Wednesday 16 September 2015 Issue 3161

I n c o r p o r a t i n g Ta b s o n Tr a v e l

News................................p1, p2, p4, p5Cruising Today................................. p3Destination NSW ............................ p6

6 Pages This Issue

AKL to LAX and to over

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Jetstar to fly to the biggest towns in NZ starting with ‘N’ AucklandNew PlymouthSubject to Government and Regulatory approval. Flights are operated by Eastern Australia Airlines for Jetstar Airways.

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Haze In MalaysiaHaze and smog from forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan is causing flight delays and diversions in parts of Malaysia, says Exotic Holidays. Ground operators are keeping a close eye on the smog and while more haze is expected, it’s thought this should dissipate with the inter-monsoon period and northerly winds, it says.

Dine & Dashers ArrestedTwo Kiwis who were reportedly detained on arrival in Thailand for an alleged previous dine and dash offence have since been released. The pair was on a ‘black list’ for an unpaid restaurant bill.

The relationship between a flag carrier and its trade partners is historically challenging by na-ture—but as Air New Zealand forecasts even higher profits and a move to fewer strategic partners the carrier seems to be taking a tougher stance with the trade.It’s no secret there are lengthy nego-tiations between NZ and the retail brands over their contracts (which moved to an annual basis due to feedback from the chains).Similarly, in the past there’s been lengthy post-contract period negoti-ations from chains who have missed their targets to still get remunerated. And Travel Today understands those chains may have, in the past, success-fully argued their case to NZ.However, there seems to have been a fundamental shift as the more commercially-focused NZ looks to

hold the trade accountable, as would any other commercial entity.

. . . Chain Misses TargetOne major chain is said to have missed its annual NZ target—and as a result the carrier is not paying out the full amount of overrides due. NZ and the retail brand say they cannot comment, due to the confi-dentiality of their contract, but Travel Today understands both camps are steadfast on their positions. One, that NZ should pay as a gesture of good faith to a long-term strategic partner; and on the flip side NZ (which is rumoured to have offered a part pay-ment) is said to be sticking to its guns that the agreed annual target was not met, so the contract terms have not been fulfilled—so there’s no auto-matic pay out due.The impact of the decision is said to have seen NZ uninvited to an off-shore conference; with the carrier’s non-appearance generating comment from other suppliers at the event. “It’s like the great big elephant in the room—noone’s talking about it, but we all know what’s going on,” says one supplier.

. . . No OverridesBut the tougher stance is not restrict-ed to one brand. Other well-known brands are said to no longer be getting NZ overrides after contract talks with the carrier stalled.

NZ’s Commercial Focus Hits The Trade

The NZ FalloutWhile no-one will comment about the ‘NZ situation’ (see left) on the record due the sensitivity of the issue—some industry observers believe that de-spite any ill will towards NZ, that the carrier will prevail. “Look, the brands affected may try to shift business from NZ to other car-riers on routes like AKL-LAX, but the reality is [NZ is] a major supplier, and they currently have a monopoly on the AKL-LAX route,” says one industry veteran. “If [the brands] shift business away from NZ, they’ll miss their next annual targets, sour relations with possibly their largest supplier and so it goes round and round.”Speaking of fall out, there is also intense industry interest in the influ-ence incoming Media Works executive Liz Fraser will have on the carrier’s trade strategy. Some in the trade say they’re eyeing the move with caution as ‘an industry outsider’ comes into the new role.

737 MAX 8 On WayBoeing have started final assembly on schedule of the first 737 MAX 8, the first member of its new single-aisle family. The 737 MAX team remains on track to roll out the first completed 737 MAX by the end of the year and fly it in early 2016. Launch customer Southwest Airlines is scheduled to take delivery of the first 737 MAX in the third quarter of 2017. In total, the 737 MAX family has 2869 orders from 58 customers worldwide.

News & Product

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First Airbus US PlantAirbus inaugurated operations at its first ever US Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama earlier this week. The plant (which assembles the fam-ily of A319s, A320s and A321s) is of-ficially open for business with a team of more than 250 Airbus manufac-turing employees. The first US-made Airbus commercial aircraft, an A321, is scheduled for delivery next north-ern spring. By 2018 the facility will produce between 40 and 50 single-aisle aircraft per year. Airbus’ market forecast indicates a demand over the next 20 years (from all manufactur-ers) for some 4700 single-aisle air-craft in North America alone.

