BANGKOK, 29 January 2025: Thai AirAsia will increase flights from four weekly to daily on its Bangkok – Kathmandu route effective from 26 February until 31 March 2025.
The airline posted a THB3,590* one-way promotional fare bookable from 27 January on its Facebook page. The offer ends on 9 February. Frequencies revert to four flights a week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) at the end of March, although the travel period for the discounted one-way fare runs from 27 February to 29 October 2025.
Flight schedule
Flight FD182 departs Bangkok (DMK) at 1150 and arrives in Kathmandu (KTM) at 1400. Flight FD183 departs Kathmandu (KTM) at 1500 and arrives in Bangkok (DMK) at 1935.
*Fares exclude add-ons and other applicable fees and are bookable only on airasia.com or AirAsia MOVE.
MANILA, 29 January 2025: Philippine Airlines will introduce three weekly flights between Manila and Beijing on 30 March as part of an ongoing plan to boost services between the Philippines and Mainland China.
PAL will schedule early morning departures from Manila’s NAIA Terminal 1 every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday and mid-day departures from
Beijing Capital International Airport. The airline will deploy an A321neo with 199 seats configured in two classes, business and economy.
Flight PR358 will depart Manila (MNL) at 0655 and arrive in Beijing (PEK) at 1145. Flight PR359 will depart Beijing (PEK) at 1255 and arrive in Manila (MNL) at 1805.
Competition will be tough as Air China, the sole carrier offering direct services, flies the route daily using an A330-300 aircraft with 300 seats. The average roundtrip fare on the route is USD430. Fares peak in March at an average of USD893 and in August at USD853,
Bookings are open on the airline’s website and mobile app or through authorised ticketing offices and travel agencies.
DUBAI UAE, 29 January 2025: Emirates’ A350 debuted in India on 26 January, flying to Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The Airbus A350 now serves five destinations in the airline’s network.
The rollout of Emirates’ A350 aircraft to India, featuring the airline’s latest interiors, industry-first technologies and innovations, reinforces Emirates’ commitment to customers in India and beyond and offers exceptional levels of comfort onboard.
Emirates’ A350 services to both Mumbai and Ahmedabad operates daily as follows (all times are local):
Mumbai: Emirates’ A350 operates the route daily on EK502 and EK503. EK502 departs Dubai at 1315, arriving in Mumbai at 1750. The return flight, EK503 leaves Mumbai at 1920, arriving in Dubai at 2105.
Ahmedabad: Emirates’ A350 operates the route daily on EK538 and EK539. EK538 departs Dubai at 2250, arriving in Ahmedabad at 0255 (next day). EK539 departs Ahmedabad at 0425 arriving back in Dubai at 0615.
The launch of Emirates’ A350 services to the two Indian points follows the launch of operations to Edinburgh, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Emirates also serves Mumbai and Bangalore with daily services on its flagship A380 aircraft, offering customers four cabin classes, including the signature Premium Economy experience. With 167 flights per week, Emirates serves nine points in India.
For more information or to book tickets, visit emirates.com. Tickets can also be booked on Emirates App, Emirates Retail stores, Emirates contact centre, or via travel agents.
MANILA, 29 January 2025: Radisson Hotel Group announces the signing of Radisson Serviced Apartments Salcedo Makati, an upscale new property in the heart of Makati, Manila’s premier Central Business District.
The property will be the group’s first Radisson-branded hotel in the country and upscale serviced apartment in Metro Manila when it opens in 2026.
It also marks the group’s 16th property in the Philippines, in operation and under development, highlighting its commitment to expanding its footprint in this key market.
Radisson Serviced Apartments Salcedo Makati will feature at least 162 apartments designed for corporate and long-stay guests.
Located in Makati’s financial and entertainment districts, it is close to multinational head offices, major banks, embassies, and shopping centres.
Radisson Hotel Group plans additional properties in key cities across the Philippines in the coming years. It already has six operating hotels and 10 under development, including Radisson Blu Hotel & Residences, Cagayan de Oro, and Fridays Boracay, A Radisson Collection Resort, the first property under the Radisson Collection brand in the Philippines, both set to open in 2028.
