Virgin Reintroduces Direct CT Seasonal Flights

Virgin Atlantic has re-introduced its direct seasonal flights between Cape Town and London from 18 October. The schedule will continue until April 2013. Flights will operate three times a week until the end of October, and from then will move to daily flights. “By introducing the direct flight for summer, we believe this will drive additional tourism to both London and Cape Town. The direct route also cuts down costs, whichever way you’re flying,” said Simon Newton-Smith, Virgin Atlantic’s Country Manager for South Africa.

New SA Low-Cost Airline

 New South African domestic airline FlyGoAir is set to launch, with Lanseria as its major hub to the north-west of Johannesburg. According to media reports, the airline is set to operate an "affordable premium service" on routes that are currently not well served by other airlines. It's due to start operating on 26 November, with its first route being the Lanseria - Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport route, with estimated airfares of R999-00 per person one way, inclusive of all taxes.
The airline plans to offer in-flight services such as meals, beverages and alcohol, and has also designed a unique loyalty reward programme, in which passengers qualify for a free flight after every six flights flown. According to CEO, Reg Sivsanker, “FlyGoAir is bold in wanting to take to the skies in tough times", but he believes in its competitive advantage and in the future, the airline hopes to expand its services by adding flights to the more popular destinations, which, he says, will further improve FlyGoAir’s competitive edge. FlyGoAir also plans to launch another two routes in January, to Polokwane and Pietermaritzburg respectively, with other routes said to be in the pipeline for next year, including flights from Lanseria to Bloemfontein and George, as well as a service from Kruger Mpumalanga to Cape Town. FlyGoAir will work with an online reservation system, which will take bookings from only two calendar months in advance. “Passengers can be assured; they will not have to suffer the same fate as those passengers who lost money on advance bookings on airlines that folded,” said Sivsanker.
 Although FlyGoAir has appealed to the public and the industry to be positive and “welcome the airline that is trying to make a difference by adding value and choice to air travel in South Africa”, industry players warn that it had better have deep pockets if it wants to survive in the current economic climate. “Anyone trying to launch an airline in the current trading environment is extremely rich or brave,” said Erik Venter, Comair CEO. “Fuel is at its highest price in history, as are airport charges.
 An added challenge for any operation from Lanseria is that fuel has to be brought in by road transport. Further to this, the market is in decline as a result of higher ticket prices needed to cover operating costs.” Blacky Komani, 1time CEO, adds the current state of the aviation industry in South Africa is very competitive, with most operators reporting losses due to overcapacity and high input costs.
 “I sincerely hope the new player has deep pockets to weather the aviation storms. The last thing the industry needs is another player going under.”

Fresh Air Commences Flights

 Fresh Air, the Zimbabwean-registered airline which recently entered into a joint venture agreement with South African low-cost carrier, 1time Airline, is set to take to the skies on 2 November, with its first flight departing O.R. Tambo International Airport, en route to Victoria Falls Airport, Zimbabwe. This follows as Fresh Air officially acquired the traffic rights to commence operations. As initially agreed, the JV encompasses 1time utilising its fleet of aircraft to serve the Fresh Air route, which subsequently replaces 1time’s current Livingstone flight schedule in favour of flights between Johannesburg and Victoria Falls Airport. The route schedule, as it stands, includes three weekly flights from O.R. Tambo International Airport on Mondays and Fridays at 10h40 respectively, as well as a Sunday flight at 10h20.

New Booking Tool for BA

Customers visiting ba.com will now find it easier to book flights on the British Airways website, thanks to a new registration scheme. The new service offers customers a simple registration option during the booking process, so they can save their personal details to make future bookings easier and quicker. When customers log in, their personal information and APIS details are automatically entered to every new booking, taking out the hassle of adding them each time.
 Like other online retailers, such as Amazon, the new British Airways easy registration option allows customers to quickly sign up, providing only their name, email address and password, or to log into their existing registered customer or Executive Club account, while in the booking process. A post-login landing page will display all upcoming flights, providing easy access to bookings.
 Registered customers will also have an option to easily convert their account to an Executive Club account, while existing Club members will be able to see all their flights, not just those containing their frequent flyer number. Later next year, ba.com will also introduce the ability to save payment card details, making booking for customers even quicker.

