Singapore Tour Guide

Singapore is the finest City in the World

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:22:00 +0000

Singapore is a fine city because of the fines. For just about everything you do, there is a list of dos and don't, enough to fill a book. As a writer, maybe I should write a book called "The Dos and Donts in Singapore."

There are many things that are considered normal in others but in Singapore they are illegal. We all know that you cannot bring pornographic materials to Singapore, no drugs, and no sales of chewing gums.

But do you know that in Singapore, sleeping on park benches is an offence? A bus driver didn't know that when he dozed off on the bench while taking shelter from the rain. His ignorance cost him SG$200 for a 15-minute nap.

A National Parks Board (who fined the driver) spokesman said: "We try to create the conditions that make visitors feel at ease... When people abuse our parks by overstaying or squatting, they make genuine park users feel uncomfortable. Others sleep on benches or in shelters in an inconsiderate manner and deny park users from these facilities."

Most Singaporeans are not aware of this rule. There was no signage at the parks to warn the people. They should have given him a warning instead. This shows how intolerance of the Government against rule breakers. A forummer shared that he was fined $100 when he brought his disposable BBQ pit to barbecue in a park. Now some people are confused. They are wondering if they would be fined if they sleep on their mat on grass patches in the park. Construction workers wonder if they would be fined for sleeping on void deck at the HDB flat during their lunch break.

Recently the Government confiscated a car belonging to a hire-purchase company. The car was sold to a police officer. It was driven by another person to smuggle cigarettes. The general manager of the company who lost a dozen vehicles this way in the his 20 years of business question their logic. He reasons: "My question is, if a passenger on an SIA plane was nabbed for smuggling in drugs, will the authorities seize the plane?"

If you are a nudist, I have bad news for you. If a peeping Tom spots you walking around your very own house or hotel room naked and complain to the Police, you can be charged for indecent exposure. In the beach, it is fine for men to be topless, but not for women. No nudes allowed in public places.

Many years ago, bartop dancing was banned in Singapore. The Government minister said:

"If you want to dance, some of us will fall off that bar-top. Some people will die as a result of liberalising bar-top dancing, not just because they have fallen off the bar-top. Because usually a young girl, with a short skirt, dancing on a bar-top, may attract some insults from some other men, and the boyfriend starts fighting. Some people will die. Blood will be shed for liberalising this policy."

Now bartop dancing is allowed.

We all know that the rules and regulations are the price we pay for Singapore to be among the safest cities in the world. We appreciate that there are no hell drivers, no pick pockets, no public demonstrations, no gunshots, no beggars in the streets. We feel safe walking in the streets at night. The government has loosened up since then. But there are still some rules that make Singapore the laughing stock of the world.

The “Lion City-State” of Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:12:00 +0000

Singapore is an island city-state meaning both a city and a state nation. It is the Lion city of the South East Asia. It epitomizes old tradition and modern living. The state is highly urbanized and belongs to the top ten among the nation in terms of standard of living. It is located to the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula , 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Riaus Island Indonesia.The population is only 5 million

What to see at Singapore

Singapore is a small city-state but then it is rich in tourist destinations. It is complete as I say because the government really put money on developing it as a tourist spot, the parks, zoo -- bird sanctuary, butterflies garden, botanical garden, night safari landmarks, memorials, museums, place of worships are all awesome in architecture mixing of “East and the West” and of course “Sentosa island” which is a getaway fifteen minutes island from the city proper.

The Port of Singapore is the busiest port in the world

The dockyard is just awesome, I came to look at it and stayed for a bit at the Yacht Club. The Port of Singaporerefers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade handling functions in Sigapore’s harbours which handle Singapore's shipping Currently, it is the worlds busiest ports in terms of total , it also tranships a fifth of the world's shipping containers, and as the worlds busiest container port, half of the world's annual supply of crude oil, and is the worlds busiest transshipment port.

Sentosa is of course great tourist destination and almost 15 minutes away by cable car from main city and almost five million tourist visit the place every year. Sentosa, which translates to peace and tranquilityin Malay, is a get away island and is a popular resort. Attractions include a two-kilometre long sheltered beach, Fort Siloso, two gold courses and two five stars hotel.

The Singapore flyer

Meet the world’s largest Giant Observation Wheel – the Singapore Flyer. It is an awesome experience in Asia too. Singapore Flyer is 150 metres in diameter, 165 metres in height and travels at 0.21m per second. Each of its 28 city-bus-sized air-conditioned capsules can carry up to 28 passengers and a complete rotation of the wheel takes approximately 30 minutes.

The panoramic views from the top are awesome – passengers can see the Singapore River, Raffles Place, Merlion Park, Empress Place and even a glimpse of neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia.

Sentosa's Underwater World

Sentosa's “Underwater World“, is the most famous popular attraction on the island of Sentosa, draws in huge crowds every day. It is indeed Asia's most exciting tropical oceanarium, it is an 80-metre transparent acrylic tunnel which allows you to view more than 2,500 sea creatures in close distance too.

Mandai Orchid Gardens

The place is best for orchid and flower lovers too, I really enjoyed my visit there as I love orchids and they are in bloom when I visited. The garden boasts of four hectares of the beautiful orchids plants.

Cost of living cheaper in Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:48:00 +0000

DURING my recent trip to Singapore, I was surprised to find that food prices are lower there compared to food prices in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.

I did a comparison on the basis that you work and stay in Singapore as compared to anyone working and staying in Petaling Jaya/Kuala Lumpur.

These are some of the prices I found in a shopping complex in Orchard Road in the heart of the city. A bottle of Nescafe Gold (200gm) costs S$9 as compared to RM21 (offer price) and RM22-RM23 (normal price).

A bottle of Listerine (mouth wash) 750ml costs S$9.50 as compared to RM16 (offer price) and RM19 (normal price).

A cup of coffee from a dispensing machine cost S$0.70 and the machine even allows you to have more coffee or less coffee, more sugar or less sugar and more cream or less cream. Where can we get a cup of coffee for RM0.70 from any dispensing machine in Petaling Jaya/Kuala Lumpur?

A bar of chocolate (international brand) costs only S$0.80 as compared to RM1.50 in Petaling Jaya/Kuala Lumpur. All this shows that the food prices in Malaysia are very expensive.

The Government’s recent budget hopes that the food prices will come down but I do not think the prices will be reduced. The price of a cup of coffee in a coffeeshop has gone up from RM1 to RM1.20 while a bowl of noodles has gone up from RM3-RM3.20 to RM4.00-RM4.50.

