Starfish Travel Corporation Team

Due to the announcement of numerous strikes taking place across Europe that will affect air travel in the next weeks, customers may expect their travel plans to be delayed as the summer vacation draws near. The greatest organisation in the world defending the rights of air travellers, AirHelp, offers advice on what to do while confronting strikes called by various parties. Many employees at airlines and airports, including air traffic controllers, are on strike due to chronic manpower shortages, long hours, and unfavourable working conditions. One in three flights across Europe are expected to be impacted by these strikes, which started on June 30. Air Europa in Spain announced its third recent strike. Over 60 flights were impacted by the first strike, while 115 more were impacted by the second strike. There have already been cancelled more than 15 flights, and there will likely be more. In addition, the strike in Spain, which has been going on since last February, has been joined by Air Nostrum and Iberia Regional. Data from AirHelp shows that more than 25 flights have already been impacted, with 8 of them being cancelled. Local ground personnel have also announced a strike, which is scheduled to happen in July and August and will affect travellers heading to Portugal or Italy. When airline employees go on strike, passengers have the right to sue for financial compensation for aircraft delays or cancellations. However, when airport employees go on strike, travellers cannot make a claim for compensation. All passengers must be provided with an alternate flight, which they can decline if they do not want to continue their travel, regardless of the cause of the strike. Passengers under these circumstances have the option of requesting a complete ticket refund. Additionally, customers can ask the airline to pay for any additional expenses they incurred during the delay as a result of the flight disruption (such as meals, lodging, or lost luggage charges). How can AirHelp assist travellers? For the past ten years, AirHelp has fought for travellers who become vulnerable as a result of flight delays or cancellations. Over 1.5 million people have already won compensation for their cases during this time. Although many passengers are now aware of their rights, AirHelp has updated its Passenger Rights Guide with the most recent industry guidelines. AirPayout, an insurance service added to AirHelp Plus, was also introduced by AirHelp. Regardless of the cause of the disturbance, this insurance allows travellers to obtain an immediate €100 reimbursement for aircraft delays or cancellations. This implies that any delays brought on by bad weather, unexpected medical situations, or airport employee strikes—disturbances that, in accordance with EU Regulation 261, may relieve the airline of its compensation obligations—will also be covered and compensated. Source- Travel daily

The T2 section of the passenger terminal at Moscow Domodedovo Airport, which increased the air harbor’s size to over 500 000 m2, has been operational and has already handled the first foreign flights. The airport can accommodate more than 60 million passengers annually. “The launch of T2 is a landmark occasion in the history of domestic civil aviation as well as Domodedovo Airport! I wish to express my gratitude to everyone who helped carry out this significant endeavour. I would really like to thank the airlines and the travellers. Because of their decision, they motivated us to design and carry out this special project, according to Andrey Pavlov, director of Moscow Domodedovo Airport. Over 42 billion rubles in investments were made for the building of T2. The new service sector is for foreign carriers. T2 has seven stories and a 240 000 m2 total space. A check-in facility, consisting of three islands with 28 sections each and four reception desks for big bags, is located on the ground floor. Border and customs control checkpoints are located on the second floor. In the sterile zone, there are 22 boarding gates, 16 of which have modern teletraps. Automatic turnstiles at the exits enable passengers to bypass the boarding check on their own. A single terminal enables the most effective use of the airport complex’s transfer capability, and the project is carried out within the parameters of the architectural concept UNDER ONE ROOF. The Domodedovo Airport, which was built with glass on a polygonal structure, is the largest thing in Russia. This is a useful, practical solution that improves energy efficiency in addition to being aesthetically pleasing. Millions of travellers are familiar with the appearance of the air harbour, which was enhanced by the atrium, a new iconic architectural feature. A glass dome covers this circular area of the gallery, which is surrounded by duty-free stores, business centres, cafes, bars, and restaurants. Through the implementation of a multi-level service system, technological solutions in T2 are intended to minimise the reduction of passenger service time. The entrances and exits for these groups of passengers and guests are situated at various levels of the terminal building, preventing the intersection of passenger flows—arriving and departing travellers. A two-level car flyover was implemented simultaneously with the opening of the new segment. Source- Travel daily

