Travel Weekly (UK) articles from March 2004

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from March 2004

Cutting back to the bone.
March 1, 2004... How can Ryanair squeeze even more costs out of its operation? Michael Clarke reports RYANAIR'S decision to take even more 'frills' out of its flying experience drew guffaws from the national press and their cartoonists. Drawings...

China Eastern challenges Virgin.
March 1, 2004... Carrier to launch thrice-weekly Heathrow-Shanghai service China Eastern Airlines will launch a thrice-weekly non-stop service from London to Shanghai next month in direct competition with Virgin Atlantic - the sole operator on the route for...

Living the Shanghai life.
March 1, 2004... Practise your regal wave and see Shanghai in style AS a rule, foreigners don't rate a second glance in cosmopolitan Shanghai - unless, that is, they happen to be cruising the historic port city in a replica 1910 Rolls-Royce. Or...

No family feud, says Bmibaby.
March 1, 2004... BMIBABY chief Tony Davis insists the carrier's launch into the London market will not cause confusion among BMI passengers. Chief executive Davis said the BMI Group had learnt from the mistakes of other airlines that tried to launch...

Passenger rise forces expansion.
March 1, 2004... NOTTINGHAM East Midlands Airport is set to begin planning work on a new passenger terminal ahead of ambitious growth plans. The airport wants to expand its facilities for an expected rise in passenger numbers to seven million a year from...

Virgin adds US summer flights.
March 1, 2004... VIRGIN Atlantic is using its freshly acquired Heathrow slots to launch more services to Boston, Washington and New York Newark for the summer. Boston and Washington will both have three additional weekly services, and New York will get an...

Flybe targets Europe routes.
March 1, 2004... FLYBE will launch services to mainland Europe from Scotland once its domestic services are up and running. The carrier has already announced it is doubling capacity from Scotland on domestic services with a raft of new routes. It is...

l in brief.
March 1, 2004... Ozback launches Australia by train New operator Ozback Explorer launches next month offering private train tours of Australia. The 'mobile hotel' train travels at night and offers minibus excursions on a 16-day tour from Sydney to Darwin....

Swiss 'halves' losses with 2003 cutbacks.
March 1, 2004... SWISS has claimed last year's cutbacks have lead to improved financial performance. The debt-stricken carrier said for the 2003 financial year it will announce losses have nearly halved from [pounds sterling]385 million in 2002 to [pounds...

Mahan Air to start direct Tehran flight.
March 1, 2004... MAHAN Air is launching the first direct regional flight to the Iranian capital Tehran with twice-weekly services from Birmingham International. The service will operate every Friday and Saturday from July 2 using a 204-seat Airbus A310....

Security delays no deterrent.
March 1, 2004... MOST business travellers are not deterred by flight delays to the US because of tighter security measures and almost half would pay more for tickets if the money went on security, says a new survey. American Express Corporate Travel's ninth...

hotel check; grand hyatt jin mao tower; Pudong, Shanghai.
March 1, 2004... Where is it? In Shanghai's answer to London's Docklands, Pudong, on the banks of the Huangpu river opposite the historic Bund. 4444 What's it like? It's hard to miss the highest hotel in the world, which occupies the top 35...

Bang the drum.
March 1, 2004... JUST a glimpse of those exotic, flamboyant, colourful costumes at Rio de Janeiro's throbbing carnival was all it took to trigger some toe tapping by yours truly. Couldn't you just feel the atmosphere in the pulse of the parades, parties,...

Diary Dates.
March 1, 2004... MARCH 1-3Maison de la France Workshop France 2004, Hotel de France, Jersey. Tel: 020-7399 3510. 2TIPTO Roadshow, Hilton Grosvenor Hotel, Glasgow. Tel: 01484 345 028. 3TIPTO Roadshow, Hilton Grosvenor Hotel, Edinburgh. Tel: 01484...

Investment in sight after Elegant buyout.
March 1, 2004... BARBADOS hotel chain Elegant Hotels is poised to make substantial investment in its five properties after being taken over by London-based investment company Vision Capital. Although the purchase of new properties is unlikely in the short...

It's jam today and jam tomorrow for Karen.
March 1, 2004... IF YOUthink your daily commute to work is bad, spare a thought for new Wallace Arnold sales and marketing director Karen Gee. One day last week she left the office at 7pm to drive the 40 miles from Leeds to her home in Manchester. The...

