Updates

Malaysian airlines provides hotels in there long stay overs during there flights,but please note now if a hotel is provided outside the airport TRANSIT VISA IS REQUIRED!! if inside the hotel visa is not required for the stay.



Please note when traveling to Saudi Arabian domestic destinations via SriLankan online cities such as Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah minimum connecting transit times are as follows.

First time traveler irrespective of visa type - 6 hours
Any other passenger irrespective of visa type - 4 hours

This is due to the biometric data collection at the Saudi Emigration counters. If passengers misconnect the onwards they will be deported to the origin even if they are holding separate tickets.

Appreciate your compliance with regard to the minimum connecting times informed above with immediate effect.


Malaysian airlines joins hand with Sri Lankan airlines to Male.


No specials fares out of Colombo for sales except the Economy full fare:

Singapore Airlines
Thai Airways
Cathay Pacific
KLM

Generalz

Seats Request on Economy Class on Sri Lankan Airlines

please note now a fee is required for front row economy seats, and for all economy seat requests it is mandatory to hold frequent flyer number with fly smiles. Please note passengers when issuance of one ways passport and visa copies are required for your agent as it is mandatory; and if not passed the airline has the authority to cancel your booking.


TICKETING TIME LIMIT

IT IS SYSTEM GENERATED TIME FOR FINALIZING TICKETING IF NOT AUTOMATICALLY CANCELED.


CATEGORIES OF CLASS

ECONOMY CLASS
BUSINESS CLASS
FIRST CLASS
NOTE EVEN WITHIN THE SAME CATEGORY THERE ARE DIFFERENT CLASS OF TRAVEL DIFFERENT FARES FOR EACH AVAILABLE CLASS; THOUGH THE SERVICE PROVIDED WITHIN THE CLASS IS THE SAME.


Visa

Categories:
TOURISTIC
BUSINESS
MEDICAL
MIGRANT
STUDENT
ON ARRIVAL


RESERVATION


Mandatory requirements for a reservation:


PASSENGERS NAME AS IN PASSPORT, BECAUSE ONCE RESERVATION DONE CANNOT BE CHANGED

DEFINITE DATES OF TRAVEL

TO WHICH CITY THAT PASSENGER IS TRAVELING TO; BECAUSE BY SPECIFYING A COUNTRY IT CANNOT BE DERIVED AS MANY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS ARE THERE IN MOST COUNTRIES

PASSENGER CONTACT DETAILS




MALAYSIAN AIRLINES PROVIDES HOTELS ON THE LONG TRANSIT (6H) TO THERE DESTINATIONS IF THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE CONNECTIONS.

ETHIAD AIRLINES IS DUE TO FLY AS AN ONLINE CARRIER SINCE JANUARY 2010

Toursim in sri Lanka through my eye

What does Sri Lanka lack in Tourism?

Ever thought why the pearl of the Indian ocean lacks tourism, once it was blamed the civil war; why now? does it lack beauty? or the sun? or the warm and welcoming atmosphere?

Ever thought of the possibilities how tourism in our country could be increased and what we lack?

Sri Lanka does not lack beauty,hospitality it is just creativity of out the box we lack.

What do we lack?

Service; most recognized hotels in Sri Lanka lack the knowledge of customer service in small things eg: Waiters, renounced profession taken as simplicity in Sri Lanka

How to improve:

Waiter he is an artist the face of the hotel at first hand. What he requires is language skills not only in his mother tongue and English more the variety the better. Customer satisfaction to know the customer is always right to get his deliverable is his/her main objective.
The smile and the good morning does not fly in the real world paying interest to your client is what make him/her not think twice for a recommendation or for a visit again!A job lightly taken into regard has many skills needs language,persuasion,warm friendly outgoing nature,mainly the desire for what you do.

Surrounding environment :

Beaches paradise, Sri Lanka covered all over with water but sadly consists of mainly unclean beaches in touristic areas.

Beach sports introduction; snorkeling,surfing,speed boats.

