Latest news with #Ansett
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Ansett Australia set for big return decades after collapse, but in never seen before avatar; here's what to expect
Over two decades after the collapse, Ansett Australia, which was once the country's second-largest airline, is all set to return in a new avatar. Ansett Australia collapsed into administration after suffering financial troubles in 2001. Its final flight was recorded early in 2002. More than 16,000 people lost jobs following the company's downfall. Now, two decades later, the brand is scripting a revival in a way Australians wouldn't have ever imagined. It is making a return not as an airline but as an AI-powered holiday booking platform called Ansett Travel , according to 7News. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category healthcare Cybersecurity MCA others Product Management Design Thinking PGDM Leadership Public Policy Data Science CXO Operations Management Healthcare MBA Others Management Technology Finance Data Analytics Digital Marketing Degree Data Science Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow CERT-IIML Healthcare Management India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow CERT-IIML Healthcare Management India Starts on undefined Get Details How is Ansett Travel designed Speaking about Ansett Travel, Melbourne-based entrepreneur Constantine Frantzeskos said it was designed to be a 'hyper-personalized' travel agent that suggests trips and itineraries based on your preferences, calendar events, and budgets. 'I didn't just acquire a lapsed trademark and domain; I resurrected trust embedded deep in collective memory,' Frantzeskos was quoted by 7News as saying on Monday (July 28, 2025). 'The original Ansett served Australians beautifully for 65 years before collapsing in 2002, leaving a void in reliability and brand warmth. I believe that legacy still matters and that it's deserving of being reimagined for modern travellers. Ansett Travel isn't about replicating the past; it's about re‑engineering it through AI as the core, not as an afterthought,' Frantzeskos continued. Live Events What will Ansett Travel offer Frantzeskos has worked with Emirates, Dubai Tourism, and Visit Victoria in the past. This time, he has partnered with Victorian travel start-up Travlr. He said the new platform is 'like the Costco of travel.' It is open to everyone, 'but if you want the really good stuff,' flights, hotels, and holidays at near-wholesale prices, you will need to join Ansett VIP, he said. Ansett VIP membership An Ansett VIP membership is $99 a year, according to 7News. Not all AI features are live yet, but Frantzeskos said plans for things like auto-generated itineraries, pre-trip alerts, and personalized loyalty experiences are in the works. 'Today's travel platforms are reactive,' he said. 'You search, compare, click. Ansett seeks to flip that model. 'It's designed to anticipate when users need a break, school holidays, anniversaries, executive downtime, or great weather for a weekend away, and offer options before you even think to ask. It's not replacing human agents; it's doing what scale, data, and logic do best—with finesse, not friction.' The website is already live and offering travel deals for destinations including Las Vegas, Bali, Tokyo, and Athens. Before its collapse, Ansett reportedly flew about 10 million passengers annually.
The Age
2 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Ansett Australia is back for travellers. But not as you knew it
Acquiring the Ansett brand was relatively straightforward, Frantzeskos said. The trademark had lapsed, and the domain name was also available for purchase. He's confident that despite the painful downfall, there are many Australians – particularly those aged 35 and above – with fond memories of the airline. 'It's a shame it went away, but I think that brand voice is still compelling, and people have nostalgia for it,' Frantzeskos said. 'Just because the corporate entity behind something didn't work doesn't mean that the brand still doesn't mean something. When I mention what I'm doing to people, they get a big smile on their face.' The Ansett brand also lives on as a pilot training offering, under the brand Ansett Aviation Training. Frantzeskos, a digital marketing veteran, has worked with Emirates, Saudi Tourism and Dubai Tourism as clients and said that experience will help deliver compelling customer experiences with Ansett. He has partnered with Melbourne-based travel start-up Travlr, which is providing the platform's technical back-end and customer support infrastructure. While many of the AI features are yet to be built out, the entrepreneur said he eventually wants to provide travel experiences for customers that would be possible only with AI. For now, customers can book at near-wholesale prices on flights and accommodation and pay a $99 yearly fee for VIP membership. 'One thing I'm hoping to do is, if you've booked a holiday for your family, we'll know who you are and your name and where you're going, so I want to give you an AI-written jingle and send it to you so it can be the soundtrack of your holiday,' he said. 'I'm a big believer that you don't need armies of people out there doing stuff that can be done better with AI. And the cost of implementation is really declining so much – you don't need thousands of staff and to train them any more. With AI, you can just get going straight away. 'I think there are new, cool, fun experiences we can do what would never be achievable by humans.' Loading He added that, eventually, he believed people wouldn't have to search or plan holidays at all. 'Your travel concierge will know when the kids are on school holidays, or when you need a break, and quietly offer the perfect trip. It's not about replacing people – it's about anticipating and tailoring times when we want to have fun or disconnect.'
