Ansett Australia is back for travellers. But not as you knew it
'It's a shame it went away, but I think that brand voice is still compelling, and people have nostalgia for it,' Frantzeskos said. 'Just because the corporate entity behind something didn't work doesn't mean that the brand still doesn't mean something. When I mention what I'm doing to people, they get a big smile on their face.'
The Ansett brand also lives on as a pilot training offering, under the brand Ansett Aviation Training.
Frantzeskos, a digital marketing veteran, has worked with Emirates, Saudi Tourism and Dubai Tourism as clients and said that experience will help deliver compelling customer experiences with Ansett. He has partnered with Melbourne-based travel start-up Travlr, which is providing the platform's technical back-end and customer support infrastructure.
While many of the AI features are yet to be built out, the entrepreneur said he eventually wants to provide travel experiences for customers that would be possible only with AI. For now, customers can book at near-wholesale prices on flights and accommodation and pay a $99 yearly fee for VIP membership.
'One thing I'm hoping to do is, if you've booked a holiday for your family, we'll know who you are and your name and where you're going, so I want to give you an AI-written jingle and send it to you so it can be the soundtrack of your holiday,' he said.
'I'm a big believer that you don't need armies of people out there doing stuff that can be done better with AI. And the cost of implementation is really declining so much – you don't need thousands of staff and to train them any more. With AI, you can just get going straight away.
'I think there are new, cool, fun experiences we can do what would never be achievable by humans.'
Loading
He added that, eventually, he believed people wouldn't have to search or plan holidays at all.
'Your travel concierge will know when the kids are on school holidays, or when you need a break, and quietly offer the perfect trip. It's not about replacing people – it's about anticipating and tailoring times when we want to have fun or disconnect.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia news LIVE: Burke vows to protect Australians from Middle East tension; Trump to hike tariffs on India amid Russia links
Latest posts Latest posts 6.47am Trump to hike tariffs on India for buying Russian oil By Michael Koziol US President Donald Trump says he will hike tariffs on India from their already-high level of 25 per cent due to the country's ongoing purchases of Russian oil amid the war against Ukraine. In a sign of the strained relations between the two countries, India quickly branded Trump's move 'unjustified and unreasonable', and said it would take all necessary measures to safeguard its economic security. The threat, which has not yet been acted on, underlines Trump's preference for using tariffs for geopolitical leverage, and comes as his deadline looms for commitments from Russia's Vladimir Putin on ending the war, which has now raged for three-and-a-half years. There have been mixed reports about India's intentions over the past week as the US stepped up pressure on the world's most populous nation to back away from its reliance on Russian crude oil, which now accounts for about a third of India's supplies. 6.44am Tesla grants Musk $46 billion stock award Tesla approved an interim stock award worth about $US30 billion ($46 billion) for chief executive officer Elon Musk, a massive payout meant to keep the billionaire's attention on the automaker as a legal fight over a 2018 pay package drags on. The new agreement includes 96 million shares of the automaker that will vest if Musk continues to serve in the top post for another two years, the company said in a regulatory filing. The restricted stock has an exercise price of $US23.34, equal to the price in the prior compensation plan. The move underscores Musk's grip on the company, even as it struggles with falling electric vehicle sales and a slumping stock price. The world's richest person has said he wants a greater stake in Tesla as he reorients it around futuristic pursuits including artificial intelligence and driverless vehicles. 6.39am What's making news today By Daniel Lo Surdo Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning. Here's what is making news today: Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has vowed to protect Australians from the 'tinderbox' of tension stemming from debate about the Middle East, saying he was blocking visas for potentially divisive visitors at an unprecedented rate. In an interview with this masthead, Burke said he 'did not care' if he was accused of stymying debate about controversial issues in favour of protecting social cohesion. US President Donald Trump says he will hike tariffs on India from their already-high level of 25 per cent due to the country's ongoing purchases of Russian oil amid the war against Ukraine. India quickly branded Trump's move, a threat that has not yet been acted on, 'unjustified and unreasonable', and said it would take all necessary measures to safeguard its economic security. The Australian sharemarket is set to grow on Tuesday, after Wall Street recovered much of the sharp losses incurred following Trump's latest tariff announcement last week. Trump has been critical of the US Federal Reserve, which has kept interest rates unchanged amid concerns about the impact of Trump's tariff agenda on prices for American households.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Australia news LIVE: Burke vows to protect Australians from Middle East tension; Trump to hike tariffs on India amid Russia links
Latest posts Latest posts 6.47am Trump to hike tariffs on India for buying Russian oil By Michael Koziol US President Donald Trump says he will hike tariffs on India from their already-high level of 25 per cent due to the country's ongoing purchases of Russian oil amid the war against Ukraine. In a sign of the strained relations between the two countries, India quickly branded Trump's move 'unjustified and unreasonable', and said it would take all necessary measures to safeguard its economic security. The threat, which has not yet been acted on, underlines Trump's preference for using tariffs for geopolitical leverage, and comes as his deadline looms for commitments from Russia's Vladimir Putin on ending the war, which has now raged for three-and-a-half years. There have been mixed reports about India's intentions over the past week as the US stepped up pressure on the world's most populous nation to back away from its reliance on Russian crude oil, which now accounts for about a third of India's supplies. 6.44am Tesla grants Musk $46 billion stock award Tesla approved an interim stock award worth about $US30 billion ($46 billion) for chief executive officer Elon Musk, a massive payout meant to keep the billionaire's attention on the automaker as a legal fight over a 2018 pay package drags on. The new agreement includes 96 million shares of the automaker that will vest if Musk continues to serve in the top post for another two years, the company said in a regulatory filing. The restricted stock has an exercise price of $US23.34, equal to the price in the prior compensation plan. The move underscores Musk's grip on the company, even as it struggles with falling electric vehicle sales and a slumping stock price. The world's richest person has said he wants a greater stake in Tesla as he reorients it around futuristic pursuits including artificial intelligence and driverless vehicles. 6.39am What's making news today By Daniel Lo Surdo Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning. Here's what is making news today: Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has vowed to protect Australians from the 'tinderbox' of tension stemming from debate about the Middle East, saying he was blocking visas for potentially divisive visitors at an unprecedented rate. In an interview with this masthead, Burke said he 'did not care' if he was accused of stymying debate about controversial issues in favour of protecting social cohesion. US President Donald Trump says he will hike tariffs on India from their already-high level of 25 per cent due to the country's ongoing purchases of Russian oil amid the war against Ukraine. India quickly branded Trump's move, a threat that has not yet been acted on, 'unjustified and unreasonable', and said it would take all necessary measures to safeguard its economic security. The Australian sharemarket is set to grow on Tuesday, after Wall Street recovered much of the sharp losses incurred following Trump's latest tariff announcement last week. Trump has been critical of the US Federal Reserve, which has kept interest rates unchanged amid concerns about the impact of Trump's tariff agenda on prices for American households.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Energy expert claims Labor's net zero pursuit creating 'a big mess', wind and solar causing power prices to 'spike'
Centre for Independent Studies energy analyst Zoe Hilton has claimed the Albanese government's pursuit of net zero was creating a "big mess", warning wind and solar were causing power prices to "spike continuously". Since winning the federal election, Labor has doubled down on its ambitious plan to ensure 82 per cent of the nation's energy comes from renewables by 2030. The push toward net zero has prompted warnings over rising electricity prices and the risk of compromising Australia's long-term energy security. It has also sparked heated debate over costs, with Ms Hilton highlighting the government's push to encourage home battery installation as she argued subsidies were being provided "hand over fist". "They're expecting consumers to buy these batteries, install them, and then hand the keys back over to the grid," she told Sky News Australia. "Consumers don't want to do that because batteries are very expensive and anyone buying a battery does it because really they want their own autonomy. "That means that the government has to hand out even more subsidies and so, of course, we've seen a pretty big uptick in battery uptake purely because the government is giving people money hand over fist for this." Ms Hilton claimed that rather than focusing on how net zero could or should be achieved, the government needed to simply ensure Australians had access to the cheapest and most reliable source of energy available. Despite this, she noted the release of a new Productivity Commission report into the energy transition did little to discuss how power prices could be quickly and effectively reduced. "The way I would describe the Productivity Commission's report is: 'How can we take taxpayers' money, put it in a hole, and set it on fire more productively?'," the energy analyst said. "That's essentially what they're saying, because they're trying to get these uneconomic projects rammed through even faster. They barely talk about how do we make energy cheaper. "At the end of the day, they barely talk how do lower electricity prices, which is what actually will drive productivity in our country, because electricity being cheap is what modern society relies on. "They just have no idea that wind and solar are the very things that are causing electricity prices to spike continuously." In its report, the Commission argued overlap and gaps in existing emissions reductions policies, as well as the broken approvals process for renewables projects were key factors in slowing the energy transition and contributing to higher costs. According to Ms Hilton, though, the issue remained that agencies continued to focus on the wrong problem, claiming continuing to attempt achieving net zero would simply result in a "big mess."
