Grand Opening of its hotel residence Capri by Fraser

Grand Opening of the first hotel residence of Frasers Hospitality Pte Ltd, Capri by Fraser, was on January 25th 2013. The grans opening came with the unveiling of plans to take the Capri by Fraser brand into the global marketplace, following its successful brand launch in May 2012.


This includes the opening of two more Capri by Fraser properties this year, the 175-apartment Capri by Fraser, Ho Chi Minh City in March 2013 and the 240-apartment Capri by Fraser, Kuala Lumpur in November 2013. The Group is also in the process of finalizing plans for more Capri by Fraser properties in Asia Pacific and Europe.

Created by Frasers to meet the evolving needs of e-generation business travellers, the new urban-inspired hotel residence brand concept Capri by Fraser, is attracting strong market interestwith its first property in Singapore enjoying a steady average occupancy of more than 80 percent since it soft opened in September 2012.

Bolstered by its strategic location in one of Singapore’s robust business districts, within close proximity to the Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre, Capri by Fraser, Changi City/Singapore has been attracting strong corporate and MICE clientele from surrounding companies ranging from financial, logistics, information technology, telecommunication, FMCG to airline industries. Stays have averaged between three to five nights, with long stay bookings of over several weeks. Capri by Fraser Changi City/Singapore also scored an early coup of becoming the official hotel of the inaugural Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA)tournament in Singapore, within only two months of its soft opening.

Speaking at the Grand Opening of Capri by Fraser, Changi City/Singapore, Mr Choe Peng Sum,Chief Executive Officer of Frasers Hospitality Pte Ltd, said: “The positive international response that Capri by Fraser has generated within a relatively short span of time is a strong indication that there is a demand for a hotel residence brand that is well positioned to meet the 24x7 work-life balance needs of the rapidly growing e-generation market sector. We are very excited with this response and it is very much our plan to explore the growth potential of this brand internationally throughout Asia and beyond.”

Capri by Fraser

The Capri by Fraser hotel residence concept cuts through the conformity of typical hotels by offering residents an extensive range of facilities and customisable services together with the comfort and convenience of a full serviced residence. E-efficiencies such as iPad-activated check ins,e-Concierge and e-Print facilities are available to complement the always-on lifestyles of business travellers. Seamless complimentary high-speed Wi Fi Internet connectivity is provided to help residents stay constantly connected throughout the property – in the rooms and all public spaces.

In line with its high-tech vibe, meeting and conference facilities are equipped with the late studio-visual capabilities including interactive touch-screen panels and integrated white board project or features. A choice of food and beverage and leisure options, complemented by fully equipped kitchenettes and Spin & Play integrated launderettes, provide residents with the flexibility to choose how they want to work, stay and play.

Capri by Fraser, Changi City/Singapore is part of the Changi City integrated development consisting of the retail mall, Changi City Point and business tower, ONE@Changi City jointly developed by Frasers Centre point and Ascendas.

Frasers Hospitality Pte Ltd’s current portfolio, including those in the pipeline, stands at 76 properties in 41 key gateway cities and more than 12,300 apartments worldwide.

Singapore hotel offers Samsung Galaxy Note rental to guests

Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park, a newly opened Singapore hotel, is offering a smartphone rental service specifically designed for travellers visiting Singapore. The hotel partners with Hong Kong-based Tink Labs and offers the Samsung Galaxy Note devices, known as ‘Handy’ to its customers for SG$18 (US$14.70) per day. Handy comes with unlimited 3G internet access and unlimited phone calls to 26 countries. The device will also be preloaded with a mobile Singapore city guide, along with a selection of other travel apps.

The device will also be preloaded with a mobile city guide specifically designed for tourists visiting Singapore and a handpicked selection of other travel-friendly smartphone applications. The hotel has teamed up with Tink Labs, a Hong Kong-based company, for this service which provides a comprehensive mobile travel platform to inbound travellers.

“Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park is part of an integrated development in Balestier which is an area rich in culture and history. We want to ensure travellers make the most of their stay with us and offering ‘handy’ will help them explore some of the best places in Singapore,” said Tony Cousens, General Manager, Ramada and Days Hotels Singapore at Zhongshan Park.

Offering a combined total of almost 800 rooms across the three and four-star hotel segment, the Ramada and Days Hotels Singapore at Zhongshan Park is the first hotel-by-the-park development in the country and is expected to play an integral part in the transformation of the Balestier locale.