QF America faresQantas has economy fares to Los Angeles from $1275; San Francisco from $1375; Dallas from $1475; and New York from $1775, on sale to 28 Sep. See qantas.co.nz/agents

Cont ik i is promising it w i l l continue evolving to stay relevant and drive business to the trade, as it looks to keep up the momentum that it says is driving ‘phenomenal’ results.The company today launched its Eu-rope Summer 2016 programme in-cluding eight new itineraries and two new destinations, and Contiki global chief executive Casper Urhammer says it has ‘consolidated quite a bit’ as it looks to focus on offering travellers what they want.It’s part of Contiki’s drive to stay relevant, and ‘we will spend a lot of money doing so to the benefit of the trade’, says Urhammer.“We’re a trade-driven business, what we do, all we do is for them. Our commitment is unwavering,” he says. “We’ll keep working hard to make the brand strong and top of mind with the demographic.”Contiki’s overall performance was up 8% in 2015, which is ‘unbelievable growth’ for what is a fairly large busi-ness, says Urhammer. “The business on a global level, we’re absolutely kill-ing it,” he says.The New Zealand sales office was named Contiki Sales Office of the Year earlier this month, with its sales up 35% year on year, and Urham-mer says it’s a great example of how the business is trying to ensure it’s always on the ball.

. . . On A Roll“We have aggressive targets, we need to make sure we’re firing on all cyl-inders and that’s what we’re doing incredibly well in New Zealand,” says the Contiki boss.Forward sales for 2016 are also track-ing well and ‘if we can maintain just a little bit of the momentum we’ll have a phenomenal year’, he says.“We have so much momentum down

here and momentum is hard to stop,” he says. “We’re going to see that roll into 2016, our forwards are incred-ibly strong.”The business will continue tailoring its marketing to its audience and says it’s having success with initiatives like virtual reality, which it is show-casing at travel expos.Urhammer is pictured with Contiki regional director (sales and marketing) Tony Laskey.See tomorrow for more on Contiki’s new Europe programme.

EK Up-gauges AlgiersEmirates is up-gauging to a 777-300 aircraft on its Algiers route from 01 Oct, representing a 45% increase in economy seating capacity. There are direct connections at Dubai from all EK’s New Zealand services.

Contiki Drives Trade Sales As Sales Soar

Star Alliance ChangesStar Alliance advises of the following fare rule changes for ticketing and sales on the Star Alliance network, effective 15 Sep. All fares have a flight application update; and for RTW Spe-cial advance reservations/ticketing, there’s changes to AV’s RBD. The GDS and airnzagent.co.nz will be updated

JQ Creates JobsUp to 80 new ground handling jobs will be created across the country following Jetstar’s appointment of Aerocare to manage ground opera-tions for its new regional services. Aerocare currently manages ground handling for Jetstar’s domestic and international flights in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown. The expanded contract means Aerocare will also operate ground services for Jetstar in Nelson, Napier, New Plymouth and Palmerston North. Jetstar flights between Nelson and Auckland and Napier and Auckland begin on 01 Dec; a further three routes, Palmerston North-Auck-land, New Plymouth-Auckland and Nelson-Wellington start on 01 Feb 2016. Aerocare will begin recruit-ing this week for between 12 and 16 staff in regional locations, with a mix of full-time and part-time positions.

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Intrepid Travel has added two new trips to its range of Sailing Ad-ventures in Europe with a cruise down the Canal du Midi in south-ern France and a journey through the waters around Sardinia and Corsica. With most European sailing trips at full capacity this year, including

Intrepid’s New Euro Sailing Adventures

trips in Greece, Croatia and the Cote D’Azur, Intrepid expects these new adventures to be a hit with travellers wanting to experience life on the seas in a small group rather than on big cruise ships. The Canal du Midi trip will see a maximum of eight people, onboard a small boat, enjoy an eight-day cruise, which allows each group to set its own pace and itinerary. Clients can hop on and off the boat at any point to stroll, hike or cycle through the countryside, dine on provincial French food and mingle with the locals. They’ll also experi-ence a guided tour through the Cite de Carcassonne; a visit to a family-run vineyard in Mervois; ride along the banks of Villepinte; and visit a night market that lines the canal in Trebes. It is priced from $2190pp, with the first departure 09 May 2016. CLICK HERE for more. The Sardinia & Corsica Sailing Ad-venture is ‘the ultimate millionaire’s trip on a budget’. A maximum of nine people will set sail and island hop between the southern Italian island of Sardinia and the French island of Corsica. Highlights include a visit to Costa Smeralda, known as the Millionaire’s Playground; snorkelling in the coves of Caprera Island; visiting the ancient fortified city of Bonifacio; and the uninhab-ited islands of the Maddalena Ar-chipelago. It is priced from $1930pp, with the first departure on 21 May 2016. CLICK HERE for more. Intrepid is currently offering 15% off these trips as part of the Europe earlybird offer. Book by 31 Oct and travel between 01 Apr and 30 Sep 2016.

