Cathay Pacific To Offer Extra-legroom Seats For A Fee

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has become the latest airline to offer seats with additional legroom to passengers for a fee. From 1 December 2009, Economy Class passengers will be able to secure the seats by paying an additional charge. The Extra-legroom Seats were previously available only to Marco Polo Club members of a certain level and passengers in the highest booking classes.

 

Passengers who fulfill the safety requirements will be able to secure one of these seats by paying USD 100 or 20,000 Asia Miles per sector on long-haul flights. The option will also be extended to Cathay’s China and regional flights from 1 January 2010, where passengers can pay USD 25 or 5,000 Asia Miles per sector to secure an Extra-legroom Seat. Members of the Marco Polo Club loyalty program, who have obtained Silver tier or above, will be able to continue reserving the seats free-of-charge.

 

Located near the emergency exit doors, most flights offer between 2 and 4 Extra-legroom Seats, which provide significantly more legroom than other seats in Cathay Pacific’s Economy Class cabin. All Extra-legroom Seats will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with reservations initially available through the airline’s reservations hotline or at check-in. Passengers will be able to secure the seats through the Cathay Pacific website (www.cathaypacific.com) from next year.

 

For more information, visit www.cathaypacific.com.

Singapore Airlines To Start Singapore – Tokyo (Haneda) Flights In 2010

Air travellers flying between Singapore and Tokyo will enjoy greater convenience next year. Singapore Airlines has announced that it will begin services to Tokyo (Haneda) from October 2010, in addition to its existing operations at Tokyo (Narita).

 

The airline will operate twice daily between Singapore Changi International Airport and Haneda Airport, but has yet to reveal flight timings or capacity on the route. Singapore Airlines expects the new flights to cater for growth in demand and boost business and leisure travel between Singapore and Japan.

 

Located 30 minutes south of downtown Tokyo, Haneda Airport enjoys easy access by rail and road to the city, making it highly attractive to time conscious travellers compared to a 2-hour transfer to Narita. The new flights add a sixth international destination served from the airport, in addition to Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Ulan Bator. Passengers will also enjoy increased accessibility to other Japanese cities, connecting seamlessly to domestic flights which make up the bulk of the airport’s traffic.

 

Japan is opening up Haneda Airport to more international traffic in a bid to alleviate capacity restrictions at Narita Airport. A fourth runway is due to open in 2010, increasing the airport’s handling capacity and allowing for the opening of flights to new destinations and greater frequencies on existing routes.

 

Singapore Airlines currently flies twice daily to Tokyo (Narita), as well as services to Fukuoka, Nagoya and Osaka. For more information, visit www.singaporeair.com.

India’s Second Ibis Opens In Pune

Accor’s economy Ibis brand has opened its second property in India. The 175-room Ibis Pune is located 5 minutes away from Pune International Airport and offers easy accessibility to the city’s commercial, leisure and cultural districts.

 

Each room is furnished with amenities familiar to guests at Ibis properties around the world. Amenities include a comfortable bed and hypo-allergenic pillows, bathroom, LCD television with international programming, high-speed internet access, telephone, ergonomically-designed workspace, in-room safe, minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities.

 

For dining, the hotel’s multi-cuisine, all-day dining restaurant Spice It features interactive cooking stations serving a la carte dishes and buffet. An outdoor area adjacent to the restaurant enables guests a choice to dine whilst enjoying Pune’s weather or in air-conditioned comfort within the restaurant. The Hub is a casual lounge offering drinks and light snacks for guests to unwind, with complimentary internet access.

 

Ibis Pune has 2 meeting rooms for business travellers and event planners that can accomodate up to 24 guests each. Both spaces are supported with the latest audio-visual technology and are designed to allow natural light and views of the bustling city. For recreation, there is a 24-hour fitness room that guests work out after a day of business.

 

Ibis Pune joins the Ibis Gurgaon as part of the brand’s expansion in India. Accor plans to open Ibis properties in the cities of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Mumbai.

 

For more information, visit www.ibishotel.com.

IHG Opens Crowne Plaza In Hong Kong

InterContinental Hotels Group has added a new property to its portfolio in Asia. The new Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay welcomed its first guests last week on 1 November 2009. Located on Leighton Road in the heart of Causeway Bay, the hotel is 40 minutes from Hong Kong International Airport and provides easy access to major attractions, business and shopping districts by all means of transportation.

