We’ve done all the hard work, so you don’t have to! Read on for the top ten travel news stories we think you need to know today.
1. JetBlue turns baby cries into free flights for passengers
For some, there is nothing worse than boarding a flight to find themselves sitting next to or within a five-row radius of a crying baby.
The moment you see the little bundle of joy (or terror, depending on your luck) you know you’ll either have an easy flight or disembark hours later on the verge of spilling your own tears.
Fortunately, JetBlue found a way to turn the shrills from restless children into a bit of a blessing by offering discounted flights to those onboard.
2. Agents love working at Flight Centre in the UK
Buzz nights and a chain of fun, work-focused colleagues are keeping Travel Agents extra happy at Flight Centre in the UK.
The company was named the 20th top place to work for the sixth consecutive year in the annual Great Place to Work awards.
Flight Centre won in the large organisation category, which focuses on businesses with 500 employees or more.
3. How are Aussies booking Hawaii? Through Agents
Travel Agents are still the preferred way for Australians to book a holiday to Hawaii, according to Hawaii Tourism Oceania’s latest statistics.
Revealed at a Sydney media launch of the bureau’s annual Aloha Down Under roadshow, some 64 percent of Aussies use consultants when arranging their trip to the destination. That’s more than twice the rate of the 27 percent of Aussies booking other long haul trips.
Hawaii Tourism Oceania’s Country Manager Australia, Kerri Anderson, described it as an amazing figure and said it emphasised the importance of agents in a digital age.
4. Venture Holidays extends support to those affected by Garuda Orient Holidays closure
Venture Holidays has extended a helping hand to Travel Agents with clients that may be affected by Garuda Orient Holidays’ closure in Australia.
In case you missed it, Garuda, the Indonesia wholesaler revealed early this week that it would shut its two Australians offices due to financial reasons caused by “tough business conditions”.
The announcement came as a surprise to the industry because only two weeks earlier the company had relaunched its trade website with real time availability, images and maps.
5. Did G Adventures just launch the sickest bus ever?
Forget what you know (or ever imagined) about taking a safari because G Adventures has just completely broken the mould in Africa.
The adventure operator launched a new innovative overland adventure vehicle (OAV) named ‘Landos’ (a play on the word overland – sounds like Aussie slang to us), which we’ve dubbed as the coolest bus ever.
A first-of-its-kind, it not only has air conditioning, spacious seats and seatbelts, but reclining seats with side-seat movement for extra shoulder room.
6. Chimu enters the hospitality sector
There’s nothing like the universe delivering on a wish. Which is exactly what happened to Greg Carter (Co Founder of Chimu Adventures) after he instagrammed a pic of his dream hotel building, a 1920’s mansion in Lima to his business partner Chad Carey last January.
Fortuitously adding “Our next hotel project?” as a comment on the pic his dream was realised when the building recently came up for sale.
7. INCENTIVE: Gift cards for select Eurail bookings
Travel Agents will receive Coles and Myer Group gift cards worth up to $40 from Rail Plus for every Eurail Global or Select pass* booking made between 2 May and 30 June 2016.
A $20 voucher will be issued for a booking containing a Eurail Select Pass and a $40 voucher for each booking that includes a Eurail Global Pass.
The incentive applies to all bookings totalling $1,000 or more, with full payment made by 30 June 2016. Bookings can be made 24 hours, seven days a week on the Rail Plus website.
8. Keep warm in paradise
Air Calin is making it easier for your clients to ‘Keep Warm in Paradise’ with a sale on services from Australia to New Caledonia.
Flights from Sydney or Brisbane to Noumea are selling from $549 return; and Melbourne to Noumea from $599 return.
The offer is available from 2 May to 29 May 2016 for travel between 2 May 2016 to 26 March 2017.
9. Meeting planners treated to some Danish delights
Royal palaces, medieval alleyways, chic micro-breweries and some of the world’s most innovative cuisine were all on the menu recently when a select group of Australian meeting planners explored Copenhagen as guests of Tourism Portfolio and DMC Nordic.
The four-day tour of one of Europe’s most stylish cities saw the group enjoy ‘Nordic cuisine’, sample Danish food in market stalls and explore Copenhagen’s 800-year history.
Tourism Portfolio Managing Director Donna Kessler says the recent tour – which took place prior to this year’s IMEX show in Frankfurt – provided Australian meeting planners with just a small taste of what Scandinavia and the Baltic regions have to offer.
10. Travel Agents experience Scenic Amber on the Danube
A group of Travel Agents were invited to experience Scenic’s newest ship, Scenic Amber, on a sailing from Passau to Austria.
The seven-day itinerary saw consultants travel along the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers and be among the first to experience Scenic’s newest Enrich activity – The Best of The Sound of Music and Salzburg Show.
Other highlights of the trip included a guided tour of Bratislava, a visit to the Spanish Riding School and a special shopping tour with the vessel’s onboard chef.
