TM Insider 227

Tuesday, 24 Sep, 2002 0

The TravelMole Insider – Issue 227
ISSN 1474-2292
24 September 2002
http://www.travelmole.com

A message from ntl:business:
/

Introducing a new name in communications solutions for the
travel industry – ntl:business (Travel Division). Formerly known
as X-TANT and building on the huge success of Traveleye, we’ve
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LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
1. Worldspan to tap into no-frills sector
2. Interview: BITOA chief executive Richard Tobias
3. Airlines still reliant on agent sales
4. Finnair joins commission axe bandwagon
5. ASTA to raise consumer awareness
6. bmibaby will go it alone
7. US airlines seeking government support
8. Air Jamaica losses mount
9. Chipp to manage JMC Airlines
10. Ryanair sets out its standards
11. Virgin Express ditches German plans
12. Celebrity increases Caribbean capacity
13. Curin leaves P&O
14. First Choice records 100,000th web booker
15. Net Trans takes over ABACUS commissions
16. Cyprair chooses Call-link
17. US operators get to know the UK
18. Opodo bags ex-BA man
19. Traveltek to concentrate exclusively on Internet technologies
20. French rail travel made easy
21. TTI conference to tackle distribution issues ‘head-on’
22. Best Western re-signs Pegasus
23. New body to promote islands worldwide
24. Middle-East facing bookings crisis
25. China will receive 100m visitors in 2003
26. ITT bailed out of crisis
27. UK Dept for Transport opens door to changing light dues

A message from Worldspan:
/

One of the leading Global Distribution Systems (GDSs),
Worldspan’s technology solutions make a real business difference
by providing electronic distribution of travel information,
Internet solutions and e-commerce capabilities for travel
agencies, travel service providers and businesses around the
world. Worldspan processes over 50 per cent of all online
travel agency bookings. Around 21,000 travel agencies and other
customers use Worldspan for travel data and booking capabilities
for hundreds of the world’s leading suppliers.
http://www.travelmole.com/redirects/worldspan.html

COMMENT by Jeremy Skidmore
The other day I went into my local holiday hypermarket. I wanted
to pick up a last minute summer holiday and I’ve always been a
fan of the hypermarkets. John Donnelly, who invented the
concept, always seemed to have 100 ideas a minute to raise the
profile of the hypermarkets during his time there.

But I have to say it was a shock. There were lots of adverts for
Christmas in the window, but they didn’t actually highlight any
Christmas breaks. Inside there was a Santa walking around ho-ho
hoing. Families were looking confused – and that was just the
parents.

If it had been linked to some great deal then perhaps it might
just have been bearable, but this Santa just seemed to be in the
shop having fun and greeting people as if it was Christmas Eve.
I’m no big fan of Christmas and I don’t want to sound like
scrooge, but is there anything more horrendous than the
celebration of Christmas in the middle of September?

I have to say that after about five minutes in the hypermarket,
I had to leave. A reminder of being with relatives, eating
turkey and watching the Wizard of Oz was too much to bear. In
the end, I booked my holiday on a well-known Internet site that
has a reputation for offering last-minute deals.

I’m all for wacky ideas to get people booking, but I do hope the
new people in charge of Holiday Hypermarkets will think of a new
promotion. Surely the public doesn’t want several months of
Santa?

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]

A message from ThisisTravel:
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LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
Breaking Stories: http://www.travelmole.com/news/index.html

1. Worldspan to tap into no-frills sector
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Worldspan is making a push into the UK and Europe with a new
webfares search facility, enabling agents to tap into the
booming no-frills sector.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90785

2. Interview: BITOA chief executive Richard Tobias
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
British Incoming Tour Operators’ Association chief executive
Richard Tobias has called on the controversial new Tourism UK
body to work the private sector to make sure their concerns are
heard by government.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91282

3. Airlines still reliant on agent sales
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A recent survey shows more air passengers are buying tickets
online, but not direct from the airlines.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90779