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the body in charge of AlUla’s comprehensive regeneration, and the Italian conservation institute Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR) have joined forces to advance knowledge in the restoration and conservation of northwest Saudi Arabia’s incredible cultural heritage. Twelve young Saudi professionals and recent university graduates have travelled from AlUla to Italy for a knowledge exchange course as part of the collaboration. They were chosen by RCU. The group, which consists of 6 women and 6 men, will take part in workshops in AlUla and Venaria, both in northern Italy, close to Turin. CCR will offer best practises regarding the use of an interdisciplinary approach to heritage conservation science in the multi-modal course. Six graduates in chemistry and biology, along with six conservation officers from various regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will participate in a series of integrated, intensely interactive modules between July 2023 and February 2024. These modules will cover planning, managing, and conserving archaeological sites, among other practical topics. “Partnering with RCU is a unique opportunity to explore the characteristics of our different cultural, social, and organisational contexts,” stated Sara Abram, secretary general of CCR. Through its personnel and the participation of instructors from some of the top Italian universities and conservation institutes, the CCR contributes its technical, scientific, and humanistic knowledge to this project. The curriculum, which aims to increase awareness of artefacts and their historical context, mirrors the methodical approach to conservation used by CCR. The training begins with basic observations, focuses on data collection and processing, moves on to technique analysis and assessment, and concludes with the definition of the most appropriate conservation measures on an individual basis. The program’s two main goals are to increase technical and scientific knowledge of various works of art and their materials that relate to archaeological contexts and to raise awareness of the values of cultural heritage, which is regarded as tangible and intangible proof of history and societies. It was created in collaboration with conservation experts, including conservators, conservation scientists, and historians. To sustain international best practises, the 12-person Saudi team will be given a fundamental understanding of material conservation techniques, procedures, and regulations. The next generation of professionals from KSA will be equipped with the information and abilities necessary to pursue a career in conservation sciences through theoretical and hands-on workshops in heritage conservation and preservation, thereby assisting the sector’s long-term growth objectives. The participants will experience the great Italian tradition of conservation while they are in Venaria, as well as the Italian way of life, through awareness workshops and cultural exchange, exploration of Turin and its UNESCO-listed Royal Palace “Reggia di Venaria,” and interactions with University of Turin students. The partnership between CCR and RCU is a result of the Memorandum of Understanding that His Highness Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan AlSaud, Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Minister of Culture of Italy, Gennaro Sangiuliano, signed in Venice in May. The agreement aims to increase cooperation in the fields of archaeology, conservation, restoration, and protection of cultural heritage, the film industry, and literature. “Our partnership with CCR aligns with our ambitions to place our community at the centre of RCU’s conservation and sustainable regeneration efforts,” said Dr. Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, Executive Director of Archaeology, Collections, and Conservation at the Royal Commission for AlUla. With the information and fundamental skills they need to successfully pursue a career in conservation research through this introductory programme, we will help the next generation of conservation specialists advance our long-term goals. AlUla, 1,100 kilometres from Riyadh, is home to a remarkable natural and cultural legacy. A verdant oasis valley, soaring sandstone mountains, and historic cultural heritage monuments that date back thousands of years may all be found in the huge 22,561km2 area. Source- Travel daily

Leaders in the field of air traffic management (ATM) convened in Bali, Indonesia this week for the CANSO Asia Pacific Conference, which was organised by AirNav Indonesia. From July 11–13, the CANSO Asia Pacific Conference will provide a forum for cooperation, innovation, and knowledge exchange in ATM for the Asia Pacific area. Industry executives gather at the occasion to talk about recent developments and problems in the area. With titles like “Riding the Digitalization Megatrend to Level Up,” “Fostering Culture and Talent Development for Innovation,” and “Becoming the Architects of Regional ATM for our Best Interest,” the schedule features engaging panel discussions on important subjects. “The CANSO Asia Pacific Conference is especially beneficial for the growth of the aviation industry in the country as well as for the delivery of air navigation services by AirNav Indonesia.” proclaimed Polana Pramesti, CEO of AirNav Indonesia.  This conference will cover a wide range of exciting topics, including the use of digital technology for air navigation services and the development of talent to innovate in the aviation navigation industry. Poh Theen Soh, Regional Director for CANSO APAC, stated that this year’s conference “examines how ATM in the Asia Pacific can be made greater than the sum of its parts under a regional ATM framework.” “We appreciate AirNav Indonesia hosting us, and we are looking forward to a few days of contributions and insights that will help the aviation industry grow and develop in our area and beyond.” Source- Travel daily

The names of the lucky winners from the most recent quarter of the Global Partner Booking Rewards Programme were revealed by Atlantis Resorts. The ongoing exclusive initiative is intended to express gratitude to the resort’s dependable partners for their continuous devotion in making Atlantis their top resort choice. The steps are straightforward, and there are many benefits! From the more than 300 registrations received through this project, the winners were Kapil Narang, Infruit Travels (Gurgaon), Saili Bhide, Bhramati Tourism (Mumbai), Sujata Mukharjee, SOTC (Delhi), Kanav Aggarwal, Karma Holidays (Ludhiana), and Amit Jain, North Ex Travels (Delhi). We’re thrilled to have received such a positive reaction from travel agencies, and we’d want to take this chance to congratulate all the winners.  The Global Partner Booking Rewards Programme is just one of the numerous ways we show our appreciation to the travel industry for their ongoing support and business in India, one of our top outbound markets. Since the incentives are even better in the upcoming quarter, we anticipate to see higher numbers from our travel partners, said Kyp Charalambous, vice president of sales at the Atlantis Dubai. All domestic travel agents are eligible to participate. By quickly registering on Atlantis’ dedicated Global Booking Rewards portal (atlantisresortsincentives.com), agents can activate an account and start documenting each online booking they make on the Atlantis Rewards Portal. After that, participants may relax as they watch their credit increase as they accumulate points for each reserved night’s stay. For the first time ever, the top three room-night bookers will receive a 2-night, 3-day stay at Atlantis, The Palm, while the remaining agents can use their retail online shopping coupons to buy anything they want. Source- Travel daily

The largest Australian-owned commercial event management company, Arinex, has been bought by Joyn, a major event technology platform. The united organisation, to be known as The Arinex Group, will concentrate on developing cutting-edge, creative, and technologically driven event experiences all over the world. With more than 50 years of experience managing a variety of business events, including incentives, special events, and international conferences, Arinex is a well-known global leader in the sector. Nicole Walker, the CEO of Arinex, will become the Group CEO and a member of the Group Board, while Jordan Walsh, the co-founder and CEO of Joyn, will become the Group Executive Chairman. Tony Ward, a former top executive with Xero, Microsoft, and LinkedIn, is also welcomed by the group as a director. In expressing her joy at this significant accomplishment, Nicole Walker said, “Arinex’ main aim has always been to architect inspiring experiences. The main reason we have joined forces with Joyn is because the event business needs considerable innovation if we are to continue fulfilling our objective. We can use the top-notch technology to improve the experience for all parties and raise sponsor and delegate involvement over time. As part of the agreement, Joyn will use the well-known Arinex brand and rename itself Arinex Live. The incorporation of Joyn’s technical expertise into Arinex’s well-known brand is reflected in this new identity. In order to provide a full range of event production services, including technical guidance, content creation, and event production, Arinex Live will keep collaborating with clients all over the world. Joyn’s main event technology solution, Arinex One, will be rebranded and will continue to service and concentrate on the association sector. Arinex One has been utilised by over 200,000 people across 1000+ events globally. With the release of a new edition of the product in July, Arinex One will keep increasing efficiency for event managers throughout the world. In describing his outlook for the future, Group Executive Chairman Jordan Walsh said, “Since creating Joyn, our mission has been to allow the future of events. It’s crucial to design distinctive offline encounters and a compelling online environment. We are eager to build on the Arinex company’s unique event experience and established global brand and reputation in the next years. Later this year, The Arinex Group intends to diversify into machine learning and artificial intelligence in order to boost attendee engagement. Source- Travel daily

Back row (L-R): Cat Mapperson Quest St. Kilda Rd. & Quest on Dorcas, Bianca Tachdjian Quest Ivanhoe, Moonee Valley Teresa Arcuri Quest Watergardens at Gazal Kamali Quest, Ngoc Ngoc Quest Amelia van de Ven Quest Orange, Caroline Springs Front Row: Stephanie Robertson Quest Collingwood, Sophie Sun Quest Griffith, and Liz Galea Quest Preston Back Row: David Mansfield, Managing Director Quest Apartment Hotels Quest continues to provide seamless guest experiences as a dependable brand that has stood the test of time by capitalising on corporate travel trends like work from anywhere, leisure trends like cosy staycations on a budget, and universal travel trends like the growing demand for local connections over box-ticking tourism. Quest Apartment Hotels, a subsidiary of Ascott Limited, will have been making business travel simple for 35 years in 2023. This year, as Australasia’s largest serviced apartment brand expands its product line, more milestones will be reached. As the largest serviced apartment provider in Australasia, Quest is well-positioned to benefit on the growing corporate appetite for value and dependability, despite June data from NAB, Westpac, and ANZ highlighting waning consumer and business confidence. By June 2025, Quest will open 6 more buildings, totaling 469 more rooms, boosting its total number of rooms to nearly 9,400 spacious serviced apartments around the country. Quest now operates 159 hotels and has 13 further properties under development. The brand’s success continues to be significantly influenced by Quest’s ability to react to shifting market conditions. Quest continues to position franchise business owners for success by putting an emphasis on integrating ESG into regular operations at properties around the nation and strategically situating new properties in developing suburbs with promising growth possibilities. For the business clientele who continue to choose Quest for their accommodations, the recently opened Quest Watergardens and the impending Quest Woolooware Bay are both situated in developing suburban town centres. Local architecture and mixed-use developments are now included in design elements. The original Quest was a 55 key red brick building that first opened in 1988 in the Fitzroy neighbourhood of inner-city Melbourne. In terms of geography and architectural, the 83-key Quest Collingwood, the first of four buildings to debut in 2023, represented a full circle moment. The new aparthotel is located just 15 minutes from the old property and features red brick on the façade. When the lease on the current St Kilda Rd premises expires, Quest corporate office will move into the office space above the new aparthotel, demonstrating Quest’s commitment to suburban sites. Quest’s committed 146 local business owners are driving ESG action outside of the boardroom.  Quest for a Cause, the network’s umbrella for community assistance, currently includes hundreds of nonprofit projects across the nation where local teams continue to support the communities that support their businesses. Through purpose-led collaborations, Quest is stepping up its ESG efforts at the network level in 2023.  Since 2020, Quest has given over 13,000 accommodation nights at no cost to families of young people from the region with difficult diseases who need ongoing treatment in hospitals in the capital cities thanks to a cooperation with the Sony Foundation’s You Can Stay programme.   Through further collaboration with the nonprofit Housing All Australians, Quest is also tackling the nation’s housing affordability and rental crisis this year. According to David Mansfield, managing director of Ascott Australia, “Our extraordinary success simply would not have been possible without the ongoing support of our partners and clients, our guests, and our local business owners.” “The success of Quest is largely down to our people and culture. Quest local business owners continue to offer the trusted guidance and superior service that our customers have come to expect because of their intimate knowledge of the area and natural intuition. This has not altered in 35 years. “Quest is a network of local company owners and teams that go above and above for our guests. We continue to grow our brand in accordance with evolving guest expectations without losing sight of who we are. We all desire a sense of community from our post-pandemic travel, and Quest is well-positioned to satisfy this need with our roomy serviced apartments because authentic local experiences are top of mind for visitors. Multi-site Andrew Clarke, a 19-year Quest veteran, said: “I was introduced to Quest in 1996, and my wife Angela and I were awarded the franchises for Quest West End and Quest on Rheola in 2004 and 2005, respectively. We have stuck with the brand, in my opinion, because we have faith in it. The brand’s primary promise endures despite changes in faces, tastes, and designs. Our overarching goal at Quest is to make corporate travel simple by offering roomy serviced apartments, and despite model changes, we’ve never wavered from that. “Quest has kept improving to make sure we have a tested business model that gives us everything we need to build our own successful small business, which we then tailor to suit our respective local market conditions,” says the company. We are anticipating the Conference this year as we do every year since it provides us the chance to network with other business owners and learn about various success tactics. Source- Travel daily

At the new Innovation Majlis, which was unveiled by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman & Chief Executive Emirates Airline & Group with other senior officials at its Dubai headquarters, it was highlighted how aviation innovation is hardcoded into the DNA of the Emirates Group. The Innovation Majlis will present the most recent developments in robotics, hyper-reality, holograms, 3D printers, and other cutting-edge technology as a platform to encourage deeper study and development and broader interchange of cutting-edge ideas. In order to co-create proof-of-concepts that will help customers, communities, and the aviation industry, it will act as the social space for this. Other important factors for the majlis will include collaborations with universities and business leaders, environmental projects, and the investigation of alternative energies. The Emirates Group has always been a forerunner in the aviation sector, and innovation is intrinsic to our core principles, our culture, and our philosophy, according to HH Sheikh Ahmed. The Innovation Majlis is equipped with the most advanced tools and technology to enable our staff to uncover new possibilities, develop creative solutions, and shape the aviation industry’s future. It will bring together our partners, leading tech businesses, and other organisations in one location to solve pressing issues affecting our sector right now. Autonomous mobile manipulator: created by Dubai Future Labs for choosing and arranging items from shelves, bins, and table tops as well as delivering orders. Wearable glasses with AI capabilities for augmented reality experiences change how we view and engage with other people, objects, or services. The use of haptic gloves for natural XR interactions allows users to interact with virtual items by touching them and sensing their weight, vibrations, and resistance. generative 3D holographic display By enabling sophisticated conversational capabilities through natural language processing, artificial intelligence (AI) improves the experience of interacting with digital signage. The next generation of remote, autonomous device charging will be via automatic wireless charging that uses infrared technology. Solutions for 3D printing: looking at new printers that can work with a wider variety of materials to enable additive production in new fields A single device that offers cutting-edge sensor and environment optimising technology for video communications is called optimised videoconferencing. Reverse osmosis and carbon filtration technology from the next generation produce mineralized water from any tap water.  The Emirates Group has a lengthy track record of leading industry innovation. The first edition of ForsaTEK, an annual gathering of start-up programmes, prominent tech and industrial partners, and important actors in the ecosystem, was hosted by the Innovation Majlis shortly after Sara, the world’s first check-in robot helper, was introduced. The Emirates Centre of Excellence for Aviation Robotics (ECEAR) has been established thanks to a strong partnership between the Dubai Future Foundation and the Emirates Group. To finance research and development projects targeted at reducing the environmental effect of fossil fuels in commercial aviation, Emirates has committed US$ 200 million. Source- Travel daily

EasySim.global, a brand of the easyGroup, stated that it had selected eSIM Go as its preferred partner for eSIM provisioning, connectivity, and support. Customers can access the most recent, best-value 4G/5G eSIM data bundles in more than 150 countries thanks to the robust easySim.global e-commerce platform and mobile app, which seamlessly integrates with eSIM Go’s platform via API. eSIM Go manages the activation and technical support escalation of all eSIM profiles sold. According to Mitchell Fordham, CCO of eSIM Go, “our partnership with easySim.global is another great example of how flexible the eSIM Go platform is and how simple we can make it to enable ambitious business models on a global scale.” The outcome is a solid base for luring customers, business travellers, and the general travelling public to the greatest value eSIM plans spanning international locations. We’re proud to have contributed to the development of the easySim.global offering, which offers a seamless client experience. The easyGroup family of brands, which has a history of value, innovation, and market disruption, includes easySim.global. These guiding principles, which have helped to shape the technical and business aspects of the easySim.global proposition, are made possible by eSIM Go’s unmatched ‘best quality, best value’ access to tier-1 mobile operator connections around the globe. Additionally, eSIM Go’s multi-network coverage in significant geographic areas and cutting-edge service capabilities like inbound SMS and 0% network steering benefit easySim.global and its clients. Jim Guest, co-founder of easySim.global, stated: “We started a global search for the ultimate eSIM partner and determined that eSIM Go was best qualified to assist our mission. “eSIM Go comes to the table with a really ‘can-do’ mentality, and we were right away impressed by their forthright support and desire to join the project. We had faith that everything technical would be handled, allowing us to concentrate more on the business potential, and that has turned out to be true. We were able to use some of the distinctive features of the eSIM platform because the API interface was so simple. Source- Travel daily

Hurtigruten Expeditions will launch a thrilling line of immersive expedition voyages in 2024 that combine the breathtaking Patagonian fjords of South America with the mesmerising continent of Antarctica. For contemporary adventurers, this latest offering from Hurtigruten Expeditions offers even more exceptional encounters. The 17-day Antarctica, Patagonia, and Chilean Fjords Expedition, departing from Punta Arenas, Chile, is the centrepiece of this ground-breaking journey. Four days in the breathtaking Chilean fjords and seven days spent discovering Antarctica’s treasures make up this unique adventure. Additionally, the tiny, specially designed expedition ship MS Maud will set sail on lengthy 23 and 24-day voyages from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Antarctica and to Punta Arenas, giving travellers the chance to experience South America, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia all in one amazing journey. Life-altering encounters  The most immersive way to travel to Antarctica is on an adventure ship, and Hurtigruten Expeditions is the undisputed world authority on expedition travel. Visitors will have the opportunity to see Antarctica, the world’s coldest, wildest, and most isolated inhabited region, as well as the lively culture and breathtaking scenery of South America. They will see the same rough landscapes that early explorers encountered centuries ago, unaltered by time, including Chilean fjords, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, icebergs, and glaciers.   Guests will have the chance to witness majestic whales while sailing through some of the world’s most active ocean ecosystems, and they’ll also get up close and personal with penguins and seals. Travellers can take part in incredible trips, landings, and expert discussions by joining the company’s knowledgeable expedition team. Additionally, they will have the chance to journey with active researchers and specialists, receiving priceless perceptions and insights that may change their worldview. Source- Travel daily