By Rafiq Vayani
DUBAI: Travellers flying with Emirates to and from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia & Vietnam are in for a treat this Lunar New Year. Available for a limited time only, a specially curated selection of festive goodies and traditional Chinese fare will be available onboard, as well as on ground at select Emirates airport lounges.
Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the new year in the lunar calendar. It is tradition to give the gift of bright, beautiful red packets filled with chocolates and money to friends and family during Lunar New Year celebrations. Mandarin oranges are also exchanged to signify luck and prosperity.
From 23-26 January, First Class and Business Class travellers heading to or from China, Singapore and Malaysia will each receive a custom Emirates red packet with two chocolate gold coins inside, symbolising a year of good fortune and blessings. The red packets for First Class travellers will be included in the goodie basket while those in Business Class will receive the red packets with their lunch or dinner.
In addition to the regionally inspired cuisine served on board, passengers travelling to and from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia & Vietnam, between 23-31 January will enjoy a selection of festive sweet treats across all classes. First Class and Business Class travellers will end their meal on a sweet note with a delectable slice of red velvet and lychee cake, while Economy Class passengers can tuck into a mouth-watering red velvet and lychee mousse.
Prior to boarding, customers in premium classes can treat themselves to an assortment of Chinese dishes at Emirates lounges in Dubai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore from 24-26 January. In the lounges in Dubai, delicacies such as poached dumplings with spring onions and black vinegar; Sixi meatballs cooked with pakchoy and baby carrot, and shredded Szechuan chicken salad will be served. Passengers can satisfy their sweet tooth with red velvet and lychee cake or tasty coconut and mango tapioca treats. To round off the festivities, Emirates is also adding a selection of movies for Lunar New year such as ‘A Lifetime of Treasure’, ‘Kung Fu Hustle’ and ‘My Lucky Stars’ to its extensive catalogue of entertainment. Travellers can now Fly Better with up to 1,500 movies on board including 80 movies in Mandarin and Cantonese; 4 channels of entertainment from CCTV in Mandarin and more than 120 Chinese music channels on Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice.
