Australia's Airline War Hots Up With Virgin Plans to Steal Market Share

TRAVELLERS will reap the rewards of an airline war with cheaper fares and more regional routes, Virgin Australia boss John Borghetti said.

The airline chief executive who used to work for rival Qantas has revealed ambitious plans to steal market share from his old employer and expan services to regional areas.

"A lot of these routes have not had competition. All you have to do is look at the airfares that are being charged,'' he said.

He also questioned why Qantas had dramatically dropped prices on certain flights after his airline launched business-class services on the same routes.

Mr Borghetti said Qantas reduced business-class fares between Sydney and Perth by nearly 25 per cent after Virgin introduced the same service.

After Virgin announced launch business class fares on the Sydney to Perth route for $1399, Qantas reduced their fares from $2,013 to $1,519.

"Why haven't they done that in the last ten years?''

As well as returning Australian aviation to the kind of competition not seen since the Ansett days, Mr Borghetti also wants to increase his frequent-flyer membership to three million.

Membership of Virgin's Velocity has increased 10 per cent to 2.75 million members in 3 1/2 months.

Pop star Dannii Minogue helped launch a frequent-flyer partnership with Westfield online last week.

Virgin was also given regulatory approval to form an alliance with Singapore Airlines, allowing passengers who book flights with the airline the chance to fly on Singapore Airlines flights, get lounge access and accumulate frequent flyer points.

In addition to previous alliances with Etihad, Delta and Air New Zealand, it will take the number of destinations it flies to to more than 400 worldwide.

Mr Borghetti said the move would open up emerging markets such as China and India and continue the airline's
expansion into regional Australia.

The airline also recently began flying between Brisbane and Port Macquarie and Brisbane and Gladstone and plans to announce new regional routes soon.

"We will now be able to promote regional Australia through those 400 odd destinations around the world, from Dallas to Port Macquarie,'' he said.

As well as reconfiguring the interiors of its domestic planes this year and will launch business class services across the network on January 18.

At the moment, Qantas boasts 41 per cent capacity share in the domestic market or 65 per cent including its low-cost subidiary Jetstar, while Virgin's is about 30 per cent.

But Mr Borghetti said he had no desire for Virgin to be the biggest airline in the country.

"Whatever market share gives the best return is the market share that I want,'' he said.

"What we do have the desire to do is be the airline of choice.''

Australia's Airline War Hots Up With Virgin Plans to Steal Market Share

David Beckham Arrives in Melbourne with LA Galaxy Teammates

SOCCER superstar David Beckham rocketed in like a comet yesterday, causing chaos at Melbourne Airport with his LA Galaxy teammates left waiting on a bus.

Security guards and police struggled to keep fans and media away from the pin-up boy as they tried to navigate him through the mayhem.

The husband of Posh Spice, Victoria Beckham, oozed rock-star appeal ditching the traditional uniform worn by most of his teammates and donned a beanie, black T-shirt and khaki pants.

Happy fans fell over in the crush and one unlucky fan missed out on an autograph after he gave Beckham a pen that did not work.

"Sorry man," Beckham told him with a raised smile.

But in the midst of a media scrum and excited onlookers armed with cameras and mobile phones, Jess Byrne, who waited for two hours at the airport, managed to get the popular sportsman to sign her football jumper and also get him to pose for a photo.

"He is so nice and so hot," she said.

"He's really good with his fans. He stopped and did a smile for us - he made my day.

"My boyfriend is the biggest fan so I just came along to support him.

"It was awesome and definitely worth it."

Beckham and his teammates are in town to take on the Melbourne Victory at Etihad Stadium on tomorrow night.

Aussie fans could be the last in the world to see Beckham play with the LA Galaxy with him yet to sign a contract for next season.

Beckham will visit the Royal Children's Hospital today as part of his three-day whirlwind trip Down Under.

The soccer great last night dined at George Calombaris's restaurant The Press Club.

See original Source

Aussies Snub Airfare War and Stronger Dollar to Spend Christmas at Home

- Up to 100% occupancies for many east coast summer holiday destinations

- 20% increase in revenues for holiday home owners over the last six months

Despite the strength of the Australian dollar and the proliferation of cheap overseas airfares, many of Australia's favourite summer holiday hot spots are reporting up to 100% occupancy rates for the Christmas 2011 holidays, according to leading real estate group Raine & Horne.

"It's pleasing to see that more Australians are ignoring cheaper airfares and a strong Aussie dollar for the tradition and relative safety of a summer holiday in Australia," said Angus Raine, CEO, Raine & Horne.

"It's also good for the Australian economy to see more of our travel dollars staying at home to support the Australian economy."

In Yamba, on the NSW north coast, the height of the summer holiday rush is expected in the first week of 2012, says Denise Jillett, Principal of Raine & Horne Yamba.

