BANGKOK, 23 October 2023: More flights served by Thai Smile are migrating to the Thai Airways International network ahead of the shutdown of the low-cost subsidiary.
By early 2024, all Thai Smile’s flights should transfer to the parent THAI as part of the group’s restructuring and recovery plan.
Thai Airlines International (TG) resumes flights to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), Hanoi (HAN) and Kathmandu (KTM) with A320s effective 29 October through to the end of the winter timetable on 30 March 2024
Meanwhile, flights increase on routes to Chengdu and Kunming in China from three to five a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday) during the airline’s winter timetable from 1 December 2023 to 30 March 2024.
Bangkok – Chengdu
TG618 BKK-TFU Dep 1005 Arr 1400 TG619 TFU-BKK Dep 1515 Arr 1730
Bangkok – Khunming
TG612 BKK-KMG Dep 1055 Arr 1405 TG613 KMG-BKK Dep 1520 Arr 1635
SINGAPORE, 23 October 2023: British Airways will launch daily flights to Abu Dhabi in the spring of 2024, following a four-year hiatus.
Bookings opened for the new flight on 19 October, with the first flights scheduled for 20 April 2024, serving the UAE’s capital year-round from London Heathrow and using a Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Famous for its towering architecture, rich culture, desert landscapes, magnificent beaches and world-class attractions, this Middle Eastern metropolis is enjoyed by those looking for an eclectic mix of culture, relaxation and adventure. BA already flies to neighbouring Dubai, offering three daily flights from Heathrow.
British Airways offers return fares from UKP449 in World Traveller (economy) and UKP1,999 in Club World (business class), bookable on 12 November 2023 to support launch sales. Executive Club Members can purchase Reward Seats from UKP100 + 50,000 Avios.
British Airways director of network and alliances, Neil Chernoff said: “Abu Dhabi is a unique destination that is making a very welcome return to our network. With a blend of beach, city and desert, it has everything our customers are looking for in a Middle Eastern trip, and we look forward to welcoming them back on board as we grow our footprint in the UAE.”
Abu Dhabi Airports chief commercial officer Maureen Bannerman said: “We’re delighted to welcome British Airways back to Abu Dhabi International Airport, adding to the growing list of leading carriers set to use Terminal A as their operational base in Abu Dhabi. A luxurious new gateway to Abu Dhabi, Terminal A will open to the public from 1 November, offering state-of-the-art facilities for passengers and airlines.”
HONG KONG, 23 October 2023: Travel sentiment remains strong as Cathay Pacific gears up for the next holiday wave, according to the airline’s latest traffic figures for September 2023, released at the weekend.
Cathay Pacific carried 1,542,144 passengers last month, an increase of 480.1% compared with September 2022. The month’s revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased 316% year-on-year. Passenger load factor increased by 11.2 percentage points to 83.7%, while capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased by 260.4% year on year. In the first nine months of 2023, passengers carried increased by 1,099% against a 546.7% increase in capacity and a 736.8% increase in RPKs, as compared with the same period for 2022.
The airline carried 119,963 tonnes of cargo last month, an increase of 15.3% compared with September 2022. The month’s cargo revenue tonne kilometres (RFTKs) increased 16.9% year-on-year. The cargo load factor decreased by 5.3 percentage points to 61.1%, while capacity, measured in available cargo tonne kilometres (AFTKs), increased by 26.9% year on year. In the first nine months of 2023, the tonnage increased by 20.1% against a 77.7% increase in capacity and a 53.8% increase in RFTKs, compared to the same period for 2022.
Regarding the results, chief customer and commercial officer Lavinia Lau said: “As we exited the busy peak summer months for passenger travel, we saw increased student traffic in September ahead of the start of the new school year, particularly in the UK. To cater for the strong demand, we increased the frequency of our flights between Hong Kong and the UK in September, with our services from Hong Kong achieving load factors of 98%.
“In addition to student traffic, there was a notable increase in outbound passenger travel from Hong Kong during the last week of September, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays. We also saw strong demand from the Greater Bay Area and the rest of the Chinese Mainland for travel to Hong Kong and destinations beyond the holiday period.
“Meanwhile, demand for Hangzhou was elevated with the Asian Games. Cathay Pacific was proud to carry many athletes, spectators and officials to attend this incredible sporting occasion. It has also been great to see more conferences and exhibitions in Hong Kong, stimulating demand for premium cabins as we near the traditional business travel peak.
Cargo
“On the cargo side, September marked the start of the traditional peak period, and demand strengthened across most of the network compared with the previous month. Capacity also grew as passenger services were added on some key cargo routes.
“E-commerce remained a bright spot, particularly on the Americas trade lanes. Our mail business continued gaining momentum, with several post offices worldwide adopting our newly launched Cathay Mail solution to improve customer experience.
