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SIA steps up Asian flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 November 2022: Singapore Airlines has reinstated flights and increased services across its global network, including flights to key Asian destinations following the easing of border restrictions.

In a joint media statement, SIA and Scoot said the changes would help to meet a growing and buoyant demand for international travel, particularly as year-end holiday season bookings increase, with the trend continuing well into the first quarter of 2023.

Singapore Airlines, senior vice president of marketing planning, Jo Ann Tan, commented: “Buoyed by the further easing of entry requirements in Hong Kong SAR, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, China, we are seeing strong demand for air travel… customers are especially keen on destinations that have remained largely closed over the last few years.”

Japan

Last week SIA introduced an additional daily service (SQ636) to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, on top of the existing daily SQ634 service to Haneda and daily SQ638 service to Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

Together with the daily SQ12 service from Singapore to Los Angeles via Tokyo (Narita), SIA is now operating four daily services to Tokyo, Japan’s capital.

SIA has reinstated SQ618 from Singapore to Osaka, bringing services between Singapore and Osaka to twice daily. The SQ656 service to Fukuoka has increased to three flights per week.

Effective last week, Scoot added flights to Japan. TR808 bound for Tokyo (Narita), TR898 to Tokyo (Narita) via Taipei, and TR818 to Osaka all offer daily services.

Until last week, Scoot operated daily flights to Tokyo (Narita), four-times-weekly flights to Tokyo (Narita) via Taipei, and five-times weekly flights to Osaka.

Scoot reintroduced on 2 November, its TR890, a seasonal four-times-weekly nonstop flight to Sapporo. The flights will continue until 27 February 2023. The airline also reintroduced TR892, a three-times-weekly flight to Sapporo via Taipei last week.

South Korea

SIA has introduced a new daily service to Seoul (SQ606). Together with the current SQ600 and SQ608 daily services to Seoul, The airline offers three daily services.

Last week, Scoot reinstated TR896 as a five-times-weekly Singapore-Taipei-Seoul service, and on 5 November, Scoot increased flights to Jeju to five times weekly, up from a thrice-weekly service.

Taiwan, China

From 31 October 2022, SQ876 will be reinstated to Taipei as a four-time weekly service. This is on top of the current three-times weekly SQ878 service to Taipei.

With Scoot stepping up services to Tokyo (Narita) and Sapporo via Taipei and the reinstatement of the Singapore-Taipei-Seoul services, the airline will operate 18 weekly flights to Taipei.

Hong Kong SAR

SIA has increased services to Hong Kong SAR from twice daily to three daily flights, up from four weekly services to Hong Kong SAR.

Mainland China

The airline increased services to mainland China to cater to the increase in business travel between Singapore and key cities in China.

Chengdu

Effective last month, SQ842 flies once weekly between Singapore and Chengdu.

Shenzhen

Through to the end of March 2023, SQ846 flies the Singapore -Shenzhen route Wednesdays and Sundays using A350-900 aircraft.

Indonesia

Last month, Scoot relaunched operations in Lombok and Makassar in Indonesia and resumed services to Pekanbaru and Yogyakarta.

SIA Group forecasts its passenger network will increase to 110 destinations in 36 countries during November.

Ethiopian expands Zimbabwe flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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ADDIS ABABA, 7 November 2022: Ethiopian Airlines launched a new flight to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, via Victoria Falls last week, scheduling four flights weekly.

Bulawayo is the third destination city in Zimbabwe that the airline serves after Harare and Victoria Falls. With the addition of Bulawayo, Ethiopian global destinations reach 131.

The new flight operates with a Boeing 787 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Bulawayo, also known as “The City of Kings”, is rich in cultural history and is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital, Harare.

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said: “We are continually growing our African network, and the commencement of flights to Bulawayo is crucial in connecting Southern Africa to the world with our 130 destinations in five continents.”

Ethiopian has been flying to two other cities in Zimbabwe – Harare and Victoria Falls, since 1980. The airlines’ new flight to Bulawayo aims to provide convenient and affordable service to the growing post-pandemic business and leisure travellers to and from Bulawayo and the Southern African region.

Vietjet records passenger traffic growth

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TTR WEEKLY
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HO CHI MINH CITY, 7 November 2022: Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company’s financial statements for the third quarter of 2022 highlights Vietjet’s lead in the growing domestic and international passenger traffic while promoting local economic recovery and inbound tourism.

