News

Air Caledonie stated (27-jan-2023) due to industrial action it has amended its flight schedule for 31-Jan-2023. [more - original PR]

Air New Zealand estimated (28-Jan-2023) it cancelled 240 services as a result of flooding at Auckland international Airport. The carrier introduced flexibility on all fare types for customers who hold tickets for travel to, from or through Auckland between 27-Jan-2023 and 30-Jan-2023 on an Air New Zealand flight. Domestic customers are able to rebook in the same class of travel between 28-Jan-2023 and 06-Feb-2023 without fare difference, penalty or service fees. International customers have until 13-Feb-2023. If travel is only available in a higher cabin, the fare differential will apply. [more - original PR]

Qatar Airways partnered (24-Jan-2023) with Qatar Duty Free (QDF) enabling Privilege Club members to collect and spend Avios reward currency at almost 200 outlets at Doha Hamad International Airport from 24-Jan-2023. The carrier also announced Privilege Club members will receive Avios points upon check in, to be credited up to 120 minutes prior to departure. Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker stated: "We are enabling access to a truly unique airport shopping and dining experience. A first in the world initiative, this demonstrates our commitment for going the extra mile". [more - original PR]

Ethiopian Airlines announced (24-Jan-2023) plans to commence five times weekly Addis Ababa-Vienna-Copenhagen service on 22-May-2023. The airline will operate the service with 315 seat Boeing 787-9 equipment. Copenhagen will be the airline's 21st destination in Europe. Copenhagen Airports CEO Thomas Woldbye said the service will create opportunities for Danish businesses, especially in the pharmaceuticals industry. Mr Woldbye commented: "It has for a long time been our desire to improve the connection between Copenhagen and Africa". Ethiopian Airlines previously served Copenhagen for four years from Nov-1999. [more - original PR] [more - original PR - Danish]

Cebu Pacific announced (20-Jan-2023) plans to resume three times weekly Manila-Melbourne service from 27-Mar-2023 with A330 aircraft. [more - original PR]

Beijing Capital Airlines, via its official WeChat account, announced (19-Jan-2023) plans to resume twice weekly Qingdao-Melbourne service from 14-Feb-2023, increasing to three times weekly from 04-Mar-2023. 

American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) announced (19-Jan-2023) an agreement to integrate CHOOOSE's carbon emissions calculations across Amex GBT's travel booking and reporting tools. Details include:

• The integration will replace current calculation mechanisms used in Amex GBT's Neo online booking tool with emissions calculations from CHOOOSE;
• The solution will enable travel managers to select a preferred calculation methodology and apply their preference across online booking, mobile app and itinerary solutions;
• Travel managers will be able to apply CHOOOSE emissions calculations in Amex GBT reporting tools for trips booked since 2019;
• Amex GBT clients will have options to compensate for their business travel emissions through a portfolio of solutions integrated into their booking and reporting tools. These will include carbon offsets and insets, carbon removals and emerging decarbonisation solutions;
• CHOOOSE data will support meeting and events solutions across Amex GBT's services. Egencia will also integrate certain CHOOOSE emissions calculations into its business travel platform, including its reporting tool.

Amex GBT also integrates with additional data sources, such as IATA CO2 Connect. The company plans to implement emissions data for other travel segments, such as rail, road and hotels, and add more methodologies, features and enhancements. Amex GBT aims to increase the precision and consistency of greenhouse gas emissions data and build architecture for future carbon compensation. [more - original PR]

Air China, via its official WeChat account, announced (19-Jan-2023) the following international service resumptions: 

• Beijing Capital-Bangkok: Weekly from 27-Jan-2023;
• Beijing Capital-Phuket: Three times weekly from 30-Jan-2023;
• Beijing Capital-Chiang Mai: Twice weekly from 14-Feb-2023;
• Beijing Capital-Geneva: Weekly from 09-Feb-2023;
• Beijing Capital-Melbourne: Three times weekly from 01-Feb-2023;
• Beijing Capital-Sydney: Three times weekly from 03-Feb-2023;
• Chengdu Shuangliu-Taipei: Twice weekly from 18-Jan-2023;
• Wuhan-Macau: Three times weekly from 20-Jan-2023.

China Airlines plans to reduce commission for New Zealand travel agents from 5% to 2%, effective 01-Feb-2023 (TRAVELinc Memo, 20-Jan-2023). The carrier said the amendments are "part of our recovery plan", allowing for the carrier to "operate in a competitive cost model".

Air Serbia and Qatar Airways signed (18-Jan-2023) a comprehensive codeshare agreement, offering passengers seamless travel to more than 40 destinations, effective 01-Feb-2023. The codeshare network will include Qatar Airways' service between Belgrade and Doha, and to destinations beyond Doha including Adelaide, Baku, Brisbane, Tbilisi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Muscat, Nairobi, Perth, Seychelles, Singapore and Sydney. Air Serbia plans to extend coverage to Bangkok, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Phuket, Seoul, Tokyo, Yerevan, Zanzibar and other destinations, subject to obtaining necessary government approvals and once all conditions are fulfilled. Qatar Airways operates five times weekly Doha-Belgrade service. The codeshare agreement also allows passengers to use a single booking to continue travel to European countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia among others served by Air Serbia. Air Serbia CEO Jiří Marek said: "Through this cooperation, we believe that we will be able to jointly bring to Serbia more traffic and opportunities for trade and tourism, as well as to increase the traffic between the two hubs". Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: "This partnership will allow us to expand our footprint in the Central and Eastern European markets". [more - original PR - English/Serbian] [more - original PR]