TM Insider 218

Tuesday, 23 Jul, 2002 0

The TravelMole Insider – Issue 218
ISSN 1474-2292
23 July 2002
http://www.travelmole.com

LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
1. MyTravel appoints new European chief
2. The TravelMole Interview: Seamus Conlon, Airtours Holidays
3. TTI announces transatlantic technology alliance
4. Cost control to remain Sabre priority
5. Lastminute spending spree continues
6. Energis rescue deal announced
7. Opodo adds package holidays
8. EC set to approve Carnival bid for P&O Princess
9. AAC changes name as part of recruitment drive
10. BA offers more new low fares to Europe
11. BA and Iberia to work closer together
12. Airline losses continue to pile up
13. Huge increase in US agents quitting airline sales
14. US agents cheaper than websites, claims new report
15. Why worry about booking fees?
16. Battle of the agent extranets continues
17. UFTAA calls for action over PSAA
18. TQ3 Travel Solutions offers cytric to corporates
19. Thistle makes two key appointments
20. Don’t wreck the ETC, says former tourism minister
21. EnglandNET kicks off
22. Tourists are not all bad, says industry expert
23. BEST announces key appointments
24. UK travellers call for more responsible holidays, says IHEI
25. Site of the Week: Abletogo.com

GUEST EDITORIAL by Jeremy Skidmore
MyTravel’s decision to appoint high-flyer Philip Jansen from
Telewest as chief executive of its European division is a
significant move. Jansen is joining at a critical period and it
seems increasingly likely that his main task will be to oversee
a deal with rival First Choice.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86717

The European Court has already set the wheels in motion by
overturning a 1999 decision blocking Airtours, as MyTravel was
formerly called, from acquiring First Choice. Of course, life
has changed somewhat in three years. Although MyTravel is still
bigger than First Choice, many in the city prefer the leadership
of the Gatwick-based company under Peter Long and there is a
question mark over whether MyTravel has the resources for a
takeover. But one thing is clear: further consolidation in the
package holiday market is inevitable. With four big companies –
Thomson, MyTravel, First Choice and Thomas Cook – slugging it
out, margins have never been tighter and no one is expecting a
bumper summer of profits for operators.

Anyone who has held travel shares for the past few years has had
a poor return and not just in the current climate of the share
market collapse. The most likely scenario now between MyTravel
and First Choice is an agreed deal, which should bolster the
value to shareholders of both companies. It could also make a
lot of senior executives, who are hanging on to share options
which are currently not worth the paper they’re printed on, very
rich. And as it would leave the market with three big players,
consumers would still have plenty of choice.

Jeremy Skidmore

—
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. MyTravel appoints new European chief
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MyTravel Group has announced that ex-Telewest boss Philip Jansen
is to head up its European operations.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86717

2. The TravelMole Interview: Seamus Conlon, Airtours Holidays
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airtours Holidays managing director Seamus Conlon is banking on
his new controversial pricing policy to sell more packages early
in the season.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86741

3. TTI announces transatlantic technology alliance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
European travel technology body the Travel Technology Initiative
(TTI) has formed an alliance with its US-based counterpart the
OpenTravel Alliance (OTA).
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86797

4. Cost control to remain Sabre priority
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sabre EMEA vice president Chris Kroeger has told TravelMole that
the company will be continuing to keep a close eye on costs for
the foreseeable future.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86732

5. Lastminute spending spree continues
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lastminute is to strengthen its position in Europe with the
GBP 32million purchase of rival Travelprice.com.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86697

6. Energis rescue deal announced
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Former Asda chief Archie Norman is to step into the breach at
Energis as the banks try to sort out its problems.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86297

7. Opodo adds package holidays
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Opodo’s UK customers can now book package holidays online due to
a link up with South Wales based fulfilment and technology
company DTS.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86246

8. EC set to approve Carnival bid for P&O Princess
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P&O Princess Cruises, which announces its second quarter results
tomorrow (July 24) could be taken over by Carnival rather than
original bidder Royal Caribbean.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86733

