Travel round-up: Etihad's New York double decker; US hikes check-in fee; three airlines to AlUla; and immigration news

The New York route becomes the second destination after London to enjoy the remarkable A380 experience since Etihad returned its superjumbo to the skies.

1. Etihad to fly the superjumbo double decker on Abu Dhabi-New York route: Etihad Airways will start flying its A380 double-decker on the popular Abu Dhabi–New York JFK route from April 22, 2024. Read More
2. Turkish Airlines starts Istanbul-Melbourne flights: Turkish Airlines starts flights to Melbourne, the airlines’ first destination in the continent of Australia. Read More
3. Several US airlines have hiked checked-in baggage fee: Several US airlines have hiked checked baggage fees recently. The top 20 airlines in the world collectively earned billions of dollars in baggage fees last year. Read More

5. Etihad Airways launches new collection of amenity kits and loungewear: Etihad Airways has launched a new collection of amenity kits and loungewear created in partnership with Giorgio Armani and ESPA. Read More

6. Etihad Airways to relaunch its loyalty programme: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is relaunching its award-winning Etihad Guest loyalty programme in June 2024. Read More

7. Immigration news: New rules for Kuwait visas: Kuwait has introduced new conditions for the issuance of family, commercial, and tourist visit visas. Read More

8. Go scuba diving and island hopping in Dwarka: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘divine dive’, there’s a buzz around water activities in Dwarka. Read More

9. How to reach Dwarka and holiday packages to the ancient holy town: Several travel companies are offering Dwarka holiday packages. Read More

10. New Zealand Permanent Resident Visa applications are now online: You can now apply for New Zealand’s Permanent Resident Visa applications online. Check you meet the eligibility for New Zealand PR Visa before you apply. Read More

11. South Africa extends temporary concession to foreign nationals till June 30: South African Department of Home Affairs has approved the extension of temporary concession to affected foreign nationals - those whose long-term visa application is pending for approval or decision on appeal or waiver - until June 30, 2024. Read More

12. UK extends validity of visa sponsor licences due to expire on or after April 6 by 10 years: From April 6, the UK's requirement for sponsors to renew their sponsor licence will be removed. However, sponsor compliance remains high on the UK Home Office's list of priorities. Read More

13. New Zealand to implement new median wages from February 28: The new median wage rate of $31.61 an hour will be adopted into parts the immigration system on February 28. Read More

14. Italy has delayed the work permit application dates for foreign workers: Italy has decided to delay the timelines for foreign nationals to submit applications for one of the 151,000 work permits listed for 2024. Read More

15. New US filing fees for H-1B, H-1B1 and H-2B effective April 1, 2024: USCIS is increasing the H-1B and H-1B1 filing fee to $780, and H-2B filing fee to $1,080, from the current amount of $460. Read More

16. New US visa policy for those involved in misuse of spyware: The US has announced a new visa policy targeting individuals involved in the misuse of commercial spyware. Read More

17. The UK releases Net Migration Factsheet: Latest official estimates show that net migration in the year to June 2023 was 672,000 - up significantly on pre-pandemic volumes. Read More

18. In 75 years, 6 million people from 200 countries became Australian citizens: Between July 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023, a 13% increase in citizenship by conferral applications was registered compared to the same period in 2022. Read More

19.  Three airlines announce flight connections to AlUla: Gulf Air, Saudia and Royal Jordanian to fly to the Saudi Arabian city of AlUla. Read More

20.  EU is planning to increase the Schengen visa fees: The new Schengen visa fee rate will go up from €80 to €90 for adults and from €40 to €45 for children. Read More