News

AirAsia changes name to Capital A as it grows beyond an airline

Malaysia's AirAsia Group Bhd said on Friday it had finalised the name change of its listed holding company to Capital A Bhd as it seeks market recognition of its growing portfolio of businesses beyond the core budget airline. The company's airline business has been hard-hit during the pandemic due to strict travel rules in Asia, leading Malaysia's stock exchange to this month classify the firm as financially distressed though it has been raising funds to bolster its balance sheet. Capital A has been investing heavily in payments business BigPay, logistics arm Teleport and its mobile Super App to gain other sources of revenue, though they remain in growth phases and were loss-making in the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2021. "Over the past two years we have spent the downturn in flying building a solid foundation for a viable and successful future, which is not solely reliant on airfares alone," Capital A Chief Executive Tony Fernandes said in a statement. The airline business will retain the AirAsia brand, which is well known in Asia, he added. The carrier on Thursday reported it filled 80 per cent of seats on offer in the fourth quarter of 2021 and had the highest number of passengers since the start of the pandemic as travel rules began to ease. "Domestic travel has already started to rebound in our key markets," Fernandes said. "I am hopeful borders will reopen gradually throughout 2022 and we will see a return to normal capacity for our international services by the middle to third quarter of this year."

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Philippines to reopen in February to vaccinated foreign tourists

The Philippines will grant entry to visitors vaccinated against Covid-19 from Feb. 10, its government said on Friday, in an effort to boost a tourism sector decimated by the pandemic. The archipelago nation of more than 7,000 islands had planned to reopen in December but that was aborted over concerns about the Omicron variant. Citizens of 150 countries that have visa-free entry to the Philippines will be allowed to enter. "(This) will contribute significantly to job restoration, primarily in tourismdependent communities, and in the reopening of businesses that have earlier shut down," Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said in a statement. Puyat also said the government will remove quarantine requirements for returning Filipinos from Feb. 1, and for foreign tourists from Feb. 10, but they must be vaccinated and test negative for Covid-19. The Philippines, popular for its white sand beaches and rich marine life, joins other Southeast Asian countries in reopening to tourists to boost jobs and help their economies recover. Tourist arrivals in the Philippines from top markets Japan, South Korea and China slumped 83 per cent drop to 1.4 million last year

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Priority Pass adds 183 new lounges and experiences in 2021

Priority Pass, the airport lounge and experiences programme, owned and operated by Collinson, has announced it has added a total of 183 airport lounges and experiences to its global network in 2021. Collinson claims that with the latest additions, Priority Pass has at least one experience covering 95 per cent of all international flights from the top 100 airports, with new additions in airports worldwide, including the US, Russia and China. The brand has also focused on making more premium experiences accessible for its members, by adding further dining, sleep and spa offerings to its network as well as recently announcing a partnership with CarTrawler. Growing The Premium Lounges Network Priority Pass added 134 new premium lounges in 2021. As part of this, through its sister company, Airport Dimensions, Priority Pass Members were also given access to a new lounge concept in partnership with VIP Ambaar Lounge brand. The exciting, new, premium Ambaar Club launched at Viracopos International Airport (VCP) and has since been rolled out to two further airports in Brazil this year with more to come. Add to this, a relationship with JP Morgan Chase will give Priority Pass Members access to lounges within the brand new, premium airport lounge Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club. Three lounges are already in development at Hong Kong International, Boston Logan and New York La Guardia airportsPriority Pass launched a number of innovations last year to help rebuild traveller confidence and welcome passengers back safely. During the pandemic, the company launched Ready 2 Order food and beverage system in recognition of the challenges traditional Food & Beverage (F&B) models in lounges faced as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. The solution meant a number of lounges were able to protect the provision of F&B for guests, whilst ensuring all members and lounge staff could stay safe via a contactless ordering process. To date, over 143,000 orders have been placed via the app and in November, following this incredible response, Priority Pass announced it was expanding its Ready 2 Order footprint from 16 lounges to 46, with a view to be up and running throughout 2022. "2021 has been a massive year for Priority Pass," said Christopher Evans, Joint CEO, Collinson. "Not only have we expanded the network into more locations, but we've expanded with a whole host of new experiences and services. One of our key goals this year was to bring more premium, digitally-enabled travel experiences to our members, to help them feel a bit of luxury and boost their confidence while travelling during what has been a difficult time." Evans added that their aim has always been to enhance the experience of getting from A to B and make access to these benefits more seamless. He concluded, "As we move into 2022, thanks to innovations like Covid-19 travel testing, the roll out of vaccines and increased health and safety measures across the industry, we can expect confidence in travel to return. And our lounges will be ready and waiting to welcome passengers when they take to the skies again. year Todd Handcock, President, Asia Pacific, Collinson, said that while it's no secret that the travel recovery in Asia Pacific is taking longer than other parts of the world; however, he assured that it would come, and they have been seeing progress in certain markets in our region. "We remain committed to furthering our global aim of achieving the safe return to travel through a range of initiatives, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) Foundation's 'Go Give One' campaign; which sees Collinson partner together with WHO to help ensure everyone, no matter their location in the world, has access to Covid-19 vaccinations. Our desire to support and elevate the experience of those who wish to travel today and, in the future, has also remained steadfast, reflected through a range of investments and new partnerships across Asia Pacific in 2021. These include new lounges and experiences in key markets such as China, Australia and Malaysia through partnerships with leading brands including THAI Airways, Sama-Sama Hotels Group and marhaba. We look forward to announcing additional enhancements and partnerships throughout the region in the coming weeks, in support of both domestic travel within Asia Pacific markets, and our region's continued re-opening to international travel," added Handcock.

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Morocco to reopen borders next week

Officials in Morocco have confirmed a ban on international flights will be lifted on February 7th. The decision follows “the evolution of the epidemiological situation in the kingdom,” a statement said, adding that entry requirements for visitors would be announced at a later date. All flights into the country were initially halted in late November as the first reports of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 spread around the world. Flights from the UK had been suspended in October. An official statement added: “This decision comes in accordance with the legal provisions relating to the management of the state of health emergency and following the recommendations of the scientific and technical commission and taking into consideration the evolution of the epidemiological situation in the kingdom.” A mechanism had been in place for Moroccan citizens to travel home – but that was ended in December. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice for Morocco said: “When flights resume you will need to provide proof that you have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with the second dose administered at least two weeks prior to travel, and a negative PCR test result before boarding your flight or ferry to Morocco. “The result must show that the PCR test itself was undertaken no more than 48 hours before boarding. “For travel by ferry, you will also need to take a Covid-19 test during the journey. “Children under the age of six years old are exempt from the PCR testing requirement for entry into Morocco.”

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Covid-19: Canada to relax testing norms to ease travel from India

Travel between India and Canada is likely to become easier soon as Ottawa is likely to relax restrictions related to Covid-19 testing that made the process cumbersome. According to sources, the Canadian government is likely to update its rules allowing for RT-PCR testing of air passengers from India to be permitted at several laboratories recognised by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). At this time, the travel advisory for India that is in force, limits pre-departure testing to a single laboratory of the company Genestrings located at Delhi airport. Travellers have to provide a negative test result before they are allowed boarding for any Canadian destination, making the process problematic to those connecting via Delhi as getting the test taken and results received consume up to eight or nine hours. As of now, that test has to be done within 18 hours of scheduled departure. Another relaxation that’s expected is that of the mandatory requirement for travellers from India to be tested at a third country in case they are catching a connecting flight to come to Canada. The present norms read: “Passengers who travel from India to Canada via an indirect route still need to provide a pre-departure negative Covid-19 molecular test result from a third country before continuing their journey to Canada.” A test conducted in India is likely to be accepted for onward journey to Canada from a third country once the expected announcement is made. Sources said that announcement could come as early as this week. However, Canada still has in place a warning against any non-essential travel abroad due to concerns over the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. That, though, is relevant to those departing Canada rather than incoming passengers. The testing norms specific to India were introduced in September when Canada lifted its ban on direct flights between the two countries, which was imposed in April last year amid concerns over the Delta-driven wave in India.

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Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort reopens after renovations

Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort & Offshore Island has welcomed its first guests following a $55 million dollar renovation. The reopening is the first of a series of milestones in this commemorative 40th anniversary year for the Sandals Resorts brand. Situated on 15 sprawling acres, the 404-room Sandals Royal Bahamian embraces the easy-going spirit of the Bahamas from the pastel pink of the flamingo to the vibes of traditional Junkanoo. From basking in new beachfront swim-up butler and club level suites to trying new culinary concepts at a choice of 13 restaurants, guests can enjoy a combination of authenticity and luxury at Sandals Royal Bahamian. “The new Sandals Royal Bahamian encompasses a new era in travel, inviting our guests in love to connect with the vibrant culture, natural wonders and authentic traditions of the beautiful Bahamas — and in turn, reconnect with each other,” said Sandals Resorts executive chairman, Adam Stewart. The new Island Village is comprised of standalone villas named after remote Bahamian cays, which represent the provincial Bahamas in pink, blue and white accents with striped awnings. Butler villa suites each have private pools and outdoor Tranquility Soaking Tubs. The refreshed East and West Bay accommodations offer a dynamic array of room and suite categories, including beachfront butler suites in the east bay, where a new infinity swim-up pool ends where the sand begins. Deserted beaches and colourful coral reefs await guests at the resort’s secluded private island, Sandals Barefoot Cay, located just one mile from the shore. Couples can sail aboard the resort’s new Love Runner boat and spend the day reconnecting on the quiet shores featuring a pool bar with swings, an infinity-edge jacuzzi, outdoor shower and new restaurant, Aralia House - serving up fresh seafood and authentic Caribbean delicacies.

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