August 2018 Travel Industry Update

30 August 2018

Corporate Travellers latest roundup of travel industry news for August.

New Zealand

The future of Auckland Airport - The new international Pier B has now formally been completed and is seen as a key construction milestone for the development of the “airport of the future”. The $120 million pier is 190m long and its gates can handle the Boeing 777X, the next generation of aircraft. Click here for an interactive map of the “airport of the future”.
No more departure cards when leaving New Zealand - Travellers will no longer have to fill out departure cards when leaving the country. Effective from November 2018. “The removal of departure cards will align with international best practice” and “will improve the experience of all travellers departing New Zealand” says Immigration Minister, Iain Lees-Galloway.
Hotel pays $31m for former New Zealand Herald site - The Auckland City site, previously home to the New Zealand Herald has sold for $31m. Pro-Invest Developments is planning on building a 37 storey dual-branded hotel with 490 rooms. This will be the first EVEN Hotel outside of North America, and one of the first 10 to 15 EVEN Hotels Pro-Invest plan to own in Australasia, in partnership with IHG.

Virgin Australia announces inclusive features with all fares - Virgin Australia has announced they will include meals and at least a 23kg baggage allowance with all fares. Additionally, trans-Tasman services will offer limited Wi-Fi to trans-Tasman services across all their planes, effective from 28 October. This will include 15 minutes of free Wi-Fi and additional Wi-Fi access can be purchased at a small fee.
Air New Zealand offer new direct flights - In November, Air New Zealand will begin to offer new direct services to Chicago and Taipei. They will also be introducing new services to Brisbane from Wellington and Queenstown in December. A third daily service will be added to the Auckland to Singapore route, in partnership with Singapore Airlines.
Qantas reaches record profit - Qantas reaches a record profit of $1.6 billion (AUD), up 14 per cent on last year. This amounted to $67 million in bonuses for 27,000 employees.

New Mercure Hotel for Auckland - Mercure Auckland Queen Street, a 96-room hotel spanning eight storeys, is set to open in 2019. It will feature a restaurant, conference room and fitness centre and is being created within an existing commercial building retrofitted as a hotel at 500 Queen Street.
IHG set to open hotel in Auckland City’s waterfront - InterContinental Auckland is set to open in 2022 on Auckland City’s waterfront, located down the end of Queen Street opposite Britomart. The hotel will have 244 guest rooms, offering 90% with water views.
Vibe Savoy’s Melbourne transformation - The final steps of the Vibe Savoy Hotel Melbourne multi-million refurbishment are underway. All guest rooms have been refurbished and the hotel lobby is under current renovations. The hotel will unveil in October 2018 as The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins, as part of the TFE Hotels brand.

FCTG and Serko announce partnership: Introducing Savi - Flight Centre Travel Group and New Zealand-based technology specialist Serko are transforming the online booking experience for business travellers.
Emirates latest technology in first-class - On Emirates A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, you can fly in your own first-class private suite. Emirates latest technology allows you to control the temperature, mood lighting as well as an industry first with virtual windows to enjoy HD projections of the outside world.
3D luggage scanners - The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is trialling a new 3D security scanning technology at New York’s JFK International Airport. This machine provides greater visibility, enabling travellers to leave laptops and liquids in their carry-on luggage for faster scanning. This technology is located at Terminal 8’s security check-point. A similar trial is being conducted at Heathrow Airport in London.

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