We’ve done all the hard work, so you don’t have to! Read on for the top ten travel stories you need to know today.
1. Doors swing open to Virgin’s female-friendly hotel
Sir Richard Branson has officially expanded the Virgin empire, with the opening of the first Virgin Hotels in Chicago.
Located in the heart of Chicago’s Loop district in the historic Old Dearborn Bank Building, the 26-story building offers 250 guests rooms including 40 one-bedroom suites and two Penthouse suites.
And while the Virgin touch is enough to set this hotel apart from others, Branson said the property was designed with women in mind and aims at courting female business travellers.
2. Airlines seek fee increase for babies on planes
Image: Andrey_Kuzmin/Shutterstock
They may not get their own seat or even eat the airline’s food, but Brazilian airlines are reportedly looking to charge parents a little extra for bringing their babies on board.
Currently, most airlines don’t impose full fares on fliers under two who sit on their parent’s lap. Instead there’s a cap on the smallest passengers [and sometimes the loudest] onboard of 10 percent of the full adult fare.
However, Brazilian airlines are hoping to shake things up by removing the cap and charging a little extra. It has been been dubbed ‘the baby tax’.
3. Explore marketing and cruising at TC info sessions
Travel Counsellors’ agents are invited to attend a free intensive training session designed to boost skills, knowledge and confidence.
The roadshow will take place from March to November in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
Agents that attend will learn business skills such as customer service, marketing and time management. There will also be sessions focusing on upcoming sectors of travel including cruising and river cruising,
“We are constantly working on the tools, support and technology we offer, and will also use the roadshows as a platform to showcase the developments within the business, and how these will benefit our Travel Counsellors and their businesses.”
Tracy Parkinson, Travel Counsellors general manager Australia
4. INCENTIVE: WRD out to please agents and their clients
World Resort of Distinction (WRD) has simplified its Diamond League travel agent communications and client rewards process with the new ‘One Click Rewards’ system.
Launched this week, the process has been cut down so agents that report a booking of a WRD hotel simply click, report and receive their reward.
Travel agents that register for the Diamond League receive a small gift for each WRD resort booking made and reported.
But it’s not just the agents that are rewarded. Clients that book a WRD resort through a Diamond League agent will receive a chilled bottle of bubbly in their room upon arrival at the property; a personal note from their agent; and VIP status in the resort.
Plus, if they’ve booked the Diamond League resort of the month, clients will also receive a bonus amenity during their stay.
The current Diamond League resort of the month – The Vijitt Resort Phuket – is offering a complimentary Thai Set-Dinner for two.
Travel agents looking to join Diamond League email admin@wrd.com.au
5. MICE’s A LIST return to AIME
Attendees at this year’s AIME (Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo) will have access to new event suppliers and venues in the A LIST Open House zone, which returns to the two-day show for the third year in a row.
The A LIST Guide is Australia’s premier, one-stop event guide which lists the best venues, event suppliers and team-building activities available across Australia. Considered an industry staple, the Guide saves valuable organising time by having the most established and respected businesses in the industry in one easy-to-use index.
A LIST Open House at AIME 2015 will be a dedicated area where attendees can meet and network directly with new event suppliers and venues of all sizes to gain inspiration for their own events.
Exhibitors at this year’s open house include Ed Dixon Food Design, Melbourne Events Group, AV1, Darwin Turf Club, iBranded, Merlin Events, EventPro Software, Red Rock Venues & Events, Backdrops Fantastic and One Event.
AIME and CIBTM exhibition director Jacqui Timmins said the A LIST Open House provides a great opportunity for visitors to experience the diversity available within Australia’s events industry first-hand.
She said over the last two years the open house has drawn a ‘huge’ crowd keen to experience some of the industry’s best suppliers.
6. KL aims to be top Asian destination
Image: Volga/Shutterstock
Kuala Lumpur’s tourism leaders have plans to turn the city into one of Asia’s top tourism destinations, with a new decade-long plan focusing on marketing the country’s attractions.
The city’s 10-year Tourism Master Plan highlights 47 initiatives across 10 tourism segments that the government plans to focus on to place Malaysia’s capital as a one-stop tourism generator in Asia.
The tourism segments include local culture and heritage plus improving entertainment, nature, luxury travel as well a promoting sports and medical tourism.
With the implementation of the plan, the local government is expecting foreign tourist arrivals to increase to 16 million by 2025.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines this week kicked off its own campaign promoting the city’s culture, in a five-part food series hosted by Australian MasterChef contestant Poh Ling Yeow.
7. Fun travel news Friday
End your work week on a high with some of this week’s funniest, oddest and down right bizarrest travel stories.
Today we hear about Donald Trump suing an airport, a traveller kicked off a flight for a stealing a megaphone and some of the oddest training requirements for flight staff.
8. Princess team goes Emerald
The Princess’ dream team became the green team as the cruise line’s call centre celebrated the announcement of Emerald Princess’ deployment to Australia.
Dressed in their finest emerald colours and surrounded by matching balloons, the team marked the occasion by enjoying some vibrant green slurpies, lollies and cupcakes.
The magnificent 3,082-guest Emerald Princess will join Princess’ local fleet from November 2016 to April 2017 for its first ever season of cruising Down Under, taking the cruise line’s Australasian capacity to a record 11,800 berths across five ships during the season.
9. Elusive chanteuse to pop-up Las Vegas tourism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YXGwI_gnUE
Get ready! Because one of the world’s best singing voices is joining the likes of Britney Spears, Celine Dion and CeeLo Green as the latest celebrity to reside in Las Vegas.
That’s right Mariah Carey’s [or as I like to call her Mimi] residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace begins in May, the singer announced on The Ellen DeGeneres show yesterday.
“It’s a new chapter for me and I’m just excited about it.”
Mariah Carey
She said she will perform past hits from her ‘#1’s’ compilation album as well as some of her newer tracks.
For your clients keen to see the ‘It’s Like That’ singer on stage in Las Vegas, tickets are on sale now.
Her residency officially starts on 6 May with shows on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday. She will return on 8 July and wrap up on 26 July.
Anyone else already planning their Las Vegas getaway around her performance dates?
10. Lucky cabbie receives $1,200 tip
Entering the taxi industry never looked so appealing.
A Philadelphia taxi driver had the best night shift of his life last year when an anonymous passenger left a tip of nearly US$1,000 or AU$1,2000.
Oumar Maiga’s bosses waited to confirm the generous gratuity until Wednesday this week, because they had to make sure the credit card cleared and it wasn’t an error, News.com.au reported.
His bosses told Philly.com the tip was left after a 1.6 kilometre ride from the city’s Old City district to Columbus Boulevard.
When asked if he’d done anything out of the ordinary to impress the anonymous passenger, bosses said they merely chatted briefly.
Mr Maiga told the passenger his shift was a little busier than usual, to which the passenger said he’d make it a better night and punched in the tip.
The cabbie asked if he’d made an error and the passenger said: “I know what I did”.
#Incredible
What’s your reaction to today’s news? Share your comments below and start the conversation.