Flying - In A Nutshell

Let's take the headache out of booking a flight to the back of beyond.

Getting from here to there is a simple thing if here is Singapore and there is New York. But if here is Wagga Wagga and there is Nuku'alofa, it's doubtful this will be a one phone-call affair.

Asian Business has stretched its travel tentacles deep into the outback, Dragonair and SilkAir, while servicing some hard to hit spots, have outgrown the small airline niche by being... well... too large. The former is the carrier of choice to China and the latter has an extensive leisure network in SE Asia. Other well regarded airlines that have expanded fast include EVA of Taiwan, Asiana (South Korea) and Royal Brunei, once known for its gold-edged taps in aircraft toilets. But here are the small guys.

AUSTRALIA

Kendall Airlines

Aircraft: Saab 340As, Saab 340Bs and Fairchild Metro 23s

From Adelaide and Melbourne to numerous key secondary destinations including Albury, Broken Hill, Coffs Harbour (ex-Sydney), Coober Pedy, Kingscote (Kangaroo Island), Mildura, Port Lincoln and the Tasmanian centres of Burnie and Devonport. Also operates a shuttle between Canberra, Australia's capital, and Sydney. Mix of business and leisure traffic on most routes.

Based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Kendall is Australia's biggest secondary carrier. Now owned by Ansett, it is fast expanding. Ansett frequent-flyer points can be earned. New Saab aircraft carry up to 36 passengers on leather seats. (Tel: [61-2] 6922-0100; fax: 6922-0116).

Hazelton Airlines

Aircraft: Saab 340As, Saab 340Bs and Fairchild Metro 23s

From Sydney to centres such as Broken Hill, Dubbo, Griffith, Lismore, Mudgee, and Orange. From Dubbo, destinations include Brisbane, Broken Hill and Gold Coast. Mix of business and leisure traffic. Based in Cudal, New South Wales, Hazelton is one of Australia's largest regional airlines. (Tel: 6361-5815; fax: 6361-8455). In Australia (tel: 131-713) for reservations.

NEW ZEALAND

Air New Zealand Link

Aircraft: ATR72s, Saab 340As, Saab 340Bs, Fairchild Metro 23s plus smaller aircraft. Air New Zealand Link dominates travel in the secondary routes, meshing with national Air New Zealand trunk services and international Air New Zealand long-haul flights. Mix of business and leisure traffic on most routes. (Tel: [64-9] 366-2400; fax: 366-2689).

Air Chathams

Aircraft: Convair 580s and Metroliner IIIs

From Christchurch and Wellington to the Chatham Islands - just over 100 minutes' eastbound flying. Mix of government, business and leisure travellers as well as islanders on shopping trips to the mainland. (Tel: [64-3] 305-0209; fax: 305-0208).

The carrier is a lifeline to the windswept, sheep-rearing islands. A tourist boom is expected year-end as the Chathams are among those claiming to be first into the new millennium.

Southern Air

Aircraft: Cessna 172s

Invercargill to Stewart Island. Mostly tourists, some locals and business traffic. An alternative to the ferry, Southern Air's thrice-daily 30-minute hop links the southern city of Invercargill to ruggedly beautiful Stewart Island (just south of the South Island) where hiking trails and rich bird life are attractions. (Tel: [64-3] 218-2129; fax: 214-4681).

SOUTH PACIFIC

Air Calin

Aircraft: Boeing 737s and Twin Otters

From: Noumea in the French territory of New Caledonia, it serves Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, Auckland in New Zealand, Port Vila in Vanuatu and Papeete in Tahiti. It also flies to the French South Pacific territory of Wallis et Futuna and, with a smaller aircraft, provides a link between those two islands. Mix of vacationers, business visitors and residents on trips abroad. The territory's airline shines in economy with way-above-average food and wine. (Tel: [687] 265-500; fax: 265-561).

Air Nauru

Aircraft: Boeing 737

From its Nauru hub this Micronesian airline serves Asia through Manila, also flying to Guam, Pohnpei, Tarawa in the Republic of Kiribati, Fiji's Nadi and Suva, and to Brisbane, Australia. There's not much to do on Nauru - and no good beaches - but some connections require nearly 24 hours in the pin-prick republic. (Tel: [674] 444-3141; fax: 444-3705).

Air Niugini

Aircraft: Airbus A310s and Fokker F-28s

Links Port Moresby to Brisbane and Cairns in Australia, Honiara in the Solomon Islands, and also serves Manila and Singapore. Air Niugini also flies an extensive domestic network in Papua New Guinea. Tourists and business passengers.

