Industri penerbangan dijangka pulih

KUALA LUMPUR 2 Jan. - Industri penerbangan dijangka mengalami pemulihan pendapatan pada 2014 dengan pertumbuhan penawaran yang lebih tinggi dan petunjuk hasil masa depan yang positif, demikian menurut Maybank Investment Bank Bhd. (Maybank IB).

Dalam nota penyelidikan hari ini, Maybank IB berkata, pertumbuhan penawaran yang diunjurkan pada 9-10 peratus, iaitu dalam pertumbuhan normal trafik penumpang Malaysia pada kadar lapan peratus setahun.

Nota itu berkata, dinamik penawaran-permintaan yang seimbang akan menyediakan tahap kuasa harga kepada syarikat penerbangan.

"AirAsia dan MAS telah menekankan bahawa mereka akan menggunakan pertumbuhan laluan sedia ada melalui penambahan kekerapan dan akan memperkenalkan hanya beberapa beberapa laluan baharu.

"Ini positif kerana laluan baharu cenderung untuk mempamerkan prestasi lemah dalam fasa awal daripada pertumbuhan dengan hasil yang lemah," katanya.

Maybank IB berkata, gabungan hasil dan kos unit yang lebih rendah akan meningkatkan pendapatan industri kepada anggaran RM652.7 juta, dengan majoriti berpunca daripada pengurangan 76 peratus dalam kerugian MAS, katanya.

Menurut Maybank IB, hasil telah disusun semula ke tahap baharu keseimbangan kerana kemasukan Malindo Air ke dalam pasaran. - BERNAMA


Sumber : Utusan Malaysia, 2 Jan 2013

'Public transport vital for tourism'

VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR 2014: New website also launched to provide information on places of interest in country

SEPANG: A MORE systematic public transport structure is needed to accommodate Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014), which aims to draw 28 million foreigners.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said a better public transport system was crucial as it was a vital aspect in the tourism industry.

"This is why proper measures and efforts should be put in place to ensure that public transportation is at an optimal level.

"We need to improve its quality through better offers and services to attract more foreign tourists."

Nazri said this during a press conference after launching the Matta-VMY 2014 programme at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA ) here yesterday.

He said the ministry had forged strong cooperation between public transport authorities and Matta (Malaysian Association Of Tours And Travel Agents) to resolve related issues.

Present were Matta president Hamzah Rahmat and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad managing director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid

Nazri also launched the www.discovermalaysia.com.my website that caters to tourists who need information about the country's attractions.

He lauded Matta for assisting the ministry in making VMY 2014 a successful campaign.

When asked about last night's anti-government rally in Kuala Lumpur, he said the organisers should not hold such activities during a celebration as it spoiled the enjoyment of others.

He said the country would benefit if protesters rallied at a more appropriate time.

"Then we can show foreigners our healthy democracy where people can protest and not be arrested."

In Ipoh, Perak's tourism industry has set a target of attracting more than five million tourists in conjunction with VMY 2014.

Perak Tourism chief executive officer Aida Hazlyn Hassan said the state had initiated wide-ranging promotional strategies over the last several months to draw more tourists.

Aida highlighted efforts to directly target the vast European and Singaporean tourism markets.

"Working together with Tourism Malaysia, we took part in October's Travel Malaysia event in Singapore as well as November's World Travel Market in London.

"Approaching these markets can boost the state' tourism industry as we will be able to directly promote the state's many attractions."

She said the recent launch of a state tourism website, social media pages and a mobile application launched in September allowed users to find more information on Perak attractions.

"A Tourism Perak video titled Discover Perak will highlight the state's culinary attractions.

"We hope this will be aired on programmes such as Astro's Asian Food Channel in the near future."

Some 37 events have been planned for the 2014 tourism calendar, in addition to smaller events by local authorities and agencies. Other events will attract tourists to the Royal Belum Rainforest and Pangkor island.

In Kuala Terengganu, Bernama reported that the state, after having registered four million tourist arrivals during Visit Terengganu Year 2013, wants to attract five million tourists during VMY 2014.

State Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jidin Shafee said the state expected 35 per cent of the tourist arrivals to be from abroad.

"We are prepared for the influx of tourists. We have 9,729 rooms to accommodate the five million tourists in a year," he said after officiating at the pre-launch of VMY 2014 here.

Jidin said the state had drawn up 22 r national and international activities for next year.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz placing the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 sticker on a vehicle after launching the Matta-VMY 2014 programme at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday. At right is Matta president Hamzah Rahmat. Pic by Mohd Fadli Hamzah

By A. AZIM IDRIS AND LOGHUN KUMARAN

Source : NST online, 1 Jan 2014

Best Western Int' buka hotel Pertama di Myanmar

Pengendali hotel terkenal antarabangsa, Best Western International (BWI) yang mempunyai rangkaian hotel di Malaysia mengumumkan pembukaan hotel pertamanya di Myanmar. BWI juga merupakan syarikat U.S pertama yang membuka hotel di Myanmar.

Myanmar disifatkan sebagai destinasi pelancongan baharu muncul dunia.

Hotel pertama di Myanmar tersebut terletak di Yangon yang dinamakan Best Western Green Hill Hotel.

Dari Yangon International Airport (A) to Best Western Green Hill Hotel mengambil masa 30 minit perjalanan

Pembinaan hotel di Myanmar berkonsepkan kontemporari dengan 189 buah bilik.

Layari : http://www.greenhillhotelyangon.com/location.htm

Aviation industry to fly through 2014 with less turbulence

for Malay version : http://senangtravel.blogspot.com/2013/12/industri-penerbangan-dijangka-kurang.html 

KUALA LUMPUR: The local aviation industry is set to fly at cursing altitude next year, with great growth prospects ahead, after having gone through some minor turbulence this year.

Local airlines can make 2014, a year to remember as Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Malindo look set to go head-to-head in the battle to win customers and keep them.

Malaysia Airlines will replace old aircraft to make way for the arrival of new planes to help further improve product offering.

The national carrier will use the additional capacity to increase frequencies to meet passenger demand and fly to new destinations. 

Its solid business model includes aggressive marketing and promotions, better capacity management, optimising asset utilisation and driving productivity.

Meanwhile, low-cost carrier AirAsia's positive growth is set to continue into the New Year while its long-haul service, AirAsia X, is aggressively expanding capacity from time to time.

The group has placed the largest single airline orders with Airbus for an additional 25 A330-300s valued at US$6 billion.

New aircraft will provide the carrier with the ability to offer non-stop services to destinations in Europe or one-stop services to the United States.

Malaysian-based hybrid airline, Malindo Air, will spread its wings in India by aggressively adding six more destinations by the end of next year.

It will start the Kuala Lumpur-New Delhi sector at the end of this month, followed by Trichy, Tamil Nadu, on Jan 2, 2014 and Mumbai, Maharashtra, on Feb 15, 2014.

The government also pledged to transform Malaysia into a regional aviation hub which would have a multiplier effect on the economy.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tabled the 2014 budget with the promise to formulate a National Aviation Policy, aimed at strengthening the ecosystem and services network in the aviation industry.
2014 will also usher in Visit Malaysia Year, the nation's biggest and grandest tourism celebration aimed at luring a record 28 million international tourist arrivals.

This programme will bode well for the overall aviation sector including, airport operator, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, as it will boost passenger arrivals.

RHB Research Institute expects competition between AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines to remain challenging but less severe. "However, Malindo will be less aggressive due to its high-cost structure," said analyst Ahmad Maghfur Usman.

He said this bode well for the two dominating local carriers, AirAsia and Malaysian Airline, if they play their cards right in maximising yields and loads. 

"Intense competition has resulted in airlines luring travellers with big discounts, which will help boost demand for air travel," he said, adding that this would benefit Malaysia Airports.

New budget terminal, KLIA2 which is scheduled for May 2, will also give a massive boost to the industry.
Ahmad Maghfur said high jet fuel prices, volatile exchange rates and stiff competition were among factors that affected airlines' earnings this year.

The fate of AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines over the fine imposed by the Malaysian Competition Commission in September for allegedly breaching competition laws was likely to be known in January.

On September 6, 2013, the commission announced that the companies would be fined up to RM10mil each for infringing section 4(2)(b) of the Competition Act 2010 by entering into an agreement which saw the two airlines sharing markets within Malaysia. - Bernama

Source : The Star Online, Dec 27, 2013

Industri Penerbangan Dijangka Kurang Tempuhi Gelora Pada 2014

For English Version : http://senangtravel.blogspot.com/2013/12/aviation-industry-to-fly-through-2014.html

Oleh Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Dis (Bernama) -- Industri penerbangan tempatan bersedia untuk 'terbang tinggi' tahun depan, dengan prospek pertumbuhan yang besar, selepas melalui beberapa 'pergolakan' kecil tahun ini.

Syarikat penerbangan tempatan boleh menjadikan 2014 satu tahun untuk dikenang dengan Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia dan Malindo, bersedia untuk bersaing memenangi hati pelanggan.

Malaysia Airlines akan menggantikan pesawat lama untuk memberi laluan kepada ketibaan kapal terbang baharu untuk membantu meningkatkan lagi penawaran produk.

Syarikat penerbangan negara itu akan menggunakan kapasiti tambahan untuk meningkatkan kekerapan bagi memenuhi permintaan penumpang dan terbang ke destinasi baharu.

Model perniagaannya yang kukuh termasuk pemasaran dan promosi yang agresif, pengurusan kapasiti yang lebih baik, mengoptimumkan penggunaan aset dan memacu produktiviti.

Sementara itu, pertumbuhan positif syarikat penerbangan tambang rendah AirAsia, bakal diteruskan pada tahun baharu ini manakala syarikat penerbangan jarak jauhnya, AirAsia X, agresif memperluaskan kapasitinya dari semasa ke semasa.

Kumpulan itu telah membuat tempahan terbesar dengan Airbus bagi tambahan 25 pesawat A330-300 bernilai AS$6 bilion.

Pesawat baharu itu akan membolehkan syarikat penerbangan berkenaan menawarkan perkhidmatan tanpa henti ke destinasi di Eropah atau perkhidmatan sehenti ke Amerika Syarikat.

Syarikat penerbangan hibrid yang berpangkalan di Malaysia, Malindo Air, akan melebarkan sayapnya di India dengan menambah enam lagi destinasi menjelang akhir tahun depan.

Syarikat itu akan memulakan sektor Kuala Lumpur-New Delhi pada akhir bulan ini, diikuti dengan Trichy, Tamil Nadu, pada 2 Jan 2014 dan Mumbai, Maharashtra, pada 15 Feb, 2014.

Kerajaan juga berjanji untuk mengubah Malaysia menjadi hab penerbangan serantau yang akan mempunyai kesan pengganda ke atas ekonomi.

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak semasa membentangkan bajet 2014 dengan janji untuk menggubal satu Dasar Penerbangan Nasional, bertujuan untuk mengukuhkan ekosistem dan rangkaian perkhidmatan dalam industri penerbangan.

