Our Correspondent
Abu Dhabi-based UAE national carrier Etihad Airways has launched a ‘Global Student’ offer to make it easier for students to travel between university and home or to discover new horizons and cultures.
“Students who book before 30th November, 2020, for travel by 30th September, 2021, will save up to 10% on Economy tickets and 5% on Business class tickets”, the airline said in a statement on October 5.
Family members can also benefit from the same discount provided their tickets are booked under the same reservation and they travel with the student.
Etihad said travellers who book using the promotional fare will have an increased baggage allowance of up to 40kg in Economy and up to 50kg in Business, or one additional checked bag if travelling to/from USA or Canada.
One free date change is permitted up to 96 hours prior to travel, it added.
To book, students should visit etihad.com/studentoffer and enter the promo code STU10. They must present a valid student ID or official university acceptance letter at check-in. This offer excludes departures from India and China.
Etihad’s green mission
The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Etihad have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on several critical environmental programmes in line with Abu Dhabi’s environmental agenda.
The priorities for the partnership include: reduction of single-use plastics on flights, assessing carbon emission offsets and the protection and conservation of biodiversity through awareness campaigns and screenings on in-flight entertainment, and collaborating on an integrated and sustainable waste management plan across Etihad’s activities.
The integrated waste management plan created by EAD and Etihad will aim to: reduce waste from different Etihad activities; classify waste based on an approved and sustainable methodology; increase the percentage of the use of recyclable materials and, conduct research and implement initiatives to utilize biofuel.
In 2012, Etihad Airways operated a flight using biofuel derived from cooking oil, followed by a flight in 2014 using biofuel derived from plants, which was also refined in Abu Dhabi.
In April 2019, Etihad Airways became the first carrier in the Middle East to operate a flight with no disposable plastic materials from Abu Dhabi to Brisbane, Australia.
Etihad Airways has also partnered with Singapore food technology startup Lumitics to trial the use of computer vision and machine learning in order to reduce food wastage on Etihad flights. Lumitics’ product Insight Lite will track unconsumed meals from a plane when it touches down at an airport. Using AI and image recognition, Insight Lite will differentiate and identify the types and quantity of unconsumed meals based on the design of the meal foils, without requiring manual intervention.
Etihad Airways is a signatory to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and has committed to the UAE Food Waste Pledge led by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
