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Tag: exclusive

  • Watsons Singapore launches store-in-store Retail concept

    Watsons Singapore launches store-in-store Retail concept

    Watsons Singapore has launched a premium store concept at Takashimaya. The 7000sqft store hosts distinct zones encompassing skincare, hair care, health and personal care, with new brands such as Milani, Pony Effect, and Utena.

    “To keep pace with the innovative, trendy brand image that Watsons is known for, we are very excited to refresh and make a statement with our Watsons Takashimaya store in a new generation premium store format which offers more experiential zones and shopability,” said Irene Lau, Watsons Singapore GM.

    “The expanse of the store allows us to offer more exciting and exclusive brands across skincare, cosmetics, health and wellness for our discerning consumers. In addition, as we continue to evolve in this digital age, we have incorporated smart technologies and gadgets to enhance the shopping experience and increase engagement with our consumers.”

    The refreshed Watsons store also hosts store-in-store (SIS) concepts at its cosmetics, skincare and health zones.

    The L’Oreal Paris SIS offers a comprehensive range of cosmetics, from foundations, eye make-up colours to lipsticks. Maybelline’s SIS offers the Alice+Olivia Maybelline collection, the first-ever fashion make-up collaboration from the company, that is exclusively sold at Watsons Singapore.

    In support of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore, Watsons is introducing two independent homegrown brands, Botanica Culture and Hush Candle, that focus on wellness.

    A seven-metre length Mask Bay allows consumers to find a mask or two that cater to their skin type, beauty concerns or daily needs across 22 brands.

    The Real Techniques wall contains make-up tools and accessories, including performance brushes and expert sponges.

    The new Watsons store will have four full-time pharmacists, led by principal clinical pharmacist, Chung Wing Lam, who was named 2018 Excellence Service SuperStar by Singapore Retailers Association.

    Watsons Singapore’s membership will be automatically upgraded to “Watsons One Pass” which allows members to enjoy benefits when they shop at Watsons stores in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.

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  • Luk Fook Plans to Expand in China to maintain growth

    Luk Fook Plans to Expand in China to maintain growth

    Luk Fook will add at least 150 stores in Mainland China this year as it looks to mitigate falling sales in Hong Kong.

    Releasing its results for the financial year to March 31, Luk Fook said profit attributable to shareholders rose 9 percent to HK$1.5 billion on sales up 8.8 percent to $15.9 billion.

    During the year the company added 194 stores on the mainland taking its global network to 1833.

    “As Mainland China remains to be a market with promising growth potential in the mid- to long-term, the group will continue to focus on business expansion [there],” said Luk Fook chairman and CEO Wai Sheung Wong.

    “The target for net addition of shops in Mainland China in the coming year, including newly developed brands, is not less than 150 shops and will expand its network to lower-tier cities by opening mainly licensed shops. The group is also committed to further developing its e-commerce business and strengthening cooperation with e-commerce platforms in Mainland China, aiming to grow e-commerce revenue by 20 per cent,” he said.

    “In light of the enormous spending potential of young consumers on online sales platforms, the group will step up its efforts to promote the sales of affordable luxury jewelry products to expand its footprint in the young consumer market.”

    Last year was one of two differing halves for Luk Fook, the first half of growing sales in Hong Kong and Macau, the second of declining sales as trade tensions grew between China and the US and consumer sentiment dived. That trend continued from April through to three weeks into this month with same-store sales in Hong Kong and Macau down by the low-double digits and on the mainland by the mid-single digits for company-owned stores and low-single digits for licensed shops.

    Given the continuing uncertainties on the macro-economic environment arising from the US-China trade war, Luk Fook expects “flattish” revenue and profit growth for the current financial year but hopes to maintain profitability at last year’s level.

    Last year, the retail business was Luk Fook’s main source of revenue, rising by 9.8 percent

    Year on year to $12.075 billion and accounting for 76.1 percent of total sales.

    The group’s retail revenue in the Hong Kong market increased by 11.6 percent to $7.44 billion, despite a lackluster second half.

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  • Asian expansion contributes to loss for Mulberry

    Asian expansion contributes to loss for Mulberry

    Expansion into Asia has weighed on British luxury bag label Mulberry’s bottom line, but the company is confident the foray will bear fruit.

    Mulberry reported a pre-tax loss of £5 million in the year to March 30, a sharp contrast to a £6.9 million pre-tax profit the previous year.

