Emirates in 2021: A year of rebuilding and flying better

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Dubai, UAE,  – Emirates progressed on its recovery path in 2021, rebuilding its passenger network to 128 cities by December including a new route to Miami launched in July. At the end of 2021, all of Emirates’ 133 Boeing 777 aircraft and nearly 60 of its A380 fleet are in active service, connecting people to their loved ones and businesses to global opportunities. In addition, over 120 Emirates Lounges and partner facilities have re-opened to serve Emirates’ premium customers and frequent flyers.

"Despite the recent rise of the Omicron variant and the slight slowdown it brought to our network, we are going into 2022 with optimism. We’ve built up some great momentum this year and expect business growth pick up speed in 2022. Aviation has always been resilient, and we will continue to work with our industry partners to build back better for our customers and communities," said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive.

Here’s highlighting 7 ways Emirates has helped customers fly better, and support communities and the industry in 2021:

1. Travel ease and confidence: This year, Emirates extended its generous rebooking waivers, the expiry of frequent flyer miles and tier status, and complimentary COVID-19 medical cover for all customers. emirates.com remains a top reference site for the latest travel requirements, updated at least once daily. Emirates also accelerated digital initiatives to provide customers with smoother and safer journeys...

2. Investment and innovation: In January, Emirates' Premium Economy entered service to a hugely positive response. In November, it announced a major retrofit program to equip 105 aircraft with Premium Economy seats and latest cabin interiors to ensure the Emirates experience remains best-in-sky...

3. Partnerships: Helping travelers access even more destinations, Emirates joined hands with new interline and codeshare partners – Aeromar, airBaltic, Airlink, Azul, Cemair, Garuda, Gulf Air, South African Airways, TAP Portugal; and reinforced existing strategic partnerships with Qantas and flydubai. Emirates also signed agreements and launched initiatives to support tourism to Seychelles, Maldives, Indonesia and Costa Rica.

4. Supporting global communities: Ensuring communities get rapid access to COVID-19 vaccines and other medical supplies, Emirates helped form the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance, and signed an MoU with UNICEF to prioritize vaccine transport for the COVAX initiative which focuses on the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. By December, Emirates had transported 600 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines on its flights to over 80 destinations, one of the largest volumes globally by any airline cargo carrier. In May, it established a humanitarian airbridge to support India in its pandemic response.

An early champion of COVID-19 vaccination, Emirates ran programs to encourage its workforce to vaccinate to protect themselves and their communities and enable a safe return to travel. In February, Emirates operated a special flight operated by fully vaccinated employees to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination and showcase the success of the UAE’s vaccination drive.

5. Sustainability: Emirates partnered with Falcon Aircraft Recycling and Wings Craft in a pioneering project to upcycle its first retired A380 aircraft entirely in the UAE, reducing waste to landfill and environmental impact. It also announced at the Dubai Airshow an initiative with GE Aviation to conduct a test flight fully powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on its Boeing 777 aircraft. Emirates is an active member of the World Economic Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow coalition which supports a transition to SAF as a part of the journey towards carbon-neutral flying.

It also has various ongoing initiatives to reduce fuel burn and emissions, and ensure the responsible use of resources. This includes its longstanding use of sustainable blankets made from 100% recycled plastic bottles in Economy Class, and its latest amenity kit bags which contain items made from sustainable materials like wheat straw and rice paper.

6. Future of aviation: Building a pipeline of commercial pilots, Emirates Flight Training Academy graduated its 50th cadet with its successful second cohort of cadets this year. In October, Emirates hosted global aviation security stakeholders at the 5th AVESEC Global Symposium to share best practice in strengthening capabilities amid pandemic challenges. Emirates also continued to support Intelak and Aviation X-lab - incubator programs focused on future solutions for travel and aviation.

7. Bringing the world together at Expo Dubai: The Expo 2020 Dubai opened in October, and visits to the global mega-event have climbed to 8 million, as people from all around the globe come together to celebrate human achievement and inspire future solutions for the world. Through various initiatives, including programs to encourage visitation from small and medium sized businesses, Emirates continues to bring the world to Dubai for the Expo. It is also showcasing future aviation technology concepts at its Emirates Pavilion.

Former Citibank PH country manager confident with Citi’s choice of UnionBank

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Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd. (InLife) Executive Chairman Nina D. Aguas, first female regional audit director in Citibank as well as the first woman country manager in Citibank Philippines, shares her excitement after Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) announced that it has entered into an agreement with Citigroup Inc. (Citi) to acquire Citi’s consumer banking business in the country. Together with the Aboitiz and SSS, Insular Life Assurance is a key shareholder in UnionBank.

