A variety of special events and packages will be launched to coincide with the musical extravaganza. Performers will include international artistes as well as those from the Caribbean and South America, forming an impressive line-up of vocal and instrumental talent that reflects the Island’s eclectic cuisine, heritage and culture.
They will also be able to use laptops and the seat-back inflight entertainment screen to access the Internet and use webmail and instant messaging. The OnAir service is based on Inmarsat's SwiftBroadband.
OnAir's service will be fitted on the seven new Airbus A330 aircraft to be delivered to Oman Air in 2009. The aircraft will fly on long-haul routes from Oman to both Asia and Europe.
Ziad Karim Al Haremi, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, said, "Oman Air has consistently contributed to the technological advance of commercial aviation. We always aim to improve our services and as we introduce our long-haul routes, we are very pleased to be one of the first airlines to offer the full range of passenger communications options."
Mobile OnAir will allow unlimited text messages and emails including attachments to be received and sent, and will allow up to 12 simultaneous voice calls. A central feature of the service is the crew's ability to turn it off at any time, or switch it to 'silent' - text and email only - mode, enabling the airline to customize the services to its passengers' preferences. For example, airlines could turn off the voice element, or even the whole service, during quiet times.
The new route will be operated by Spirit’s Airbus fleet, the youngest in the Americas.
Panama City is one of many new routes that are part of Spirit’s aggressive 2008 expansion plan. Already the largest carrier at Fort Lauderdale, Spirit is well on its way to increasing its South Florida operations by 40 percent this year.
In addition to Panama City, Spirit has also announced that it will begin new and/or expanded service to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; San Antonio and Boston, among other destinations to be announced over the coming weeks.
“Our passengers have spoken and we’re giving them what they want – more ultra low fares to even more destinations throughout the U.S., Latin America and Caribbean,” said Barry Biffle, Spirit’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services have been suspended because of a derailed train near Deptford Bridge station.
There are no trains running between Lewisham and Cutty Sark after a train hit an object at 6.15am today (April 4).
Transport for London has not said what the object was but it is not being treated as suspicious.
Staff made sure everyone got off the train safely and no-one was injured.
Talks are to take place with London Underground workers over the next few days in a bid to avert a three-day strike that could see travel chaos.
Tube workers last week voted in favour of a three-day strike in protest at safety on the Underground.
The walk-out is scheduled to start from 6.30pm on Sunday, April 6 to 6.30pm on Wednesday, April 9.
The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and Transport Salaried Staffs Association claim standards will be compromised if plans go ahead to close 40 ticket offices and cut opening hours.
Transport for London (TfL) insist the measures do not relate to safety and dismissed the need for industrial action.
Howard Collins, TfL's deputy chief operating officer, said: "All of the issues raised by the RMT are already being addressed through the normal negotiating process. Significant progress has already been made and most of the issues have been agreed."
The building design used an existing structure and locally sourced materials such as reclaimed hardwoods and old Shanghai bricks. Passive solar shades, rain water retention basins and water-based air conditioning have been used to decrease the hotel’s environmental impact. For the health and wellbeing of each guest, 6 square meters of green is space allocated per person, low-VOC paints used and interiors are cleaned with environmentally sensitive products.
What carbon emissions the hotel does produce - such as staff travel, stock deliveries and the energy consumed by each guest - will be tracked and offset by investing in clean energy development and energy efficiency projects elsewhere in China. Guests can also buy international standard carbon credits from the hotel to offset their flights.
Economic factors influenced the decision to introduce green measures, as the hotel will be cheaper to run in the long term. Over the next three years, 20 URBN hotels and resorts are set to open in Beijing, Hangzhou, Dalian, and Suzhou, containing up to 70 rooms each.
(AP) NICOSIA, Cyprus - Greek and Turkish Cypriot authorities reopened the divided capital’s Ledra Street on Thursday, but were forced to close it for nearly two hours following a dispute over how to police the street, long considered a symbol of the island’s partitioning.
The opening of the street, located in a central Nicosia shopping district, was meant to serve as a catalyst for peace negotiations between Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
But the festive atmosphere quickly soured after the crossing was temporarily closed.
Stefanos Stefanou, a spokesman for the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government, said Turkish Cypriot police illegally patrolled part of the street by entering the U.N.-controlled buffer zone.
"We have been very clear that violations cannot be tolerated," Stefanou told The Associated Press.
The closure ended after scores of protesters gathered on both sides, chanting "Cyprus belongs to its people," and U.N. officials mediated between rival police forces.
"After consultations with the U.N., we have been given assurances that this will not happen again," said Kypros Michailidis, Nicosia’s Greek Cypriot police chief.
There was no immediate comment from Turkish Cypriot officials.
The brief closure contrasted with the opening ceremony earlier Thursday, when officials from both sides of the divide cut the ribbons of colored helium balloons to mark the occasion. Crews had swept away debris, repaved the street, installed lighting and reinforced abandoned buildings along the 230-foot stretch of Ledra Street that runs through a U.N. controlled buffer zone.