Carnival’s Eco GoalsCarnival Corporation has announced its 2020 sustainability goals in order to reduce its environmental footprint over the next five years. These include reducing intensity of carbon dioxide emissions from op-erations; to install exhaust gas clean-ing systems; continue to reduce waste generated by shipboard operations; to increase water use efficiency; in-crease coverage of Advanced Waste-water Purification Systems; and increase cold ironing capacity. It also includes to protect health, safety and security of guests, crew and all oth-ers working on behalf of company; continue to build a sustainable di-verse workforce; continue to develop sustainable supply chain and vendor code of conduct compliance; and to work on and support initiatives with local and global communities. Carnival Corp’s Arnold Donald says ‘the health and vitality of the oceans, seas and communities through which we travel is absolutely essential to our business,’ as across its 10 brands, and 725 ports of call around the world, it hosts millions of guests a year.

NCL Fashion DebutFa s h i on br a n d s L a co s t e a n d Carolina Herrera will debut their first boutiques at sea aboard Norwe-gian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Escape when she makes her maiden voyage in Nov. They’re the first boutiques to be designed specifically for an NCL ship, and will join a number of other retail brands, dining, beverage and entertainment options aboard the ship. Norwegian Escape, soon to be the largest ship in the NCL fleet, will sail weekly seven-day cruises from her year-round homeport of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean beginning 14 Nov. The ship will carry 4200 guests to Caribbean destinations including St Thomas, US Virgin Is-lands, Tortola and Nassau. For fur-ther information see escape.ncl.com

News & Product

Fri 15 May 15 P3Wed 16 Sep 15 P4

FORBUSINESS

Air New Zealand’s new rewards programme Airpoints for Business is taking off. Rewarding small to medium sized business with Airpoints DollarsTM every time an employee travels with us for work.

For more information and eligibility details visit airpoints.co.nz/business

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Only on eligible flights. Airpoints for Business terms and conditions apply

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The Taiwan Tourism Bureau is on a mission to make friends in New Zealand as capacity between the two countries increases with new China Airlines flights.The TTB held a workshop for travel agents in Auckland yesterday for the first time—and it’s all part of a drive to build relationships with the indus-try, says TTB Singapore branch direc-tor Arthur Hsieh.“I think this [market] has very good potential, we can see [New Zealand-ers] always go for overseas travel dur-ing their holidays,” he says.Around 30,000 Kiwis a year currently travel to Taiwan and the first hurdle in growing these numbers is educat-ing Kiwis on the destination, which is where agents come in, says Hsieh.“In the very beginning stages we have to make friends with local agents, and they can recommend to their clients to go to Taiwan.”The TTB is working closely with Chi-na Airlines, which is now flying daily AKL-TPE and from 26 Oct will also be launching flights from Christchurch.“We want to attract more New Zea-landers to visit Taiwan,” says the car-

rier’s New Zealand general manager Shirley Yang, pictured above right with Hsieh.

. . . Taiwan AppealsMany Kiwis don’t realise that Taiwan is very different to China, says Hsieh.“China is very big. Taiwan is not that big, we are a small island,” he says. “We have many kinds of cultures that combine together. We have been occu-pied by Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, we are very much influenced by America, and Chinese of course.”That ‘small island’ is home to natural wonders and one of the world’s top museums. Ancient Chinese artefacts that were sent to Taiwan for safekeep-ing during WWII form the basis of the National Palace Museum, says Hsieh.

Taiwan Sees Kiwi Market Potential

EY Fare FamiliesAmadeus has announced that Etihad Airways will implement the Ama-deus Fare Families tool in the indirect channel, to support its merchandising strategy. The move to incorporate Amadeus’ technology solution is said to help the airline achieve its objective of accel-erating international growth through differentiation and upsell opportuni-ties, via its extensive sales network. Through Amadeus Fare Families, EY will brand and differentiate its prod-ucts and services by showing the full value of each packaged fare on all its retailing interfaces for all customer segments and worldwide points of sale. In doing so, it says travel agents will be better equipped to advise their customers and proactively upsell from one fare family to the other, based on the traveller’s needs and preferences.

