Virgin And Big Red Team Up
A NEW partnership is giving 11 million Australians better value, choice and greater access to popular travel experiences.
Virgin Australia and Big Red Group’s domestic brand, Experience Oz, have just announced a multi-year deal.
More than 4,000 travel experiences – ranging from theme parks, cruises, tours and activities – are now available to book on the Virgin Australia website.
The move aims to boost both domestic tourism and the experience economy by providing ease and additional benefits when booking travel and packaged experiences.
“The partnership will give our 11.5 million Velocity members thousands of additional ways to earn and redeem points at a time when value and getting more from your dollar has never been so important,” said David Emerson, Virgin Australia Group Chief Commercial Officer.
David Anderson, Big Red Group co-Founder and CEO, said the agreement will continue to power the company’s mission of shifting the way people experience life.
“We know that Australians will continue to prioritise travel, both for personal experience and to support the recovering industry,” he added.
“But with the cost-of-living crisis becoming more acute, identifying ways to increase the value of experiences and to ensure travellers have the chance to make memories on trips that might be closer to home is key.”
Global Leaders Go Big, Bold & Brave
MORE THAN 500 Flight Centre leaders from around the world gathered in Brisbane recently for a first-of-its-kind global conference.
Themed “Fortune favours brave leadership”, the two-day conference provided the brand with an opportunity to draw the collaborative energy of its leaders from the UK, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in one place.
“We’ve never held a global conference for our iconic brand of this scale – 500 of our leaders from around the world coming together to talk strategy and brave leadership,” said Andrew Stark, Flight Centre Global Managing Director.
“We’re all feeding off the energy of having our global leaders gathered in one place. Their enthusiasm to gel and collaborate globally is truly what puts our Flight Centre brand in a league of its own as a global, modern brand.”
The conference was also attended by 68 representatives from Flight Centre’s corporate partners, including Intrepid, Sabre and Qatar Airways.
“Having our sponsors with us over the past few days has been a real highlight for me personally and shows how the best relationships are constantly evolving,” added Mr Stark.
“I know all our leaders will go back into their business armed with invaluable knowledge about all our partners across air, tour, cruise, insurance and more.”
The conference included an all-Aussie themed ‘buzz’ night, a Friday night party onboard Oasis and a Saturday morning ‘Amazing Race’ around Brisbane’s CBD and the FCTG Global HQ.
HOW TO GET TRAVEL CASH IN A FLASH
IT’S NOW quicker and easier to get your hands on some holiday cash thanks to innovation from Travel Money Oz.
The company has just launched a world first same-day delivery service and an Australian first same-day pick-up service for foreign cash.
The former option has been developed in partnership with Sherpa for safe, secure and fully insured delivery. It is available across Travel Money Oz’s 80+ stores nationwide.
“This innovative new approach was inspired by the likes of UberEats, but for foreign cash,” said Scott McCullough, Travel Money Group General Manager.
“We want to make it easy and convenient for all our customers to get the foreign currency they need, especially the busy traveller who may be working full-time and not have the opportunity to come into one of our stores.”
Travellers can have foreign cash delivered to their doorstep for a fee or Click & Collect from one of Travel Money Oz’s stores for free. Money can be delivered anywhere with a valid address – whether that be home or workplace.
“If we can make getting foreign cash as easy and stress-free as possible, travellers can focus on actually enjoying their holidays.
“Our solution is targeted to be the most convenient offering in market and that’s exactly what we have delivered: an Australian first for same-day click and collect, and same-day home and business delivery.”
TOP 10 NAMED FOR VIP ROLE
TEN EXPERTS have been selected to play a vital role in the future of the travel industry’s accreditation scheme.
The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) recently unveiled the newly appointed members of the ATAS Advisory Committee (AAC).
Those named to the AAC will help guide the Australian Travel Accreditation Scheme (ATAS), ensuring it continues to serve as a symbol of trust and distinction within the industry and for consumers.
The 10 selected are:
- Brett Mitchell from Intrepid, representing Tour Companies.
- Chad Carey from Chimu, bringing a wealth of knowledge from Tour Operations.
- Deb Fox from Abercrombie & Kent, a key Tour Operator.
- David Walker from ITC Pacific (Sno n Ski), adding depth with Wholesaler insights.
- Ken Morgan from ATAC, representing Network/Groups.
- Scott Darlow from LINK, with expertise in Corporate Travel.
- Steve Hui from IFLYflat, offering a perspective on Online/Hybrid Travel.
- Gina Norman from RAA, embodying the spirit of Retail Travel.
- Brett Dann from Hunter Travel Group, with a focus on Retail.
- Lauren Gray from 1000 Mile Group, representing Host Networks.
ATAS has been designed to distinguish exemplary travel businesses that meet and exceed the highest industry benchmarks.
In welcoming the new members, Dean Long, CEO of ATIA, said they would contribute to the “robust oversight and strategic direction of the ATAS”.
“This committee is instrumental in ensuring that ATAS remains relevant, rigorous and responsive to the evolving needs of the travel industry and consumer expectations.
“Their strategic advice is crucial in our continuous efforts to refine and enhance ATAS, providing a level of accreditation that travel businesses aspire to achieve and that consumers recognise as a mark of excellence.”