Send us your dead ringers.
March 1, 2004... ROOTING around in the cupboard for something to fill up last resort this week, we stumbled across a mysterious box. Brushing off the dust, we discovered someone had scrawled 'Ideas that have been flogged to death - do not open' on the top....

l in brief.
March 1, 2004... First class offerAmerican Airlines has launched a business-class upgrade promotion, offering one-way upgrades to first class. The campaign runs for two months in newspapers, on poster sites and direct mail and gives customers 15% off business...

Web rejig pays off.
March 1, 2004... SUPERBREAK Mini-Holidays expects to double the percentage of agent bookings made online this year after revamping its site. The www.superbreak.com site was overhauled in December to make it easier for agents to use. They can now search by...

l in brief.
March 1, 2004... ABTA 'fraud' arrest A man was arrested on February 22 in connection with an investigation into an allegation of fraud at ABTA. He has been bailed to return to Marylebone Police Station on April 1, pending inquiries. Freedom gains...

Multiples urged to sign up.
March 1, 2004... THE multiples stand accused of short-sightedness for their reluctance to send new staff to ASPIRE, the conference for industry newcomers. So far, 215 delegates have registered for the Institute of Travel and Tourism's conference - at...

US tourism fund cut but UK will benefit.
March 1, 2004... THE US Department of Commerce has slashed its overseas tourism promotion fund to $6 million - but pledged to spend it only on the UKmarket. Although the amount has been approved, the trade is still waiting for details of how it will be...

Coventry Airport refit.
March 1, 2004... COVENTRY Airport's new management team has begun alteration work on temporary facilities to bring them in line with planning regulations. A passenger terminal building has already been reduced in size, and a turning circle on the runway...

EasyJet eyes new slogan.
March 1, 2004... EASYJET is considering alternatives to its 'web's favourite airline' slogan as part of a new marketing strategy. Head of marketing Alistair Buckle told delegates the company was reviewing the way it promotes itself following the departure...

Jacobs slams Endacott jibe.
March 1, 2004... LASTMINUTE.COM vice-chairman Clive Jacobs has attacked former MyTravel deputy chief operating officer Steve Endacott for claiming the online company's commitment to the trade will be short-lived. As Travel Weekly went to press, Endacott was...

Operator will use part of [pounds sterling]30m share sale to pay off Excel loan.
March 1, 2004... Libra sells stake to pay debts Libra sells stake to pay debts THE Libra Holidays Group is selling over half its stake in Excel Airways to pay back a [pounds sterling]15.8 million loan to the airline. The operator has accepted a...

No-frills still rule the skies.
March 1, 2004... FULL-service network carriers are still a dying breed in the short-haul European market despite efforts to reduce their cost bases, two leading budget airlines have claimed. Speaking at the Marketing Week Travel Summit 2004, EasyJet head of...

l in brief.
March 1, 2004... Cruiseline security feePort authorities in South Carolina in the US will introduce a security charge for cruiselines in July. The charge, at Charleston, Georgetown and Port Royal, is aimed at recouping the cost of extra security brought in to...

Pay 'not top priority'.
March 1, 2004... NEARLY 20% of travel staff don't think they'll get a pay rise in their next salary review - but many claim a pat on the back and a good relationship with colleagues are more important. The findings come from the Travel Weekly Travel...

Waymark still clients' choice.
March 1, 2004... WAYMARK Holidays managing director Stuart Montgomery has admitted his clients have a "problem" with the company being part of First Choice. Montgomery claimed he has spent a lot of time reassuring customers the walking holidays specialist...

l late news.
March 1, 2004... Ayling to speak at ITT Holidaybreak chairman Bob Ayling has been confirmed as a speaker at the Institute of Travel and Tourism conference in Qatar in June. The former British Airways boss will be grilled on stage by leisure industry...

They can't have it both ways.
March 1, 2004... How I agree with Diane Denney (Travel Weekly February 16). Our main complaint is with Virgin Holidays. Twice in the past few weeks we have had to give away all our commission to keep long-standing clients. Both bookings were high value but...

ABTA membership is a valuable asset.
March 1, 2004... Over the past few months we have heard various travel companies question the relevance of ABTA and, in particular, how one of the vertically integrated groups is considering withdrawing its membership (Travel Weekly February 23). These...

