Jetsettersblog

Fantasea Flies you Free to Whitsunday Islands

Fantasea Adventure Cruising has launched an exciting offer for travellers who want to visit the Whitsundays for a long-weekend. For all bookings made before 30 June for travel through to 12 December 2008 on the MV Fantasea Ammari four night cruise, passengers also receive free flights from Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne airports to Hamilton Island, free chauffeur transfers to and from home to the airport and $100 gift voucher per cabin for use in the Ammari day spa. Cruise prices start from AUD$2460 per person (twin-share).

The MV Fantasea Ammari is the flagship of Fantasea Adventure Cruising, providing a unique and intimate cruising adventure through the Whitsunday islands and the Great Barrier Reef. With a maximum of only 64 passengers and a crew of 23, the vessel offers the space to get away in privacy, yet intimate enough to spoil with outstanding personal service.

With an itinerary including world-famous Whitehaven Beach, Blue Pearl Bay and the Great Barrier Reef, passengers can spend a perfect stress-free, relaxing weekend experiencing one of the most beautiful parts of Australia. Imagine a weekend where you walk the pure white sands of Whitehaven Beach, float in the crystal clear waters of Blue Pearl Bay, dive with fish at Fantasea’s Reefworld on the Great Barrier Reef, watch tropical sunsets every evening and indulge in delicious chef-prepared meals under a star-studded sky.

Terms and conditions include:

• valid for bookings made during May and June for travel prior to 12 December 2008

•Travel is based on per person economy return flights to Hamilton Island and the carrier for flights is at the discretion of Fantasea (max flight value $300/person return)

•Transport to and from airport to the maximum value of $300/cabin and transport to be arranged by the Company

•Cancellation & Refunds: Bookings must be made and deposit received within 7 days with balance of payment due 60 days prior to cruise departure date.

For more information and full terms and conditions of this offer please call Fantasea Toll Free 1800 662 786 or 07 4946 7084 or email info@fantaseaammari.com

Qantaslink adds flights in Queensland

QantasLink today announced that it had signed an agreement with Alliance Airlines to operate a 100-seat Fokker 100 aircraft on the Brisbane-Mackay route from 23 June 2008.

Qantas Group General Manager Regional Airlines, Mr Narendra Kumar, said the agreement would enable the Qantas Group to increase capacity on the key mining and tourism route and reinstate some services that were temporarily suspended due to pilot attrition recently experienced by QantasLink.

“The arrangement will result in an extra 584 seats per week on the Brisbane-Mackay route, increasing Qantas Group capacity on the route to more than 10,000 seats per week,” he said.

Mr Kumar said the Qantas Group offered the most comprehensive schedule with more frequency, capacity and service options from Mackay to Queensland destinations than any other airline, including:

• 21 Jetstar Brisbane-Mackay weekly return services operated by 177-seat A320 aircraft;

• 13 QantasLink Brisbane-Mackay weekly return services operated by 100-seat Fokker 100 aircraft;

• 14 QantasLink weekly return services to Rockhampton and Gladstone operated by Bombardier Q400 72- seat and Q300 50-seat aircraft; and

• 19 QantasLink return services to Townsville and Cairns operated by Bombardier Q400 72-seat and Q300 50-seat aircraft.

Mr Kumar also said QantasLink would reinstate a service and upgrade key services from 23 June 2008, as follows:

• the 8:55am Brisbane-Mackay service and the 11:00am Mackay-Brisbane service would be reinstated; and • the overnight service leaving Brisbane at 6.35pm and departing the following morning from Mackay at 6.45am would be upgraded from the 72-seat Q400 to the 100-seat Fokker 100 aircraft.

Mr Kumar said that under the terms of the agreement with Alliance Airlines, the Fokker 100 aircraft would be operated by the Queensland-based company’s crew and serviced by their engineers, but operate as a QantasLink service.

He said all Qantas Frequent Flyers would be eligible to earn and redeem points when travelling on this service and Qantas Club members would be entitled to access Qantas Club lounge services. In addition, all QantasLink customers travelling on this aircraft would benefit from well-timed connections and throughchecked baggage to and from Sydney, Melbourne and other Qantas destinations.

QantasLink operates around 2000 flights each week servicing 52 metropolitan and regional destinations throughout Australia, including 19 cities and towns in Queensland.

Frontier Airlines Nonstops to Durango

Frontier Airlines began service to its newest market, Durango. Durango is the second of several new regional markets Frontier announced in February, all of which are shorter-haul markets, better suited to leveraging the economics of the 74-seat Bombardier Q400.