Citi started in the Philippines in July 1902 when the International Banking Corporation, forerunner of Citibank, established a branch in Manila. Today, Citi Philippines is the largest foreign bank in the country in terms of customers, assets, and revenues.

Citi Philippines is an acknowledged leader in consumer banking owing to its enviable track record for innovation and customer service. It offers a full range of world-class banking products and services, including credit cards and Citigold Wealth Management.

“Citi Philippines was the first consumer banking business established by technology pioneer and visionary John Reed in Asia. It is one of Citi’s crown jewels in Asia, so bequeathing this business to UnionBank says a lot about how much confidence and trust Citi’s management has for the new owner” said Aguas, one of Forbes Asia’s 25 most influential persons in 2020.

In a text message to her fellow former Citibankers, Aguas also assures her fellow Citi Alums that UnionBank will continue to build on the successes of Citi. The legacy, the culture of professionalism, innovation and impact to the community lives on. Quite a number of former Citibankers hold Board and Senior Executive positions in UnionBank

Prior to being InLife’s executive chairman, Aguas was Citigroup Inc.’s Managing Director for Corporate Center Compliance in New York; Country Business Manager of Global Consumer Group in the Philippines; Head of Sales & Distribution of Global Consumer Group in the Philippines; and Regional Audit Director of Asia Pacific. Aguas is Citibank’s 2021 Distinguished Alumni for Leadership & Ingenuity.

Shopee is The Most Tweeted E-Commerce Brand in the Philippines this 2021

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This year, Shopee takes the second spot for the most talked-about brand in the country with topics such as Shopee’s K-pop acts and mega campaigns garnering the most buzz

With its string of successful campaigns and relatable social media content, Shopee is the most tweeted e-commerce brand in the country according to Twitter for 2021.

The leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan took the second spot overall in Twitter’s ten most tweeted brands list in the Philippines, which was released as part of the latter’s “Best of Tweets 2021” awards announced on December 14, 2021. The annual rundown aims to celebrate and recognize outstanding brands for their groundbreaking campaigns and engaging digital content.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “We are pleased to be recognized as one of the most talked-about brands in the country by Twitter. As we welcome a new year, Shopee will push for excellence and increase engagement satisfaction not only in-app but on other platforms as well. This coming 2022, we will continue to improve our services to better tend to the needs of our consumers, sellers, and brand partners.”

As a platform that prioritizes making online shopping safe, fun, and engaging for everyone, Shopee regularly engages with its users on social media through relatable posts with timely content. During big campaigns, Shopee dominated the Twitter world with the appearance and performance of K-pop idols, which resulted in being in the top trending hashtags locally and nationwide.

Shopee also drives online conversations with the anticipation that comes with its big campaigns, TV commercials with Shopee brand ambassadors, and TV specials where users can win big raffle prizes, watch performances from their favorite celebrities or K-pop idols, and get the best deals and promos they can instantly ‘add to cart’ and check out during the show.

Successful Campaigns such as 9.9 Super Shopping Day and 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale

Shopee continues to provide convenience and greater cost savings for its consumers with its yearly anticipated double-digit campaigns. The recent Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day and 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale achieved multiple milestones, including 9.5 million items sold in the first hour of 9.9 in Metro Manila alone, over 270 million plays on Shopee Prize last 11.11, and a 14x surge in Shopee Mall orders during 12.12. More and more consumers also made Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet ShopeePay their preferred payment method with over 1.5 million top-ups for 12.12 alone.

With its continuous efforts to tailor and adapt to users’ shopping needs, Shopee now also ranks 3rd on YouGov’s Global Best Brand 2021 list in the Philippines, the only e-commerce platform to make it to the list.

Buy a Redmi Watch 2 Lite and get a chance to win Spider-Man: No Way Home tickets

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MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Xiaomi Philippines is welcoming the new year with a special promo for their new Redmi Watch 2 Lite featuring everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood spider!

From January 1 to 8, those who purchase the Redmi Watch 2 Lite from the official Xiaomi online stores will not only get it for the special price of PHP 2,599 but will also automatically get a raffle entry for the chance to win two (2) e-passes for the much-anticipated, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Ticket winners will be announced on February 9, 2022 through the Xiaomi Philippines Facebook page.

