Long line of passengers at Narita Airport

IN an effort to dramatically speed up immigration procedures, Japan is planning to introduce a pre-clearance system at airports in South Korea and Taiwan.

Travellers will complete screening before even boarding their flights, enabling them to pass through Japanese airports – which are becoming increasingly congested as tourist numbers soar – much more rapidly.

Travel companies overseas have welcomed the plan and say it will be a “big bonus” to their clients.

Under the proposed scheme, which is scheduled to be put into operation in fiscal 2017, Japanese customs and immigration officers would be stationed at the airport of departure to verify passport information and the contents of their luggage.

After arriving in Japan, these pre-screened travellers would be directed to a special lane for a brief screening before leaving the airport.

If the programme proves to be effective, Japanese authorities plan to roll it out to arrivals from more nations.

Delays at Japan’s largest airports are becoming a major problem as arrivals consistently hit new record highs.

International arrivals in July alone leapt 19.7 per cent from the same month last year, with 2.297 million visitors setting a new monthly record. The previous record of 2.082 million was only set in April this year.

“This is a very good idea and will obviously be a big bonus to our clients,” said Sarah Lee, spokesperson for Seoul-based Va Kangs Travel. “Anything that the authorities can do to smoothen the arrival procedures will be of help.”

O&J Travel’s agent Amy One agreed that “improved efficiency and speed for people who are arriving will make the destination more appealing.”

Long lines at immigration at Japan’s busiest airports, such as those serving Tokyo and Osaka, mean that new arrivals often have to wait for more than one hour to be processed. The government is aiming to reduce that to a maximum of 20 minutes by 2020, when Tokyo will host the Olympic Games.

Bertrand Saillet, general manager, Southeast Asia
of the corporate division at Flight Centre

HAVING a business travel policy is not the prerogative of multinationals and conglomerates.

Even though small and medium enterprises tend not to have a robust business travel policy in place – if at all – and even though they may not as regularly send staff overseas for work, having a policy in place can be beneficial for them, according to TMC Flight Centre.

Bertrand Saillet, general manager, Southeast Asia of the corporate division at Flight Centre says that the easy accessibility and competitive prices offered by OTAs may be an attractive proposition for resource-lean organisations, but factors of time, long-term cost and productivity should also be taken into account.

This only becomes more pertinent as terror attacks become increasingly regular and ensuring the safety of employees and mitigating risks on business trips thus becomes more crucial.

Said Saillet: “If you ever booked a flight on one of the numerous websites, you have probably experienced at least one, if not all, of these frustrations – finding a suitable flight time at a reasonable price, volatile prices that changes from minute to minute, hidden costs that are revealed just before you key in your credit card details.

“More often than not, travellers settle for the cheapest price at the expense of their own comfort or spend way more than intended due to time constraints in seeking out a more budget-friendly price.

“While leisure travellers may have the leeway to afford some level of inconvenience, for businesses, it means the loss of precious productivity hours that could potentially impact business outcomes,” he advices.

He adds that there is a loss in productivity as well if an employee is spending time going through a multitude of websites in order to book a trip. Other considerations such as expense billing processes also eat away at resources otherwise better spent.

“SMEs with just a handful of business travellers often find it challenging to efficiently integrate travel management with their existing business functions, as many are working with a lean team of employees that already juggling multiple roles,” said Saillet.

“This is where a travel partner can significantly ease this additional burden without any added cost. Furthermore, there is the added value of round-the-clock service and helplines should any unforeseen circumstances occur during a trip.”

In terms of duty-of-care, offering travel insurance for employees is only the beginning, especially when travelling to high-risk destinations, he adds.

Assessing risks, providing full discretion and educating staff are some of the key challenges in offering a firmer safety net for employees.

“The initial process of developing a travel risk management policy could be a tedious one, but once it has been established, SMEs, or any organisation in fact, will definitely reap the long term benefit of protection for both the company and its employees,” opined Saillet.

STARTING today, all Malaysia Airlines passengers on economy class will have to print their own baggage tags at check-in kiosks located around the departure level of Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

This applies to all domestic and international flights operated by the airline, except services to Dhaka and Kathmandu, where guests still need to check-in at dedicated counters on row A17 and A18.

Passengers also have to self-tag their bags before proceeding to the baggage drop counter.

According to a Malaysia Airlines statement, the aim is to simplify and reduce the time needed for checking-in, and to give customers more control over their travel experience. The airline is also set to introduce self-baggage drop in 4Q2016.

With the new system, the check-in process from kiosks to baggage drop counters is expected to be significantly shorter. Passengers who check-in via web and mobile will also need to print their baggage tags at any of the 50 kiosks available before proceeding to the baggage drop counter.

There will be instructions on the tag and standees nearby to educate passengers on the process. A maximum of two printed luggage tags per passenger is allowed at the kiosk.

Malaysia Airlines’ economy class passengers are allowed to check-in a maximum of two pieces of baggage weighing 30kg in total.

CHINESE travellers are shedding their credit wariness when it comes to paying for flights and holidays.

According to latest research by payments solution provider Worldpay, 73 per cent of 26-35 year olds (millennials) and 77 per cent of 36-45 year olds (Gen X’ers) in China responded positively when asked if they had paid for their last holiday using a credit option such as a credit card or bank loan.

This is compared to 69 per cent of millennials and 71 per cent of Gen X’ers in the US who admitted going into debt in order to fund their upcoming trip.

The willingness to use credit means that Chinese spending habits are now much more closely related to their counterparts in the US than in other BRIC nations in the study. In India for instance, 67 per cent of travellers had paid for their last holiday using savings rather than credit.

How Chinese and US travellers pay however, remains a world of difference. Only 44 per cent of Chinese travellers said they would pay for their next holiday with a credit card, compared to 81 per cent in the US.

Instead, Chinese travellers prefer alternative payment methods with 32 per cent of respondents in China saying they would book their next flight or holiday using Alipay and 10 per cent indicating they would use the domestic, pre-authorised debit card UnionPay.

“These findings show that – at least when it comes to flights and holidays – China is now very much a consumer-driven economy and is beginning to challenge the US in terms of spending power,” said Phil Pomford, general manager Asia Pacific, global ecommerce at Worldpay.

“Yet the real learning for airlines and travel companies who want to tap into the passion for international travel means recognising that while everyone wants to go on holiday, the way they pay for it varies remarkably from country to country.

“This is especially true in Asia-Pacific where markets such as China and India have long preferred to use alternative payment methods, as opposed to traditional debit and credit cards.”

Rotorua, New Zealand

TOURISM New Zealand (TNZ) is launching new destination itineraries and a guide to finding halal food in the country as part of a marketing offensive aimed at South-east Asian travellers.

The national tourism promotion agency is teaming up with Air New Zealand to offer two new itineraries, targeting the more matured market of Singapore, whose travellers are increasingly showing a preference for lesser-known destinations, according to Steven Dixon, regional manager, South and South East Asia at TNZ.

“Our research shows that over half of Singapore travellers (58.4 per cent) choose to travel off the beaten track to places like Tauranga, Napier and Nelson where they can enjoy a diverse range of experiences and local culture with fewer crowds,” he said.

“These two new itineraries capture the country’s hidden gems and highlights how everything in New Zealand is close by. For example, the new nine-day Discover Central New Zealand itinerary provides travellers the opportunity to explore Napier, Wellington, Blenheim and Nelson.”

The other new itinerary is the eight-day Northern Bay of New Zealand + Hobbiton package which showcases Tauranga, Taupo, Rotorua and Hamilton.

Air New Zealand flies daily direct from Singapore to Auckland and also provides more than 20 domestic connections in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, TNZ has partnered with the Kiwi Muslim Directory and Federation of the Islamic Associations of New Zealand to produce a culinary guide for Muslim tourists.

It provides general tourism information, together with a list of restaurants and cafes, from halal-certified through to those which offer vegetarian dishes or vegan cuisine.

Commented Dixon: “New Zealand food goes way beyond fish and chips and barbeques – our chefs have developed a distinct Pacific Rim cuisine.

“We acknowledge how important access to information about suitable dining options is to the overall experience of our Muslim visitors and this guide demonstrates our commitment to further enhancing New Zealand’s position as a visitor destination among this audience.”

The Halal Food Guide is available for download on the Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia editions of Tourism New Zealand’s website.

LCC Vietjet has signed an interline agreement with Germany’s Hahn Air, a Dusseldorf-based airline and GDS carrying more than 300 air, rail and shuttle suppliers and over 95,000 travel agency partners.

In addition to the interline booking partnership, which enhances connectivity between Vietnam and Germany, Hahn Air will also distribute Vietjet tickets via its GDS available in 190 markets worldwide.

The Vietnamese budget carrier first partnered with Hahn Air in 2014 for distribution, and is expanding the deal with this recent signing made earlier this week.

Through this enhanced agreement, Vietjet gains access to a suite of services including scheduling, fare filing, messaging, inventory management, reservations, settlements, money repatriation and ticketing.

Vietjet added in a press statement that they will continue to expand interline cooperation with other airlines in the world.

“It will be fundamental for the airline to work on interline cooperation with other airlines in the region and worldwide,” it stated.