star brightens in thailand

SEPTEMBER 08, 2014
INDONESIAN X
AirAsia X gets green light to set up
Indonesian carrier
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BKK, LAX DREAM
JAL will launch new Dreamliner
routes to Bangkok and LA
STAR BRIGHTENS IN THAILAND
M THI ALL
OR S
E I AN
NS D
ID
E
Stephen Ho, Starwood's Asia president, outlines expansion plans
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▶ P1
8 Sep 2014
SPG GOES PRO
BEST IN JAKARTA
EYE ON MIDDLE EAST
Starwood has launched a new
corporate version of its SPG
loyalty scheme...
Best Western has opened a new
luxury 'Premier' hotel in Greater
Jakarta...
Including One&Only’s planned
debut in Bahrain and Emirates
flies to Brussels...
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Starwood targets expansion
in recovering Thailand
Hong Kong
to Fiji
Adult from
HK $
4,600
Asia president Stephen Ho reveals growth plans to Travel Daily...
S
tarwood Hotels & Resorts
is continuing to expand its
portfolio in Thailand, as the
country's tourism recovery gathers
pace.
At an event in Bangkok on Friday,
Starwood's president for Asia
Pacific, Stephen Ho, confirmed that
the company has signed its first W
Resort in Phuket, the announcement
of which comes just a week after
the unveiling of plans for the first
Sheraton in Koh Samui.
And talking to Travel Daily, Ho
said that despite the country’s
recent problems, he has
confidence in long-term future of
Thailand.
"We came into Thailand in the
'70s and this has been one of the
key markets we've been focusing
on," Ho told Travel Daily in an
interview. "We're doing a lot to
increase our footprint and we'd like
to do more. We have development
teams visiting here almost every
month. We are always on the lookout for new opportunities."
And with Bangkok now
containing eight of Starwood's
nine brands, Ho said the company
would focus more on expanding in
the country's resort destinations.
"In Bangkok... we're still
continuing to look for new
opportunities. Other than that, we're
looking to develop in resorts. For
example, we don't have a Sheraton
in Phuket and that's definitely
RT
Starwood will launch its W brand in Phuket
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and surcharges
Spring Airlines
adds Seoul
connection
S
Stephen Ho
something we'll be pursuing very
aggressively.
Outside Thailand, Ho also
confirmed that Starwood is looking
at "several opportunities" to open
its first hotel in Myanmar.
"We've been looking at the
market since it opened up and we
have development people going
there regularly. We're looking at
several opportunities. Obviously
we'd like to get in as soon as
possible," he said.
In terms of possible
destinations, Ho added that Yangon
was "obviously the top choice" but
that he is also looking at "several
potential projects... throughout
Myanmar". These are likely to
be upper-upscale properties,
under the Sheraton, Westin or Le
Meridien brands.
"We hope that in the not too
distant future we can make an
announcement," Ho said. Click
here for full story "
AirAsia X gets green-light for
Indonesia launch
AirAsia X receives the AOC from
Indonesia's Directorate General
of Civil Aviation
China Eastern reveals new branding
C
hina Eastern Airlines will
unveil its new corporate logo
tomorrow, replacing the current
brand image that has been used
since the airline's founding 26 years
ago. The new visual identity will first
be rolled out on the airline's brand
new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft,
which will be delivered later this
month.
pring Airlines will commence
two new routes to Seoul
this month. On 23 September,
the Chinese low-cost carrier will
launch a new direct route from
Shanghai to Seoul. Flights will run
four times a week, every Tuesday,
Thursday, Friday and Sunday,
between Shanghai’s Pudong
International Airport and Seoul's
Incheon International Airport.
And on the same day, Spring
will also launch twice weekly
direct services to Seoul from
Shijiazhuang, in Henan province.
Flights will run twice a week.
Seoul becomes Spring's
second destination in Korea,
following Jeju Island.
According to China Eastern,
the new designs are intended
to give the airline a more lively,
modern and international look.
