Business Travel News: May 2022

Airlines/Airports.

Virgin Australia's opens the doors of their exclusive Beyond Lounges

Virgin Australia has officially opened the doors of the highly anticipated Beyond Lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Access is reserved for members of the invitation-only Beyond program, which include corporate partners and key leaders in many industries across the country.

Qantas confirms direct flights to New York and London from 2025

Qantas has confirmed its plans to deliver direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne to cities such as London and New York from late 2025. The marathon flights will be flown on the A350-1000 ultra-long-range aircraft, with cabins designed to offer top-level comfort to passengers in all classes. Passengers will also be able to enjoy 'Wellness Zones', designated areas for stretching and free movement designed to improve passenger well-being and experience.

Qantas to resume Perth-London Flights from late May

Qantas will resume its Melbourne-London flights via Perth from 23 May, two weeks ahead of the original schedule. Strong customer demand and the re-opening and easing of Western Australian borders contributed to the airline's decision to resume flights ahead of schedule . The resume of Qantas' Perth-London flights will be followed by the airline's launch of Sydney-Perth-Rome flights on 22 June, which will forge the first direct link between Australia and continental Europe.

Qantas delays return of flights to Tokyo

Uncertainty surrounding Japan's international borders and travel restrictions has seen Qantas postpone the return of Sydney flights to Tokyo until later this year. Originally scheduled to resume on 27 April, Qantas will now resume flights from Sydney to Tokyo's Haneda Airport on 12 September. Flights to Tokyo from Melbourne and Brisbane have also been delayed, with their respective April return dates pushed back to 30 and 31 October 2022.

Air New Zealand to begin non-stop New York flights later this year

From 17 September, Air New Zealand will offer direct flights between Auckland and New York. The flight will last approximately 17.5 hours and services are scheduled to run every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Boeing 787-9s will fly the 14,200km trip, offering passengers a fully lie-flat bed in the Business Premier class. New York's Lufthansa Business Class Lounge at Terminal 1 will be open to Air New Zealand's Business Class passengers, while the more exclusive Lufthansa Senator Lounge will be open to those with Airpoints Gold or Elite status, or equivalent Star Alliance Gold status.

Air New Zealand resumes flights to San-Francisco

As of 14 April, Air New Zealand resumed direct flights from Auckland to San Francisco. Services are initially scheduled to operate three times a week, departing Auckland at 7:45pm every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft will service this route, offering passengers the option to travel in the comfort of Business Premier, Premium Economy or Economy Skycouch.

United Airlines resumes Melbourne- San Francisco flights from June
Virgin Australia's new US partner, United Airlines, will resume direct flights between Melbourne and San Francisco from Sunday 5 June. Regular services are scheduled to operate three times per week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will fly the 14.5 hour journey across the pacific, and passengers can enjoy the comfort of United Airlines' Premium Plus economy and Polaris business class seats. Virgin frequent flyers can earn Velocity points and status credits, as well as enjoying status-based perks such as access to United Club lounges plus priority check-in, security clearance and boarding.

Continued growth predicted for Trans-Tasman travel

Following the re-opening of New Zealand's borders to Australia on 12 April, more than 10,000 international travellers transited through Auckland airport in one day. On 15 April, Auckland Airport saw the highest number of international passengers since the COVID-19 pandemic began. According to CAPA - Centre for Aviation, the rise in travellers seen in the New Zealand-Australia market over recent weeks is a key indicator that trans-Tasman t ravel will continue to grow as customer confidence and demand increase.

Singapore removes pre-departure testing requirements

As of 26 April, fully vaccinated travellers can fly to Singapore without having to undergo a pre-departure PCR or RAT test, with the country removing all COVID-19 testing requirements for international arrivals. Restrictions on the number of people who can assemble in groups have also been lifted, however masks are still mandatory indoors.

Quarantine requirements for unvaccinated travellers end in multiple Australian jurisdictions

As of Saturday 30 April, unvaccinated international arrivals are no longer required to complete hotel quarantine when travelling to New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory. Completing a RAT testing within 24 hours is mandatory for international arrivals into New South Wales and Queensland, and strongly encouraged for those arriving in Victoria and the ACT.

WA ends mask mandates and capacity limits for events and venues

As of 12:01 am Friday 29 April, COVID restrictions eased across Western Australia. The 1-person-per-2-square-metre density limit no longer applies, and capacity limits have been removed for all entertainment venues, stadiums and events. Masks are only required in high-risk settings and are encouraged where social distancing isn't possible.

Hotels.

Waldorf Astoria is coming to Sydney

The Waldorf Astoria is expected to make it's Australian debut in 2025. Located in Sydney's Circular Quay, the 28-storey luxury hotel will offer guests impressive views of the Sydney harbour. The hotel will comprise 179 rooms and 41 suites, and will feature two original restaurants, a rooftop bar with sweeping views, and a relaxing day spa.

IHG opening three voco Hotels across ANZ

ING Hotels & Resorts is gearing up to open three of its' iconic voco Hotels across Australian and New Zealand by June. The voco Melbourne Central hotel opened its' doors on 28 April and comprises 252 rooms offering luxe comfort, sustainable features, and expansive views. The voco Auckland City Centre welcomes guests from 12 May, boasting stylish comfort and sweeping views from the highest rooftop bar in the city, Bar Albert. Lastly, voco Brisbane City Centre is set to open from 27 May, featuring 194 rooms, sweeping views of the River City and over 1,200sqm of function space.

IHG launches One Rewards loyalty program

IHG Hotels and Resorts has launched it's new IHG One Rewards loyalty program. One Rewards replaces the former IHG Rewards Program and offers a new Gold Elite tier and an improved points earning structure, allowing members to earn points faster. As part of the new program, IHG has also introduced Milestone Rewards, a technology-based platform which allows members to select the rewards that matter most to them. A mobile phone app will also be released to support the loyalty program.

Information on this page is sourced from third party sources. While effort is taken to verify the accuracy of this information, CTM recommends that travellers seek independent advice and/or information from their CTM travel consultant, CTM travel tools, or direct from their chosen travel suppliers relating to the status of supplier services, schedules and booking conditions as information may change regularly.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.