SINGAPORE, 2 September 2024: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has opened sales for additional cruises across northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Greek Isles during its 2026 northern hemisphere spring/summer season.
NCL is offering more seven-day itineraries throughout Europe. Many voyages feature limited or no sea days to allow guests more time to explore each destination. Select seven-to-14-day sailings also offer overnight stays in Reykjavik, Iceland; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Istanbul, Turkey.
Photo credit: NCL.Norwegian Star.
From June through October 2026, Norwegian Sun will offer an entire Baltic season with seven to 10-day sailings. Guests can embark in Copenhagen, Denmark, or Helsinki and visit a port nearly daily, including towns in Norway, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, and more.
Norwegian Sky will commence her second entire Europe season on 19 April 2026 with four seven-day open-jaw sailings to the, embarking in Le Havre, France and Copenhagen, Denmark, offering an overnight stay in Hamburg, Germany and visiting Zeebrugge, Belgium; Tilbury, United Kingdom; and Ijmuiden, Netherlands.
SINGAPORE, 2 September 2024: Ethiopian Airlines will launch six weekly flights connecting Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital and Dhaka, Bangladesh, effective 1 November 2024 which will strengthen links between Africa and South Asia,
The new flights will use a Boeing B787 Dreamliner and offer convenient departure times from Addis Ababa. The return flights will connect with services to other African destinations via the Addis Ababa gateway. The Ethiopian network serves more than 63 destinations.
“Bangladesh is a dynamic and growing market, and we are confident that our modern fleet and exceptional service will meet the needs of travellers between our two regions,” said Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew. “Our new service to Dhaka is a testament to Ethiopian.
Airlines’ enduring vision is expanding horizons and creating bridges across continents.
Ethiopian Airlines is set to expand its South Asian network by adding Dhaka to a destination list that already includes Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, India, and Karachi, Pakistan.
SINGAPORE, 2 September 2024: British Airways Holidays has unveiled its list of the 25 most-searched-for destinations for 2025 travel while spotlighting discounts on flights and holiday packages in its ‘End of Summer Sale’.
The sale got underway last Thursday, 29 August 2024, as the airline declared New York once more the top spot among trending destinations, joined by Orlando (2), Las Vegas (3), and Maldive (4), the highest-ranked Asian destination.
Photo credit: British Airways. New York skyline.
But Phuket took the 16th place and Bangkok the 20th out of the top 25 destinations listed by the airlines. Tokyo gained the 12th spot, Los Angeles (15), and Australia took the 25th.
Los Angeles has an unparalleled line-up of world-class sporting events on the horizon, potentially driving the destination’s recent rise through the ranks.
The top 10 destinations are listed below; the full list can be seen here.
New York
Orlando
Las Vegas
Maldives
Barbados
Cancun
Dubai
Dominican Republic
St Lucia
Antigua
British Airways and British Airways Holidays ‘End of Summer Sale’ is now live. Customers can snatch up a travel deal until 1 October 2024 for travel either in the remainder of 2024 or 2025.
Flight only deals
Return flights from London Heathrow to Dubai, number seven on the list, are available from UKP439. Flights to Abu Dhabi, which joined British Airways’ route network earlier this year, start from UKP390. Kuala Lumpur, which launches in November 2024, is available from UKP599.
British Airways Holidays Managing Director Claire Bentley said: “The desire for holidays is still on the up, be winter sun and festive mini breaks for 2024 or far-flung holiday hotspots for 2025. We are thrilled to see such an incredible selection of destinations on our top 25 for 25 list and excited that we can launch a variety of offers to these destinations and more in our ‘End of Summer Sale’.”
SINGAPORE 2 September 2024: Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), was up 8.0% during July 2024 compared to July 2023, International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports in its latest released data this week.
Details of global passenger demand trends confirm a robust recovery. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), was up 7.4% year on year.
