Author: News Team
Air Berlin, a Germany-based airline company, has expressed its disappointment at delays in the opening of the Berlin Brandenburg airport (BER), in Germany. The new airport was slated to open on June 3, 2012, but the opening has been delayed due to problems with its fire safety systems. The new airport will be replacing Berlin’s Tegel and Schonefeld airports. A new opening date for the airport is yet to be announced, and sources say that it might even be after the German summer holidays. Air Berlin chief executive officer, Hartmut Mehdorn, said, ‘The situation is extremely tricky, as we have…
British Airways, the UK-based airline company, has commenced the procedure of integrating its newly acquired airline subsidiary, bmi, into its mainstream service. The airline has already switched nine bmi destinations to its own BA code and flight number. The changes will become effective from May 23, 2012, and bmi passengers will be notified separately. The new routes includes bmi services to Bergen, in Norway; Basel, Switzerland; Nice, France; Vienna, Austria; Stavanger, Norway; Hanover, Germany; Agadir, Marrakech, and Casablanca, in Morocco. For bmi passengers, the flight schedules on the nine routes will be the same as before, although British Airways policies…
Tune Hotels, a Malaysia-based hospitality company, is offering new rates for the school holidays, as part of its School Holidays Promotion. The hotel company is offering nightly rates of 10,000 Indonesian Rupiah, 100 Thai Baht or 10 Philippines Peso per night at its resorts during the offer period. To avail of the offer, guests need to complete their reservations by May 13, 2012, for stays between May 14, and June 30, 2012. Participating properties include Tune Hotels in the Malayasian destinations of Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Kota Damansara, Penang, Kulim, Kota Bharu, Danga Bay, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, and Bintulu; Legian in…
Belgraves in London, a luxury boutique hotel owned by Commune Hotels & Resorts, has opened in London. The 85-room hotel opened recently in Chesham Place, Belgravia, London. It has been re-branded from an earlier Sheraton Belgravia hotel, and claims to offer a blend of traditional British hospitality with an American contemporary ambience. The hotel features the 80-seat Hix Belgravia restaurant, a fitness facility, and a library bar. British designer, Tara Bernerd, was tasked with creating the interior architecture and design. Commune Hotels & Resorts was formed by the merger of the Thompson Hotels brand and Joie de Vivre group of…
Room Key, an online hotel search engine, has removed its beta tag, to become a fully-fledged search engine, offering a hotel search and booking facility for its customers. In March 2012, the engine registered 1.9 million visitors, and is currently offering new tools for travellers, such as integrated consumer reviews and a shortlist tool for an interactive, social hotel search experience that may be shared with friends. The search engine has also launched a new Facebook page for its visitors. Room Key has recently announced new direct connect hotel partners, including Best Western, Loews Hotels, Preferred Hotel Group, and World…
The Royal Scotsman, a UK-based luxury sleeper train, has announced its new itineraries for taking visitors on tours of the Scottish Highlands. The 2012 season for The Royal Scotsman commences in May, with new liveried carriages, food and beverages made from local ingredients, and a view of the stately homes of Scotland. The beauty of the Scottish highlands can be enjoyed by passengers from the train’s lounge and from the open veranda of the observation car. The dining venues include two dining cars, where traditional Scottish cuisine is served, and guests can opt for special dietary requirements when booking their…
Air Passengers arriving at UK airports on May 10, 2012 are warned of fresh problems and should prepare themselves for delays and disruption, as members of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), the UK government’s immigration agency and a part of the Home Office, stage a walkout due to pensions disputes. The Immigration Service Union (ISU), representing around 4,500 UKBA employees, will be on strike for 24 hours on May 10, 2012. In response to the government’s proposals for pension reform in the public sector, the ISU, in a statement, has said that ‘ISU members cannot work until their late 60s.…
Virgin Atlantic Airways, a UK-based airline, is partnering with its sister airlines, Virgin America, and Virgin Australia, to begin a joint entertainment, digital advertising campaign, and to launch a new website. The three airlines have launched the new website, www.flyvirgin.com, and have released an independent short film, for promotion purposes, highlighting their claims of a strong flyer base, exceptional amenities and modern in-flight entertainment services. Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson, said, ‘Virgin airlines have swept all the awards for having the best entertainment systems in the skies but a movie about falling in love with a stranger onboard a…
Travellers to Malaysia will have the option of a new venue in Borneo, when the new Gaya Island Resort opens on July 1, 2012. The luxurious resort will be adding to the increasing number of lavish resorts in the Asian continent. Owned by Malaysia-based YTL Hotels, the resort is located off the coast of Kota Kinabalu on Pulau Gaya Island. The island is a part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, offering golden sandy beaches, an impressive underwater environment and tropical rainforests that are the original habitat of the orang-utan and the proboscis monkey. The Gaya Island Resort has…
Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, a US-based holding company for hotel properties, will be opening three new hotels in Peru in 2012, through a franchising agreement with Peru-based, Hoteles Costa del Sol. The company will be opening three new Ramada Hotels in Peru, adding to its existing portfolio of 90 properties in Latin America. Daniel del Olmo, the company senior vice president and managing director of Latin America, said, ‘We are very excited to announce the expansion of our alliance with the Costa del Sol hotel group. It serves as a prime example of how we intend to significantly grow our presence…