Etihad 2000th Flying Nanny graduates
Etihad’s 2000th Flying Nanny has just graduated from the bespoke training program devised by Norland, the UK based higher education college specialising in ‘early years’ education.
The Etihad Airways Training Academy provides cabin crew with the skills to support families on long-haul flights and Etihad Flying Nannies combine their service and hospitality expertise with an appreciation of the childcare skills required to ensure outstanding service and inflight care for the airline’s younger guests.
New arrivals lounge for Heathrow
Plaza Premium Group has announced plans for two new lounges to be opened landside in Terminals 3 and 4 at London Heathrow.
The new lounges will join those already available from the group, including a lounge in Terminal 2 arrivals that opened in 2014.
The arrivals lounge in Terminal 4, which is due to open late March, has a capacity of 75 people and features a lounge and bar area, a multi-function room for meetings and 25 luxury shower rooms. Details for the lounge in Terminal 3 are still under wraps, with an opening planned for later in the year.
Air New Zealand Dreamliner takes flight for Adelaide
Air New Zealand has announced it will begin flying the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to Adelaide from October 2017.
The new move increases the airline’s capacity between Adelaide and Auckland by up to 23 percent over the peak season (26 October 2017 – 25 March 2018), and offering Business Premier and Premium Economy for the first time on this route.
The airline will operate a combination of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Airbus A320 aircraft between Auckland and Adelaide over the peak season. The schedule from 26 October 2017 – 25 March 2018 is as follows:
Record growth for Australian hotels
The Australian hotel industry is responding to continued record international visitor growth with a record level of hotel investment – over $8 billion – that is set to transform Australia’s accommodation and tourism sectors.
Figures released by Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) identify 228 hotel projects (34,702 rooms) under construction, approved for development or in advanced planning stages in the six State capitals and Darwin.
Cunard’s Queen Victoria readies for a makeover
She is one of the grand dames of the seas, and now Cunard’s iconic Queen Victoria is preparing for a multi-million-dollar refurbishment of her staterooms and public spaces.
Queen Victoria is set to enter dry-dock this coming May for a $54 million facelift that stretches from bow to stern.
Part of the makeover will see the addition of 43 brand new Britannia Club category staterooms to the Cunard liner with a new dedicated restaurant, a redesign of the liner’s Grand Suites and Deck 8 aft Penthouse Suites, as well as a new Chart Room bar.
New Historian Programme for Viking ocean cruises
Viking Cruises has rolled out a new Viking Resident Historian Programme across its ocean fleet, with a carefully-selected faculty of historians providing guests with historical education relevant to their specific itineraries onboard Viking Star and Viking Sky.
The ‘destination-driven learning’ lectures are exclusively produced by Viking Cruises under the direction of Dr. Charles Doherty, Chief Viking Resident Historian, who has lectured in more than 60 countries for The National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian and the American Museum of Natural History.
Dr Doherty has selected the historians who are part of the programme, including Dr Fenella Bazin – specialist in the Age of the Vikings; European Military historian, Lt. Colonel Tony Coutts-Britton; and Dr. Mark Callaghan, specialist in 20th Century art and culture.