The Durango Area Tourism Office is launching a special promotion to celebrate the arrival of Frontier’s service. Anyone who presents a Frontier boarding pass at the Durango Area Visitors’ Center will receive free gifts and big savings from many area businesses. This special promotion will last through June 22. In addition to the new Durango service, Lynx Aviation will utilize its new fleet of Q400 aircraft to serve three more Colorado markets with nonstop daily service from Denver: Colorado Springs Airport (COS), Colorado Springs, CO already in service; Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE), Aspen, CO;

Walker Field Airport (GJT), Grand Junction, CO beginning May 1. In addition to the expansion in its home state of Colorado, Frontier also announced several new non-stops to other Rocky Mountain and regional destinations from Denver including: Hector International Airport (FAR), Fargo, ND starting May 12; Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), Jackson, WY starting May 15; Missoula International Airport (MSO), Missoula, MT starting May 16 and Gallatin Field Airport (BZN), Bozeman, MT starting May 22.

Spirit Adds Trinidad and Tobago flights

Spirit Airlines added another new route from its Fort Lauderdale gateway with non-stop service to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Scheduled to begin on June 12, Port of Spain becomes Spirit’s 22nd Caribbean/Latin American destination and the 43rd city it serves.

MOKULELE AIRLINES in Hawaii

HONOLULU, HI - Mokulele Airlines broke ground yesterday on a new $4.2 million fixed based operator (FBO) and maintenance facility near Honolulu International Airport. The ceremony was attended by employees of Mokulele Airlines, go! Airlines, Hawaiian Industrial Structures, and members of the press. Bill Boyer, CEO of Mokulele Airlines, Dorvin Leis, who has a stake in Mokulele Airlines, Joe Bock, Chief Marketing Officer of go! Airlines, and Dan Hayes of Hawaiian Industrial Structures performed the ceremonial “breaking of the ground.”

The 14,000 square foot facility will serve corporate jet customers arriving into Hawaii either as a final destination or to continue on to neighbor islands. Passengers would be able to disembark from their private plane and immediately board a Mokulele Airlines/go!Express plane for travel to a neighbor island. Mokulele and go!Express planes will also be serviced at this facility.

“In a time when there is so much doom and gloom in the news about the airline business, we are pleased to report that Mokulele Airlines is growing to meet the travel and cargo demands of Hawaii,” said Bill Boyer, CEO of Mokulele Airlines, which also operates as go!Express.

Virgin Atlantic & 2008 European Ryder Cup Team

Virgin Atlantic, one of the world’s leading long-haul airlines, is to be the Official Airline of the 2008 European Ryder Cup Team.

Special dispensation has been granted for the Team to fly direct from London Heathrow to Louisville International Airport onboard a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600 for The 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky, USA from 19 to 21 September 2008.

European Captain Nick Faldo and his 12 man team will fly out on Monday 15 September to defend the Ryder Cup before flying back the following Monday 22 September.

Joining the Team onboard the Virgin Atlantic flight will be their wives and girlfriends, Ryder Cup partners, sponsors and suppliers, the official party, the respective Boards of the European Tour, the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) and VIP guests.

Virgin Atlantic was the Official Airline Sponsor of the European Ryder Cup Team’s last visit to America in 2004 for their record breaking winning score of 18½ - 9½ at Oakland Hills County Club in Michigan, USA.

Sir Richard Branson, President, Virgin Atlantic, said:

“It is a great honour for us to be carrying Nick Faldo and his teammates to Louisville. This is the second time that Virgin Atlantic has been chosen to carry the team and the Ryder Cup, and we are thrilled that Europe’s top golfers have selected us again. I’m sure they can do Europe proud and win again.”

Richard Hills, Ryder Cup Director, said:

“We are delighted that one of the world’s biggest brands will once again be part of one of the world’s biggest sporting events. The Team and official party will all benefit from Virgin Atlantic’s excellent service.

“Virgin Atlantic will once again benefit from being associated with the Ryder Cup and along with our other partners, sponsors and suppliers, will play an active part in making the 2008 Ryder Cup another huge success for the European Team.”

The European Team will enjoy Virgin Atlantic’s award-winning Upper Class Suite, which includes the longest fully-flat bed in business class, and in-flight entertainment facilities. The Team will also speed through the airline’s new Upper Class Wing at Heathrow’s Terminal 3, with its private security channel, before being pampered in the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. Before take-off, the players can enjoy a massage or haircut in the Cowshed Salon, or play pool and enjoy the Deli bar.

Virgin Atlantic will carry the The European Team on an Airbus A340-600 with 45 Upper Class Suites, 38 Premium Economy seats and 225 Economy seats.

Green Oasis In The German Alps

Where your money goes an extra mile - holidays with a difference full of special offers

Where can you get everything that is on everyone’s agenda at the moment in one place? If hiking and outdoor activities, family holidays including kids entertainment, value for money and free public transport plus clean air and an intact environment mean anything to you, head for the Allgäu region in Southern Bavaria.

Outdoor and wellbeing

Enchanting hiking holidays are to be had, for instance, in one of the so-called “Horn Villages” (“Hörnerdörfer”). Bolsterlang is offering special four to seven night packages until the end of May for visitors wanting to experience the mountain meadows while they are being transformed into a yellow sea by dandelions in bloom. Four nights start at EUR 284 for two persons including a special “dandelion breakfast”, sauna visit and other goodies at the “Silberdistel Hotel”.

Anyone interested in herbs and healthy living, should put the village of Ofterschwang, the so called “green heart of the Allgäu”, on their agenda. This holiday resort, another of the five “Horn Villages”, has dedicated itself to everything around the topic of herbs and their benefits for the human organism. Specialised hotels and restaurants only use home or locally grown organic herbs. Visitors can sample homemade bear garlic pesto or try handmade lavender skin creme, go on special herb tours and hikes, learning from “herb women” how to produce cosmetics and ointments, and visit the big local herb garden.

Let the kids run free in unspoilt nature

From May to October, the “horn villages” are also offering special kids programmes including anything from experiencing the mountains on hikes off the usual tracks, spending a day with the regional ranger or going on mountain bike tours (without the parents, of course). In addition, more than 200 hotels are offering a special “kids inclusive” package from 10 May to 20 July and from 27 September to 9 November 2008. During this time, children up to 14 years accompanied by two full-paying guests are free of charge. Apart from accommodation, entry to swimming-pools, museums and use of mountain railways is free as well.

Save money and get more – unique visitor card

More special offers can be found in Oberstaufen, where the “Schroth treatment” was invented over 180 year ago as a naturopathic treatment aiming to detox the body and to activate the body’s self-healing powers. The spa town has put together the “Oberstaufen Plus” card which is unique in Germany leaving visitors with more pocket money left to spend during their holidays:

More than 230 accommodation hosts offer their guests free travel on all mountain cable cars, guest buses, free entry to museums and other attractions such as the summer toboggan run and an adventure pool. Furthermore, the “Oberstaufen PLUS Golf” campaign enables keen golfers staying in one of the 16 “Oberstaufen PLUS Golf” hotels to check out the two local 18-hole courses and the 6-hole training course without any extra charge for green fees and as often as they like. This means that holiday makers, for example, could save 70 EUR per person during a long weekend and over EUR 250 during a golfing week with four days spent golfing and two days hiking.

Haven for allergy sufferers

Anyone suffering from hay fever or other allergies will get a real break in the climatic spa of Bad Hindelang, a typical mountain village which has managed to keep its original charms by engaging in sustainable tourism. Bad Hindelang does not only have a low pollen count but is virtually free of house dust mites and particulate matter comparable to the climate of that of Davos in Switzerland.

The location in the nature reserve of the “Allgäuer Hochalpen” (Allgäu High Alps) guarantees sunny high terraces, slope forests, mountain meadows carefully tended by organic farming, waterfalls and Germany’s only high mountain sulphur spring located in the “Hotel Prinz-Luitpold-Bad”. Bad Hindeland also features “allergy free” hotels and a special allergy clinic for children.

Further information:

Allgäu in general: www.allgaeu.info
Bad Hindelang: www.bad-hindelang.de
Hörnerdörfer (horn villages): www.hoernerdoerfer.de
Oberstaufen: www.oberstaufen.de
Special kids programme: www.english.kuhle-kids.de

Getting there:

Ryanair flies to Friedrichshafen (Lake Constance). Onward journey either by rental car or by bus with the “Allgäu-Walser Express” (www.allgaeu-walser-express.de) from the airport directly to the hotel. Other suitable airports are Stuttgart and Munich, served by Lufthansa, Air Berlin and other airlines.

From London To Amber

On May 17, flyLAL-Lithuanian Airlines, the Lithuanian national carrier is starting direct flights from London Stansted to Palanga, the Lithuanian resort on the “amber” coast so called because this local gold is washed up all along the beach.

In addition there will be four new flights each week from London Stansted to Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital city, whilst the current daily service from Gatwick to Vilnius will be maintained.

The new Stansted flights to Palanga will operate on Thursdays and Saturdays departing from Stansted at 8.15 am arriving at Palanga International Airport at 12.50 pm. The return flights leave Palanga at 6.55 am arriving at Stansted at 7.25 am (all times are local). The new flights will use by Boeing 737 – 300 aircraft.

Palanga/Klaipëda airport is located in the western part of Lithuania, near the Baltic Sea and is the third largest international airport in Lithuania.

By opening a new summer route from London to Palanga, flyLAL-Lithuanian Airlines believes that a more comfortable direct flight lasting only two and a half hours will encourage Britons to discover the unspoilt Lithuanian seaside. “Direct flights from London to Palanga offer a splendid opportunity to visit the beautiful Curonian Spit, the seaport of Klaipeda, and the popular summer resort Palanga and its Amber Museum, which has the largest amber collection in the world, and many other places of interest”, - says Indre Trakimaite, director of Lithuanian National Tourist Office in the UK.

The Lithuanian National Tourist Office in the UK will be happy to organise individual press tours for journalists and travel writers with commissions who are interested in trying out the new flights from Stansted to Palanga and in visiting Lithuania’s seaside.

From May 16 flyLAL-Lithuanian Airlines will also be increasing the number of flights to Vilnius. New morning flights from London Stansted to Vilnius International Airport will operate 4 times a week with Boeing 737-500 aircraft, departing from Stansted early in the morning and arriving to Vilnius at noon.

The new seasonal service will complement the airline’s existing daily Vilnius flights by offering passengers more choice and flexibility, whether they are travelling to Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009 on business or on holiday, “- says Indre Trakimaite.

Tickets are available online at www.flylal.com and in travel agencies. Flight prices from London to Palanga and from London to Vilnius start at £ 37 for one way ticket with airport taxes.

Pacific Blue Winter Airfare sale

Thaw out in Aussie from only $189.

Pacific Blue is helping Kiwis warm up in the colder months with a Winter Escape Sale!

Auckland – Brisbane $189
Wellington – Brisbane $189^
Christchurch – Sydney $189^
Christchurch – Canberra $259*
Auckland – Mackay $279*
Auckland – Rockhampton $279*
Christchurch – Adelaide $299*
Christchurch – Cairns $339*
Wellington – Cairns $339*
Auckland – Cairns $339*

Sale Dates:

Fares are on sale until midnight Monday 12 May 2008 or sold out.

Travel Dates: 1 May – 3 July 2008.

Auckland – Gold Coast $199

Sale Dates:

Fares are on sale until midnight Monday 28 April 2008 or sold out.

Travel Dates:

01 May - 03 July 2008,
14 July - 25 September 2008,
06 October - 11 December 2008.

Auckland – Brisbane $199
Wellington – Brisbane $199^

Sale Dates:

Fares are on sale until midnight Monday 28 April 2008 or sold out.

Travel Dates:

14 July - 25 September 2008,
06 October - 11 December 2008.

Visit www.flypacificblue.com  for full information.

Go Troppo with Pacific Blue Fares

SWAP WINTER TIME FOR ISLAND TIME. FARES FROM NZ$149!

Pacific Blue today announced its ‘Tropics Sale’ giving New Zealanders the chance to “swap winter time for island time” for less. Be quick – these fares are as hot as the islands themselves!

Auckland - Tonga $149 for travel between 19 May – 17 July 2008

Auckland - Tonga $169 for travel between 18 August – 30 October 2008

Auckland - Apia $239 for travel between 20 May – 18 June 2008

Auckland - Apia $259 for travel between 27 August – 20 September 2008

Auckland - Rarotonga $249 for travel between 21 May – 30 June 2008

Wellington - Apia $299 for travel between 20 May – 18 June, 27 August – 20 September 2008

Wellington - Rarotonga $299 for travel between 21 May – 30 June 2008

Christchurch - Rarotonga $299 for travel between 21 May – 30 June 2008

Sale Dates:

Fares are on sale until midnight Wednesday 7 May 2008 or sold out. Travel Dates:

As above.

OTHER HOT FARES!

Pacific Blue’s ‘Winter Escape Sale’ finishes midnight Monday 12 May 2008.

Visit flypacificblue.com for other sale fares and full information.

DISCLAIMER: Fares are correct as at 1 May 2008 and are in NZD. A credit card fee of an additional NZ$4 per person per one-way flight applies to all international flights. Seats are limited and may not be available at peak times or on all flights. Fares are one-way on the net or NZ$15 more by phone or in person. Departure tax of NZ$25 applies to all international flights and is payable at NZ airports. Departures from and arrivals into Auckland International Airport from 1 July 2008 will incur an additional Passenger Service Charge of $13 per person per one-way flight. This will replace the departure fee.

For further Terms and Conditions and Fare Rules, visit www.flypacificblue.com

About Pacific Blue, Polynesian Blue, and Virgin Blue Airlines

Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue, along with Australian domestic airline Virgin Blue, operate a fleet of 63 modern Boeing 737 aircraft flying to 22 Australian destinations and destinations throughout the South Pacific including New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands.