OnAir Stage and Screen Newsletter - December 2011
Sue's News
What's in the wings for 2012?
I think it would be fair to say that 2011 has been the year to expect the unexpected! With natural disasters and the Qantas grounding creating unprecedented situations for many of us, it's hard to believe that travel activity has remained quite robust.
It's also likely to stay this way in 2012, with ongoing - but cautious - recovery in the travel sector. We're expecting to see slight growth and conservative price increases as your industry continues to invest in travel for growth, but with one eye on what's happening in the global economy.
Australian airfares could rise by an average of 5-6%, while on the ground, hotel prices in Australia are almost back to pre-GFC levels and growth rates could be as high as 20% in cities like Perth, Brisbane and Sydney, where demand is outstripping supply.
So what does this mean for your travel management in 2012?
If you're looking for better value as prices trend upwards, and to safeguard your travellers and your organisation in a crisis, the must-haves in your travel will be:
- 24/7 crisis support, providing higher duty of care
- tighter mandating and travel policy compliance
- smarter travel procurement and management by working with a specialist TMC rather than a regular travel agency
- the use of an online booking tool to give you the multiple benefits of flexibility, savings on your bookings, and reporting capabilities
If you don't already have these tools in place, now is the time to speak with your Stage and Screen team so you can hit the ground running in the New Year! And please feel free to contact us at sales@stageandscreen.com.au, if you don't want to hear from us on email. We're in the process of cleaning our database and while we love giving you the latest industry news, we just want to check that you still enjoy hearing from us!
I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful, relaxing festive break and to thank you for your continued loyalty to Stage and Screen. We're very much looking forward to working with you again in 2012 to achieve your goals for the New Year!
Safe travels always
Sue
Stage and Screen Travel
Stage News
Stage digs deep for charity
Stagers have been rattling the tin in their offices around the country to collect Christmas charity donations. Each year Stage makes a sizable donation to a charity organisation and this year the team has chosen the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse at the Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) hospital. Set to open to the public in 2013, the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse will be a world-class cancer treatment and research facility providing integrated care to patients and carers. Based on the vision of Professor Chris O'Brien who passed away from cancer in 2009, the facility will offer the latest research and technology, advanced medical and complementary therapies.
Qantas Platinum guests celebrate at Taronga
Qantas' coveted Platinum dinner this year was held at the beautiful Taronga Zoo in Sydney. NSW Stage leader Tiziano Galipo, together with Kuy Thurman (left) and Connie Lui, represented Stage at the event which was hosted under a marquee with breathtaking views of the city, Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Host for the evening was Channel Nine celebrity Richard Wilkins and the mouth-watering menu was designed by Australian chef Neil Perry. Stage is one of a handful of select Qantas Platinum agents Australia-wide that were invited to the event.
Epitome of cool
If you're a fan of street art then you would have been drooling over the amazing collection of works collated for the Outpost exhibition (4 Nov - 11 Dec) hosted by Art Series Hotels at Cockatoo Island. The first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, the event featured a huge array of art from more than 150 global street artists. Stagers Christie Mitchell, Phil Paull, Casey Bates and Kate Smyth were taken on a private tour of the island to view the talents of ROA (Belgium), Kid Zoom (USA/Australia), Beastman (NSW) and a private collection of art from the world's best known street artist, Banksy (England). The Outpost Project was a collaboration between the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and aMBUSH Gallery.
Advice from the field:
Nordic splendour
Stager Mel Yates took an agent famil to the Baltic and Nordic regions. Sponsored by Fin Air and Ben Tours, the tour included Helsinki (Finland), Tallinn (Estonia), Bergen, Voss, Flam and Oslo (Norway). Mel says a city tour through Tallinn in Estonia is a must do for visitors. The Old Town has been preserved and maintained perfectly and the history and culture of the town is celebrated daily. A self-guided tour through Norway, provided a good opportunity to see Bergen on the west coast of Norway. Mel says travellers should be prepared for the wet weather and opt for a walking tour to view the historic buildings, local fish markets and local shops. A scenic train down to Flam followed by a cruise along the Fjord and a bus trip back to Voss for the night allowed the group to see the beautiful Nowegian nature. Mel reckons a 'See Oslo' card is a fabulous way to see the city as it includes public transport, entry to some of the most popular museums, notes on the city highlights and shopping discounts.
Chill out in Virgin's Clubhouse
Stager Phil Paull experienced all three passenger cabins on Virgin Atlantic during a recent famil to London and says the Upper Class was a highlight of the trip as was the Virgin Clubhouse at Heathrow. Guests can play video games, pool tables, visit an observation deck and if you love white spirits, take a seat at the Clubhouse bar that serves only Grey Goose vodka.
Hip and happening in Hong Kong
If you're heading to Hong Kong in the near future, check in with Melbourne Stager Chad Keating who has just returned from a famil tour of the city. Hosted by Langham Hotels, Chad toured their Hong Kong properties including Eaton Smart, Langham Place and Langham Hong Kong. Agents ate at local restaurants, enjoyed cocktails by one of the Langham pools and took a Tai Chi lesson. Chad says the sightseeing and local cuisine was amazing with tram rides to The Peak, a night out in Lan Kwai Fong, local markets and lunch at the world's cheapest Michelin restaurant, Din Tai Fung, which he said had 'arguably the best dumplings in the world!'
Adventure of a lifetime for Vic Stager
A recent trip to India and Nepal was no ordinary holiday for Victorian Stager, Kuy Thurman. Kuy took a G Adventures overland trip from Kathmandu to New Delhi including rail and bus travel. The tour had Kuy and his wife paragliding in Pokhara, practising yoga in Varanasi at dawn on the banks of the Ganges river, jewellery shopping in Jaipur and washing elephants in Chitwan National Park. Kuy said the trip gave him the chance to experience some of the best sightseeing and adventure activities that each country had to offer.
Industry Updates
Did you know?
More flights for WA: Qantas is boosting services from Perth to a range of destinations including Karratha, Newman, Port Hedland, Paraburdoo and Broome. Karratha is being serviced by an extra three return trips from Perth each week; services to Newman have been increased by four extra return services and three more return trips have been added to the Paraburdoo route. A number of services between Perth and Port Headland and Perth and Broome have been upgraded from B717 to B737 aircraft.
New alliance: The ACCC has approved an alliance between Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines. The agreement allows the two carriers to work collaboratively on all aspects of their Australia-Singapore services including coordinating on pricing, flight schedules, frequent flyer programs, lounge access, marketing and sales.
Polynesian Blue rebranded: Polynesian Blue will be rebranded to Virgin Samoa early in the New Year. The new brand and livery will be in tune with parent company Virgin but will have a uniquely 'Samoan flavour'. A palm tree logo will adorn the fuselage and traditional 'tatau' patterns will be included in the interior.
Quirky news
Robo noodle: A popular Japanese cartoon character turned into a look-alike robot has become China's hottest noodle maker. A unique noodle restaurant in the Fujian Province is fast becoming a tourist attraction with its one-of-a-kind robot noodle chefs. The owner paid a cool $15,000 for the robots, which help to prepare meals by slicing noodles into boiling water.
Cheesy mission: A Dutch astronaut travelling to the International Space Station with Virgin Galactic, has made a special dietary request for 10kg of 'Old Amsterdam Cheese'. NASA and the European Space Agency have agreed to supply the chunk of cheese to their employee, which should be enough to munch on during his five month mission into orbit.
'Crafty' hotel design: The Pelirocco Hotel in the UK has opened a new guest room made of wool. The beachside accommodation is perfect for chilly nights with its woollen curtains, bedspreads and vases. The hotel enlisted the help of a local artist and knitting enthusiast to design the room. Due to condensation concerns however the bathroom remains wool-free although the artist was allowed to knit a tube for the toothpaste.
Travel like a rock-star: If you have a spare $60,000 lying around, then you might be keen to take up Virgin America's offer to charter its 'Runaway Angel' aircraft. For your money you get to personally re-name the Airbus A380 aircraft and receive a chartered flight for you and 145 of your friends to any of Virgin America's locations.
First-time flyer makes history: An LA man says he is the only person who has flown on the inaugural flights of three international aircraft launched to market in the past 40 years. Thomas Lee was on the inaugural flight of the first 747 in 1970, the A380 debut in 2007 and now the Boeing 787 in 2011. Lee had to plead his case with All Nippon Airways so he could be allowed on the recent Boeing 787 flight. The carrier made only 100 seats available for top-ranking frequent flyers on the 787's first flight from Narita to Hong Kong.