In Q3/2022, Vietjet operated more than 35,000 flights with 6.4 million passengers onboard. Domestic passenger transport contributed to the recovery, with flights and passengers increasing by 36% and 44%, respectively, while recovery in international passenger transport is set in motion, reaching about 25% of the pre-Covid-19 level. The total volume of cargo airlifted in Q3 was 11,500 tons.

Vietjet has operated more than 10 new international routes, focusing on the Indian market to bring passengers from big cities in India’s West and Central-Southern region to tourism hubs of Vietnam; Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and Phu Quoc island. As of 30 September 2022, Vietjet has operated 84 routes, including 49 domestic and 35 international routes.

During the first nine months of 2022, the accumulated flights and passenger traffic reached 87.7 thousand and 15.4 million, respectively, representing a surge of 150% and 225% year-on-year.

Vietjet reports its Q3/2022 revenue of VND10,256 billion (separated) and VND11,600 billion (consolidated), leaping by 652% and 337% YOY. Following its nine months of 2022, Vietjet has completed 85% of its revenue plan.

As of 30 September 2022, Vietjet has assets of VND 67,470 billion. The debt-to-equity ratio stayed at 1.1, which is considered a good indicator in the aviation industry.

Regarding the airline transport business, Vietjet recorded an after-tax loss of VND 767 billion (separated) and an after-tax profit of VND 43 billion (consolidated). Losses for air transport were down by more than 50% compared to 2021. However, a hike in jet fuel price at an average of USD130 a barrel compared to the average USD80 a barrel in 2019 impacted the airline’s business.

Vietjet is one of the airlines leading the global recovery with a revenue growth rate of 150% for the first nine months of 2022.

Emirates boarding pass unlocks Dubai discounts

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TTR WEEKLY
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DUBAI, UAE, 7 November 2022: Emirates brings back its popular My Emirates Pass starting 1 November 2022 with bargains valid through 31 March 2023.

My Emirates Winter Pass enables customers to get more from their trip with exclusive offers at over 500 locations in the UAE.

Emirates customers flying to or through Dubai can show their boarding pass and a valid form of identification to hundreds of retail, leisure and dining outlets, famous attractions and luxury spas to enjoy fantastic discounts throughout Dubai and the UAE.

To see all My Emirates Pass offers, visit https://www.emirates.com/ae/english/experience/my-emirates-pass/.

In addition, Emirates passengers can also enjoy a complimentary ticket to Tour Dubai’s one-hour Creek Sightseeing Cruise, which gives unrivalled panoramic views of Dubai’s historic district from a traditional dhow boat.

Explore more of Dubai

Whether catching up on major sports events such as the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens and DP World Tour golf events or immersing yourself in the festive celebrations this December, there is something for every traveller visiting Dubai this winter season. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world-class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences.

  • Emirates Holidays: Customers can book their holiday to Dubai through Emirates Holidays. All Emirates Holidays include flexible booking options. For even more peace of mind, Emirates Holidays’ dedicated 24/7 On Holiday Service team will support holidaymakers for every moment they’re away.
  • Skywards partners: Members of Emirates’ award-winning loyalty programme, Skywards, can earn Miles on everyday spending at retail outlets in the UAE and redeem these Miles for reward tickets, upgrades, as well as tickets for concerts and sports events.

Learn more about Emirates Skywards here: https://www.emirates.com/ae/english/skywards/.

Emirates has safely restarted operations to more than 130 destinations across six continents. For more information, visit emirates.com. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, via travel agents or online travel agents.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Jetstar moves to Changi’s T4 next March

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 7 November 2022: Changi Airport Group and Jetstar Asia confirmed, at the weekend, the airline will relocate its operations from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4, effective 25 March 2023.

The agreement follows completion of a joint study by CAG and Jetstar Asia.

CAG’s Managing Director of Air Hub Development, Lim Ching Kiat said: “Following the completion of our joint study, which included operational trials, we are glad to have reached an agreement. Jetstar Asia’s move will enable Changi Airport to optimise the use of its aircraft gates to meet increasing travel demand, especially during the early morning peak period. It will also create headroom for Jetstar Asia and other airlines to grow at Changi.”

With 17 gates to support narrow-body aircraft, T4 provides ample gate capacity to support Jetstar Asia’s narrow-body aircraft fleet and offers room for the airline to expand. It also reduces the need for the airline to have bussing operations to remote stands.

Jetstar Asia’s CEO Barathan Pasupathi noted: “Since launching our operations in Singapore 18 years ago, Jetstar has called Terminal 1 home. During this time, we have welcomed more than 40 million customers on board our flights and extended our excellent product offering to premium airline partners, including Qantas, Emirates and around 40 other codeshare and interline carriers.

“Moving to Terminal 4 is the start of a new chapter. We are committed to continuing to ramp up our operation and plan for future growth, and we appreciate the assurances that CAG have given ahead of this move.”

Lim added: “We recognise Jetstar Asia requires more time to prepare for the relocation to T4. Hence, we have agreed to extend the timeline for its move by five months. With the operational provisions that CAG has committed to supporting its relocation, Jetstar Asia can be assured that its interests, and those of its passengers, will be met.”

With travel showing a strong rebound, there remains an urgent need for Changi Airport to quickly rebalance its traffic across its four terminals to meet the expected surge in demand.

T4 reopened on 13 September 2022, after more than a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic and served about 350,000 passengers in its first month. Fourteen airlines have successfully moved their operations to the terminal, including Air Asia Group, Cathay Pacific and Korean Air.

Indonesian agents visit Malaysia

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 4 November 2022: Tourism Malaysia hosted trade partners and media from the Indonesian market on a familiarisation trip to promote Malaysia as the preferred tourist destination in Southeast Asia.

Supported by Batik Air and You Wings Holidays, five travel agents and two media based in Jakarta travelled on a five-day, four-night (5D4N) “Fam Trip” of Kuala Selangor, Penang, Genting Highlands, and Kuala Lumpur.

Participants experienced the magical phenomenon of “blue tears* and fireflies” on a boat tour of the estuary of the Selangor River in Kuala Selangor. They enjoyed lunch at Malaysia’s first dragon fruit-themed restaurant at HL Dragon Fruit Eco Farm, Sepang.

In Penang, participants explored the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Georgetown. They experienced local culture by visiting the Penang Peranakan Museum and Penang’s highest iconic entertainment tower at The Top Penang with Rainbow Skywalk and Observatory Deck, which offers stunning views of Georgetown and beyond.

Other highlights included a one-and-half day trip to Genting Highlands to visit the latest must-see attraction of Genting Skyworld Theme Park beside Genting Highlands Premium Outlets, Awana Skyway, SkyAvenue Complex, and Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park, followed by a Kuala Lumpur city tour.

Tourism Malaysia director-general Dato Haji Zainuddin Abdul Wahab expressed his hope that the FAM Trip would inspire Indonesian travel agents to generate more leads to actively sell tour packages to Malaysia, especially in promoting the latest attractions in this country.

“This is the fifth time we have organised FAM Trip for the Indonesian market this year from Jakarta and Medan involving travel trade partners and media, thus showing our commitment to bring more tourists to Malaysia.”

Batik Air flies daily from Jakarta, Medan and Denpasar to Kuala Lumpur and will soon embark on a new route from Makassar, Indonesia.

*The bioluminescence of the “Blue Tears” in Kuala Selangor can be found in the estuary where the Selangor River meets the Straits of Malacca.

It’s a natural nighttime phenomenon caused by Dinoflagellates, an alga or marine plankton that emits blue-green light at night. Visitors to Kuala Selangor can catch glimpses of the blue patches on a nighttime speedboat on stretches of water where the river meets the sea. Best experienced during the first to the third day of the month in the lunar calendar.

AirAsia returns to Melbourne

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TTR WEEKLY
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MELBOURNE, 4 November 2022: AirAsia X (AAX) celebrated its resumption of services to Melbourne on Wednesday as one of its first key destinations to return to post-pandemic.

The inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne touched down at 0625 and departed from Melbourne at 0740. With strong passenger loads on both flights, the new services signal a sharp rebound in demand for low-cost mid-range air travel, delivering a welcome boost to both Australian and Malaysian tourism.

Photo Caption: (Second from left) Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AAX; Lorie Argus, CEO of Melbourne Airport; Brendan McClements, CEO of Visit Victoria; Mazita Marzuki, Consul General, Consulate General of Malaysia in Melbourne; Tunku Dato’ Mahmood Fawzy, Chairman of AAX celebrating the AirAsia X inaugural flight to Melbourne.

