Tag: Alps

KiwiRail to Resume TranzAlpine Service on July 4th

June 29, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

KiwiRail is delighted to announce the return of its acclaimed TranzAlpine train service between Christchurch and Greymouth.

“I’m excited to be able to say that this award-winning train, which last ran on March 22 before the lockdown, will be back from July 4,” KiwiRail Group Chief Executive Greg Miller says.

“We will resume with a weekend and school holiday timetable in July and August as KiwiRail continues to assess demand in a difficult season for tourism, with borders still closed to international visitors.

“We’re conscious of how important this service is to the West Coast economy and we’re looking forward to bringing visitors to the Coast again, allowing them to see the snow-capped Southern Alps along the way.

“This will be an ideal time for New Zealand families to try something new, and together experience what Lonely Planet has described as one of the world’s 10 most amazing rail journeys.”

During July and August, the TranzAlpine will run on weekends, departing Christchurch at 8.15am, and spending an hour in Greymouth before leaving at 2.05pm on Saturdays and Sundays. It will also run every day of the school holidays, July 6-17 inclusive, on the same timetable as weekends. KiwiRail hopes this will be an opportunity for families to share this unique experience. All fares will be changeable, fully refundable and available at the winter special rate of $75 per seat one way.

Opening the TranzAlpine is KiwiRail’s priority for its scenic train services which, on average, have more overseas than domestic customers. The company also operates the Coastal Pacific train between Picton and Christchurch, which does not run during winter, and the Northern Explorer between Auckland and Wellington which is not currently considered financially viable. No decisions have yet been made on the return of the Northern Explorer and Coastal Pacific. KiwiRail also runs a commuter rail service between Palmerston North and Wellington, which resumed in late April.

“Covid-19 has taken a heavy toll on tourism everywhere and unfortunately, like other tourism providers, KiwiRail and the communities we serve have suffered the impact,” says Mr Miller.

“We have utilised this downtime to look at exciting opportunities and options, including offering different classes of service onboard the TranzAlpine, beginning this spring. We are confident we can serve the market at different levels with an enhanced service for those who want something extra, while still ensuring more accessible fares are also on offer.”

The booking system at www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/tranzalpine/ is open now for TranzAlpine bookings in July and August, and bookings will open shortly for September and beyond. KiwiRail will be contacting those people who have bookings on services that have been cancelled. Those people already booked on the Northern Explorer – which has very light advanced bookings – will be given a 100 per cent refund or, if they prefer, a letter of credit. People booked on the TranzAlpine on days when it will not now run can choose to be rebooked, or receive either a 100 per cent refund, or a letter of credit for a future booking.

In addition, anyone with an existing booking on the TranzAlpine for one of the winter weekends or the July school holidays will receive a refund of the difference between the higher fare they paid, and the new winter special rate of $75 per seat. For example, if you have already paid $150 for a ticket on the TranzAlpine, we’ll either refund you the $75 difference, or give you a voucher for $75 to spend onboard, or you could use the difference to buy another ticket for a friend or family member.

“We know that our customers all look forward to their trips with us, just as we look forward to serving them. We apologise to affected customers for any inconvenience as we urgently consider how to make long-distance train journeys more attractive, more diverse and more financially sustainable.

“Our Interislander ferries and scenic trains play a significant role in New Zealand’s tourism sector but 2020 has turned out to be difficult for all operators. We are focussed on our return, and on better days ahead.

“We’re working hard on options and opportunities, are looking forward to making further announcements. In the meantime, we will welcome families and holidaymakers aboard the TranzAlpine from Saturday, July 4.”

Hyatt and Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ Expand Relationship

December 10, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Continued growth gives members more rewarding opportunities to experience luxurious destinations around the globe

Hyatt and Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) today announced the ongoing expansion of their existing loyalty alliance, celebrating a milestone of over 300 participating SLH hotels around the world for World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points and enjoy on-property benefits. Since launching in November 2018, this alliance has grown by 500 percent with the number of participating SLH properties in the World of Hyatt program for members to enjoy, and will continue to expand throughout 2020.

“Since launching this alliance, many members have shared their positive experiences when staying at participating SLH properties around the globe and enjoying valuable World of Hyatt loyalty benefits,” said Amy Weinberg, senior vice president, World of Hyatt. “This strategic alliance has grown at rapid pace and is a direct reflection of our commitment to caring for our members in more ways and places beyond our hotels. We remain focused on delivering unique experiences and exclusive benefits for members in order to enhance how they live and travel, and are thrilled that this alliance helps us meet our members in more locations globally.”