 

The 263-room hotel offers 4 accomodation types, ranging from the 34-square meter Superior Room to the 84-square meter One Bedroom Suite. Each guestroom and suite is furnished with comfortable, 330-thread count bedding, spacious bathroom with separate bathtub and rain shower, 42-inch LCD television with surround-sound DVD system and iPod docking station, high-speed internet access, dual-line telephone with voicemail feature, full-size executive workdesk, in-room safe, minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities. In addition to standard amenities, guest staying in the hotel’s Club Rooms and Suites enjoy complimentary access to the Crowne Plaza Club Lounge.

 

Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay offers 3 unique food and beverage outlets. Kudos is a casual all-day dining restaurant serving an extensive selection of international cuisine. A live kitchen in the middle of the outlet lets guests enjoy culinary displays and performances by the chefs as part of the dining experience. Connections provides a location to start the day with gourmet coffee and breakfast in a lobby lounge environment, while the chic Club @28 lounge bar located on the rooftop terrace next to the swimming pool is an ideal place to unwind over drinks and snacks with panoramic views of the city.

 

The hotel boasts facilities catering to business and leisure travellers, including a fully-equipped business center and meeting space that can accomodate up to 100 guests for a medium-sized conference. After a day of business, guests can relax at Pavilion, a serene and artistically designed rest area with views of the city below. For recreation, the hotel has an outdoor swimming pool located on the rooftop, as well as a fitness center equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.

 

Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay marks the brand’s entry in the Special Administrative Region and joins more than 274 locations worldwide. In Hong Kong, InterContinental Hotels Group operates 4 other properties, including the Holiday Inn Express Causeway Bay Hong Kong, Holiday Inn Hong Kong-Golden Mile, InterContinental Hong Kong and InterContinental Grand Stamford Hong Kong.

 

For more information, visit www.crowneplaza.com and www.ichotelsgroup.com.

Air Astana Begins Almaty – Kuala Lumpur, Tiger Airways Resumes Singapore – Hat Yai

Air travellers in Southeast Asia now have greater options when flying beyond and within the region. Kazakh national carrier Air Astana has commenced flights from Almaty to Kuala Lumpur, while low cost carrier Tiger Airways returns to the southern Thai city of Hat Yai.

 

Air Astana Links Malaysia With Kazakhstan

Travellers now have a direct link when flying between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty. Air Astana has launched a weekly, nonstop service using a 2-class Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with 30 Business and 190 Economy Class seats.

 

The inaugural flight on 31 October 2009 was welcomed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, YB Dato’ Sri Ong Tee Keat, and officials of Malaysia Airports. Onboard the flight was the Deputy Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Committee for Civil Aviation, Talgat Lastaev, accompanied by Ibrahim Canliel, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales at Air Astana and members of the media from Kazakhstan. 

 

Flight KC 935 departs Almaty International Airport every Saturday at 0055 hrs, arriving in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 1055 hrs. The return flight, KC 936, takes off from Kuala Lumpur at 2335 hrs, landing back in Almaty at 0625 hrs the next morning.

 

Kuala Lumpur is Air Astana’s 7th international destination in Asia and the Middle East, joining Bangkok, Beijing, Delhi, Dubai, Seoul and Urumqi. From its hubs in Almaty, Astana and Atyrau, the airline flies to 44 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of Airbus A319, A320, Boeing B757, B767 and Fokker 50 aircraft.

 

For more information, visit www.airastana.com.

 

Tiger Airways Returns To Hat Yai

Singapore-based Tiger Airways has resumed flights to Hat Yai in southern Thailand. The low cost carrier will operate 3 flights a week every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

 

Flight TR 132 departs Singapore at 1325 hrs, arriving in Hat Yai at 1350 hrs. The return flight, TR 133, takes off from Hat Yai International Airport at 1420 hrs, landing back in Changi International Airport at 1645 hrs. Tiger Airways will operate a 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft on the route.

 

The resumption of flights to Hat Yai increases the number of Thai destinations in Tiger Airways’ network to 4, including Bangkok (served triple daily), Phuket (served double daily) and Krabi (served 4 times weekly), which was also recently restarted in October 2009.

 

For more information, visit www.tigerairways.com.

New Business Lounge For Qantas Passengers In Hong Kong

Australia’s Qantas Airways has opened a new International Business Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. The new facility replaces the original lounge opened in 1998 and is the latest in a series of lounge upgrades for the airline, following Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Perth, Tokyo (Narita), Los Angeles and Honolulu.

 

To provide greater comfort and personal space for passengers, Qantas has rearranged the seating layout and furnished the lounge with a new furniture range. Plush armchairs, dining chairs and bar stools combining wood, leather and fabrics are paired with chocolate brown carpets, as well as designer elements such as Moooi lighting and an Akira Isogawa rug.

 

The food and beverage offering has been expanded to include a greater selection of hot and cold foods, beverages and snacks, while 11 bathroom and shower suites with Molten Brown bath amenities let passengers relax and freshen up before their flight. Complimentary internet access, power and data ports, as well as 14 individual workstations equipped with PCs support the needs of business travellers who need to catch up with work.

 

The Qantas International Business Lounge is open to all Business Class, Chairman’s Lounge, Platinum and Gold Frequent Flyers, Qantas Club members and eligible passengers travelling on Oneworld marketed or operated flights. Qantas is also upgrading and expanding its First Lounge in Hong Kong, due to reopen in early December 2009.

 

From Hong Kong, Qantas operates flights to Brisbane, London (Heathrow), Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.  For more information, visit www.qantas.com.au.

Accor Expands Into Taiwan With Novotel

French hospitality company Accor has opened its first property in Taiwan. The 360-room Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport is located minutes from the passenger terminals of the island’s busiest air hub and easily accessible to downtown Taipei by car.

 

The rooms and suites are contemporary in design and feature modern amenities for guests. Each room is furnished with a King-sized or twin beds, spacious bathroom with a bathtub or shower, LCD television with satellite programming, high-speed internet access, telephone with voicemail, work area with connectivity panel, in-room safe and minibar. The spacious suites feature a separate lounging area and access to the Premier Lounge.

 

Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport boasts 4 restaurants and bars offering a variety of cuisines for guests. Located on the second floor, THE WEI serves Chinese cuisine in an inviting setting with 6 private dining rooms and an outdoor terrace. The Square, Novotel’s flagship food and beverage outlet in Asia, offers a selection of international dishes ranging from regional specialties to European dishes. The open-plan Q-Bar in the lobby is ideal for a relaxing drink accompanied by soothing parkland views, while O2 Bar by the swimming pool serves a menu of healthy food and drinks.

 

Guests can indulge in various recreational activities at the hotel, with an indoor heated swimming pool, jacuzzi, fitness center, jogging track and massage facility amongst the entertainment offerings. Golf enthusiasts can play a round at the nearby Meilihua Miramar Golf Resort, while the nearby city of Taoyuan is accessible by the hotel’s complimentary shuttle bus. For conferences or meetings, the hotel offer a 488-square meter, pillar-less Dynasty Grand Ballroom and 5 other meeting rooms with ample natural lighting, state-of-the-art technology and supported by a full-service business center.

 

With the opening of the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, Accor now has a presence in all major regions within Greater China including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. For more information, visit www.accor.com and www.novotel.com.

Cathay Pacific Introduces Soup Noodles On Flights

First and Business Class passengers flying Cathay Pacific now have a greater choice for their meals onboard. From now until 31 January 2010, the airline will serve its Signature Noodle Soups on medium- and long-haul flights, giving passengers a taste of Hong Kong’s culinary culture and contributing to its aim of offering them the best Chinese food when flying. 

 

14 different types of noodle soups will be available. The selection includes shrimp wonton noodles, braised pork and preserved vegetable with rice noodles, barbecue duck with lai fun noodles, spiced pork noodles and beef curry with ho fun noodles. These dishes can be commonly found in Hong Kong and form a part of the local diet.

 

Most of the ingredients are prepared fresh at the flight kitchen, including soup bases, wontons, dumplings, braised beef and tendons. Cathay Pacific has also procured other ingredients, such as the noodles, fish balls and barbecue meats from renowned suppliers in Hong Kong. To ensure the quality and taste of the noodles, the airline’s catering team has worked closely with Cathay Pacific Catering Services, as well as various restaurants and culinary personalities to develop preparation processes on the ground and in-flight.

 

Cathay Pacific is renowned for introducing unique and innovative culinary concepts onboard its flights, promoting the cuisine of its home city Hong Kong. The airline offers one of the most extensive selection of Chinese food in the air, often partnering renowned restaurants such as Yung Kee to serve Poon Choy onboard its flights.

 

For more information, visit www.cathaypacific.com.

Doubletree Opens Largest Property In Orlando

Hilton Worldwide’s Doubletree Hotels has opened its largest hotel in Orlando, Florida. Formerly the International Plaza Resort and Spa, the 1,094-room Doubletree Resort Orlando-International Drive has undergone a USD35 million transformation. The resort now features a Balinese-inspired theme with contemporary dark wood furnishings and Indonesian design accents again the tropical landscape. Located in the heart of the city’s tourism corridor, the property is easily accessible from Orlando International Airport, while the Orange County Convention Center and Seaworld, as well as shopping and dining facilities, are within walking distance of the hotel.

