Travel Agent Newsletter
September, 2026
THIS MONTH'S SELLING OPPORTUNITY
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES, ADDIS ABABA
Connect more journeys through Addis Ababa
Ethiopian Airlines’ Addis Ababa hub connects African markets with destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. For travel advisors, this creates an opportunity to solve more than one sector at a time: regional journeys, long-haul connections, multi-country itineraries and selected stopover stays.
Best suited for
- Customers travelling within Africa or combining more than one African destination.
- Long-haul travellers who can connect through Addis Ababa.
- Leisure, visiting-friends-and-relatives, business and group enquiries requiring flexible routing.
- Customers whose itinerary can be extended with a hotel, experience or transfer where available.
Why it matters to your customer
A well-planned connection can reduce the complexity of a multi-sector journey. Your value as an advisor is to compare the complete itinerary – schedule, transit time, fare conditions, baggage, visa or transit requirements and the onward destination – rather than looking only at the first flight.
AGENT PRINCIPLE: Sell the journey, not only the sector.
HOW TO SELL IT
Turn one connection into a broader itinerary
Use these as conversation starters when a customer has more than one destination, a stopover opportunity or a regional extension in mind.
Johannesburg – Addis Ababa – Nairobi
Position for an East African business or safari journey.
Lusaka – Addis Ababa – Zanzibar
Combine a city journey with an Indian Ocean stay.
Windhoek – Addis Ababa – Mumbai
Explore a Southern Africa-to-India itinerary.
Cape Town – Addis Ababa – Dubai
Connect a Southern African origin with a Middle East destination.
London – Addis Ababa – Victoria Falls
Extend a long-haul journey into an African leisure experience.
AGENT CHECK These are itinerary ideas, not fare or schedule guarantees. Confirm current operating routes, connection times, through-ticketing, baggage rules, visa/transit requirements and live availability before quoting.
Build more than a flight
Once the route is agreed, ask what the customer needs at each stage of the journey. A flight enquiry can become a higher-value booking when the relevant stay, activity and ground movement are added at the same time.
Why use Flying Carpet Travel?
- Search flights and add available hotels, experiences and transfers from one platform.
- Sell beyond your home market with international & SOTO bookings – where tickets are issued outside the journey’s origin country.
- Plan multi-country journeys and compare the complete itinerary before presenting it to the customer.
- Contact the FCT team when an itinerary needs additional support.
Search and quote on flyingcarpet.travel
THE FLYING CARPET PULSE
What agents searched for on Flying Carpet Travel in August
Wherever you sell from, it helps to know what other agents on Flying Carpet Travel are searching for right now. In August, the busiest searches centred on Southern Africa, with Lisbon to Maputo and Windhoek to Cape Town leading the list, and Johannesburg showing up again and again as the connection point linking Maputo, Cape Town, Windhoek and Lusaka to the rest of the world.
From there, the search trail reaches further, into Lisbon, Milan and Frankfurt. No single route dominates. It is a broad spread of regional and long-haul enquiries, and the pattern holds a lesson for any agent, in any market: clients rarely want just one flight, they want a route that gets them where they are really going.
What this may mean for your business
- If you already sell into Southern Africa, keep regional options visible alongside long-haul itineraries; agents are searching for both together.
- When Johannesburg, Windhoek or Maputo appears in an enquiry, from any market, ask whether the client needs an onward sector, accommodation or ground arrangements.
- Wherever you are selling from, use recurring destination interest like this to guide client outreach, but always confirm live pricing and availability before making an offer.
FCT NEWS
China Southern Announces Extra Commission on LAX–Guangzhou Flight
China Southern Airlines has announced an Extra Commission Promotion for CZ328, its Los Angeles (LAX)–Guangzhou (CAN) service.
Ticketing Period : September 1–15, 2026
Travel Period : September 1–November 30, 2026
Log in to your account to check the applicable commission and terms & conditions. Book within the next two weeks to take advantage of this limited-time China Southern promotion.
WHAT AGENTS NEED TO KNOW
Travel news to use in client conversations
T'way Air begins its transition to Trinity Airways
T’way Air said in May 2026 that it had received approval to change its corporate name to Trinity Airways. The airline is rolling out related information through its official channels; its TW airline code and flight numbers were previously stated to remain unchanged. Check the latest airline communication before advising customers or updating booking references.
South Africa introduces required online traveller declarations
From 1 July 2026, travellers entering or leaving South Africa by air, land, sea or rail are generally required to submit an online traveller declaration. Air or sea passengers who remain inside the designated transit area are excluded. SARS advises travellers to submit the declaration no more than 24 hours before departure on the final leg to South Africa.
Oman offers visa-free stays of up to 14 days for eligible visitors
Visitors from more than 100 eligible countries and regions may enter Oman without a visa for stays of up to 14 days, subject to nationality and entry conditions. These include passport validity of at least six months, a return ticket, confirmed accommodation, health insurance and sufficient funds. Some nationalities are subject to additional residence or visa conditions.
Visakhapatnam, India shifts flight operations to a new airport
Visakhapatnam, a major port city on India’s east coast, has moved its commercial flight operations from the former airport at INS Dega to the new Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, effective 17 August 2026.
As an important industrial, commercial and maritime hub, Visakhapatnam serves as a gateway to Andhra Pradesh and is home to one of India’s major ports. Located approximately 40 km from Visakhapatnam city, the new airport replaces the former city-based facility and is designed to support the region’s growing passenger and cargo traffic. However. the airport code VTZ remains unchanged, so bookings can continue to be made using the same code.
AGENT REMINDER : Travel, visa, transit, health and customs requirements can change. Verify the customer’s nationality, route and travel date against current official government and airline sources before ticketing.
The Genie wants to hear from you
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