Air Malta loses least passenger bags in Europe

Mosta, 23/03/06 - Record numbers of passengers were left waiting in vain at luggage carousels last year, with airlines misplacing more bags than ever before, a new study has found.

According to global baggage IT data provider SITA, airlines lost 30 million bags last year, costing them an estimated Lm0.87 billion in reclamation and compensation fees.

The report shows that the problem is worsening across all regions, with SITA blaming increasingly tight turnaround times, worsening airport congestion and a large number of code-sharing agreements between airlines, which have all complicated the baggage handling process.

SITA managing director Francesco Violante believes that unless the recent growth in air passenger numbers is accompanied by improved baggage control systems, airlines are likely to be inundated with complaints from disgruntled customers.

"Growth is welcome but it has to be better managed if airlines and airports want to improve the passenger experience by eliminating delays from the system," Violante said.

"The industry needs more sophisticated baggage reconciliations systems and greater use of self-service such as check-in through kiosks and on the web. This will all help to simplify travel, reduce delays and baggage misconnections."

Nevertheless, although record numbers of bags are being mishandled by airlines, the report suggests that most passengers are ultimately reunited with their lost luggage, with 99 per cent belatedly receiving their bags.

SITA found that passengers are forced to wait an average of 31.2 hours from reporting a missing bag to being reunited with their luggage.

Last month, the Association of European Airlines reported a worsening in baggage delivery performance during the final quarter of 2005, with 14.1 bags per thousand passengers failing to arrive at the destination, compared with 13.9 in the previous quarter.

British Airways performed particularly poorly, mishandling 17.7 bags per thousand passengers, the second-worst performance of the AEA's 25 member airlines.

Air Malta was shown to be the best airline in terms of baggage delivery, mishandling just 4.3 bags per thousand passengers, with Turkish Airways, Icelandair and Swiss International Airlines also losing relatively few bags.

Euro health insurance card valid in Alps

Valletta, 23/03/06 - From 1 April the European health insurance card, valid throughout the EU, will also be valid in Switzerland, says a government press release. As from that date the card will be accepted in all EU member states as well as in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Hoteliers concerned with 2005 results, call for timely action

Qawra, 21/03/06 - The MHRA's hotel survey for the fourth quarter of 2005 showed that occupancy levels for the five star sector were unchanged notwithstanding the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in November, although CHOGM had a positive one-off impact on their room rates for the period. On the other hand, the three star and four star sectors witnessed very sharp falls in occupancy come November and December, compared to previous years, although room rates did improve.

For the year as a whole, tourism increased by just over 14,500 visitors or 1.3 per cent to 1.17 million visitors. This increase is substantially short of the 50,000 national target set and would appear to be below overall international growth trends for tourism. The outcome is therefore disappointing for the industry as a whole. Apart from the five star category, every major accommodation category saw a fall in guest nights generated in 2005, whilst room supply started to increase again. Tourism expenditure for the year is 1 per cent down on last year, as reported by the National Statistics Office.

Deloitte, who carry out the survey for the MHRA and today's was presented at the Suncrest Hotel, reported that room occupancy levels improved slightly over last year in the five star and four star sectors but fell in the three star sector. In the five star sector occupancy has yet to return to levels seen in 2002 and 2001. However, the average achieved room rate has increased across the board, with increases of four per cent in the five and four star sectors.  During Q4 however the five star sector remained at last year's levels whilst the four star and three star sectors experienced sharp falls in occupancy levels of eight per cent and 11 per cent respectively.

Nick Captur from Deloitte commented that "in the four star and three star sectors the immediate decline in business in November and December at the start of the airline winter season is of great concern and was sharper than in previous years. Preliminary results for January and February of this year also show that this continued to be the case, in other words whatever gains occur in the summer season are just compensating for worse winters."

Deloitte found that rising costs, particularly energy costs, have led to lower operating margins in the three and four star sectors. Absolute gross operating profit per available room for the year increased by 10 points in the five star sector, and by one per cent in the four star sector as the impact of additional income was diluted by higher costs. In the three star sector operating profits fell by up to 20 per cent.

Commenting on these results, MHRA president Justin Zammit Tabona expressed a certain amount of concern at the outcome: "Although the overall 2005 results are showing an increase in both occupancy and average room rate, the increases in revenue have been virtually fully absorbed by increases in costs. In this respect the survey clearly highlights the negative impact of higher energy costs on the overall operating cost base. Increasing seasonality fluctuations and declining winter business are becoming major issues, which are adversely impacting performance. The sharp decline in occupancy in November highlights this growing problem. Increasing low season business in the short to medium term should be a fundamental priority."

He added: "The contrasting trends in demand registered are also of concern to our members.  In 2005, we saw the gains from the UK and Germany being eroded by the loss of business from Italy, France, Benelux and other markets. We will watch the performance of MTA's new marketing representatives in these markets with great interest and curiosity, whilst also waiting for the implementation of the MTA's much heralded rebranding exercise and the execution of its final reforms to, hopefully, become a more focused and targeted organisation. In the meantime, hoteliers must continue to battle with ever-increasing operational costs and lower returns. Timely decisive action from all concerned is of utmost importance if we want to save our industry. Time is money and we have no time to waste."

Zahras blast MTA, call for LCCs

Qawra, 21/03/06 - The Malta Hotels and Restaurant Association's (MHRA) quarterly accommodation survey presentation would have ended in its normally quiet way this morning had not the Zahras - Tony, CEO of Alpine Sterling Travel, his brother Winston, MD of Island Hotels Group, and Winston, operations director of Island Hotels and the MD's son - opened fire with a barrage of criticism aimed at the Malta Tourism Authority.

Winston Jr fired the first salvo by pointing out that the accommodation sector has invested more than Lm0.5 billion in infrastructure and employs thousands of people and, consequently, should be listened to.

The government's target of 50,000 additional tourists a year, he added, had actually resulted in just 14,000 more visitors in 2005. As to results for the first quarter of 2006, he said these are a "washout".

He went on to catalogue the "tourism road map" that timetabled the restructuring of the MTA and the branding of Malta. Practically everything on that road map has been delayed, said Winston Jr, and asked for an explanation as to why this was so. He also questioned the wisdom of closing the MTA's overseas offices.

Before closing Winston Jr, a former president of the association, called for an extraordinary general meeting of the MHRA to discuss the delays and "why issues have not been tackled in a timely way" at the MTA. He added that an EGM should be held by the first week of April.

Moments later, Winston Sr and also a former MHRA president, said the decision to close MTA offices abroad was a "disaster" and called for an "immediate reversal of the situation".

Tony Zahra, meanwhile, pointed out that low cost carriers, "whether we like it or not, are a reality and will not go away...we need them".

Viva Tours launched

Birkirkara, 21/03/06 - Viva Tours is a new outbound agency based in Birkirkara's Valley Road. The company plans to launch its first tour programme at this year's edition of Amitex, scheduled to take place from 27 to 30 April.

Owned by Albert Callus and Anthony Chircop, managing director of the Hotel Nova Kennedy, Viva has adopted the slogan "we look at costs, but quality is our business" as its motto.

For more information, contact: Viva Tours, 115A Msida Valley Road, Birkirkara. Tel: 21492008 Fax: 21492515 Email: info@vivatoursmalta.com Site: www.vivatoursmalta.com

Alpine Travel merges with Sterling Travel

San Gwann, 21/03/06 - Sterling Travel and Tourism, bought from Air Malta last summer by Alpine Holdings, has been merged with Alpine Travel.

The new company is now called Alpine Sterling Travel and Tourism and has a new logo and a new corporate identity that signals its "continued commitment to growth, improvement and innovation in the hospitality industry."

Its new logo, meanwhile, incorporates a spiral design that is synonymous with the Maltese islands and blends the traditions of the organisation "in a modern design to depict dynamism and excellence whilst bringing a sense of rejuvenation and growth to the company".

MIA raises passenger and landing charges

Luqa, 13/03/06 - Malta International Airport plc, operator of Malta's airport, is raising its service charge from Lm6.65 to Lm6.80 per departing passenger from 1 April, an increase of 15c per traveller. The security charge is also being raised; in this case by two cents, to 94c per passenger.

These charges do not apply to aircrew, passengers in transit (arriving and departing on the same aircraft) and infants under the age of two.

Aircraft landing charges are also being raised on 1 April. There will be no increase for fixed wing aircraft weighing up to 12,000kgs, fees will continue to be charged at 57c per 500kgs of maximum take-off weight (MTOW). However, for aircraft weighing more than 12,000kgs this charge is going up from Lm13.01 to Lm13.30. And for every additional 500kgs there is a charge of 79c, from 1 April this variable cost will go up to 81c per 500kgs.

Fees for helicopters are 50 per cent cheaper than the rate for fixed wing aircraft of similar weight. These prices do not apply to helicopter services between MIA and Gozo's heliport.

Charges are for a turn-round operation - one landing and one take-off, or vice versa. Moreover, there is a 25 per cent premium on charges for night operations.

MIA, incidentally, defines night as from 20:00 to 05:00 from 1 April to 31 October and from 19:00 to 06:00 from 1 November to 31 March.

Parking fees are also being increased. The minimum parking charge is going up from 30c to 33c. Fees are based on the space occupied by and aircraft and its MTOW.

Malta down 13% on summer bookings

Sliema, 13/03/06 - Statistics collected by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) from AC Nielsen TravelTrack, who monitor advance bookings performance and who source more than 4,000 UK sales points have reported that at the end of February Malta was 13 per cent down in forward bookings for summer 2006.

Figures for Malta are in the region of 34,556 passengers while last year the figure held at the end of February was 39,527.

Island markets such as Cyprus, Crete and Rhodes are showing positive increases of 1, 27 and 18 per cent respectively. On the other hand Corfu and Zante are both down by three and 17 points respectively. The Balearic islands are showing positive increases of around three per cent while the Canary islands are down around three points up to the end of February.

The MHRA is concerned that Malta's decreasing tourist figures are a negative signal for the industry, and every effort should be directed at marketing the islands in an innovative manner to attract more tourists.

The association is also concerned that for the second consecutive month, Malta registered another drop in visitors to the islands. The number of visitors leaving Malta in January dropped by 5.2 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2005 (see Data bank). In December 2005 the drop was 1.9 per cent when compared with December 2004 figures.

The situation is worse still when comparing the number of bed nights spent by visitors that "truly" reflect the performance of the industry. In January, visitors stayed an estimated 485,061 bed nights, a decrease of 13.2 per cent over the corresponding month last year. The number of nights spent in hotels dropped by 11.3 per cent and accounted for 67.9 per cent of total nights spent. This means that the average bed nights spent by tourists in hotels was 8.62 compared to 8.86 in the corresponding month of last year.

When looking at revenue generated, the decrease of Lm1.5 million is equally disappointing. The good news, says the MHRA, is that visitors who came on non-package trips were on the increase with total earnings from this segment going up to Lm4.1 million compared to Lm3.6 million of the corresponding month of last year.

The investment by hoteliers in info technology to attract visitors directly is on the increase while the dependence on package tours is slowly decreasing. Average package and non-package spent by tourists was Lm175.80 compared to Lm177.10 of the corresponding period of last year.

Belleair sells Malta cruises through UK travel trade

London, 13/03/06 - Air Malta-owned Belleair Holidays is selling cruise holidays this year for the first time. The operator is offering a range of seven and 11 night itineraries departing from Valletta which can be sold as a simple package with flights or tied in with accommodation for customers who like to cruise and stay.

Belleair Holidays is the main operator in the UK to offer this product through the travel trade.

Eleven different itineraries in the Mediterranean, Adriatic and the Aegean will be available through Star Cruises, who will be basing a ship - the SuperStar Libra - in Valletta for the first time this summer.

Prices start from £719 per person including return flights from London Gatwick, seven nights full board on the ship, return transfers and port handling charges. An 11-night itinerary starts from £970 per person.

Flights will be with Air Malta who flies direct to Malta from more than 12 regional airports around the UK ensuring that the product is available to agents right across the country.

Emma Yorke, agency sales manager at Belleair comments: "This is a fantastic addition to our portfolio and will open up Malta to the cruise market as well as providing existing visitors with a new holiday option. We will be the main booking option in the UK for agents and over the coming months we will be working hard to educate agents about this new product in the market place. This will include educational trips to sample the product first hand. There is a real variety of cruises to many different destinations which I am sure will appeal to a wide range of customers."

Corinthia sets up local reservations office

Floriana, 13/03/06 - Corinthia Hotels International has set up a central reservations office locally to handle all accommodation enquiries and reservations for Corinthia's four hotels in Malta - the Corinthia Palace Hotel, Corinthia San Gorg Hotel, Corinthia Marina Hotel and Corinthia Jerma Palace Hotel.

Clients can now dial 21388777 and get information on room availability and rates for any of the four properties. They can immediately compare rates and availability and place their booking without having to memorise four different telephone numbers.

This system will also facilitate booking procedures for full house situations by allowing for effortless redirection of bookings to other Corinthia hotels that have rooms to spare. Clients can also phone to find out about special rate offers and promotions that will be offered on an on-going basis for all four hotels.

The Central Reservations Office is situated at the Corinthia Marina Hotel in St Julian's and is open from 08:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday and from 08:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays and public holidays. The office's e-mail address is res@corinthia.com and its facsimile number is 21378222.

KM's reduced club fares offer soon to end

Luqa, 13/03/06 - There are just over two weeks to go before Air Malta's reduced business class fares offer ends. The special round-trip price of Lm119 (excluding taxes and charges) was launched in early January to boost traffic in the forward section of KM's aircraft.

The offer, which ends on 31 March, is available on services to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Manchester, Milan, Paris, Rome, Vienna and Zurich.

Sitting up front offers increased seating space and added comfort with four-abreast seating and an empty middle seat, plus extra legroom. Club class passengers also get an upgraded in-flight service with a wide selection of free drinks and newspapers - neither of which are available in coach nowadays - dedicated check-in counters, the use of the La Valette Lounge at MIA and other VIP lounges at various foreign airports and 30kgs baggage allowance.

Emirates launches hotels and resorts division

Dubai, 13/03/06 - Emirates has launched Emirates Hotels & Resorts, a new hospitality management division containing a portfolio of luxury conservation resorts, spas and fully-serviced upscale apartment accommodation.

It will develop its portfolio of properties in Dubai and other locations to support and enhance the growth of Emirates, providing travellers with "seamless quality travel and hospitality experiences".

The new brand will be used throughout the portfolio, highlighting properties with the internationally recognisable Emirates quality brand.

Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group chairman and chief executive, said: "This is an exciting development for Emirates, which brings a new dimension to our commitment to provide customers with the very best in premier travel services".

He added, "Emirates Hotels & Resorts' expansion, both in Dubai and internationally, will enable further development of our Emirates quality ethos throughout worldwide markets".

Emirates Hotels currently manages the established conservation-based Emirates Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in the desert hinterland of Dubai.

This is being used as the basis of designs and operations in a second conservation-based property in the heart of a World Heritage area, the Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in Australia's Blue Mountains.

The new division's Emirates Marina Serviced Apartments & Spa in Dubai is scheduled to open in March 2007. Located near beaches, major business centres, Dubai's largest yacht bay and marina, and numerous cafes and restaurants, this luxury apartment complex will be followed by Emirates Green Lakes Serviced Apartments in mid-2007. Both properties will offer unparalleled levels of luxury serviced accommodation for short- and long-term guests on leisure or business visits.

All Emirates Hotels & Resorts' properties will incorporate Timeless Spas, the division's luxury spa brand developed from the highly successful Jamila Spa at Al Maha. Timeless Spas will be located in each property, with unique treatments and spa products developed by its spa professionals using indigenous, natural ingredients.

Emirates' Destination & Leisure Management Division also includes Emirates Holidays, its tour operating arm; and Arabian Adventures, the Middle East's leading destination management company.

Air Malta reports disappointing Q4 2005 results

Luqa, 13/03/06 - Air Malta carried almost 10,250 more passengers on its intra-European operations in Q4 of 2005 when compared to the same period the previous year. However traffic on its scheduled network to and from Malta decreased by almost 8,000 passengers, while charter passengers decreased by 20,000. Seat factor on its scheduled services dropped three points to 64 per cent against 67 per cent the previous year.

Overall total traffic, scheduled and charter, Q4 totalled 371,000, a reduction of 18,000 passengers, or 4.6 per cent, over the same period in 2004. During this period Air Malta flew 450,000 seats, an increase of 10,000 on the corresponding period the previous year.

Reviewing the performance for April to December, the first three quarters of Air Malta's financial year, the airline operated 7,405 flights - an increase of 39 flights. These flights were operated on its entire network of scheduled and charter flights. 1.57 million passengers were flown on Air Malta's route network. Seat factor on its scheduled services dropped to 70 points from 71 per cent the previous year.

Operating revenues in Q4 of 2005 were Lm19.9 million a drop of Lm1 million on the same period the previous year. Operating costs reached Lm24.5 million with operating results showing a negative Lm0.8 million worse than the same quarter in 2004. Looking at the economic performance for the period April to December operating revenues reached Lm81.5 million a drop of Lm2.7 million on the same period the previous year. The operating loss was Lm2.3 million against a profit of Lm 291,000 the previous year.

"These results reflect the worrying trend which is being experienced by many of the players in our industry. For the cumulative period April to December we experienced a shortfall in revenues on the previous year of Lm2.7 million, mainly on our Malta operations. At the same time we improved our operating cost base by more than Lm600,000 in a situation where our fuel bill alone rose by Lm4.6 million and this after taking into account hedging income," commented Ernst Funk, outgoing CEO of Air Malta.

"On the revenue front we have lost points and were it not for our intra-European operations the results would have been worse. The revenue lost was mainly on operations to and from Malta coupled with losses on handling operations at MIA. We are facing tough competition on all fronts and in order to face this competition our unit revenues are diminishing. Other airlines have the luxury of shifting their operations to other non-Malta routes. Although we do have intra-European operations it is significantly more difficult for us to take this course," continued Funk.

The worst months for the airline are the first quarter of the year, when tourist traffic is particularly low. However, looking ahead for the year starting April 2006 the airline believes that it should see some improvements. "Our focus now needs to be directed at revenue generation without losing our grip on costs", concluded Funk.

Indian Ocean suffers from the Chikungunya virus

Mosta, 13/03/06 - According to the French Association of Tour Operators, CETO, the Chikungunya epidemic, which first started on Reunion in January, has begun to have a significant impact on reservations from French tourists to the island. CETO is expecting a drop in bookings of around 30 to 40 per cent, ETN TravelWire News reports.

The Chikungunya virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, has already infected as many as 180,000 people on Réunion island. Jocelyne Lauret, CEO of La Réunion's Office of Tourism (CTR), said that 12,000 overnights were cancelled for the month of February, representing a loss of €500,000 in earnings for the island. Shops in the city centre of Saint Denis say that sales are down 30 per cent.

Tourism is one of the major industries on the island representing €3 million in revenues and employing 10,000 people. The CTR has decided to suspend marketing and promotions as long as the problems persist. But an aggressive marketing campaign is planned for when the situation is back to the normal.

The Chikungunya has already spread to other destinations. The Seychelles has recorded 2,000 cases and Mauritius 15 as at early February. In Mauritius, the regional authorities reacted immediately with an anti-mosquito spraying campaign. The government has reaffirmed that all necessary measures have been taken with stricter controls at ports and airports. Mauritius is safe for visitors.

New glasses prevent jet lag

University Heights, US, 13/03/06 - John Carroll University scientists have announced a new method to avoid jet lag.

Many travellers have experimented with the hormone melatonin with limited success. The new method is more reliable because it uses the body's own melatonin. It's been known for many years that light striking the eye causes the pineal gland to stop making melatonin. Recently it has been discovered it is the blue component in white light that causes the suppression. New spectacles that block the blue light can allow travel to a distant place without the disruptive effects of jet lag. These glasses are available on the web at www.lowbluelights.com. The glasses have been checked with a spectrometer to be sure they block the light that causes melatonin suppression.

The traveller should begin adjusting his circadian clock to the new time zone a few days before departure. He can do this without actually having to adjust is daily pattern of living. For travelling east, he should put on the glasses an hour before normal bed time the first night, two hours before bedtime the second night, etc. This gradually moves his circadian clock forward in time by starting melatonin flow at an earlier hour. By the time he leaves, his internal clock is running on the new time zone. Actually going to bed an hour earlier the night before departure will help make the change. After arrival he may find it beneficial to try exposure to bright lights first thing in the morning, to cut off melatonin production. One theory is that there are two circadian clocks one that turns on melatonin (in the absence of blue light) and a second that turns it off. The lights in the morning will reset the second circadian clock.

For travelling west, the traveller should start a few days before departure by putting on the glasses for an hour when he arises on the first day, for two hours the second, etc. This will push the circadian clock backward in time by allowing melatonin to flow past normal wake up time. This may have the effect of making the traveller feel sleepy so caution is required in using this method. On arrival he may want to have bright light available in the evening to prevent melatonin from starting to flow before he is ready to go to bed.

For travelling both east and west, a good general rule is to start in advance of departure one day for each time zone you are crossing. For a 12-hour difference, the technique to use should depend on whether you are travelling east or west. Because melatonin is such a powerful hormone it is not recommended taking it as a food supplement.

'Bormla' joins KM's fleet

Luqa, 13/03/06 - Air Malta has received its ninth new aircraft from Airbus Industrie. The 180-seater A320 was named Bormla and will be flying from Air Malta's UK bases in Bristol and Birmingham. Another new A320 will be joining KM's fleet in May.

The last remaining two aircraft on order will be delivered in February and March 2007, and by that time the airline's fleet will consist of 12 state-of-the-art Airbus machines from the A320 and A319 aircraft family. By then the average age of Air Malta's fleet will go down to 2.7 years considered to be one of the lowest in Europe .

The new fleet has brought substantial advantages and cost savings arising from fleet commonality particularly on maintenance and flight crew deployment, a company spokesman says.

Immobility not the only factor in DVT risk

Mosta, 13/03/06 - Air travel, particularly long-haul flights, can increase the odds of developing dangerous blood clots but researchers said last Friday they are not only due to being immobile for long periods, reports Reuters.

Low pressure and low oxygen levels in aircraft may also contribute in some people to the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

DVT, often called 'economy class syndrome' because of the cramped conditions on aircraft, usually develops in the legs and can be fatal if the clot dislodges and moves to the brain or lungs.

Professor Frits Rosendale of Leiden University Hospital in the Netherlands and his team compared concentrations of markers for blood clotting in 71 healthy people before, during and immediately after an eight-hour flight.

They also looked at the markers in the volunteers after eight hours in the cinema and after doing daily activities.

"Activation of coagulation (clotting) occurs in some individuals after an eight hour flight, indicating an additional mechanism to immobilisation underlying air travel related to thrombosis," Rosendaal said in the study published in The Lancet medical journal.

The researchers said concentrations of the clotting markers were higher after the flight than they were after sitting in the cinema or doing daily activities, particularly in patients who had other risk factors for DVT.

Rosendaal said about 40 percent of the people in the study had an increased risk of DVT because of a genetic mutation or were women taking oral contraceptives, which also carry a raised risk of DVT.

In a commentary on the research, Dr Hans Stricker of the Ospedale Regionale in Locarno, Switzerland, described the research as an "important piece of evidence to the mosaic of travel-induced thrombosis."

He advised air travellers to avoid taking sedatives or drinking too much alcohol during flights to reduce the risk of DVT. Compressive stockings that improve blood flow could also help.

But Stricker said medical preventions such as low-dose anti-clotting drugs should be limited to people who have an increased risk of DVT such as those who have had recent surgery to the lower extremities.