State of Origin 3 accommodation

If you're after Brisbane accommodation for State of Origin 3 now is the time to be booking. With this in mind, here's an update of availability from our allotment:

* One night stays, 4.5 star hotel $399
(Last minute websites have rates starting from $450)

* We have a 5 star hotel with a rate of $399 for a two night minimum stay

* We have plenty of one bedroom apartments up our sleeve, for a 3 night stay rates start from $241/night (on average)

There is also a large conference at the convention centre as the same time as Origin so expect it to be a VERY busy week for Brisbane hotels.

And of course ... go Queensland!!

Ash Tuesday

With over 200 flights around the country cancelled today, our phones rang off the hook with people needing last minute accommodation. The bulk of our calls were for Brisbane which isn't directly affected by the ash cloud but with so many other airports closed, most people were re-routed here or unable to fly out.

Unfortunately, Brisbane hotels were already very heavily booked for tonight so it was a frustrating day where we were had to say no to a lot of requests but a BIG thank you to our great hotel contacts who called us throughout the day when they had cancellations.

Ash cloud disrupts flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Tasmania | The Australian

MORE than 100,000 passengers' journeys have been disrupted by the latest volcanic ash cloud, with delays expected to continue tomorrow.

Qantas has cancelled flights to Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne for tomorrow, and will continue to monitor the flight path between Perth and Melbourne.

Airlines cancelled flights to Adelaide last night and today added Sydney, Canberra and, in some cases, Melbourne. Qantas also brought forward departure times for some international flights from Sydney this afternoon to avoid the ash.

Brisbane and the Gold Coast are unlikely to be affected.

The head of the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, Dr Andrew Tupper, said the ash had wrapped around a low-pressure system building over south-eastern Australia and had crossed the South Australian coast early this morning.

It is expected to remain over Sydney overnight but move south tomorrow and expectations are that it will clear Australia tomorrow night.

2011 Salary Survey: Travel Weekly

I came across the survey below that may be of interest to my colleagues in the travel industry. Click on the title below to read the full article.

2011 Salary Survey: Wages and trends Travel Weekly
By Louise Wallace

As the Beatles once suggested, money can't buy you love. Sure, the message may have been at the heart of a catchy tune back in the 1960s, but even now, maybe more than ever, money is a touchy topic. Some argue it brings security and reinforces self-worth, while others are adamant money can't buy happiness.

Whatever the verdict, the Travel Weekly 2011 Salary Survey showed most travel industry employees might be better off whistling the Beatles tune, with 63% of respondents reporting they're unhappy with their pay packet. In fact, almost 20% strongly disagreed that their salary is fair, compared with just 6% who were very satisfied with their annual income.

A BIT OF CONTEXT

According to website MyCareer.com, retail workers bring in an annual salary of around $58,000; about half an engineer's income and a fraction of that of miners, who rake in an average of $146,000 per year. Meanwhile, employees in the wider travel industry are likely to bring home a humble $48,071 per annum, or $924 per week before tax and other deductions.
That being said, $48,000 should not be sneezed at.

This year's Travel Weekly survey revealed that travel consultants averaged $37,984 per year and owners took home approximately $61,000. Meanwhile, senior consultants are likely to scribble approximately $45,000 on their annual tax estimate, and agency managers about $60,000. But whatever their caper, only 37% of survey respondents felt their income was fair.
But it's not all doom and gloom, and no, the industry is not run by disgruntled employees plotting how to get back at their bosses in the tea room. The figures are actually an improvement on last year when 68% of respondents were dissatisfied with their pay packet and one-fifth strongly disagreed that their pay adequately reflected their skills.