Rates:

Not organized when a client asks for rates the immediate methods of reservations should be introduced. Routine and itineraries variety tours fixed should be included; not only heritage sites but to places like Beruwela,China bay,Ambalangoda,Kirinda.
Variety packages fixed routine introduction.

Eco tourism should be more enhanced ; we consist of natural beaches,natural habitats, wild parks, natural rain forests.

Whale watching

Rafting

Bird Watching

Snorkeling

Heritage:

Proper organization of historical places Tours according to Eras of Sri Lanka ; Polonaruwa Period, Anuradhapura Period making recreational stories for the passengers to live through the period again.

Excitement and thinking out of the box is what makes the stay fun.

Think Creative:

Organize tours for the ; best snorkeling,surfing,food lovers,history fans,hikers,honeymooners.


Facts most of us do not know :

Most countries requires only on arrival visa to enter our mother land Sri Lanka.

We have a Train which goes around Sri Lanka.

Random thinking is what spices us to think is what I have presented

Thanking you for your time.

Liswith Obinamuni

Back to basics

E ticket

An electronic ticket or e-ticket is used to represent the purchase of a seat on a passenger airline, usually through a website or by telephone. This form of airline ticket has rapidly replaced the old multi-layered paper tickets
To check in with an e-ticket, the passenger usually comes to the check-in counter and presents the e-ticket itinerary receipt which contains a confirmation or reservation code. In some airports and airlines it's not even necessary to present this document or quote the confirmation code or e-ticket number as the reservation is confirmed solely on the basis of the passenger's identity, which may be proven by a passport or the matching credit card. After confirming the reservation, the passenger checks-in his/her luggage and is given a boarding pass which usually says "Electronic Ticket" or "E-ticket."
E-tickets are very popular because they allow extra services like:

• online/telephone/self-service kiosk check-in
• early check-in
• printing boarding passes at airport kiosks and at locations other than an airport
• automated refunds and exchanges online, by telephone and at kiosks

Frequent flyer programmes

A frequent flyer program (FFP) is a loyalty program offered by many airlines. Typically, airline customers enrolled in the program accumulate points corresponding to the distance flown on that airline. Accrued points (also known as frequent flyer miles) can be redeemed for free air travel; for other goods or services; or for increased benefits, such as airport lounge access or priority bookings.

Many frequent flyer programs identify travelers who fly more than a few times per year by awarding them different status levels, which in turn give a number of benefits. Status levels vary from scheme to scheme, but benefits can include:

• Access to business and first class lounges with an economy ticket
• Access to other airlines' lounges
• Increased mileage accumulation (such as doubling or tripling)
• Reserving an unoccupied adjacent seat
• The ability to reserve specific seats, such as exit row seats with more leg room
• Free or discounted upgrades to a higher travel class
• Priority in waitlisting or flying standby
• Preference in not being bumped if a flight is oversold
• Priority of luggage
• Ability to grant status to another person
• Eliminating of program's miles expiration rules

Online carriers:

are stated as airlines which fly into your motherland such as for example in Sri Lanka online carriers are:
Sri Lankan Airlines, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Qatar, and Cathay Pacific.

Offline carriers:

Are airlines that are sold but does not arrive in original point of origin for example British airways because your first connection would be on another airline to connect to your onward journey.


Three letter codes location identifier for airlines:

LON: LONDON

ROM: ROME

ZRH: ZURICH

FRA: LAX,

MIA: MIAMI

DXB: DUBAI

DOH: DOHA

BAH: BAHRAIN

BKK: BANGKOK

SIN: SINGAPORE

DEL: DELHI

MAA: CHENNAI

KUL: KULA LAMPUR

CMB: COLOMBO

MLE: MALE

BJS: BEIJING

NRT: NARITA

DAC: DHAKA

NBO: NAIROBI

CAI: CAIRO

PER: PERTH

MEL: MELBOURNE

SYD : SYDNEY

AIRLINES CODE:

UL: SRI LANKAN AIRLINES

AA: AMERICAN AIRLINES

MH MALAYSIAN AIRLINES

SQ: SINGAPORE AIRLINES

QR: QATAR AIRWAYS

EK: EMIRATES AIRLINES

CX: CATHAY PACIFIC AIRLINES

IT: KINGFISHER AIRLINES

BA: BRITISH AIRWAYS

QF: QANTAS AIRLINES

9W: JET AIRWAYS

GEOGRAPY:

AREA 1: AMERICA, CANADA, AND SOUTH AMERICA
AREA2: EUROPE, MIDDLE EST AFRICA, AND RUSSIA
ARES3: ASIA, RUSSIA, AUSTRALIA

RESERVATION:

RP/CMBVS3291/CMBVS3291 LO/AS 5OCT09/0710Z 2DHDO6

1.WEERAKOON/W K MR

2 CX 710 S 06OCT 2 CMBSIN HK1 0020 0650 06OCT E CX/L627V

3 CX 711 S 10OCT 6 SINCMB HK1 2130 2240 10OCT E CX/L627V

4 AP CMB 2345700 - JETWING TRAVEL LTD

WEERAKOON: surname as in passport

W K MR : initials of other names as in passport

2DHDO6 : AMADEUS REFERENCE

CX 710 : FLIGHT NUMBER

S : BOOKING CLASS

HK1: CONFIRMED BOOKING:

HL1: WAIT LISTED BOOKING

L627V: AIRLINE REFERENCE

Small Intro...

Infant fare 0-2 yrs of age

Child Fare 2-12 yrs of age

Adult above 12 yrs of age

Student Fares mostly below the age of 25yrs but may vary according to airline policy

Combination of Two airlines, fares usually high

PTA fares denotes prepaid ticket advice,out of sale from the issuance country

Transit: less than 24hrs

Stop over: more than 24hrs

Baggage interline: baggage reaches final destination without check in or out during transit points

One journey two tickets issued baggage never interlined.

Two airlines one document, baggage interlined.

One way: Colombo to Milan, eligible student,migrant,citizen holder or work

Return: Colombo Bangkok Colombo,eligible anyone who holds a passport with validity more than 6 moths and holds necessary visa for the period of your journey.

Refunds: Be careful some fares tell that they are refundable but when checking the one way from return, the one-way would be much higher. Hance making you not eligible for a refund. some airlines partially utilized tickets are not refundable like Singapore airline lowest economy class.

economy class

Economy class:

Passengers often do wonder why pay more when the same service is provided. agents say higher economy class fare and lower class why the difference, the thought often crosses their mind.

Economy class has various classes and fares difference this is not a change in the service provided but a marketing tool .
Lowest fares are usually on first come first serve basis usually lowest economy are promotional or restricted fares.
Higher booking classes are fares they produce because when reach bulk they provide fare to allocate seats at a higher rate demand on availability.
All the above tools are done making sure the aircraft does fly with any empty seat, this makes any role come into play as explained on a former note of mine it is over booking. http://liswith89.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-3-hours-before.html

One example why a higher economy would be purchased is,

On Singapore airlines if you wish for a mileage accrual fare, higher economy fare would be the only option as mileage is accrual on the higher fare never on the promotional fares produced by the airline.

Agents pleased be advised to inform your passenger on all restrictions of the fare you are issuing on,

Re route able or not,
date changeable or not,
refund able or not,

and let the passenger decide there flexibility.

above mentioned is to give you a rough idea about economy class variations the fare,restrictions and why it is caused.

Thank you

General 02

Business class its your privilege to get limousine service on airlines such as Qatar,Emirates,Sri Lankan and so on... But please note limited amount of destinations only have access to that privilege.
eg: London,Dubai,Singapore,Sydney....

Singapore airlines Kriss flyer members if you want to collect points on your membership card please advise your agent that you would like a mileage accrual fare, rather than the lowest or promotional economy fares as they are not mileage accrual.

Kingfisher Airlines lot may have heard the name but never experienced, once you taste it never can let go the 5 star service provide by them amazing fare and great destinations.

Common misconception: Lie flat seats ,business class cabin : please note its not completely 180 degrees flat but has an elevation of the ground.

