The Millennial Traveller: Traditional air miles are getting us nowhere
Growing up, I remember my sister and I finding ourselves giddy with excitement, unable to sleep the night before our annual Singapore Airlines flight to Europe.
As a kid, I loved to fly. Thirteen hours of endless games and movies, flight attendants serving us copious amounts of peanut packets (a [...]
Letter from Amsterdam: Fretting over Google, obsessing about data and customers and lessons from Lola
At Schiphol these days, they still give you free WiFi for an hour, but on the condition that you have to complete a survey. If you don’t wish to do that, then you can pay for premium access.
It’s a fair exchange, I reckon. You shouldn’t get something for nothing and it is clear that travel [...]
How airlines should prepare for the future as China and big data disrupt aviation
It is clear that disruptive forces are coming “faster and bigger than you think” to change aviation – the question is, are the airlines ready for it?
Peter Harbison, executive chairman of Sydney-based Centre for Aviation (CAPA), opening the Airline Leader Summit in Dublin last week, believe [...]
AirAsia, Everbright form JV to launch low cost carrier in China
AirAsia, Asia’s largest budget carrier, signed a joint venture (JV) agreement on May 14 In Beijing with China Everbright Group, a state-owned financial enterprise, and Henan Government Working Group to establish a low-cost carrier (LCC) in China.
The JV, AirAsia (China), will have its base in t [...]
The Millennial Traveller: Travel must set the benchmark for the future working economy
Preparing talent for a new economy is a question that pervades every industry. At the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit, held recently in Bangkok, April Rinne (Global Authority on the Gig Economy and Future of Work) named three major developments that will affect the future of work.
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Letter from Seoul: Tensions there may be but in travel, it’s business unusual as competition heats up and mobile rules
Over Korean barbecue with real beef (my Korean hosts insist on using the adjective, which makes me wonder if there’s a lot of fake beef going round like news), I asked my friends, “How do you think living in a place that’s always in the middle of tensions and threats of nuclear bombs shape you [...]
SilverNeedle Hospitality acquires Brand Karma, rebirths as Next Story Group
SilverNeedle Hospitality Group has acquired new media marketing agency, Brand Karma. Together with SilverNeedle’s in-house architecture and design agency Virsa, the entity has rebarnded as Next Story Group, calling itself "highly-specialised in marketing and design, holistically maximising ROI [...]
Northstar Travel Group acquires the leading group of hotel investment events from Burba Hotel Network
Northstar Travel Group announced it has acquired the hotel investment event portfolio from Burba Hotel Network (“BHN”), the American Hotel & Lodging Association (“AHLA”), and their other partners. BHN produces 10 hospitality investment events and conferences around the world, including [...]
The Millennial Traveller: AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes on leadership in times of crisis
Naturally, the world is rife with examples of terrible leadership. Donald Trump sits on the tip of everyone’s tongue as the quintessential example. Yet, in the travel business, let us not forget the scrutiny and onslaught Oscar Munoz was under, following United’s handling of the assault and forc [...]
Eight lessons for startups from the sci-fi world
I believe every now and then we should venture into uncharted territory, whether that’s in travel or in life in general, and so when I was asked to get involved in the first science fiction conference in Hong Kong, I didn’t hesitate.
Melon, founded by Fritz Demopoulos, serial entrepreneur and c [...]
