APX and Qantas to Fly New Zealand's Top Entrepreneur to World Awards
New Zealand's 2015 Entrepreneur Of The Year was revealed at a glittering event hosted by EY at The Langham on 15 October – this esteemed award was given to Craig Hickson, Founder and Managing Director of Progressive Meats. Our sincere congratulations to Craig and the Progressive Meats team.
As joint Travel Sponsors of the Awards, APX and Qantas will proudly fly Craig and his partner on Business Class to the World EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in Monte Carlo in 2016.
Congratulations also to Annah Stretton, who was awarded the 2015 EY Social Entrepreneur Of The Year Award. Annah was recognised for her work with RAW (Reclaim Another Woman) – an initiative which matches mentors with women who have been victims of domestic violence.
Upcoming Peak Travel Dates
Each month we bring you a list of peak travel dates, to ensure you can book business trips ahead and avoid missing out on flights, accommodation and rental cars.
Please note, the summer holiday period is always a peak travel time and is not included below.
Auckland
6-8 November – ITM 500 Auckland (V8 Supercars at Pukekohe)
21 & 22 November – Fleetwood Mac concert
12 December – Ed Sheeran concert
15 December – ACDC concert
17 January 2016 - UB40 concert
6-7 Feb - NRL Auckland Nines
Wellington
15 November - Toast Martinborough
21 November – Elton John concert
12 December – ACDC concert
30 – 31 January 2016 – Wellington Sevens
18 - 21 February 2016 – Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Accommodation at capacity)
Christchurch
7-14 November - New Zealand Cup and Show Week
Dunedin
18 November – Fleetwood Mac concert (Accommodation at capacity)
Australia
30 Oct - 4 Nov - Spring Racing (Melbourne Cup) - Melbourne
5 December - V8 Supercars - Sydney
As always for travel bookings contact us on 0800 TRAVEL (872 835).
APX Blog: How to Ensure You Get Off Your Flight Ready for Business
In our latest APX Blog post, we chat to Auckland-based naturopath and health expert Helen Elscot for her tips on how to best prepare for a flight.
Discover what you can do while travelling to ensure you arrive energised, healthy and ready for business.
New Border Levy to Apply From 1 January 2016
The Government has confirmed details on the new border levy for travellers arriving and departing New Zealand, which will come into effect on 1 January.
The levy will be $18.76 + GST for air travellers. For cruise ship passengers the levy will be $22.80 + GST due to the additional biosecurity assessments required at ports.
Children under two, as well as military staff and government crisis workers will be exempt, as will anyone who has purchased and paid for their ticket in full before January 1 for travel over the next 12 months.
Airpoints Membership Gives Precedence on Air New Zealand
Business travellers who fly with Air New Zealand are encouraged to join the Air New Zealand Airpoints programme, to ensure they can travel hassle-free.
On selected flights and days, airlines will oversell services – and if there are no cancellations, extra travellers will be placed on standby to be re-accommodated on another flight. Those without an Airpoints number in their booking will be among the first to be placed on standby for Air New Zealand flights.
It is now free to join Airpoints online - sign up today
United Airlines to fly between San Francisco and Auckland
American airline United Airlines is set to return to New Zealand to commence flights between Auckland and San Francisco from July 2016.
In partnership with Air New Zealand, as part of the Star Alliance network, United will use Dreamliners for the route and will fly as often as daily.
This news follows Air New Zealand's decision to fly direct services from Auckland to Houston from 15 December - meaning much more access to the US from New Zealand.
Travellers Advised Not To Post Photos of Boarding Passes Online
A security expert has warned travellers on his blog that your boarding pass may contain far more information about you than you realise, and posting a photo of it online can make this data available for criminals.
Research Shows Uber Preferred Over Airbnb for Business Travel
A survey of 350 corporate travel managers around the world by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) in partnership with American Express Global Business Travel has indicated that companies are embracing Uber as an option for business travel more favourably than Airbnb.
One of the biggest concerns for employers is safety, and these relatively new models are still being evaluated by corporates from a duty of care perspective.