4. Finnair joins commission axe bandwagon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finnair has slashed US travel agent commissions to 5% with no
cap on the amount which can be earned.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91289

5. ASTA to raise consumer awareness
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The American Society of Travel Agents is planning to spend the
next 12 months bolstering consumer awareness of the value of
travel retailers.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91288

6. bmibaby will go it alone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bmibaby has switched booking systems to one more suited to no-
frills carriers.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91054

7. US airlines seeking government support
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airline executives in the US are appealing to the Congress for
financial support, should the country go to war with Iraq.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91088

8. Air Jamaica losses mount
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Air Jamaica has lost approximately $70m during the past 12
months and will require additional financing.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91287

9. Chipp to manage JMC Airlines
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thomas Cook UK aviation director, Glen Chipp is to become
managing director of JMC Airlines.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91204

10. Ryanair sets out its standards
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ryanair has announced a customer charter, but will not be held
to account.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90747

11. Virgin Express ditches German plans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Virgin Express has abandoned its plans to enter the German
market.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91070

12. Celebrity increases Caribbean capacity
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Celebrity Cruises is dedicating a second ship to the Caribbean
for summer 2003.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91084

13. Curin leaves P&O
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P&O Ferries Group Finance Director, Joanne Curin, plans to step
down later this year.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91254

14. First Choice records 100,000th web booker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First Choice has announced its 100,000th online booking since
launch in January 2001.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91193

15. Net Trans takes over ABACUS commissions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Singapore-based GDS, ABACUS, has signed Net Trans to manage its
agency commissions.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90978

16. Cyprair chooses Call-link
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The tour operator subsidiary of Cyprus Airlines, Cyprair, has
chosen Call-link to supply its voice solutions.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90971

17. US operators get to know the UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BTA is taking 60 US tour operators for fam-trips around the UK.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90970

18. Opodo bags ex-BA man
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Opodo has made David Scowsill chief executive officer. He worked
at British Airways for 13 years, as well as holding various
positions at American Airlines and Hilton International.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90958

19. Traveltek to concentrate exclusively on Internet technologies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Travel solutions provider Traveltek has announced that it has
sold its interests in computer and network services and will now
focus on Internet and software development.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90825

20. French rail travel made easy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Business travellers using a KDS booking tool will soon be able
to book tickets on the French railways.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90737

21. TTI conference to tackle distribution issues ‘head-on’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The travel industry will have a chance to bash the issues of
distribution technology at the TTI’s autumn conference.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91225

22. Best Western re-signs Pegasus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pegasus Solutions will continue to process Best Western agency
commissions for the next three years.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90964

23. New body to promote islands worldwide
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A new body to promote tourism to islands throughout the world
has been set up by the former chief of Guernsey Tourism.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91286

24. Middle-East facing bookings crisis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Destinations like Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia face a huge drop in
bookings in the event of a war, operators have warned.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91284

25. China will receive 100m visitors in 2003
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Malaysia experienced more growth in visitor numbers last year
than any other region in Asia Pacific. However, PATA reports
that China (PRC) is the dominant market within that sub-region
and is expected to break the 100 million arrivals mark in 2003.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91074

26. ITT bailed out of crisis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The financially crippled Institute of Travel and Tourism has
been bailed out of its crisis by tour operators.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/91285

27. UK Dept for Transport opens door to changing light dues
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The British Tourist Authority has launched a campaign to reduce
fees levied on cruise ships when they stop at UK ports.
http://www.travelmole.com/item/90716

LATEST PRESS POSTINGS
24-Sep: E-travel signs up five more airlines for its internet
booking engine
23-Sep: Amadeus e-travel offers flexible web fares solution
18-Sep: Call-link provides voice solutions for Cyprair
17-Sep: Sabre and Ramesys provide discounted access to leading
UK tour booking system
16-Sep: Farebase portal puts Unijet product at West Midlands
Co-op’s fingertips
http://www.travelmole.com/news/press

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