| Scoot to launch Tianjin-S'pore flights in August 27 March 2012 1317 hrs By Valerie Tan Channel News Asia BEIJING : Singapore Airlines' wholly-owned budget carrier Scoot will make its first foray into China, with flights between Singapore and Tianjin taking off in August. The medium- to long-haul budget carrier said there are two more Chinese destinations in the pipeline. Capital Beijing will not be on the cards. Scoot will be flying between Tianjin and Singapore, four times a week, starting from August. The budget long-haul carrier said it will be landing in two more secondary Chinese cities, before the end of 2012. It is all part of Scoot's long-term strategy to connect passengers from developing cities in China to Singapore, and other international destinations. Campbell Wilson, CEO of Scoot, said: "Clearly there are one-stop options people are getting to when they need to travel. So by offering a non-stop option, we feel that we will be able to attract a substantial amount of demand. "Singapore has such a huge air network so there is a lot of natural connectivity that people will fly up on us and connect on one of the other mini airlines to destinations that we do not offer ourselves." The airline declined to comment on its expected passenger volume and targeted market share in China. But Tianjin International Airport said two-thirds of its daily passenger volume comes from connecting flights, and AirAsia is the only other international budget carrier operating there. No exact date was given, but Scoot said ticket sales to Tianjin are expected to start in a few weeks. The carrier said 17,000 seats for its S$88 Sydney-Singapore flight were sold within first nine hours of sale. Analysts said China has huge potential for international budget carriers, and if regulations are more relaxed, 10 such airline operators are expected to enter the market in the coming five years. Chen Yuxin, visiting professor of marketing at Peking University, said: "There are no other countries with cities that have populations of more than a million each. Consumption levels have also increased. The high-speed railway has also helped. "With old trains abolished, the choice is now between high-speed rail and budget carriers. And high-speed rail has become a reference price. Now that it is quite expensive, add a little more and you can take a budget flight, and save some time." The Chinese government has in recent years been progressively opening up its airspace for commercial use, releasing air-routes previously limited to the military, and giving access to operators to secondary cities in inland China. That is one key factor to the growth of China's aviation market in time to come. Qantas launches Jetstar Hong kong March 26, 2012, 11:23 am Taken from Totaltravel The airline industry is bracing itself for more competition today as Qantas announces its new agreement with Asian airline China Eastern today.The joint venture, to be called Jetstar Hong Kong, will allow Qantas to finally break into northern Asia, offering fares that will undercut it rivals by up to 50%. Australia’s national airline already has a small share of the Asian market with its various Jetstar routes, however this new partnership would give Qantas an even bigger piece of the pie. With China already recognized as one of Australia’s biggest tourist markets, along with the huge amount of business travelers between the two countries, it is smart move for Qantas. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce released a statement "We see tremendous potential for the Qantas Group in Asia and we're looking forward to working more closely with China Eastern Airlines to deliver on it". Shanghai-based China Eastern will have a partnership similar to the other joint ventures Jetstar currently has in Asia, including its deal with Japan Airlines last year that produced the offshoot Jetstar Japan. Jetstar Hong Kong will start with 3 airbus 320s to service the region, which will be increased to 18 aircraft over the next 3 years. While Qantas will benefit from the new partnership in terms of having more time to focus on becoming a premium international business airline, the change indicates a heavy load for Jetstar to bear in 2012. New Scoot airline offers $88 Gold Coast-Singapore flights 23 March 2012 Taken from Gold Coast Bulletin Singapore Airline's new low cost carrier has launched with a bargain-basement price offer for flyers. On June 27, Scoot will start five direct flights to the Gold Coast in a deal said to be worth $65 million to the local economy. The unrivalled deal, which was announced yesterday, means that Singaporeans will be able to fly into the Gold Coast for the same price. The move will stimulate the economy during the city's lower seasons and will also potentially bring in around 104,000 visitors a year. The lucrative agreement opens the Gold Coast up to Singapore's vast international connections, including flights to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the US. Singapore Airlines currently flies to 30 countries and 60 cities. It is understood the low-cost offshoot of SIA is also looking at flying to China, Taipei, Japan and Thailand. Gold Coast Airport boss Paul Donovan said the launch price was a win for the city. "This is not only good for Gold Coasters, but the important thing is what it means for the inbound market," he said. "Here we have a world-class carrier (Singapore Airlines) showing some faith in the destination and its airport." Gold Coast Tourism boss Martin Winter said the price offer was confirmation of the deal to see the airline fly in and out of the city. "This connects the city to one of the world's biggest international hubs," he said. "While it is great news, it is a double-edged sword in that now we could see even more travellers from our key domestic markets heading overseas." He said the deal would see AirAsia X - another low-cost carrier that flies in to the Gold Coast from Kuala Lumpur - 'sharpen its pencil' to remain competitive. American Airlines to remove one flight attendant when it removes one row from Boeing 737s March 1, 2012 By Terry Maxon/Reporter tmaxon@dallasnews.com | Bio An interesting side note to the Main Cabin Extra announcement by American Airlines is that the carrier will reduce its staffing on many Boeing 737 flights from four flight attendants to three. The Federal Aviation Administration requires airlines to put one flight attendant for every 50 seats. Right now, American Airlines has 160 seats on its Boeing 737-800s. That means four flight attendants. However, with Main Cabin Extra, it'll eliminate a row to provide more leg room for the premium coach seats. Flight attendants got this internal notice Thursday: "As the new configuration of the 737 is anticipated to be sold at 150 customers, there will be an impact to the number of flight attendants required on certain domestic flights operated by 737s. The requirement for domestic flying is one flight attendant per every 50 customers; therefore American will staff three flight attendants on domestic flights operated