Tahun 2014 juga akan menyambut Tahun Melawat Malaysia, sambutan pelancongan terbesar dan terhebat di negara dengan sasaran untuk menarik 28 juta ketibaan pelancong antarabangsa.

Program ini akan memberikan petanda yang baik untuk sektor penerbangan secara keseluruhan termasuk pengendali lapangan terbang, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, kerana akan meningkatkan ketibaan penumpang.

Institut Penyelidikan RHB menjangkakan persaingan antara AirAsia dan Malaysia Airlines kekal mencabar tetapi kurang teruk.

"Bagaimanapun, Malindo akan kurang agresif disebabkan struktur kos yang tinggi," kata penganalisis Ahmad Maghfur Usman.

Beliau berkata ini juga memberi manfaat kepada kedua-dua syarikat penerbangan tempatan, AirAsia dan Malaysia Airlines, jika mereka menetapkan strategi dengan betul dalam memaksimumkan hasil dan jumlah muatan.

"Persaingan sengit telah menyebabkan syarikat penerbangan menarik penumpang dengan diskaun yang banyak, yang akan membantu meningkatkan permintaan bagi perjalanan udara," kata beliau, sambil menambah bahawa ini akan memberi manfaat kepada Malaysia Airports.

Terminal penerbangan tambang rendah yang baharu, KLIA2 yang dijadualkan siap pada 2 Mei, juga akan memberi rangsangan besar kepada industri.

Ahmad Maghfur berkata harga bahan api jet yang tinggi, kadar pertukaran yang tidak menentu dan persaingan sengit adalah antara faktor yang menjejaskan pendapatan syarikat penerbangan pada tahun ini.

Kedudukan AirAsia dan Malaysia Airlines berhubung denda, yang dikenakan oleh Suruhanjaya Persaingan Malaysia pada September kerana didakwa melanggar undang-undang persaingan, mungkin diketahui pada Januari ini.

Pada 6 September 2013, suruhanjaya itu mengumumkan bahawa syarikat penerbangan berkenaan akan dikenakan denda sehingga RM10 juta setiap satu kerana melanggar Seksyen 4 (2)(b) Akta Persaingan 2010 setelah memeterai satu perjanjian yang menyaksikan kedua-dua syarikat penerbangan itu berkongsi pasaran di Malaysia.



-- BERNAMA

VMY2014 dan Sarawak 2014 : Aktiviti, promosi pelancongan dirancakkan tahun depan

MENARIK: Talib (dua kanan) ditemani Presiden QBC Datu Saleh Sulaiman (kanan) melihat gambar-gambar pada pameran Que Bah Club di Sarawak Plaza, semalam.

KUCHING: Kementerian Pelancongan akan memperbanyakkan aktiviti dan promosi negeri ini untuk merancakkan sektor pelancongan sempena Tahun Melawat Malaysia dan Sarawak 2014.

Menteri Muda Pelancongan Datuk Talib Zulpilip berkata, antara aktiviti tambahan yang akan diperkenalkan ialah bermukun dan bergendang secara besar-besaran serta tarikan menerusi sambutan perayaan seperti Chap Goh Meh.

“Setakat ini, kita berjaya menarik 4.1 juta pelancong ke Sarawak dan bagi merancakkan lagi sektor pelancongan, kita akan menambah aktiviti dan memperhebatkan promosi negeri ini.

“Dengan itu, kita yakin dapat menarik lebih ramai pelancong ke Sarawak sempena Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2014,” ujarnya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas mengenai perancangan kementerian itu bagi merancakkan sektor pelancongan Sarawak pada tahun depan selepas majlis pelancaran pameran gambar kelab fotografi, Que Bah Club di Sarawak Plaza, semalam.

Talib memberitahu, kemente­riannya juga giat mempromo­sikan kebersihan dan kecan­tikan Sarawak sebagai tarikan pelancong.

“Kalau tempat kita tidak bersih dan tidak cantik, maka orang tidak mahu datang tetapi kalau tempat kita cantik dan bersih, sudah pastinya ia menarik orang untuk datang menikmatinya,” tambahnya.

Menurutnya, satu lagi aktiviti yang dapat menarik orang luar datang ke Sarawak ialah acara memancing di Bintulu yang men­dapat sambutan luar biasa.

“Jawatankuasa penganjur di Bintulu sebelum ini mengadakan aktiviti memancing ikan. Oleh kerana sambutannya begitu baik, mereka bercadang untuk menambah jumlah peserta dari negara jiran. Jadi, semua ak­tiviti ini akan menjadi pendorong pelancong datang ke Sarawak,” katanya.

Pada masa sama, beliau mem­beritahu penambahan aktiviti dan promosi itu juga mampu meningkatkan kesedaran rakyat terhadap kebudayaan dan kes­enian tempatan.

“Selain menarik pelancong da­tang ke Sarawak, aktiviti-aktiviti ini juga dapat memberi kesedaran kepada rakyat mengenai budaya dan kesenian masyarakat ma­jmuk yang ada di negeri ini,” ujarnya.

Sumber & Foto : www.theborneopost.com , 27 Disember, 2013

3 Pelancong Asing Terkandas Akibat Monorel Melaka Rosak

Melaka: Keadaan di tebing Sungai Melaka, di sini, gempar seketika apabila tiga pelancong asing dikatakan terpaksa dibawa turun menggunakan jentera ‘sky lif’ pada ketinggian lebih lima meter selepas perkhidmatan Monorel Melaka dinaiki mengalami kerosakan, petang kelmarin.

Difahamkan, dalam kejadian jam 6.45 petang itu, pelancong dari Melbourne, Australia berusia antara 30 hingga 50 tahun berada dalam kenderaan berkenaan yang terhenti di tengah perjalanan.

Mereka bagaimanapun dibawa turun beberapa kakitangan Perbadanan Pembangunan Sungai dan Pantai Melaka (PPSPM).

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif PPSPM Datuk Baharom Majid berkata, pihaknya mendapati masalah itu berpunca kerosakan pada fius bekalan kuasa kenderaan terbabit.

“Kerosakan berlaku dipercayai berpunca daripada kerja pembinaan sebuah premis di sekitar kawasan itu yang menyebabkan monorel berhenti secara tiba-tiba.

“Justeru, bagi mengelak ketiga-tiga pelancong itu menunggu terlalu lama, pengurusan mengambil keputusan menggunakan jentera terbabit bagi membawa mereka turun segera,” katanya di sini, semalam.

Menurut beliau, perkhidmatan itu diberhentikan sementara waktu dan dijangka beroperasi semula dalam tempoh terdekat selepas proses membaik pulih selesai dilaksanakan.

alam tempoh terdekat selepas proses membaik pulih selesai dilaksanakan.

PENUMPANG dibawa turun dengan sky lif.

Sumber : Harian Metro, Jumaat 27 Disember 2013

Rebat Touch 'n Go sah mansuh 2014?

Rebat Touch 'n Go sah mansuh 2014? 

What????

SHAH ALAM – Rebat 20 peratus yang diberi kepada pengguna Touch ‘n Go dan SmartTag akan berakhir hujung tahun ini, demikian menurut sebahagian pegawai khidmat pelanggan kaunter Touch ‘n Go dan SmartTag di pejabat operasi tol.

Tinjauan Sinar Harian ke beberapa pejabat operasi sekitar Lembah Klang mendapati, rata-rata petugas di situ menyatakan perkara sama.

"Saya ada dengar ura-ura untuk menamatkan tawaran rebat ini. Tapi, ia bukanlah maklumat daripada pengurusan, tetapi daripada sumber lain yang saya tahu.

"Setakat ini, tidak ada lagi berita mengenai perkara ini sampai ke pengetahuan petugas kaunter, cuma saya tahu kerajaan tidak akan menyambungnya lagi," kata seorang pegawai, semalam.

Sumber : Sinar Harian, 26 Disember 2013

Artikel Bagaimana nak tebus rebat : http://senangtravel.blogspot.com/2013/12/cara-claim-rebat-touch-n-go-rm49-juta.html

Warning for tourist : Bombing Incidents in Southern Thailand

Press Release from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia :

Bombing Incidents in Danok, Padang Besar, Southern Thailand

On 22 December 2013, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia wishes to inform that the locations involved are as follows ;

• In front of Padang Besar Police Station
• In front of Sadao Police Station
• In front and at the back of Oliver Hotel, Danok
• In front of Bangkok Disco, Danok
• In front of Tesco Lotus, Sadao

A total of 27 civillians were injured during the incidents, however, no Malaysian was reportedly involved.

Source :

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia
23 Dec 2013.

Graphic : The Star Online

New Stonehenge Visitor Centre Opens its Doors

After a tortuous 21-year process Stonehenge, the stone circle that is one of the world’s most important neolithic artifacts, finally has the visitor centre it deserves. Denton Corker Marshall‘s design, situated 2.5 km (1.5 miles) to the west of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, has opened its doors and is preparing to deal with the site’s nearly 1 million annual visitors.
The new design features a museum, educational facilities, a cafe, shop and a ticket office. These spaces are brought together by a perforated oversailing roof supported on 211 narrow angled columns.

The new building forms the primary feature of a wider plan to improve the Stonehenge site, including covering the adjacent road which passes so close as to almost touch the stones, and removing the 1968 concrete facilities nearby. The whole plan is due to be completed next year, and will return the site to something resembling its original state, a philosophy that extends to the new building: it is situated out of sight from the stones, and designed with the principles of “reversibility” in mind – that is, it could easily be removed leaving almost no trace of its existence.

This has been achieved using a concrete raft, sat on top of a fill of soil – building up from the ground instead of digging foundations. This approach was further enabled by the lightweight construction and the maximization of outdoor space, with circulation areas left exposed.

This exposure of external space was also a part of Denton Corker Marshall’s plan to prepare visitors for the experience of seeing the stones. The design “should in no way diminish their visual impact, sense of timeless strength and powerful sculptural composition”, says Barrie Marshall, director of Denton Corker Marshall. Not being enclosed prepares them for the windswept plain on which the stones stand, the centre is lightweight in order not to detract from the massive solidity of the stones, and at 8 metres at its highest point, the new building is not taller than the ancient monument.
Underneath the canopy, the building’s facilities are housed in three pods: the largest is clad in sweet chestnut timber and houses the museum; the educational facilities, shop and cafe are housed in a glass-clad space; and the smallest, clad in zinc, houses the ticket office.

The visitor centre with its museum means that for the first time, visitors to Stonehenge will have an opportunity to learn about and understand the era in which it was built. Dr Simon Thurley, chief executive of the building’s client English Heritage, said of the new building: “For too long, people’s appreciation of Stonehenge is this mysterious, impressive but anonymous monument. The Neolithic period itself is pretty much a murky expanse of time, shrouded by many outdated notions. We want people to come here and take away a fresh view.

