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. Australia & the UAE get cosy
Australia and the UAE have signed a new agreement that will significantly boost tourism both ways and possibly even reduce ticket prices.
The two are set to become even chummier pals, thanks to a new deal that was announced over the weekend that will allow Emirates in Dubai and Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi to operate an extra 14 flights a week from the UAE to Australian cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
The additional service will bring the total number of flights between the two countries to 161.
2. Travellers Choice agents have the best time ever
Travellers Choice held their biggest ever Annual Shareholders Conference at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne over the weekend with a record 300 delegates and suppliers in attendance.
Members favourite Master of Ceremonies – Andrew Daddo (now in his 3rd year of being emcee at the event) and CEO Christian Hunter kicked off the proceedings on Friday night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a welcome reception and the chance for everyone to catch up in one of Melbourne’s most iconic venues.
Hunter then formally opened the conference on Saturday morning with a very slick and passionate keynote address to delegates.
3. Tourists perish in NZ helicopter crash
A helicopter carrying two Aussies, four Brits and a Kiwi pilot crashed on the Fox Glacier during a scenic flight on Saturday, killing all on board.
According to officials in the area, conditions were poor at the time of the crash, with heavy rain and poor visibility.
The pilot reportedly did not make a may day call before crashing.
4. Go inside Qantas’ big birthday bash
First it was Barbie and Ken, then it was a second retro aircraft and now A-list celebrities – Qantas gives the term ‘gone all out’ new meaning with its 95th birthday celebrations.
Celebrations for the big anniversary commenced earlier this year with Qantas rolling out new and fun initiatives to commemorate the milestone.
Among the initiatives was travelling Barbie, which put a smile on some travellers’ faces, while the second Retro Roo aircraft excited others.
5. Nick Kyrgios shows you his Kuala Lumpur
Aussie tennis sensation Nick Kyrgios has teamed up with Malaysia Airlines and Tourism Malaysia with new travel series, giving viewers a rare glimpse into how the man spends his time in KL.
A new two-part video series entitled ‘Game, Set, KL‘ has just been released that features the 30th world ranked tennis player and Australian personality Nick Kyrgios.
6. Qantas rewards frequent flyers for staying active
Qantas continues to expand its suite of businesses with the announcement of a new health insurance program called Qantas Assure.
Teaming up with nib to launch the new program in the first half of 2016, it will be available to up to 11 million Qantas Frequent Flyer members and according to the carrier, will reward people with Qantas Points for being active.
Under the agreement, nib will provide its health insurance, risk assessment and underwriting capability while Qantas Loyalty provides its marketing, data and customer retention expertise. The result will be a range of Qantas Assure-branded health insurance products and the ability to earn Qantas Points through the Frequent Flyer program.
7. Sydney gets a new Crowne
Clients who prefer to book and stay with the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will have another option in Sydney when the 160-room Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour hotel opens in the CBD.
Announced last week, the property is a joint venture between IHG and Ausbao Pty Ltd to offer travellers a Crowne Property within close proximity to the new Sydney International Convention Centre and key business and leisure redevelopments in the Darling Quarter and the Barangaroo south precinct.
Scheduled to open in 2019, the new hotel will feature a range of business and meetings facilities including five meeting rooms and a 24-hour business centre.
Guests can enjoy food and beverage at the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant and unwind at the bar. To keep energised during their stay the fully equipped fitness centre and outdoor pool provide the ideal places to relax.
IHG currently has 25 hotels open across three brands in Australia including: InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza® and Holiday Inn® with a further six properties due to open in the next three to five years.
8. Grass fire disrupts Sea World operations
The emergency services have now reopened access to Sea World and Sea World Resort.Sea World will re-open at 2pm with a…
Posted by Sea World – Gold Coast, Australia on Friday, November 20, 2015
Sea World reopened its doors on Saturday afternoon after a fire caused the evacuation of the entire park and resort.
Emergency services were called to neutralise the large vegetation fire which blew smoke across the recreational area.
As a precaution, firefighters cleared out the park for a couple of hours, but reopened its doors at around 2.00pm on Saturday.
Sea World took to Facebook to ensure all guests and animals were safe.
9. INCENTIVE: Win a bottle of Moet & Chandon
Agents are being reminded that Railbookers Australia is still offering a bottle of Moet & Chandon to each consultant for all new confirmed bookings of $6,000 or more.
The offer is available until 31 December 2015.
Partnership and Distribution Manager, Lisa Pagotto, said the bottle will make a ‘great little addition’ to those upcoming Christmas parties.
10. Bali ‘peace of mind’ for agents
TravelCube says it’s giving agents ‘peace of mind’ by offering refunds on any future Bali bookings that are cancelled or in need to amendments due to the closure of Denpasar Airport or if any clients wishes to cancel due to ash cloud activity in the region.
Vice President of Sales for Pacific, John Stucci, said the company is focused on making life as ‘easy as possible for agents’ by offering them and their clients a money guarantee.
“Having this guarantee in place quite simply means they can be confident when booking Bali and Lombok, and in turn can offer their clients peace of mind knowing their land arrangements are fully refundable in the event of further ash cloud activity.”
John Stucci, TravelCube Vice President of Sales for Pacific
Last minute amendment charges will also be waived.
P.S: Travelport reaches milestone with Air NZ
Air New Zealand has become the 100th airline to launch Travelport’s distribution, technology and payment solution, Rich Content and Branding.
Travelport Rich Content and Branding enables airlines to market and retail their products more effectively, fully displaying all of their fares, ancillaries and brand proposition to travel agencies. It includes rich product descriptions and graphics, optional or ancillary products for sale, including fares families, as well as “the next product/price point up” offers to encourage more upselling.
Through the solution, Air New Zealand can showcase its customer products such as the Economy Skycouch and Premium Economy and Lie-Flat Business Class seats.
P.P.S: SQ flight lands safely after bomb threat
A Singapore Airlines aircraft has safely landed at Changi Airport after receiving a bomb threat.
According to The Australia, Flight SQ001 was travelling from San Francisco to Singapore when the threat was made.
The carrier didn’t reveal how the threat was made or what action was taken to ensure the flight’s safety.
“We regret we are unable to provide details as it concerns security.”
Singapore Airlines
The incident follows a recent Russian aircraft crash and Paris terrorist attacks.