Personal touch was 'first' class.
March 1, 2004... I did something unusual last month; I booked a holiday through a travel agent. Quite a normal event you might say, but for someone who has worked in travel for more than 30 years, this was a first for me. A search on the Internet showed no...

We'll make you professionals.
March 1, 2004... Imtiaz Longi makes a fair point about a recognised professional standard for the industry (Travel Weekly February 16). His comment is timely as the Institute of Travel and Tourism and ABTA are currently working on just such an accolade. It will...

Virgin is loser in the waiting game.
March 1, 2004... I read with interest Virgin is trying to cut down on unnecessary phone calls from agents who are tying up the telephone lines. I have just spent three - yes, three - hours in a telephone queue waiting for Virgin to handle a very necessary...

Ad-ing confusion.
March 1, 2004... Following our advert listing the finalist in the 2004 Agent Achievement Awards (Travel Weekly February 23), we wish to clarify that the company, Cruise Direct, which was included in the Best Information-Only E-Commerce Site category, is...

Late bed shortage hits UKoperators.
March 1, 2004... THE returning confidence of US holidaymakers to foreign travel is starving UK operators of late bed capacity in the Mexican resorts of Cancun and the Riviera Maya. Thomson said it is struggling to secure accommodation for the remaining...

Departure tax 'unjust' says trade.
March 1, 2004... MASS-market operators are lobbying the Mexican authorities to reduce what they claim is an unjustified departure tax from Cancun. Each passenger currently pays $45 to leave the country - virtually double that of most Caribbean destinations....

l in brief.
March 1, 2004... Haiti calls cancelledRoyal Caribbean has cancelled calls at Labadee, its private beach on the north coast of Haiti, following violent civil unrest in the Caribbean country. The decision will affect itineraries operated by Voyager of the Seas,...

on the move.
March 1, 2004... No-frills airline Monarch Scheduled has appointed Julie Sumner, below, as sales executive for the north of the UK to develop the carrier's trade business in the region. Sumner joined from Fleet Street Travel, where she was business development...

Air Miles plans recruiting blitz.
March 1, 2004... THEAir Miles Travel Company is hiring another 100 members of staff for its Warrington call centre as it gears up for a massive summer advertising campaign. The loyalty scheme aims to have the extra staff on board by the end of March -...

'Turnaround' expert replaces Sanderson.
March 1, 2004... MYTRAVEL is drafting in a 'turnaround' specialist as non-executive chairman to replace the retiring Eric Sanderson. Sanderson will step down at the company's annual general meeting on March 22 to be replaced by Michael Beckett. A MyTravel...

Balkan adds ski breaks in Serbia.
March 1, 2004... BALKAN Holidays has introduced Serbia for the first time and expanded its range of flights to Bulgaria in its winter ski 2004/05 programme. The operator is pushing the Serbian resort of Kopaonik as a good value destination, ideal for...

Single-sex group ban.
March 1, 2004... THE Villa Agency is banning single-sex bookings to Portugal during Euro 2004 to beat football hooligans. Managing director Karen Lippitt said there is still accommodation available in Portugal during the tournament from June 12-July 4, but...

On a firm Foundation.
March 1, 2004... HOLIDAYMAKERS are backing industry charity The Travel Foundation after early figures proved most are willing to pay a voluntary donation to fund its work. Since the scheme was introduced last December, more than 75% of clients buying a...

Push to sell music festivals.
March 1, 2004... SEATEM Group is bringing its German music festival ticketing brand to the UK market for the first time in a move which will significantly expand its portfolio. The 50 year-old International Festivals Bureau brand specialises in marketing...

Agent offer by Journeys.
March 1, 2004... JOURNEYS Travel Insurance is paying up to 5% extra commission to agents who book insurance on its newly updated extranet service. Originally set up in April last year, the site has been revamped with a number of new features. Managing...

Switch to viewdata in the pipeline.
March 1, 2004... SEATEM Group - parent company of UKbrands including Keith Prowse Attraction Tickets and Applause - is expected to put all its worldwide inventory on viewdata. The move would mean every UK travel agent would have direct access to ticketing...

Lane fails to pot White.
March 1, 2004... Word reaches our northern correspondent (also known as Cresta managing director Steve Kimber) that Travel Weekly editor Martin Lane is planning to open south London's newest snooker emporium and late-night drinking den in the shed at the bottom...

