Retail News CRM

Category: General

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest General Retail news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Thai Airways revamps Royal Orchid Plus frequent flyer program

    Thai Airways revamps Royal Orchid Plus frequent flyer program

    Thai Airways is making significant changes to its Royal Orchid Plus frequent flyer program from October 1 2019, affecting how miles are both earned and redeemed on Thai Airways and Star Alliance flights across the globe.

    On the one hand, business class and first class passengers travelling with Thai Airways stand to earn more miles from the same flights – as do Silver, Gold and Platinum Royal Orchid Plus members – but in turn, the number of miles needed to book a flight or secure an upgrade is increasing dramatically: more than doubled in some cases.

    Here’s an outline of what’s changing, and how it affects you, the traveller.

    Earn extra Royal Orchid Plus miles on first class, business class travel

    Passengers travelling with Thai Airways on all paid first class fares, some business class tickets and the highest-priced flexible economy fares will earn more miles when they fly from October 1.

    Of the fare types that will award more miles, here’s a look at today’s earn rate – given as a percentage of the number of actual miles flown in the sky – compared to the earn rate coming into place for flights taken on and from October 1:

    Class of service
    		 Fare letter
    		 Today’s earn rate
    		 Earn from October 1
    First class
    		 F 150% 250%
    First class
    		 A, P 150% 200%
    Business class
    		 C, D 125% 150%
    Flexible economy
    		 Y, B 100% 110%

    For example, a non-stop flight from Sydney to Bangkok measures up at 4,679 miles, which today would provide first class travellers booked onto an ‘F’ fare approximately 7,018 Royal Orchid Plus miles at the 150% rate, being the distance flown (4,679 miles) multiplied by the 150% earning rate.

    Fast forward to October, and that same one-way journey would instead generate a higher 11,697 miles, when the earning rate climbs from 150% to 250% on the same fares.

    All other fare types, including J- and Z-class business class tickets, will continue earning miles at the same rate as today.

    Silver, Gold and Platinum Royal Orchid Plus status gets easier to earn

    Thai Airways uses ‘qualifying miles’ to determine which travellers have earned Silver, Gold and Platinum status in Royal Orchid Plus: and as travellers earn ‘qualifying miles’ at the same rate as spendable miles above, passengers booked on those higher-end fare types will reach the lofty heights of status faster than before.

    For instance, Royal Orchid Plus Silver status – equivalent to Star Alliance Silver – is awarded after earning 10,000 qualifying miles in a rolling 12-month period, or 15,000 qualifying miles over a rolling 24-month time frame.

    Using the same example above, that would be achievable with a single first class flight from Sydney to Bangkok, while the airline’s Royal Orchid Plus Gold level (Star Alliance Gold) would be unlocked after a single return first class flight from Sydney to London via Bangkok with Thai Airways.

    Royal Orchid Plus Platinum – a level that provides access to Thai Airways’ first class lounge in Bangkok regardless of fare type, complimentary flight upgrades and more – would also be achievable from two return treks between Sydney and London, flying first class (F class) on one trip and business class (C or D class) on the other.

    It’s not that the requirements for reaching Silver, Gold and Platinum status are being lowered, of course: it’s simply that the airline’s highest-priced fare types will earn more qualifying miles from October, being the Thai equivalent to status credits, which brings these memberships within easier reach of passengers booking those premium fare types.

    New ‘tier bonus’ for Royal Orchid Plus members on Thai Airways flights

    From October 1, Silver, Gold and Platinum Royal Orchid Plus cardholders will earn even more miles on Thai Airways flights, through the introduction of a ‘tier status bonus’.

    Silver members will earn 5% more miles, Gold members get 10% more miles and Platinum travellers will pocket 20% more miles, year-round.

    This bonus is calculated upon the full overall earning rate from each Thai Airways flight, making it highly rewarding for first and business class flyers, although the extra points awarded via this ‘tier bonus’ aren’t also counted as qualifying miles: merely, extra miles to be spent on flight bookings and upgrades.

    As an example, a return flight from Sydney to Bangkok clocks in at 9,358 miles flown, which would earn a base-level member 14,037 miles from October 1 when flying on a C or D business class fare, given the 150% earning rate applied to those fares.

    The tier bonus is then added on top, giving top-tier Platinum members a further 20% boost on that initial haul of 14,037 miles, for an all-out gain of 16,844 miles.

