Kuala Lumpur, 11 Feb 2010: Firefly Holiday -Malaysia’s 1^st online travel portal was officially launched today by Malaysia Airlines Senior General Manager of Sales and Marketing Dato’ Bernard Francis. Marking as Malaysia’s first full-fledged travel portal, it offers worldwide holiday packages with a Do-It-Yourself feature.

 “Malaysia Airlines practices open storefront concept, and we are proud to have Firefly Holiday – our very own subsidiary in providing an innovative approach in flight and holiday bookings.  Customers experience has always been our top most priority, this new innovation will offer our customers the convenience of hassle free bookings,” said Bernard Francis at the launch event today.

 The portal launch was attended by the media, online travel portals and also travel bloggers at the Boulevard Hotel, Mid Valley Kuala Lumpur.

“Firefly Holiday has come a long way since its inception. It started with offering packages only to Firefly destinations about two years ago and now it is fully equipped to offer holiday packages to more than 100 Malaysia Airlines worldwide destinations. This will certainly spur positive growth towards Malaysia Airlines’ passengers reach. We are very confident that with Firefly Holiday’s new innovative distribution method of Malaysia Airlines flights, inbound travellers into Malaysia will also see a significant growth,” said Bernard Francis.

“The ability to offer customers the option to book MAS flights on Firefly Holiday will expand both Malaysia Airlines and Firefly’s reach to millions of visitors worldwide. Customers will now have a variety of over 50,000 hotels to select from, with reliable and efficient ground and tour arrangements to plan a hassle-free holiday,” added Bernard.

In a Press Conference today, Ms Lau Yin May, Head of Firefly Holiday said that customers are given full flexibility to customize and select their preferred flight timings, hotels and complement their holiday with optional transfers and tours. It has literally a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) capability to suit everybody’s holiday needs.  Firefly Holiday has proven to be convenient and reliable, offering value-for-money packages since it was set up two years ago.

 “With the offerings of Malaysia Airlines destinations worldwide, we are looking at our bookings to be more than double this year.  We will now aggressively tap markets that were not within our service offerings radar then. It is time for Firefly Holiday to go International,” she added.

FIREFLY HOLIDAY

Firefly Holiday, a wholly owned subsidiary of FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, is an online travel portal offering worldwide packages which are accessible anytime, anywhere, 24hrs, 7 days a week at a click at www.fireflyholiday.com. Hassle-free, easy and fast, in just 4 simple steps a holiday reservation complete with return flights, accommodation, transfers and tours is done with an immediate online confirmation.  

For booking details, please visit

www.fireflyholiday.com.

Publication: The New Straits Times

Publication Date: Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Author: Gerald Chuah

Section: Other

Page: 1

FIREFLY launched the Firefly Mobile Application on Thursday (Jan 21) – a new and convenient option to book flights anytime, anywhere via mobile phone.

Firefly Head of Marketing and Communications Angelina Fernandez said during the launch: “Making a reservation is now possible via a mobile phone.

Offering convenience to our passengers has always been our top priority, and this marks our first step in providing a comprehensive online experience via mobile phone”

She added: Survey shows 65% of sales are done via Firefly website and 70% of Firefly’s passengers are from the professional to middle management level, who are always on the move, hence Firefly mobile booking will increase their travel flexibility.

“We have experienced exponential growth in mobile lifestyle over the last few years and Firefly is proud to enhance our representation on these devices”.

Booking flights via mobile phones is an additional channel apart from the current distribution methods in use: via Firefly website, ticketing agents, call centre, airport and ticket offices in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia; as well as Malaysia Airlines ticketing offices worldwide”

The Firefly Mobile Application is a FREE application that works with mobile phone that support JAVA application and Blackberry, and with WAP, GPRS, EDGE or 3G data connections. Phone and Windows Mobile versions will be available soon).

The system is jointly developed by Firefly and Second Wind Sdn Bhd. Firefly customers just need to register their mobile phones online at Firefly’s website, download the mobile application, and launch it on their mobile phone and start booking.

Booking a flight is now as easy as the Internet booking process as fewer data inputs is required:

Steps:

1. Launch Firefly Mobile Application in your mobile phone.

2. Select Book Flights from the Main Menu.

3. Select your trip itinerary.

4. Verify the traveler’s information.

5. Confirm the price.

6. Enter your credit card CVV number and PIN code.

7. The system will display the Booking PNR (confirmation code).

To register and download the new application visit http://www.fireflyz.com.my/mobile, and watch promotional videos too. Fernandez said: “The introduction of Firefly Mobile is only the beginning. There will be many more soon. “With this service, customers will have a new convenient option to book flights with a unique and simplified payment process at a click of a button or just the touch of the screen”. After the completion of our routes expansion in 2009, our focus is now to enhance and offer more convenience and distribution methods to our passengers.

RM1 fare

In conjunction with the launch, Firefly is also offering RM1 fare for all flight bookings done via mobile phone effective Jan 21 to 28, 2010. You stand a chance to win two tickets to Ko Samui if you are the “biggest spender’ for your mobile booking during this promotional period.

Firefly, the country’s only community airline, which has been in service for three years, offer customers a hassle-free and comfortable traveling experience. There are premium leather seats and plenty of legroom.

Firefly currently serves six cities in four countries. Based in Subang and Penang, it currently operates more than 70 flights a day.

For more info, visit FlyFirefly Sdn. Bhd. at 3rd Floor, Admin Building 1, MAS Complex A, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, Selangor. Call 03-7840 4106, or fax: 03- 7846 6461.