Travel Weekly (UK) articles from February 2004

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from February 2004

of the best islands.
February 2, 2004... 6 The South Pacific is just about as distant a destination as a UK traveller can find, perhaps explaining why its many thousands of islands remain undiscovered by tourists and travel agents alike. But they are well worth getting to...

Shearings Grand tour hits all the highlights.
February 2, 2004... Shearings Holidays has added a 21-day New Zealand tour to its 2004 Worldwide programme. The Grand New Zealand tour starts in Auckland and travels along the Hibiscus Coast to the Bay of Islands, then on to Rotorua and Wellington, before...

Battle of the airports.
February 2, 2004... BIRMINGHAM International Airport is trying to thwart the launch of Thomson's low-cost flights from Coventry Airport by demanding expansion is suspended because of airspace fears. BIA bosses fear an enlarged Coventry Airport could cause air...

Galileo: 'BA fare popular'.
February 2, 2004... GLOBAL distribution supplier Galileo claims it has seen an influx of agents signing up to its British Airways fare scheme following a series of roadshows last week. The GDS supplier met agents in London, Manchester and Glasgow to thrash...

Knoops takes top UK role with KLM.
February 2, 2004... VINCENT Knoops is replacing Tony Le Masurier as UK general manager for Dutch flag carrier KLM. He moves from his role as the airline's general manager for India, South Africa and the Gulf region. The carrier has also poached David...

Bristol return for Aer Lingus.
February 2, 2004... AER Lingus is returning to Bristol Airport with the launch of direct flights to Dublin from March 28. The airline currently offers services through a codeshare with British Airways from Bristol, but hasn't operated any of its own aircraft...

BA boosts spend on first class.
February 2, 2004... BRITISH Airways plans to increase advertising spend on its first-class service amid increasing pressure from Virgin Atlantic. It is devising a series of campaigns, believed to focus around selected newspaper advertising and direct marketing...

Continental adds Birmingham flight.
February 2, 2004... Airline launches second daily service to New York CONTINENTAL Airlines has signalled a year of expansion and returning confidence with the launch of a second daily service from Birmingham to New York. The airline said demand from the...

CSA Czech increases UK flights.
February 2, 2004... CSA Czech Airlines is boosting capacity for this summer from its UK regional airports. The carrier is more than doubling flights from Edinburgh to Prague from five to 11 a week, while Birmingham departures will rise to 10 from six weekly...

of the best tours in Canada.
February 2, 2004... 5 It's big, beautiful and possibly too daunting to tackle alone. No wonder joining an escorted tour is often the favoured option for clients who want to see the best Canada has to offer in a limited time. From the charms of the...

Canada bounces back.
February 2, 2004... Operators are introducing a range of new products after surviving last year's ordeals Tour operators are putting the Iraq war and last month's SARS scare in China behind them as they reveal a raft of new Canadian product for this year. ...

Weak dollar leads to rise in ski sales.
February 2, 2004... Fears the weak US dollar could divert consumer attention from Canada have proven unfounded, according to ski specialists. Operators to the US and Canada have reported an increase in business to both countries. Ski the American Dream...

Last orders, please.
February 2, 2004... IT'S my first anniversary of giving up the dreaded weed. Ashtrays? No need for them now in my home and office. Oh, I do feel pure. The No Smoking ban on almost every airline has my full support (she says, piously). It makes sense...

of the best excursions in Paris.
February 2, 2004... According to operators, clients book more excursions in Paris than any other city-break destination. This is good news for agents who can boost their pay packet with a bit of extra commission if they can match the right tour to their customers'...

Paris tourist board targets UK.
February 2, 2004... THE PARIS Tourist and Convention Bureau is embarking on an aggressive marketing campaign this year to promote the destination to the UKtrade - the first time in 15 years that it has pushed the French capital. Up to 500 agents will be...

Trade's answer to jungle japery.
February 2, 2004... As the nation is gripped by the fun in the jungle that is I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! we've been busy thinking how we can borrow the format and apply it to the travel industry. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a bunch of...

Warner swap the office for beach?
February 2, 2004... FED up with staring out the window, waiting for those customers to walk in? Had enough of making your manager endless cups of tea? Well, you can exchange your dreary existence for a few days of sun, courtesy of those nice chaps at Mark...

