We’ve done all the hard work, so you don’t have to! Read on for the top ten travel news stories we think you need to know today.
1. The Captain does Movember
The moustache is back for Movember, and the Captain is getting in on the action.
In an effort to raise money and support for Movember, the one and only Flight Centre Captain is ditching the clean-shaven look and growing a wicked moustache for the entire month of November.
It’s unclear at this stage what type of lip rug the Captain will sport: will it be The Trucker? The Connoisseur? Or perhaps The Rockstar? We’re not sure, but whatever style he chooses, no doubt he’ll look particularly dashing with his trademark pilot’s cap!
2. Bali’s airport closes, more flights cancelled
Indonesian authorities have closed Bali and Lombok airports again this morning as volcanic ash from Mount Rinjani continues to disrupt flights.
The volcanic ash is sitting about one kilometre high and blowing north-west from Lombok to Bali.
According to the Ash Advisory Centre, the ash is too thick for aircraft to fly through safely. They’ve advised carriers to suspend flights until condition clear.
3. Topdeck travels to a new continent – Asia
Youth tour operator, Topdeck, is giving Contiki and G Adventures a little extra competition in Asia by launching its first tours to the continent.
Announced this week, Asia adds to the company’s existing operations in Europe, Oceania, North America, Middle East and Africa.
According to Global Brand Director, Sarah Clark, the expansion into the region was part of a bigger growth plan to meet demand from the 18 to 30-year-old travel market.
4. Flights resume in San Diego after local shooting
Travellers flying to or from San Diego today are being warned of delays after a local shooting halted services.
All flights were stopped earlier this morning while local police attempted to disarm a man who had opened fire at a San Diego apartment complex overnight.
Planes flying to or from San Diego International Airport are required to fly over the the Bankers Hill apartment complex. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, this put them at risk of being hit by potential gunfire.
5. Airlines suspended from flying over Sinai Peninsula
Some airlines have been suspended from flying to, from or over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt as investigators assess claims that terrorists were responsible for the recent Russian plane crash.
The A321 was 30 minutes into a flight from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in south Sinai to Saint Petersburg earlier this week when it came down.
Investigators are currently assessing the cause of the crash, however, US officials have suggested that a bomb was planted on the plane by Islamic State (ISIS) or ISIS affiliates, The Guardian reported.
6. italktravel has some BIG news
2015 has been a BIG year for the guys over at italktravel and they have no intention of slowing down over the next few months.
In addition to being a finalist in this year’s NTIA Awards, the group has expanded its presence across the country with a handful of new stores – bringing the total number of agencies over 100.
This month, the number of new stores increased again when the the group opened three new retail agencies – italktravel Oakleigh (VIC), italktravel Horsham (VIC) and italktravel Flinders Park.
7. WIN a dream holiday
STA Travel Australia has teamed up with charitable organisation, Soles4Souls Australia, to raise awareness of the struggles facing disadvantaged men, women and children and giveaway a dream holiday.
Throughout November, STA Travel will be asking Aussies to visit a selected STA store and donate a pair of lightly worn shoes to Soles4Souls Australia. While in-store donating their shoes, in November, shoppers will be invited to take part in the #mynextstep campaign.
The campaign is aimed at encouraging people to embrace the unknown, step out of their comfort zone and make a difference, both in their life and in the lives of others. How? By taking a snap of their shoes, a ‘shoefie’ and tagging #mynextstep plus the dream adventure location they’d like their next step to be.
The prize on offer for the most creative entry is a return trip anywhere in the world, plus a G Adventures tour and $2,000 spending money.
“This is an exciting campaign and we’re thrilled to be working with G Adventures to promote travel to iconic destinations and offer one lucky person the chance to experience their dream holiday – including flights, a G Adventure and $2000 spending money – through our ‘Shoefie’ competition.”
Tara Sena-Becker, STA Travel Head of Marketing
To enter the competition on social media, simply upload a ‘Shoefie’ (that’s a shoe selfie) via Instagram, hashtag #mynextstep and mention which dream destination you would like your ‘next step’ to be, plus remember to @statravel.
The ‘Shoefie’ competition will run from 2 November to 30 November, with a final grand prize-winner announced in early December.
8. Finding good coffee overseas now made easy
A new app has launched in the market to help Aussie globetrotters find great coffee overseas.
The research, review and inspire app, Townske, is the digital version of a travel magazine with professional content as well as user reviews.
The social platform allows users to research and discover venues from city guides with vibrant and beautiful photos created by other users; and create city guides to share recommendations eg. Best cafes in NYC or Favourite rock climbing spots in Bali.
They can also follow users with similar taste to see what they are liking and who they are following.
So far there are over 3,000 city guides from all over the world, representing 300 cities. The guides cover a wide range of interests and niches, including where to get great coffee.
Click here to download the app.
9. Orient Thai Airlines focuses on agents
In a bid to sell more product through agents, Orient Thai Airlines (Orient Thai) has selected Amadeus as its first global distribution system (GDS) partner.
With Amadeus, Orient Thai will now distribute its fares, schedules and availability through the widest network of global travel agents.
The airline expects to increase its fleet size to 60 within five years, and plans to transport five million passengers in the next three years. New routes will soon be added between Bangkok and Singapore, Taipei, Japan, South Korea, Macau, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Currently, the carrier operates routes between Bangkok and Nanjing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi’an, Nanning, Changsha, Nanchang and Hong Kong, and between Phuket and Nanning, Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi’an.
10. Sydney to London in four hours
Long-haul flights are set to become a thing of the past, thanks to a massive A$130 million investment into a next generation jet propulsion engine by the UK government.
The new technology, which will effectively double the technical limits of a jet engine and allow aircraft to reach speeds up to five times the speed of sound before finally reaching orbit, will make it possible to travel from Sydney to London – or just about anywhere on the planet – in four hours or less.
But don’t get too excited just yet. The Skylon super-plane, made by Oxfordshire-based company Reaction Engine, won’t be whisking passengers around the world for at least a decade, with a full ground-based engine test planned not until 2020.
