Corporate Travellers latest roundup of travel industry news for September.
New Zealand
- Update to Jetstar's passenger identification procedures - Effective from 27 September 2018, passengers travelling on Jetstar's domestic flights within New Zealand with checked baggage will be required to provide identification.
- Air New Zealand to triple capacity of Auckland regional lounge - Air New Zealand is undergoing major renovations and is set to begin construction of its new regional lounge at Auckland Airport which will be triple the capacity of its current lounge.
- New Zealand Hotel development on the rise, Dean Humphries Colliers International - With the attractions of future events occurring in and around New Zealand within the next decade, the rise of hotel development is increasing as it looks to accommodate travellers attending such events as America’s Cup.
- Auckland’s Qantas lounge is part of the multi-million dollar upgrade - Qantas is undergoing major renovations and upgrading 6 of their lounges including Auckland. These upgraded lounges are set to provide passengers with the full Qantas experience prior to flying.
Air Updates
- Air New Zealand top Australian airline in World Travel Awards - Air New Zealand has been named the number one airline in the Australasian region at the World Travel Awards for the tenth consecutive year.
- Qatar Airways are seen as the most tech-friendly airline - Qatar Airways shines brightly in the latest research around tech-friendly airlines. They placed first with the best onboard tech. The three categories airlines were voted on was WIFI, Power, and Connectedness.
- Air New Zealand safety video recognised globally - Air New Zealand was awarded the Best Original Video at the Airline Passenger Experience Association Awards in the United States. The video starred Adrian Grenier the Hollywood actor, filmmaker, and environmentalist and has received over 157 million views.
- Virgins group-wide Loyalty Programme - Working collaboratively is the strategy Virgin have adopted to offer their customers unique and differentiated reward opportunities. The Virgin Group has announced its plan to develop a new Virgin-wide loyalty programme, which will use the same currency as Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club scheme.
- Air New Zealand Domestic and Australian Fare Updates - Air New Zealand has made the following fare amendments on selected Domestic and Australian flights, effective from Friday 28 September 2018.
- Cathay Pacific is Auckland Airport’s airline of the year - Cathay Pacific was named Airline of the Year at Auckland Airport’s Operation Awards. The award was based on the positive recognition of their operational attributes which included overall performance and continued development of its check-in kiosks.
- Virgin Australia removes straws from its aircraft and lounges - As part of a wider company strategy, 260,000 plastic straws and 7.5 million plastic stirrers will procedures from Virgin's operations as an attempt to move towards sustainable practices. Paper and bamboo alternatives will be used instead.
Auckland’s latest Hotel Updates
- Auckland hotel stock could jump 89 per cent: 41 projects to bring 6500 new rooms - The staggering increase within the hotel sector will see projections of up to 41 projects get the go-ahead while a further 26 have been announced or are under consideration.
- Auckland’s newest Sebel brand hotel is open for business in South Auckland - The latest installment in hotels is located in South Auckland with the Sebel brand offering more than accommodation purposes. The six-level hotel is equipped with an on-site restaurant and bar, and a conference space.
- Intercontinental revealed for Auckland, Commercial Bay development hits $1 billion - The commercial bay development at the bottom of Auckland’s CBD has been referred to as the $1 billion dollar scheme for the first time, surpassing the original $850 million dollar figure. Completion of this project is in 2022.
Land Updates
- Phones to replace passports at Australian airports - In an attempt to cut queues, passengers flying out of Australia do not have to show their passport in order to receive their boarding pass. They can check into flights via their mobile phone.
- James Cook Hotel undergoing $10m refurbishment - The Wellington CBD hotel refurbishment will run into 2019, however, plans to minimise disruption to guests have been put in place partly by working top-to-bottom floors in different stages. Bathrooms, bedrooms and furnishings are all inclusive in the refurbishment process.
- Plans revealed for new 127-bed hotel to replace derelict buildings - The Pandey family whose company is listed as the CP Group have asked for resource consent to build a new hotel to replace the old All Seasons hotel which was damaged during the Christchurch earthquakes.
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