Outlook
“Looking ahead at the coming months, on the travel side, we will continue to increase capacity as much as is feasible to provide more choice and flexibility for our customers. Earlier this month, we resumed our Chicago passenger service, which received a very encouraging response from our customers. With the next holiday period not until Christmas, we will remain agile to capture demand, including connecting traffic via the Hong Kong hub.
“For cargo, loads are expected to build over the next two months, reflecting the year-end demand, and we have been adding freighter capacity on our transpacific routes to cater for this. Our intermodal sea-air feeder services from Dongguan will continue to grow, providing customers a cost-effective option to move freight from the Greater Bay Area to the Hong Kong hub and onto our global network.”
The Cathay Group, on 11 October 2023, announced that shareholder approval had been granted to proceed with a proposed capital reduction, which, when completed, will facilitate the Group to buy back 50% – HK$9.75 billion – of the preference shares held by the Hong Kong SAR Government before the end of this year, and the remaining 50% by the end of July 2024, subject to market conditions and the Group’s business operations at the relevant time.
HANOI, 23 October 2023: Vietjet has scheduled a new daily service from Hanoi to Hong Kong (China) starting 22 December 2023 as part of a recently announced schedule that adds flights to five international destinations.
The additional international routes will connect Hanoi to Hong Kong (China), Phu Quoc to Taipei (Taiwan, China) and Busan (South Korea). New flights from Ho Chi Minh City are scheduled to Adelaide and Perth (Australia).
Hanoi to Hong Kong
The flights from Hanoi will depart at 0855 and arrive in Hong Kong at 1150. The return flight will depart Hong Kong at 1250 and arrive in Hanoi at 1350. This is Vietjet’s fourth route from Vietnam cities to Hong Kong following the resumption of services from Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and Phu Quoc.
Phu Quoc to Busan
Daily flights from Vietnam’s holiday island, Phu Quoc, to Busan (South Korea) will start on 10 December 2023. The flight will depart Phu Quoc at 1:15 and will arrive in Busan at 0805. The return flight will depart Busan at 0855 and arrive in Phu Quoc at 1240.
Phu Quoc to Taipei
The airline will reconnect Phu Quoc to Taipei (Taiwan) starting 17 January 2024 with four flights weekly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
The flight will depart Phu Quoc at 0825 and arrive in Taipei at 1300. The return flight will depart Taipei at 1400 and land in Phu Quoc at 1650.
HCMC to Perth and Adelaide
Flights connecting Ho Chi Minh City to Perth and Adelaide will operate from 21 November 2023, with five return flights per week departing on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.
The flights from Ho Chi Minh City take off at 0635 (local time), land in Perth at 1420 (local time), and continue to Adelaide, arriving at 2110 (local time) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
In the opposite direction, the flights depart from Adelaide at 0725 (local time) and land in Perth at 0855 (local time). Flights depart from Perth at 0955 (local time) and land in Ho Chi Minh City at 1540 (local time).
BANGKOK, 23 October 2023: THAI Airways International will operate flights to 51 cities worldwide during the winter timetable from 29 October 2023 to 30 March 2024, a significant boost in serving international destinations — eight in Europe, eight in India and six in China.
In addition to reinstating destinations post-Covid pandemic and increasing flights to meet growing travel demand, THAI has taken over all of Thai Smile’s regional routes to phase out the low-cost subsidiary’s operations by early 2024.
Photo credit: THAI
THAI introduces a new daily service to Istanbul, Türkiye, effective 1 December. It also includes new endeavours such as flights to Gaya, the gateway to Bodh Gaya, a revered site (Mahabodhi Temple Complex), the signature destination of seasonal Buddhist heritage tours of India and Nepal. The take-over of Thai Smile routes will see THAI flying to Siem Reap (home of the Angkor Wat Historical Park) for the first time starting 1 December, landing at the new airport Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI),
Intercontinental routes
Europe
1. Bangkok – Munich: daily flight.
2. Bangkok – Frankfurt: twice daily flights.
3. Bangkok – Istanbul: daily flight, starting 1 December 2023.
4. Bangkok – Stockholm: daily flight.
5. Bangkok – Copenhagen: daily flight.
6. Bangkok – Zurich: daily flight.
7. Bangkok – Paris: daily flight.
8. Bangkok – London: twice daily flights.
Australia
9. Bangkok – Melbourne: twice daily flights.
10. Bangkok – Sydney: daily flight.
Asia
1. Bangkok – Sapporo: daily flight.
2. Bangkok – Tokyo (Narita): twice daily flights.
3. Bangkok – Tokyo (Haneda): twice daily flights.
4. Bangkok – Nagoya: daily flight.
5. Bangkok – Osaka: twice daily flights.
6. Bangkok – Fukuoka: daily flight.
7. Bangkok – Manila: daily flight.
8. Bangkok – Seoul: triple daily flights.
9. Bangkok – Taipei: daily flight. (*increased to twice daily flights from 1 January 2024)
10. Bangkok – Kaohsiung: daily flight.
China
11. Bangkok – Hong Kong: triple daily flights. (increased to four flights per day from 1 February 2024)
12. Bangkok – Beijing: six flights per week every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (increases to daily flight from 1 December 2023)
13. Bangkok – Shanghai: daily flight.
14. Bangkok – Guangzhou: daily flight.
15. Bangkok – Chengdu: two flights weekly every Tuesday and Thursday. (increased to five flights weekly every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 1 December 2023)
16. Bangkok – Kunming: three flights every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. (Increases to five flights weekly every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 1 December 2023)
TOKYO, 20 October 2023: Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) and JCB International (JCB) signed a historic agreement last week that should boost tourism to Saudi Arabia by reaching out to JCB cardmembers globally.
Saudi Tourism Authority president of Asia Pacific markets Alhasan Aldabbagh said: “This is a great opportunity for our tourism industry, as it will offer more convenience and security for Japanese travellers and other Asian tourists who prefer cashless payment channels. We believe this collaboration will enhance the appeal of Saudi as a destination for international visitors and support our vision of becoming a leading global tourism hub.”
The partnership with JCB should unlock various opportunities for cooperation between Saudi and Japan. Notably, Japan is one of the 57 countries eligible for Saudi’s e-visa and visa-on-arrival, with special benefits such as a free one-night hotel stay for tourists flying onwards on the national airline SAUDIA as part of Saudi’s 96-hour Stopover Visa programme.
Other initiatives include the Japanese language VisitSaudi.ja portal featuring joint marketing campaigns with leading travel trade partners to promote the country to Japanese holidaymakers. They can take advantage of special hotel offers from local destination management companies (DMC) and tap attractive holiday deals, inviting them to discover the true home of Arabia on their terms.
JCB International resident and CEO Yoshiki Kaneko expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “This is a great chance for us to promote exciting travel experiences to Saudi for our cardmembers. Like Japan, Saudi is a unique destination, with fascinating nature, culture and history.”
He added, “We’ve been working closely with the leading local banks in Saudi such as SNB, Alinma Bank, Riyad Bank, ANB, and Bank Al Jazira on merchant and ATM enablement to ensure JCB’s 154 million card members enjoy a seamless experience in Saudi.”
This partnership signifies an important step in enhancing tourism, facilitating travel, and fostering greater cultural exchange between Saudi and Japan.
About Saudi Tourism Authority
Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), established in June 2020, is responsible for marketing Saudi’s tourism destinations worldwide and developing the destination’s travel programmes, packages and business support. Its mandate includes developing the country’s assets and destinations, hosting and participating in industry events, and promoting Saudi’s destination brand locally and overseas.
STA operates 16 representative offices worldwide, serving 38 countries.
JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and, since 1981, expanded worldwide and established a network of 43 million merchants worldwide. JCB Cards are issued mainly in Asian countries and territories, with more than 154 million card members.
SAMARKAND Uzbekistan, 20 October 2023: Uzbekistan families and holiday-makers searching for a unique winter escape need to look no further than Sabah, famed for its pristine landscapes, beaches, island resorts, and warm sunny weather.
Sabah Tourism Board (STB) chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai highlighted the trend among Uzbeks who typically gravitate towards destinations like Bali, UAE, Egypt, Vietnam, and Thailand to avoid the harsh winter between November and January.
Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai leads the STB board of directors and management team to a meeting with Tourism Malaysia director (Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan/Tajikistan Region) Nor Shazly Azmi (4th left), along with various Uzbek travel agents and airline representatives.
“Yet, they are yearning for fresh and sunny destinations to explore. When it comes to Malaysia, Langkawi is the destination they’re most familiar with,” he explained.
Joniston received feedback during an engagement session with the Tourism Malaysia director (Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan/Tajikistan Region) Nor Shazly Azmi, and various Uzbek travel agents and airline representatives earlier this week during a UNWTO event hosted in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The participating agencies included Air Samarkand, Aeronautica Commercial, Air Marakanda, Asia Luxe Agency, and Ammy Travel.
With Uzbek travellers showing a strong preference for beach destinations and tropical islands, Joniston said Sabah’s captivating landscapes, pristine waters, lush rainforests, and rich wildlife heritage make it an alluring choice.
Air Samarkand expressed interest in exploring direct flights from Samarkand to Kota Kinabalu during the engagement session.
In response, Joniston proposed initiating a familiarisation trip for agents and engaging social media influencers to pique interest in Sabah among the Uzbek citizens.
He also stressed that the Sabah Tourism Board is actively working on promoting the state through travel agencies and online platforms, sharing information about the best attractions, accommodations, and experiences available, among others.
Joniston, who is Sabah’s Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister, led a delegation of STB board members and management staff to the 25th UNWTO General Assembly held in Samarkand City.
During the event, Joniston met with the Japan Travel Bureau, Traveloka, the World Federation of Travel Guide Associations, and the International Federation of Camping, Caravanning, and Autocaravanning. For more information on travel to Sabah visit: www.sabahtourism.com.
BANGKOK 17 October 2023: Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, is thrilled to announce the exciting conclusion of its Love Isaan promotion with a special week-long Flash Sale. Guests who book from today to 23 October 2023 for stays through 29 December 2023 will enjoy a host of exclusive perks, including 30% off flexible rates, plus an additional 15% discount for CentaraThe1 members at Centara Korat, Centara Ubon and Centara Udon.
In addition to these savings, guests can choose from an array of modern rooms and suites across all three properties, each offering exciting dining experiences, outdoor swimming pools, modern MICE facilities and event spaces, and convenient access to nearby Central shopping centres and local landmarks.
From its awe-inspiring temples and breathtaking landscapes to vibrant festivals and renowned local fare, Thailand’s northeast is a captivating destination for families, solo explorers, couples and business travellers alike. Whether discovering the historic ruins of Korat, indulging in the shopping delights of Udon Thani’s bustling markets, or immersing yourself in the serene natural beauty of Ubon Ratchathani’s lush mountain ranges, Centara is The Place to Be in Isaan.
To take advantage of the Love Isaan – Flash Sale, guests must book directly through the Centara Hotels & Resorts website before the offer ends on 23 October 2023. CentaraThe1 members enjoy an extra 15% discount when logged into their member account at the time of booking, and new members can sign up for free now to take advantage of this amazing extra saving at www.CentaraThe1.com
KUALA LUMPUR, 20 October 2023: Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) appointed its new chief executive officer, Dr Mohamed Ali Abu Bakar, effective 16 October.
Ali will spearhead MHTC’s operations, ensuring its commitment to facilitating and promoting the nation’s healthcare travel industry. With his vast experience and leadership, he brings a fresh take to Malaysia Healthcare’s growth, furthering Malaysia’s vision to be the trusted and leading global healthcare destination.
Dr Mohamed Ali Abu Bakar
As the new CEO, Ali will continue to build strategic and valuable partnerships with stakeholders in both private and public sectors at home and abroad. Under his leadership, Malaysia Healthcare will remain committed to building the Malaysia Healthcare brand and simultaneously raising Malaysia’s profile as a safe and trusted provider of quality healthcare across the globe.
Ali has 28 years of experience in C suite positions, specialising in strategic, financial, digital, and operational turnaround of companies. He has gained extensive experience in health and medical tourism from his early days working with the Malaysia Tourism Board.
About MHTC
The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) is a government agency under the Ministry of Health Malaysia that has been entrusted with the responsibility of curating the country’s healthcare travel scene, making it a key export service industry.
Founded in 2009, MHTC works to streamline industry players and service providers in facilitating and growing Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry under the brand “Malaysia Healthcare”, aiming to make Malaysia the leading global healthcare destination. MHTC works closely with over 90 private healthcare facilities in Malaysia, which are registered members of MHTCO
SYDNEY, 20 October 2023: Qantas international customers will soon have the chance to travel ‘neighbour free’ following the success of the airline’s Neighbour Free product on its domestic network earlier this year.
Starting earlier this week, Qantas is trialling Neighbour Free seating on 19 international routes where some economy passengers can keep the seat next to them free.
Photo credit: Qantas.
Qantas chief customer and digital officer Catriona Larritt commented: “We’ve had a positive reaction from customers who’ve opted to travel Neighbour-Free on our domestic network. Customers have told us they want the option on our international flights too.
“The data shows it’s most popular with customers on our longer flights between the east and west coasts, so rolling it out to our international flights makes a lot of sense.
“Whether they’re hopping across the Tasman or taking a longer flight to the US, we think customers will value being able to secure some extra space.
“International bookings can be a little more complex, so we’re starting with select routes and bookings without additional products to test our processes before expanding the programme in the coming months.”
Neighbour-Free goes international
Securing a vacant ‘Neighbour-Free’ seat costs an extra AUD45 on trans-Tasman flights, AUD100 between Australia and Singapore, and AUD225 between Australia and America.
• Customers booked on a flight with spare capacity will be emailed 48 hours before their flight with the option of selecting a Neighbour-Free seat. The seat is not guaranteed until departure, with customers receiving a refund if the seat is subsequently sold.
• During the trial, Neighbour-Free will only be available for flights operated by Qantas aircraft and for select customers.
• Passengers who have purchased additional products, such as extra legroom, have requested an upgrade, are travelling with an infant or have an unaccompanied minor in the booking will not be eligible for Neighbour-Free during the trial. Customers travelling as part of a group booking will also be ineligible.
