AirAsia Japan to be first low-cost carrier at Narita
ANA Group and AirAsia are teaming up to form AirAsia Japan, a new low-cost carrier.AirAsia Japan will be the first low-cost carrier to be based at Narita International Airport. Operating under the AirAsia brand, it is to serve both domestic and international destinations when commencing operations i [...]
Not long now before Forbes Travel Guides will point you in the direction of luxury in Singapore
On the 11th April, Forbes will add Singapore to its list of Asian cities (after Macau, Hong Kong and Singapore) to receive the prestigious Five-star ratings and certifications program. So, it was a far more glamorous start to the week than usual when I met with Yona He on Monday morning. Y [...]
On the back of strong results, MakeMyTrip expands, picks S’pore as base
Amit Saberwal, Employee 62 at India’s number one online travel agency, couldn’t have picked a better time to move to Singapore to grow MakeMyTrip’s international business.Yesterday, the company announced fiscal 2011 fourth quarter and full year results, showing its continuing growth path.Some [...]
One night in Bangkok and look what happened
The first thing I usually do when I arrive in Bangkok is to either order in-room massage or room service, if my arrival is at that awkward time between too late for a proper dinner and “too early for bed but I think I will have a quiet night before a big day tomorrow”.This trip was no exception. [...]
oneworld it is for Malaysia Airlines
I have been covering Malaysia Airlines (MAS) for a long time and twe questions I often asked its management over the years were: “Is MAS joining any airline alliance?”, “If so which one”.The answer inevitably was, "No we’re are still evaluating."Well, the evaluation has come to an end on [...]
Open Sesame – but to what? More information, only faster?
In a month, maybe three, I will be able to stream videos, music, anything I want at, I am told, 10 times the speed I am doing now. I don’t know whether to be excited or terrified by the prospect.Excited, I suppose, because I will no longer have to wait and twiddle my thumbs for 60 seconds while wa [...]
Open Travel Alliance on challenges facing open standards and solutions for long tail
The Open Travel Alliance (OTA), the champion of open standards in the industry, stands ready to support Asia as the region’s online travel industry continues to mature.Executive director Valyn Perini (left) said, “We believe standard XML structures are critical to the growth of any segment or re [...]
Opening a hotel these days – you got to do it differently
In opening a hotel these days, it is important to get the timing of the pre-publicity right and in today’s last-minute world, Matthias Roeke believes you’ve got to strike it just right – too early and you lose interest; too late and well, it’s too late.The trick is to talk about it and have [...]
Pay in instalments when flying Brazilian low cost airline GOL
Just booked a ticket between Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo on the Brazilian low-cost airline GOL and came across two new features that I've never noticed on any other LCC website, where the norm tends to be for a rather convoluted and often annoying experience while booking online. Just think of Air [...]
Postcard from Sydney: Reflections of a traveller from Asia
I’ve been to Sydney three times in my life, but this past week was my first experience in Australia with a sprinkling of Chilean volcanic ash. The cloud disrupted air travel resulting in the cancellation of ANZPHIC where I was scheduled to speak.However, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and Sie [...]
