HONG Kong-headquartered U-Fly Alliance has released a statement congratulating the Value Alliance soon after news spread of its formation, at the same time saying that this development is of no threat to them.
The Value Alliance, formed May 16, is made up of eight Asia-Pacific budget carriers – namely Cebu Pacific, Jeju Air, Nok Air, NokScoot, Scoot, Tigerair Singapore, Tigerair Australia and Vanilla Air – and is now the biggest LCC alliance in the world.
“The launch of this new alliance poses no threat to the competitive landscape. In fact, it would encourage creative collaboration and foster healthy growth in the LCC industry,” said U-Fly in the statement.
It added: “The U-Fly Alliance is clear that meeting the huge demand for low-fare air travel across the world can be significantly enhanced by strong, independent LCCs joining forces and connecting their networks to give a hugely expanded range of destinations to travellers, particularly in the fast-expanding Asian air travel market.”
Similar to the Value Alliance, the U-Fly Alliance is a sales and distribution partnership among its members.
The U-Fly Alliance was formed earlier this year in January, marking the world’s first LCC alliance, and is made up of founding airlines Lucky Air, Urumqi Air, West Air and HK Express.
The Value Alliance airlines collectively serves more than 160 destinations while the U-Fly Alliance carriers grant access to over 85 destinations, all within the Asia-Pacific region.
Why
Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon, the newest attraction at Sunway Lagoon, opened in February this year following a RM100 million (US$24.8 million) investment. The destination is spread over five hectares, and features 12 new rides and attractions.
It was a sultry day in late March when I visited, intent to find out whether its offerings met the hype. I came prepared with sunscreen and a gardener’s hat but was pleasantly surprised it was quite cool within the park, kudos to the trees that provided shade from the blistering heat.
What Nickelodeon is rife with water offerings, be it gentle rides, plunging water slides or cascading waterfalls.
The park appeals to little ones and kids at heart, ensuring hours of fun for all ages. The Spongebob Splash Adventure, for example, features a short slide for children and a much longer one for older ones. Here, my activity of choice was cooling off in the pool, waiting for the bucket overhead to fill up up and overturn, splashing everyone beneath.
My six-year-old niece’s favourite was Splish Splash, which has multiple water features that created an interactive water spray experience. She had immense fun playing and shooting water at other children.
I prefer the adrenaline rush that comes with exhilaratingly fast water rides. The Primeval section features three similar ones – Cobra Creek, Boa Constrictor and Crocodile Gully – all of which involve riding down a long, winding tunnel on a rubber tube before plunging into a pool. What differs is the length of the tunnels, amount of light within and number of swerves. I found Cobra Creek the scariest, as it was dark inside what seemed like a never-ending tunnel, when in reality the experience lasted than a minute.
The only section that didn’t involve water was the Explorers’ Trail, a short walking trail set along a suspended bridge. From here, I could get a bird’s-eye view of the entire park as well as attractions underneath like the MariMari Rapids.
How
This self-contained park has many stalls offering items from ice-cream and light snacks to refreshments and wholesome meals, so visitors can take food breaks without venturing out.
There are also great photo opportunities as Nickelodeon characters such as SpongeBob Squarepants, Patrick Star, Dora the Explorer, Boots, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles make appearances at scheduled times during the day.
Verdict
Ideal for adults and children to enjoy activities together, Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon is a good place for families to cool off and caters to a wide audience with unique attractions offering varying degrees of fun and thrills. It is also easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur.
Name Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon Opening hours 10.00 to 18.00 Rates RM150 (US$37.22) for 12 years and above, RM120 for 11 years and below Contact details 3, Jalan PJS 11/11, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan,Malaysia; Email: slsales@sunway.com.my Websitehttp://sunwaylagoon.com
(From left) Chanin Donavanik, vice chairman and chairman of the executive committee of Dusit International; Kaye Chon, founding chairman, Asia Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education; and Qu Xiao, the council’s immediate past president
The Asia Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (APacCHRIE) presents Chanin Donavanik, vice chairman and chairman of the executive committee of Dusit International, with the APacCHRIE Lifetime Achievement Award for his significant contributions to the hospitality industry in the region.
TAREQ Bagaeen has founded aQedina Hospitality Sales Solutions, which provides capability building resources for hoteliers.
Bagaeen was most recently regional director of sales, Middle East, at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, and had been in hotel sales and other hospitality roles for the past 16 years in countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Ireland and the UAE.
His newly-founded company offers sales team assessments, learning and development programmes as well as emerging markets growth and exploration tools.
Its key product is the Online Sales Assessment Tool (OSAT), aimed at assessing revenue generating team members.
According to aQedina, it is designed to bring clarity towards an individual’s or team commercial capabilities without getting psychometric in approach, and is an industry first.
Bagaeen and his company is based in Phuket, with satellite offices located in Washington DC, Barcelona, Dubai and Bangkok.
HONG Kong Airlines is set to launch its first direct flight to New Zealand on November 10.
