JETSTAR Asia today commenced a trial for the use of mobile boarding passes for its passengers departing Singapore, becoming the first LCC at Changi Airport to do so.

The mobile boarding pass, which uses a 2D barcode, is expected to be offered to passengers by end-October for straight-to-gate departure to most Jetstar destinations.

It is however, only available for selected flights with a 3K or VF flight code departing from Singapore only.

According to local broadsheet The Straits Times, the airline is the third to offer the service at Changi Airport, after Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

Jetstar Asia CEO, Barathan Pasupathi, said the mobile boarding pass is designed to make travel even easier and convenient for customers.

“Replacing paper boarding passes with a mobile boarding version will allow Singapore customers access to real-time updates on changes to flight schedules, gate information and seat numbers,” he said.

BEST Western International has announced the launch of two hotel brands – a boutique hotel concept and a soft brand – to meet growing demand for new hospitality offerings in urban and primary markets.

Vib (pronounced Vibe), which is short for vibrant, is a stylish and technology-centric hotel concept created to meet the needs of today’s connected traveller. A hotel prototype designed for urban markets, Vib’s high-density concept will be cost-effective to build and operate, making it an attractive option for owners and developers.

The boutique Vib concept features modern design with a focus on convenience, technology and social engagement. Vib hotels will have large, interactive lobbies that incorporate the local flavour of their individual markets, as well as comfortable and chic guest rooms. Guests will find ample USB and power ports for electronics, a media wall with custom content in the lobby, smart TVs in the rooms to stream on-demand content and LED mood lighting throughout the hotel.

The BW Premier Collection – Best Western’s first soft brand offering – will consist of carefully selected high-quality hotels in primary markets. All the soft-brand properties will be required to maintain a TripAdvisor rating of four or above and AAA/CAA rating of three Diamond or above.

Hotels within the BW Premier Collection will not be part of the official Best Western membership but they will be listed and booked on the Best Western website. Guests will be able to earn and redeem Best Western Rewards points at all BW Premier Collection hotels. BW Premier Collection hotels will also have the option of purchasing additional Best Western brand services such as design and sales support.

“We recognise that travellers’ preferences are evolving and it’s our job to keep up. The launch of Vib and the BW Premier Collection represents a major move by our brand to meet the growing and shifting needs of our customers and travellers in general,” said David Kong, Best Western president and CEO.

Both Vib and the BW Premier Collection will be global offerings, targeted at urban and destination markets around the world.

STR Global last week released preliminary September data for Singapore, indicating mixed results in key performance measures.

Based on daily data in September, Singapore reported:
• increases in supply and demand at 2.6 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively;
• 0.9 per cent increase in occupancy to 82.5 per cent;
• 0.7 per cent decrease in average daily rate to S$324.61; and
• 0.2 per cent increase in revenue per available room to S$267.84.

Elizabeth Winkle, managing director of STR Global, said in a press statement: “Singapore managed to maintain the same levels of performance for the month of September as last year.

“Year after year, the city is taken over by the race track of the Formula 1 grand prix, which makes September traditionally the month with the highest ADR achieved for the market.”

The full September 2014 results will be released in about two weeks.

THAI hospitality brand Dusit International has joined hands with Springfield Land Corporation, World Group UK and Maxsen Capital Hong Kong to launch the Dusit Thani Brookwater Golf & Spa Resort at First Residence in Australia’s Queensland.

Located in Springfield, about 20 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD and 30 minutes from the Gold Coast, and with two international airports within easy reach, the resort marks Dusit International’s first property on Australian soil.

In its A$110 million (US$96 million) first phase, the resort will offer 168 luxury resort apartments with private plunge pools overlooking the Greg Norman-designed Brookwater Golf Course.

In addition, there will be a recreation club with beach-style lagoon pools, lap pools, water slides, a gymnasium, a bridal centre and a wedding chapel; a resort clubhouse boasting four signature restaurants; a lobby lounge; 24-hour concierge services; an executive club; the brand’s own Devarana Spa, al fresco restaurants and food markets, plus extensive meetings and events facilities.

