Qantas gives new look to special fares to London

A SPECIAL rate offered last year on Qantas Airways to London is being reintroduced on a selective basis.

Peak season departures on July 3, 5 and 10 are being offered at $6,900 (children for $4,650) round trip including a car for one week. The catches are there must be two adults (so $13,800); and the Qantas flights to London operate (nonstop) from Bangkok, so you must take the Qantas flight from Kai Tak, which leaves at 5.50 pm, with a transit time in Bangkok of 31/2 hours.

You can return when you like.

Contact Wallem Travel, phone 821-3868. THE Sukhothai hotel in Bangkok has further discounted its suites rate until the end of September.

The rate is B3,850 (about HK$1,280), compared with the published level of B7,500.

Contact the hotel's representative office in Hongkong, Beaufort Hotels, phone 526-1163, or fax 810-6792. THERE will be a one-hour time change in Australia in March. This means different changes to different airlines. Some will maintain the present schedule but with others flights will arrive and depart one hour earlier.

Such changes are sometimes missed by airline or travel agency staff. THE Carlton hotel in Singapore has a promotional room rate of S$175 (about HK$800) until the end of March, against its S$300 regular rate.

Contact Sterling reservations, phone 882-8877. IF YOU fly Canadian Airlines to Vancouver, you can stay in a suite at the Pacific Palisades hotel for C$100 (about HK$616). You must request the hotel booking when you make the flight reservation.

Contact Canadian Airlines reservations, phone 868-3123. TAIPEI'S Lai Lai Sheraton is selling a two-night package with two breakfasts and airport transfers, for NT$8,000 (about HK$2,300) single, NT$10,000 per couple.

The offer is available until the end of December. Contact Sheraton reservations, phone 739-3535. AN OFFICIAL excursion fare of $5,730 round trip has been added for travel between Hongkong and Malacca. However, the traveller must stay in Malacca or Malaysia for at least a week. GOOD value packages have been introduced at the Holiday Inn Lido in Beijing.

All packages include room, transfers to and from the airport, two full-day tours, discounts on food and beverage worth US$75 (HK$585), and other extras. Cost is US$143 per person sharing (US$286 per couple, or US$226 single) for the three-night package; US$168 (US$336, US$281) five-nights; US$198 (US$396, US$351) seven-nights.

A two-night package, including breakfast and extras, is available for US$53 per person sharing (US$106 per couple, or US$103 single).

The offers expire on March 31.

Contact Wallem Travel, phone 821-3868. SINGAPORE Airlines has joined the Swissair frequent flyer programme, but with restrictions that block out much travel likely to be made by Asia-based travellers.

You gain kilometres only if you book first-or business-class on flights to Europe and Australasia. Flights to North America are included only if they operate from Europe.

Distance travelled in business class will be multiplied by 1.5, and doubled in first.

Contact Singapore Airlines, phone 520-1313. UNITED Airlines dropped one of its daily 12.30 pm flights to San Francisco - UA880 - this month. However, the airline has added UA2 - which was to be a round-world service - as a daily B747-400 nonstop to San Francisco, also leaving at 12.30 pm.

Contact United Airlines, phone 810-4888. Information compiled by Travel Database, GPO Box 12761, Hongkong. Fax 507-4620.