Bangkok Airways unveils unlimited domestic flight card
Bangkok Airways has launched the Bangkok Airways Elite Card, offering members unlimited travel on all domestic flights throughout 2021.
For a price of 100,000 baht (US$3,208), card holders will be able to fly economy class on all Bangkok Airways domestic routes for an unlimited number of times from January 1 to December 31, 2021.
Applications will open from November 1-30, and members can start booking their flights from December 16.
Furthermore, members will also be entitled to benefits such as qualification for Bangkok Airways Premier status, preferred seat assignments, priority airport stand-by status and reservations waitlist, premier check-in counter if any, free unlimited reservation modifications (travel date changes, flight changes), and a 10 per cent discount for Bangkok Airways inflight shopping.
In addition, members will receive Blue Ribbon Club lounge access with five extra lounge vouchers for companions; extra 10kg baggage allowance, in addition to the standard 20kg; as well as discount privileges and offers with the airline’s Beyond Flying Privileges partners.
New hotels: Wyndham Grand Flamingo Dai Lai Resort, Moxy Taichung, and more
Wyndham Grand Flamingo Dai Lai Resort, Vietnam
Formerly known as Forest in the Sky Villas, the award-winning property in northern Vietnam has reopened as Wyndham Grand Flamingo Dai Lai Resort.
Wyndham Grand Flamingo Dai Lai Resort is nestled in a lush natural environment just north of Dai Lai Lake. Since its opening in 2018, the resort has clinched several accolades including the title of Landmark with the Most Hanging Gardens in Vietnam thanks to its iconic vertical garden architecture, covered by more than 7,000 trees and plants.
The expansive resort offers a collection of 179 premium Forest in the Sky villas with one to three bedrooms, all furnished generously with state-of-the-art amenities. There are 10 restaurants, bars and wine cellars to choose from, along with a comprehensive selection of 10 event venues that can accommodate gatherings of 20 to 2,000 guests.
Various exhilarating watersports, from kayaking to canoeing, are offered at the resort. If a relaxing vacation is preferred, guests can retreat into the SEVA Spa & Beauty Destination, where physical rejuvenation can be sought at unique facilities including the Gemstone sauna, the Oxy Hinoki room, Snow room and Infrared Cave.
For younger guests, the resort charms with its Virtual Reality Game Park, where go-kart and racing car simulators, shooting halls, eagle flight machines can be found. Active children can also be kept busy at the outdoor wonder park or the kids’ club; as well as with a plethora of outdoor activities like cycling, football and basketball.
Moxy Taichung, Taiwan
Marriott International has opened its first Moxy Hotel in Taiwan. The experiential and next gen-focused Moxy Taichung features 262 bedrooms, each equipped with the latest technology featuring a 55-inch flat screen television, high quality sound system, fast and free Wi-Fi, USB power outlets. Useful add-ons include a 24-hour ironing room for self-service ironing. Guests are greeted with a complimentary Got Moxy cocktail upon check in at Bar Moxy, which doubles up as a communal hub for dining, drinks, and social gatherings. Other amenities include a rooftop bar and 24-hour fitness centre. In addition, a tech-enabled meeting room is also available for any team brainstorming sessions in the hotel.
Classic Kameo Hotel & Serviced Apartments, Thailand
Cape & Kantary Hotels has invested over 100 million baht into the rejuvenation and rebranding of Karavel House Hotel, Sriracha in Thailand’s Chonburi Province.
Known as Classic Kameo Hotel & Serviced Apartments since October 1, the property caters to both short-term and long-term guests through 155 rooms across three room types – two-bedroom suite, one-bedroom suite, and a studio suite. All units come with a kitchen with standard kitchenware, a living room, a dining area, in-room Wi-Fi and other modern comforts.
The hotel packs in a host of guest facilities such as the California Steak Restaurant which serves European, Japanese, Thai and international cuisine; a fitness centre; a rooftop outdoor pool with whirlpool spa; and laundry service.