    More Royal Orchid Plus miles needed to book Thai Airways flights

    Currently, the number of miles needed to book a Thai Airways flight differs, depending on whether you’re making a one-way reservation or flying return, with return-trip points bookings presenting the best value, requiring fewer points than booking the journey as two one-way flights.

    However, that pricing difference is being removed as part of these changes – the cost of a return flight to become twice as many miles as a one-way ticket – with the overall number of miles needed also being amended, for new bookings made from October 1 2019.

    For passengers taking return trips, here’s how that plays out across a range of routes, including flights from Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth) to Bangkok and beyond:

    Route, flying return
    		 First class *
    		 Business class
    		 Economy class
    SYD/MEL/BNE-Bangkok (today)
    		 150,000 miles 98,000 miles 55,000 miles
    SYD/MEL/BNE-Bangkok (1/10-)
    		 180,000 miles (+20%) 130,000 miles (+33%) 55,000 miles (no change)
    Perth-Bangkok (today)
    		 N/A 75,000 miles 45,000 miles
    Perth-Bangkok (1/10-)
    		 N/A 130,000 miles (+73%) 55,000 miles (+22%)
    Australia-Bangkok-Europe (today)
    		 230,000 miles 170,000 miles 90,000 miles
    Australia-Bangkok-Europe (1/10-)
    		 450,000 miles (+96%) 350,000 (+105%) 160,000 miles (+78%)
    Bangkok-Europe (today)
    		 185,000 miles 130,000 miles 70,000 miles
    Bangkok-Europe (1/10-)
    		 250,000 miles (+35%) 180,000 miles (+38%) 85,000 miles (+21%)

    * On Australian routes, first class only available to/from Sydney.

    Curiously, Thai’s new Royal Orchid Plus reward pricing makes it more attractive to plan a stopover in Bangkok than to merely connect through the airport, booking the Australia-Bangkok and Bangkok-Europe legs on separate tickets.

    For example, book a return business class trip from Australia to Europe after October 1 and you’d part with 350,000 Royal Orchid Plus miles – but book a return business trip between Australia and Bangkok (130,000 miles), and separately, a return business class trip between Bangkok and Europe (180,000 miles) and you’d pay only 310,000 miles overall: an easy saving of 40,000 miles, by booking your flights across two reservations instead of one.

    This works best when you’re genuinely breaking the journey in Bangkok, and shouldn’t be used for tight flight connections when you don’t plan to leave the airport, as the airline may not be able to check your bags all the way through, and if the first flight of your journey is delayed, you may not be ‘protected’ should you miss an onward flight, as would be the case when all flights are on a single ticket.

    Notably, the number of miles needed to fly solely between Perth and Bangkok also comes into line with the rates from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as part of these changes.

    Booking Star Alliance flights also requires more miles

    Similarly for passengers using Royal Orchid Plus miles to book flights with Thai Airways’ Star Alliance partners, the number of miles needed is increasing across the board, with some flights requiring more than twice as many miles to book from October 1 as are needed today.

    While the changes impact travel in all classes, here’s how the increases shape up on a range of popular routes for passengers booking business class, based on a return trip for one person:

    From Australia to (return) Business class (today) Business class (1/10-) Increase in miles
    NZ, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, Vanuatu
    		 50,000 100,000 50,000 miles (+100%)
    China – Beijing
    		 150,000 210,000 60,000 miles (+40%)
    China – Shanghai 150,000 190,000 40,000 miles (+27%)
    India 127,000 210,000 83,000 miles (+65%)
    Japan, South Korea 150,000 210,000 60,000 miles (+40%)
    Canada, US mainland
    		 150,000 400,000 250,000 miles (+167%)
    Europe + Turkey
    		 170,000 350,000 180,000 miles (+106%)
    Middle East + Egypt
    		 140,000 210,000 70,000 miles (+50%)
    South America 175,000 400,000 225,000 miles (+129%)
    South Africa 180,000 350,000 170,000 miles (+94%)

    Travellers jetting from Australia to the United States and Canada are hardest-hit, requiring an extra 250,000 miles per return business class trip over and above today’s rates, meaning you’ll need a staggering 400,000 frequent flyer points to book a single return business class ticket, even on non-stop flights with the likes of Air Canada and United Airlines direct from Australia.

    Interestingly, the table above also mirrors how many miles will be needed to book Thai Airways international connecting flights from October 1 – 350,000 miles for return business class to Europe, for example – so there’s no difference in price whether you choose to fly with Thai Airways or a Star Alliance airline on these tickets, except when flying Thai Airways through Bangkok and breaking the journey, as previously described.

