CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES LAUNCHES HOTEL SELECTIONS PROGRAMME

10 July 2002

China Southern Airlines, the largest and most progressive carrier in the People's Republic of China, has announced Hotel Selections, a brand new holiday stopover programme for travellers from Australia to China and Southeast Asia.

The extensive China stopover programme, the first of its kind from Australia, offers an initial 28 properties in 18 cities - 16 within China, plus Singapore and Bangkok. 

It has been developed for China Southern by specialist wholesaler Spree Holidays, and is designed to serve both the business and leisure travel markets to China.

Hotel Selections offers three levels of property - Standard, Superior and Deluxe - with prices starting at just $46 per person, twin share, and features international brands including Holiday Inn, Sheraton and Shangri La. All prices include local service charges, and many properties also include buffet breakfast in their tariff.

The new stopover programme builds upon China Southern's recent introduction of Pearl Class cabins on flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Guangzhou, featuring spacious101 cm seat pitch, 120 degree seat recline, gourmet food selection, individual fold-out video screen, 10 movie channels and personal IDD satellite phone.

Hotel Selections packages can be combined with China Southern's special Pearl Class fare of $1999 from Sydney and Melbourne to Guangzhou, which includes free Economy Class travel on selected domestic routes in China, including Beijing, Shanghai Hong Kong and Guilin. This a special is on sale until 31 October for travel until 31 December.

As well, all China Southern passengers will receive free membership of the airline's Sky Pearl Club for frequent flyers - a programme which is also linked to the frequent flyer programmes of global airline, hotel and resort partners.

China Southern's General Manager, Australia, Ms Annie Ye, said Hotel Selections - China and Asia was part of an ongoing programme by the airline to make China more accessible to the Australian market.

"Since our introduction 18 months ago of Boeing 777 services from Sydney and Melbourne to our gateway of Guangzhou, we have experienced steady and encouraging growth in bookings," said Ms Ye.

"We are now experiencing strong demand for travel within China, a trend which will continue to grow now that the country has been admitted to the World Trade Organisation, and as we draw closer to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing."

The Hotel Selections programme offers properties throughout China, in the airline's hub of Guangzhou, plus Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Kunming, Hangzhou, Guilin, Chengdu, Wuhan, Shenzen, Dalian, Nanjing, Urumqi, Harbin and Shantou. Properties are also offered in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore.

Prices are valid until 31 March, 2003, and are featured in a new 12-page brochure, to be distributed shortly. The Hotel Selections packages and Pearl Class fare offers are both commissionable to travel agents.

China Southern Airlines operates three weekly Boeing 777 services from Australia to China, where it operates a modern fleet of Boeing and Airbus jets to nearly 90 destinations. 

The airline offers two weekly flights on the Melbourne - Sydney - Guangzhou route, and a third from Sydney only to Guangzhou.

All passengers have personal video screens and satellite telephones on the 777s, which offer three classes of service - Premium Business, Pearl Class and Economy Class.

China Southern Airlines flight CZ 322 departs Melbourne at 7.10am every Monday and Thursday on the 12 hour flight to Guangzhou, via Sydney. 

The airline departs Sydney at 9.50am every Monday, Thursday and Sunday arriving in Guangzhou nine hours later at 4.50pm local time. 

The three mid-morning Sydney departures are perfectly timed for passengers arriving from elsewhere in Australia and New Zealand, en route to China.