Qatar

The State of Qatar sits on a peninsula halfway along the western shoreline of the Arabian Gulf and is almost completely surrounded by sea. It borders Saudi Arabia to the south and is separated by the sea from the United Arab Emirates in the southeast and Bahrain in the northwest.
Qatar has a desert climate of hot summers and relatively warm winters. In the summer, the temperature ranges between 25 and 46 degrees centigrade. Rainfall in the winter is minimal and on average does not exceed 75 mm per year.
The Emir H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani is the Head of the State of Qatar. Rule in Qatar is hereditary. H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani is the Heir Apparent.
The economy is supported by Qatar's abundance of oil and natural gas reserves. Currently, there is significant ongoing investment being made to develop the country's infrastructure and economic diversification including the development of Qatar's tourism industry.
Qatar's citizens number around 250,000 and are predominantly Muslim. An expatriate workforce makes up nearly 75% of the country's inhabitants, most of which live and work in the country's capital city, Doha.
Qatar is now a sought-after tourist destination, with many attractions including international five-star hotels, spas and resorts. Its year-round sunshine provides an ideal climate to escape the northern hemisphere winters. Education also attracts many visitors to Doha, with Education City having established campuses of some of the most well-known universities in the world.
Facts about Qatar
Area
11,437 km2
Population 2007
907,229 est.
GDP per capita
$29,400 (2006 est.)
GDP Growth rate
7.1% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate
3.2% (2006 est.)
Weather
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Inflation
7.2% (2006 est.)

http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/qatar.html

DOHA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Doha International Airport
Doha International Airport is located 5 km from Doha's city centre. The airport currently services 23 regional and international airlines and is the hub for Qatar Airways. For more information visit Doha Airport.

Premium TerminalAs a First and Business Class passenger you will have round the clock access to the Premium Terminal. At the Premium Terminal you will be able to relax, unwind and even hold meetings.

Duty FreeExperience one of the finest duty free shopping experiences in the Middle East when you shop at Qatar Duty Free. You can also look through our products online by visiting the Qatar Duty Free website.

Al Maha ServicesAl Maha Services is a Meet and Greet service offered to all airline passengers against a nominal fee. Arriving or Departing Passengers can now taste true Qatari hospitality offered by our Customer Service Agents.

http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/dohaairport.html

AirTran Airways Partners with Major League Slugger Ryan Braun

ORLANDO, Fla., March 27, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ ----- Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Helping Airline Knock High Fares Out of the Park -
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI: 4.57, -0.11, -2.35%), scored Milwaukee Brewers superstar Ryan Braun, winner of the 2007 National League Rookie of the Year Award, for its Milwaukee sports advertising campaign. Braun will appear in advertisements and make personal appearances on behalf of the airline.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090327/NY89073 )
The endorsement deal with Braun arrives only a couple months after AirTran Airways signed a partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers, which includes naming rights to Miller Park's AirTran Airways Landing Zone, an all-inclusive seating area at the Brewers' home stadium. In the coming weeks, the airline will unveil several billboards in Milwaukee featuring Braun.
"Ryan is considered one of the best young players in baseball today, and we are thrilled to add him to our roster of sports endorsers," said Tad Hutcheson, vice president of marketing and sales for AirTran Airways. "He is a fan favorite in Milwaukee, a market where AirTran Airways recently expanded service by more than 55 percent. Now that AirTran Airways is able to offer travelers even more nonstop flight options, we look forward to partnering with Braun and hitting high fares out of the park for all Milwaukee residents."
Braun is an All-Star left fielder who broke into Major League Baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2007. During his award-winning rookie season, he led the National League in slugging percentage. In addition, he received the following awards: the Sporting News National League Rookie of the Year, the Baseball America Rookie of the Year, the Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball NL Rookie of the Year, and the Players Choice National League Most Outstanding Rookie. Over the past decade, the only other NL hitter to win all five awards was Albert Pujols, who accomplished the feat in 2001. Braun continued his success in 2008, when his home run hit in the final game of the season sent the Brewers to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years.
Braun joins an esteemed group of athletes on AirTran Airways' roster of endorsers, which includes IndyCar racing star Danica Patrick, professional football players Donald Driver and Matt Ryan, and more.
CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency, a sports and entertainment agency, orchestrated the deal on behalf of Braun.
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI: 4.57, -0.11, -2.35%), a Fortune 1000 company, is ranked number one in the 2008 Airline Quality Rating study. The airline offers coast-to-coast flights, North America's newest all-Boeing fleet, friendly service and Business Class and complimentary XM Satellite Radio on every flight. To book a flight, visit http://www.airtran.com
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/retail/airtran-airways-partners-major-league-slugger-ryan-braun/

Air Canada Jazz Prepares for Take-Off With Taleo Enterprise Solutions

TORONTO, Mar 27, 2009 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) ----Taleo (NASDAQ: TLEO), the leading provider of on-demand talent management solutions, today announced that Air Canada Jazz, Canada's largest regional airline and the second largest airline in Canada, recently selected Taleo to improve its recruiting process and develop a more efficient tracking, reporting and communication solution for internal and external candidates. The airline will use the Taleo-based technology solution to improve the sourcing of candidates, as well as enhance the candidate experience through a revamped career site.
"Air Canada Jazz requires a highly skilled workforce to help them achieve operational excellence in the competitive airline industry," said Michael Gregoire, Chairman and CEO of Taleo. "Safety and experience are high priorities for the airline and the Taleo software will help enhance recruiting best practices to effectively attract and engage more high quality candidates."
Air Canada Jazz has a history of strong operational performance, along with an excellent safety record. Management's experience and leadership ability, coupled with Air Canada Jazz's highly skilled labour force, have greatly contributed to solid operating performance. Together, this team of professionals is committed to building the best regional airline in the world.
Air Canada Jazz is the second largest airline in Canada based on fleet size and the only airline serving all ten provinces and two territories. Jazz operates more flights and flies to more Canadian destinations than any other Canadian carrier. Jazz forms an integral part of Air Canada's domestic and trans-border market presence and strategy.
About Taleo
Taleo (NASDAQ: TLEO) is the leader in on-demand unified talent management solutions that empower organizations of all sizes to assess, acquire, develop and align their workforces for improved business performance. More than 3,900 organizations use Taleo for talent acquisition and performance management, including 48 of the Fortune 100 and over 3,300 small and medium sized businesses across 200 countries and territories. Known for its strong configurability and usability, Taleo runs on a world-class infrastructure and offers 99.9% availability. Taleo's Talent Grid harnesses the resources of the Taleo community of customers, candidates, and partners to power the talent needs of companies around the world.
Forward-looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the demand for and results from use of Taleo's solutions. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon Taleo's historical performance and its current plans, estimates and expectations and are not a representation that such plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. These forward-looking statements represent Taleo's expectations as of the date of this press announcement. Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change, and Taleo disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements in the future. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. Further information on potential factors that could affect actual results is included in Part II, Item 1A of Taleo's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as filed with the SEC on August 11, 2008, and in other reports filed by Taleo with the SEC
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/finance/air-canada-jazz-prepares-taleo-enterprise-solutions/

Airlines offer new frequent-flier promotions

TOMN PARSONS BEST FARES www.bestfares.com
New promotions from three airlines allow frequent fliers to earn double miles toward elite status. Benefits can add up, with free baggage allowance for you and your traveling companions, free space-available upgrades, and priority check-in and boarding. Plus, you can reserve choice seats in the front of coach, in the exit rows and on the aisles.
With these promotions, travelers can earn double the miles they actually fly toward elite status when they travel on paid flights this spring. You won't earn double frequent-flier miles; you'll only accrue miles toward elite status faster.
Fly through June 15 to earn double elite-qualifying miles. The offers are valid for tickets purchased beginning March 18 on American, for travel on American, American Eagle or AmericanConnection; March 19 on United, for travel on United or United Express; and March 20 on Continental, for travel on Continental, Continental Express, Continental Connection or Continental Micronesia. You must register for these promotions before traveling. To do so, access www.aa.com/aadvantage, www.continental.com/onepass or www.united.com/eqmoffer.
To qualify for the first tier of elite status, you need to earn 25,000 miles, so you'll only have to fly 12,500 miles during the promotional period. The first tier of elite status is Gold on American, Silver on Continental and Premier on United.
One round-trip flight to Australia from anywhere in the continental U.S. would earn you enough for elite status. Travel to Sydney has been cheap this year, with recent flights from Dallas for $927 round trip and flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco for $679 round trip.
We've been seeing $500 round-trip flights from Dallas to Europe, which would get you close to the number of miles you need to earn elite status. For example, flights from Dallas to Frankfurt would earn 10,214 miles. If you combine that with a domestic round trip, it should be easy to qualify.
Passengers with elite status who travel two or more times a year can really save on baggage fees, especially if they're traveling with friends or family on the same record.
Once you earn elite status, you will have it for the remainder of 2009 and throughout 2010. On American and Continental, you probably will have it through February 2011, because their elite-program years typically run from March through February.
If you fly short-haul flights, elite travelers can earn a 500-mile minimum, instead of actual miles flown.
On all three carriers, you'll earn a 25 percent bonus on actual miles flown if you qualify for the first tier of elite status and 100 percent bonuses for the higher tiers of elite status.
Keep an eye on these offers to see if they become more competitive. US Airways has a double-elite-miles offer that ends March 31, but that may be extended to match these offers. At press time, Delta and Northwest weren't matching, but they may. They don't want to lose business travelers to other airlines.
Tom Parsons is publisher of BestFares.com.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/travel/bestfares/stories/DN-parsons_0329tra.ART.State.Edition1.4aaae00.html

United Airlines award for top 10 travel agents

ISLAMABAD (APP): United Airlines has awarded top ten travel agents for promoting the airlines' image and outstanding performance in 2007. United Airlines, an American passenger carrier, has still not initiated its flight operations to or from Pakistan, however; it attracts thousands of Pakistani passengers from its abroad stations especially in Dubai. Addressing the award distribution ceremony, Chief Operating Officer of United Airlines, S.I Mehdi said that the company had established sound footing in the Pakistani market. Therefore, it intends to start flight operations for Pakistan within near future. "This tremendous achievement could become possible due to endeavors and support of travel agents across the metropolitan," he said. United Airlines operates nearly 3,000 flights per day on to more than 200 US domestic and International destinations from its hub in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, he told adding that it has key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America. Regional Manager North Zahoor Hussain, District Manager Islamabad Syed Nadil Andrabi and other officials also attended the ceremony.
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=hn&nid=4346

Nod for airline to fly Ipoh-Singapore route

IPOH: The Cabinet has approved the application of a local airline to operate the Ipoh-Singapore sector, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said.
Ong, however, would not disclose the name of the airline until it was certain the company could sustain its services.
He added that the airline would fly from the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport here as plans for a new airport was still far from sight.
“The airline wrote to us and we considered and processed the application with due diligence.
“But at the end of the day, it is their decision to determine whether or not it is sustainable,” he told reporters after meeting Perak MCA grassroots leaders here yesterday.
Ong noted that people had in the past pounced on the ministry and accused it of stopping the services of AirAsia when the airline discontinued its flights from here.
“We did not. That was a business decision,” he said.
“More often than not, people do not seem to understand that the continuity of any air service depends largely on the business decision made by the relevant airlines and not the ministry.
“The ministry has the power to decide or to grant the air rights of any particular sector to an airline but it doesn’t mean that we are there to guarantee them profits.”
On his earlier briefing, the MCA president revealed that many grassroots leaders were very concerned about the process for transforming the party.
Ong said they also discussed the economy and education.
He said special focus was paid to the economic woes of the people and the initiatives that had been and would be taken by the MCA.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/29/nation/3583986&sec=nation