Days Hotel Singapore is part of a new SG$300 million development in the Balestier Road area of the city, and sits adjacent to the Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park.

The Sin$300 million development will also include a commercial tower, a shopping mall, and a range of restaurants and bars flanking Zhongshan Park offering guests and visitors a wide choice of dining options.

“We are excited to work with the Days Hotel Singapore, who shares our passion for innovative travel, and enhancing the way people experience all that Singapore has to offer. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, no one should have to lug around paper maps, multiple SIM cards, heavy guide books, or be misinformed by out-of-date information. We want our customers to experience the same level of connectivity while travelling in Singapore as they do at home, and to never get hit with an exorbitant mobile phone bill the month after their trip,” said Terence Kwok, CEO and Founder of Tink Labs Limited, the holding company offering handy services.

The 14-storey Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park opened its doors to guests at the end of last year and has 405 contemporary guest rooms decorated in a vibrant avant-garde style.

 The property has all ‘the smart basics’ that every traveller seeks in a hotel room, such as complimentary hi-speed WIFI, 24-hour gym and a hearty breakfast. The hotel also has an all-day dining restaurant, 21 on Rajah, offering a selection of Mediterranean, local and South East Asian fare.
Source : Days Hotel Singapore Offers Guests ‘handy’ Samsung Galaxy Note

Scoot to two destinations on one budget holiday

With Singapore-based low-cost long-haul airline Scoot operating budget flights to Tokyo and Taipei you can combine these two destinations into one itinerary without digging deep into your pockets. Even better, the savings you can make from flying to Tokyo and Taipei with a low cost carrier like Scoot lets you stretch your budget further.

Tokyo on Budget
You can head to Gotemba Premium Outlets to score great buys. It has 210 shops offering high-end designer and branded goods at 25 to 65 percent off. It's located at the foot of Mt Fuji, so you can squeeze in some sight while shopping.

What about Tokyo night life on a budget? Yes, with the Tokyo Yokocho Week. Despite its name Tokyo Yokocho Week is a two-month event from January 15th and it lets non-Japanese to enjoy discounts on drinks and cheap bur delicious dishes on a pub crawl. You can get your Yokoso Discount Passport at participating bars.

For basic and clean hotel stay in Tokyo, try Hotel Nikko Narita. Just 10 minutes from Narita International Airport, it offers free WiFi and free shuttle buses to the airport. It costs only ¥6,500 (S$86) for a single room and ¥11,000 for a twin room.

For accommodation that places you right next to Tokyo Tower, check into Tokyo Prince Hotel or Shinjuku Prince Hotel. A single room starts from ¥10,500.

Tokyo Tower

Taiwan on Budget
You cannot go to Taiwan and not visit the night market. Affordable but tasty treats such as oyster omelette, rice tube pudding and braised porr rice are the main draws. Besides the famous Shilin Night Market, visit Keelung Night Market for its pot-edged pancake soup and Taiwanese prawn balls, and Raohe Street Night Market for the herb-steamed spareribs.

Explore Taiwan's natural beauty with a bed-and-breakfast or minsu. You read right. Seaforest, for instance, can take you to Taroko National Park for its famed marble-walled gorge and scenery. Walk on the mountain trails, bathe in hot mineral pools and soak up the aboriginal culture. A double room goes for NTD$1,750 (S$73).

Country View is another minsu to try. It can customize itineraries to popular destinations like Farglory Ocean Park and East Coast National Scenic Area. A double room costs NTD$1,900.

Samsung Galaxy S4 in Singapore

Samsung Galaxy S4 release date in Singapore is 27 April 2013. Samsung's Galaxy S4 with LTE price will be S$998 without contract. Customers who pre-registered for the Samsung Galaxy S4 online with the three local mobile operators (M1, SingTel and StarHub) will be entitled to a limited edition accessory pack comprising a car charger, desktop dock and HDTV adapter, while stocks last. Registration for Samsung Galaxy S4 began on 17 April.

Samsung Galaxy S4 or simply Galaxy S4 was finally revealed today in New York with a Broadway show kind of event. Samsung has gone the extra miles in both hardware and software of the phone. Samsung Galaxy S4 may look pretty much like the Galaxy S3 but at 7.9mm it is slimmer and comes with a larger 5-inch screen equipped with a 1080p Super AMOLED panel. Galaxy S4 has a 13-megapixel camera, an improvement on Galaxy S3's 8-megapixel camera.

