Ansett Australia set for big return decades after collapse, but in never seen before avatar; here's what to expect
Ansett Australia
collapsed into administration after suffering financial troubles in 2001. Its final flight was recorded early in 2002. More than 16,000 people lost jobs following the company's downfall.
Now, two decades later, the brand is scripting a revival in a way Australians wouldn't have ever imagined. It is making a return not as an airline but as an
AI-powered holiday booking
platform called
Ansett Travel
, according to 7News.
Explore courses from Top Institutes in
Please select course:
Select a Course Category
healthcare
Cybersecurity
MCA
others
Product Management
Design Thinking
PGDM
Leadership
Public Policy
Data Science
CXO
Operations Management
Healthcare
MBA
Others
Management
Technology
Finance
Data Analytics
Digital Marketing
Degree
Data Science
Skills you'll gain:
Duration:
11 Months
IIM Lucknow
CERT-IIML Healthcare Management India
Starts on
undefined
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Duration:
11 Months
IIM Lucknow
CERT-IIML Healthcare Management India
Starts on
undefined
Get Details
How is Ansett Travel designed
Speaking about Ansett Travel, Melbourne-based entrepreneur Constantine Frantzeskos said it was designed to be a 'hyper-personalized' travel agent that suggests trips and itineraries based on your preferences, calendar events, and budgets. 'I didn't just acquire a lapsed trademark and domain; I resurrected trust embedded deep in collective memory,' Frantzeskos was quoted by 7News as saying on Monday (July 28, 2025).
'The original Ansett served Australians beautifully for 65 years before collapsing in 2002, leaving a void in reliability and brand warmth. I believe that legacy still matters and that it's deserving of being reimagined for modern travellers. Ansett Travel isn't about replicating the past; it's about re‑engineering it through AI as the core, not as an afterthought,' Frantzeskos continued.
Live Events
What will Ansett Travel offer
Frantzeskos has worked with Emirates, Dubai Tourism, and Visit Victoria in the past. This time, he has partnered with Victorian travel start-up Travlr. He said the new platform is 'like the Costco of travel.'
It is open to everyone, 'but if you want the really good stuff,' flights, hotels, and holidays at near-wholesale prices, you will need to join Ansett VIP, he said.
Ansett VIP membership
An Ansett VIP membership is $99 a year, according to 7News. Not all AI features are live yet, but Frantzeskos said plans for things like auto-generated itineraries, pre-trip alerts, and personalized loyalty experiences are in the works. 'Today's travel platforms are reactive,' he said. 'You search, compare, click. Ansett seeks to flip that model.
'It's designed to anticipate when users need a break, school holidays, anniversaries, executive downtime, or great weather for a weekend away, and offer options before you even think to ask. It's not replacing human agents; it's doing what scale, data, and logic do best—with finesse, not friction.'
The website is already live and offering travel deals for destinations including Las Vegas, Bali, Tokyo, and Athens. Before its collapse, Ansett reportedly flew about 10 million passengers annually.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
12 minutes ago
- Time of India
Singapore's STB signs pact with IndiGo to boost tourism and travel
The Singapore Tourism Board and IndiGo have partnered to promote tourism between Singapore and India, capitalizing on strong visitor numbers. This year-long agreement aims to leverage IndiGo's network to boost travel to Singapore, especially as India remains a top tourism source. IndiGo will also introduce its business class offering on key routes, enhancing connectivity and catering to growing demand. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Singapore Tourism Board has signed an initial pact with domestic carrier IndiGo to boost tourism and travel between the two countries, a statement said on the year-long strategic pact, the two partners will promote the island-city nation as a leading leisure and business destination for Indian travellers and boost bookings through the airline's extensive network, it according to STB, remains one of Singapore's top three tourism source markets, building on its strong performance in collaboration is the first memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an Indian airline, and IndiGo's first with a national tourism the first half of 2025, Indian visitor arrivals exceeded 5,00,000, supported by excellent air connectivity, as per than 270 weekly flights connect Singapore to 15 Indian cities via Changi Airport."As we celebrate 60 years of India-Singapore diplomatic relations in 2025, our expanded collaboration with IndiGo and the launch of the year-long 'Untold Singapore' campaign positions us to harness the potential of India's dynamic travel market," said Melissa Ow, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism leveraging IndiGo's extensive network and Singapore's diverse offerings, STB is set to capture the growing demand, she Gurugram-based airline plans to launch its tailor-made business class offering IndiGoStretch on flights connecting Singapore to Delhi and Mumbai, starting August 9, coinciding with Singapore's National Day, the statement with flights from 9 destinations and seamless connections across its network, IndiGo is well positioned to cater to growing demand on these routes, it added."There is great demand for existing connectivity between the two countries and potential for more. With flights from nine destinations and seamless connections across our network, we are well positioned to cater to growing demand on these routes, With our recent introduction of IndiGoStretch," said Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo, said.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
12 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Singapore tourism board partners with IndiGo to boost India travel
