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. Emirates takes delivery of its next generation aircraft
Modern, environmentally-friendly, super comfortable and super cool, Emirates has begun taking delivery of its new generation Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
The new generation Emirates Airbus A380 – 388Q, which will be used on the carrier’s ultra-long haul routes, sports a different seat configuration to earlier models, with an additional 25 additional seats in Economy Class, making it a total of 426 seats on the lower deck. First and Business Class seats will remain at 14 and 76 respectively.
2. Guess what? Aussies prefer hotels over Airbnb
When it comes to choosing where to sleep on holiday, 73 percent of Australians surveyed said they preferred sleeping in hotels rather than at someone’s else home through Airbnb.
Well, that’s according to a recent survey conducted by comparison website Comparetravelinsurance.com.au.
According to the results, Aussies still harboured reservations (pun intended!) over home sharing services such as Airbnb, choosing instead to hand their hard-earned cash to a concierge at a hotel on the grounds that hotels were more reliable, more convenient and safer.
3. How will the industry perform globally in 2017?
According to a Global Business Travel Forecast by American Express Global Business Travel, we can only expect flat to moderate growth across air, hotel and ground transportation in 2017.
This comes as a result of a continued slowdown of the Chinese economy, depressed oil prices, Brexit, growing populist politics, and increased security concerns around the world, all culminating in a higher level of uncertainty which is antithetical to rapid growth.
4. Etihad & Hong Kong Airlines expand codeshare agreement
Etihad Airways has expanded its codeshare agreement with Hong Kong Airlines to give travellers enhanced connections between Australasia, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. An additional nine routes have been added to the agreement, bringing the total number of services to 14.
Under the expanded codeshare agreement, Hong Kong Airlines has placed its ‘HX’ code on Etihad Airways’ flights between Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE, and a number of the most-visited cities in Europe and North America, including Paris, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Manchester, Milan, Munich, New York and Zurich.
Etihad Airways has placed its ‘EY’ code on Hong Kong Airlines’ scheduled flights between Hong Kong and Auckland, the thriving multi-cultural tourism hub of New Zealand.
5. You can now invest & earn Velocity points
It’s now possible to earn Velocity Frequent Flyer points on investments made through innovative fintech company, OnMarket BookBuilds (OMB).
Velocity becomes the first airline loyalty program to launch an ‘invest and fly’ program to link its frequent flyer points with IPO bids, as it rewards its members with a new and unique opportunity to earn Velocity Points.
Velocity members will earn 1 Point for every $4 spent via OnMarket, with no limit on the number of Velocity Points that can be earned.
6. Air NZ’s Airband named innovation of the year
Air New Zealand’s revolutionary wristband for children travelling unaccompanied, Airband™, has just been named Innovation of the Year at the 2016 CAPA Asia Pacific Aviation Awards.
First introduced in late 2015, the innovative device allows parents and guardians to follow the steps in their young one’s journey. The product is embedded with a chip which is scanned at key stages of the journey to trigger text notifications to up to five nominated contacts.
According to Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer, Avi Golan, the airline has big aspirations in the digital space and is looking closely at new technologies to enhance the customer experience.
“We carry tens of thousands of children travelling unaccompanied each year and this product innovation has allowed us to provide guardians with additional reassurance and visibility of their child’s journey, with the added benefit of allowing us to streamline the booking process for both customers and our staff.”
Avi Golan, Chief Digital Officer, Air New Zealand.
Air New Zealand is currently investigating future uses for the Airband product and how it can support other customer journeys.
7. Unique new tour takes Aussies to North Korea
Adventure travel specialists, Active Travel, are giving Aussies the chance to visit both North and South Korea on a 16-day tour beginning in Beijing on 6 September 2017. The tour will offer experiences in these two vastly different countries, and a view from each side of the famous Demilitarized Zone which divides both nations.
Highlights of the visit to North Korea include seeing the 22-metre-high bronze statues of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il, as well as the elaborate mausoleum where their bodies lie, hiking up the scenic Mount Myohyang, and exploring the extensive Ryongmun cave network with its underground rivers and strange rock formations.
Including return airfares from Beijing to Pyongyang and Beijing to Seoul, three meals per day in North and South Korea, transportation, most admission fees and the services of local guides and the tour leader, the 16-day tour costs from A$7380 per person, twin-share. Return flights from Australia to Beijing are extra and can be booked through Active Travel.
For details, visit www.activetravel.com.au/cultural or call 1300 783 188.
8. Globus launches new beer lovers tour in Oregon
Beer lovers rejoice! Globus are launching a new tour that will take you through the Pacific Northwest’s top coastal experiences and spectacular scenery whilst stopping at five notable breweries along the way.
The 10-day Oregon’s Coast, Cascades and Craft Beers tour starts in Seattle and ends in Portland, and delves deep into Washington and Oregon’s craft beer culture. Highlights include an intimate brewer’s dinner at Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, a tour and tasting at the sustainably-friendly Rogue Brewery in Newport and a tour of Seattle’s largest brewery, Redhook Ale Brewery.
Oregon’s Coast, Cascades and Craft Beer is just one of the new tours announced as part of Globus’ 2017 program. Prices for the Oregon’s Coast, Cascades and Craft Beers tour star from $4109* per person twin share, but travellers who book by November 29, 2016 will receive a 10 per cent discount on the land portion of their tour.
For full details and bookings see licensed travel agents, visit the Globus website www.globus.com.au or phone 1300 230 234.
9. Singapore Airlines & Lufthansa Group expand partnership
An additional 20 new routes have been added to Singapore Airlines & Lufthansa Group’s codeshare agreement, providing customers with better connections and new codeshare destinations.
The expanded codeshare ties will give Singapore airlines passengers access to such destinations as Bologna, Dublin, Edinburgh, Gothenburg and Lisbon, amongst many others.
In turn, Lufthansa and SWISS customers will be able to access new points, via SIA-operated flights between Singapore and destinations such as Canberra, Dusseldorf and Wellington. SIA’s regional subsidiary, SilkAir, will also progressively introduce new codeshare flights with the Lufthansa Group.
The new codeshare flights will be progressively made available for booking through Singapore Airlines’ various booking channels.
10. Travel Managers set sail in Sydney in style
The first of TravelManagers’ latest round of bi-annual state meetings kicked off in Sydney last Thursday, with 80 New South Wales based personal travel managers gathering onboard Captain Cook Cruises’ Matilda III for a little sailing and a lot of skilling up and networking.
It was also a chance for all those onboard to celebrate a successful year amid some Christmas festivity.
Travelling from as far afield as Albury, Dubbo, Port Macquarie, Wollongong and Canberra, the personal travel managers along with members of the national partnership team enjoyed business sessions in the morning followed by a Christmas lunch.
TravelManagers will continue their personal travel manager state meetings around Australia with Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Hobart and Brisbane meetings scheduled throughout November and early December.
11. Hertz waives surcharge to attract younger renters
In an effort to attract more young renters this summer holiday season, Hertz will be waiving the $16.50 per day surcharge for drivers aged 21 to 24, which can amount to savings of over $100 per seven days of car rental. Young drivers will also now be able to rent from a range of vehicles in Hertz’s ‘Prestige’ collection.
Live now until 28 February 2017, the Young Renters campaign will also give young drivers the opportunity to win a great prize for a future road trip valued at $3,000. To enter the competition, young drivers need to answer in 50 words or less why they and their friends should win the ultimate escape. Entry is via www.hertzyoungrenters.com.
Damien Shaw, Country Manager, Hertz Australia, said: “More and more Australians are choosing to travel in our own backyard and we want to enable the youth market to take advantage of this affordable holiday option too.”
A recent report shows that the year ending June 2016 saw record results for domestic travel by Australians. Overnight trips were up seven per cent, equating to 88.9 million nights, and day trips were up by 11 percent, reaching a high of 187 million.
12. Final chance to save with APT
The final boarding call is soon approaching on APT’s The Best Just Got Better campaign as it enters its final weeks before ending on 30 November.
Among the deals on offer include APT’s 15 day Wonders of Bordeaux & Rhone, priced from $9,295 per person twin share, with the possibility of scoring free return flights to Europe when they book before the November 30 deadline.
For those considering Asia, companions can fly free if booked before November 30 on the 11-day Best of Japan tour, which is priced from $13,595 per person twin share. This classic tour visits Hiroshima, Kyoto – where guests enjoy a tea ceremony with local Geisha – and Tokyo, where guests learn to make their own sushi.
For more information, call APT on 1300 196 420, visit aptouring.com.au or see your local business development officer.
13. Jacki Wong to speak with Travellers Choice members
Head of New Business Sales for Google Australia and New Zealand, Jacki Wong, will be one of the speakers addressing this year’s Travellers Choice Shareholders’ Conference, which takes place this weekend at the National Convention.
Jacki Wong will provide Travellers Choice members with valuable insights into Australian’s online lives and explain how businesses must adapt if they are to continue to meet consumers’ needs.
Travellers Choice Managing Director Christian Hunter says Wong is an important addition to this year’s Conference given the enthusiasm with which the retail group’s members have embraced digital marketing platforms.
14. Flighties get their Disney on the USA
Two hundred and fifty Flight Centre NSW/ACT Team Leaders, Product, Marketing and Support staff recently visited the Disneyland Resort as part of their annual State Team Leader Conference.
After flying Virgin Australia and Delta Air Lines from Sydney to Los Angeles, the group spent several hours exploring some of the 80 plus attractions before sitting down for a delicious Welcome Dinner at the luxurious Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa hosted by the Disney Destinations International and Visit Anaheim teams.
The grand finale to the Welcome Event was the stunning World of Color spectacular at Disney California Adventure Park, where the agents became part of the show with their Made With Magic interactive light up Mouse Ears. This must-see experience at the Disneyland Resort left the agents awestruck with many commenting that the show itself was justification enough to advise their clients to stay within the Disneyland Resort region for at least 2-3 nights.
Earlier in the day, the group used Disney’s incredible FASTPASS service to explore some of the new additions to the Disneyland Resort including Hyperspace Mountain – a Star Wars themed version of the beloved Space Mountain attraction, the new Soarin’ Around the World, the new 55-minute Broadway Style Musical – Frozen: Live at the Hyperion, as well as Holiday special attractions such as Haunted Mansion Holiday inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
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