Back on track.
March 1, 2004... UK bookings on the rise for first time since September 11 EARLY-booking figures show Tunisia is on course for its first rise in tourism from the UK in more than two years. Tunisair, the national airline, said forward reservations for...

Call to raise the standard.
March 1, 2004... Operators say downmarket accommodation is putting clients off returning to Tunisia TUNISIA'S specialist operators have added their voice to calls from the Tunisia National Tourist Office for mass-market companies to improve the quality of...

news in brief.
March 1, 2004... panorama breaks Panorama Holidays is meeting demand for short breaks with three or four-night holidays at 46 properties in six resorts this summer. Clients who book at least eight weeks before departure qualify for discounts of up to 25%....

Nouvelair adds Monastir route.
March 1, 2004... TUNISIA charter carrier Nouvelair has launched the first direct scheduled flights from the UK to Monastir. Initially the flights depart weekly from Gatwick, but Tunisia First managing director Peter Kirk, whose company is handling bookings...

It's a Sahara boom today.
March 1, 2004... TUNISIA specialist Wigmore Holidays is adding the desert town of Tozeur, currently visited only on a tour, as a resort next winter to meet demand for shorter holidays in the Sahara. This is just one of several developments Wigmore is...

24; hours in Butlins; Minehead.
March 1, 2004... Flora Ioannou donned glitter and glad rags for a weekend with the stars, and kids, at Butlins Wet wet wet 10:30: swimming togs on, we headed to Splash, the indoor tropical-style water park. After two hours of sliding down twisty...

Keith Prowse offers London theatre breaks.
March 1, 2004... Keith Prowse Tours has launched a programme of two-night London theatre breaks - its first-ever dedicated brochure for the capital. Dubbed Londoners, the breaks include West End show tickets, two nights' accommodation, breakfast and a...

Southwest in [pounds sterling]1m ad campaign.
March 1, 2004... Marketing push to focus on gourmet food, gardens and family beach holidays South West Tourism, the marketing body responsible for the southwest of England, has launched a [pounds sterling]1 million advertising campaign for the spring. ...

The Best way to learn.
March 1, 2004... Best Western has signed up to the Travel Weekly Academy. Lisa James finds out what agents can learn from the group's new training programme Hot on the heels of Elite Island Resorts, Valencia Region Tourist Board and Blakes Holiday Group,...

Malaysia flava.
March 1, 2004... Malaysia Airlines threw a party at Attica in Soho to celebrate hitting its 2003/04 targets two months early Raising a glass to Malaysia Airlines are, from left, Teng Lee, Rex Air; Anna Moore, Travel 2; Jon Tranmer, Malaysia Airlines; and...

Show and tell.
March 1, 2004... Argo Holidays and Jetlife hosted a lunch with Luton Airport for MyTravel and Going Places branch managers to show off their latest editions and products, including Asiaworld and Caribworld Going Places are, from left, Hayley Roberts, St...

Pop; tastic.
March 1, 2004... Pop Party Tours midweek breaks: Big BrovazJuly 19 D-SideJuly 26 RomeoAugust 2 Cheeky GirlsAugust 9 Lisa MaffiaAugust 16 Big BrovazAugust 23

Currency.
March 1, 2004... SPOTRATES Argentinian Peso5.546 Australian Dollar2.367 Brazil Real5.550 Canada Dollar2.4783 China Yuan15.634 Cyprus Pound0.8618 Denmark Krone10.972 Euro1.4753 Egypt Pound11.862 Hong Kong...

the holidaymaker.
March 1, 2004... Ratings Operator service: Check-in: Flights: Hotels: Destination: Service: Excursions: Food: Rep: Value for money: Overall rating: 48/50

l in brief.
March 1, 2004... Government counts cost of Heathrow pollution A Department of Transport report into the cost of developing the UK's major airports has suggested the M4 spur road to Heathrow would have to be covered by a tunnel to keep nitrogen emissions...

Thomas Cook Signature alters Canada packages.
March 1, 2004... THOMAS Cook Signature has redesigned its self-drive itineraries and hotel price grids in its second-edition Canada brochure for 2004. Flights have been removed from packages so customers can choose their own flight options, and price grids...

