Off the Wing - News

Archived news

From Donna's Desk

Welcome to our first edition of DBT Off the Wing for 2008. This is a really special time for our team here at DBT. Our top priority is to always aim to provide our business partners and clients with the very best and this edition I proudly confirm DBT have achieved 5 Finalists in the Travel Weekly Australian National Awards 2008. The Awards Dinner to be held at L'Aqua, Darling Harbour this Wednesday 12th March.

So on Wednesday night our entire DBT team will don on their glamour outfits to head for Darling Harbour; fingers cross this is a great achievement for DBT and more specifically for our consultants to be recognized by Industry piers. Please join me in congratulating these members of our DBT team who have made it to the Finalist's in these prestigious Industry Awards.

Sarah Hackett Finalist Best Consultant Europe

Jim Thompson Finalist Best Consultant Asia

Krystle Trueman Finalist Best Domestic Consultant

Marc Randall Finalist Best Consultant USA

Kevin Toye Finalist Best Consultant Pacific

Good Luck to our great team here at DBT Corporate! Stand-by: we hope to bring you a further news bulletin following the awards dinner on Wednesday.

DBT welcomes two new members to the team this year, please meet:

		Anette Kirk Goodare Anette has worked in the travel industry for 6 years, most of that time specialising in Scandinavia and Antarctica where she has travelled extensively. Anette brings with her to DBT first hand European knowledge from the Amalfi Coast in Italy to Iceland and Norway! She is passionate about her customer service, making sure her clients always have the best experience from the time of booking to returning back home. Anette speaks fluent Danish and understands Norwegian.
		Maria Latrofa Maria began working in the travel industry in 1995 working for CoverMore Travel insurance. More recently spent the last 4 years working for Pinpoint Travel Group in their travel wholesale department. She has travelled extensively throughout Europe and Asia, and spent two years working in the U.K Maria specialises in both International and Domestic Consulting and brings to DBT a passion for service and a commitment to thinking outside the square . Maria's Interests include: Theatre and performances, Travelling to any corner of the globe!

Breaking News…

E-Tickets To Takeover - Paper tickets to be a legacy of the past! Airlines are at the start of the home stretch of e-ticket compliance, announced the International Air Transport Association.“In 100 days the paper ticket gets put in a museum. On June 1, 2008 we will achieve 100% electronic ticketing,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO.

In June 2004, IATA launched its Simplifying the Business initiative, with five key projects, of which the e-ticket was one, that was aimed at making the travel industry more efficient.

“E-ticketing is the flagship project of Simplifying the Business. While a paper ticket costs US$10 to process, e-ticketing reduces that cost to US$1,” said Mr Bisignani.

“The industry will save over US$3 billion each year by offering the passenger a better service. There is no better win-win proposition.”

When the project began in 2004, e-tickets were used in roughly 18% of the market globally, now the figure is over 93%.

“It is an incredible industry success story. When we began over 28 million paper tickets were issued each month. We have reduced that number to less than 3 million,” he says.

CHINA AIRPORT NEWS UPDATE: Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport will both open new terminals.

Beijing - From 29 February, 2008, Qantas flights arriving and departing from Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) will operate from Terminal 3.

Currently our flights are using Terminal 2. Airport transfers between BCIA Terminals (1, 2 and 3) will be provided by a landside shuttle bus service.

Shanghai - From 26 March, 2008, Qantas flights arriving and departing from Shanghai Pudong International airport will operate from Terminal 2. Currently our flights are using Terminal 1. Airport transfers between T1 and T2 will be provided by a shuttle bus service between 6 am and 9 pm only.

Airline News

Singapore Airlines New A380 Video – Enjoy first hand the new A380 service Here

Singapore Airlines will convert its five Airbus A340-500 ultra-long-range aircraft into an all-Business Class configuration, for daily flights between Singapore and New York, and Singapore and Los Angeles. This new configuration will position Singapore Airlines as the first to operate an all-Business Class service on the Transpacific route.

