This Airline Wrap is an absolute hoot. Although that’s not to infer any owls were involved in the writing of it.

Los Angeles World Airports and Westfield bring 7 new dining and retail concepts

LAWA and Australian shopping centre group, Westfield, are refreshing LAX Terminal 3 with the introduction of a new retail and dining collection that is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

The new dining collection is set to give Australian travellers a taste of L.A. with four L.A. based restaurants, including the “nuanced and delicious” Ashland Hill thats menu echoes its Californian roots. Other restaurants include the iconic L.A. gastro pub, The Parlour, earthbar and Panda Express.

The new retail ventures, operated by Hudson Group, includes a broad array of accessories, electronics and travel essentials that will enhance the experience for Australian travellers flying through Terminal 3. The retailers include:

• Hudson LAXpress – Pick up must have travel essentials, souvenirs and news and gifts
• Moshi – Find the latest in premium accessories and cutting-edge electronics
• Soundstage by Hudson – Discover L.A.’s energy and creativity in this high-energy retail zone

In addtion, CLEAR, the identity platform that transforms your fingerprints or a scan of your eyes into a secure biometric key to friction is now open for business in Terminals 2 and 3.

The pods helps Australian passengers speed through security with just the touch of a finger or a link of an eye.

Qatar Airways launches direct service between Doha and Nice

Qatar Airways is delighted to announce the launch of direct service between Doha and Nice, the airline’s second destination in France. Qatar Airways flight QR 53 operated by a Boeing B787 Dreamliner departed Hamad International Airport (HIA) on Tuesday at 7:45 (Doha Time) and arrived at Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport at 13:15 (Nice Time).

Located on the magnificent French Riviera, Nice has a true cosmopolitan vibe with fashionable boutiques and restaurants, alongside magnificent beaches.

The city is also the gateway to the South of France, including popular destinations such as Cannes, St. Tropez, Antibes and the region of Provence, while also being within easy reach of neighbouring Monaco and Northern Italy.

The five weekly flights between HIA and Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport will be served by the Boeing B787 Dreamliner. The Qatar Airways B787 Dreamliner offers a two class configuration with 22 seats in Business Class that can be turned into fully-flat beds and configured in a 1–2–1 set-up, and 232 Economy seats in a 3–3–3 layout.

The aircraft is also equipped with Oryx One in Flight entertainment system, offering more than 3,000 entertainment options including the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games, and much more.

Cathay Pacific strengthens commitment to Adelaide with fifth service

Supporting the growth in Adelaide tourism, Cathay Pacific will re-commence its fifth weekly service to South Australia on 5 July 2017. The additional flight will see the airline increase its capacity on the route by 25 per cent and brings the weekly number of seats to 2,500. The airline will also add space for 15 tonnes of cargo.

Richard Jones, Sales and Marketing Manager of Cathay Pacific Airways Australia, said “For over 20 years, Cathay Pacific has served passengers travelling between Adelaide and Hong Kong, and beyond to over 170 destinations worldwide.

“It’s a great time for South Australians to be travelling, whether they want to capture a glimpse of the forever evolving skyline of Hong Kong, experience the culinary delights of Asia or explore the wonders of Europe, our fifth flight offers our passengers more choice and flexibility,” he said.

The airline will operate the following flights:

*The new flight will depart Hong Kong on Wednesday five minutes earlier at 1855.

Velocity Frequent Flyer and Fortune Wings Club Announce New Benefits for Frequent Flyers

Virgin Australia’s loyalty program, Velocity Frequent Flyer, and Fortune Wings Club, one of the most recognisable frequent flyer programs in Asia are today announcing a reciprocal frequent flyer agreement giving members the opportunity to earn and redeem points and be recognised across the airlines’ flight networks.

As part of the first phase of this agreement, from today, Velocity members will be able to earn Velocity Points and Status Credits on selected services operated by four Fortune Wings Club participating airlines – Hong Kong Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Capital Airlines, and Tianjin Airlines.

Together with Virgin Australia, these airlines operate over 75 weekly flights from Hong Kong and 13 destinations in mainland China to Australia and New Zealand.

Velocity members can earn Velocity Points and Status Credits on the following services:

• All Hong Kong Airlines operated flights (excluding services to and from North America)

• All Hainan Airlines, Capital Airlines and Tianjin Airlines operated flights between Australia, New Zealand and Greater China as well as all domestic flights within those regions.

