Off the Wing - News

Archived news

From Donna's Desk

Welcome to 2009!  The best news we bring you today is the Qantas 2-for-1 business Class Sale!  If you’re thinking of travelling between 15th March and 31st August… GET IN QUICK!  THIS IS A DEAL Qantas rarely offer!   British Airways are matching the deal through to Europe and the UK.  All info is on our front page at www.dbt.com.au ! Or click directly to the PDF <here>

More great news is: as most will know, over Christmas we relocated to new offices at Unit 1, (Building A) 111 Wicks Road North Ryde. (see map here)

We've settled in very nicely and have had very few (if any) 'teething' issues, thanks to the hard the work of the team (namely Marc, Sarah & Jo) who orchestrated the move and Jim, Kevin, Michael and many others for availing themselves packing and unpacking, and working beyond means to help settle us in.

The offices are fantastic! We've very little to do to make it home but the resources are simply amazing - making it home for our travelling customers who may need to drop by for meetings and training etc, or even meeting the DBT team.

It's always happy times at DBT but I've never seen the team as ecstatic as they are now. DBT proudly boasts specialised meeting rooms, seperate board and training room and a completely open-planned office that's nice and breezy so staff can interact with eachother.

Want to let off some steam? Our company gym has been installed on the lower floor. We welocome you to call by and have a 'walk' Moreover, you are welocme to call in and check out our resourses any time during business hours Mon - Fri. We love it, You'll love it!

Breaking News

Domestic airfares on the rise - Domestic airfares have risen in February after last month falling to their lowest levels since government figures began in 1992.  The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics said the average “best discount” economy airfare rose 9.7 per cent in February, compared to January. But the figure is still down 19 per cent on the same month in 2008.  Business class airfares remained stable, as did the price of full economy fares.

Jetstar removes all fuel surcharges - Jetstar has removed all fuel surcharges on Tasman and international services as the cost of oil continues to fall.

Canberra reveals Airport Proposal - Canberra airport has flagged a 20-year plan that will see it become Sydney’s second international airport, The Australian has reported. The airport has urged the
Government to build a high-speed rail link to Sydney, allowing it better access to the existing facilities in Canberra.

Airline News

Five new routes for Virgin Blue - Virgin Blue will launch five new routes on April 6. They are Canberra-Hobart, Canberra-Townsville, Townsville-Gold Coast, Townsville-Rockhampton and
Townsville-Cairns. All will operate daily.

V Australia gets 777 - The Virgin Group’s new long haul brand, V Australia, has celebrated the first delivery of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.  The aircraft is one of seven leased and purchased 777- 300ERs V Australia will deploy on trans-Pacific and other routes. V Australia will launch direct Sydney-Los Angeles services on 27 February, building to daily flights by 20 March. Brisbane-Los Angeles flights begin 8 April. “This 777 completes the circle for guests wanting to fly around the world on the unique service provided by Virgin Group airlines,” Virgin Group Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, said. “The combination of Virgin service and the 777’s passenger appeal will be a winner on the South Pacific.” V Australia's 777-300ER carries 361 passengers in business, premium economy and economy classes.

Qantas Frequent Flyer Points - Act now! Choose a direct earn option today

From 1 April 2009, there will be changes to your options for transferring points from some credit and charge card reward programs to Qantas Frequent Flyer.

To help alleviate some of the confusion around these changes, in simple terms it means that if you hold an affected card and you want to keep earning points:

• transfer your card reward points to Qantas Frequent Flyer now^, and
• opt-in or switch to a direct earn option from your card provider that automatically adds the points you earn on your everyday spending to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account~.

To check if any of your cards are affected, go to www.qantas.com/cards or call the Frequent Flyer Service Centre on 13 11 31.

Air NZ probes check-in plan - Air New Zealand is looking at ways of streamlining check-in for Australian travellers, with mobile phone and web check-in a possibility.

Etihad to launch Abu Dhabi-Chicago route - Etihad Airways is starting thrice-weekly service to Chicago on Sept. 2, and the carrier aims to grow its network further this year, said CEO James Hogan

Emirates takes inaugural A380 SYD–AKL service 2nd February - Both Sydney and Auckland today welcomed their first sight of the Emirate Airbus A380, as the airline kicked off its trans-Tasman services with the superjumbo.

JAL cuts Australia capacity - Japan Airlines will almost halve its capacity from Brisbane in March as it battles falling demand on international routes.

