ANA and AirAsia to form ‘AirAsia Japan’

TOKYO July 21, 2011 - ANA Group, Japan’s largest airline, and AirAsia, the world’s best low cost airline, today announced that they are teaming up to form AirAsia Japan, a new low-cost carrier. AirAsia Japan will be the first low-cost carrier to be based at Narita International Airport. Operating under the AirAsia brand, it is to serve both domestic and international destinations when commencing operations in August 2012, subject to obtaining the relevant approvals.

In Japan, the aviation market is undergoing rapid transformation with developments including the expansion of Open Skies agreements and increased domestic competition from road and rail-based travel. In addition, Narita airport, a major international hub serving Tokyo, is seeking to increase capacity with the introduction of a new terminal and is expected to attract many low-cost carriers and foreign airlines. ANA has been seeking opportunities to launch a new low-cost business based at Narita and, after analysis, has concluded that partnering with an existing low-cost carrier is the most efficient and strategically advantageous option.

Having already established an unmatched network, especially within the ASEAN region, AirAsia has been seeking a business partner with strong Japanese market influence to further expand its scope, as well as contribute to strengthening bilateral ties between ASEAN and Japan. The formation of AirAsia Japan leverages AirAsia’s successful business model and brings together the complementary strengths of the two companies, generating new demand with the aim of making affordable and quality travel available to all.

Mr. Shinichiro Ito, President and CEO of ANA said, “By combining AirAsia’s business model and brand with ANA’s depth of knowledge of the Japanese market, we aim to bring new value to our customers, offer diverse and enjoyable travel experiences, and generate new demand. We believe that AirAsia Japan will make air travel more accessible and provide a convenient and efficient travel option for a wide range of people.”

Tan Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia said, “We are proud to extend AirAsia’s successful low-cost business model to Japan and further provide opportunities for everyone to fly to the destinations of their dreams with low fares. AirAsia Japan will not only boost economic growth between ASEAN and East Asia by providing better access to markets around the region, but also enhance links within travel, trade and tourism. AirAsia is proud to be identified as a low cost carrier partner to ANA, a very respected, credible and successful airline in Japan. This new joint venture is an important milestone in AirAsia’s growth as ANA is the very first airline partner to form a joint venture with AirAsia.”

New Company Outline

	Company name	:	AirAsia Japan Co., Ltd.
	Address	:	1-5-2 Higashi Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo (plan)
	Capital	:	ANA 67%, AirAsia 33% (Voting-right share basis) *ANA 51%, AirAsia 49% (Capital basis)
	Base	:	Narita International Airport
	Paid-in-capital	:	JPY 5 Billion
	Fiscal year ending	:	March

   * Company representative will be determined once the company is formally established. 
   * AirAsia Japan will operate under the AirAsia brand and service model

Schedule

	Aug. 2011	:	Establish company
	Sept.- Oct. 2011	:	Apply for Air Operators' Certificate (AOC)
	Aug. 2012	:	First flight

   * The above schedule is subject to obtaining the relevant approvals. 
   * Because operations will not commence until 2012, ANA does not anticipate any impact to its earnings for this fiscal year, 
      ending March 2012.

-All Nippon Airways.

www.ana.co.jp

MASwings turns to international routes

MALAYSIA Airlines (MAS) subsidiary MASwings, which operates to 22 destinations in Sabah and Sarawak, will start targeting transnational routes in a repositioning as a regional carrier. MAS managing director, Azmil Zahruddin, said: “MASwings will be repositioned as a regional community airline for Sabah and Sarawak, as well as for the entire community in Borneo and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippine-East ASEAN Growth Area.”

 

The airline is awaiting approval to operate from Kota Kinabalu to Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei, and from Kuching to Pontianak, from October. It also intends to launch services to Borneo and the Philippines. “We believe the move will transform MASwings into an international carrier, and also help strengthen Kota Kinabalu International Airport’s position as the gateway for travellers entering the region," Zahruddin added.

 

MASwings started operations in 2007 with 450 weekly flights, now expanded to 940 per week. Passenger loads have increased by 170 per cent, from 41,000 passengers per month in 2007, to over 110,500 per month last year.

-TTG Asia.

Johor Premium Outlet a dream come true for shopaholics

JOHOR BARU: Shopaholics will invade Kulai starting November, spinning Julius Caesar’s famous line into veni, vidi, Visa (I came, I saw, I shopped). For these shoppers, their credit cards will perhaps be given a good workout when the Johor Premium Outlet (JPO) opens on Nov 11. Student Rhian Nicole, 17, from England, said there was now another reason to visit Malaysia more often. “I do not follow trends blindly, so it doesn’t matter to me that the goods at JPO would be one season older. I just like to buy things that look good on me,” she said.

JPO is modelled after Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, which is about an hour’s drive from New York. It is a must-stop for most Malaysians who are in the New York area as it offers a huge collection of designer brands ranging from Armani Exchange to Zegna at big discounts. Bank officer Ahmad Fikri Mohainon, 26, said there was now no necessity for him to travel across the Causeway to Singapore to get desig-ner watches and bags. Ahmad Fikri, who has a penchant for Gucci and Tissot products, said he would be eager to check out the discounts offered at JPO. Located on a 18ha site, JPO is now about 80% completed.

Johor Tourist Guides Association chairman Jimmy Leong said the association was eyeing an additional four million visitors per year once the outlet opens its doors. “The opening of the outlet is timely as there is now the convenience of low-cost carriers. Besides, there are no other competing branded outlets in neighbouring countries,” he added. Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Johor chapter chairman Kenny Ngi said JPO would put the state on the tourism map. “I think the outlet will increase the number of tourists coming to Johor. Travel agents in the state will definitely include JPO on their tour itinerary,” he said.

One shopaholic from Kuala Lumpur, Rosalind Longmate, said JPO would be “a dream come true”. She said she did not mind the drive to Kulai but would plan ahead. Another shopper, Isabel Lea Ang from Petaling Jaya, said: “This is indeed very exciting. It gives a lot of us in the middle income bracket the opportunity to own branded goods that we most probably cannot afford to buy at the malls.”

-thestar online.

Charter flights to Phuket

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) members can now charter flights between Penang and Phuket for bigger groups of holidaymakers. The service, which will be available from September, will also enable the MATTA agents to charter flights for participants of conferences.

Penang MATTA Fair 2011 organising committee chairman Johari Shafie said that MATTA planned to expand the service soon to other countries. “We also have plans to offer chartered flights from Penang to South Korea and Japan and vice versa in the near future,” he said in an interview. The 15th Penang MATTA Fair 2011 will be held at the Penang International Sports Arena (PISA) from July 22 to July 24. The fair will be open from 5pm to 9pm on July 22 and from 10am to 9pm on July 23 and 24. There is a RM2 entry fee which entitles visitors to a goody bag and a chance to win attractive prizes in a lucky draw.

With over 100,000 visitors expected, the fair will feature tourism bodies from Hong Kong, Germany, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Macau, India, Indonesia alongside Sabah Tourism, Tourism Malaysia, Johor Tourism and Penang Tourism. Also participating are 11 major hotels, Firefly and Air Mauritius. Johari said travel consultants would be on hand during the fair to offer advice on travel plans.

The fair will also introduce tailor-made travel packages for visitors based on the individual’s budget, preference and schedule. “These packages are flexible and are suitable for everyone because they can choose all the details at their convenience,” he said.
Johari added that the fair this year would also emphasise local destinations due to the current economic situation. “The tourism industry in Penang is really booming. It is on the right track and we hope that tourism will overtake manufacturing as the biggest industry in Penang,” he said.

Also at the fair, Star Cruises, the leading cruise liner in Asia Pacific, will offer visitors three Star Buy packages to cruise on board SuperStar Libra and SuperStar Virgo. The first package on board SuperStar Libra promotes a Buy-One-Free-One offer where guests will get to enjoy a three-night stay on the seas off Phuket and Krabi. The second promotion on board the 13-deck liner SuperStar Virgo will feature a Buy-One-Free-One two-night cruise trip to Singapore, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur. Holidaymakers can also enjoy a 40% discount on a three-night cruise across Singapore, Penang and Phuket on board the SuperStar Virgo.

Bookings are only applicable during the fair and subject to availability of cabins on both the liners. Star Cruises, together with Norwegian Cruise Line, is the third largest cruise operator in the world that owns a combined fleet of 18 ships, visiting over 200 destinations and islands in Asia-Pacific, North and South America, Hawaii, Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Mediterranean and Bermuda. For more information, visit Star Cruises website www.starcruises.com.
-thestar online.

Ng: Tour operators must adapt to changes

KUALA LUMPUR: All tour operators have to be relevant and be ready for changes with their packages or risk being discarded, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. “We need to compete with other countries who are emerging with their booming tourism industry. The Government and the ministry constantly review our policies and regulations to adapt to the changes,” she said in her speech at the 36th Malaysian Associa­tion of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) annual dinner here last night. Tour operators, she added, must be reliable, credible and accountable.

“However, the number of complaints received on tour operators gives us great anxiety,” said Dr Ng. Earlier, Dr Ng said Malaysia was seeking to become one of the most reputable destinations for art enthusiasts with its own unique local contemporary artworks. She said there was a lot of potential as the local contemporary arts industry had been recognised as one of the three “bankable” sectors. “At the beginning of the decade, contemporary art had only 2.83% share of the market’s revenue. It now represents 10.2% of global art auction revenue,” she said in her speech at the 1Malaysia Con­temporary Art Tourism Festival here yesterday.

Dr Ng said that despite the economic downturn in the recent years, art auction global revenue last year was US$9.36bil (RM28.15bil). She said the first 1Malaysia contemporary art tourism festival last year recorded 42,000 visitors and generated RM14mil in art sales. Her text of speech was read out by the Tourism Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Ong Peng Heng.
-thestar online.

Pullman Putrajaya to target transit and short-stay clientele

The Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside, due to unveil a new look in December, will be repositioned as an airport and transit hotel. The property’s general manager, Franck Loison, told TTG Asia e-daily that the hotel would target travellers seeking weekend breaks or short stays, as well as those transiting to other destinations.

“We intend to capitalise on our location, which is only 20 minutes drive from the airport,” he said. He added: “The hotel has undergone a complete facelift of its facilities, guestrooms and public areas. The upgrading works were aimed to better suit Accor’s upscale Pullman brand.”

Loison predicted that the facelift and repositioning would boost hotel occupancy, currently at 70 per cent on average, and increase room rates. MICE is a key market for the hotel, generating 60 per cent of its overall revenue.
-TTG Asia.
www.pullmanputrajaya.com

Woodbury Common comes to Kulai on 11-11-11

JOHOR BARU: Shopping for branded products will be the attraction for visitors to Kulai after the Johor Premium Outlet (JPO) opens its doors on the auspicious date of Nov 11 or 11.11.11. Designer brands like Burberry, Coach, Polo, Ralph Lauren, Prada, Armani, Canali, Ferragamo, Tod's, Zegna, Nike and Puma will be featured in the RM149mil outlet.

The outlet will be located on an 18ha site and will sell the products, which will be a season old, at 25% to 60% cheaper than the malls. The project is a 50-50 joint venture between Genting's 54.6% owned subsidiary Genting Plantations Bhd and Premium Outlets, a division of US-based Simon Property Group. The outlet is about 80% complete and is based on Simon's flagship Premium Outlet “Woodbury Common” just outside New York. There are 52 such outlets in the United States, Mexico, Japan and South Korea while the JPO would be the first in South-East Asia.

A purpose-built flyover is being completed on the Second Link to ensure a smooth connection from Singapore and the North-South Expressway. Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the project would significantly increase the number of visitors to the state both from other states and from Singapore. “The JPO construction is on schedule and it will open in the third quarter of the year as scheduled,” Ghani said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is scheduled to open the JPO and has indicated that it should be done on Nov 11 because of the auspicious date. JPO director Datuk Justin Leong said the company planned to bus in visitors from all over Malaysia and Singapore, and use the Senai airport to bring in regional tourists from countries like Indonesia and Thailand. “This is an exciting development for Johor and Malaysia as it will be a key driver for retail tourism.
This will also feature Iskandar Malaysia on the map,” he said.
-thestar online.

Terengganu floats away with top prize

PUTRAJAYA: Terengganu's flotilla bags the first place for the Overall Best Boat at the 1Malaysia International Tourism Night Floral Parade which draws its curtain last night. The float beat 12 other participants including from Perlis, Perak, Malacca, Johor, Resort World Genting, AirAsia, YTL Hotel, i-City, Putrajaya, Tourism Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.

Four other categories were won by YTL Hotel (Most Creative), i-City (Best Lighted), Tourism Malaysia (Most Popular-Public Sector) and AirAsia (Most Popular-Private Sector). Prizes were presented by Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen.

She said feedback showed that the nine-day parade had been very successful and was well-received by the public. Dr Ng added that the event had attracted an estimated one million visitors and some said it was even better than the boat display at the Suzhou River in Shanghai.

-thestar online.

photo: Pelancongan Kini.

Lima teras utama tarik pelancong - Yen Yen

MELAKA 16 Julai - Lima teras utama perlu diberi penekanan bagi mengukuhkan imej dan menarik lebih ramai pelancong asing ke negara ini, kata Menteri Pelancongan, Datuk Seri Dr. Ng Yen Yen. Menurutnya, teras itu ialah menitikberatkan keseronokan keluarga, membeli-belah, acara pelancongan, eko-pelancongan dan pelancongan perniagaan. Kementerian kata beliau, akan memberi tumpuan membantu mempromosikan sesuatu produk bagi dimasukkan ke dalam kalendar pelancongan dunia jika mempunyai lima teras tersebut.

"Tanpa lima teras yang digariskan oleh kementerian, adalah sukar untuk sesuatu produk itu boleh diketengahkan bagi menarik lebih ramai pelancong asing," katanya. Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Melaka-UNESCO World Heritage Music Festival 2011 di Jonker Walk, Banda Hilir di sini malam tadi. Turut hadir ialah Ketua Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohd. Ali Rustam dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pelancongan Kebudayaan dan Warisan negeri, Datuk Latif Tamby Chik.

Melaka-UNESCO World Heritage Music Festival 2011 dianjurkan sempena sambutan ulang tahun ketiga Melaka diiktiraf sebagai Bandaraya Warisan Dunia oleh UNESCO. Festival selama dua hari yang berakhir esok itu menampilkan pelbagai genre muzik daripada tujuh kumpulan kugiran tempatan yang membuat persembahan di pentas utama Jonker Walk. Menurut Yen Yen, kualiti sesuatu produk itu membolehkan ejen-ejen pelancongan mempromosikan Malaysia sebagai destinasi pelancongan ke setiap pelosok dunia.

Mengulas mengenai penganjuran Melaka-UNESCO World Heritage Music Festival 2011 beliau berkata, festival tersebut wajar diberi nafas baru dengan tumpuan kepada penampilan lebih banyak muzik tradisional. Beliau berkata, penampilan festival muzik tradisional dilihat berpotensi besar untuk menarik kedatangan lebih ramai pelancong ke negeri ini. "Jika Sarawak berbangga dengan Festival Muzik Rainforest, Melaka pula sebagai bandar raya warisan dunia wajar mengetengahkan seni muzik tradisional seperti dondang sayang," katanya. Tambah beliau, selain memperbanyakkan muzik tradisional, festival itu juga perlu menarik penyertaan negara-negara luar seperti Indonesia, Jepun dan Korea.

-Utusan Online.

