Air Asia X’s departure disappointing news

Air Asia X’s departure disappointing
news for holidaying Kiwis

12 March, 2012 - The announcement of Air Asia X’s withdrawal of Christchurch services today is a deep disappointment to House of Travel agents throughout New Zealand, and particularly the South Island. The withdrawal means that Christchurch will no longer enjoy direct services to the exotic South East Asian destination of Malaysia.

“Not having Air Asia X flying directly in and out of Christchurch will impact on the convenience of travelling to and from South East Asia for kiwi holiday-makers and business travellers”, says Brent Thomas, Commercial Director of House of Travel. “Clearly, we are deeply disappointed with this decision.”

The withdrawal of services has left thousands of travellers with the dilemma of where and how to holiday in 2012. House of Travel advises travellers to contact their booking agents to discuss their options, and to check with their travel insurance providers to ensure that other related costs are recoverable. Air Asia are offering refunds to travellers who have booked on withdrawn services, but payments on accommodation and tour bookings are not so clear cut.

“Our teams are researching cost effective alternatives for House of Travel customers who would like to maintain the itineraries that they have currently booked,” say Mr Thomas. “For those that are unsure, we are also exploring a range of options that ensure our customers can still enjoy a wonderful holiday or intrepid experience.”

Supporting customers and being accountable for the travel planning experience is a high priority for the House of Travel Group. “Those 20 days of annual leave are so important for kiwis and we are committed to ensuring their holiday planning is as seamless as possible,” says Mr Thomas.
END

About House of Travel
House of Travel is a favourite among New Zealanders, looking to plan and book holidays. Established in 1987, the House of Travel Group now spans the length of breadth of New Zealand with over 60 retail outlets, and has an expanding network of travel consultants across Australia.
House of Travel is fiercely proud of its New Zealand owned and operated status, and employs over 1200 group-wide. It supports a successful owner-operator partnership model with its retail outlets nationwide, as well as specialist Corporate, Wholesale, and Groups operations.
House of Travel is known for its innovative market approach, and commitment to providing expert travel advice and high quality holiday experiences. House of Travel online has won numerous awards since it began in 2004, including Overall Excellence in the Use of IT at the Computerworld Excellence Awards in 2005; and has been voted the best Travel Site in the NetGuide Peoples Choice Awards in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

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