SINGAPORE, 29 January 2025: Lufthansa will fly the Munich-Denver (USA) route for the first time with the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, during the upcoming summer timetable.
It will make the capital of Colorado the sixth destination for the A380. The first flight using the A380 is scheduled for 30 April 2025.
Photo credit: Lufthansa. A380 at Munich International Airport.
Lufthansa will fly a daily service from Munich to Denver’s airport at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The A380 will take off from Munich at 1115 (flight LH480) and land in Denver at 1345. The return flight will depart at 1615 and arrive in Munich at 1050 on the following day.
“The Airbus A380 service is the first time a scheduled flight with an aircraft of this size will land there. Passengers, airport visitors and crews love the A380, the flying experience and the feeling of space. At the same time, the A380 offers more premium seats than any other aircraft,” said Lufthansa Airlines CCO Heiko Reitz.
This summer, eight Airbus A380s, each with 509 seats, will be based at Lufthansa’s Munich hub. The destinations are New York (JFK), Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, Delhi and Denver. The A380 offers eight seats in first class, 78 seats in business class, 52 in premium economy and 371 in economy.
Lufthansa offers its passengers an attractive destination with Denver. The North American metropolis is the starting point for activities in the Rocky Mountains and an Eldorado for sports and nature enthusiasts. Via the Denver hub of Star Alliance partner United Airlines, Lufthansa passengers can also reach another 170 destinations, including popular destinations such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Honolulu.
Lufthansa has been flying nonstop from Munich to Denver for nine years and from Frankfurt for 25 years. In the summer of 2025, the airline will mount four daily flights — two from Munich and two from Frankfurt.
A380 services to Bangkok
Meanwhile, the airline confirms extending its daily Airbus A380 service on the Munich – Bangkok Suvarnabhumi route beyond the winter season ending 31 March until 26 April 2025.
Flight schedule
Flight LH772 will depart Munich (MUC) at 2220 and arrive in Bangkok (BKK) at 1415, plus a day. Flight LH773 will depart Bangkok (BKK) at 2300 and arrive in Munich (MUC) at 0535, plus a day.
More TG codeshare flights
Lufthansa has added three destinations to its codeshare agreement with Thai Airways International, effective January 2025. The additional TG destinations served from its Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) home base are Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila.
BANGKOK, 28 January 2025: Minor Hotels is officially the first major international hotel company to partner with Fliggy’s brand-new booking platform, ‘Global Discovery’.
Fliggy, an online travel platform and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alibaba Group, fields an extensive portfolio of accommodation options and experiences in the Chinese travel market.
Minor Hotels and Fliggy Agreement Signing (Left to Right): Jackie Lu, Senior Key Account Manager of Fliggy; Peggy Zhang, Director of Revenue & Distribution of Minor Hotels China; Melody Tsai, China Regional Commercial Director of Minor Hotels; lan Di Tullio, Chief Commercial Officer of Minor Hotels; Zoran Zhuang, CEO of Fliggy; Johnny Zhou, VP of Fliggy & GM of Fliggy Overseas Hotels; Thomas Deng, Head of Fliggy GC & Long-Haul Destinations; Chloe Sun, Head of Fliggy Long-Haul Destinations
The agreement allows Minor Hotels to feature over 80,000 rooms across its eight brands — Anantara, Avani, Elewana Collection, NH, NH Collection, nhow, Oaks, and Tivoli — on the new ‘Global Discovery’ platform with the same rates as posted on Minor Hotels’ websites.
The agreement will also tap into Fliggy’s digital ecosystem in the Chinese market, leveraging its digital marketing capabilities to enhance the reach of Minor Hotels’ brands in China.
Minor Hotels operates four hotels in China in partnership with Funyard Hotels & Resorts, with another 12 in the pipeline.
Dubai UAE, 28 January 2025: Emirates will restart services to Beirut, Lebanon, from 1 February 2025 with a daily flight. The airline will also reinstate daily services to Baghdad in Iraq, on the same day.
