Chip fat to fuel our planes? January 23, 2012
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel, Travel technology, Travel tips & trends.Tags: airlines, aviation, biofuel, green travel, Qantas, Travel, Virgin Atlantic
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If there’s something we can expect to see a lot of this year, it is airlines talking up their green credentials. From chicken fat to algae, carriers are busy looking for new ways to fuel their planes and reduce their emissions.
Several airlines have already claimed “world-first” initiatives such as the first commercial biofuel flight, the first scheduled biofuel flight and the longest distance biofuel flight, and Qantas has announced its intention to operate Australia’s first biofuel flight early this year.
IATA has declared work on biofuels to be a major priority for the industry in the year ahead, with the association’s chief executive, Tony Tyler, saying it is “one of aviation’s great challenges” to reduce its carbon emissions. ”Sustainability is our licence to grow,” Tyler says.
The problem with biofuels and other green initiatives is that they… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
No such thing as a free bed? May 17, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Hotels, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: Acccor, Choice magazine, Expedia, frequent flyer, hotels, Hotels.com, loyalty programs, loyalty schemes, Qantas, Starwood, Travel, Velocity Rewards, Wotif.com
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On a recent holiday I was talked into signing up to the hotel group’s loyalty program, to collect points for my stay. I now receive all-too-frequent email updates about my ‘status’ but am coming to the conclusion that I am unlikely to ever use the points.
I don’t seem to have enough for anything useful, yet as a traveller who will always pick the best deal or most appealing hotel on offer at the time, it could be some time before I stay in another participating hotel and add to my points.
With about a dozen major hotel groups in Australia alone, not to mention all the smaller chains and individual properties, your points can be spread pretty thin as a leisure traveller.
It’s no wonder that the founders of the loyalty program-tracking website Perkler estimate less than a third of Australians regularly redeem awards from loyalty programs. All too often we sign up and then find it’s too hard to
redeem our points, either because we don’t have enough or because the scheme is too complicated.
Should you be loyal to one chain or just opt out and save yourself the trouble? Or is there a way to collect some benefits without getting too bogged down in it all? (more…)
Best airlines for families April 26, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: airlines, Asiana, Cathay Pacifiic, Emirates, Etihad, family travel, flying with children, flying with kids, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Travel, travel with children, travel with kids, Travel with Kidz
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Apart from a large glass of wine, what makes the most difference when travelling long-haul with children? Is it the inflight entertainment, the attitude of cabin crew, well-thought-out activity packs, or stress-savers such as being able to skip the check-in queue? Offerings for families on international airlines range from virtually non-existent to very generous, making it both important and difficult for parents to choose.
The executive chairman of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, Peter Harbison, sat on a panel to select finalists for the 2011 Family Friendly Airline Award and says it was a very tough job. The award, organised by the US-based Kids First Fund, was won by North American carrier Air Transat, which offers families dedicated airport counters, children’s welcome kits, prize drawings and on-board birthday celebrations. Services offered by other finalists in the awards included kids’ zones in airport lounges, inflight magazines for kids, the opportunity for children to make inflight announcements and even staff training to help autistic children.
“It was very hard to differentiate between airlines,” Harbison says. He says he looked for evidence that airlines really cared about families, such as by having priority check-in and quality entertainment.
The general manager of Travel with Kidz Newport, Uschi Howard, nominates airline scheduling, pre-seating policies and inflight entertainment systems as the top factors for smooth family travel. “Do not sacrifice… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
My guide to Noosa December 1, 2010
Posted by janeefraser in Australia, Hotels, Products I love, Spa reviews, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: Australia, hotels, Noosa, Qantas, Queensland, restaurants, shopping, Sunshine Coast, Travel
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The December issue of the Qantas inflight magazine has just hit seatbacks and features an article I wrote on my (adopted) hometown, Noosa.
It includes recommendations on Noosa restaurants, accommodation, shopping and activities, along with news about what’s happening in the area. Please click here to read it online. And feel free to post your own tips and recommendations.
(Please note since the article went to print, Quay West has announced it is leaving Noosa and the Firstlight development on Hastings Street has fallen through. Unlucky timing!)
Which airlines get you there on time? November 19, 2010
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: airlines, aviation, flying, Jetstar, Qantas, Tiger Airways, Travel, Virgin Blue
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It seems the more you pay, the more likely you are to get there on time.
The latest government figures show budget carrier Tiger Airways managed to get just 65 per cent of its flights in the air on time in September, compared to 84 per cent for Qantas. Virgin Blue and Jetstar came in at 79 per cent and 76 per cent respectively for their on-time departures, leaving Tiger as the clear loser of the four main carriers.
Regional airlines, which have far fewer flights, are the best performers for on-time departures, with Regional Express (Rex) and the Western Australian airline Skywest getting nearly nine out of ten flights in the air on time.
Those who got caught up in the Virgin Blue chaos that followed the collapse of its computer system in late September will (more…)
Who really wins with frequent flyer programs? September 21, 2010
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: airlines, aviation, frequent flyer, loyalty programs, Qantas, travlel
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When Qantas announced profit results last month, it revealed it had earned $328 million, before tax, from its frequent-flyer program. The program was one of the standout performers for the airline group, raising the question: for whose benefit is it designed?
Are frequent-flyer programs really about loyalty and benefits for travellers or just another money-spinner for airlines? And if the airlines are making so much money from them, who is ultimately paying?
Clifford Reichlin, who runs the popular online forum frequentflyer.com.au, says frequent-flyer programs have little to do with loyalty – or even flying. “It’s nothing to do with flying, it’s a promotional and marketing currency,” Reichlin says. “You can earn points without flying and you can spend points without flying. “It’s a promotional currency which is linked to the whole aspirational quality of flying.”
Reichlin says frequent-flyer programs are hugely profitable for airlines due to a combination of “enormous demand” and having control over supply. “They get cash for the points [from banks] and then they control the supply of seats,” he says. Reichlin says while the benefits of frequent-flyer programs are clear for the airlines, the benefits for consumers can be patchy. While some do very well out of the programs, for others it may not be worth the bother. “It depends on… (please click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
Would you pay to board early? August 12, 2010
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel.Tags: airlines, American Airlines, aviation, Delta Airlines, Qantas, Travel, United Airlines
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Just when you thought airlines had exhausted all possibilities for charging extra fees, American Airlines has come up with a fee for boarding ahead of the crush.
Ranging from US$9 ($10) to $US19 ($21), depending on the route, the ‘boarding and flexibility package’ allows passengers on domestic US flights to skip ahead of the general boarding call and board with first and business class passengers.
It is an option with particular relevance in the US, where airline passengers are notorious for taking too much carry-on baggage, resulting in jostling and shoving for space in the overhead lockers.
The fee also gives travellers more flexibility with their flights, allowing them to standby for an earlier flight (an option usually only available to those on more expensive, fully-flexible tickets) and to pay a lower fee if they need to change a flight.
The new charge comes as (more…)
