SAMOA: Faleolo International Airport

Samoa’s Faleolo International Airport is undergoing a makeover and last week, the grand unveiling of Phase One of the refurbishment project took place with the completion of the departure terminal.

With an emphasis on crowd processing efficiency, technological upgrades, cleanliness and increased capacity, Faleolo's refurbishment is in line with the country’s mission to meet the growing demands of increasing passenger traffic and to improve infrastructure.

The airport refurbishment is a three phase development.

Phase One is the upgrade and expansion of the departures building. Phases Two and Three will be the upgrade and development of a new Arrivals Terminal and public areas. The last two phases are set to be completed by the second half of 2017.

New aerobridges will also feature at the completion of the project and as the new arrivals hall is built, a temporary terminal, now in operation, will be used to cater for all inbound flights into Faleolo.

Sonja Hunter of Samoa Tourism Authority has expressed confidence in the project, welcoming the development as part of efforts towards the establishment of Samoa as a major hub for travel and trade in the South Pacific.

“The new airport is a fabulous representation of our country’s growth. Samoa is fast becoming a feature in many traveller’s bucket lists and an expansion to cope with increasing visitor arrivals will also promote an improved airport experience. It could not have come at a better time and we are ready for greater accessibility and for new carriers to come and consider Samoa as a new destination,” says Sonja.

Faleolo International Airport is expected to complete its final refurbishment phase by August 2017.

NEW ZEALAND: Air New Zealand and United Form Joint Venture

United Airlines and Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand are forming a joint venture (JV) for routes between the United States and New Zealand. The revenue sharing agreement will cover three nonstop routes between the US and New Zealand and begin on June 1 of this year, when United launches nonstop service from San Francisco to Auckland. However, United and Air New Zealand must still receive governmental approval from both nations.

The new JV will dominate the US – New Zealand market
When it launches, the new JV will dominate the market between the US and New Zealand, which we estimate to number ~888 passengers per day each way (PDEW), 84% of which is centered on Auckland (730 PDEW), the only New Zealand city with nonstop service to the US. In turn, more than 50% of Auckland’s PDEWs are centered on 3 US metro areas: Los Angeles (by itself a third of the origin and destination [O&D] traffic), San Francisco, and Honolulu.

Air New Zealand serves each of these three cities nonstop from Auckland, with two daily flights to Los Angeles on the Boeing 777-300ER (plus an oddball weekly flight from Raratonga in the Cook Islands on Saturdays with the Boeing 767-300ER), five flights per week to Honolulu on the Boeing 787-9, and daily flights to San Francisco with a mix of 777-300ER (6x weekly) and Boeing 777-200ER equipment (1x weekly) alongside United’s planned daily Boeing 787-8. Air New Zealand also serves United hub Houston nonstop from Auckland with five flights per week using the 777-200ER.

With the exception of American’s new daily Los Angeles – Auckland 787-8 service and Air New Zealand’s five weekly 777-200ER flights to Vancouver (not covered by the JV) that’s the entirety of the nonstop service between the US and New Zealand. And that raises the very real question of whether the DOT should even approve this alliance at all. While the US and New Zealand do technically have Open Skies, the combined carrier would control more than 80% of capacity in the market, creating a virtual monopoly. Air fares between the United States and New Zealand are certainly not cheap and an untied United might be a useful constraint on Air New Zealand’s market power; a constraint lost with a JV.

Moreover, it’s unclear if there will be any further competition outside of this JV (Air New Zealand could certainly add more routes and is rumored to be interested in serving Chicago O’Hare). American doesn’t have any viable gateways besides Los Angeles, and its daily flight is essentially a replacement for the legacy Qantas flight between Los Angeles and Auckland. Over in SkyTeam, Delta’s only viable gateway, Seattle, is a tiny O&D market to Auckland (20 PDEW after nonstop stimulation) so that would rely on Delta building a 350-400 daily departure hub before it could generate enough feed (something that’s at least 4-5 years away due to airfield constraints, let alone economic and strategic ones). All in all, this deal should and will get a hard look from the DOT as it will constrain consumer choice.

Agreement competes with American/Qantas and Delta/Virgin
At the same time, if the DOT follows the precedent it has set in other JV cases in Open Skies markets, the United – Air New Zealand tie up will become the third such partnership in the South Pacific. American and Qantas are certainly the dominant players in the region, and are waiting on New Zealand government approval to extend their JV to include Australia’s eastern neighbor. Virgin America and Delta have a JV that isn’t tied to any particular alliance, but their alliance basically covers 3 daily flights from Australia to Los Angeles and has been stagnant for years. That alliance will probably stay in a holding pattern until Delta launches Seattle – Sydney (far from a certainty).

By default then, the United-Air New Zealand JV will become the second strongest in the South Pacific from day 1, especially if the airlines can convince the DOT to allow them to include Australia (adding in United’s Australian services and Air New Zealand’s massive trans-Tasman portfolio to the service mix). If they can pull that off, then this JV could very well accede to pole position in the region, with nonstop service to 3 of the 4 largest destinations in the region (only missing Brisbane) and top-notch connectivity.

SAMOA: Discover Samoa

Samoa, the vibrant and uniquely beautiful country located in the Polynesian region of the South Pacific. Featuring volcanic landscapes, pristine coastlines and tropical flora and fauna, it is an island getaway destination you’ll never forget. Surrounded by the warm, crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, travelers to Samoa will find a tropical paradise where people are friendly and hospitable, and the culture treasured by all.

Comprising of 10 islands, Samoa boasts secluded beaches and warm air temperature at 30°C. Enjoy your vacation with a refreshed and relaxed state of mind.

Enjoy the pristine sandy beaches of Lalomanu Beach, take a trip to do some deep sea game fishing, hike to a hidden waterfall, explore rainforests or swim with turtles. The choice is yours.

Among all the natural beauty and pictureqsue valleys and coastline you will find villages with their churches, meeting house and open homes encircling the village green (malae).
Attractions & Activities

Samoa is known as the 'Cradle of Polynesia'. Historical sites and a wealth of historical and cultural attractions make Samoa a great place to experience authentic Polynesian culture. The natural beauty of Samoa is equally fascinating. Spectacular blowholes, amazing waterfalls, picturesque coastlines and mountain lookouts are some of the many natural attractions of the country.


The two major islands of Upolu and Savai'I, and two of the eight outer islands are inhabited (Manono and Apolima). Upolu, with the country's capital of Apia, offers a wide range of activities and attractions. Among the sights not to be missed are the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, the sacred burial grounds at Mulinu'u, and the Papase'ea Sliding Rocks, which are all within close proximity of Apia. The Falemata'aga Museum of Samoa is located in a historical old government building and offers information about the culture, history and environment of Samoa and the Pacific. The Piula Caves are a perfect spot to enjoy nature's beauty. The natural pool here is ideal for swimming, snorkeling and picnicking. The eastern tip of Upolu also offers great snorkeling areas such as Lalomanu beach.


Savaii is Samoa's largest island. Here visitors can experience the faaSamoa, the Samoan way of life, which takes place at an easy and gentle pace. A well-paved road encircles the island and connects many attractions such as the Tia Seu Ancient Mound, the largest ancient structure in Polynesia; the Alofaaga Blowholes; the Aopo Conservations Area; the Lava Caves; the Aula Green Turtle Conservations; and the Falealupo Rainforest Preserve with its forest canopy walkway.
Culture & Events

Samoa is a traditional society with a distinctive Polynesian cultural heritage. A fully independent state with a parliamentary system of government, Samoa is the largest full-blooded Polynesian country in the world. Over 90% of the country's population of 177,000 people are full Samoan.

First inhabited by humans over 3,000 years ago, Samoa has a long history that includes everything from island invasions to territorial squabbles between Germany, the US, and Britain. Samoans are believed to have migrated from the West, (the East Indies, the Malay Peninsula, or the Philippines). The oldest known site of human occupation in Samoa is Mulifanua on Upolu dating back to about 1,000 BC. By far the most important agents of change in Samoa were the Western missionaries. The missionary influence on Samoan life was so strong Samoans are now devoutly religious people. Between 1962 and 1997, Samoa was known as the Independent State of Western Samoa (or more simply Western Samoa), but has since dropped the 'Western' from its name.

Samoa is famous for faa-Samoa. This Samoan way of life runs at its own pace and culture and tradition are an integral part of the society. Despite centuries of European influence, Samoa maintains its historical customs, social and political systems, and the Samoan language.
There are over 362 villages in Samoa with a total of 18,000 matai (chiefs). The land of the villages are owned by extended family units called aiga, which are headed by matais. The two main structures in a typical Samoa village are the Fale Fono central structure of in each village is the church as well as the Fale Fono, where the matais meet to discuss village matters.

The traditional Samoan dance is the Siva. This dance is similar to the Hawaiian hula, telling a story with gentle movements of the hands and feet. Traditional Samoan medicine is often practised as a first-line before hospital medicine. This is a type of alternative medicine using plant leaves to massage the affected area. The traditional women's clothing is the puletasi which is a matching skirt and tunic with Samoan designs. Some men have intricate and geometrical patterns tattooed onto their lower body and upper legs.

The highlights of the Samoan event calendar are the Independence Celebration the beginning of June and the Teuila Festival (www.teuila.ws) the second week of September.
The Independence Celebrations feature parades by various schools, associations, clubs and organizations, the raising of the National flag, traditional singing and dancing, boat races, and a marching girls competition.

In August 2007, Samoa will host the South Pacific Games. This multi-sports event takes place every four years and includes athletic events that are synonymous with the Pacific.