From February, Emirates’ daily flights to Beirut’s Rafic Al Hariri International Airport will be served by a Boeing 777-300ER in three classes. Each week, the airline will offer more than 5,000 seats both ways and add more choice, increased comfort, and enhanced connectivity from Beirut to Dubai and onwards to its network of more than 140 destinations.
From 1 April 2025, the airline will scale up operations and layer on a second daily service to Beirut with the addition of a morning service, EK957/958, which will also operate with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in three classes.
The airline serves Beirut and Baghdad with the following schedule (all times local).
Beirut: From 1 February, Emirates will operate daily on EK953 and EK954.
EK953 departs Dubai at 1130, arriving in Beirut at 1400. The return flight, EK954, leaves Beirut at 1530, arriving in Dubai at 2120.
From 1 April, Emirates’ second daily service EK 957 takes off at 0730, arriving in Beirut at 1030. EK958 departs Beirut at 1205, arriving in Dubai at 1655.
Baghdad: Emirates’ daily flights to Baghdad will be served by a Boeing 777 aircraft. On Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, EK 941 will depart Dubai at 0805, arriving in Baghdad at 0950.
EK 942 will then take off at 1125, landing in Dubai at 1435. On Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, EK943 will depart Dubai at 1300, arriving in Baghdad at 1425. EK944 leaves Baghdad at 1555, arriving in Dubai at 1910.
For more information or to book flights, visit emirates.com. Tickets can also be booked on Emirates App, Emirates Retail stores, Emirates contact centre, or via travel agents.
PATTAYA, 28 January 2025: Following Christmas and New Year celebrations, the festive season extends through January & February, bringing two of the most anticipated celebrations of the year: Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day.
These special occasions offer the perfect opportunity for family gatherings that create lasting memories.
Chinese New Year Feast – A Family Celebration (30-31 January 2025)
Start the year with a memorable gathering at Huang Chao Restaurant on 31 January 2025, where Royal Cliff has prepared four specially crafted set menus to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Feast on traditional favourites like Roasted Duck with Honey, Shark Fin Soup, and Wok-Fried Wagyu Beef, complemented by delicious desserts like Gingko in Coconut Cream Soup or Chilled Sago Cantaloupe in Coconut Syrup. Each set menu is designed to serve two to three people, making it the perfect choice for families and friends to enjoy a taste of tradition together.
For those who want to explore an even wider variety of Chinese dishes, Panorama Restaurant invites you to their Chinese New Year Buffet on 30 January 2025 from 1730 onwards. Indulge in an impressive array of dishes, including Crackling Pork Belly, Roasted Chinese Duck, Pork Ribs in Hong Kong Style, and Shrimp Shao Mai. Don’t forget to try the Hot and Sour Szechuan Soup to kick off your meal, followed by an assortment of decadent desserts and homemade ice creams to satisfy your sweet cravings.
Valentine’s Day – A Romantic Dinner by the Sea (14 February 2025)
Two weeks later, celebrate Valentine’s Day by the poolside, with the ocean as your backdrop and a stunning sunset to set the mood. This year, Royal Cliff’s Valentine’s Dinner theme is “An Evening in Venice.” Let the timeless beauty of Venice sweep you away as the soft glow of candlelight, the sound of gentle water, and gondola-shaped centrepieces create a dreamy, intimate atmosphere. Every detail—from shimmering gold accents to whimsical Venetian masks—sets the stage for a truly enchanting 5-course dining experience.
Delight in the flavours of a specially curated menu featuring an exquisite selection of dishes such as Herb-Crusted Australian Lamb Rack, Grilled Wagyu Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras, or a vegetarian option of Over-Baked Layered Eggplant. Each dish is crafted to make this night special for you and your loved one.
Whether you’re welcoming the Lunar New Year with family or sharing a romantic evening with someone special, Royal Cliff’s exclusive dining experiences are designed to make these moments unforgettable. Seats are limited, so be sure to reserve your spot today.
Celebrate love, tradition, and togetherness at Royal Cliff — where every meal is a memory in the making.
HONG KONG, 28 January 2025: SITA, a global leader in air transport technology, and Cathay Pacific signal a significant milestone with an agreement that supports a substantial increase in network bandwidth at airports, improving current capacity by up to five times while maintaining cost efficiency.
This initiative aligns with Cathay Pacific’s strategic direction of increasing the adoption of Cloud applications while ensuring optimal performance for legacy systems.
Photo credit: Cathay Pacific.
Cathay Pacific was an early adopter of the original SITA Connect solution, and this renewed agreement demonstrates confidence in SITA as it moves to the newly launched SITA Connect Go service.
This new collaboration will provide Cathay Pacific with enhanced network connectivity across 51 global airports through the SITA Connect Go at Airports product. This product will combine dual Internet connectivity to provide bandwidth up to 300 Mbps. The new contract includes a planned 12-month design, build, test, and implementation period to cover all airports involved in the project.
SITA Connect Go will facilitate a substantial bandwidth increase of up to five times the current capacity. This improvement will ensure enhanced efficiency and connectivity while maintaining cost optimisation. Using the new SITA airport infrastructure will allow Cathay Pacific to continue its smooth transition to Cloud applications, enhancing overall operational efficiency and scalability.
Connect Go also includes three Gateways designed to ensure optimal performance for legacy applications. These gateways facilitate the continued use of existing systems while achieving improved performance and connectivity globally.
“This agreement with Cathay Pacific is a true testament to how we are able to help airlines maximise their network infrastructures, which are key for their ongoing operations. The fact that Cathay Pacific was one of our first clients for SITA Connect and is now one of the first adopters of SITA Connect Go is a clear sign that our technology is delivering valuable results. Airlines and airport networks in APAC are facing challenges with legacy network infrastructure. SITA Connect Go offers a robust, scalable, and secure SD-WAN platform to meet the need for the growing bandwidth demand and helps airlines shift their focus towards their customers,” said SITA Asia President Asia Pacific Sumesh Patel.
“Airlines worldwide have a clear need for strong and robust airport infrastructure so that we can centre our attention on providing the optimal passenger experience,” Cathay Pacific IT Infrastructure and Security General Manager Rajeev Nair noted. “SITA Connect has been helping us deliver efficient operations at airports for several years, and we are confident that this renewed partnership with SITA will allow us to significantly increase the network capacity of our existing network and most cost-effectively.”
The implementation phase started in April 2024 and should be completed in Q2 2025 and become fully operational across 51 airports simultaneously.
SYDNEY Australia, 28 January 2025: The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) reports the latest statistics for the ATIA Accreditation scheme to underscore the rigorous standards and robust processes that maintain ATIA Accreditation as the gold standard in the travel industry.
The November and December 2024 figures reflect the stringent criteria ATIA-accredited businesses must meet to ensure the highest level of consumer trust and excellence. Of those who apply, 25% are rejected, highlighting the robustness of achieving ATIA Accreditation.
November & December 2024 changes
New members: ATIA welcomes five businesses to the ATIA Accreditation community. They are Helloworld Travel Ascot Vale, Helloworld Travel Highton, Let’s Travel Jindabyne, Snowsea Cruises and Travellers Lounge.
Revocation & voluntary withdrawal of accreditation:
Accreditation has been formally revoked for one business, The French Experience (ABN: 11624848433).
Additionally, three firms have voluntarily withdrawn their participation from the accreditation scheme, ATIA reports.
For the complete list of entities whose accreditation has been cancelled or withdrawn, check the official registry here.
Monitoring agreements: Currently, 19 members are accredited under monitoring agreements. These members are obligated to provide quarterly financial and operational disclosures.
The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) is the peak body representing Australia’s AUD69 billion travel industry. ATIA represents the majority of Australian travel agents, corporate agents, tour operators, wholesalers and ITOs.
ATIA administers the ATIA Accredited programme, Australia’s largest and most representative accreditation scheme for travel businesses. ATIA represents over 1,120 ATIA-accredited members and more than 28,000 workers nationwide, directly supporting 16.98 million Australian travellers every year.
