TM Insider 216

The TravelMole Insider – Issue 216
ISSN 1474-2292
9 July 2002
http://www.travelmole.com

FEATURE: Pregnancy in the workplace
Travel recruitment specialist New Frontiers looks at pregnancy,
its effect on the workplace, legislation and women returning to
work.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85507

FEATURE: CRM in the travel industry
The background to CRM, how it is being implemented and the
opportunities it provides. Sponsored by Sabre.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/84833

LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
1. The TravelMole Interview: Bruce Bishins, Genesis TDS
2. IATA in big trouble Down Under
3. OTC reduces first half losses
4. OTC takeover talks off – for now
5. Lastminute to buy OTC?
6. Lastminute keeps on track with latest initiative
7. Amadeus gets SMART for GBP 68million
8. Cardiff named as second bmibaby base
9. Budget carriers out-perform BA
10. KLM cuts European fares
11. Eagle International ceases trading
12. Summer starts as soccer stops
13. Golden Jubilee a boost for tourism, says BTA
14. Worldchoice conference venue announced
15. Sustainable tourism bid to help world’s poor
16. Site of the Week: LonelyPlanet.com

EDITOR’S NOTE
It is make or break time for travel agents worldwide, according
to Mike Hatton, chief executive of the Australian Federation of
Travel Agents. Mr Hatton says that the recent rejection of a new
more agent-friendly Passenger Service Agency Agreement leaves
agents “with no other choice but to use every weapon at their
disposal to ensure their survival in the global airline
distribution system.”

In a sign of just how serious the issue has become, AFTA has
suspended participation in IATA meetings until the deadlock is
broken.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85487

Many in the industry believe agents are not being fairly
rewarded for the work they are doing for the airlines. And it
now looks like the momentum is growing to do something about it.

Have your say! If you would like to add your thoughts to this
or any other TravelMole article, click on the ‘Add a Comment’
button at the top of the story.

Best wishes

Richard Hammond
mailto:[email protected]

LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
Breaking Stories: http://www.travelmole.com/news/index.html

1. The TravelMole Interview: Bruce Bishins, Genesis TDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The airlines’ rejection of a new Passenger Sales Agency
Agreement could be the catalyst that finally makes an agency-
controlled travel industry distribution system reality,
according to Genesis Travel Distribution System president and
chief executive Bruce Bishins.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85472

2. IATA in big trouble Down Under
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) says it will
no longer participate in IATA meetings following the rejection
by the airline association’s members of a new Passenger Service
Agency Agreement.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85487

3. OTC reduces first half losses
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Online Travel Corporation (OTC) has reported reduced losses for
the first half of the year and said it will “remain watchful” of
consolidation opportunities in the sector.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85460

4. OTC takeover talks off – for now
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Online Travel Corporation chief executive Mark Jones has told
TravelMole that while its talks with a third party about a
possible takeover are now off, they could be resurrected.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85349

5. Lastminute to buy OTC?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lastminute.com is being touted as the most likely candidate to
buy Online Travel Corporation (OTC), which has confirmed it is
in takeover talks with a third party.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85256

6. Lastminute keeps on track with latest initiative
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lastminute.com customers will be able to book all available
train tickets retailed on rail website thetrainline.com thanks
to a new agreement between the two companies.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85096

7. Amadeus gets SMART for GBP 68million
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amadeus has taken full ownership of SMART, its National
Marketing Company (NMC) for Scandinavia, Latvia and Lithuania.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85560

8. Cardiff named as second bmibaby base
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No-frills airline bmibaby has confirmed that Cardiff
International Airport is to be its second UK base.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85255

9. Budget carriers out-perform BA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
British Airways saw its passenger figures slump by 12 percent in
June, while no-frills airlines Ryanair and Go both reported big
increases during the same month.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85368

10. KLM cuts European fares
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KLM is the latest airline to cut ticket prices and simplify its
fare structure in a bid to compete with the no-frills sector.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85502

11. Eagle International ceases trading
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Staffordshire travel agency Eagle International has ceased
trading after being unable to meet is liabilities.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85355

12. Summer starts as soccer stops
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Active Hotels is the latest travel firm to report that its
bookings have increased since the end of the World Cup.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85099

13. Golden Jubilee a boost for tourism, says BTA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The British Tourist Authority (BTA) says that its overseas
offices have seen enquiries increase following last month’s
Golden Jubilee celebrations.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85459

14. Worldchoice conference venue announced
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Independent travel agent consortia Worldchoice has revealed that
Tenerife will be the venue for next year’s conference.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85497

15. Sustainable tourism bid to help world’s poor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) are to join forces
to try to reduce worldwide poverty.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/85461

16. Site of the Week: LonelyPlanet.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TravelMole reviewer Adrian Mann gives this week’s featured
site, LonelyPlanet.com, a big thumbs-up.

He says: “It’s changed a lot since I first found it many years
ago, and I’m glad to see it hasn’t lost any of the freshness
and style that made Lonely Planet popular in the first place.
The advice, comments and articles all have an air of
authenticity. It appears that it’s all based on first-hand
experience. As a site, it’s quick, easy to navigate, rejects the
use of gimmicks or things that will annoy the user, and
looks good throughout.” Read his full review:
http://www.travelmole.com/featured_sites.html

LATEST PRESS POSTINGS
Worldspan names Vela McClam-Mitchell to lead worldwide travel
supplier services
Farebase releases new versions of fare searches
Baubock Report issued by ETTFA
http://www.travelmole.com/news/press

TRAVEL DEALS FOR THE TRAVEL TRADE
TravelMole, in association with idDeals, brings you the
opportunity to get exclusive travel trade and airline staff
discounts at a range of properties at home and abroad:

Seychelles, The Plantation Club: luxurious beach resort, 25% off.
Dubai, Five star Hilton resort: GBP 35 per double incl tax.
Australia Gold Coast, Sea World Nara Resort: from GBP 61.
London, Radisson Edwardian: GBP 142.50 per double room.

Please note these discounts are only available to serving travel
agents or airline staff and their travelling companions. For
full details of these offers, go to:
http://www.travelmole.com/item/69822

CAREERZONE
This week on TravelMole there are 89 travel-related job
vacancies, all listed at:
http://www.travelmole.com/cgi-site/tmjobs.cgi
If you want to be the first to know about a new vacancy that
matches your own interests, just set up a Job Vacancy Alert and
we’ll send you an email as soon as the job is posted.
http://www.travelmole.com/cgi-site/tmjprofile.cgi?action=insert

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