MBNA Thames Clippers is offering dedicated travel packages to World Travel Market (WTM) from any of its central London piers, on Monday 5 until Wednesday 7 November. Departures start at 7am and leave every 20 minutes from the central London piers, including Battersea Power Station, Westminster, London Eye and London Bridge – or to North Greenwich, coupled […]
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Source: traveldailymedia
MTA Mobile Travel Agents yesterday unveiled a comprehensive new travel agent training and certification program, with the aim of supporting members in their “commitment to travel industry professionalism”.
The new MTA Professional Plus program has been developed in-house by the Helloworld offshoot’s in-house training manager, Kirsty Tate.
MTA CEO Don Beattie unveiled the initiative at an event in Sydney yesterday, saying it would help enhance members’ standing as travel industry professionals.
“The various pathways are intended to help advisors further their expertise in the capability of all MTA technology, gain master-class product knowledge, learn about small business compliance and management while providing the requisite skills needed to assist them in building client relationships and growing their business,” Beattie said.
The self-paced program comprises nine core and two optional pathways, with elements including social media, corporate, cruise, air, land product, luxury, marketing, business and professional development.
Completing the program will enable members to market themselves as “MTA Certified Travel Professionals,” Beattie said.
AFTA CEO Jayson Westbury backed the move, saying it showed how MTA’s “market-leading initiatives support its people and align with the values of AFTA by elevating its already very high standards”.
The new MTA program is voluntary, includes a range of assessment techniques and has maintenance modules required to be completed annually to maintain accreditation – see traveldaily.com.au/videos.
Source: traveldaily
QANTAS will make a multi-million dollar investment in its revived Singapore hub, having revealed plans for a new First Lounge and expanded Business Lounge to open late next year.
The announcement was made as the carrier revealed its first quarter financial results, with total group revenue up 6.3% over the same period last year to hit $4.41 billion (TD breaking news).
With development due to start in Apr, the new First Lounge at Singapore Changi Airport will offer seating for 240 customers and provide premium a la carte dining with Asian-inspired menus.
The Business Lounge, which first opened in 2013, will be revamped and extended to allow capacity for more than 560 customers.
“With the return of our A380 service to Singapore we’ve got more passengers transiting through our existing lounge and strong demand for travel in premium cabins,” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.
Singapore has become the airline’s biggest hub outside Australia since it re-routed its London flights from Dubai earlier this year, with more than 20% of its widebody fleet now serving the Asian city.
In its Q1 results, Qantas also provided a fleet update saying it had retired another Boeing 747-400 in Sep, with its remaining nine to be phased out by the end of 2020.
Two more Boeing 787-9s will be delivered in Nov, bringing its total Dreamliner fleet to eight.
Source: traveldaily
NRMA has today announced the acquisition of Sydney transport and tourism service provider Fantasea Cruising (TD breaking news) just 12 months on from its purchase of the Manly Fast Ferry service.
The move, which provides the NRMA with capacity to broaden its ferry services to other parts of the city including Sydney Olympic Park, forms part of the company’s strategy to “become Australia’s largest provider of transport and tourism services”, while opening up Sydney’s tourist sites to the NRMA members and community.
“Fantasea has a diverse and modern fleet of vessels and their operational approach to customer service aligns with the NRMA,” said NRMA Group CEO Rohan Lund.
“As the NRMA Group of businesses expands so too does our capacity to provide much-needed transport solutions to a community keen to get around faster,” he added.
The merger will see NRMA’s water fleet grow to 31 vessels.
Source: traveldaily
SILVERSEA Cruises is reminding travel consultants that its current offer of 10% savings on voyages departing in Mar and Apr 2019 ends on Wed 31 Oct 2019.
More details on the cover page.
Source: traveldaily
AURORA Expeditions has confirmed an order for a second new ship, which is expected to join the Greg Mortimer for the 2020/21 cruising season.
Speaking at the Travel IQ conference in Sydney yesterday, Aurora MD Robert Halfpenny confirmed there had been huge interest in the Greg Mortimer which will undertake its maiden voyage on 31 Oct 2019.
He confirmed the 2019/20 season was already almost sold out, saying the strong demand for the unique vessel confirmed the need for additional capacity.
Halfpenny wasn’t able to confirm delivery dates for the second ship, which will be a slightly modified version of the revolutionary “X-Bow” wave-piercing design of the Greg Mortimer (TD 21 Nov 2017).
He said the advent of the two new vessels was seeing Aurora target TTV of $75 million.
More in Cruise Weekly today.
Source: traveldaily
YANKEE Leisure Group has confirmed the appointment of Narelle Ross as Head of Sales and Marketing for its newly established Amtrak Vacations office in Australia (TD 02 Oct).
Tammy Marshall is also a local Non-Executive Director – more appointments on page five.
Source: traveldaily
SCENIC Tours has failed in its bid to overturn a NSW Supreme Court decision in favour of the lead plaintiff in a class action who sought damages after floods impacted European cruises in 2013 (TD 01 Sep 17).
The NSW Court of Appeal upheld Justice Garling’s view that Scenic had breached Australian Consumer Law by not informing passengers about the weather disruptions beforehand, and that they were entitled to the luxury cruise that was advertised.
Scenic has released a statement in response to the latest findings, saying its legal team is reviewing the judgement and is unable to comment any further at this time.
The Court of Appeal has now sent the case back to Justice Garling to determine the amount of damages available to passengers in accordance with the judgement.
Source: traveldaily
DUE to unforeseen circumstances, Cathay Pacific’s Welcome to Washington DC Competition is currently on hold.
Travel Daily will publish a notification to readers as soon as the competition resumes.
Source: traveldaily
BENTOURS is offering agents a chance to win a spot on a famil to Norway, when booking any Hurtigruten Norway cruise, port-to-port or Bentours package featuring Hurtigruten in Oct.
See page 10 for more.
Source: traveldaily
