Industry News
April 2010
New meeting room for Darwin Airport
Qantas has opened a new meeting room at Darwin Airport. Located in the Qantas Club, the new purpose-built facility accommodates up to eight people and is available for fly-in, meet and fly-out functions.
Crowne Plaza Adelaide opens
The new Crowne Plaza Hotel in Adelaide will open next month. Located in the heart of the central business district, the property offers 308 rooms and suites, four meeting rooms with business centre equipment and a pre-function area that accommodates up to 250 people for banquet events.
United boost flights at Christmas
From December 1 2010 until January 9 2011, United Airlines will offer a twice daily, direct service between Sydney and Los Angeles. Services will then drop to a daily service three times a week from January 10 through to January 31 2011.
Qantaslink goes international
Qantaslink is seeking approval for its first international route. It's expected Qantas' regional offshoot will start 12 return flights weekly between Cairns and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea from July 2010.
Meanwhile, Qantaslink will also be increasing services to Mackay and Rockhampton in Central Queensland. From 6 April 2010, Qantaslink will add eight return services between Mackay and Brisbane and six extra services between Rockhampton and Brisbane.
NZ's tallest building on South Island
The 4.5 star Marque Hotel Christchurch has opened its doors to business with 171 guests rooms. Located in the city's central business district and near the Christchurch Cathedral, the property has a 24-hour business centre and innovative restaurant, bar and lounge facilities.
Qantas cuts capacity on Pacific route
Qantas is paring back services on the highly competitive Pacific route, dropping its current daily 747-400 flights to New York to a five-day per week A330 service. The decision means First Class and Premium Class will no longer be available on Qantas' New York flights. Qantas is also changing its flight between Brisbane and Los Angeles from a Monday to a Wednesday service.
Air New Zealand reinvents trans-Tasman service
Air New Zealand will launch a total overhaul of its trans-Tasman and Pacific Island services this year in a bid to improve service and gain greater market share. The carrier has announced plans to cut the price of its fares, streamline the check-in process to reduce the airport waiting time by an average of 45 minutes and standardise the Airbus A320 Tasman Pacific fleet to a single class cabin.
Airport upgrades
The Federal Government has approved the construction of a dedicated charter and regional services' terminal at Perth Airport. It's purported the $136 million terminal, dubbed Terminal WA, will be completed by 2010. Upgrades to the western concourse terminal at Canberra airport also have been given the green light. The work at Canberra airport is part of a $350 million terminal upgrade including 22 additional check-in counters.
Qantas targets miners
Qantas now is offering weekly non-stop services from both Sydney and Melbourne to the Western Australian mining town of Karratha. Direct Qantas services already operate between Brisbane and Karratha.
Passengers pay for legroom
Continental Airlines is charging customers more for seats with extra legroom. The additional charges will depend on a number of factors including demand, date and time of flight. The airline said the charges took into account the extra legroom passengers had on its regional jets and larger planes.
Virgin Blue flies to Uluru
From Monday 2 August, Virgin Blue will commence direct flights between Sydney and popular Australian landmark Ayres Rock, Uluru. The daily service will use an Embraer E-190 aircraft.
US entry fee
New legislation passed in the United States means Australian travellers visiting the US will have to pay a $10 entry fee. The fee, to be paid every two years, applies to travellers from countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program. It's expected that payment will be made when travellers register online using the Department of Homeland Security's Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. US officials are yet to confirm when it will be brought in.