    Star Alliance round-the-world tickets also hiked

    Currently, you can fly round-the-world with Thai Airways and its Star Alliance partners for 480,000 Royal Orchid Plus miles in first class; 340,000 miles in business class or 220,000 miles in economy: but come October 1, those rates also jump astronomically.

    From that date, a round-the-world first class ticket will set you back a whopping 950,000 miles – almost twice as many miles as are needed today – while business class also climbs to 725,000 miles, more than double today’s rates.

    Booking an economy round-the-world ticket is similarly increased to 350,000 miles.

    To put it another way, with 350,000 Royal Orchid Plus miles in your Thai Airways account today, you could comfortably circle the planet in business class: but make that same booking from October 1 and you’d be stuck back in economy, and paying even more miles for the privilege!

    More miles needed to upgrade Thai Airways, Star Alliance flights

    Passengers flying Thai Airways from Sydney to Bangkok on the most common J, C and D business class airfares can currently secure a coveted first class upgrade for 52,000 Royal Orchid Plus miles, pending availability: but from October 1, that climbs to 81,000 miles for the same one-way upgrade.

    On longer legs such as between Bangkok and London, or most other European cities where Thai Airways’ first class service is available, that same first upgrade increases from 58,000 miles today to 112,500 miles from October 1, being almost twice as many miles needed to upgrade the same one-way flight.

    Using Royal Orchid Plus miles to upgrade Star Alliance partner flights will also require more miles from October, with most business-to-first-class upgrades from Asia to Europe bumped from 80,000 to 115,000 miles, such as from Hong Kong to Frankfurt aboard Star Alliance member Lufthansa.

    Similar increases apply when upgrading from economy and premium economy to business class with Thai Airways, and from economy to business class with Star Alliance partners.

    For further information about these and other Royal Orchid Plus changes, visit the Thai Airways website.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Turkish Airlines redesigns travel comfort with “Flow Sleeping Set”

    Turkish Airlines redesigns travel comfort with “Flow Sleeping Set”

    Bringing various innovations to the sky in order to ensure a perfect travel experience for its guests, Turkish Airlines now offers the new “Flow Sleeping Set” to passengers with its wondrous design. Available since 19th February, the new collection offered in Business Class promises sleep as comfortable as your home, only above the clouds.

    Produced with the successful collaboration between Turkish Airlines and Zorlu Tekstil while carrying the signature of expert designers, the collection aims to offer a healthier and higher quality sleep environment.

    Combining elegant lines with comfort, all of the new set’s pieces are developed considering the expectations of passengers who want to enjoy a relaxing sleep to finish their flights in a happy and fit state. The design of the collection reflects Turkish Airline’s “Flow” philosophy that represents the airlines’ dynamic brand identity and continuous service concept. Opting for contemporary and minimalist designs, the materials of the collection were all chosen for their comfort and ability to help sleep. The patterns of the collection are also visually compatible with the designs of the new cabin uniforms and cabin interiors.

    Chief aspects of the “Flow Sleeping Set” are its blanket, sleeping pad and pillow. The “blanket” of the collection features a two-sided design along with a soft texture. Thanks to its ability to support air flow, the product also helps maintain the ideal temperature during all four seasons. In addition to this, the “sleeping pad” provides an orthopedic surface for sleep and with its dense interior filling, it offers extra comfort and ease. In addition, the ‘pillow’, which can be used when sitting down or sleeping, are designed with an ideal size, classical form, and very comfortable materials.

    Sharing his views on this new sleeping set, Turkish Airlines Catering & Inflight Products SVP, Zeki Çukur stated: “With İstanbul Airport, our new home, we continue to add new innovations to the change we are going through. Our passengers will now experience the quality improvement, brought by these innovations, in their sleep with our ‘Flow Sleeping Set’. We prepared our new products after a lengthy R&D and design period as they offer a unique experience with their design and comfort. We are happy to host our Business Class passengers with the comfort of their homes during their intercontinental travels.”

  • Nok Air to cease flights to Nan

    Nok Air to cease flights to Nan

    Nok Air will end flights between Bangkok and Nan from April 18, leaving the province scrambling to convince another airline to take up the service.