They're talking gobbledegook.
February 2, 2004... In the latest episode of our long-running series, 'marketing jargon we can't believe people actually use', we bring you 'from soup to nuts'. This, we are reliably informed by new Travel Weekly deputy features editor and former Computer Weekly...

O'Leary orders review.
February 2, 2004... RYANAIR chief Michael O'Leary has ordered a review of the airline's cost base after its first drop in profits for 15 years. The carrier has warned staff pay will be frozen next year, delivery of its 125 Boeing 737-800s renegotiated and the...

BA spares the trade.
February 2, 2004... THE trade has emerged unscathed from British Airways' latest two-year business plan, with no more distribution cost cuts on the cards. As expected, the airline has focused on job losses for the next two years, setting a [pounds...

Global blasted over conference charges.
February 2, 2004... GLOBAL Travel Group has come under fire for the amount of money it wants operators to pay to attend its overseas conference. A select group of 40 tour operators have been invited to pay sponsorship money to help fund the conference, which...

Warning: don't try back door.
February 2, 2004... INDEPENDENT Options business development director Sue Foxall has threatened to kick out any operators who try to get into the Global conference without paying. About five operators, and possibly one airport, are understood to be going to...

Travel praised for 'resilience'.
February 2, 2004... ABTA president John Harding has praised the travel industry's resilience after a difficult 2003. His words follow former ABTA president Stephen Bath's warning to ministers a year ago that travel would be devastated by a war in Iraq. ...

'Invest in training to boost your sales'.
February 2, 2004... Holidays by Phone head of commercial Mark Lamprey has urged agents to focus on recruitment and training in order to increase their sales conversions. His remarks come after the Manchester-based call centre carried out a survey among 1,500...

Hop gets GBTA's support.
February 2, 2004... THE Guild of Business Travel Agents has welcomed the proposed launch of Hop Airways, which plans to operate high-frequency domestic services. The carrier is the brainchild of London councillor Kit Malthouse and former Buzz boss Tony...

Libra to announce job cuts next week.
February 2, 2004... LIBRA Holidays is set to announce job cuts next week as part of its restructuring plans. The company's 30-day consultation period with staff ended at the turn of the year over the integration of the Birmingham-based Travelseekers call...

Orlando in $1.7m push.
February 2, 2004... The Orlando Tourism Bureau has earmarked $1.7 million for marketing in the UK this year, with the largest ever version of its 'Destination Imagination' campaign. The campaign will see a million free-standing inserts distributed through the...

Snow joke as agents lose out to the web.
February 2, 2004... TRAVEL agents lost business to call centres and online companies after snow blizzards that also brought the UK's airports to a standstill last week. Bricks and mortar agencies were the biggest losers while call centres, online agencies...

on the move.
February 2, 2004... Turkey and Goa specialist Jewel in the Crown Holidays has appointed Carol Hume, below, as product director. She previously worked at Olympic Holidays on the Odyssey brand, and spent 17 years at Manos. Octopustravel.com has recruited a team...

l in brief.
February 2, 2004... Toward Europe expands Travel Technology body Toward Europe has signed car rental company Europcar and online reservation firm WorldRes. Both organisations will attend the body's inaugural annual conference in Nice next month. It now has 36...

Going into business.
February 2, 2004... If you want to get into business travel, Lisa James has some expert advice on what the future holds, from those in the know There's an air of confidence about the 2004 Business Travel Show, which starts at Olympia tomorrow. After three very...

Globe-trotters have a ball.
February 2, 2004... Keeping their fingers crossed for the Lotto are Todd Carpenter, Travel Trust Association, left, and sponsor Paul Moss, Freedom Flights It could be them: hoping to scoop the jackpot are Julia Morrie, RCI, and sponsor Bob Taylor, Freedom...

Tour Operator Sector 1.
February 2, 2004... Jane Williams, left, and Steve Kimber, both Cresta, celebrate winning Best Operator European Short Breaks with Karen Beach, Panorama and Manos The Shearings team line up to celebrate winning Best Coach Operator. Back row, from left, are...

Tour operator Sector 2.
February 2, 2004... Petra Roach, Barbados Board of Tourism, shows off her award for Best Tourist Board/destination (UK Office) to Chris Mottershead, TUI UK Pictured cheering Gold Medal, winner of the Best Scheduled Consolidator award, are, from left, Meriel...

