Malaysia Airlines to Introduce Exclusive Luxury Private Terminal Transfer Service with BMW Group Malaysia and Ingress Auto Beginning 1 February 2024

 

KLIA, 24 January 2024 – Malaysia Airlines today announced that it will be introducing an exclusive private terminal transfer service for its passengers to travel in premium comfort between the Main Terminal Building and the Satellite Building of KLIA Terminal 1, in collaboration with BMW Group Malaysia through their dealer partner, Ingress Auto Sdn. Bhd.

Beginning 1 February 2024, Enrich Platinum, Business Suite, and Business Class passengers flying with Malaysia Airlines will get to experience a heightened level of luxury as they will be chauffeured in style with the all-electric BMW i7. The 24-hour service offers a sustainable and premium travel option exclusively for Malaysia Airlines’ passengers, in addition to the Premium Bus transfer currently provided by the airport operator following the temporary suspension of the aerotrain service.

During this initial phase, a fleet of BMW i7 vehicles will be deployed to serve departing passengers, with the pick-up point located at Gate G1 of the Main Terminal Building. The airline will also be deploying additional units to serve arriving passengers in the near future, following the completion of the arrival lounge at the airport’s Satellite Building.

Passengers can enjoy the assurance that the premium service is intricately tailored to ensure individualised experiences, eliminating any concerns about sharing rides. This exclusive service guarantees dedicated transportation, with vehicles allocated for solo travellers, couples, and families up to four (4) passengers per car; ensuring a smooth and comfortable journey as part of the end-to-end customer experience.

-Malaysia Airlines.

Malaysia’s King’s Park to sponsor hospitality training at new entertainment hub

 

King’s Park Genting Highlands will sponsor training opportunities for 1,000 Cornell Academy’s students at its new entertainment hub when opened

Cornell Academy is an educational institute certified by Universiti Sains Malaysia, Graduate School of Business. It offers a myriad of professional development and skill enhancement courses in the field of business management, hospitality, with more programmes to be revealed soon.

Cornell Academy’s managing director, Darren Yang, said: “As we look ahead, we envision an expansion into diploma programmes covering Food & Beverage, Retail, Business Management, and Entrepreneurship. This holistic approach will underscore a profound understanding of ESG principles, fortifying our commitment in sustainable education.

“The tourism industry is burgeoning, necessitating elevated training and a profound understanding of comprehensive business management, with a keen focus on the nuances of hospitality and delivering exceptional customer service. We aspire to elevate ambitious young talents to new heights in these domains. 

Our goal is to provide them not only with academic credentials but also a comprehensive understanding and practical experience in the industry, broadening their horizons.”

Sean Chen, executive vice president, King’s Park Development, shared: “The growing importance of possessing industry-relevant skills from the get-go cannot be overstated, as it kickstarts efficiency and productivity upon entry into the workforce.

“We firmly believe that engaging and supporting local development will empower the region’s youth through enhanced educational and job prospects. This sponsorship’s diverse group of recipients will significantly contribute to promoting workforce diversity, fostering an inclusive culture within the industry. Our aspiration in sponsoring these individuals is to witness their transformation into invaluable assets, not only benefitting King’s Park but also enriching the entire industry.”

Course registration will commence in 2025, and are priced at approximately 36,000 ringgit (US$7,605) for a three-year duration, which integrates five days of hands-on training and one full day of classroom education per week. Students are guaranteed job opportunities upon successful course completion with no post-training bonding requirements.

-TTG Asia.

Malaysia hotels make Covid testing easier for guests

 

The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) in collaboration with digital health service provider, DOC2US, will provide travellers and guests at member hotels with a one-stop solution for Covid-19 testing requirements through the latter’s virtual Rapid Test Kit Intelligent System (RTKis).

Guests who book a stay at MAH participating member hotels can opt to add RTKis, which will be given to them upon check-in. The process is supervised by professional healthcare providers, and results are uploaded to the Public Health Laboratory Information System (SIMKA) integrated with MySejahtera – where travellers can also access the free Virtual Health Advisory services provided by DOC2US.

The Virtual Health Advisory is a digital hotline made available online for guests. At present, it is being introduced in some hotels in Negri Sembilan and will commence to hotels in other states later.

Currently, more than 20 MAH member hotels have signed up to offer RTKis, and are in the process of adoption.

MAH president N Subramaniam said: “While the hotel industry has yet to record significant increases in occupancy since the transition to endemic phase, we are keen to outline our commitment to elevate the travelling experience of visitors and steer the country towards endemicity by adding value to our existing in-house healthcare services through digital healthcare.”

