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THAI invests in three-class 777s

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BANGKOK, 11 April 2022: Thai Airways International confirmed the delivery of two new Boeing 777-300ERs aircraft fitted out with first-class cabins.

A third aircraft also featuring the return of a Royal First Class cabin will complete the lease transaction later this month. The contract for the three Boeing 777-300ERs was signed in 2018 with the lease fee being calculated by what THAI calls a “Power-by-the-Hour” approach for the first term of the contract. A lease fee agreement is due to kick in later according to the contract terms negotiated to comply with the company’s rehabilitation plan framework.

The leased Boeing 777-300ER can accommodate 303 passengers. There are eight seats in Royal First Class, 40 seats in Royal Silk Class, and 255 seats in economy class. 

The airline noted that introducing the latest version of the  B777-300ER aircraft meets the requirement to reduce aircraft types to just fou in accordance with the rehabilitation plan to ensure maintenance, spare parts and support are streamlined to reduce operational costs.

THAI plans to use the three Boeing 777-300ERs for operations on the high-yield Bangkok-London route starting at the end of this month.

Jetstar and IndiGo ink partnership

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SINGAPORE: 11 April 2022: Jetstar Group and IndiGo last week confirmed a new Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) interline partnership to enable Jetstar customers to book connections and flights on IndiGo services through its Jetstar Connect platform.

Launching at the end of this April, the virtual interline partnership between the two LCCs is made possible by a technology company and flight search engine, Dohop.

The integrated booking engine allows customers to select flights and purchase both bundled and unbundled ancillary products, with customers connecting between international flights provided with seamless passenger and baggage transfer.

Jetstar’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Alan McIntyre, welcomed the partnership and said as the world reopens, it was great to offer Jetstar customers in Asia and Australia opportunities to travel to exciting new destinations in India through its partnership with IndiGo.

“The ability to partner with other LCCs through Dohop has opened a new world of possibilities, helping customers enjoy more seamless connectivity throughout the region,” McIntyre said.

“This new partnership enables Jetstar to offer our customers more destinations, more frequency and better connectivity, by combining our expanding network with IndiGo’s, all at the click of a button, fulfilling our vision to make more travel affordable.

“Jetstar Connect on jetstar.com provides more options for customers to access Jetstar’s great value fares and an expanded number of low-cost connections.

“This partnership opens up new services to Jetstar customers to incredible destinations such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi through Jetstar’s hub in Singapore.”

 Changi Airport Group’s managing director for Air Hub Development Lim Ching Kiat said India was a key market for Changi Airport.

“In 2019, Singapore attracted over 1.4 million visitors from India to Singapore, and with the relaxation of border policies, India has ranked among the top three countries at Changi in recent months.”

“Jetstar and Indigo are strategic partners of Changi Airport Group, and we welcome this new interline partnership as it will offer travellers more flight options at Changi Airport.”

This is the second virtual interline partnership for the Jetstar Group, following the Jetstar Group’s interline with Tiger Taiwan in December 2019

Passenger recovery accelerates in February

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GENEVA, 8 April 2022: Air travel posted a strong rebound in February 2022 compared to January 2022, as Omicron-related impacts moderated outside of Asia, the International Air Transport Association reported this week.

IATA claimed the war in Ukraine, which began on 24 February, did not significantly impact traffic levels during the remaining days of the month.

  • Total traffic in February 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) was 115.9% compared to February 2021. That is an improvement from January 2022, up 83.1% compared to January 2021. Compared to February 2019, however, traffic was down 45.5%. 
  • February 2022 domestic traffic was up 60.7% compared to the year-ago period, building on a 42.6% increase in January 2022 compared to January 2021. There was wide variation in markets tracked by IATA. Domestic traffic in February was 21.8% below the volumes of February 2019.
  • International RPKs rose 256.8% versus February 2021, improving from a 165.5% year-over-year increase in January 2022 versus the year-earlier period. All regions improved their performance compared to the prior month. In February 2022, international RPKs were down 59.6% compared to the same month in 2019.

“The recovery in air travel is gathering steam as governments in many parts of the world lift travel restrictions. States that persist in attempting to lock out the disease, rather than managing it, as we do with other diseases, risk missing out on the enormous economic and societal benefits that restoration of international connectivity will bring,” said IATA’s director-general Willie Walsh.

