Free on board spending money, discounts of up to £1,000 per couple and bonus commission lead P&O Cruises’ wave peak booking period campaign.

An integrated marketing campaign breaks on December 28 and runs until January 31.

The push combines radio, direct mail, inserts and brand press supplements.

Twenty four national brand press inserts will span the wave period and a radio campaign featuring 30 second brand advertisements with 10 second promotional trails will feature on Classic FM, Smooth and Real radio.

Online brand display advertising will also be increased for the period, on sites such as CruiseCritic, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Classic FM, Conde Nast Traveller, Lastminute.com, Expedia, Yahoo, MSN and Facebook.

Wave offers include:

+ Double discount on Azura and Ventura superior deluxe balcony staterooms, with savings of up to £1,000 per couple
+ Double on board spending money – of up to £150 per person – on 25 selected departures between April and June
+ ‘Cruise Ahead’ promotion offering an extra 5% discount if paid in full at time of booking
+ 2.5% bonus commission on 25 selected departures between April and June

P&O Cruises’ managing director Carol Marlow said: “Our ‘January Sail’ promotion offers increased value for money in a time when people are looking for ways to save without compromising on experience or quality.

“We have more ships sailing from the UK than any other line, visiting over 200 destinations around the world, and luxury has never been more affordable with savings of up to £1,000 per couple on cabins with a balcony.

“This is the ideal time to be selling a P&O Cruises holiday, and emphasising the extra value for money customers can get by opting for a higher grade cabin with balcony. Especially with the additional five per cent discount available if the balance is paid in full when booking within the wave period – these are serious savings that should be taken advantage of.”

With the launch of new superliner Azura in April, P&O Cruises will have seven ships sailing from the UK.

Source: Phil Davies – TravelMole.com

Bookmark It

Eurostar is to continue with a restricted service through the Channel Tunnel today and tomorrow (Christmas Eve) following mass disruption due to trains breaking down at the weekend.

The passenger train service said the backlog of passengers from the weekend had been cleared following procedures put in place to prioritise passengers.

Trains will be running throughout the day today and tomorrow on a restricted service.

“Customers with tickets for travel between Saturday 19 and Thursday 24 December can come to the terminal on either Wednesday or Thursday and we will do our best to allocate a seat on the next available train,” the company said.

Source: Phil Davies – TravelMole.com

Bookmark It

A second Scottish travel company has collapsed in less than a week following the demise of Globespan.

Glasgow-based ABTA member S V International Travel Service ceased trading on Thursday and cannot meet its future liabilities.

The company also had a branch in Edinburgh and was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Globespan Group.

It also traded as Anglo Scottish American Travel, 1st World Travel, Air Savers, Anglo Scottish Air Savers, ASAT, Canadian Travel, Direct Flightsavers, Flightsavers, Flightsavers Direct, Kangaroo Club and World Travel.

Information on the number of forward bookings through this company is currently unavailable, ABTA said.

Any retail claims arising from the failure will be handled by ABTA’s claims handling partner CEGA.

The company also had licensable turnover and any ATOL claims will be handled by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Source: Phil Davies – TravelMole.com

Click here for Travel Jobs in Scotland

Bookmark It

Severe weather conditions have forced Eurostar to cancel all services today (Monday) for the third day in succession.

The move follows major disruption on Friday night and Saturday when 2,000 passengers on five trains were stuck in the Channel Tunnel for up to 16 hours and thousands of other travellers had pre-Christmas travel plans disrupted.

The bad weather was also affecting airports across the UK with Manchester airport shut yesterday afternoon leaving hundreds of people stranded overnight and Bristol closed for a period. Flights from other airports were suffering from delays and cancellations this morning.

Eurostar said in its latest service update last night: “As a result of the test runs that were conducted today we now understand the cause of the disruption over the weekend and have identified the modifications that are required.

“As we suspected, the acute weather conditions in northern France have caused the disruption.

“Every year we carry out a ‘winterisation’ programme of the entire fleet which to date has successfully protected our trains. We now know, however, that we need to further enhance the snow screens and snow shields in the power cars of the trains.

“We have already started making the modifications and to ensure that these new protection measures work effectively we are conducting a further series of test runs.

“Our priority is ensuring that when we resume services we provide our customers with a robust and reliable operation.

“We sincerely regret having to take this decision and we understand how frustrated and disappointed travellers will be, particularly those who have been waiting to travel for the last two days.

“We strongly advise passengers whose travel is non-essential to change their booking to a later date or claim a refund on their tickets.

“For customers who have been unable to travel over the last few days, Eurostar will cover the cost of out-of pocket expenses, for example, hotels and taxis. Full details of our compensation policy are on www.eurostar.com”

Source: Phil Davies – TravelMole.com

Bookmark It

One of the oldest-established family-run tour operators has been sold.

Virgin Holidays has agreed to purchase Bales Worldwide for an undisclosed sum.

Bales was set up by George Bales in 1947 and will continue to be run by his daughter Mandy Nickerson as managing director.

“As part of the Virgin Holidays family, it will be very much ‘business as usual’ and yes, that includes me and all my team,” she said.