    Nan airport general manager Ruangyuth Nittayanon announced on Thursday the airport had been advised by the budget airline of its decision to stop flying the route from April 18, after more than one year in operation. Nok Air did not explain the reason, he added. A check showed its website no longer allows bookings for Nan flights from April 18. Ticket prices to the province are shown only until April 17.

    The no-frills airline currently has two daily flights between Don Mueang and Nan. Terminating the service  leaves Thai AirAsia the only airline linking the capital and the northern province. Nok Air is operating at a loss and its financial situation is being closely watched by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
    Mr Ruangyuth said the airport had contacted the Airports Department to approach other airlines to fly to Nan to reduce the impacts on air travellers, tourism and business. He named Bangkok Airways and Thai Vietjet as possible options.

    With Thai AirAsia to be the lone airline on the route, the airport chief was concerned about the possibility of higher fares due to the lack of competition.
    The province and business operators in Nan will hold a meeting to approach other airlines to replace Nok Air when it ends the service, with the last flights on April 17.

  • Lush UK to closing down most social media accounts

    Lush UK to closing down most social media accounts

    Beauty and well-being retailer Lush UK will close its social media accounts this week, citing disillusionment with the algorithms and pay-to-display policies determining how they appear in their customers’ feeds.

    The firm will shut down Lush UK, Lush Kitchen, Lush Times, Lush Life, Soapbox and Gorilla across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. US accounts will remain active for the time being.

    Lush will instead attempt to connect with followers via its website chat feature or through more traditional means of communication, although it may still work with social media opinion leaders to provide “an opportunity for our customers to connect one-on-one with people within Lush”.

    The shutdown will silence Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels followed by hundreds of thousands of fans.

    “We don’t want to limit ourselves to holding conversations in one place, we want social to be placed back in the hands of our communities – from our founders to our friends,” the firm announced.

  • Kiwis less likely to be brand “fans” than Aussies

    Kiwis less likely to be brand “fans” than Aussies

    Customers in New Zealand are less likely to be “fans” of brands, and are more likely to be “disappointed” by their shopping experience than customers in Australia.

    This is the finding of a recent comparison of New Zealand and Australian customer insights by TruRating, a customer feedback provider that launched in New Zealand this week.

    The company found that 64 per cent of Australian customers were “fans” of a brand after shopping with them. This means they gave the brand a rating of 8 or 9, which is correlated with loyalty and higher spending.

    But based on data from its nine-month soft launch in New Zealand with several local retailers, including Kathmandu and Bendon, only 54 per cent of Kiwis were “fans”.

    When it came to bad experiences, 18 per cent of Australian customers said they were “disappointed” and gave a business a rating of 0-3. This could impact average transaction value, TruRating said.

    In comparison, 24 per cent of customers in New Zealand gave a brand such a poor rating.

    The feedback company also noted a key difference in what drives customers to spend in New Zealand compared to Australia. While “overall in-store experience” was the most important factor in both countries, “product range” was the second-most important factor in New Zealand, while “service” was second-most important in Australia.

    “In Australia, customers are happiest on weekday mornings, and in New Zealand, Wednesday is the happiest day for shoppers,” TruRating said.

    “In general, New Zealand customers are least happy with their experience on Sundays, which is unfortunate as they are likely to spend more on this day.”

    Lees ook:

  • Tesco Asia sales fall after restructuring

    Tesco Asia sales fall after restructuring

    Tesco Asia like-for-like sales fell 6.2 per cent last year, but the decline eased to 3 per cent in the fourth quarter as restructuring of the Thai business took effect.

    UK-headquartered grocery retailer Tesco Group included the results of its Tesco Asia operations in its annual results filing released yesterday.

    Tesco Asia’s operating profit for the year was £286 million (US$374.9 million), down 4.3 per cent. But the company commented that supplier negotiations have concluded and the significant restructuring is now complete, paving the way for improved results in the year ahead.

    “In the first half, profit was impacted by the combined effect of sales deleverage, price investment and repositioning of promotional investment in Thailand,” the company said. “Performance improved significantly during the second half as we successfully concluded renegotiations with our suppliers and accelerated plans to restructure our store and office operations in Thailand. As a result, we have been able to recover our operating margin more fully and quickly than we had anticipated at the half-year stage.”

    Total sales in Asia – where it operates Tesco Lotus in Thailand and Tesco hypermarkets in Malaysia, were down 1.6 per cent, after excluding sales taxes and fuel. The company achieved £4.055 billion in sales in Thailand and £818 million in Malaysia.

