Travel Updates by DailyStraits.com

Melbourne Gets New Bali Flights

Melburnians can soon fly directly to Bali with TransNusa, as the Indonesian airline prepares to launch daily services between Melbourne and Denpasar alongside its new Premium Plus offering.
The new route will begin on Oct 19, with introductory one-way fares starting from AUD299 for basic seats and AUD699 for Premium Plus.
The expansion follows TransNusa’s growth in the Australian market, including its Perth operations, where the airline says it secured a 20 per cent market share within 12 months.
The Melbourne service will operate daily. Flight 8B 18 will depart Bali at 8.45pm and arrive at Melbourne Airport at 5.40am the following day. The return flight, 8B 19, will leave Melbourne at 6.25am and arrive in Bali at 9.40am.
The launch will also mark the debut of TransNusa’s Premium Plus product, positioned between its standard offering and traditional business-class travel.
Only 20 Premium Plus seats will be available on each flight, with passengers receiving additional baggage allowance and priority benefits.
TransNusa describes itself as a premium-service carrier rather than a conventional low-cost airline, with its standard tickets including baggage, water, snacks and additional legroom.
The Melbourne route is also designed to make Bali a connecting point for Australians travelling farther into Indonesia and Asia.
Passengers will be able to connect through Bali to Indonesian destinations including Wakatobi, Manado, Bima and Lombok, while international connections include Singapore, Phuket and Guangzhou.
The Melbourne expansion follows TransNusa’s push into the Australian market through Perth and forms part of the airline’s broader international growth strategy.
Tickets for the Melbourne-Bali service are now on sale through TransNusa and authorised booking platforms.

Qantas Opens Adelaide Innovation Centre

Qantas has officially opened its new Product Innovation Centre in Adelaide, with plans to create more than 400 digital and technology roles over the next three years.
Located in the Adelaide CBD, the purpose-built centre will bring together product managers, digital experience designers, software engineers, and data and AI specialists to develop new technology and digital experiences for Qantas customers.
The first 50 employees have moved into the centre, while Qantas is recruiting for another 40 positions. The project is supported by the South Australian Government.
A pilot team established in March has already been developing real-time customer feedback tools and new digital experiences, including applications using Qantas-built AI and the airline’s own data.
Qantas is also partnering with Adelaide University to establish graduate recruitment pathways, with the first graduates expected to start in February next year.

Scoot Launches Everywhere Sale

Scoot has launched its Everywhere Sale, offering Australians discounted one-way fares across its Asian network from Sept 15 to Sept 20.
The sale covers departures from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with travel periods extending from October 2026 through August 2027, subject to selected dates and blackout periods.
Travellers looking beyond Indonesia’s traditional holiday destinations can fly to Belitung from $225 one-way from Perth, while Padang starts at $215 and Labuan Bajo from $265.
Other sale destinations include Da Nang from $230 and Phuket from $205 from Perth. Longer-haul Asian city breaks include Osaka from $320 and Seoul from $350.
From Sydney, sale fares include Belitung and Padang from $280, Da Nang from $270, Phuket from $290, Seoul from $320 and Osaka from $360.
Melbourne fares include Belitung and Padang from $280, Da Nang and Phuket from $300, Labuan Bajo from $330, Seoul from $360 and Osaka from $375.
The airline is also promoting destinations including Fuzhou in China, Amritsar and Coimbatore in India, Kota Bharu and Kuantan in Malaysia, and Pekanbaru and Semarang in Indonesia.
Scoot recently added Guiyang in China to its network.
The sale ends Sept 20, with fares and availability subject to travel dates and applicable blackout periods.

Korean Air Mileage Merger Approved

Korean Air has received final approval from the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) for its mileage integration plan with Asiana Airlines, following a 15-month review that began after the framework was submitted in June 2025.
Under the approved plan, newly accrued miles will go directly into Korean Air’s SKYPASS programme once the integrated airline launches. Existing Asiana miles will transfer across but remain in a separate balance for 10 years, giving customers the choice to keep them separate or convert them to SKYPASS miles at any time; those who keep a separate balance can still redeem it under Asiana’s existing chart.
Elite members will have their Asiana status automatically matched to an equivalent Korean Air tier, with current validity periods preserved. A new “Morning Calm Select” tier — offering SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits — will also be introduced alongside the existing Million Miler, Morning Calm Premium and Morning Calm tiers.
Mileage conversion will follow a dual structure: flight-accrued miles convert 1:1, while partner-accrued miles convert at 1:0.82. Korean Air has also committed to keeping award seat availability at or above pre-integration levels, with long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe and Oceania offered at or above the highest levels seen in the past decade, and annual redemption capacity set to exceed the combined pre-integration volume of both airlines by at least 20%.
A dedicated mileage integration website, oneskypass.koreanair.com, launches September 15 to guide customers through the transition.

Skywards Doubles Miles

Emirates Skywards is offering members double Miles on eligible Emirates and flydubai flights booked between Sept 15 and 30, 2026.
Members must register for the promotion and book an eligible flight during the offer period, with travel to be completed between Sept 15 and Nov 30.
The promotion gives members a 100 per cent bonus on the Skywards Miles they would normally earn and applies across eligible flights throughout the Emirates and flydubai networks.
On Emirates, the offer covers Economy Class, Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class, while flydubai passengers can earn double Miles in Economy and Business Class.
Existing Skywards members must register before booking to qualify. Travellers who are not yet members can join the loyalty programme during the promotional period, register for the offer and book an eligible flight.
The additional Miles can be put towards future flight and lifestyle rewards available through Emirates Skywards.

Emirates Adds UAE’s Jaywan Card for Flight Payments

Emirates has partnered with Al Etihad Payments to introduce Jaywan, the UAE’s national card scheme, as a payment option for flight bookings.
From 16 September, UAE-based customers can use Jaywan cards when booking Emirates flights online or at Emirates Retail stores. Accepted cards include Jaywan Royal Debit, Jaywan Prestige Debit and Jaywan Prepaid cards.
Jaywan cardholders will also have access to special fares across all cabin classes and most fare types on one-way and return journeys from Dubai. The offer applies to bookings made from 16 September 2026 to 31 August 2027, for travel until 29 February 2028.
The partnership forms part of Emirates’ broader push to expand digital payment options in the UAE. The airline has previously worked with Dubai Finance on the Dubai Cashless Strategy and introduced Crypto.com Pay for eligible UAE residents.
Jaywan was introduced by Al Etihad Payments as the UAE’s domestic card scheme, designed to strengthen the country’s local payments infrastructure. Cards are issued by major UAE banks and are accepted across a growing range of businesses, including transport, hospitality, healthcare and retail.

Korean Air Seals Boeing Deal

Korean Air has finalized a USD 44.8 billion aircraft and engine procurement agreement as part of its long-term fleet modernization strategy.
The deal includes USD 36.2 billion for 103 Boeing aircraft: 20 Boeing 777-9s, 25 Boeing 787-10s, 50 Boeing 737-10s and eight Boeing 777-8F freighters.
Korean Air also signed agreements worth approximately USD 8.6 billion with GE Aerospace and CFM International covering 21 spare engines and a 15-year engine maintenance contract for 28 aircraft.
The agreements complete the procurement plan announced in Washington D.C. in August 2025, with a signing ceremony held in Seoul on September 15.
Korean Air said the investment will provide a predictable fleet introduction schedule as it expands capacity following its integration with Asiana Airlines. The newer aircraft are also expected to improve fuel efficiency and support the carrier’s carbon reduction goals.

British Airways Adds Tanzania flights

British Airways will fly to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar in Tanzania from May 2027, part of a summer schedule update that also lifts its Latin America capacity by 25%.
The flights leave London Gatwick three times a week from 29 May to 31 October 2027, landing at Kilimanjaro before continuing to Zanzibar. They will be flown by a Boeing 777 on a triangle route, with return fares from £849 including taxes and fees.
From late March 2027, the airline will move Buenos Aires to a daily non-stop service from London Heathrow, continuing to Santiago. The daily Rio de Janeiro flight will run as a dedicated route without the Buenos Aires stop, and the San José, Costa Rica, service will become year-round at three flights a week.
Cape Town flights will rise from seven to 10 a week over summer, and Las Vegas from 13 to 14. British Airways also confirmed that Gatwick to Barbados, starting in October, will continue through summer 2027.
The airline has separately announced Gatwick to Colombo from 23 October and Heathrow to Melbourne via Kuala Lumpur from 9 January.

Malaysia Airlines Crew Ranked Third

Malaysia Airlines has been named Best Airline Staff in Asia at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, with its cabin crew placing third in the World’s Best Airline Cabin Crew category, up from eighth in 2025.
The airline climbed six places to 21st in the World’s Best Airline category. It rose from sixth to second in World’s Best Airport Services, debuted at 18th in World’s Best Business Class Airlines, and moved from 16th to 12th in World’s Best Economy Class Airlines. It also went from 12th to 11th in World’s Cleanest Airline and kept its place in the Top 10 Best Airlines in Asia, ranking 10th.
Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said: “This recognition is a reflection of the collective efforts of our people across the airport, onboard and behind the scenes, who come together every day to deliver Malaysian Hospitality throughout the customer journey. Reaching this milestone after years of consistently climbing the global rankings is a significant achievement for our national carrier and a direct reward for our team’s relentless effort. It is this spirit of warm, thoughtful and consistent service that sets the Malaysia Airlines experience apart.”
The airline says it has received 29 new aircraft and plans a fleet of 117 by 2035. Its long-term business plan aims to put it among the world’s top 10 airlines by 2030.

Qatar Airways Wins Four Awards

Qatar Airways has won four titles at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards and retained its Skytrax 5-Star Airline rating.
It was named World’s Best Business Class for the 13th time and Best Airline in the Middle East for the 14th. It also took World’s Best Business Class Lounge for the eighth time, for its Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden, and World’s Best Onboard Wi-Fi, the first time that award has been given.
The airline says it operates the world’s first and largest Starlink-equipped widebody fleet, and that more than 25 million passengers have stayed connected on more than 96,000 of its flights.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Hamad Al-Khater said: “We are honoured to receive four World Airline Awards from Skytrax, including the World’s Best Business Class for a thirteenth time and the first award ever given for the World’s Best Onboard Wi-Fi. These awards belong to our people. Sixty thousand colleagues deliver the best experience in the world for our passengers every day, and they have done so through a particularly challenging year.”