Sri Lankan Passport holders flying an Jet airways tickets flying via Brussels do not require Schenegen transit visa, although for Sri Lankan's its mandatory to hold one.

Note Switzerland too is a EU country falling now under Schenegen country.

General 01

Sri Lankan passport holder flying over Australia, USA, Germany, Norway, and Sweden requires transit visa on the mentioned countries; if any of the mentioned countries is an intermediate point of your journey transit visa is mandatory.

Passenger staying over night transit at London visa required.

Touching two transit points in India visa required

Visa exempted to Bangkok till 01 March '10 SL passport holder but normal visa procedure is carried out with documentation with no applicable fee

Visa exempted to Singapore for a maximum stay of one month visa on arrival

Transit Visa required in Hong Kong ( even if Hong Kong may be a transit point) to any Chinese sector or Taipei

Brunei visa is on arrival but please carry the sponsor details and documentation.

Visa exempted to Maldives for a maximum stay of one month visa on arrival

Visa on arrival in Seychelles and Brunei as long as sponsor documents are available, Sri Lankan passport holders

AIR Asia…….

AIR Asia…….

Flight Schedule
SECTOR DEP/ARR FLIGHT NO: FREQUENCY
KUALA LUMPUR - COLOMBO 6.15am/7.15am AK255 Daily
COLOMBO-KUALA LUMPUR 8.15am/2.30pm AK256 Daily

Visa
Please note, to visit Malaysia you need to obtain a visa prior to departure.

1. Valid passport (more than 6 months from the date of depature)
2. Completed Visa Application form
3. completed Minute sheet (provided with the visa form )
4. 02 recent passport sized colour photographs
5. Itinerary Letter
6. &nb
sp; Confirmed Return Ticket
7. Hotel Voucher or Letter of invitation from your sponsor in Malaysia
8. Letter from Employer on original company letter head confirming your leave is approved
9. Previous passport with previous visas to Malaysia
10. Travellers Cheques (Min USD 500) Compulsory if you are a first time traveller
11. Letter from the applicant requesting for Visa

Visa Fees (Tourist /Business - Single/Multiple)
Rs 500/- ( + Rs 30/- for visa form) = Rs 530/-

Baggage Allowance
7 Kilos
For those who travel light, you'll be glad to know that you'll need to pay only for the baggage weight that you have checked in.

Pick a Seat
Sit together with your companion or choose a particular seat with the ' Pick a Seat ' Request at an additional fee.

Set Meal
Air Asia has a range of set meals ranging for Asian to Western and Vegetarian and even a special children's meal for the little ones to keep everyone happy during the flight. Pre-order your meal on-line at an additional cost !!!

Confirmation of Booking /Cancellation
The booking of a seat is confirmed after full payment of the fare is made to Jetwing Travels and after we issue you a Ticket number and/or the itinerary.
Once confirmed, the booking cannot be cancelled and payments made are < U>non refundable.

Flight change
Not allowed within 48 hrs prior to the scheduled flight departure time.
Changes are allowed for a fee of LKR 2800 per guest per sector (as per the currency and subject to change without prior notice ) if flight change is outside of 48 hrs prior to the scheduled departure time,

Name Change
Not allowed

Re-route(s)
Strictly not allowed.

Payments
Fares must be paid in full when a booking is made. In the event that the fare has not been paid in full for any reason whatsoever, we reserve the right to cancel the booking.


Group Bookings
Upon receiving your request we will quote you the fares
If you agree with the fares we will make the flight booking accordingly.
A non-refundable service fee of LKR 350 per passenger per booking is required upon making a reservation.

Name Change for group Bookings
Not allowed if it is 6 hrs prior to schedule departure time.
Once a booking number has been issued, you are allowed to substitute the passenger named in the confirmed booking with another passenger name, subject to a payment of LKR 2800 (per guest per sector) based on the following terms;
- The request is made outside of six (6) hours prior to the scheduled flight departure tim e.
- the original as well as the substituted passengers identities are authenticated

Conditions apply
We are not able to deviate from above. Hence it is advisable to obtain such information from our Coordinators, before making your reservation and issuing of tickets.

