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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.

  • Bamboo Airways owes director $329M

    Bamboo Airways owes director $329M

    Bamboo Airways owes one of its directors, Le Thai Sam, almost VND7.73 trillion ($329.50 million) as of April 10, according to a meeting on Tuesday.

    Sam, who became a board member in July last year, will soon receive a 21.7% stake from FLC, which has been operating the airline since the beginning, according to a document made public at the Bamboo Airway’s extraordinary shareholders’ meeting.

    As he already owns a 12.5% stake in the airline, the transfer from FLC will increase his ownership to more than one-third of the carrier.

    Since last year he has been lending the company cash at zero or low-interest rates and required no collateral to ensure the company could continue its operations despite many difficulties after its founder Trinh Van Quyet was arrested on stock manipulation charges.

    Sam, 59, has 30 years of experience in property, finance and banking. He used to be one of the directors of Development Investment Construction (DIC).

    Shareholders of Bamboo Airways on Tuesday approved the company’s proposal to issue more shares to increase its charter capital by 62% to VND30 trillion.

    The company will look to sell the shares to strategic investors with deep pockets who are willing to lend the company at least VND1 trillion.

  • Taxi company back in the black after four years

    Taxi company back in the black after four years

    Taxi firm Mai Linh Group reported its first profit of VND1 billion ($42,600) after four years in 2022.

    Its revenues surged by 57% to VND1.65 trillion on recovering demand for transportation after two years of Covid-19.

    It posted a loss of over VND270 billion in 2021.

    The company has overcome its most difficult period and is recovering, but its figures show that more work remains to be done, its chairman, Ho Huy, said in a letter to partners earlier this year.

    “We have not made as much profit as expected.”

    He added that the goal is to see every unit making profits this year.

    The company’s debt-equity ratio is a ridiculous 43. Anything in excess of two is considered risky.

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  • WhatsApp Android bug has been found to give the app continuous access to the microphone

    WhatsApp Android bug has been found to give the app continuous access to the microphone

    WhatsApp, the popular messaging app owned by Facebook, has been found to include a bug that allows the app to continue accessing the microphone even after the user has closed it. This bug was discovered by several users, but brought to the spotlight by a Twitter engineer who noticed it happening on his Pixel 7 Pro.

    The bug appears to be affecting several Android devices, including different Samsung and Pixel models, as well as several different versions of the Android app. However, WhatsApp has responded by claiming that the issue lies with Android, not the app itself.
    In several of these reports, microphone activity from the app has been spotted in Android’s Privacy Dashboard as well as through the visible green dot notification on the Android status bar. However, WhatsApp states that this seems to be a bug on Android that mis-attributes information in the privacy dashboard and has asked Google to investigate further.
    Unfortunately, WhatsApp’s response didn’t come until after Elon Musk took to his Twitter account to share his opinion. As you can probably guess by now, his reaction was not positive, accusing the company of not being trustworthy.
    This latest bug could further erode users’ trust in the app, so it is important that Google take a look at the issue and respond accordingly. Hopefully this fix comes sooner rather than later.
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  • LinkedIn cuts over 700 jobs, exits China app as demand wavers

    LinkedIn cuts over 700 jobs, exits China app as demand wavers

    LinkedIn, the social media network owned by Microsoft that focuses on business professionals, said on Monday it would cut 716 jobs as demand wavers, while also shutting down its China-focused job application.

    LinkedIn, which has 20,000 employees, has grown revenue each quarter during the last year, but it joins other major technology companies including its parent in laying off workers amid a weakening global economic outlook.

    In the past six months, more than 270,000 tech jobs globally have been cut, according to Layoffs.fyi, tracking the fallout.

    LinkedIn makes money through ad sales and charging for subscriptions to recruiting and sales professionals who use the network to find prospects.

    In a letter to employees, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky said the move to cut roles in its sales, operations and support teams was aimed at streamlining the company’s operations and would remove layers to help make quicker decisions.

    “With the market and customer demand fluctuating more, and to serve emerging and growth markets more effectively, we are expanding the use of vendors,” Roslansky wrote.

    A LinkedIn spokesperson said the vendors were “external partners” who would undertake new and existing work.

    Roslansky also said in the letter that the changes would create 250 new jobs. The spokesperson said that employees affected by the cuts would be eligible to apply for those roles.

    LinkedIn also said it was eliminating the slimmed-down jobs app that it offers in China after it decided in 2021 to mostly withdraw from the country, citing a “challenging” environment. The remaining China app, called InCareers, will be phased out by Aug. 9, LinkedIn said.