"We managed to turn the world’s attention on us today, and hours later we’ve managed to mess things up," said protester Valentina Sofocleous, who headed a citizens’ campaign to reopen Ledra Street.
"This is absurd, but we believe it’s a problem that will be overcome and that Greek and Turkish Cypriots will live together."
The street in the center of Nicosia’s medieval quarter was split in 1964 during an outbreak of communal fighting when British peacekeepers laid barbed wire between the street’s Greek and Turkish Cypriot sectors.
Ten years later, the entire island was divided after Turkey’s army invaded after a failed coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece.
Turkish Cypriots relaxed boundary restrictions in 2003, and since then five other crossings have opened. But ID cards or passports are still needed to move between the two sides.
Hopes of reaching a settlement in Cyprus were given a boost earlier this year with the election of Christofias, who replaced a hard-liner and pledged to restart talks with Talat. The two agreed to open Ledra Street during their first meeting last month.
Both men have also agreed to end a four-year stalemate in peace talks and are preparing for full-fledged negotiations.
Christofias said the next step was to agree on pulling back soldiers manning guard posts on either side of the buffer zone inside the capital’s center that is ringed by 16th Century Venetian walls.
He also said he would try to open another crossing point near Limnitis in the island’s remote northwest.
Some officials had warned against being overly optimistic during the opening ceremony.
"The road has opened, but the bullet-pocked buildings remind us that there is still a long way to go," Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou said during the initial celebrations.
"Time will tell whether this road will become the avenue for reunification."
Carnival Corporation has announced a voluntary refund of the company’s fuel supplement for applicable U.S. bookings that were made prior to November 7, 2007, under an agreement with the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
The fuel supplement, announced November 7, 2007, was applied to all U.S. bookings for voyages departing on or after February 1, 2008, regardless of when the booking was made, for cruises on the Carnival Corporation & plc brands Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn. However, this effective date allowed guests already booked at the time of the announcement the opportunity to cancel and receive a full refund.
The company will now refund the fuel supplement for those guests who were already booked at the time the supplement was announced. Refunds for affected guests will be implemented based on cruise departure date according to the following schedule:
The fuel supplement remains in effect for all bookings made on or after November 7, 2007. The $5 per person per day fuel supplement applies only to the first and second guests in a stateroom and will not exceed $70 per person per voyage. Also, at the time the fuel supplement was announced, travel agents whose clients had existing reservations were offered $10 per booking in administrative compensation for notifying those clients of the supplement. Those travel agents will still receive the $10 per booking.
This announcement will have no impact on the company’s previously reported 2008 first quarter financial results or its March 20, 2008, guidance for the second quarter and full year 2008 since the company did not recognize fuel supplement revenues associated with bookings made prior to November 7, 2007, while the Florida Attorney General’s Office was conducting its review the company stated.
In response to recent development activity and the addition of several new international destinations, Fairmont announced several key appointments. Taking on new roles within the company are Steven Jones, vice president, design & construction, Middle East & Africa, Paul Nelson, regional director, brand marketing, Europe, Africa & Middle East, and Trudy Moreno, director, sales & marketing, Fairmont Beijing.
With several development projects underway in the Middle East and Africa, Jones will be responsible for upholding Fairmont’s design and construction standards, as well as overseeing major capital investment projects within the region. Working alongside various internal functional groups, Jones will also oversee the day to day activity of all design and construction initiatives in the region, ensuring all are on budget, competitive, and executed in a timely fashion. Jones most recently held the position of vice president, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Middle East & Africa and brings over 16 years of design experience to his new role.
Nelson’s recent appointment will see him responsible for the development of Fairmont’s marketing communication plans in Europe, Africa & Middle East. As part of this newly minted role, Nelson will also be responsible for brand management and leveraging the Fairmont brand in all elements and aspects of the company’s operations overseas. Most recently, Nelson held the position of global marketing manager, Europe, Africa & Middle East at American Express.
Another new addition to Fairmont is Moreno, who brings over 24 years of experience to the Fairmont Beijing. In her new role, Moreno will be responsible for implementing an aggressive marketing plan at Fairmont’s flagship hotel in China, the Fairmont Beijing, which is expected to open later this year. She will also guide the media planning and spending for the hotel, while also overseeing the management of property specific marketing collateral. Moreno joins Fairmont from the Intercontinental, Doha Qatar where she served as director of marketing and sales.
Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts announced the appointment of Ivan Lee as the General Manager of Pan Pacific Singapore, and Vice President, Area Operations with effect from 1 April 2008. Ivan takes over the reins from Scott Swank as the new General Manager at the Pan Pacific Singapore and will be managing the hotel and steering its continued success globally. Scott will focus on his role as Senior Vice President of Operations at the Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts corporate office. Ivan’s role as Vice President, Area Operations will be progressively undertaken as Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts grows.