The Sound of silence.
February 2, 2004... Trade-ONLY specialist Travel 2 has reacted to an increase in demand for New Zealand this year by adding 19 properties, new modular packages and more sightseeing options. The new product is included in Travel 2's 2004 brochure, 200 Ways to...

Aviation Sector 2.
February 2, 2004... Best Airline to Africa South African Airways Best Airline to the Middle East or Asia Emirates Best Airline to the Pacific, New Zealand or Australia Qantas Best UK Airport Gatwick winners Happy with...

Ryanair to thwart EC ruling.
February 2, 2004... RYANAIR plans to avoid the European Commission's expected ruling on Charleroi Airport by renegotiating its deal with the airport and tying up the case in legal red tape. Chief executive Michael O'Leary expects the EC's announcement...

World weather.
February 2, 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 Alicantes5714 Amsterdamf373 Athensf6317 Aucklands7725 Bahamasf7323 ...

Propping up the Piano Bar.
February 2, 2004... Simon Rogers, Piano Bar pianist, serenades Paula Bennett, AA Appointments The Piano Bar party people are, from left, Jo Laing and Helen Menniss, BMI; Ray Woodridge, Sky; Lynne Good, BMI; and Trish Kirke, BG Group On the Joanna are...

Boredom buster.
February 2, 2004... Procrastinator mouse mat Go on, admit it - work can sometimes be more than tedious. So re-energise those grey cells with a mouse mat that also doubles as a ludicrously stupid and absorbing doodle pad. Each of the 50 sheets is covered with...

Aviation Sector 1.
February 2, 2004... The team from British Airways celebrate winning Best European Airline The team from BMI celebrate winning the Globe for Best UK Domestic Airline Paul Wait, Virgin Atlantic, centre, picks up the award for Best Transatlantic Airline...

The secrets of Middle Earth.
February 2, 2004... A NEW coach and train tour taking in all major film locations used in the Lord of the Rings trilogy has been launched by tailor-made specialist Anzcro. The 17-day Middle Earth tour - which runs from Auckland to Christchurch - takes in the...

Dressed to thrill.
February 2, 2004... The girls on film are Lucy Birch, left, and Kirsty Baylin, both from Creative Travel Group Enjoying a ladies' night are, from left, Sylvia O'Brien, Heather Cunningham and Yvonne Leslie, all from Future Travel; with Shirley Bell, Instant...

General Sector 1.
February 2, 2004... Best ex-UK Cruise Company P&O Cruises Best Ferry Operator (all other routes) Stena Line Best Specialist Cruise Company Silversea Cruises Best Flycruise Company P&O Princess Cruises Best Theme Park Walt...

Celebrating a night of glory.
February 2, 2004... Ready for the off are Sharifuddin Bapu, Malaysia Airlines; Dato Abd Aziz Mohammed, High Commissioner of Malaysia; Trevor Harding, Travel Weekly; Patrick Chong, Journeys Travel Insurance; and David Powell, Holiday Express Worldchoice ...

Money, Money, money.
February 2, 2004... It's a rich man's world for, from left, Andri Stephanou, Conrad; Theo Demetriou, Argo Holidays; and Laura Cillo, Conrad Placing their bets are, from left, John Briggs, Hertz; Nikki Harrison, Emirates; and Graham Pepe, Emirates Playing...

Let us entertain you.
February 2, 2004... On the dance floor are, from left, Dee Allen, Hotel Connect; Simon Thomas, C&M Recruitment; Emma McNamee, Hotel Connect; and Sean Jeddaoui, C&M Recuitment In the party spirit are, from left, Kevin Ivie, Libra Holidays; Fiona Jeffery, World...

You voted for industry's best.
February 2, 2004... There was plenty of talent on display at Grosvenor House when the industry gathered for the Travel Weekly Globe Awards 2004. Celebrity host Lenny Henry announced the winners of the biggest ever independent poll of UK travel...

Let the good times roll.
February 2, 2004... Celebrating the Best Car Rental - Business award are, clockwise from left, Tracey Ede and Debbie Sowden, Holiday Autos; Ian McCraig, Lastminute.com; Claire Williams and Ian Coyle, Holiday Autos Happy winners of Best UKCharter Airline are,...

Globespan in web move.
February 2, 2004... Dynamic packaging facility available to trade on-line Canada specialist Globespan has made its flights and hotels product available to agents via its trade-only website, www.gsp1.com. Sales director Chris Bryan said the decision to...

