On July 1st 2016, MSC Cruises, and Air France signed a new “Fly&Cruise” agreement offering two weekly flights dedicated exclusively to MSC Cruises guests between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Havana in Cuba, from October 30, 2016 to March 25, 2017.
This agreement will enable a total of 10,450 MSC Cruise guests to have direct access to Cuba thanks to 36 flight frequencies chartered by Air France Airbus A340 equipped with 275 seats including 30 in Business, 21 in Premium Economy and 224 in Economy. By dedicating 19 direct flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and 17 flights on departure from the French regions* as a continuation of Paris-Charles de Gaulle, MSC Cruises and Air France are meeting the strong market demand to the Caribbean and are strengthening their partnership which has existed since 2012.
This twice-weekly service will offer guests easy access to MSC Cruises’ Caribbean itineraries, on departure from all French regions*. With a wide range of “Fly&Cruise” packages, guests can choose to travel in one of Air France’s three cabins, Business, Premium Economy or Economy. They will be able to check in two pieces of checked baggage and also take two cabin bags, as well as earn miles via Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue loyalty program.
MSC Cruises’ “Fly&Cruise” packages offer guests a seamless travel experience: they just need to check in their bags at their local airport and they will be delivered directly to their cabin on board the ship. The packages also include transfers to and from the airport, which means that guests are taken directly from the airport to the ship.
Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, said: ”We are committed to delivering an unparalleled experience for our guests throughout our product range. Air France provides the outstanding level of service that our guests expect in connection with a MSC Cruises holiday. Additionally, the airline’s extensive network will give more of our French guests the opportunity to experience the culture and other delights that Cuba and the Caribbean has to offer.”
Patrick Alexandre, EVP Commercial-Sales & Alliances at Air France-KLM also declared: “In addition to the two daily flights to Havana operated by Air France next winter, we have come up with a tailor-made offering together with MSC Cruises, with 2 dedicated transatlantic flights every week and customized services for cruise passengers. We want Air France flights to be part of their memories of an unforgettable holiday and are proud to be strengthening our cooperation with MSC Cruises every year.”
Last year, MSC Cruises was the first international cruise line to homeport in Havana, Cuba. This year the Company will be adding a second ship, MSC Armonia, to join MSC Opera at its home-port in Havana in a move to double its offering in the region. Both ships went through a complete renovation in 2015 as part of a €200 million overhaul and upgrade programme.
*Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Metz-Nancy, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nantes, Nice, Strasbourg, Toulouse.
Friday 1 July 2016
This post was published on 2 July 2016 15:31
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