The Singapore Tourism Board has signed an initial pact with domestic carrier IndiGo to boost tourism and travel between the two countries, a statement said on Thursday. Under the year-long strategic pact, the two partners will promote the island-city nation as a leading leisure and business destination for Indian travellers and boost bookings through the airline's extensive network, it said. India, according to STB, remains one of Singapore's top three tourism source markets, building on its strong performance in 2024. The collaboration is the first memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an Indian airline, and IndiGo's first with a national tourism board. In the first half of 2025, Indian visitor arrivals exceeded 5,00,000, supported by excellent air connectivity, as per STB. More than 270 weekly flights connect Singapore to 15 Indian cities via Changi Airport. "As we celebrate 60 years of India-Singapore diplomatic relations in 2025, our expanded collaboration with IndiGo and the launch of the year-long 'Untold Singapore' campaign positions us to harness the potential of India's dynamic travel market," said Melissa Ow, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board. By leveraging IndiGo's extensive network and Singapore's diverse offerings, STB is set to capture the growing demand, she added. The Gurugram-based airline plans to launch its tailor-made business class offering IndiGoStretch on flights connecting Singapore to Delhi and Mumbai, starting August 9, coinciding with Singapore's National Day, the statement said. Additionally, with flights from 9 destinations and seamless connections across its network, IndiGo is well positioned to cater to growing demand on these routes, it added. "There is great demand for existing connectivity between the two countries and potential for more. With flights from nine destinations and seamless connections across our network, we are well positioned to cater to growing demand on these routes, With our recent introduction of IndiGoStretch," said Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo, said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Eyewear retailer Lenskart files IPO papers to raise Rs 2,150-cr via fresh issue
New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) Lenskart Solutions Ltd, an omni-channel eyewear retailer, has filed preliminary papers with capital markets regulator Sebi seeking its approval to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO). The Gurugram-based company's IPO involves raising Rs 2,150 crore through fresh issuance of equity shares. Besides, promoters and investors would offload 13.22 crore equity shares, according to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) filed on Monday. As a part of the OFS, promoters — Peyush Bansal, Neha Bansal, Amit Chaudhary and Sumeet Kapahi; investors — SVF II Lightbulb (Cayman) Ltd, Schroders Capital Private Equity Asia Mauritius Ltd, PI Opportunities Fund – II, Macritchie Investments Pte Ltd, Kedaara Capital Fund II LLP, and Alpha Wave Ventures LP — would offload shares. Lenskart proposes to utilise the proceeds from the IPO for various strategic initiatives, including Rs 272.6 crore capital expenditure for setting up new Company-operated Company-owned (CoCo) stores in India and Rs 591.44 crore for payments related to lease, rent, and license agreements for these CoCo stores. Additionally, Rs 213.37 crore will be used for investments in technology and cloud infrastructure; Rs 320 crore for brand marketing and business promotion for enhancing brand awareness and the remaining funds will be used for unidentified inorganic acquisitions and general corporate purposes. Also, the company may consider a pre-IPO placement aggregating to Rs 430 crore. If such a placement is undertaken, the fresh issue size will be reduced accordingly. Founded in 2008, Lenskart commenced operations in India as an online business in 2010 and opened its first retail store in New Delhi in 2013. The company's business spans across designing, manufacturing, branding and retailing. Lenskart is India's largest organised retailer of prescription eyeglasses in terms of B2C eyeglasses sales volumes during financial year 2025, according to the Redseer Report. It has a strong presence across metro, Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities and international operations in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Lenskart operates business through 2,723 stores globally, comprising 2,067 stores in India and 656 stores internationally. Its mobile applications had over 100 million cumulative app downloads as of March 2025. The company has manufacturing facilities at two locations in India – in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan and Gurugram, Haryana – supplemented by regional facilities in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. It targets different customer categories through a portfolio of brands and sub-brands that include premium collections through John Jacobs and Owndays (acquired in 2022), and economy and affordable premium collections through Lenskart Air, Vincent Chase, hustlr, and Hooper Kids. On the financial front, Lenskart turned profitable in FY25 with a net profit of Rs 297.3 crore after posting a loss of Rs 10.15 crore in FY24. It reported an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) or operating profit of Rs 1,115 crore, an increase from Rs 763 crore a year earlier. The company clocked revenues of Rs 6,652 crore in FY25, an increase from Rs 5,428 crore in the preceding fiscal. Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, Morgan Stanley India Company, Avendus Capital, Citigroup Global Markets India, Axis Capital, and Intensive Fiscal Services have been appointed to manage the maiden public issue. PTI SP SP DRR SHW view comments First Published: July 29, 2025, 15:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