Services depart daily from Hong Kong International Airport at 15.20 and will arrive at Auckland Airport at 07.30 local time. The return flight will depart daily from Auckland at 09.30 and will reach Hong Kong at 15.55.
The flights will be operated by an Airbus A332 with 283 seats, including 24 business class seats.
Li Dianchun, chief commercial officer of Hong Kong Airlines stated that the route is being launched to ride on the rise in number of Hong Kong and China travellers visiting New Zealand.
“According to official figures by the New Zealand Government, as of March 2016, the total number of visitors from Hong Kong and China has recorded rises of 19.1 per cent and 27.8 per cent respectively,” he said.
“Leveraging on our connectivity in Asia via the international hub in Hong Kong, we believe this new service to Auckland will be welcomed by passengers from Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chengdu, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Okinawa, Tokyo, Bangkok and Taipei, offering them more travel options.”
CARLSON Rezidor Hotel Group has acquired Country Development & Management Services (CDMS), a joint venture between Country Inns & Suites by Carlson and Chanakya Hotels that was set up to pioneer the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brand in India.
The acquisition includes operation of four Radisson Blu hotels managed in India by CDMS.
With this deal, the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brand in India will now be managed by Carlson Hotels (South Asia), the Indian affiliate of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.
Explaining the decision to acquire CDMS, Raj Rana, CEO, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, said: “India is an important market for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, where we offer seven brands from mid-scale to luxury. Country Inns & Suites By Carlson is an integral part of our brand portfolio in the mid-scale segment. This consolidation will help us in directing our resources more efficiently to support our hotels.”
Commenting on the move, Thorsten Kirschke, president, Asia-Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, added: “This acquisition, resulting in the full ownership of CDMS, is a strategic move to further strengthen our position as the leading international hotel operator in India.
“We aim to have 170 hotels in operation and under development by 2020 in the country.”
CHINA Eastern Airlines’ commencement of daily flights between Brisbane and Shanghai this December has been hailed as a “huge victory for the whole of Queensland”.
The daily schedule is a marked increase to the thrice-weekly service originally planned.
Welcoming the move, Julieanne Alroe, CEO and managing director, Brisbane Airport Corporation, said: “Connecting China’s busiest international hub with Queensland’s biggest international airport is a significant step for the city and state in positioning Brisbane as a major Asia-Pacific centre.”
According to Alroe, the Chinese visitor market, the second largest for Brisbane Airport, has experienced 23 per cent growth in the last 12 months.
Latest statistics show that a record 400,000 Chinese travellers visited Queensland in 2015, contributing almost A$1 billion (US$729 million) in visitor expenditure, which is a 51 per cent increase on the previous year.
Alroe said: “Regular direct flights into Brisbane will help capture a portion of this substantial and important market as well as direct visitors to some of Queensland’s most desirable tourist destinations.”
Likewise, Brisbane Airport’s head of corporate relations, Rachel Crowley, said: “There is so much potential for Brisbane to be developed as a gateway city instead of Sydney or Melbourne because of its position on the map.
“We are foreseeing a huge volume of Chinese traffic to start using Brisbane with this new development,” she said, adding that Beijing is being targeted as the next Chinese city to develop daily direct connections.
China Eastern Airlines currently operates a seasonal service between Shanghai and Cairns, providing access for up to 13,000 visitors each year to tropical North Queensland, the state’s northern gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
AFTER bringing satellite operator Thaicom from nowhere to eighth in the world and increasing its market cap five to six times in the four-plus years she headed the company, new group CEO of Dusit International, Suphajee Suthumpun, is on a mission to put the homegrown hotel group on the world stage.
Suthumpun joins Dusit at a time of tremendous growth. The chain operates 29 properties today but has a pipeline of 40 hotels that will open in the next three to five years across AMEA. The target is to sign another 20 hotels this year, she said.
Hospitality education is also growing great guns with eight projects in six countries.
But Suthumpun’s goal is incalculable and larger than just number of hotels, schools, company size and other such performance indicators. “I could grow Dusit to 100 hotels and have more education projects, but I’m looking for more impact than just that,” she said in an interview.
“My goal is first, for everyone of our 4,000 employees – and this will grow to 12,000 as we open more hotels – to be proud of being a part of Dusit and to believe in our mission. Ultimately, for Dusit to be seen as the homegrown asset of the country which all Thais can be proud of. If a Thai were to visit, say, the Dusit Thani in Dubai, he or she would be filled with pride that Thailand has produced such a brand.”
Her priority is to strengthen the foundation of the company to support “quality” growth. The pillars centre around five key areas, namely, people, process, property & branding, technology and financial capability, she said.
Marking a new chapter at Dusit, Suthumpun is the first CEO who is non-family and only the third CEO since the business was found by Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui in 1949. The founder’s son, former CEO Chanin Donavanik, has stepped down but remains chairman of the executive committee.
Asked why he decided to handover the baton to Suthumpun, Donavanik said with the business growing so rapidly, the company had to be managed and led differently.
“I don’t think I have the energy to do detailed work anymore. I also think technology will be important if the company were to do well and I am not good with that. And when she said yes, I felt comfortable to retire as I have someone who has the passion and reputation to look after Dusit, the company I love as my mother founded it.”