Samsung Galaxy S4 is a slim phone with a big screen and a fast chip. It runs 4G LTE through 327 mobile operators in 155 countries. There's a dual camera that allows the shooter to appear in a small window in the video he/she is shooting. The phone tracks your eye movements for pausing films you stop watching midway. It scrolls by tilting. The phone reads texts to you.

Four new features stands out : S Voice Drive, translation, smart scroll and group play.

How much Samsung Galaxy S4 cost in Singapore? Many people will go for contract and Samsung Galaxy S4 plans are not available yet but retail price will be $998 without contract. StarHub, SingTel and M1, 3 telcos in Singapore, have also announced their Samsung Galaxy S4 price plans as below.

SingTel Samsung Galaxy S4 Contract Price Plan
	Galaxy S4 Price	Monthly subscription cost	Data bundle	Total Cost for 2 years contract
Flexi Lite	$578	$39.9	2 GB	$1,536
Flexi Value	$328	$59.9	3 GB	$1,766
Flexi Plus	$168	$99.9	4 GB	$2,566
Flexi Premium	$0	$205.0	12 GB	$4,920

StarHub Samsung Galaxy S4 Contract Price Plan
	Galaxy S4 Price	Monthly subscription cost	Data bundle	Total Cost for 2 years contract
SmartSurf Lite	$599	$38.0	2 GB	$1,511
SmartSurf Value	$349	$58.0	4 GB	$1,741
SmartSurf Premium	$199	$98.0	6 GB	$2,551
SmartSurf Elite	$29	$205.0	12 GB	$4,949

M1 Samsung Galaxy S4 Contract Price Plan
	Galaxy S4 Price	Monthly subscription cost	Data bundle	Total Cost for 2 years contract
ValueSurf+	$578	$39.0	2 GB	$1,514
LifeSurf+	$328	$59.0	3 GB	$1,744
ExtremeSurf+	$168	$98.0	5 GB	$2,520
MaxSurf+	$0	$198.0	12 GB	$4,752

Samsung has demonstrated the S Voice Drive, Galaxy S4's answer to Apple's Siri. Galaxy S4 users can have the phone read emails back, and even reply or forward messages. In another demo, the host answers a call by simply saying "Answer.

The Samsung Galaxy S4's cool translation feature allows you to type a question in English, for example, and the phone can speak it in Chinese. Or the phone can listen to Chinese and then type it out in English. The phone understands 9 languages.

Smart Scroll and Pause: Pause automatically pauses video when you turn away, and restarts when you look back at the screen. Users can tilt the screen up or down to scroll through text. There's also a separate feature allowing users to answer the phone by waving their hand over the screen.

Samsung Galaxy S4 also comes with a new feature called Group Play: It can turn any group of S4 phones into a group sound system. Each phone acts as a speaker. You touch the phones to each other and the sound spreads out. A big group of them creates surround sound.

According to CNet Asia, Samsung Galaxy S4 will be launched in Singapore with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor. Galaxy S4 outside of the US was expected to come with the new Exynos 5 Octa Core mobile processor.

While in Singapore we will only be able to purchase the GT-I9505 model with Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor with a clock speed of 1.9GHz, other countries in the region, such as Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, India are likely to get the Exynos 5 Octa model (the GT-I9500) :(

One commentator in CNET Asia article puts the blame on LTE support:

"I think the LTE is to get the blame that Singapore is not getting the international version as Exynos 5 do not support LTE at the moment and the LTE enabled Exynos 5 chip will be limited to Samsung homeland first."
Source : Samsung Galaxy S4 to launch with Snapdragon 600 in Singapore

Samsung Galaxy S4 will be launched in United States, Europe and parts of Asia from April 2013. CEO of Samsung's operations in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Taiwan, Gregory Lee, told CNET that the company plans to roll out the device globally "almost simultaneously.":

"We have, over the years, become very good at operations," Lee said. "In the past, we staggered [launches]. These days, we've become very good at rolling out new products around the world."
Samsung today launched the Galaxy S4, the company's new, high-end smartphone. The device has been highly anticipated around the world and is the most hyped device Samsung has seen. Asia is a key market for Samsung, particularly in Hong Kong and Singapore. In more emerging markets, like Thailand, Samsung's lower priced devices are more popular.
Source : Galaxy S4 to hit Asia at same time as rest of the world

Samsung Galaxy S4 photo. It comes in two colors.

I am definitely not the only person in Singapore waiting for Samsung Galaxy S4, the much-anticipated successor of the Samsung Galaxy S3 in Singapore. As the news of March 14 2013 launch in New York went into circulation, Samsung Galaxy S4 topped the google trends Singapore most search keywords list.

