Vietnam is set to receive more tourists from Turkey and New Zealand this summer thanks to new direct air services to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Turkish Airlines has announced to start operating five direct flights a week – three from HCMC and two from Hanoi – to Istanbul from June 27. The frequency will be raised to seven flights a week from October 31. Currently passengers have to transit in Bangkok. Air New Zealand is also scheduled to fly non-stop between HCMC and Auckland this June. There will be three flights a week until October, and the seasonal service is expected to be resumed next year. It will take 11 hours to fly between the cities. Vietnam received 11,267 visitors from the faraway New Zealand in the first four months this year, which was up 3% from a year ago. That was less than a tenth of the number of Australian visitors. Turkey also remains a small market for Vietnam's tourism industry.<br/>
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Mother's Day is fast approaching, and United has come up with a new way to celebrate that — or any other — special day in the air. The carrier Wednesday launched a new onboard gift delivery program titled "Celebrate." And not wanting to miss out on an opportunity for some bragging rights, United also is claiming to be the first United States-based carrier to offer such a gift program. "Celebrate" allows a gift to be pre-ordered and then presented to a passenger on a United international flight departing from a US gateway. The gift or gifts can be chosen from among a select group of items designated by a small airplane icon on the carrier's dutyfreeonboard.com website. The selected gift then will be delivered to the intended recipient after takeoff by a flight attendant. The specially-wrapped gift also comes with a personalized gift card, if desired.<br/>