The company’s red
and blue ‘swallow’ logo has
been revamped, and the new
aircraft livery will be all white
in an effort to capture "the spirit
of simplicity".
China Eastern’s new
livery and logo
A
irAsia X will launch in Indonesia,
after the new unit received its Air
Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from the
country's aviation authorities.
Indonesia AirAsia Extra, as the
new carrier will be known, has been
given the green light to proceed
with its launch plans, with the AOC
now enabling the airline to apply for
international routes. The official launch
date has not yet been confirmed.
The Indonesian venture will be
AirAsia X's third regional unit, following
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the well-established AirAsia X in
Malaysia and the new Thai AirAsia
X, which commenced operations in
Bangkok earlier this year.
These airlines offer flights in excess
of four hours using a fleet of wide-body
Airbus A330-300 aircraft that feature
flat-beds in the premium cabins.
Indonesia AirAsia Extra is likely to
serve destinations in Australia and
Northeast Asia, although the Middle
East and India could also be on the
carrier's radar.
Managing Director: Gary Marshall | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott 101A Upper Cross Street, #11-16 People’s Park Centre, Singapore, 058358
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8 Sep 2014
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JAL adds new Dreamliner
routes to LAX, Bangkok
J
V
United Airlines has
become the first US
carrier to receive
a Boeing 787-9
Dreamliner
Spring Airlines is
launching two new
routes to Seoul
161
a new level of comfort, after the
airline announced plans to roll-out
its 'Sky Suite' cabin products on
the Dreamliners. Launching on 1
December 2014, the revamped
interiors will feature 42 flat-bed
seats in business class and 88
wider seats in economy, plus
a new cabin of 35 premium
economy seats. This change will
reduce the overall capacity of the
aircraft from 186 to just 161 seats.
The new cabins will initially
be made available on the Narita-
H
ietnam has a new highest
hotel, after the Lotte Hotel
Hanoi welcomed its first guests on
2 September 2014.A member of
Worldhotels, the new luxury property
occupies the upper floors of new
267-metre-high skyscraper, offering
excellent views of the city from 318
rooms and suites. Facilities at the hotel
include a Hong Kong dim sum house,
plus a bar on the 63rd and 64th floors,
overlooking the city. There is also an
Evian Spa, swimming pool and three
large function rooms including a 1,200pax capacity Crystal Ballroom.
Lotte Hotel Hanoi becomes the
fourth property in the portfolio of South
Korea’s Lotte Hotels & Resorts to join
Worldhotels, following Lotte Hotel
Seoul Downtown, Lotte Hotel World
Gangnam and Lotte Hotel Busan.
1
2
Frankfurt route before being
extended to the Narita-New York
route in January 2015.
Finally, JAL has announced
plans to reduce the frequency
of its Narita-Moscow service
from four to three weekly flights
from 26 October 2014, while
three Chinese routes - NaritaShanghai Pudong, ChubuPudong and Narita-Beijing - will
be downgraded from a twin-aisle
B767 to a single-aisle B737
aircraft.
Vietnam's highest Hainan Airlines links regional
hotel opens
Chinese cities with Paris
Lotte Hotel Hanoi
12345
67890
IN NUMBERS
Carrier reveals international operations for winter season...
apan Airlines has unveiled its
international flight plans for
the winter 2014-15 season,
including the launch of two brand
new routes using its Boeing 787
Dreamliner.
On 20 December 2014, JAL will
launch a new service connecting
Nagoya Chubu Airport with
Bangkok. Initially this route will be
operated using a Boeing 767-300
aircraft, before being upgraded to
the B787 Dreamliner on 1 January
2015. Flights will operate daily.
Then on 20 March 2015, the
Japanese carrier will commence
a brand new trans-Pacific route
between Osaka Kansai Airport and
Los Angeles. These flights will also
operate daily using a Dreamliner.
Other existing JAL routes will
also welcome JAL's B787s this
winter, including the services from
Tokyo Narita to Frankfurt, Delhi
and Manila, although the aircraft
will be withdrawn from the Tokyo
Haneda-San Francisco route, and
replaced by the larger B777-300.