Business show pulls in punters.
February 2, 2004... ORGANISERS of the Business Travel Show are expecting visitor numbers to match or beat last year, despite it being the first major show since SARS and the war in Iraq. So far, pre-registration figures stand at 6,500 - up on the same period...

Rosenbluth business 'retained'.
February 2, 2004... AMERICAN Express claims to have retained 98.5% of the Rosenbluth International business it wanted to keep after its takeover of the travel management company last October. It has also won two-thirds of the business from Rosenbluth's...

Warning over skill shortage.
February 2, 2004... TRAVELmanagement companies are suffering a skills shortage after letting staff go during the downturn last year, an industry expert has said. Guild of Business Travel Agents human resources working party chairman and BTI UK managing...

Barclaycard survey sees rise in business travel.
February 2, 2004... MORE people travelled on business in 2003 compared with the year before, a new survey has revealed. More than 2,500 business travellers were questioned by Barclaycard, which found the industry is expanding with 47% travelling more last year...

TQ3 to offer Amex card.
February 2, 2004... TRAVELmanagement company TQ3 is to offer American Express corporate and business cards to its clients. This is the first formal deal Amex has done for another travel management company to distribute its card. It usually sells its card...

New Avis check-in tool.
February 2, 2004... AVIShas invested [pounds sterling]16 million in a new check-in device as part of a continuing drive to remove consumer gripes from the car rental process. A new hand-held device - Rapid Return - links a barcode on a car to a central...

Silversea steams ahead.
February 2, 2004... Cruiseline adds sales boss, boosts training and plans new ship BYLINE: Report by sarah thomas SILVERSEA has underlined its commitment to the trade while announcing a new UK sales head, training initiatives and a possible new ship...

Diary Dates.
February 2, 2004... FEBRuary 3-5Business Travel Show, Olympia, London. Contact: www. businesstravelshow. com.Tel: 020-7970 4000. 3-4Travel Technology Show, Olympia, London. Tel: 020-7970 6561. 4-7BITOA Conventions, Hilton Cardiff and Thistle Cardiff....

Ferry firms urged: 'be aggressive'.
February 2, 2004... FERRYcompanies should be more hard-hitting in their advertising to fend off competition from low-cost airlines, says Passenger Shipping Association director Bill Gibbons. Gibbons claimed marketing could be "more aggressive"and said talks...

Why not Hop on the train?
February 2, 2004... THIS week has seen criticism of the Government's transport policies, the launch of a low-cost airline operating in the UK and reports of a strained relationship between the Strategic Rail Authority and the Department of Transport. Add to...

Marriott pledges best rate.
February 2, 2004... THE trade has welcomed a new initiative from Marriott that guarantees agents the best rates for their clients. The hotel chain claims to offer the best available room rate to agents who book through Marriott's reservation channels,...

PSA plans new lobby group.
February 2, 2004... THEPassenger Shipping Association has launched plans to develop a Europe-wide organisation to boost the sector's profile and credibility. The concept was agreed in principle by leading industry figures last week. The new organisation...

Air Miles sets up division to handle business travel.
February 2, 2004... The Air Miles Travel Company is setting up a new division to focus on business, affinity travel and travel clubs following its decision to become a full-service retailer. Commercial manager Lisa Thompson and head of tour operators Nicky...

Thailand moves to calm bird flu fears.
February 2, 2004... THAILAND'S tourism authority has warned the high-profile media coverage of avian influenza - or bird flu - is hitting the destination's recovery after SARS, as operators report some cancellations. It follows a rise in the number of human...

BITOA gains from membership boost.
February 2, 2004... LASTMINUTE.COM and Hoseasons have become the latest members of the British Incoming Tour Operators Association. Lastminute signed up last week and BITOAchief executive Stephen Dowd said: "We hope it will open the way for more online...

Bridge in price pledge.
February 2, 2004... BRIDGE Travel has launched an aggressive price-match guarantee on city breaks to transform its reputation following a series of cost-cutting measures. The operator claims to have streamlined its organisation to be more competitive. ...

UK ports cash in on cruising boom.
February 2, 2004... growth in the UKocean cruising industry boosted business at domestic ports by 55% between 2000 and 2003, a survey by VisitBritain has found. The number of cruise passengers calling at UK ports reached 227,000 over the three years. However,...

