SINGAPORE, 22 January 2024: Trip Affiliates Network (TA Network) has sealed an industry-leading partnership to provide Bayu Buana Travel Services with a next-generation advanced travel IaaS platform.
This collaboration with Bayu Buana Travel Services aligns with TA Network’s strategy to bring together Asia Pacific’ leading travel wholesalers, operators and destination management companies onto a single platform using high-performance technology to power innovative solutions to drive sales, productivity, customer value and service delivery.
“We are delighted that Bayu Buana Travel Services, Indonesia’s leading destination management company, has adopted our advanced travel technology stack powering a single global platform that allows everyone in the ecosystem to collaborate effectively. With Bayu Buana Travel Services’ wealth of travel experience, we are excited to embark on this new digital journey together to accelerate strategic growth and create the travel experience of the new era through collaborative enhancements in technology and solutions,” said TA Network’s Managing Partner, Ho Siang Twang.
“As we gear up for the next phase of growth post-Covid, we need a comprehensive digital solution, said Bayu Buana Travel Services vice-president of meetings and events Shirley Teguh. “(To achieve growth) we will adopt TA Network’s advanced technology, including booking engines, packaging tools, advanced operations & payment services to broaden our B2B distribution and partnerships.”
With its head office in Jakarta, Bayu Buana Travel Services operates 21 branches in Indonesia, providing its agents and customers with high-quality accommodation, tours, packages and travel services.
About Trip Affiliates Network
Headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, Trip Affiliates Network (TA Network) provides FIT/group inbound and outbound turnkey solutions and add-on direct supplier connectivity services for travel agents, wholesalers and hotels. High-performance platforms include integrated booking systems for flights, hotels, activities and transfers, plus dynamic packages and digital payment solutions.
SINGAPORE, 22 January 2024: The Maldives welcomed the first direct flight from Hong Kong to the Maldives last week since the Covid-19 pandemic closed Hong Kong in 2020.
A special ceremony was held on 19 January at Velana International Airport to mark the arrival of Hong Kong Airlines flight HX791 from Hong Kong International Airport, hosted by Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation.
Maldives welcomes the return of Hong Kong Airilines.
Before the pandemic stalled travel worldwide, China consistently topped the arrival charts for visitors to the Maldives, recording 187,118 tourists in 2019.
Commenting on the market, MMPRC said it was confident the return of direct flights to the island nation would boost visitors this year. Until now, travellers from China had to connect with flights out of Singapore or Colombo in Sri Lanka.
In 2023, MMPRC conducted joint online promotions and familiarisation trips, closing the year with around 1.8 million tourist visits.
This year, MMPRC has lined up activities to revive bookings from the Chinese market, focusing on e-learning campaigns, digital promotions on leading Chinese apps, outdoor billboard marketing initiatives, familiarisation trips and social media campaigns.
PETALING JAYA, 18 January 2024: Tourism Malaysia bagged the gold award for the Transportation, Travel & Tourism category at the 2023 Putra Aria Brand Awards held at One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya.
The Aria Brand Awards, also labelled as the People’s Choice Awards, were introduced in 2022 by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As) to acknowledge the brands that have the most vital connection with Malaysians, as determined by 11,000 respondents voluntarily participated in the eight-week-long survey period from September to October 2023.
The award has received the endorsement of MATRADE as the Brand Champion Partner and is supported by the Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA), the Media Specialists Association (MSA), and the Malaysian Digital Association (MDA).
A total of 24 categories compete, representing different areas such as tourism, automobile, banking, communications, e-commerce, entertainment, investment and insurance, and media. A total of 40 brands win gold, 50 silver, and 60 bronze.
Tourism Malaysia director-general YBh Dato Dr Ammar Abd Ghapar commented: “The year 2024 begins on a positive note with the reception of this award, marking the second consecutive recognition. This achievement significantly enhances our brand image and undoubtedly reflects the promotional endeavours undertaken by Tourism Malaysia.”
Tourism Malaysia achieved recognition in an earlier accomplishment by securing the bronze award at the 2022 Putra Brand Awards within the same category. This prestigious accolade reflects the ongoing commitment to excellence in promoting Malaysia’s diverse attractions and vibrant culture.
