Etihad Airways enables payment for flights to be collected from homes in Abu Dhabi

Guests now have access to more choices when making bookings on Etihad Airways’ website following the recent introduction of new online payment services.

The airline’s guests in the UAE can now book flights or ancillary services conveniently using Pay@home’s online payment option and have the cash collected from their nominated location within 24 hours.

Etihad Airways is the first airline in the Middle East to offer Pay@home, in cooperation with its payment partner, Payfort, which manages cash collection on behalf of the airline.

Pay@home offers a cash payment method enabling collection from homes - still a preferred payment option for many customers in the region.

Justin Warby, Etihad Airways’ Vice President Direct Sales, said: “In selecting additional payment methods for our guests, we took a very local approach. We wanted to give options which catered for the needs of our guests. The addition of Pay@home will make a significant difference to online bookings.

“With Pay@home, we now offer our guests in the UAE greater choice and flexibility when it comes to paying for the tickets they have booked online. This is part of our commitment to our guests to improve our service offering continuously.”

Interested?

Booking online can be done at www.etihad.com. When filling in the payment details, guests can choose “Home Cash Collection” as the payment method. Once they complete booking, guests will be contacted to confirm the address they have specified and a suitable time for the collection of payment. Courier teams will collect the payments and provide a receipt upon payment.

Pay@home purchases are available only if the reservation is made at least 48 hours before the flight’s departure and the payment is made within 24 hours at the location and time agreed for the collection. Fare price and availability may change or guests can request for the reservation to be cancelled.

The new payment options are only available for UAE Dirham (AED) transactions and for flights departing from Abu Dhabi, UAE. Future plans include expanding the Pay@home offering to other strategic markets of Etihad Airways.

Al Rajhi Bank launches Musafir Prepaid Card-i for withdrawals during Hajj and umrah

Source: Al Rajhi Bank website.

Al Rajhi Bank Malaysia has launched the Musafir Prepaid Card-i, the first and only Saudi rial-denominated cash card in the market. The launch was made during the Road2Haramain Festival 2014, which brings together members of the travel and tourism industry in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and China to increase Hajj and umrah business ties and develop Islamic tourism in the Asian region and across the world.

Sponsored by Al Rajhi Bank Malaysia, a subsidiary of world’s biggest Islamic banking service provider, Al Rajhi Bank of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the festival was held on 25 and 26 November in Kuala Lumpur and on 27 November at the Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel. 

With 14 participating companies, Road2Haramain 2014 sets the stage for the first Asian Road2Haramain Mahrajan in 2015. The high point of this festival would be presentation of awards of appreciation to companies that have contributed immensely to Hajj and umrah services in Malaysia.

Both Al Rajhi and Road2Haramain are synonymous with strong Islamic values. “Al Rajhi aims to collaborate with the big players in the Muslim travel and tourism industry to intensively promote the benefits of the Musafir Prepaid Card as well as other Al Rajhi Bank shari'ah-compliant financial products and services to the Muslim ummah,” said Selamat Haji Sirat, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Al Rajhi Bank. 

“At the same time Al Rajhi strives to promote and advocate ‘purity’ in the aspects of ‘muamalat’ of the pilgirms while performing umrah and Hajj."

“Our relationship with Al Rajhi Bank started many years ago in Saudi Arabia and continued here in Kuala Lumpur. We are happy to work together with Al Rajhi Bank and to continue banking with the biggest Islamic bank in the world which shares noble values with us for the good of the ummah,” said Haji Rahim, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Al Haramain Resource.

The Musafir Prepaid Card-i is the first Saudi rial Prepaid traveller’s card and provides access to cash at over 3,800 ATMs in the Al Rajhi network in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The card offers instant cash convenience and advantages to the pilgrims such as a low per-withdrawal fee, secure PIN-based activated transaction and competitive Saudi rial exchange rates.

Over 20 MOUs were signed between Al Rajhi Bank and travel agents at the Festival, for the Al Rajhi Musafir Prepaid Card-i. The Musafir card follows the launch of Al Rajhi Bank's Hijrah Priority Card in July 2013. 

At the time of the Hijrah Priority Card launch, the bank noted that withdrawal fees are waived for card-holders during the Hajj season at Al Rajhi ATMs in Saudi Arabia, and offers discounted ATM withdrawal fees at Al Rajhi ATMs in the kingdom during the off-Hajj season.