"We have 100% occupancy on our holiday homes between New Year's Eve and the end of the first week in January," said Ms Jillett, who added that there were still some vacancies between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

"These vacancies came about as a result of cancellations, so holiday makers considering Yamba need to be quick.

"Modern two bedroom apartments close to the beach are available from $1,600 for the week plus booking fee," added Ms Jillett

The holiday market on NSW's Central Coast is also booming with increasingly more Sydney-siders choosing the region for weekend getaways and longer vacations, according to Brett Hunter, Principal of Raine & Horne Terrigal-Avoca Beach.

"We have secured a 20% increase in revenue for our owners over the last six months, and this proves the strength of the Central Coast holiday market," said Mr Hunter.

Indeed, Mr Hunter says Raine & Horne Terrigal-Avoca Beach has achieved this result by altering its approach to holiday lettings with a busy Christmas period looming.

"The Central Coast usually has a bumper crop of holidaymakers at Christmas time, with 100% occupancy of holiday properties during the two-week Christmas / New Year period.

"Knowing we can't improve on a 100% result, instead we have focused on helping people extend their vacations before and after the Christmas period, as well as assisting them with shorter stays of perhaps three or four days on multiple occasions," said Mr Hunter.

Mr Hunter says two bedroom holiday units in Terrigal, in walking distance to the beach, rent for $1,000 a week over the holiday period, while at the other end of the market, four and five bedroom homes with pools and landscaped gardens can rent for up to $15,000 a week.

In Sydney's Palm Beach, this summer is shaping up as the busiest holiday period in five years, according to Rebecca Lee, General Manager of Raine & Horne Palm Beach.

"At present, we have 80% occupancy for our holiday homes in Palm Beach, with 90% of these properties renting to ex-pat clients based in Hong Kong, Singapore, the U.S. and Europe," said Ms Lee.

Comfortable beach houses in Palm Beach start at $7,000 a week, while high-flyers seeking a luxury escape can pay up to $40,000 a week for premier properties across from the beach, some of which include personal staff.

In Queensland, the Gold Coast holiday market is picking up again after a tough year, says Clark Brackenridge, Principal of Raine & Horne Surfers Paradise.

"Our property markets are showing signs of turning the corner, and as it stands, our holiday bookings for the Christmas period are reasonably strong, and are certainly well up on this time last year," said Mr Brackenridge.

"In addition, buyers are beginning to recognise that property prices on the Gold Coast represent good buying, with good yields available to investors."

Mr Brackenridge says two bedroom, two bathroom apartments overlooking the beach can be purchased for $400,000, and rent for $250 a night as a holiday rental, or for between $500 and $550 a week to long-term tenants.

In Far North Queensland, Port Douglas is also maintaining a steady stream of holiday bookings, says David Cotton, Principal of Raine & Horne Port Douglas / Mossman.

"To date, our holiday bookings have been on a par with 2010, if not higher, and we currently have between 60% and 70% occupancy for Christmas," said Mr Cotton.

Aussies Snub Airfare War and Stronger Dollar to Spend Christmas at Home

REVIEW: Eminem Concert In Melbourne -- The Real Slim Shady Really Impressed!

It's been over 10 years since Eminem last performed in Melbourne. To celebrate his amazing return - he sold out a stadium in thirty minutes, and brought hip hop heavy weights Hilltop Hoods and Lil Wayne to support him.

I wasn't really sure where Etihad stadium was before the gig, but managed to navigate there by following the steady stream of wife beaters, tribal tattoos and do-rags. Yes. These punters meant business. We saw two fights even before Eminem took the stage, and not surprisingly the police were out in full force amongst the crowd to keep an eye on things.

The support acts were really top-class --Lil' Wayne appeared with a skateboard half pipe on stage, and took time in between songs to turn some tricks -- but there was no doubt that the crowd was there to witness the magic of Marshall Mathers.

Eminem launched straight into some tracks from his latest album 'Recovery' (which is also the name of this tour) and the crowd made their enthusiasm felt by screaming the house down. One fan in particular was so excited they poured their Bourbon and coke down on me from the upper balcony, which just added to the palpable atmosphere!

We all know that superstars like Eminem will find it hard to fit every hit they've ever created into one concert, but from my perspective that's pretty much what he did with the help of our very good friend -- the medley.

He kicked off with 'Lighters' which originally featured Bruno Mars. After the smokers of the stadium lit up the venue with a 'sky full of lighters' Eminem launched into every song we wanted to hear, including 'Stan' 'My Name Is' and 'The Real Slim Shady.'

To the delight of the ladies he even dedicated a song to the females in the venue yelling 'scream if you've ever had a dysfunctional relationship!' before kicking into 'Love The Way You Lie,' a song about domestic violence. Not really sure if the girls should have felt chuffed about that one...

