unforgettable 'Seabourn Moments'."
The new Seabourn Journeys for the Grand Africa Voyage include:
La Residence Wine Experience (4-Day Pre- or Post-Cruise Journey) Cape Town, South Africa | Pre: January 25-28, 2025 | Post: January 28-31, 2025
Guests sailing on shorter segments that either embark or debark in Cape Town on January 28 can enjoy a pre-cruise or post-cruise experience in South Africa's stunning Cape Winelands. Upon arrival in Cape Town, guests are transported to La Residence in the Franschhoek Valley, where they can relax and dine at their leisure in opulent surroundings. The second day features a tour of historic wine estates in Paarl and Boschendal, complete with tastings and a picturesque picnic. On the third day, guests further explore the region's esteemed vineyards and savor gourmet meals paired with local wines. A final morning wine tasting concludes the journey before guests either return home or board the ship.
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve (4-Day Post-Cruise Journey) Cape Town, South Africa | January 28-31, 2025
Guests debarking their voyage in Cape Town on January 28 can embark on a multi-day post-cruise journey at the renowned Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. Known for its conservation efforts and luxurious accommodations, Grootbos offers a warm welcome and transfer to the Forest Lodge, where guests stay in elegant suites surrounded by stunning landscapes. Activities include exploring the Milkwood Forest, botanical hikes, 4x4 flower safaris, and visits to the ancient Klipgat Cave and Walker Bay Nature Reserve. A private Cape Agulhas tour features wine tastings and a curated picnic in South Africa's southernmost wine region. Guests also enjoy a marine safari to see the "Marine Big Five"—whales, sharks, dolphins, seals, and penguins—guided by marine biologists from Dyer Island Cruises. Each evening, guests dine at Grootbos' unique lodge restaurants before relaxing in the serene wilderness.
Ultimate Botswana Experience (7-Day Mid-Cruise Journey) Durban, South Africa | January 22-28, 2025
After disembarking in Durban, guests fly to Johannesburg and stay at the Sanctuary Mandela Boutique Hotel, Nelson Mandela's former residence. The next day, they travel to Botswana's Sanctuary Baines' Camp, known for its intimate setting and unique construction using recycled cans, offering game drives and mokoro excursions in the Okavango Delta. On the fourth day, guests transfer to the prestigious Chief's Camp in the Moremi Game Reserve, renowned for exceptional game viewing, including the "Big Five" and over 500 bird species. Guests enjoy morning and afternoon game drives, gourmet dining, and optional activities like scenic flights and spa treatments. The Journey concludes with a final morning game drive before flying to Maun and then Cape Town, where they rejoin Seabourn Sojourn to continue their voyage.
Kariega Game Reserve (4-Day Mid-Cruise Journey) Port Elizabeth, South Africa | January 25-28, 2025
Upon reaching Port Elizabeth, guests are transferred to Kariega Game Reserve, a vast 10,000-hectare wilderness known for its diverse wildlife, including the "Big Five", and abundant birdlife. Guests stay at Settlers Drift, a blend of tented safari and 5-star luxury, with private viewing decks overlooking the Bushman's River. Over the next two days, they enjoy exhilarating morning and afternoon game drives, optional activities, and gourmet dining. On the fourth day, after a final game drive and breakfast, guests are transferred to Port Elizabeth Airport for their flight to Cape Town, where they rejoin Seabourn Sojourn to continue their voyage.
Escape To Etosha: Onguma The Fort (4-Day Mid-Cruise Journey) Cape Town, South Africa | January 29-February 2, 2025
This mid-cruise journey offers a luxurious safari at Onguma The Fort, a magical oasis where guests are treated to breathtaking views of the mesmerizing Namibian sunset. With its prime location overlooking the Etosha Pans, the fort envelops visitors in massive, cool walls adorned with a blend of African, Moroccan, and Indian influences, all while surrounded by diverse wildlife. Highlights include guided game drives to spot the "Big Five" and various antelope species, and opportunities to observe the breathtaking Namibian sunset from the main tower or during a sundowner safari. Visitors can relax in elegant suites with private verandas, indulge in delicious meals, and learn about rhino conservation efforts. After several days of adventure and relaxation, guests fly to Walvis Bay to rejoin Seabourn Sojourn.