    Tesco Asia opened two stores in Malaysia and 70 in Thailand during the year. It closed one in Malaysia and 56 in Thailand, leaving a net total of 73 and 1965 respectively, which accounts for almost a third of Tesco Group’s global network of 6270 stores.

    Globally, Tesco Group achieved a 28.8 per cent increase in pre-tax profit to £1.67 billion, which GlobalData retail analyst Thomas Brereton said was evidence of the success of CEO David Lewis’ turnaround plan, now four years in.

    ‘‘Tesco’s strong full-year announcement today produced a flurry of appealing results,” said Brereton.

    “Shareholders … should be feeling extremely confident that Tesco will be one of the better-performing supermarkets for the rest of this year.”

    He said Lewis has lived up to his nickname of ‘Drastic Dave’ at Tesco, “mercilessly streamlining the business over the past four years, ditching divisions that obstruct the group from reaching the promised operating margin level”.

    But Brereton said Lewis now faced a challenge of what to do next, having almost achieved every single five-year target set four years ago when he took control of the then-struggling business.

    “Tesco now needs to set itself some new objectives.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • AirAsia’s Penang-Melaka flights to start Early July

    AirAsia’s Penang-Melaka flights to start Early July

    AirAsia will begin its new direct flight from Penang to Melaka on July 1, 2019. The budget airline said the flights would boost tourist arrivals to Melaka, helping to support the state government’s target to attract 20 million visitors in 2019.

    In a statement today, AirAsia said in its quest to celebrate this milestone, the airline is offering free seats for the new route with all-in member fares from as low as RM12 for one-way travel.

    Chief executive officer Riad Asmat said with its Unesco world heritage listing and rich history, Melaka is a choice tourist destination in Malaysia.

    “This new route further strengthens our tourism footprint in Malaysia, providing more options for international visitors to travel between the states of Penang and Melaka.

    “We look forward to continuing our work to explore even more new routes to Melaka from other parts of our Asean network,” he said.

    To mark the occasion, AirAsia is offering its guests up to 50% off hotels in Melaka or Penang, and an extra 5% off using the promo code HOTEL5.

    To book, log in to airasia.com or the AirAsia mobile app from now until April 21, 2019 and travel from July 1, 2019 to June 2, 2020. “To book for hotel in Penang and Melaka, you can visit https://bagasi.my/hotel for more recommended stays.”

  • Emirates offers summer promotion tickets

    Emirates offers summer promotion tickets

    Emirates offers summer promotion fares for customers from Vietnam who book tickets from now until April 22 and travel from April 15 until November 30, 2019.

    Economy Class fares start from VNĐ17,189,000 (US$747) to Dubai, VNĐ19,999,000 ($870) to Paris, VNĐ21,809,000 ($948) to London, VNĐ23,819,000 ($1,035) to Amsterdam, VND25,189,000 ($1,095) to Madrid, and VNĐ27,179,000 ($1,181) to Boston.

    The Early Bird promotion also offers very attractive Business Class fares, only from VNĐ66,079,000 ($2,873). Business Class passengers traveling on the Boeing 777 can enjoy unprecedented levels of comfort with wider and more ergonomic seats that recline into a lie-flat position for a restful sleep.

    In addition, Emirates passengers from Vietnam who purchase Economy Flex or Flex Plus fares can enjoy 30kg and 35kg baggage allowance, respectively. When booking Flex or Flex Plus fares, Skywards members earn more Skywards and Tier Miles, allowing them to earn the next reward or reach the next tier faster.

    Emirates currently operates daily non-stop flights between HCM City and Dubai, and daily non-stop flights between Hà Nội and Dubai. Through its Dubai hub, Emirates offers passengers travelling from Việt Nam convenient connections to an extensive global network in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the US and South Asia.

     

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Game of Thrones exhibition flown in for Cityplaza

    Game of Thrones exhibition flown in for Cityplaza

    PCCW Media’s OTT entertainment platform Now E is staging a Game of Thrones exhibition at Cityplaza’s second-floor atrium and centre bridge for a fortnight, starting today.

    The mall promotion has been created in partnership with HBO and heralds the approaching end of the cult TV series hit.

    An Iron Throne has been flown into Hong Kong to become the centrepiece of the Game of Thrones exhibition and eight interactive zones have been set up to recreate scenes from the TV series.

    The final season of Game of Thrones premiers in the US and Hong Kong on Monday (April 15).