Take Advantage of new hotel directory.
March 1, 2004... ADVANTAGE Travel Centres has launched its 2004 preferred hotel rate directory in conjunction with the Worldwide Independent Travel Network. The directory will give preferred rates at more than 8,000 hotels, many of which feature a 'best rate...

Warning on e-tickets.
March 1, 2004... BUSINESS agents are being warned to start pushing clients towards e-tickets or face problems when it becomes mandatory. Eton Travel sales development manager Wayne Pollard said the company had been urging clients to take up e-tickets...

Tuning in to the music industry.
March 1, 2004... ETON Travel is proactively marketing its specialist entertainment travel and conference travel divisions for the first time. Previously, business for the music and entertainment travel division, Detonate, and the conference and incentive...

Eton bids to double turnover.
March 1, 2004... Travel management company sets out five-year plan for expansion ETON Travel managing director Ken Thompson has unveiled plans to double the travel management company's turnover in the next five years. Eton also plans to increase net...

GBTA in tie-up with NH Hotels.
March 1, 2004... THE Guild of Business Travel Agents has announced the NH Hotels Group as its new hotel partner. NH Hotels has 240 hotels with 27 more under construction. The GBTA now has seven hotel partners, including InterContinental and Marriott...

Keep up or miss out.
March 1, 2004... Guest Columnist Tony Seaman

What about tomorrow?
March 1, 2004... Unbelievable. We hate to sound like Victor Meldrew, but that's the only word to sum up some people's attitude to the industry's next generation as demonstrated by their commitment - or lack of it - to ASPIRE. The Institute of Travel and...

Hebridean adds trade-only site.
March 1, 2004... HEBRIDEAN Island Cruises has launched a dedicated agent website as part of its continuing drive to push business through the trade. Marketing and sales director Peter Williams said he hoped to increase the ratio of agent sales from 15% to...

Family focus for Island Cruises.
March 1, 2004... ISLANDCruises is focusing on first-time cruisers and families to build on an already thriving cruise market. The operator's 2004/05 brochure has been designed to look informal by including Polaroid-style photographs, a young looking crew...

Princess claims best-ever year.
March 1, 2004... Cruiseline targets 30% UK sales growth PRINCESSCruises has reached unprecedented levels of UK sales this year after a boost from regional flights and its grand-class product lines. Managing director CarolMarlow said bookings taken for...

Summit pushes 'unique' appeal.
March 1, 2004... SUMMIT Hotels and Resorts is to emphasise the independent status of its hotels to increase brand awareness and attract new members. Managing director Richard Lewis said the marketing and reservations alliance had taken a conscious decision...

BA in DIY ticket move.
March 1, 2004... BRITISH Airways has launched a scheme that allows customers to print their own boarding cards from home. The scheme has been running for a month at Edinburgh Airport and is to be rolled out at Glasgow, Manchester and Heathrow airports next...

Cunard bites back.
March 1, 2004... CUNARD has hit back at union criticism of its employment practices after dismissing reports of staff walkouts on Queen Mary 2. Reports up to 90 staff walked out have been rejected as "nonsense" by Cunard senior vice-president for Europe...

Greece returns to form.
March 1, 2004... SALES to Greece and Cyprus are bouncing back as the overall market improves. Industry sources put the market anywhere from 18%-30% up year on year, although the cumulative figure is still down. Both Thomas Cook and Libra Holidays have...

Ex-Thomson boss leads bid for Saga.
March 1, 2004... FORMER Thomson chief executive Charles Gurassa has been recruited by private equity firm Cinven to lead a possible bid for Saga. Acting in an advisory role, Gurassa said he is evaluating whether it should make a bid for Saga. He added: "If...

Travelocity prepares route for acquisitions.
March 1, 2004... TRAVELOCITY is on the acquisition trail in a bid to compete with other major online travel agencies. The online agency's vice president partner marketing Jamie Cole said Travelocity was looking to "increase its size and scope", although he...

Visit London ventures into TV.
March 1, 2004... A NEW television channel dedicated to promoting London as a destination is to be launched later this year. Set up by Visit London, the channel London TV will be available on Sky in Europe as well as reaching eight million homes in the UK....

Worldspan leaves agents in the dark.
March 1, 2004... AGENTS are still waiting to hear details of Worldspan's plan to deal with BA's [pounds sterling]3 per sector charge, introduced today. British Airways has agreed a deal with all the global distribution systems - Galileo, Amadeus, Worldspan...