“I will be remaining as managing director and will continue to be involved in all aspects of the operation.”

The Bales Worldwide name will remain following the takeover.

“Our news puts Bales alongside a widely respected name in the world of travel and at the same time enables us to keep all the things we love about Bales,” said Nickerson.

“Teaming up with Virgin opens a new chapter for us and one which I am really excited about.”

She promised “exciting additions” to the business, details of which will be disclosed in the future.

Virgin Holidays managing director Amanda Wills said: “We’re delighted to welcome Mandy Nickerson and the Bales Worldwide team into the Virgin Holidays’ family.

“As a long-established group and tailor made specialist known, like us, as a customer champion, we’re pleased to offer this new proposition to the same high standards as the rest of our portfolio.

“We continue to expand into areas our customers ask us for. Bales Worldwide adds even more tailor-made and escorted long-haul adventures to a stable that offers Virgin Holidays Cruises, budget Florida with Travel City Direct and luxury, bespoke adventures through our partnership with HIP Hotels”

Source: Phil Davies – TravelMole.com

Bookmark It

The boss of the cabin crew union embroiled in a dispute with British Airways, which is set to ground flights for 12 days over Christmas, has hit out at the airline’s ‘macho management’.

Unite union joint general secretaries Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson said Christmas travel on BA is being “held hostage by a macho management which prefers imposition and confrontation, or even litigation, to negotiation”.

The claims come despite BA chief executive Willie Walsh saying he is prepared to meet the union at any time to resolve the dispute while also seeking a legal injunction in an attempt to prevent the strike.

The union bosses said: “Last Friday we offered to suspend any industrial action and declare a ‘pause for peace’ if the company would only agree to suspend its imposition of new terms and conditions on cabin crew.

“Willie Walsh turned this offer down flat. Confrontation, not negotiation, is his approach, even though an industrial dispute will cost the company vastly more money than his projected savings from attacking cabin crew conditions.”

They added: “If British Airways want to get Christmas back on schedule, and values its relations with its own core employees, it will now take up our offer – suspend the imposition of contractual changes and we will suspend the strike.

“That is the choice – a pause for peace or madhouse macho management.”

Source: TravelMole.com

Bookmark It

Well known independent St Andrew’s Travel in Bolton has been taken over by Hays Travel.

The deal means that St Andrew’s three North-West based branches and cruise lounge will be rebranded Hays Travel, which already has has 35 agencies, three call centres and more than 300 homeworkers.

All 24 staff at St Andrew’s Travel will remain in their jobs as part of the take over of the shops in Bolton, Horwich and Westhoughton, according to Hays.

The move gives the North East-based agency group its first foothold west of the Pennines.

Sales and marketing general manager Jane Schumm said: “I’m delighted to announce that we are expanding into the North West, where we hope to gain the same kind of street presence and brand recognition as we do in the North East using the St Andrew’s purchase as a springboard.”

Opened in 1983, St Andrew’s Travel grew from a one-man business to a leading agency in the North West with more than 20 staff.

Mac van der Merwe, owner of St Andrew’s Travel and CEO of Zorgvliet Portfolio, runs a range of hotels and game lodge in South Africa and has recently launched the Zorgvliet Private Residence Club.

The sale will allow him to concentrate on international vacation ownership markets leading up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, a statement said.

Source: Phil Davies – TravelMole.com

Bookmark It

An overhaul of the ATOL passenger protection scheme does not go far enough, according to consumer watchdog Which? Holiday.

A ‘flight plus’ element is to be suggested in an effort to close the passenger protection loophole when different travel components are booked together with a flight.

Responding to the revamp of the system announced by transport secretary Lord Adonis, the body’s head of research Rochelle Turner said: “The ATOL scheme in its current form provides great protection for anyone taking a package holiday or booking through an ATOL bonded agent.

“But a significant number of people book hotels from direct links on airline websites, or use online travel agents to book their own package, and could be left without the peace of mind that they are protected should something go wrong.

“While it’s great that the Government is taking steps to make the scheme relevant to today’s holidaymaker, we are concerned it doesn’t go far enough to ensure that all travellers are equally protected.

“The proposed ‘flight plus’ category needs clarification to prevent consumers being left open to loopholes which may leave them stranded should something go wrong.”

Flight plus’ measures have been proposed whereby ATOL protection would include all sales of a flight together with another significant element, such as hotel accommodation or car hire.

Which? Holiday said it is aware of a growing trend towards “reverse packaging”, where people are booking hotel accommodation and then booking their flights through a link on the hotel website.

This would not be covered under the proposed changes to the ATOL scheme, the body claims.

The proposals to reform the ATOL scheme are designed to reflect changes in the holiday market and make it easier for those booking holidays to understand whether their trip is covered or not, the Department for Transport said.

The changes could see the new wider ‘flight-plus’ category introduced, to make clear that anyone booking a flight and another holiday component such as car hire or hotel will be protected by the scheme.

The ATOL scheme reform plans are subject to a 12-week public consultation.

Detailing the ATOL review, the DfT said: “The objective of the reforms in the consultation is to provide greater clarity for consumers and the travel trade about the scope of ATOL protection for holidays and flights.

“‘Flight plus’ measures are proposed whereby ATOL protection would include all sales of a flight together with another significant holiday element.

“In addition, the consultation provides options to clarify the financial protection of flight-only sales, by parties other than an airline, so as either to include or exclude them from the ATOL scheme.

“It is further proposed that standard ATOL documentation should be issued to passengers so that they are clear about their financial protection status.”

Lord Adonis said: “The ATOL scheme has remained a source of reassurance for travellers since it was drawn up in the 1970s. However, since that time, there have been big changes to travel patterns.

“The concept of a package holiday has become blurred, as many holidays are now sold through mix-and-match components.

“Consumers must be able to make informed choices. The changes we are proposing will help ensure that the scheme remains relevant to the way people book their holidays today and still offers excellent protection for travellers.”

Other changes being confirmed today mean that the Civil Aviation Authority will be given a new primary duty for airport economic regulation to promote the interests of passengers.

Passenger Focus will get new statutory powers to represent air passengers as it already does for rail users and soon will for bus users, building on the work currently done by the Air Transport Users Council.

Lord Adonis said: “These measures will result in real improvements for air passengers and will help ensure that we get the most efficient and competitive aviation sector possible.
“I’d like to thank the Air Transport Users Council for all their work to help passengers. I’m sure Passenger Focus will be a strong champion for their needs going forward.”

The same document also sets out the Government’s other proposals to ensure that the CAA can focus on the public interest.

These include new general objectives to ensure that the needs of the consumer and the environment are at the forefront of the CAA’s decisions, whilst maintaining an emphasis on safety; new powers to enable more targeted enforcement; and the ability to secure the publication of information where this is in the public interest.

Source: Phil Davies – TravelMole.com

Bookmark It

The number of European travellers taking overseas trips and the amount they spent both went down in the past 12 months.

Outbound trips taken by Europeans dropped by seven per cent, while their spending when away was down by 15 per cent, according to the newly published ITB World Travel Trends Report.

Long-haul travel fell by 12% and short-haul trips by six per cent.

There were a record number of last minute bookings as the travel industry was particularly hard hit by the effects of consumer insecurity.

The number of people booking their holiday just one week before travelling rose by 18%.

By contrast, the number of reservations made in the period from one week to one month before the start of a trip fell by five per cent. Bookings made from one month to three months before travelling went down by 13%, and for three months and more by 12%.

Europeans are also less willing to make a firm decision regarding their travel intentions in 2010 than they were a year ago, the study shows.

More than two-thirds (68%) of those polled in October said they would travel at least as often as they did in 2009, down from 80% at the same last year.

Travel activity declined most in the UK (minus 15%), followed by Russia (minus 12%) and in Sweden (minus ten per cent).

Germans undertook five per cent less trips abroad. Austria was the only nation to report gains, with travel activity up by two per cent over 2008.

The report, compiled by consultancy IPK International, found that in the calendar year following the worldwide economic and financial crisis, the international travel industry experienced “serious decline” but nonetheless survived in better shape than was expected in the spring.

The findings are based on the assessments of 60 tourism experts from 30 countries on a special IPK International trend analysis and on core data supplied by the World Travel Monitor, the largest ongoing survey of global travel behaviour in some 60 source countries.

Dr. Martin Buck, director competence centre travel and logistics at ITB organiser Messe Berlin, said: “For holiday destinations, airlines, hotels, tour operators and travel agencies, travellers are becoming an increasingly indeterminable factor.

“Together with demographic shifts, changing lifestyles and technological progress, the recession is changing travel behaviour.

“Holidaymakers are not showing their hand and last-minute bookings are at a record high.

“With the economic situation as it is there are huge challenges awaiting the travel industry.”

Source: Phil Davies – TravelMole.com

Bookmark It

British travellers are reluctant to cut their flying to help the environment, new research shows on the opening day of the Copenhagen Summit on climate change.

Only 13% of people are sufficiently concerned about the environmental impact of flying to cut the number of flights they take, while 15% admit that they are likely to fly more in the next year than they have in the past.

Ninety per cent of people are unlikely to change their holiday plans to reduce the environmental impact of their trip.

Factors such as price and convenience are seen as being far more important, according to the study by research company TNS-RI Travel and Tourism.

The travel figures come in stark contrast to general environmental attitudes which show that the British public is becoming increasingly worried about climate change.

Two thirds admit that they frequently discuss environmental issues, and 73% insist that they are ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ concerned about what the future holds.

Yet only five per cent of the 2,090 travellers polled have made a payment to offset the environmental cost of a trip and only 11% are confident that plans made by the governments of major economies will be able to tackle climate change.

The company’s group director Tom Costley said: “This research points to a ‘hands off’ approach to the question of travel and the environment.

“Even though we claim to be concerned about climate change, we prefer to consider our travel plans in isolation and avoid letting green concerns affect our flying.

“There seems to be a feeling that going on holiday is an escape from reality and everything that comes with it – including considering our role in the long-term health of our planet.

“Consumers are expecting the travel industry to take responsibility for implementing changes and improvements, rather than taking direct action themselves.”

Source: Phil Davies – TravelMole.com

Bookmark It