House of Travel Ashburton

Dreaming of classic American road trips through the canyons of Los Angeles? Well, we are bringing back 2019 USA airfare prices with a new direct route to LA from $999pp return plus more great USA airfares and deals on sale, allowing Kiwis to fulfil their American dreams without breaking the bank.

The world's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner successfully skated on the 3000 metre ice runway in Troll, Antarctica. This ice-breaking moment carried 45 scientist and researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute. The runway only operates between October and March, just before it sees it's last day of daylight for nearly 6 months. Despite this incredible feat, commercial flights show no indication of being in the talks.

Norwegian Cruise Line is introducing a brand new, innovative hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide. The idea to be a worlds 'first oi the new Norwegian Aqua, aiming to set sail in 2025, the experience also includes a three-level go-kart track to make sure it fits into multiple tick-lists for their cruisers.

In July this year, engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney announced that 700 planes across the globe need to be inspected. Air New Zealand has 17 Airbus A320 and A321 NEO's which fly to Australia, Pacific Islands and other domestic routes need to be inspected. Chief executive Greg Foran said most customers are still likely to fly on the same day however, some international flights will move a day either side of their original booking date. A refund will be available to the 150,000 affected passengers if their changed service doesn't suit there itineraries. This will see the pause to direct flights from Auckland to Hobart and Seoul from April 2024.

From snapping your friends or uploading your cruise experiences on Instagram and Facebook, internet connection is a necessity. As more and more people choose to cruise around the world, demand for faster Wi-Fi is a must. P&O have a solution. P&O are introducing Starlink across all fleets, with Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter already offering the improved internet. Pacific Explorer is expected to to feature this later in the month. Starlink, the satellite internet project by SpaceX. Deploying a constellation of satellites to provide high-speed internet globally, especially in remote and underserved areas like the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

With the world reopening and travel is becoming more attractive than ever. Innovations are set in place to make the travelling experience so much better. Imagine not having to talk to anyone, show your passport to anyone, just a streamlined experience. Facial recognition systems, AI integration, robotic logistics, all to create a smooth and streamlined experience. We are also seeing hints of potential supersonic travel being re-introduced since Concorde's failure in the early 2000s. These exciting innovations are a matter of when, rather than if. Changi International Airport is taking these innovations and aiming to implement them in early 2024. Can we see the same for Auckland Airport? Definitely.

Delta Airlines, one of the biggest American airline brands touches down for the first time in history in Auckland on the 30th October as the airlines introduced a new direct flight from Los Angeles to Auckland. The service will be all-year round with daily flights during summer, then reduing to a 3 flights per week schedule during the winter period (April to October) Delta will be using one of their Airbus A350-900, seating 339 passengers on the 13-hour journey across the pacific ocean.

The Australian airline is now trialing a new feature which allows passengers flying on trans-Tasman flights alongside flights to the US and Singapore to purchase an empty seat next to them. The trial period is undisclosed, however, following an evaluation of the trial, more international routes may see this option become available. The way it works: Passenger's on eligible flights will receive a notification 2 days before departure offering this upgrade to "reserve" the seat next to them. As it's not guaranteed, if the seat is sold after "reserving," the passenger is refunded.

Planning a trip to Singapore? The newly renovated cycle path is a must-see. It's called the Singapore-Kranji railway and now you can enjoy a bike ride through Singapore on one of the countries most historic features which debuted 120 years ago. The final train journey operated in 2011 and it was then closed until it was revitalised into a bike path for locals and tourists to soak up the unique history of Singapore. The route passes through Singapore's beautiful wildlife to the urban infrastructure.