V8s Stay In WAThe State Government, through Tour-ism WA, has secured a three-year deal that will see V8 Supercars race at Barbagallo Raceway at least until 2018. Perth has been included for May 2016 as part of the V8 Supercar Cham-pionships. The V8s at Barbagallo have been supported by the State Govern-ment since 2011 and draw tens of thousands across the racing weekend.

Sydney Agent DealSheraton on the Park Sydney has travel agent rates starting at AUD239 per room per night in a city side room, for travel on selected dates between 01-30 Sep, Starwood ad-vises. Quote ‘Industry Rate’ when b o ok i ng . E-mai l enqui r ies to sheratononthepark@sheraton.com

News & Product

Fri 15 May 15 P3Wed 16 Sep 15 P5

Waterfront Hotel, 1800. Whangarei: Thu 24, Dickens Inn, 0715. Kerikeri: Thu 24, Fishbone Cafe, 1745. Blenheim: Thu 24, Watermouth Cafe, 1800. Pukekohe: Tue 29, Kaos Cafe, 1800. Henderson: Tue 29, The Falls Restaurant, 1800.

The Travel Corporation 2016 LaunchHamilton: Mon 21, PM. Tauranga: Tue 22, AM. Auckland: Tue 22, PM.Christchurch:Wed 23, PM. Dunedin: Thu 24, PM. Nelson: Mon 28, AM. Wellington: Mon 28, PM. Hawkes Bay: Tue 29, PM. Palmerston North: Wed 30, PM.

Wonderful World of Disney Product UpdateAuckland: Tue 29, Rydges Auckland, 7.45am for 8am start.Wellington: Wed 30, Rydges Wellington, 7.45am for 8am start.

Air New Zealand & Air China Alliance Launch EventsChristchurch: Tue 29, 1800-2000, venue tba.

Industry DiarySEPTEMBERQantas and Jetstar Regional Trade EventsPalmerston North: Thu 17, Twenty Two Kitchen and Bar, 1630-1800.New Plymouth: Tue 22, The Good Home, 21 Ariki Street, 1630-1800.Napier: Thu 24, Emporium Bar & Eatery, cnr Tennyson Street and Marine Parade, 1630-1800.

Globus/Cosmos Europe 2016 LaunchAuckland Nth Shore: Wed 16, Spencer on Byron, Takapuna, 1800. Tauranga: Wed 16, Macau Functions, 1800. Dunedin: Wed 16, Wains Hotel, 0715. Napier: Thu 17, The Crown Hotel, 1800. Invercargill: Thu 17, Kelvin Hotel, 0715. Auckland East: Thu 17, Celsius Restaurant, 1800. Lower Hutt: Tue 22, Labella Italia Petone, 1800. Palmerston North: Wed 23, Lone Star, 1800. Nelson: Wed 23, Grand Mercure Monaco, 1800. Wanganui: Thu 24, Element Cafe, 0715. New Plymouth: Mon 28, The

Destination NSW Sydney Agent Quiz nightAuckland:Wed 30, The Albion, 119 Hobson Street, 5.30pm-7pm.

OCTOBERAir New Zealand & Air China Alliance Launch EventsAuckland: Thu 01, 1800-2000.Wellington: Mon 05, 1800-2000.Venues tba.

Wonderful World of Disney Product UpdateChristchurch: Thu 01, Rydges Latimer, 7.45am for 8am start.

Globus/Cosmos Europe 2016 LaunchTimaru: Thu 01, Mocca Cafe, 0715.

Destination NSW Sydney Agent Quiz nightChristchurch: Thu 01, Carlton Bar, 1 Papanui Road, Merrivale, 5.30pm-7pm.

The Travel Corporation 2016 Launch New Plymouth: Thu 01, PM

Adventure World, Rocky Mountaineer and Holland America Line North America BreakfastInvercargill: Mon 05, Kelvin Hotel, 0730-0830. Queenstown: Tue 06, The Exchange Cafe, 0730-0830.

