Carry On: All-business flight on Doha-London, Bali resort for Peppers and more
News you can use for business travellers.
News you can use for business travellers.
Qatar flies all business to London
Qatar Airways will launch a new daily business class-only service from its hub in Doha to London Heathrow from May 15. The Airbus A319 aircraft will have just 40 seats in a single aisle, 2x2 configuration. The new additional flight will step up the frequency on the Doha-London Heathrow route from 35 to 42 weekly services.
Peppers adds Bali villa resort
Mantra Group will added the Sentosa Seminyak villa resort in Bali to its Peppers brand in March. It is the second property for the group in Indonesia after the opening of Mantra Nusa Dua in late 2012. Peppers runs 28 retreats and resorts in Australia and New Zealand. Peppers Sentosa Seminyak comprises 49 three, four and five bedroom luxury villas (177 rooms in total) each with private swimming pools tropical gardens and lotus ponds with a large poolside Bale for relaxation and massages.
United to introduce direct LA-Melbourne service
United Airlines will use the "stretched" Dreamliner Boeing 787-9 on a non-stop Los Angeles-Melbourne service from October 28. United's Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand is the launch airline for the 787-9, which will also be used on some transpacific services when its is introduced mid-year. United will drop the Sydney stopover for its Melbourne service and fly all six weekly flights direct. Boeing 777-200s will be introduced to the Sydney-LA and Sydney-San Francisco services late next month, replacing Boeing 747-400s, The LA flights will be retimed for earlier departures from Sydney and improve connections in the US.
International visitors spend more in 2013
International visitors increased their spending 5% in 2013 to reach $6.7 billion, the latest International Visitor Survey <http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/international-visitor-survey> shows. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s sector performance manager Peter Ellis says this reverses the decline for the 2012 year.
“Visitor spend is now at a similar level to that reported in 2011, the year New Zealand hosted the Rugby World Cup,” he says. The biggest expenditure growth came from the US at 22% from the previous year, followed by Germany at 20%. Visitors from Asia (excluding China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) also contributed to the growth (up 29%) spending a total of $650 million. Australia continues to be New Zealand’s largest tourism market, with Australian residents spending $2.2 billion during their visits to New Zealand over the last year.
Japan’s Fukuoka gains Jetstar service from Singapore
Jetstar Asia will begin flying daily from Singapore to Fukuoka via Bangkok on June 26, making the southern city the carrier's third Japanese destination after Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka. “This new route will give our Japanese customers two new and highly popular destinations are not served by any of the region’s low-cost carriers [from Fukuoka],” chief executive Bara Pasupathi says. The service will be operated with an 180-seat Airbus A320 and fares will be available for purchase from tomorrow.