Below are hardware and software specs of Samsung Galaxy S4 compared to Apple iPhone 5, HTC One and BlackBerry Z10.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Specifications comparison
Specs	Samsung Galaxy S4	Apple iPhone 5	HTC One	Blackberry Z10
Operating System	Android 4.2.2	iOS 6	Android 4.1	Blackberry 10
Dimensions	5.38 x 2.71 x 0.31 inch; 4.6 ounces	4.87 x 2.31 x 0.3 inch; 3.91 ounces	5.41 x 2.69 x 0.37 inch; 5.04 ounces	5.12 x 2.58 x 0.35 inch; 4.78 ounces
Display	5-inch full HD Super AMOLED; 1,920x1,080 pixels, 441 ppi	4-inch IPS LCD; 1,136x640 pixels, 326 ppi	4.70-inch LCD; 1,920x1,080 pixels, 468 ppi	4.2-inch LCD; 1,280x768 pixels, 355 PPI
4G LTE	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
NFC	Yes
Rear camera and recording	13-megapixel, 1080p HD video	8-megapixel, 1080p DH video	4-megapizel (Ultrapixel), 1080p HD video
Front-facing camera	2-megapixel	1.2 megapixel	2.1-megapixel	2-megapixel
Processor	1.9GHz, quad-core Snapdragon Fusion Pro; or proprietary 1.6GHz octa-core Exynos 5 Octa	Preorietary A6	1.7 GHz, Quad-Core Snapdragon 600	1.5 GHz, dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus
Capacity	16GB, 32GB, 64 GB	16GB, 32GB, 64 GB	32GB, 64 GB	16 GB
Expandable memory	Up to 64GB	No	No	Up to 32 GB
Battery	2,600mAh	Not	2,300mAh	1,800mAh
Price	T.B.A	$199.99 $299.99 $399.99	T.B.A	$199 on Verizon

Galaxy S4 has a feature named Dual Shot, which simultaneously utilizes both the front and rear cameras.

Yes, the question for Galaxy fans in Singaporeis when will the Samsung Galaxy S4 release date in Singapore be? There are some speculations on the net. Here is one:

Let me try to look back at past records and come up with a rough estimate on when this date is going to be. In 2011, the S2 was announced on February 13 and that was held during MWC 2011. It was only made available in Singapore on June 11. Simple maths calculation here. The lag time was 4 months. In 2012, the S3 was announced on May 8 and was made available in Singapore on May 29. (See also: Galaxy SIII Singapore Telco Price Comparison: SingTel vs Starhub vs M1) The lag time was significantly reduced to only 3 weeks. Unless Samsung is able to achieve the kind of supply chain that only Apple has been able to master, I think the Galaxy S4 will only make its debut in Singapore some time end of March or first week of April.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Release Event To Stream Live At Times Square.

According to Computer World Singapore, Samsung's imminent Galaxy S4 smartphone will launch in six different models:

It what would be a very Apple-style launch, SamMobile has reported that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will launch in black and white colour options and three different storage capacities - 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Although large storage options will be available, the Galaxy S4 will supposedly have a microSD card slot for adding more. 

The site is also reporting that the Samsung wants to put out one Galaxy S4 model which supports 4G LTE and 3G mobile networks, which makes sense. 

Royal Caribbean Europe Extravaganza Cruise Promotion

From the Venetian canals to the Norwegian fjords, Royal Caribbean International is inviting vacationers to re-discover Europe this summer, and offering up to $400 onboard spending credit in March with its Europe Extravaganza. From March 1 through 31, 2013, vacationers who make a new booking, six nights or longer, on one of nine ships plying European waters in 2013, also can enjoy an onboard credit to make their Europe cruise even more appealing.

There’s no easier way to see the sites of the old world, delve into its history, culture and cuisine than on a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation. Guests can share their favorite destinations with the whole family or explore a new region together, all while enjoying innovations such as Broadway entertainment, FlowRider surf simulators and rock climbing walls for an experience found only on Royal Caribbean.


During the month-long sale, new individual bookings made with deposit will receive $50 onboard credit per inside stateroom; $100 per outside stateroom; $200 per balcony stateroom; and $400 per suite. Guests can apply their onboard credit toward an exciting shore excursion or rejuvenating spa session, or celebrate a special occasion during their cruise with a specialty dining experience. Guests taking advantage of this offer must mention appropriate offer code when booking. Offer codes may be found by visiting RoyalCaribbean Europe Extravaganza.


The onboard credit is applicable to all 2013 Royal Caribbean International Europe cruises six-nights or longer, including cruisetours. Offer is available only in the U.S. and Canada and applies to all categories available. All bookings must be made and the required deposit must be paid by March 31, 2013, by 11:59 p.m. local time to qualify for the promotion. Onboard credit is in U.S. dollars, has no cash value, is not redeemable for cash, is not transferable and will expire if not used by 10:00 pm on the last evening of the cruise.

Royal Caribbean Europe Extravaganza Cruise Promotion

For more information about the Europe Extravaganza please visit, RoyalCaribbean Europe Extravaganza.


Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 22 innovative ships, calling on more than 270 destinations in 72 countries across six continents. The line also offers unique cruise tour land packages in Alaska, Canada, Dubai, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand. Royal Caribbean provides a world-class vacation experience with a wide range of signature onboard amenities, entertainment, and award-winning family programming.

The cruise line has a 40-year history of delivery to guests the Royal Advantage – the most innovative cruise ships, exciting itineraries to popular destinations, and world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service. Royal Caribbean has been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for 10 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards.

Largest Hotels in Singapore

These 25 largest hotels in Singapore by number of rooms have 18,468 rooms combined; one third of total available rooms of 53,000 by end 2013. The largest hotel in Singapore is 55 story Marina Bay Sands Hotel with 2461 rooms. It is followed by Swissotel The Stamford Hotel (1261 rooms) and Mandarin Orchard Singapore (1051 rooms).

According to Singapore Business Review, CBRE estimated a total of 2,400 rooms entering the market in 2012 and 2,500 rooms are estimated to enter the market in 2013. In year 2013, Ramada Singapore, Carlton Project, Connexion, Holiday Inn Express, Fairy Hill Point Hotel, AcqueenTyrwhitt Hotel, Modena Fraser Suite, Sofitel Singapore and Acqueen Geylang Hotel are expected to be completed.

Largest Hotels in Singapore
S/N	Hotel	Number of Rooms
1	Marina Bay Sands Hotel	2561
2	Swissotel The Stamford Hotel	1261
3	Mandarin Orchard Singapore	1051
4	Carlton Hotel Singapore	915
5	V Hotel	888
6	Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel	790
7	Fairmont Singapore	769
8	Shangri-la Hotel Singapore	750
9	Grand Hyatt Singapore	662
10	Orchard Hotel Singapore	656
11	The Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore	608
12	Furama RiverFront Hotel	605
13	Peninsula Excelsior Hotel	600
14	Marina Mandarin Hotel	575
15	Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel	574
16	Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel	573
17	Traders Hotel - Singapore	546
18	Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen Hotel	538
19	PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road Hotel	534
20	Marina Mandarin Hotel	527
21	Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium	515
22	Royal Plaza On Scotts Hotel	511
23	Conrad Centennial Singapore	507
24	Riverview Hotel Singapore	476
25	Swissotel Merchant Court Hotel	476

Singapore Motor Vehicle Market Cooling Measures

After all those rounds of property cooling measures, now we have our Singapore Motor Vehicle Market Cooling Measures announced by Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). MAS has reintroduced financing restrictions on motor vehicles loans, from February 1995 to January 2003 effective from 26 February 2013.


Under these new restrictions, the maximum motor vehicle loan amount will depend on the open market value (OMV) of the motor vehicle purchased. For a motor vehicle with OMV that does not exceed $20,000, the maximum loan-to-value (LTV) is 60% of the purchase price, including relevant taxes and the price of the Certificate of Entitlement, where applicable; and for a motor vehicle with OMV of more than $20,000, the maximum LTV is 50%.

In addition, the tenure of a motor vehicle loan will be capped at 5 years. MAS stated that "the financing restrictions are necessary to encourage financial prudence among buyers of motor vehicles.  In this prolonged environment of very low interest rates, there is greater risk of buyers over-extending themselves on motor vehicles."

The financing restrictions will not apply to loans for the purchase of commercial vehicles.  They will also not apply to loans for the purchase of motorcycles. By the surprise announcement of the new measures and tight deadline, car showrooms along the Alexandra Road stretch stayed open till midnight on Monday.

Riding the ultra low interest rate environment, cars are so expensive in Singapore
now that an average family sedan in Singapore is priced as much as an average house
in United States.

Ex Vice President in Barclays Capital Victor Vassiltsov sparked an online uproar

Oh no not again! An ex Vice President in Barclays Capital, Victor Vassiltsov, has sparked an uproar after he posted a Facebook comment saying NS is a joke and deriding the talent of locals here. With full arrogance in motion, this retrenched foreign super talent has wrote "I am in (Singapore) because I have higher skills than any locals here". As one of the Facebook users predicted, his Facebook page message tread is screenshot and put on internet and gone viral.

It seems like his "higher than locals" skills did not help him a lot since according to several online forums, Victor Vassiltsov have been retrench from Barclays Capital since last month and is currently unemployed but still staying in Singapore.

This is not the first time a Barclays employee got attention for all the wrong reasons in Singapore. Back in November 2012 Olivier Desbarres, former head of FX strategy for Asia Pacific excluding Japan at Barclays, was fired from Barclays after the outburst in a construction site where he has used racial slurs and vulgarities and threatened the workers to burn their houses and construction equipment.

Victor Vassiltsov Facebook screenshot

100 best-paying jobs in Singapore

Your Salary in Singapore, salary.sg, publishes a list every year where 100 best-paying jobs in Singapore are listed. This Top 100 Jobs In Singapore list is compiled from the  wage data in Singapore Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Report on Wages in Singapore report.

The MOM wage data exclude bonuses and profit sharing. You may also wish to note that “(t)he wages for certain occupations, especially those where performance-based bonuses constitute a significant portion of total wage, would be lower than expected. Examples of such occupations are brokers, dealers and senior management staff.”

Below are top 50 best paying jobs in Singapore. The full list is here in Top 100 Jobs In Singapore (2012).

1. Managing director/ Chief executive officer – $29,102
2. Foreign exchange dealer/ Broker – $22,302
3. Marketing and sales representative (institutional sales of financial products) – $20,834
4. Trade broker (including oil and bunker trader) – $19,500
5. Company director – $17,142
6. Financial/ Investment adviser – $15,500
7. Chief operating officer/ General manager – $15,005
8. Commodities derivatives broker – $15,000
9. Ship broker – $15,000
10. Creative director (advertising) – $14,750
11. University lecturer – $14,000
12. Real estate agent – $13,952
13. Software and applications manager – $12,280
14. Advocate/ Solicitor – $12,213
15. Lawyer (excluding advocate and solicitor) – $10,900
16. Financial/ Insurance services manager (eg financial institution branch manager) – $10,250
17. Chemical engineer – $10,105
18. Network and communications manager – $10,024
19. IT service manager – $9,999
20. General practitioner/ physician – $9,963
21. Research and development manager – $9,685
22. Legal officer – $9,624
23. Editor (news and periodicals) – $9,500
24. Journalist – $9,441
25. Chief information officer/ Chief technology officer – $9,405
    
    
    
26. Marketing and sales representative (ICT) – $9,396
27. Risk analyst (financial) – $9,335
28. Treasury manager – $9,160
29. Budgeting and financial accounting manager (including financial controller) – $9,150
30. Business development manager – $9,100
31. Technical/ Engineering services manager (eg shipyard manager) – $9,078
32. Policy and planning manager – $9,000
33. Human resource manager – $8,491
34. Customer service manager – $8,462
35. Securities and finance dealer/ broker – $8,367
36. Wholesale trade manager – $8,243
37. Sales and marketing manager – $8,125
38. Management and business consultant – $7,982
39. Quality assurance manager – $7,848
40. Procurement/ Purchasing manager – $7,804
41. Manufacturing plant/ production manager – $7,652
42. Premises and facilities maintenance manager – $7,638
43. Insurance sales agent/ broker (including independent financial planner) – $7,632
44. Advertising/ Public relations manager – $7,600
45. Information technology project manager – $7,570
46. Business services and administration manager (excluding manager in finance, administration, HR, policy and planning) – $7,535
47. Administration manager – $7,100
48. Instrumentalist – $7,078
49. Health services manager – $7,027
50. Chief/ Executive cook – $7,000

Philippine Airlines and Agoda.com partners to bring great hotel deals to airline customers

Philippine Airlines and online hotel booking site Agoda.com partners to offer customers of the Philippines’ flagship carrier access to Agoda.com’s inventory of over 100,000 hotels worldwide. As part of the new campaign, the partnership will allow Philippine Airlines customers to access fantastic hotel deals for both domestic Philippine and international destinations through a customized hotel booking page linked to PAL’s website at www.agoda.com/PAL. The deals will mirror PAL’s global network of destinations so customers can book flights and hotels in one easy step.