    “Despite our initial progress, InCareer faced fierce competition and a challenging macroeconomic climate, which ultimately led us to the decision of discontinuing the service,” the company told users of the website.

    LinkedIn will retain a presence in China to help companies operating there to hire and train employees outside the country, the company spokesperson said.

    Large companies have accounted for the bulk of recent layoffs in the tech sector, including 27,000 at Amazon.com, the most in its history.

    Facebook owner Meta Platforms shed 21,000, and Google parent Alphabet has laid off 12,000.

    Before LinkedIn’s announcement, 5,000 technology jobs had been in eliminated in May alone, according to Layoffs.fyi.

    Microsoft, which bought LinkedIn for around $26 billion in 2016, has announced some 10,000 job cuts in recent months and took a $1.2 billion charge related to the layoffs.

  • Changi Airport retail sales continue to rise as travel rebounds

    Changi Airport retail sales continue to rise as travel rebounds

    Surging traveller numbers, revamped retail spaces and a focus on omnichannel engagement are paying off at Changi International Airport, as the Singapore hub reports retail sales rebounded to 60% of 2019 levels in January.

    Travellers from Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are leading the recovery, while traditionally strong categories including P&C, liquor, tobacco and luxury drive spending.

    The figures come following a period of revamp and refresh in the airport’s retail offer, which includes 140 airside concession leases being concluded in the last year, including the introduction of 19 new brands and concepts for the airport.

    Among the new arrivals are the largest Bacha Coffee store in the world in Terminal 3, new luxury boutiques for Dior, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co in Terminal 1 and the debut of Korean streetwear label ADLV in Terminal 4.

    These new arrivals have come along with an upgrade to the wider retail space at Changi. Last year, the airport completed a revamp of the Terminal 1 Departures Central Piazza to create “a sense of warmth and serenity”, while the west wing has got a refreshed design to rejuvenate and elevate the retail and F&B experience, according to airport bosses.

    Pop-up stores and omnichannel engagement have also played a role in the upswing. The Guerlain pop-up in Terminal 3 is just one example, celebrating the launch of the new Jasmin Bonheur fragrance from its L’Art & La Matière collection.

    Th airport’s shopping concierge service and an enhanced brand offer on the iShopChangi platform have also been

  • Newly registered enterprises in Laos increases sharply

    Newly registered enterprises in Laos increases sharply

    In 2022, Laos had a total of 18,076 newly registered enterprises, with a total registered capital of about US$7.5 billion, an increase of 42.94% compared to 2021, statistics of the country’s Ministry of Industry and Trade revealed.

    The positive signals from the business registration situation in 2022 have proved Laos’s determination in bringing the economy through a difficult period to recover and develop.

    According to the ministry, the country’s reopening of its door after the pandemic has created favorable conditions for international visitors to enter Laos, which has created a positive impact on the tourism industry.

    With the recovery of the economy post Covid-19 pandemic and the Lao Government’s efforts in prioritizing macroeconomic stability and controlling inflation, the confidence of the country’s businesses has gradually bounced back.

    Besides, the increase in the number of newly registered businesses in 2022 has partly shown that the macroeconomic management solutions are implemented in the right direction, creating confidence and optimism for the people and business community after two years of Covid-19 outbreak.

    Currently, the Lao Government, ministries and branches are supporting businesses to grab opportunities to grow, while improving the business investment environment, as well as issuing timely, transparent and favorable policies, creating motivation for businesses in the country.

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  • Meta, Sa Sa and Vita Green join Omnichat to share WhatsApp marketing

    Meta, Sa Sa and Vita Green join Omnichat to share WhatsApp marketing

    Omnichat, a one-stop omnichannel messaging integration platform that offers conversational commerce solutions, recently hosted an offline event, “Future Commerce Summit cum New Product Launch”.

    Leading global social media giant Meta and several prominent retail brands in Hong Kong, including beauty product retailing group Sa Sa and health supplements group Vita Green were invited to explore the recent retail trends this year along with WhatsApp Marketing to foster conversions and sales while delivering a first-class customer experience.

    As the WhatsApp Business Solution Provider of Meta, Omnichat also announced the launch of its latest social commerce solutions comprising automated customer journey, in-chat payment, social customer data platform (Social CDP) in tandem with “Omni AI”, the latest integration with ChatGPT. The features are designed to empower retail businesses to drive efficient customer service and better customer engagements, thus improving sales conversion rates online and offline.