And passengers onboard JAL's
B787s will soon be able to expect
▶ P2
ainan Airlines has launched a
new service connecting Paris
with two regional Chinese cities Hangzhou and Xi'an.
The inaugural flight departed
Hangzhou, the capital of eastern
China's Zhejiang province, on 3
September 2014, flying to Paris
Charles de Gaulle Airport via
Xi'an, in northern China's Shaanxi
province. Services will now operate
every Wednesday and Saturday
using a 222-seat, two-class Airbus
A330-200 aircraft. The return
services will depart the French
capital every Thursday and Sunday.
Paris becomes Hainan Airlines'
fifth destination in Europe, following
Moscow, St Petersburg, Brussels
and Berlin. And importantly, the new
flights become the first connections
to Western Europe from both
Hangzhou and Xi'an.
Meanwhile, Hainan Airlines
is also undertaking a major
recruitment drive this month. Kicking
off on 10 September, the airline will
host events in 20 cities across China
with the aim of finding 100 new flight
attendants to staff its expanding
network of international flights.
As well as the new Paris route,
Hainan Airlines has also recently
added a new route to Boston.
JAL is reconfiguring
its Boeing 787-8
Dreamliners with a
spacious 161-seat
layout
30,000,000
Langham Hong Kong
has completed a
US$30m renovation
31,200,000
The number of rail
passengers China
expects to handle
over the four-day midAutumn festival
Royal Caribbean
brings 'We Will
Rock You' to sea
R
oyal Caribbean will bring the
hit West End musical 'We Will
Rock You' to the high seas next
year. The show, which is based on
the songs of rock legends Queen,
will be performed on the Anthem
of the Seas cruise ship from April
2015. 'We Will Rock You' joins a
list of musical productions brought
to the seas by Royal Caribbean,
including Mamma Mia, Saturday
Night Fever, Cats, Chicago and
Hairspray.
Firefly links Ipoh
with Johor
M
alaysian airline Firefly is
launching a new domestic route
connecting Ipoh with Johor Bahru.
Commencing on 15 September
2014, the new service will operate
four times a week, every Mondays,
Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Flights take one hour 25 minutes
and return on the same day. Firefly
will operate the route using an ATR
turboprop aircraft.
China sees surge in holiday rail traffic
C
hina's railways experienced
a surge in passenger traffic
during for the Mid-Autumn Festival
period, which started on Friday.
According to the forecast from the
China Railway Corporation (CRC),
the country's rail network will carry
31.2 million passengers during
the four-day travel rush, up 12.4%
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compared to the corresponding
period last year. On Friday alone,
China's railways are believed
to have handled 7.6m passengers,
up 11.8% year-on-year.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, which
actually falls on Monday, is a
traditional occasion for family
reunions in China.
The inaugural Paris service
prepares to depart Hangzhou
Managing Director: Gary Marshall | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott 101A Upper Cross Street, #11-16 People’s Park Centre, Singapore, 058358
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▶ P3
Starwood launches SPG Pro for
corporate bookers
S
tarwood has launched a new
loyalty scheme for corporate
bookers. As an extension of the
existing Starwood Preferred Guest
(SPG) consumer programme, SPG
Pro now enables corporate bookers
to receive the same benefits and
rewards as SPG members.
The launch follows the merger of
Starwood's three previous corporate
loyalty schemes, Starwood
Preferred Planner, Starwood Pro
and Starchoice, which were targeted
to different sections of the corporate
market.
The new single loyalty
programme will now debut in
October 2014, offering meeting
and travel professionals a range
of benefits, including SPG elite
status, upgrades and Starpoints
for B2B business booked at any of
Starwood’s properties worldwide.
In addition, any SPG member
who books a group stay, event
or corporate business meeting,
regardless of whether or not they
are a travel professional, will earn
Starpoints.
SPG Pro was unveiled to the
Asia Pacific market at a major event
in Bangkok on Friday, and Alison
Taylor, Starwood's regional senior
vice president of sales, told Travel
Daily that the move was intended to
reward key corporate bookers and
take advantage of the high volume
of business generated by SPG
members.
The top 2% of SPG members
now deliver 30% of global business
New icons could open window
on hotels
Alison Taylor (left), Starwood's senior vice
president of sales for Asia Pacific
for the company, and that is
expected to increase with the launch
of SPG Pro.
"Over 50% of our occupancy in
Asia Pacific is SPG members, which
tells you about the power of the
programme," said Ms Taylor. "And
that will increase exponentially when
we add the B2B side to it.
"Starwood Preferred Planner was
always rewarding people for SPG,
but Starwood Pro and Starchoice
weren’t. We're looking at things
more holistically... rewarding people
for all the business they provide,"
she added.
SPG Pro is also aiming to take
advantage of the huge volume
of B2B business that Starwood
generates. Corporate business
accounts for nearly 70% of
Starwood’s overall room revenue,
and the top 1% of B2B accounts
drives 40% of Starwood’s B2B
revenue. Click here for full
story "
Best Western adds luxury hotel in
Greater Jakarta
B
est Western has continued its
rapid expansion in Indonesia
with the launch of a new luxury
hotel in the Greater Jakarta region.
Located close to the Cawang
district, the new Best Western
Premier The Hive features 191
rooms and suites with either pool or
city views.
The hotel is expected be popular
with the corporate market, with a
choice of seven meeting rooms
catering for between 20 and 300
guests, plus a business centre.
Other facilities include a restaurant,
outdoor swimming pool, fitness
centre and spa.
“Indonesia is one of Best
Western International’s fastestgrowing markets,” said Glenn
de Souza, Best Western's vice
president of international operations
for Asia & Middle East. “As part of
our luxury Best Western Premier
brand, this superb new hotel will
Pictured the scene; you arrive at a hotel after a long day’s travelling
and need to quickly get online and do some work. But when you
connect to the in-room Wi-Fi, the connection is so poor that you can’t
even download your emails. How annoying is that?
Well, help is now at hand. You can now check the Wi-Fi speed of
hotels before you even book. HotelWifiTest – one of my new favourite
companies – last week signed a deal with several online booking
sites, including Expedia and TripAdvisor, to display a hotel’s internet
speed on the main hotel page. And what’s more, users can compare
it to the speed of other hotels in the same city.
What a terrific idea! You can easily imagine this factor becoming
critical in the hotel booking process – certainly more important than
the availability of tea and coffee making facilities or an ‘ironing board
on request’.
All of which got me thinking; what other aspects of a hotel would it be
nice to discover prior to booking?
Personally, I would like to see a little icon displaying the frequency
and persistence of housekeepers. Perhaps a ‘knuckle’ icon to display
how many times your door gets knocked on when you’re trying to get
on with some work. (And yes, I know there is a ‘do not disturb’ sign,
but only newlyweds use that).
Alternatively, we could have a ‘safe’ icon. Not to show the availability
of an in-room safe, but to depict whether finding the right temperature
for the shower is akin to cracking a safe. (There is usually a halfdegree sweet spot, outside of which is either ice cold or kettle hot).
Best Western Premier The Hive
elevate the guest experience to
new heights, providing a range of
amenities and services comparable
to any five-star hotel.”
Following the launch of Best
Western Premier The Hive, the
company now has a portfolio of 11
hotels in Indonesia, including two
luxury Best Western Premiers. But
it expects to add a further 20 hotels
across the country in the coming
years. Click here for full story "
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We don't have a Sheraton in Phuket and
that's definitely something we'll be pursuing
very aggressively.”
Stephen Ho, Starwood’s president for Asia Pacific
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Or maybe there could even be an icon demonstrating the complexity
of the light switches. Because despite all the various bedside
buttons and controls, there always seems to one corner lamp that is
impossible to switch off.
There are so many things I’d like to see on a hotel’s booking page, but
at least HotelWifiTest has struck one key element off the list.
