What's new for Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin and international airlines in 2014
AIRLINES are rolling out a raft of new models, revamps and fresh directions to rake in Down Under dollars.
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AUSTRALIANS have never spent more on international travel, and in the past financial year have taken a record 8.4 million jaunts abroad - almost three times the number of 10 years ago.
New Zealand, Indonesia, the US, Thailand and the UK the top-five destinations for short-term trips.
With so many Australians heading for the skies to see the world, competition for our travel dollar has never been stronger and international airlines are working hard to get our business.
The full-service carriers serving Australia have predicted 2014 will be a year for modifying customer experience, both on the ground and in the air, with some airlines also increasing capacity on existing runs Down Under.
Cathay Pacific is one airline promising extra hops to Australia next year, boosting the number of weekly flights from 70 to 74 by the end of March.
"The main difference for Australian passengers from Adelaide, Cairns and Melbourne is that all flights will be non-stop from March, as they are into Sydney and Perth,'' Cathay's general manager for the southwest Pacific Dominic Perret said.
"Brisbane will have a daily non-stop service, as well as four flights a week that stop briefly in Cairns, and there will be an overall increase in capacity (to Australia) of 6 per cent.
"Cathay will add Newark in New York City from March 2014 (but) you'll notice the introduction of more routes on our regional airline Dragonair than on Cathay Pacific, since Dragonair is focusing on new destinations around Asia.
"We have recently announced exciting new holiday destinations for Australians including the Maldives, Siem Reap in Cambodia, Yangon in Myanmar and Danang in Vietnam.''
Singapore Airlines is already the largest foreign carrier serving Australia so the focus will be on tweaking the passenger experience rather than offering more seats.
The carrier is striving to offer a "new benchmark in premium travel'' next year with the installation of next generation economy, business and first-class seats and an advanced in-flight entertainment platform, at a total cost of $580 million.
The next-generation cabins made their debut on the Singapore to Heathrow run, considered a key market for Australian customers, with the updated seats set to go into eight new 777-300ER aircraft and the A350s when delivered down the track.
The new economy positions, which offer more personal space and legroom, feature backrest cushions, side bolsters and sculptured headrests for extra support while business-class seats recline to become the industry's widest fully-flat bed.
Singapore Airlines will also invest $17 million on a worldwide redevelopment of airport lounges.
"Many of our customers tell us that the moment they step on board a Singapore aircraft they feel an immediate sense of 'home','' the company's vice president for products and services Tan Pee Teck said.
Qantas is also improving the pre-flight encounter, with a new business lounge to open in the updated Los Angeles International Airport terminal in the first half of 2014.
The Flying Kangaroo will also open a new lounge in Hong Kong during the first half of 2014, as part of the airline's enhanced commitment to Asia, but the most obvious change will be the company's new uniform designed by Martin Grant for its 12,600 employees
It's not just the full-service airlines that have big plans for next year, with low-cost carrier Jetstar introducing an innovative new aircraft on international runs to improve service.
Jetstar Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the budget airline was rolling the 787-800 Dreamliner into its fleet with stops at popular spots from Bali and Phuket to Singapore, Japan and Hawaii.
"The Dreamliner is a big deal for Australians because it takes long-haul travel to a new level and makes it possible for families to experience an aircraft that's traditionally the domain of full-service carriers,'' the Jetstar boss said.
"The first thing you notice when you step on board is the wow factor. You get that space and natural light you don't get on other aircraft and the experience during the journey is so good because of the improved humidity and the different level of pressurisation.
"You have great entertainment and every seat has power so, whether you bring your own entertainment or you're watching ours, you have lots of options to get you through a 10 or 11 hour flight.''
But that's only the start, and looking further afield there's some big events on the horizon for world aviation.
South America's TAM Airlines is set to join oneworld in March, Aeroflot will launch a low-cost carrier called Dobrolet to be based in Moscow and fly 737s to key Russian destinations 40 per cent cheaper than the full-service alternative, and Singapore Airlines has flagged its intention to establish a new carrier in India.
Air New Zealand will take delivery of the very first 787-900 to roll out of Boeing's Everett factory near the middle of the year, 500 Flying Nannies will be working on Etihad's long-haul sectors by the beginning of 2014 and Doha's Hamad International Airport will finally open after a three-year delay.
It's not just international airlines that are working hard to improve customer experience, Australia's domestic carriers are also planning upgrades next year that will make short-haul travel more agreeable.
Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia will focus on improving everything from airport lounges to economy seats for domestic travellers next year.
"We have provided a much improved customer experience in the past 12 months and the next 12 months will see even bigger change,'' Jetstar Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said.
"We have redesigned the catering model and the improvements that will continue to come through catering are significant, and this is an important piece of the puzzle for our travellers because some of them are travelling long distances and the food must be a high standard.''
The big changes at Qantas will be the introduction of Boeing 717 on routes from Hobart to Melbourne and Sydney by mid-2014, and the renovation of A330 business-class cabins to feature fully-flat beds and direct aisle access from every seat.
The 20 A330s in the Flying Kangaroo's domestic stable - which will travel east-west routes - will also get improved economy seats and Q-Streaming technology so passengers can access a vast library of entertainment on iPads and the like.
"Customers in all parts of the aircraft will notice a significant improvement in comfort when our refreshed A330s start to roll out from the end of 2014,'' Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said.
"Qantas invented business class and these new business suites reflect what we know our customers want - whether they are flying for work or leisure, (and) we've created a product that has enough space to dine while working or to rest and leave the seat in a recline position from take-off to landing.''
Virgin Australia will also strive to enhance the guest experience in the air and on the ground, with the airline's innovative wireless in-flight entertainment set to feature on all Boeing 737s and Embraer 190s by the start of the year. It will also open new lounges in Darwin and Perth by the end of next year.
The airline is ready to take delivery of two new A330s, which means Virgin Australia will fly the aircraft on all routes between Perth and east-coast destinations to offer an international-grade product on the longest domestic services in Australia.
There will be other additions to Virgin Australia's domestic armada, with more Boeing 737-800s and ATR 72-600s arriving in 2014.
These state-of-the-art aircraft are set to bring the average age of the company's planes down to 4.2 years, making it one of the region's youngest fleets.
Buckle up, it's set to be a big year for flying.
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