9. AAC changes name as part of recruitment drive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Association of Airline Consolidators (AAC) has changed its
name in order to reflect the changing business interests of its
members.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86287

10. BA offers more new low fares to Europe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
British Airways has announced that it is cutting fares by over
80% on routes from the UK to Germany, Switzerland and Austria as
it launches its latest major competitive response to the no
frills carriers.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86467

11. BA and Iberia to work closer together
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
British Airways and Spanish carrier Iberia Airlines have
announced details of a new co-operation agreement.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86692

12. Airline losses continue to pile up
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The problems at US airlines have intensified with three major
carriers reporting an increase in losses.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86742

13. Huge increase in US agents quitting airline sales
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An increasing number of US travel agents are quitting airline
sales because they are unable to make enough money out of them,
according to new statistics.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86744

14. US agents cheaper than websites, claims new report
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Business travel agents are the best source for finding the
cheapest airfares in the US, according to a new study.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86743

15. Why worry about booking fees?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If we want to reduce travel costs, why worry about booking fees?
A series of thoughts on corporate travel issues for travel
managers, from item Consulting.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86691

16. Battle of the agent extranets continues
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Competition between the extranet providers to sign up travel
agents continues as Fred. Olsen Travel announces it has signed
up to X-tant’s Traveleye and Ramsay World Travel has announced
it is to implement Telewest’s Endeavour.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86478

17. UFTAA calls for action over PSAA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Birger Backman, ceo, Universal Federation of Travel Agents’
Associations (UFTAA), has written the following letter
to ‘Competition Authorities Worldwide’ regarding the outcome of
the recent IATA Passenger Agency Conference, Miami.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86574

18. TQ3 Travel Solutions offers cytric to corporates
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TQ3 Travel Solutions has announced it is to offer i:FAO’s
business travel eProcurement software cytric to its corporate
customers in all global markets.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86472

19. Thistle makes two key appointments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thistle Hotels has made two senior appointments following the
restructure of its UK sales team.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86274

20. Don’t wreck the ETC, says former tourism minister
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Former Tourism Minister John Lee has criticised both
Conservative and Labour Governments for having let down English
tourism.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86494

21. EnglandNET kicks off
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EnglandNET, the online information and e-business network for
English tourism, held a conference in London last week to detail
how new partnerships combined with new technology will help
English tourism businesses reach a global audience.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86495

22. Tourists are not all bad, says industry expert
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tourists are too often seen as “grockles, punters, hordes”
and “despised destroyers” according to one of the speakers at
The Tourism Society’s annual general meeting last week.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86249

23. BEST announces key appointments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel (BEST) has made a
number of new appointments to its board, including members from
IH&RA, WTTC and the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86568

24. UK travellers call for more responsible holidays, says IHEI
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
British holidaymakers are leading the move towards
environmentally responsible travel, even if that means paying
more for a holiday, according to a new multi-national report on
consumer travel trends by the International Hotels Environment
Initiative (IHEI).
http://www.travelmole.com/item/86473

25. Site of the Week: Abletogo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This recently launched site aims to allow disabled and elderly
people to search for hotels, guesthouses and self-catering
accommodation that suit their specific needs. It was set up by a
team of two, both of whom are disabled, with a history of
working as disability advisors. They also wrote a popular guide
to pubs, clubs and restaurants, and have used their experience
to create this site.

TravelMole reviewer Adrian Mann says: “As I’m neither disabled
nor elderly, it’s perhaps presumptuous to pass comment. What I
can say is that this is a site of the highest quality, and the
level of information contained is comprehensive to say the
least…. Highly recommended – even if you think this site isn’t
relevant to you, I would urge you to have a look and see what a
properly researched, well made and useful site looks like.”
Read his full review:
http://www.travelmole.com/featured_sites.html

LATEST PRESS POSTINGS
e-Travel extends global relationship with SAP through 2007
Farebase launches new agent incentive programme
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

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Please note these discounts are only available to serving travel
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full details of these offers, go to:
http://www.travelmole.com/item/69822

CAREERZONE
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