In early February, Air China, a new Star Alliance member, attended the 2008 Flight Centre Travel Expo's Sydney and Melbourne shows as a key international airline exhibitor.

During the travel shows, Air China not only showcased its latest products and services to the Australian public, but special airfares and the airline's brand were also being strongly promoted.

Air China officials told CARNOC.com that the airline's presence at the travel shows was a big success with hundreds of leaflets, brochures, flyers and other marketing materials handed out.

Showgoers and staff from other exhibitors expressed lots of interest in Air China's latest developments and new product offerings in Australia. Air China's brand-new A332 aircraft that are being deployed on China-Australia services, new Star Alliance member status, newly rebranded PhoenixMiles frequent flyer program with greater benefits for elite members and the use of Beijing Airport's newly constructed Terminal 3 in the near future all draw a lot of attention.

The 2008 Flight Centre Travel Expo, organised by Australasia's best known travel agency group Flight Centre Limited, is designed for Australian travellers to gain knowledge about the latest travel offers and to take advantage of the exclusive discounts on airfares and holiday packages with leading airlines, travel wholesalers and suppliers, event organiser told CARNOC.com.

Photograph: Air China's exhibition stand at the 2008 Flight Centre Travel Expo's Melbourne show. Photographer: Simon Li / CARNOC.com