There is no way the hawker will reduce food prices. We sincerely hope that the Government will do something soon because a lot of the lower-income earners are suffering.

source: The Star

Singapore Education Admissions Fair

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:46:00 +0000

Organiser: Singapore Education
Start Date: 6 Sep 2008
End Date: 7 Sep 2008
Address: 223 Sule Pagoda Road, G.P.O Box 888
City: Yangon
Country: Myanmar
Venue: Traders Hotel
Tel No: +66 2 630 4774
Fax No: -
Website: http://
Event Email Address: stbbkk@truemail.co.th
Contact Person: Jinatta Laohavanich
Contact Person
Email Address: stbbkk@truemail.co.th
Synopsis of Event: The Singapore Education Admissions Fair in Yangon, Myanmar is scheduled to take place on 6 - 7 September at Traders Hotel. Timing: 10am-5pm
Admission Fees: Free

Singapore Airlines And Indonesian Ministry Of Culture And Tourism Sign Memorandum Of Understanding to Boost Tourist Arrivals to Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:51:00 +0000

Singapore Airlines and the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism (IMCT) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly boost visitor arrivals to Indonesia.

Each party will contribute up to a total value of US$250,000 over a three-year period starting from 1 August 2008 to carry out joint promotional activities in key markets that contribute to Indonesian tourism namely Europe, North Asia, Middle East, Australia, and the USA.

The joint activities are aimed at developing and promoting tourism to Indonesia in a sustainable way, particularly in conjunction with ‘Visit Indonesia Year 2008’. Joint activities will focus primarily on promoting the image and awareness of and familiarity with Indonesia, Singapore Airlines, and SilkAir.

The joint activities include participation by Indonesia tourism and travel agencies in international travel trade fairs, educational and familiarization trips, media educational trips for journalists from key markets to Indonesia, sales missions, consumer promotions, and other special activities.

The Airline’s contributions include air travel, rebated cargo and waiver of excess baggage charges, while the IMCT will make ground arrangements for the participants (trade and consumer, media, travel agents, travel writers) of the agreed joint activities relating to media or educational trips, whereas IMCT will contribute cash for the joint advertising and promotions in overseas market.

Mr Huang Cheng Eng, Executive Vice President Marketing & The Regions at Singapore Airlines who signed the MoU said: “The tourism promotion MOU that we are signing today is a renewal of our long-term commitment to work closely with the Indonesian Ministry for Tourism and Culture. We have been partners in promoting Indonesian tourism for many years and I have no doubt that this new MoU will cement our already strong ties.”

“Added Dr Sapta Nirwandar, Director General Marketing for the IMCT: “This year is declared Visit Indonesia Year 2008. The number of visitors is targeted to reach a figure of seven million. We have prepared ourselves through a integrated tourism programme across the archipelago, while in the main overseas markets we are continuously undertaking Indonesia travel promotion activities with Singapore Airlines that is constantly ready to support us.“

About Singapore Airlines

When Singapore Airlines was formed in 1972, it operated a modest fleet of 10 aircraft to just 22 cities in 18 countries, most of which were in Asia. With a commitment to fleet modernization, product and service innovation and market leadership, the Airline quickly distinguished itself as a world-class carrier. Today Singapore Airlines is internationally recognized as one the world’s leading airline and operates a modern passenger fleet of 101 aircraft. Its network, including Singapore Airlines Cargo and SilkAir destinations covers 103 cities in 41 countries.

Last year, Singapore Airlines became the first airline ever to operate the world’s biggest commercial jet, the A380in the world. In May 2008, it made aviation history by introducing the world’s longest non-stop all business class service between Singapore and New York using the A340-500 aircraft. Soon after in August, it introduced the non-stop all business service between Singapore and Los Angeles using the same aircraft type.

For more information, please visit www.singaporeair.com

The Times travel photo competition

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:52:00 +0000

Read on to see who won the August competition, and get your entries in now for the chance to win a trip to Budapest.

AUGUST COMPETITION WINNER

Michael Gow, of Nottingham, took the prize with this image, taken at the much-photographed Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing. “My girlfriend and I were outside, about to go in to watch the athletics. All of a sudden music started blaring, a 100 square metre area came to life with water fountains - and there were howls of laughter as people got soaked. The little boy in yellow kept running in and dodging the water.”

This month's runner up came from Simon Keeping, and featured as last week's best entry. The image of Club Tropicana was taken on a week-long trip to Cuba.

Michael wins a three-night luxury spa break at Chewton Glen.

SEPTEMBER COMPETITION

The September competition is now open.

Send your best shot to travelpictures@thetimes.co.uk. It should be attached to the e-mail as a large Jpeg. If you have entered before select another picture and have another go.

The prize is a three-night stay for two people at the five-star InterContinental Budapest. The prize is based on two sharing and includes two economy return flights to Budapest, three nights bed and breakfast accommodation in a Club InterContinental Room overlooking the River Danube, two complimentary tickets to the opera, one complimentary dinner in Corso and return airport transfers in Budapest.

Winner and guest must both be aged 18 or over. The trip must be taken before end April 2009 excluding peak periods. All departures and accommodation are subject to availability. All taxes, fees and surcharges are included. Transfers are included. The winner is responsible for all costs and expenses not set out in these terms and conditions and for ensuring they and their guest have all necessary documents including valid passports, visas (where applicable) and travel insurance. Relevant airlines standard conditions of carriage will apply. Click here for prize details in full.

Terms and conditions

1. The competition will run on www.timesonline.co.uk website from August 30, 2008 to noon on September 29, 2008.

2. Closing date for entries is noon on September 29, 2008

3. Unless otherwise stated, the competition is open to all residents of the UK and ROI aged 18 or over, except employees of Times Newspapers Limited (“TNL”), NCL and Metro Imaging and their associated, affiliated or subsidiary companies, and their families, agents, or anyone connected with this competition, including the third party promotional partners.

4. Entry limited to one per person. The winner is responsible for ensuring they are able to accept the prize as set out and in accordance with these terms and conditions, in the event they are unable to do so then the TNL reserves the right to redraw the prize.

5. Entry is free but entrants should be aware that they may be subject to local call charges depending on their own individual arrangements for Internet access.

6. An eligible entrant must be an individual and must submit an entry in the form provided by TNL under this promotion including their name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.

7. By entering, all eligible entrants agree to abide by each and all these terms and conditions. TNL reserves the right, with or without cause, to exclude entrants and withhold prizes for violating any of these terms and conditions. TNL reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions. Any amendments will be published on the Website.

8. Each entrant must submit one photograph in jpeg format with an explanation detailing when, where and why the photograph was taken in no more than 50 words together with their name, email address and location. Photographs should address the theme “travel”. The photograph should be the entrants own work and should have been taken during 2007/2008. Entrants represent and warrant that they are not professional photographers and that their entry does not infringe the privacy rights, copyright or any other rights of any person. Obscene or inappropriate photographs will not be accepted and TNL reserves the right to reject any photographs for any reason. Prior to submitting a photograph of any identifiable individual, entrants should obtain the consent of such person and advise them of the purpose of the submission and that their photograph may be published by TNL (including in The Times).

9. The overall winner will be notified by email within seven (7) days from the closing date. All reasonable endeavours will be made to contact the winner during this time. If a winner cannot be contacted or is not available, TNL reserves the right to re-draw another winner from the correct entries which were received before the closing date.

10. There is one first prize for the entrant whose photograph is selected as the overall winner. There will also be a prize for entrants whose photographs are selected for publication in The Times Travel section as a winner of the week. Winner of the week is subject to editorial discretion and so may not be awarded each week. The winner will be the entrant whose photograph, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the greatest flair, technique and originality.

11. The first prize is a three-night stay for two people at the five-star InterContinental Budapest (www.intercontinental.com) with return flights to Budapest.

12. The prize for the “winner of the week” is a 12x16 inch Fine Art Digital C-type print from www.metroimaging.co.uk. The winner will be notified within seven days of their photograph appearing in the paper and the prize will be sent to the address provided by the winner at time of entry.

13. There is no cash or other alternative to the prize stated and the prize is not transferable and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions.

14. The winner may be required to submit valid identification before receiving their prize.

15. The judge's decision is final and binding on the entrants. No correspondence will be entered into.

16. TNL will not be liable for technical, hardware, or software failures of any kind or lost or unavailable network connections which may limit or prohibit an eligible entrant's ability to participate in the competition. Other than death or personal injury arising from the acts or omissions of TNL, or their employees, TNL will not be liable for any loss or damage arising out of the winner or their guest’s enjoyment of the prize

17. By entering, any subsequent prize winners agree to allow the free use of their names, photographs and general locations for publicity and news purposes during this and future promotions by TNL or any associated or subsidiary company of News International Limited.

18. TNL reserves the right to publish all or parts of entries other than the winning entry, and publication does not necessarily mean that the entrant has won a prize. TNL reserves the right to edit entries in its discretion for publication. Entrants will retain copyright in their submitted entries; however, by entering, all entrants give TNL a worldwide royalty free perpetual licence to edit, publish and use all or segments of each entry in any and all media (including print and online) for publicity and news purposes. In particular, all entrants license TNL the right to print their entry on thetimes online and in print.

19. Uses of personal data received by TNL in the course of the promotion are subject to the privacy policy found on the Website. Winners' names may be published on the Website.

20. Completion and submission of a registration slip or e-mail will be deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions.

21. TNL reserves the right at any time to cancel, modify or supersede the competition (including altering prizes) if, in their sole discretion, a competition is not capable for being conducted as specified. TNL reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal value in the event that circumstances beyond their control make this unavoidable.

22. The promoter of this prize draw is Times Newspapers Limited (address below)

23. For a list of winners, please send a stamped envelope to Times Newspapers Limited Competitions Department, 1 Virginia Street, London E98 1RL, stating for which competition you would like winners’ details.

24. Terms and Conditions printed in The Times/The Sunday Times newspaper or on Times Online form a part of these terms and conditions.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

July

The Times Travel Editor, Kathleen Wyatt chose the winner sent in by Matt Davis (Pic 1, July finalists): "The high-quality images you've been sending in have made me think twice every time I take a picture. Matt Davis's rum stores dogs is so soaked in atmosphere and character that it claims this month's prize of a 12-night Mediterranean cruise with NCL." Matt, who took the photo in Puerto Princesca, Palawan Island in the Philippines said: "The shot kind of summed up the islands for me - colourful and laid back with an attempt at order which never quite succeeds."

June

Congratulations to Ollie Blackwell, a researcher for a TV production company, who hired a 4WD and “headed off into the sticks” in Namibia (Photo No 3, June finalists). “This shot of my girlfriend playing with a sparkler under the stars was taken on a 30-second exposure, with the camera resting on a boulder and a baked bean can. I love how well the stars came out. Katie had come across some sparklers that she had left in her rucksack from a festival we had been to a few months back - she sparked one up and this is the picture.”

May

Justin Stokes from London Bridge took the winning image in the May competition (May finalists gallery, picture 17): "It was taken in London in January, at the second hand book market on the South Bank. I spoke to the old man and he was actually on holiday, and trying to see areas of the world he'd never been to while he could. I found him interesting: he didn't seem to have a wife or anyone with him but still content to explore things he'd never seen. The sweet spot of focus that gives this that lovely depth of field lens blur is due to the use of a tilt lens. By blowing up the photo, you can see he is reading an obscure book on WW2."

April

The winning picture came from Calum Smail (April 16 gallery, picture 9): “I had wanted to take some pictures of Paris at night, so headed to the Arc de Triomphe before sunset. “After climbing up the hundreds of steps to the top, I was just working my way around when I noticed the cloud sweeping in from the west. It took about five minutes for the cloud and sun to form the dramatic view in the photograph. About a minute later the rain was on top of us and we had to take cover.”

source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk

Singapore Airlines named as best business class

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:27:00 +0000

Asian carrier beats off competition from BA and Air NZ. Virgin Atlantic picks up award for Heathrow Clubhouse.

Singapore Airlines has been named best airline and best business class in the annual Skytrax awards.

In the business class category, the airline beat off competition from Air New Zealand in second place and British Airways in third.

Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, said: "The business class seat is marketed by Singapore Airlines as 'The most spacious the world has ever seen', and whilst maybe not suited to every passenger's taste, it remains a clear quality benchmark for long-haul business class."

Virgin Atlantic won the award for best business class lounge for the second year running for its Clubhouse facility at London Heathrow. British Airways jumped back into the top five with opening of its new lounges at terminal 5.

Plaisted said: "British Airways lounges have not been at the leading edge in terms of quality for quite a number of years but they have created something quite special with their new facilities at Terminal 5, and we would expect to see some strong performances from them in years to come."

Easyjet was named as best low-cost carrier in the awards, which are now in their tenth year. More than 15 million people of 95 nationalities expressed their opinions in choosing the awards.

source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Eunos Singapore residents tour Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:24:00 +0000

Warm welcome: Mayor Zainul Abidin (in batik) shaking hands with Hor while Yin and other association members look on in Kuantan recently.

Pahang Buddhist Association played host to an entourage from Singapore at its premises in Jalan Bukit Ubi here recently.

Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mayor Zainul Abidin Rasheed arrived in a convoy of 12 chartered buses with 332 residents of Eunos Singapore.

The group a social visit to Malaysia was invited to make a stop here.

Present to receive them were Pahang Chinese Assembly Hall president Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah and association chairman Hor Chim Sim

The guests were treated to a lion dance, cultural performances and a lorry load of durians.

Hor said the visit was to foster closer ties and promote peace and unity between the races in the two countries.

Earlier, the entourage visited Putrajaya mosque and Batu Caves.

Zainul Abidin said the group visited Malaysia every two years to promote harmony and understanding.

“We also visit other Asian countries to exchange greetings and get to know each other’s cultures better,” he said.