    The other major contributor to the loss was the collapse of British department store House of Fraser which cost it £2.1 million and worsening the impact of a “challenging” UK domestic market. Sales fell 2 per cent to £166.3 million.

    During the year, Mulberry opened new business subsidiaries in Japan and South Korea along with new stores in New York and Dubai as it focuses on international markets for sustained future growth. Revenue from overseas rose 7 per cent for the year, compensating in part for a 6 per cent drop in domestic sales. Online sales rose 27 per cent

    “The group has delivered results in line with expectations and is making good progress in advancing its international strategy and direct to customer model whilst managing a challenging UK market,” said CEO Thierry Andretta.

    “Looking ahead, we anticipate that international and digital sales will continue to grow whilst UK retail trading conditions are expected to remain uncertain. The group plans to invest further in its new Asian entities during this development phase, enhance its global digital platform and optimise the UK network,” he said.

    Sales in the 11 weeks to June 15 were up 13 per cent.

    Chloe Collins, senior retail analyst at GlobalData, said Mulberry needs to seek new and inspiring ways to attract new customers via increased social media and marketing campaigns.’

    She said Mulberry’s expansion of its lifestyle-product offer – it launched its first eyewear range last year – and its plans to increase the depth in its range of trainers are a wise move to capitalise on the trend for athleisure and competing with the likes of Isabel Marant and Golden Goose.

    “However, it must be careful that this does not distract design focus from its core handbags offer, where developments and upgrades are still necessary to maintain shopper appeal.”

    She said teaming up with fast-growing technology platform Farfetch for a new digital concession in April, will help Mulberry increase its reach and bolster sales, both in the UK and internationally.

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  • Hong Kong restaurant Mott 32 Opens in Singapore

    Hong Kong restaurant Mott 32 Opens in Singapore

    Hong Kong restaurant Mott 32 will open at Marina Bay Sands by the end of this year.

    Operated by MBS and Maximal Concepts, the 7000sqft space will occupy the space of Italian restaurant Nostra Cucina on level B1 at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, which will close within the next two months.

    The space will be designed by Joyce Wang Studio, which is also behind the Hong Kong flagship.

    Set to offer lunch and dinner daily, the menu will feature signature Mott 32 items such as its apple wood-roasted Peking duck and deluxe dim sum, and some dishes with Singapore flavours.

    The restaurant will also have a bar serving Asian-style cocktails.

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  • Lagerfeld’s legacy: double-digit growth and €10 billion

    Lagerfeld’s legacy: double-digit growth and €10 billion

    Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld delivered French maison Chanel a stunning legacy in the final year of his life. Chanel, privately owned, has revealed financial information only twice in its 109-year history. But yesterday, finance chief Philippe Blondiaux took the extraordinary step of announcing the brand had achieved global sales of almost €10 billion last year, in an apparent tribute to the designer, who died in February, aged 85. Profit exceeded €3 billion.

    The company also achieved double-digit sales growth “with great performances in leather goods and ready-to-wear”. But that was all the notoriously secretive company revealed, other than to reassert the company was not for sale, thus dashing any interpretation the details were released to pique the interest of prospective bidders.

    Chanel is owned by the Wertheimer family. Geneva-based Gerard Paul Philippe Wertheimer, 69, controls the business in partnership with his brother, Alain, 70. The former has an estimated worth of US$15.3 billion, with the pair ranking fourth and fifth on France’s rich list and among the 40 wealthiest people on the planet.

    Lagerfeld died of cancer, but reportedly worked until the end, such was his passion for his craft.

    Analysts estimate Chanel to be worth in the vicinity of $20 billion, making it one of the world’s most valuable fashion brands, and certainly one of the largest still in private ownership.

    In turnover, it is catching archrival Louis Vuitton, whose sales exceeded $10 billion last year.

    Far from resting on its laurels, Chanel invested an estimated $1 billion in digital innovation last year, embracing online, social media and seamless online/offline integration and in-store technology.

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  • Tokopedia expands delivery promise Same Day Delivery

    Tokopedia expands delivery promise Same Day Delivery

    Indonesian e-commerce company Tokopedia is expanding its one-day delivery guarantee to almost all of its products as it prepares to battle Amazon and other foreign rivals.

    Backed by Alibaba Group and SoftBank, Tokopedia’s greatest strength might lie in the fact it is a 100-per-cent Indonesian focused company, unlike its rivals – and shareholder – which are simultaneously trying to build share in many different markets simultaneously.