About Tourism Malaysia Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination.
The next Visit Malaysia Year, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation’s tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).
SINGAPORE, 22 January 2024: Turkish Airlines will add three weekly flights to Melbourne, Australia, to its flight network starting 15 March 2024, with the flights “relayed* via Singapore.”
According to its press statement, Turkish Airlines “will also have the distinction of being the only European airline to operate flights to Melbourne Airport.”
No direct flights operate from Istanbul to Melbourne, and the airline’s use of the word “relayed” could more accurately describe a technical stop or transit in Singapore to refuel with no local sales on roundtrip Singapore-Melbourne sectors.
The special launch price for Turkish Airlines’ Melbourne to Istanbul flights has been pegged at AUD1499 and USD1199 USD on the Istanbul to Melbourne flights.
Bookings opened for the special fares on 19 January and will close on 15 April for the travel period from 15 March to 15 May 2024.
Turkish Airlines already flies double daily on the Istanbul-Singapore — TK209 using a Boeing 787-9 with 297 seats and TK55 using a Boeing 777-300 with 261 seats. Both flights turn around in Singapore and depart for Istanbul (TK209 at 1020, arriving in IST at 1705, and TK55 at 2335, arriving in IST at 0610).
Commenting on the new service, Turkish Airlines chairman of the board and the executive committee, Ahmet Bolat said: “Today is an important day for us. We have realised our goal of reaching Australia. Melbourne is our 346th destination in our flight network. With its natural beauty and hospitable people, Australia becomes the 130th country and 6th continent under our wings.”
Supported by the Victorian Government and Melbourne Airport, the new route will connect Türkiye with Australia’s largest Turkish community and one of Victoria’s largest trading centres, the country’s fastest-growing state.
Turkish Airlines’ new flights will also increase Melbourne’s access to the European, Middle Eastern, Balkan, and African markets via İstanbul.
The airline statement concluded: “In the next few years, Turkish Airlines aims to organise direct flights to Melbourne and other cities by acquiring new aircraft capable of operating nonstop flights between Istanbul and Melbourne.
DUBAI UAE, 22 January 2024: Emirates is celebrating the new year and the imminent arrival of its new fleet of Airbus A350s with a global cabin crew recruitment drive with a difference.
The 5,000 new joiners will ensure the airline’s commitment to offering the world’s best inflight experience maintains a steady course.
The recruitment drive is designed primarily for those who will soon or have recently stepped into the world of work. The airline is inviting fresh graduates with internships or part-time jobs on their résumés, those with a year or so of hospitality or customer service experience, and individuals keen to embark on an exciting career travelling the globe. The recruits will be a part of the world’s largest international airline and one of the most iconic brands; plus, they will learn hospitality and life skills from the best trainers in the business.
What’s more, they will travel the world across more than 140 cities in 76 countries and enjoy the entire gamut of benefits working as Emirates’ cabin crew. Click here for the eligibility criteria.
Recruitment drive
In 2024, Emirates’ recruitment team will host open days and assessments in more than 460 cities across six continents, reflecting the span of the airline’s network and the diversity of its cabin crew team while flying the flag for living and working in dynamic Dubai.
In 2023, Emirates hired a staggering 8,000 cabin crew and held recruitment events in 353 cities as the airline ramped up its services during the pandemic. In August 2023, the airline’s cabin crew numbers crossed the 20,000 milestone and are now 21,500 strong.
Fleet and network expansion
The new cabin crew recruitment drive comes as Emirates begins to take delivery of its eagerly anticipated A350s from mid-year and the Boeing 777-Xs starting in 2025. The airline has 65 A350s and a mix of 205 777-9s and 777-8s in its order book. The new aircraft will expand the airline’s reach and provide flexibility to add new routes to its network.
Training and life skills
All new cabin crew recruits undergo an intense eight weeks of training in delivering the highest standards of hospitality, safety and service that Emirates’ customers have come to expect over the years. Trained in Emirates’ state-of-the-art facility in Dubai, cabin crew learn invaluable transferable skills that include a knack for communication, initiative and leadership qualities. They develop the ability to work effectively in a multicultural team, focusing on staying mentally strong and calm under pressure, becoming bastions of hospitality, providing exceptional service, and acting as ambassadors for an iconic brand. Cabin crew also have access to the latest training programmes and LinkedIn courses.
Cabin crew community
Emirates’ multicultural cabin crew team hails from more than 140 nationalities and speaks 130 languages, so customers can always expect to converse with a warm, friendly voice in their language. Crew form lifelong friendships and close-knit bonds within the community, fostering better teamwork, a common sense of purpose and a shared service philosophy.
Cabin crew members experience excellent career progression, including upgrading to higher cabin classes and becoming cabin supervisors, pursers, or trainers. Today, the airline has 1,180 pursers who have climbed the career ladder after completing exacting training and assessments. The crew also have the opportunity to apply for internal vacancies throughout the Emirates Group.
The cabin crew’s life
Emirates’ cabin crew lead a cosmopolitan lifestyle in vibrant Dubai, living with 200 nationalities in a city renowned for its hotels, restaurants, food scene, leisure activities, and being one of the safest in the world.
Emirates’ cabin crew enjoy a competitive, tax-free salary and flying pay, eligibility for profit share, hotel stays and layover expenses, concessional travel and cargo, annual leave, annual leave ticket, furnished accommodation, transportation to and from work, excellent medical, life and dental insurance coverage, laundry services and other benefits. Friends and family enjoy deeply discounted flight tickets, and travelling with their loved ones creates lasting memories for the crew.
For aspiring cabin crew, the opportunity to join Emirates is one click or one open day away. Check out www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/cabin-crew regularly for details and open-day schedules in your city or country.
SINGAPORE, 19 January 2024: Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, announced the appointment of Jill Goh as the first female general manager following the property’s extensive makeover.
A veteran hotelier with over three decades of experience in the global luxury hospitality industry, she brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge in hotel operations and management to her new role as she takes the reins at the newly transformed Mandarin Oriental property in the Marina Bay precinct in Singapore.
Goh, a Malaysian national, is no stranger to the 510-room Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, having served as resident manager before moving to Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London.
After a short corporate stint as corporate operations manager for the Asia region, she transferred to Mandarin Oriental, Macau, as the property’s General Manager before her most recent appointment as general manager of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. During
Goh is thrilled to return to where she first started her career with the hotel group in 1993. “It is amazing to be back here in Singapore, where I have forged many fond memories, where I first embarked on my career with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group,” she explained. “I look forward to continuing the chapter for Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, working alongside my team as we surpass our boundaries and redefine luxury in Singapore and beyond.”
DOHA, Qatar, 19 January 2024: Qatar Airways Holidays is making Inter Milan (FC Internazionale Milano) matches more accessible to fans worldwide by creating new fan travel packages.
The comprehensive packages include return flights, accommodation and match tickets and are available for purchase on qatarairways.com/inter.
Qatar Airways was named the Official Global Airline Partner of Inter Milan in November 2023.
Qatar Airways Holidays senior vice president Steven Reynolds said: “We believe that travel and sport are two global unifiers. Thanks to our world-class airline, convenient holiday packages, and growing football portfolio, we bring fans closer to their passions and the teams they support.”
The club’s 400 million fans worldwide can plan a visit to the San Siro Stadium in Milan through Qatar Airways Holidays’ packages.
Packages Offer:
· Return Flights with Qatar Airways; · Hotel accommodation. Fans can choose from a wide range of hotels throughout Milan to meet their specific needs; · Match Tickets. Guaranteed “Category 1’ match tickets for home games at the San Siro Stadium, ensuring fans have premium seats to witness Inter’s matches; · Avios: Fans are encouraged to sign up for Qatar Airways’ loyalty programme, Privilege Club, before securing their travel packages to earn Avios and Qpoints and accumulate rewards for future travel experiences. Members can also book these packages using Cash + Avios.
Qatar Airways operates three daily flights from Doha to both Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino.
SINGAPORE, 19 January 2024: Qantas has announced it will reintroduce direct flights between Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory and Singapore this December. It last operated direct flights between Singapore and Darwin in 2006.