by a 737 after the reconfiguration." The logical question is that the math doesn't seem to add up. If one row of seats is removed, that leaves 154 seats, right? American apparently intends to block off enough seats and not sell them to stay within 150 seats. The presumption, we presume, is that any loss in revenues will be more than offset by the lower costs of staffing the flights. It already has to block off a few seats on 737-800 that operate over the water on international flights to make room for life rafts, I understand.Of course, when American first started taking the 737-800s in 1999, they had 146 seats. Seating dropped to 134 when American introduced "More Room Throughout Coach" in February 2000. After American abandoned MRTC in October 2004, the 737-800s were changed to 148 seats. Then, with the introduction of new interiors with thinner seats, it went to 160 in 2009. (I don't think American has finished converting them all from 148, though.) Therefore, the 150-seat configuration will be the fifth seating layout in American's Boeing 737-800 fleet, of which there were 167 airplanes as of Dec. 31 and a lot more coming over the next decade. American has proposed eliminating the jobs of 2,300 flight attendants as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. I'm told that the potential impact of removing one flight attendant from a lot of 737-800 flights is not included in those numbers. But I've not been told of what the impact might be, only that the airline will address that issue when all the 737s are modified sometime in 2013. Hawaiian Airlines Recruit Flight Attendants February 1, 2012 Honolulu- Hawaiian Airlines, which already has some 4,200 employees, is planning to increase its workforce by about 500 this year. It is opening up 175 new flight attendant positions serving its transpacific and neighbor island routes and will accept online applications submitted to Hawaiian's website until February 14. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by Hawaiian to participate in an initial interview later in February. New services added in the coming months will require the employment of these flight attendants. Jetstar Japan start-up heading for runway ahead of schedule December 22, 2011 Taken from The Australian Written by Rick Wallace, Toyko correspondent JETSTAR yesterday announced that its Japan operation scheduled to begin flying by the end of next year is running several months ahead of schedule. The low-cost carrier said it had appointed a prominent bureaucrat and corporate executive, Shinji Fukukawa, as the chairman of Jetstar Japan. Comedian Alan Davies claims Qantas hostie told him to f--- off December 17, 2011 Taken from smh.com.au Written by Alicia Wood Qantas has been hit by another PR disaster on Twitter, after British comedian Alan Davies claimed one of the airline's flight attendants told him to "f--- off". The comedian and QI panelist took to Twitter to vent his frustration, saying he would complain about the steward for years to come. Davies was on a flight from Bangkok to London when his two-year-old daughter was reprimanded for playing in the first-class toilets. "Life in #qantas town. A steward made my 2 yr old cry after turfing her out of a '1st class' toilet & told me to 'f--- off' when I complained," he said. A Qantas spokeswoman said the company would investigate the allegation. "We are taking Mr Davies' comments seriously," she said. Davies said that when he complained to the head of cabin, he was told to sit down and was not listened to. "The chief #qantas steward came out and told me he didn't believe me, argued with me over it and made my daughter cry again," Davies said. He also added the flight was four hours late and the food "rank". Davies has more than 350,000 followers on Twitter. It's the third Twitter-related PR problem for Qantas in recent weeks. Last month, Davies's friend and QI host Stephen Fry was on board a Qantas flight that was forced divert to Dubai from Singapore as a result of engine trouble. Fry tweeted to his 3.5 million followers shortly after landing to his Twitter followers: "Bugger. Forced to land in Dubai. An engine has decided not to play." Fry later tweeted that crew had informed passengers that "the plane ... is going nowhere" and a plan for passengers was still being worked out. "So either Sydney send another one out or they come to an accommodation with Emirates. Either way not a great week for #qantas," he tweeted, adding that staff were being "wonderful" and that passenger morale was high. Also last month Qantas experienced a backlash on Twitter after attempting to launch a competition on the social networking site inviting users to tweet their "dream luxury inflight experience". Instead, the airline's official Twitter account was inundated with angry and sarcastic tweets related to the grounding of the airline and the industrial dispute with unions. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-incidents/comedian-alan- davies-claims-qantas-hostie-told-him-to-f-off-20111219-1p1d1. html#ixzz1gwh0pazq Come fly with he/she! Thai carrier PC Air takes to the skies with 'ladyboy' flight attendants December 16, 2011 Taken from Daily Mail UK Written by Leon Watson Fasten your seatbelts! A Thai airline that hired transsexuals as flight attendants to set itself apart from competitors has taken to the skies. PC Air, a new charter airline that plans to fly routes across Asia, originally set out to hire only male and female flight attendants. But it changed its mind after receiving more than 100 job applications from transvestites and transsexuals. Now the new trolly dollies have made their first journey on a flight from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok to Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. The airline is hoping to expand with new routes later this month. During the interview process the airline said that the qualifications for the ladyboy flight attendants were the same as for female flight attendants, with the additional provisos that they be like women in how they walk and talk, and have a feminine voice and the right attitude. Though there is very little discrimination against ladyboys in Thailand, they are not officially recognised as women and their identification cards will always say 'male'. Known as 'katoeys' or 'ladyboys,' transgenders and transsexuals have greater visibility in Thailand than in many other nations, holding mainstream jobs in a variety of fields. They are especially common in cosmetics shops or health stores, which almost always have a ladyboy shop assistant. A blind date at 35,000 feet? December 14, 2011 Taken from Totaltravel Written by Laura Anderson Forward thinking Dutch Airline KLM has come up with a new way to keep its passengers happy, and possibly be responsible for some match-making at the same time. The airline is planning to introduce a new ‘meet and greet’ initiative next year that will allow people to view other passenger’s Facebook and Linkedin profiles when choosing their seats. This by far exceeds Malaysia Airline’s proposed