Skill up on all you need to know with bite sized travel news to help you be your best today and tomorrow.
1. Challenge accepted. Qantas busts a move for Air NZ
What do you do when your Tasman rival tells you to ‘bring it’? You clear the runway, dress up a large kangaroo mascot and you DO NOT hold back.
That’s exactly what Qantas aka the Quan (the airline’s teen dance movie nickname) did yesterday afternoon when it accepted Air New Zealand’s running man challenge.
For those out of the loop, the running man challenge is the latest internet craze, which requires company employees to film themselves creatively performing the popular running man dance to Ghost Town DJ’s track ‘My Boo’.
2. Topdeck revamps European product
Topdeck Travel released its new Europe: Autumn, Winter, Spring travel brochure featuring six new trips and renamed product to represent the board range of options.
The brochures were released one month in anticipation of a strong 2016/17 selling period.
The global youth travel company have released an additional six trips allowing for continued growth. Topdeck have additionally re-named the product from Europe Winter to Europe: Autumn, Winter, Spring – a true representation of the broad range of trips.
3. Is this a great new way to connect consumers to Agents?
Foot traffic, Google search, word of mouth & social media – the way in which consumers connect with Agents is quite diverse, but an entrepreneur says he’s found another avenue to bring them together.
Rogan Carroll launched his brainchild, Going Expert, last month after seeing a gap in the industry for an easy-to-use online platform that acted solely to pair holidaymakers to the ‘ideal Agent’.
Carroll told KarryOn that unlike aggregators or existing company search functions, which focus on distance, Going Expert is all about linking travellers to consultants based on their destination expertise.
4. Rotorua rolls out the welcome mat for over 1,000 delegates
Rotorua has rolled out the welcome mat for more than 1000 international and domestic delegates, who today said Kia Ora for the start of TRENZ, New Zealand tourism industry’s biggest and most important annual trade event.
Over the course of the next four days, international travel and tourism buyers from 28 markets around the world will hold a total of more than 18,000 15 minute-meetings with 300 of the country’s leading tourism operators.
KarryOn is extremely privileged to be the only Australian media in attendance as part of an international contingent to report back on all that’s new and exciting in New Zealand travel trends.
5. Air New Zealand takes the Dream(liner) to new places
Air New Zealand is living the aviation ‘Dream’ – utilising its Boeing 787-9s more frequently and sending them to new destinations.
This week, the airline became the only one to operate Dreamliner services to Hawaii, with the inaugural 787 flight departing from Auckland to Honolulu late yesterday.
In addition to being a first for Hawaii, it’s also the first time the airline has operated the Dreamliner on one of its five North American routes on a scheduled and exclusive basis.
6. Emirates just topped its own success
Emirates has achieved its 28th consecutive year of record profits and business expansion despite operating in a challenging environment.
The company’s latest financial report revealed a 50 percent increase in profit for the year ending 31 March 2016 to US$2.2 billion, while its revenue reached US$25.3 billion, a drop of three percent compared to the prior 12 months.
According to Emirates’ Chief Executive and Chairman, His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, solid business results came regardless of “an uncertain global economic environment dogged by weak consumer and investor sentiment”.
7. Singapore Airlines adds First Class capacity to Sydney
Singapore Airlines has launched a fourth First Class flight to and from Sydney, by deploying the refitted Boeing 777-300 on flight SQ242/241.
Starting this week, the service will add eight First Class seats on the route in a 1-2-1 configuration.
The carrier’s Diamond Plus First Class seat allows flyers to recline to 130 degrees or lay out on a fully flat bed.
8. Bunnik flies agents to Kenya
A group of agents were given the opportunity to experience Kenya’s natural beauty and wildlife during a recent eight-day Bunnik Tours famil.
Arriving in Kenya via Emirates, the adventure kicked off in Nairobi and continued on to Mt Kenya, Samburu National Reserve, and Lake Nakuru, culminating in the magnificent Maasai Mara.
The group were lucky enough to see the ‘Big 5’ on spectacular games drives in the national parks, sip sundowners overlooking the plains and participate in an incredible bush dinner under the stars.
