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Asia/Singapore Sunday, 14th December 2025
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Aviation roundup: Scoot, Jet Airways and Jetstar

By TTG Asia
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Scoot's Boeing 787 Dreamliner

SIA, SilkAir enter codeshare with Scoot

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SilkAir will codeshare on Scoot flights to over 30 destinations served only by the LCC in the SIA Group.

The agreement will cover destinations such as Athens, Clark, Gold Coast, Hat Yai, Ipoh, Krabi, Kuching and Palembang.

SIA shared that the new agreement will enable SIA and SilkAir customers to travel on single-ticket itineraries to these codeshare destinations, which means that their boarding passes and baggage tags will be issued up to their final destination at the first point of check-in.

For flights over four hours, SIA and SilkAir will offer checked baggage allowance as well as a complimentary meal and beverage.

Air France-KLM, Jet Airways enhance cooperation

Air France-KLM has strengthened its cooperation with India’s Jet Airways, linking India to a larger trans-Atlantic network.

As part of the deal, Jet Airways passengers will be able to book a single ticket for a trip to the US and Europe, and fly Delta, Air France-KLM or Virgin Atlantic flights for different legs of the journey.

The newly enhanced cooperation will offer travel options for 44 cities in India and 106 destinations across Europe, Jean-Marc Janaillac, chairman of Air France-KLM said.

Jetstar ups frequencies on five routes this holiday season

Between December 14, 2017 to January 6, 2018, Jetstar will add 4,500 seats across five services from Singapore.

Eight flights will be added to Penang, four to Kuala Lumpur; four to Siem Reap; six to Clark; and four to Surabaya.

M’sian tourism ministry wants RM300 million more in promotional funds

By S Puvaneswary
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The Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia is seeking an additional RM300 million (US$74 million) from the government for promotional activities in China and India, Malaysia’s two largest inbound arrivals from medium haul markets.

Tourism and culture minister, Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, described the RM500 million allocation in the 2018 national budget as “tight” as the ministry still had debts for advanced bookings of advertising spaces over the last two years.

More needed for promotions in key markets

A Bernama report quoted Mohamed Nazri as having said: “When the government reduced the budget from RM200 million (US$49.3 million) for promotional activities over the past years, we were left with no more than RM110 million.

“The RM500 million under the Budget (2018) was to pay our debts for the advance (advertising payments) from year 2015-2017, so we need another RM300 million to advertise and promote our tourism products (going forward).”

For the first eight months of 2017, arrivals from China saw an 8.3 per cent growth to 1.52 million tourists, whereas arrivals from India saw a decline of 21.5 per cent to 354,258 arrivals compared with the preceding year.

According to Tourism Malaysia’s statistics, tourists from China spent an average of five nights in Malaysia in 2016, spending on average RM746.20 per day, while tourists from India spent an average of seven nights last year, spending RM594.70

Luxury Escapes owner goes pure travel with brand swap

By TTG Asia
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India regional office a year in the making

Australian e-commerce business Lux Group will become a pure travel business headlined by flash deals site Luxury Escapes, following the acquisition of local competitors Bon Voyage and Scoopon Travel, and sale of its two non-travel brands.

Luxury Escapes’ CEO, Adam Schwab, said the acquisition enables three of the industry’s major online travel brands to increase market leadership, while retaining their respective brand identities and customer service orientation.

Luxury Escapes, Bon Voyage and Scoopon Travel have combined membership of close to three million

The three brands collectively service almost 500,000 travellers around the world each year, and have a combined membership of close to three million, according to a statement by Luxury Escapes.

Schwab added: “This transformative transaction will allow Lux Group to establish a focused and scaled travel e-commerce business with over A$300 million (US$229 million) of pro forma turnover as we continue to deliver… travel packages to consumers across Australia, New Zealand and South-east Asia.”

“Over the coming months we will closely review the brand and customer strategy to determine a long-term solution that makes the most sense for all of our current and future customers and partner properties.”

The acquisitions form part of a series of transactions between Lux Group and Catch Group that sees them swapping their travel and retail assets.

While the deals direct Lux Group’s focus to travel e-commerce, the latter will turn more to serving consumers at home, having purchased Brands Exlusive and TheHome to sit alongside Catch.com.au, GroceryRun, Mumgo and Pumpkin Patch.

Catch Group and Lux Group will also provide product and travel to an independently operated, 50/50 joint venture for local experiences, which will include businesses such as Scoopon, Cudo, LivingSocial, DEALS.com.au and New Zealand-based TreatMe.

Tour East establishes leisure presence in North America

By TTG Asia
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Travel industry marketing company helmed by Cauchi (pictured) now representing Tour East in North America

Shortly after beefing up its sales infrastructure in Europe, Tour East is now growing its representation in North America.

Travel industry marketing company helmed by Cauchi (pictured) now representing Tour East in North America

The DMC, which operates in 14 Asia-Pacific countries, has appointed New York-based Delivering America, helmed by managing director Joe Cauchi, as its representative office on the continent, building on its longstanding MICE-dedicated presence in Minnesota.

Chris Bailey, senior vice president of Tour East, said: “Increasing air connections and related capacity from several major cities throughout North America makes travel to the Asia-Pacific region so convenient. When you combine this with the wide ranging and extremely affordable experiential-based travel opportunities this region offers, visitors can only grow.”

Changi Airport mulls passenger fee increase

By TTG Asia
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Travellers flying from Changi Airport, as well as airlines operating there, may have to pay higher fees and charges from next year.

This increase will go towards the construction of the airport’s Terminal 5 (T5), which is scheduled for completion in 2030, reported The Sunday Times. A spokesperson for the transport ministry said: “We have not ruled out implementing a passenger fee.”

Travellers may have to pay fees to help fund Changi’s upcoming T5

Passengers flying from Changi Airport currently pay a fee of S$34 (US$25.20), comprising components such as security tax, while transiting passengers pay S$6. The last increase was made in April 2013 from S$28.

T5 is expected to handle up to 70 million passengers annually and double the size of Changi Airport to more than 2,000 ha.

The upcoming terminal is part of the Changi East development project, the total cost of which – including major infrastructure and ground works – is expected to run into tens of billions of Singapore dollars.

The spokesperson clarified that the government will bear “a large proportion” of total costs for the Changi East project.

Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong announced earlier this month that taxes will be increased as government spending on investments and social services grows.

Muslim arrivals in Japan to cross one million mark

By TTG Asia
0
Muslim tourists sightseeing in Shibuya's Hachiko Square

Japan is set to welcome over one million Muslim visitors in 2018, according to the inaugural Mastercard-CrescentRating Japan Muslim Travel Index (JMTI) 2017.

The research revealed Muslim arrivals to Japan increased from around 150,000 in 2004 to 700,000 in 2016. It is projected to surpass one million by 2018 and reach 1.4 million by 2020. Sixty per cent of the Muslim visitor arrivals currently are from South-east Asia, with Indonesia representing 27 per cent of the arrivals.

Muslim tourists sightseeing in Shibuya’s Hachiko Square

The study placed Tokyo at the top as the Japanese city most equipped to receive Muslim travellers, followed by Osaka and Hokkaido in third place.

To derive this ranking, forty-seven destinations in Japan were scored based on access, communications, environment and services.

Earlier this year, Japan moved up two places to take sixth spot for non-OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) destinations in the annual Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2017.

JMTI was launched at Halal Expo Japan by Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating & HalalTrip, and Halal Media Japan.

The event also saw the first set of 20 Japanese restaurants being awarded “Crescent Rating”, which is based on the level of Muslim-friendly services each establishment offers.

The full report is available here https://www.crescentrating.com/halal-muslim-travel-market-reports.html.

China Eastern, BlueFocus hype new inflight retail era driven by e-commerce

By TTG Asia
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Cheung speaking at the simulation

China Eastern Airlines and BlueFocus IFEC have jointly conducted a simulation for what they call the world’s first “Air to Home” inflight shopping service, which allows passengers to make inflight purchases on their mobile devices and have them delivered to the recipient’s doorstep.

The new service will also enable passengers to use and earn China Eastern loyalty points in their inflight transactions, and all products will be delivered free to passengers’ home.

Cheung speaking at the simulation

China Eastern selected more than 30 products – including skincare brands Whoo and Wet’n’Wild as well as designer brand De Yeen jewels – for the “Air To Home” simulation, based on the big data analysis of the purchasing preference of over 10 million passengers.

Kyle Cheung, deputy director of Transformation Office of China Eastern Airlines, said: “The traditional inflight retail (experience) is (driven) by airlines; passengers buy what airlines supply. However, the new inflight e-commerce retail is (driven) by passengers; airlines supply what passengers want; and the passengers decide to whether to shop online or offline and where to deliver.”

Pointing out that China’s inflight Internet “is obviously behind the US and other western developed countries”, the partners stated China Eastern’s intentions to give the service a new focus – in this case leveraging it to offer Internet-based retail experiences. Differentiated services, the partners say, “may (become) one of the key points of airlines’ layout”.

BlueFocus IFEC added in a statement that passenger’s consumption patterns have been migrating to online, driven by the prevalence of mobile use. It hence sees new technology as essential to creating a new inflight shopping experience, as well as product selection, purchasing, sales and logistics.

The opportunities, it states, are tremendous, as the number of China’s civil aviation passenger is expected to reach 670 million in 2017. Considered alongside the rapid development of China’s inflight Internet and the relaxation of in-flight Wi-Fi services policy, BlueFocus IFEC foresees that a new hundred-billion-yuan era of inflight consumption is imminent.

Founded in 2015, BlueFocus IFEC have independently developed the IFEC operating platform BAO and marketing platform BAM for airlines. It has launched various inflight Internet marketing strategies with several airlines.

Myanmar National Airlines hops on twin-destination drive

By Marissa Carruthers
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Combining Angkor Wat (pictured) and Bagan in the same itinerary

An application to run flights lining world heritage sites in Myanmar and Cambodia has been lodged as part of a bid to boost tourism.

Myanmar National Airlines has applied for a licence as part of a cross-country drive to twin World Heritage sites Bagan and Angkor Wat. The move comes after an MoU between the two countries was signed last month and a “two countries, one destination” campaign was launched.

Combining Angkor Wat (pictured) and Bagan in the same itinerary

Bertie Lawson, managing director of Sampan Travel in Myanmar, said the connection would offer travellers “greater freedom and flexibility”. However, he pointed out that an increasing number of young travellers are entering Myanmar via land, while senior travellers to the country tend to plan a single destination holiday.

EXO Cambodia product manager Coralie Romano said culture and heritage tours bring “high-value” tourists, making the move attractive.

However, should the campaign bring the expected tourist boom, Lawson says it needs to be sensitively managed. Angkor Wat is expected to welcome 3.5 million visitors this year and Bagan 350,000.

Said Lawson: “Perhaps the most special thing about Bagan is how one can still explore it and get the sense of being alone amongst the temples. If this quality is threatened by the new flight, we will have to think carefully about how we can help our guests experience such a sense, either in Bagan or other destinations in Myanmar.”

Malaysia Airlines welcomes its first A350-900

By S Puvaneswary
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Malaysia's second minister of finance Johari Abdul Ghani (left) with MAS' Izham Ismail

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) last week took delivery of its first A350-900, a member of the Airbus A350 XWB family of wide-body aircraft, intended to replace the airline’s Airbus A380-800 starting January 15, 2018.

The aircraft is said to be more fuel efficient compared with the A380 and offers a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, as well as lower maintenance costs.

Malaysia’s second minister of finance Johari Abdul Ghani (left) with MAS’ Izham Ismail

The Edge Markets quoted MAS group CEO, Izham Ismail, as having said: “With its technological advancements, the A350 XWB will help boost our competitiveness on our longhaul flights, and underlines our commitment to operate a young and modern fleet.”

The aircraft is the first of its kind in Asia to feature a First Class cabin, with four seats in First Class, 35 seats in Business Class and 247 seats in Economy class. It will also have inflight Wi-Fi and ambient LED lighting designed to reduce jetlag.

Syed Razif Al-Yahya, group managing director of Sutra Group of Companies, believes the new aircraft will help MAS to stay competitive and reduce their operating costs on this route.

He added: “In terms of passenger numbers, the A380 aircraft it replaces could carry more – up to 486 passengers. In terms of how it will affect passenger demand, however, he opined that the difference will be insignificant.

MAS will receive five more A350-900s in stages by 2Q2018.

Hello Kitty the new face of UNWTO’s sustainable tourism year

By TTG Asia
0

Hello Kitty has been appointed Special Ambassador of the International Year of UNWTO’s Sustainable Tourism Development 2017 (IY2017), promoting the year’s campaign of “Travel. Enjoy. Respect”.

“Travelling opens our minds and our hearts, and lets us see how we are equal,” the popular Sanrio character said in a campaign video.

The Sanrio icon spreading word on sustainable tourism in a campaign video

Hello Kitty will be supporting UNWTO with its advocacy efforts in communicating the messages of IY2017 “to the broadest extent possible”, as well as highlighting the role of tourism in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a global audience, according to a UNWTO statement.

The video, already shown at the Nartia airport, will also be published on the IY2017 website and social media channels.

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Sister Publications
TTG Asia TTGmice TTG India TTGssociations TTG Asia Luxury
TTG Asia | Le Méridien Putrajaya welcomes new GM
TTG Asia | Salter Brothers Hospitality names Chris Curran as COO
TTG Asia | Building a new world