World of Hyatt members now have access to more than 300 of SLH’s luxury boutique hotels that offer new locations across growth markets for Hyatt, including:

Le Refuge de la Traye, a mountain retreat in the French Alps with newly renovated eco-luxury chalets set between lake and mountain in Les 3 Vallées ski region
Arima Hotel, a boutique hideaway in the Basque region of San Sebastián, Spain with leading authority in eco-friendly lodging that offers majestic views of the Miramón forest
Vista Palazzo Lago di Como, a 19^th century Venetian-style Palazzo offering 18 palatial rooms and suites, known for its glamour and panoramic views of world-famous Lake Como
Ksar Char-Bagh in Morocco, a stunning Moorish palace in a Marrakech palm grove oozing opulence and tranquility with its Persian-style gardens and plunge pools
French CoCo, an all-suite Caribbean escape set on the beautiful island of Tartane, Martinique
The Reef by CuisinArt, a luxury beach resort in Anguilla nestled on the southerly shores of Merrywing Bay overlooking the beautiful coastline

“Our purpose at SLH is to perfectly match the world’s independent travelers with the most individual, intimate and intense hotel and travel experiences around the world,” said Jean-François Ferret, Chief Executive Officer, Small Luxury Hotels of the World™. “This strategic alliance has allowed us to significantly expand our brand awareness by sharing our distinct properties with more than 16 million World of Hyatt members. Our independently-owned hotels participating in this program have seen immediate results and the benefits of sharing their vision with World of Hyatt members.”

Since launching, the World of Hyatt and SLH alliance has added 27 new countries where World of Hyatt members can earn and redeem points, including places like Sweden, Laos, Turks & Caicos, Portugal, Kenya, Iceland, Belize, New Zealand, Belgium, Anguilla and many more. Additionally, hotels that are part of this exclusive relationship have seen a significant uptick in bookings, including Enso Ango Fuya II, The Sukhothai Shanghai, Hotel Eclat Taipei, Claris Hotel & Spa, and Hotel Éclat Beijing. World of Hyatt members of all tiers can take advantage of the following loyalty benefits when booking a participating SLH hotel through a Hyatt channel:

Earning and Redemption

World of Hyatt members earn five Base Points per $1 USD spent on eligible room revenue
World of Hyatt members will receive their standard tier Bonus Points on eligible room revenue spend (10 percent Discoverist, 20 percent Explorist, 30 percent Globalist)
Qualifying nights at SLH hotels will count toward earning World of Hyatt elite-tier status
World of Hyatt members can redeem points to use for free night awards on SLH hotel reservations; each SLH property has been categorized into Hyatt’s existing hotel award chart.
All World of Hyatt Credit Cardmembers will earn an additional four Bonus Points, for a total of nine World of Hyatt points, per $1 spent at participating SLH properties. Hyatt Credit Cardmembers will earn an additional three Bonus Points (U.S. only).

Member Benefits

Participating SLH properties will provide the following on-property benefits to all World of Hyatt members who book through Hyatt, regardless of status:

Complimentary Wi-Fi
Daily complimentary continental breakfast for two guests
Room upgrade (one category at check-in if available)
Early check-in (noon, based upon availability at check-in)
Late check-out (2:00pm, based upon availability at check-in)

SLH 3K Stay Promotion

To further celebrate the continued expansion of this relationship, World of Hyatt members can earn 3,000 Bonus Points for every eligible paid stay at participating SLH properties. To participate, travelers must:

Be a World of Hyatt member (enroll here – membership is complimentary)
Register for the promotion from December 10, 2019 through January 31, 2020 by visiting the promotion landing page on hyatt.com or through the Hyatt Global Contact Center in order to earn Bonus Points
Complete an eligible paid stay at any participating SLH hotel between December 10, 2019 and March 2, 2020.

For more information about World of Hyatt and SLH, please visit hyatt.com/SLH.

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

American Airlines Becomes the Only Carrier to Fly from the U.S. to the South Island of New Zealand

October 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FORT WORTH, Texas — A trip to the breathtaking landscape of the majestic Southern Alps will become much shorter when American Airlines launches the only nonstop service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Christchurch, New Zealand (CHC), next October. The airline is also adding the only direct service between Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland, New Zealand (AKL), which will increase connecting opportunities for more customers across the United States. These routes are a direct result of the recently approved joint business with Qantas, which delivers new customer benefits like enhanced codeshare opportunities and increased frequent flyer benefits for American and Qantas customers.

The gateway to the South Island

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and as the only carrier to operate this route, American will introduce its customers to one of the world’s most unique destinations.