The second phase of the agreement will be announced in coming weeks and will provide Velocity Frequent Flyer members with further benefits through these airline partners including lounge access, priority check in, priority boarding, and additional baggage.

Velocity members will also be able to use their Velocity Points to purchase Reward Seats on Hong Kong Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Capital Airlines and Tianjin Airlines.

Emirates expands free inflight Wi-Fi offering

Emirates has expanded its popular free inflight Wi-Fi service with generous rates for all flyers.

Effective immediately, all Emirates Skywards Platinum and Gold members can enjoy free unlimited Wi-Fi during their Emirates flight, regardless of their class of travel. This privilege also applies to all Emirates Skywards members travelling in First and Business class.

In addition, Economy class customers and non-Skywards members can now enjoy 20MB of free data usage within the first 2 hours of log in, double the current 10MB free being offered.

Additional data can be purchased in 150MB or 500MB blocks at attractive rates, with tiered discounts for Skywards Silver and Blue members.

The doubling to 20MB of free data will suit customers who are light Wi-Fi users looking to send short messages to their families and friends, or check their social media accounts while flying. Business travellers or more heavy users of inflight Wi-Fi will have the flexibility to purchase additional data packages as needed.

First Air NZ flight lands Sunshine Coast Airport for 2017 season

The first 2017 non-stop Auckland – Sunshine Coast Air New Zealand flight touched down on Friday morning at Sunshine Coast Airport, bringing the first of thousands of visitors for the season from across the Tasman.

In its sixth year of operation, services will be available to and from the Sunshine Coast up to four times per week until October 29, 2017.

New Zealand is the number one international visitor market for the Sunshine Coast, with a total of 66,000 New Zealanders visiting the Sunshine Coast in the year ending March 2017, a 5.5 per cent increase on the previous year.

Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Simon Latchford said the regional tourism organisation’s investment in New Zealand was really paying off

“We are the only Queensland RTO with a representative in Auckland and that presence is allowing us to focus strongly on driving visitation from our number one international market,” Latchford said.

“Our recent Sunshine by Lunchtime campaign with Air New Zealand and Tourism Events Queensland was timed specifically to be in market in the chilly month of May and increase sales in the lead up to the flight services commencing today.

“The short direct flight is the perfect avenue for a holiday break to warm up our Kiwi friends and encourage them to enjoy the diversity of experiences, events, food and attractions available on the Sunshine Coast.”

MACAO AND XIAMEN AIRLINES BEGIN SERIES OF AGENTS WORKSHOPS 

The first of a series of retail agent workshops has been held in Sydney this week in Macao’s quest to spread the news about its links with Xiamen Airlines and the launch of a new “One Fare – Two Cities” product.

The initial workshop-banquet dinner was held in Parramatta on Wednesday evening (July 5), in Sydney’s western heartland, attracting more than 40 local agents.

In-depth presentations were made by the Macao Government Tourism Office’s marketing manager Benjamin Zaubzer and Xiamen Airlines sales manager Alex Ding, outlining all the latest news.

With return air fares to Macao beginning from as little as $768 per person from Sydney or Melbourne, the “One Fare – Two Cities” campaign offers an alternative route to the traditional Hong Kong flight path with travellers having the chance to visit and explore the beautiful Chinese coastal city of Xiamen en route to Macao.

It’s the first time the Chinese airline has teamed with the Macao Government Tourism Office (Australia) to offer a dedicated fare, the offer including a complimentary night’s stay in Xiamen (6-24hrs) along with free coach tour (4 -24hrs) of a city popular for its beaches and colonial past.

In addition, passengers would not require a China visa if spending up to 72 hours in Xiamen. Macao is visa free for Australian passport holders staying no more than 30 days.

The new Xiamen Airlines product will allow Australians to fly from Sydney and Melbourne to Xiamen for a night’s stopover before boarding the connecting short-haul flight to Macao International Airport.

Both MGTO and Xiamen Airlines will continue to host further travel industry workshops in Sydney over the next two months to coincide with giant shopping centre exhibitions for consumers. Those expos will be highlighted by the exclusive 360-degree (virtual reality) showings of Macao and the airline, beginning with a four-day event at Parramatta Westfield on July 6-9, 2017.

Further shopping centre events will be staged at Castle Towers, Castle Hill from July 20-23, Chatswood Chase from August 3-6 and Eastgardens Westfield from August 17-20.

Travel industry workshops will also take place in Melbourne.

Solomon Airlines & Air Kiribati to partner on new Brisbane-Honiara-Kiribati service

Solomon Airlines and Air Kiribati have announced the commencement of a new service linking Brisbane with Tarawa via Honiara commencing 30 August 2017.

The new service, which will operate ex-Brisbane every Wednesday and ex-Tarawa every Thursday, has been scheduled as per the following:

BNE-HIR-TWR

IE 701   Depart BNE 1100          Arrive HIR 1515

IE 720   Depart HIR  1615          Arrive TRW 2000

TWR-HIR-BNE

IE 721   Depart TRW 1000         Arrive HIR 1145

IE 700   Depart HIR 1300           Arrive BNE 1515

The new service builds on an Air Service Agreement (ASA) and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Solomon Islands and the Republic of Kiribati last November.

Welcoming the commencement of the service, Solomon Airlines’ CEO, Brett Gebers underlined the importance of the aviation partnership as a catalyst for both nations’ economic development.

“This service is more than just a link between two nations – it also represents an avenue for both nations to grow and prosper as we walk forward together,” he said.

British Airways Announces Partnership With The White Company

British Airways today announced its plans to give customers a great night’s sleep in the sky through a partnership with the luxury lifestyle brand, The White Company.

The iconic British retailer will supply bedding and amenity kits in Club World as part of the airline’s AUD$680m customer investment plan, with a focus on excellence in the premium cabins and more choice and quality for all.

Later this year, customers travelling in Club World between Heathrow and New York JFK will be given a new elegant day cushion which will double up as a fantastic lumbar support when working or relaxing on board.

Exclusively for British Airways, The White Company has also designed a bespoke, luxuriously soft large pillow and pillowcase. To enhance customers’ comfort, the double-sided pillow, which has been expertly designed for day and night use, features cosy grey fabric on one side and crisp white cotton on the reverse.

Customers will also be given a super-soft woven blanket with satin trim and a specially developed luxury duvet to improve their quality of sleep, as well as a padded mattress cover giving an extra layer of comfort. The new bedding from The White Company will then be gradually rolled out across British Airways’ other long-haul routes.

The new Club World amenity kits come in an elegantly designed bag from The White Company and contain products from the retailer’s ‘Restore & Relax Spa Collection’, as well as a super-soft jersey eye-mask, offering a further touch of luxury in the sky.

The airline is also introducing a number of measures on board to maximise available shut-eye time for customers in Club World.  Breakfast cards will also be given out so customers can select if they wish to be woken for breakfast and if so, what they would like.

Towards the end of the year, a new restaurant-style premium dining service will begin in Club World, with display trolleys allowing customers to select dishes from a choice of freshly prepared starters and desserts served on beautiful new table settings.

All flights from Australia land at British Airways’ state-of-the-art home at London Heathrow Terminal 5. All Club World business class customers can enjoy the facilities at the Arrivals lounge, which includes showers, breakfast and complimentary Elemis spa treatments.

Customers can also enjoy bubbling champagne at the exclusive Galleries Club lounges on their departure.

SkyBus Geelong-Avalon Airport Service Starts

SkyBus, operators of Melbourne’s popular express service from the CBD to Avalon and Tullamarine Airports, announced that it will commence a new, interim service between Geelong and Avalon Airport starting Monday 10th July 2017, operating for a
6-month period whilst arrangements for a permanent service are being finalised.

SkyBus agreed to provide an interim connection between Geelong city and Avalon Airport following the sudden cancellation of Geelong’s only Avalon Airport bus service by the previous provider.

The replacement service will see SkyBus operate regular connections between Geelong and Geelong South Train Station and Avalon Airport, while the local Geelong operator, Geelong Radio Cabs, will work in partnership with SkyBus to provide onward connections to the Bellarine Peninsula, Surf Coast and Greater Geelong.

The new service aims to be more affordable, with adult one-way tickets priced at $18. Families can take advantage of SkyBus’ discounted fares – with children 16 and under travel free when they are booked with an adult fare.

While the current arrangements are interim, SkyBus co-CEO and Director, Michael Sewards, said he was confident Geelong
travellers would quickly grow to love SkyBus’ world-class service.

“SkyBus is committed to filling the gap left by the previous provider, and giving travellers convenient and affordable transport between Geelong and Avalon Airport.”

Emirates to introduce second daily flight to Brussels

Emirates announced that it will introduce an additional daily flight to Brussels, complementing Emirates’ existing schedule and providing a double-daily service to customers from 29 October 2017.