plans to allow passengers to see whether their ‘friends’ will be on the same flight as them. The service will allow passengers to choose the seat mate by everything their profile shows; their profession, age, interests and last but certainly not least, their looks. For some, this may solve the simple problem of being seated next to passengers they think will be annoying or distasteful, but for others this opens up an opportunity for a new-age kind of blind date. Despite all the positive elements such a service offer, one has to question how this will affect people’s right to privacy and more importantly, how it will sit with anti-discrimination laws. Why is business soaring for Asian airlines? December 12, 2011 Taken from BBC.CO.uk http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/fast_track/9658894.stm British airways to cut recruitment following Air Passenger Duty announcement December 8, 2011 Taken from BTN British Airways has revealed it will cut recruitment by half in 2012 as a direct result of a government decision to persevere with increases in Air Passenger Duty. The British flag-carrier had been planning to create approximately 800 new jobs in 2012 to support growth of our flying programme, but this will now fall to 400 positions. “Against an already difficult economic background, these fresh tax hikes make it impossible for us to proceed with this level of recruitment, so we expect to reduce this number by about half,” read a statement from the airline. The airline also said it would postpone bringing an extra Boeing 747 into service next summer. The use of two others would also be “reviewed” the carrier said. “APD is not creating the foundations for growth, it is destroying them,” said Keith Williams, British Airways’ chief executive. “The Government talks about creating the conditions for jobs and growth – but the reality is the opposite. “Its tax policy, which is uniquely hostile to aviation, is costing jobs and growth at British Airways. “The rises in APD have left us with no alternative but to cut back on our planned recruitment. “Many of these opportunities would have been for young people. “At a time of high unemployment for new graduates and school-leavers, it is deeply regrettable that these additional tax increases have propelled us into this decision,” he concluded. Etihad Airways passengers to received first class treatment December 6, 2011 Taken from BTN Qualified chefs are now onboard Etihad Airways flights to London, Sydney, Melbourne and Paris and will be progressively introduced across all other first class destinations by early 2012. The airline has hired nearly 110 chefs since announcing in May it would introduce fully-qualified and classically-trained international chefs dedicated to food service excellence in its Diamond First Class cabins. First class chefs will also contribute to menu development for both lounges and flights. Etihad Airways’ chefs are provided with a pantry stocked with prime cuts of meat, sauces, par-cooked items, spices and freshly chopped vegetables. The pantry allows them to prepare for service and personalise dishes in the same way as chefs in a restaurant kitchen. Tools not typically seen on an aircraft, such as a whisk and foamer are also at their disposal. Mezoon Grille The launch is marked by a complete redesign of the first class menu, now called The Mezoon Grille. An entirely new Mezoon Grille menu will offer first class guests an unparalleled variety of choice in in-flight dining. Guests may select from a menu of four-six proteins (large, 160-gram portions of beef, chicken, lamb and seafood), four sauces and four side options, all prepared to order. Guests are guaranteed their first choice of protein and Etihad Airways’ chefs can also create custom sides and sauces to suit individual tastes. On applicable day flights, Etihad Airways will also be replacing its previous Degustation Menu with a “Taste of Arabia” menu, which is similarly formatted with a menu of 6 tasting servings, though all will now have a distinctive Arabic flavour. The A La Carte menu will maintain a similar formatting, featuring appetisers, mains and desserts, although the dishes can now be adapted with the help of the chef. Lee Shave, Etihad Airways’ vice president guest experience, said: “By introducing first class chefs and refocusing our unique food and beverage managers in business class, Etihad Airways has created the most robust in- flight culinary team in the skies. “We have consistently elevated our in-flight dining experience by putting culinary experts in airline roles as opposed to airline experts in culinary roles. “In this way, our innovative team is challenging industry standards and finding new ways to bring a fine dining restaurant experience to our guests, both on ground and in air.” First Class Chefs are fully qualified professionals, trained under reputable culinary institutions and/or apprenticeships. Etihad Airways requires a minimum of six years of professional experience in five-star restaurants and hotels, though the majority of the chefs have at least ten years experience. Several come from Michelin-starred restaurants. Remaining first class destinations to launch include Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Narita, Seoul, Brussels, Milan, Munich, Casablanca and New York. Eithad Airways is considered the World’s Leading Airline by the World Travel Awards. More dollars will Scoot overseas December 2, 2011 Taken from SMH by Tony Webber Scoot may be a gain for passengers shopping for a cheap flight overseas, but it's another blow for Tourism Australia. Qantas's former chief economist does the maths. New budget airline Scoot is starting daily services to Sydney, most likely on a 400 to 410-gauge or seat count Boeing 777-200 aircraft. That’s about 146,000 travellers it can bring into Sydney from Singapore. NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell is quoted as saying that this will add $150 million to the NSW economy via inbound tourism. To me that estimate feels about right. The maths is that if the plane is 80 per cent full and a 47 per cent of the plane are foreign residents spending about $3300 each then that gives you total spending of around $180 million. Not all of this money will stay in NSW. Some of it will go to other states, most likely Queensland or Victoria, as foreign visitors decide to stretch their legs a little. And some of it will also go to foreign companies in the form of airfares and travel agency commissions. For example, the airfares that are paid by foreign passengers flying on Scoot will go to Scoot and therefore the Singapore economy. If they were to fly on Virgin Australia then the airfares would come back to the Australian economy. O’Farrell’s $150 million inbound tourism estimate suggests that about 17 per cent of foreigner travel spend will be leaked from the NSW economy, which sounds about right. Tourism deficit of $50m The main concern for NSW tourism, however, should come from comments made by the CEO of Scoot, Campbell Wilson. He was quoted as saying that Sydney was a target because Australians have a high propensity to travel. While it is true that Aussies love travelling, this comment should have sent alarm bells ringing at NSW and other state tourism bodies. Let me continue with the maths. Based on current averages, Scoot will take about 62,000 Australian residents overseas. Most of these are likely to be Sydney or NSW residents. On average Australian residents spend around the same as the average foreign visitor, which means that the money leaving NSW is around $200 million. That leaves a net deficit for the NSW economy of $50 million. Will a different set of assumptions close this tourism deficit and can they be justified? Scoot would have to argue that the foreign visitors that it brings in are “higher yielders” than the Australians that it's flying out, meaning that the visitors either stay longer or they spend more per night. Or the airline would have to argue that it is likely to bring in more foreigners than it's taking out Australians. Given the current strength of the Australian economy relative to other economies, and the powerful position of the Australian dollar, it would appear highly unlikely that Scoot could mount a credible, evidence-based support of its arguments. In fact, I think the deficit of $50 million is probably a conservative estimate. Regional tourism The real loser in this will actually be domestic Australian tourism because the new Aussies that are going overseas are likely to have toured locally – perhaps not within NSW but somewhere else within Australia. And the biggest losers are likely to be our tourism regions, such as the Northern Rivers (think Ballina and Byron Bay), the Mid North Coast (Port Macquarie), the Hunter and the Blue Mountains. Domestic overnight tourism in Australia is on its knees after seeing domestic overnight visitor numbers fall by about 1 per cent per year since 1998. And it’s even worse for NSW domestic overnight tourism, where the rate of decline is 1.6 per cent. And this is in an environment in which the population growth rate has been absolutely booming. Tourism strategies Public policy that relates to tourism in Australia must become more innovative. At 2.6 per cent of GDP tourism is a highly valuable contributor to the economy (mining contributes about 8.4 per cent). Strategies such as enticing majority foreign government-owned carries to bring more capacity to Australia must be thought through more carefully. In the current climate this is likely to be welfare-decreasing not improving. Let me explain. Scoot’s parent company is Singapore Airlines, which is majority owned by Temasek Holdings, which in turn is 100 per cent owned by the government of Singapore. Scoot is not in the business of helping Australian tourism. It’s in the business of helping Singapore tourism, helping passenger throughput at Changi Airport, making money on the airline, and to annoy Jetstar as much as it can (given that Jetstar has annoyed Singapore Airlines by setting up Jetstar Asia in Singapore). If you want to fill the planes with inbound tourists, ensure that they are high yielders and disperse them to regions that need help in a strong Australian dollar environment, then tourism bodies must have a stronger say in airline capacity decisions. That’s not going to happen with a foreign government-owned airline such as Scoot. About the only way it can happen is to do as Singapore has done, set up a whole bunch of airlines that are either majority-owned by the Government (for example, Singapore Airlines, Silk Air, Scoot) or in which they have a material stake (such as Tiger - 33 per cent - or Virgin Atlantic - 49 per cent). That strategy is proving immensely successful for them, and other governments, and it can for Australia as well. Tony Webber was Qantas Group general manager microeconomics and then chief economist between 2004 and April 2011. He is now managing director of Webber Quantitative Consulting, and contributed this article to BusinessDay. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/more-dollars-will-scoot-overseas- 20111202-1oa3r.html#ixzz1fKp1d0ww New budget airline Scoot scouts for spirited cabin crew November 15, 2011 Taken from AsiaOne Singapore Airlines' new budget carrier, Scoot, is on the prowl for new cabin crew to fill its ranks, according to a Straits Times report. It ran an advertisement in last Saturday's edition of The Straits Times featuring two empty circles with a tagline that said: 'If all you see are two circles, we don't want you.' Mr Campbell Wilson, Scoot's chief executive officer, claimed the ad was 'deliberately designed to be different' in order to get people talking. The airline wants to portray an image of being different, with a little pluck thrown in, the report said. It claimed to be atypical airline and are looking for atypical crew. The CEO said they're looking to attract people with spirit, big personalities and who can interact with their guests in a 'fun and engaging way'. Cabin crew leaders must have at least two years of experience. Those who are interested also have to fill the empty ad using their creativity and imagination, the report said. The initial recruitment drive will be followed by a bigger exercise early next year, Mr Wilson revealed. The budget carrier is expecting a pool of about 250 cabin crew in the initial months of operation. After which, Scoot will make a beeline for regional markets. Those without experience would be welcome s well. Scoot's planes will take off in mid-2012 with four twin-aisle Boeing 777 aircraft from its parent, SIA, the report said. The report further said that Scoot's destinations have not been finalised but it intends to fly out to places that are more than five hours' flying time away from Singapore. Singapore Airlines launches budget long-haul carrier November 1, 2011 Taken from AFP Singapore Airlines today launched a budget carrier that will fly on medium and long-haul routes, including to Australia and China. Called "Scoot", the new airline will begin flights from mid-2012 with a fleet of four Boeing B777-200 aircraft, company officials said. "Scoot is for you," said the new carrier's chief executive Campbell Wilson. It is "not an everyday airline name because this is not an everyday airline," he told a media conference. Scoot will launch its first commercial flight by the middle of next year, initially with four B777-200 aircraft purchased from parent company SIA. It is expected to have 14 planes by 2016, with longer term plans to fly to India, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Wilson said after the news conference that Scoot is unable to fly to the United States initially because the B777-200's limitations but he was not ruling out serving the US market in the future. Scoot is wholly owned by SIA but will be managed independently. Analysts have said SIA is moving to tap into a growing consumer demand for low-cost travel over longer distances as most of Asia's low-cost carriers cover short-haul routes. Scoot is expected to compete directly with AirAsia X, the long-haul affiliate of Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia and British tycoon Richard Branson's Virgin Group. AirAsia X flies to several destinations including London, Taipei, Tehran, Paris, Seoul, Tokyo and a number of cities in China and India. SIA already has a short- haul, full-service unit called SilkAir, which travels to tourist destinations in Asia and has a stake in Asian budget carrier Tiger Airways. SIA, regarded as a barometer for the industry, earned a profit of Sg$1.09 billion ($A826 million) in the year to March 2011 on revenues of Sg$14.5 billion. Tiger resumes Gold Coast flights after ban Wednesday 31 August 2011 Taken from AAP Tiger Airways will make its first flight to the Gold Coast on Wednesday afternoon since its six-week safety ban was lifted earlier this month. The Gold Coast flight will leave Melbourne Airport at 4.40pm (AEST), with a return flight leaving Queensland at 7.10pm. It's the third route the airline has started flying again after its flight ban ended on August 12. CASA grounded the airline on July 1, citing concerns over pilot training, safety management and its overall safety systems. Tiger says it will make further announcements on the resumption of other routes in due course. The airline has now returned to flying up to five Melbourne-Sydney return services and two Melbourne-Brisbane services per day. Tiger spokeswoman Vanessa Regan said the Gold Coast had proved a very popular destination for the airline in the past. British Airways Testing 100 iPads With Cabin Crew For Customer Service Effort 30 August 2011 By Mia Lamar, Dow Jones Newswires British Airways PLC is testing Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPad tablet with 100 cabin crew members in an effort to expedite on-board customer service, joining a handful of fellow airlines deploying the popular tablet for use in flight operations. The U.K. carrier, which merged this year with Spain's Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana SA to become International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (ICAGY, IAG. LN) said it plans to roll out the use of the iPad to all senior crew members across the airline in the coming months. "We're receiving great feedback from cabin crew and customers already. It allows the crew to offer the thoughtful service they want to deliver and customers are treated as valued guests," said Bill Francis, British Airways's head of in-flight customer experience. International Consolidated Airlines Group last month reported that it swung to profitability in the first half of the year, helped by the strength of the U.K. operations. Earlier this month, United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL) said it had begun to provide its pilots with iPads tablets in place of paper flight manuals. Alaska Air Group Inc.'s (ALK) namesake airline announced a similar move this year. The shift to iPads has lately been seen across a wide swath of industries; medical firms, for instance, have passed out thousands of them to their sales staff to spruce up pitches to doctors. Airline changes direction August 27, 2011 Taken from Sydney Morning Herald Strategic has a new name and new routes as it enters the no-frills market, writes Clive Dorman. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em: that's the new drumbeat of independent Australian holiday airline Strategic - soon to be rebranded Air Australia - which is pitching itself as a low-cost carrier as it enters the Hawaiian market. That means ditching its original pitch as the only Australian full-service leisure airline, an acknowledgement of the dominance of low-cost, user-pay flying. Starting at $499 one-way from Brisbane and $599 from Melbourne, Strategic will start flying to Honolulu in December using a two-class A330-200, exploiting the lack of competition on the routes. Jetstar has never flown from Brisbane to Honolulu and abandoned non-stop services from Melbourne three years ago, instead going head-to-head with Qantas and the soon-to-be-daily service from Hawaiian Airlines out of Sydney. Strategic is also planning extra services from Melbourne and Brisbane to Phuket from next March and, in a bold affront to Virgin Australia and Qantas, will begin up to four daily domestic A320 services between Melbourne and Brisbane in October. The former charter airline owned by Michael James, a young Brisbane entrepreneur, will also unveil its rebranding as Air Australia in the next few weeks to better identify itself as a local carrier. James believes there's a vacancy in the low-cost market as Virgin Australia repositions itself as a full-service business airline to take on Qantas. Strategic flights to Phuket were launched after Virgin Australia discontinued services from Melbourne and Brisbane to the Thai island to focus on the US market. He says the airline's new low-cost focus acknowledges that Australians now expect a user-pay option for "ancillary" services and the lowest possible fare. "Our cost of living is going up and with everything that's happening around us, the market is very price-driven," James says. "We've noticed that with all of our bookings. "We're reported in the media as being a budget carrier anyway and most people expect us to be a low-cost carrier when they get on board. People are prepared to pay for what they use on board because the market is so price-driven." James says the new schedule is designed to boost frequency to Phuket (three services a week each from Melbourne and Brisbane from next March) and Honolulu (two a week each from Melbourne and Brisbane from December), so travellers will have options on most days of the week either non-stop or one- stop. The airline has decided to avoid going head-to-head with local and overseas competitors in Sydney. "Obviously, the Sydney market's there but Sydney's very difficult with slots and the curfew and a number of other issues," James says. The airline's ambitious plan would require the acquisition of up to seven 273- seat A330-200s in the next three years. The airline recently won the rights to fly from Australia to China. The airline hasn't announced the details, but it's expected to launch services between Brisbane and Shanghai next year, possibly with a stop in Cairns en route. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/airline-changes-direction-20110825- 1jbsi.html#ixzz1WEVkcU00 Japan's ANA to get world's first Dreamliner on Sept 25 August 27, 2011 Taken from the Botswana Gazette TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) and aviation giant Boeing said on Friday that the airline will receive the world's first 787 Dreamliner on September 25, more than three years later than first planned. The ANA plane will be delivered in Everett, Washington before being flown to Tokyo where it is scheduled to arrive on September 28, the companies said in a joint statement. "The airplane is ready. ANA is ready. And, Boeing is ready," Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a statement. "This airplane begins a new chapter in aviation history." ANA is the launch airline for the troubled 787 program, and has 55 of the aircraft on order. Boeing had originally promised to roll out the aircraft in 2008. But a string of technical mishaps and delays have slowed the testing programmes for the jets. The highly anticipated 787 Dreamliner is made out of lighter materials that help increase its fuel efficiency, while it boasts larger windows and more humid cabin air than conventional jets, which designers say will allow passengers to arrive at their destinations more refreshed. ANA this week said it will conduct the first commercial flights of Boeing 787 Dreamliners from Tokyo to Hong Kong in October, followed by regular services to Beijing and Frankfurt. The Japanese carrier said aircraft will fly on October 26 and 27 from Narita, near Tokyo, to Hong Kong and will also conduct excursion flights departing from and landing in Narita as a part of a promotional campaign. Domestic flights from Tokyo's Haneda airport to western cities of Okayama and Hiroshima will start from November, it said. The aircraft’s first regular international service will start from December for the Haneda-Beijing route, followed by the Dreamliner's first regular long-haul international operation between Haneda and Frankfurt from January. Anger over airline's job breast checks Taken from ABC News August 25, 2011 Would-be flight attendants in South Korea have accused Indonesia's national airline of making them strip nearly naked and have their breasts handled in medical check-ups. Several dozen candidates for 18 female flight attendant positions with Garuda Indonesia were required to strip down to their underwear to screen out those with tattoos or breast implants, one applicant said. She declined to be named, saying she was still waiting to hear whether she had got a job after the tests last month. "The hand examination on breast was held since those with implants can have health issues when air pressure falls during flights," Yonhap news agency quoted an airline official as saying. Cabin crew are banned from having tattoos and workers hired in other countries such as Japan and Australia were also subject to a similar process, the agency quoted the official as saying. Garuda Indonesia's Seoul office denied part of the accusation, saying job applicants did not have to remove their bras and its staff only "lightly tapped [the] upper side of their breasts." "Those who passed the medical check-up said they felt no shame in the process," the firm said in a statement, adding it was common for airlines to check if job seekers had tattoos or body implants. But the move baffled industry peers and angered women's rights groups, who called the process unnecessary and intrusive. Kim Da-Mi, a Seoul-based activist with the Sexual Violence Relief Centre, urged the state human rights agency to take action. "I wonder if such a practice is acceptable in Indonesia," she said. Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim-majority population. "We've never heard of or done such [a] check-up on flight attendants," a spokesman for South Korea's flag carrier Korean Air said, calling the Jakarta- based airline's tests "bizarre". "I wonder if that means passengers with breast implants should not fly also." Competition for flight attendant jobs is fierce in South Korea, where the role is seen as offering high pay and travel opportunities, and thousands of young women prepare for years before applying for vacancies. Emirates Craves Apple’s Cool in Online Push for 4,000 Crew Taken from Bloomberg By Steve Rothwell and Tamara Walid - Aug 25, 2011 9:17 PM GMT+1000 Emirates, the largest international airline, is advertising 4,000 cabin-crew jobs via online music provider Spotify Ltd. as it strives to attract international staff for the world’s biggest fleet of Airbus SAS superjumbos. Emirates needs to boost flight attendant numbers by a third to 16,000 during the year through March as it adds five double- deck, 517-seat A380s, for a total of 20. Ads on Facebook Inc., the No. 1 social website, may follow as the Dubai-based company seeks English-speaking, tech-savvy recruits aged from 21 to 30. With Qatar Airways Ltd. and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad also adding staff, Emirates aims to leverage its status as long-haul market leader to become employer of choice among would-be cabin crew, akin to Apple Inc. (AAPL) in computing and Nike Inc. (NKE) in sporting goods, advertising manager Sardar Khan said in an interview. “We’ve growing rapidly and that presents a massive hiring challenge,” Khan said. “Apple and Nike are aspirational brands and we like to think of ourselves as in that league. Your friends are going to think, wow, you’re working for them?” Apple rose three places to 17th in last year’s 100-company Best Global Brands ranking from Interbrand, posting the biggest gain in recognition, while Nike advanced one spot to 25th. The maker of the iPhone also came 18th in a 2010 ranking of the 50 most attractive employers from recruitment-branding consultant Universum. Coca-Cola Co. (KO) and Google Inc. (GOOG) were placed top of the two surveys, while airlines were absent from both. Migrant Labor Like other Gulf sheikdoms, Dubai is heavily reliant on foreign workers, who make up 90 percent of the 1.97 million- strong population. “I certainly don’t think you’d have much in the way of UAE nationals,” said John Strickland, an aviation analyst at JLS Consulting Ltd. in London. “A flight I went on to Dubai in 2010 had British, Malaysians and Brazilians in the crew. Emirates offers a reasonable package. In terms of salary it’s always said levels are lower than in Europe, but then there’s less tax.” Emirates flight attendants start on a basic annual salary of about 47,000 dirhams ($12,800), plus hourly flying pay, a fixed monthly cash sum based on their role and competencies, free housing and transport, and an annual payment from a profit- sharing plan. At British Airways the starting salary is about 15,000 pounds ($25,000) a year, before supplementary sums. The 30-second ad on Spotify matches songs with reasons to seek a job at Emirates, depicting the attractions of Dubai to a background of Black’s ‘Wonderful Life’ and the chance to work with multilingual crew to Sister Sledge’s ‘We are Family.’ ‘X-Factor’ Founded in Sweden and based in London, Spotify offers access to 15 million songs and claims 10 million users in seven countries in Europe, where it’s the No. 2 digital-music platform after Apple’s iTunes, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. It debuted in the U.S. last month. “Spotify has the x-factor in that it’s perceived as a dynamic brand with a product that’s regarded as best of breed,” said Mark Mulligan, an independent new media and music analyst in London, adding that the company is luring major advertisers after establishing the validity of a model that, while online, initially “looked and felt pretty much like radio.” Emirates hasn’t given up more traditional hiring methods and will hold 77 recruitment fairs through Nov. 5, almost two per day, in countries as far apart as the Armenia, Paraguay, New Zealand and the U.K. English is the only linguistic prerequisite, though the carrier employs 130 nationalities speaking 80 languages. ‘Intelligent Move’ Crew must also be educated to at least high-school level, be able to stretch 2.12 meters (6 feet 11 inches) on tiptoe to reach emergency gear, and have “a positive attitude with the natural ability to provide excellent service working within a team environment, dealing with people from all cultures.” Online ad budgets are forecast to total $132.1 billion by 2015, almost double last year’s $68.1 billion, and to comprise 22 percent of total media spending, according to eMarketer, a New York-based digital media and marketing research firm. “For Emirates, as a public-facing brand, being seen to experiment with these platforms is an intelligent move because it shows that they are willing to understand and connect with people on the topics they’re interested in and in the places where they spend time,” said Tim Callington, head of digital and social media at public relations firm Edelman. U.S. Boost Emirates has orders for 90 superjumbos with 45,000 seats and a list price of $34 billion. Each A380 needs 26 staff: four pilots, 20 flight attendants and two washroom workers who tend to premium shower cubicles. Its Boeing Co. (BA) 777s require 16 crew. The Arab carrier is building the fleet to establish Dubai as an inter-continental hub and win passengers from Air France- KLM Group, British Airways and Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHA) while fending off Qatar Air and Etihad. It will resist cutting flights as oil prices threaten the profitability of some destinations and instead aims to stir up demand with cheaper tickets, President Tim Clark said in an interview on June 20. Dubai airport said today that July passenger numbers rose 9.7 percent to 4.7 million, with the U.S. -- where Emirates serves four cities -- the second-fastest growing destination after Saudi Arabia. Dubai ranks as the world’s fourth- busiest international terminal and aims to leapfrog Hong Kong into third place this year, with an estimated 51 million passengers. Qatar Competition Qatar Air, the second-biggest Middle Eastern airline, has 91 jetliners in its fleet, 56 of them widebodies, with 172 on order, of which 160 are twin-aisle. Including retirements, it may operate 190 planes by 2020, 60 more than previously envisaged, CEO Akbar al Baker said in a June interview. Etihad, the regional No. 3, is pursuing a less expansive growth plan, according to CEO James Hogan. The carrier has 57 wide-body planes, with 103 jets due for delivery in the coming decade, including 10 A380s, 25 Airbus A350s and 35 Boeing 787s. Foster the most positive public image, though, and Emirates will succeed in fending off rivals to recruit the cream of the cabin-crew crop, according to advertising chief Khan. “You want to be the brand that’s on tip of people’s tongues, that your neighbors are going to recommend,” he said. To contact the reporter on this story: Steve Rothwell in London at srothwell@bloomberg.net; Tamara Walid in Abu Dhabi at twalid@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Benedikt Kammel at bkammel@bloomberg. net; Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net Scoot? Likely name of SIA budget carrier Taken from The Straits Times By Karamjit Kaur - Aug 25, 2011 Scoot Airlines may well be the name of the new long-haul budget carrier that Singapore Airlines (SIA) is to launch by the middle of next year. A Straits Times check found that New Aviation, SIA's wholly owned subsidiary that will run the new entity, has registered 'Scoot' as its trademark with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. SIA spokesman Nicholas Ionides would neither confirm nor deny that Scoot is the chosen name for the carrier. He said: "Several names have been under consideration, but the management of the new airline is not able to confirm details of the branding at this stage." SIA, which in May announced its plan to set up a new low-cost carrier to run long-haul flights, said the new entity would be managed independently of its parent carrier. Two months later, Mr Campbell Wilson, 40, who has been with the SIA Group's local and overseas offices for more than 15 years, was unveiled as the new carrier's chief executive officer. Captain H.C. Rohan, deputy chief pilot of SIA's Airbus 330 fleet, has been put in charge of flight operations. The new airline will hire pilots from the market; cabin crew will be hired in Singapore and possibly elsewhere in Asia, and training will be provided, SIA said. The new airline has also confirmed that it would start operations with a fleet of Boeing 777-200 aircraft, the first few of which will be acquired from its parent. While SIA offers a high-end premium service, the new airline will be a no-frills outfit. This means that on top of the airfare, travellers will likely have to pay for food and drinks and other services and amenities. Branding experts The Straits Times spoke to said that it is important for the airline to ensure a clear value proposition for consumers. As for the name of the carrier, 'Scoot Airlines' could work, said Mr Graham Hitchmough, managing director of The Brand Union Singapore. He said: "It's a name you would associate with a budget carrier - fun, friendly, spontaneous. I would imagine, from the name, that the airline, in terms of its service culture, would be a bit informal and approachable as well. "The name also suggests that this is an airline that will be quick; it will be efficient and spontaneous, and it will get you where you want to go." He added that - whether deliberate or not - if the name is to be Scoot Airlines, it will also start with an S, like its parent carrier and the group's regional arm, SilkAir. Associate Professor Prem Shamdasani of the National University of Singapore's Business School described the name as interesting and easy to recall. But, he added, because the name was "fun and unconventional", some may think this is not a serious airline, and that it may be unreliable. For marketing executive Terence Lim, 32, who travels on both budget and full- service carriers, the name is not so important. He said: "For me, at the end of the day, a name is just a name. As a traveller, what I want from a budget airline are cheap fares and a basic level of service. Whether it is called Scoot Airlines or something else does not really bother me." Qatar Airways wins Airline of the Year title at the 2011 World Airline Awards™ Taken from Skytrax London - 22 June 2011 Qatar Airways has won the coveted title as the World's Best Airline at the 2011 World Airline Awards, in a ceremony held at the French Air and Space Museum, as part of the 2011 Paris Air Show. Doha-based Qatar Airways also received the Best Middle East Airline award and the World's Best First Class Airline Lounge award for it's Premium Terminal facility at Doha Airport. Ranked No 1 in the world, Qatar Airways pipped the 2008 winner Singapore Airlines into 2nd place, with Asiana Airlines (2010 Best Airline) in 3rd position. Cathay Pacific Airways retained 4th place from last year, and Thai Airways International was a mover, rising 4 places into 5th position. Asiana Airlines wins the World's Best Cabin Staff award for 2011 Taken from Skytrax London - 22 June 2011 Asiana Airlines was named winner of the World's Best Airline Cabin Staff award at the 2011 World Airline Awards, in a ceremony held in the French Air and Space Museum at the Paris Air Show. The runners-up in this Best Airline Cabin Staff category are Malaysia Airlines, taking 2nd place in this category, ahead of Singapore Airlines. Voted by over 18.8 million airline passengers from 100 different nationalities, the World Airline Awards™ are the most prestigious and respected quality recognition of front-line product and service standards across the world airline industry. With 200 airlines featured, the awards reflect customer satisfaction levels across 38 different items of airline front-line product and service. AirAsia wins Worlds Best Low-Cost Airline award for 3rd consecutive year Taken from Skytrax London - 22 June 2011 AirAsia was named the World's Best Low-Cost Airline for customer Product and Service Quality at the 2011 World Airline Awards, in a ceremony held in the French Air and Space Museum at the Paris Air Show. The runners-up in this Best Low-Cost Airline category are JetStar Airways taking 2nd place in the category, ahead of Virgin America in 3rd position. Voted by over 18.8 million airline passengers from 100 different nationalities, the World Airline Awards™ are the most prestigious and respected quality recognition of front-line product and service standards across the world airline industry. With 200 airlines featured, the awards reflect customer satisfaction levels across 38 different items of airline front-line product and service. Science fiction? Airbus shows off aircraft of the future Taken from USA Today By Ben Mutzabaugh 16 June 2011 What will the airplane of the future look like? That's been a hot topic in aviation circles the past few days after Airbus released images and computer-generated video of what flying might look like in the year 2050. The concept plane -- unveiled by Airbus as it readies for the 2011 Paris Air Show -- shows a long sleek fuselage, complete with duel fins flanking each side of the jet's tail area. But while the plane's shape and contour have futuristic touches, it's really the features visible from the inside of the cabin that seem to have most people talking. (Check out the video by clicking here) Airbus envisions a future where class divisions disappear. Instead of first- business- and coach class, The Telegraph of London notes Airbus' concept plane offers "personalized zones that offer flexible, tailored levels of relaxation, interactivity and working spaces." Popsci.com notes "when flights are at less than full capacity, unneeded seats at the rear of the plane will collapse and all seats will redistribute themselves to offer everyone an equitable boost in legroom. These seats will also morph to fit passengers' bodies." One of the most eye-catching highlights: Flightglobal.com notes the aircraft would be "built of intelligent membranes that turn from opaque to transparent on command, to do away with windows and provide a panoramic view of the sky." CNN says "Airbus envisages a 'Vitalizing Zone' for relaxation complete with mood lighting, aromatherapy and acupressure treatments; a 'Tech Zone' to stay connected; and in the center of the cabin, an 'Interactive Zone,' where a round of golf can be played via a virtual projection." But, of course, there's plenty of skepticism to counter Airbus' inspiring images of how fabulous and stress-free air travel might be in the future. The BBC notes "the killjoy question of economics dampen(ed) the atmosphere somewhat" during a question-and-answer session with Airbus officials. The BBC notes that Airbus head of engineering Charles Champion eventually had to concede "we've got an airline business, and quite rightly, these people need to make money." Beyond that, other observers note concept planes rarely bring many of the futuristic designs they promise. Wall Street Journal columnist Scott McCartney reminds us "the history of plane development has been that when manufacturers envision grand dreams for passenger comforts, airlines simply see more room for cramming in more seats. Piano bars in 747s? Long gone. Wider coach seats in the soon-to-be-certified Boeing 787? Most airlines have opted to squeeze in an extra seat in coach rows." As for some of the design elements, FlightGlobal.com writes some might "wonder if Airbus engineering chief Charles Champion and his team spent a bit too much of their youth watching early science fiction films." Even if some of these concepts become viable within the next 40 years, will passengers ever see them on their flights? The Wall Street Journal's The Source blog writes that "while Ryanair is unlikely to buy into such a concept, since it is an airline that would rather get rid of toilets to make room for extra seats, perhaps an airline like Emirates or another cash-rich Middle Eastern airline known for its luxury service will." Dare to dream … Kung fu training for Hong Kong Airlines cabin crew Taken from news.com.au 18 March 2011 A HONG Kong airline is making all its cabin crew take kung fu lessons to help them to deal with drunk and unruly passengers. Hong Kong Airlines said all staff had been invited to undergo training in wing chun - a form of kung fu used in close-range combat - but it was only compulsory for cabin crew, the Sunday Morning Post reported. The airline had around three incidents involving disruptive passengers every week, said Eva Chan, the carrier's deputy general manager of corporate communication. Two weeks ago a crew member had to put her martial arts training into practice on a flight from Beijing to Hong Kong. "One of the passengers was sick but he was probably drunk and felt unwell. The crew member attended to him and she realised her fitness was helping her, especially because the guy was quite heavy," Chan told the newspaper. "Normally, a female cabin crew can't handle a fat guy, especially if he's drunk, but because of the training, she can handle it quite easily." New recruit Lumpy Tang, 22, said she never imagined kung fu would be part of the job. "We were surprised in the beginning, but after a few lessons we really liked wing chun," Tang told the Post. "You cannot predict what will happen on the plane, so wing chun is good because it's so fast," she said. "I feel safer because I can defend myself and I'm really happy to be one of the first cabin crew to learn wing chun in the world." Wing chun instructor Katherine Cheung said the martial art was ideal for airline crews. "Wing chun can be used in small, confined spaces so it's suited for an airplane," Cheung said. "It's easy to learn but difficult to master." Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/kung-fu-training-for-cabin- crew/story-e6frfq80-1226040552371#ixzz1Wxrzi56j |
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