By the way, I find myself writing this article from a coffee shop in
Bangkok where the Wi-Fi connection is so poor that I can’t even send
an email. So perhaps HotelWifiTest could expand their service to
coffee shops, letting customers how awful the connection speed is
before they buy a large Americano. Just a thought…
Japan's Vanilla Air flies to HK
J
apanese low-cost carrier
Vanilla Air has announced
plans to launch its first services to
Hong Kong. The airline, which was
formed by ANA last year following
the collapse of its AirAsia Japan
venture, will start operating direct
flights between Tokyo Narita Airport
and Hong Kong from November
2014. Services will run three times a
week using a 180-seat, all-economy
Airbus A320 aircraft. Hong Kong will
become Vanilla's third international
destination, following Taipei and
Seoul.
Managing Director: Gary Marshall | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott 101A Upper Cross Street, #11-16 People’s Park Centre, Singapore, 058358
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Wyndham adds upscale hotels in
Xi’an and Kunming
W
yndham Hotel & Resorts has
continued to expand in China
with the addition of new hotels in
Xi'an and Kunming.
The 565-room Wyndham Grand
Xi’an South (pictured) opened its
doors in late August, becoming
the Shaanxi capital's largest hotel.
Located in the city's Qujiang New
District, the property features several
F&B outlets and 5,000m² of meeting
space, including a grand ballroom
and 11 function rooms.
Another new addition to
Wyndham's Chinese portfolio is the
Wyndham Kunming Resort. Located
just outside Yunnan’s capital city, this
property features 300 and a wide
BY
One&Only to debut in Bahrain
The 565-room Wyndham Grand Xi’an South
is the largest hotel in the city
range of outdoor recreational facilities
including an 18-hole golf course, a
jockey club and a wetland park.
The openings of two new
properties, along with the upcoming
opening of the Wyndham Xuzhou
East, will add to the group's existing
collection of 760 hotels currently
open in China under its five brands.
Click here for full story "
WAY
Lisbon Metro fits missing brakes
A rail company in Lisbon are undertaking
a hasty upgrade to their Metro network,
after the trains were found to be operating
without emergency brakes.
An investigation by the i newspaper,
reported by the BBC, found that the Lisbon
Metro had been running trains for two years
without the electromagnetic brakes needed
to make emergency stops. The company operating the network says it
detected a mechanical fault with the system in 2012, and deactivated the
brakes so it could make repairs.
The paper also reports that train speeds have dropped from 60kph to
45kph, because drivers are giving themselves more time to stop at stations.
Transport regulators in the Portuguese capital say they are now "closely
monitoring the measures the company is taking". The Metro management
says it has now installed emergency brakes on 60% of its trains and expects
to complete the job soon.
Wobbly road lines confuse drivers
Motorists in the US state of Virginia were
given an interesting challenge recently,
after road workers painted a series of
wobbly white lines on a major interstate
highway.
Authorities in Fairfax County said the
painting error on Interstate 66 between
Centreville and Gainesville caused
"horrific confusion" for drivers over the weekend.
The temporary lane stripes were actually intended to reduce confusion,
by replacing the fading lines on near a major junction of the interstate.
But instead they veered and wobbled across the road, leaving motorists
with baffling array of directions, and causing many vehicles to swerve.
The Virginia Department of Transportation advised drivers to use
alternate routes and said they were working to fix the problem. No
reason was given for the poor paint job.
Saudi Arabia mulls driving test
marriage law
Saudi Arabia is considering making it a
legal requirement that men learn to drive
before they get married.
The unusual new law, which was
reported by Arab News, is believed to be
intended to reduce the rising number of
divorces in the country.
Under rules being mulled by Saudi
Arabia's justice ministry, possession of a driving licence could become
a prerequisite for finalising a marriage contract. Couples could also be
required to attend mandatory "marriage training" before tying the knot.