ABTA; split overfees.
February 2, 2004... Big four tell Newman Street 'think again on charges' ABTA is split over plans to scrap its cap on subscription fees and the cost of new compulsory insurance training for agents. At a tense board meeting last week, Newman Street...

Harding in bonding plea.
February 2, 2004... The Government has been urged to act quickly to support the Civil Aviation Authority's move to improve consumer protection standards. At ABTA's annual House of Lords dinner last week, president Harding told guests - including transport...

JetMagic suspends operations.
February 2, 2004... CORK-BASED regional airline JetMagic has suspended operations and an Extraordinary General Meeting is to be held to consider winding up the company. Flight operations have been suspended on the recommendation of the carrier's board of...

Operators battle to sell Spain.
February 2, 2004... UNUSUALLY aggressive peak -season price cuts and high discounts are set to carry on this month as mass-market sales for Spain continue to struggle. Operators and agents say margins are being hit even more this year. Cosmos has repriced...

l in brief.
February 2, 2004... China flight guideOAG has launched a flight guide for China and is opening a new office in Beijing. The guide is for people or companies based, operating or trading in China. It will include information from more than 90 airlines and is in both...

Joint promotion for South Africa.
February 2, 2004... SOUTH African Tourism and South African Airways are giving away two cars to travel agents and 100 places on product training courses as part of a joint promotional campaign. The promotion is price-led, offering packages of [pounds...

Thomson in talks over TV Travel Shop deal.
February 2, 2004... THOMSON Holidays and TVTravel Shop are continuing talks after failing to renew a contract on commercial terms said to be worth millions of pounds. This follows rumours that the managing director of TV Travel Shop's tour operation Island...

Oceania slated by ASTO.
February 2, 2004... THEchairman of the Association of Specialist Turkish Operators has condemned Oceania Cruises' decision to drop Istanbul and Kusasdasi over safety concerns. The Miami-based cruiseline has dropped the ports on five Black Sea and Greek isles...

ABTA divided over cap on subs.
February 2, 2004... First Choice and MyTravel qualify for the [pounds sterling]23 charge with 3,000 and 4,000 retail staff respectively. Training fees for them come in at around [pounds sterling]69,000 and [pounds sterling]92,000. TUI UK, with more than 5,000...

l late news.
February 2, 2004... Compensation dealsFestival Cruises will soon issue details of compensation deals for the 384 passengers affected by the interruption or cancellation of cruises. Three Festival ships - Mistral, European Vision and European Stars - are out of...

Virtuoso eyes UK alliance.
February 2, 2004... LUXURY NorthAmerican agent marketing alliance Virtuoso is considering setting up a UK network to help agents develop 'top-end' business. Representatives of the Texas-based organisation will be visiting the UK in the spring to look at...

A true reversal of fortunes.
February 2, 2004... Maureen Hill the travel industry's favourite columnist The great Escape This week we received our supply of Exclusive Escapes - Hidden Turkey brochures. We are fully appreciative of them, not only because the properties...

l in brief.
February 2, 2004... First Choice joins ITTThe Institute of Travel and Tourism has signed up First Choice as a corporate partner, joining big four rivals TUI UK and Thomas Cook as sponsors of the organisation. MyTravel's corporate partner status lapsed at the end...

l in brief.
February 2, 2004... Lufthansa's early birdLufthansa is introducing an 'early bird' service from Manchester to Frankfurt by bringing its current first daily service two hours forward. From March 28, the flight will depart from 6.25am, arriving at Frankfurt at...

ITCClassics in upmarket push.
February 2, 2004... LUXURY operator ITC Classics has revamped its portfolio and introduced villas for the first time in a bid to reposition its brand further upmarket. The operator has consolidated its product into four newly titled and larger brochures:...

All roads lead to Starwood.
February 2, 2004... THE Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh hosted nearly 100 business and conference agents and their partners for the fourth annual Starwood Hotels and Resorts party. Agents got the chance to sample the hotel's One Spa, enjoy breakfast...

TUI UKtoasts new Midlands HQ.
February 2, 2004... TUI UK is celebrating the opening of its new 60,000 sq ft Midlands headquarters at Westwood Business Park near Coventry. The [pounds sterling]12 million HQ, built by Stoford Developments, will by March house 800 staff working for its retail...