Photo credit: IATA
The July load factor was 86.0% (+0.5ppt compared to July 2023). The CrowdStrike IT outage on 19 July had no significant negative demand impact.
International demand rose 10.1% compared to July 2023. Capacity was up 10.5% year-on-year, and the load factor fell to 85.9% (-0.3ppt compared to July 2023).
Domestic demand rose 4.8% compared to July 2023. Capacity was up 2.8% year-on-year, and the load factor was 86.1% (+1.7ppt compared to July 2023).
“July was another positive month. Passenger demand hit an all-time high for the industry and in all regions except Africa, despite significant disruption caused by the CrowdStrike IT outage,” said IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh.
“The winding down of the peak northern summer season is a reminder of how much people depend on flying. As the mix of travellers shift from leisure to business, aviation’s many roles are evident—reuniting families, enabling exploration, and powering commerce. People need and want to fly. And they are doing that in great numbers. Load factors are at the practicable maximum. However, persistent supply chain bottlenecks have made deploying the capacity to meet travel needs more challenging. As much of the world returns from vacation, there is an urgent call for manufacturers and suppliers to resolve their supply chain issues so that air travel remains accessible and affordable to all who rely on it,” said Walsh.
1% of industry RPKs in 2023
Regional Breakdown – International Passenger Markets
All regions showed strong growth for international passenger markets in July 2024 compared to July 2023, with signs that many markets are returning to long-term growth trends after the post-pandemic bounce back.
Asia-Pacific airlines’ growth remained strong, with a 19.1% year-on-year increase indemand. Capacity increased 20.3% year-on-year, and the load factor was 83.8% (-0.8ppt compared to July 2023). Most Asia routes, with the exception of the Asia-Middle East route, have yet to exceed 2019 levels.
European carriers saw an 8.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 8.1% year-on-year, and the load factor was 87.5% (+0.2ppt compared to July 2023). Regarding major international routes, the Europe-Asia route expanded fastest, reflecting this is still to surpass 2019 levels.
Middle Eastern carriers saw a 5.8% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 5.5% year-on-year and the load factor was 84.1% (+0.3ppt compared to July 2023).
North American carriers saw a 5.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 6.3% year-on-year, and the load factor was 89.4% (-0.8 ppt compared to July 2023), the highest among regions.
Latin American airlines saw a 13.4% year-on-year increase in demand, and capacity climbed 15.7% year-on-year. The load factor was 87.5% (-1.7ppt compared to July 2023). While hurricane Beryl had a strong localised impact in parts of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the southern United States, this did not significantly dampen demand region-wide.
African airlines saw a7.4% year-on-year increase in demand, a 6.7% increase in capacity, and a 74.3% load factor (+0.5ppt compared to July 2023).
BANGKOK, 30 August 2024: Dusit Hotels and Resorts, the hotel arm of Dusit International and Generator and Freehand Hotels, an award-winning developer and operator of experiential hostels and boutique hotels in Europe and the USA, have entered a strategic partnership to synergise their development resources to pursue sustainable international growth for their respective brands.
Under the partnership, Generator and Freehand Hotels will leverage their extensive networks and strengths in developing lifestyle hybrid accommodation models in the affordable lifestyle segment in Europe and the USA to seek opportunities to introduce Dusit Hotels and Resorts in key European destinations such as London, Paris, and Rome and popular stateside destinations such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.
Similarly, Dusit Hotels and Resorts will leverage its presence in Asia and the Middle East to seek opportunities to introduce Generator and Freehand’s award-winning boutique hotel-hostel hybrid model in prime city destinations such as Bangkok, Manila, Kyoto, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi and renowned island retreats such as Phuket and Bali.
“It’s a real win-win situation for both companies,” said Dusit International Vice President of Global Development Siradej Donavanik. “It broadens our development horizons without compromising our existing brand portfolios, allowing us to capitalise on prospects that might not align with our current brand offerings. We are delighted to collaborate with Generator and Freehand and look forward to breaking new ground with many exciting new signings ahead.”
Alongside its established brand lineup, which includes Dusit Thani (luxury), DusitD2 (lifestyle/midscale), Dusit Princess (midscale), Dusit Suites (upscale/long stay), and ASAI Hotels (affordable lifestyle), Dusit recently introduced two new brands: Devarana — Dusit Retreats (wellness luxury) and Dusit Collection (bespoke luxury). Generator and Freehand will explore development opportunities for all of these brands.
Generator and Freehand Hotels CEO Alastair Thomann said: “This groundbreaking partnership marks an exciting new chapter in our companies’ growth trajectory. Dusit’s unique blend of tradition and innovation aligns perfectly with our vision for delivering culturally rich experiences for inspired travellers worldwide.”
One of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, Dusit’s portfolio currently spans 18 countries and comprises 57 hotels operating under Dusit Hotels and Resorts and 244 luxury villas under Elite Havens, the leading provider of luxury villa rentals in Asia, which Dusit acquired in 2018. More than 60 Dusit Hotels and Resorts are in the pipeline worldwide.
Generator and Freehand oversees 21 global properties in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK, and North America.
About Dusit Hotels and Resorts Dusit Hotels and Resorts is the hotel arm of Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies. The group’s portfolio of hotels, resorts, and luxury villas includes more than 300 properties operating under eight brands (Devarana—Dusit Retreats, Dusit Thani, Dusit Suites, Dusit Collection, dusitD2, Dusit Princess, ASAI Hotels, and Elite Havens) in 18 countries worldwide.
About Dusit International Dusit International, or Dusit Thani Public Company Limited (DUSIT), is a leading hospitality group established in 1948 and listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Its operations comprise five distinct business units: Dusit Hotels and Resorts, Dusit Hospitality Education, Dusit Foods, Dusit Estate, and Hospitality-Related Services. Learn more on dusit-international.com
PATTAYA, 30 August 2024: Four Royal Cliff Hotels Group hotels have been awarded the prestigious Accommodation Standard for Tourism 2024 – 2027 in the 5-star resort category by the Department of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and the Thailand Hotel Standard Foundation.
The certified hotels — Royal Cliff Beach Hotel, Royal Cliff Beach Terrace, Royal Cliff Grand Hotel, and Royal Wing Suites & Spa — successfully passed the assessment based on an internationally recognised quality system.
Vitanart Vathanakul, CEO (middle), along with Thibault Sellier, Hotels Group Manager (right), and Vankamon Athikomkhunchai, Marketing and PR Manager (left) of the Royal Cliff Hotels Group, receive the Five Star Accommodation Standard for Tourism Plaque.
This certification highlights the group’s excellence in management, covering key aspects such as service, accommodation, facilities, cleanliness, safety, and the exceptional relaxation experience provided to all guests.
The certification recognises hotels, resorts, homestays, and tourist attractions that contribute to elevating Thailand’s tourism industry. By enhancing competitiveness and building confidence among tourists worldwide, this initiative supports Thailand’s vision of becoming a leading tourism hub.
Perched atop a 64-acre private estate with breathtaking views of the Gulf of Thailand, the Royal Cliff Hotels Group boasts four award-winning hotels that unlock a world of unparalleled experiences with Royal Cliff’s curated promotions and packages. Ensure an exceptional holiday experience by booking directly with Royal Cliff to secure a guaranteed best rate and exclusive value-added extras to elevate a hotel stay.
To secure the premium experience you deserve, visit www.royalcliff.com, call reservations at (+66) 38 250 421 ext: 2732, or drop an email to [email protected].
SINGAPORE, 30 August 2024: Radisson Hotel Group has signed a management contract for the Park Inn by Radisson Melbourne Carlton, which will open in the fourth quarter of the year.
The newly converted property is situated in the suburb of Parkville, Park Inn by Radisson Melbourne Carlton, surrounded by universities, a hospital, recreation centres, and leisure attractions, just 3 km from Melbourne’s CBD.