“The South Island sums up everything that our customers are looking for in New Zealand — adventure, culture and wildlife found no where else,” said Vasu Raja, American’s Senior Vice President of Network Strategy. “We want to make their lifelong dreams a reality and bring New Zealand’s beauty even closer as the gateway to the South Island where you can drive, hike, cruise and fly to a variety of classic New Zealand experiences.”

American will fly to CHC three times per week from October 2020 through March 2021 on a Boeing 787-8. The 787-8 features 20 Flagship Business seats and 28 Premium Economy seats, providing additional comfort for the 13-hour flight. The aircraft offers a variety of entertainment options for customers, with access to power at every seat, live television, and hundreds of movies, music, games and TV shows.

LAX to CHC creates unique one-stop connections to the South Island not previously available by any other carrier. Qantas and Jetstar will connect passengers from CHC on to Wellington and Melbourne — some of the most popular destinations in the Pacific.

A new way to New Zealand

American currently operates seasonal service from LAX to AKL and will add new service from DFW next year. Flights will be operated with American’s state-of-the-art 787-9, with 30 Flagship Business seats and 21 Premium Economy seats. New flights from DFW to AKL will enable new one-stop connections to New Zealand from more than 70 cities across the United States.

“Now, we’re able to get customers from places like Louisville, Savannah or Monterrey, Mexico, all the way to New Zealand with just one stop,” said Raja.

As American enhances its commitment to the region, seasonal LAX to AKL service will resume earlier next year — Oct. 7 — adding three weeks of service to the increasingly popular destination.

“The South Island is a must-see for any international visitor to New Zealand,” said Stephen England-Hall, Tourism New Zealand’s Chief Executive. “Thanks to the new nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Christchurch and Dallas-Fort Worth to Auckland, it’s is now easier than ever before to experience all that unique and welcoming New Zealand has to offer.”

Benefits of the Qantas Joint Business

American and Qantas recently received final approval to form a joint business, which promises significant customer benefits not possible through any other form of cooperation. The carriers have already rolled out improved frequent flyer benefits, including higher earning rates for points and status credits on each airline’s network, and have expanded codeshare routes on each other’s network. Qantas will also increase from six weekly flights between Sydney, Australia (SYD), and DFW to daily service by mid-2020. Additionally, Qantas announced new service from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Brisbane, Australia (BNE), which will launch in February and April respectively. Qantas will have its code on American’s new flights to New Zealand, giving Qantas frequent flyers more opportunities to earn and redeem Qantas points and status credits on American. Next year, American and Qantas will provide the most service to Australia and New Zealand from the United States.

LAX–AKL flights beginning in Oct. 2020 will be available for purchase starting Nov. 9. New LAX–CHC and DFW–AKL flights will be available for purchase starting Nov. 30.

What does this mean at LAX?

American and its partners serve more destinations to Asia/Pacific from LAX.
Customers traveling through LAX can take advantage of the most premium amenities of any carrier with three Admirals Club lounges, Flagship Lounge and Flagship Dining.
The new route launches a few months after the American Airlines Plaza opens at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The 298-acre world-class sports and entertainment destination is just three miles from the airport.

What does this mean at DFW?

In addition to new routes, American continues to invest in airport construction and development to deliver a world-class customer experience.
Customers can get cozy in five Admirals Club lounges and recently opened Flagship Lounge and Flagship Dining.
American’s growing network connects customers across the globe to more than 225 destinations in 31 countries from DFW.

Mid-Air Crash in Italy kills Seven People

January 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

A Jodel D140E from the Aeroclub de Megeve and an Airbus Helicopters AS350B3 collided in mid-air over the Italian Alps

MILAN (Reuters) – Four Germans were killed in a mid-air collision between a helicopter and a light aircraft in the Italian Alps on Friday with the other three victims were from Italy, France and Belgium, Italian police said on Sunday.

“We can’t reveal the names because some of the families still don’t know,” one official at the joint office of Alpine rescue and police in Entreves, in the Aosta Valley, told Reuters.

The two survivors were a Frenchman and a German, the official said. The French survivor was under investigation in connection with the accident, he added, without giving any further details.

The German Foreign Ministry said officials at its consulate in Milan were working closely with Italian authorities to confirm the identity of the victims.

The two aircraft collided in mid-air above the Rutor glacier in the Aosta Valley, some 80 km (50 miles) northwest of the city of Turin on Friday afternoon.

The Italian rescue workers had found five of the victims and the two survivors on Friday. Two more bodies were discovered in the snow some distance from the wreckage of the two aircraft on Saturday.

It is not yet clear how the accident happened.

Reporting by Francesca Landini; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in Berlin; Editing by Keith Weir