    The Now E x HBO Go: Game of Thrones Ultimate Experience’s interactive exhibition zones, each represent classic scenes and characters from the show.

    Mall visitors will be invited to sit on the Iron Throne and take pictures with 3D Stereoscopic Paintings.

    Another exhibition highlight will be Viserion, a six-metre-long ice dragon weighing more than 1360kg.

    Exhibition goers will be able to have photos taken with characters in front of a display wall, or pretend to be a White Walker in an interactive photo zone.

    In another feature of the installation, fans can get their own House Sigil Leather Coasters to represent their favorite kingdoms.

    On arrival at Cityplaza, visitors will each receive a Game of Thrones exhibition passport and receive a limited-edition Four House Sigil sticker by collecting all four stamps at the interactive zones.

  • Indonesian retail sales growth speeds up

    Indonesian retail sales growth speeds up

    Indonesian retail sales surged 9.1 per cent in February – a rate higher than anticipated.

    The growth rate appeared to be driven by shoppers splurging on Lunar New Year celebrations as well as an increase in apparel sales during the month.

    February’s rise followed a 7.2 per cent improvement in January and government statisticians have predicted a rise of 8 per cent for March.

  • Vietjet expands international network

    Vietjet expands international network

    Low-cost carrier Vietjet on Tuesday announced its operation plan for the Hong Kong market and the launch of a new route linking Phú Quốc and Hong Kong, one of Asia’s most well-known destinations.

    The Phú Quốc – Hong Kong route will operate return flights with a frequency of four flights per week, starting from April 19. With a flight time of two hours and 45 minutes per leg, the flight will depart Phú Quốc at 10:50am and land in Hong Kong at 2:35pm (local time) while the return flight will depart from Hong Kong at 3:40pm and arrive in Phú Quốc at 5:25pm (all local times).

    “After nearly three years of operating our HCM City-Hong Kong route, Vietjet has gained the love and trust of Hong Kong residents, business people and international tourists, and has contributed positively to the promotion of air travel and trade between Việt Nam and Hong Kong as well as across the region,” said Lưu Đức Khánh, Vietjet’s managing director.

    Khánh said the airline has thus far transported more than 300,000 passengers on this route, which includes a significant number of transit passengers who boarded in Hong Kong.

    The director said the new direct route between Phú Quốc and Hong Kong, the first direct flight connecting the two destinations, will enhance the flying experience and reduce travel time for passengers, as well as offer flight opportunities for millions of people.

    Victor Liu, deputy director of the General of Civil Aviation Authority in Hong Kong, said that Việt Nam and Hong Kong have enjoyed very good and long-standing economic and social relations.

    “With the addition of the direct passenger services between Hong Kong and Phú Quốc, it will no doubt further enrich the bilateral links between Hong Kong and Việt Nam,” he said.

    Known as “the Pearl Island”, Phú Quốc is the biggest island in Việt Nam. As one of the most talked-about tourism destinations in Asia with beautiful beaches and friendly local people, Phú Quốc in the southern province of Kiên Giang has attracted strong levels of investment in hotels and resorts in recent years and has become one of the most popular holiday destinations in the country.

    Adding to the island’s appeal, international travellers are exempt from visas for visits of 30 days or less.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • AirAsia to Launch Flights Between Bangkok and Ahmedabad

    AirAsia to Launch Flights Between Bangkok and Ahmedabad

    AirAsia is to launch flights between Bangkok and Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat state and India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City. The airline will operate the route four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, from 31 May 2019.

    AirAsia Thailand CEO, Santisuk Klongchaiya, said, “India is a strategic market that is fast becoming an important contributor of inbound tourists for AirAsia Thailand. To fully leverage on this, we plan to regularly introduce routes connecting the two countries, focusing particularly on India’s burgeoning metros. Thailand’s own worldwide fame for hospitality should attract travellers from Ahmedabad, which is the capital of Gujarat state and India’s fifth most populous city.”

    According to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand welcomed 1.5 million Indian visitors in 2018, up 12% on the previous year.

    Thai AirAsia has recorded a load factor of up to 87% on its India routes, with passengers travelling between Bangkok and existing destinations in India increasing 7% year-on-year. Indian nationals made up 85% of passengers on those routes.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Vietjet advances the second dividend payment of 2018 at 10%

    Vietjet advances the second dividend payment of 2018 at 10%

    Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company (HOSE code: VJC) Board of Directors announced on 8 April its approval to advance the second dividend payment of 2018 at the rate of 10% (receiving VND1,000 per shares). The final registration date is 24 April 2019, corresponding to an ex-right date of 23 April 2019.