Qantas releases premium economy prices - Qantas's new premium economy seats have gone on sale today with return prices to London starting from $4567. Flights to Singapore will cost from $2189 return with Bangkok starting at $2552 and Johannesburg from $4217. The seats will be available on selected B747-400 services from April 1. Premium economy seats to Hong Kong will be available from August 3 and cost from $1999. They will also be available on flights to the US from late 2008 although no prices have been released. All prices are inclusive of tax. Qantas will operate 32 premium economy seats on the B747-400s in a two-four-two configuration. For an online experience click Here

Tiger Airways won't fully compensate customers for cancelled flight - Tiger Airways has recently received some criticism over its treatment of passengers who were left at Gold Coast Airport last Thursday after their flight to Melbourne was cancelled. The airline has so far not confirmed if it will fully reimburse passengers who had to pay for further accommodation and replacement flights to get home, with some passengers paying up to $350 per seat. The airline has confirmed that the cancellation was due to ‘operational constraints.' Tiger has offered to refund the original fares but will not compensate customers for their accommodation costs. "We're not refunding people's accommodation. It's quite clear on our website that you can take the option of travel insurance. It's very cost effective," said Tiger Airways' head of corporate communications.

AF/KLM points to Qantas - AIR France KLM has this morning announced a new alliance with Qantas under which members of its frequent flyer program will be able to redeem points on QF domestic flights. The deal complements AF/KLM's codeshare arrangement with Qantas, under which QF sells seats on Air France services between Singapore and Paris. The AF/KLM loyalty scheme is called Flying Blue and is currently running a bonus miles program for members flying from Australia to Europe until Mar 08, meaning they earn an average of 30,000 miles per round trip - enough for a free domestic QF ticket. AF/KLM said Flying Blue is Europe's leading frequent flyer program, with more than 11 million members.

United institutes fuel surcharges on most domestic flights - United added a $5 one-way and $10 roundtrip fuel surcharge to most of its domestic fares Nov. 8, excluding service to Hawaii, in the latest move by airlines to try to at least partially offset the recent, dramatic rise in fuel costs.

Qantas Announcement - Changes to bookings between Darwin and Denpasar - The Qantas Group announced it would withdraw services between Darwin and Denpasar (Bali) effective 12 October 2007. Qantas is in discussion with Airnorth regarding a possible codeshare on Airnorth's new 76-seat Embraer aircraft.

Qantas Airways New York (JFK) to Australia Flights Increasing to Daily - Effective August 14, 2007, Qantas flights from New York will increase from 5 weekly services to daily to meet increasing demand for travel to Australia. Daily service will provide for increased flexibility and seamless flight itineraries for travel professionals when booking business and leisure customers. Qantas flight 108 will depart each evening at 7:10pm bound for Sydney with a stop in Los Angeles. Connections are offered there for the daily non-stop flight to Melbourne or five weekly non-stop flights to Brisbane. Qantas hubs in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane provide excellent connections to more than 50 Australian domestic destinations.

LH expands SIN - LUFTHANSA has announced the introduction of 5 non-stop weekly flights between Singapore and Munich from 08 Jun 08. The additional services will complement LH's existing seven weekly flights direct to Frankfurt.

Singapore Airlines unveils 471-seat layout for A380 - Singapore Airlines, the world's first carrier to fly the A380, has released its configuration plans for its model of the superjumbo jet. Air Transport World notes the airline had previously announced its planned capacity –- 471 seats –- but now has offered more details. In a press release , Singapore says its A380s will be configured with "12 Singapore Airlines Suites (on the main deck), 60 Business Class (on the upper deck) and 399 Economy Class seats (on both decks)." Singapore adds that its business- and coach-class cabin products are modeled on those launched in late 2006 on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The carrier adds its new Singapore Airlines Suites "will be unveiled at the delivery of the A380 in October, and will feature the ultimate inflight luxury, in a class beyond First." Flightglobal.com posts images of Singapore's A380 layout on its website. The publication adds the images show that "there are four main cabins on the main deck of the aircraft, with 'Suites' class at the front and three economy cabins with 311 seats stretching to the rear in 3-4-3 configuration. Much of the upper deck is filled with the 60 business class seats in 1-2-1 configuration in two cabins, followed by 88 economy seats, most of them in 2-4-2 configuration."

Jetstar Asia granted rights to fly to KL - Low fare carrier Jetstar Asia has been granted the rights by Singapore's Air Traffic Rights Committee to start a daily service between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 1 February 2008.

Jetstar has launched an innovative new fare product on its domestic and international services that provides customers with the choice to travel with carry on baggage only at a lower fare price point. From next week, ‘JetSaver Light' will be offered on Jetstar (JQ operated) flights across the domestic network and on International flights to Christchurch, Bali, Thailand (Bangkok and Phuket), Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. At this stage, JetSaver Light fares will not be available on international services to Japan (Osaka and Nagoya) or the United States (Honolulu). When a customer purchases a JetSaver Light fare for future travel on Jetstar, they will pay $10 less one way than the available JetSaver fare on a Jetstar domestic service (ie Sydney-Gold Coast) and $20 less one way for an international sector such as Melbourne to Christchurch. As a working example, if an available JetSaver fare on the Melbourne Avalon – Sydney route is $79 one way, a JetSaver Light fare can be purchased for $69 one way. On Jetstar's Sydney – Christchurch route, a one way JetSaver fare at $219, would see Jetstar offer a JetSaver Light fare at $199 one way on the same flight.

Tiger launches Canberra, Newcastle and Hobart - TIGER Airways has just announced the commencement of flights from Melbourne to Newcastle in NSW, Canberra in the ACT and Hobart in Tasmania from the start of 2008. Newcastle will be Tiger's first port in NSW, while the launch of Canberra flights would mean the ACT region will "for the first time have access to the benefits of a true low cost airline and real competition."

VIRGIN Blue have announced the addition of a premium economy product to its domestic offerings. At the carrier's annual general meeting this morning ceo Brett Godfrey said premium economy would be priced between 10% and 25% less than Qantas fully flexible fares, with two-abreast seating and a 34-inch seat pitch. The first three row's of the airlines Boeing aircraft will be fitted with red Recaro seats, with both the Boeing and EMBRAER offering the new service. DJ have introduced the premium product domestically which is aimed at contemporary business travellers. Godfrey said that “over the past two years the airline has evolved into a highly desirable business travel option” following the introduction of Velocity, The Lounge and more flexible fares. “We expect our latest product enhancement to appeal to corp and govt sectors”, he said. Passengers travelling in premium economy will get free access to Virgin's The Lounge as well as priority check-in. Installation of the seats will begin this year with the entire fleet fitted out for the official launch in 2008.

CI increases flights - DUE to an increase of 24% in Australian passenger numbers travelling to Taiwan, China Airlines (CI) has announced that it will introduce an extra flight from Sydney each week from 04 Dec 07. CI operates five flights from Sydney and three from Brisbane to Taipei each week.

Frequent Flyer Update

New Qantas International Business Lounge Tokyo - A brand new Qantas International Business lounge opened at the Narita International Airport, Tokyo, Japan in August 2007. From that time on, Qantas customers will no longer use the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge at Narita Airport. On your next visit to the new lounge, you will discover a stylish, spacious and innovative design. Facilities include:

•  internet bench for wireless laptops,

•  13 high-speed PCs with internet access,

•  printing, phone and fax facilities,

•  power and data ports throughout the lounge,

•  entertainment and relax zones,

•  shower facilities,

•  bar and buffet menu

Qantas to Open New Airport Meeting Rooms in Sydney and Melbourne – Qantas have opened new, dedicated meeting rooms within its domestic terminals in Sydney on 25 February and in Melbourne on 17 March. Qantas Meeting Rooms would offer a superior range of conference facilities and business services. "These new state-of-the-art conference facilities have been purpose built to provide complimentary interactive plasma screens for data projection, teleconferencing equipment, wireless connectivity and broadband Internet, along with a break-out area. "Qantas Meeting Rooms will be available to anyone, regardless of whether they are travelling, at very competitive hire rates, with Qantas Club and Frequent Flyer members receiving a significant discount. The rooms will accommodate between two and 20 people, and would offer a wide selection of gourmet catering choices, from light snacks and refreshments to full-day packages. New facilities were part of an extensive upgrade of Qantas' domestic airport facilities, including the recent introduction of Qantas Web Connect, a gate lounge and terminal-wide wireless connectivity service in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, and complimentary wireless connectivity in Qantas Clubs. "New, dedicated Business lounges for Business Class customers and Platinum Frequent Flyers will open in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane by mid-2008."

Qantas Meeting Rooms will be located at:

* Sydney (T3) - Level 1 satellite, opposite the Qantas Heritage Collection (T3); and

* Melbourne - Mezzanine Level, opposite Gate 1.

Customers wanting to book Qantas Meeting Rooms should contact their DBT Consultant

Park & Fly SYDNEY INCREASE RATES - Due to the cost of providing ‘on demand' shuttles we have found it necessary to review the rate for the first calendar day of parking. All other rates will remain the same with the exception of the 1st calendar day stayed.

The new corporate rate will be effective from Monday the 19th of November 2007.

New Rate

1st Calendar Day $23 per calendar day

2 - 5 Days $18 per calendar day

5 Days thereafter $12 per calendar day

Money Talks

Travel Tips

Inbound duty-free rules relaxed DUTY Free shopping outlets at Australian airports will be hailing a move announced by tourism minister Fran Bailey this morning which expands the range of goods which can be purchased by incoming passengers. Previously customs regulations restricted inbound travellers to purchasing alcohol, cigarettes, film and perfume. However under the new rules any items up to the value of $900 duty free may be purchased including hangbags, cameras and sunglasses. Goods can be purchased as long as they're under $900 in value, weigh no more than 7kg and are under 56cm x 36cm x 23cm in size. There's no change to the duty free concessions for tobacco and alcoholic beverages, and as previously any purchases made at inwards duty free outlets count towards these allowances. Bailey said that “after a long flight to Australia, tourists often enjoy some retail therapy on arrival. “These changes will mean tourists will have greater choice in which goods to buy,” she said. Bailey said initiatives such as the changes to inwards customs regulations would encourage tourists to spend more money in Australia.

Forbes.com has compiled a list of what's hot this year in travel. Here is their list of the Top 10 Travel Destinations For 2007:

Argentina : best wine tasting
Dominican Republic : best beaches
Ethiopia : best adventure safari
Honduras : best snorkeling
Laos : best sightseeing
Namibia : best family trip
The North Island, Seychelles : best splurge!
Oman : best bargain
Panama : best eco-tourism
Sri Lanka : best honeymoon

DBT Team recommends all our travelers exercise a Workout in-flight. Tips for business (and frequent) travellers click here Here below are some fantastic travel tips and information from the DBT Team. Enjoy!

Beating Jet Lag & Travel Fatigue

What is Jet Lag? Jetlag is the result of your 'body clock', an internal regulator that governs the timing of certain biological/circadian rhythms (sleep/wake cycle etc), becoming disrupted. There are two issues with the symptoms of jet lag. One, general fatigue/imbalance due to flying itself (disrupted routines, dry pressurised cabin air, unstable movement for hours on end etc), and two, the actual crossing of time zones, which upsets the usual cycle of day and night (or more accurately daylight and darkness). This in turn affects your body's internal 'body clock' and the functions it controls - digestion, sleep etc. Both issues can affect the usual symptoms of jet lag, so addressing both, is ideal for best results.

1. Stay Well Hydrated: The pressurised, dry air in planes can quickly 'dehydrate' your body tissues causing dry skin, fatigue, constipation, poor concentration etc. Drink plenty of 'warm/hot' water ('sweet' teas are great), before, during & after the flight.

2. Avoid Alcohol & Caffeinated Drinks (coffee, coke etc): Both alcohol & caffeine drinks are diuretic in nature & increase the 'dehydrated' effect on your body. It is best to avoid both while flying long distances.

3. Eat Light: The movement/irregular nature of travel makes it much harder to digest/assimilate/absorb food properly. Try to eat a decent meal a good 1-2 hours before travelling. Once on the flight, eat very lightly.

4. Oil Massage Beforehand: Massages (either by yourself or by a masseur) should almost be considered 'compulsory' before &/or after long journeys. The main benefit is through putting the oil on the skin itself. This offsets the tremendous 'drying' of the skin/superficial tissues & provides a protective-like barrier for your body.

5. Warm Baths: A warm bath (or shower) following a quick self-massage on arrival, is ideal for re-balancing & re-energising your body after travelling.

6. Move to The New Time Zone Routine ASAP: The more you can keep to the normal daily clock the better. When crossing time zones, start aligning your daily routine to the new time zone as early as possible. E.g. eat your main meal (lunch) around midday - sleep at 10 - 10.30pm etc, i.e. at the actual times in the place you are travelling to.

7. Light Therapy: As your sleep/wake cycle is partially governed by changes in light (day to night etc), it is suggested and plausible, that you may be able to substantially reduce the effects of jet lag via something called 'light therapy'.

Health & DFAT Warnings

Human bird flu cases in Bali - Tuesday, 14 August, 2007 An Indonesian woman and her 5-year-old daughter on the island of Bali have died of bird flu, a Health Ministry official confirmed on Mon 13 Aug 2007 bringing the nation's death toll to 83 and the total number of cases to 104 The deaths are the first on Bali, where the H5N1 strain of the virus was found more than a year ago. At the time no human cases were found and there was extensive culling of poultry. The Bird Flu Information Centre in Jakarta said that chickens had died of bird flu in the victims' neighbourhood recently. The case occurred in the northwest of the island far from tourist centres. Tourists have not been affected by the outbreaks of avian influenza in other countries and so long as live or dead raw poultry is not handled and bird and flesh markets avoided, and meticulous attention is paid to hand washing, the chances of a tourist acquiring bird flu are negligible. For further details on precautions advised see:

http://www.avianinfluenza.com.au/travel_advice/practicing_prevention.html

Safety regulations on Hand Luggage from/to/via Australia

Hotels Update

Park Hyatt Rejuvenates - In September 2007, Park Hyatt Sydney will unveil the newly refurbished harbourbar. With the best views in Sydney combined with an amazing cocktail list and a new tapas bar with an impressive menu from Executive Chef, Alessandro Pavoni, harbourbar will be the place to meet for a drink. To coincide with the unveiling of harbourbar, Park Hyatt Sydney have a great offer for your next event. Book a conference or event at Park Hyatt Sydney valued at over $4000* and you will receive a $200 voucher for tapas at harbourbar.

Accor offer giftcard - WHY not send this years Christmas cards out with the special gift of an Accor Hotels' Gift Card which can be redeemed at 90 hotels and resorts across Australia. Cards are available online or from AusPost in denominations from $100 to $1000. See www.accorgiftcards.com.au

New ‘21' Hotel in NY - ORIENT-Express Hotels plans to build a 150-room luxury hotel in New York City under a new ‘21' Hotel brand name, complementing the company's existing ‘21' Club restaurant business. The hotel, to be built on the site currently occupied by the Donnell Library, will include a new state-of-the-art library inside, as well as spa, dining and wellness facilities. The hotel will open in 2011 and is expected to cost UD$220m incl the purchase of the library.

Romours & Gossip

A SOFTENING global economy is not expected to affect business travel in the Asia-Pacific -

American Express Business Travel's quarterly survey of airfare trends found that ticket prices across the Asia-Pacific rose by 1 per cent in the last quarter of 2007, down from 3 per cent the previous quarter. Fares in Australia were flat for the quarter although there was movement in some fare types. Australian discount economy fares rose by 6 per cent but discount business tickets dropped 6 per cent on the back of a 16 per cent fall in intra-Pacific discount business fares and a 10 per cent fall in the same category to the Americas. This contrasted with the trend across the region for the quarter, while air fares to the Americas jumped 3 per cent, Asia-Pacific domestic tickets rose 2 per cent and those to Europe increased by 1 per cent. Year-over-year Asia-Pacific fares jumped 6 per cent overall, with the sharpest rise (11 per cent) to the Americas. Despite the rising fares, AMEX said there had been softening since the third quarter, but it did not believe this was a result of an economic slowdown.

Green Skies: Airlines Should Recycle 25% Of In-flight Trash - US passenger airlines and the airports they serve should adopt the goal of recycling 200 million cans and plastic bottles from in-flight trash, or 25 percent of the total, within five years, says Green Skies, an Orlando-based aviation consulting firm. Green Skies is advocating a 50 percent goal by 2015 and a 100 percent goal by 2018. An analysis by the company shows that in 2008, there will be more than 7,000 tons of onboard aluminum and plastic used in flight for passenger service that can be recycled. "Throughout North America, there is a need to embrace environmental responsibility more urgently than is being done today. The recycling of drink containers and bottles served to passengers in the air is a no-brainer," says Green Skies CEO Michael Miller. "But the airlines can't begin this until all of their airport partners have put recycling processes in place themselves. While many airports have in-terminal recycling, many do not."

Buyers in holding pattern on Hobart airport - THE Tasmanian Government will sell its Hobart Airport

THIS may come in handy for female travellers on the go . Japanese underwear maker Triumph International has developed a new bra which comes complete with collapsible chopsticks stashed inside the body of the undergarment. A spokesman said the bra was ideal for busy women who don't always have time to find eating utensils as they go about their daily activities. Triumph is also touting the environmental benefits of the bra, which it claims could help reduce the estimated 25 billion disposable chopsticks thrown away each year. It's not cold - they're my chopsticks!

Conference & Venue News

Tangalooma's Conference specials for May and June 2008.   Take advantage of our VIP Dolphin feeding, free launch transfers and accommodation specials.

Tangalooma's Holt St wharf is only 10 minutes from Brisbane's CBD, Domestic and International airports with easy connecting to the resort on one of the 3 Tangalooma's jet boats, the Jet - 350 seater, Flyer - 180 seats and the Express - 90 seater.

Tangalooma has just opened stage 2 of our 4 ½ star beachfront luxury apartments, Deep Blue 2.  These are a mix of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments over looking Moreton Bay and the Glass House Mountains.  We also have a range of Hotel Style, Resort Units and Resort Suites, Villa's and Luxury Houses.

Please CLICK HERE   to access our conference packages where you can also find our special offers attached or visit: http://www.tangalooma.com/info_conf_events/conference_packages.asp . 

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

Cruisenews

For more great Cruise deals visit www.cruisescene.com.au or call our DBT Leisure & Cruise Specialists Kevin Toye or Eva Budzynska Phone 1800 678555 or 02 98885555

Need a Holiday ?

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

Thought for the day:

“The greatest mistake you can make in this life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” Elbert Hubbard

Thought for Everyday:

“Attitudes are contagious... Is yours worth catching?” Anon

“A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.” Patricia Neal

“If you think you can, you can. And, if you think you can't, you're right!” Henry Ford