Bula Marau Fiji Roadshow – Luxury & CouplesNelson: Mon 12, Grand Mercure Monaco Resort, 0730-0930. Christchurch: Mon 12, Peppers Clearwater, 1730-2130. Wellington: Tue 13, Amora Hotel, 1730-2030. Auckland: Wed 14, Pullman Hotel, 1730-2045. Hamilton: Thu 15, Novotel Tainui, 1730-2030.

Small Group Journeys Breakfast – Update on Trek America, Grand American Adventures and Exodus with Adventure WorldWellington: Tue 13. Venue & time tbc.

Save the Date - Innovative Travel Launch Wellington: Mon 19. Auckland: Tue 20, Christchurch: Wed 21. Times, venues tba.

For more see Monday’s Travel Today

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NZ Keeps Clean & GreenAir New Zealand is leading the way with ‘tough stuff ’, with a fresh sus-tainability framework and new clean initiatives committed by the airline, their total cost not yet calculated.Some of the steps NZ has committed to include transitioning road vehicles and ground equipment to 100% electric, where possible; a supplier code of conduct requiring suppliers to meet standards of social, envi-ronmental and ethical sourcing; and signing on as a participant of the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative. In the coming year more steps will be announced.At a panel in Auckland this morning, NZ boss Christopher Luxon said NZ’s success is linked to the success of the country. “Given the significance of this business to New Zealand we have signed ourselves up to a mission big-ger than ourselves,” he said.Panellist Dame Anne Salmond said the challenge is one worth tackling, and there are many in New Zealand who ‘don’t want to think about this tough stuff ’.Salmond said human beings depend on the environment at least as much as the other way around and we should think of ourselves as a part of it. “I take my hat off to [Luxon] and the team [at Air NZ]. This is a coun-try worth loving and looking after.”More information can be found at airnewzealand.co.nz/sustainability

Air New Zealand has launched a new Airpoints for business initiative which will reward Kiwi SMEs as well as their em-ployees when they travel on NZ for work.The move will see regis-tered SMEs earn Airpoints dollars at 20% of the per-sonal normal earn rate, and the business earning rate does not affect the individual’s personal Airpoints Dollar or Status Point earn. “A key objective of NZ’s Go Beyond strategy is to supercharge New Zea-land’s success and Airpoints for Busi-ness provides a platform for us to work more closely with business own-ers, many of whom are either travel-ling themselves or have employees travelling for work,” says NZ head of customer loyalty Mark Street (pic-tured).Airpoints for Business members will also be able to earn Airpoints Dollars on their business spend at an expand-ing range of Airpoints for Business partners.

. . . Trade ImpactStreet says loyalty programmes by nature are customer led. “So like the main Airpoints programme we expect

Airpoints for Business will drive customer preference for NZ that will ultimately help agencies achieve their NZ targets,” he says.For an overview on how the new offering works, CLICK HERE

. . . Intro Offer To celebrate NZ is tripling businesses’ travel earnings, when employees book and travel on eligible NZ flights 16 Sep-31 Dec. Businesses joining by 15 Oct will be entered into a draw to win a mentorship with a top Kiwi business leader.

. . . The DetailAirpoints for Business is available to New Zealand registered businesses with up to 20 New Zealand based employees able to be registered to the account. Business owners can choose to redeem Airpoints earned towards future travel, or to reward employees by transferring the Airpoints to them. Street says NZ will continue to run its Above & Beyond rewards programme, which is tailored for larger spending businesses that are using UATP Trav-elcard as the form of payment. For more, see airpoints.co.nz/business

NZ’s New Airpoints For Business

Lego Show DebutGlobal debut of a live action Ninjago show opened to the public at Lego-land Malaysia Resort in Sep.The puppet style show was inspired by the hit TV-series based on Ninjago – Masters of Spinjitzu. It will feature daily at the air-conditioned Lego City Stage running for 20-minutes. Throughout the month of Sep any children aged two to 12, decked out in ninja outfits and accompanied by an adult will receive 50% off the ticket price.

The famous harbour is at its shimmering best and a lifestyle punctuated by ocean dips, watersports and easy access to fabulous regional getaways on the city’s doorstep.

Exciting new events on the Sydney in Summer Calendar include: NRL Nation (part of the NRL Grand Final Week), HSBC Sydney 7s, Matilda the Musical, The Art of the Brick: DC Comics, The Greats: Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Scotland, plus lots more. You’ll love every second of the summer fun.

Find out more at sydney.com or talk to your preferred wholesaler for Sydney in Summer packages.

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Travel Today, Wednesday, 16 September 2015 Page 6