Pre-pandemic, AAX contributed 45% of the market share for flights between Australia and Malaysia, with up to 92 flights weekly to four destinations. Following the recent return to Sydney and with the resumption of services to Melbourne and Perth this week, AAX will reconnect 24 flights weekly to three key destinations in Australia. AAX also plans to recover over 50% against its pre-pandemic flight frequency to Australia by the third quarter of 2023.

The celebration of the inaugural flight and the return of AAX operations at Melbourne Airport was announced at a press conference on 2 November hosted by Tunku Dato Mahmood Fawzy, Chairman of AirAsia X; Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X; Lorie Argus, CEO of Melbourne Airport; and Brendan McClements, CEO of Visit Victoria. The Consulate General of Malaysia in Melbourne also attended the event, representatives of the Victorian Government and other key industry dignitaries.

AAX CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “Australia was our first destination in November 2007 when we commenced operations. It has always been one of our core destinations with strong demand for two-way travel, which is historically proven.

“With today’s announcement, Asian travellers will benefit from more value and choice with convenient and affordable access to Australia. At the same time, Australians will have access to 130 destinations on the AirAsia route map, with many low-fare connecting services through to popular destinations on our short haul and long haul network group of airlines such as Thailand, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Korea, Japan and more.”

AAX also celebrates the recommencement of services from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland, New Zealand, via Sydney, which touched down at 1720 local NZ time on Wednesday, and returned from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur Thursday at 1535 local time.

In celebration of the new services to Melbourne and Auckland, AAX is offering all-in fares on sale until 6 November 2022 for the travel period between 1 January and 28 October 2023. Fly from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur from AUD349 all-in one-way for economy or AUD2,099 one-way for a Premium Flatbed. Guests flying from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur via Sydney can also enjoy fares from NZD429 all-in one-way for economy or NZD2,299 one-way for a Premium Flatbed.

From Kuala Lumpur, fly to Melbourne for RM1,399 all-in one-way for economy or MYR4,499 one-way for a Premium Flatbed. From Kuala Lumpur to Auckland via Sydney, enjoy fares from RM1,799 all-in one-way for economy or MYR6,999 one-way for a Premium Flatbed.

Hotels in India’s capital lead recovery

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 4 November 2022: Four key Asia Pacific hotel markets, led by New Delhi, surpassed their pre-pandemic levels in gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR), according to STR‘s September 2022 Profit & Loss data release.

New Delhi’s September GOPPAR came in at USD54.58, which was 124% of the comparable 2019 level. In August, the market reported a GOPPAR level of USD45.55, which was 176% of the pre-pandemic comparable.

Singapore (107%), Kuala Lumpur (104%) and Sydney (104%) were the other key markets in the region that achieved a GOPPAR level higher than 2019 comparable.

Of note, Tokyo registered the largest month-over-month increase in GOPPAR (+83.1% to USD59.50).

Key profitability metrics:

TRevPAR – Total revenue per available room

GOPPAR – Gross operating profit per available room

EBITDA – Earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation, and amortisation

LPAR – Total labour costs per available room

About STR

STR provides data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for the global hospitality industry. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 15 countries, with a North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, offices in London, and an Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore. For more information, visit str.com and costargroup.com.

WTC confirms speaker lineup

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TTR WEEKLY
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KOTA KINABALU, 4 November 2022: ‘Tourism Futures Reimagined’ will be the theme for the 6th World Tourism Conference (WTC) 2022 happening in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, this month.

Key speakers and tourism industry professionals from around the world will gather at Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) from 28 to 30 November 2022. To date, close to 800 international and local participants from over 40 countries have secured their registration to the much anticipated World Tourism Conference. Foreign dignitaries, Malaysian government departments and agencies, tourism professionals, academicians, and NGOs are on the list of attendees.

The right honourable Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji bin Haji Noor is expected to attend the opening ceremony. Sabah State Government is hosting the official WTC 2022 Dinner on 28 November 2022.

The World Tourism Conference will explore four main topics during sessions featuring 24 multinational invited speakers. The keynote presentation will be delivered by Prof Dato ChM Dr Mazlin Mokhtar – Deputy Head (Research) United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network-Asia, Sunway University.

Session 1: Decoding Tourism Futures – Foresight & Scenarios

The session will feature Javier Ruescas, Senior Programme Officer UNWTO; Dr Wouter Geerts- Head of Research Skift; Dr Johanna Loehr – Postdoctoral Research Fellow Griffith University; Dr Ian Yeoman – Professor of Tourism Futures Victoria University of Wellington and Lau Yin May – Group Chief Marketing Officer Malaysia Airlines.

Session 2: Discovering Niche Opportunities for Growth

The session will feature Dr Laszlo Puczko – CEO & Co-Founder of Health Tourism Worldwide (Hungary); Dr Amran Hamzah – Professor in Tourism Planning Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Jane Lim – Vice President of Global Market Tripadvisor, Mich Goh – Head of Public Policy Southeast Asia Airbnb and Yusno Yunos – CEO & Founder Evenesis.

Session 3: Redefining Tourism Success

Inspiring Stories are the key topic for discussion in session 3. His Excellency Dr Abdulla Mausoom – Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Maldives; Gary Bowerman – Director of Check-in Asia; Martha Domenech – Director-General Tourism Catalunya Spain; Brent Anderson – Regional General Manager Tourism Australia; Natalie Kidd – Chief People and Purpose Officer Intrepid Travel, Albert – Co-founder Traveloka and Chin Yoon Khen – Founder & CEO LokaLocal are in the speakers’ line up.

Session 4: Rebuilding Tourism Resilience and Readiness

Speakers include Dr Raymond Rastegar – Researcher & lecturer at the University of Queensland Australia, Carol Mackenzie – Group Head of Crisis Management & Business Continuity TUI Group, HC Chan – CEO of Sunway Malls & Theme Parks, Emanuel Tutek – Partner, Bluerock Consulting Austria & Croatia, Dr S.Mostafa Rasoolimanesh – Director Centre of Research and Innovation in Tourism (CRiT) Taylor’s University and Prof. Jafar Jafari – Professor of Hospitality & Tourism University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Representing Sabah on the exclusive WTC stage will be Dr Maklarin Lakim, Director of Sabah Parks and Jessica Yew, Co-founder and Director of Sticky Rice Travel.

“The Community-based Tourism Roadshow will also be held in SICC concurrently from 27 to 29 November 2022. This will be a perfect opportunity for our district offices & district tourism associations to showcase their tourism product and initiatives. Likewise, a convenient platform for our international delegates to get to know our efforts in uplifting the community’s economic potential via tourism,” commented Noredah Othman, Chief Executive Officer of Sabah Tourism Board.

Official WTC Link: World Tourism Conference 2022

For information on Sabah, visit www.sabahtourism.com.

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

Norwegian boosts travel agency benefits

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 4 November 2022: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, announced Thursday that it would pay travel advisors commission on non-commissionable fares (NCFs), showcasing its industry-leading commitment to the travel agent community worldwide.

NCL is the first major contemporary cruise line to compensate travel advisors on NCFs for reservations booked outside the 120-day window. Since establishing its Partners First philosophy, Norwegian Cruise Line has been committed to being the easiest cruise line to do business with by providing agents with educational tools, promotions and marketing assets to help them grow their businesses.

Vibe Beach Club on Norwegian Bliss

“Our Partners First philosophy remains top of mind, and our decision to pay commission on NCFs is further proof of our commitment to this community,” said NCL president and CEO Harry Sommer. “We want our partners to thrive; we want to see their businesses grow worldwide.”

NCL has been dedicated to equipping the travel agent community with the tools and information to provide their clients with exemplary service. This revolutionary choice will further help travel partners establish a stronger relationship with their clients and increase brand loyalty, resulting in repeat business and higher earning potential.

“Our travel partners are incredibly important to us and our business; it is a true partnership,” said Braydon Holland, Senior Director for Asia at NCL. “Advisors know why NCL offers the best cruise experience at sea, and when they can speak to our unique, bucket-list itineraries, one-of-a-kind Free at Sea promotion and incredible 18-ship fleet with unparalleled onboard offerings, they are providing immense value to the business. We see this value, and we wanted to reward our travel advisors like never before.”

The payment of NCFs will go into effect on 1 January 2023 for reservations made outside of final payment (120 days before sailing) on sailings departing 1 May 2023 and forward. To qualify for the NCF commission, travel advisors must submit a marketing plan through Norwegian Central by 31 December 2022.

For more information about NCL’s award-winning 18-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call Hong Kong on +852 800 901 951 and Southeast Asia on +65 3165 1680 or visit www.ncl.com.

(Your Stories: NCL).

 

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