While there is no law in Saudi Arabia that actually bans women from
driving, authorities in the country don't issue women with driving
licenses, thus making it effectively impossible for females to drive. It is
extremely important therefore, that the husband is able to drive.
The rising divorce rate in the country however, is believed to be linked
to rising women's empowerment, and wives' increasing unwillingness to
allow husbands to control their lives.
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Kerzner International has entered into an
agreement to launch its luxury One&Only
resort brand in Bahrain. Scheduled to
welcome its first guests in 2016, the new
resort will be located on a beachfront plot
in the Seef area of the island. It will offer
150 rooms, suites and villa, plus a range
of dining and retail outlets, a One&Only Spa and conference and banqueting
space. The Bahrain property will become the third One&Only resort in the
Middle East following the One&Only Royal Mirage and One&Only The Palm
in Dubai.
Runway work impacts Dubai airport traffic
Dubai International Airport suffered a
slight dip in passenger numbers in July
2014, as runway work forced airlines to
cancel some flights. Nevertheless, the
airport still crossed the five million mark
for the 19th straight month, recording
5.16m passengers during the month 2.9% fewer than during July 2013. Aircraft movements dropped 11.9% to
25,081. For the first seven months of the year, Dubai International handled
39.83m passengers, up 4.9% year-on-year, although the number of takeoffs and landings fell 7.3% 195,896.
Qatar Airways expands Dreamliner links
Qatar Airways has added two new
destinations to its Boeing 787 Dreamliner
network. On 1 September 2014, the
airline commenced Dreamliner flights to
Vienna, and the modern 254-seat aircraft
will now serve the Austrian capital four
times a week, direct from Doha. And then
on 3 November 2014, Qatar Airways will launch five weekly direct B787
flights to Cape Town. The Doha-based airline now operates a fleet of 14
B787-8 Dreamliners, each of which comes fitted with 22 seats in business
class and 232 in economy.
Emirates launches Brussels flights
Emirates has continued its European
expansion with the launch of flights
to Brussels. The Dubai-based airline
touched down in the Belgian capital
for the first time last week and will now
operate the route daily using its Boeing
777-200LR aircraft. The new service
becomes Emirates' 145th global route, and the airline said it was "already
seeing strong bookings from markets like China, the UAE, Japan and India".
Emirates has now launched two new European destinations - Oslo and
Brussels - in September 2014, and will start flying to Budapest next month.
Suba Hotels opens first Middle East hotel
Suba Hotels, which forms part of India’s
MRL Group, has launched its first
property in the Middle East. The new
Suba is a four-star property located
in the Deira area of Dubai. It offers 92
rooms and suites, all with a high level of
connectivity including tablet-controlled
lightning and televisions. The suites also feature private jacuzzis. The hotel is
also shariah compliant, meaning its restaurants only offer halal food and do
not serve alcohol. Suba is now planning to expand in the Middle East, with
three more hotels expected to launch by 2017.
Marriott debuts new Moxy brand
M
arriott International opened
its first Moxy hotel last week.
The "budget-savvy" brand, which
is based on a boutique hotel
concept, has a focus on design and
technology. So it is appropriate
that the inaugural Moxy hotel was
launched in Italy's design capital
Milan. It features 162 rooms, a 24hour café and a lounge for drinks or
events.
"Moxy is the essence of the next
generation traveller, not only Gen
X and Y but guests with a younger
sensibility, for whom contemporary
style is paramount," explained Tina
Edmundson, global brand officer for
Marriott’s luxury & lifestyle brands.
"Every aspect of Moxy Hotels has
been thoughtfully researched and
crafted to reflect and deliver on
the ever changing lifestyles and
expectations of this rapidly growing
customer segment."
Marriott is now planning to
expand the Moxy brand to locations
in Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Oslo,
Aberdeen and London in the future.
Managing Director: Gary Marshall | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott 101A Upper Cross Street, #11-16 People’s Park Centre, Singapore, 058358
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Cebu Pacific
starts selling
Tigerair flights
P
assengers are now able to book
Tigerair flights via the Cebu
Pacific Air website.