 

A variety of accomodation options, ranging from Resort Guestrooms, Tower Accomodations and Suites are available to guests. Each guestroom is furnished with the signature Sweet Dreams by Doubletree bed, bathroom with glass-enclosed shower and products by Neutrogena, 32-inch LCD television with clock radio featuring iPod connectivity, high-speed internet access, 2 telephones with voicemail capability, workdesk with power and connector ports, in-room safe, microwave, minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities. In addition to standard amenities, the Suites include a comfortable, oversized living room, separate dining room with table and a kitchenette.

 

The Doubletree Resort Orlando-International Drive presents 3 unique dining options for guests. Max’s Deli offers casual dining, with breakfast pastries and Starbucks coffee on the menu, while the Bamboo Grille is a full-service, 270-seat all-day dining restaurant serving contemporary American cuisine with an Asian fusion twist. For drinks, guests can head to the Red Parrot Pool Bar and Tropical Isle located by the resort’s swimming pool, where they can enjoy signature drinks and frozen specialties.

 

Catering to both business and leisure travellers, the resort offers  conventions and recreational facilities within its 28 acres of lushly landscaped grounds. Over 5,574 square meters of indoor and outdoor event space, ranging from large ballrooms at the Oceans Convention Center to the elegant and intimate outdoor spaces at the Tower Terrace. Each facility is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, business services and amenities. Guests on vacation will enjoy facilities such as the 3 swimming pools, mini-golf course, full-service day spa and fitness center, or the quiet solace of a palm-shaded hammock or a Polynesian hut. A high-tech children’s lounge with computers and Nintendo Wii game consoles will entertain younger guests, while shuttle services to Orlando’s renowned attractions (Walt Disney World, Seaworld and Universal Studios) complement Doubletree Resort Orlando-International Drive’s facilities.

 

Doubletree boasts a portfolio of distinctively designed hotels and resorts in more than 200 gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations worldwide, including Beijing, Boston, Chicago, Dar es Salaam, Lima, London, New York City, Qingdao, San Juan and Washington DC.

 

For more information, visit doubletree1.hilton.com.

Aloft Arrives In The Middle East

Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Aloft brand makes its debut in the Middle East, with the opening of the new Aloft Abu Dhabi today. Located within the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), the 408-room hotel is minutes away from the airport, downtown Abu Dhabi and Yas Island, which hosts the emirate’s inaugural Formula One grand prix next weekend.

 

One of Abu Dhabi’s largest hotels, the property incorporates several environmental sustainability features in its design and construction. Guests are greeted by park-like landscaping upon arrival and natural materials such as cork and sustainable wood veneers can be found throughout the hotel. 560 solar panels, covering a total area of 2,300 square meters, will supply 90% of the hotel’s hot water and saving an estimated 870 mega watt hours of electricity every year.

 

Each room and suite at Aloft Abu Dhabi features the brand’s signature platform bed, spacious bathrooms with oversized showerheads and amenities from Tried and Blue by Bliss, extra-large windows, minibar and complimentary coffee/tea. Entertainment and connectivity facilities include a 42-inch LCD television, plug & play connectivity station, telephones and high-speed internet access.

 

A selection of innovative dining options is available at the hotel. The 24-7 re:fuel by Aloft self-serve gourmet eatery offers sweet, savoury and healthy treats, while Dine serves international cuisine from its open kitchen. The w xyz bar lets guests meet and mingle in its lively and abuzz surroundings. On the rooftop, relax@12 and Maï Cafe provide locations to relax and chill-out over snacks, drinks and shisha.

 

Aloft Abu Dhabi offers facilities catering to both business and leisure travellers. A 24 hour business center is available in the hotel, as well as 2 tactic rooms totalling 54 square meters of meeting space that can be easily configured to suit individual needs and equipped with a full suite of multimedia tools. Larger conventions can be catered for at ADNEC’s 55,000 square meters of multi-function exhibition space. After a day of meetings, guests can unwind at the re:mix lounge where they can watch television, play a game of pool, or lounge over their favorite book. Guests who prefer to workout can utilize the re:charge gymnasium and splash outdoor pool on the rooftop. Younger guests at the hotel can join camp Aloft, a program designed to ensure fun for them and peace-of-mind for parents as they proceed for meetings or personal time.

 

A vision of W Hotels, Aloft combines urban-inspired design with accessible technology, style and a social atmosphere. Aloft Abu Dhabi joins 38 other Aloft properties around the world in locations such as Beijing, Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, Montreal and New York.

 

For more information, visit www.alofthotels.com.