    Meta builds technologies that help people connect. Adam Bowden, partner lead, GCR & global partners of Meta, said that 70 percent of consumers worldwide use instant messaging software to communicate with businesses, according to the statistics of Meta.

    “Meta has provided WhatsApp Business Platform to businesses, enabling them to meet the needs of consumers and achieve their business goals more quickly. This platform drives merchants to interact and communicate with customers anytime and anywhere, enhancing the relationship between merchants and customers and encouraging consumption. With monthly active users reaching 2.5 billion, WhatsApp has a global presence in 180 countries,” Bowden said.

    According to the survey conducted by Meta & Forrester Consulting, 88 percent of surveyed businesses said that WhatsApp has brought in more revenue. Claudia Chiu, senior strategic partner manager, Greater China Region of Meta, noted that the WhatsApp Business Platform has empowered businesses to establish a complete shopping journey.

    “WhatsApp Business Platform can tailor-make different messages to customers based on their characteristics or scenarios, such as new customers, repeated customers, and potential customers. Moreover, businesses can include different response buttons and product catalogues in WhatsApp messages.”

    Sa Sa proactively integrates its offline and online businesses to deliver a customer-centric omnichannel shopping experience. Hong Li, director of e-commerce at Sa Sa, said that using Chatbot auto-reply feature of Chat Commerce has significantly reduced the response time of customer service, enabling the team to solve other customers’ problems, thereby increasing sales conversion rates.

    “During the last Lunar New Year and 3.8 International Women’s Day, we delivered game messages and exclusive coupons to customers via WhatsApp and Omnichat’s Chat Commerce platform. Through this way, not only the customer engagement rates can be increased but also a 39-fold increase in coupon redemption rates compared to the general rate,” Li added.

    Vita Green has been continuously increasing member engagement and digital marketing automation capabilities through technology advancement. Terrence Siu, head of IT at Vita Green, said their iconic brands, Vita Green and Tea Château have been using WhatsApp to precisely send customised marketing and promotional messages to their loyal members. Salespersons can also be bound to their respective customers for providing one-on-one services, including product recommendations and customer enquiries.

    “Thanks to WhatsApp and Omnichat’s platform, our team is equipped with a new communication channel for member engagement which has boosted our sales and enhanced the overall customer experience,” Siu said.

    Across WhatsApp Business Platform, Facebook Messenger and Instagram, Omnichat empowers brands to deliver seamless online and offline communications for customers.

    Alan Chan, founder and CEO of Omnichat, said: “Our merchants can use the Social CDP to collect customer identities from various social media platforms and map them to a unique profile, building a more comprehensive customer database. Together with the automated customer journey solutions, customised marketing messages can be automatically sent out in accordance with different shopping scenarios.

    “We expect the function will empower merchants to achieve more than 20 per cent revenue growth. With the integration of ChatGPT, we further optimise the handling of customers’ enquiries, product recommendations as well marketing campaign planning. Our In-Chat Payment function is also available for merchants to send payment links and deliver a seamless Chat-and-Buy customer shopping experience.”

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  • Vietnam Airlines shares face restrictions for delay in filing financial statements

    Vietnam Airlines shares face restrictions for delay in filing financial statements

    Vietnam Airlines’ HVN shares will see trading restrictions from May 12 for failure to file its results in time.

    The carrier has been more than 30 days late in submitting its audited consolidated financial statements for 2022, the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) said in a statement.

    At the end of March Vietnam Airlines had sought permission from HoSE to delay the submission, but its request was turned down.

    Now its shares will not be traded for at least two days a week.

    The airline said earlier this month that due to its ongoing restructuring, it needs more time to complete its financial statements.

    If the company fails to submit them 45 days after the deadline, its shares will be restricted.

    HoSE had warned in February that HVN could be delisted if it posted losses for 2022.

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  • Lender NCB wants to sell 11% stake in Bamboo Airways pledged as collateral

    Lender NCB wants to sell 11% stake in Bamboo Airways pledged as collateral

    National Citizen Commercial Bank plans to seek shareholders’ permission this month to sell 203 million shares, equivalent to a 11% stake, of Bamboo Airways.

    Property developer FLC pledged some of the shares as collateral for loans.

    FLC and its disgraced former chairman, Trinh Van Quyet, who is in custody for alleged stock market manipulation, had also used Bamboo Airways shares for borrowing from OCB and Sacombank.

