TM Insider 223

The TravelMole Insider – Issue 223
ISSN 1474-2292
28 August 2002
https://www.travelmole.com

This newswire includes messages from Sheffield Hallam University
and ThisisTravel.

A message from Sheffield Hallam University:
/

LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
1. US agents stung by booking fees
2. Interview: Jo Rzymowska, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
3. More corporate travel booked online
4. UFTAA accuses airlines of greed and short-sightedness
5. Conlon leaves Airtours for TV Travel Shop
6. Hotel Industry finds silver lining over 25 years
7. HotelClub teams up with Yahoo!
8. US airlines propose marketing triad
9. BWIA looks for massive savings
10. US prepares for Sept 11 slowdown
11. BA launches winter long haul sale
12. Journey Latin America moves over to Amadeus
13. Cendant to buy Budget for $107.5m
14. Astbury Travel signs up to Telewest Endeavour
15. 1.5 million Brits to travel over August bank holiday
16. Green Globe to launch new Responsible Tourism website
17. Progress made on poverty elimination with launch of ‘Step’
18. Cape Town Declaration: Responsible Tourism in Destinations
19. Wish List for WSSD, by Ron Mader
20. Site of the Week: Responsibletravel.com

A message from ThisisTravel:
/

COMMENT by Jeremy Skidmore
Recent research has shown that the travel industry is
“delivering poor telephone customer service”.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/87192

Apparently the travel industry is well suited to those intensely
annoying automated call-handling systems. You know, the ones
where you are put on hold for ages and asked to choose from a
list of options that never seem to include the things you need
to talk to someone about. But the industry scores badly when it
comes to handling calls automatically or live – i.e. by human
beings instead of a machine. There won’t be many people arguing
with that.

Much as I hate automated systems, I can understand why companies
use them. Basically, they save time and money. But if they are
not properly suited to your customers’ needs, they can also cost
you the business. The same goes for people answering the
telephones. There is a world of difference between a friendly
person who takes time to help you and someone who is trying to
push you a certain product in the shortest possible time.

As one of our readers, John Cockerill, pointed out, company
boardrooms have got to stop thinking of call centres as cost
centres to be paired down to the bare bones, but instead be
investing money into them to generate customer satisfaction.
Of course, accountants don’t like to do that because it is hard
to measure how much that investment is worth. They should listen
to that old marketing adage: The best advertisement you can have
is a recommendation from a satisfied customer.

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: https://www.travelmole.com/news/index.html

1. US agents stung by booking fees
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two more US carriers have announced expanded or increased
booking fees.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89212

2. Interview: Jo Rzymowska, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walt Disney is convinced the decision to merge its Florida and
Paris operations will lead to increased bookings through the
trade. Sales and marketing for Disneyland Paris and the Florida
theme parks will come together under ‘Walt Disney Parks and
Resorts’ from October.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89155

3. More corporate travel booked online
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nearly half of all corporate travel is being booked on the
internet, according to a recent survey.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89209

4. UFTAA accuses airlines of greed and short-sightedness
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UFTAA has branded airlines greedy and short-sighted and called
for national associations to suspend formal dialogue with IATA.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89194

5. Conlon leaves Airtours for TV Travel Shop
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airtours Holidays managing director, Seamus Conlon is joining TV
Travel Shop.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89187

6. Hotel Industry finds silver lining over 25 years
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Britain’s hotel industry has transformed itself into a
significantly more profitable business in the last 25 years,
according to PKF’s ‘UK Trends 2002’.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89125

7. HotelClub teams up with Yahoo!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HotelClub.net is to publish its hotel deals on the Yahoo! UK and
Ireland website.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89173

8. US airlines propose marketing triad
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines
hope to codeshare on flights, expand lounge access for
passengers and introduce reciprocal arrangements on their
frequent flyer schemes.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89171

9. BWIA looks for massive savings
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cash-strapped BWIA is trying to save $1 million in an attempt to
reduce its debt.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89156

10. US prepares for Sept 11 slowdown
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
US businesses are set to cutback on air travel on September 11,
the anniversary of the terror attack on the Twin Towers in New
York.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89158

11. BA launches winter long haul sale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
British Airways has launched a winter long haul sale with
discounted flight tickets to 49 long destinations.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89121

12. Journey Latin America moves over to Amadeus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South and Central American specialist operator, Journey Latin
America, has switched from Galileo to the Amadeus GDS system.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89123

13. Cendant to buy Budget for $107.5m
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Car rental giants Avis and Budget are to join forces after Avis’
parent Cendant announced it was buying its rival for $107.5m in
cash.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89157

14. Astbury Travel signs up to Telewest Endeavour
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Astbury Travel, one of the leading travel agents in South West
England, is the latest agency to sign up for Endeavour,
Telewest’s browser-based reservations system.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89122

15. 1.5 million Brits to travel over August bank holiday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABTA estimated that 1.5 million Britains will be heading
overseas over the Bank Holiday weekend.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89127

16. Green Globe to launch new Responsible Tourism website
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Green Globe 21 is launching a website to allow its members to
sell certified responsible tourism products online.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89128

17. Progress made on poverty elimination with launch of ‘Step’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahead of the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD), a ‘Sustainable Tourism for the Elimination
of Poverty’ initiative (Step) has been launched to link
sustainable tourism with the elimination of poverty.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89124

18. Cape Town Declaration: Responsible Tourism in Destinations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An outcome declaration has been produced following last week’s
Cape Town conference on ‘Responsible Tourism in Destinations’.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89139

19. Wish List for WSSD, by Ron Mader
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ron Mader has submitted the following wish list for the
Johannesburg Earth Summit on Sustainable Development.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89252

20. Site of the Week: Responsibletravel.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just in time for the upcoming Johannesburg World Summit on
Sustainable Development, we bring you Brighton-based
ResponsibleTravel.com.

TravelMole reviewer Adrian Mann says: “A refreshing change to
the more usual travel site. It gives a different perspective on
travel that usually goes unmentioned – it’s effects and
consequences on the local inhabitants and environment of the
destinations. The information and advice given is always
practical and relevant, and the site never becomes ‘preachy’ or
moralistic. Highly recommended, and definitely worth a visit.”
Read his full review:
https://www.travelmole.com/item/88843

LATEST PRESS POSTINGS
Atlas Travel insurance join Farebase web portal
Active Hotels management team strengthened
Exodus Systems opens UK Office
e-Travel unveils latest Web Services technology
Call-link’s magic desktop leaves customers spellbound
https://www.travelmole.com/news/press

CAREERZONE
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