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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Agents fail in fuel surcharge class action


Travel agents have failed in their long-running class action against Qantas for the non-payment of commission on fuel surcharges.

But in a Federal Court ruling, the airline was found to have engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct by including the levy under the “taxes, fees and charges” code.

In a brief hearing yesterday, Justice Michael Moore ruled that the applicants, Leonie’s Travel, had failed in its claim that Qantas was in breach of contract by not paying commission on the fuel surcharge.

In his 44-page judgement, Justice Moore said Qantas, in his opinion, had since May 2004 “exercised its contractual right to determine the manner and amount of agents’ remuneration”.

The airline determined that commission was payable on the total price, less the amount payable to Qantas as the fuel surcharge, he said.

But he ruled in favour of Leonie’s Travel in the second claim that Qantas engaged in misleading and deceptive by including the levy as tax, fee or charge. Such charges are imposed by air transportation and government authorities only, he said.

“The fuel surcharge is not a tax, charge or fee imposed by governments, authorities or airport operators,” he ruled.

Although action was also bought against other airlines, proceedings, for the moment, are to continue against Qantas only, Justice Moore said.

More in today’s Travel Today.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Mysouthwest fortnightly Competition

The next MySouthWest Competition is now open!

Win! Win! Win! Win! Win! Win!

Congratulations to the winner of the last competition, Karen Oldland of Mandeley...


The All Seasons Sanctuary Golf Resort is offering you the chance to win a luxury overnight package to the value of $475.00.   Perfect for a romantic getaway!

Your overnight stay will include accommodation in our penthouse tower apartment with spa.  Plus a bottle of sparkling in the room, full breakfast and 9 holes of golf for two with a motorised cart.

The All Seasons Sanctuary Golf Resort is situated just 1hr 45m south of Perth and is surrounded by tranquil lakes and rolling greens.  All accommodation overlooks either the golf course or landscaped gardens and with an à la carte restaurant on site as well as an 18 hole golf course, pro shop, driving range, pool and tennis court, the Sanctuary is the perfect starting point for a weekend of indulgence in the south west.

www.mysouthwest.com.au

Want to find out more? Go to www.mysouthwest.com.au for all the latest South West news and events, safe and secure online shopping system, business and community group directories and fantastic competitions!

Friday, March 20, 2009

New superliners for Sydney & Brisbane as P&O Cruises expands its fleet


P&O Cruises Australia’s two biggest markets – Sydney and Brisbane – will each get new superliners to drive even further growth in cruising, which is already at record levels.

Brisbane will now become the new homeport for Pacific Dawn, making it the first time a superliner has been based in this city, while Sydney will welcome the latest addition to the Australian fleet, Pacific Jewel.

The move follows new research which shows how the distinctive features of each ship are better suited to the holiday requirements of passengers in their new home ports.

It found that Sydneysiders tended to be more focused on taking time out for themselves when they are on holidays compared with Queenslanders who place more emphasis on being entertained.

Jenny Lourey, Senior Vice President of Carnival Australia, which operates P&O Cruises, said the research findings had prompted the decision to base superliner Pacific Jewel – which has the biggest spa at sea in this region – in Sydney at the end of the year, rather than Brisbane as initially flagged.

Meanwhile, the stunning Pacific Dawn – with its large Dome entertainment complex – will switch to Brisbane.

"The wonderful promise of family relaxation was a universal reason why our passengers choose to cruise, but there are some fundamental differences in the holiday preferences between our two main markets of Sydney and Brisbane," Ms Lourey said.

"The research shows that Sydneysiders were keen to extend their relaxation with a massage, facial or other spa treatment, while our passengers from Brisbane emphasised entertainment and quality time spent together with the family as a key decision for booking their cruise.

"It seems cruise passengers from Brisbane put more value on maximising every moment of their holiday pursuing a varied range of family activities. The Pacific Dawn supports this with greater children’s capacity and a second multi-use entertainment venue."

The research showed*:

• A large range of entertainment was considered more important for those in Queensland (64%) than those in NSW (54%).

• Twice as many people from Brisbane placed emphasis on family time whilst on holiday compared to those from Sydney

• Sydneysiders were more than twice as likely to prioritise ‘taking time out for themselves’ compared to those from Brisbane.

Pacific Jewel and her sister ship, Pacific Dawn, are two of the most spacious and modern ships to cruise in Australian waters – both with an abundance of balcony cabins, high-quality children’s amenities and spa treatment facilities.

Although sisters, the two ships use the space above the bow of the ship to offer distinctly different facilities.

On Pacific Dawn this space is used to accommodate a massive entertainment area, the Dome, while Pacific Jewel houses a stunning 1300m² ocean-view spa and fitness centre.

Pacific Jewel will feature an amazing open-air deck with aerial stage for circus and music performances, a three-storey atrium foyer and almost 200 private balcony cabins, the most in the P&O Cruises’ fleet.

Brisbane-based superliner Pacific Dawn features 11 decks with two swimming pools, a choice of five evening dining areas, three large kids clubs, nine bars and lounges, a two-storey show lounge and fitness centre.

Pacific Jewel will be based in Sydney from 13 December 2009, following an extensive renovation and refit. Meanwhile, Pacific Dawn will commence the first ever year round program of cruises from Brisbane on 19 December 2009.

Itineraries for the new Pacific Jewel and Pacific Dawn deployments will go on sale on March 21.

For complete convenience, passengers booked on affected cruises departing from December 2009 have been automatically transferred to a cruise that best matches their original booking.

For further information on the new deployments contact your travel agent, visit pocruises.com.au or call P&O Cruises on 1800 129 961

The Expeditionist

The Expeditionist
Venturing to the world's special places