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Enrich loyalty programme wins seven awards

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 27 July 2023: Enrich, the travel and lifestyle loyalty programme of Malaysia Airlines, bagged seven awards at the recent Loyalty & Engagement Awards 2023.

The airline picked up four  Gold Awards for Best Membership Programme, Best Loyalty Strategy – Travel & Hospitality, Best Partnership in a Loyalty Programme and Best Engagement Strategy B2C; two  Silver Awards for Best Card-Based Loyalty Programme and Best Use of Rewards & Incentives, and Bronze for Best Use of Direct Marketing.

The Loyalty & Engagement Awards honour the best loyalty marketing strategies in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australian and New Zealand regions and is judged by an independent panel of senior, client-side marketers and loyalty experts.

Malaysia Aviation Group chief executive officer of loyalty & travel solutions Philip See said: “We are honoured to receive this industry recognition, which would not have been possible without our valued members’ unwavering support and loyalty.”

To celebrate, Enrich is offering a promotion for members from now until 31 July 2023. Members are entitled to double Enrich points and double Elite points for every ticket purchase to any destination in the Malaysia Airlines network.

Also, members who purchase Enrich Hotels, Enrich Xperience, or Temptations during this promotion period will receive triple Enrich points. The offer is open for travel until 30 November 2023.

Trip.com hypes its latest AI tweaks

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 26 July 2023: Trip.com Group has unveiled a series of enhanced services aimed at empowering travellers through AI-led capabilities and knowledge.

Speaking at Trip.com Group’s AI-driven strategy press conference last week, Trip.com Group co-founder and executive chair James Liang

said: “Tourism will continue to be an important industry in smart society, as it satisfies people’s innate desire to travel and explore. Artificial intelligence cannot replace this experience but can help to advance it. Trip.com Group will actively embrace technological development and use advanced AI-driven services to improve the travel process and overall experience.”

To ensure a seamless and hassle-free booking experience for its users, Trip.com Group introduces AI-enhanced curated lists. The lists include “Trip.Trends,” “Trip.Best,” and “Trip.Deals,” which capture real-time information on the latest travel trends, prices, and top-ranked hotels, flights, and attractions.

Each list focuses on a different consumer group and market position. “Trip.Best” enables global travellers to select the best experiences a destination offers, including flights, hotels, attractions, and lifestyle choices such as restaurants, nightlife, bars, and shows. The list is curated by examining various travel products on Trip.com and scoring them based on an algorithm, with only the top 1% of products featured.

“Trip.Deals” is designed for budget-conscious users looking for the best deals on flights, accommodation, and travel destinations. The list is curated based on various factors, such as historical and projected price changes and current travel expenses.

“Trip.Trends” tracks the most popular travel topics and events in different markets based on user searches across various platforms, including Trip.com, mainstream online search engines, and social media. This feature provides users with up-to-date information on the most exciting and current activities and events worldwide and in their local areas.

Launching these curated lists is part of the Group’s content marketing strategy to drive consumer awareness and provide them with the relevant information to secure the best deals.

During the pandemic, Trip.com Group expanded its content offerings, such as Trip Moments on Trip.com, livestreaming, and Star Hub – the Group’s enhanced marketing tool for suppliers to enhance their marketing efforts, and user-generated content rose by 33% compared to the previous year. 

Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun concluded: “Customers are at the heart of everything we do at Trip.com Group, and one of our priorities is to empower them to make informed decisions. In the future, we will continue to harness technology to enhance user experiences and unlock new value for our customers.”

MATTA Fair Sabah confirms a second edition

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TTR WEEKLY
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Mosque Bandaraya - Laily Hassan

KOTA KINABALU, 26 July 2023: Following the success of the MATTA Fair Sabah last May, a second edition has been confirmed for this October.

MATTA Sabah’s new committee elected for a two-year term earlier this month announced they would organise a second edition of the consumer travel show by popular demand.

IG: @kee_budakmerah; Sibuan Island, Semporna

First reported in the Star Online, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel (MATTA) Sabah chair Christina Wahida Kong said members had responded positively in a feedback survey on whether they would support a second edition.

Star Online quoted the MATTA Sabah chair saying: “With the rapid opening of borders and more direct flights coming into Sabah, MATTA Sabah members want to work again with the state tourism ministry to develop a balanced flow of tourists in and out of the state.” 

The earlier edition of the fair held in May 2023 in Kota Kinabalu generated MYR25 million in tour sales during the three-day event. Around 15,000 travel consumers visited the fair. The next edition will be held from 13 to 15 October at the Sabah International Convention Centre in Kota Kinabalu.

MATTA Fair is held twice annually at a national level hosted in Kuala Lumpur. Still, various MATTA chapters around the country organise satellite versions of the show to support members selling packages and reaching out to local travel consumers.

The next national MATTA Fair will be hosted from 1 to 3 September 2023 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Emirates rolls out meal preordering

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, 18 July 2023: Emirates is taking the first steps in an innovative initiative of meal preordering, whereby customers will be able to preselect their hot main meal between 14 days and 24 hours in advance of their flight, ensuring they get their preferred meal choice every time, as well as helping to reduce food wastage.

The initiative rolled out from 25 July onwards in Business Class on all flights between Dubai and London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and London Stansted, adding even more benefits to the Emirates customer experience, improving time management and adding another layer of insight into meal consumption onboard. Meal preordering will be added to the existing suite of AI-enabled customer preference tracking data and cabin crew reports, facilitating menu planning and optimal food loading to deliver the premium ‘restaurant in the sky’ inflight dining experience.

Up to 14 days before a flight, passengers can browse the onboard menu on Emirates.com or the Emirates app and choose from a selection of regionally inspired dishes with locally sourced ingredients. Passengers can also preorder special meals if required.

On the aircraft, the cabin crew will use a custom-built application on a device to view the meal selection and serve the passenger their choice of hot dish. Emirates plans to expand the meal preorder initiative to more routes and classes in the near future and is closely monitoring customer feedback from the initial rollout phase.

The preordering meal service innovation is another addition to the convenience of digitally enabled journeys that Emirates passengers enjoy. As well as website check-in and app check-in, the option of digital boarding passes and itinerary management, passengers can also access digital menus in advance, join Emirates Skywards to immediately access free connectivity based on tier membership and class of travel, and spend time curating a playlist of favourite movies, TV shows and music available on ice, which they can synchronise from their app to their TV screen the moment they board. Emirates passengers are also invited to review all aspects of their flight in a quick digital survey on the inflight entertainment screen, providing feedback and insights that ensure customers fly better with Emirates.

India’s ixigo delivers AI trip planner

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TTR WEEKLY
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NEW DELHI, 26 July 2023: Ixigo (Le Travenues Technology Limited) has introduced PLAN by ixigo, an intelligent trip planner built on OpenAI (an AI research and deployment company). 

By leveraging OpenAI’s ChatGPT API, the platform can process and understand user preferences, offering them personalised recommendations, suggestions, and itineraries. 

Ixigo has also become the first Indian travel company to have ixigo’s plugin for ChatGPT, a conversational travel assistant, strengthening its position as an industry frontrunner in innovation. 

PLAN by ixigo combines the collective power of ChatGPT and the best travel data on the planet to transform how travellers conceptualise, organise, and prioritise their trips. 

PLAN by ixigo is available on the ixigo website and apps and is accessible to users for free at https://www.ixigo.com/plan.   

About ixigo

Launched in 2007, ixigo (Le Travenues Technology Limited)  is a technology company that empowers Indian travellers to plan, book and manage their trips across rail, air, buses and hotels. ixigo assists travellers in making smarter travel decisions by leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science-led innovations. 

Air France KLM Group debuts FlyingBlue+

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 26 July 2023: Pointspay, a loyalty marketing and payment platform, has sealed a five-year partnership with Flying Blue, the loyalty programme of the Air France KLM Group.

The new platform, Flying Blue+, will initially be launched in France and the Netherlands, allowing members to earn and spend Flying Blue Miles when shopping online simply by selecting Flying Blue+ as the payment option at checkout in the merchant’s online storefront. 

Members will also be given the option of paying with a combination of miles and card payment using Pointspay’s patented points-plus-cash slider.

Flying Blue members can earn and spend miles across various merchants within the Flying Blue+ ecosystem. This partnership will allow members to save money, add possibilities on how they earn and spend their miles and accelerate their ability to earn rewards such as upgrades and more.

The launch of Flying Blue+ is made possible through Pointspay’s e-commerce (Magento, OpenCart & WooCommerce) & payment partners (Adyen & Buckaroo), making it easier than ever for merchants to accept & offer Flying Blue+ as a payment method at checkout.

Air France and KLM’s Flying Blue programme senior vice president Ben Lipsey commented: “Flying Blue+ allows our members to earn and spend their Miles at online merchants easily. The customer journey is smooth since members can shop directly with the participating merchants and secure a seamless payment experience.”

UA boosts flights to the Asia Pacific

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 26 July 2023: United will add more flights to the Asia-Pacific region flying direct to Manila from the continental US. and adding more nonstops to Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Taipei effective this October.

The airline will become the first US airline to fly direct to Manila from the mainland US. 

Photo credit: United.

In a press statement, the airline confirmed it will fly to 15 different international destinations across the Pacific this winter. Excluding mainland China, United’s transpacific network will be 50% larger than all other US airlines combined.

Earlier this year, the airline made the largest South Pacific network expansion adding 40% more flights between the US and Australia/New Zealand. 

United is flying its largest-ever schedule across the Atlantic this summer, 32% larger than the airline’s 2019 schedule and 10% larger than the next largest US carrier.

Beginning on 29 October, United will fly between San Francisco and Manila. The airline is already the only US carrier to serve Manila from Guam and Palau. It will soon be the only one to offer nonstop service to the Philippines using Boeing 777-300 aircraft. Starting on 28 October, United will launch a new service between Los Angeles and Hong Kong, building on its existing services from San Francisco.

In Tokyo, United will resume nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Tokyo/Narita, adding to its existing service between Los Angeles and Tokyo-Haneda. The airline will also increase flights to Taipei with a second daily year-round service from San Francisco, providing customers with new time options to fly between the two cities.

Tickets are now available for sale on United.com and the United app.

Los Angeles – Hong Kong

United is the only US airline to fly nonstop to Hong Kong, and starting 28 October, the carrier will increase service to offer a direct daily flight from Los Angeles. The flight will operate daily on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. In total, this winter, United will have three daily flights to Hong Kong from Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Los Angeles – Tokyo/Narita

On 28 October, United will resume daily direct service between Los Angeles and Tokyo/Narita on a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. With its existing service between Los Angeles and Tokyo/Haneda, United will now connect Los Angeles to both of Tokyo’s international airports.

More flights to Taipei

United will also increase flights to Taipei, beginning 29 October. United is already the only US airline to fly nonstop from the US to Taipei with its daily service from San Francisco. It will serve the destination twice daily using a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.

SriLankan to increase flights to Changi

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 26 July 2023: SriLankan Airlines has filed flight changes to its provisional northern winter 2023/24 season timetable effective from late October 2023 to the end of March 2024.

Preliminary data from advance timetables indicate the airline will reduce flights on the Colombo – Bangkok route from 11 to 10 weekly services using an A320. The airline flies to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

On the Colombo – Singapore Changi route, the airline will increase flights from seven to nine weekly using an A320.

The airline will increase flights from two to three weekly on the Colombo – Seoul Incheon route from  29 October using an A330-200/300 aircraft.

On the Colombo – Kuwait City route, the airline will deploy an A320, replacing an A330-200 for the daily service effective 29 October.

River cruises spotlight the Mekong

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TTR WEEKLY
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VIENTIANE, Laos, 26 July 2023: Two famous river cruise operators – Heritage Line and Pandaw – released details of their latest Mekong River cruises for 2024 and 2025 this week.

Heritage Line’s river cruise boat Anouvong will embark on its maiden river sail on the upper Mekon River bordering Laos and Thailand from 27 to 31 August.

Photo credit: Heritage Line https://heritage-line.com/cruise/upper-mekong-river/

The 10-cabin boat took almost four years to complete at a shipyard in Laos, with long delays in assembling the luxury cruise boat during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Now ahead of the 27 August maiden sailing Heritage Line is promoting the vessel as the Mekong River’s first luxury boat with three spacious cabin types.

The first sailing will depart the World Heritage town of Luang Prabang in northern Laos and conclude in the riverside town of Huay Xay, facing the Thai town of Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai province.

Heritage Line will feature the Anouvong in three Mekong River trips. A three-night sail between Luang Prabang and Huay Xai (up and downstream options) priced at USD1,777 Departure dates are scheduled from October 2023 to March 2024. The seven-night sail from Huay Xai to Vientiane ( the Lao PDR capital) sails from October 2023 to March 2024 and costs USD4,192 per person. A  nine-night upstream sail from Vientiane to Huay Xai costs USD4,182 with sailings from April to September 2024.

Pandaw Cruises

Meanwhile,  Pandaw Cruises has announced a new river and land tour featuring the Mekong River in northern Laos and Thailand. The new itinerary combines a 10-night river expedition through Laos with an exploration of the mountains of northern Thailand and the hill tribes that have inhabited the region for centuries.

The 16-night trip is available to book for departure dates through 2025, exploring the Mekong River and overland routes from Vientiane to Chiang Mai. The river trip ends in Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai province, followed by an overland trip to Chiang Mai featuring visits to hill-tribe communities and has a starting price tag of USD6,251 per person. 

Pandaw’s 16-night cruise and overland trip in Laos and northern Thailand.

Accor inks expansion deal in Japan

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 25 July 2023: Accor is expanding its presence in Japan by adding Daiwa Resorts’ 23 properties and over 6,000 rooms to its nationwide network.

As Japan continues to welcome back international travel and experiences a steady tourism industry recovery, Accor is partnering with Ebisu Resort LLC to renovate and rebrand the Daiwa portfolio and reflag them Grand Mercure or Mercure hotels.

Photo credit: Accor

Ranging in location from the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido to the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, the properties are located close to local hidden gems such as Cape Zanpa in Okinawa, Asuka village in Nara, Shiroi Koibito Park in Hokkaido and Senri Beach in Wakayama. Each property offers a range of guestrooms, restaurants and wellness facilities such as onsen (hot springs), saunas and swimming pools, with select hotels also offering stunning views of the local landscape.

Daiwa Resort hotels to be converted into Grand Mercure hotels

Royal Hotel Okinawa Zanpamisaki
Royal Hotel Nasu
Royal Hotel Yatsugatake
The Hamanako
The Kashihara
Royton Sapporo
Hotel & Resorts Beppuwan
Hotel & Resorts Minamiawaji
Hotel & Resorts Iseshima
Nagahama Hotel & Resorts
Hotel & Resorts Minamiboso
Hotel & Resorts Wakayama-Minabe

Daiwa Resort hotels to be converted into Mercure hotels

Hotel & Resorts Kyoto Miyazu
Hotel & Resorts Saga Karatsu
Hotel & Resorts Wakayama-Kushimoto
Royal Hotel Nagano
Hotel Toyama Tonami
Royal Hotel Tosa
Royal Hotel Daisen
Royal Hotel Noto
Royal Hotel Munakata
Active Resorts Miyagi Zao
Active Resorts Urabandai

Renovations of the properties will begin in Q4 2023 and are expected to be completed by Q2 2024, after which the properties will operate under the Grand Mercure and Mercure brands.   

Accor operates 21 properties (5,085 keys) in Japan under several brands, including Pullman, Swissôtel, Mercure, Novotel, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis Budget. In addition to the hotels signed within this agreement, there are five more properties (1,147 keys) currently in Accor’s pipeline.

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