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Wed 7 Jan: 10 things you need to know today

Read on for the top ten 10 travel news stories you need to know today. Click here and enter for your chance to WIN movie tix.

Read on for the top ten 10 travel news stories you need to know today. Click here and enter for your chance to WIN movie tix.

 1. World’s safest airlines. Do you feel safe flying with them?

safest airline

Image: ambrozinio/Shutterstock

Airlines from around the world have been reviewed, audited and their safety records put under the microscope – all to determine which of the bunch are the world’s safest airlines in 2015.

The list couldn’t come at a better time, not only with it being the beginning of 2015 but with last year being a particularly tough year for airline safety.

In total 2014 saw 21 fatal accidents and 986 fatalities. That’s higher than the ten-year average.

Read on

 

2. Another cruise ship to debut in Australia

Movies Under the Stars

Cruise fans rejoice because another ship is setting sail for Australia!

Princess Cruises announced today it will send 3,082-passenger Emerald Princess to Australia to cruise out of Sydney during the 2016/17-wave season.

The 113,000-tonne superliner will arrive in November next year where she will join five other Australia-based Princess vessels such as Sun Princess, which sails out of Fremantle during parts of the 2015/16 season; Sea Princess, sailing out of Brisbane next season; and Golden Princess, which will start cruising out of Melbourne later this year.

Read on

 

3. Terror alerts issued for India and Indonesia

Image: Rawpixel/Shutterstock

Image: Rawpixel/Shutterstock

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has had a busy couple of days, with a number of travel advice changes to popular Australian tourism destinations.

DFAT’s advice for Indonesia was adjusted this morning to include a warning of terrorist attack.

Although the overall ‘exercise a high degree of caution’ alert level has not changed, the agency group did post new information of potential threats in Surabaya against US companies.

The change comes after the US warned of a potential threat against business connected to the country particularly in the East Java city.

The advice for India has also been updated to include the same warning of terror threats.

The change comes after recent threats were made against upmarket hotels in Mumbai.

“We continue to advise Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in India overall because of the high threat of terrorist activity, civil unrest and crime and the high rate of vehicle accidents.”

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Meanwhile, the advice for Turkey remains unchanged since 4 December, despite a suicide attack in a popular tourist district in Istanbul.

The female suicide bomber went to a police station in the Sultanahmet district and told police she had lost her wallet before blowing herself up.

The female along with one Turkish policeman were killed in the explosion. Another police officer was lightly wounded.

 

4. Royal prizes for agents

princesscruises-50thanniversary-karryon

To celebrate the cruise line’s 50th anniversary, Princess Cruises is offering agents the chance to win one of 50 prizes.

The new promotion is available to members of the Princess Academy that make new bookings on any Princess itinerary before 28 February 2015.

For every eligible booking, agents will go in the draw to win the major prize of a 12-night Denali Explorer Alaska cruise for two in a balcony stateroom (valued at $5999), plus a $5000 eZAir® credit, while 49 runners up will take home a $100 Eftpos gift card.

The promotion ends on 28 February 2015.

 

5. Intrepid Travel’s $1 deposits

Intrepid Travel $1 deposit

Intrepid GM Pete Rawley offering up a hot dollar deposit

For the first time ever, Intrepid Travel is allowing your clients to book an adventure in 2015 with just a $1 deposit.

With an endless number of challenges on offer – from conquering Everest Base Camp to eating a spicy road-side soup in Asia or learning tango to dance the night away in Buenos Aires – Intrepid has an experience for everyone this year.

And to help lock in that commitment to a new challenge, any Intrepid adventure can be secured for a measly $1 deposit, if reserved by 15 February 2015.

Read on

 

6. Wholesaler Ventures into Calypso trials

Venture Holidays boat sailing

Venture Holidays has moved into an active trial stage of Calypsonet and says it is on track to officially roll out the online sales and booking management application to agents on 19 January.

The migration to Calypso commenced late September 2014 as a means of offering consultants access to a wider range of products, the latest interactive airfares module and the latest wholesale and retail special airfares.

Complete 2015/16 product range will also be available on the system, giving agents access to air and land packages 24/7.

Brochures released for 2015/16 so far include Africa and Madagascar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Jordan, and America, Hawaii and Canada.

 

7. Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines alliance takes off

Air New Zealand officially launched its new alliance with Singapore Airlines when its newly refurbished Boeing 777-200ER touched down at Changi Airport early yesterday morning.

Announced in September last year, the alliance sees the two carriers codeshare on a daily return service between Auckland and Singapore.

 Air New Zealand will operate the Boeing 777-200 aircraft on the route. The aircraft features Business Premier, Premium Economy, Economy Skycouch and Economy seating.

Singapore Airlines will also operate a daily return service between Singapore and Christchurch with its Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.

Singapore Airline’s Airbus A380 will also be used on the Singapore to Auckland route during the Northern Winter operating season, reverting to Boeing 777-300ERs during Northern Summer.

Through the alliance, the two airlines aim to increase existing capacity between New Zealand and Singapore by 30 percent.

 

8. Brochures of the week

Creative Holidays' brochure

New tours, new destinations and early bird savings.

The internet may have changed the way travellers do their research, but brochures are still one of the best and popular ways to obtain travel information.

This week the tour operators and cruise lines bring you a stand-alone brochure of self-drive and extended tours in New Zealand; Creative Holidays’ has released its exciting new Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Qatar brochure; there’s an ‘atlas’ of itineraries cruising to new, exotic destination around the world; the only expedition cruise to Norway’s Svalbard during Spring; and special itineraries in Italy.

Read on

 

9. TravelManagers have a Voyager experience

TravelManagers on Voyager

They dined, they wined, the swam and they surfed.

That’s right, this group of personal travel managers spent a night aboard Royal Caribbean’s recently refurbished Voyager of the Seas.

Having experienced the 3,138-passenger vessel during TravelManager’s national conference in November last year, the group were able to return and enjoy its $80 million upgrade, which included the addition of a FlowRider surfing machine; inside cabins with virtual, real-time ‘balconies’; a 3D movie theatre; and new dining venues including a sushi restaurant.

The home-based agency’s national conference last year also saw the group break a number of records, including the highest ever supplier attendance.

Read on

 

10. Ran out of toilet paper while travelling? Tweet for a solution

 out of toilet paper

It was a fortunate yet slightly unfortunate situation for a 16-year-old traveller during a recent high-speed rail journey.

VBlogger Adam Greenwood was travelling from Euston to Glasglow via Virgin Trains when his bowels needed to make a movement.

After doin’ his thang [sic] he noticed he was missing one pretty important thing required to complete his business.  

Luckily, the train company spotted the tweet and responded within two minutes asking which carriage he was in.

Adam told BuzzFeed News he peered out of the toilet room door and checked the carriage letter, which was J.

“I tweeted back the carriage number and shortly after I saw a guy looking quite worried in a full black suit carrying toilet roll.”

Adam Greenwood

Adam then completed his business and thanked the train line via Twitter.

Now that’s customer service.

What’s your reaction to today’s news? Share your comments below and start the conversation.