For everyone in the region, news of a two-week ceasefire will have come as a relief.
For some countries, including Bahrain and Iraq, it means airspace has reopened for the first time in more than a month.
Bahrain is reintroducing a limited network of flights via Gulf Air, and Iraqi Airways has announced the resumption of both domestic and international flights as it begins a phased return to operations following recent disruption. Check out our up-to-date regional flight news here.
While we have read about airfares going up, as jet fuel prices remain high, Etihad Airways has discounts of up to 50 per cent on selected routes.
Sadly for me, sat writing this in Abu Dhabi, the deal only includes flights originating outside the UAE; flights from Abu Dhabi are seemingly unchanged. Although, perhaps it will see a spike in friends and family passing through.
The offer sees significantly lower prices available for travel in April, May and June compared to the peak summer months, and comes as airlines across the region navigate shifting passenger demand and operational constraints linked to the geopolitical tension.
The Etihad website shows notable differences across several long-haul routes. Flights from London Heathrow to Tokyo Narita via Abu Dhabi are about £727 (Dh3,500) for May and June, rising to between £1,000 and £1,500 in July and August. Tickets from Bangkok to Paris are about 24,405 Thai baht (Dh2,750), increasing to between 27,870 baht (Dh3,100) and 38,885 baht (Dh4,380) later in the summer. Meanwhile, fares from Hong Kong to Barcelona are about HK$4,622 (Dh2,166), and set to climb to between HK$5,600 (Dh2,600) and HK$9,300 (Dh4,350). Read more about the enticing offers here.
For those staying closer to home, find our list of staycations here, and a review of a unique UAE hotel, Najd Al Meqsar in Khor Fakkan, here.
Until next time, safe travels.
Travel news you may have missed
• Emirates airline has introduced a dedicated pet travel team in the UAE to handle bookings and support for animals travelling via Emirates SkyCargo.
• Awaken Spa at Atlantis The Royal is offering two daycation deals. One includes fitness facility and pool access, with a cold plunge session and a sunbed at Nobu by the Beach for Dh380. The second includes a 90-minute massage and 30-minute facial, access to the Elements Retreat facilities, the fitness lap pool and a sunbed at Nobu by the Beach for Dh1,020. Both are available until April 30.
• If food factors largely in your travel plans, news that Dubai-born dining brand Gaia is expanding globally will likely pique your interest. The Mediterranean restaurant is opening eight international outposts this year, including Miami this month and a Bahrain venue expected by the end of the year.
Festivals to travel to this summer
With the summer festival season approaching, and with the UK’s mammoth Glastonbury on a fallow year for 2026 and this month's Coachella Festival sold out in the US, music lovers have a chance to look beyond the usual circuit.
This week, Saeed Saeed has rounded up a selection of festivals generating buzz for their locations as well as their line-ups. These range from beach stages on the Egyptian coast to city-wide programmes in Turkey and large-scale European fixtures.
Find his round-up of 11 music festivals worth building a trip around here.
Travel buy
People across the UAE are taking advantage of staycation deals at the moment, with many properties allowing pets to come along for the trip. Make the stay as comfortable as possible for your four-legged friends with a travel bed from Kona Cave. The faux-fur-lined foldable beds are compact, with handles for easy transportation and padding to support pets' joints.
Spotlight destination: Rural Rajasthan
A digital detox sounds like pure bliss right now, a break from phones and social media doomscrolling.
That is what Hayley Kadrou found when she checked into Mihir Garh by Rohet House, a nine-suite fort hotel in rural Rajasthan. She encountered a different side to the north-western Indian destination than the version of tourists whose trip to the state begins and ends in Jaipur.
Meeting families from the Bishnoi community and local craftspeople, she writes all about the visit here.
Top travel tip
Travel policies can, and do, change quickly. So make sure to double-check visa information, transit rules, health requirements and customs restrictions ahead of your trip. Even if you planned everything weeks ago, do a final check 24 to 72 hours before departure.
In the headlines
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