International Passenger Markets

European carriers saw theirFebruarytraffic rise 380.6% versus February 2021, improved over the 224.3% increase in January 2022 versus the same month in 2021. Capacity rose 174.8%, and load factor climbed 30.3 percentage points to 70.9%.

Asia-Pacific airlines had a 144.4% rise in February traffic compared to February 2021, up somewhat over the 125.8% gain registered in January 2022 versus January 2021. Capacity rose 60.8%, and the load factor was up 16.1 percentage points to 47.0%, the lowest among regions.

Middle Eastern airlines’ traffic rose215.3% in February compared to February 2021, well up compared to the 145.0% increase in January 2022 versus the same month in 2021. February capacity rose 89.5% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 25.8 percentage points to 64.7%.

North American carriers experienced a 236.7% traffic rise in February versus the 2021 period, significantly increased compared to the 149.0% rise in January 2022 over January 2021. Capacity rose 91.7%, and load factor climbed 27.4 percentage points to 63.6%.

Latin American airlines’ February traffic rose 242.7% compared to the same month in 2021, well up over the 155.2% rise in January 2022 compared to January 2021. February capacity rose 146.3%, and the load factor increased 21.7 percentage points to 77.0%, which was the highest load factor among the regions for the 17th consecutive month.

African airlines had a 69.5% rise in February RPKs versus a year ago, a large improvement compared to the 20.5% year-over-year increase recorded in January 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. February 2022 capacity was up 34.7%, and load factor climbed 12.9 percentage points to 63.0%.

Emirates ramps up services

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DUBAI, UAE, 8 April 2022: Emirates has announced it will ramp up global operations with the restart of services to four destinations; Bali (1 May), London Stansted (1 August), Rio de Janeiro (2 November), and Buenos Aires (2 November).

The airline has also announced it will boost services to Nigeria, Mauritius and Singapore to serve market demand. In line with the easing of travel restrictions worldwide, Emirates continues to rebuild and expand its global network to meet travel demand.

Emirates returns to Bali, London Stansted, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires

Starting from 1 May, Emirates will operate five weekly flights to Bali, utilising a two-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline will also scale up its operations from 1 July 2022 to serve the island destination with a daily service. With its spectacular mountains, picturesque beaches and cultural appeal, Bali is considered to be a world-leading tourist destination.

Starting from 1 August 2022, Emirates will resume flight operations to London Stansted with five weekly flights, utilising Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with the ‘Game Changer’ First Class product. From 1 September, the airline will increase its services to offer a daily flight. By October 2022, the airline will be serving the UK with 110 weekly flights, including six times daily to London Heathrow; a double daily A380 service to Gatwick; three times daily to Manchester, including a double daily A380 service (starting 1 October 2022); double daily service to Birmingham; five weekly flights to Newcastle (with the fifth weekly flight starting from 1 July 2022); and a daily service to Glasgow.

Emirates will operate four weekly flights to Buenos Aires via Rio de Janeiro on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from 2 November 2022 – offering customers from Argentina and Brazil direct connectivity to popular business and leisure destinations across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. From 1 February 2023, Emirates will scale up its operations to a daily service, offering customers greater convenience, choice and flexibility while planning their travel.

Boosting operations to Nigeria, Mauritius and Singapore

Emirates is ramping up its services to Lagos with 11 weekly flights, starting from 1 July 2022. The airline will ramp up its operations to the Nigerian city to offer a double daily service starting from 1 September 2022 – taking the airline’s services to pre-pandemic levels. Emirates will also increase its services to Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, to offer five weekly flights starting 1 May 2022 and then a daily service from 1 September 2022.

In line with rising demand, the airline will be scaling up flights to Mauritius from daily to nine weekly flights between 9 April 2022 and the end of June 2022 and then moving up to double daily flights from July 2022. Emirates’ second daily flight will provide an important boost to tourism to the Indian Ocean destination, which has now relaxed entry restrictions for travellers. Under the codeshare agreement with Air Mauritius, customers of both airlines can enjoy greater access and seamless connectivity to and from the island nation.

The airline will also increase passenger services to Singapore from seven weekly flights to 14 weekly flights, starting on 23 June 2022. The added service will meet the increased demand for travel since the country safely reopened to international tourists and eased travel restrictions.

For more information, visit emirates.com. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, via travel agents or through online travel agents.

(Your Stories: Emirates)

BWH names new chief for international ops

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE 8 April 2022: BWH Hotel Group has promoted Ron Pohl to serve as the company’s president of international operations BWH Hotel Group and president of WorldHotels.

Pohl joined the organisation in 2007 and previously served as senior vice president and chief operations officer. In his new role, Pohl will be responsible for strengthening the organisation’s presence worldwide.

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to take on this new and expanded role aimed at further growing and strengthening our brand across the globe,” said Pohl. “We have made tremendous progress in recent years, diversifying our portfolio and offering new and exciting brands that exceed developer and guest expectations. I look forward to working collaboratively with our hoteliers, global partners, company leadership and corporate staff to build upon our track record of success.”

NCL releases hull art

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 8 April 2022: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) confirms this week it will sail into the Metaverse with the launch of the cruise industry’s first collection of NFTs, adding to the cruise line’s legacy of pioneering firsts.

NCL will open for auction and sale a collection of six NFTs to celebrate the launch of the Company’s cutting-edge Norwegian Prima Class on Wednesday, 13 April 2022, at 0900  ET / 2100 SGT on NCL’s soon to launch online NFT marketplace. The NFT art pieces were created by Manuel Di Rita, widely known as “Peeta,” the Italian artist who designed the hull art on the record-breaking Norwegian Prima and her sister vessel Norwegian Viva. 

The first of the six art pieces will be auctioned at the starting rate of USD$2,500, with the remaining NFTs sold for prices beginning at USD250. The winner of the auction will also be awarded a balcony stateroom on one of Norwegian Prima’s inaugural voyages in the United States, setting sail from NCL’s beautiful new PortMiami terminal located in Miami, the Cruise Capital of the World.

“We are so excited to partner with Peeta on this first for our brand and for the industry,” said NCL President and CEO Harry Sommer. “Peeta is a talented artist who has brought the magic and beauty of the ocean to our ships, so we are happy to share this with our guests and to donate the proceeds of this new venture to Teach For America, an organisation and a cause very near and dear to our hearts.”

The first piece in the NFT collection resembles the captivating hull art of Norwegian Prima and provides the buyer with an opportunity to own a piece of the beautiful Norwegian Prima for years to come. The additional five NFT pieces showcase some of the innovative 3-D designs often depicted in Peeta’s works and will be featured aboard Norwegian Prima, including the ship’s three-level Penrose Atrium.

All proceeds from the NFT auction and sales will be donated to Teach For America. Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a network of leaders who expand opportunities for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate.

Launching in August 2022, Norwegian Prima’s Christening voyage will depart from Reykjavík, Iceland and will feature a performance from the newly announced godmother, global pop star Katy Perry. Norwegian Prima will offer voyages to Northern Europe from Amsterdam and Copenhagen, Denmark, beginning 3 September, and Caribbean itineraries from Galveston, Texas, Miami and Orlando, Florida, starting 27 October.

For more information about the Company’s award-winning 17-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call NCL Hong Kong on +852 2165 6000 / Southeast Asia on +65 3165 1680 or visit www.ncl.com.

(Your Stories: NCL)

Double the deals sell out success

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUCHING, 8 April 2022: The Sarawak Tourism Board tourism and staycation homegrown brand’s campaigns – the Sia Sitok Sarawak (SSS) 3.0 and the Sia Sitok Sarawak Accommodation (SSSA) 2.0 – gained an overwhelming response from local travellers with both campaigns sold out before their 30 April 2022 end date.

Both the homegrown campaigns have accumulated MYR3.6 million in total sales – with the SSS 3.0 generating more than MYR1.8 million in sales with 467 tour packages sold, while for SSSA 2.0, more than MYR1.8 million sales were recorded with 8,295 room night booked under 47 participating hotels across Sarawak.

