Travel Communique – latest travel news

LATEST TRAVEL NEWS

AIRLINE AND AIRPORT UPDATES:

Effective 24 September, Airlink will be adding a Tuesday flight on their Johannesburg-Pemba, Mozambique route, bringing the service to six flights per week. Flights depart Johannesburg at 10h10 and arrive in Pemba at 13h00. The return flight will depart Pemba at 13h30 arriving in Johannesburg at 16h25.

A new passenger lounge has opened at Brisbane Airport’s international terminal. Access is free for all eligible Virgin Australia business-class passengers, Platinum and Gold members of the Velocity Frequent Flyer Programme, as well as Virgin Australia lounge members travelling to New Zealand.Checked-in passengers from other airlines will also be permitted access on a pay-per-use basis. Guests can pre-book access online or in person on the day of travel. The lounge is open from 05h00 to 22h00.

Ethiopian Airlines has introduced Wi-Fi on its A350 fleet. Passengers can access the service by purchasing vouchers at the airline’s sales outlets, including the Addis Ababa International Airport customer service desk, at the boarding gate and from cabin crew on the flight. Alternatively, passengers can purchase the service online using credit or debit cards and ShebaMiles. Using satellite technology, the inflight Wi-Fi service will be launched initially on the A350 fleet, with plans to expand the service on other aircraft deployed on long-haul flights.

From 18 September, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines will introduce an advance seat reservation fee for premium economy class. The fee depends on the length of the flight and applies to tickets issued after 18 September. For group bookings and passengers with HON and Senator status, seat reservations will remain free of charge. Seat selection at check-in 23 hours before departure will also remain free of charge. Advance seat bookings in economy class already incur a fee.

Qantas has increased the carry-on weight limit in first, business and premium economy classes on international flights to 10kg, compared with the previous 7kg cap. Qantas’s international premium passengers can choose between the following mix of carry-on bags:

  • one 10kg bag (measuring up to 115cm), or
  • two bags (measuring up to 105cm each) with a combined weight of 14kg, and either of those bags can weigh 10kg, or
  • one 10kg (measuring up to 105cm) plus a soft garment bag (measuring up to 185cm).
  • The 7kg limit remains in place for economy-class flyers.

Qatar Airways has announced the launch of a new service to Luanda, starting in March 2020. The service, which will operate up to five times weekly, will be operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring 22 business-class seats and 232 in economy class.

HOTEL UPDATE:

Protea Hotel by Marriott Parktonian All Suite has partnered with the Gautrain to offer a new conferencing package that includes a complimentary shuttle service to and from the Gautrain Park Station as well as Gautrain tickets. The hotel is two kilometres from the Gautrain station at Johannesburg’s Park Station. The hotel’s 24-hour conferencing package includes a room, breakfast, day conference, dinner and overnight parking and a return Gautrain trip.