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. Severe floods in Louisiana kill 13 and damage over 40,000 homes
One of the worst natural disasters of recent years has struck the state of Louisiana in the American south, killing 13 people and bringing as much as 79cm of water across a third of the state.
The floods – which have also damaged over 40,000 homes – are the result of a 72+hour downpour earlier this week, leading to widespread and dramatic flooding in the affected area and downstream along the Amite river.
2. Mile high baby on Cebu Pacific flight
Passengers onboard Cebu Pacific flight 5J015 from Dubai to Manilla have welcomed to the world a baby girl after her mother gave birth to the child at 32,000 feet in the air.
The flight was already half way to Manilla when the mother went into labour. The Cebu Pacific cabin crew, along with two registered nurses who just happened to be on the flight, assisted with the delivery, and the flight was diverted to Hyderabad, India, to ensure the mother and baby received medical assistance.
Cebu Pacific have announced that both mother and baby are doing well, and have praised the efforts of its cabin crew for their amazing efforts and professionalism.
3. Qantas throws its support behind the #missingtype campaign
Qantas, the Flying Kangaroo, is helping spread awareness of the importance of donating blood by greying out the As in Qantas and the Os in Spirit of Australia on its website and social media channels.
Part of a global initiative by the Red Cross, it’s hoped that the greying out of important blood types (e.g., A and O) will help drive the message home to thousands of Aussies across the country that giving blood saves lives.
4. Bangkok welcomes TravelManagers for its annual conference
The first day of the three-day 2016 TravelManagers national conference kicks off today in Bangkok, and it promises to be one of the company’s most successful yet. Now in its ninth year, this year’s conference will be a chance for personal travel managers to share ideas, inspiration and strategies.
In 2016, a core feature of the conference will be the increased participation of personal travel managers in plenary sessions: just over a quarter of the major presentations will be delivered by personal travel managers themselves. Apart from skilling up and making new connections, the conference will also give attendees a chance to explore Bangkok and its amazing food!
Find out what else you can expect at this year’s TravelManagers national conference here.
5. Qatar Airways forced to make emergency landing
Qatar Airways flight QR240 has been forced to make an emergency landing at Ataturk Airport in Turkey after one of its engines caught fire.
The Airbus A330 was headed for Doha, Qatar, when a “bird strike” caused one of the engines to set ablaze. The plane was carrying 298 passengers and 14 crew and all were evacuated safely, according to the airline.
However, one woman was taken to hospital after suffering a fainting spell.
6. Webjet pens major deal with Thomas Cook
Australian OTA Webjet has made some friends overseas and signed a new strategic sourcing partnership with Thomas Cook, one of Europe’s leading holiday companies.
The agreement, made by Webjet Limited, via the Sunhotels brand – Webjet’s European online accommodation business servicing the wholesale market – will see the company take responsibility for the majority volume of Thomas Cook’s complementary hotel business.
The added responsibility also builds on the existing successful partnership that Sunhotels has with Thomas Cook in its Nordic markets.
7. AirAsia’s first Aussie cabin crew take to the skies
Chloe Markham and Hayley Austin, both from Queensland, have recently graduated from the AirAsia-CAE Aviation Centre of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur and will be the first Australian cabin crew members to take to the skies with AirAsia.
The Aussies will work aboard AirAsia X flights out of Kuala Lumpur between Australia and other destinations across ASEAN.
AirAsia X chief executive officer, Benyamin Ismail, said the airline was delighted to recruit enthusiastic Australians as crew and welcome them into the AirAsia family.
8. NZ Prime Minisiter opens the new Sofitel Wellington
The new Sofitel Wellington was officially opened on Wednesday night by New Zealand Prime Minister, The Right Honourable John Key.
Mr Key joined local owners and developers C.P. Group, Chief Operating Officer AccorHotels Pacific, Simon McGrath, AccorHotels Senior Vice President New Zealand, Fiji and French Polynesia, Chris Sedgwick and over 70 invited guests from the travel and tourism industry to mark the occasion.
The Sofitel Wellington is the first luxury hotel to open in the capital in over 15 years, and boasts 129 beautifully appointed rooms and suites in botanical inspired décor featuring vintage gold.
9. Trafalgar’s 2017 South & Central America programme
A new 13-day tour through Brazil, Argentina and Chile, appropriately called South America Landscapes, is the pride and joy of Trafalgar’s new South and Central America 2017 programme.
The tour will join 17 other handcrafted itineraries with six different trip styles available to be booked for the next year.
To celebrate the new programme, Trafalgar is offering a 10 percent discount across its Trafalgar’s South America 2017 programme on land arrangements when booking and paying in full before 27 October, 2016. Past guest discounts of 5% per person are also available for guests who have previously travelled with TTC’s family of brands.
10. AFTA launch major consumer awareness campaign in Tasmania
In an effort to educate and inform Tasmanian travellers on the importance of booking with ATAS accredited travel agencies, the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) is launching a major consumer awareness campaign in partnership with the State Government.
The campaign will officially launch today in Hobart.
By booking with an ATAS accredited agency, consumers are in safe hands and are protected by Australian Consumer Law.
11. Royal Caribbean’s amazing flight offer for Explorer of the Seas
Passengers who book a cabin on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas’ upcoming 24-night epic Pacific Journey from Seattle to Sydney will be able to score flights from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to any city in the US starting from just $499 per person.
The flight offer is in addition to Royal Caribbean’s current 30 percent discount, with cruise fares starting from just $1799 per person, or less than $75 per day.
Departing Seattle on 8 October 2016, the sailing includes calls to some of the Pacific’s most spectacular destinations, including overnight visits to Lahaina in Hawaii and Suva in Fiji, as well as calls to Honolulu in Hawaii, Vila and Mystery Island in Vanuatu and Noumea in New Caledonia.
For further information or to make a booking, phone 1800 754 500 or see your location travel agent.
12. Win a spot on a luxury Arabian adventure with TravelCube
TravelCube is running an incentive which gives ten lucky agents the chance to win a spot on a luxury Arabian adventure in Dubai.
Joining forces with Dubai Tourism, the five-night luxury famil in November includes visits to some of the newest and most ambitious tourist attractions in Dubai, such as IMG Worlds of Adventure and Dubai Parks and Resorts. Winners will also stay in some of the city’s most remarkable hotels.
To be in the running, agents need to book hotels through TravelCube between 15 August and 26 September.
For further information visit http://au.travelcubepacific.
13. WIN a spot on the ‘Ultimate Abu Dhabi famil
If $999 flights to Abu Dhabi weren’t enough to encourage you to sell Etihad Airways to your clients, then how about a trip to Abu Dhabi?
Etihad Airways along with Virgin Australia and Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority has just launched an Agent incentive, giving consultants the chance to WIN a spot on the ‘Ultimate Abu Dhabi’ famil running this October.
To be one of 50 on the captivating, cultural and adventurous trip, Agents simply need to book Etihad Airways or Virgin Australia to Abu Dhabi or as a stopover to Europe.