STB CEO Sharzede Datu Hj Salleh Askor said the latest homegrown campaigns have been well-received by Sarawakians and permanent residents because it was launched at the right timing, with an interest to uncover and re-discover the vast travel gems that exist in their own backyards skyrocketing since SSS and SSSA were first introduced in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

“With SSS 3.0 and SSSA 2.0, we have expanded the number of packages available, giving Sarawakians even more opportunities to discover the uniqueness of the state and simultaneously contribute to the recovery of the state’s tourism economy,” she said.  

“Ultimately, Sarawakians can explore and experience the beautiful culture, adventure and nature within their own state and become tourism ambassadors for other travellers around the world,” Sharzede concluded.

Launched on 1 March, the SSS 3.0 campaign offers more than 88 packages for tours and activities throughout Sarawak, which includes day trips and multi-day trips, while the SSSA 2.0 campaign offers attractive staycation packages at local hotels and resorts, both at discounted prices up to 50% off.

The booking period for both deals starts from 1 March, while the travelling period is from 1 March until 31 May 2022.

Among the popular destinations were Teluk Melano & Tanjung Datu National Park, Bung Jagoi, Wind Cave, Bako National Park and the countryside of Bintangor and Sarikei.

For more information, check out Sarawak Tourism Board’s website at https://sarawaktourism.com

(Your Stories: Sarawak Tourism Board)

F1 boosts Adelaide hotel bookings

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TTR WEEKLY
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ADELAIDE 8 April 2022: This weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, 9 to 10 April, is lifting Melbourne’s hotel occupancy on the books to its highest level since November 2019, according to STR’s Forward STAR.

As of 4 April, the Thursday-Sunday (7 to 10 April) average in the market was 89%, with a peak of 94% on Saturday night. Should that Saturday level actualize, it would be the market’s highest daily occupancy since 30 November 2019, as well as the highest occupancy for any major Australian capital since New Year’s Eve 2019.

“Ever since the calendar dates were announced, Melbourne’s bookings have been progressively building for the race weekend,” said  STR’s regional director – Pacific, Japan & Central South Asia Matthew Burke. “At the beginning of 2022, occupancy on the books was trending at an average of 35%, so it is clear that growing confidence around the event and ‘F1 fever’ has captivated the travelling public.”

(Source: STR)

Hilton extends Kyoto footprint

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 8 April 2022: Hilton has signed a management agreement with Tokyo Tatemono Co Ltd to open Hilton Kyoto in 2024, the first flagship-branded hotel in Japan’s cultural capital.

“This is the third hotel development inked by Hilton in Kyoto, following the opening of Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotels & Resorts last year, and Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma, which is scheduled to open later this year,” said Hilton senior vice president, development, Asia Pacific Clarence Tan.

Hilton Kyoto will open in Sanjo-Kawaramachi, the heart of downtown Kyoto, near the central business and shopping districts, surrounded by classical Buddhist temples, Zen gardens, Shinto shrines, and museums.

The 313-room hotel will feature four dining outlets, including an all-day dining restaurant, a speciality restaurant, a bar and a café. Guests can also enjoy a range of facilities such as a fitness centre, spa, indoor pool, executive lounge, and banquet and meeting rooms.

Sabre settles on eRoam

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SINGAPORE, 8 April 2022: Sabre Corporation, a software and technology provider for the global travel industry, has partnered with B2B leisure sales platform eRoam Travel Technology to deliver connectivity to a new online B2B and B2C leisure travel solution for agencies.

eRoam Travel Technology has become the latest Gold-Level Developer Partner as part of Sabre’s Developer Partner Network, which allows Sabre-connected agencies, tour operators and destination management companies to find and utilize partner solutions to support their specific business needs and requirements. Through the partnership, eRoam is broadening Sabre’s partner ecosystem by providing an AI-enabled leisure travel platform to Sabre’s network.

The platform offers a comprehensive leisure travel solution that enables agencies to create their own tailor-made packages quickly and efficiently whilst identifying additional tours and activities to diversify and help generate more revenue. Using the latest AI technologies, travellers are provided with personalized offers and recommendations and the tools to easily create their own flights and packages and book tours and activities online.

Sabre Developer Partner Network is an open network that enables the intersection of supply and demand between Sabre Developer Partners and Sabre connected agencies. Through it, agencies can easily find Developer Partners who support their specific business needs and requirements.

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