Best Regards,

Ease of mind

Why leave room for a PROBLEM???? Purchase travel insurance? Does it provide the covers and claims they say????

Check it out!!!! Now travel insurance covers so many things we never knew:

Examples:

How would you feel if you loose your baggage ???? You want a cover... Sure thing!!!

How about getting stranded in an airport like; Bangkok? That closed down recently, how would you like to have easy cash on your hand?

What if you have a toss?? Or get sick while visiting your relatives overseas, how if we tell you, you can give your AIG insurance number and get your medical needs taken care of.

How if we insures your home here in Sri Lanka while you fly away on holiday from burglary, that’s peace of mind while you have a time of your life.

Business Travelers; if we tell you, your wallet is insured?

So many deals so many benefits,

Think its expensive no way its too affordable to be true, and the benefits you have on the return on your investments is unbelievable.

Documents needed:
Passport copy
Travel dates
Beneficiary Name
Residential Address


Thank You & Hassle free Flying,

Play tricky

Upgrades tricky

Ever thought about a tricky upgrade ;

Something you never knew, sometimes risks may turn out even for your own good.

If you check in late and if the economy gates are closed you might be lucky enough for an upgrade to business.

This is both tricky and too risky.

You the risk taker, that’s for you to decide.

But have the note of 3 hours on your mind too not only that tempting upgrade.

Why 3 hours before?

Why 3 hours before?

You see the advice on arriving 3 hours before to the check in counters of the airport ever wonder why? But always we seem to get caught up and arrive late to counters.

The hassle and risk would be not only on the airline staff but on the passenger as well.

Over booking is a method the airline does to make sure they fly full house and they do not run the flight with a seat vacant on a loss. In this procedure the airline usually over books about 10 -15 passengers because an aircraft carrying about 300 there is a probability a few never showing up before departure; the airline takes the risk and over books so that there flying is on 100% capacity.

Ok done with explanation, now the relevance of over booking to check in early because you might be that 1 of the 300 who arrive late and fall into the over booked list: ratio of this happing is very low, but why take the risk?

This is why it is advised to arrive early to check in so you may fly with an ease of mind.

If:

If you fall into the overbooked list it is your right as a passenger to demand from the airline to board on the first flight available to your destination!

Happy flying

Knowing Your Destination

Destinations, knowing your exact point of destination is a very important note that the passenger should have for eg:
Once i had a passenger his destination was Washington US, as many may not know there are three Washington's in the US ,Washington DC ,Washington Baltimore ,Washington Seattle.Well long story short his actual destination had been Washington Seattle where as he ended up in DC where he had to take a domestic flight in order to reach to his proposed destination.
So the knowledge on your actual destination is a must, and travel agents should advise passengers and seek more information in order to make your reservations if not miscommunications such as these can lead customer disatisfaction and to huge mishaps.

Note which exact city and place you want to visit a planned out itinerary in your head, so suggestions and advice given by your agent will only expand your idea but change your whole course.(specially if you and a co operate where time is your most important factor)

Leisure traveller your scenarion may change a bit as seeking advise with a wider opnion and variety of options and destinations is much better when seeking travel advice.
But if are a leisure seeking a certain purpose like for eg: See the white house Washington DC is your place not Seatle.

So a travel agent should have a keen ear on to what the passenger wants and seeks, passenger should have a rough idea on what he/she seeks.

Excess Baggage

Please Note its a passengers privileage if flying on Migrant or student visa for the agent to get you excess baggage.

Because as passengers are nto advised agents take the advantage you knowing your rights as a passenger may win you the knowledge.

Please do note if flying on tourist visa excess baggage only could be a simple request from the agent to the airline, if the request is not confirmed, the paseenger blaming tha agent is useless. As excess bagge is on control only through the arline on which the passnger choses to travel.

Economy class : 20 Kg
Business class: 30 Kg
First Class: 30 Kg
Skilled Migrant : 30 - 40kg
StudentL 30 - 40kg

Note : Excess bagge letter no copies can be produced at the airport Orignal letter is required it is a must!