Bus travels, Tour and transport

A CHRISTMAS venture overseas is still a reality for travellers despite many Australian tourists already finalising their holiday preperations.

A boom period for the travel industry, the Christmas holidays are not out of reach for the last-minute traveller, with bargain hunters still able to secure a value for money deal.

Flight Centre Limited global marketing manager Colin Bowman said there were still plenty of great packages available for people to enjoy outside the peak Boxing Day to New Years Day period.

"With just two months to go to until the peak season, interest has been keen in the traditional international and domestic holiday hotspots," Mr Bowman said.

"While you can still book an airfare or room across the Boxing Day to New Year period, there are much cheaper options available in mid December or early in January.

"The best advice we have for travellers is to lock in a deal now, given that this is traditionally the busiest time of the year.

Alligator boots

Diamond Studs

Read More

ASIA PACIFIC. International passenger numbers carried by Asia Pacific-based airlines hit 17 million in August, a +3.9% increase over the same period in 2010, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).

International passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, grew by +5.3%, reflecting good demand on long-haul routes. Available seat capacity grew by +6.0%, resulting in a slight 0.6 percentage point fall in the average international passenger load factor to 79.3%.

For the region's carriers, international air cargo demand, expressed in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), was -5.8% lower compared to the same month last year.

AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman said: “For the first eight months of the year, Asia Pacific based airlines carried 126 million passengers, +3.5% up on the same period last year. However, air cargo demand remains relatively weak compared to last year's strong performance, with a -3.8% decline in freight traffic for the first eight months of this year.”

suit separates

Diamond Studs

Read More