CEO and co-founder of DOC2US, Raymond Choy, said in a press release: “The tourism and travel industry was the hardest hit during the pandemic. As a digital healthcare service provider, there are certainly more areas we can cover in order to help the tourism and hotel industry regain their footing. By starting with RTKis and Virtual Health Advisory for travellers, we can reassure them of our health and safety standards.”

Choy added that the Covid test can be conducted “conveniently and comfortably” in the hotel room within 24 hours of the guest’s arrival. “It is safe, secure and credible,” he said.

An influx of two million visitors is expected to enter Malaysia as the tourism industry recovers from Covid-19. The partnership between MAH and DOC2US is expected to facilitate travellers and make testing procedures convenient and accessible upon arrival and throughout their stay.

-TTG Asia.

Tourism sector remains competitive, provides jobs

KUANTAN, Sept 26 -- The tourism sector remains competitive, providing jobs for the locals, especially with the coming Visit Malaysia Year 2020 (VM2020).

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said according to statistics, last year, the tourism sector generated 3.4 million jobs, making up 23.4 per cent of the total number of jobs in the country.

“The tourism sector has a big potential to generate jobs, especially with the increase in tourist arrivals from all over the world to Malaysia, especially in VM2020, and job seekers should take advantage of this,” he said.

Muhammad Bakhtiar was speaking in a press conference held in conjunction with the launch of the VM2020 campaign, Pahang level, here today.

He added that in the first six months of this year, there were 13.35 million foreign tourist arrivals in Malaysia, which was a 4.9 per cent increase over the same period last year.

"We hope to achieve our target of 28.1 million foreign tourists this year,” he said.

Muhammad Bakhtiar also assured that joint efforts will be made with the Pahang government to promote tourism products in the state which is known for its eco-tourism destinations.

“I am told that there are 42 tourism events planned in Pahang next year and these will attract the tourists,” he said.

Commenting on a fire on Aug 31 in Sungai Lembing, a National Heritage Site, Muhammad Bakhtiar said the incident did not affect the location’s status.

-bernama.

Hotels told to improve services to attract more tourists

IPOH: Hotels are encouraged to improve their services to bring in more tourists to Malaysia, says Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (pic).

He said regardless of a hotel's ranking, bad service would lead to lower reviews by customers, which would result in fewer guests.

"There are many three- and four-star hotels that receive better reviews than five-star hotels. Hotel staff need to be more friendly and helpful towards guests," he told reporters after attending the Tourism Perak Business Opportunity seminar at Hotel Syeun here Saturday (July 6).

"Hotels must also capitalise on its surroundings and local attractions to attract higher numbers of visitors," he said.

Muhammad Bakthiar also applauded the Perak government's efforts in promoting the state as a domestic and international tourism destination.

"Perak has a lot of potential and could soon be the only state in Malaysia with two Unesco sites.

"For Visit Malaysia Year 2020, we are aiming to welcome at least 30 million tourists and RM100bil in tourist receipts," he said.

"We hope the state government will work hard to promote its quality tourist attractions such as Bukit Bunuh and the Perak Man in Lenggong," he added.

The Lenggong Valley, where the remains of the "Perak Man" was found, is already a Unesco Archaeological Heritage site.

The Royal Belum State Park is on the Unesco World Heritage nominations list.

-thestar online.

Malaysia Airports Recognises The Best In The Aviation Industry At The Annual KLIA AWARDS 2016

SEPANG – Malaysia Airports continues to recognise the best in the aviation industry at the KLIA Awards 2016 this evening at Sama Sama Hotel KL International Airport.  As part of Malaysia Airports many initiatives to establish KLIA as a preferred ASEAN Hub, the prestigious KLIA Awards is an annual event that honours its partners for their outstanding performances and services. The prestigious event is meant to spur the KLIA airport community to constantly push the boundaries of distinction in their respective fields, thus raising KLIA’s and Malaysia’s stature in the eyes of the world.

KLIA Awards was first introduced in 2006 and is currently in its 12th edition this year. Graced by YB Minister of Transport Malaysia Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai, the theme chosen for the night was “25 Years of Triumph” in conjunction with the Malaysia Airports silver jubilee celebration this year. KLIA Awards winners are chosen based on their yearly achievement in sectors such as passenger movements, growth factor, sales performance, international recognition as well as service excellence.

Dato’ Sri Liow in his speech applauded Malaysia Airports’ efforts in serving the country for the last 25 years. He said, “For almost two decades, KLIA, as one of our national icons has indeed played a significant role as the country’s main gateway. Its tremendous growth has proven to be one of the major contributors towards Malaysia’s economic development, giving more opportunities in trade and tourism. Last year, KLIA surpassed the 50 million passengers mark and grew by 7.6% to nearly 53 million passengers.”

