Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
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FlyFireFly Sdn Bhd, operating as FireFly, is launching its inaugural scheduled flight between Kota Bharu and Langkawi on 27 October 2015, further enhancing Kota Bharu as its northern Malaysian hub. It will operate services on this route on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays,
On 27 October, FireFly flight FY2291 departs from Kota Bharu for Langkawi at 11.30 am, arrives in Langkawi at 12.55 pm before leaving Langkawi at 1.30 pm and arriving in Kota Bharu at 2.50 pm under flight FY2290.
At present, FireFly operates scheduled flights from Kota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur, Senai and Penang.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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Qingdao Airlines is adding a new route. On 15 September 2015, it launches a daily scheduled flight from Qingdao to Kunming using its Airbus A320 aircraft.
On 15 September, flight QW9801 departs from Qingdao at 8.55 pm and arrives in Kunming at 12.30 am on 16 September where it will park overnight before it takes off at 7 am for Qingdao and returns to Qingdao at 10.20 am under flight QW9802.
Qingdao Airlines faces competition on the route from Kunming Airlines.
Heritage Review : Gan Yung Chyan
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Distributed to Everyone
If there is one local musical group that keeps Singapore's local music scene vibrant, it is 316 Music Ministry. The independent Singapore Christian music ministry which was formed in 1991 and registered in 2012 as a Singaporean non-profit organization held its fifth local concert-rally on 29 August 2015 at Singapore Chinese Orchestra Concert hall where they presented songs from its fifth album named Experience Him.
Experience Him is a collection of contemporary 14 Chinese language odes to key characters from the Bible including Enoch, Jonah, Moses, Esther, Samson, Joseph, Abraham, Noah, David and of course Jesus Christ.
316's other albums include Homeward Bound, Unbounded Heart, Living Out the Will of God and How Much Longer Must We Wait.
In brief, 316 is named after John 3:16 which states God so loves the world that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting life. The members of 316 have faith that if they were asked the origin of the music ministry they will be able to share with them Jesus Christ's good news of salvation and His Second Coming.
316 have performed in various Asian countries more than local singers for almost 25 years. The music ministry celebrates 25 years of growth in 2016. Including Singapore, they have conducted 79 Christian concert rallies in Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and China and fans come from these countries and as far as Myanmar, Thailand and Canada.
The regional 316 music ministry has partner members from Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Penang besides the core Singaporean members.
The public can download lyrics or purchase its albums by visiting 316's web-site www.316music.org or invite 316 to conduct concert-rallies by emailing to the ministry at talkto316@yahoo.com .
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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Cambodia Angkor Air is launching shuttle flights between Vientiane and Hanoi and increasing flight frequency to Ho Chi Minh City on 25 October 2015 using one of its Airbus A321 aircraft as it enters its sixth year of operation. The airline first launched flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from Phnom Penh in 2009.
On 25 October 2015, Cambodia Angkor Air flight K6 815 departs from Phnom Penh for Vientiane at 10.45 am, arrives in Vientiane at 12.15 pm before leaving Vientiane at 12.50 pm for Hanoi. It arrives in Hanoi at 1.55 pm.
Two hours later on the same day, the outbound flight from Hanoi K6 814 takes off for Vientiane at 3.25 pm and touches down in Vientiane at 4.35 pm. At 5.20 pm, flight K6 814 departs from Vientiane and returns to Phnom Penh at 6.45 pm. One hour later, it continues its outbound journey towards Ho Chi Minh City at 8.30 pm and arrives in Ho Chi Minh City at 9.15 pm.
K6 814 is the only code that straddles three different air routes, 4 different airports in Southeast Asian civil aviation history.
By adding Vientiane to its route network, Cambodia Angkor Air's final direct flight to Hanoi from Phnom Penh is on 24 October 2015. The airline will face direct competition from Vietnam Airlines and Lao Airlines on the Vientiane services.
The Phnom Penh-Ho Chi Minh City schedule of K6 814 is an addition to its existing flight schedules between the two cities. Currently, Cambodia Angkor Air flies twice daily to Ho Chi Minh City.
Cambodia Angkor Air has recently added the new ATR72-500 aircraft to its fleet. It features luxurious seats aiming at providing a more comfortable flight experience for passengers on its domestic flights to Siem Reap and Sihanouville.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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Tigerair launches its first scheduled flight to Quanzhou from Singapore on 28 September 2015. It will operate services on the new route on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays using one of its Airbus A320 aircraft. The new route was first revealed by ASA Holidays' ASA Air Charters in the Tigerair route map at both Travel Revolution and NATAS Holidays 2015 travel fairs in August 2015.
On 28 September, Tigerair flight TR2926 departs from Singapore at 10.30 am, arrives in Quanzhou Jinjiang Airport at 3.15 pm before leaving Quanzhou at 4.15 pm and arriving in Singapore at 9 pm under flight TR2927. One-way all-in fare starts from 188 Singapore Dollars.
Quanzhou is the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road where many Singapore Hokkien-speaking Chinese forefathers hailed from, the homeland of mandarin oranges and the gateway to the famous Hui'An County where Hui'An women's exotic costumes are known for.
Now a major industrial, petrochemical and apparel manufacturing city, Quanzhou's famous tourist attractions include South Shaolin Temple where Yongchun martial arts were developed, the symbolic Kaiyuan Temple that has relief and architectural evidence of Hindu and Buddhist influences, Mount Qingyuan National Park and the famous statue of Lao Tze.
Before 28 September 2015, international flights from Quanzhou reach Seoul-Incheon, Suvarnabhumi, Hong Kong, Taipei-Taoyuan, Jeju, Macau and Manila.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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Tigerair has just added Lucknow to its Indian route network. On 3 December 2015, it launches its first scheduled flight to Lucknow, the northern Indian gateway in Uttar Pradesh to important cities on the Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage circuits such as Gaya and Varanasi.
On 3 December 2015, Tigerair flight TR2676 departs from Singapore for Lucknow at 5.30 pm, arrives in Lucknow at 8 pm before leaving Lucknow at 9 pm and touching down in Singapore at 4.35 am on 4 December 2015 under flight TR2677.
Tigerair plans to operate services on the new route on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. According to Tigerair, online tickets for this route will be on sale from 1 September 2015.
Besides Lucknow, Tigerair is also adding Quanzhou to its China route network on 28 September 2015. Further details on the new Chinese route from Singapore will be published on 25 August.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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XiamenAir launches once-daily scheduled flights between Sanya and Beijing from 19 September 2015. On this day, flight MF8393 departs from Beijing at 6.40 am for Sanya and arrives in Sanya at 10.45 am.
Passengers have almost one day for to explore or sunbath in this vibrant coastal city of Hainan Island before returning to the airport to board flight MF8394 which leaves Sanya at 8.20 pm and touches down in Beijing at 12.10 am on 20 September 2015.
Besides the new Beijing-Sanya route, XiamenAir has announced this month that it is due to launch its second intercontinental Dreamliner flight from Xiamen to Sydney with its sixth Dreamliner B787-800 aircraft at the end of December 2015. It will open a new route to North America in 2016.
On Singapore flights, XiamenAir said it has signed a partnership agreement with Changi Airport Group in Xiamen Jinyan Hotel on 17 July 2015 with the aim to launch direct flights to second-tier and third-tier Chinese cities from Singapore without stopovers in Xiamen, Fuzhou and Hangzhou and attract more Chinese travellers to transit in Singapore for flights to China, Southwest Pacific and Southeast Asia.
XiamenAir first launched its first Singapore flight in 1986. After 30 years of services, the airline has operated services from Singapore to Xiamen, Fuzhou and Hangzhou with onwards flights to Dalian, Tianjin, Zhengzhou and Xi'an.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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Qingdao Airlines has announced on 11 August 2015 that it will be fully-privatized and re-named as Xinlong Air once its investor Qingdao Transport Development Company (Group) Ltd completes the transfer of its 25 per cent stake to the airline's parent company Nanshan Group.
The airline's other investor Shandong provincial-owned Shandong Airlines Group is transferring its 20 per cent stake in Qingdao Airlines to Nanshan Group, abiding by an agreement signed on 30 July between Shandong Airlines Group and Nanshan Group.
Xinlong, meaning 'New Dragon' in Mandarin, will adopt new dragon logo and the new livery will appear gradually on the existing Qingdao Airlines' fleet of six Airbus A320 Sharklet aircraft. The similarity in Chinese name with Loong Air and Dragonair suggests the new airline that will be more efficient in management is ready to compete with other well-known Chinese airlines. Loong Air flies from Hangzhou to Qingdao while Dragonair operates flights between Hong Kong and Qingdao.
Meanwhile, Qingdao Airlines is launching new routes between Harbin and Qingdao and between Qingdao and Quanzhou on 20 August 2015.
On 20 August 2015, Qingdao Airlines flight QW9807 departs from Harbin at 10.10 am for Qingdao, arrives in Qingdao at 12.15 pm before embarking on the onward journey to Quanzhou at 1.15 pm and arriving in Quanzhou at 3.40 pm.
Flight QW9808 leaves Quanzhou at 4.30 pm for Qingdao where it arrives at 6.55 pm before departing for Harbin at 7.45 pm and returning to Harbin at 9.40 pm where the A320 aircraft will park overnight.
Qingdao Airlines aims to induct three more aircraft to its fleet and launch further eight routes before end of 2015. It also aims to increase its fleet to 60 by 2020 and 100 aircraft by 2025, enabling it to launch regional and international flights from Beijing and Shanghai.
Established in July 2013, Qingdao Airlines is awarded its AOC on 10 March 2014 and launches its first scheduled flight on 26 April 2015 to Chengdu. It currently operates flights to Chengdu, Beijing, Nanjing, Changsha, Guiyang, Nanning, Yinchuan, Hailar, Dunhuang, Lanzhou and Urumqi.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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Changi Airport welcomes three new airlines in August 2015.
Besides the much-publicised Myanmar National Airlines' inaugural international scheduled flight to Singapore on 17 August and Thai Lion Air's debut flight to Singapore on 15 August, Changi Airport proudly welcomes the entry of Batik Air on 14 August 2015 as the first new foreign airline to operate new flights to Singapore this month.
According to Lion Air, Batik Air is operating twice daily flights on behalf of Lion Air to Singapore with effect from 14 August this Friday. On this day, Batik Air's first flight to Singapore ID7153 departs from Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport (Cengkareng) Terminal 2D at 7.45 am, arrives in Singapore at 10.35 am before leaving Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 11.20 am and touching down in Cengkareng at 12.05 pm under ID7154.
The second Batik Air flight of 14 August, ID7155 takes off from Cengkareng Terminal 2D at 1 pm, arrives in Singapore at 3.45 pm before it departs from Singapore at 4.35 pm and returns to Cengkareng at 5.20 pm under ID7156.
With the addition of Batik Air flights, these Lion Air Group members operate five daily flights between Jakarta and Singapore from 14 August.
Batik Air's Jakarta-Singapore-Jakarta tickets can be purchased at Lion Air's web-site www.lionair.co.id currently. The tickets are unavailable at Batik Air's web-site www.batikair.com.
Hotel Review by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone
Bonnie Guest House, known officially on Booking.com and Agoda.com as Bonnie Villa, is a one-year hotel near Phnom Penh International Airport close to Pochentong Market. Drive past Attwood Business Center along Russia Boulevard until one reaches the traffic junction between Dara Airport Hotel and a shopping centre, turn right. Travel about one hundred metres until a market is reached. Turn left and drive past the University of Cambodia and South East Asia TV Station until you see the Bonnie Guest House road sign and enter right.
Rated three-star by the Ministry of Tourism Cambodia, I will rate the three-storied budget hotel four-star. This is because travellers can request the sales executive Molika to arrange customised breakfast and land trips in Phnom Penh by hotel car or tuk tuk. Bargains in room rate are permitted with the lowest rate at 18 US Dollars. My breakfast is unexpectedly a double portion of a single traveller's breakfast at other Southeast Asian budget hotels.
The owners Soebonna and Ranie who named the hotel Bonnie Guest House or Bonnie Villa after the alphabets in their names can arrange Cambodian spa massages performed by blind Cambodian staff if guests wished to experience Cambodian massage. They are hospitable enough to provide guests with free packs of fried soybeans, a breakfast staple of Cambodians, as a gift of goodwill.
Bonnie Guest House sells coach tickets for land travels from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, Kep, Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City and many more Indochinese destinations in Cambodia and Vietnam. It has now a kitchen to prepare breakfast at a cost of 5 US Dollars and it is planning to open its rooftop bar in the months ahead.
Soebonna reported many Singaporeans have stayed in the hotel and guests with Booking.com bookings hail from other countries as far as Russia, China, Germany, Hungary, France, the UK and the US.
I recommend everyone who reads this review to consider staying in Bonnie Villa while vacationing in Phnom Penh.
The snapshots in this review show the aspects of the hotel and its bed room for a couple.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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Cambodia Bayon Airlines which relocated its Head Office from CEIB Building opposite the Attwood Business Centre near Phnom Penh airport to #174ABCD Mao Tse Toung Boulevard on 3 August 2015 plans to launch scheduled flights to Singapore by end of this year or early 2016 after its first Airbus A320 aircraft is received.
Besides Singapore, Cambodia Bayon Airlines also plans to launch international flights from Phnom Penh to Vientiane, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, Nanning, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Incheon and Osaka using A320 aircraft.
International customers can purchase Cambodia Bayon Airlines tickets for travel to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanouk and Ho Chi Minh City currently via Abacus computer reservation system.
On-line tickets purchased through its web-site at www.bayonairlines.com can only be paid using UnionPay and VISA credit cards. If payment failed, an online reservation email will be forwarded to the customer requesting for ticket payment at its sales offices within 48 hours.
Cambodia Bayon Airlines is the subsidiary of Bayon Holding Limited, co-owned by Joy Air and Aviation Industrial Corporation of China (AVIC), and has a fleet of MA-60 aircraft.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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Jetstar Asia Airways has postponed Singapore's first low-cost flight to the Sumatran city of Palembang, the birthplace of Malacca Sultanate founder Parameswara and Sang Nila Utama who founded the Kingdom of Singapura known as Temasek and the ancient Indonesian capital city of the Kingdom of Sriwijaya, from 29 October 2015 to 3 December 2015 due to the haze. Besides, it is resurrecting Singapore's low-cost flight links to Pekanbaru on 5 November 2015 and to Danang on 27 November 2015.
On 3 December 2015, Jetstar Asia flight 3K235 departs from Singapore for Palembang at 1.25 pm, arrives in Palembang at 1.30 pm before leaving Palembang at 2.10 pm and touching down in Singapore at 4.15 pm under flight 3K236. Flights between Singapore and Palembang are operated thrice a week, on Thursdays, Saturdays and Tuesdays.
Rich historical and cultural tourist destinations of interest in Palembang include Ampera Bridge, Musi River, Sriwijaya Kingdom Archaeological Park, Bukit Seguntang Archaeological Park, People's Struggle Monument, Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum and Punti Kayu Tourism Forest.
On 5 November 2015, Jetstar Asia flight 3K231 departs from Singapore for Pekanbaru at 9.25 am, arrives in Pekanbaru one hour later at 9.25 am local time before leaving Pekanbaru at 10.05 am and touching down in Singapore at 12.05 pm under flight 3K232. Jetstar's flights between Singapore and Pekanbaru are on Thursdays, Sundays and Tuesdays.
Previously, low-cost flights to Pekanbaru were operated by Tiger Airways, AirAsia Indonesia and Mandala Tigerair.
On 27 November 2015, Jetstar Asia flight 3K541 takes off for the gateway to Hue and Hoi An, Danang, at 6.05 pm and arrives in Danang at 7.35 pm. It leaves Danang at 8.15 pm and returns to Singapore at 11.45 pm under flight 3K542. Flights are on Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays.
Previously, low-cost flights to Danang were operated by Tiger Airways.
Jetstar Asia Airways' new routes to Palembang, Pekanbaru and Danang are operated by its Airbus A320 aircraft.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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According to its official web-site, Dragonair flies twice a week from Hong Kong to Hiroshima on Sundays and Thursdays with effect from 16 August 2015 using its Airbus A321 aircraft.
On 16 August, Dragonair flight KA350 departs from Hong Kong at 12.10 pm and arrives in Hiroshima at 4.45 pm. Three hours later, flight KA351 leaves Hiroshima for Hong Kong and touches down in Hong Kong at 10 pm.
Hiroshima is the fourth Japanese destination of Dragonair after Okinawa Naha, Fukuoka and Tokyo Haneda.
Located in the southwest of Honshu, Japan's largest island, Hiroshima offers visitors an intriguing blend of leisure, heritage, history and gastronomy including the poignant Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the beauty of nearby Miyajima Island known as Japan's Island of the Gods with one of Japan's finest scenery spots and the city's famed version of Japanese dish okonomiyaki.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
On 3 August 2015, Scoot started to sell its B787 Dreamliner fares for departures from Singapore to Hangzhou in an effort to compete with Jetstar Asia Airways.
Scoot's first flight to Hangzhou takes place on 25 October 2015 when flight TZ108 departs from Singapore at 5.10 pm, arrives in Hangzhou at 9.45 pm before leaving 2 hours later at 11 pm and touches down in Singapore at 3.55 am on 26 October 2015.
Scoot's Hangzhou return flights are on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Scoot is selling one-way fare starting from 58 Singapore Dollars and return fares from 218 Singapore Dollars including taxes and surcharges.
Travel must complete by 21 March 2016.
Before 3 August 2015, Scoot was selling lower fares to celebrate Singapore's 50 years of independence from 50 cents on selected routes. For instance, the lowest return fare to Incheon was approximately 284 Singapore Dollars.