    Consequently, Vietjet will pay more than VND542 billion (approximately US$23.3 million) to advance this second dividend payment of 2018.

    According to the resolution of the Annual Shareholder Meeting 2018, the planned dividend payout ratio is 50% in both shares and cash. Thanks to its high and continuous growth, and abundant cash resources, Vietjet’s Board of Directors submitted to its shareholders a 2018 dividend payment at a rate of 55%, higher than the previously approved plan.

    The new-age airline has established a good track record of paying high dividends from year to year, from 50% to 70% in both cash and shares. With its 2019 business plan, it is believed that Vietjet’s Board of Directors will continue to submit a high dividend payout ratio of 2019 at the coming Annual General Meeting of shareholders.

  • Sunway Pyramid Launches First Real-Time Indoor Navigation Mobile App In Malaysia

    Sunway Pyramid Launches First Real-Time Indoor Navigation Mobile App In Malaysia

    Navigating through a shopping mall has never been this easy – and rewarding! The newly launched Sunway Pyramid Mobile app is the very first shopping mall app with real-time in-mall navigation, set to revolutionise the shopping experience.

    With over 1,000 exciting specialty stores available in Sunway Pyramid, making one’s way around the 1.8 million sq ft of space that spans over four main shopping levels can prove to be quite the challenge.

    Sunway Pyramid is working closely with the Google Indoor Maps team to integrate their mobile app with Google’s map engine for the upcoming versions of the app – shoppers can say goodbye to spending more time searching for a physical counter or directory to get to their desired location.

    “As a shopping mall that listens to the needs of our customers, this is a great way to provide them with peace of mind as well as personalized content and exclusive rewards & offers for a better and more enjoyable experience – all at their fingertips. We hope that the introduction of the Sunway Pyramid Mobile App gives them more reason to continue choosing us as their preferred lifestyle destination,” said Kevin Tan, Chief Operating Officer of Sunway Malls.

    That’s not all as shoppers will be rewarded for their usage of the app, giving them better value for their time spent in the mall. App-exclusive rewards await them at participating tenants such as YSL, Laneige, Sulwhasoo, Yves Rocher, Chanel, Dorothy Perkins, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, Burton Menswear London, Nelissa Hilman, Hush Puppies, Love Bonito, JD Sports, NY Steak Shack, Genki Sushi, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Mr Roti Canai, Brotzeit, O.W.L, Gem Studio and Tomei.

    The fun does not stop there, as users can take a quiz in the app to determine their shopping persona. Find out if you are a Trendsetter, Digital Genius, Family Hero, Smart Spender or Golden Groover by answering a few simple questions – this information along with the shoppers’ navigation patterns, redemption and browsing behaviour will be considered to further personalise content that is relevant and targeted for each user.

    To find out more about what the Sunway Pyramid Mobile app can do, shoppers can join in the fun by visiting the on-ground event at the Water Feature on G Floor from 12-28 April.

    Upon downloading the app and registering, shoppers can scan their Member ID to enjoy rewards and gifts such as samples from Laneige, L’occitane, Clinique, Sulwhasoo, cash vouchers from Genki Sushi, complimentary milkshakes from NY Steak Shack and shopping vouchers amongst many others. Other activities include multiple photo op areas with a photo booth and even a relaxation lounge with massage chairs!

    The Sunway Pyramid Mobile App will be available for download via the Google Play Store and Apple AppStore on 12 April 2019. For a full tutorial on how to use the app, please visit YouTube link here.

  • Aeon China to launch self-serve store

    Aeon China to launch self-serve store

    Aeon China is set to launch a self-service store network equipped with technology to anticipate what a customer will buy upon entry.

    The facial-recognition technology will activate recommendations and coupons displayed on the customer’s phone, based on individual purchase habits and digital payment history. It will be installed in 80 of the group’s roughly 480 locations in the territory.

    The Japanese-headquartered retailer’s strategy is intended to reduce staffing costs, allow automatic product ordering and draw in customers. Management needs for the new stores will be addressed by a new centre to be established in Chinese Hangzhou.

    Aeon China also plans to launch an online supermarket and a cross-border e-commerce platform in China this year, in part to accumulate data to support the self-service store network. The firm expects that its development in China will prime the technology for rollout in Japan and Southeast Asia.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: