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. Superman & Deadpool join Flight Centre’s slip n’ slide
Who would have thought Flight Centre could find new ways to make its epic Christmas party slip n slide more fun, unique and just plain awesome?
We didn’t, but the company managed to top last year’s slide using a combination of pink flamingos, red sunnies, sweat bands Speedos and a Deadpool (the Marvel superhero).
It’s been dubbed Flight Centre’s best ever slip n slide (by us) because not only did it feature its usual bubbles, cheers and laughter, this year the Christmas ride came with increased employee involvement and nearly naked workers.
2. An ‘Uber’ new competitor for the industry
Retail consultants, online agents, booking websites and even pick-up companies have a new competitor and apparently it’s coming from the ride-sharing app, Uber.
Over the Christmas holidays while most people were off spending quality time with their family and friends, the company reportedly filed for and received approval to launch an online travel portal called ‘Uber Travel’.
According to the license filed, Uber Travel will operate much like current online booking sites but with a focus on its pick up system.
3. Two Australian tourists dead in Asia
Two Australian tourists have reportedly died a day apart from each other while on holidays in Asia.
The first was a Melbourne woman who died on New Year’s Day after snorkelling off an island southeast of Bali.
According to reports, Maureen Eddison – a nurse from St Kilda in Melbourne, had been swimming for around 45 minutes at Nusa Lembongan when she headed back to the boat with complaints of feeling ill.
Indonesian police said while the 55-year-old was on the boat she asked family to take her to a hospital. She was declared dead upon arrival at the health centre.
“The family had [to] give artificial breathing as her face turning pale, and vomiting.”
Klungkung Waters Police Chief, Putu Ardana
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) also confirmed over the weekend that an Australian man had died in Thailand while swimming off a beach on the island of Koh Samui.
Details of the incident, including his name, remain undisclosed as authorities notify the man’s family.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade can confirm that it has received official notification from Thai authorities of the death of an Australian man in Koh Samui.”
DFAT told AAP
4. Australia is getting its first-ever newbuild cruise ship
No more hand-me-downs for Aussie cruisers, we’re finally get our first ever completely newbuild ship and its all thanks to our growing interest in the sector.
Carnival Corporation kicked off 2016 with the announcement that its ever-growing P&O Cruises Australia brand would be the recipient of one of four brand new vessels.
While the cruise line was lucky enough to welcome two new ships to its fleet last year (Pacific Eden and Pacific Aria), both were previously part of the Holland America line, making them second-hand for the Australian market.
5. Melbourne’s expecting a big year in tourism
2016 is the year of Bleisure, more cruise ships and Melbourne, according a new TripAdvisor study.
The annual global trends study found the Melbourne hotel industry will experience its busiest year as more people choose the destination for its culture and events.
Some hotels are already confirming this to be the case, including the Hotel Windsor, which said it is expecting a record-breaking year for occupancy.
“We’ve experienced exceptionally high occupancy rates of more than 88 percent in Melbourne over the last three years, which is incredibly high however not unusual in Melbourne making it one of the busiest cities in the world.”
David Perry, The Hotel Windsor CEO
“With high occupancy in the five-star hotel market it shows that even with Airbnb active, the market has not slowed down for an instant and demand for quality tourism experiences in this great state has continued to thrive.”
6. The travel agent with the best USA travel tip is…
… Michelle Levins of Travel Managers Forest Hill, Victoria.
She was the winner of Visit USA’s Travel Tips incentive for submitting the tip: to check out sporting events and music gigs in US cities prior to booking and adjust itineraries accordingly.
“There’s nothing like immersing yourself in sporting and music culture to get a real feel of USA.”
Her great tip won her $500 prize money.
The Visit USA competition was held to promote the comprehensive travel selling tips guide available to Australian travel agents on its website.
Click here for information on the USA’s major Coachella festival.
7. Extra value with Stay and Play bookings
Australian travellers who book a seven nights or more trip with Rocky Mountaineer will receive up to $600 per couple in added value as part of the rail company’s new Stay and Play Offer.
The offer is available on bookings made from 27 December 2015 until 4 March 2016 and includes added value such as extra hotel nights, memorable activities and tours.
Shorter bookings of four to six nights will receive up to $400 per couple in added value.
One of the many eligible vacation packages is the Northern Explorer, travelling between Vancouver, Whistler, Quesnel, and Jasper on the Rainforest to Gold Rush Route. The nine days/eight nights holiday includes three amazing days onboard the train, eight nights hotel accommodation, a number of tours and activities in various destinations, as well as three breakfasts and two lunches.
The offer is applicable for select travel dates and must be requested at the time of booking. This offer has no cash value. Other restrictions may apply.
Click here for more on Rocky Mountaineer in 2016.
8. Fiji Airways adds flights to the US
2016 is going to be the year Fiji Airways carries more travellers to and from the US, with a second weekly service from Nadi to San Francisco operating over June, July, August and December.
The carrier will utilise its A330 aircraft on the second flight, which will leave Nadi at 9.00pm on Thursdays and Sundays to arrive in San Fran at 12.30pm (the same day). It will then fly back at 11.00pm and land in Nadi at 5.00am (two days forward).
Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO, Andre Viljoen said the new route further extended the airline’s reach in North America, with onward connections available to most US and Canadian cities.
Click here for more on Fiji Airways.
9. Australia welcomes a new airline
Hainan Airlines helped Australia’s aviation industry close 2015 on a high with the arrival of its first service to Sydney.
The twice weekly Xi’an-Sydney flight touched down on 24 December, ahead of the popular Lunar New Year period.
The carrier was the sixth airline to launch flights to the city last year.
Sydney Airport’s Managing Director and Chief Executive, Kerrie Mather, said the arrival of Hainan is ‘great news’ for tourism to Sydney and Australia.
Hainan Airlines will operate the route on an Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 222 seats.
Xi’an offers travellers a 72-hour visa free period which, coupled with direct Xi’an to Rome and Paris services, makes it an attractive stopover for Australians travelling to Europe.
Click here for more images.
10. Russell Crowe is ‘hover’ Virgin Australia
Ridiculous @VirginAustralia. No Segway boards as luggage? Too late to tell us at airport.Kids and I offloaded. Goodbye Virgin. Never again.
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) December 29, 2015
More than 60 airlines have now banned hoverboards from their flights, but Virgin Australia is the only one to have copped celebrity backlash from the change.
Early December, major carriers such as Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Virgin made news headlines for banning the most sought-after kids toy over safety concerns.
But apparently Russell Crowe didn’t get the memo, because he took to social media to lash out at the airline after his children were told they could not being their toy on a flight.
Taking his frustration online, the actor tweeted the carrier saying it was ‘too late’ to notify him of the change at the airport.
@russellcrowe …reminder emails you will have received. We have also communicated this on Facebook and Twitter, as well as… 2/4
— Virgin Australia (@VirginAustralia) December 29, 2015
The carrier responded, explaining that change was made as a safety precaution and passengers had been notified through reminder emails, Facebook and Twitter.
The feud continued for a couple more tweets but ended with the actor accepting the change.