Later, the group visited a church in Jalan Gambut before being hosted at dinner by Tourism Malaysia Pahang.

State tourism director Amran Abdul Rahman said the group was welcome and hoped they would return with happy memories.

source: http://thestar.com.my

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noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:01:00 +0000

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Asia's cash hungry carriers

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:34:00 +0000

The credit crunch, soaring fuel prices and slowing economies are playing havoc with airline financing. Raising fresh equity in these conditions is virtually impossible, with Cebu Pacific, Air India and Vietnam Airlines all deferring their IPO plans this year. The sale of a stake in Jet Airways by founder, Naresh Goyal, has also been consistently delayed.

China Eastern Airlines has confirmed it is still hoping to revive talks for an equity sale to Singapore Airlines following the Olympics after last week denying rumours it was discussing a merger with Shanghai Airlines. With a debt to asset ratio of 95%, China Eastern has one of Asia’s weakest balance sheets and will need to move decisively after the Olympic Flame is extinguished in Beijing next month. Whether Singapore Airlines is prepared to deal again remains to be seen, particularly as Star Alliance partner, Air China, has demonstrated its preparedness to intervene in the process in the past.

Air India and China Southern are seeking a government injection of funds to help tide them over, while Pakistan International Airlines is pushing for a deal with the government whereby it would transfer its hotel and other assets to the government in exchange for debt relief.

Tough market conditions are also grounding the ambitions of several start-up airlines, which, combined with service cutbacks by some airlines, is easing sections of the aircraft leasing market. Older aircraft will be difficult to place with airlines in this environment, which is why the lessors have been such active participants in the new aircraft order market.

source: www.traveldailynews.com

Singapore Education Challenge 2008

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:44:00 +0000

Organiser: EFL Learning Centre
Start Date: 7 Aug 2008
End Date: 7 Aug 2008
Address: 86/2 Kaewnawarat Rd, Muang Chiang Mai 50000 Thailand
City: Chiang Mai
Country: Thailand
Venue: Central Airport Plaza, Chiang Mai Thailand
Tel No: (66) 53 266 295 - 6
Fax No: (66) 53 266 296
Website: http://www.efl-learning-centre.com
Event Email Address: efl_learningcentre@hotmail.com
Contact Person: Ms. Mullika or Ms.Wilaiwan
Contact Person
Email Address: mullika_toon@hotmail.com

Synopsis of Event: EFL,SE Specialist hosting a 1 day SE Challenge 08 on 7 August to promote SE. The event open to teams from students grade 7-12 from 17 provinces in North of Thailand. The event provides a valuable platform for institutions to promote their programmes in Singapore.
Admission Fees: THB 23,000

Low-cost Asian airlines thriving on silver linings

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:36:00 +0000

Tony Davis, the chief executive of Tiger Airways, based in Singapore, readily admits that he is much happier running an Asian-based low-cost airline right now than he would be running one in Europe or the United States.

For one thing, the significant strengthening of Asian currencies against the dollar in recent months has helped mitigate some of the effects of the ever-rising price of oil, traded in dollars, while historically low interest rates have made paying for new aircraft less expensive.

"There are some benefits to being outside of a U.S.-denominated revenue area, and we're certainly taking advantage of those," Davis said in a recent interview.

But maybe most important, there is still very high demand for air travel in the region and no easy alternative in a region that mostly lacks sophisticated railroad systems or road infrastructure. "It would take days for someone to drive from Singapore to Cambodia," Davis noted.

Asian national carriers have not been immune to the sharp rise in the price of oil and the global economic slowdown, and several have had to pare down capacity on some routes. China Airlines, the largest carrier in Taiwan, has canceled about 10 percent of flights, mostly to the United States and Asia, and Thai Airways has canceled its nonstop services to New York and reduced its frequency to Los Angeles. Asiana Airlines, based in Seoul, and Qantas, in Australia, have also cut several routes or reduced capacity.

Still, the gloom that has descended on much of the world's aviation industry is far from affecting everybody, and some Asian low-cost airlines are drawing up expansion plans, looking at opportunities where others see losses.

Jetstar Australia has been picking up routes to Japan from its parent, Qantas, and recently announced that it would use Perth, the capital of Western Australia, as a new base, starting services from there in October to Bali and Jakarta in Indonesia. A new Sydney-Darwin-Ho Chi Minh City service is also in the cards for September.

Jetstar Asia, based in Singapore but also partly owned by Qantas, will add new flights to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh in Cambodia later this month.

Tiger Airways, which is 49 percent owned by Singapore Airlines, has announced the suspension of its twice-daily service to Newcastle, Australia, and a reduction of flights from Darwin; but it is in talks with the Australian government to add international routes to its network, and it is pushing ahead with plans to start a new unit in Korea, in a joint venture with the Incheon city government, which will be called Incheon Tiger Airways, Davis said.

The Malaysian airline AirAsia, the biggest low-cost carrier in Southeast Asia, measured by fleet size, is also pressing ahead with an ambitious route expansion program. It recently introduced four new destinations - Kuantan in Malaysia, Haikou in China, Makassar in Indonesia and Hong Kong - and its chief executive, Tony Fernandes, says it will fly to southern India by the end of this year.

"We will continue to put on new routes," Fernandes said last month. "As long as we can make a profit from our operations, we will not hold back our growth plans."

AirAsia's net profit in the first quarter of this year leapt 86 percent over the same period last year to 161 million ringgit, or $50 million. Fernandes was recently quoted in the Malaysian press as having said that his airline could still make a sustainable profit if crude oil rose as high as $200 a barrel.

Peter Harbison, executive chairman of the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, a publisher of aviation market information, says that AirAsia could emerge from a 12-to-18-month downturn looking "relatively much, much stronger than most of its competition."

"AirAsia is very well placed to benefit from the double-edged sword of very high external costs with the rise of oil prices, and the revenue side damage that is caused by the sliding economies," Harbison said.

Among its advantages is its dispersed regional structure with bases in Thailand and Indonesia through joint-venture operations, as well as Malaysia. This allows it both to shift administrative activities to the lowest-cost environment and to connect point-to-point more efficiently. Thai AirAsia has just opened a new office in Chiang Mai.

"Their basic costs are very low, and they also have a large amount of aircraft coming in that were negotiated at very good prices and are very fuel efficient," Harbison said. "That places them well to offer to the market continuing cheap fares that presumably will continue to attract business." The airline has so far received 67 new A320s to replace its fleet of Boeing 737s and has agreed to buy a total of 175 aircraft.

source: www.iht.com

Hong Kong International Airport gets top ranking

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:32:00 +0000

World-wide customers have ranked the Hong Kong International Airport as the best in an annual survey in which airports from Asia and Southeast Asia have done exceedingly well while those from the US have failed to find a place in the top 10.

Based on factors like shopping, dining, staff courtesy, baggage delivery and wait times at security, airport customers chose Hong Kong over 190 others in an annual survey conducted by Skytrax, a privately-owned research company in London.

The ranking was finalised based on 8.2 million company in questionnaires completed by passengers over a 10-month time period from 2007 to 2008.

According to the survey, Hong Kong, which has a reputation for efficiency and comfort, bested airports in Singapore and Seoul, South Korea, with airports in Kansai, Japan, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, also ranking in the top 10.

Airports in Europe - Munich, Germany; Copenhagen, Denmark; Zurich, Switzerland; and Helsinki, Finland - took most of the remaining top spots, media said. Cape Town, South Africa was place at No.10.

Though none of the airports in the United States cracked the top 10, international airports in San Francisco, Denver, Dallas and Atlanta had slightly improved positions, over last year, coming in between 11 and 25, the report said.

"The three or four at the top have developed purpose-built, 21st century airports that have every conceivable item of product and service," said Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax. This includes amenities like free wi-fi and speedy train service from the airport to the city's downtown area.

He said the 1960s-era airports in the US are largely city's function-driven and have been slow to adopt a globally competitive approach.

source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Singapore children get less sleep than those in Western countries

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Nearly 45 per cent of parents in Singapore believe their children are not getting enough sleep, far higher than the estimated 26 per cent of parents in Western countries, a published study said on Monday.

The Asia-Pacific Paediatric Sleep Alliance surveyed the guardians of more than 30,000 infants and toddlers worldwide.

Parents in the city-state are around the Asian average when it comes to fretting over snoring and night-time waking, said the findings in The Straits Times.

The average bedtime for a Singaporean toddler is 9:45 pm. It is about 8:30 pm in the West, the study said.

"We don't really know why Asian children sleep less," Dr Daniel Goh, who co-authored the study, was quoted as saying.

Culturally, it may be the norm for Asians to stay up later and work later than people in Western countries, he noted.

The study found higher rates of Asian children share their parents' rooms, which might be correlated with later bedtimes, he said.

Upcoming career in the tourism industry

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:01:00 +0000

New Tourism Developments

In order to keep attracting millions of visitors to Singapore, the Government is investing even more into the tourism industry. We are seeing many exciting developments transforming the cityscape. These include:

* Two integrated resorts - Marina Bay SandsTM and Resorts World at Sentosa which will usher in a whole new world of entertainment and attractions never seen in Singapore
* The iconic Singapore Flyer, an iconic visitor attraction, that will be the world's largest observation wheel
* Gardens by the Bay will attract nature lovers into a majestic and unique lush, green development within the city
* The Sports Hub will kick in by 2011 with world-class land and sea sports facilities that can also host large-scale international sporting events
* The National Art Gallery, to be launched in 2012, will add refinement, culture, and history to Singapore's existing host of world-class attractions
* The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix

Potential Job Opportunities
The Integrated Resorts

A dramatic new dimension will be added to Singapore's tourism profile when the two integrated resorts come to life in 2009 and 2010.

Together, the Marina Bay SandsTM and Resorts World at Sentosa are expected to attract an additional two and three million visitors in 2010.

With their eye-catching architecture, celebrity-chef restaurants, extensive shopping arcades, casinos, exciting shows, and other entertainment options, the resorts are set to dazzle and entertain visitors as well as ensure that they not only return - but tell others about Singapore's attractions.

Marina Bay SandsTM
With an investment of over $5 billion, Marina Bay SandsTM comes with close to 2,500 rooms housed in three 50-storey hotel towers. Located in Marina Bay, Singapore's new downtown and near the new business and financial centre, the Marina Bay SandsTM will have a strong focus on Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions, and Exhibitions.

The Marina Bay SandsTM will add about 110,000 square metres of MICE space, including a column-free grand ballroom that can accommodate 8,000 people. It will also have a host of leisure offerings, such as the ArtScience Museum, the Marina Bay Shoppers, nightly light and water shows, Sky Park, celebrity chef restaurants and unique floating pavilions that are accessible via submerged tunnels.

Will There Be Jobs for You?
The two Integrated Resorts are expected to create some 50,000 to 60,000 additional jobs throughout the economy when both are fully operational. About 20,000 workers are expected to be directly employed by the integrated resorts.

Tourism careers include customer service, guest relations, games and attraction hosts, catering and banquet staff, public relations and marketing executives, branding and communications managers, events management coordinators and executives, and more.

If you enjoy the thrills, excitement, and energy of theme parks and casinos, or the buzz of world-class events and entertainment, then a job at the integrated resorts is for you.

Besides the many jobs that will be available in 5-star hotels, the integrated resorts will create new and exciting positions not available in Singapore before. You may want to consider being a dealer, pit manager, butler, VIP agent, or a surveillance manager.
The Singapore Flyer

The Singapore Flyer will become Asia's most visible iconic visitor attraction when it is completed. The giant observation wheel will give visitors breathtaking, unobstructed, panoramic views of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Situated at Marina Bay, alongside upcoming developments, such as the Marina Bay SandsTM integrated resort, Asia's largest business and financial centre, and Gardens by The Bay, the Singapore Flyer is set to draw an endless flow of visitors from all over the world.

Unique Venue for Events
The 165-metre-high observation wheel, an engineering feat in itself, will also be marketed as a unique venue for hosting events such as corporate meetings, networking nights or teas, and private parties. Each of the exclusive capsules can hold up to 30 people. The possibilities are endless; all that is needed is your innovative imagination!

Besides private and corporate functions, there will also be specially tailored educational excursions for primary, secondary, and tertiary students on subjects such as history, geography, design, and technology.

Furthermore, the Singapore Flyer will have its very own 16-metre-high, 2-storey retail and entertainment centre, an alfresco waterfront dining area, a lush Asian rainforest, and an open air Greek-style concert "bowl" for 'live' performances.

With so much happening at the Singapore Flyer, you can be sure that employment opportunities will abound in this iconic world-class attraction.

Will There Be Jobs for You?
With its strong appeal to pull in visitors, the opportunities for employment are plentiful in ensuring seamless operations and to make the experience at this attraction a truly memorable one for its guests. There will be jobs in sales, marketing, branding, and public relations that need to be filled to ensure the Singapore Flyer will fly high in the minds of visitors and potential business partners.

You could find a job and possibly build a career at the Singapore Flyer if you enjoy working in a dynamic environment interacting with people from all over the world, including corporate clients, tourists, students, and children.

Some of the possible job openings include attraction planners, guides or hosts, event coordinators, hospitality coordinator, catering sales and marketing officers, public relations executives, and retail and merchandising staff.
Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix

Singapore hosts its very first Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix on 28 September 2008. The street race will run along a 5km-long street circuit around parts of the civic district and Marina Bay area. It will attract thousands of visitors to Singapore and this means more jobs will be created to meet that demand.

