VIRGIN Atlantic will relaunch daily services from London (Heathrow) to Mumbai starting October 29, following a suspension of the route in 2009 due to the global financial crisis.

The reinstated London-Mumbai flights will be operated using the Airbus A330-300 aircraft, which will feature the British carrier’s new Upper Class Dream Suite product with 33 seats, in addition to 48 premium economy- and 185 economy-class seats. Tickets will be sold from April 4.

Anju Desai, vice president, HMA Travel Mumbai said: “Flights to London are critical for onward connections within Europe and to the US. Virgin is popular with Indian fliers and we should see several new combinations of itineraries opening up.”

Meanwhile, Jet Airways launched on March 17 four-weekly flights from New Delhi to Dammam in Saudi Arabia, using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with business- and economy-class seating.

The Indian carrier already operates flights to Dammam from Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram, while its other Middle East destinations include Dubai, Sharjah, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jeddah and Riyadh.

Anil Punjabi, chairman (east), Travel Agents Federation of India, said: “The western and southern parts of India have immense demand for the Gulf, so added flights to Saudi Arabia will relieve the stress on seats. Moreover, the steady stream of non-resident Indians travelling that sector will keep up a sustained demand.”

CONTINENTAL Airlines’ (CO) merger with United Airlines (UA), which was completed on March 3, sees the consolidation of both carriers’ fleets, products, services and policies to create a streamlined customer experience.

The new entity, branded as United Airlines but with updated livery and logo, will offer passenger services with a common check-in process, ancillary product portfolio and frequent flyer programme under UA’s MileagePlus.

The airline has also revamped its international, longhaul premium products by introducing United Global First (first class) and United BusinessFirst (business class). In 2Q2012, the longhaul first-class product will feature new amenities such as an expanded in-flight menu, upgraded bedding and branded skincare products.

In Hong Kong, UA and CO package tours sold under the United Vacations and Continental Airlines Holidays banners, and managed by Jetour Holidays and Travel Resources respectively, will be integrated over the next few months. A tender will be issued in April/May to select a single vendor to sell all the packages under a new brand banner within the United Vacations portfolio.

Simon Wo, general manager, Jetour Holiday (China) said: “We have handled the packages for UA (in Hong Kong) for the last five years. Our contract will end later this month, but I believe it will be extended to June after the tender result is completed. We will definitely go for the tender bidding.”

“So far, the merger has gone smoothly without any glitches. In fact, the merger means expanded networks. Now we can fly to Hawaii via Guam,” he added.

Tommy Tam, owner, Arrow Travel Hong Kong, said: “We haven’t heard of any troubles from other travel experts about the UA/CO ticketing. It’s so far, so good.”

With the additional planes from the merger, UA is planning to invest US$550 million on various aircraft upgrades, including adding flat-bed seats, economy seats with extra legroom, and WiFi connectivity and streaming in-flight video capabilities by mid-2012. Up to 24 new aircraft, including five Boeing 787 Dreamliners, are scheduled for delivery this year.

UA also intends to hold trade seminars in April to update travel experts about its new reservations system.

CENTARA Hotels & Resorts will open two new hotels in Bangkok in the third quarter, which will operate under the group’s Centra four-star value brand.

Centra Government Complex Hotel & Convention Centre Chaeng Watthana and Centra Central Station Bangkok will be the third and fourth Centra-branded properties to open after Centra Ashlee Hotel Patong, which opened in Phuket last year, and Centra Taum Seminyak Bali, which opened in December.

Forming part of the government facility along Chaeng Watthana Road, the Centra Government Complex Hotel will target guests who have dealings with the various government bodies. The hotel will offer 192 superior rooms and 12 junior suites, a restaurant serving international and Thai cuisine, and a coffee corner in the lobby providing complimentary WiFi access.

The hotel’s convention centre will offer 27,293 m2 of event space, including 24 function rooms with capacity for up to 2,000 pax. Meeting rooms will range in size from 212-1,850m2, while the Ratthaprasasahabhakti building where the government offices are located will offer another 17 function rooms.

The second property, Centra Central Station Bangkok, will offer 150 rooms and suites on the periphery of Chinatown – a short walk from the Hua Lampong Railway and subway station.

The hotel will feature a restaurant serving international and Thai cuisine, and another serving Chinese dishes. Leisure facilities include a Spa Cenvaree, a fitness centre with separate sauna and steam rooms, and five function rooms with large pre-function areas.

EUROPE continues to be the top holiday destination for Indonesians, while Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey also rank high on the popularity scale.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily at the ASTINDO International Travel Fair (AITF) over the weekend, ASTINDO executive chairman and Golden Rama Tours & Travel president director Anto Haditono said: “Europe has always been a favourite destination. The recent improvement of the visa application process (to enter Europe), from two weeks to three days, has made the Schengen states even more attractive.”

Panorama Tours Indonesia managing director-Leisure Travel Management, Meity Lukito, begged to differ: “I think it is the improving (Indonesian) economic condition that is driving traffic to Europe. (As the shorter visa application process is newly implemented), not everyone is informed about the new visa policy yet.”

Packages to Europe accounted for 40 per cent of Panorama Tours’ sales during AITF, while Turkey contributed 20 per cent of overall business, according to Lukito. Turkey packages have been selling well in recent years, drawing seasoned travellers looking for new destinations.

Meanwhile, WITA Tours director of sales and marketing, Rudiana noted a growing interest among Indonesia’s high-end segment in visiting far-flung exotic destinations such as Iceland.

“This is a niche market of travellers who have ‘been there, seen all’, so they are looking for new places to visit. Often, they travel with their families, spend between US$5,000 and US$8,000 per person, and stay up to 10 days.”

While longhaul travel has its charm, tried-and-tested neighbouring destinations continue to attract flocks of Indonesian visitors.

“Singapore’s new integrated resorts have attracted a lot of (family) travellers, while Malaysia remains in the eyes of the travelling public because it offers more affordable accommodation,” said ASTINDO’s Haditono.

Meanwhile, Thailand was heavily promoting itself at AITF, where a four-day Bangkok-Pattaya package including accommodation cost as low as US$140 per pax.

KUONI Group’s corporate restructuring last October, which centred on creating three distinct operating units within the company, is yielding substantial returns.

Kuoni’s finances improved significantly in the 2011 financial year, which the company attributed to its new global focus and stronger results from its tour operating business in Asia. Turnover rose by 28 per cent to CHF5.1 billion (US$5.6 billion), while net profit jumped to CHF 33.3 million from CHF23.2 million previously.

Kuoni’s latest acquisition, GTA Travel, has proven a strategic coup, driving its Destinations Division (Kuoni Destination Management) to attain 12.6 per cent organic growth.

VFS Global, the group’s visa facilitation services arm, continues to undergo robust expansion. By the end of the 2011 financial year, turnover jumped by 13 per cent and operating earnings (EIBT) hiked by 15 per cent.

In a press statement, Peter Rothwell, CEO of Kuoni Group predicted a rosy outlook for 2012. “Kuoni today is a larger and better positioned company than it was a year ago,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kuoni remains focused on expanding its business operations in Asia. In line with this aim, the group has proposed the appointment of South Korean Jay Hyun (Jay) Lee, an expert in Internet-based consumer businesses in Asia, to its board of directors.

Dutchman Adrianus (Adriaan) Nühn, who specialises in marketing and distribution for the consumer goods industry, has also been proposed for appointment to the Kuoni board.

Wolfgang Beeser, vice chairman of the board of directors of Kuoni Group, is due to step down on April 17.

EASTIN Grand Hotel Sathorn Bangkok, the first property to be branded under Eastin Hotels & Residences’ Eastin Grand banner, will open its doors in May.

Targeting a mix of business and leisure clientele, the hotel will offer 390 guestrooms and 1,200m2 of meeting space. Other amenities include free WiFi in all guestrooms and public areas, and a dedicated family guest floor with a children’s playroom.

“The hotel is the perfect addition to our portfolio and expansion strategies as this opens up another sector of the market for us,” said Atilla Erda, senior vice president – sales & marketing, Absolute Hotel Services.

“Through research we also found a gap in the market for city hotels here. Travellers are seeking well-appointed accommodation situated in a great location and designed for modern travellers at affordable prices”, he added.

The hotel is linked directly to the Surasak BTS sky train station.

INDONESIA is experiencing an exponential rise in India inbound numbers, giving rise to a growing segment who are keen on discovering new destinations beyond Bali, such as Yogjakarta, Lombok, Bandung and Jakarta.

According to Statistics Indonesia, Indonesia received 168,122 Indian visitors in 2011, a 22.7 per cent jump over the 137,027 recorded the year before. Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is targeting 185,000 Indian visitors this year.

Sanjay Kothari, director and CEO of Just Holidays Kolkata said: “Our clients are now discovering destinations beyond Bali. Yogyakarta is becoming popular because of interest in the Borobudur and Prambanan temples, and also the Java batik handicrafts. We foresee healthy growth in numbers.”

Rajesh Sethi, managing director of Carnation Travel Services New Delhi said: “Bali is garnering increasingly higher numbers of Indian travellers. Indian weddings and honeymoons held in Nusa Dua and Ubud have always been popular.”

“We are now incorporating Lombok and cruises to adjoining islands into our itineraries,” he added.

Tour operators cited Indonesia’s 30-day visa-on-arrival for US$25 as one of the main reasons for the rise in Indian leisure inbound. Moreover, cheap airfares offered by AirAsia from India to Bali and Jakarta, via Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur respectively, were additional pull factors.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is planning to organise roadshows as part of its marketing strategy for India, as well as develop online training programmes for Indian travel consultants.