Yes it’s true. 2014 is coming to end. But before we KarryOn into 2015 we thought we’d take a moment to look back on what turned out to be quite an eventual year in travel.
Over the last 12 months we’ve seen major changes in the way Australian agents operate, particularly with the removal of the Travel Compensation Fund and the launch of ATAS. The new accredited scheme was designed to accommodate the industry in the new digital era and has since seen some 2,400 travel agent locations sign up to become accredited.
Helloworld continued its transformation into the new brand, which according to the company’s head has increased the group’s presence amongst Australian travellers.
Home-based agency group, TravelManagers also adopted new branding. This year the group replaced its old logo with a new four-colour leaf clover and the tagline ‘As individual as you are’.
In cruising, Royal Caribbean raised the bar in onboard entertainment with bionic bar tenders and dancing robots aboard its newest ship, Quantum of the Seas. And the Costa Concordia saga finally came to an end more than two years after it crashed.
Locally, Australians set a new record in cruising, with a 20.1 percent increase in travellers heading out to sea and don’t forget Carnival’s sent a second ship Down Under, with Carnival Legend now calling Australia home.
Aviation also broke a record in 2014, with some three billion passengers travelling via a plane and Air New Zealand became the first airline to welcome the new revolutionary Dreamliner 787-9.
Meanwhile, American Airlines revealed it will spend nearly $2 billion on new aircraft and inflight wifi as Qantas said its business is profitable again, making nearly $350 million.
But where there has been good in 2014, there’s also been the not-so-good.
The world stood still not once, but twice, when two Malaysia Airlines flights went down.
The still missing MH370 mysteriously disappeared in March while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. No more than four months after that, MH17 and its 298 passengers were shot down while flying over Ukraine air space.
Investigations into both incidents continue.
Take a look at the list below for other top stories that made headlines (thanks to you and your clicks) in 2014.
10. Do you give a sh*t? Today is ‘World Toilet Day’
It is World Toilet Day, a UN initiative to raise awareness about the number of people around the world without access to toilets.
So we bring you five weird toilets from around the world.
9. We liked these six hipster hoods before they were cool
They seem to be growing in numbers faster than the emails in everyone’s junk folder. Hipsters are taking over the world one neighbourhood at a time, here are six of the most hipster hoods from around the world.
8. Is this the best sleep you’ll ever get on a plane?
This jet’s retired to a pimped out pop-up hotel complete with private cinema, two kitchens and a whopping eight bathrooms.
7. Three dead in cruise ship fire
Three people have been reported dead after a fire broke out in the engine room of an Oceania Cruises ship.
6. Seven wildest beach parties globally
Ain’t no party like a #flightcentre pool party! Photo credit: Libby Harvey
Bring back some memories, or perhaps lack thereof, of the booziest romps from around the globe.
5. Six of the best beaches in Australia
To kick it off and make your Monday better, we’ve decided to list our top picks for the best beaches in Australia.
4. What the ‘Golden Age of Flying’ was really like
Early air travel (1950s – 60s) is often romanticized as the “Golden Age of Travel”, but what was it really like to fly back in those days?
3. Sydney responds to terror with love #illridewithyou
Image: Leah-Anne Thompson/Shutterstock
A simple act of kindness becomes a blueprint for how we respond to terrorism. In the face of adversity, Sydney responds with love and the world follows.
2. Sisters are doin’ it for Flight Centre
You can’t hold these ladies down! Flight Centre has restructured its wholesale division including management and placed a quarter of female talent at the top.
1. Eight worst souvenirs from around the world
Ever got a crappy souvenir? I hope they weren’t as bad as these. Some of these are literally sh*tty. Warning: some images may be offensive… to good taste