Following the conversion of an existing hotel, it is undergoing a complete renovation to align with Park Inn by Radisson’s international standards.
Victoria’s state capital, Melbourne, is consistently named one of the world’s most livable cities due to its diverse cultures, cuisine and commerce. It is also one of the world’s great sporting cities, with iconic annual events such as the Australian Open tennis, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, the AFL Premiership Season Grand Final, the Boxing Day Test cricket match, the Melbourne Cup horse racing festival and more. This makes Melbourne one of Australia’s most popular tourism destinations; the city attracted 10.3 million overnight visitors in 2023, including many Asian visitors.
The 89-room hotel places guests on the doorstep of Australia’s top biotech and neuroscience R&D facilities and Monash University, known for its Pharmaceutical Studies faculty. It is also close to Royal Park and Royal Melbourne Zoo, opposite Princes Park, the home of Carlton Football Club, the leading AFL team. Melbourne’s CBD is just a 15-minute commute on the tram network, and the city’s Tullamarine Airport is a 20 km drive away.
A representative of Star Capital Group, parent of Frater Capital Group Pty Ltd, said: “We are delighted to partner with Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world’s leading international hotel groups, to debut the Park Inn by Radisson brand in Australasia. The contemporary Park Inn by Radisson, Melbourne Carlton, is the ideal market introduction to this upper-midscale brand. We plan to continue expanding our hotel portfolio in Australasia and eagerly anticipate further opportunities for collaboration with Radisson.”
SINGAPORE, 30 August 2024: Air France-KLM Group confirmed Wednesday it has completed the acquisition of a 19.9% non-controlling stake in SAS’s share capital, opening the door to extensive commercial cooperation, which will begin on 1 September.
In parallel to the financial transaction and as previously announced, Air France-KLM and SAS have signed far-reaching interline and codeshare agreements to connect their hubs and networks.
These agreements, which cover reciprocal loyalty programme benefits, will enter into force as early as 1 September 2024. On the same day, SAS will join the Skyteam alliance, of which Air France and KLM are founding members.
The Air France-KLM Group CEO Benjamin Smith said: “We are pleased to have completed this strategic transaction. SAS will enhance the group’s footprint in the Scandinavian markets. SAS, Air France and KLM customers will now have a larger number of destinations via codeshares. Skyteam will immediately gain a new strategic member.”
The Air France-KLM Group concluded this transaction as part of a consortium of investors, including Castlelake LP on behalf of certain funds or affiliates, Lind Invest ApS, and the Danish State.
The consortium members now effectively hold an aggregate 86.4% stake in the share capital of the reorganised SAS AB (exclusive of the recovery by the Danish State in its capacity as a creditor of SAS and according to SAS’s restructuring plans), having invested USD1.2 billion in the company by subscribing for USD475.0 million of common shares and purchasing USD725.0 million of senior secured convertible notes.
The Air France-KLM Group invested USD144.5 million in SAS by subscribing to USD109.5 million of common shares and purchasing USD35.0 million of senior secured convertible notes.
Specific provisions have been agreed upon between the consortium members, under which Air France-KLM’s stake could be increased. Subject to regulatory conditions and financial performance, it may become a controlling shareholder after at least two years.
This investment is a component of Air France-KLM’s strategic roadmap. It was already considered in the group’s financial trajectory for 2024 and has no impact on its medium-term outlook.
Commercial cooperation underway
As announced by the Air France-KLM Group on 11 July 2024, Air France, KLM, and SAS have signed codeshare and interline agreements to provide their respective customers with extended travel options.
Beginning 1 September 2024, Air France and KLM customers will gain access to 33 destinations in Northern Europe beyond SAS’s hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. SAS customers will gain access to 33 destinations in Europe beyond Air France and KLM’s hubs at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
These agreements also cover reciprocal loyalty programme benefits for Flying Blue and EuroBonus, enabling members to earn and spend Miles/Points on flights operated by SAS and the Air France-KLM Group’s airlines.