The two low-cost carriers teamed
up earlier this year, when CEB
acquired Tigerair’s stake in Tigerair
Philippines. The airlines also agreed
an interline partnership to make the
services of both CEB and Tigerair
bookable in tandem.
And now, marking the final phase
of this partnership, all Tigerair
destinations are available to book
through the cebupacificair.com
website. CEB flights went live on the
tigerair.com site in July.
“We are very happy to offer
our guests more travel options
and easy connectivity through the
Manila and Singapore airports,” said
CEB's vice president of marketing &
distribution, Candice Iyog.
“With the final phase of this
interline agreement in place, crossbooking flights on a single itinerary
to the Asia Pacific and the Middle
East becomes very convenient.”
Both Tigerair and CEB operate
out of Singapore Changi Airport's
Terminal 2, and passengers taking
CEB's flights from Manila, Cebu,
Clark or Iloilo to Singapore can
now transfer to their connecting
Tigerair flight, without the need to
clear immigration, pick up bags
or check-in again. This service
is applicable for flights with a
minimum of two hours connecting
time at Changi Airport. Click here
for full story "
United receives first extended Dreamliner
U
nited Airlines has become the
first North American carrier to
take delivery of the Boeing 787-9
Dreamliner - the new extended
model of the long-haul aircraft.
The new B787-9 was first
launched this summer, initially with
Air New Zealand and then with
ANA, but United becomes the first
carrier outside the Asia Pacific
region to receive the jet. This is the
first of 26 of B787-9s that United
has on order.
The new Dreamliner is expected
to enter service on domestic routes
from Houston in late September.
Then on 26 October, the aircraft
will be deployed on the Los
Angeles-Melbourne route, which
will become the longest Dreamliner
service in the world to-date.
United’s B787-9 will be
configured with 252 seats – 48 in
business class and 204 in economy,
including 88 'economy plus' seats
with added legroom. The aircraft will
also be equipped with Wi-Fi.
Boeing has taken orders for
435 B787-9 Dreamliners, with
major customers including ANA
(44 aircraft), Etihad Airways (41),
American Airlines (26) and Air
France-KLM (25). Click here for
full story "
Langham Hong Kong adds new suites in major makeover
T
he Langham Hong Kong
hotel has completed a major
renovation project that has seen
the addition of a series of new
suites. The three-month, US$30
million project has seen the hotel's
inventory adjusted to 230 units,
including two suites - the Penthouse
Suite and the Director Suite.
The 125m² Penthouse Suite is
designed in the style of "the fashion
houses in Europe", according to
Langham, while the 89m² Director
Suite includes photographic art from
film shoots. Key features in both new
suites are the oversized bathtubs
and large living areas. And all
guests will now be served by a team
of ‘guest experience managers’,
who will “assist with the guests’
every whim”, according to the hotel.
“This major initiative repositions
The Langham Hong Kong at the
top end of the city’s leading luxury
hotels,” said the hotel’s managing
director, Bob van den Oord. “We will
continue to elevate our overall guest
experience by assigning a guest
experience manager to every room
and maintain our shopping butler
service.”
In addition to the room upgrades,
the hotel has also restyled its Palm
Court lounge, which will reopen with
a new 'Langham Afternoon Tea with
Wedgwood' service, offering teas
served in tailor-made Wedgwood
chinaware. Finally, the Artesian
bar will debut at the Hong Kong
property, having won several awards
as part of the Langham London
hotel. Click here for full story "
SALA Hospitality Group’s latest gem,
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and visitors on August 1st, 2014. This
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in the heart of historic Ayutthaya, was a
highly anticipated and welcome new
addition to the Ayutthaya hotel scene.
Experience the all new sala ayutthaya
with a two night stay in the stunning
duplex river view suite, including daily
breakfast and a dinner for two. For your
chance to win this fantastic getaway,
simply answer the following question.
What is the name of the temple situated
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banks of the Chao Phraya River?
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stay@salaayutthaya.com
www.salaayutthaya.com
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