The fully escorted Seabourn Journeys have been uniquely curated to give travelers more time in these locations to showcase the very best of the destinations via the experiential excursions they offer over multiple days. Most Seabourn Journey packages include select meals, transportation, and guided experiences for smaller groups ensuring intimate, personalized exposure to the location and its culture. Luxury hotels and lodges have been hand-selected to offer guests accommodations at the finest iconic properties in the best locations that showcase their surroundings and indigenous culture, with transfers between land and sea conveniently timed to the start or finish of scheduled Seabourn cruises.
Departures on most Seabourn Journeys are guaranteed with a minimum of just two guests. In addition, Seabourn offers a wide selection of mid-cruise overland journeys, that can become part of the overall cruise experience.
Departing on November 30, 2024, Seabourn Sojourn will sail roundtrip from Barcelona on a 90-day voyage that includes visits to 42 marquee and off-the-beaten-path destinations and cities in 20 countries, with seven overnight stays. For guests who cannot sail the entire voyage, shorter segments are available, giving guests more flexibility and opportunities to add pre- or post-journeys to extend their experiences. Shorter segments include the following:
27-Day Jewels of Northwest Africa: November 30-December 27, 2024, from Barcelona to Cape Town
17-Day Mozambique Channel Discovery & Zanzibar Nights: December 27, 2024-January 13, 2025, from Cape Town to the Seychelles
59-Day Northwest Africa to The Mozambique Channel: November 30, 2024 - January 28, 2025, from Barcelona to Cape Town
22-Day West African Discovery: January 28 – February 19, 2025, from Cape Town to the Canaries.
For reservations or more details about Seabourn's Grand Africa voyage, please call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391, visit www.seabourn.com, or contact a professional travel advisor.
About Seabourn:
Seabourn represents the pinnacle of ultra-luxury ocean and expedition travel and operates a suite of seven modern ships. The all-inclusive, boutique ships offer all-suite accommodations with oceanfront views; award-winning dining; complimentary premium spirits and fine wines available at all times; renowned service provided by an industry-leading crew; a relaxed, sociable atmosphere that makes guests feel at home; a pedigree in expedition travel through the Ventures by Seabourn program and two new ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ships, including Seabourn Venture that launched in 2022 and Seabourn Pursuit in 2023. Seabourn takes travelers to every continent on the globe, visiting more than 400 ports including marquee cities and lesser-known
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By Hariharan U
Published on August 6, 2026
Emirates and South African Airways (SAA) have expanded their long-standing partnership by introducing a reciprocal codeshare agreement, significantly enhancing connectivity across South Africa and neighbouring countries. The expanded agreement adds nine new destinations to the combined network, providing travellers with more seamless travel options across central and southern Africa.
The partnership marks the next phase of a relationship that has existed for nearly three decades. Since launching their codeshare agreement, SAA has placed its code on Emirates-operated flights between Dubai and Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, while also offering interline connectivity to 68 Emirates destinations via Dubai. Following regulatory approvals, Emirates will now place its code on selected SAA-operated services, extending its reach deeper into the African continent.
The expanded agreement includes three domestic South African routes connecting Johannesburg with Cape Town, Durban, and Port Elizabeth, alongside six regional services linking Johannesburg with Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Gaborone (Botswana), Windhoek (Namibia), Lusaka (Zambia), Harare (Zimbabwe), and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe).
The reciprocal arrangement enables passengers to book their journeys on a single ticket, benefit from coordinated schedules, and enjoy through-checked baggage to their final destination, making travel across the region more convenient.
Commenting on the expansion, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates, said the agreement represents the natural evolution of a partnership that has successfully served travellers for many years. He noted that the expanded codeshare strengthens Emirates’ long-term commitment to South Africa and provides customers with seamless access to more destinations across the region.
Matshela Seshibe, Acting Group CEO of South African Airways, said the partnership supports SAA’s strategy to strengthen African connectivity while improving access to global markets. He added that combining SAA’s regional network with Emirates’ extensive international reach creates greater value for customers while reinforcing Johannesburg’s position as a major aviation gateway in Africa.
Emirates has served South Africa since 1995, beginning operations with flights to Johannesburg before expanding to Cape Town and Durban. Today, the airline operates 56 weekly flights across the three South African gateways, making the country the only destination in Emirates’ African network served by all three of its widebody aircraft types, the Boeing 777, Airbus A380, and Airbus A350.
Passengers travelling on the new codeshare routes will also have access to Emirates’ Premium Economy product on services between Dubai and both Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The expanded partnership reflects both airlines' continued focus on strengthening regional connectivity, supporting tourism, trade, and business travel while providing passengers with greater choice across Africa.