    “We focus on Indonesia,” Tokopedia founder and CEO William Tanuwijaya said in an interview in Tokyo. “Our mission is really to solve the Indonesian customer problem. And we see the room for growth is still tremendous.”

    Online shopping in Indonesia is expected to grow by more than 400 percent within the next five or so years, to US$53 billion. That sort of growth is attracting Amazon, which opened in Singapore two years ago and subsequently launched in Australia, along with existing Indonesian rivals including Alibaba-backed Lazada and Shopee.

    Tokopedia already offers same-day or one-day delivery for about 65 percent of the products it sells. Expanding that to almost its entire catalog would be made possible by alliances with 11 logistics companies covering the most populous of the country’s 17,000 islands.

    The company is a marketplace, linking more than 5 million sellers with the nation’s largest database of online shoppers. It has no inventory of its own.

    Tanuwijaya admitted getting more than 90 per cent of goods delivered within 24 hours was a goal that might take two years or more to achieve.

  • Whittard of Chelsea launched in Taiwan

    Whittard of Chelsea launched in Taiwan

    Fine beverages retailer Whittard of Chelsea has partnered with Ruentex Group to launch its first stores in Taiwan. The new venues, located in Breeze Nanshan department store and Mitsui Mall in Taichung, are early steps in the firm’s emerging international expansion. The firm chose Taiwan following considerable interest in the brand among Taiwanese tourists in the UK.

    Three more outlets are expected to open in the territory later this year.

    “After seeing evidence of the appeal of our brand to the Taiwanese consumer in our home market, we became very excited by the opportunity to introduce the brand to Taiwan and started looking for the right partner,” said Whittard of Chelsea’s CEO Mark Dunhill.

    “We are delighted to have secured a partnership with Ruentex Group; they have an excellent record in bringing international brands to Taiwan and we share the same passion and ambition for Whittard. Together with my colleagues in England, I look forward to working closely with them to build a successful business in the years to come.”

    Whittard recently opened on China’s Tmall platform and has also made entries into Japan and Southeast Asia.

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  • Central Phuket opens luxury VIP Zone

    Central Phuket opens luxury VIP Zone

    Thai property developer and the operator of Central Phuket shopping centre, CPN, has celebrated a new luxury zone with the launch of a range of world-class brands.

    The company says the new stores are being introduced in line with “the rapid growth and high demand of the affluent world tourist market in support of Thailand’s tourism industry’s move to elevate Phuket city as a global beach lifestyle destination comparable to the French Riviera, Miami, and Hawaii”.

    “As a global player, we aim to elevate Central Phuket to become one of the most complete travel destinations in the world,” said CPN deputy CEO Wallaya Chirathivat. “Central Phuket has the concept of ‘The Magnitude of Luxury & Leisure Resort Shopping Destination’ in the form of a ‘Beach Lifestyle’, which perfectly matches with Phuket as a beach city comparable to the world’s greatest beach cities. We truly appreciate that the global luxury brands have placed trust and confidence in our project as the first luxury mall located outside Bangkok, Thailand.”

    To mark the occasion, Central Phuket held a grand celebration entitled “The Unveiling of the New World of Luxury” highlighting the prestigious “Universe of Sirivannavari: The First View from Paris to Phuket” exhibition. HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana allowed the exhibition to be held for the first time in Thailand at Central Phuket Floresta from April 28 to May 26.

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  • 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.

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  • FastGo announces Vietnam’s first helicopter ride-sharing service

    FastGo announces Vietnam’s first helicopter ride-sharing service

    Vietnamese ride-hailing firm FastGo plans to launch the country’s first helicopter ride-sharing service in Hanoi this month, focusing on tourism in northern provinces.

    CEO Nguyen Huu Tuat told that FastSky’s first flight will take off on April 25.

    With 12 passengers to a helicopter, FastSky will operate tours from Hanoi to northern tourist destinations such as the Red River and Ha Long Bay.

    “Apart from SkyTour, we’ll also operate SkyWedding services for wedding photography and SkySOS for emergencies in which helicopters will land on Hanoi skyscrapers to pick up patients,” Tuat said.

    Prices vary for each service. A tour will cost a minimum of $125 per person, which can be paid in installments over a period of 12 months.

    Tuat said: “We offer premium services for business people but also want everyone to have a chance to fly. FastSky will be a game-changer in the transport industry.”

    FastGo only provides technology solutions while helicopters and pilots are provided by a partner who is permitted to fly in Vietnam, he said, but declined to reveal the company’s name.

    FastGo began operations last June, a few months after Uber announced its exit from Southeast Asia.

    The company, part of Vietnamese technology start-up NextTech Group, expanded to Myanmar last December.

    It plans to launch operations in Singapore this month and in five other countries in the region, including Indonesia and the Philippines, by the end of the year.

    With almost 60,000 drivers on board, the company claims to be the second most popular ride-hailing firm in Vietnam after Grab.

  • 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.

     

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  • Tigerair Taiwan to open new route flying to Palawan in the Philippines

    Tigerair Taiwan to open new route flying to Palawan in the Philippines

    Tigerair Taiwan announced Monday plans to inaugurate a new flight route between Taoyuan in Taiwan and the Philippine city of Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island starting June 7, said reports.

    It will become the third route between Taoyuan and the Southeast Asian country following the announcement by the Singapore-headquartered budget airline that it would begin flying from Taoyuan to Kalibo, a major hub for the tourist destination of Boracay island, reported UDN.

    To promote the launch of the route, individuals who book tickets between 10:00 a.m. on April 10 and 11:59 p.m. on April 11 will enjoy a discounted price of NT$399 for each single journey ticket (excluding taxes). The departure dates must be between June 7 and Oct. 18, 2019.

    There new route will offer three flights a week, according to Tigerair.

    Puerto Princesa will become the fourth destination route targeting the Southeast Asian market offered by Tigerair Taiwan, which will soon be flying 29 international routes to 22 cities, the report wrote.

    Palawan, the fifth largest island of the Philippines, boasts a plethora of wildlife, jungle mountains, and white sandy beaches. In 2016, Palawan was ranked the “Most Beautiful Island in the World” by readers of Conde Nast Traveller.

  • Secrets Improving on its Online Ecommerce Offering

    Secrets Improving on its Online Ecommerce Offering

    Australian jewellery retailer Secrets is gearing up for international expansion online, with New Zealand slated to be its next major market.

    Customers in New Zealand can currently order from the Australian Secrets website, and while details are scarce, the retailer said in a statement that it will be launching a New Zealand website mid-year to better cater to the market.

    The business currently has 16 stores across Australia, as well as an online portal.

    It sells man-made diamond alternatives known as a diamond simulant, which are made in laboratories from natural mineral base zirconium oxide. According to Secrets, they possess all the optical qualities of fine quality diamonds – being visibly whiter and brighter than most middle-market stones.

    “Our stones exhibit all the fire, brilliance and scintillation of the rarest diamonds unearthed, which is why women worldwide love the Secrets brand,” Secrets chief executive Mike Parsell said.

    “We believe we offer the world a better beautiful.”

    This also means the products are more environmentally-friendly than mining for natural diamonds, Parsell points out.

    “We do not displace tonnes and tonnes of earth to find a single one-carat diamond. Our stones are conflict-free.”

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  • AirAsia prepares to fly to Japan starting in July

    AirAsia prepares to fly to Japan starting in July

    Budget carrier AirAsia Philippines is launching its first flights to Japan on July 1 this year. The carrier, a unit of Malaysia’s AirAsia Berhad, said in a statement over the weekend that it would link its Manila hub to Osaka, paving the way for direct flights to Japan.

    “The launch of direct flights between the Philippines and Japan is a milestone occasion, and we’re excited to connect our capital, Manila, with Osaka,” said AirAsia Philippines President and CEO Dexter Comendador.

    “We are also excited to welcome guests from Osaka and its neighboring regions to the Philippines. This international route will contribute to the government’s target of 8.2 million visitors this year,” he added.

    Similar to the launch of other new routes, the budget airline said it would offer promotional fares at P1,990 for a one way ticket.

    For the whole of 2018, AirAsia Philippines carried 6.87 million passengers, a gain of 30 percent.

    Capacity for the year also rose 34 percent as it increased its fleet of Airbus A320s to 22 planes in 2018 versus 17 aircraft the previous year.

    AirAsia Philippines was established in 2012 with a fleet of two A320s operating out of Clark International Airport.

    Since then, it has opened new hubs, including Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Mactan Cebu International Airport.

    At present, it flies to 13 international destinations from Manila in the Philippines, including Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Bangkok, Bali, Seoul, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau and Ho Chi Minh City.

     

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  • How founder’s distaste for buying drove AirAsia’s growth

    How founder’s distaste for buying drove AirAsia’s growth

    AirAsia, the region’s biggest budget airline, said it prefers to pursue organic growth instead of expansion through acquisitions, partly explaining why it declined to buy Hong Kong’s sole low-cost carrier Hong Kong Express Airways (HK Express). Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong’s flagship premium carrier, this week offered HK$4.93 billion (S$850 million) to buy its budget competitor from the indebted HNA Group. AirAsia looked at the proposal to buy HK Express and its full-service sibling Hong Kong Airlines, declining to acquire either, said founder Tony Fernandes.

    “My philosophy has been organic growth,” Fernandes said in an interview with South China Morning Post during Credit Suisse’s Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong. “I generally don’t believe in acquisition because it comes with a lot of inherent issues. When you import through acquisition, it comes at a risk, so it’s not my preference.

    Fernandes’ approach illustrates how he turned the Kuala Lumpur-based airline from a near-bankrupt company into Asia’s largest budget carrier in less than two decades, with more than 140 destinations and flying on 320 routes at the lowest unit cost in the global aviation industry.

    Fernandes, who worked for Warner Music Group before striking out on his own, bought AirAsia in December 2001 for a token 1 ringgit, taking on the carrier’s 40 million ringgit (S$15 million at the time) of debt. Within a year, the carrier reported a profit, qualifying for a listing on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange two years later.

    AirAsia’s 2018 revenue rose 9 per cent to 10.6 billion ringgit (US$2.5 billion), while pre-tax profit rose by the same quantum to a record 1.7 billion ringgit. Low-cost, long-haul AirAsia X notched revenue of 4.5 billion ringgit, flat year-on-year, but the 2017’s profit performance turned into a loss of 312 million ringgit.

    The airline and its affiliates flew 73 million passengers last year, a figure that beat even full-service flag carriers in Southeast Asia. AirAsia had made a single acquisition in 18 years, when it bought 49 per cent of Zest Airways for an undisclosed sum to secure a landing slot in the Philippines in 2013. Elsewhere in the region, AirAsia expands its network through joint ventures in seven countries, including Japan, India and Thailand.

    The airline, operating with 21,000 employees with no union representation, wants to steer clear of importing “inherent issues” and excess baggage from taking on another airline, Fernandes said.

    Now AirAsia has a chance to help revive Malaysia Airlines, the very competitor that the low-cost carrier had beaten into the ground. Malaysia’s Premier Mahathir Mohamad broached the idea of either selling or shutting the nation’s flag carrier two weeks ago.

    Malaysia Airlines, now under the ward of the country’s sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional after a 6 billion ringgit capital infusion, “can definitely be turned around,” Fernandes said.

    Still, AirAsia is in no hurry to revive its 2011 share swap plan with the flag carrier, which was vetoed by the government of then-premier Najib Razak.

    “Many people will say that [AirAsia’s] expertise could be used to hurt Malaysia Airlines and benefit AirAsia. There is a genuine interest to help but in this day and age, not everyone will see it that way, ” Fernandes said. “It’s best that we do our own thing, and we’ve got a lot on out plate.”

    Worldwide aviation is booming, where 8.2 billion passengers could take to the sky by 2037, according to a 20-year forecast made in October by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), with the Asia-Pacific region driving the biggest growth.

    Still, not everything is hale and rosy in the region, as intense competition in a price-sensitive travelling weighed on airlines’ bottom lines. Only six of the 20 publicly traded airlines or affiliates in Southeast Asia were in the black, with 19 of them reporting declines in third-quarter profitability compared with a year earlier, according to CAPA Centre for Aviation.

    AirAsia had been approached for help. It has already evaluated and declined buying a stake in Bangkok-based NokAir. AirAsia’s Indonesia unit was also linked to – and denied – the possible purchase of Citilink, the low-cost brand of Indonesia’s flag carrier Garuda.

    “I never say no to any M&A, but it has to be a sexy opportunity to go down that route,” Fernandes said.

    Turning to India, and the troubles associated with Jet Airways, which was saved from near-bankruptcy at the last minute, the Malaysian-owned budget carrier said it was positioning itself for the opportunity to grow if runways slots relinquished come up for sale.

    “India is a prize, but just like with prizes, nothing comes easy. It’s been a lot of hard work,” Fernandes said.

    Expecting runway slots to be freed up, the AirAsia chief added. “We want to [buy] it in the right way. We’re not vultures. There will be a few airlines hoping Jet goes bust and we don’t want anyone to lose their jobs, we want every airline to survive and grow, but if an opportunity arises to take those slots, then for sure.”

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