Water festivals to promote tourism

RAUB: The Tourism Ministry is studying the possibility of having water festivals in rural areas, focusing on rivers that flow through villages. “Water festivals are usually held in big towns. Now, we want to bring such programmes to small towns. We will let the villagers run them,”minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

“We will train the villagers in tourism promotion and water safety but we will need to consider the suitability of a river, accessibility of the village and whether or not the villages have the awareness to run the programmes,” she said. Some of the activities could include rafting, shopping for local produce and dining, she said.

Speaking to reporters after opening the Raub Water Festival at Kg Batu Malim yesterday, Dr Ng said that infrastructure building must not “overtake” the natural beauty of a rural area. “The ministry will study the development of infrastructure which should not be overly done. It must not affect the surroundings because that is what tourists come for,” she said.

In MALACCA, Dr Ng said the ministry would assist the state to organise an international music festival with heritage as its main inspiration. Taking the cue from the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak, she said Malacca had great potential of organising a similar event to attract music lovers to Malaysia.

“Once we have the date of the event every year, we can list it in the ministry’s annual events calendar,” she told reporters at the inaugural Unesco World Heritage Music Festival held in conjunction with the state’s 3rd anniversary celebration as a World Heritage Site at Jonker Walk on Friday.

-thestar online.

Understated luxury

A hotel in sleepy Kota Kinabalu makes a perfect home away from home.

LOCATION, location, location! This oft-repeated mantra should be kept in mind when trying to decide the location of any business, and, in fact, one’s choice of home. And when you’re on vacation, your hotel is your home, so even then location matters. I was very pleased with my choice of accommodation during my brief stay in Kota Kinabalu recently. The Grand Borneo Hotel may not be situated smack in the centre of town but it has something even better —it’s linked to a mall. What could possibly trump that?

In a city with very few attractions, one runs out of things to do pretty quickly, but shopping in KK? Most are wont to say, Oh, puhleeze. Actually, if you’re on this side of Malaysia, you’ll find that the 1Borneo Hypermall is a pretty chic location for shopping. Even people from Brunei come here to shop. With more than 400 shops to its name, the mall has changed the KK scene. It houses, among other things, pubs, clubs, karaoke outlets, restaurants, movie halls and bowling alleys, so really, anyone would be kept happily occupied here.

Welcoming: The Grand Borneo Hotel in Kota Kinabalu at night. -Picture courtesy of Grand Borneo Hotel.

The hotel itself is no slouch. The Grand Borneo Hotel has 325 rooms, with 43 spread out over two floors in what is called the Borneo Privilege Club. What the privileged guests on these floors get, besides bigger rooms and extra amenities, is personalised check-in and check-out service and access to the club lounge with its private meeting rooms, reading materials, free e-mail, drinks and snacks. And the Club will even handle typing, faxing, taxi and flight bookings and other related requests from guests.

I had the privilege of staying at the Grand Deluxe club room on one of these floors. My first impression? The bed was “giganormous” – you could roll around in it like a gymnast doing a floor routine, if you wanted to! The view I had was of the city and the distant mountains, all of which could be enjoyed while soaking in the standalone “love” tub. There was also a shower room and another toilet for guests in the living area which, incident ly, had its own flat-screen TV (the bedroom also had one). Of course, the room also came with all the facilities that a business traveller requires, including access to broadband. I loved my room! The club lounge is perfect after a tiring day. It’s great to sit down, watch TV, have a beer and munch on snacks as you wind down for the day. Tired of that tub in your room and need more space? Try out their indoor pool. It comes with a bar.

A sample of the breakfast buffet at Soul Out Restaurant.

And if you’re in need of sustenance, there’s their Soul Out Restaurant, the venue for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The buffet breakfast is the usual you get at similar establishments, with a regular selection of Asian and Western dishes. The presentation, though, is far from systematic. Quite confusing, actually. Or why not keep it simple and go ala carte at the Bubble Bar?

Should you need to plan for events – corporate or personal – the hotel has quite a number of function rooms available, including its 1,200-seater Grand Ballroom, one of the largest in KK. If you tire of the hotel and the mall, you can visit the city centre 7km away. Various tours are available; I would recommend those by Vista Lane Tours. The service at the Grand Borneo Hotel on the whole was excellent throughout my stay. Suffice it to say, this hotel and KK won’t fail to satisfy. Really!

GRAND BORNEO HOTEL
Borneo Hypermall
Jalan UMS 88450
Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, Malaysia.

Tel: 60-8852 6888
Fax: 60–8852 6889

E-mail: info@grandborneohotel.com
www.grandborneohotel.com

-s.s.yoga/thestar online.

Malay Tea House

Welcome to the wonderful world of Malay culture. Although we live in a uniquely diverse country that is Malaysia, we are free to practice and share our customs with everyone, regardless of race and religion. The Malay community has a rich heritage indeed. Better known for our hospitality, we take pride in our way of life, the arts, clothes, design, architecture and especially, our food.

Although our ancestors have been brewing tea for centuries, not much is known about this ancient culture. Tea is more commonly associated with the Chinese and English, but it is the dream of a Malay lady from Perak to introduce and share with the world, the amazing benefits of traditional Malay tea.

The Malay Tea House was established to fulfill that dream. A single-story 1929 colonial bungalow within the scenic grounds of Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) became our first and main outlet. As traditional Malay culture centers around the kampong, we tastefully renovated the bungalow to give it a traditional Malay look and feel, much like refined kampung houses within the outskirts of the city.

Our guests are welcomed the traditional Malay way. As is the norm in our custom, it is only polite to take off your shoes before entering a house. We will then invite you to our living area where you will be pampered and treated to our traditional food and premium tea.

It may surprise you to know that we have as many as 22 different types of tea, all derived from local herbs and plants available in the country. Produced from various indigenous plants, these teas have been enjoyed by generations for their exquisite taste, aromatic fragrance and medicinal benefits. Best of all, all our teas are natural, have no added preservatives and are caffeine free. Each tea has its own medicinal benefit which when consumed on a regular basis, will do much to increase a person’s health.

Our premium teas are suitable for everyone in the family. Among our best selling teas are the Kaffir Lime Leaf (Daun Limau Purut), which assists in lowering cholesterol, Cat Whiskers Leaf (Daun Misai Kucing), used in the management of diabetes, Ginger, which aids digestion, and King of Bitters (Daun Hempedu Bumi), which have anti-inflammatory properties. The teas are not only restricted to adults as children just love the taste of our Pink Guava and Roselle Tea.

www.malayteahouse.com

Chelsea vs Malaysia - 21 July 2011

www.ticketpro.com.my

Liverpool beat Malaysia 6-3

KUALA LUMPUR -- Liverpool beat Malaysia 6-3 in an international friendly match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here tonight. Full time: Malaysia 3 Liverpool 6 

Scorers:

Malaysia: Safiq Rahim (42nd minute), Mohd Safee Mohd Sali (79th, 81st minute) 
Liverpool FC: Charlie Adam (26th), David Ngoc (57th and 58th), Maxi Rodriguez (74th, 90th ), Dirt Kuyt (3rd minute of added time).

MALAYSIA: 
Mohd Sharbinee Allawee (GK) (Khairul Fahmi Che Mat), Mahali Jasuli, Mohd Asraruddin Putra, Mohammad Fadhli Mohd Shas (Mohd Rizal Fahmi), Shafiq Rahim (C) (Ismail Faruqi), Amar Rohidan (K. Gurusamy Govandar), Ahmad Fakri Shaarani (Shahrizal Mohd Saad), Abdul Hadi Yahaya (Izzaq Faris Ramlan) (Mohd Safee Mohd Sali), S. Kunalan, Baddrol Bakhtiar, Mohd Muslim Ahmad.

LIVERPOOL FC: 
First half: 
Brad Jones (GK), Jonathon Flanagan, Raul Meireles, Daniel Agger, Andy Carroll, Joe Cole, Jack Robinson, Jay Spearing, Conor Coady, Jamie Carragher (C), Charlie Adam. 

Second half:

Martin Kelly, Christian Poulsen, Jonjo Shelvey, Alberto Aqualini, Maxi Rodriguez, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Dirk Kuyt, Emiliano Insua, Dany Wilson, David Ngoc, Peter Gulacsi (GK) (Martin Hansen).

