Travel Weekly (UK) articles from April 2007

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from April 2007

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
April 6, 2007... The Dog's Baltics and other great websites What's your favourite travel industry URL? Manchester-based Baltic Holidays has just launched a stag weekends website called The Dogs Baltics - Thedogsbaltics.co.uk - a clever name and ideal for...

News.
April 6, 2007... p4 pic cap - take off quote if too long Accommodation-only supplier youtravel.com has signed a deal with Superclub's Hedonism resorts and now has two of its properties in Jamaica available on its site. Prices start from [pounds sterling]637...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... Luxe City Guides (Luxecityguides.com) has teamed up with Travel Weekly to give away 10 copies of its new guide to Cambodia and Laos, worth [pounds sterling]4.99 each. To enter, send the answer to the following question to the address below...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... MA[paragraph]venpick refurbs Treasure resort MA[paragraph]venpick Hotels and Resorts will open its second Asian property on Sentosa Island near Singapore at the end of 2008. Located in a 1940s colonial building, the MA[paragraph]venpick...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... Thai luxury at new Barai hotel This is the new eight-suite Barai Hotel and Spa that opened last month at the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin in Thailand. Each spa suite has a veranda with plunge pool and a rain shower. Guests booking before June 15...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... Travel 2 has teamed up with Tourism Malaysia to produce a six-page brochure designed to encourage agents to sell twin-centres to the country. Showcasing the diversity of Malaysia, the brochure contains five new tours taking in the beaches...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... Best for foodies: What? The Thai Cooking House. Why? Suitable as either a day or overnight excursion, not only do visitors learn to cook a mean Thai green curry but they also see a side of Bangkok not usually visited by tourists. A...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... Considering I spent three months living and working in Melbourne - and most weekends discovering the surrounding state - I have to admit becoming a Victorian specialist was far from the breeze I'd imagined. But a bit of mental arithmetic...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... Tourism Australia is offering agents the chance to win a Lonely Planet Guide to Australia and a bottle of wine. To enter, answer the following question: What is the name of the new city cards available in Sydney and Melbourne? a)...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... Melbourne has traditionally played second fiddle to swanky Sydney when it comes to tourism. But like comparing the obvious splendour of Edinburgh with the edgy pull of Glasgow, what visitors prefer is often just a matter of taste. And like the...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... Global access to city sites Global City Cards has new options for agents with two-day Sydney or Melbourne cards from [pounds sterling]51.60 or [pounds sterling]39.60 per person respectively. Each card offers entry to more than 40 top...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... Qantas offers tasty number Qantas has introduced an eight-course tasting menu on selected return, first class journeys from Australia and a wine guide, including tasting notes on the 145 wines offered in cabins and lounges. Dishes include...

Departures.
April 6, 2007... A6-Australia-PicCaption [SUBs: pic in TWQPS] This is Bamurru Plains - Kakadu National Park's new luxury bush camp on the coastal plains of the Mary Diver delta. The camp offers three free-standing ensuite rooms built on raised...

Ryanair fury at Aer Lingus veto.(News)
April 6, 2007... The European Commission appears poised to veto a resurrected Ryanair bid for Aer Lingus after a leaked report suggested a takeover would be anti-competitive. Ryanair reacted with fury, criticising the EC for the leak, questioning its...

Varig flies again under low-cost parent.(News)
April 6, 2007... Brazilian airline Varig should finally resume services between London and SA[pounds sterling]o Paolo following its purchase by the country's budget carrier Gol. Varig ceased flying from Heathrow last June as it came near to collapse and...

News.
April 6, 2007... in brief Gulf Air ticket fee Gulf Air has imposed a $25 fee for issuing a traditional paper ticket in an effort to enforce the use of e-tickets. The International Air Transport Association will not accept paper tickets beyond the end...

News.
April 6, 2007... pg12 Barometer Cities that saw the biggest fall on hotel prices 1. Guangzhou, China 2. Cape Town, South Africa 3. Tallin, Estonia, 4. Shanghai, China 5. Dubai, UAE Cities that saw the highest rise in hotel prices...

