Skill up on all you need to know with bite sized travel news designed specifically to help you, the Travel Agent, be your best today and tomorrow.
1. You won’t ever complain about airport queues again after seeing this
We’ve all suffered through some seriously long airport queues, but this may very well take the cake for being the ‘world’s longest check-in’ line’.
We can almost feel the frustration of travellers booked to fly with Virgin Australia, who rocked up to Sydney Airport to find the check-in queue was out the door – literally.
Passengers on Twitter say they were waiting for up 40 minutes in a line that started at the Virgin Australia check-in counter and snaked its way outside the terminal.
2. The first incentive for 2017 is here & it comes with a free trip
2016 saw Travel Agents fight it out for a share of $1 million, receive cash on Etihad bookings, plus there were dozens of trips to destinations such as Italy, Sri Lanka and the USA up for grabs.
It was without a doubt an epic year for incentives, but could 2017 rival last year’s epic giveaways?
The answer may very well be yes, because the first major incentive for 2017 is here and it’s pretty damn incredible.
3. Sydney, Melbourne & now Auckland for Hainan Airlines
Chinese carrier, Hainan Airlines has added a third Oceania city to its network with the recent launch of flights to Auckland.
The non-stop service from Shenzhen touched down late last year, making it the airline’s first direct service to New Zealand and its third in Oceania after Sydney and Melbourne.
In addition to giving holidaymakers more choice for travel between China and New Zealand, Hainan Airlines believes new flights will contribute significantly to cultural cooperation between destinations.
4. Man in serious condition after incident at Perth Airport
An employee of Skippers Aviation is believed to be suffering from multiple injuries after being struck by a fuel truck at Perth Airport.
The accident is said to have occurred early yesterday morning when he was hit by a BP vehicle. The man was immediately taken to Perth Royal Hospital where he is being treated for serious injuries, AAP reported.
Minor delays were experienced by Skippers Aviation’s fly-in-fly-out workers, however, commercial passenger services were not affected at Perth Airport.
5. TravelManagers celebrate Qantas Holidays’ Awards in Hawaii
Four TravelManagers’ personal travel managers were recently awarded Global Achievers Gold status for 2016. Qantas Holidays & Viva Holidays celebrated this significant achievement by treating winners to an action packed three-day celebratory weekend in Hawaii.
Three of this years’ recipients being Kerrin Poupos representative for Warragul, Robbie Barrett representative for Dubbo and Deahann Urqueza, representative for The Ponds also achieved Global Achievers Gold status for 2015. Personal travel manager Melanie Whyte representative for Devonport in Tasmania achieved Global Achievers Gold status for the first time this year, however was unable to attend the event. TravelManagers’ Commercial & Finance Manager Tanyu Cilek also attended the celebrations.
“The weekend started with a bang, literally! We were welcomed to Waikiki with a fireworks display over the beach and we were incredibly spoilt the entire weekend. The horse riding through the forest and surf and paddleboard lessons were so much fun. And the gala dinner and awards ceremony was truly a highlight,” says Poupos.
6. Save on G trips over $1,000
G Adventures is giving Aussies the chance to live it up in the New Year, with deals on all trips valued over $1,000.
The January sale offers $150 off all 2017 trips valued at $1,000 or more booked by 31 January and departing before 31 July 2017.
G Adventures is encouraging travellers and Agents to book early on the trips (with the promo code 17GA150ADV01AUD), to secure their preferred itinerary and departure date, as the January Sale often sees many trips sell out.
7. Luxury vessel sails into Sydney for the New Year
What a spectacular sight! The gorgeous, ultra-luxurious Crystal Symphony graced Sydney Harbour over the holidays with a visit on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The vessel arrived with some 922 guests onboard, who had a front-row seat of the Sydney Fireworks display.
Following New Year’s celebrations, the ship continued on its journey to Melbourne, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga and Wellington.
Click here for more images.