As the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia, Philippine Airlines has been carrying people to and from the
Philippines since 1941. Now, in a world that’s more connected and engaged than ever before, the airline is pushing the limits of its online and digital capabilities. The partnership with Agoda.com further strengthens its international competitiveness, after the San Miguel Corporation joined the PAL management team in 2012.

“With PAL being one of the oldest and most respected airlines in the world, it’s an exciting prospect for Agoda.com to match PAL’s network of destinations with the best hotel deals,” said Ernst Hemmer, Agoda.com’s Commercial Director. “This will allow PAL’s discerning customers to book their travel requirements in an easy and convenient way.”

The arrangement brings the number of Agoda.com airline partnerships with national flag carriers to 10, not including a further 7 traditional airlines and 6 low-cost carriers. These partnerships have proven to be mutually beneficial to both companies involved, and have given customers the opportunity to add even more value to their vacations.

“Philippine Airlines is privileged to be a partner of Agoda.com, one of the world’s leading online hotel reservations companies,” said Felix Cruz, PAL’s Vice President for Marketing. “In addition to our own tour package offerings, this strategic tie-up with Agoda.com provides passengers bound for PAL’s 28 international and 32 domestic destinations convenient access to the best hotel deals available online.”

Flights to Shanghai from Kuala Lumpur by AirAsia X

Malaysian long-haul, budget airline AirAsia X has launched flights to Shanghai Pudong International Airport from Kuala Lumpur. The inaugural flight of AirAsia X from Kuala Lumpur, Flight D7 330, which left LCCT in Sepang with a full load of 377 passengers, landed at 12.25am on Feb 20th 2013. The airline operates six direct flights weekly between the two major cities and will increase this to daily flights from as soon as 1 May 2013. Shanghai is AirAsia Group’s fourteenth destination in China after Hangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu, Guilin, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Nanning, Kunming, Wuhan, Chongqing and Xian including Hong Kong and Macau.

“Pudong International Airport is a key aviation hub for the Asia region which would further open up new affordable travel to guests tapping into Shanghai and its surrounding regions and connect to over 85 destinations offered by the AirAsia group across ASEAN and beyond,” said Azran Osman-Rani, Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia X. “We believe our presence in Shanghai would further solidify AirAsia group’s position in China, offering guests a more affordable travel option and greater flight connections and flexibility between ASEAN and China.”

Shanghai is AirAsia Group's 14th destination in China, after Hangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu, Guilin, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Nanning, Kunming, Wuhan, Chongqing and Xian, as well as Hong Kong and Macau.

AirAsia X is a long-haul, budget airline based in Malaysia. The airline commenced operations on 2 November 2007 and its first service flew from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, to Gold Coast Airport in Australia. AirAsia X flies to destinations within Asia and Oceania. The airline operates a fleet of 11 aircraft and has placed orders for more.

Flights to Phnom Penh Cambodia by Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has launched daily flights to Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. The flights, which will be operated via Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam, will be served with an Airbus A330 in a two-class configuration of up to 248 seats in Economy Class and up to 36 in Business.

“I take this opportunity to thank the Cambodian Government and local airport authorities for their great support in helping us launch daily flights to this wonderful country,” said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker. “Though Cambodia is one of the fastest growing economies in South East Asia, it has an air travel market that is highly underserved. Qatar Airways is here to fill this void and we look forward to working with the travel trade and our business partners to make this a hugely successful operation."

"Qatar Airways can seamlessly connect travellers from Cambodia via our Doha hub to diverse cities like Paris, London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Milan, Dubai, Cape Town, New York and Montreal. At the same time, with our new daily service between Doha and Phnom Penh, we offer travellers from around the world access to heritage tourist spots in Cambodia such as the world famous Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap and the picturesque beach island resorts in Sihanoukville.”

Qatar Airways will serve its first ever flights to Phnom Penh with served with
an Airbus A330 in a two-class configuration of up to 248 seats in
Economy Class and up to 36 in Business.