A seasoned professional with more than 30 years in the hospitality industry, Ivan has held several senior leadership positions with a number of hotel companies. Ivan was formerly the Chief Executive for Sino Group’s hotel division and the Chief Executive Officer of The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore during its pre-opening. He was most recently the Vice President and General Manager of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
“We are very pleased to have Ivan join Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts. He brings extensive hospitality experience to the team, which will help in achieving greater operational excellence and growth for the Pan Pacific Singapore and the other Pan Pacific hotels and resorts,” said Mr Gwee Lian Kheng, Group President & CEO of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts.
Molinaro Koger (MK) announced that they have structured the sale of the Richmond Marriott Hotel to Apple REIT Seven, Inc., a Richmond-based investment company, on behalf of The Procaccianti Group. The 18-story, 401-room downtown convention center hotel has retained the Marriott flag and will be managed by White Lodging following the sale.
“As Richmond’s full-service hotel market leader, this asset attracted tremendous investor interest,” commented David Altobello, Vice President of MK, who marketed the asset and structured the transaction.
“The hotel is situated in the premier location in Richmond’s revitalized downtown area and is connected to the Greater Richmond Convention Center, a 700,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility,” remarked Mr. Altobello. “Potential purchasers were aware that this market position provides a strong defense against any future competition and were also attracted to the hotel’s strong RevPAR index and upside potential.”
The acquirer, Apple REIT Seven, Inc., was formed in 2006 to invest in hotels, apartments and other real estate and is headed by Glade M. Knight. Mr. Knight has formed several similar real estate investment trusts throughout his career. The acquisition adds the Richmond Marriott Hotel to its growing portfolio of Marriott and Hilton properties. Although Apple REIT Seven invests in hotels throughout the Eastern seaboard, they now own the major full-service asset in their home market.
During the last 18 months MK has structured more than $5 billion in hotel real estate transactions worldwide.
Gate Gourmet has chosen Inflight Service Europe AB (IFS) as its partner for all duty free-related sales aboard Norwegian Air Shuttle, which recently renewed and expanded its contract with Gate Gourmet to provide systemwide onboard catering and provisioning.
In addition to the duty free pre-pack business that IFS currently has on charter flights of Norwegian’s recently acquired subsidiary, FlyNordic, Gate Gourmet will also use IFS’ expertise to further develop the duty free impulse sales across the Norwegian system. The companies also will seek opportunities for further development of the pre-pack business into new segments of the Norwegian network.
“Gate Gourmet and IFS already have experience working together on a number of airlines within Scandinavia, and it has proven to be the best partner for the duty free sales on board Norwegian’s flights,” said Philippe Op de Beeck, Senior Vice President of gategroup and President of Gate Gourmet’s Central Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
“We are delighted to expand our relationship with Gate Gourmet and we look forward to the mutual opportunities serving the customers of Norwegian, one of the fastest growing low-fare airlines in Europe,” said IFS Chief Executive Peter Candell.
Radisson Hotels & Resorts announced the 204-room hotel in Tucson, Ariz., has been renamed as the Radisson Suites Hotel Tucson Airport. The hotel was recently converted as part of a plan to reposition the property and includes a renovation to all guestrooms and public areas that began in October 2007.
"Bringing the Radisson Suites Hotel Tucson Airport property under the Radisson brand greatly enhances our presence in the market and enables guests traveling to Tucson the opportunity to take advantage of innovative services the brand offers such as Express Yourself online check-in and share their stay preferences so they can stay their own way" said Nancy Johnson, executive vice president of Franchise Operations for Radisson Hotels & Resorts. "Immediate benefits of the renovation include completely refurbished guest rooms featuring the addition of the custom Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort."
"We are thrilled to be affiliated with Radisson and the advantages it offers – including business building tools and strategies such as revenue optimization, customer relationship management (CRM), and membership in the patented Look To Book program, the industry's most recognized online incentive program for travel agents," said Lisa Neff, director of Sales for the Radisson Suites Hotel Tucson Airport. "We're also excited to connect our customers with goldpoints plus, Radisson's frequent guest program which was recently re-launched with double the earning potential for members."
"Radisson is quickly earning a reputation as a leader in the global hospitality industry by striving to achieve total guest satisfaction and keeping attune to the needs of today's independent-minded frequent travelers," said Neff.
Emirates achieved a new milestone as it touched down to the vibrant beats of the African drums at Cape Town – its 100th global destination, and second gateway in South Africa. Signalling the start of daily, non-stop flights between Dubai, the nerve centre of the Middle East, and Cape Town, the inaugural flight EK 770 piloted by South African native, Captain Chris Rademan received a traditional water canon salute while onboard passengers were greeted by a pulsating performance by members of the Marimba band.
A high-level Emirates delegation comprising Nabil Sultan, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Iran, and Adnan Kazim, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Africa flew on the first flight accompanied by some 250 passengers hailing from 18 different countries, some coming from as far as the United States, France, Germany, Poland, Kuwait, Bahrain, India and Pakistan, in addition to Emirates' home base, the United Arab Emirates.
The arriving Emirates delegation and passengers were welcomed by Lynne Brown, Member of the Executive Council, Western Cape Province; Calvyn Gilfellan, Chief Executive Officer, Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the official tourism destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape; and over 50 representatives from Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and Emirates South Africa.
As a result of South Africa’s growing economy and the escalating demand for air travel, the Dubai-based airline has steadily built up its presence in the country. Last year, Emirates strengthened its 14-flights-per-week Johannesburg service with an additional frequency, taking the weekly total to 21 flights.
Adnan noted: “Emirates is grateful to the South African government and airport officials for assisting us in the successful start of our daily operations to Cape Town. The new service will provide its customers in Europe, Middle East, the Indian-sub continent and Asia-Pacific with direct access to Cape Town, one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. At the same time it will also open up over 90 global destinations for Cape Town’s travellers who can now avoid travelling via Johannesburg.”
He concluded: “Cape Town represents Emirates’ commitment to the South African market. Our Johannesburg operation has been very successful and we look forward to recreating this success in Cape Town with the support of our partners.”
Provincial Minister Brown added: "The new flight will give us more direct air access to the Middle East, which is a very significant tourism market and world-wide hub for Cape Town and the Western Cape. It is also one of the markets we will focus on in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”
Gilfellan said: “In many aspects the Middle East represents the inbound luxury tourism market for Cape Town and the Western Cape, with travellers often seeking a top-quality tourism experience: leading tourist attractions, spectacular golf courses, five-star hotels, elegant restaurants, and shopping for world-famous brands. Cape Town and the Western Cape easily deliver on each of these aspects. We believe this hassle-free, direct flight will definitely add to this luxury tourism experience and encourage more people to visit Cape Town and its surrounds.”
Cape Town represents the first new gateway to be launched by Emirates in 2008. The airline has already announced its plans to start services to Calicut, India and Guangzhou, China, both on 1st July followed by Los Angeles on 1st September.
To Cape Town, Emirates will introduce approximately 2000 seats and over 100 tonnes of cargo capacity per week - a development that will surely be welcomed by business and leisure travellers on either sides of the equator.
The day's events were concluded with the ceremonial cutting of a cake, and an exchange of gifts between the Emirates and South African delegations. Later that evening Emirates’ return flight bound for Dubai welcomed its first Cape Town passengers.
Air France and Delta Air Lines officially kicked off their joint venture agreement with a joint press conference during which Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Air France-KLM, and Richard Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Delta Air Lines, announced the launch of three trans-Atlantic routes that take full advantage of the E.U.-U.S. Open Skies Agreement.
The joint venture partners will operate daily nonstop flights between London-Heathrow and Los Angeles-LAX, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and twice-daily flights to New York-JFK. Air France will operate the LAX flight while Delta will operate the JFK and Atlanta flights.
According to the terms of their expanded joint venture agreement, signed October 17, 2007, the two airlines will share revenues and costs on flights operated by both carriers between London-Heathrow and the US, as well as on flights between Air France’s Paris-CDG and Lyon hubs, and Delta’s Atlanta, New York – JFK, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City hubs.
By 2010, the agreement will be extended to all trans-Atlantic flights operated by Air France and Delta between Europe and the Mediterranean on one side and North America on the other side, as well as all flights between Los Angeles and Tahiti.
The launch of the new Heathrow-Los Angeles route makes Air France the first European carrier to offer its long-haul customers the benefits of Open Skies.
“Air France’s decision to launch a new transatlantic route to and from the UK marks a totally new phase in the developing world air transport sector,” said Gourgeon. “Thanks to the new open skies agreement, our ambition in the years to come is to rank among the leading world players on this market. Along with KLM, Delta and our other SkyTeam partners, we are determined to offer passengers the greatest choice of routes and schedules between Europe and the rest of the world. The ability to offer passengers access to an enlarged network out of London, the leading European market, is a key phase in this strategy.”
With new flights between Heathrow and Atlanta as well as Heathrow and New York-JFK, Delta is strengthening its position across the Atlantic.
“We are very pleased to be able to serve London’s Heathrow Airport in addition to Gatwick,” said Anderson. “This is the world’s top business destination and, as a global player, Delta will now be able to offer two options for travelers into this city. We are excited not only by the opportunity to serve this destination but also for the increased cooperation between Delta and Air France, which is being demonstrated today. Our cooperation is yielding tangible and positive benefits for our airlines, our passengers and our employees.”
Within the framework of the Open Skies agreement, and in addition to the three new long-haul services to and from Heathrow, Delta will operate seven services out of Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh to U.S. gateways on a codeshare basis with Air France.
The market between the UK and Ireland and North America offers some of the highest growth potential. In terms of size, this market accounts for nearly half of all transatlantic traffic in Europe, with 8 out of the 12 busiest routes between Europe and the US serving London including the Los Angeles-London and Heathrow-JFK service. The London-Los Angeles route is similar in market size to the Paris-New York route.
Delta flights operate from Terminal 4 at Heathrow. The New York-JFK and the Atlanta flights are operated by a Delta with Air France codeshare using a Boeing 767-300ER, with up to 216 seat capacity. The new routes will not increase the total number of frequencies at Heathrow as Delta will be using some of Air France’s slots at London Heathrow.
Beijing, Shanghai and Toronto: Dusseldorf International’s new summer flight schedule offers these and other new highlights. In particular for the long-haul sector, Germany’s third largest airport has attractive new routes that complement its proven network of European traffic. Beginning in May, Air Berlin will connect Dusseldorf with the two most important cities in China. Lufthansa will also be taking off in long-haul aircrafts for intercontinental destinations, most recently for example to Toronto, the Canadian metropolis. And Lufthansa will also use these wide-body jets to New York and Chicago in the new flight schedule. This summer, some 70 airlines – from classical mainstream to low-cost airlines – will connect Dusseldorf with over 180 desti-nations worldwide.
“In cooperation with the airlines, we have enhanced our route profile for the new schedule,” says Christoph Blume, spokesperson for airport management. “Dusseldorf is the most important airport in Germany’s largest commercial region. We view expansion of intercontinental air traffic as one of our essential tasks to provide the economy with the required mobility,” Blume emphasizes. This summer, passengers can choose from 92 long-haul flights a week, among them 56 flights a week to North America. Both Lufthansa and the Air Berlin Group use the largest airport in Nordrhein-Westfalen as a hub in their network. Blume, “The airlines see their future in Dusseldorf and are doing an impressive job of building up their presence here. This is a clear confirmation of the airport and the strength of the location.”
New this summer
Beginning May 1, Air Berlin will fly five times a week to Beijing and Shanghai – two new destinations from Dusseldorf. The flights to Beijing will depart Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7:45 pm. Air Berlin’s red-and-white jets will leave for Shanghai on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday at 5:20 pm. In addition, the airline will continue offering many flights added to the winter flight schedule, for example to Hamburg, Stuttgart, Zurich and Vienna. This will thus optimize the hub function for the airline’s long-haul flights. In addition, the connections to Los Angeles that were cut for the winter season will begin again. The airline will fly to the largest city in California up to five times a week.
Lufthansa is continuing its expansion and increasing its flights from Dusseldorf and will station three additional long-haul Airbus 340-300 aircraft at Nordrhein-Westfalen’s largest airport beginning May 1. Toronto, the Canadian hub, will be added to the flight schedule with six connections a week. Lufthansa will also be using these large-body jets on its successfully established routes with daily flights to New York and six flights a week to Chicago.
Another new destination on the Dusseldorf flight schedule is Wroclaw, which Lufthansa will be flying to daily beginning March 30. Wroclaw on the Oder is the fourth largest city in Poland and the economic, scientific and cultural center of the Lower Silesia region. Lufthansa is also adding the holiday destinations Usedom, Ibiza, Corsica, Sardinia, Newquay and Jersey. Flights to the Corsican airport Bastia, an entirely new destination from Dusseldorf, and to Olbia airport on Sardinia will also be added on Saturday starting in April. Additionally, Lufthansa will fly to Ibiza every Saturday beginning in April. Flights to Heringsdorf on Usedom, another new destination from Dusseldorf, will be offered twice weekly beginning the end of April. The British destinations – the Channel Island of Jersey and Newquay on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall – are new destinations as well and beginning with the summer vacation in Nordrhein-Westfalen in June, there will be Saturday flights there too.
The Fly Nordic airline is new to Dusseldorf and will offer six connections to the Swedish capital Stockholm beginning in June.
A new airline and a new destination: The Armenian airline Armavia will connect Dusseldorf Mondays and Thursdays with Yerevan, capital of Armenia and cultural and commercial center of the country in the Caucasus.
Blue Wings Airlines is planning to continue its scheduled flights begun in the winter flight schedule during the summer. The airline flies to Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport nine times a week and to St. Petersburg five times a week.
Croatia Airlines is also adding a new destination to Dusseldorf’s flight schedule. Starting May 19, the airline will fly to the Croatian capital Zagreb three times a week.
Job.travel, the hospitality industry’s targeted, premium employment and referral website, has become a senior partner of the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research. The job.travel site was founded in 2007 by Michael S. Egan, a graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and chairman of Certified Vacations, a wholesale travel firm.
“The senior partnership of job.travel helps the Center for Hospitality Research expand its mission of sharing top-level research findings with the hospitality industry,” said Egan. “I’m glad to be able to support this important global research enterprise from my alma mater.” As a senior partner, job.travel will sponsor a center research project.
Egan has long served on the advisory board for the School of Hotel Administration. As senior partner, he also joins the center’s advisory board. His career embraces a large span of the hospitality industry, including transforming Alamo into one of the foremost car-rental agencies and also being a principal in Nantucket Nectars before its sale to Ocean Spray. Egan also held various administration positions at Yale University and taught at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
“Michael Egan’s senior partnership with the center extends our reach further into the online travel sector of the hospitality industry,” said Joseph D. Strodel, Jr., director of corporate relations. “His interest in our research projects is an extension of the work he has done through the years to improve the hospitality industry’s knowledge base. His creation of job.travel is an example of his ability to analyze the industry’s future trends.”
The MedCruise member cruise port of Valletta has bagged two awards by Dream World Cruising, an influential cruise industry publication, earlier this month at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention held in Miami.
VISET Malta plc received the awards for ‘Most Improved Port Facilities’ and ‘Most Improved Destination’ for the year 2007. ‘Most Improved Port Facilities’ award acknowledged the improvement seen in the cruise product, such as berthing facilities and infrastructure as well as parking and related services, whilst ‘Most Improved Destination’ awards improved landscaping, transport facilities as well as new attractions and experiences.
The awards for several categories in the cruising industry are given annually at the Convention by the Dream World Cruise Destinations magazine, published twice annually by Ashcroft & Associates.
Since 2002, Malta has been participating at this annual gathering of cruise industry professionals from across the globe. Together with the Malta Tourism Authority, VISET focused on the promotion of the Maltese Islands as the gateway to all year round Mediterranean Cruising as well as a competitive homeport.
VISET Malta plc are the developers and operators of the Valletta Cruise and Ferry Terminal. The project was inaugurated in June 2005 and incorporates two terminals, turnaround facilities as well as internet and telephony services. The Valletta Waterfront also offers its patrons a fusion of dining and retail outlets as well as anchor attractions including Malta’s own Carnival Museum, Seaplane service and traditional ‘Dghajsa’ Harbour boat tours.
DLF and Hilton Hotels Corporation in India announced that they have signed management agreements involving seven new hotel developments in the pipeline. This marks the second stage in the DLF-Hilton Joint Venture Company’s overall strategic development plans to build and develop 75 hotels in India in the next five to seven years. The new projects named today will bring the total number of new hotels under this DLF – Hilton alliance to 16, comprising 3500 rooms. All these 16 projects are in various stages of development and construction.
To be managed by an affiliate of Hilton Hotels Corporation, the seven new hotels will cover different market segments under the Hilton Family of Brands: Hilton, the upscale full service brand; Hilton Garden Inn, the mid-scale brand and the Homewood Suites by Hilton, an extended stay hotel brand.
The projects are:
Mr. Lenny Menezes, CEO of DLF Hilton Hotels Ltd, commented, “The relationship between DLF and Hilton is yielding great results and we are on track to achieve our strategic goal of creating a Pan-India presence in the hospitality sector.”
Mr. Koos Klein, President, Hilton Hotels Asia Pacific, commented, “Through our Hilton Family of brands we are targeting the different needs of business and leisure travelers in India, across the price points. Our alliance with DLF intends to announce more new hotel projects in India in the near future.”
Mr. Shakti Singh, Managing Director, DLF Hotel Holdings Ltd., commented, “The execution of these seven new management agreements with Hilton is a major step in the overall DLF strategy to rapidly scale up DLF presence in the hospitality sector to 25000 hotels rooms in the next five to seven years.”
The new developments in Kerala and Chennai reflect the growing demand for quality accommodations in South India, where IT and tourism industries are rapid gorwing. Additionally, Hilton Residences and Homewood Suites by Hilton are well positioned to cater to the burgeoning need for extended stay products.
Three Hotels in Dwarka
The Hilton Dwarka, Hilton Garden Inn Dwarka and Homewood Suites by Hilton Dwarka are planned to provide 800 hotel rooms located at International Convention Centre complex in Dwarka (New Delhi), which will comprise nearly 2 million sq. ft. of development, including international convention and exhibition centre facilities, and premium commercial facilities.
Hilton Residences Kolkata
The 100-room Hilton Residences Kolkata is planned to be located in the Central Business District in Kolkata and is intended to complement the Hilton Kolkata (a project that was announced in May 2007) by offering long-stay residents a full service Hilton experience in an apartment setting.
Hilton Garden Inn Chennai / OMR; Homewood Suites by Hilton Chennai / OMR. The 250-room Hilton Garden Inn Chennai / OMR and 100-room Homewood Suites by Hilton Chennai / OMR are planned to be located along the Old Mahabalipuram Road (“OMR”), often known as “India’s IT Highway”, abundant with InformationTechnology parks. The Hilton Garden Inn Chennai / OMR will aim to offer quality business focused accommodations to frequent business travelers to the area, while the Homewood Suites hotel is planned to offer an extended-stay option which includes home-like amenities such as fully-furnished kitchens, a relaxation/living space, and separate bedroom.
Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum
The Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum is planned to be located less than five kilometres from Trivandrum’s Technopark. When completed this focused service hotel will be eight kilometers from the existing airport and accessible from three main road routes connecting guests to the north, west and east of the city.
Aloha Airlines shut down its inter-island and transpacific passenger flight operations. Aloha's last day of operations was yesterday Monday, March 31, 2008. Yesterday, Aloha operated its schedule with the exception of flights from Hawaii to the West Coast and flights from Orange County to Reno and Sacramento, and Oakland to Las Vegas. Code-share partner United Airlines and other airlines were prepared to assist and accommodate Aloha's passengers who have been inconvenienced.
The shutdown of Aloha's passenger operations will affect about 1,900 employees. Aloha also announced that its air cargo and aviation services units will continue to operate as usual while the U.S. Bankruptcy Court seeks bids from potential buyers. On March 27, 2008, Saltchuk Resources, Inc., announced its intention to buy Aloha's air cargo business.
"This is an incredibly dark day for Hawaii," said David A. Banmiller, Aloha's president and chief executive officer. "Despite the groundswell of support from the community and our elected officials, we simply ran out of time to find a qualified buyer or secure continued financing for our passenger business. We had no choice but to take this action.
"We deeply regret the impact this will have on our dedicated employees who have made Aloha one of the best operating airlines in the country. Aloha Airlines was founded in 1946 to give Hawaii's people a choice in inter-island air transportation.
Unfortunately, unfair competition has succeeded in driving us out of business, bringing to an end a 61-year-old company with a proud legacy of serving millions of travelers in the true spirit of Aloha. We realize that this comes as a devastating disappointment to our frequent flyers and our loyal business partners who have supported this company for many, many years."
An unexpected result of Silverjet’s popular new route from Dubai to London has been the increased interest in boutique airports such as London’s Luton airport, where the all-business class carrier’s exclusive private terminal is based.
The convenience of flying into London Luton has been dramatically highlighted by the recent troubles at Heathrow Airport, which has faced major flight and baggage delays including a reported 208 flights cancelled and 15,000 bags lost in the first three days of operation of its new T5 terminal.
Now more than ever, the desire to travel hassle-free and avoid the stress of traditional ‘hub’ airports such as Heathrow has driven UAE travellers to look for a way to avoid crowded, super-sized terminals.
“The problems unfolding at Heathrow are one of the main reasons why we chose Luton Airport to base the Silverjet operation. Luton Airport is the least congested of all London airports, it’s not BAA operated and we have been able to work with Luton Airport to introduce our own dedicated baggage handlers resulting in Silverjet not having lost one bag checked-in at Luton,” said Lawrence Hunt, CEO of Silverjet.
In fact, specialized airports such as Luton, Gary Chicago, and Dayton International Airport are offering international travellers an array of benefits which have fueled the rapid rise of the ‘boutique’ airport model. Similar to boutique hotels, customers are drawn to these establishments for their focus on quality, exclusivity and personalization.
“At Silverjet, we know that there is a rapidly expanding segment of travellers in Dubai who expect more of their airlines. Fewer people are willing to tolerate the stress of using London’s major airports, which is why we are using the boutique airport model to create a better overall experience for our passengers,” he added.
Despite Luton’s traditionally lower profile among Middle East travelers, Silverjet passengers from Dubai – many of whom are flying into the airport for the first time - have been pleasantly surprised by the convenience and ease of travel when using the gateway said Hunt.
Known as the private jet capital of the UK, Luton is used by over 50% of private jets flying in and out of London and provides a welcomed gateway for well-heeled Dubai travellers looking to avoid the never-ending congestion and inconveniences of London’s major airports.
According to the latest official CAA figures, Silverjet is currently the most punctual airline on the London-Dubai route. This high level of service, along with Luton’s single terminal, fast-tracked lines and seamless connections, have contributed to Silverjet’s strong operational performance.
Aegean Airlines will commence a twice daily non-stop service from London Stansted Airport to Athens from 15 May 2008. The Athens to Stansted route will be serviced by the brand new Airbus A321 which is configured with 195 seats in two classes and will offer a state of the art in-flight entertainment system.
Stavros Dalikas, Commercial Director states "London to Athens is one of the most important routes for Aegean Airlines and we are really pleased that we can now offer our clients this service. Greece has always been a very popular, year round holiday destination for the British and there has been a steady increase in the business sector in recent years. We can offer our customers a fantastic product in both, Economy and Business Class from start to landing, giving the traveller a great alternative to existing services."
In 2007 Aegean carried 5.2 million passengers, an increase of 18% over 2006. The company offers its passengers premium services such as a dual-class cabin configuration, in-flight catering and reserved seating, while maintaining a lean cost structure. Aegean Airlines is also a Regional Partner of Lufthansa providing passengers with access to Lufthansa’s global network.
Aegean Airlines flies to 12 international destinations (London, Larnaca, Munich, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, Rome, Milan, Sofia, Bucharest, Cairo and Tirana) and 17 Greek destinations (Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Chania, Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Mytilene, Chios, Alexandroupolis, Mykonos, Santorini, Kavala, Limnos, Corfu, Ioannina and Kefalonia)
During 2008, Aegean expects to take delivery of 10 new Airbus A320/321s as part of its investment programme. By June 2009 Aegean plans to replace its 15 Boeing 737s with all new Airbus aircraft. By 2010 all of the 27 Airbus’ ordered will be delivered. This will make it the youngest fleet in Greece.
Hospitality Marketing Concepts (HMC), the solution provider of loyalty membership programmes, is expanding its globally ClubHotel programme in Asia Pacific. Celebrating a 20-year history this year, HMC has operated thousands of private-label loyalty programmes and established a global infrastructure and advanced technology resources. In 1997, HMC created ClubHotel, a worldwide network of four- and five-star hotels, providing common benefits and recognition to an international membership base.
To date, the synergy generated by ClubHotel remains staggering, resulting in tens of thousands of incremental room nights for participating hotels. In 2007, one hotel group in Asia Pacific realized over 100,000 room nights, $15 Million (USD) in rooms revenue and $5.5 Million (USD) in F&B revenue from members.
With more than 450 global hotel partners and over 1 Million active program members, ClubHotel has a strong existing network presence in Asia Pacific with China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore as major hubs.
Stuart McAusland, Senior Vice President & Managing Director Asia Pacific, says, "ClubHotel is a recession-proof marketing programme. Our proprietary CRM technology allows hotels to instantly reach thousands of qualified customers and target periods of low occupancy with specific and tailored promotional offers. One of our many success stories -- our Qindao hotel partner realized a 13% increase in rooms revenue using ClubHotel's no-cost CRM e-campaign platform. ClubHotel is a powerful marketing tool for hotels anytime, regardless if we are in a recession or not."
ClubHotel development focus in Asia is on Hong Kong, Shenzen and Macau, followed by major hub cities in Asia. Qualifying hotels confirming participation before May 1, 2008 will receive top priority.
Because of the increased interest in European cruising, Cruise Critic, the online resource for consumer-oriented cruise reviews and news, conducted a survey about cruising in Europe. More than 1,400 travellers from around the world completed the survey. Forty-two percent of survey respondents are planning to take a European cruise within the next three years.
“According to our survey, Europe is a draw because cruisers can experience a variety of different cultures and attractions in one trip,” said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief, Cruise Critic.
Europe = Variety
Nearly one third of survey respondents indicated that what they find most appealing about a European cruise is the opportunity to experience a variety of different cultures and attractions. Another 27 percent said it is the opportunity to visit many different European cities/locations during one holiday.
Mediterranean Tops Cruise Itineraries
The Mediterranean is the top choice for cruise itineraries in Europe, with 32 percent of the respondents choosing the Eastern Mediterranean (Athens, Istanbul, Greek Islands) and 20 percent opting for the Western Mediterranean (Rome, Naples, Barcelona) as the European cruise holiday itinerary that interests them most.
When it comes to the ports travellers are most interested in visiting, the Greek Islands (Santorini, Mykonos, Ios) were the favourite for 25 percent of respondents. Moving into northern waters, St. Petersburg, Russia is second with nine percent.
Rome (15 percent) and Venice (13 percent) are the most popular destinations for travellers that want to add an on-land vacation to their cruise trips.
Big Ship Style
When it comes to style of cruise holiday in Europe just over half (51 percent) of the respondents said their preference was for a big ship with lots of activities and entertainment. The next most appealing European cruise experience is on a small ship/yacht (31 percent) followed by a river cruise (19 percent.)
Cost Concerns
The main deterrent to taking a cruise in Europe is cost, with the high exchange rate especially worrying American travellers (33 percent), as is the cost of the airfare (14 percent.)
Sailing Saves
The most common cost-cutting tip given by cruisers is to either book early or last-minute. Other popular suggestions include booking your own air and transfer arrangements, staying in a cheaper category of cabin, using a travel agent or cruise broker, and researching online.
When asked how to save money during a cruise holiday, the most frequent recommendations concern shore excursions, drinks and gambling. The top tip is to arrange your own excursions and not take those organized by the ship. Suggestions for avoiding the bar bill blues (alcohol and sodas) include smuggling a private supply on board, checking the bar tab daily, ordering the drink-of-the-day or purchasing an all-inclusive package. The recommendation for gambling is – “don’t.”
Top 10 European Cruise Ports, (in alphabetical order)
Compiled by Cruise Critic editors, this list provides travellers with the names of ports that are almost certain to be the highlight of any cruise vacation in Europe.
“London, on the top 10 European ports list because it is one of the regions most dynamic and interesting cities, is also one of the most popular ports of embarkation in Europe. Travelling here to board a ship makes London a natural spot for a pre or post-cruise stay,” said Spencer Brown.