    The carrier last month sought shareholders’ approval to increase its capital by VND9.57 trillion ($408.15 million) to deal with debts, but failed to get it.

    It plans to convene another extraordinary general meeting this month to raise the issue again.

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  • What Are People Buying on Amazon Right Now?

    What Are People Buying on Amazon Right Now?

    Amazon is the world’s largest retailer – online, offline, or otherwise. That means by studying the popular site’s revenue and sales statistics, you can get a pretty good feel for the larger global shopping trends. And here’s what’s most interesting: The hot product categories and trends tend to change on a yearly basis.

    In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the biggest shopping trends on Amazon, focusing on the most popular product categories and what experts predict will be the next hot items.

    Amazon Shopping Statistics and Trends

    Did you know that shoppers spent a collective $513 billion on Amazon in 2022? That amounts to a jaw-dropping $977,898 per minute.

    Overall, Amazon’s revenue grew by 9.4 percent year-over-year in 2022, while 59.3 percent of Americans now have a Prime membership.

    In total, Amazon is believed to own 7.34 percent of the total U.S. retail market (and a whopping 37.8 percent of the total ecommerce market).

    To get an idea of how much product Amazon is moving, consider that net sales surpassed the $149 billion mark for Q4 2022 alone. 

    Unbeknownst to most people, 15.6 percent of Amazon’s sales revenue actually comes from Amazon Web Services, the company’s B2B service platform. 

    Beauty and Grooming

    The beauty and grooming category has always been popular, and it remains a top seller on Amazon. Consumers are increasingly interested in natural and organic products, with the demand for sustainable and ethical options growing. Skincare products, especially anti-aging products, are a significant trend, and hair care products are also in demand.

    According to Amazon’s 2021 Beauty Trends Report, top products in this category include collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid serums, and retinol creams. Korean skincare products, including sheet masks and essences, continue to be popular, with sales increasing by 85 percent.

    Sport and Fitness

    The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in demand for home fitness equipment and products that can help individuals maintain an active lifestyle while practicing social distancing. As a result, the sport and fitness category has seen significant growth on Amazon.

    Yoga mats, resistance bands, and dumbbells have all seen an increase in sales, and fitness trackers and smartwatches remain popular. Health supplements, including vitamins and protein powders, are also in demand.

    Home and Kitchen

    As more people spend time at home, the home and kitchen category has seen significant growth on Amazon. Consumers are investing in products that make their homes more comfortable and functional, such as air purifiers and smart home devices.

    Cookware and kitchen gadgets are also in demand, with sales of instant pots and air fryers increasing. Sustainable home products, including reusable food wraps and bamboo utensils, are also popular.

    Toys

    The toy category is always a popular one on Amazon, especially during the holiday season. Electronic toys, including drones and remote-control cars, remain a significant trend, and board games and puzzles have also seen an increase in sales.

    STEM toys, which help children develop skills in science, technology, engineering, and math, are also in demand. Educational toys, such as science kits and building sets, have seen significant growth in sales.

    Electronics

    The electronics category is vast and includes everything from smartphones to headphones. Wireless earbuds, smartwatches, and laptops are all in demand, and gaming laptops have seen a significant increase in sales.

    Smart home devices, including voice-controlled speakers and security cameras, remain popular, and sales of 4K televisions continue to increase. As remote work and online learning become more prevalent, sales of webcams and monitors have also seen a surge.

    Fashion

    Amazon has made significant strides in the fashion industry, and the category is now a top seller on the site. Consumers are increasingly interested in sustainable and ethical fashion, and the demand for eco-friendly clothing is growing.

    Athletic wear and comfortable loungewear have seen significant growth, as more people work from home. Accessories, including jewelry and handbags, remain popular, and sales of face masks have also seen a surge.

    Tap Into the Power of Amazon

    The beauty of Amazon is that it’s set up for third-party sellers to thrive. In fact, third-party sellers account for 350 million of the nearly 362 million items listed on the site. So if you’re looking to take advantage of these trends, there’s never been a better time!

     

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  • Often requested new feature for Waze is reportedly coming to the app “in the near future”

    Often requested new feature for Waze is reportedly coming to the app “in the near future”

    Sure, Google Maps helps you navigate safely and quickly to help you arrive at your destination. But it also helps you find a place to stay, recommends where to go for entertainment and meals, and where to find points of interest (historical and otherwise). On the other hand, Google also owns Waze which focuses more on helping you survive the grind of driving on local roads and highways thanks to the Waze community that passes along things like traffic jams, accidents, bad weather, police presence, and more.
    Google has been investigating the possibility of adding the location of speed bumps to Waze as a way to alert drivers when to expect these speed-reducing bumps to appear. If you don’t think that being alerted in advance about a speed bump is a big deal, you’ve never driven over one at full speed.
    Back in 2020, speed bump warnings were one of the most requested features for Waze and the company responded by saying that adding a speed bump warning was “on the roadmap.” And as recently as this past February a Waze team member said that the feature was coming to the app “in the near future.” Adding speed bump warnings to Waze will require that the Waze community pass along their real-time travel experiences involving speed bumps.
    Another change coming to the app will allow Waze users to report lane closures. Currently, the community can only report road closures. While there is no time frame for when this feature will be added to Waze, it will allow users to note when a specific lane on a road has been closed because of construction or an accident.
    If you don’t have Waze installed on your handset, you can add it to your iPhone by tapping on this link. Those using an Android phone can install Waze by clicking on this link. Remember that you are not limited to having either Google Maps or Waze on your phone.
  • WhatsApp launches new features for polls and captions

    WhatsApp launches new features for polls and captions

    WhatsApp is bringing new features to those using polls and captions on its messaging platform. Three new updates for polls are now available for WhatsApp users, as well as a new option to share with captions. Three new changes have been added to the polls feature, each significantly improving productivity and the fun factor.

    The first one is the ability to create single-vote polls. This new type of poll allows people to vote only once. Poll creators must turn off the “allow multiple answers” option to prevent people from voting more than once.

    Another interesting new feature introduced today is the ability to search for polls in a chat window. It makes it easier to find a poll that you decide to answer later. A new option to filter messages by polls is now available in WhatsApp, which is similar to the one that filters photos, videos or links. The new filter can be found by pressing Search on the Chats screen and then choosing Polls.

    The third and last update for polls is aimed at poll creators. Notifications will now be sent to poll creators when people vote. In addition, poll creators will now be able to see how many people have voted in total with every notification they receive.

    As far as captions goes, WhatsApp announced that users can now share documents with captions. Also, when forwarding any type of media that has a caption, new options are now available to keep, delete or completely rewrite it to provide more details when sharing photos between chats. WhatsApp users can also add a caption to photos and videos when they forward them.

    According to WhatsApp, all the new features announced today will be rolled out to users globally in the coming weeks, so be patient if these don’t show for you immediately.

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  • Vietnamese airlines recovering in 2023

    Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air reported profits again in the first quarter of this year, while Bamboo Airways neared the break-even point, thanks to the Tet travel peak.

    Analysts said increased international flights due to Vietnam’s Lunar New Year holiday festival (Tet) in late January were the cause of the uptick in the previously-ailing air industry.

    According to newly released financial statements, Vietnam Airlines posted a consolidated pre-tax profit of VND19.3 billion (US$817,800) in the first quarter of this year, compared with a loss of VND2.6 trillion in the first quarter of last year.

    The gains halted the streak of 12 loss-making consecutive quarters since Covid-19 emerged.

    The national flag carrier’s revenues doubled to VND23.64 trillion, the highest since the beginning of 2020 and close to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

    A manager at Vietnam Airlines said the better business performance mainly stemmed from the company’s effective tapping of Tet holiday travel, and the recovery of international flights, especially to and from China.

    In markets such as the U.S., Europe and Australia, the airline gained high seat occupancy rates.

    After incurring losses in 2022, Vietjet Air made a pre-tax profit of VND243 billion in the first quarter of this year. That figure came out of a consolidated revenue of VND12.9 trillion, its highest revenue in the last 12 quarters.

    Vietjet Air’s revenue from the international market increased, accounting for 45% of its total revenue from passenger transport.

    Among domestic airlines, Vietjet Air has pioneered opening new routes to India, Kazakhstan and Australia since the second half of last year.

    Vietjet operated 31,300 flights, transporting nearly 5.4 million passengers in the first quarter, up 57% and 75% respectively.

    Meanwhile, the number of passengers transported by Vietnam Airlines surged by 63% to 5.1 million.

    Domestic carriers’ improved performance was also partly due to lower fuel prices and exchange rate differences.

    In the last quarter of last year, both Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet operated below cost as the fuel price of Jet A1 and interest rates were high. The price of jet fuel last year sometimes exceeded $160 per barrel and averaged $130.

    According to Vietnam Airlines, the average price of Jet A1 fuel in the first three months of the year downed to US$110.69 per barrel.

    Bamboo Airways has not announced business results in the first quarter of this year. At an extraordinary shareholder meeting in early April, Bamboo Airways chairman Nguyen Ngoc Trong said the airline was close to breaking even in the first quarter, with its fleet of 30 aircraft operating at full capacity.

    He said Bamboo Airways “will get off the ground in 2024 and be profitable from 2025.” Bamboo Airways is expected to obtain 6-8 new aircraft in the coming months to expand its international flight network.

    Bamboo Airways is working with partners in China to open new routes from now to the end of the third quarter. Meanwhile, it will increase the frequency of many routes to Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia in the second half of the year.

    Vietjet Air will get more new wide-body and narrow-body aircraft, increasing the total to 87 by the end of this year, and launch new routes to India, Japan, and South Korea.

    Vietravel Airlines plans to receive 3 more aircraft to double its fleet.

  • Google Accounts receives a major security feature today

    Google Accounts receives a major security feature today

    Google Accounts already have a few layers of security features meant to protect accounts from multiple types of online attacks. Today, the search giant launched a brand-new security feature, which seems to be the most powerful ever supported by Google Accounts: passkeys.

    Passkeys aren’t just an almost foolproof protection method for those using Google Accounts, but a very convenient way to sign in. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, passkeys have been around for a while, representing an alternative to passwords. Passkeys are used to sign in to apps and websites and are not just much easier to use than passwords, but also more secure.

    Basically, passkeys work the same way as many of the unlocking options that we now have available on just about every smartphone: fingerprint, face scan, or screen lock PIN. Instead of using a password, passkeys allow you to sign in to apps and websites using any of the methods mentioned.

    As you can imagine, passkeys are safer than passwords because they’re resistant to online attacks, including phishing. They’re even more secure than SMS one-time codes.

    Google announced that it’s now rolling out support for passkeys across Google Accounts on all major platforms, including Android and iOS. These will not replace current sign in options, but they will be available as an additional option that users can take advantage of.

    Passkeys aren’t enabled by default, so you’ll have to set them up via your Google Account settings. As far as Google Workspace accounts go, administrators will soon have the option to enable passkeys for their end-users during sign-in for, the company confirmed earlier today.

    The passwordless sign-in experience is certainly something more convenient and more secure than anything Google Accounts offer currently. Considering that most smartphones these days come with a fingerprint sensor or face unlock support, just about anyone will be able to use the new security feature.

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  • AirAsia reopens international routes from Cebu and Manila

    AirAsia reopens international routes from Cebu and Manila

    AirAsia Philippines is strengthening its international presence in two of its major hubs – Manila and Cebu, with the return of the Manila-Shanghai flight and two new routes out of the Queen City of the South to Shenzhen and Narita.

    ‘The reopening of international routes is part of AirAsia Philippines’ recovery plan. We believe that the Filipinos’ hunger for travel is now strongly backed by opening more international destinations as shown in our forward bookings until the rest of Q2. As the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline that pioneered affordable air travel, we will continue to give our guests the best value for their money,’ said AirAsia Philippines Communications and Public Affairs Country Head Steve Dailisan, announcing that two new flights out of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) will be opened in June and July 2023.

    The Cebu-Shenzhen, China direct flight will be launched on June 2, 2023, while the Cebu-Narita, Japan route will be opened on July 1, 2023.

    On the other hand, the Manila-Shanghai flight which is set to open on 1 July is the last piece in AirAsia Philippines’ China network following the reactivation of the Manila-Shenzhen flight last month.

    The re-opening of more international direct flights, Dailisan said is seen to revitalize further the travel experience of the Cebuanos and other travelers from Central Visayas as they no longer have to transit to Manila to reach these exciting destinations.

    To invite more travelers from Manila and those from Central Visayas – Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental to travel via MCIA, the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline is offering a PHP 1 one-way base fare to Tokyo, Shenzhen, and Seoul, Kaoshiung, Kuala Lumpur, and other international destinations for flights from 3 April to 31 October that are booked until 30 April 2023.

    AirAsia Philippines also reminds its guests to allot four hours for international travel to facilitate check-in procedures and other travel requirements. Those traveling light who are carrying hand-carry luggage are likewise advised to check in via the AirAsia Super App or through the self-check-in kiosks at the airport.

    Guests are also advised to accomplish the eTRAVEL form 72 hours before departure and arrival via etravel.gov.ph.

    Likewise, guests are encouraged to take advantage of the online payment for travel tax via tieza.gov.ph.

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