Bangkok Airways to launch Chiang Mai-Hanoi route
Bangkok Airways will begin its daily flights between Chiang Mai and Hanoi from March 25 onwards. Operated with the 70-seater ATR72-500/600, flight PG995 will depart Chiang Mai International Airport at 09.55 and arrive in Hanoi (Noi Bai International Airport) at 12.00. The inbound flight PG996 will depart Hanoi (Noi Bai International Airport) at 12.45 and arrive Chiang Mai International Airport at 14.50.
Qantas’ Melbourne-Denpasar flights now for sale
Qantas has opened ticketing lines for its daily Melbourne–Denpasar (Bali) services, scheduled for launch on June 23. The airline’s Melbourne–Denpasar service will be operated with a two-class Boeing 737-800 aircraft, departing Melbourne at 16.50 for arrival in Denpasar at 21.10. On the return, flights depart Denpasar at 22.10 and arrive in Melbourne at 05.55.
Qatar takes off for Penang
Qatar Airways has inaugurated its first non-stop flight to Penang, with plans to increase the frequency on this route from three to four times weekly from July 1, 2018. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, flight QR 850, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, departs Doha’s Hamad International Airport at 02:30 and arrives at Penang International Airport at 14:30. QR851 then leaves Penang at 20.30 for arrival in Doha at 23.20.
Emirates introduces Dubai-Bali-Auckland service
Starting June 14, Emirates will fly daily from Dubai to Auckland via Bali. Operated on a Boeing 777-300ER, the southbound flight, EK 450, will depart Dubai at 06.55, arriving at Denpasar (Bali) at 20.20, before flying on to Auckland at 22.00, and arriving in New Zealand’s biggest city at 10.00 the following day. Northbound, the service will depart Auckland as flight EK 451 at 12.40, arriving in Denpasar at 17.55. It will leave Denpasar at 19.50, arriving in Dubai at 00.45.
The daily flights add to Emirates’ two existing daily flights between Bali and Dubai, so passengers get to choose from three flights on the Bali-Dubai sector.
AirAsia X connects Kuala Lumpur to Jaipur
AirAsia has become the first LCC to fly directly between Kuala Lumpur and Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. Until March 24, flight D7184 departs Kuala Lumpur on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 19.00, for arrival in Jaipur at 22.00. It then returns from Jaipur at 23.15 and arrives in Kuala Lumpur at 07.05.
And from March 25 onwards, the outgoing flight will depart Kuala Lumpur at 08.00, to arrive in Jaipur at 11.00. It then leaves Jaipur at 12.00 and arrives in Kuala Lumpur at 19.50.
It is not enough to keep up with the digital expectations of today’s tech-savvy consumers, Expedia says. Exceeding these expectations is a “travel industry imperative”.
To help travel service providers anticipate new needs, Expedia casts the spotlight on four key trends of 2018.
AI and machine learning: chatbots become ubiquitous
Expedia expects 2018 to be a year where AI, in the form of machine learning, becomes not just a futuristic technology, but an integrated and valuable everyday tool.
Growing “digital impatience” among consumers and expectations for instant responses to queries and purchasing requests has driven adoption of digital assistants. According to Expedia, 62 per cent of global consumers today are comfortable with an AI application responding to their query.
Chatbots are already enabling deeper and easier traveller communication, and are expanding to different mediums: chat, social channels, voice assistants and more. In addition, new tools and technologies in this space will allow hoteliers to connect with consumers in deeper and more meaningful ways.
Voice: Siri and Google go mainstream
Voice-enabled digital assistants are poised to not just change the travel industry, Expedia posits, but nearly every industry we touch in our lives. By 2021, there will be 7.5 billion digital assistants in the world.
Digital assistants today are giving us weather and traffic information, and entertainment content – but they are also enabling us to search hotels, check the status of flights, and more.
“As an industry, we need to be at the forefront of testing voice skills, and aligning with the growing traveler adoption of this technology, to ensure we’re equipped and at full performance when it becomes ubiquitous”, Arthur Chapin, senior vice president – global product and design, Expedia Group. said.
Citing Business Insider UK, Expedia shared that the number of virtual digital assistant users has increased over 40 per cent from 2016 to 2017 with an estimated of 158 per cent increase from 2017 to 2021.
Expedia also shared numbers from Seattle-based voice over IP carrier Speakeasy showing that nearly half of global smartphone users will use voice technology by 2020 and 47 per cent will use voice technology at least once a month.
Activities booking in an experience economy
With 72 per cent of consumers seeking experiences over things, Expedia said there is great opportunity to target consumers who will not just book a hotel room, but also experiences from dinner reservations, to tours and activities to entertainment.
One-stop shop for packages
Consumers expect a seamless, one-stop experience in nearly every area of their lives. A recent multi-generational study by Brand Expedia shows that 80 per cent of travellers find it useful to book all their trip components together, and for Gen Z, the number is massive 87 per cent.
The upside for hotels is that offering rooms in “package bookings”, alongside flights and cars, typically means higher average daily rate, longer booking windows and fewer cancellations. Plus, consumers can streamline their research and booking into one seamless purchase. Package demand on Expedia generated nearly 1.4 times longer booking window when compared to standalone hotel bookings.
For hoteliers, these longer stays and longer booking windows mean more opportunities for them to engage with and upsell consumers – both prior to check-in and on-property, Expedia says.