The new scheduled flight will be added to meet the growing demand for travel on the route – Emirates has carried over half a million passengers between Dubai and the Belgian capital since launching operations on 5 September 2014 – and continues to grow demand both inbound and outbound.

The second daily flight, offering additional cargo capacity in the belly hold of the wide-body Boeing 777-300ER, will enhance trade links between Brussels and Dubai, transporting pharmaceuticals, perishables such as chocolates and automotive parts from Belgium to the U.A.E. and beyond.

The new year-round flight will enhance Belgium’s global long-haul connectivity, offering passengers travelling from Brussels the chance to reach over 70 Emirates’ destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia which are not currently served directly by any carrier operating out of Brussels.

Flight EK182 will depart Brussels at 20:15 and arrive in Dubai at 05:55,enabling convenient connections to South African destinations of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban as well as Nairobi in Kenya, with a short transit through Emirates’ world-class Dubai hub.

The new frequency will facilitate easier connections to several East Asian countries, such as Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam, Bali in Indonesia and Guangzhou in China. Passengers can now also connect via Dubai to Emirates’ direct flight to Auckland in New Zealand.

New tableware for Lufthansa Economy Class

Lufthansa is now serving its guests in Economy Class meals and drinks on new tableware on all intercontinental flights. With a clear use of form and elegant, consistent design, it should appeal to all target groups and also stand the test of time when it comes to fashion trends.

It is also more environmentally friendly and easier to handle than the previous design. In total, around 900,000 individual components will go into service worldwide in the next few days.

Lufthansa Product Management has worked together with designers from the LSG subsidiary company Spiriant to design the new tableware completely from scratch – from choice of materials and colors to shapes and individual components. Trays, coffee cups, packaging and accessories will now all appear in the new look.

Visually, the new Economy Class tableware is characterized by its faceted shapes. Dynamic lines create shadows which give the tableware different color nuances, depending on the light reflection. Two different surfaces – matt and smooth – ensure a pleasant feel.

The new tableware is also more environmentally friendly. Disposable materials will be largely dispensed with, thus significantly reducing volume of waste. New trays offer more stowage options due to their space-saving design which means that one trolley can accommodate more meals than before.

Slip-resistant materials, like the new anti-skid coating, facilitate handling for the crew. The tray holds the meal in a slightly tilted position and stowing the trays back is also significantly easier.

Sabre and Himalaya Airlines announce global distribution partnership 

Sabre Corporation, leading techy provider to the global travel industry, today announced a new global distribution partnership with Himalaya Airlines. This partnership is in line with supporting and strengthening the airline’s objective of becoming the premium carrier that connects Nepal to the world.

Himalaya Airlines is looking to add 15 aircrafts to its current fleet that will connect Nepal globally, thus cementing its status as the premier carrier in the country. Sabre’s technology will enable the airline to maximise its reach through the Sabre Travel Marketplace, connecting them to more than 425,000 travel agents globally.

This will help to ensure that consumers have access to the best possible deals available while creating more revenue opportunities for the airline and travel agents.

Effective August 2017, Himalaya Airlines’ fares and ancillary offerings will be available to Sabre travel agents globally, allowing them to choose the most cost-efficient routes and packages for their customers.

Phnom Penh becomes Emirates’ latest gateway 

Emirates recently expanded its presence in Southeast Asia with the launch of a new daily linked service from Dubai to Phnom Penh (PHN) in Cambodia, via Yangon in Myanmar.

This new service, operated with a Boeing 777 aircraft, broadens the airline’s network in Southeast Asia to 13 cities in eight countries and offers more choices and convenience to passengers travelling between Phnom Penh to Dubai and beyond.

It also marks the first time since 2014 that Phnom Penh and Yangon were connected by a direct air link, serving increasing demand for travel between the two fast-developing cities.

Phnom Penh, the first destination within Cambodia to be served by Emirates, is one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia.

Flights to Phnom Penh will depart daily from Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 0915hrs local time, arriving in Yangon at 1725hrs. It will then depart Yangon at 1855hrs, before arriving at Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) at 2125hrs.

The departure time of flight EK388 from Dubai seamlessly connects with a number of European services such as Paris, London, and Frankfurt.

On the return segment, flight EK389 will depart Phnom Penh at 2310hrs, and will arrive in Yangon at 0040hrs. It will then set off to Dubai‎ at 0210hrs, arriving at 0540hrs. All times are local.