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. LATAM to fly direct from Melbourne to Santiago, Chile
Heat up some empanadas, pour a whole lot of chicha and turn up the reggaeton, Melburnians have one major reason to host a fiesta – direct flights to South America.
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LATAM has revealed plans to connect Melbourne to South America with the city’s first non-stop service to Santiago, Chile.
Commencing 5 October 2017, direct flights will operate three times weekly on the airline’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
2. Australia’s new arrangement with China – unlimited flights
Australia and China have sealed a historic agreement, which will allow airlines fly an unlimited number of services and passengers between the two countries.
Designed to increase tourism and trade relations, the new Air Services Agreement removes all capacity restrictions effective immediately, giving Chinese carriers free rein on flights to and from Australian cities, and vice versa.
The agreement comes as carriers from both countries have increased presence in each other’s cities, thanks to an arrangement signed earlier this year to triple gateway capacity between Australia and China by the end of 2016.
3. Key enhancements to oneworld events unveiled
oneworld today unveiled key enhancements to oneworld events, its one-stop, easy-to- use travel service for the conferences, conventions, meetings, exhibitions and special events markets.
Key improvements include lowering by half the minimum requirement for the number of delegates flying internationally to an event, to just 50; and a simpler and more generous incentive for event organisers.
The changes are being made on the back of a record year for the programme – with more events and conventions selecting oneworld as their official air travel partner.
4. Royal Caribbean broke a Guinness World Record for…
Did Royal Caribbean make the Guinness Book of Records for having the most attractions at sea? For hosting the highest number of passengers on a single sailing? Or for aligning its brand with the most celebrities?
The cruise line famous for having the largest passenger ships in the world, propelled its way into the Guinness World Record book this month, but not for any of the above.
Royal Caribbean broke the record for the highest viewing deck on a cruise ship thanks to the North Star found on Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas (which arrives in Perth tomorrow).
5. Qantas gives Melbourne an early Christmas present
Over the weekend, Qantas launched a new daily service between Melbourne and Christchurch, connecting the two cities with direct flights in time for the Christmas holiday.
Commencing on Sunday, the new service meets demand for trans-Tasman travel and are timed for Kiwi passengers to transfer to onward services to Europe via Dubai.
Wes Nobeilus, Qantas Regional General Manager for New Zealand, Pacific Islands, & South America said the new route offers multiple benefits for both Australians and New Zealanders eager to explore both cities.
6. Flight Centre Agent wins $10,000
What would you do if you won $10,000? That’s usually a rhetorical question that very few will ever have to give some proper thought towards.
Because you know, how many of us are actually going to win $10,000 in our lifetime?
Fortunately, there are some lucky ones among us that are gifted with such a grand cheque and that time has come for Flight Centre Business Travel’s Tanya Chivers.
7. Early birds will love this – Travelmarvel’s 2018 itineraries on sale now
For the first time ever, Travelmarvel has opened bookings for select European Gems cruises for 2018 before its Preview Brochure is released, giving Agents a rare opportunity to secure clients extra early with a great price and deal.
For a strictly limited time, guests who book one of three eligible European Gems journeys for 2018 will be able to travel at 2017 prices and fly international for free.
Eligible tours are the always popular 15 Day European Gems Amsterdam to Budapest cruise; the 18 Day European Gems Prague to Amsterdam cruise and tour; and the 21 Day European Gems Prague to Paris cruise and tour.
Details of eligible tours are available in the Travelmarvel Europe River Cruising 2018 Sneak Preview e-brochure, which can be viewed online by clicking here.
8. 3 reasons why the new Qantas learning hub totally rocks
Shouldn’t learning be fun and engaging? And shouldn’t it be possible to learn at your own pace and in your own time, whether that’s on your daily commute, a spare five minutes at home, or face-to-face?
Yes, it should, and thankfully Qantas totally gets it.
The new Qantas Learning Hub makes it easy for Travel Agents around the country to learn everything there is to know about the Flying Kangaroo: from support, sales, and fares, right through to product, networks and partner alliances – all accessible 24/7 on your desktop, mobile or tablet.
9. Alaska’s Visit Anchorage comes to town
Aussie and Kiwi Agents will have the chance to learn about Alaska Railroad, Major Marine Cruises, Harbour 360 Hotel and Alaskan Dream Cruises during this month’s Visit Anchorage sales mission.
A group of representatives visited key trade partners in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney last week and will stop by Auckland this week, for destination and products updates.
In addition to the trade mission, Visit Anchorage has appointed Canuckiwi Ltd. as its newest international representation firm in Australia and New Zealand, effective 1 January 2017. This shows the continued investment they are making and the importance of the market to them.
Click here for more pictures.
10. $5,000 Scenic cash went to…
helloworld Corrimal and Figtree are the proud winners of $5,000 cash after taking out the top prize in Scenic’s 2016 Agent marketing competition, which launched earlier this year to celebrate the 2017 Europe River Cruising and South East Asia River Cruising season.
Agents were invited to submit their multi-channel marketing campaign entries promoting Europe, France, Portugal or South East Asia river cruising. helloworld Corrimal and Figtree’s campaign was recognised for its creativity and attention to detail. The two stores worked together to create an effective marketing campaign for their Canada, Scenic Eclipse, Asia and Europe river cruising information sessions. A multi-channel campaign which included local press advertising, in-store promotions, letterbox drop, sponsored ad on Facebook, eDMs and much more.
Congratulations also to runners-up Ballina and Byron Cruise and Travel, Barge Vacations and France Vacations, helloworld Miranda and Weston Cruise and Travel who all receive $500 cash.
11. Travel Agents get a taste of the high life with COMO
The Unique Tourism Collection hosted a group of their top Australian travel partners at COMO Maldives private island resorts – COMO Cocoa Island and COMO Maalifushi.
The group experienced firsthand the best of COMO Hotels and Resorts with an itinerary including snorkeling, diving, cycling, yoga, an aqua therapy class and enjoying a variety of COMO Shambhala treatments and sampling from its renowned COMO Shambhala wellness menus at both resorts.