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Mon 22 Dec: 10 things you need to know

We’ve done all the hard work, so you don’t have to! Read on for the top ten travel industry news stories of the day we think you need to know.

We’ve done all the hard work, so you don’t have to! Read on for the top ten travel industry news stories of the day we think you need to know.

1.  Melbourne gets second daily Etihad flight

Melbourne featured

The world’s leading airline, Etihad will spend more time flying between Australia and the UAE, with plans for a second daily non-stop service between Abu Dhabi and Melbourne.

Commencing 1 August, the additional flight will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, adding 4,500 seats per week on the route. The new double daily service will also increase the airline’s operations between its four Australian gateways to 42 flights.

As well as more seats between the two destinations, travellers will also be able to choose from two departure times, with flights departing Abu Dhabi 10.30 and 22.20 and from Melbourne 15.15 and 22.40.

Read on

 

2. Does this travel company hold the best work Xmas parties ever?

This travel company could quite possibly hold the best work Christmas parties in the history of office parties, with this enormous indoor ‘Slip ‘n Slide’.

A photo of the company’s head office party was posted to Reddit last week and shows the company’s leaders huddling around the edges of the lengthy ride as one of their colleagues (wearing a full suit) slides down the water slide – head first.

Although the employee declined to name the company, KarryOn suspects the ‘Slip ‘n Slide’ was set up at Flight Centre’s head office in Brisbane.

Read On 

 

3. Jetstar employee blasts pax on Twiter

Somebody find the ‘what not to do on social media’ guide and give it to this Jetstar employee please.

It wasn’t the best start to the school holidays for Jetstar and its some 60,000 stranded passengers when a computer glitch caused the airline’s computer network to shut down.

The incident was made somewhat worse when an airline employee took to social media to vent not only about the situation, but the passengers.

The employee called angry passengers ‘a bunch of whingers’ who need to ‘grow up’ and think about other people.

“Obviously don’t travel enough. Happens to everyone and today it’s jetstars day (sic),” she wrote.

“You are all a bunch of whingers!” she continued. “Grow up and think about the people that are working today and have to deal with all you nuts freaking about delays!”

The situation didn’t end there. Passengers started responding to the worker’s post, with one man saying he had travelled enough and system crashes are not ‘a common occerance (sic)’.

Another social media user told the woman her attitude ‘sucks’ and she should focus on doing her job.

Jetstar said the comments do not reflect the airline’s views.

 

4. Agents take on Carnival’s adventure challenge

Carnival agents 1

The war was on between key travel agency partners and the Carnival Cruise Lines’ team last week at the second annual Agent Adrenalin Challenge.

Hosted by the cruise line, the team building event saw everyone divided into five teams (named after Carnival ships of course) for 90 minutes of hardcore adventure.

Carnival Agents 3

The group mastered the 320-metre course, which included surfing the fast-moving water.

The final challenge was a race won by Team Punchliner, led by Carnival Cruise Lines sales director, Anton Loeb.

Carnival agents 2

An array of prizes were up for grabs during the challenge, including cabins on Carnival Spirit and Carnival Legend and a GoPro camera for skills – or  lack thereof – on the day.

 

5. A new airline launches for the new year

Vistara

A new airline will launch in India early next year to meet anticipated demand for travel around the destination.

A joint venture by Singapore Airlines and India-based Tata Sons, Vistara is expected to take off from 9 January.

Bookings on the full-service airline have officially opened for flights from Delhi to Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Vistara will initially fly with a 148-seater Airbus A320-200. The aircraft has 16 seats in business class, 36 in premium economy and 96 in economy.

The announcement comes less than a month after India’s tourism leaders unveiled a new e-visa system designed to boost last minute travel to the country.

Applicable in 43 countries including Australia, the e-visa allows travellers to apply for a 30-day single entry visa online and receive approval within 48 hours.

Click here for more information.

 

6. Hospitality gets a ‘smart’ makeover

Travelodge

A new look is coming to Australia’s, Travelodge Hotels, with a company-wide ‘refresher’ program rolling out in the coming year.

The mass makeover, which started earlier this month, will continue to roll-out in 2015. It includes redesigning the group’s properties around the country to offer a new generation of hotels for the ‘smart traveller’.

So far, Travelodge Sydney, Travelodge Southbank and Travelodge Blacktown have completed the makeover. The second phase includes major changes at Travelodge Newcastle, Travelodge Philip Street, Travelodge Macquarie Park, Travelodge Wynyard and Travelodge Perth.

As part of the makeover, hotels will receive enhanced guest room design and amenity, lobbies and cafes, wifi and breakfast offerings.

In addition to the refresh program, construction is planned to commence on an additional 54 rooms at Travelodge Bankstown including the upgrade of the existing hotel rooms and lobby.
A new 209 room Travelodge Mascot is also under construction and due to open in late 2015. It will have 800 car spaces and be conveniently located just 500-metres from the domestic airport.

 

7. KarryOn Deals of the week

Deals of the week for story

Get some inspiration for your next holiday or your client’s next trip, with some of the best travel deals of the week.

This week we have savings on accommodation in Fiji and Port Douglas, a fly free earlybird saving and 25 percent off a cruise in Greece.

Read On

 

8. Santa welcomes the Jewel

PacificJewel santa for website

Image: James Morgan

It was a festive welcome into Sydney for passengers aboard Pacific Jewel last week.

Santa was spotted paddleboarding on the harbour with his bag of goodies. The ‘big man’ looked quite tiny alongside the vessel, which along with its two sister vessels – Pacific Dawn and Pacific Pearl – will carry around 6,000 Australians during Christmas.

From carol singing and Christmas games to traditional roast turkey lunches and gifts from Santa, it will be a cruisey Christmas for guests, with no need to cook or wash up after the Christmas Day feast.

 

9. Carnival staff lend a holiday hand

Carnival Charity Christmas 3

Some of Carnival Australia’s staff swapped their desks for kitchen benches to lend a hand at charity organisation ‘Our Big Kitchen’.

The group, made up of nearly 50 staff members, prepared meals for delivery to Bear Cottage, NSW’s only hospice for children.

Carnival Australia’s executive assistant Amanda Hall said they all found the experience inspiring and humbling.

“We spent the morning chopping vegetables and preparing dessert. After lunch we helped the kitchen team package the food that would be distributed to those in need.”

Caroline Handisides, Carnival Australia senior manager commercial analysis and international

 

10. Pax cry like a baby over flying infant

Image: Steve Herman/Twitter

Image: Steve Herman/Twitter

Three ladies on a recent Air China flight started brawling (verbally and physically) over the cries of an innocent baby.

The full-scale fight took place mid-air between the mother of the crying baby (Chan Juan Sung) and two other women who reportedly would not stop complaining about the infant.

According to Mashable, this is how the argument went down.

The pair – seated in front of the parent – first complained to the mother about the noise.

She reacted to the complaints by shouting, which then led to the angry passengers reclining their chairs as far as back as they would go.

Frustrated with their behaviour, Chan then allegedly leaned over the seats and began hitting the women.

Flight attendants attempted to settle the dispute but the fight was apparently so bad that the pilot threatened to turn the flight back around and make an emergency landing.

However, the plane continued on its journey and arrived at its end location on time.

Authorities are said to have been waiting for the threesome at the gates, but there have been no reports of any arrests.

What’s your reaction to today’s news? Share your comments below and start the conversation.