Start your fitness journey this year with the Redmi Watch 2 Lite which enjoys an upgraded software and now features over 100 fitness modes, 17 professional modes, and more than 90 extended modes. The device is water-resistance and allows tracking of SpO2 or saturation of peripheral capillary oxygen levels, while having a battery life of up to 10 days.

In terms of design, the Redmi Watch 2 Lite has a 1.55-inch touch display, offering a bigger screen-to-body ratio that will give users a better visual experience. Users can also choose from over 100 watch face design options to match their mood and style. A limited-edition Spiderman Watch Face will also be available to use on the device until February 28, 2022.

The Redmi Watch 2 Lite is available in ivory, black, and blue while the straps are also available in pink, olive, and brown. Visit the Xiaomi Philippines official stores in Lazada and Shopee.

ShopeePay Offers Users Free and Real Time Transfers for a More Convenient Cashless Payment Experience

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With ShopeePay, users are able to save on additional costs from InstaPay fees, and also send money to other ShopeePay users for free.

MANILA, JANUARY 5, 2022 - ShopeePay, Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, continues to make financial services more accessible and convenient for Filipinos. The e-wallet offers free and real time transfers, on top of other free services, to enable easier and more seamless digital transactions.

ShopeePay users can now enjoy free cash ins and bank transfers in real time with 35+ banks and e-wallet partners, including BDO, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), RCBC, Metrobank, Chinabank, UnionBank, and more with InstaPay. InstaPay is an electronic fund transfer (EFT) service that allows customers to transfer funds almost instantly between accounts and is available 24/7, all year round. On top of the new cash in via InstaPay option, users can  also link their bank account to their ShopeePay Wallet for free and easy cash ins.

Within the app, verified ShopeePay users can also instantly send money to any ShopeePay user for free, available 24/7. Additionally, senders can also personalize their send money transactions with themed virtual cards fit for any occasion. With ShopeePay, users can do more cashless transactions and get discounts on load products and cashbacks on bills payment.

As more consumers embrace and adopt digital transactions, ShopeePay aims to support the transition by providing hassle-free digital banking options. This year, the Philippines saw an exponential growth of new digital consumers, recording about 12 million since the start of the pandemic. Aside from the significant increase in digital consumers in the country, there is also a notable increase in the adoption of digital-only banking, recording 18.34 percent in 2021, and is expected to reach 36.18 percent by 2026.  

Ruoshan Tao, Head of ShopeePay Online, Philippines, said, “The digital market of Southeast Asia is rapidly growing, and digital transactions such as online payments and money transfers are also becoming more prevalent. At ShopeePay, we are committed to providing our users with seamless and easy access to digital financial services through a secure and integrated ecosystem. We look forward to continue helping Filipinos embrace digitalization.” 

Here’s how to cash in to your ShopeePay Wallet via InstaPay, and enjoy up to P25 cashback on your InstaPay fee: 

1. Tap ‘Cash in’ on your ShopeePay wallet. 

2. Click the ‘InstaPay’ dropdown. 

3. View the specific instructions and cash in from your preferred bank.

4. You will receive a notification if your cash in was successful. 

5. If eligible, you will receive the cashback after 7-10 working days.

To transfer money for free from your ShopeePay Wallet to your selected bank account or e-wallet via InstaPay, make sure that your ShopeePay account is verified. Here’s how to transfer:

1. Tap ‘Send Money’ on your ShopeePay wallet.

2. Select either ‘To Bank Account’ or ‘To E-Wallet’

3. Choose the bank/e-wallet you want to send money to and input the required details.

4. Enter the amount to be sent. 

5. Review all details to ensure accuracy and proceed with sending money.  

To send money for free to other ShopeePay users, you must have a verified ShopeePay account. Here’s how:

1. Tap ‘Send Money’ on your ShopeePay wallet.

2. Select ‘To Shopee User’.

3. Enter the phone number or Shopee username to send money to.

4. Input the amount to send. You may also personalize your transfer with a virtual card.

5. Enter your ShopeePay PIN to confirm the transaction.

To know more about ShopeePay’s InstaPay feature, visit https://shopee.ph/m/shopeepay-instapay.

To enjoy free cash ins and transfers, and also save on additional fees, make sure to activate ShopeePay. With ShopeePay, you can also avail of exclusive deals when you Buy Load, Pay Bills, and Scan to Pay at thousands of merchants nationwide. Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.