Domestic services are good, using comfortable, if ageing, F-28s. Staff - inflight and on the ground - are exceptionally helpful. Among domestic destinations are the highland tourist centres of Goroka and Mt Hagen, as well as Madang on the coast from where the Melanesian Discoverer cruise vessel sets sail on Sepik River voyages.

(Tel: [675] 325-9000; fax: 327-3482; e-mail: sales@airnuigini.com.pg).

Air Pacific

Aircraft: Boeing 747s, Boeing 767s and Boeing 737s

Fiji's national carrier links Nadi International Airport to Australian and New Zealand cities, neighbouring small South Pacific nations, Honolulu, Los Angeles and Tokyo. The airline code-shares with Canadian Airlines on flights to Vancouver and Toronto. (Small domestic carriers serve points on Fiji's main islands as well as secluded outer-isle resorts). (Tel: [679] 304-388; fax: 304-153).

Air Vanuatu

Aircraft: Boeing 737s

Links Port Vila, Vanuatu's capital, with Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia, Auckland in New Zealand, Nadi in Fiji and Noumea in New Caledonia. Predominantly tourists, plus travellers doing business in this offshore banking haven. Air Vanuatu is the lifeline of the country's tourist industry. (Tel: [678] 23-838; fax: 23-250).

Polynesian Airlines

Aircraft: Boeing 737s and Boeing 767s on code-share flights with Air New Zealand

Serves Bandeirante on domestic routes. Services from the capital Apia, to cities in Australia and New Zealand and to Nuku'alofa in Tonga, Pago Pago in American Samoa and Honolulu. Also flies to Los Angeles (code-shared on an Air New Zealand aircraft). Several domestic routes are flown. Mix of holiday and business traffic and overseas Samoans.

The national carrier of Samoa has a reputation for service and reliable departures. Samoa is cashing in on the millennium in a quirky way: Its neighbours will be among the first into the next century but Samoa, on the other side of the International Date Line, will be the last place to leave 1999. Good value is the airline's Polypass: for US$999 visit six Pacific destinations. (Tel: [685] 22-737; fax: 20-023).

Royal Tongan Airlines

Aircraft: Boeing 737s and HS 748s

Connects the Kingdom of Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, to Sydney, Auckland, Nadi (Fiji) and - code-sharing on an Air New Zealand Boeing 767 - Honolulu. The airline is the only air link the New Zealand-associated island territory of Niue has with the outside world. Domestic network covers the islands, including the important tourist destination of Vava'u. Mix of tourist and business traffic plus expat Tongans on visits home.

One of the South Pacific's smaller carriers, Royal Tongan overcomes these limitations by shared leases of aircraft and code-sharing. (Tel: [676] 23-414; fax: 24-056).

Solomon Airlines

Aircraft: Boeing 737s and Twin Otters

The Solomon Islands national carrier flies to Brisbane in Australia, Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, Nadi in Fiji, Noumea in New Caledonia and Port Vila in Vanuatu. Very extensive domestic network with a mix of tourist and business traffic. Large quantities of dive gear at check-in are a reminder that the Solomon Islands is on the map for its diving. (Tel: [677] 20-031; fax: 20-232).

- Chris Pritchard

THAILAND

Angel Airlines

Aircraft: One 737 and two Dornier 328s with 106 and 30 seats respectively

Angel Airlines offers daily flights to Chiang Mai, Phuket, Singapore, Bangkok and Udonthani. Fares have been low, but there are plans to bring them to Thai Airlines' levels in the near future. Angel offers a choice as Thailand's second designated carrier, with potential to operate the same routes as Thai. Making moves to start flying into China and Indochina this year. (Tel: [66-2] 953-2222/953-1111).

Bangkok Airways

Aircraft: Seven ATR 72-200 turbo-props and one ATR 42-320

Flies to Samui; Ranong; Phuket; U-Tapao; Sukothai; Chiang Mai; Roi-Et; Singapore; Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat. Predominantly leisure, though on Ranong, Singapore and Roi-Et routes there is a higher proportion of business travellers.

Bangkok Airways was Thailand's first private aviation company, established in 1968. It now owns and operates its own airport on Koh Samui. It provides up to 16 roundtrip daily flights from Bangkok, but is instrumental in controlling the volume on the island with its policy of limited growth in seat availability. Flights to Samui are always fully booked during high season. While not the national carrier, Bangkok Airways holds the informal position as the number two airline in Thailand. (Tel: [66-2] 229-3434; fax: 229-3450).

- Grenvillle Fordham

INDONESIA

Bouraq

Aircraft: Boeing 737s

Bouraq flies domestically to Denpasar, Surabaya, Jakarta, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, Batam and Manado with most flights originating from Surabaya. Ground staff are helpful and bookings easy to make, though Bouraq has offices only in the major cities. The airline competes with Garuda Indonesia and sister airline Merpati for business. (Tel: [62-21] 629-5364).

Merpati

Aircraft: Fokkers, Cassas and Boeing 707s.

Merpati has extensive domestic coverage with flights to destinations including Ambon; Bajawa; Bandung; Batam; Bia; Bima; Dili; Ende; Jakarta; Jayapura; Yogjakarta; Kendari; Kupang; Labuhan Bajo. Merpati also flies to Darwin, Perth, Port Headland and Singapore. The price of both domestic and international tickets is equivalent to Garuda fares. In the case that Garuda doesn't fly to a particular destination and Merpati does, the airline will automatically book passengers on Merpati flights. (Tel: [62-21] 654-4444).

- Dipika Rai

THE PHILIPPINES

Cebu Pacific (DC-9s of 110 seats) and Air Philippines (Boeing MD-88) among others, ply some of the national airline's big city routes from Manila, including holiday destinations such as Cebu and Puerto Princesa, mostly at lower fares. Air Philippines (tel: [63-2] 843-7770; Cebu Pacific (tel: 636-4938).

Asian Spirit

Aircraft: Let 410s and YS11s, 19 and 64 seats respectively, and four-engined Dash 7s.

Asian Spirit uses a variety of small aircraft depending on the size of the provincial airstrip served. Some places, such as Romblon in the Visayas, Marinduque, home to a popular festival, are busy routes both with commuters and holiday makers. More firmly on the tourist map, Asian Spirit flies to Caticlan, the closest airport to the famed Boracay island for about P3,000 (US$75) return, and Busuanga in the north of Palawan for P3,300 return. (Tel: [63-2] 840 3811/16).

Air Ads

Aircraft: Let 410-19 and Islander

The Caticlan service (US$110 return) was inaugurated in 1993, in conjunction with another airline, SeaAir, plying the route with a 19-seat Let 410. It followed this with a daily service to Busuanga in Palawan (P4,000 return) in 1995 using an eight-seater Islander. Besides these two, it offers a charter service, from two-seaters to executive jets. Air Ads started life as an aerial advertising company in 1983. (Tel: [63-2] 833-3264/78).

Soriano Aviation

Aircraft: Dornier 228s and Super Kingair 200 Beechcraft

Soriano Aviation, founded in 1985, offers scheduled flights to several plush resorts in Palawan using 19-seat Dornier 228s for flights to El Nido (P6,000 return) and 13-seat Beechcraft to Amanpulo (US$275), possibly the Philippines' most exclusive resort and a favourite with Hollywood stars. (Tel: [63-2] 831-4207).

- Graham Dwyer

TAIWAN

TransAsia (TNA) Airline

Aircraft: Airbus A320s, A321s and ATR72s

TNA flies from Taipei to Macau, Kota Kinabalu and Surabaya with additional charter services to Yangon; Phuket; TNA also flies from Kaohsiung to Macau. The Macau route is extremely popular as a gateway to mainland China, and the fare considerably lower than flying Taiwan-Hong Kong. Domestically, TNA flies to every major city on the island and the profitable Taipei-Kaohsiung route no less than 23 times daily.

Many shorter routes, like the 35-minute hop from Taipei to Hualien, are on turbo-prop ATR72s. Operating since 1953, it was only after the Taiwan Government implemented its Open Sky policy in 1986 that it expanded from domestic to international status.

A planned merger between TNA and Far Eastern Air Transport Corp will allow the two carriers to dominate 55% of domestic market share and ease the present cut-throat competition that saw all of Taiwan's domestic airlines record losses in 1998. (Tel: [886-2] 2557-5767).

Mandarin Airlines

Aircraft: Boeing 747-400s and 747-SPs

Flying Taipei to Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland and Vancouver, all of Mandarin's services link-up with China Airlines' (CAL) extensive network of international and regional flights through Taipei's CKS International Airport hub.