Travel Weekly (UK) articles from August 2004

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from August 2004

Wish I was in her shoes.
August 6, 2004... After reading Maureen's column (Travel Weekly July 30) I can honestly say I have no idea what she is talking about. She mentions agents who accept invitations to events and educationals and then cancel at the last minute or don't turn up....

Parlez-vous Franglais?
August 6, 2004... Clients should not be deterred by the lingo on board On certain routes, particularly in the Med, Club Med 2 caters almost exclusively to the French-speaking market. Most of the on-board literature and day-to-day parlance is in French, and...

Club nautical.
August 6, 2004... TRUE to form, the Meltemi - the northerly wind that whips across Greece in July and August - was wreaking havoc on deck G of Club Med 2. Sarongs and glossy magazines had taken flight while their owners lunched, bottles of Shiseido sun cream...

} vox pop~.
August 6, 2004... Ship to shore - what passengers and crew thought "It's a cruise ship with five sails - one of the biggest of its kind in the world - and it has a very low draught of five metres, which allows us to get close to shore. This freedom - to be...

Acorn grows package offering in Majorca.
August 6, 2004... Acorn International Hotels has introduced all-inclusive packages in two of its key properties in Majorca - the Hotel Acorn Playa Santa Ponsa and Hotel Acorn Santa Ponsa Park. Marketing manager Mark Nueschen said the decision was taken after...

Getting it all together.
August 6, 2004... Website ramps up properties as demand for all-inclusive accommodation soars COSMOS is expanding the range of all-inclusive properties five-fold on its accommodation-only website, somewhere2stay.com. The move comes as Cosmos - along...

Olympic adds three Cyprus properties.
August 6, 2004... OLYMPIC Holidays has added three all-inclusive properties in Cyprus to its summer 2005 programme in response to growing demand for the product. New for 2005 are the four-star, adults-only Kouzalis Beach Hotel in Protaras, starting at...

News in brief.
August 6, 2004... rex expansion Rex Resorts has bought two new all-inclusive properties - the 88-room Discovery Bay on Barbados and the 111-room Hawksbill Beach on Antigua. Kuoni offers seven-night breaks from [pounds sterling]779 and [pounds sterling]789...

SuperClubs guests get lounge and limo.
August 6, 2004... GUESTS who book suites with SuperClubs can arrive in style following the operator's introduction of its own airport reception lounge and limousine service. The operator has opened its own lounge at Montego Bay International Airport, with...

Carrier reports BA to OFT.
August 6, 2004... SCOTAIRWAYS has reported British Airways to the Office of Fair Trading, accusing it of "predatory pricing". In a David versus Goliath battle, the Scottish airline claims BA is trying to force rivals off the London City to Edinburgh route by...

Passenger boom for BAA.
August 6, 2004... PASSENGER numbers at BAA's seven UKairports soared during the second quarter as revenues and profit also showed strong growth. For the three months to the end of June, traffic grew by 9.7% to 35.9 million, led by 11.3% at Heathrow and 15.8%...

Airlines attack Stansted plans.
August 6, 2004... CHARTER airlines have hit out at airport operator BAA over its plans to develop Stansted Airport. The Charter Airline Group - consisting of Britannia, Thomas Cook, First Choice, MyTravel and Monarch - has raised concerns over the funding...

Surley quits Helios post.
August 6, 2004... HELIOS Airways UK and Ireland sales and marketing manager David Surley is leaving the airline after only five months. He will join a specialist travel marketing agency, although he can't yet reveal the account he will be working on. Helios,...

Garuda Indonesia axes flights to Bali.
August 6, 2004... BALI'S tourism recovery has been dealt a blow after Garuda Indonesia said it would slash capacity to the destination, writes Michael Clarke. The airline will pull its Amsterdam flights from November - the only European destination which...

Making a Jump to regions.
August 6, 2004... A NEW airline is planning to open up the UK's regional airports by operating a bus-style, low-cost air service. Jump Airlines wants to woo travellers away from trains and coaches with cheap regional connections. The carrier aims to...

l in brief.
August 6, 2004... Avro bolsters short-break capacity Charter seat-only operator Avro has increased capacity for short-break durations towards the end of the winter season. The company is offering Gatwick-Alicante departures on September 25 for a three-night...

United on the mend.
August 6, 2004... UNITED Airlines saw year-on-year losses nearly halve in the second quarter of this year to $247 million. The figure would have been even better if it wasn't for a $144 million charge relating to the carrier's reorganisation programme. ...

news in brief.
August 6, 2004... Leger luxury boost Leger Holidays is adding three luxury Silver Service coaches this month to meet unexpected demand for the upmarket product. The coaches, which have more legroom, personal audio headphones and leather headrests, will be...

Cosmos goes Platinum.
August 6, 2004... COSMOS Tourama is operating three Platinum Tourer coaches on its best-selling European flycoach holidays next year. The coaches have 36 seats instead of 52 so passengers will have more legroom. They also have leather seats, tea and coffee...

Quality fleet.
August 6, 2004... A new luxury coach product is set to challenge the supremacy of airlines and Eurostar in travel to Europe EUROLINES has unveiled a new weapon in its battle with airlines and Eurostar for Paris-bound passengers. The trans-European coach...

London to Paris: ; coach, air or rail?
August 6, 2004... Eurolines Cost: from [pounds sterling]29 return. Journey time: (city centre to city centre) about eight hours. Frequency: five departures daily. Seat pitch: 33.5ins (on Eurolines Plus coaches). Seats: 61. On-board...

Shearings adds hotels.
August 6, 2004... Properties in Blackpool and Morecambe join brochure SHEARINGS Holidays has added Liberty's Hotel in Blackpool and the Strathmore Hotel in Morecambe to its Britain and Ireland coach holidays brochure. Shearings recently acquired the...

It pays to be single-minded.
August 6, 2004... Coach holidays are an appealing option for solo travellers COSMOS Tourama is launching coach tours for singles in its 2004/05 North America programme, due out at the end of the month. The operator is offering four solo tours departures...

Trade told: 'don't ignore over-60s'.
August 6, 2004... WALLACE Arnold sales and marketing director Karen Gee has been signed up to extol the virtues of the growing over-60s coaching market at the ABTAConvention in November. Gee will tell delegates at the Orlando conference that the industry is...

Mixed messages.
August 6, 2004... One tour operator senior executive has privately admitted the industry has 'abjectly failed' to get its message across to consumers that booking well in advance makes sense. And yet this is vital to future profitability. It seems the...

Face it: there's no going back.
August 6, 2004... You might find this hard to believe, but last week we received a letter of complaint. Not the usual moan from an operator because we didn't put their brochure launch on the front page, but a genuine bit of feedback from a disgruntled reader....

Terror tactics.
August 6, 2004... 'Cock up and it will cost you' was Travel Weekly's take on Lunn Poly's new policy to make staff pay up for any financial errors they make (July 23). Lunn Poly insists the policy is intended to tackle fraudsters - not to punish staff who...

Dynamic drive for Hotetur.
August 6, 2004... SPANISH hotel chain Hotetur is embracing dynamic packaging to fight the growth of do-it-yourself holidays. The group has already struck a deal with Holiday Brokers and aims to establish partnerships with other start-ups as demand for...

Phwoarcast ship shape for Falcon.
August 6, 2004... AHOY! Perhaps they're peering into the distance to see if we'd fall for their trick of dressing in their skimpies to get a bit of coverage? Or maybe they are saluting the fact that, erm... we have? Either way, here's (yet another) glimpse...

Robin a name won't make you the Don.
August 6, 2004... AVID readers of last resort (and believe it or not, there are one or two) might remember a story we ran back in April concerning a windswept disused Vulcan bomber base in Doncaster. Yep, we're talking about RAFFinningley, which had just...

He is all mouth, no nous.
August 6, 2004... Last resort is always the first to jump on any old xenophobic bandwagon in pursuit of a cheap laugh. But even we couldn't fail to be impressed with the actions of German Alexander Mechthold, who has single-handedly proved that his...

Fury over IATA rule change.
August 6, 2004... IATA has been accused of changing its European agents' remuneration rules behind the trade's back. From January 1 2005, the wording of the agent agreement document will change from airlines 'shall' remunerate IATA agents for work...

Exit after fraud probe.
August 6, 2004... THEABTAstaff member at the centre of an alleged fraud at failed agency Spear Business Travel has left the association, writes Neal Baldwin. Newman Street bosses have confirmed Maria Rodrigues - an administrations supervisor who worked in...

Spanish eye for airlines.
August 6, 2004... EASYJET and Ryanair are stepping up their assault on the charter operators' key Spanish market by ploughing extra capacity into the country. EasyJet is adding three new Spanish destinations to its winter programme, while Ryanair is set to...

It's all in a name for Co-op.
August 6, 2004... THE Co-operative Group is to pilot a new name next year to use across all of its brands. The group is carrying out research to help decide which name to use to unite all parts of the society, which includes travel agency chain Travelcare,...

l in brief.
August 6, 2004... Bmibaby boom Bmibaby increased traffic by a fifth in the first half of 2004. The airline carried 1.5 million passengers during the period, a 20.7% increase on last year. Capacity increased by 13% during the same period. Virgin Atlantic...

l in brief.
August 6, 2004... Excel adds Delhi Excel Airways is expanding its long-haul product with the launch of Delhi services in conjunction with Somak Holidays. The operator has chartered the airline to operate the flights out of Manchester from November 7. ...

Travelcare eyes direct acquisitions.
August 6, 2004... TRAVELCARE is set to make two "major" direct-sell acquisitions in addition to further retail purchases and a significant technology development. General manager Amanda Williams denied the direct-sell deals, likely to happen by the end of...

The net is closing in.
August 6, 2004... Your article on the backlash against Internet bookings (Travel Weekly July 30) paints a rosy picture for the future of travel agents, yet the full LogicaCMG report is less positive. According to the research, 99% of consumers already buy...

We'll stop the press.
August 6, 2004... May I sincerely apologise to Peter Cobbett and his colleagues at Travel Matters for any inconvenience caused by our multiple voucher copies (Travel Weekly July 30) Not only does Holiday Autos offer the most competitive car rental rates in...

Prepare for an eventful ABTA.
August 6, 2004... In your report on the recent ABTA Southwest Regional Meeting you noted the appeal from members to ensure their inclusion in all events at the forthcoming ABTAConvention in Orlando. Last year I sent a personal request to all members and...

Donations make a real difference.
August 6, 2004... I was disappointed to read an agent's response to the news Thomas Cook is furthering its support of the Travel Foundation by asking customers to make a donation to the charity (Travel Weekly July 23). As international tourism continues to...

JMC was at the vanguard.
August 6, 2004... Like Simon Vincent, I helped launch JMC and I also believe we were simply ahead of our time (Travel Weekly, July 30). We have since seen more companies in the leisure sector switching to fresh and innovative brands - especially within the...

Elegantly wasted.
August 6, 2004... What a brilliant new arrangement we now have for dealing with brochures. On Wednesday, BP deliver new stocks of brochures - on Friday Dawsons will come and take them away for recycling so we don't have to keep them. No more complaints about...

Big plans for small hotels.
August 6, 2004... Morocco may lead the way in Africa's boutique hotel market, but Tunisia is aiming to catch up Tourism may still be in its infancy in certain parts of Africa, but in Tunisia it's been big business since the 1950s. With around 800...

hotel; check; pansea douar; Ksar Ghilane, Tunisia.
August 6, 2004... Where is it? In a desert oasis at Ksar Ghilane, two hours from Douz and miles from civilisation - or so it seems. Perfect for a desert camp. 44444 What's it like? The camp is one of several in the oasis, but it's the only one...

news in brief.
August 6, 2004... odyssey addition Long-haul specialist Odyssey Worldwide has added Tunisia to its 2004/05 programme, on sale this month. The operator features 15 hotels in three Tunisian resorts - Hammamet, Port El Kantaoui and Sidi Bou Said - and a mix of...

Panorama kids' club.
August 6, 2004... Panorama is launching children's clubs at its two most popular family hotels in Tunisia for summer 2005. Called Panorama's Beach Ball Crew, the clubs will open at the Hotel Sol El Mouradi in Port El Kantaoui and the Hotel Grand on...

Souk it and see.
August 6, 2004... Positive outlook as more operators feature Tunisia for next year The Tunisian National Tourist Office remains bullish about the country's performance this year, citing a continuous year-on-year rise in arrivals since January. April saw...

Wigmore expands in Tunisia.
August 6, 2004... Wigmore Holidays is featuring the new resort of Hammamet Yasmine next year with the addition of the five-star Saphir Palace to its 2005 brochure. Director Kader Chelbi said: "The hotel has just opened across from the new medina and it is...

Playing away.
August 6, 2004... One in 10 women admit they've slept with the boss, but as England manager Sven Goran Eriksson has found out, having an affair can be a risky business. Lisa James reports IF, like Sven, you're the boss and you want to embark on an office...

It's Formula Fun.
August 6, 2004... Hertz and Travel Weekly sponsored a go-karting Grand Prix. A total of 14 teams joined in the fun, including TUI, Canadian Affair, Qantas Holidays, The Online Travel Company, Lotus, Major Travel and American Express Revving up to go are...

Big day for Weeks.
August 6, 2004... Harry Weeks Travel recently invited travel industry guests to celebrate its 50th anniversary Marking the event are, from left, Mike Hall, Harry Weeks Travel; Catherine Beadle, Virgin Holidays; and Peter Traynor, Cosmos Welcome tray...

A day at the races.
August 6, 2004... The Hong Kong Tourism Board hosted a group of travel industry guests to Hong Kong Day at Ascot for a day of horse racing and Chinese entertainment Refreshing moment for, from left, Kevin Welch, Hong Kong Tourism Board; with Jennie Ferguson...

Treasure troves.
August 6, 2004... Virgin Holidays hosted a Treasures of the Caribbean party - sponsored by Cuba and the Bahamas Tourist Board, Sandals and Travel Weekly - to mark the launch of its new Caribbean brochure Celebrating shipmates are, from left, Lyndsey Roberts,...

top tips for selling to single travellers.
August 6, 2004... n Work out the cost of doing the holiday alone - renting a car and booking hotel rooms - to highlight what good value coach touring is. If clients are unhappy about paying the single supplement, break down the total into a per day charge -...

World weather.
August 6, 2004... key c=cloudy; dr=drizzle; f=fair; fg=fog; r=rain; sh=showers; th=thunder; sn=snow; s=sunny midday readings [degrees]F[degrees]C Alicantes9032 Amsterdams7725 Athenss9032 Aucklands5010 Bahamasf9032 ...

McEwan to meet and greet.
August 6, 2004... NEWLY appointed Advantage Travel Centres managing director John McEwan is to consult members over a new business plan to drive the consortium forward. The former TUI UK retail director will head up the new incarnation of Advantage as a...

sail away ; with me.
August 6, 2004... Ship-shape: with 27,000sq ft of billowing sails and 19,000sq ft of teak decking, making it the largest five-mast sailing ship in the world, Club Med 2 blends big-ship sophistication with the intimacy and charm of a yacht. Its shallow draught...

A little light music.
August 6, 2004... Gel eye mask Kill two birds with one stone on your travels with this soothing eye mask. Unlike your usual gel mask, this one blocks out the light so you can use it to rest your eyes in darkness when you travel. It can be used either warm...

there's no escape from the mystery shopper In association with.
August 6, 2004... The target Newbury Newbury The target An all-inclusive hotel with a kids' club in Tunisia wanted Thomas Cook 95 Northbrook Street This agency was a good size with a reasonable amount of space for brochures....

Currency.
August 6, 2004... SPOTRATES Argentinian Peso5.474 Australian Dollar2.588 Brazil Real5.572 Canada Dollar2.401 China Yuan15.127 Cyprus Pound0.875 Denmark Krone11.25 Euro1.512 Egypt Pound11.423 Hong Kong Dollar14.187...

It's a family affair.
August 6, 2004... YOU know what it's like to have a tiff at work. A few misplaced words can be all it takes and suddenly there's tension in the air. Minutes later emotions flare up. Words are spat across the desk in anger. The tension lingers, sometimes...

what not to do.
August 6, 2004... If you still can't keep your trousers (or tights) up, here are some tips to bear in mind. Avoid sending sexy e-mails to your lover. The recipient may very well save them and use them as incriminating evidence when it's all over (think...

sample product.
August 6, 2004... Panorama offers a three-night desert safari from any of its coastal resorts, visiting El Djem, Matmata, Douz, Tozeur, Chebika and Tamerza and including a morning ride through the Gorges of Selja on the Red Lizard train for [pounds sterling]149...

Avis/GBTA celebrate 20 years.
August 6, 2004... Pictured are, from left, GBTA immediate past chairman Charles Sommer; Avis sales and marketing director Penny Stoolman; GBTA deputy chairman Adam White; and Avis managing director Michael White. THE Guild of Business Travel Agents and Avis...

Royal Caribbean to offer e-ticket facility.
August 6, 2004... EDocs to be first of its kind in UK cruising ROYAL Caribbean International has launched an e-ticketing facility, the first of its kind within the UK cruise industry. The eDocs electronic ticketing tool - unveiled at the same time as...

Shift to profit in pipeline.
August 6, 2004... THE legal process to turn Advantage Travel Centres into a profit-making operation is set to be concluded by the end of the year. The restructure has been hit by legal delays due to its complexity. Once the barrister has completed his case,...

Bridge staff facing bulk of job losses.
August 6, 2004... BRIDGE Travel staff are expected to bear the brunt of redundancies resulting from the merger with Cresta Holidays after it was revealed the new company is likely to be based in Cheshire. The news comes as MyTravel confirms Cresta managing...

ABTA/FSA to clear up car hire loophole.
August 6, 2004... ABTA and the Financial Services Authority have agreed to hold crunch talks following the exposure of a loophole in ABTA's opt-out from insurance regulation which is threatening car hire sales through agents. Newman Street wrote to the...

Euro Disney in talks as cash flow dries up.
August 6, 2004... EURO Disney lenders have failed to agree a financial rescue plan for the theme park operator as it warns of further losses. Lenders had extended Euro Disney's waiver on debt payments until the end of last month while the plan was agreed,...

New Getaway owner to target trade sales.
August 6, 2004... DIRECT-SELL operator Indigo Holidays plans to develop a trade arm following its purchase of US specialist Getaway. Indigo chief executive Todd Carpenter said Getaway - which was bought from Travel Industry Services for an undisclosed sum...

Kuoni starts hunt for new recruits.
August 6, 2004... KUONI is recruiting staff to fill 30 new positions, reflecting the buoyancy of the long-haul market according to UK managing director Sue Biggs. Jobs include agency sales manager, product manager and roles in quality control and finance....

TSSA calls for talks on wage policy.
August 6, 2004... THE Transport Salaried Staffs' Association has pledged to challenge Lunn Poly's policy of docking staff wages for financial errors. The industry trade union wrote to TUI UK human resources director Dominic Mahoney calling for a meeting...

Rumours of agency closures.
August 6, 2004... SPECULATION is growing the big four will scale down their shop networks as sales increase through the Internet and call centres. A new survey by HgCapital predicts a fall in high-street shops, and observers say MyTravel is considering...

Boss of Meon Villas resigns.
August 6, 2004... MEON Villas managing director Jane Sheppard has quit after 24 years to spend more time with her family and pursue "new opportunities"in the industry. She was managing director at the First Choice-owned specialist for the past two years, and was...

l in brief.
August 6, 2004... New terminal to open Newcastle International Airport opens its new terminal extension next week. The [pounds sterling]10 million redevelopment will be officially unveiled in a ceremony next Wednesday by TV presenters Ant and Dec. Around...

Sovereign MD moves to work at Harlequin.
August 6, 2004... FORMER Sovereign managing director Philippa Harris has become MD of luxury tour operator Harlequin Worldwide Travel. Harris is working three days a week at the operator, which has 20 staff in South Ockendon in Essex. It is owned by...

Tourism taxes roll out.
August 6, 2004... MAURITIUS and Dubai are introducing travel taxes from the autumn. The tax will be introduced in Mauritius from October. It is believed to be around [pounds sterling]13 per adult, and [pounds sterling]7 for children and will be charged by...

Airlines under fire for misleading fares.
August 6, 2004... CONSUMERwatchdogs have promised to clamp down on airlines advertising misleading prices on the Internet. Trading Standards, the Advertising Standards Authority, Office of Fair Trading, Air Transport Users Council and Local Authorities...

TUI moves to halt takeover bid.
August 6, 2004... TUI has released second-quarter results a week early in an attempt to stave off a potential hostile takeover bid. Headline figures were announced yesterday, with half-year results out next Thursday. Rumours of a hostile bid spread last...

l in brief.
August 6, 2004... Payout for Buzz staffRyanair and KLM have been forced to pay compensation to Buzz workers sacked when the airline was bought last year. Compensation believed to total [pounds sterling]100,000 will be paid to 140 former Buzz staff following...

l in brief.
August 6, 2004... NCL ship visit Norwegian Cruise Line is hosting a ship visit for agents on Norwegian Dream on September 22. A Cruise Academy training session will follow at Dover's Churchill Hotel the next day. The training includes a product guide and...

Operator to step up agent training.
August 6, 2004... THOMAS Cook Signature is stepping up training of agents and its own call-centre staff. It plans online training at all levels for agents, from induction to product-specific training and ultimately a master class programme for experienced...