Best Western Plus Fukuoka Tenjin-minami, Japan
Located in the heart of Tenjin, Best Western Plus Fukuoka Tenjin-minami is the brand’s inaugural hotel in Fukuoka, a coastal city and the largest metropolis on the island of Kyushu. All 236 rooms in the midscale hotel feature flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, power showers, working spaces and complimentary Wi-Fi. Amenities include an all-day restaurant serving local and international dishes, a lounge, 24-hour gym and business centre.
Hyatt Regency West Hanoi, Vietnam
Located in Nam Tu Liem district, the newly renovated hotel marks Hyatt’s debut in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, and the third Hyatt hotel in Vietnam. Rebranded from an existing hotel, Hyatt Regency West Hanoi has undergone an extensive renovation throughout the property, including a redesign of its tranquil landscaped garden.
Spanning two towers, the hotel offers 519 guestrooms, including 114 suites and 129 long-stay rooms with kitchenettes and washing machines. The refreshed interiors feature a contemporary palette, coupled with modern facilities and floor-to-ceiling windows. On-site facilities include a sky bar with an outdoor terrace; a restaurant with open kitchens showcasing local and international cuisine; a lounge; an outdoor swimming pool; 24-hour fitness centre and spa. The hotel also has 823m² of meeting and event space, including a ballroom and several multifunctional meeting rooms.
Trafalgar sweetens staycation deal with heritage tour in Singapore
The Travel Corporation’s Trafalgar has launched a Near Not Far staycation tour itinerary to allow Singaporeans and local residents to see their backyard in a new light with immersive, exclusive experiences.
Highlights of its two-day/one-night Singapore Heritage Highlights itinerary include an exclusive tour of The Arts House and Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall (VTVCH), complete with a climb up the VTVCH clock tower.
The staycation tour is part of Trafalgar’s Near Not Far Series, which has been designed to offer travel lovers around the world the opportunity to enjoy deeper, richer experiences in their home country.
Through immersive Trafalgar exclusives like the Be My Guest dining experiences, guests on the Near Not Far staycation tours can connect with fellow travellers, while gaining new perspectives of familiar places through stories shared by their hosts, travel director, and local specialists.
Each travel director is a licensed tourist guide who will accompany guests throughout the tour, and will be able to provide an insider’s point of view.
During the Singapore Heritage Highlights excursion, guests will meet Trafalgar’s local specialist, heritage blogger Jerome Lim, on the tour of The Arts House and VTVCH, where he will share historical trivia about the two buildings. Each tour will host five up to 10 guests.
In a historic first, VTVCH’s clock tower will be open exclusively to Trafalgar’s guests to visit, and Lim will enlighten guests about the clock’s history and its connection to London’s Big Ben.
Additional highlights include a Be My Guest experience with Violet Oon at the National Kitchen at National Gallery and a guided tour of Kampong Glam that was once home to Singapore’s early migrants.
Prices for this two-day/one-night itinerary start from S$528 (US$387) per person for an Orchid Club Deluxe Room at Parkroyal on Beach Road (every Friday/Saturday) and S$628 per person for a Stamford Suite Room at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel (weekdays only). Package includes guided tours, a Be My Guest experience with Violet Oon, one-night hotel accommodation with breakfast, and coach transportation. Prices are based on twin-share and solo travellers can pay a single supplement from S$200.
ANA poised to launch new low-cost carrier
ANA Holdings, parent company of Japan’s All Nippon Airways, has unveiled plans for a new low-cost airline brand, as part of a major restructure to survive the Covid-19 crisis.
The third airline, which has yet to be named, will be positioned between the group’s premium brand ANA and its low-cost carrier Peach.
ANA said that the new carrier will start operations around fiscal 2022, and will utilise an all-Boeing 787 fleet offering more than 300 seats across two classes. The new carrier will target “demand for low-cost, medium-distance flights to destinations in South-east Asia and Oceania”.
“By using the current (ANA charter wing) Air Japan entity as the foundation, the brand will be capable of responding to sudden changes in demand and begin operations quickly after its establishment,” ANA said.
The group said its new business model is based around the idea that business travel demand “will decrease and likely not fully return to previous levels” due to the rise in remote working trends and growth of virtual meetings.
On the other hand, it foresees that “demand for leisure and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) will likely continue to remain robust”, with “potential growth from new segments including new working environments and multiple residency”.
Meanwhile, Peach will look to grow its customer base to business passengers and families, and expand to “medium-distance international routes” with new Airbus A321LR jets.
ANA also plans to retire 35 aircraft in 2020, up from the seven previously earmarked, of which 22 will be Boeing 777s.
Princess Cruises extends pause in Australia, New Zealand
Princess Cruises is extending its pause in operations for cruises departing from Australia and New Zealand through May 31, 2021, due to the uncertainty about when international travel restrictions might be lifted.
Guests who have booked these sailings will receive a refundable future cruise credit (FCC) equivalent to 100 per cent of the cruise fare paid, plus a non-refundable bonus FCC equal to 25 per cent of the cruise fare paid. To receive the above FCCs, no action is required by the guest or their travel advisor.
Alternatively, guests can request for a full refund before November 30, 2020, after which, they will receive the default offer above.
Princess said that it will protect travel advisor commissions on bookings for cancelled cruises that were paid in full, in recognition of the critical role they play in the cruise line’s business and success.
ITB Berlin 2021 to go fully virtual
ITB Berlin 2021 will take place next March in an entirely virtual format, providing the industry with an online platform for global networking, business and content, said organiser Messe Berlin.
Happening from March 9-12, ITB Berlin 2021 and the accompanying ITB Berlin Convention will be open to trade visitors only.
Explaining the move, David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin, said: “The situation surrounding the pandemic remains difficult, particularly for the travel and tourism industry. Our decision to hold ITB Berlin 2021 as an entirely virtual event now provides exhibitors and trade visitors with maximum planning certainty.”
He added: “The event will be highly relevant in terms of content. In these challenging times, business meetings, exchanging specialist information and orientation are of special value for the industry.”
Among other features, the virtual concept of ITB Berlin 2021 will include numerous live-streamed high-level panel discussions and lectures as well as digital networking opportunities, an intelligent matchmaking event and a virtual exhibition area. On November 16, ITB Berlin will provide further information on exhibitor and sponsorship packages, tickets and booking options.
Qantas to operate “flights to somewhere” as Australia’s borders reopen
Qantas has launched a series of scenic flights landing at some of Australia’s key holiday destinations, following the success of its inaugural “flight to nowhere” earlier this month.
As more domestic borders open, the national carrier will evolve the scenic flight concept to offer an overnight getaway to iconic Australian spots; while still including low-level flybys over attractions such as Uluru, Sydney Harbour and the Great Barrier Reef.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “We were overwhelmed with the response to our scenic flight while most border restrictions were still in place. It sold out in 10 minutes and the feedback from people onboard was fantastic. Even the most frequent flyers said they had never experienced Australia from the air quite like that. And our crew loved being back on board.
“Now that more borders are starting to open, we’re partnering with tourism operators on the ground to offer special flights to special destinations. Even though seats are limited, we think the awareness generated by these flights is a great way to get more people thinking about where they might holiday as we head towards summer.”
Using a Qantas 737, the first Scenic Flight Getaway will take 110 passengers from Sydney to Uluru on December 5, returning the next day. The overnight outing will include a pre-flight champagne breakfast; low-level flybys of Sydney Harbour, Uluru and Kata Tjuta; alongside a stay at Ayers Rock Resort’s premier hotel, Sails in the Desert.
During their stay, guests can enjoy a hands-on indigenous art workshop, a Night at Field of Light including a three-course dinner, with a didgeridoo performance and an indigenous interpretation of the night sky. They can also participate in a guided walk to the Muṯitjulu Waterhole as well as a visit to neighbouring Kata Tjuta the next day before their flight back.
The first Qantas Scenic Flight Getaway went on sale at 14.00 today via the airline’s website. Fares cost A$2,499 (US$1,766) for economy class and A$3,999 for business class – both inclusive of twin share accommodation.
Luxurious trip within APAC tops Singaporeans’ travel wishlist
While international leisure travel remains on pause, this has not stopped Singaporeans from dreaming about their next overseas holiday, with destinations such as Hong Kong, London and Tokyo topping the list of cities Singaporeans are searching for their year-end holidays this year.
Those findings are based on flight search data on Expedia.com.sg between September 1 and October 24, 2020.
In addition, a survey conducted by Expedia among 1,000 adults aged between 18 and 45 in Singapore found that when thinking of their next trip, nearly one-third (31%) said that their dream trip would be a luxurious and pampering trip. This was followed by outdoor activity (22%), kids’ club getaway (18%), and solo adventure trips (11%).
In terms of their ideal destination for their next big holiday, 36% said that they would most likely travel to an Asia-Pacific destination that is within a seven-hour flight away. Furthermore, 14% said they would most likely explore Singapore, while 14% would travel within Europe and 10% would travel to somewhere in Malaysia.
While Singaporeans dream of travelling once again, over half (53%) said that concerns about post-trip quarantine is preventing them from booking a trip in late 2020 or early 2021. As well, concerns about the cleanliness of hotels/airports/vacation rentals (46%), being stuck in a foreign country (45%) and not being able to cancel flights/accommodation easily (36%) were among their other top worries.
When asked what they missed most about travel amid the closure of international borders during the pandemic, almost half (45%) said they missed exploring a new place and culture. This was followed by the ability to take a break from work (43%), enjoying a different climate (41%), spending quality family time overseas (40%) and trying local food overseas (39%).
AirAsia partners with Vision-Box on touchless solutions
AirAsia Group has teamed up with Vision-Box, a company which specialises in biometrics, automated border management and electronic ID solutions, to implement identity management technology across its network of 152 airports.
The partnership will enable AirAsia to further enhance its digital identity management strategy across the group, with a single enrolment for services at key customer process points, so as to enable a more seamless and contactless travel experience.
The Vision-Box’s Orchestra Identity Management Platform, a collaborative digital platform of real-time data administration and end-to-end customer-centric service management tools, will provide instant analysis, monitoring, reporting and configuration ability.
Orchestra will interconnect with AirAsia’s network to regulate all virtual and physical security and data infrastructure in real-time, bridging and managing the information flow between traveller processing points, multi-source data streams, and relevant stakeholders.
The partnership entails the delivery of FACES (Fast Airport Clearance Experience System), a touchless identification and contactless clearance platform designed for mobile check-in; as well as network-wide digital identity management, a collaborative development to drive organisational data ecosystem expansion and technology enablers across AirAsia’s travel and finance platforms.
Deployment of seamless touchless and contactless experience traveller points across AirAsia’s 24 travel hubs will include mobile digital ID enrolment, biometric facial recognition devices at check-in (FACES), automated bag-drop self-service, roving VPoD for temperature checks, as well as security and boarding VPoD for seamless traveller identification and clearance.
Singapore will lift border restrictions for visitors from mainland China and the state of Victoria in Australia, from November 6.
They will have to undergo a Covid-19 test upon arrival at the airport and will not need to serve a quarantine order if the result is negative.
The same applies to Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning from these two areas from November 6.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said on Thursday that both mainland China and Victoria were added to the list of countries that Singapore has unilaterally opened its borders to as they have comprehensive public health surveillance systems and had displayed successful control over the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
The risk of importation from these places is low, it added, noting that mainland China has a virus local incidence rate of 0.00009 cases per 100,000 people, while Victoria has a rate of 0.099 cases per 100,000 people.
Visitors travelling from both places can now apply for an Air Travel Pass (ATP) for entry into Singapore from November 6.
Applicants must have remained in either mainland China or Australia in the last 14 consecutive days prior to their entry. All visitors must also travel to Singapore on direct flights without transit.
During their stay, they will be required to use the TraceTogether app for contact tracing purposes, and must also bear any medical costs related to Covid-19.
CAAS said that it will also update the travel advisory to allow travel to mainland China and all of Australia.
This latest initiative follows the earlier lifting of border restrictions for visitors from Australia, excluding Victoria state; Brunei Darussalam; New Zealand and Vietnam.
As of October 29, CAAS has approved 1,375 applications from these places, and received 602 visitors, none of whom have tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival, according to the aviation authority.