Source :

Stott, Rory. "Stonehenge Visitor Centre Opens its Doors" 19 Dec 2013. ArchDaily. Accessed 20 Dec 2013. <http://www.archdaily.com/?p=460780> 
http://www.archdaily.com/460780/stonehenge-visitor-centre-opens-its-doors/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/architecture/10521502/Stonehenge-Welcoming-a-new-dawn.html

Photo : The Telegraph

Tiket Flight Berdasarkan Berat, Pay-by-Weight fares for Airline Ticket

 

Approach baru untuk jual tiket secara Pay-by-Weight fares adalah sangat menarik.

Kata Ketua Pacific airline yang menjadi perintis kepada system bedasarkan berat penumpang menyatakan langkah tersebut sangat berjaya sehingga mereka menambah bilangan kapal terbang.

Samoa Air memperkenalkan world-first system hujung tahun 2012 bila mereka mula mengenakan bayaran tiket berdasarkan berat penumpang, berbeza dengan system lama yang berdasarkan 'seat'.

Ketua Eksekutifnya, Chris Langton menyatakan bahawa caj $0.575 cents atau RM1.83 per kilo terbukti popular dan bermaksud ianya tambang yang murah untuk majority orang.



Copy from their website http://www.samoaair.ws/index.php/booking-2/pay-by-weight  :

Talofa! And welcome to pay by weight and the first Airline in the world to sell your flight by the kilo!

You have probably seen and heard a lot lately about this… well let’s talk airfares!

Heres how it works…

Give us your weight… within a kilo or two would be fine, then tell us how much baggage you want to take, you can take as many bags as you like but just give us the intended total of your baggage in kilos (a kilo is 2.2 pounds)
We or the system will add all of this together and charge by the kilo against the sector fare which is always in our local currency (the Samoan Tala) and that is your total airfare… simple
On payment you will have a page to download and bring with you when you check in…
 If you are travelling as a group and paying as one then follow the same process for each member and again the system will add all the weights and calculate the total cost based on the kilo rate for the sector…

What do we do…?

Well by knowing your weights we can make some arrangements for the best seat for you and your ease of travel and if we can get you more leg room and a more spacious seating then we will…
We weigh everything. We don’t use “standard weights” we use real weights. Real weights are for real people..

Why Pay By Weight…?

Aircraft can only provide a certain amount of weight on each and every sector for us to sell, so our commodity is weight!
We gear our price per kilo by working it to pay for the sector, our objective is to carry the full payload – and give everyone equal comfort and to maximise our efficiency so we can offer lower rates in the future…
So the more we know about actual weight the more efficient we can be at reaching the target then… we can start to bring our cost per kilo down… so you get the benefit of the best price we can deliver for anyone needing to send weight (either cargo or passengers) on any of our sectors and what’s more because you book it on – it travels!

How fair is pay by weight…?

It’s the fairest of any system… not that there are a lot of systems around. Think equality of purchase. Think no discrimination. Think one price for all because a kilo is a kilo is a kilo… think that you only pay for what you carry and everyone pays for what they use (which is the dreaded kilo or pound if you prefer)…

How about space and a comfy seat and some leg room… I just paid a lot for my weight…

We know that weight in advance so we can place you where we can at least try to get you space and a seat which is comfortable and we can do that by removing seats, increasing pitch between rows, and leaving areas unoccupied – and if you nominate a companion we know their weight and we can try to give you the combination you deserve… and for the larger and heavier we will try to give you space adjacent…

What about Families...?

Well… no more paying for seats for the kids at adult seat fare prices or half adult seat fare prices… just total up their individual weights and they get their seats at the same per kilo rate as everyone else on the aircraft pays… check it out… how fair is that… remember that we always have seats but it’s all about weight…

So… how about cargo or unaccompanied baggage...

With us you can book it onto any particular flight… and it goes! Cargo rates are the same as passenger rates because a kilo…is a…. and you know the rest!
The only addition to cargo fees is if an item is in need of special handling then an appropriate fee is added.. but our aim is to minimise that part to actual costs.. I.e. for a Surfboard its $10 tala per board, plus the per kilo weight for the whole pack…

So…how can we help you to help us..

Just give this a go…we want to bring back the enjoyment in air travel.. we want to reinvent ways to make air travel an experience which you can still look forward to… and the greater part of that is staff who really concern themselves with your welfare… on and off the aircraft..
Welcome to our home…and yours...

SAMOA AIR… A WORLDS FIRST!

The Skys the Limit

About Samoa Air :

Samoa Air is a small airline from Samoa that operates scheduled flights between the domestic islands as well as to American Samoa. It also provides charter flights and medical transfer flights.

Foto :
precisionnutrition.com
http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com

Sumber : 
The Star, 12 Dec 2013
The Telegraph.co.uk http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10510159/Pay-as-you-weigh-airline-expands.html

Flying Fox Airways Tangguh Penerbangan yang Pertama Ipoh-Medan

Lee (right) said the company was forced to refund at least 17,000 ticket holders. 

IPOH – Penerbangan Flying Fox Airways yang sepatutnya membuat penerbangan pertama Jumaat ini terpaksa ditangguhkan ke tarikh yang belum ditetapkan bagi memberi laluan kepada kerja-kerja menaik taraf landasan Lapangan Terbang Sultan Azlan Shah.

Flying Fox Airways memeterai perjanjian dengan syarikat penerbangan ketiga terbesar di Indonesia, Sriwijaya Air  bagi penerbangan dari Ipoh ke Medan.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya, Daniel Lee berkata, mereka menerima maklum balas melalui notis kepada juruterbang memaklumkan buat masa ini, hanya kapal terbang jenis ATR-72 (72 tempat duduk) dibenarkan mendarat di lapangan terbang tersebut.

Menurutnya, pihaknya mengutamakan keselamatan penumpang malah perniagaan penerbangan bukan perkara yang boleh dipandang remeh kerana lebih 160 nyawa dibawa.

“Kami akan kerap gunakan landasan itu, jadi dengan kapal terbang jenis Boieng 737-400 (163 tempat duduk) secara tidak langsung tidak boleh mendarat. Kami tidak mahu mengambil risiko.

“Dalam sejarah penerbangan Sriwijaya Air, bagi syarikat yang bekerjasama dengan kami, syarikat penerbangan itu tidak pernah mengalami sebarang kemalangan, jadi kami juga perlu menjaga reputasi tersebut,” katanya pada sidang media di sini.

Hadir sama, Pengurus Projek Flying Fox Airways, Litsa Francis.

Beliau berkata, disebabkan masalah tersebut, mereka terpaksa memulangkan semula semua bayaran tiket ditempah sebelum ini untuk penerbangan pada Disember 2013 dan Januari hingga Jun 2014, bagaimanapun semuanya berjalan lancar.

Katanya, sekiranya sehingga Jun 2014 Flying Fox Airways tidak dibenarkan untuk mendarat dengan Boieng 737-400, pihaknya akan membawa kapal terbang lebih kecil untuk memastikan warga negeri ini masih boleh terbang terus dari Ipoh.

___________
Komen : hairan saya macam mana company ni buat planning sebelum menjual tiket.

Foto : The Malay Mail Online, 12 Dec 2013

Sumber :
http://www.sinarharian.com.my/mobile/edisi/penerbangan-ditangguh-sementara-waktu-1.229768
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/flying-fox-airways-grounded

Kerajaan pertimbang cadangan naik taraf pemandu teksi sebagai pemandu pelancong

KUALA LUMPUR: Kementerian Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan bersedia untuk menimbang cadangan menaik taraf pemandu teksi di ibu negara sebagai pemandu pelancong.

Menterinya Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz berkata mereka akan diiktiraf menerusi kursus intensif yang dianjurkan kementerian bagi meningkatkan imej negara di mata pelancong asing.      
Beliau berkata langkah itu dilihat dapat membantu kerajaan mengatasi masalah yang sering timbul ekoran sikap sesetengah pemandu teksi yang memberi layanan buruk kepada pelancong asing.

"Mungkin kita boleh buat (jadikan pemandu pelancong) kepada mereka yang berminat, (adakan) kursus intensif dan keluarkan kad yang menunjukkan pemandu teksi ini adalah pemandu pelancong terlatih dan diiktiraf," katanya ketika menggulung Rang Undang-Undang Perbekalan 2014 peringkat jawatankuasa di Dewan Rakyat di sini hari ini.

Beliau berkata sebelum ini, kerajaan melancarkan program Duta Teksi di sekitar Lembah Klang dengan kerjasama Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat pada Mac 2012 bagi menangani isu aduan negatif terhadap pemandu teksi.

"Hasil daripada program itu, sebanyak 4,000 pemandu teksi di sekitar Lembah Klang dilatih mengenai aspek layanan baik kepada pelancong, produk, peraturan yang perlu dipatuhi, pemanduan berhemat dan sebanyak 40 siri kursus telah diadakan kepada mereka," kata Mohamed Nazri.

Beliau berkata program sedemikian akan dilaksanakan secara berterusan bagi memastikan pemandu teksi dapat dilatih secara profesional.
Mengenai pelancongan kapal persiaran, Mohamed Nazri berkata kementerian akan menaik taraf pelabuhan di Pulau Pinang dan bekerjasama dengan pelabuhan di Singapura bagi menggalakkan kemasukan pelancong menerusi industri itu.

"Kalau kita naikkan taraf terminal, banyakkan lorong kastam dan imigresen di Pulau Pinang ia akan lebih mendatangkan manfaat kepada kita. Turun sahaja dari kapal, mereka akan ke George Town yang banyak tempat pelancongan, hentian seterusnya mereka boleh ke Phuket, Thailand pula," katanya.

Beliau juga akan ke Singapura tahun depan untuk melawat negara itu bagi membincangkan mengenai industri pelancongan dan pelabuhan kerana Singapura menyumbang hampir 50 peratus pelancong ke negara ini.
 

 

Sumber : BERNAMA

Sumber gambar : Utusan Online

Singapore Airlines stops world's longest flight

Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins Source: Supplied

THE world's longest non-stop commercial flight ended without fanfare Monday after Singapore Airlines (SIA) flew its last nearly 19-hour service from New York.

Flight SQ 21 landed early Monday in Changi Airport, bringing an end to a nine-year run. A direct service to Los Angeles has also been cancelled as part of a fleet renewal.
"Food and refreshments were served to customers at the airport gate hold rooms in Singapore and Newark. Customers were also presented with commemorative gift sets and certificates," an SIA spokesman added.

Analysts said the rise in fuel prices since 2004, when the 15,335-kilometre service was launched to cater to business travellers, made it economically unsustainable.
The cancellation of the service was first announced a year ago. Five Airbus A340-500s used by SIA for the service to New York - through neighbouring Newark - are being swapped for Airbus A380 superjumbos, a larger but more fuel-efficient model that is not designed for such distances.
The 100-seat, all business-class service to New York was pricey but passengers flew in comfort and saved hours of travel time by not having to make stopovers.
A Singapore travel agency said the last list price for the New York direct service was Sg$14,000 (AUD$12,220).

