Skill up on all you need to know with bite sized travel news to help you be your best today and tomorrow.
1. Search continues for EgyptAir MS804’s black box
First images of EgyptAir debris released by Egypt Army on Facebook.
Egyptian authorities have deployed a submarine to search for the missing black box on EgyptAir’s downed A320 aircraft.
The extensive underwater search comes four days after Flight MS804 fell off the radar en route from Paris to Cairo, taking with it 66 people including 56 passengers and 10 crew.
Over the weekend, search parties confirmed the aircraft had crashed into the Mediterranean Sea when it located plane debris including seats, luggage and bodies around 290km north of Alexandria.
2. Travel Counsellors channel Versace to go from ‘good to great’
Travel Counsellor’s Australia two day ‘Good to great’ Conference held at luxurious Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast on the weekend has been hailed a resounding success.
This year’s conference was the UK owned and home based Travel Group’s biggest ever with 200 Travel Counsellor’s, staff and suppliers from all over Australia and Head Office in the UK in attendance.
And KarryOn was there exclusively as the only Travel Media to report on all the action.
3. Is this the most exclusive club in travel?
Those airline Business Class lounges are special aren’t they? They’re quiet, spacious, they’ve got USB and electrical ports, cocktails and sometimes there’s even a massage waiting for you.
They’re the ideal way to patiently wait for your flight to board and also, it’s nice knowing you’re part of something exclusive that only those with the cash or the regular flying credit can access.
Yeah, it’s a good feeling until you find out there’s an even more exclusive zone reserved for the likes of celebrities and politicians.
4. DEAL ALERT: Free Jet Boating experience with Topdeck Ski NZ bookings
Set up camp for a week in energetic Queenstown – slung between Lake Wakatipu and the dramatic Southern Alps. Skiing, snowboarding and tubing await – for the skied-out, horseriding and winery tours.
Try to smash out as many of the 220 purely adrenaline-building activities as you can squeeze into a week. Phew. Throw a Fergburger in there for good measure and you’ve got the MOST epic NZ trip. Every booking made gets a free Jet Boating experience plus exclusive discounts on adventure sports.
Click here to find out more and for terms and conditions.
5. Bicton Travel owner named Godmother of APT’s new ship
Bicton Travel’s Carole Smethurst will join the likes of Mariah Carey, Pitbull, Princess Mary and Jessica Mauboy as the godmother of a ship.
The Perth-based agent will step into the glamorous role on 14 June in Vilshofen, Germany when she blesses and breaks a bottle of Champagne over APT’s newest vessel MS AmaStella.
Although godparent duties are often reserved for celebrities and royalty (people who will gain a fair bit of attention) in a few special cases, cruise lines will opt to express their gratitude by selecting an industry professional.
6. Mutants fly with Aussies to Kuala Lumpur
AirAsia X added a bit of ‘Havoc’ to one of its Perth-Kuala Lumpur flights over the weekend, by delivering a special X-Men: Apocalypse-themed journey featuring characters from the recently released blockbuster along with a specially painted aircraft.
Working in conjunction with Twentieth Century Fox, the Airbus A330 donned X-Men: Apocalypse aircraft livery along with cabin interior decorated in the same theme.
Guests were given special treats with ‘X’ decorated icing and cabin crew dressed as mutants including Cyclops, Phoenix and Jubilee.
7. AccorHotels hosts industry at its inaugural Adelaide showcase
AccorHotels welcomed Adelaide’s business and travel industry professionals to an intimate showcase earlier this month at Mercure Grosvenor Hotel Adelaide.
Over 140 guests attended the event, ranging from corporate travel bookers, meeting planners, conference organisers, corporate travel agencies, wholesale and inbound travel agents as well as government and sporting organisations within the region.
This inaugural event gave attendees the opportunity to discover the diverse range of accommodation, dining and event spaces AccorHotels has to offer across South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Over 20 hotels varying from luxury to economy brands, participated in the showcase, with the line-up including Sofitel Melbourne On Collins, Mount Lofty House – MGallery by Sofitel, Pullman Melbourne Albert Park, Novotel Barossa Valley Resort, Mercure Geelong and ibis Adelaide.
8. Tourist destroys 126-year-old statue
A young man has knocked over a priceless 126-year statue of one of Portugal’s revered kings and smashed it to pieces in an apparent selfie gone wrong incident.
We already know that selfie deaths far outnumber shark attack deaths around the world (12 versus 8 during 2015), but a recent incident in Portugal highlights the potentially devastating effects the humble selfie can have on our cultural heritage.
The Dom Sebastiao statue at Rossio station in Lisbon is now a collection of broken stones thanks to the actions of a 24-year-old tourist who climbed up next to the statue to post for the perfect selfie, but accidentally knocked the free-standing sculpture off its pedestal.
9. P&O Pacific Partnership surpasses $1 million in funding
P&O Cruises has raised its first one million in total funding for its Pacific Partnership program, which is used to support island communities in the South Pacific.
Working with Save the Children Australia, over the last four years, the Partnership has contributed to the construction of two kindergartens on Pentecost Island and Santo East in Vanuatu; health posts on Pentecost Island and on Aneityum; as well as assisted in relief efforts in Fiji following Cyclone Winston.
Funds were raised through a combination of passenger contributions and cruise line contributions.
