Indonesia AirAsia X Launches Sydney to Bali Sales

Enjoy Bali from $119* Straight Up

Sydney, 12th August 2015 – Indonesia AirAsia X has launched sales for its second route into Australia to Sydney from Bali (Denpasar) with the first flight from Sydney taking off on 17th October, 2015.

This new route for the popular low cost carrier goes on sale today (12.00 noon Sydney time 12th August) until Sunday 16th August 2015, or until sold out, with an incredible low fare available for a limited time only from $119* one-way to Bali. Bookings can be made at www.airasia.com.

AirAsia X’s popular Premium flatbed seats will also be on sale from $399* one-way.

Indonesia AirAsia X will commence services with five weekly flights between Sydney and the popular Indonesian island getaway, a favourite destination for Australian visitors.

Flights will depart Sydney to Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The flights have been granted approval by Australian and Indonesian authorities.

Indonesia AirAsia X CEO Dendy Kurniawan is in Sydney today to launch the route along with representatives from Sydney Airport.

“We’re really pleased to launch this service and connect with Australia’s largest city,” Mr Kurniawan said.

“Bali has long been a favoured holiday destination for Australians and it continues to grow in popularity.

“Our Melbourne to Bali route has been well received and seen strong load factors so we’re delighted to expand connectivity with the east coast of Australia.

“The special introductory sale fare from Sydney of $119* is a great offer for Sydneysiders to enjoy a tropical Bali escape on our direct flights.”

An Airbus A330-300 aircraft will operate the route with a seating capacity of 377. The configuration will be AirAsia X’s standard configuration of 365 economy seats and 12 Premium flatbed seats.

AirAsia X commercial manager Australia and New Zealand Stuart Myerscough said, “Bali is fast becoming an important hub for AirAsia with Australians also able to connect on to 16 direct AirAsia flights from Bali to destinations such as Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and many more.

“This important connectivity will increase over time and provide a range of travel choices to Bali and beyond.”

Sydney Airport managing director and chief executive officer Kerrie Mather said, “We’re looking forward to welcoming Indonesia AirAsia X to Sydney Airport, offering Bali-bound passengers greater choice and convenience.

“Bali remains a favourite destination for Sydneysiders, with around 276,000 passengers departing Sydney over the past 12 months.

“Indonesia AirAsia X also provides a welcome boost in low cost capacity servicing rapidly growing Asian markets, with considerable inbound potential for Sydney and Australia.”

AirAsia X currently flies between Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Gold Coast.

Indonesia AirAsia serves Bali from Perth and Darwin, whilst Indonesia AirAsia X commenced flights between Melbourne and Bali in March this year.

AirAsia X was the first low cost carrier in the world to introduce flatbed seats, which have standard business class specifications of 20” width, 60” pitch and stretch out to 77” in full recline position.

They feature universal power sockets, adjustable headrests and built-in personal utilities such as tray table, drink holder, reading light and privacy screen.

Business Class guests also enjoy complimentary products and services including Pick A Seat, Priority Check-in, Priority Boarding, Priority Baggage, Baggage Allowance, Flight Change, Combo Meal and Premium Pillow & Duvet.

AirAsia X, together with AirAsia, provides Australians with low fares and connectivity to over 100 destinations across 22 countries.

AirAsia X was named the World’s Best Low Cost Airline Premium Seat and the World's Best Low Cost Airline Premium Cabin titles at the 2015 Skytrax World Airline Awards. The AirAsia Group also received its seventh consecutive year title as the World’s Best and Asia’s Best Low Cost Airline at the awards.

For bookings or further information visit www.airasia.com Flights and fares are subject to availability.

Travellers can also log onto AirAsia’s one-stop travel portal at AirAsiaGo.com which offers more than 80,000 three-star, five-star and boutique hotels to choose from.


*Flights from Sydney to Bali will commence on 17 October 2015. Flights and fares are subject to availability. Booking period 12 August 2015 from 12PM AEST - 16 August 2015, or until sold out. Travel period 17 October 2015 - 31 August 2016. Seats are limited and not available on all flights/days or at peak periods. Fares are for one way travel, hand luggage only and fully inclusive of all taxes and charges. Fees apply for checked baggage. Business Class fares come with complimentary services as advertised on airasia.com. Lowest fares available online at airasia.com. No processing fees are applicable for online bookings made with PayPal. Next best possible fare available via phone with additional $25 service fee. All amounts are in Australian dollars unless stated otherwise. See airasia.com for full details and Conditions of Carriage.

Russian Ballet Exhibition in Monaco

From 19 October to 16 November 2015, around 40 large-format photographs will decorate the walls of Monaco’s Metropole Shopping Centre.

Alain Hanel is a stage photographer who has covered numerous events in the Principality of Monaco. He collaborates with the Monte-Carlo Opera, the Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo festival, the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra.

In this prestigious location, the photographer has given two exhibitions: the first, in 2014, on the Royal Ballet of Cambodia for “30 Years of the Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo” and the second, in 2015, on the Monte-Carlo Circus Festival.

For this exhibition, during the Year of Russia in Monaco, he has chosen Russian ballet as his theme.

Over a decade, he has photographed nearly all of the major Russian ballet companies which have performed in the Principality of Monaco and on the Côte d’Azur, producing the highly colourful selection which will be on display during the exhibition. Dance is part of Russians’ genetic make-up, and many Russian dancers and choreographers inspire us.

The exhibition will include an exclusive presentation of ten photographs taken at the Grimaldi Forum during the Gala Russe event on 12 and 13 September 2015.

“The photographs in the exhibition are lively, full of energy and movement. Looking at them, their sensuality and the enormous range of emotions they transmit take your breath away.

It’s an exceptional exhibition and I am proud to be collaborating with Alain Hanel, a great photographer,” said Gulshat Uzenbaeva, manager of Gala Russe S.A.R.L. and the person behind the event at the Grimaldi Forum.

This exhibition has been organised with the support of: Metropole Shopping Centre of Monaco, Art’lantis and Gala Russe.

Sydney to get new direct flights from China

The NSW Government has announced a major boost to the NSW economy, with flights between Xiamen and Fuzhou in China to Sydney, bringing more visitors to the State, and generating a further $133 million each year.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said Chinese airline XiamenAir will fly to Sydney from November, just in time for the busy holiday and Chinese New Year period.

“I’m delighted to welcome XiamenAir which will fly to Sydney for the first time, bringing even more visitors from China to our great State,” Mr Ayres said.

Sydney is the first city in Australia to secure new routes between China and Australia since the expansion of the bilateral arrangements.

“It is fitting, given NSW was last month once again named the number one destination for international visitors in Australia, with a record 3.3 million international visitors, with China placed as the top market for international guests to NSW with 500,000 visitors - an increase of 19 per cent from the previous year,” Mr Ayres added.

“This new airline service from XiamenAir will contribute to the strong growth NSW has experienced from China and builds on other aviation relationships we have in this key inbound tourism market.”

The five new weekly flights comprise three flights each week from Fuzhou, and two weekly flights from Xiamen. Both cities are located in Fujian Province, which has a population of almost 38 million.

Sydney Airport Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather said the new XiamenAir relationship demonstrates the expanded China-Australia bilateral agreement is delivering significant benefits already.

“This is expected to further grow the important Chinese passenger market, which is expected to be Australia’s largest inbound visitor market next year,” Ms Mather said.

Both routes will operate with new 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft and are subject to Federal Government approval.

Traveloscopy

The best in first, business class travel recognised by Australian Business Traveller Awards

Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Australia share line honours in the Australian Business Traveller Awards for 2015.

The Australian Business Traveller Awards recognise the trend-setters and game-changers in the highly competitive business travel market across 30 categories including first class suites and business class seats, airport lounges, frequent flyer programs, inflight food and wine, travel technology and more. Etihad Airways was chosen as best first class, with its spacious Airbus A380 First Apartment suites reinventing first class flying, with the world’s best international business class award going to Singapore Airlines for its new long-range Boeing 777-300ER fleet. Qantas' all-new Airbus A330 Business Suite was selected as the world’s best domestic business class seat, with the elegant inflight lounge and bar on Qatar Airways’ Airbus A380 recognised as the world’s best inflight lounge. Cathay Pacific’s recently-opened The Pier First Class Lounge in Hong Kong was hailed as the world’s best first class lounge, and the Qantas Hong Kong Loungeselected as the world’s best business class lounge. Singapore Airlines also won for Best Inflight Food, with Qantas recognised for Best Inflight Wine. The award for best frequent flyer program went to Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer, with Star Alliance chosen as the best airline alliance for the business traveller. The full list of winners in the Australian Business Traveller Awards for 2015 Best Airline: Etihad Airways Best First Class: Etihad Airways Best International Business Class: Singapore Airlines Next-Gen Business Class Best Domestic Business Class: Qantas A330 Business Suite Best First Class Amenity Kit: Cathay Pacific Best Business Class Amenity Kit: Emirates Best First Class Lounge: Cathay Pacific The Pier First Class, Hong Kong Best Business Class Lounge: Qantas Hong Kong Lounge Best Arrivals Lounge: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Arrivals Lounge Best Inflight Lounge: Qatar Airways Airbus A380 Best Inflight Food: Singapore Airlines Best Inflight Wine: Qantas Best Inflight Entertainment System: Emirates Best Frequent Flyer Scheme: Virgin Australia Velocity Best Premium Economy Class: Qantas Best Economy Class: Qatar Airways Airbus A350 Best Cabin Crew: Virgin Australia Best Airline Alliance: Star Alliance Best Australian Airport: Canberra Airport Best International Airport: Hong Kong Best Hotel Group: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Best Airport Hotel: Sofitel London Heathrow Best Business Destination: Hong Kong Best Travel Innovation: Vodafone Red Roaming global roaming Best Travel Technology: Bose QuietComfort 25 noise-cancelling headphones Best Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Best Tablet:  Apple iPad Mini 3 Best Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 Best 2-in-1: Toshiba Portégé Z20t  Best Credit Card: Westpac Altitude Black Click to visit The Australian Business Traveller Awards 2015 feature article

AccorHotels announces three year Australian Open partnership

AccorHotels and Tennis Australia to enhance guest experience at Australia's largest annual sporting event

Tennis Australia has joined forces with AccorHotels as an Official Partner of the Australian Open in a move to deliver an enhanced customer service experience for tennis fans.

The three-year partnership will see AccorHotels provide a dedicated concierge service to Australian Open fans, customer service training to staff in the media and player information hubs, host key events in both Australia and Asia, and provide exclusive benefits to members of its Le Club AccorHotels loyalty program.

"The Australian Open is a pinnacle sporting event in the world and we are honoured to be named as Official Partner for the event as well as the Official Partner for the Australian Open Asia Pacific Wildcard event," said Simon McGrath, AccorHotels Chief Operating Office, Pacific.

"This year the Australian Open attracted more than 700,000 people to Melbourne Park and reached a global viewing audience of 370 million worldwide. We are delighted that our partnership will also extend to China for the Australian Open Wildcard event, which will deliver AccorHotels branding and hospitality across the region.

"The Australian Open attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Australia each year and we are proud to be associated with an event of this calibre," Mr McGrath continued. "AccorHotels has a strong history of supporting sporting excellence in Australia and this partnership is the perfect way for us to promote Australia as a great travel destination and share our passion for customer service, while giving our loyalty members unique access to one of the world's landmark sporting events."

Tennis Australia Commercial Director Richard Heaselgrave said, "We are delighted to welcome AccorHotels as an Official Partner.

"AccorHotels leads the world in customer service and we've jumped at the chance to work closely with their team to deliver five-star service to our fans, our players and the more than 600 media covering the event from all corners of the globe.

"This unique partnership will also deliver on our Asia Pacific focus as we continue to stage major events across the region," Mr Heaselgrave continued.

AccorHotels is the largest hotel operator in Australia, with 200 hotels including over 30 in Victoria alone and more than 645 in Asia Pacific. The group will host seven information hubs at Melbourne Park during the event.

www.twitter.com/accorhotelsgroup | www.accorhotels-group.com                        www.accorhotels.com

 

Norwegian Star to cruise from Sydney, Auckland

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source: Cruise Weekly

Norwegian Cruise Line announces new global deployments. 

Norwegian Cruise Line will operate in Australasian waters in early 2017, with the newly refurbished Norwegian Star to cruise out of Sydney and Auckland.

The company, which is in the process of establishing a new office in Australia, overnight revealed a "global deployment expansion" which also includes new South American itineraries, as well as departures from Istanbul, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Star's down-under sojourn will commence in Hong Kong on 16 January 2017, cruising to Sydney via Vietnam, Singapore, Bali and several northern Australian ports. Then there will be a 12-day Australia and New Zealand sailing ex Sydney departing 06 February 2017, down the east coast and across the Tasman..

The Auckland departure will be a 19-day voyage from 18 February 2017, cruising via the Bay of Islands, Sydney, Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Cairns, Darwin and onward via Indonesia to Kuala Lumpur.

"We are truly excited to offer these incredible new itineraries to our guests, who now have the opportunity to explore areas of the globe that we haven't called on in many years and some that we've never before visited," said Andy Stuart, Norwegian president and ceo.

Cruise the Mediterranean on an epicurean odyssey with Silversea

Celebrating the culmination of a majestic season sailing the waters of the Mediterranean, guests are invited aboard Silversea’s luxurious Silver Spirit,  to take in the unforgettable sights and flavours on a 7-day, specialty culinary and wine voyage.  Sailing from Rome to Barcelona, guests can experience L’Ecole des Chefs by Relais & Châteaux while enjoying all the splendours of the Mediterranean, and indulge in gala dinners, cooking demonstrations, culinary workshops, visits to exquisite vineyards and tastings with wine experts.  This voyage also offers discerning travellers an exclusive tour of the Cagnes-sur-Mer, with Alexandrea Renior, great-grandson of the great master.

Departing from the Roman port of Civitavecchia, Italy on 2 November 2015, Silver Spirit travels to the historic city of Livorno, where she docks for an overnight stay.  Here, guests can step ashore to sample the Super Tuscan wines of the Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci wine regions or, for those beckoned by the spirit of adventure, venture out on a full day of truffle hunting, served with a delicious truffle lunch. Silver Spirit then ports in Monte Carlo, Monaco, where guests can choose to join a cocktail reception at the two-hatted Mirazur restaurant. Guests may even join a helicopter ride to La Palu for lunch at Alain Ducasse’ famous Louis XV, for a truly opulent experience.

Silversea Silver Spirit

Crossing the Mediterranean, Silver Spirit travels to Porto Mahon, a Spanish island town with an eclectic blend of ancient sites, quaint villages and picturesque landscapes. Here, guests can explore the natural beauty of the region with a memorable kayak adventure, or stroll through the winding paths and wondrous caves of Menorca.  Silver Spirit then docks at her final port of call, Palma de Mallorca, where guests may join an excursion to La Granja de Espoprles, to sample local wines and Majorcan specialities.  This voyage concludes in Barcelona, Spain, with guests disembarking 9 November 2015.  

Truly a degustation of the senses, this voyage offers the onboard L’Ecole des Chefs by Relais & Châteaux. The only Relais & Châteaux cooking school at sea, and designed exclusively for Silversea, the programme offers guests the opportunity to further enrich their experience with bespoke events such as “Lunch & Learn”, or “Market to Plate”.

As a Silver Select sailing, this extraordinary voyage offers Silversea guests the choice of a US$1,000 onboard credit (to spend on spa treatments, bespoke shore excursions and more), a two category suite upgrade, or 50% off a second suite.  With two Michelin-starred guest chefs from Relais & Châteaux, exclusive tours of Auguste Renoir’s estate guided by his great grandson, Alexandre Renoir, this epicurean odyssey offers guests a memorable Mediterranean experience, whilst still in the luxurious surrounds that our guests have come to expect from Silversea.

Prices are per person, starting from AU$4,050 in a Vista Suite double occupancy. Silversea fares include: all-suite accommodation with butler service; gourmet meals with menus inspired by Relais & Châteaux; complimentary wines, Champagne and spirits served throughout the ships; and all gratuities.

To enhance Silversea’s 2015 Mediterranean all-inclusive pricing, guests are able to take advantage of included Silver Shore Select excursions, which are offered in every port of call, as well as two hours of WiFi per day.

This voyage is subject to availability.  Terms and conditions apply.  For more information, contact your travel professional or Silversea Cruises on +61 2 9255 0600 or 1300 306 872, or visit www.silversea.com