Auckland Airport has today announced a new partnership with AOE, a leading global technology service provider, to create a ‘multi-retailer mall’ which enables international travellers to purchase retail products and airport services via mobile and online. Richard Barker, Auckland Airport’s general manager retail and commercial, says, “It is exciting to be able to partner with AOE to create an ‘omni-channel’ commerce platform that further improves our customer experience.” “Expected to launch mid-2018, our new online ‘multi-retailer mall’ will enable international passengers to purchase from multiple airport retailers with a single transaction and then pick-up all their items from a single…

A Hong Kong-listed travel company has bought three parcels of land in Auckland for $9 million, where it plans to build accommodation units for Chinese tourists and to take advantage of the "critical housing shortage" in New Zealand's biggest city. Orient Victory Travel Group Company, which is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, sells plane tickets, travel services, jewellery and financial services. The company has been "exploring opportunities to expand its travel related business in order to add momentum to the growth of the group", it said in a statement published to the Hong Kong stock exchange. The three parcels of…

KLM’s “Anytime For You” service gives business class passengers more control over what and when they eat while flying. Following the launch of the “Anytime For You” business class meal service on 1 July, KLM has announced that the service will be introduced on flights to and from Bangkok in October 2017. The service, currently available on KLM’s Johannesburg services, allows World Business Class (WBC) passengers to decide when they would like to eat, instead of in-flight meal times being dictated by the airline. Together with each passenger, crew members compile a personal service schedule for the flight. This service…

 Singapore Airlines has launched an all-new Singapore Airlines HighFlyer programme for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to get more mileage out of flights on company business. The new corporate travel programme is designed to reward both corporates and employees when they fly with Singapore Airlines and SilkAir. Corporates will earn HighFlyer points while employees continue to earn KrisFlyer miles each time an employee flies with Singapore Airlines or SilkAir, making it a more rewarding way to travel for business. With no minimum annual travel spend required, corporates earn five HighFlyer points for every S$1 spend on tickets booked through Singapore…

It could be the largest sketch in history – Boeing has used one of its B787-8 Dreamliners to draw a huge image of the plane over the entire continental United States, etched by its own flight path. The extraordinary journey, designed as a creative way for the plane to make an endurance test flight, happened last week. The shape was so huge that the only way of discerning it was by looking on air traffic sites like FlightAware and FlightRadar24. Boeing said the B787-8 Dreamliner crossed 22 states to form the giant outline. It took off from Boeing Field International…

Air New Zealand will fly almost 60,000 additional seats between Auckland and Honolulu from April to October next year, an increase of 75 percent compared with this year. The airline will operate an additional 94 return services during the period, moving to daily flights and up to nine services per week during the busy July school holiday period. Services will be operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for the majority of the year, with a change to the Boeing 777-200 during the July and September holiday periods. Air New Zealand’s Chief Revenue Officer Cam Wallace says the airline is excited…

The Australian government will roll out a “contactless traveller” clearance process for travellers arriving at the country’s international airports, after Vision-Box signed a contract to deliver the service. The three year contract will deliver upgraded biometric technology, enabling the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to use biometric data to clear passengers arriving at Australia’s international airports. It will also deliver a new capability that will eventually enable known travellers to self-process through the border without producing their passport, relying wholly on facial recognition technology. Australia’s Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Peter Dutton, said the project is another step…

Price:From $2,375 Stay:4 nights Travel Dates:Thursday 5th of October 2017 until Monday 9th of October 2017 Description:SUPERCHEAP AUTO BATHURST 1000 - 4 Nights from $2375* per person (with Sporting Tours). Every year the Bathurst 1000 produces incredible showdowns as drivers try to conquer ‘The Mountain’. The 4-day 1,000-kilometre touring car race is a round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series and is considered the pinnacle of Australian motorsport. Experience the exhilarating atmosphere on and off the track with fantastic entertainment, a full schedule of V8 Supercars and excellent facilities. We’re delighted to have motor racing expert Willie Kay hosting our…

As Australian domestic airlines wait to see whether lengthy passenger waits caused by enhanced airport security screening will affect business, a major union has warned that high staff turnover at airports is creating an additional security risk. A nationwide air travel security alert began at the weekend after counter-terrorism squads launched armed raids on four Sydney properties over an alleged “Islamic-inspired” plot to bring down an aircraft – reportedly by using poison gas. As a result, passengers now need to arrive at Australian airports two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights to allow ample time for…

In a recent white paper, SITAONAIR proposed what will be the second in-flight revolution: the adoption of open architecture and common service provision. This will allow airlines to make passenger connectivity part of the airline brand rather than a lock-in to a supplier’s refresh cycle. Thought leadership article, authored by SITA. With airlines embracing connected aircraft, the first in-flight connectivity revolution is clearly in full swing. But we’re now poised for in-flight revolution no.2: open platforms and common standards that will unlock new opportunities for digital service innovation. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s airline fleet will be connected –…