Amsterdam Schiphol has recently been voted the world’s best international airport.
The award was voted in by the readers of America’s Executive Travel magazine and was accepted by representatives of the Netherlands Board of Tourism on the 5th November at an awards event in New York.
Several criteria were given for the reader awards and the airports were rated upon these. Criteria included the service, facilities and solutions given to passengers at the different airports across the world.
Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport has recently started its winter schedule for the 2008-09 season, which is set to run until the 28th March. Eight airlines are providing flights to the United States, some of which are OpenSkies, KLM, US Airways and Continental Airlines. These carriers are amongst those who will be flying to America from the Schiphol airport and altogether they operate 32 flights daily to 17 different American destinations this winter.
Amsterdam is a popular destination with the Americans as well as the British it would seem. Many Brits see Amsterdam as a great city break, ideal for cheap holidays abroad.
This is not the only award that the Amsterdam airport has won this year; it also won best airport in Europe as voted by Business Traveller, a UK magazine.
KLM has made a recent announcement that it will soon be launching a new service between Liverpool and Amsterdam as part of their summer schedule for 2009.
The new flights are scheduled to get underway from the 29th March and said the new flights will
’seamlessly connect Liverpool with over a hundred destinations worldwide’
In recent years, Liverpool has become a destination of increasing important for the purpose of business travel over recent years and particularly popular for leisure tourism, especially in 2008 because of its role as the European Capital of Culture.
Pieter Elbers, senior vice president of network operations at KLM, said: ‘Being the only major network carrier to include Liverpool in its network, KLM further strengthens its position in the UK, one of the most important markets in the extensive network of KLM.’
The new flights are to be operated using Fokker 70 aircraft and will fly three services on a daily basis.
Liverpool is to be KLM’s fifteenth destination as their flights schedule also takes in major cities all over the UK such as Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.
Those looking for bargain holidays for a city break to New York this winter will be pleased to note that British Airways’ subsidiary, OpenSkies has launched flights between New York JFK and Amsterdam Schiphol airport. Amsterdam is a regular stop en route to New York for those searching for cheap flights.
The service started yesterday on the 15th October and is OpenSkies’ second route. Its first was the launch of flights between New York JFK and Paris Orly in June.
The new route offers passengers a choice of two different cabins on the New York to Amsterdam route. One of the cabins offers fully flat beds for the business service and another offers ‘business class comfort without the business class price’.
The managing director for OpenSkies, Dale Moss, said:
‘Almost 400 years after Henry Hudson left Europe to cross the Atlantic and set the stage for what would become “New Amsterdam”, we are thrilled to launch the newest link between Amsterdam and New York. At a time when tough economic circumstances are making travel more difficult on both sides of the Atlantic, we believe OpenSkies presents a compelling value proposition by combining great prices and a premium product.’
OpenSkies is aiming to offer a premium experience for travellers by operating a Boeing 757, which will have a maximum of just 64 passengers. This new service between New York and Amsterdam will be running six times each week.
Amsterdam’s charm lies in its superior quality of life, its rich cultural heritage and commercial dynamism .The historical centre of Amsterdam has traces of the city’s Golden Era. The wealthy merchants designed neatly laid canals with gabled residences on the banks. These now host tobacco shops, cafes and a vibrant nightlife. Hashish and marijuana are openly available in ‘coffee shops’.
Biking, skating and sunbathing are some of the popular activities. Old houses are being converted into offbeat stores, cafes and restaurants. Flower shops at street corners are a beautiful riot of colours.
People: Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan city enjoying a broad range of art and culture.
Places of Interest:
- Rijksmuseum is the Museum of Art and History
- Dam Square in Central Amsterdam is popular with the locals and the tourists
- Their flower market is the only floating flower market in the world
- Artis Zoo, founded in 1838, is the Netherlands’ oldest zoo
- Royal Palace or Koninklijk Paleis is mainly used for official state functions
Cuisine: Dutch pancakes, served sweet or savoury, are very filling. The city restaurants offer international cuisine. The most popular is Italian. Other cuisines are Chinese, Mexican, Indonesian, Greek and Japanese.
Transportation: Use trains, trams, bicycles, ferries, canal taxies, canal buses, canal boats and rented pedalos (also known as canal bikes) to tour the city’s cobbled streets and waterways.
Amsterdam is spellbinding and makes a good bargain holiday for young adults.
