Turbulence February 2014

turbulencet ravel news that wi l l excite you

FEBRUARY 2014

CONTACT The SeAN SimmONS TrAvel TrAvel TeAm ON:Phone: +61 3 9429 3294 (local) Toll Free: 1300 391 590 (interstate) Fax: +61 3 9429 3293 Email: [email protected] Suite 6, 53 Coppin Street, Richmond VIC 3121 seansimmonstravel.com.auABN 48153795129 TCF 10343 TrAvel AGeNT liCeNSe viC 33025 iATA 02-3 6275 4

CLICK HERE TO sIgn up AS A memBer TO GeT ACCeSS TO exCluSive TrAvel deAlS ANd diSCOuNTS ON BrANded luGGAGe

2-FOR-1: HanOI-saIgOn “VERy VIETnam” TOuR – 10 DaysGet 2 for 1 for departures between 1 June 2014 and 31 July 2014 - that’s almost a $2000 saving! (30% off for solo travellers)

10% OFF VIETnam TOuRsTake in the highlights of Vietnam on any of our selected tours departing 1 June 2014 and 31 July 2014 and receive 10% off!

20% OFF FuLL mOOn FEsTIVaLJoin the festivities of the Full Moon Festival in Hoi An on our 2 September 2014 departure and receive 20% off!

Valid for bookings made between 1 and 28 Feb 2014.

WELCOmE TO THE sEan sImmOns TRaVEL FEbRuaRy nEWsLETTER.....packed with some extraordinarily cheap fares and deals.Please make sure you send to your friends so they don’t miss outI!!To match the fares - we have great land prices to for the USA, Europe, Africa and Asia, it’s a great month for sales, so, come shopping with us!Plus until the end of March, purchase anything from our online store and we will donate 10% of the purchase price to one of our selected charities!see page 2 for our charities.

TOuR VIETnam WITH THEsE gREaT DEaLs! To kICk oFF THE nEw YEAR wE ARE oFFERInG GREAT SAVInGS on TRAVEl To VIETnAM In 2014

LOTs OF InCLusIOns!4 star accommodation, arrival and departure transfers, expert local guides, plenty of sightseeing and free time, plus lots more! Terms and Conditions. For all new bookings made between 1 February and 28 February, 2014. 2-For-1 and 10% off specials available on departures between 1 June 2014 and 31 July 2014. 20% off Full Moon Festival available on 2 September 2014 departure only. All tours subject to availability. Booking and credit card fees may apply.

HOW TO gET THERE? maLaysIa aIRLInEs DEaLs TO VIETnam gO HanD In HanD!!Fly to Ho Chi minh City or Hanoi via Kuala Lumpur…

From Melbourne $841.62 From Sydney $860.32 From Brisbane $872.12Terms and conditions.Tickets must be issued prior to 20 February 2014. For travel between 1 February 2014 – 25 April 2014 and 25 April 2014 - 26June 2014. Prices correct As of February 4th 2014. Prices are subject to availability and can change without notice. Prices may be subject to credit card and booking fees.

supER saLEdON’T miSS OuT ON TheSe iNCrediBle FAreS FrOm melBOurNe ANd PerTh

Terms and conditions - Book and pay by 24 February or until sold out, whichever is earlier. Changes may incur fees and charges, and cancellation penalties will apply. Fares are non transferable.

Fares are return including all taxes flying Qatar Airways.

LOnDOnEconomy ex: $melbourne $1917perth $1768

mixed ex: $melbourne $5745perth $5745

business ex: $melbourne $7495perth $7495

Travel dates: 24JAn14 – 31MAR14 & 04oCT13 – 30noV14 Sale Period: 24JAn14 – 24FEB14

buEnOs aIREsEconomy ex: $melbourne $2011perth $2012



nEW yORKEconomy ex: $melbourne $2014perth $2014



buDapEsTEconomy ex: $melbourne $1793perth $1643




WaRsaWEconomy ex: $melbourne $1773perth $1623




paRIsEconomy ex: $melbourne $1737perth $1587




ASk uS ABOuT OTher deSTiNATiONS.QATAr Fly TO Over 120 deSTiNATiONS wOrld-wide!

sTOp pREss

FLy busInEss CLass TO LOs angELEs melbourne $4,944.02sydney $5,620.65brisbane $4,960.54

Terms and conditions Travel permitted Mon-Thurs only on each trans-Pacific sector. For travel between 10 January 2014 and 31 October 2014. Ticket must be issued by 27 February 2014. Prices correct As of February 4th 2014. Prices are subject to availability and can change without notice. . Prices may be subject to credit card and booking fees.

VIRgIn mID-WEEK FLIgHT DEaL


CLICK HERE TO sIgn up AS A memBer TO GeT ACCeSS TO exCluSive TrAvel deAlS ANd diSCOuNTS ON BrANded luGGAGe

spECIaL busInEss CLass FaREs TO EuROpE EX mELbOuRnEFlYInG lUFTHAnSA FRoM EITHER HonG konG, BAnGkok oR SInGAPoRETravel via Hong kong and Frankfurt to experience the brand new fully flat business class seat on Lufthansa’s new Boeing 747-800 series aircraft – something very special!

Fares departing Melbourne –

london ...............................................$6874.22Paris ...................................................$6559.62Berlin ..................................................$6536.32Moscow ..............................................$6475.82Barcelona ...........................................$6470.82Rome ..................................................$6485.02Istanbul ...............................................$7236.22Copenhagen .......................................$6475.52Amsterdam .........................................$6487.02On sale until 28 February. Valid for departures 01 June 2014 thru 30 September 2014. Terms and conditions:- Fares subject to availability and not available on all flights / dates. Fares correct as at 10 February 2014 and include all applicable fees and surcharges. Changes and cancellations will incur fees and charges

sEan sImmOns TRaVEL aRE pROuD TO annOunCE THEIR suppORT OF 2 VERy spECIaL CHaRITIEs

sunRIsE CHILDREn’s VILLagEsThe Sunrise Children’s Villages are three orphanages located in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The Australia Cambodia Foundation started in September 1993, following the first visit by Geraldine and a friend in 1993. The orphanages are now known as Sunrise Children’s Villages and they care for hundreds of orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged Cambodian children. The third Sunrise Children’s Village in Sihanoukville is generously sponsored by Computershare, Australia, through its worldwide Change a life staff giving program, for which we are very grateful. This centre gives love, a home, medical care and education to more than 200 HIV affected children. Read more at www.scv.org.au

mEnzIEs sCHOOL OF HEaLTH REsEaRCHThe Menzies School of Health Research is Australia’s only medical research institute dedicated to improving Indigenous health and wellbeing. They have a 28-year history of scientific discovery and public health achievement. Menzies was established in 1985 as a body corporate of the northern Territory Government under the Menzies Act 1985. This Act was amended in 2004 to formalise the relationship with Charles Darwin University (CDU). Menzies is now a major partner of CDU and constitutes a school within the University’s Institute of Advanced Studies. Their work addresses critical issues such as mental health, nutrition, substance abuse, child health and development, as well as chronic diseases such as cancer, kidney disease and heart disease. Menzies also lead global research into life-threatening illnesses in the Asia-Pacific, such as malaria and tuberculosis. They endeavour to break the cycle of disease and to reduce health inequities in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, particularly for disadvantaged populations. Their mandate is to seek enduring solutions to problems that matter; the kind that when tackled, have the potential to make an immense difference to the quality of lives both here and abroad.

Read more at www.menzies.edu.auEach month we will be looking at different ways of donating to these 2 great charities and welcome any and all donations to these incredible causes!

InDusTRy nEWs

QATAR AIRWAYS WIN YET MORE aWaRDs – sCOOpIng TWO aCCOLaDEs aT THE 2014 uK busInEss TRaVEL aWaRDsQatar Airways has been named ‘Business Airline of the Year’, and for the second year in a row ‘Best long-Haul Airline’ at the high profile UK Business Travel Awards 2014 which was held in london recently.

1,300 industry representatives attended the 19th Annual Business Travel Awards, organised by Uk publication Buying Business Travel, which celebrates the achievements of the industry’s leading players. The gala evening is widely regarded as one of the highlights of the business travel calendar.

The judges commented; “we thought this was an outstanding entry, backed up by glowing testimonials from leading buyers and managers in the corporate sector. A dedicated business terminal at its home airport, cars that ferry first class passengers from aircraft to terminal and an impressive corporate client retention rate all made Qatar Airways the clear winner.”

Paul Johannes, vice president Commercial north, South and western Europe, said; “we are delighted to have been recognised in two categories for our high-quality product and business class offering at these prestigious awards. It is an honour to win two award categories against such strong competition.”

“This award reiterates Qatar Airways’ commitment to providing excellent customer service and prominence as one of the world’s leading airlines for business travellers. over the next few months we look forward to giving our customers increased options when they travel with the expansion of our international network and the launch of services from Doha to Edinburgh in May.”

Qatar Airways was also recently named Best Business class at the Business Traveller Uk Awards and Best Middle East Airline by readers of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific.

VIRgIn ausTRaLIa: nEW CODEsHaRE DEsTInaTIOns TO us anD EuROpE Virgin Australia is expanding its international network – its ‘virtual network’ of codeshare partners, to be precise – to include eight new destinations in Europe and the USA.

Virgin will offer single-ticket bookings with US partner Delta Air lines to Seattle and Boston, along with Athens and Brunei with Singapore Airlines and Zurich, Minsk, Medina and Rome with Etihad Airways.

The announcement comes as Virgin Australia notches up ten years of international flights.

The first overseas flight of the airline then known as Virgin Blue departed from Christchurch on 29 January 2004 bound for Brisbane.

Continued next page...


FaREs anD COsTs subjECT TO CHangE aT any TImE subjECT TO nOTIFICaTIOns FROm suppLIERs. WHILsT aLL EnDEaVOuRs aRE maDE TO EnsuRE aLL DETaILs aRE CORRECT, sEan sImmOns TRaVEL pTy LTD CannOT bE HELD LIabLE FOR any OmIssIOns OR ERRORs THaT may bE COnTaInED WITHIn THIs nEWsLETTER. sHOuLD yOu HaVE any REasOn FOR COmmEnT OR COmpLaInT, pLEasE COnTaCT [email protected] aT anyTImE

“Our strategy of flying into key international hubs and creating a virtual global network with our alliance partners has brought significant benefits for consumers and for our business” remarked Judith Crompton, Virgin Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer.

Congratulations Virgin Australia on achieving this incredible milestone!

nEW ausTRaLIan LaW aIms TO EnD TRans-Tasman mObILE ROamIng RORTsThe Australian government is readying new legislation to protect consumers against sky-high voice and data roaming charges when travelling to new Zealand.

Under the new rules the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) would be able to impose price caps on trans-Tasman roaming charges, while kiwis would be similarly protected through the new Zealand Commerce Commission.

A statement released by the office of the Minister for Communications, Malcolm Turnbull, said the International Mobile Roaming Bill 2014 will “give the ACCC new powers to reduce prices and facilitate greater market competition” on trans-Tasman mobile roaming services.

It’s suggested that the bill could also extend to retail price caps on international mobile roaming services for any country.

The bill, released on the 30th January in draft form for public comment, follows a joint study conducted by the Australian and new Zealand governments into trans-Tasman mobile roaming services last year. That investigation found that while there has been “a downward trend in the pricing and margins of these services, both prices and margins remain high.”

The latter half of 2013 saw Telstra, optus and Vodafone all slash their roaming rates in a pitched battle for frequent travellers.

Telstra’s new Casual Traveller Data Packs are priced from $29 for 10MB to $350 for 1.5GB and can be used in some 50 countries throughout Asia and Europe, along with new Zealand, the Uk and the USA, while its charge for casual Internet usage was cut from $15/MB to $3/MB.

optus’ Travel Pack offers unlimited standard and international calls and text plus 50MB of data in Asia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Europe, the UK, the USA and Canada for a flat $10 per day.

Vodafone’s Red roaming plans, which span from $50 for 1.5GB of data to $85 for 5GB (on a SIM-only basis) let you use your Australian call, text and data allowance in new Zealand, the Uk, Europe, the USA and Asia for an extra $5 per day.

This includes unlimited standard calls and text messages back to Australia as well as the country you’re currently in.

(and LONG overdue too – lets hope that this is extended to the rest of the world soon!)

pubLIC sERVICE annOunCEmEnT: upDaTED VIsa pROCEss FOR TuRKEyAs of April 10th, 2014, visas for Turkey will no longer be available upon arrival at the airport in Turkey.

Guests should obtain a visa online prior to travel to Turkey, through the Turkish government website: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/

The online visa application has been in place since last year and is quite simple.

The Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Foreign Affairs website lists all nationals who need or do not need a visa to enter Turkey. For example:

Australia: Ordinary and official passport holders are required to have visa to enter Turkey. ordinary passport holders can obtain three month-multiple entry e-Visas via the website.

Please check website before travel to obtain latest information:http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfaor – click here for our up to date visa processing service –https://visasdirect.com.au/index.php?login=seanstravel

THaI gOVERnmEnT DECLaREs sTaTE OF EmERgEnCy FOR bangKOKThailand’s government has declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, to remain in effect for 60 days as of 22 January.

The move, which is in response to protests and to cope with unrest, has resulted in countries around the world raising travel advisories against visiting the region.

The British government has urged caution when travelling to the country, in particular to Bangkok.

A statement read: “You should take extra care and avoid all protests, political gatherings, demonstrations and marches. If you’re travelling to the airport, allow extra time to take account of possible transport delays, and consider using the airport rail link.”

Thai Airways today said Bangkok “remains a safe place to travel”. wit kitchathorn, the carrier’s general manager for Uk and Ireland, said: “our advice would be to avoid any areas where protests are taking place.

“Thai is still operating a normal service throughout the demonstrations but we do suggest to all passengers to arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport at least four hours prior to their scheduled flight departure time.”

nine people have been killed, and hundreds more injured, since the protests began in late november.

The declaration of a state of emergency allows Thailand’s security forces to search, arrest and detain people as they see fit. It does not involve a city-wide curfew.

REgIOnaL EXpREss WaRns OF ImmInEnT COLLapsE OF REgIOnaL aIR sERVICEsAustralia’s largest independent regional airline, Regional Express (Rex), is warning the Australian aviation industry is “approaching collapse”, after announcing its first half financial year profits would plunge by 60 percent due to a significant decrease in business related travel.

with Qantas facing a $300 million loss and Virgin Australia expecting a loss of $50 million, Rex is predicting a potentially catastrophic result for the country’s aviation industry if the Abbott Government fails to step up and take action.

“The entire aviation industry is financially haemorrhaging right now and approaching collapse, with regional aviation hit hardest…we have already seen the collapse of two regional carriers this financial year, and in today’s toxic aviation environment, more will likely follow suit,” Rex chief operating officer Garry Filmer said.

Rex is urging the Abbott Government, who has not made any significant efforts to date in improving the state of the industry’s economy, to take “immediate and forceful efforts to fulfil Abbott’s election commitments to regional aviation” before many of the country’s regional carriers face the same fate as Aeropelican and Brindabella.

“For many parts of regional Australia, this would this would spell the end of regular air services forever.”

saa EnTERs InTO nEW CODE sHaRE agREEmEnT WITH VIRgIn ausTRaLIaAfrica’s leading airline, South African Airways (SAA), has announced a new code share agreement with Virgin Australia.

Commenting on the move today, SAA’s Country Manager for Australasia Tim Clyde-Smith said the new agreement would offer more travel choices to customers travelling from Australia to Africa.

“This is an exciting development for SAA in the Australian market. The new code share means tickets are on sale from tomorrow, 7 February, and are for travel from 11 February,” Tim said.

“SAA has had an interline partnership with Virgin Australia since July 2010 when we formalised a commercial agreement to handle customers travelling on both our airlines. we are now expanding this relationship into a formal code share agreement,” he said.

“The new code share acknowledges the growth of Virgin Australia as one of Australia’s leading domestic airlines while meeting customer demands for more choice when making their international travel arrangements.”

“It will give customers expanded access to Johannesburg and onto our extensive African network from Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide on domestic Virgin Australia routes.”

“Customers will not only get seamless travel but can also earn status miles through our Voyager frequent flyer programme. They will also have the benefit of through-checking their baggage and receiving boarding passes to Johannesburg from their original location in Australia and onto any destination in Africa served by SAA.”

“This is great news for Australian customers as they look for an expanded range of travel options and we look forward to strengthening our partnership with Virgin Australia in the future,” Tim concluded.

VIRgIn aTLanTIC syDnEy TO HOng KOng sERVICEs TO CEasE EFFECTIVE 05 may 2014Virgin Atlantic has just announced that it intends to withdraw operations between Sydney and Hong kong from May this year.

The carrier cited “increasing costs and a challenging economic environment,” saying this has affected revenues to the point that the route is no longer considered profitable.

Virgin Atlantic ceo Craig kreeger said “despite the best efforts of our employees, external factors such as increasing costs and a weakening Australian dollar have affected our profitability.

“These are difficult times for the airline industry and as part of our strategy to operate more efficiently, we need to deploy our aircraft to routes with the right level of demand to be financially viable,” Kreeger said.

The last flight departing Hong Kong to Sydney will be on 04 May, with the final Sydney departure the following day.

Virgin Atlantic said that until these dates it will continue to operate its published schedule, meaning customers can be confident booking flights for travel prior to then.

Turbulence February 2014

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