Eminem ended the night with an encore of 'Lose Yourself' which riled the 20,000 person crowd into an absolute frenzy.

Marshall Mathers was amazing to watch -- the ultimate professional and someone who really interacted with the crowd. After being in the business for so many years he isn't slowing down at all, and despite having given up his partying ways hasn't lost his edge or become bland- which unfortunately sometimes happens to newly sober superstars!

If this was anything to go by, the rest of Eminem's Recovery tour is going to rehabilitate hip-hop and rap fans around the country.

Partial Setlist
Kill You
Cleaning Out My Closet
The Way I Am
Lighters
Airplanes
Stan
Sing For The Moment
Like Toy Soldiers
Space Bound
Love The Way You Lie
I Need A Doctor
My Name Is
The Real Slim Shady
Guess Who's Back
Not Afraid

Encore
Lose Yourself

View Source

Smart Travel is Safe Travel

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has launched the newest phase of the Australian Government's Smartraveller campaign.

The new initiatives, which put Australia at the leading edge of consular services around the world, are targeted at making smarter travel easier for Australians.

Mr Rudd relaunched the Smartraveller website - a cleaner, clearer, more intuitive and easier to navigate site that will link to social media platforms and embedded videos.

Mr Rudd also unveiled the Smartraveller web app, "It's vital that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's consular services are as effective and accessible to as many Australians as possible," Mr Rudd said.

"This app makes it easier for travellers to access key Smartraveller services anywhere in the world, including updated travel advisories.

"We are working hard to adapt to the changing needs of travelling Australians - at any one time, we have about one million Australians abroad.

"This Government will always make the safety and security of Australians its highest priority, but unfortunately, things can - and do - go wrong."

Mr Rudd encouraged travellers to be prepared before they headed off for their summer holidays by registering their travel plans, reading and subscribing to travel advice and alerts, and taking out appropriate insurance before leaving the country.

www.smartraveller.gov.au

Smart Travel is Safe Travel

Australian Open Tennis: Australian Open Tennis 2012 Melbourne January 16-29, 2012

Get the closest seats, the best accommodations, and exceptional tennis instruction from an ATP World Tour pro. Unparalleled, enjoyable experiences - at unbeatable prices. Fully personalized, begin the trip in style, flying comfortably from your destination to Melbourne, where your accommodations will not only feature the best in luxury and sweeping views of the city, but will be mere minutes away from your front seat at the Rod Laver Arena. And don't forget your access to an exclusive Tennis Club, tennis instruction and advice from court side expert, former ATP World Tour Player and coach Lan Bale.

We will plan your trip to bring you the best of Australia and New Zealand. Take some time out to travel to the countryside outside Melbourne, where you can taste the most fantastic local produce and wines. Explore Melbourne and Sydney on foot, and discover secrets of its history and architecture with our expert guide Kenneth Park. Experience a city unlike no other - creative, vibrant, in love with art - and addicted to sports. Enjoy to the fullest the best dining, entertainment and excitement Melbourne has to offer, while staying in its finest hotels in the city's center.

Join us on an unforgettably amazing trip to the Australian Open 2012. Just pack your bags - we'll plan the rest. Find amazing deals and savings when you book your travel package with us for Grand Slam Tour - Australian Open 2012. We customize your trip especially for you and you can expect to stay only at top of the line venues.

Australian Open Tennis 2012 Melbourne January 16-29, 2012

Government Plans to Lift Ban on Liquid Restrictions

Next year international travellers will be able to travel with their favourite bottle of perfume or alcoholic beverage, under a new security plan being implemented at Australian International airports.

The federal government has announced the “easing of restrictions” as Australia's international airports begin introducing new explosive detection equipment, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Currently, around 8000 items including water bottles are confiscated at Sydney Airport security checkpoints per month and 1250 duty free items such as alcohol and perfumes.

The new detection equipment has been tested at Sydney airport allows authorities to detect the smallest sign of explosives in liquids.

Federal Transport Minister said Anthony Albanese said the relaxing of restrictions will undoubtedly be welcomed by travellers.

"It will make air travel easier and less stressful for passengers as well as free airport security staff to better focus on their core screening responsibilities without the distraction of having to confiscate items from people's bags," Mr Albanese said.

"While preventing acts of terrorism remains our number one priority, we're also determined to minimise the disruption and inconvenience experienced by passengers as they transit throughout major airports, including by deploying the latest technologies, He added.

The ban on carrying liquids on international flights was introduced globally after UK police blocked a terror plot which involved detonating liquid explosives on trans-Atlantic flights in 2006.

Government Plans to Lift Ban on Liquid Restrictions