Virgin Australia axes 12 flights amid travel chaos as ‘bomb cyclone' looms over NSW
Virgin Australia had cancelled 12 flights as of about 8am local time on Tuesday, with another several delayed.
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Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Australian holidayers set to hit the slopes
Australian holidaymakers are about to swell numbers on the slopes to about 10,000 visitors daily across NZSki's alpine trio of southern ski areas next week. The Australian influx combined with the school holidays and plentiful snow is set to lift the skier and snowboarder count at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in Queenstown as well as Mt Hutt near Methven. Early snow allowed Mt Hutt to open on June 14 after a couple of false starts, while the southern mountains, boosted by snowmaking, opened the lifts on the same day. The 3000 visitors arriving daily at the twin peaks this week are set to rise closer to 4000, while Mt Hutt would increase to between 2000 and 3000 a day. NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson said offshore dollars arriving at peak weeks in the ski season were important for the company, nearby centres and local economies. "It's when we finally get in the black as we spend a lot of money through summer in marketing and maintenance and we hang on for this period to get us into the black. "It's positive as Australian visitors coming across are strong spenders. The Aussies who come over are on holiday and have a budget for their holiday and are going to spend it in retail, on rent skis and buy their lunch." He said advance sales were locked in for snow sports lessons, transport and equipment hire from Australia with bookings continuing through the season. "We've got New Zealand and Queensland on holiday and next week we get New South Wales on top of that, so next week will be our biggest week. Pre-bookings out of Australia are very strong with double-digit growth, so 50% to 60% growth in Australian advance sales." He said softer advance sales from the North Island should turn around once news travelled about Mt Hutt's deep snow base. Next week's influx would be nearing capacity, but high-speed lifts were equipped to keep queues moving, he said. Early snowfall followed by further top-ups had created a 1.5m base at Mt Hutt. "We've got the most snow we've had for this time of the year for probably 15 to 20 years and just superb conditions." Queenstown's ski areas had a dry beginning to winter until snowmaking over eight days allowed them to start on schedule. Mr Anderson said season pass holders had initially made the most of the Queenstown skiing in the first few weeks and visitor numbers were now up on last year after 30cm of snow landed last weekend to fill the mountain's lower section. Another 6000 Australians due to arrive for Snow Machine, a music festival at The Remarkables and Coronet Peak in mid-September, are expected to boost spring skiing. Later that month there will be celebrations for The Remarkables' 40th anniversary. The ski areas are scheduled to close on October 12, with Coronet Peak usually closing the access gates earlier.
Techday NZ
2 days ago
- Techday NZ
Ant launches Alipay+ Voyager, an AI travel tool in e-wallets
Ant International has launched Alipay+ Voyager, an artificial intelligence-driven travel companion built into digital wallets, with initial support from travel platforms including Agoda, Fliggy and The service incorporates AI capabilities developed by Ant International and aims to streamline itinerary planning, booking travel, and making in-destination purchases through a single AI-powered interface available in users' local languages. Alipay+ Voyager is being made available first within three of Asia's largest e-wallets: Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), and GCash (the Philippines), with plans to introduce the solution to more wallets throughout 2025. The platform is designed to assist travellers globally, including those from Australia, with the objective of simplifying the entire travel process using familiar digital payment and super app solutions. Service details The system enables users to plan and book trips, manage activity bookings, and make payments for local services directly from their digital wallet. Integration with over 100 million merchants in the Alipay+ ecosystem promises broad acceptance and support for purchases abroad. Australian travellers are among those who can expect a more seamless travel experience, with itinerary planning, research, and booking—covering flights, accommodation, and activities—consolidated into one interface. The AI assistant can also help users navigate local purchases and payments using text or voice commands in their language. Market context Global trends in travel show an ongoing increase in the use of mobile devices, with mobile already accounting for two-thirds of online travel traffic. Research indicates the online travel market is anticipated to grow by 10% annually through 2032. Younger travellers, including those in the Gen Z demographic, are seeking personalisation and hyperlocal experiences, often accessed through all-in-one mobile platforms. The expansion of Alipay+ beyond cross-border payments to offer agentic AI capabilities reflects broader industry shifts towards digital solutions that encompass travel planning, booking, and spending. Alipay+ Voyager aims to support both consumers and merchants by simplifying these processes within digital wallets. Key features Among the central features highlighted at launch are intelligent end-to-end travel assistance, real-time connections to localised services such as public transport and dining, and proactive service curation. The AI platform is designed to anticipate users' preferences, provide relevant options in real time, and assist with issues such as flight delays or changes in conditions. For merchants and online travel agents (OTAs), the deployment across multiple major wallets can open access to large and diverse consumer markets through a single integration. The company states that its approach allows tailored engagement with travellers across every stage of their journey, while also supporting small and medium-sized businesses with digital tools for efficiency and growth. Partner perspectives Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, said: Travellers today are using more tech to enhance their trips, and there is a need for the industry to adapt and meet these new and emerging expectations. By integrating a proactive, always-on AI travel companion within digital wallets that consumers already use frequently, we're empowering travel and wallet partners with new opportunities to engage travellers in a more relevant, personalised way, through every step of their journey. Gil Hazan, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Agoda, commented: At Agoda, we are committed to making travel more accessible and seamless for everyone. By integrating our extensive supply network as one of Asia's leading online travel platforms with Alipay+ Voyager's expansive wallet partnerships, we can offer travellers a more convenient and personalized booking experience. This collaboration enables us to reach a broader audience and provide tailored travel solutions that cater to the diverse needs of today's travellers. Forward plans Ant International's Alipay+ Wallet Tech team has been collaborating with partners since 2015 to develop digital payment and security solutions. The company indicated intentions to build further agentic AI suites to serve different industries via its Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit platform. The ongoing expansion of Alipay+ Voyager to additional partners is expected throughout 2025, increasing its relevance for outbound travellers worldwide.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- RNZ News
'Bomb cyclone' pummels Sydney with heavy rains, winds
Well over 100mm of rain is ahead for much of the NSW coast during the next 72 hours. Photo: ABC News A "bomb cyclone" has lashed Australia's most populous state with heavy rain and strong winds, forcing airlines to cancel domestic flights and prompting evacuation warnings in coastal communities. Authorities on Tuesday warned that parts of New South Wales could also expect the wild weather to worsen in the next 24 hours, with up to 250 millimetres of rain and winds up to 125kph predicted. Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said the size of the system was "enormous". "It may seem pretty bad but the terrible thing is the situation is going to worsen over the course of the next 24 hours," he told a news conference on Tuesday afternoon. Residents living along areas vulnerable to coastal erosion have been told to leave their homes with minor flood warnings also in place for several communities along the state's Mid North Coast. Qantas Airways cancelled at least 11 domestic flights operating from Sydney and Virgin Australia cancelled 12, the Sydney Airport website showed. No international flights have been affected. "Some services on Virgin Australia's network have been impacted by adverse weather in Sydney and Newcastle today," a Virgin Australia spokesperson said by email. Australia's weather bureau said a "bomb cyclone", or "bombogenesis", was a low-pressure system that formed quickly and caused pressure to drop significantly within a short period of time. The weather system is expected to shift offshore into the Tasman Sea on Wednesday and ease by Thursday, the bureau said. "Damaging winds and large seas will continue across much of the coast through Wednesday, with warnings expected to continue," senior meteorologist Helen Reid said. "Conditions will continue to ease into Friday with only very light isolated showers lingering about the east coast by the end of the week." -Reuters