Will There Be Jobs for You?
The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix will be more than a race. It will be a week filled with events by sponsors, multi-nationals, and companies hosting special events for their business partners, and countless more inviting special overseas clients to Singapore for this Formula 1 experience. All these will translate into spin-offs for the other tourist attractions and event management businesses.

Singapore is expected to continue hosting this world-class race on our shores until at least 2012. With such a strong following around the world, without doubt, many hands will be needed on-deck to keep it going. Count on careers to abound within the tourism, hospitality and event management sectors to keep the momentum going for this world-class event.

Look out for a wide variety of careers that will result from the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. Such careers include event management executives and managers, hospitality executives, and many more.
Gardens By The Bay

Three waterfront gardens, each with its own distinctive character and design, is set to further transform the fast-changing Marina Bay area when they are ready for operation in 2010.

The public gardens will be a sure-win with tourists and city dwellers seeking to be closer to nature while amidst the hive of activities at the upcoming Marina Bay SandsTM, the business and financial centre, and the iconic Singapore Flyer.

Beyond its scenic setting, the gardens will be full of life with a diversity of activities, recreational options, and entertainment.

* The 54-hectare Gardens at Marina South will feature a conservatory complex for cooler climate plants like lavender and tulips. In fact, it will be the biggest cool house in the tropics. There will also be mass floral displays that showcase horticulture and floriculture at its best, areas for garden festivals, and an outdoor open space for concerts and performances.
* The Gardens at Marina East, which spans 30 hectares, will be the hotbed for water-based activities within the Marina Channel. It will include facilities such as boathouses and amenities for spectators.
* The 10-hectare Gardens at Marina Central will be a beachfront garden and promenade set against the future developments along the Nicoll Highway.

Will There Be Jobs for You?
Gardens by the Bay looks set to be a genuine crowd pleaser. But to keep the gardens in impeccable condition and to keep tourists and locals coming back for more with events and activities, much work needs to be done.

If you love the outdoors, plants and greenery, you can be sure of finding a career here. Some of the possible employment openings include landscape technicians, park rangers, horticulturists, outreach programme officers, events coordinators, and visitor services officers.
The Sports Hub

The 35-hectare Sports Hub will be dedicated to world-class land and water sports facilities. Located next to the Marina Bay area, it is also poised to be a premier place for entertainment and lifestyle activities. With plans to attract huge crowd-drawing international events to this exciting new development, Singapore is set to be Asia's city for the business of sports.

The Sports hub, when ready in 2011, will be home to:

* A 55,000-seat National Stadium with a retractable roof.
* A 6,000-set indoor aquatic centre that meets world tournament standards.
* A 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena that will be flexible in layout and size.
* 41,000 sq m of commercial space.
* A water sports centre.

The Sports Hub will also, of course, include the existing 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Will There Be Jobs for You?
The Asia Pacific sports market is booming and is estimated to be worth some $17 billion by 2009. Singapore will have a big bite of this very lucrative sports market when it becomes a base for more sports-related businesses, federations, organisations, and events.

Rewarding careers will be created in the areas of sports training, sports medicine and therapy, sponsorship sales, events management, logistics, public relations, marketing, and hospitality.
National Art Gallery

Located in the heart of the Civic District and adjacent to the new Downtown at Marina Bay, the National Art Gallery will boost Singapore's growing arts and cultural landscape.

Scheduled for completion in 2012, it is poised to help Singapore achieve its vision of becoming a global city for the arts - drawing and engaging Singaporeans and visitors from all over the world.

Housed at two historically significant 20th century buildings - the City Hall and the former Supreme Court Building - it will be a new visual arts institution, with space to host the best international art exhibitions.

Plans are also being drawn up to make the National Art Gallery a place to engage visitors with a cultural and museum-going experience like no other.

Will There Be Jobs for You?
Much work is already underway to adapt the buildings for use as the National Art Gallery - but what is certain is that many jobs will be created to ensure this gallery lives up to its promise as a place to engage visitors in the world of visual arts.

Besides architects, engineers, and designers working to make the National Art Gallery a reality, other careers available include event coordinators and executives, public relations executives and managers, curators, community engagement and outreach programme officers, sales executives, marketing, and branding executives.

First 2008 results show firm tourism demand

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:07:00 +0000

According to the June edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the first results for 2008 suggest the relative stability of international tourism. In spite of uncertainties posed by the global economy, international tourist arrivals grew at around 5% between January and April 2008, compared to the same period of 2007.

Prospects for international tourism remain positive, although the overall economic climate has deteriorated since the last quarter of 2007, reducing consumer confidence and putting pressure on household spending and travel budgets. UNWTO expects tourism demand to grow, but at a slower pace over the remainder of the year.

The summer season in the northern hemisphere will be critical. This is traditionally the busiest period for international travel, with over 100 million arrivals in each July and August 2007.

"The extent of any tourism demand adjustment and its consequences for the sector will depend on how the economy evolves and consumers react, both of which are directly interrelated to oil and food prices. UNWTO is monitoring this evolving situation closely. Given current circumstances we are cautious, although we remain positive for the overall industry perspective in 2008", said UNWTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli.

The 280 members of the UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts confirm this outlook. Though the UNWTO Tourism Confidence Index has weakened, the positive expectations still clearly outnumber the negative ones in the worldwide consultation done for this latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.

Regional growth

All sub-regions posted positive results in the first months of the year. Growth was fastest in the Middle East, North-East and South Asia, and Central and South America. North-America is on track for a clearly positive year thanks to the strong inbound travel to the USA, while arrivals to the Caribbean started to rebound well on last year’s stagnant results. Growth was more modest in Europe, with best performances coming from Southern and Mediterranean destinations.

A variety of destination countries all around the globe reported double-digit growth rates in the first three to five months of 2008, among which in Asia and the Pacific: China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Macao (China), Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Fiji, India and Nepal; in the Americas: the USA, Cuba, Jamaica, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Chile, Peru and Uruguay; in Europe: Sweden, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Israel, Malta, Montenegro and Turkey; and in Africa and the Middle East: Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco.

Challenges for international tourism

The anticipated softening of international tourism growth in 2008, yet still clearly at a positive level, follows four historically strong years. Between 2004 and 2007 international tourism grew at an extraordinary above average rate of 7% a year, boosted by a buoyant world economy and pent-up demand after the challenges in 2001-2003.

The current economic imbalances, in particular the rising energy prices, are very likely to influence tourism spending. But specific demand shifts – determined by disposable income, travel budgets and confidence - will vary from country to country, and from region to region, depending on their local economies, labour markets and consumer confidence.

On the whole, though consumer confidence indices show an increasing degree of uncertainty, international tourism has proven to be resilient in similar circumstances in the past and able to cope with various types of shocks, including security threats, geopolitical tensions or natural and man-made crisis.

Malaysia ranks fifth in Singapore's tourism market

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:02:00 +0000

Malaysia ranked fifth in Singapore's top five visitor-generating markets last month, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Friday.

STB said out of 828,000 visitors that Singapore welcomed in May which was a record for the month, about 52,000 were Malaysians.

Indonesia continues to lead the pack with 136,000 visitors, followed by India (103,000 visitors), the People's Republic of China (86,000 visitors) and Australia (66,000 visitors).

These five markets accounted for 53 per cent of Singapore's total visitor arrivals for the month, STB said.

It said visitor days were estimated to reach 3.5 million days, an increase of 12.1 per cent in comparison with May last year.

Singapore gazetted hotels were estimated to reap S$182 million (S$1=RM2.39) in room revenue, representing a growth of 19.3 per cent over May last year.

The average room rate was estimated at S$249 and the average occupancy rate for hotels was estimated to reach 82 per cent during the month, STB said.

Singapore Airlines collects fifth Airbus superjumbo

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:07:00 +0000

Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of its fifth Airbus A380 superjumbo which will be used for its Singapore-London service starting on July 16, the carrier said.

The A380 will be the second deployed for the London service after the world's biggest plane made its debut at Heathrow Airport on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from the city-state in March.

However both planes for London will be temporarily redeployed to SIA's Beijing route to cater for increased demand ahead of the Olympic Games from August 2 for a week, the carrier was quoted by AFP as saying in a statement late Saturday.

SIA is the first airline to fly the A380, the largest airliner ever built.

The first A380 jet arrived in Singapore a year and a half late, in October 2007, after it was delayed by problems including electrical wiring glitches.

It started flying to Sydney, and the carrier this year also began flying A380s to London and Tokyo.

The giant plane can carry up to 853 passengers but SIA, one of the world's most profitable airlines, chose a setup with a maximum of 471 seats.

The design includes 12 "suites", each with a full-length bed behind sliding doors, sheets by French design house Givenchy and flat-screen televisions.

SIA has committed to buying a total of 19 of the planes.

source

Dinosaur Alive

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:50:00 +0000

Event Dates : 1st May 2008 to 31st Aug 2008
Time of Event: 10am to 6pm, Tues to Sun
Venue: : Singapore Science Centre
Category : Family Entertainment, Exhibition

Description
Dinosaur Alive!

Movie Synopsis: Dinosaur Alive! is a global adventure of science and discovery, featuring the earliest dinosaurs of the Triassic Period to the mosters of the Cretaceous "reincarnated" life-sized for the giant IMAX screen. Through the magic of scientifically accurate computer-generated animation, these newly discovered creatures and some familiar favorites will come alive… in a big way!
Exhibtion: The Dinosaur Alive! Exhibition consists of various dinosaur animatronics displays (dinosaur exhibits with moving parts). Some examples are the 1st T-Rex Dinosaur Animatronics display in Singapore, the Apatosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Allosaurus and the Baryonyx.

Ticketing
Science Centre + 40min IMAX Movie Package

Adult: $12.80 per adult
Child (3 -12): $6.40 per child

Getting There
Jurong East MRT Station (EW24/NS1)

Website
http://science.edu.sg

Contact Person/Event Organiser
Jason Choo
Marketing Officer
jyc_choo@science.edu.sg

Sentosa Tour Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:45:00 +0000

The panorail is a great way to see Sentosa. More at http://citytours.sg and http://roominasia.com

Singapore Hotels

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:40:00 +0000

Check out the latest rates from Singapore’s leading hotels

Name	Zone/Region	No. of Rooms	Price Range	Online Booking	Email Enquiry
Albert Court Hotel	Little India	215	SGD 200 to SGD 299	Yes
Aliwal Park Hotel	East Coast	55	SGD 40 to SGD 79	No
Allson Hotel Singapore	Marina and City Centre	241	SGD 300 and above	Yes
Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa	Sentosa	113	SGD 300 and above	No
Amara Singapore	Tanjong Pagar	381	SGD 200 to SGD 299	Yes
Ambassador Transit Hotel (Terminal One)	East Coast	73	SGD 40 to SGD 79	No
Ambassador Transit Hotel (Terminal Two)	East Coast	73	SGD 40 to SGD 79	No
Amber Hotel	East Coast	22	SGD 80 to SGD 119	No
Amber Hotel Katong	East Coast	26	SGD 120 to SGD 199	No
Amrise Hotel	Geylang	56	SGD 40 to SGD 79	No
Asia Star Hotel	Little India	14	SGD 40 to SGD 79	No
Asphodel Inn	Little India	56	SGD 40 to SGD 79	No
Backpacker Cozy Corner Guest House	Bugis Street	107	SGD 40 to SGD 79	No
Balestier Hotel	Balestier	43	SGD 40 to SGD 79	No
Bayview Hotel Singapore	Marina and City Centre	134	SGD 300 and above	Yes
Beach Hotel	Marina and City Centre	34	SGD 120 to SGD 199	Yes
Berjaya Hotel, Singapore	Chinatown	45	SGD 120 to SGD 199	Yes
Betel Box Hostel	East Coast	0	SGD 39 and below	No
Bright Star Hotel	Geylang	86	SGD 40 to SGD 79	No
Broadway Hotel	Little India	66	SGD 80 to SGD 119	No

find more hotels

The Qantas A380 Now on sale

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:27:00 +0000

Seats on Qantas’ new flagship, the Airbus A380, went on sale today, ahead of the airline’s first A380 flight between Los Angeles and Melbourne on October 20, 2008.

Qantas Senior Executive Vice President, The Americas and Pacific, Mr. Wally R. Mariani, said the A380 would operate on selected flights from Los Angeles to Melbourne and Sydney, and would be progressively introduced on selected flights from Sydney to Singapore and London from early 2009.

“The first Qantas A380 will operate two round-trip services each week between Los Angeles and Australia – one to Melbourne, starting on October 20 and one to Sydney, starting on October 24, 2008,” Mr. Mariani said. “As the commencement of A380 services represents such an important milestone in the history of Qantas’ international operations, including here at our Los Angeles launch gateway, we are offering a limited number of very special A380 fares,” he added.

With the introduction of a second A380 aircraft in November, Qantas will operate a total of five A380 flights per week between Los Angeles and Australia: two round-trip flights to Melbourne and three flights to Sydney.

“All four classes of the A380 will offer passengers greater levels of space and comfort, as well as state-of-the-art interiors designed by Qantas Creative Director Marc Newson,” Mr. Mariani said.

The Qantas A380 will be configured with 450 seats – 14 individual First Suites, 72 in Business, 32 in Premium Economy cabin and 332 in Economy.

Qantas A380 features will include:

* completely redesigned First cabin, offering customers privacy and luxury in their own First Suite;
* fully-flat next generation Skybed and separate, dedicated lounge area in Business;
* the airline’s Premium Economy cabin, with extra wide Recaro seats;
* new ergonomically designed Recaro seats and self-service refreshment bars in Economy; and
* on demand entertainment system with over 1000 entertainment options and onboard connectivity.

“The A380 will also offer significant improvements in terms of environmental performance, including reduced fuel consumption and emissions, greater efficiency and less noise,” Mr. Mariani said.

Mr. Mariani said that while the A380 would provide customers with an all-new inflight experience, lead in fares would initially be the same as those currently offered on comparable Qantas B747 services, however the airline’s state-of-the-art new First Suite would be priced at a premium. (Daily Travel News)

Garuda Indonesia-Singapura Airlines cooperate to lure more tourists

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:24:00 +0000

Indonesian Flag career PT Garuda Indonesia has announced that starting Friday (June 20) it will carry out a cooperation agreement with Singapore Airlines in flight opertations and ticket sales to lure more foreign tourists flying to Bali through Singapore.

"In the first stages of the cooperation with Singapore Airlines flights cover the Bali-Singapore route vice versa once a day starting on August 1, 2008," Emirsyah Satar, Garuda CEO told the press here Friday after the singing of an MoU on the cooperation, while siging the MoU for Singapore Airlines was its CEO Chew Choon Seng.

Emirsyah said, Garuda under a special prorate agreeemt (SPA)will fly from Singapore to Europe, United States and the Middle East. It means that Garuda can sell its tickets to several parts of world through Singapore Airlines, he cited.

Garuda under this cooperation sets its load factor at up to an average of 80 percent, he said, adding that the number of passengers in the first semester this year has been estimated at 4 million. [Bali Tour Info)

Changi Airport pays tribute to its airline partners

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:58:00 +0000

Airlines that carried the most passengers and cargo through Singapore Changi Airport, as well as airlines that achieved the highest year-on-year growth in passenger and cargo, were honoured at Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore’s (CAAS) third consecutive Changi Airline Awards, held on 12 June 2008 in Singapore.

This event came against a most challenging aviation landscape, where airlines are taking on various strategies to weather through record-high fuel prices and slowing traffic growth. To this, Guest-of-Honour, Minister Raymond Lim, urged airlines to leverage on new traffic development opportunities emerging in Singapore through growing their traffic at Changi, mounting more new services and making Singapore the hub of choice for their operations.

Minister Lim also affirmed Changi’s support for the airlines, saying that Changi would continue to introduce initiatives that would strengthen the strong partnership, as well as to ensure that new initiatives are aligned to the airlines’ needs.

With Changi’s success closely intertwined with that of its airline partners, CAAS gave away 30 awards under four categories of the Changi Airline Awards, in recognition of their contribution to the growth of Changi Airport. Winners each received a specially sculptured trophy that symbolises the strong partnership between CAAS and its airline partners.

The four award categories are ‘Top 10 Airlines by Passenger Carriage’, ‘Top 10 Airlines by Cargo Carriage’, ‘Top 5 Airlines by Growth in Passenger Carriage’ and ‘Top 5 Airlines by Growth in Cargo Carriage’. The selection criteria were based on the airlines’ total traffic (passenger/cargo) through Changi and percentage growth rate of total traffic (passenger/cargo) in 2007 compared to the year before. Tribute was also paid to the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR) and the Airline Operators Committee (AOC), with a Special Appreciation Award for each organisation.

Airlines that handled the highest passenger traffic at Changi were accorded the ‘Top 10 Airlines by Passenger Carriage’ award. The winners were (in alphabetical order): Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Garuda Indonesia, Jetstar Asia,Malaysia Airlines, Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Thai Airways and Tiger Airways. Except for Jetstar Asia, which is the second-time winner, the rest of the airlines in this category have held the award for three consecutive years.

Similarly, airlines which flew the most cargo through Changi Airport were awarded the ‘Top 10 Airlines by Cargo Carriage’ award. These awards went to: Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Emirates, EVA Airways, FederalExpress, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qantas Airways and Singapore Airlines Cargo. Asiana Airlines is a first-time winner in this category.

The ‘Top 5 Airlines by Growth in Passenger Carriage’ and ‘Top 5 Airlines by Growth in Cargo Carriage’ categories recognised airlines that registered the greatest growth in terms of passenger and cargo carriage in 2007. In the passenger category, Air Zimbabwe, Jet Airways and Xiamen Airlines were new winners. Their win can be attributed to strong growth in markets such as India and China, which they operate flights to, from Singapore. The three airlines received the award alongside Tiger Airways and Transaero Airlines.

For the cargo category, all five winners - Air Mauritius, China Eastern, Jet Airways, Swiss International Air Lines and Xiamen Airlines - were first-time winners. The results clearly demonstrated the competitive nature of the airline industry.

As at 12 June 2008, there are 78 airlines operating over 4,400 weekly scheduled flights at Changi Airport, connecting Singapore to 187 cities in 59 countries. For the first five months of 2008, passenger movements were 15,502,391 and airfreight tonnage was 784,726, representing a year-on-year growth of 5.9% and 4.2% respectively over the same period last year.

Singapore begins Orchard Road rejuvenation

noreply@blogger.com (hans) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:39:00 +0000

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced that major landscape and infrastructure enhancements to the world-famous Orchard Road have recently begun, with work on the iconic shopping district expected to be completed by February 2009 – two months ahead of schedule.

The AED 100 million project will enhance the pedestrian experience along Singapore’s premier shopping street by introducing state-of-the art lighting, creating new spaces to stage events, introducing more integrated walkways, and developing a livelier pedestrian mall.

“Orchard Road has consistently been ranked as the most visited attraction in Singapore and is an ideal place for Middle Eastern tourists to enjoy some of the best shopping in the world. The redevelopment project promises to significantly enhance the beauty of this street and will help redefine Singapore’s changing landscape,” said Jason Ong, Area Director, Middle East and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board.

“Our priority in planning the works schedule is to ensure that businesses along Orchard Road would be able to continue their operations with minimal disruption so that shoppers in the malls would not even realise that works are on-going at the street level,” he added.

The bustling retail gateway will be divided into three themed zones: the Orchard Zone, a forest-themed stretch with urban ‘green rooms’ serving as rest spots, the floral-themed Tangin Zone colored with crimson flowers, the Somerset Zone exuding spicy scents of cinnamon and nutmeg in tribute to the area’s early years as a spice and fruit plantation.

Some of Singapore’s signature events and celebrations take place on Orchard Road, including the Great Singapore Shopping (GSS) Challenge, Singapore Fashion Festival (SFF) and the annual Christmas in the Tropics Light up – creating a buzz of excitement on the street throughout the year.

Apart from the upgrading, three brand new state-of-the-art shopping and entertainment centres are being built along Orchard Road, including ION Orchard opening in late 2008, and Somerset Central and Orchard Central, both opening in 2009. [www.traveldailynews.com]