– Read how Suthumpun plans to strengthen Dusit’s foundation in View from the Top, TTG Asia’s June issue
The ballroom at the upcoming Radisson property can seat up to 1,600 guests
RADISSON Golf & Convention Center Batam will elevate Batam’s appeal as a MICE destination when it opens in 3Q2016 with 240 guestrooms and flexible event spaces.
Owned by Adhya Graha Wisata, the property will be one of the first international branded hotels to be launched on the small Indonesian island just an hour by ferry from Singapore.
Located in the upscale Sukajadi area, Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam is part of Bukit Indah Sukajadi, a 220-hectare development that includes residential units, offices and commercial and retail spaces. The property sits adjacent to the 18-hole Sukajadi championship golf course and is close to Kepri Shopping Mall, Nagoya town, the offices of Batam Center and Muka Kuning Batamindo industrial park.
Event spaces at the hotel will include a ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,600 banquet guests, and a number of meeting spaces with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. Customisable banquet menus will be available.
Other hotel facilities include a 152-seat all-day-dining restaurant, an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, a fitness centre, a Kid’s Club and a spa.
“The opening of Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam is redefining the hospitality landscape in Batam, providing extraordinary stay, play and meeting experiences for travellers,” said Veronique Sirault, general manager, Radisson Golf & Convention Center Batam.
EIGHT budget carriers yesterday formed the world’s largest and first ever pan-regional LCC alliance.
The Value Alliance’s founding airlines are Cebu Pacific (including subsidiary Cebgo), Jeju Air, Nok Air, NokScoot, Scoot, Tigerair Singapore, Tigerair Australia and Vanilla Air.
CEOs and stewardesses of all eight partner LCCs
Explaining the nature of the partnership, Campbell Wilson, CEO of Scoot, said: “This is a sales and distribution alliance. It is to expand our distribution reach beyond each of our departments, to open the networks we ourselves operate in.”
This means that customers will be able to view, select and book flights from any of the eight airlines in a single transaction, directly from each carrier’s website, once the technology is fully implemented.
Developed by Air Black Box (ABB), this new technology also offers guests the full suite of ancillary choices available from all the LCCs in one itinerary.
Wilson elaborated: “You’ll be able to book one, two, or more than two airlines in a single transaction and payment. You’ll be able to select your seats, baggage requirements, meals (and other inflight features) on all of the carriers. You’ll be able to complete your entire booking in a single website, in a single transaction, and receive a single itinerary. It’s basically a one-stop shop.”
Michael B. Szucs, Cebu Pacific’s chief executive adviser, added: “This is about giving visibility to our partners’ products on our own respective websites. (It is about) making (the booking process) seamless and providing one transaction for those who want to connect on a multi-leg journey.”
According to Wilson, there was no good technology in the market that allowed interline sale of ancillary products, hence the need for ABB.
He said: “GDS distribution is not exactly desirable. We wanted to avoid some of the challenges that exist with other systems. There are existing products out there, but they do a poor job of interline sale of ancillary products, and ancillary products for Scoot (and the other LCCs) is more than 20 per cent of our revenue. There is a clear opportunity cost, and that’s why it is so critical to develop technology that facilitates sale and real-time pricing.”
For example, Lee Lik Hsin, CEO of Tigerair Singapore said that his company and Cebu Pacific already have an interline partnership in place. However, ancillaries cannot be booked on the current platform. With the new alliance and platform, the booking of ancillaries has been made possible.
“That is the added advantage,” said Lee.
Szucs said: “The emphasis (of this alliance) was to leverage off each partner here, in terms of the power of their own web distribution.
“In each of our markets, our dot com web distribution is powerful. Cebupacificair.com is powerful in the Philippines, but it not the first place some will go to in Korea or Thailand or Australia. But I have partners here who have powerful brands in those markets, and that efficient technology that links to their own web distribution is what we’re trying to achieve.”
Yet, two notable LCCs – AirAsia and Jetstar – were not present at the unveiling.
When asked about their absence, Wilson said: “The objective is to expand our distribution and our network. We do this for our own strategic reasons, so the fact you don’t see some airlines here is self-explanatory.”
He added: “However, this is not a closed alliance. We are open to new members joining the alliance. Who and where obviously we cannot say yet.”
A shared loyalty programme is also absent in the Value Alliance, and there are no plans to have one as of now.
When asked why, Szucs said: “At the moment, we need to focus on the huge value we can bring to each other in terms of sales distribution. What is core to what we do is maintaining the lowest cost, as that means we can pass on the lowest fares to the consumers. We’re about low fares to stimulate travel for people who have never flown before.”
The Value Alliance airlines will serve more than 160 destinations with a collective fleet of 176 aircraft across the Asia-Pacific. In 2015, the eight airlines collectively carried 47 million travellers.
Currently, Scoot, Nok Air and NokScoot are already offering each other’s flights and fares powered by the new ABB technology. Other alliance members will come online in the next six to nine months.