- BERNAMA.

Lone Pine in top 10 list

LONE Pine Hotel in Penang has been voted among the ‘Top 10 Boutique Beach Resorts in the World under US$200 (RM606)’ by an online site — Trip Advisor. Trip Advisor, with more than 40 million monthly visitors, is the world’s largest and most popular travel site and its results were based on unbiased reviews from travellers around the world.

Lone Pine, located along Penang’s famed beach of Batu Ferringhi, was opened to the public after it underwent refurbishment and upgrading for one and a half years in the late 1990s. The hotel, with its colonial charm and heritage-like structure, has casuarina trees sheltering the garden along the beach. It is also recognised for its outstanding garden weddings.
-thestar online.
www.lonepinehotel.com

Rural airline MASwings eyes international routes

KOTA KINABALU: Regional carrier MASwings is positioning itself as a community airline for Borneo and the Philippines, starting with plans to fly to Bandar Seri Begawan and Pontianak. The wholly-owned subsidiary of national carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) reckons an expansion into the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) region will make MASwings more than just a rural airline for Sabah and Sarawak.

Pending approval from the Transport Ministry, MASwings hopes to mark its foray into the international scene by introducing flights from here to Bandar Seri Begawan and from Kuching to Pontianak. The airline is eyeing a bigger slice of the region's aviation market after the two planned routes take off in October, said MAS managing director Datuk Seri Tengku Azmil Zahruddin. “This will position MASwings not only as a community airline for the people in Sabah and Sarawak but for the entire community in Borneo and the BIMP-EAGA region,” he told reporters after launching the MASwings/Enrich Frequent Flyer Partnership programme here yesterday.

Under the scheme, Enrich members can earn and redeem “Enrich Miles” when flying on MASwings. The accrual and redemption are applicable for all MASwings flights except those using Twin Otter aircraft. Tengku Azmil, who is also MASwings chief executive officer and chairman, said the move into the BIMP-EAGA region will transform MASwings into an international player. “MAS and MASwings foresee a vast potential of economic development and customer movement that may be explored to the fullest, given the progress and stability in the BIMP-EAGA region,” he said.

Tengku Azmil added that MASwings' plans augur well for Sabah's intention to make the Kota Kinabalu International Airport the gateway for travellers coming from various points in the region. MASwings stared operations in October 2007 with 450 flights per week covering airports in Sabah and Sarawak. It has close to 940 flights per week now.
-thestar online.

DoubleTree by Hilton, KL giving away room & dining vouchers

DOUBLETREE by Hilton, Kuala Lumpur is celebrating its first anniversary opening by giving away 1,000 roomnights and 1,000 Makan Kitchen dining vouchers worth over 500,000 ringgit (US$166,000).

 

Running from now till August 5, the campaign is targeting both local visitors and international travellers, especially from Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

 

A mobile DoubleTree by Hilton, Kuala Lumpur birthday crew will be giving away the complimentary room and dining vouchers in Kuala Lumpur (July 15 to 16 and July 22 to 23) and Singapore (July 29 to 30).

 

Vouchers will also be given away via the hotel’s Twitter feed (@Doubletreekl) and Facebook page www.facebook.com/DoubletreeKL

-TTG Asia.

Firefly to start KL-Langkawi flights in December

FIREFLY will start thrice-daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi from December 1. Firefly’s managing director, Eddy Leong, said: “Market research has shown there is good demand for this sector. Thus, we will be utilising our biggest aircraft, a B737-800 with a seating capacity of 189, on the route.”

 

Leong added: “The flights will depart from Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s main terminal. This is advantageous especially for those passengers arriving to Kuala Lumpur International Airport main terminal on Malaysia Airlines and taking their onward flight to Langkawi on Firefly.” Firefly also flies twice daily from Subang to Langkawi, and twice daily from Penang to Langkawi using its ATR 72-500 aircraft.

-TTG Asia.

photo: Pelancongan Kini