News.
April 6, 2007... pg12 Barometer Hotels in stats [pounds sterling]87 - the average paid for a night in a hotel room by Britons on their travels. British travellers spent most in New York ([pounds sterling]171) and the least in Prague ([pounds...

News.
April 6, 2007... Short haul e_SFlb1 Tallinn, Estonia 2 Warsaw, Poland (right) 3 Berlin, Germany 4 Pisa, Italy 5 Prague, Czech RepublicLong haul 1 Bangkok, Thailand 2 Shanghai, China 3 Orlando, Florida 4 Guangzhou, China...

News.
April 6, 2007... pg12 Barometer Destinations and accommodation by market share of visits 1. Lastminute.com 2. Tripadvisor 3. Gumtree.com 4. Travelodge UK 5. LateRooms UK 6. Intercontinental Hotels Group 7. Tripadvisor.co.uk...

News.
April 6, 2007... Take a peak at Liberty This pictures gives a sneak preview of the main restaurant of Royal Caribbean International's newest ship Liberty of the Seas, which is under construction. The ship is due in Southampton on April 22 for its...

News.
April 6, 2007... It is no exaggeration to say that fraud is as old as the hills. For as long as honest men have engaged in trade of any sort there have been others who have quickly established the short cuts and loopholes that allow them to set up a con...

News.
April 6, 2007... Compared with the high-profile police work that has spawned a television genre of its own, fraud investigations can appear utterly daunting. High-speed car chases, dramatic arrests and undercover operations rarely feature, so there's never...

News.
April 6, 2007... The Germans are well known for their love of long words. Indeed, why have one short word when six will do? Agents on last weekend's Viking River Cruises fam trip experienced the consequences of this first-hand. A talk by the...

News.
April 6, 2007... It is good to see a knighthood appears not to have gone to the head of EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Speaking at the recent Institute of Travel Management conference, he insisted, as usual: "Call me Stelios." Modesty aside,...

News.
April 6, 2007... Tour operators are heralding a revival of the great British holiday as trade sales for UK breaks continue to grow. Investment in domestic product, double commission payments and extra fam trips are all being credited with boosting UK...

News.
April 6, 2007... pg10 Week in Pics pic: 'pg10-Fleming' ABTA president Justin Fleming revealed details of a revamped ABTA convention at the Spanish Tourism Exchange for Professionals conference last week in London. Among the changes for the 2007...

Inquiry to rule on BAA 'power'.(News)
April 6, 2007... The Office of Fair Trading has referred BAA to the Competition Commission after examining its dominance of the market in the southeast and Scotland and taking submissions from airlines. The inquiry, expected to take up to two years, could...

T5 answers overcrowding.(News)
April 6, 2007... Terminal 5 will open on schedule next March and should solve passenger congestion. Airport chief executive Tony Douglas said: "Terminal 5 will transform Heathrow. It will be a world-class entry point tothe UK and the key to unlocking...

News.
April 6, 2007... Help cut security queues * Allow two hours at the airport for short-haul departures and three hours for long-haul. * Do not arrive earlier - it increases congestion. * Take just one carry-on bag. A handbag must fit in this. *...

News.
April 6, 2007... heathrow facts Passengers: 68 million a year, up to 200,000 a day Flights: 1,300 a day Annual flight limit: 480,000 Expected flights this year: 476,000 Average load per flight: 146 passengers Workforce: 70,000

News.
April 6, 2007... What was your first job in travel? I started at a Thomas Cook shop in Liverpool. I was the eldest child in my family and was 17 when my dad lost his eyesight overnight. He was in his 40s and worked at the docks. I was at grammar school and...

News.
April 6, 2007... Alamo is making all its cars smoke-free in time for UK smoking bans coming into force this year. The new laws in England, Wales and Northern Ireland apply to public places and workplaces including vehicles used by more than one person for...

News.
April 6, 2007... Global distribution system Amadeus has adopted new vehicle clarification standards to improve its car-hire booking system and promote upselling. The GDS has enhanced its car rental distribution to bring it in line with Association of Car...

News.
April 6, 2007... Car rental broker CarDelMar has launched a system that allows customers to name the price they would like to pay. The bidding service, called My Price, gives customers the opportunity to suggest a price and CarDelMar will decide whether to...

News.
April 6, 2007... The success of Travel Weekly's dynamic packaging roadshows last month revealed the enthusiasm agents up and down the country have for packaging up their own deals from separate components. However, an important knowledge gap emerged around...

Mid-market operators highlight lates sector.(News)
April 6, 2007... Exclusive Three-star British brands say extra capacity offers benefits to agents Lee Hayhurst Additional capacity of mid-range British brand cruiselines is offering agents opportunities to earn good commissions in the lates market....

Fred Olsen promotes star buys.(News)
April 6, 2007... Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' 2007 Summer Sail mini-brochure is offering up to 50% off brochure prices on selected cruises. All of the cruiseline's four ships are featured with thedepartures that offer the biggest savings flagged up as Star...

MSC adds fourth ship to class.(News)
April 6, 2007... Privately-owned Italian cruiseline MSC Cruises has announced it will build a fourth 2,500-passenger ship in the Musica class. MSC Magnifica will take the number of ships in the fast-growing fleet to 12 and will be delivered in 2010,...

NCL unveils Alaskan offers.(News)
April 6, 2007... NCL hopes price cuts on Norwegian Sun will encourage agents to upsell Norwegian Cruise Line has dropped prices on 2007 Alaskan cruises. The nine-night Alaskan Vistas and Vancouver fly-cruise now leads in at [pounds sterling]1,119 per...

News.
April 6, 2007... Thomson Cruises saysthird-party sales are up on last year when they were hit following the decision to cut commissions on the operator's mainstream holidays to 7%. Base commission on Thomson Cruises' product was retained at 10%, but the...

Travelscope bitten by rivals.(News)
April 6, 2007... Over-capacity and heavy discounting in market forces cruise operator to cut ship from programme Lee Hayhurst Cruise operator Travelscope has been forced to cut the number of ships it charters from three to two blaming over-capacity for...

TW2.
April 6, 2007... If April showers are dampening your spirit, we've got the perfect remedy. Shrug off your winter woollies and treat yourselfto a smart spring coat to brighten up the dreariest day. If you're on a budget, head to Matalan, where this...

News.
April 6, 2007... InterContinental Hotels Group has announced plans to introduce a US corporate brand to the UK, focusing on extended stays for business travellers. Staybridge Suites will open in Aston in Birmingham and in Newcastle in 2008 and there are...

News.
April 6, 2007... Marriott marina move Marriott International has announced plans to manage a new Renaissance-branded hotel at Dubai Marina. The new 300-room property is scheduled to open in 2010 and will be part of a one million sq ft development called...

News.
April 6, 2007... The managing director of Gleneagles Hotel has been appointed as the first president of the Institute of Hospitality. Peter Lederer (pictured below) will take on the role from May when the hospitality body officially changes its name from...

News.
April 6, 2007... The Preferred Group is hoping to expand globally to more than 500 hotels in the next few years. The hotel reservation and marketing association currently has around 360 independent hotel members worldwide and in the next 18 months it would...

News.
April 6, 2007... pg3 pic cap pic: 'pg3 Bath 1 to 3' Bath Travel was the big winner at the 2007 Agent Achievement Awards held in London on Tuesday. The miniple scooped four awards including the offline agency of the year, the cruise agency of the year...

News.
April 6, 2007... Lee Hayhurstlee.hayhurst@rbi.co.uk Costa Cruises is offering agents the chance to go on the sort of shopping spree that would make Absolutely Fabulous characters Patsy and Eddy green with envy in its most valuable sales incentive for the UK...

News.
April 6, 2007... Thomson Cruises and part First Choice-owned Island Cruises are waiting to hear what will happen to the rival operators if their parent companies merge. Island Cruises is a joint venture between First Choice and Royal Caribbean...

News.
April 6, 2007... The cruiseline 'for people who don't do cruises' has produced a special brochure for 'spa virgins' ahead of the launch of its new ship Ocean Village Two that will join the fleet in April. It is hoped the 14,000 sq ft Karma Spa that is...

experts urge industry to raise game.(News)
April 6, 2007... Check Safety First has warned operators and agents against relying on self-certified hotel health and safety audits following this week's Panorama. The independent health and safety specialist said there had been a knee-jerk reaction in...

News.
April 6, 2007... Operator's view Thomas Cook has refused to comment further than an official statement issued in response to the TV programme. An excerpt is featured here. From the outset Thomas Cook has said it is determined to do everything in its...

News.
April 6, 2007... pg3 lead EXCLUSIVE by Juliet Dennis Suppliers risk losing preferred status with Advantage after a survey found just over a third fully support agents. Operators will be categorised based on their responses to the survey's 18...

Disney dreams of birthday bonanza.(News)
April 6, 2007... Disneyland Resort Paris kicked off its 15th birthday celebrations last weekend with its new Once upon a Dream parade. The park has started year long celebrations which include the new parade featuring favourite Disney characters as well as...

News.
April 6, 2007... HWT members drive Harvey World Travel is to continue its campaign to woo new members for upto three months. For independent Connoisseur agents there is no fee, but managed Connoisseur agents are charged 0.5% of monthly sales while for HWT...

News.
April 6, 2007... Boarding with Virgin Virgin Atlantic has launched a facility for passengers to print off boarding passes at home. The passes are available for selected destinations where online check-in is already available. The service gives passengers...

News.
April 6, 2007... 5 nibs Readers who spot the Virgin Holidays' Easter bunny in this week's edition of Travel Weekly and make a Carnival Cruise Lines/Virgin Holidays booking on www.vhols4agents.co.uk can win themselves some chocolate treats. To be eligible...

News.
April 6, 2007... pg8 nibs Travelscope has released a new Ocean Cruises brochure 2007/08 brochure after deciding not to operate one of its ships the Athena this year. The operator has decided to reduce capacity blaming discounting and competition in the...

News.
April 6, 2007... A6-opinioncalder PMI, FCO and CDG: every industry has its own language, and among the travel community those three-letter acronyms will be instantly recognised: Palma, plus the main international airports for Rome and Paris respectively....

News.
April 6, 2007... Expedia's link-up with Ryanair is more worrying to Thomson than the activities of the rival big four operators, according to Thomson commercial director David Burling. Last week Expedia announced it is going to provide more than 20,000...

News.
April 6, 2007... Thomson is launching one of its biggest ever marketing campaigns to coincide with the launch of a revamped website designed to rival the online giants such as Expedia. The website and campaign are due to be launched on April 20. However,...

News.
April 6, 2007... Thomsonfly has launched its new premium long-haul service in a bid to take market share from scheduled airlines. From May 1 all its Boeing 767s will offer 33-inch legroom in economy and 37-inch legroom in Premium class. Onboard menus for...

News.
April 6, 2007... Thomson board members have insisted it is business as usual until they know whether its merger with First Choice will go ahead. Commercial director David Burling said he was confident staff morale will not dip during the coming months while...

News.
April 6, 2007... When Rear View agreed to join UK travel agents on a Rhine river cruise last weekend, it was with few concerns that anything could go wrong. What could be more relaxing than floating down one of Europe's finest waterways while enjoying the...

Skilzone.
April 6, 2007... Recruitment companies are urging industry staff to enter Travel Weekly's new Agent Excellence Awards, claiming winning an accolade is not only good for your self esteem but will improve your chances of moving up the career ladder as well. ...

Skilzone.
April 6, 2007... The Travel Weekly Agent Excellence Awards are now open for nominations. The awards have been designed to recognise and reward the hard work and innovation that keeps the travel industry dynamic. We've got 10 categories - from Best...

News.
April 6, 2007... Have you ever stopped to consider the fact your body language could have an impact on your relationship with your boss or that the way you smile at a customer could make them want to walk out the door? Body language expert and Big Brother...

News.
April 6, 2007... Delta Air Lines has promoted Nadia Clinton to the role of leisure sales manager for the UK. She will be responsible for driving sales across all leisure channels including the wholesale, retail, online and MICE markets and based at Delta's...

News.
April 6, 2007... The term 'best practice' might be one that leaves you cold a classic example of meaningless management speak. But when it comes to fraud, making sure every step you take is water-tight - and doing your 'best' to keep your assets and reputation...

News.
April 6, 2007... What was your first job? I started off as a young teenager stacking shelves at a major-brand supermarket in Germany. What was your first job in travel? My first job in travel was at the Crieff Hydro Hotel between Glasgow and...

News.
April 6, 2007... Siemens, Philips, Nokia, Vodafone, Diageo, Lufthansa - you've heard of them all, but what do they have in common? The answer is they all outsource parts of their workforce abroad, or "offshore". The trend for businesses to outsource is...

News.
April 6, 2007... The liberalisation of air routes between Europe and the US promised vast benefits according to supporters of the limited deal ratified by European Union transport ministers last month. The European Commission suggests savings on fares...

Air Berlin has long-haul target.(News)
April 6, 2007... German low-cost carrier Air Berlin will move into long-haul flying after buying German airline LTU for [pounds sterling]95 million to become Europe's second biggest budget carrier. The [euro]140 million deal will make Air Berlin a major...

Airlines defend offsetting efforts.(News)
April 6, 2007... Carriers insist moves to negate carbon emissions are about more than creating a 'feel-good factor' Edward Robertson Airlines have hit back at criticism of their attempts to neutralise their carbon footprints by offsetting. At last...

Operator muscle wins ABTA ballot.(News)
April 6, 2007... Newman Street resorts to block vote to force through change Paul Nelsonpaul.nelson@rbi.co.uk The votes of ABTA's large operators steamrollered through radical changes to the association's constitution this week after the plans failed...

News.
April 6, 2007... pg3 downpage Accommodation-only firms remain unconcerned by threats from Advantage to stop using them as suppliers unless they take on principle status. On Monday the consortium said it would give four suppliers Holiday Brokers,...

News.
April 6, 2007... Fears that another specialist eastern Mediterranean operator was about to go out of business following the collapse of Tapestry Holidays last August have been allayed. Last week Argo Holidays was the highest profile name on a Civil...

News.
April 6, 2007... p4 lead by Edward Robertson The proposed mergers of the big four travel companies into two strengthen the case for the introduction of the [pounds sterling]1 levy, according to the Civil Aviation Authority. Consumer protection...

CAA: '[pounds sterling]1 levy is sensible optioin'.(News)
April 6, 2007... Mergers of big four 'strengthens case' for new fee, says Moesli Edward Robertsoned.robertson@rbi.co.uk The proposed mergers of the big four travel companies into two strengthen the case for the introduction of the [pounds sterling]1...

News.
April 6, 2007... Exclusive European visitors to Britain are paying 65% more in taxation and fees than they do visiting rival destinations. The UK is more costly to visit than rivals France, Spain, Italy, the US and Australia - and tourists arriving...

News.
April 6, 2007... Travel industry employees could soon play a direct role in the fight against fraud. Scotland Yard fraud squad specialist and economic crime unit intelligence officer detective constable Peter Burns said the imminent launch of the national...

News.
April 6, 2007... Banks and financial institutions are now the first port of call for consumers who are the victims of card, cheque and online banking fraud. New regulations, introduced by UK payments trade association APACS, came into effect this month and...

Thomas Cook blasts 'inaccurate' TV probe.(News)
April 6, 2007... Operator reports 'unbalanced' Panorama to media watchdog Paul Nelsonpaul.nelson@rbi.co.uk Thomas Cook is to report the BBC to media regulator Ofcom over this week's Panorama programme on the deaths of two children on holiday in Corfu...