In addition, on 1 September 2024, SAS will join the SkyTeam alliance, of which Air France and KLM are founding members. From that date, eligible EuroBonus members will be able to enjoy SkyTeam services and benefits, including SkyPriority and lounge access worldwide.
GURUGRAM India, 30 August 2024: Air India has introduced seven new languages to its 24/7 customer support services, in addition to the existing Hindi and English services that seriously upgrade its Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and chat capabilities.
Travellers can communicate with the airline’s online customer services in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu.
By integrating these seven Indian languages, Air India aims to elevate customer experience and provide a more accessible experience for passengers who prefer to communicate in their native languages. The enhanced Indian language support reflects the airline’s vision of being a ‘global airline with an Indian heart’.
Air India’s IVR system will now automatically recognise the customer’s language preference based on the user’s mobile network, eliminating the need to choose a language manually and reducing the response time.
“The introduction of multilingual support in Indian languages marks a significant milestone in our transformation journey. By integrating these Indian languages into our customer support services, we are expanding our reach and strengthening the relationship with our customers, ensuring that every interaction with Air India feels familiar and inclusive,” said Air India Chief Customer Experience Officer Rajesh Dogra.
Recently, Air India has deployed five new contact centres, offering round-the-clock assistance to its customers worldwide with dedicated desks for premium and frequent flyers. Special assistance in Indian languages will be available daily from 0800 to 2300 IST. In addition, the airline implemented a comprehensive back-office insourcing strategy to manage emails, social media, and chat support in-house, significantly improving customer support services’ quality and efficiency.
MANILA, Philippines, 30 August 2024: Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to upgrade its tech stack with a broad set of solutions and services supplied by Amadeus, improving passengers’ travel experience.
Integrating customer loyalty knowledge and data with the Altéa Passenger Service System (PSS) will deliver real-time personalisation throughout the customer journey, benefiting the Philippines’ full-service network.
Website refit
Philippine Airlines first embarked on a digital transformation journey in 2018 when it adopted Amadeus Altéa PSS and, more recently, Amadeus’ customer profiling and personalisation solution, Traveler DNA.
Amadeus will provide a team of travel industry experts knowledgeable in airline website optimisation to revamp the carrier’s digital channels. The contract calls for reworking the airline’s website to operate from a new cloud-based infrastructure. Amadeus will provide managed services to maintain, monitor, and fully manage the Philippine Airlines website’s cloud hosting environment.
Amadeus loyalty management
Philippine Airlines will implement the Amadeus Loyalty Management solution to enhance Mabuhay Miles. The solution will power its transformation into a digital lifestyle loyalty programme and give it the flexibility to serve loyalty members better while increasing their engagement.
The modern loyalty technology will empower Philippine Airlines with a full range of capabilities, including currency retailing, a modern UI experience, a loyalty member portal, targeted promotions, real-time identification and allocation of benefits, advanced acquisition, member recognition, and segmentation.
Loyalty partner network
The carrier will also be able to expand its loyalty partner network through an intuitive, self-service partner management portal.
The digital services and loyalty solutions fully integrate the Altéa PSS suite and technology from Amadeus’ partner network, driving value for Philippine Airlines and personalised servicing to its customers.
Philippine Airlines’ President Stanley Ng comments: “Our website and the Mabuhay Miles programme are key aspects of our digital strategy. This partnership with Amadeus will help us strengthen our technology infrastructure in these areas. With Amadeus’ expertise and unique understanding of the travel industry, we can keep service levels high and anticipate future technological developments in the market.”
Amadeus, Executive Vice President Travel Unit & Managing Director Asia Pacific Javier Laforgue responds: “Philippine Airlines is a longtime and valued partner with whom we’ve worked closely on several ambitious projects. Today, I am thrilled to go further with the airline as it embraces our industry-leading knowledge and technology.”
