Air Palau

[tinpis]

:*

Five minutes after start up out of DRW they closing the services .
They load factors have been poor and the accomodation on the island pretty well booked out by bloody Survivor crew from the US.
Shame would have picked up Im sure and been a goood substitute for Bali.
Anyone been there wats the grub like etc?

[topend3]

this was very predictable, i am not sure many people know where palau actually is. it's low profile and it is more expensive for a package than to go to bali. this was never going to work.

things are very expensive there i hear too, which also puts people off...

[tinpis]

Thanks topend i thought it might have been buggered by tintanks.

[Mr. Boeing]

Micronesia, including Palau, is very good for scuba diving and in years gone by this was, and I guess still is, a major tourist attraction.

[CT7]

Maybe why Air NZ didn't want the job up there....

[rescue 1]

Are you referring to the services out of DRW, or all services?

Nothing on their website indicating they are no longer?

[tinpis]

DRW services only

[ZK-NSJ]

who in their right mind would want to go to darwin tinny?

[tinpis]

Noone zeek, Darwin is sacred site for nutters like me.

[planemad2]

PALAU AIRLINE SUSPENDS SCHEDULED AUSTRALIAN SERVICE

Plans charters while building market awareness

Koror, Palau ( 10/13/04)

Palau Micronesia Air has announced the decision to suspend it's weekly flight to Darwin, Australia effective immediately. The airline began service to Darwin in August of this year with a Boeing 737- 126 passenger aircraft but has experienced difficulty in passenger growth and educating the people of the NT about Palau's Rock Islands and culture. Recent promotions and media exposure have not produced the bookings to support the service as yet but the airline emphasized it’s confidence in the market.

"All of the feedback responses from Australian passengers, travel agents and travel journalists have
been absolutely fabulous," said Surangel Whipps, Jr. CEO of the airline based in Koror, Republic of Palau.
"There is no question that the people of Palau and Australia find great commonalities of values, love of nature,
and people. We are both English speaking and our new found friends from the NT and rest of Australia just love our Rock Islands and people as we have Australia. But we've had to face the harsh reality that there is a temporary shortage of hotel accommodation in Palau thus making it almost impossible for the travel agent in Darwin to book our packages. We've got lots of seats of course but they have found it very difficult to confirm accommodations.,” he explained.

The airline researched the hotel occupancy situation for the rest of the year and realized it was an
impossible situation with occupancy rates reaching into the 90 percentile in November and December.
“ With such occupancies virtually full at all major facilities, the average room rates for the rooms available makes a package holiday to our Rock Islands quite dear. This is not conducive to a start-up operation and particularly when introducing a new destination like Palau to the NT. But with the support of many new friends in Darwin and Australia and the support of Palau’s major tour operators and hotels, we're now on the mental map of the people of the NT. So we have decided to pursue the strategy of periodic charters to continue the education and awareness of Palau as the NT’s most valuable tropical destination and return with scheduled service hopefully in February,” Whipps, Jr. pledged.

Palau Micronesia Air offered direct service from Darwin to the Republic of Palau, acknowledged as the
premier ocean activity and diving spot in the world. The airline and it’s wholesalers offered full week packages to Palau for divers, snorklers, kayakers and "boonie stompers" and particularly skin divers from around the world
who have labeled Palau " The Best Dive Destination in the World."

Palau 's Rock Island Experience included historic archeological sites, nature and endangered specie sightseeing, swimming Jelly Fish Lake, snorkeling pristine inlets, skin diving, kayaking, and picnics on isolated island beaches. "We fully expect to be able to reinstate our regular scheduled Darwin flight early next year and will endeavor to maintain our relationship with Darwin through periodic charters. Our group bookings are already very robust for the second quarter of 2005. Now that both Palau and Darwin have discovered each others gifts to share, we are confident that with a bit more time for education and awareness, regular service will resume," said Dave Miho,
public relations officer.

Palau Micronesia Air Public Relations
PO Box 9048 Koror, Palau 96940

[Bigtorque]

The hotal bar at the Palasia only charges US$2.20 a "pint" of beer - double that for most other places in the US, or territories. Sounds like a cheap holiday to me!

[tinpis]

Beer sounds good wat about the tucker is it Malay influenced or something ?
Tinpis likes ter eat when he on hols thats why Bali is pretty ok .

[spleener]

tinpis
ya gotta get out more mate. At least have a look at a map.:cool: