Travel Weekly (UK) articles from May 2004

Travel Weekly (UK) archives from May 2004

l in brief.
May 3, 2004... Operators quizzed Operators will be rated on issues such as brochure supply and customer service by Advantage members in the consortium's first online quality control survey. The results will be fed back to agents and operators to stamp...

EasyJet warned on Berlin.
May 3, 2004... GERMANWINGS has criticised EasyJet's decision to enter the German domestic market from Berlin Schonefeld. Stoking up the war of words between the two carriers ahead of the launch of their competing Gatwick-Cologne services, Germanwings...

Stop adding Feuell to the employment fire.
May 3, 2004... Julia Feuell is right to say there are some good employers in the travel industry (Travel Weekly April 26). The Transport and Salaried Staffs' Association has never denied this, nor sought to tar everybody with the same brush or claim the...

Lord of the marketing tie-up.
May 3, 2004... ADVANTAGE is to take part in a number of 'affinity' marketing projects this year to bring in new customers via promotions with other brands. This month the consortium will team up with video chain Blockbuster for the launch of Lord of the...

'Prepare for older clients'.
May 3, 2004... AGENTS will be dealing with an increasingly ageing population in the future and should adapt their communications strategies accordingly, said Associated Newspapers group classified director Sally Winfield, writes Kerry Baggott. "With UK...

Business travel sales on the up.
May 3, 2004... ADVANTAGE'S business travel sales are showing good year-on-year growth across the various sectors after a tough 2003. Director of business travel Norman Gage said growth was fairly consistent across airline, hotel and car rental sales for...

Drive to boost niche knowledge.
May 3, 2004... ADVANTAGE Travel Centres is hoping to sign up an additional 60 member outlets to its Ocean Spirit programme in the coming year. The initiative, which was launched last year, aims to increase agents' specialist knowledge of the cruise market...

l in brief.
May 3, 2004... BRIGHToffers training to independent agents BRIGHT is holding a roadshow for independent agents on May 11 in Knutsford, Cheshire. The group - Bringing Real Information and Guaranteed High Quality Training - represents operators, tourist...

l in brief.
May 3, 2004... No-frills flight facility Travel management company Grey Dawes has launched a low-cost airline booking facility on its gdbookonline website. The facility collates no-frills airlines schedule information on one page. USAirways is a Star...

Counterfeit cops.
May 3, 2004... You may never be able to find a policeman when you need one, but according to the Czech authorities, a fake law officer may find you. Here's how it works. Your clients are making their merry way round one of the quieter back streets of...

A question of trust.
May 3, 2004... Agents tell operators: 'Hands off our clients' AGENTS are warning operators to keep their hands off valuable customer information needed to comply with tougher US security measures. Planned extensions to US Advanced...

Thomsonfly pledges to avoid 'bloodbath'.
May 3, 2004... THOMSONFLY chief operating officer Alex Hunter has claimed his airline won't be embroiled in the budget carrier "shakeout" predicted by Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary. Speaking at the CIMTIG meeting, Hunter said Thomsonfly was in a better...

BA stands firm on distribution.
May 3, 2004... BRITISH Airways has vowed not to shut down any of its distribution channels, but warned certain channels may become more expensive in future. Speaking at a Chartered Institute of Marketing Travel Industry Group discussion - Revolution in...

TUI's sole traders.
May 3, 2004... THOMSON is to cash in on the growing 'grey' market by highlighting holidays that do not include single supplements. The operator is the first of the big four to produce a leaflet for agents listing such breaks. More than 60 hotels and...

Airport court hearing looms.
May 3, 2004... COVENTRY Airport's temporary passenger terminal could face closure at the height of the summer season because a High Court hearing will take place sooner than expected. TUI's lawyers have been summoned to the High Court on May 13 and 14 to...

It's good to talk.
May 3, 2004... NOT a week goes by when we don't hear something in the news about a low-cost airline. Once a radical business model on a drawing board, these companies are now established players in the industry, led by characters who are as influential as...

ATOL reform is key issue at conference.
May 3, 2004... ATOL reforms, disability discrimination and Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice will be key discussion topics at the Fifth International Travel and Tourism: Policy, Law and Management conference. The event, on May 20 and 21 at the Copthorne...

Jobs under threat as Sabre shifts helpdesk.
May 3, 2004... Redundancies possible as GDS reviews support roles JOBS are on the line at Sabre as it plans to move its UK operations support and software helpdesk for small and medium-sized agencies to Uruguay. The move comes as the global...

Sex tourism fight hots up.
May 3, 2004... TOURISM chiefs in Asia and the US are stepping up the fight against child sex tourism. Initiatives have been launched in Cambodia and by UNICEF, coinciding with efforts in the UK to raise awareness of the crime among holidaymakers. A...

Shout it from the rooftops.
May 3, 2004... Congratulations to Louise Longman on a very insightful piece on travel agents and the national press (Travel Weekly April 26). Expert knowledge, unbiased advice and industry contacts set the best independent travel agents apart. Campaign...

Graduates have a right to earn more.
May 3, 2004... Julian Foster's dismissal of "university whizz kids with meaningless degrees" shows he has no understanding of what it means to earn a degree, in whatever subject. Obtaining a degree requires commitment, application and the ability to...

Stepping down was my own decision.
May 3, 2004... Following the report headlined 'David loses ABTA seat' (Travel Weekly, April 19), I would like to clarify I was not "knocked out" in this year's elections, as the report claims, but decided to give up my seat in February and announced my...

Recognition is much appreciated.
May 3, 2004... Could I pass on my thanks to all the tour operators who voted for Newell's Travel at the Agent Achievement Awards, enabling us to win Southwest of England and South Wales small agency of the year for the second time in three years. It is a...

It's a balancing act.
May 3, 2004... I am writing with regard to the article headlined 'a premium prank' (Travel Weekly April 5). Having worked as a Passenger Service Agent at Manchester Airport for Monarch Airlines, I can assure you that boarding an aircraft does indeed...

Blame no-frills for aviation's ills.
May 3, 2004... Helen Simpson in her recent column (Travel Weekly March 29) asks if we remember Swissair and Sabena. BAR UK does. The two companies were founding members of our trade association and we were very sad to see them forced to cease trading by the...

ABTA's got it covered.
May 3, 2004... While there is continuing speculation regarding the long-term regulation of the sale of travel insurance by ABTA, rather than the Financial Services Authority, surely it is to the benefit of all travel agents to obtain the necessary...

Ivie 'no regrets' at leaving.
May 3, 2004... LIBRA Holidays interim managing director Kevin Ivie says he has "no regrets" about leaving the group at the end of June. Libra has decided not to renew Ivie's contract and group director and head of tour operations Akis Kyprianou will take...

Dual brand debut for Panorama.
May 3, 2004... THE Panorama Holiday Group has launched its first-ever dual-branded brochure, leveraging both the Manos Holidays and Panorama names. The group's first dedicated weddings brochure incorporates Manos' long-haul product - including the...

Brits flock to Florida.
May 3, 2004... UK arrivals to Florida this year could come close to the record levels of 2000 when 1.6 million Britons holidayed in the state. Visit Florida UK sales and marketing director Colin Brodie said: "It's going to be a good year. We expect to get...

US expects tourists to return.
May 3, 2004... US tourism authorities predict a recovery in overseas visitor numbers this year, with a 5% rise in arrivals from the UK. Travel Industry Association of America president William Norman said: "All the indicators point to recovery. I'm not...

Decision on visas awaited.
May 3, 2004... CONTRARY to press reports, the US Congress has yet to confirm the postponement of its October deadline for all visa-waiver visitors to have machine-readable passports including biometric data such as electronic fingerprints. Congress...

An away Advantage.
May 3, 2004... Travel Weekly and Avis hosted the Late Night Bar at the Beach Club Cafe during the Advantage Conference in Kuala Lumpur The late-night clubbers are, from left, Lisa McAuley, Avis; Trevor Harding, Travel Weekly; Sue Osborne, Travelstations;...

Case study.
May 3, 2004... Vantha, 15, was the oldest of eight siblings from a poor rural family in Cambodia. She used to help her mother prepare food, supervise the farm and help her father in the rice field. Vantha's mother wanted to sell her to a brothel after her...

UNICEF.
May 3, 2004... UNICEF believes the travel industry can help the situation by: Running a campaign making it clear sex with children is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in jail; Notifying the police and/or specialised hotline about suspect...

Holidays with Lolita.
May 3, 2004... In the second part of our probe into child sex tourism, ABTA's Frances Tuke visits Cambodia and finds out how difficult it is to battle this evil trade The bar's entrance opens on to a dance floor crowded with girls...

New team to get message across.
May 3, 2004... ADVANTAGE Travel Centres is creating a London-based membership team to overhaul its communication with agents. The six-strong team will partly replace - and develop - the roles of redundant sales development managers. Interim managing...

President praises restructure.
May 3, 2004... OUTGOING Advantage president Roger Smith said a consortium restructure would accomplish what he had set out to achieve after a decade in the job. In his final conference address as president, he urged agents to vote for a "fitter"...

Concerns over Gold Medal deal.
May 3, 2004... ADVANTAGE Travel Centres is to launch its own worldwide brochure with Gold Medal Holidays in a deal which attracted criticism from some of its own agents and preferred suppliers. Some agents, who asked not to be named, said they would...

'Get closer to suppliers'.
May 3, 2004... ADVANTAGE agents have been urged to work more closely with the consortium's preferred suppliers to stop them seeking more direct sales. Advantage head of commercial Julia Lo Bue-Said issued the warning as agents were told they could have...

Flights drop but sun rises.
May 3, 2004... FLIGHT-only business dropped significantly while specialist summer sun sales leapt during 2003 for Advantage's leisure travel agents. Flight-only sales in the consolidated and charter markets fell from 19% in 2002 to 12.5% of 2003...

Trade urged to act by helping local projects.
May 3, 2004... ON the 10th anniversary of democracy in South Africa, one specialist tour operator is appealing for more companies to work with the nation's local economies following his own lengthy involvement. Since running tours to South Africa from the...

No longer a man's world.
May 3, 2004... There has been a lot of talk recently about the challenges faced by women working in the male-dominated travel industry. Recent research by NOP shows 81% of travel agents are female but ABTA figures indicate only 30% make it to management level...

The stress factor.
May 3, 2004... So a psychologist has come up with a mathematical equation that works out how long it takes people to recover from the stress of going on holiday. While it seems a fun story for the newspapers, agents could make capital out of boffin Susan...

New York pledge.
May 3, 2004... NORWEGIANCruise Line and the Carnival Corporation have jointly pledged a $200 million investment in New York as a world-class cruise port. The two cruiselines will commit the money in port fees to 2017 to help modernise the Manhattan port...

Team of 64 to sell cruises.
May 3, 2004... P&O Princess Cruises UK has announced its largest-ever sales team after merging its existing set-up with sister brand Cunard. The move, announced last year, is aimed at improving links with UK-based Carnival Corporation companies. The...

Excellence plan to bolster sales.
May 3, 2004... HOLLAND America's Signature of Excellence initiative aims to boost the value of the product and its appeal for agents, according to president and chief operating officer Stein Kruse. The $225 million project, launched last November, is...

Europe target for cruiseline.
May 3, 2004... HOLLAND America has launched its latest cruise ship in Europe as part of a drive to build international business which aims to see British passengers top 10,000 this year. The 1,848-passenger Vista-class Westerdam was unveiled to UKagents...

Acorn to strengthen brand.
May 3, 2004... Hotel chain upgrades properties to meet demand for better quality MEDITERRANEAN hotel chain Acorn has launched a drive to build brand awareness on the back of increased demand for higher standard mass-market properties. The Palma-based...

EU newcomers face price rises.
May 3, 2004... THE tourism explosion to the 10 new members of the European Union could be cooled by dramatic price increases, operators have warned. The EU's open skies policy, which allows EU carriers to operate any number of routes within its borders,...

Travel advice change raises liability fears.
May 3, 2004... CHANGES in Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice could leave operators open to "making the wrong decisions", according to the Association of Independent Tour Operators' FCO liaison group. AITO, ABTA and the Federation of Tour...

advantage restructure timeline.
May 3, 2004... n Member meetings to explain restructure in Glasgow on May 12, Birmingham on May 13 and London on May 14. Judge expected to make a decision on the case to make the consortium profit-making in the next fortnight. If court approval is...

Advantage faces legal action over staff cuts.
May 3, 2004... AT LEAST one of the axed Advantage Travel Centres staff is threatening legal action following the group's decision to make 11 roles redundant. The threat comes as agents who claim to have been "left in the dark" on changes by management...

Insurance sales aim.
May 3, 2004... ADVANTAGE will look for new income streams as a profit-making organisation by selling insurance. President Roger Smith is set to become director of insurance services for Advantage Financial Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary insuring...

'Heavy-handed approach'.
May 3, 2004... THEconduct of Advantage head office in the current restructure is the same "heavy-handed approach" that drew it into a spat over tiered commission last year, according to Cadogan Holidays managing director Gary David. "Advantage head...

Airtours sheds a tier.
May 3, 2004... AIRTOURS Holidays has axed the Holiday Plus price tier from its first-edition summer 2005 programme. The operator said the move was based on changing customer demands and a bid to differentiate and simplify its offering, not because price...

l in brief.
May 3, 2004... Air health petitionLabour MP John Smith will submit a 17,000-signature petition to Downing Street on Wednesday calling for airlines to be made responsible for passengers' health. Airlines are currently only responsible for physical injury. ...

Police issue appeal over raid on agency.
May 3, 2004... POLICEare appealing for help in solving a robbery at a Stockport travel agency in January. Greater Manchester police have released CCTVimages of two men who robbed the Lunn Poly agency in London Road, Hazel Grove, with what appeared to be...

Operators calm over SARS risk.
May 3, 2004... A new outbreak of SARSin Beijing is unlikely to hit sales, say tour operators. The World Health Organisation confirmed a fresh outbreak last week, with eight definite cases and 1,000 people kept in isolation. All cases have been linked to...

Design 'too grand'.
May 3, 2004... NO-FRILLS airlines are concerned BAA's development plans for Stansted Airport are too ostentatious. BAA has hired top architects Grimshaw - the people behind the Eden Project and the new Eurostar terminal at Waterloo - to design the layout...

l in brief.
May 3, 2004... London hotels boom Latest figures for London hotels show a strengthening of yield and occupancy, say consultants PKF. Occupancy for March rose 15.6% over last year to 78.2%. Average room rates reached [pounds sterling]101.09, a 10.1%...

l in brief.
May 3, 2004... BP Travel Marketing Services signs three-year deal BP Travel MarketingServices has renewed its contract with First Choice Holidays to handle more than six million items annually over the next three years. It has handled the operator's...

Customs rejects ABTAtax plea.
May 3, 2004... CUSTOMS and Excise has rejected ABTA's plea to relax European Union VAT laws for holidays to the 10 countries that joined the alliance this week. ABTA estimates operators to the 10 countries will have to pay an extra [pounds sterling]10...

Warning from Holiday Extras.
May 3, 2004... HOLIDAY Extras has launched insurance policies while warning of continued confusion among agents on new regulations coming into force next year. The Holiday Extras insurance division has introduced a European annual multi-trip insurance to...

l in brief.
May 3, 2004... US Airways looks to cut costs US Airways has warned it needs to implement a new cost structure and revenue plan as it struggles to return to profitability. New chief executive and president Bruce Lakefield made the call as the company...

New kids' clubs next summer.
May 3, 2004... PANORAMA has launched a new kids' club for its Summer Sun 2005 brochure. The Panorama Beach Ball Crew Club is led by three characters - Sandy, Wheels and Spike - who will also visit agents. The clubs are free at nine properties in the...

Taking in the Taj.
May 3, 2004... TEN agents were given the chance to see one of the seven wonders of the world on a eight-night fam trip to India organised by Travelpack. Retailers visited the Taj Mahal in Agra as well as Delhi and the Amber Palace in Jaipur on...

Site offers late rentals.
May 3, 2004... DIRECTORS of an Advantage travel agency have created a consumer website that markets discounted overseas properties for last-minute holidays and sells holiday add-ons. Stockton Heath Travel Centre partners Jon Chapman and Linda Crowder...

Collection service is no waste of time.
May 3, 2004... Paul Hanson's tongue-in-cheek April fool letter (Travel Weekly April 19) just can't go unanswered. The Waste Brochure Collection service is a serious attempt to provide a cost-effective solution to a problem that won't go away. ...

'You don't know us at all'.
May 3, 2004... Wallace Arnold alarmed at agents' out-of-date product knowledge WALLACE Arnold is launching a communications campaign after discovering agents have a poor knowledge of its product range. The new campaign - Think you know us? Think...

Call for action by Advantage.
May 3, 2004... ADVANTAGE Travel Centres is asking members to volunteer to be 'mystery shopped' after research found agents are missing out on business by failing to close the sale. Following a telephone mystery shopping exercise among 162 agents carried...

Overhaul goes right to the core.
May 3, 2004... ADVANTAGE bosses have announced an internal shake-up in addition to the planned external restructure after "failing" agents and operators. The news comes after management claimed it had won over members who were worried about plans to turn...

News in brief.
May 10, 2004... Virgin gets bigger Virgin Holidays has launched its largest-ever Caribbean brochure. At 240 pages, it includes more than 140 hotels and 20 different Caribbean islands. Around 30 hotels are new and the islands of Anguilla and St Barts have...

Idyllic islands to pick and mix.
May 10, 2004... Don't balk at the thought of selling a Caribbean multi-centre. Get to grips with the details and clinch that sale Choosing where to go in the Caribbean can be a daunting task - there are more than 35 countries in the region and each one is...

Hotels to go direct on sales.
May 10, 2004... MAJOR hotel chains have warned they intend to end their reliance on online travel agents and sell their rooms direct to consumers. Ironically, Internet giants such as Expedia and Lastminute.com will be squeezed out of the sales process and...

India to extend open sky policy.
May 10, 2004... INDIA has vowed to throw open its skies to international carriers as it bids to increase the number of overseas visitors to the country. It is the latest step in the so-called 'India Initiative', launched by the ruling National Democratic...

Agents 'can mark up' EasyHotels rooms.
May 10, 2004... EASYJET boss Stelios Haji-Ioannou has told travel agents he is happy for them to add their mark-up to rooms in his new EasyHotels venture. This is the second time Haji-Ioannou has sought to court the trade, following his promise that...

Air Malta set for charter challenge.
May 10, 2004... AIR Malta is planning to grab a slice of the UK charter market by starting operations from Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. The carrier hopes to challenge independent charter players Monarch, Excel and Air Atlanta by offering flights to...

Airport seeks public support.
May 10, 2004... COVENTRY Airport is planning to repair relationships with the local community by launching a consultative forum. TUI will hold regular meetings with residents, businesses and community groups to ensure the airport's plans are communicated...

Virgin shuffles staff.
May 10, 2004... VIRGIN Atlantic is shaking up its sales and distribution team. From June 1, sales and distribution director Paul Dickinson will become director of customer service, responsible for the call centre, airports, in-flight services and customer...

Excel one v BA club world.
May 10, 2004... Excel One Non-stop service every Sunday. Separate check-in and fast track through Gatwick. Leather armchairs with 45-in pitch. Choice of upgraded menu. Free wine, champagne and soft drinks. Hand-held entertainment...

Excel shows its class.
May 10, 2004... Destinations report benefits of upgraded charter service Excel One It's been six months since charter carrier Excel Airways made its first foray into long-haul travel with flights to the Caribbean, and feedback from tourist boards and...

News in brief.
May 10, 2004... Dominica's dive fest Dominica is holding its annual Dive Fest from July 2-10 to highlight the country's renowned dive product. Free scuba and snorkelling sessions from the Dominican Water Sports Association, a whale and dolphin safari and...

places to taste great nosh.
May 10, 2004... East Winds Inn, St Lucia The hotel serves a four-course meal each night, with two choices for each course. No meal is repeated within a fortnight. Fish and lobster are brought fresh from the beach by passing fishermen in their canoes, and...

Sustaining the future.
May 10, 2004... HOW can we persuade the travel industry to take sustainable tourism seriously? The issue is becoming increasingly important. There is a clear need for travel companies to do more to protect the places we all love to visit - and they are...