Levy for Labadi Beach Hotel

The Ghana Tourism Authority has notified the Labadi Beach Hotel – a Legacy Hotels & Resorts property – that it qualifies for the 1% tourism levy, specified in the country’s Tourism Act. Labadi Beach regrets to inform the start of the collection of the levy with immediate effect, which they say is beyond their control.

Trouble at SAA

South African Airways CEO, Siza Mzimela has resigned, along with two other senior managers. The exit of Mzimela follows the dramatic walk out by the majority of the board at the airline earlier this month‚ including the chairwoman Cheryl Carolus‚ with all citing a breakdown in the relationship with the shareholder, which is the Department of Public Enterprises.
 Further to that, former CEO, Khaya Ngqula's lawyers have informed Carolus that he intends to sue her for R40m for defamation. This was reportedly because Carolus told the Business Times on September 30 that the SAA board had made progress in tackling labour, competition, fraud and corruption problems, which the airline had "inherited from previous management".
The SAA board is also currently suing Ngqula, who left the airline in 2009, to recover about R252m from him in four separate claims, following a forensic investigation by auditors KPMG.

KQ Increases Simba Lounge Capacity

Kenya Airways has expanded its lounge at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, to cater for increase in customer growth. Under the brand name ‘Simba Lounge’, two Kenya Airways-operated lounges at JKIA will seat over 200 passengers, with the older Simba Lounge seating over 50 passengers and the newly-expanded Simba Lounge on the second floor at JKIA seating 150 passengers, in an area of about 1500 square metres.
 The lounge service will cater for Business Class, Flying Blue Elite Plus and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers, where high value customers get the same unique service across all 500 lounges in all Skyteam member airlines. Passengers will have an option to choose which of the two lounges to use while waiting to depart. The lounge services will include amongst others, complimentary food, snacks and drinks, hot shower facility, high speed Wi-Fi Internet connection, satellite TV, and international newspapers and journals. The new lounge will be open to all Platinum and Gold card elite frequent fliers from all SkyTeam member airlines, departing or flying via Nairobi.

New African Signing for Hilton

Hilton Worldwide has announced the signing of a licensing agreement with long-standing franchisee, the Opulent Group, for the conversion of a hotel in the capital city of Bujumbura in Burundi, East Africa. The 130-room DoubleTree by Hilton Bujumbura will open in early 2014.
 Formerly the Novotel, the hotel will undergo an extensive 18-month improvement and rebranding programme, before officially opening under the DoubleTree by Hilton banner. Renovation plans are already under way and will cover all key areas of the hotel, including full refurbishment of the hotel lobby and renovation of all guest and meeting rooms.
 A new business centre and fitness centre will also be introduced for the first time. DoubleTree by Hilton Bujumbura will be located in the centre of the commercial district and close to businesses, embassies and government offices. Once open, the hotel will boast four conference rooms, a business centre, fitness centre and outdoor pool. Dining options will include two restaurants, including one speciality and one all-day dining, and a bar.
Guests at DoubleTree by Hilton Bujumbura will benefit from the brand’s standout features, including the welcome of the brand’s legendary chocolate chip cookie presented to every guest upon check-in; an array of upscale amenities and guest services; and the rewards of the Hilton HHonors guest loyalty programme. Hilton Worldwide currently operates 56 hotels in Middle East and Africa, totalling more than 17,000 rooms across 19 countries, and has a signed development pipeline of an additional 52 properties across Middle East and Africa in the U.A.E, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa and Cape Verde.