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Ansett Australia revived as AI-powered travel platform two decades after carrier's collapse
The Ansett name 'is back', but not as Australians will remember the former airline. Ansett Australia was once the country's second-largest carrier but collapsed into administration after suffering financial troubles in 2001. Its final flight was recorded early the following year. Now, more than 20 years later, the brand is being revived not as an airline but as an AI-powered holiday booking platform called Ansett Travel. Melbourne-based entrepreneur Constantine Frantzeskos said it was designed to be a 'hyper-personalised' travel agent that suggests trips and itineraries based on your preferences, calendar events and budgets. 'I didn't just acquire a lapsed trademark and domain, I resurrected trust embedded deep in collective memory,' Frantzeskos said on Monday. 'The original Ansett served Australians beautifully for 65 years before collapsing in 2002, leaving a void in reliability and brand warmth. 'I believe that legacy still matters, and that it's deserving of being reimagined for modern travellers. 'Ansett Travel isn't about replicating the past, it's about re‑engineering it through AI as the core, not as an afterthought.' What Ansett Travel will offer Frantzeskos has previously worked with Emirates, Dubai Tourism and Visit Victoria, and this time partnered with Victorian travel start-up Travlr. He said the new platform is 'like the Costco of travel'. It is open to everyone 'but if you want the really good stuff' — flights, hotels and holidays at near-wholesale prices — you will need to join Ansett VIP, he said. An Ansett VIP membership is $99 a year. Not all AI features are up and running but Frantzeskos said plans for things like auto-generated itineraries, pre-trip alerts, and personalised loyalty experiences are on the cards. 'Today's travel platforms are reactive,' he said. 'You search, compare, click. Ansett seeks to flip that model. 'It's designed to anticipate when users need a break – school holidays, anniversaries, executive downtime, great weather for a weekend away – and offer options before you even think to ask. 'It's not replacing human agents; it's doing what scale, data and logic do best – with finesse, not friction.' The website is already live and offering travel deals for destinations including Las Vegas, Bali, Tokyo and Athens. Before its collapse, Ansett reportedly flew about 10 million passengers annually. More than 16,000 jobs were lost as a result of the company's downfall.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Ansett Australia revived as AI-powered online travel agency by Melbourne tech entrepreneur after its trademark lapsed
An iconic Australian airline that went under about 25 years ago has returned for travellers, but will not be flying passengers around this time. Former carrier Ansett Australia has been revived as an AI-powered travel agency by Melbourne-based tech entrepreneur Constantine Frantzeskos. He said the new version of Ansett is designed as a personalised travel concierge which will make predictive trip recommendations and plans based on customers' preferences. 'This will be a travel agent that understands you, your family, your needs, your budget and where you've been. That's the vision,' Mr Frantzeskos told The Age. Ansett's brand was revived as the old airline 'stood for something Australians still value: innovation, trust, and great service", according to the new travel website. Mr Frantzeskos said trademark for the former carrier had lapsed and the domain name was up for grabs. He said despite the airline's bleak collapse, where 16,000 jobs were lost, many Aussies could still appreciate the nostalgia behind the brand. 'It's a shame it went away, but I think that brand voice is still compelling, and people have nostalgia for it,' Mr Frantzeskos said. 'Just because the corporate entity behind something didn't work doesn't mean that the brand still doesn't mean something. When I mention what I'm doing to people, they get a big smile on their face.' The revived version of Ansett - which will compete against major online travel agencies such as Expedia, and Webjet - has stressed it uses AI to organise pricing and schedule trips. 'This is Ansett, reimagined for the way we live and travel now,' Ansett's website reads. 'We don't just show you endless options — we personalise your travel journey from the first click. 'We use AI to surface the best prices, strip out the noise, and recommend what actually matters to you. 'You won't find generic upsells or bait pricing here — just smart, fast, near-wholesale deals.' Ansett flew Aussies around the country and overseas for 65 years and was the second ranked airline to Qantas before it was grounded.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
‘Trusted name': Defunct airline's return
More than 20 years after closing its doors, Ansett is back – this time, as an AI-powered travel agency. Ansett Airlines – later Ansett Australia – served as the country's second-largest since 1936 before it was placed into voluntary administration and ceased operations in 2002, resulting in a loss of 16,000 jobs. Before its closure, the airline was once a mainstay of Australian culture as one of the major sponsors of the AFL and the major sponsor for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Ansett Australia ceased operations in 2002. Credit: Supplied Last month, Melbourne entrepreneur Constatine Frantzeskos announced the airline's return as an AI-powered travel agency after 'the famous Ansett trademark had lapsed'. 'Ansett is back – reborn as Australia's first truly AI-run travel agency,' he wrote on LinkedIn. 'I registered the trademark, created a fleet of AI agents, and – thanks to a tech integration with Travlr – have now turned Ansett into a one-founder online travel agency.' The Ansett Travel website is powered by AI and designed to offer a 'personalised' experience. 'We use a combination of large language models, recommendation systems, and predictive pricing engines,' the website read. 'Our AI helps personalise your journey, surface better deals faster, and automate the back-end processes that traditional OTAs still handle manually.' According to the company's website, the travel agency operates with 500 airlines and three million hotels and aims to '(revive) a trusted name' and '(give) it a new identity'. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Frantzeskos said Ansett Travel was 'building the personal travel agent of the future'. The Ansett brand is making a comeback – this time as an AI-powered travel agency. Credit: Supplied According to the website, the company is not 'trading on nostalgia'. 'The Ansett name still holds meaning – especially for Australians who remember a time when travel felt innovative, considered, personal, and premium,' the website read. 'We're not trading on nostalgia – we're reviving a trusted name and giving it a new identity: intelligent, intuitive, and value-driven.'