Malaysia Airlines cuts surcharges up to 50% - Malaysia Airlines has just announced new fuel surcharge reductions on its international flights, some ASEAN destinations up to 54% off, whilst Singapore and Brunei will have their fuel surcharges scrapped.

Frequent Flyer Update

oneworld® is celebrating its 10th anniversary. And with 10 oneworld® Alliance Airlines, it's going to be big!

Money Talks

WELCOME to Money Talk, DBT’s feature on what the Australian dollar is doing. 

Currencies

Wholesale Interbank Rates

Feb 13, 2009 - 10:40 AM

Travel Tips

Evaluate your car hire policy

Car hire costs can be a significant chunk, of a company’s overall travel spend. Now is a good time to evaluate your company policy on hire cars.

Car or cab?

The most obvious question to ask before booking a hire car is, “Is this car necessary?” When comparing the cost of a hire car to cab rides, remember to also take into account parking costs, particularly at hotels where valet parking can easily be $30 per day.

You should also compare the cost of the time using cabs versus hire cars.  Will it be more time effective to self-drive? Or is it better to use the drive in from the airport to catch up with some work in the back seat of a cab, and to go direct to the destination rather than driving around looking for a parking spot in an unfamiliar city?

The answers to these questions may vary from traveller to traveller. Perhaps it’s still more cost-effective to avoid taxis and provide your traveller with a GPS in the hire car (around $19 - $20 per day extra).

Company travel policy

•    What kind of car is mandated in your company travel policy?  Remember that while larger cars may only cost a few dollars more per day, they often consume significantly more fuel and emit more carbon.  

•    Does your company policy cover parking fines and toll evasion fines incurred by the driver?  Contact us for details of e-tags that can be used in Sydney and Melbourne hire cars.

•    Does the policy specify that drivers should re-fuel before dropping the car back to the depot?  Rental company fuel costs are currently at around $2.50 per litre, so returning a car with an empty 80-litre tank will cost around an additional $125 compared to half that price refuelling prior to drop-off.

Company insurance policy

Watch the clock

Finally, car hire is charged in blocks of 24 hours, with additional hours being charged out at a much higher rate.  Renting a car for 25 hours instead of 24 means you will probably have to pay around 150% of the price of a one-day hire.

Need some help?

For assistance in reviewing your expenditure on cars, in negotiating company specific rates for your company, or to discuss your car requirements, contact your DBT consultant, Stefan Thomaschutz or Donna Meads-Barlow today.

Automated expense management

Is your company still chasing manual credit card expense claims from your employees, while paying excessive late fees to your credit card company?

DBT Corporate can help you bring your organisation out of the dark ages by automating your expense claim process, from claim creation to reimbursement and expense reporting. So you start seeing an immediate return on your investment.

Manual reimbursement is losing you money

We all know how labour-intensive reimbursing expense claims can be. From the drudgery of filling out claim forms to the time spent by your accounting staff keying in data, managing business expenses has to be the most inefficient and tedious administrative task of them all.

And lets not forget how difficult it is to enforce company policies when your expense management process is hopelessly primitive. Not only are you forced to cope with more abuse of the system and a greater burden on your employees and accounting staff, but at best you get a hazy picture of where your company’s travel and entertainment dollars are going.

To put it bluntly, if you’re still managing business expenses the old-fashioned way, you are literally throwing away thousands of dollars each year in excess spending, lost revenue and wasted time by employees.

A cost effective, easy to use answer

But what if you could get your hands on affordable, easy-to-use online expense management software designed exclusively for smaller organisations? One that allowed your business to get up and running in a matter of days - instead of weeks or months?

DBT Corporate has partnered with e-travel solutions and developed leading web based expense software that offers effortless expense report filing, quick approvals and faster credit card reimbursement. Our completely automated expense management software enforces compliance with your company expense policies, allowing you to keep a tighter rein on corporate spending.

Our product, e-xpense manager has been developed specifically for the SME corporate market that has been overlooked by existing expense management software providers. It requires no significant outlay of capital to install, so you don’t need to spend months getting financial `sign-off`.

Packed with a wealth of benefits and powerful features e-xpense manager is designed to get your organisation up and running almost immediately – for a rapid return on investment.
 

Climate Friendly reporting enhancement

DBT Corporate now offer you an enhancement to the existing carbon emission reporting we already provide through Climate Friendly - a world first carbon portal.

We can export your data via an automated feed into the carbon portal, where calculators quickly determine how many carbon credits are required to offset the emissions of a particular item, activity or event. For further convenience, Climate Friendly have created several packages that can offset standard items, such as a car or home.
For more information on Climate Friendly you can visit their website www.climatefriendly.com

Health & DFAT Warnings

Handy Tips & Visa Information Links Smart Traveller or DFAT – Visa Advice

TRAVEL DOCTOR TMVC have clinics all over Australia and NZ and advice on Vaccination & Health requirements with the most up-to-date info: click here
 

REMINDER – Are you travelling to the USA?   U.S Visa Waiver Program

Mandatory registration from January 1st 2009.

Hotels Update

Hilton Kuala Lumpur - Only 28 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and located adjacent to KL Sentral, the transportation hub of the city, Hilton Kuala Lumpur offers revolutionary multifunctional space for events, meetings and conference.  From a business summit, company party, international convention to the wedding of a lifetime, Hilton Kuala Lumpur makes your special event shine. With 14 lavish meeting rooms, including the magnificent Grand Ballroom, Sentral Ballroom and leveL7even, our meeting and event space is designed with today’s needs in mind.

Crowne Plaza to open Melbourne hotel in 2011 - One of Melbourne’s most exclusive and progressive suburbs is set to welcome its first international hotel, with the signing of a management agreement between IHG and investors represented by Grace on Doncaster Group, to establish Crowne Plaza Doncaster Hill.

BEWARE!! Fraudulent hotel websites drawing thousands of visitors a month - A new scam involving fraudulent websites of actual hotels has been uncovered, with 71,000 users visiting the sites a month, a new report finds.  Brands being targeted in this very sophisticated scam include Hyatt, Clarion, TraveLodge, Comfort Inn, Red Roof, EconoLodge, Super 8, Ramada, Days Inn, and Wyndham according to independent investigators at FraudTip.Com  “The internet scam combines advanced online advertising, bogus hotel locators, third-party reservation systems, and Internet browser crimeware to redirect hotel guest traffic to fake versions of well-known hotel chain websites,” says FraudTip.com.  And it does see a high level of success, with Super 8 Motels, Days Inn, and Ramada, which are owned by Wyndham Worldwide the hardest hit, as 50,000 visitors seeking the sites are redirected to the bogus sites each month.  Choice Hotels International’s Comfort Inn is the next largest hit, with over 15,000 visitors being redirected a month to bogus sites.  “Preliminary findings show that the fraudulent sites are attracting a higher-than-average percentage of female visitors, teens, as well as adults 50-plus,” says the report.   “The scam has also attracted a higher-than-average percentage of African American visitors, and has proven effective in attracting an affluent audience, and a high index of graduates and post graduates.”  It is expected that hotel chain executives will host talks with those in the cybersecurity industry in Washington DC this week to discuss what steps can be taken.

Rumours & Gossip

Tiger Airways does a back-flip on the decision to only market directly to the public.

Direct sales aren't working? Tiger Airways (Australia's newest LCC) has changed it's mind about how it markets to Australian consumers.

Whilst it's in the process of releasing details about ADL based flights, Tiger has decided to "give agents a go". The latest discussion is to involve an internet-based distributor and my guess is, Tiger will lean further upon agents and have them represent them more rather than trying "do it all themselves".

ADL based flights add 5 to the network, taking them to a total of 15 flight destinations around Australia.

A guy walks into Sydney Airport with a cabin bag and says I need a ticket to Los Angeles. The attendant was very accommodating, asked which class he'd like to fly and happily wrote the ticket. She was so thrilled about the sale, she bragged to senior staff.

When the guy said "OK, what do I do now?" The attendany gleemed at him and said "Sir, your flight leaves at 3.00pm on 22nd September and I've sat you in Economy, seat 44D.

What more can I say?

Conference & Venue News

KLCC gets medical boost – City events to see 13,000 delegates in 2009... Asia’s burgeoning medical tourism industry, expected to be worth at least US$4 billion by 2012, is proving a windfall for Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).  The venue has been chosen for a number of medical conferences this year. This year will see 13,000 delegates converge there for a host of medical-related events.  This month the venue will host two medical events involving 3,500 delegates.  In April, the 13th Southeast Asian Healthcare Show and Conference will involve 5,000 participants - the third time it’s coming back to the venue. In July, the venue will host and three in October.  KLCC General Manager, Peter Brokenshire, said that international and regional medical associations are becoming increasingly aware of Malaysia’s draw card as a value-for-money destination offering professional world-class service, “which does not just extend to medical tourism but to the convention and exhibition industry as well.” “Our strategic location, world-class infrastructure and internationally recognised quality standards make Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur an attractive destination for business tourism, medical tourism and leisure.” KLCC gets medical boost another two medical events Brokenshire added.

Meeting Planner Gift Collection Rewards ~ Dusit International - In 2008 Dusit International launched its first ever Meeting Planner Gift Collection Rewards.  In 2009 and with the need to focus on the intra-regional markets even more, the 2009 Meeting Planner Gift Collection Rewards will be launched on February 6th, with even more benefits for the company and for the Meeting Planner.  Dusit International presents the Meeting Planner’s Gift Collection for your company:

1. Book 20 rooms per night for 2 nights and receive 2 suite upgrades + a Welcome Thai Cocktail for all delegates on arrival
2. Book 40 rooms per night for 2 nights and receive 4 suite upgrades + a Welcome Cocktail Party for one hour
3. Book 80 rooms per night for 2 nights and receive 2 suite upgrades + 8 Club Room upgrades + a Welcome Cocktail Party for one hour
4. Book 100 rooms per night for 2 nights and receive the Presidential Suite complimentary for 2 nights for the meeting + 10 Club Room Upgrades, a Welcome Cocktail Party for all delegates on arrival

Hilton Sydney launches new Events menu - The Hilton Sydney is now offering events catering from its exclusive glass Brassiere restaurant with a menu specially designed by celebrity chef, Luke Mangan.
Call our DBT Conference & Incentive Specialist Samantha Devlin at DBT on 02 98885555 to enquire about Conference or Incentive deals.

Call our DBT Conference & Incentive Specialist Samantha Devlin at DBT on 02 98885555 to enquire about Conference or Incentive deals.

Cruisenews - deals

“It’s a shed” says Carnival CEO of new Sydney cruise facility - After plans for a dedicated cruise terminal at Barrangaroo were dropped by the NSW government, focus has now shifted to a temporary” terminal at White Bay and it appears the cruising industry is not happy.  Carnival Australia, which operates P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Cunard in Australia, has expressed concerns over the selection of White Bay, calling it a “sub-optimal” location and question if it can handle the amount of traffic the cruising industry is set to bring to Sydney.  The new suggested location overlooks a power station and does not feature any shops or restaurants nearby as it’s currently used as a delivery dock for imported cars.  “The NSW Government has an opportunity to create a world-class cruise facility but, based on the plans we’ve been shown, it is a shed at White Bay with nothing else around it,”

P&O Cruises has installed Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) on board its liners. Two ATMs have been installed onboard Pacific Dawn (pictured) with Pacific Sun to follow by the end of the month.  Jenny Lourey, Senior Vice President at Carnival Australia, which operates P&O Cruises, commented; “Ships are already largely cashless with passengers using onboard account cards for any purchases and settling their bill at the end of each cruise… The ATMs make it even easier for passengers to travel on a cruise ship without having to think ahead.”

Guide to New Ships Lots of new ships will be sailing over the horizon in the next couple of years. This is the place to sort them all out and keep them straight. Here we list in a table how big, how many, who's got them, when they're coming.

For more great Cruise deals visit www.cruisescene.com.au or call our DBT Leisure & Cruise Specialists Michael Sing or Kevin Toye Phone 1800 678 555 or 02 9888 5555

Need a Holiday ?

Travelscene Amex Gift Cards are created for you…..Travelscene American Express gift cards are the perfect gift for anyone.  It's a chance for you to give your friends / family an experience of a lifetime and create their own memories all over the globe.  Travelscene American Express gift cards can be redeemed at any Travelcorp office Australia-wide.  They can be redeemed for air, accommodation, car hire, packages and so much more…the list is endless.   The gift cards can be issued with any value amount and are valid for 12 months from date of purchase.  Call or email Michael at DBT today to have your gift cards issued!

Take a look at our destination holiday news and specials - here Updated every Wednesday!

Red Hot Deals

Take a look at our destination holiday news and specials - here Updated every Wednesday!

Thought for the day:

Thought for Everyday:

"If you work just for the money, you'll never make it, but if you love what you're doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours."  Ray Kroc (1902-1984) founder of McDonald's Corporation