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. Qantas is flying high after winning multiple awards
Qantas is flying high at the moment after bagging multiple awards at AirlineRatings.com, the leading airline safety and product rating review website, in its annual Airline Excellence Awards.
The Flying Kangaroo won in the Best Catering, Best Lounges, and Best Domestic Economy categories, whilst also moving up two spots in the review website’s annual top ten airline ranking.
2. Air New Zealand comes out at number one… again!
Air New Zealand has been given the top spot – again – in the top ten airlines in 2017 by the leading airline safety and product rating review website, AirlineRatings.com.
It’s now the fourth year in a row for the Kiwi airline to receive the top spot, leaving Editor-in-Chief of Airlineratings.com, Geoffrey Thomas, with no other option than to describe the carrier as simply “exceptional.”
3. Aussies now need electronic authorisation to enter Canada
Australian citizens visiting Canada now require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) before flying to Canada, with the easy online application process costing just $7 Canadian dollars.
Entry requirements for other methods of travel, such as land and sea, have not changed.
The initiative, introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, requires Australian travellers to apply online at canada.ca/eTA and provide basic personal information similar to what is currently collected when they arrive in Canada.
4. Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough takes the top gong
Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough has taken the top gong in the Business Event Venue category at the West Australian Tourism Awards.
The 2016 Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards Gala Dinner was held at Crown Perth on 12 November.
The gold award recognised the hotel’s excellent business event facilities, location and service in its prime position on the waterfront overlooking the white sands of Scarborough Beach and the sparkling blue Indian Ocean, just a 30 minute drive from Perth Airport and only 15 minutes from the Perth CBD.
5. The new theory behind the disappearance of MH370
According to an Australian aviation enthusiast, Mick Gilbert, a windshield heater fire may be the reason behind the disapearance of MH370.
Flight MH370 was a Boeing 777, and according to Mr. Gilbert, some of the windshield heaters used on these planes failed or caught fire in the late 1990 and early 2000s
The aviation enthusiast believes the fire caused the plane to divert towards Penang.
6. ingogo & Qantas Frequent Flyer partner up
Thanks to a new partnership between ingogo and Qantas, it’s now possible for Qantas Frequent Flyer members to earn one Qantas Point for each dollar spent on taxis booked through the ingogo app.
To start earning, Qantas Frequent Flyer members simply need to save their membership number into the ingogo app. Users can then book their taxi ride up to 48 hours in advance, which will benefit those travelling to and from the airport in particular, enabling them to skip airport queues or have to flag a last-minute cab on the day.
The Qantas Frequent Flyer partnership will also be integrated into ingogo’s business solution that enables corporates to save up to 20 per cent on employee taxi travel, along with streamlined expense management processing.
To celebrate the new deal, members will earn 250 Qantas Points on each of their first three ingogo trips if taken before 31 March 2017.
7. APT Travel Group launches new corporate branding
Award winning travel brands APT, Travelmarvel and Botanica World Discoveries will be strengthened by the creation of an overarching corporate brand. From today a new brand, ‘APT Travel Group’, will become the corporate face of the family owned Australian business, which will celebrate its 90th birthday in 2017.
Luxury tour and cruise operator APT, premium tour and cruise operator Travelmarvel, and specialist operator Botanica World Discoveries will each retain their separate identities but benefit from the endorsement of this umbrella brand.
The new identity is supported by a new website, www.apttravelgroup.com which will be the touchpoint for partners and suppliers looking to connect with the group as a whole.
8. Agents: Are you read to get your Texas on?
Texas Tourism, together with its key tourism industry partners, will visit Australia at the beginning of December, 2016 to share their insights into the exciting tourism possibilities in ‘The Lone Star State’.
Travel agents and wholesalers are invited to attend the roadshow events planned for Melbourne and Sydney to learn more about Texas and how to effectively match this vast US state with their clients.
For travel agents, there are two fun and interactive evenings scheduled to take place in Melbourne on the evening of Tuesday 6 December, 2016, and Sydney Wednesday 7 December, 2016, designed to share the destination facts, updates and news firsthand. Agents can learn how to best match their customers’ needs with the diverse offerings of Texas.
To register please email: publicity@gtitourism.com.au.
9. SWISS offers new codeshare services to Australia & New Zealand
It’s now possible for SWISS customers to travel to Canberra on a new codeshare service operated by Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines also offers onward connections from the Australian capital to Wellington in New Zealand. And frequencies are to be increased on the existing codeshare routes to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, which were introduced last April.
Travellers to these destinations can fly SWISS from Zurich to Singapore and then transfer seamlessly onto their connecting Singapore Airlines flight with its SWISS flight number. Baggage checked-in in Zurich will be checked right through to the traveller’s final codeshare destination. Customers on these flights can also earn or redeem miles with the corresponding partner airline under Miles & More and the further Star Alliance frequent flyer programmes.
The new destinations form a further part of the commercial joint venture between the Lufthansa Group and Singapore Airlines which was concluded in November 2015 to offer customers of all the airlines concerned more connections and more destinations.
10. Fly365.com becomes first OTA to implement new tech in APAC
In big news, Australian-based Fly365.com will be the first online travel agent (OTA) in APAC to implement Travelport’s innovative merchandising technology, Travelport Rich Content & Branding.
With the new technology, Fly365.com will be able to offer its customers direct access to branded fares and ancillaries from over 180 airlines on Travelport’s travel commerce platform. This means that Fly365.com customers have an improved level of detail and choice, so they can better compare and understand an airline’s full offering prior to making their bookings.
Travelport Rich Content & Branding is already being utilised by leading OTAs, including UK-based Skylord Travel and Russia’s OneTwoTrip.
11. Personal travel managers discover the Whitsundays
A lucky group of eight personal travel managers recently got to experience the best the Whitsundays has to offer on an enjoyable famil to this stunning part of Australia.
Participants included Western Australia based Lesley Cavill representative for Mosman Park and Kelly Savka representative for Balga; Kristina Acevski representative for Merewether Heights and Louise Gillogly representative for Parkes in New South Wales; Victoria based Theresa Kwong representative for Hughesdale and from Queensland were Nannette Gledhill representative for Craiglie, Andrea Turner representative for Windsor and Karen Christie representative for Woody Point.
The group flew courtesy of Qantas Airways and was hosted by Kate Dancaster from Sunlover Holidays.
THIS WEEK’S COMPETITIONS
Win two tickets to Tokyo with ANA
ANA have partnered with Saké Restaurant & Bar for a culinary competition where patrons have the chance to win 2 Premium Economy tickets to Tokyo flying ANA. The award winning airline has teamed with Saké Restaurant & Bar, part of Rockpool Dining Group, to promote the dynamic culinary cuisine that is Japanese premium dining.
Saké Restaurant & Bar has won a Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Chef’s Hat for six consecutive years. Similarly, ANA has been awarded a 5-Star SKYTRAX rating for the past four consecutive years. Patrons will need to dine at either Saké The Rocks or Saké Double Bay locations and fill in their details to participate. Terms & Conditions apply.
The competition commences on 15 November 2016 at 12:01am AEST and will conclude on 15 December 2016 at 11:59 pm AEST.
For full Terms & Conditions visit http://www.ana.co.jp/wws/au/e/local/promotions/sake-cp1611/
Sell Italy & See Italy
This is your chance to earn a place on a famil to Italy and Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways Alitalia and Trafalgar Travel.