New Qantas Offering

Qantas has taken the next steps towards establishing its new gateway to Europe and the UK, enabling customers to book flights through the global hub of Dubai for travel from 31 March, 2013. The revised Qantas routes, Sydney-Dubai-London and Melbourne-Dubai-London, come as the ACCC considers the proposed Qantas-Emirates partnership, which remains subject to regulatory approval.
The schedule changes do not involve co-ordination between the airlines and do not require ACCC approval. Qantas will start initial work with Emirates on its proposed partnership, following discussions with the ACCC and withdrawal of the airline’s request for interim authorisation.
The ACCC is considering the airlines’ substantive application for authorisation. Qantas has also made a series of other adjustments to its international flight schedule, focused on giving customers more choice and flexibility. Qantas services to Frankfurt will continue until October 2013 and flights to Singapore will be timed so that they connect better with onward flights within Asia.
 The new schedule will be available shortly on qantas.com and via travel agents. Qantas will contact passengers with existing bookings to Europe or the UK after 31 March 2013 affected by these changes, to offer them alternative flights. Customers with bookings prior to this date are not impacted by the change.

Air France-KLM, Etihad and Airberlin Join Forces

Air France-KLM, Etihad Airways and airberlin have agreed on a new commercial partnership. As of 28 October, the airlines will offer their customers more destinations, thanks to mutual code-share agreements. On the routes between Europe and Abu Dhabi, Etihad customers will be able to fly on the Amsterdam-Abu Dhabi daily flight operated by KLM. Air France customers will be able to travel every day between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi, on Etihad-operated flights.
 Beyond their gateways, this code-share agreement offers five destinations each to Air France and KLM passengers on the Asian and Australian market, and 10 European destinations to Etihad passengers on Air France and KLM. Air France passengers will be able to connect through Abu Dhabi for flights to Colombo, Dhaka, Katmandu (subject to government approval), Mahe, and Male. KLM passengers will be able to connect through Abu Dhabi for flights to Colombo, Islamabad, Lahore, Melbourne and Sydney.
Etihad passengers will be able to connect through Paris-CDG for flights to Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Madrid, Nice and Toulouse, on an Air France-operated flight, and through Amsterdam-Schiphol to Billund, Cardiff, Newcastle, Oslo, and Stavanger, on a KLM-operated flight. Further to that, Air France and airberlin customers will be able to fly on all the routes operated by the other between France and Germany. Passengers will also be able to connect to some selected destinations via Paris for airberlin, and via Berlin or Düsseldorf for Air France.
 Air France passengers will be able to connect through Berlin-Tegel airport to Krakow, Gdansk, Graz, and from Düsseldorf to Dresden, on services operated by airberlin. Airberlin passengers will be able to transfer through Paris-CDG and Paris-Orly to Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseilles, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, and Toulouse, on services operated by Air France. Additionally, KLM and airberlin will co-operate on routes between the Netherlands and Germany. KLM will code-share with airberlin on three destinations beyond Berlin, namely Krakow, Gdansk and Kaliningrad. Airberlin will code-share on Berlin-Amsterdam routes as well as on Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester, beyond Amsterdam.

Gigaba Appoints New SAA Board

Members Following the resignation of chairwoman, Cheryl Carolus and six other members last week, South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister, Malusi Gigaba has appointed a new South African Airways board. The new members are Vuyisile Kona, Andile Mabizela, Andile Khumalo, Bongisizwe Mpondo, Dr Rajesh Naithani, Carol Roskruge, Raisibe Lepule and Nonhlanhla Kubeka. Kona has been appointed as the new chairperson. His spokesperson, Mayihlome Tshwete, said the board members who resigned would have finished their terms in October and were not going to be re-appointed. The new board members had already been selected by Gigaba and approved by cabinet in a meeting held on 19 September.

KQ Fly to Eldoret

Kenya Airways will commence flights to the Kenyan town of Eldoret, on the 17th of October. Located in the western region of the Rift Valley Province, KQ will operate 10 flights into Eldoret every week.
 Eldoret, taken from the Masai word “eldore”, meaning “stony river” due to its proximity to the Sosiani River, is currently the fifth largest town in Kenya. It houses one of Kenya’s seven public universities, Moi University, as well as its own international airport.
The Trans-African Highway forms a 10,269km east-west crossing of the African continent, with this frequented transit road network also passing through Eldoret. Major industries in the area include textiles, wheat, corn and pyrethrum, a natural insecticide made from the dried flower heads of the Chrysanthemum plant genus.

SAA Board Members Quit

Chairwoman Cheryl Carolus and six others have resigned from the board of South African Airways. This comes after a decision by South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister, Malusi Gigaba to cancel SAA’s AGM this week and his request to parliament for a two-month postponement of the tabling of its annual report. Carolus was quoted as saying that “there has been a breakdown in the relationship with the shareholder. I thought we had agreed on a strategy.
I’m finding it frustrating that this notion continues to exist that there is no strategic vision on the table at SAA." The board members who told Carolus they were leaving with her are Bonang Mohale, David Lewis, Jabulani Ndlovu, Louis Rabbets, Margaret Whitehouse and Teddy Daka.
The first board member to go, Russel Loubser, resigned with immediate effect on Wednesday, citing a lack of support from the Department of Public Enterprises - the airline’s shareholder. Earlier this year, it emerged that SAA was looking for up to R6-billion in extra funding from the South African government. Eight of SAA's 14-member board have resigned so far.

UNIGLOBE Launches New Product

UNIGLOBE Travel International has launched a new global travel management service. Global Solutions is a business travel division of UNIGLOBE, designed for a growing segment of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with multinational travel management demands.
Membership consists of an elite roster of UNIGLOBE experts in business travel management services, strategically located in key markets. Global Solutions uses a consultative approach to tailor programmes to clients’ needs.
Teams work with SME leadership to determine scope of services, monitor travel expenditure, recommend cost-savings, and provide emergency support to employees travelling across multiple countries. Global Solutions members work on a common technology platform to ensure seamless data collection and reporting.

Cathay Pacific Unveils New Business Product

Cathay Pacific Airways has unveiled its new Regional Business Class product. The principal feature of the new product is the seat, which offers an extensive recline, extended leg rest and innovative cradle motion. The seat pitch has been increased from 45 to 47 inches, whilst the in-seat width has also been increased from 20 to 21 inches.
 Each seat is encased in a fixed shell, ensuring that passengers’ living space is not encroached upon by the passenger in front. The ergonomically designed seat articulates into a comfortable ‘lazy-Z’ position, which allows passengers to be cradled in the optimum position for relaxation. Passenger comfort is further enhanced by a six-way movement headrest and an extended leg rest.
Each seat is equipped with a universal power supply outlet. A multi-port connector includes an USB port and an iPhone/iPod/iPad. Other highlights include the introduction of the Studio widescreen on-demand entertainment system, whilst each seat is equipped with a new and enlarged 12.1-inch, touchscreen monitor, which is mounted into the back of the fixed seat, a large meal table, and an extendable cocktail table.
Cathay Pacific Airways’ new product enhancements can be experienced on flights departing from Johannesburg. The Johannesburg - Hong Kong route is one of the first routes within the global network to feature the newly-launched Premium Economy Class cabin, and, as of 2013, passengers can sample the new regional Business Class product within Asia Pacific destinations, by connecting through the Hong Kong hub.

Air France Extends Seasonal CT Flight

Air France will resume flights to Cape Town, with three flights per week between 25 October and 12 May, 2013. This offers passengers an additional six weeks to the previous year’s schedule. Passengers can fly direct from Cape Town to Paris Charles de Gaulle in Air France's 309-seater Boeing 777-200, which features 35 of the airline's new full sleep Business Class seats, which are more than two metres long and 61cm wide, 24 seats in the Premium Economy cabin and 250 seats in Economy. Flights from Cape Town will depart at 19h35, arriving in Paris at 05h55. Services will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Air France-KLM offers passengers 24 weekly flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol.