Wyndham has signed franchise agreements for four new hotels in China under the company's Ramada brand.
The properties will join Wyndham Hotel Group?s 46 Ramada hotels already in operation in the country.
The 293-room Ramada Plaza Chengdu West, set to include 24 suites, is located at Xingfu Town, Dujiangyan, Chengdu City, which is part of a large scale commerical complex and a major tourism attraction in China. Featuring a fitness center, gift shop, eight meeting rooms as well as three restaurants offering varied dining options, the property is owned by Dujiangyan Bailun Investment Co., Ltd. The hotel is due to open in 2013.
The 289-room Ramada Huizhou South, set to include 39 suites, is located near the world-class Dayawan Petrochemicals Industrial Park and is approximately an hour drive from the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport and a two-hour drive from the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Due to open in 2013, the hotel, owned by Huizhou City Hongye Investment & Development Co., Ltd., will feature an outdoor pool, sauna, a gift shop, a ballroom and also six meeting rooms totaling 2,000 square meters of meeting space.
The 179-room Ramada Kunming North with 24 suites will be situated as part of a mega-sized real estate development area totaling 428 hectares, including a horse racing club, two 18-hole golf courses, a conference center, luxurious residences, shopping and entertainment facilities as well as a natural wetland park. Owned by Kunming Shining Star (International) Club Co., Ltd. the hotel will feature an indoor swimming pool, fitness center and gift shop as well as a grand ballroom, five meeting rooms and six boardrooms totalling to over 1,000 square meters of meeting space. The hotel, due to open by 2013, is approximately an hour drive from Kunming city center and an hour drive from the Kunming Wujiaba International Airport.
The 150-room Ramada Hotel Pingtan, set to include 42 suites, will be situated in Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone, which acts as a free port to attract investors from Taiwan and other countries. Located approximately 65km in distance from the Fuzhou Changle International Airport, the hotel will feature a fitness center, a gift shop and four meeting rooms totaling 500 square meters of meeting space. Owned by Fujian Pingtan Wandefu Property Development Co., Ltd., the hotel is due to open in 2013.
As China remains an important market for us, we continue to look for growth opportunities in new cities and provinces, said Frank Trampert, managing director for Wyndham Hotel Group in Asia Pacific. We are thrilled to announce the signing of these new properties with four different, esteemed and respected Mainland developers. We are confident that our collaborations will not only help cement the Ramada brand?s position in China but strengthen the greater Wyndham Hotel Group portfolio in the region.
Saturday 23 June 2012
Wednesday 1 February 2012
South African Airways starting non-stop flights to Beijing, China
South African Airways will start flying non-stop to Beijing, China, for the first time in the history of the airline, from January next year.
The inaugural flight is scheduled to leave Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday 31 January 2012, and is set to arrive in Beijing, China on Wednesday 1 February 2012.
These flights are now available for sale at great fares through SAA’s reservations department, the flysaa.com website and the travel agency community.
“SAA is most pleased to introduce non-stop flights to Beijing, China. This new route is in line with SAA’s strategy to expand its network to Asia, the fastest growing market in the world,” says SAA’s CEO Siza Mzimela.
China and South Africa established a comprehensive strategic partnership in August last year. The countries subsequently entered into bilateral agreements for cooperation on infrastructure construction, transportation, water resources utilisation, housing, health and education. The introduction of non-stop flights between the two destinations promises to facilitate business and leisure travel between the two countries.
“Introducing direct flights between China and South Africa will promote tourism and trade, not only to South Africa, but also to all the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other African countries. South Africa and neighbouring destinations such as Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe are already popular destinations for Chinese tourists.
“Similarly, for South Africans and other African countries, the flight will open up China as a new tourist destination and create a bridge between South America and China, connecting three very important BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries and promoting trade amongst these countries,” says Mzimela.
Beijing Capital International Airport (BJS) is the main international airport serving Beijing, China and one of the busiest airports in the world. It is located 32 kilometer northeast of Beijing’s city center, owned and operated by the Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited, a state-controlled company. There are three terminals at the airport and SAA will operate in and out of terminal three, which is also the designated terminal for Star Alliance partners.
SAA will operate the route non-stop three times a week with its A340-600 long haul aircraft.
Business Class on these aircraft offers theaward winning lie-flat seat which reclines to a complete bed and has various seating position settings. Each business class seat is equipped with a privacy screen, a personal reading lamp and leg-rest, footrest, telephone and entertainment handset. All seats are also fitted with a personal television. The seats in economy class on SAA’s long haul aircraft offer a very comfortable pitch of between 33 and 34 inches for increased flying comfort.
Flying time between Johannesburg and Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China takes almost 15 hours. Beijing is one of the most populous cities in the world and the country’s political, cultural and educational centre and the headquarters of most of China’s largest state-owned companies.
Renaming of Mana Airport at Raipur in Chhattisgarh as "Swami Vivekanand Airport, Raipur
The Union Cabinet today approved the renaming of the Mana Airport at Raipur as "Swami Vivekanand Airport, Raipur". This will fulfill the long pending demand of people of Chhattisgarh as well as the State Government of Chhattisgarh.
The Raipur Airport belongs to Airports Authority of India (AAI) and is suitable for operation of A-320 type of aircraft (VFR/IFR operations). Presently M/s Air India, Jet Airways/ Jetlite and Kingfisher are operating and approx. 85 domestic flights per week to/from Raipur Airport are operating.
Swami Vivekanand, one of the most renowned spiritual leaders, spent major part of his life in Raipur. Hence it will be apt to rename Mana Airport at Raipur in Chhattisgarh as "Swami Vivekanand Airport, Raipur`" paying homage to the spiritual leader.
The Raipur Airport belongs to Airports Authority of India (AAI) and is suitable for operation of A-320 type of aircraft (VFR/IFR operations). Presently M/s Air India, Jet Airways/ Jetlite and Kingfisher are operating and approx. 85 domestic flights per week to/from Raipur Airport are operating.
Swami Vivekanand, one of the most renowned spiritual leaders, spent major part of his life in Raipur. Hence it will be apt to rename Mana Airport at Raipur in Chhattisgarh as "Swami Vivekanand Airport, Raipur`" paying homage to the spiritual leader.
Lowcost Cebu Pacific Airlines launces long haul flights
Budget airline Cebu Pacific will introduce direct long-haul flights from Manila to countries where many Filipinos live and work, starting the third quarter of 2013, president and CEO Lance Gokongwei said in a briefing Tuesday.
More than 11 million Filipinos live and work in the Middle East, Australia Europe and US. Eleven-hour flights are considered long haul.
“After sixteen years in the airline industry, we are going long-haul,” said Gokongwei. “We're confident we will succeed in serving millions of Filipinos living and working overseas.”
Cebu Pacific will lease eight new Airbus 330-300, Gokongwei said. It carries up to 400 passengers, allowing the airline to sell the cheapest seats in the business at a 35 percent discount, Gokongwei added.
“This aircraft is very well-suited to the kind of network we want to build and the routes we want to launch,” he said.
Since the airplanes are on lease, Gokongwei noted the airline's biggest cost is in developing and marketing routes.
“These will be direct flights offered at a lower cost. The aircraft works best from point to point, and flying direct is more convenient and cheaper,” he said.
Cebu Pacific has no long-haul routes yet.
“Any flight within 11 hours to areas where there many Filipinos, we will go to these destinations,” Gokongwei said, notably the US, Europe and Middle East.
More than half of Filipinos deployed in these regions take multiple stops and connecting flights because no home carrier can fly them there non-stop, according to the young tycoon.
He cited Saudi Arabia, saying only 165,000 passengers flew direct non-stop from Manila in 2010 even though 293,000 Filipinos work in the Kingdom.
“With our long haul operations, we will provide more affordable, direct flight options to Filipinos overseas,” he said.
More than 11 million Filipinos live and work in the Middle East, Australia Europe and US. Eleven-hour flights are considered long haul.
“After sixteen years in the airline industry, we are going long-haul,” said Gokongwei. “We're confident we will succeed in serving millions of Filipinos living and working overseas.”
Cebu Pacific will lease eight new Airbus 330-300, Gokongwei said. It carries up to 400 passengers, allowing the airline to sell the cheapest seats in the business at a 35 percent discount, Gokongwei added.
“This aircraft is very well-suited to the kind of network we want to build and the routes we want to launch,” he said.
Since the airplanes are on lease, Gokongwei noted the airline's biggest cost is in developing and marketing routes.
“These will be direct flights offered at a lower cost. The aircraft works best from point to point, and flying direct is more convenient and cheaper,” he said.
Cebu Pacific has no long-haul routes yet.
“Any flight within 11 hours to areas where there many Filipinos, we will go to these destinations,” Gokongwei said, notably the US, Europe and Middle East.
More than half of Filipinos deployed in these regions take multiple stops and connecting flights because no home carrier can fly them there non-stop, according to the young tycoon.
He cited Saudi Arabia, saying only 165,000 passengers flew direct non-stop from Manila in 2010 even though 293,000 Filipinos work in the Kingdom.
“With our long haul operations, we will provide more affordable, direct flight options to Filipinos overseas,” he said.
New Office of protector of Emigrants opens in Jaipur
The Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Mr. Vayalar Ravi inaugurated the protector of Emigrants office (POE) in Jaipur today. Shri Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister, Rajasthan was also present on the occasion. Addressing the Media persons, Mr. Vayalar Ravi said that this is the 9th office of the protector of Emigrants in the county. He said that a large number of people from Rajasthan go abroad for jobs, particularly in the Middle East. Statistics reveal that during the last three years more than one lakh fifty thousand workers of Rajasthan sought emigration clearance for going abroad.
He said that the new POE office is housed in the Common Facility Centre (CFC) of RIICO at the Sitapura Industrial Area in Jaipur. The State Government has taken the initiative and provided premises for the office. Mr Ravi said that POE offices set up under the Emigration Act of 1983; provide assistance to emigrants going abroad for work. These offices grant emigration clearance to different categories of workers going to 17 designated countries. In this work, the POE offices also get assistance from the Indian Missions abroad. The opening of the new office at Jaipur will ensure that prospective emigrants from Rajasthan will not have to travel to Delhi for seeking emigration clearance. Now on, registered recruiting Agents of Rajasthan shall be filing their online applications for Emigration Clearance on www.poeonline.gov.in at POE office of Jaipur.
Shri Rajendra Pareek, the State Ministers of Industry & NRI, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Energy and Information and Public Relation, Mr. Mahesh Joshi, MP, Mr. Parvez Diwan, Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and Mr. S. Ahmad, Chief Secretary Rajasthan Government were also present on this occasion.
Earlier, Mr. Ravi and the Chief Minister Mr. Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas Exibition at Bilra Auditorium. Around 110 stalls of the State Governments, Public Sector Institutions, NGOs and Private Sector have been established
He said that the new POE office is housed in the Common Facility Centre (CFC) of RIICO at the Sitapura Industrial Area in Jaipur. The State Government has taken the initiative and provided premises for the office. Mr Ravi said that POE offices set up under the Emigration Act of 1983; provide assistance to emigrants going abroad for work. These offices grant emigration clearance to different categories of workers going to 17 designated countries. In this work, the POE offices also get assistance from the Indian Missions abroad. The opening of the new office at Jaipur will ensure that prospective emigrants from Rajasthan will not have to travel to Delhi for seeking emigration clearance. Now on, registered recruiting Agents of Rajasthan shall be filing their online applications for Emigration Clearance on www.poeonline.gov.in at POE office of Jaipur.
Shri Rajendra Pareek, the State Ministers of Industry & NRI, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Energy and Information and Public Relation, Mr. Mahesh Joshi, MP, Mr. Parvez Diwan, Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and Mr. S. Ahmad, Chief Secretary Rajasthan Government were also present on this occasion.
Earlier, Mr. Ravi and the Chief Minister Mr. Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas Exibition at Bilra Auditorium. Around 110 stalls of the State Governments, Public Sector Institutions, NGOs and Private Sector have been established
LAX: American Airlines changes Terminal 4 to self-service check-in
American Airlines has changed its Terminal 4 lobby at LAX from old-fashioned ticket counters to self-service kiosks, which, it says, is designed to streamline check-in and bag drop.
AA agents are out in front rather than behind the counter. These agents can show passengers who aren’t familiar with kiosks how to use them. The 36 machines in T4 West Lobby can check in both international and domestic passengers.
Instead of taking bags over to Transportation Security Administration screening, passengers check them in at the self-service machines.
American now has two resolution centers on each side of the west lobby to assist customers with any issues regarding checking-in.
The old bag drop machines, along with Ticketing/Group Check-in and Qantas check-in have been relocated to other parts of the lobby to make it more convenient for travelers to head from the kiosk to departures.
American claims to be the first airline to dedicate an entire lobby to self-service kiosks.
Source: Los Angeles times
Emirates Dublin Route upgrades Aircraft to handle high demand
After three weeks of the airline launching the first direct route from Dublin to Dubai, Emirates said the route has already become one of the airline's most successful route launches.
The new passenger service has load factors exceeding 90% for many flights leading the airline to deploy a larger aircraft on the route from July.
The daily Dubai-Dublin service is currently operated with a 237-seat Airbus A330-200, arranged in a three class configuration.
Emirates' senior vice president Salem Obaidalla said normally, this would provide enough capacity for the first two to three years of a new route operation. However he said Dublin "is exceeding our expectations much faster than was predicted and we need more seats to satisfy demand.".
From July onwards, the replacement Boeing 777-300ER will be deployed providing a total of 360 seats, an increase in capacity of 52%.
The Boeing offers 310 seats in economy class, 42 in business and eight first-class private suites.
Mr Obaidalla said: "A bigger aircraft means more good news for the Irish economy. We can bring extra visitors to the country and carry additional cargo. The A330-200 can carry up to 15 tonnes of cargo in the belly hold - this figure rises to 25 tonnes with the introduction of the 777."
The new passenger service has load factors exceeding 90% for many flights leading the airline to deploy a larger aircraft on the route from July.
The daily Dubai-Dublin service is currently operated with a 237-seat Airbus A330-200, arranged in a three class configuration.
Emirates' senior vice president Salem Obaidalla said normally, this would provide enough capacity for the first two to three years of a new route operation. However he said Dublin "is exceeding our expectations much faster than was predicted and we need more seats to satisfy demand.".
From July onwards, the replacement Boeing 777-300ER will be deployed providing a total of 360 seats, an increase in capacity of 52%.
The Boeing offers 310 seats in economy class, 42 in business and eight first-class private suites.
Mr Obaidalla said: "A bigger aircraft means more good news for the Irish economy. We can bring extra visitors to the country and carry additional cargo. The A330-200 can carry up to 15 tonnes of cargo in the belly hold - this figure rises to 25 tonnes with the introduction of the 777."
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