“I am very proud to see that air connectivity is preserved and has been further enhanced between international and domestic destinations through the entry of new airlines, as well increased routes and capacity, allowing the country to leverage further on our abundant tourist destinations,” he added.  

Malaysia Airports was represented by its managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, who said, “KLIA is the 14th busiest airport in the world for international passenger movements. Last year 70% of the 53 million movements were international traffic. As an example, we saw an increase of 21% to 1.8 million inbound travellers from China for the first half of 2017. KLIA, with a combined two-terminal capacity of 75 million passengers per year is well positioned to cater to the expected aviation growth within the region.”

He also stressed on the importance of the whole airport community working in tandem to grow the hub, and said, “We must continue our collaborative and consistent efforts to provide improved facilities and high quality services to our passengers.” 

According to Badlisham, KLIA had welcomed several new airlines this year such as Himalaya Airlines from Nepal, Thai Smile Airways from Thailand, US Bangla Airlines from Bangladesh, JC Cambodia from Cambodia, Cathay Dragon from Hong Kong and Batik Air Indonesia from Indonesia. Philippines national carrier Philippines Airlines had also resumed their KLIA-Manila route after a four-year hiatus. Meanwhile, several others had taken the opportunity to modernise their fleet such as Saudi Airlines and Uzbekistan Airways which had introduced the Dreamliner 787-9 and 787 aircraft respectively to fly into KLIA. 

Malaysia Airports is also grateful for the continuous support given by the government of Malaysia to the aviation sector. The support provided has allowed the country’s aviation sector to be more competitive in offering capacity for the local and regional growth of aviation, while at the same time enabling Malaysia Airports to continue enhancing the level of comfort and convenience for passengers.

More than 500 guests attended the gala dinner awards ceremony comprising the who’s who within the Malaysian aviation industry.

-http://www.malaysiaairports.com.my

1,500 Participants Targeted For 'We Are The Host' Course Before Year-end

KUALA TERENGGANU, Aug 4 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu chapter of the tourism and culture ministry estimates 1,500 participants at the 'We Are The Host' course before year-end.

Its director, Mohd Sabri Zakaria said so far, 633 people from various tourism sectors had taken part, including frontliners of hotels and inns, government departments, tour agencies, taxi and rickshaw drivers, as well as tourism students in the state.

"There are 11 more series for the 'We Are The Host' course and it will be held until December. "This is how we train industry players to improve services for tourists," he told Bernama here today. Last year, 1,000 industry players, especially frontliners, took part in the course.

Mohd Sabri said what was interesting was that taxi drivers and rickshaw riders take part because they were the first people whom tourists met upon arrival in Terengganu.

"They are taught the basics of communicating with foreign tourists in English, and many admit the course increased their confidence when dealing with tourists. "We should always be hospitable and helpful to suggest locations, food and historical sites in Terengganu so that tourists are comfortable during their stay," he added.
-bernama.

Hotel concierge staff can be tourism ambassadors

source: Society of the Golden Keys Malaysia facebook

KUALA LUMPUR: To many hotel concierge workers, meeting their customers’ needs is everything. Some have found that networking with other concierge staff around the world has helped them serve their customers better.

“I had a guest from Belgium who would send flowers to his wife every year for their anniversary, but he found it difficult when he was in Indonesia. “So I called a fellow concierge staff in Belgium so that flowers could be sent to the man’s wife,” said Menara Pen­insula Hotel staff member Hassan Asari, 40, who is from Jakarta.

Concierge staff Konstantin Pilip­en­ko, 26, from the Russian Seasons Del­uxe-Hotel in Sochi, Russia, felt the same way about going the extra mile. “We had a guest from Argentina who lost his luggage in the airport, and he needed to go for a meeting. All the shops were closed, so I made the decision to give him my colleague’s suit and my shoes,” he said.

Up to 500 delegates from 45 countries around the world are here from Friday until Jan 15 for the 61st Inter­national Concierge Congress. Gathering under the banner of Les Clefs d’Or, the delegates discussed issues related to the industry.

The Congress was officiated by Tou­rism Malaysia director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyyab who praised concierge staff wor­l­dwide as “tourism ambassadors” .

-thestar online.

Police Set Up 'International Liaison Unit' For Foreign Tourists

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- Police today set up the International Liaison Unit (ILU) that will act as an intermediary for foreign tourists if they become victims of crime in this country.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Mohmad Salleh said the establishment of the unit, currently with 100 officers and other personnel, had become a necessity to ensure the welfare and safety of tourists when they became victims of crime.

"We get so many tourists, especially in Kuala Lumpur, and it's also in preparation for 'Visit Malaysia Year 2014'," he told reporters after the launch of a special unit known as Amanita at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters, (IPKKL), here, Thursday.

"People, especially tourists who are victims of crime, can contact the ILU at the IPKKL at 03-21460686," he said.

On the role of Amanita, Mohmad said police would build rapport and cooperation with women, especially housewives, in the fight against crime.

"Amanita will be working with women from government agencies, non-governmental organisations, local authorities, political parties and residents' associations by organising programmes for the safety of women to build public trust in the police.

"Through Amanita, we want to create greater public awareness that crime prevention is a shared responsibility, and promoting the role of women as the 'eyes and ears' of the police," he said.
-bernama.

Malaysia Airlines Customer Week Delights Customers

Sepang, 3 June 2013: Malaysia Airlines celebrated the MH Customer Week themed 'Service is the Heart of our Business' recently. The first of its kind for 2013, the customer week was concluded with success.

Director of Customer Services, Dato’ Salleh Ahmad Tabrani said, “The MH Customer Week is scheduled twice yearly with the aim to shower appreciation to our guests for their relentless support. With this initiative we want to further strengthen the customer-centric culture in retaining our valued customers as well as winning potential customers and ensuring a seamless journey with us at every touch point. With their continued support this will definitely generate revenue and contribute to the profitable growth of Malaysia Airlines in achieving its vision to be the Preferred Premium Carrier”, he added.

The MH Customer Week saw many top management members of Malaysia Airlines coming forward to meet and greet the customers. Group Chief Executive Officer, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya was also part of this exercise when he was present at the MH20 departure gate to Paris. He gave away goodies to the customers.

The national carrier's first class guests received A380 aircraft model with a special ‘Thank you’ card personally endorsed from the Group CEO whilst the Business class guests received a Travel Organizer. Meanwhile the economy class guests received special baggage tags. All children below 12 years of age received a specially designed water bottle.

This year, the MH Customer Week was not only confined to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport but was also done in the Langkawi Airport. This was also in conjunction with the MH Bikers’ trip to Langkawi that took place on 24 May 2013.

At Langkawi International Airport, the President of MAS Bikers, Mohd Rodzuan Che Kob accompanied by his team members were given access to park their bikes at the airside in front of the Arrival Hall by Malaysia Airport Berhad (MAB) to welcome guests and handed out gifts to Malaysia Airlines guests arriving via MH1450 from Kuala Lumpur and MH1459 which was departing from Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur. Both flights were in full capacity of 144 passengers per flights.

In addition to the Customer Experience Week, the Aircraft Sweep audit will be done in June 2013, whereby, cross-functional volunteers (which consists of MAS staff) will get to perform 100% checks on aircraft seats, cabin defects and cleanliness to deliver customer expectations.

Meanwhile, MAS’ Senior Managers will be assisting staff at all customers’ touch points in Kuala Lumpur, Subang and KLIA which includes the call centre, baggage handling area, ramp, check-in services, ticket offices, transfer desks and lounges throughout specific durations of the programme. Coined MH ROCKS (Reaching Out to Customers and Kakitangan Sentiasa), this initiative enables management members to assist and interact with customers and staff whilst increasing their awareness and understanding of front-liners' routines.

Family travelling with MAS delighted with goodies

-Malaysia Airlines.

4,000 cabbies to be tourism’s driving force

Bonjour: Dr Ng sharing a light moment with French tourist Vincent Pinatel, his wife Anne and their children Margot (standing) and Romain during her visit to the covered walkway from KLCC to Pavilion yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR: About 4,000 taxi drivers in the Klang Valley will be appointed tourism taxi ambassadors in an effort to enhance the service industry and promote the country. The move followed complaints from tourists about taxi drivers, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

She added that the pilot project was to provide the drivers with “capacity building” to understand their roles better in nation-building. “This is part of the Government’s initiative under the Malaysian Tourism Transformation Plan to achieve RM168bil in tourism revenue and 36 million tourists by 2020,” she said after visiting the covered walkway between the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Dr Ng said the ministry would collaborate with taxi associations and ask them to recommend drivers who could become tourism taxi ambassadors. “The taxi must be clean, the driver must possess basic communication skills and not smoke while driving,” she added. Dr Ng said the taxi drivers would be briefed on various new tourism products and government initiatives. They would also have to attend a one-day course. “The training will be made for batches of 100 people each, which will begin in the middle of March,” she added.

The taxi drivers will be monitored for six months after the course and the selection will be done by a panel comprising taxi associations representatives, Land Public Transport Com­­­­­­­mission (SPAD) and the ministry.

At a separate event, Dr Ng launched the 1Malaysia Grand Prix Sale that will be held from March 10-April 15. The events that will be held in conjunction with the GP Sale are the Malaysia International Shoe Festival (March 29-April 1), F1 Race Day (March 23-25) and the Fourth Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (March 15-18).

-thestar online.