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Phnom Penh International Airport is the largest airport in Cambodia, located 7 km west of the city. Qatar Airways joins the following airlines operate service to/from Phnom Penh: AirAsia (Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok), Asiana Airlines [2](Seoul-Incheon), Bangkok Airways (Bangkok), Cambodia Angkor Air (Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap), China Airlines (Taipei), China Eastern Airlines (Kunming, Nanning), China Southern Airlines (Beijing, Guangzhou), Dragonair (Hong Kong), EVA Air (Taipei), Jetstar Asia Airways (Singapore), Korean Air (Seoul-Incheon), Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur), Qatar Airways (Ho Chi Minh City,Doha) Shanghai Airlines (Shanghai), SilkAir (Singapore), Thai AirAsia (Bangkok), Thai Airways International (Bangkok), Tiger Airways (Singapore), Vietnam Airlines (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Vientiane)

Changi Airport’s new Weekend Escapades mobile app

Planning the perfect getaway is set to become even more convenient for Singapore residents with Changi Airport's new Weekend Escapades mobile app. The all-in-one, on-the-go app provides users with exciting destination-based content and maps, flight searches and the latest airline promotions, all with a few finger taps.  Best of all, this travel guide app is free of charge.

 Designed as a fast and convenient tool with  information on 30 cities across 11 countries located within a  five-hour flight  radius of Singapore,  the Weekend Escapades app  caters to the travel needs of time-strapped holiday makers.  Besides information on the usual weekend shopping and dining hotspots such as Hong Kong and Bangkok, the app  is a great resource for travellers wishing to uncover the less-trodden secondary cities of Southeast Asia perfect for relaxing weekend getaways.

Mr  Kelvin Ng, Assistant Vice President of CAG‟s Marketing Communications Division said, “Increasingly, Singapore residents are on the lookout for new and interesting destinations to travel to in their leisure time.  Weekend Escapades provides ideas  including the region‟s  less explored  cities.  There is content to
give users a feel of the destination, and the types of holiday activities that they can look forward to.  Some of the  emerging  getaway  destinations such as Lombok, Danang and Vientienne are unique  cities that offer a different experience for travellers to explore and immerse themselves in.”

“With easy-to-read information, including where to visit, stay and eat, as well as regular travel deals, Singapore residents can now look to gain new experiences in the region‟s most beautiful cities with the help of this mobile repository,” Mr Ng added.


The app's content has been prepared by the team behind the Lonely Planet Asia and Escape! magazines.  Information is presented in a bite-sized format for easy digestion on-the-go.  Users can search for ideas on potential travel destinations through two main  options  - "by country" and  "by event".  If  users  search  "by
country", a list of cities, and  thereafter,  information on  their  top tourist spots, things to do, culinary  and shopping  ideas and  accommodation options  – all sorted by price range  – are presented.   A ready-to-use short itinerary is also offered for each city and users can even check out accompanying maps to get a
better orientation of the sights suggested in the itinerary.

Changi Airport’s new Weekend Escapades mobile app

The second search function, which searches by  "event", is handy for travellers who take delight in soaking in the atmosphere of festivals across the region.  It features monthly calendars that highlight festivals and events taking place across the region. This allows the user to select travel destinations based on events and
travel dates, opening up even more options to leisure destinations yet visited by the user.

Another feature of this app that users will find especially useful is the flight search tab.  It aids users in the search for the cheapest  airfares to the  30 travel destinations listed in the app, including budget flights.  Users will also love the promotions  tab, which includes  the  latest airline promotions as well as regular contests featuring attractive travel-related prizes.

With the official launch of Weekend Escapades, five lucky winners each stand to win a pair of return Business Class tickets to a destination of choice from among the 30 featured in the app. Participants
simply have to download the Weekend Escapades mobile app for details on how to take part.

The Weekend Escapades app can be downloaded free from the app stores of both the Apple and Android platforms.

Key Highlights

Reliable information – Weekend Escapades was created in partnership with the published of  Lonely Planet Asia  and  Escape!  magazines  to provide unbiased tips from experienced travel writers.

Up to date – Receive notifications on upcoming long weekends, mega sale events in neighboring countries and more.

Search by country – Users can browse through a selection of 30 cities from 11 countries  in the region  to find out more about these tourist destinations, with information on where to shop, eat and stay.

Search by event  – Users who relish immersing themselves in local culture and festivals can use their preferred travel dates to help decide on their next holiday spot.

Itineraries and maps – Find your way around when on holiday with the maps that showcase the highlighted attractions in the app.  Not sure what to do? Just follow the suggested itinerary for the destination.

Flight search  – Find flights to your preferred destination at the lowest available fares.

Promotions  – Changi Airport works closely with airlines to offer regular air fare promotions to destinations featured in the app.  Regular contests will also be held exclusively for the users of the app.