Tour East taps Expedia channel

BANGKOK, 16 October 2017: Tour East has gained access to Expedia Local Expert’s programme reaching out to more than 1 million Expedia customers visiting Phuket and Bangkok to offer them in-destination services.

Expedia signed an agreement with Tour East Thailand, earlier this month, that creates a partnership with the inbound tour company and allows it to sell tours and transfers, ultimately in all major tourist destinations in Thailand,

It’s the first agreement of its kind outside of the US where Expedia launched its “Local Experts” programme in 2013 that acts as a concierge for travellers booked through Expedia. Read more

Nok boosts network with charters

BANGKOK, 3 October 2017: Nok Air has started flight operations from U-tapao airport, 30 km south of Pattaya resort.

The low-cost airline marked the first flight from the airport with a celebratory water spray arch to welcome the aircraft that flew from Nanchang.

The airline is contracted to offer four weekly charter flights from Nanchang, China, that arrive at 1600 at U-tapao International Airport. Read more

Passenger traffic at Changi rises

SINGAPORE, 22 September 2017: Singapore Changi Airport registered 5.27 million passenger movements in August, a 7.0% year-on-year increase.

There was a 10.7% increase in airfreight throughput to 180,590 tonnes, while aircraft movements rose 4.9% to 31,750 landings and take-offs.

Passenger traffic during August was supported by growth across all regions, with air travel to and from South Asia, Africa and the Americas rising by double digits. Read more

Blackout hits Panama airport

PANAMA CITY, 20 September 2017: A blackout at Panama’s main international airport — a major hub for Latin America — caused more than 200 flights to be cancelled and many others delayed on Monday, airport officials said.

A malfunction in a circuit panel distributing power internally to the facility was to blame, according to the airport authority, which set up a “crisis room” to handle the disruption.

Thousands of frustrated passengers faced lines and clogged halls as harried airport staff struggled before blanked-out check-in screens. Read more

Cathay covers more of Europe

HONG KONG, 8 September 2017: Cathay Pacific will add three more flights to Europe in April 2018.

It announced this week it will launch nonstop services to Brussels, Copenhagen and Dublin starting with the summer timetable 2018 that runs April to October.

Cathay Pacific chief executive officer Rupert Hogg said that the new services would meet customer demand for nonstop travel to European cities. Read more

Thai Smile suspends Sabah link

BANGKOK, 17 August 2017: Technically all the indicators, including media statements, suggest Thai Smile flies to Kota Kinabalu from its Suvarnabhumi airport home-base here in Bangkok.

It is even an option on the airline’s its website where travellers can select travel to three Malaysian destinations; Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kota Kinabalu the state capital of Sabah.

But that is where the travel experience ends; waiting for a web page to tell you “ups something is amiss.” Read more

UK eases laptop ban

AMNAN, 7 August 2017: Britain at the weekend lifted a ban on personal electronic devices for flights from Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport to the United Kingdom, the national carrier Royal Jordanian said.

“Royal Jordanian passengers are allowed to carry these electronic devices in the cabin,” the airline said in a statement referring to large phones, laptops and tablets.

The United States instituted the laptop ban in March for eight North African and Middle East countries based on intelligence that the Islamic State group was working to build a bomb into a tablet or laptop. Read more

Qatar expand Asia services

DOHA, 2 August 2017: Qatar announces rapid expansion, despite a blockade by Middle East neighbours, as it adds more flights to top destinations in Asia.

Tuesday, the airline added extra services to the Vietnamese cities of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, as well as to the popular Thai holiday destination of Krabi.

Vietnam gets a boost to meet increased demand from business and leisure travellers. Read more

Thai Smile increases Phuket flights

BANGKOK, 3 July 2017: Thai Smile increased flight frequency on its Bangkok-Phuket route from five daily to seven daily effective 1 July.

The additional two daily flights offer a better choice of departure times for passengers flying to Thailand’s most popular island destination. Read more

TTM: Pair with Pai and succeed

CHIANG MAI, 16 June 2017: Community-based tourism in Mae Hong Son could be a highlight for package tours from Europe, but it would require direct flight links to the far-northwest province from the Thai capital.

A recent inspection tour carried out by three UK tour operators led by Tourism Authority of Thailand’s head of marketing, Chris Lee, suggested Mae Hong Son had plenty of potential, but the programmes needed to  be adapted to attract European visitors.

Lee told TTR Weekly the province community-based visits would have to combine a route featuring Mae Hong Son and Pai, a backpacker haven halfway to Chiang Mai. Read more

Next Page »