Commencing 9 December 2024, the new Qantas flights will add more than 60,000 seats annually and provide visitors to Australia with a convenient gateway to access the Changi Airport hub to connect to other destinations in Asia. The flights will also provide Singaporeans with a direct Qantas option to Darwin, with connections to the airline’s extensive network around Australia.
Initially, the airline will offer five weekly flights using a dual-class Embraer E190 aircraft, increasing to daily flights in March 2025.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the Darwin service was a welcome addition to the airline’s international network out of Singapore.
“We’re thrilled to be offering our customers another new route and strengthening the important trade, business and tourism links between Singapore and Australia,” said Wallace.
“The direct service is great news for Singaporeans wanting to visit Darwin and for those travelling to Alice Springs, Adelaide and other cities, saving hours of travel time by no longer having to fly via the other Australian capitals.
“This new service makes it much easier for Qantas customers from Singapore and across Asia to incorporate Darwin into their Australian itinerary and experience everything the Northern Territory offers.”
The new route is in addition to the other Australian destinations that Qantas currently operates from Singapore, such as Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
Fares starting at SGD792 opened for bookings on 17 January via qantas.com/sg or through travel agents.
BANGKOK, 19 January 2024: Thai Airways International is appealing to early birds to snatch up bargain fares for travel between May and November 2024.
It offers a 25% discount on its ‘Super Early Bird’ if you book by 31 January for the travel period 1 May to 30 November 2024.
Targeting Thailand residents, the airline lists popular destinations for the discounted fares, leading off with Japan with the Bangkok-Tokyo roundtrip economy class fare pegged at THB22,050 and the roundtrip to Osaka at THB21,325. The flight to Hong Kong will cost THB9,315 for a round trip, and Singapore will cost THB9,925.
For flights further afield, a roundtrip fare to Sydney, Australia, will cost THB38,148 and London THB37,790. The early bird special fare to Seoul, Korea, a top destination for Thai travellers, starts at THB20,500 roundtrip.
All the fare deals are for direct flights to the destinations and in economy class.
How does the airline calculate the discount — 25% off what? (We assume it’s off the full website fares?) But it is not spelt out when browsing through THAI’s listing of bargain destinations promoted through its social media posts. However, a check of Skyscanner’s fares for travel from 1 to 15 May for direct flights from Bangkok to popular destinations worldwide delivers fares that are close to or even cheaper than what THAI quotes in its early bird promotion.
Skyscanner signals a roundtrip fare to Singapore at around THB9.411 and to cities in Japan at THB14,247. A roundtrip flight to Seoul, Korea, starts at THB11,189. The cheapest roundtrip fare on a direct flight to London is THB36,180.
SINGAPORE, 19 January 2024: Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), is selling bargain fares to over 55 destinations until 22 January 2024.
The network sale offers fares from SGD67* for selected travel periods in 2024 to more than 55 destinations in Australia, China, Germany, Greece, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Top-selling destinations will likely be Bali, Jeju, Krabi, Langkawi, Lombok, and Phuket, which appeal to Singaporean residents. According to a 2024 travel trend report by Skyscanner, Singaporean travellers say they intend to take as many trips in 2024 as they did in 2023, if not more.
48% of Singapore respondents also indicated that the price of flights was their number one cost factor that determined their destination choice.
South Korea: (fares start from SGD175). Plan a holiday to Korea’s historic sites like Gyeongbokgung Palace and trendy neighbourhoods in Gangnam and bask in the tranquil landscapes of Jeju Island’s volcanic terrain.
Thailand: (fares start from SGD89). From vibrant nightlife to serene temples and world-class shopping, Bangkok offers an astounding mix of tradition and modernity.
Vietnam: (fares start from SGD84). Step into the bustling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City and be greeted by a blend of rich colonial past, modern skyscrapers and a colourful street life.
Scoot is allocating 200,000 promotional seats for sale across Scoot’s network, with perks such as 10kg of cabin baggage allowance and the choice of a range of travel destinations and dates that fit your schedule. Travel periods vary depending on the destination booked.