By Manu Vardhan Kannan
Air India Express has announced a major expansion of its domestic network with the addition of Aurangabad, Coimbatore, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Madurai, and Tirupati. With these new destinations, the airline's network will grow to 64 destinations, comprising 48 domestic and 16 international stations.
Flight operations to all six destinations will begin on 1 September 2026, connecting them with key metro hubs including Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. The expansion is aimed at improving connectivity between India's major cities and fast-growing business, industrial, cultural, and tourism destinations. Bookings are now open through the airline's website, mobile app, and other major booking platforms.
As part of the new schedule, Air India Express will operate two daily flights between Aurangabad and Delhi, Coimbatore and Mumbai, and Jamnagar and Mumbai. The airline will also introduce daily services connecting Jodhpur with Delhi and Mumbai, Madurai with Chennai, and Tirupati with Hyderabad.
Alongside the network expansion, the airline will increase frequencies on several existing domestic routes from 1 September 2026. Additional daily flights will be introduced between Delhi and Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Patna, and Varanasi. This will increase services to four daily flights on the Delhi–Bhubaneswar and Delhi–Patna routes, while Delhi–Kochi and Delhi–Varanasi will each operate twice daily.
The newly added destinations strengthen Air India Express' presence across western, southern, and northern India. Aurangabad, the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora, and Jamnagar, a key industrial and energy hub, enhance the airline's footprint in western India. In the south, Coimbatore, a leading manufacturing and textile centre, joins the historic city of Madurai and the pilgrimage destination of Tirupati. Jodhpur, one of Rajasthan's most popular tourism and cultural centres, further strengthens the airline's northern India network.
The latest expansion follows a series of recent developments by Air India Express. The airline recently launched operations from Bhopal with daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai, became the first airline to introduce international flights from Navi Mumbai with services to Abu Dhabi, and also launched the first-ever direct air connectivity between Northeast India and the UAE through flights from Guwahati to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Route
Frequency
Aurangabad – Delhi
2x Daily
Coimbatore – Mumbai
Jamnagar – Mumbai
Jodhpur – Delhi
Daily
Jodhpur – Mumbai
Madurai – Chennai
Tirupati – Hyderabad
Delhi – Bhubaneswar (4 daily flights)
Delhi – Patna (4 daily flights)
Delhi – Kochi (2 daily flights)
With this expansion, Air India Express will operate over 2,700 weekly domestic flights, offering passengers more travel options while strengthening connectivity between India's metropolitan gateways and emerging cities.
Published on August 5, 2026
Air India has announced a new codeshare partnership with Azerbaijan Airlines, expanding its international network and offering passengers more convenient travel options between India and Baku. The agreement is expected to strengthen business, tourism and cultural ties between the two countries while improving connectivity across both airlines' networks.
As part of the partnership, Air India will place its 'AI' designator code on Azerbaijan Airlines-operated flights between Delhi and Baku and Mumbai and Baku. The arrangement introduces Baku as a new destination for Air India customers, a route that is not currently served by the airline's own aircraft.
Passengers travelling from Delhi, Mumbai and other Indian cities can now book their journey to Baku on a single Air India ticket, with the flight carrying an Air India flight number while being operated by Azerbaijan Airlines.
The codeshare builds on the existing interline agreement between the two carriers, enabling travellers to book seamless journeys on a single itinerary across both airline networks. For example, a passenger travelling from Bangkok can fly with Air India to Delhi and then connect to Baku on an Azerbaijan Airlines flight under one booking.
Commenting on the partnership, Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, said:
"At Air India, we believe every corner of the world should be within reach of our customers. Partnerships like this one with Azerbaijan Airlines are central to that vision; they allow us to extend our network beyond the destinations we fly to ourselves. Through this codeshare, our customers travelling to Baku will enjoy convenience and reliability from booking their ticket to check-in and touchdown. This is part of a broader effort to keep strengthening connectivity between India and the rest of the world."
Jamil Manizade, Chief Commercial Officer, Azerbaijan Airlines, added:
"India is one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets and an increasingly important destination for both business and leisure travel. Our partnership with Air India is an important step in expanding Azerbaijan Airlines' international connectivity through strategic partnerships. By bringing together the strengths of our networks, we are offering passengers greater choice, enhanced connectivity and a more seamless travel experience between Azerbaijan, India and beyond."
Since its privatisation in 2022, Air India has significantly expanded its global partnership network. The airline now has 26 codeshare partnerships and more than 120 interline agreements with leading global carriers, providing customers with seamless access to over 1,000 destinations worldwide.
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