Kenya Airways say it will introduce new flights to Shanghai this August. The planned China route comes just months after China granted Kenya approved destination status last December.

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St. Regis Hotel Shanghai has made two new key appointments to boost its management team.

David Katemopoulos has been promoted from Director of Sales and Marketing/Executive Assistant Manager to Hotel Manager. He joined St. Regis Hotel, Shanghai in 2001 as part of the pre-opening team.

Katemopoulos has more than 20 years of sales and marketing management experience with luxury hotels and sales centers, including a 13-year career with the Peninsula Group in Hong Kong, serving in various management positions since 1988. Fluent in English and three Chinese dialects, Katemopoulos will oversee all aspects of the hotel's day to day operation.

Mercedes Yao will take over as the new Director of Sales. Prior to this position, she held the position of Director of Sales in Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide in Shanghai. In her new role, she will be overseeing all sales activities and strategies for St. Regis Hotel, Shanghai.

Yao has more than 10 years of sales experience in various industries. A native of Shanghai, Yao speaks Mandarin, English and Shanghaiese. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Science in International Business Management.

Thai Airways has opened a new Beijing office in Oriental Plaza to deal with the growing travel market in China's capital city.

Vasing Kittikul, the Executive Vice President of the Commercial Department; Mr. Pichai Chunganuwad, Regional Director (BKKSRTG); and Mr. Pruet Boobphakam, General Manager of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, China, were all in attendance and took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

More than 60 distinguished guests attended the ceremony including representatives from Star Alliance, TravelSky and other related organizations.

Sheraton Dongguan Hotel was recently presented the Sales Team of the Year Award for Asia Pacific, besting other Starwood hotels in the region.

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The farewell concert for Beyond was held in the Capital Stadium last Friday in Beijing, and the band members gathered after the show at the Presidential Plaza Hotel.

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Shangri-La's Kerry Centre Hotel in Beijing has appointed a new Director of Events Management and a new Director of Sales.

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United Airlines was named Best Transpacific Airline by the annual OAG Airline of the Year Awards during an awards ceremony in London. OAG is a content management company specializing in travel and transport, which selected winners of the awards based on the votes of a worldwide audience of business travelers.

United faced intense competition to win the Best Transpacific Airline award, ranking higher than other nominees American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Singapore Airlines. The OAG awards, which have been called the Oscars of the Airline Industry, celebrate the very best in global air travel and publicly recognize the highest standards within the industry.

United is the largest trans-Pacific carrier, offering more seat miles across the Pacific than any other airline. With four daily nonstop flights between the United States and mainland China, the airline also is the largest U.S. carrier in China and is a strong competitor in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea.

Air China has lost out in the auction for a controlling stake in Shenzhen Airlines to two privately run firms that jointly bid RMB2.72 billion.

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Holiday Villa Malaysia International has added two new hotels in China under its management.

The group will open Shifeng Holiday Villa Changshu on March 1, 2006. Shifeng Holiday Villa in Changshu City will be the tallest building in the city when it is completed. The hotel will operate the city's first revolving restaurant.

It will have 450 rooms, including hotel rooms and suites, apartment suites and office suites. Its other food and beverage outlets include a Chinese restaurant that can seat up to 600 people.

Other facilities include several meeting rooms, a launderette, sauna and spa fitness centre, retail shops and a banking hall.

Another hotel to be opened is the 380-room Xiongsen Holiday Villa in Chenzhou, Hunan province. The group had recently signed a hotel management services agreement with Xiongsen Construction Company Ltd to manage and operate the new hotel, scheduled to open for business in May 2007.

The city where the hotel is located is about 400km north of Guangzhou City and 300km south of Changsha, Hunan's provincial capital.

Chenzhou will only be one hour's ride from Guangzhou when the new High Speed Railway line is completed in 2008.

Xiongsen Holiday Villa is the 16th hotel property managed by the company.

Chinese online travel company eLong.com has reported its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2005. The company recorded a net loss of US$850,000 for the quarter.

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