FRESH from a US$7-million investment by Singapore’s Tiger Airways, Philippine carrier Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAir) is embarking on a domestic expansion spree with the launch of seven new routes from Manila.

Starting July 1, SEAir will operate thrice-daily flights on the Manila-Cebu route. On August 1, the carrier will start daily services between Manila and Tacloban. Daily flights between Manila and Iloilo will commence on August 2, followed by daily services between Manila and Puerto Princesa on August 3.

On August 4, daily services will begin on the Manila-Kalibo route. Two more routes linking Manila to Davao (twice-daily) and Bacolod (daily) will be launched on August 18 and 20, respectively.

To facilitate its growth, SEAir will add one new Airbus A320 aircraft to its fleet within the next fortnight, with another two planes expected to join the fleet in July.

HONG Kong will welcome a new travel industry body, the Hong Kong Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (HKAAPA), in mid-July.

Paul Pei, sales & marketing executive director of Ocean Park Hong Kong, will head the association as founding president, while Lo Bing-chung, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort VP of public affairs, will take on the role of vice president.

Nine founding members have been confirmed so far, including Ocean Park Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Ngong Ping 360, Noah’s Ark Hong Kong, Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, Peak Tramway, AsiaWorld-Expo, sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck, and DHL Hong Kong Balloon.

Other attractions will be invited to join the association’s ranks once it is formally established, while Hong Kong Tourism Board will be invited to sit in during meetings to facilitate discussions on marketing and promotions.

HKAAPA is expected to provide an avenue for greater collboration with academic and vocational institutions in nurturing manpower, as well as to jointly promote Hong Kong’s attractions in overseas markets.

In the long term, the new association will also study the feasibility of a “super annual pass” allowing entry to multiple attractions.

Josephine Lam, sky100 managing director, said: “We are glad to see Hong Kong attractions join forces to establish HKAPPA. Each founding member has its own uniqueness that complements one another, and together we can make contributions to Hong Kong tourism.”

HOTELS along Myanmar’s Chaung Tha Beach, a popular weekend getaway situated about five hours’ drive from Yangon, are offering discounted rates to attract visitors during the monsoon season from June to September.

According to U Min Kyaw Oo, secretary of the Chaungtha Zone Hoteliers Association, the hotels are offering discounts ranging from 10 – 40 per cent. Visitors will be able to secure a two nights’ stay during the monsoon season, for the price of one night in the summer.

U Min Kyaw Oo added that the 43-km highway connecting Yangon to Chaung Tha had recently been repaired.

IATA has deferred the implementation of its weekly remittance system in India until November 1, 2012.

The association had earlier scheduled the change in the remittance frequency in the Indian billing and settlement plan for June 1.

Biji Eapen, IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) president, said: “After careful discussions and deliberations, IATA Geneva concluded that the weekly remittance cannot be administered at this time without exposing IATA and its members to unacceptable risks.”

Guldeep Singh Sahni, managing director of Weldon Tours & Travels New Delhi, welcomed the deferment as it would bring “temporary relief” for small- and medium-sized travel agencies. “The delay in the implementation provides an opportunity for us to sort out this mess,” he said.

Reporting by Divya Kaul

CHINESE budget carrier Spring Airlines will launch flights from Shanghai to Thailand in July, and to South Korea in August.

Spring will mount daily Shanghai (Pudong)-Bangkok flights starting July 20. The carrier will also commence operations to South Korea in August, with four-weekly Shanghai-Cheongju and thrice-weekly Shanghai-Jeju services.

Currently operating to Ibaraki, Takamatsu and Saga in Japan, Spring will position fares for its Thailand and South Korea services in the same range as its Japanese flights – around ¥4,000 (US$51) one-way when the Shanghai-Ibaraki route was first introduced.

The carrier is also considering starting flights to other South Korean destinations to facilitate growing business traffic to and from China. New routes to Malaysia are also in the pipeline.

THE SKY100 Hong Kong Observation Deck, a 360-degree indoor observation facility on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, is stepping up its marketing efforts targeted at the travel trade.

Josephine Lam, sky100 managing director, said: “There was no clear brand positioning for sky100 (before), unlike (similar) iconic decks in Taiwan, Dubai, Toronto and Guangzhou, so we introduced a series of promotions to boost awareness of the attraction.”

From now till June 30, sky100 is offering free entry for travel trade members – including travel consultants, airline and hotel staff – who are entitled to bring along up to four friends at HK$60 (US$7.70) per pax.

For MICE groups, a flexible package allows event planners to book a section of sky100 for private gatherings of up to 200 pax. A new café will also be launched in the coming months.

Meanwhile, sky100 has appointed Paula Lau as director of sales & travel trade marketing – a new position – to develop additional packages and sales channels for the attraction. Over the past five months, the number of contract agents which sky100 has dealings with has risen from 77 to 99.

Last month, sky100 held its inaugural roadshow in Beijing and Shanghai, while Guangzhou, Taiwan and South-east Asia are next on the agenda. Going forward, Lam expects to organise regular roadshows at least two to three times a year.

Over a three-month period from February 19 to May 20, about 350 tour groups and more than 6,800 guests visited sky100. Local visitors currently constitute half of the traffic, while Chinese and international visitors make up 30 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively.

LOT Polish Airlines resumed its services to China on May 29, with the introduction of thrice-weekly flights from Warsaw Chopin Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport.

The Polish flag carrier operated Warsaw-Beijing flights in 1987, 1989-1998 and during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but suspended these soon after due to lower-than-expected load factors.

LOT will utilise a Boeing 767-300 aircraft on the route until November, when the airline will replace this with its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airline’s next few Dreamliners are scheduled for delivery in early 2013.

Marcin Piróg, LOT CEO, said he was confident in the viability of the relaunched Warsaw-Beijing service. Compared to previous attempts, they could now count on cooperation with fellow Star Alliance member Air China, he explained.

According to Zhang Wei, general manager outbound travel department, China International Travel Service, besides the additional connection options in Europe, the route launch would facilitate further development of the company’s Eastern European products, such as new packages to Poland and Czech Republic.

Meanwhile, LOT spokesperson Andrzej Kozlowski said the airline was thinking of starting a Warsaw-Tokyo service next year.

Reporting by Hong Xu

BEST Western International (BWI) has opened the Best Western Kuta Villa, bringing the number of hotels in its Bali portofolio to three.

Designed in a traditional Balinese style, the hotel offers 50 rooms, including several villas and deluxe rooms with private plunge pools.

“Alongside our existing Bali hotels – Best Western Kuta Beach and Best Western Resort Kuta – the Best Western Kuta Villa, with its range of private pool villas, means we now offer the perfect mix of accommodation for all visitors to this island,” said Glenn de Souza, BWI’s vice president, International Operations – Asia & the Middle East.

Facilities at the Best Western Kuta Villa include a restaurant serving Indonesian, Balinese and Western cuisine, a swimming pool with a pool bar, a spa, a laundry, baby-sitting services, and an airport shuttle bus.

There is also a business centre, and a meeting room with capacity for 50 pax.

Best Western Kuta Villa forms part of a major expansion stategy for BWI in Indonesia, where the company’s room inventory is expected to jump from 535 rooms to more than 2,500 by end-2013.

CHEAPTICKETS.sg has signed an agreement with Agoda.com in Singapore to integrate the latter’s discounted hotel room inventory into its own online sales platform.

Under the terms of the partnership, CheapTickets.sg will be able to feature Agoda.com’s competitive accommodation rates alongside its own discounted airfares.

Positioned as a one-stop shop for travel booking services, the enhanced CheapTickets.sg will provide travellers with a wider range of discounted accommodation and airfare options.

Existing Agoda.com users will also be able to earn and use Agoda.com’s rewards points when they perform hotel bookings on CheapTickets.sg.

Isabel Gonzalez, director, CheapTickets.sg, said: “CheapTickets.sg’s partnership with Agoda.com will help provide a comprehensive and faster experience for those seeking the most affordable and hassle-free online travel shopping in Singapore.”

“Agoda.com’s range of hotels, as well as its strong brand name in Asia, will help propel CheapTickets.sg’s expansion into Asia.”