News in Brief: Tuesday February 19
Tourism Fiji has confirmed that chairman David Pflieger will step down from the board on May 1 following his decision to quit Air Pacific and return to the US. He has spent three years in the role.
A new chairman will be announced in the next couple of months.
Melbourne-based International Rail has expanded its product range to include a series non-rail product. For the upcoming European summer season, the company will sell transport passes in London and Paris, sightseeing tours in major European cities and ferry tickets.
International Rail said all the add-on product can be booked separately, will incur no booking fee and will offer agents "excellent commission".
Emirates will add 88 weekly seats between Dubai and Perth from June 1 as it upgrades an aircraft from a Boeing 777-200LR to a Boeing 777-300ER.
Meanwhile, the carrier will operate to a second port in the Philippines from October 1 with daily non stop flights to Clark, 80km north of Manila. The carrier already flies three time daily to the Philippine capital.
Air Pacific has opened reservations for flights operated by its new Airbus A330-200 aircraft under its new Fiji Airways name.
The carrier will operate up to six weekly flights from Sydney from June 8, falling to three to four services from July 1, with five to six weekly services between Nadi and Brisbane to operate between April 21 and July 31. Two weekly A330 flights will operate between Nadi and Melbourne between August 3 and 27.
WA-based Azberg Ltd, trading as Global Plus Holidays, has been reinstated to the Travel Compensation Fund after its participation was terminated on January 29.
Online wholesaler Excite Holidays has reported record sales in the first two months of the year. The company has also launched an incentive scheme with agents rewarded with gift cards for bookings made between now and March 30.
Compagnie du Ponant is offering 300 Euros onboard credit on two Asian voyages operated by its new Le Soleal vessel. The credit is available on the seven night Otaru to Osaka cruise departing October 15 and the eight night Osaka to Hong Kong cruise on October 22.
Sydney-based Randall Marketing has been named as the first global marketing firm in Asia Pacific for the five-star J C Mandarin Hotel in Shangai.
Executive director Randall Lui said the short term strategy will be to plug gaps left by the hotel's former operator, Meritus Hotels and Resorts and drive regional traffic to the property.
The long term goal will be to become a preferred supplier in Shanghai for Australian wholesalers, he said.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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