Upon full completion, the innovative resort will feature a total of 520 apartments, a tennis stadium, a water park, a retail emporium, an aquatic centre designed to Commonwealth Games standards and a convention centre, amounting to a total investment in excess of A$550 million.

“The Dusit Thani Brookwater Golf & Spa Resort at First Residence is perfectly placed to serve rising visitor demand to Australia and Queensland, from both local and overseas markets,” said David Shackleton, COO of Dusit International.

“The resort’s location between the two high demand markets of Brisbane and the Gold Coast and its proximity to the up-and-coming business district of Springfield is a huge advantage, and we have every confidence in the resort’s future success.”

LUXURY river cruise expedition company Pandaw has rolled out itineraries for 2015, including a 10-night Laos itinerary to be operated on the Laos Pandaw, a new luxury ship with 10 staterooms that becomes the 14^th vessel in the Pandaw fleet.

The itinerary features two nights in UNESCO World Heritage Site Luang Prabang, and expeditions to tribal villages in the Laotian jungle, crossing rapids, gorges and jungle pools.

Departing November 1, 2015, the Laos voyage is priced from US$3,250. However, bookings made before January 5, 2015 will enjoy a 10 per cent discount.

The cruise operator is also due to begin eight-day Brahmaputra River cruises on the MV Mahabaahu on March 29, 2015.

Guests will be taken to the north-east region of Assam to the largest river island in the world to meet the Mishing people and Kaziranga National Park. Wildlife fanatics can also expect close encounters with single horned rhinos, buffaloes, Indian tigers and river dolphins.

Pre- and post-cruise stays can be arranged for New Delhi and Kolkata, including domestic connecting flights. The cruise-only portion starts from US$2,430.

In Vietnam, Pandaw is putting a spin on the traditional Halong Bay cruise by tagging on a Red River expedition, to be sailed on the Angkor Pandaw.

During the 10-night sailing beginning July 10, 2015, passengers will explore the Bay’s limestone islands and caves, floating villages and school, before moving into the Kinh Thay River and Duong River. Passengers are given two days of sightseeing in Hanoi before being shipped off to see the Red River.

Prices start at US$2,600 but reservations made before October 31, 2014 are at 10 per cent off.

Cruise-only prices are based on twin-sharing of a main deck stateroom, and includes all excursions, crew gratuities, non-premium drinks, and transfers. For more information, visit www.pandaw.com.

THE Ascott Limited has opened its fourth and latest serviced residence in Malaysia, Ascott Sentral Kuala Lumpur.

Set in urban centre Kuala Lumpur Sentral, the property is served by six rail systems and direct links to major highways. Kuala Lumpur International Airport is a 28-minute ride away by KLIA Express Rail.

Ascott Sentral Kuala Lumpur consists of 157 units in studio, two- and three-bedroom configurations, and facilities including a swimming pool and gym.

Tan Boon Khai, regional general manager, Singapore & Malaysia, Ascott, said: “Internationally, Kuala Lumpur is now seen as a leading destination in Asia both for investments, as well as for meetings, conferences and exhibitions.

“Its modern infrastructure, quality facilities and competitive business costs will continue to attract MNCs to set up business in the city and drive demand from expatriates and travellers for serviced residences.”

Ascott has plans to take its stable of brands further in Malaysia. Within the next two years, the company will open Citadines DPulze Cyberjaya (2014), Somerset Medini Nusajaya (2015), Somerset Puteri Harbour Nusajaya (2015) and Somerset Damansara Uptown Petaling Jaya (2016).

To mark the opening of its latest Malaysian property, Ascott is offering daily rates starting at RM308 (US$95) for a studio at Ascott Sentral Kuala Lumpur. This includes free breakfast and Wi-Fi.

ABACUS has released the latest results in its Corporate Travel Practices Survey conducted with views of 82 of the region’s top corporate travel brands, with insights on structural and behavioral issues facing corporate travel managers and how they can be addressed.

The travel technology solutions provider offers five specific action points.

Firstly, travel management companies (TMCs) and corporate travel agencies (CTAs) must be able to align content from multiple sources into a single itinerary, as some 87 per cent pointed to lower prices in B2C sites as one of the reasons why travellers go off policy.

Robert Bailey, president and CEO of Abacus, said: “Technology can aggregate disparate content to offer new forms of fixed and dynamic packaging. It will ensure TMCs and CTAs manage more of the clients’ business, with wider sourcing countering increased competition online.”

Secondly, with over half of respondents reporting an increase in spend on ancillaries, CTAs and TMCs should detail ancillary options in clients’ travel policies and keep track of choices made for pre-trip approval and post-trip expense reconciliation.

Bailey said: “As more ancillaries are introduced, it is vital that their processing then reveals the full cost of each flight, not just the price of an unbundled basic seat, especially with so many corporate travel policies requiring the choice of lowest available fare.”

Corporate travel professionals also need to motivate travellers to use corporate booking tools. The Abacus study highlighted that a third of companies are still seeing clients resist self-service technology – South-east Asian clients prefer to talk to travel consultants while in North Asia there is resistance against travel arrangers.

But where CTAs and TMCs can overcome initial resistance, evidence shows that use of corporate booking tools grows “exponentially”.

Fourthly, TMCs and CTAs must leverage mobile tools or risk having non-compliant booking behaviour in favour of apps by OTAs and LCCs.

The last suggestion is that expense management must be automated. Despite clients putting more of their travel budgets into secondary expenses and the nature of such expenditure evolving, only 44 per cent of survey respondents work with clients to manage secondary expenses.

“Expense management should now be integral to the TMC pitch, especially when it comes to attracting global accounts,” noted Bailey.

Findings from the Corporate Travel Practices Survey will be available to delegates at the Abacus International Conference in Abu Dhabi between October 14 and 17.

LOCAL hospitality firm Lemon Tree Hotels Group has announced a strategic alliance with real estate developer Assotech Realty to manage and operate the first Sandal Suites Serviced Residences property, marking its foray into apartments.

The 210-key Sandal Suites Serviced Residences in Noida will come up in business park Assotech Business Crestera as part of a mixed-use development and is expected to be open by 2H2015, featuring an all-day dining restaurant, a bar, a private club, banqueting facilites and a business centre.

Lemon Tree subsidiary Carnation Hotels will act as the strategic partner and day-to-day operator for the project.

Rattan Keswani, deputy managing director, Lemon Tree Hotels Group, said: “We have a good market for serviced apartments in Noida with a lot of IT-enabled services and financial companies operating in the region…Apart from the corporate sector we will also be focusing on leisure travellers.”

Assotech and Lemon Tree aim to launch similar projects in other Indian cities as well.

Neeraj Gulati, managing director, Assotech Realty, told TTG Asia e-Daily: “Our plan is to launch serviced apartment projects in 10 Indian cities in the next five to seven yeas.

“We are going to invest around Rs10 billion (US$163.7 million) in these hospitality projects in a phased manner.”

Destinations under consideration include Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Goa, Varanasi and Bengaluru.

Added Gulati: “Apart from mixed-use development projects, we are also open to stand-alone ones depending on the location. Through Sandal Suites we are looking to meet the demand for transit stays, extended stays and other segments.”

GOLDEN Myanmar Airlines is continuing to expand its international network, having launched thrice-weekly flights to its third international destination, Chiang Mai, last week on Airbus A320s.

Golden’s scheduled launch of Mandalay-Imphal flights for June 27 were postponed due to discussion delays with Indian company KB Enterprises and the Department of Civil Aviation India, said the airline’s managing director, Aung Gyi.

“Plans are underway as Golden Myanmar Airlines and KB are preparing to issue visas on arrival for Myanmar passengers,” he explained.

The airline is also aiming to start routes to Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur in the near future.

Golden Myanmar Airlines began operations in 2013 and currently flies internationally to Bangkok and Singapore, as well as 11 destinations domestically.

On October 4 it began flying Yangon-Thandwe, and will add three more services to southern Myanmar, namely Kyaing Tong, Kentung and Myeik.