If have been regular flier to India some time in you life you my have flown by gulf air. one of the only airline with track record of serving passenger from London to mumbai, bombay to London  many traveller made there first journey to new life in the UK with gulf air
 
Gulf Air has come a long way since it launched services in 1950 as Gulf Aviation Company. Now fully owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain through Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the airline started as a small scale commuter service, serving the oil fields of the Gulf and some regional customers. Today, Gulf Air is a major international airline serving over 40 destinations worldwide. However, whether it is 10 or 100 destinations, seven seater planes or the latest state of the art jets, gulf air goal has remained constant - a commitment to the latest aviation technology and an adherence to traditional Arabian hospitality.

Gulf Air is the main flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The airline operates scheduled services to 45 destinations in 28 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe. Its main base is Bahrain International Airport. The company's logo features a golden falcon. Gulf Air's most popular destinations include London, to Mumbai, Dubai, Chennai, Delhi, Trivandrum, and Kochi

The airline is not part of an airline alliance but is part of the oneworld global explorer fare. It has extensive codeshare services with other airlines and special partnerships with Jet Airways and Oman Air  Frequent Flyer Programs.

The turning point for Gulf Aviation came in 1973 when the governments of the Kingdom of Bahrain, State of Qatar, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the Sultanate of Oman purchased BOAC's shares in Gulf Aviation. The Foundation Treaty signed on 1 January 1974 gave each government a 25% shareholding in the re-branded Gulf Air, which became the national carrier for the four states in the Persian Gulf. Later that year, the airline's support of oil exploration resulted in the establishment of the wholly owned Gulf Helicopters subsidiary.

The 1980s saw an increase in air travel and growth for Gulf Air. In 1981 Gulf Air became an IATA member and in the following year became the first international airline to land at Riyadh. In 1988 the Boeing 767s joined the fleet and services to Frankfurt, Istanbul, Damascus, Dar as Salaam, Fujairah and Nairobi were launched, with services to Shiraz and Baghdad resumed.

Gulf Air celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1990. The light blue and peach Balenciaga-designed uniform was introduced. Singapore, Sydney and Thiruvananthapuram were launched and Gulf Air became the first Arab airline to fly to Australia. Gulf Air added Johannesburg and Melbourne to its network (1992), becoming the first Arab airline to fly directly to these cities. The following year it opened up a Flight Simulator Centre in Qatar. The same year saw the introduction of services to Casablanca, Entebbe, Jakarta, Kilimanjaro, and Madras, (Chennai,) Rome, Sana, Zanzibar, and Zurich.

Gulf Air launches its official Internet homepage at http:/www.gulfairco.com. The airline wins the Gulf Africa Merit of Distinction Duty Free Award for the third time. A code-share agreement with British Midland is signed for flights between London and Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Amsterdam, Teesside, Leeds/Bradford, Belfast.

The new summer schedule commencing 28 April 2006 saw the complete withdrawal of Abu Dhabi as a hub following the decision on the 13 September 2005, by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, to withdraw from Gulf Air and establish its own airline; Etihad Airways Gulf Air changed its operations to a dual hub basis between Bahrain and Muscat airports. The airline produced a series of adverts in local newspapers thanking Abu Dhabi for its contribution to Gulf Air. Due to the airline being the national carrier for the United Arab Emirates for over 35 years, it has a large customer base located in Abu Dhabi. Gulf Air endeavoured to show the continuing support for flights to Abu Dhabi from Bahrain and Muscat, connecting to the rest of the Gulf Air network, via adverts placed in local newspapers.
On 3 July 2008, Gulf Air was announced as the official sponsor of upcoming English football club, Queens Park Rangers.

Starting from June the side of the city's taxi cabs, as part a two-year marketing deal. Fifty Hackney Carriages will be rolled out in full Gulf Air livery to promote the airline's flights from London Heathrow to Bahrain and beyond2009, Gulf Air's Golden Falcon logo will be on the streets of London, emblazoned on it.

The Gulf Air Economy Class offers a Personal video screens, 21 audio and video channels, Airshow, Camera Views, personal telephones. Air Entertainment, the exciting personal entertainment network available to all Gulf Air passengers offering more than 100 hours of video and audio options. The very latest blockbusters from various regions are also on offer and include British, French, German, Australian, Hindi, Filipino, Tamil, Malayalam and Arabic films. Air TV provides a wide range of entertainment featuring highlights from major sporting events, episodes from top TV series, the latest comedy and travel programmes, as well as culture, history, Hollywood gossip, programmes from BBC World and much more.

Unlike many other programmes whose miles have a relatively short lifespan, Gulf Air Frequent flyer miles are valid for a whole 10 years. The rewards for flying in the premium classes are outstandingly generous. Take a qualifying flight in Business Class and you'll earn twice the miles you'd earn in Economy Class. And you earn three times the standard mileage when you fly First Class. Tier bonuses for Silver and Gold members are earned at a rate of 25% and 50%. This is on top of the 200% and 300% more miles you earn when you travel in Business and First Class. Once you've reached Silver or Gold status it's easy to maintain it, because the required number of loyalty points is lowered for your second and subsequent years of membership. Gold members, who clock up a total of 10,000 loyalty points within a five year period, are awarded Gold membership for life!
As well as earning miles each time you fly with Gulf Air, you're also credited with loyalty points; the exact number depends on the route and class you fly. As soon as you've earned the number of loyalty points required for Silver or Gold membership within a 12 month period, you're immediately moved up to that level. Your new membership status is then valid for a year.

Silver membership is valid for one year from the date of issue of the member's card. Each Gulf Air flight you take earns loyalty points based on the distance and class flown, and the number you accumulate in any 12 months will determine your level of membership. To qualify initially for Silver membership you need 1,000 loyalty points. However to retain your membership for subsequent years you need only 700. As soon as you have travelled sufficiently to qualify for Silver, you are automatically entitled to the following additional privileges:

Naturally, the most preferential service of all is reserved for the Gold card members. At this level, you'll experience Gulf Air hospitality at its finest - from the moment you book your flight to the very end of your journey. To qualify initially for Gold membership you need 2,500 loyalty points. However to retain your membership for subsequent years you need only 1,750. As soon as you have travelled sufficiently to qualify for Gold, you are automatically entitled to the following exclusive benefits:
Earn a total of 10,000 loyalty points over a five year period and we'll be delighted to award you Gold membership for life. After that, you'll only have to take two flights a year with either Gulf Air or Gulf Traveller in a year to maintain Gold status. A companion who's travelling with you on Gulf Air can join you in the First or Business Class airport lounges, irrespective of your class of travel.
As a Gold member you can call the dedicated Gold desk and receive prompt, personal help with travel bookings, redemptions and any questions you may have about your account.