"Ultra long-range routes have proven to be uneconomical, making it unlikely there will be a return of flights over 17 hours, which can only be flown by the niche A340-500 or (Boeing) 777-200LR," the Sydney-based Centre for Aviation said in a commentary in September.
Following the withdrawal of the two direct US services by SIA, three routes will share the distinction of being the longest in terms of duration - Dubai-Houston, Dubai-Los Angeles and Johannesburg-Atlanta - at 16 hours and 20 minutes, the centre said.
In terms of distance, a Qantas flight from Sydney to Dallas will be the longest, but tailwinds enable it to be completed in 15 hours and 20 minutes, it added.

Singapore Airlines announced it will end its non-stop flight between Singapore and Newark last year.
In a statement in October 2012 announcing the shift in its US services, SIA said it was disappointed that it was cancelling the direct flights to Los Angeles and New York but remained committed to the US market.

It now serves New York with a stop in Frankfurt.
A spokesman for Airbus said it was in negotiations "with a number of potential new operators" for the five A340-500 aircraft previously flown by SIA.

Qantas to have the world's longest flight route

Source : www.news.com.au

[ALERT] Semporna kidnap: Taiwan issues travel alert on eastern Sabah

TAIPEI: Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued an "orange" travel alert for the eastern coast of Sabah after a Taiwanese man was shot dead and his wife abducted on a resort island there.
The ministry urged the public to avoid travelling to the area unless necessary, the Focus Taiwan website reported.

Under the ministry's four-colour-coded travel advisory system, the "orange" alert is the second highest level.
The 57-year-old Hsu Li-min was shot dead Friday by gunmen while the whereabouts of 58-year-old Chang An-wei was still unclear after she was abducted.
The motive for the shooting and abduction was unclear.
Officials of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia arrived in Sabah Friday evening to help with the investigations.

Source : The Star Online, 16 Nov 2013

UNWTO calls for support to the Philippines -Haiyan Typhoon

UNWTO is deeply saddened by the devastating impact of typhoon Haiyan which hit an important part of the Visayas region in the Philippines. On behalf of the international tourism community, UNWTO conveys its heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims and to the Government of the Philippines.

“Our thoughts at this difficult moment are with the families and friends of the victims and all those suffering in this tragic moment” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “UNWTO is confident that despite this tragic occurrence, the tourism sector in the Philippines will continue to strive and make a key contribution to the development of the country”, he added.

UNWTO has transmitted the Organization’s readiness to support the Philippines in any tourism-related recovery programme to be designed for the affected areas and is calling on the tourism industry and tourists to support the Philippines by donating their contributions to the on-going relief efforts of the various UN agencies operating on the ground.

“We call upon all tourism companies, associations and tourists from all around the world to contribute to the UN efforts being deployed to support the Philippines and show the solidarity of the sector with the people of the Philippines in this difficult moment”, Mr Rifai added.

Source : UNWTO

AirAsia co-founders to take more control of budget carrier to cut costs

The logo of Malaysia's low-cost airline AirAsia Berhad is pictured on a structure as its staff undergo training at its academy in Sepang outside Kuala Lumpur September 13, 2013.

CREDIT: REUTERS/BAZUKI MUHAMMAD

 

 

 

 

(Reuters) - The co-founders of Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd (AIRA.KL) said on Wednesday they will take more control of running Asia's largest budget carrier by passenger volume and push on with cutting costs that have been a drag on profit.

Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun, who started up AirAsia in 1993, had shifted their base to Indonesia and set up a regional office to focus on spearheading the company's expansion in Southeast Asia and further afield.

They will mow move the regional office and merge its functions with Kuala Lumpur-listed AirAsia's head office to "simplify operations" in a company where net profit has tumbled 62 percent in the second quarter ended June.

"Kamarudin and I will be more involved in the operations of AirAsia Bhd as we continue our growth in the region and we will continue to focus on reducing costs," Fernandes said in a company statement.

"AirAsia has been on a cost-reduction drive, which has seen good success in the third quarter and will continue in the fourth quarter," he added.

AirAsia will report third quarter earnings on the week of Nov 18.

NEW ROLES

Fernandes will be re-designated as AirAsia Group CEO and will be tasked with driving brand value, cutting costs and driving efficiencies of AirAsia and its affiliates in Thailand,Indonesia, Philippines and soon to be India.

Kamarudin will take on the role as executive chairman and engage with the government and aviation regulators in Malaysia, the company said in the statement.

This includes working with Malaysia Airports Bhd (MAHB.KL), which has been tasked with setting up a new terminal for low-cost airlines that has been delayed four times since work began in 2010 and costs have risen to 4 billion ringgit ($1.26 billion) from 3.1 billion ringgit.

Set to be the world's largest terminal for budget carriers, Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) plans to serve 45 million passengers a year.

"Low-cost always wins and one of the most important parts of my new role will be to reduce costs at airports and to emphasize to the government that any cost increases will be detrimental to the Malaysian economy," Kamarudin said.

Current AirAsia CEO Aireen Omar will report to Kamarudin on regulatory and stakeholder management and to Fernandes on operational performance matters, the statement said.

AirAsia shares ended up 0.4 percent, outperforming the broader market .KLSE that slipped 0.2 percent.

($1 = 3.1740 Malaysian ringgit)

(Reporting by Niluksi Koswanage; editing by David Evans)

Source : Reuters

Huge opportunities for British retailers

Mirza and Collingridge exchanging tokens of appreciation at the launch of the seminar.

            

THE growth of the retail industry in recent years, in terms of tourist expenditure in Malaysia, has prompted Tourism Malaysia to encourage British retailers to set up their businesses here.
In collaboration with United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI), Tourism Malaysia hosted a seminar at the Petroleum Club, Petronas Tower Two yesterday to talk about business opportunities in Malaysia for retailers.
Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab officially launched the full-day seminar.

Also present to moderate one of the panel discussions was UKTI director Tony Collingridge.
“Last year, Malaysia’s retail industry grew by 5.5% with RM87.8bil in sales turnover, with tourist expenditure amounting to RM19bil of this total,” said Mirza in his speech.
“With Visit Malaysia Year 2014 fast approaching, this is a great window of opportunity to welcome more British businesses to establish themselves in the Malaysian retail industry.”

Mirza said statistics showed that shopping is a lucrative sector of Malaysia’s tourism industry, holding the second biggest share of tourist expenditure after accommodation.
The RM19bil spent by tourists on shopping last year is a growth of 5.7% from 2011, constituting about 30.7% of all tourist receipts amounting to RM60.6bil.

“Our target is to attract 36 million tourists and RM168bil worth of receipts by the year 2020, and this can be a huge market for brands who base their operations in Malaysia,” Mirza added.
Shopping Malaysia Secretariat head Ramzi Abu Yazid, who was one of the speakers at the seminar, said there was an influx of tourists to the Asia Pacific region in recent years, particularly from mainland China.

Ramzi also said an international survey had placed three Malaysian shopping complexes — 1Utama, Mid Valley Megamall and Sunway Pyramid – among the top ten largest shopping complexes in the world, measured by gross leasable area.

He said an article by CNN Travel in September 2013, had ranked Kuala Lumpur as the fourth best shopping city in the world after New York, Tokyo and London.

He said the article partially attributes this to the three major sales seasons in Malaysia — the 1Malaysia GP Sale in March, the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival in July and August, and the 1Malaysia Year-End Sale in November and December.

The seminar was attended by both British retail industry members and local retailers, who said the seminar provided an excellent opportunity for networking.

Source: The Star 13th Nov 2013

RM5.5bil spent during Mega Sale Carnival 2013

Shopping malls in Malaysia saw higher visitor numbers during the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival 2013.- Photo source : The Star

The number of transactions by MasterCard cardholders, both locals and foreign, reached 19 million, amounting to RM5.5bil of spending during the recently concluded 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (1MMSC) 2013.
 

Over the same period last year, there has been an increase in transactions to 19.4 million compared to the previous year’s number of 18.9 million. Total spending also saw an increase to RM5.5bil from RM5.4 bil previously, demonstrating Malaysia’s growing popularity as an international tourist destination.

Malaysian MasterCard cardholder transactions remained high, with transactions alone reaching 18 million , contributing towards total spending of about RM5bil.

“The continuous participation of both overseas and local MasterCard cardholders in the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival holds a positive indication for Malaysia. We are pleased to know that Malaysia is still growing in stature as a popular tourist destination for shopping and is inclining with The Tourism and Culture Ministry and Tourism Malaysia towards increasing national and international events to boost tourist arrivals. MasterCard will continue to collaborate with Tourism Malaysia to explore new ways in creating new programs that will benefit both foreign and local MasterCard cardholders. With the continuous support demonstrated for 1MMSC, we hope to provide more exciting privileges to our loyal MasterCard cardholders in the coming years,” said Safdar Khan, country head, Malaysia and Brunei, MasterCard Worldwide.

As MasterCard was the official card of 1MMSC for the 13th year running, MasterCard cardholders were also rewarded with daily mall redemptions from more than 10 participating malls nationwide, various vouchers and a grand holiday getaway throughout the 1MMSC period.
The three grand prize winners each received a weeklong vacation for two at three different luxury resorts and hotels throughout Malaysia, valued at more than RM70,000. Similarly, nine weekly winners each received a two-night trip to Langkawi for two adults.

Source : The Star 13 November 2013

Printing Industry To Support Tourism In Malaysia - Mohamed Nazri

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Promoting tourist attractions is one area where the printing industry can play a role in adding value to the initiatives taken by the government to promote tourism in Malaysia, says Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He said without the printing industry, the world would not know the beauty of a great country like Malaysia.

"Look around you, the attractive colourful promotional materials such as brochures, leaflets, print advertisements, billboards that promote Malaysia's beauty and wonders would not be made possible without advancement in the printing industry."

He said this in his speech when opening the International Printing, Paper and Packaging Machinery Exhibition (IPMEX) 2013, here, today.

Mohamed Nazri said as the country was targeting to attract 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, the government realised that it must change its way of doing business.

"Despite being unique in terms of our cultural diversity and our rich history, promoting the Malaysian brand abroad is becoming a more challenging task in this current environment," he said.

Therefore, he said, the government had embraced new media technology in getting its messages to the public, for instance, the light-emitting diode (LED) signage was increasingly being used as a medium of promotion.

"If you happen to be driving along Jalan Ampang, chances are you might have come across our large screen full-colour LED video displays at the MATIC (Malaysia Tourism Information Centre). We recognise the importance of such new media in extending our reach to the public," Mohamed Nazri said.

"At the same time, Internet and other interactive media advertisements are also important channels of information which must be capitalised to boost the tourism sector."

Mohamed Nazri said in view of the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014), Tourism Malaysia had taken promotions online through interactive websites outlining the key attractions in the country.

"Indeed, Internet and online platforms are borderless, allowing us to connect and send messages anywhere seamlessly," he said.

IPMEX 2013 is held for four days starting today at the Putra World Trade Centre, here